Verbatim

5 February 2010

And the Best (Big) Picture Award Goes to…Pepsi

by Karen Barone

1 Comment »
All posts by Karen Barone

I live for awards season. I love the Golden Globes, honestly believe the SAG Awards really do mean more, and [deep sigh] swoon over the Oscars. It is in the spirit of film awards, that I offer you some 2010 Super Brand Awards:

I live for awards season. I love the Golden Globes, honestly believe the SAG Awards really do mean more, and [deep sigh] swoon over the Oscars. It is in the spirit of film awards, that I offer you some 2010 Super Brand Awards:

Best Actor: Domino’s Pizza
I know that the idea to address consumer complaints in ads has been polarizing, but I’ve loved every minute. You’re advertising that you’ve changed; you’re listening to your consumers; you’re advertising that you’re listening. You’re so Meta—the Daniel Day-Lewis of pizza.

Best Supporting Actress: Diapers.com
You’re the new exemplar of online shopping. The selection! The free shipping! You’re the picture of flexibility, versatility, and consistency. You remind me of a young Amazon.com.

Best Director: The International Red Cross
Your “text ‘Haiti’ to 90999” campaign provided individuals an easy and affordable way to help victims of the earthquake. You harnessed the power of social media and of mobile devices to create change. Your work will be copied, but I doubt it could ever be out done.  Mmmmm… the “Avatar” of philanthropy. 

Best (Big) Picture: Pepsi
Kudos, Pepsi! When other, less innovative, brands are spending an exorbitant amount to advertise during the Super Bowl, you’ve made a bold move and decided to end your 23-year run as a big game advertiser. Instead you are using $20 million marketing dollars to listen to and better the lives of your customers. You’re the advertising equivalent of De Niro in ‘Raging Bull.’ Bravo!

One Response to “And the Best (Big) Picture Award Goes to…Pepsi”

  1. Rocky Prozeller says:
    February 8, 2010 at 11:46 am

    Despite distancing myself from the Oscars after the shameful decision to increase the number of nominated films for Best Picture from 5 to 10 (really, double?), I’d like to cast a vote for:

    Best Original Screenplay: Will It Blend by Blendtec – captured my heart with their crushing campaign of introducing a new ingredient (iPods, baseballs, video cameras and more) to their blender blog daily. http://www.blendtec.com/willitblend/

    Best Adapted Screenplay: Intel – the good folks of Intel have effectively given a personality to their inanimate product with their latest campaign. The ‘Our Rockstars Aren’t Like Your Rockstars’ series proved equally poignant in several mediums from TV to print, no simple task. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqLPHrCQr2I

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3 February 2010

At the Genius Bar, Enjoying an APPLE-tini (aka “Can’t we all just get along?”)

by Jack Cahill

8 Comments »
All posts by Jack Cahill

A long time PC user, I recently crossed party lines and bought my first Mac. I was interested in creating a harmonious co-existence in my home network.

Although the purchase of this new MacBook may seem impulsive, my decision to go Mac has apparently been a gradual one. I know this because it was explained to me by the robotic, well programmed Mac Expert at the Apple Store (a place deliberately designed to lull you into a false sense of having a lot of extra money to spend). He described the PC to Mac conversion as a three part process, probably engineered by Steve Jobs himself:

A long time PC user, I recently crossed party lines and bought my first Mac. I was interested in creating a harmonious co-existence in my home network.

Although the purchase of this new MacBook may seem impulsive, my decision to go Mac has apparently been a gradual one. I know this because it was explained to me by the robotic, well programmed Mac Expert at the Apple Store (a place deliberately designed to lull you into a false sense of having a lot of extra money to spend). He described the PC to Mac conversion as a three part process, probably engineered by Steve Jobs himself:

  • First, you embrace the iPod (check).
  • Then, you switch to iPhone (check).
  • Finally, you purchase your first Mac (and check).

He went on to explain that the rest “happens naturally”—as you work more on your Mac, you start ignoring your PC and eventually stop using it altogether. 

That “natural” part has not happened to me yet. I am impressed with the MacBook and enjoy learning more about it. It is sleek, and well designed. But my PC still is my primary computer (and probably always will be).

Despite how that sounds (and what some of my friends would say), I am not a PC user who previously disliked the Mac. I have worked with the Mac before both at work and school (and I LOVE my iPhone). But most of my professional experience has been on the PC, and Windows Networking is an old hobby of mine that I turned into a career. I just always figured that the Mac did not have any real place in my life (and I did not want to shell out the big $$ for one). 

However, as an IT professional I understand that I need to be familiar with both Windows and the Mac platforms. With the release of the iPad (a rather large new iPod model), and the new more affordable MacBook, I decided now was the time to go down the rabbit hole.

As I try to figure out what role each will play in my life moving forward, there is one thing I have learned through this experience—I am a “PC” who now understands why so many people love their Macs.

Let the hate mail begin.

8 Responses to “At the Genius Bar, Enjoying an APPLE-tini (aka “Can’t we all just get along?”)”

  1. Halley Suitt says:
    February 3, 2010 at 10:20 am

    Nice post … isn’t it best to know as many systems as possible anyway?!

  2. Mike Jennings says:
    February 3, 2010 at 10:29 am

    Great post, Jack. I guess I’m at Stage 2 of the conversion process you describe. I embraced the iPod, then the iPhone, and now I’m looking into buying a Mac. I guess my thinking is – PC for work; Mac for fun (i.e. media).

  3. Charlotte Daher says:
    February 3, 2010 at 10:58 am

    Mike, I completely agree. There are a lot of things that I feel like I can only do on a PC (mainly work related) but I turn to my Mac for the fun things!

    I am actually a new mac user– a friend of mine gave me his iBook G4 when he upgraded to a MacBook, something I plan on doing soon as well! I quickly found that using a Mac to surf the web, use iTunes, and manage digital photos was easier and more fun than on a PC.

    I think someday I will become a Mac, but for now I am a “PC” who loves using a Mac.

  4. Jack Cahill says:
    February 3, 2010 at 11:00 am

    Halley, I agree – being familiar with multiple systems makes a user more versatile. Mike, that is how I see it right now too – PC for work and Mac for play.

  5. Karen Barone says:
    February 4, 2010 at 7:14 am

    Jack,
    In the spirit of computer-related confessions, I’m a Mac gal who’s currently thinking of buying a PC. My Mac just doesn’t offer me a good gaming environment and it bums me out. (Yes, I game too. Am I revealing too much?) I think it’s interesting that most folks think of Macs as their “fun” machine (see Mike’s post above). The truth is…sometimes I think of my Mac as a really expensive place to keep my music and pictures. Sigh….

    That being said, I love, love, love my iPhone.

  6. Jack Cahill says:
    February 4, 2010 at 9:32 am

    Karen, I will send you a link directly to a nice HP notebook, very powerful, very affordable – you should get what you need from it. Not much of a gamer myself, need to find something to try though.

  7. Rosanna Y. de la Cruz says:
    February 5, 2010 at 4:03 am

    Jack,

    I love this post and so appreciate it!

    It has been enjoyable to see you slowly but surely join the bright, sunny side that is the world of ‘being’ a MAC. It is a nice pastime for those of us who are die hard groupies of MAC computers and avid people watchers.

    You bring up some very valid points of discussion re being a MAC or a PC. I agree that depending on what you use the device for, you could be tipped one way or the other.

    Some observations from someone who has been a MAC girl since high school:

    •In my experience, using a PC 100% of the time is akin to being an active member of a dangerous cult, especially if you happen to be an IT professional. Until you spend some time away from the PC environment (or until you are ‘deprogrammed’ by a Mac) you don’t realize anything was amiss with the way you have been operating.

    •As a MAC user, I can totally see why it would be challenging for a PC person to come over to this side, especially if you live and die by the evil empire’s useful apps. Take for example, MS Outlook. I have completely abandoned Entourage, the MS answer to Outlook, as it is extremely frustrating and does not have the functionality I require for being effective professionally. I am sure there are many others like me.

    •I tend to view it as being a ‘native’ speaker of a language. Be it you are a PC or a MAC native, you are always going to be more comfortable in whatever language you grew up with. That said, bi-lingual folks tend to appreciate the positive side effects of being able to express themselves in more than one language. It just makes you better rounded.

    Pls keep blogging about your experience. So fun to read!

  8. Mike Butler says:
    February 5, 2010 at 1:55 pm

    Great Post, Jack.

    I purchased my first Mac after a bad PC experience, hard disk failure after owning the pc for a week. That was 8 years ago. I wanted it for iTunes, and iDvd for home videos. I didn’t go through the 3 stages, I just thought, for what I need at home, this is going to be much easier than anything I’ve seen on the PC. Now I own 3 macs, and I’ve never looked back.

    I’m happy to hear that you’re enjoying your Mac.

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29 January 2010

The Source of Bauer’s Power

by Rocky Prozeller

2 Comments »
All posts by Rocky Prozeller

The following takes place between 9:00pm and 10:00pm.

Monday night means a Bauer power hour, a sixty minute stay in the land of make-believe following the FOX show, ‘24’. Engaging in our weekly espionage means moving lights to their “off switch” and a vow of silence from all sofas—a tradition eight years running.

The following takes place between 9:00pm and 10:00pm.

Monday night means a Bauer power hour, a sixty minute stay in the land of make-believe following the FOX show, ‘24’. Engaging in our weekly espionage means moving lights to their “off switch” and a vow of silence from all sofas—a tradition eight years running.

Through the years, the couches, company, and even the TVs used to take it in have changed, but the time dedicated to the drama has not—it’s always a full sixty minutes. Despite the advent of the DVR, advertisers are still guaranteed complete attention to their commercials among our group, a ritual reserved solely for this single show.

The commercial breaks, often overruled with the frenzied fast-forward button, create a chance to build anticipation as the two-plus minutes are spent agonizing over the story line and what comes next. Simply stated, speeding through sponsorships would stall the total satisfaction served by Bauer.

TV networks turn to Nielsen to verify their viewership and judge consumers’ jubilee for a given show, but what the ratings don’t reveal—the show finished a tough third last Monday, even falling behind a rerun of ‘Two And A Half Men’—is the manner in which the show is seen.  

Our fixed formation of five viewers adds a solitary stat to the show’s overall ratings when we watch on a single TV—missing not only more numbers, but the show’s status as a weekly event. Beyond the basic data lies a paradigm probably produced for other programs (everything from ‘American Idol’ to NFL games): a show’s ability to create an experience for its viewers.

Because we extend our enjoyment by watching real-time rather than recording, we tend to talk through the two minute respite—often about the commercials providing the pause.

As advertisers roam through the bevy of broadcasts to pick their placements, they’d be wise to noodle a new metric of success, one which accounts for audiences by gauging the richness behind the ratings—now that’d be something even Jack couldn’t stop; well, not in a single day anyway.

–

As you march on through the waning days of January’s winter-wonderland, we encourage you to stay warm by dancing as if no one was watching.

2 Responses to “The Source of Bauer’s Power”

  1. Matt D. says:
    February 2, 2010 at 7:59 am

    I have viewed the program from its inception 8 seasons ago from many a couch, with an ever-shifting band of 24 brethren beside me. And yes, we do enforce the “shut your mouth between clock-beeps” law that naturally pairs with such a show when it is being presented in “real time.”
    Still, as I finally exhale from the fast-paced, Bauer-fueled action to take a deep breath with a word from our sponsors, I am not sure how closely I watch the ads. I agree that the 2 minutes plus adds the needed level of anticipation to the show, which luxuries like DVR allow us to avoid, yet I seem to use those minutes to break my fixed gaze on the screen to reflect upon Jack’s uncanny ability to overcome any odds (be it a nuclear blast or the shakes from heroin withdrawal).
    You have a great point that ad exec’s are now faced with a new demon to slay…the viewer’s ability to fast forward commercials when they have DVR’ed a show. I am not sure there is even a way for them to conquer that beast, unless they approach TV execs to develop more 24-like shows that need the commercials to increase the show’s intensity.
    I do find one thing interesting related to ads after so many Bauer-soaked years though. I tend to pay close attention to commercials featuring 24 actors. Be it the bold and morally fortified, late President Palmer making sure I’m in good hands with Allstate or Keifer using his “sweet” voice to purr about Sprint, I can’t help but watch and remember good times from past seasons.
    Maybe that’s the key…cast all advertising with 24 staff.
    Kim Bauer on the hood of a Mustang slinging car wax? Chloe convincing me how well Ex-Lax works?
    Now that would be one hell of a day!
    …beep-beep, beep-beep…

  2. Kate DeVagno says:
    February 2, 2010 at 5:20 pm

    The only show I’ve ever dedicated my (real) time to was “The Shield” on FX. Despite not watching much TV, during “The Shield” I was keenly aware of the edgy commercials… especially a Ketel One Vodka ad that was largely panned by ad agencies but really made an impression on me. I never DVR’ed through that one, and we have Ketel One in our freezer.

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26 January 2010

What is Research without Closing the Feedback Loop?

by Richard Weiss

2 Comments »
All posts by Richard Weiss

In our business they say insights can come from even the smallest nugget. Well the light bulb flashed on for me last night while enjoying some prime time television. Among the menagerie of ads for cars, electronics, and food was an ad for Domino’s Pizza. I know what you’re thinking, pizza ad? Must be a glamour shot of drippy cheese, crunchy crust, and sizzling pepperoni (heck, I’m getting hungry just writing about it). Wrong.

In our business they say insights can come from even the smallest nugget. Well the light bulb flashed on for me last night while enjoying some prime time television. Among the menagerie of ads for cars, electronics, and food was an ad for Domino’s Pizza. I know what you’re thinking, pizza ad? Must be a glamour shot of drippy cheese, crunchy crust, and sizzling pepperoni (heck, I’m getting hungry just writing about it). Wrong.

Instead the president and managers of Dominos Pizza admitted their guilt, internalized their feedback, and fed (no pun intended) it back to the customer. No hiding behind the numbers here. Focus groups, Twitter, and more told Domino’s that their pizza was bad from its cardboard crust to its ketchupy sauce. Despite my fond college memories of late night Domino’s deliveries, they revamped their pizza lineup with fresher ingredients, better recipes, and a new sense of pride. But they didn’t stop there, they did the most important act of all and told the customer what they did with their feedback (you can see the video here).

This is what I deem the crowning achievement of their hard work. Rather than squirreling their research away and perhaps never acting on it, Domino’s aired it out for us and showed us how they acted upon it. Hopefully, the feedback inspired customers to feel empowered, to know their voice counts, and to continue advising Domino’s and others on what the customer wants. After all, who doesn’t want to hear that they affected change in the age of the consumer?

2 Responses to “What is Research without Closing the Feedback Loop?”

  1. Jani Fraga says:
    January 26, 2010 at 7:11 am

    This “turn-around” trend is becoming more and more important in the economy today. It is vital for a customer’s voice to be heard in a time where everyone is pinching pennies. If I am going to order a pizza, am I going to order one where I have deemed their sauce ketchuppy? Pizza in my house has gone from weekend staple to a special occassion, and so to hear that Domino’s has heard my plea for a delicious treat? (Put my order in with yours, Rich! I am getting hungry too!)

    Crocs and Windows 7 have also based a lot of their ad campaigns on the buzz around their products. Windows’ campaign of “I invented Winndows 7″ or Crocs “I like the Crocs sneakers, but I will never wear the red ones” show that companies ARE listening, and the result is something we can all bite into :)

  2. Rob Markey says:
    January 28, 2010 at 7:12 pm

    Great article, Richard. In December, Harvard Business Review published an article we authored on exactly this topic. You can find it here: http://hbr.org/2009/12/closing-the-customer-feedback-loop/ar/1.

    The Dominos approach to this situation is really refreshing.

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22 January 2010

Getting Visual(ly) Inspired

by Karen Barone

4 Comments »
All posts by Karen Barone

Happy Friday FOVs (Friends of Verbatim)! There’s nothing I like more than finding a new website to make me laugh, get me thinking, or inspire me to create. In the spirit of sharing, I offer you my new favorite.

Happy Friday FOVs (Friends of Verbatim)! There’s nothing I like more than finding a new website to make me laugh, get me thinking, or inspire me to create.  In the spirit of sharing, I offer you my new favorite.

So, return the favor…what are you loving online these days?

4 Responses to “Getting Visual(ly) Inspired”

  1. Brad Mampe says:
    January 22, 2010 at 11:00 am

    I’ve been having an average time recently:

    http://www.averagecats.com/
    http://mylifeisaverage.com/

  2. Jani Fraga says:
    January 22, 2010 at 12:09 pm

    Communispacer Catie Schadlick turned me onto this little gem:

    http://www.bakerella.com

    With adorable little stories, and new sweet ideas, Bakerella gets my confectionary creative juices flowing!

  3. Diane Hessan says:
    January 22, 2010 at 12:20 pm

    I have tons of sites that I love, but this one cracks me up: http://tweetingtoohard.com/

  4. Allison Quigley says:
    January 22, 2010 at 12:33 pm

    Jani, I also love bakarella, her cake pops are amazing (too bad my baking skills stop at break and bake)!

    Right now I am loving http://www.thesixtyone.com! It’s a music streaming site with a fresh, clean format and great quality tunes!

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21 January 2010

TV in the ’10s

by Mike Jennings

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All posts by Mike Jennings

It sounds like 3D TV was the big hit at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, but I’m still wondering about content…

One day in ‘09, after paying a hefty cable bill, I flipped through my channels and came up with nothing. I went through my DVR queue, nothing. I wondered, “What did I just pay for besides the Internet?”

It sounds like 3D TV was the big hit at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, but I’m still wondering about content…

One day in ‘09, after paying a hefty cable bill, I flipped through my channels and came up with nothing. I went through my DVR queue, nothing. I wondered, “What did I just pay for besides the Internet?”

Soon after that I began researching my pay TV alternatives. It’s not that I didn’t want to pay. I just didn’t want to pay so much for so little. While facilitating one of our communities I discovered a thread between two members who had the same frustration. One member recommended Roku—the streaming Internet device that connects to your TV. I mail-ordered one and when it arrived, a whirlwind romance began.

It started with a marathon of the first three seasons of Miami Vice (click here for my analysis). Then I found out why so many of my friends are obsessed with Lost. After that I worked my way through the Ken Burns documentaries, but the passion eventually fizzled as I ran out of instant Netflix titles.

I didn’t want to do it, but I went back to my old standby—network TV. At first it was comfortable and familiar, but after awhile became too predictable and the commercials started to annoy me again. Then I went back to Roku and had a fling with Amazon Video On Demand. After paying $1.99 per episode of the first season of Fringe, I ended it. Now it’s 2010 and I’m back with the old ball and chain—cable TV.

I have to say that all of this has left me bitter about the future of TV. Will we ever be able to truly customize our TV experiences?

2 Responses to “TV in the ’10s”

  1. Nicole Adriance says:
    January 25, 2010 at 6:03 am

    I love this post Mike! I have the same frustrations with TV and long to truly customize my TV experience. Why does the guide show me all the channels – even the ones I don’t get, leading me to click on channels just to be greeted with a ‘no access’ message? Why is it that when I do a search to record shows on DVR it does not give me the option to select the HD channel resulting in the future dissapointment of discovering I accidentally recorded the non-HD version? Why can’t I do a search to find my favorite channels? I can never find HGTV or FitTV without slowly scrolling through each channel looking for the correct acronym.

  2. Mike Jennings says:
    January 25, 2010 at 6:29 am

    Thanks, Nicole. I suspect a lot of people share our frustration. We’re so used to customizing our music experiences through iTunes that we now expect it from TV. I guess time will tell when it comes to the future of TV…

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20 January 2010

Everything You Need to Know about Social Media You Learned in Kindergarten

by Debi Kleiman

7 Comments »
All posts by Debi Kleiman

kidsI’m no social media expert, far from it in fact. I blog now and then, I’ve been a community manager for several years, I share pictures, and I like to tweet (@drkleiman) once in awhile. However, a few days ago while talking to someone who wanted some advice about participating in online communities and social networks, a funny thing happened. As I listened to the advice I was giving, it reminded me of that Robert Fulghum poem, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.

kidsI’m no social media expert, far from it in fact. I blog now and then, I’ve been a community manager for several years, I share pictures, and I like to tweet (@drkleiman) once in awhile. However, a few days ago while talking to someone who wanted some advice about participating in online communities and social networks, a funny thing happened. As I listened to the advice I was giving, it reminded me of that Robert Fulghum poem, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. 

If you think about it, it’s really that simple, the rules of engaging online are basic, human goodness even a 6-year-old can understand. Most of what you really need to know about social media, whether you are an individual or a major brand, you learned in kindergarten.

Here are few examples:

  1. Share – make sure what you do online using social media is worth sharing or at least not wasted space. It is after all called social media for a reason. You should try to provide value to your followers and make sure your participation in a community is adding something to the overall experience.
  2. Remember the Golden Rule – treat people how you want to be treated. Be nice, don’t yell, use your manners, have fun, and make friends.
  3. Be curious – Try some new things and be open to being clueless. Our CEO, Diane Hessan(@CommunispaceCEO) got on Twitter to try an experiment and poke around—she’s learned a lot from it and in turn has become a source of great information to her over 8,000 followers.
  4. Be a good sport – We all make mistakes, if you make one, own up to it—say you’re sorry. People will forgive you and may even respect you more for your honesty and good humor.
  5. Listen – You’ll be amazed what you hear. There’s a ton to learn using social media if you stop shouting and just listen.

Ok, so my personal favorite, compliments of my own 6-year-old is “take naps” however in this case it doesn’t relate. Or does it?

What are some others?

7 Responses to “Everything You Need to Know about Social Media You Learned in Kindergarten”

  1. Will @Deshair Foskey says:
    January 20, 2010 at 6:29 pm

    Reward – six year olds like Gold Stars, or any symbol of accomplishment. Although my Life Coach blog is very young, I am lining up a giveaway next month. Lots of goodies :)

  2. jwallace says:
    January 20, 2010 at 7:13 pm

    “taking naps” absolutely makes sense! This is the best guideline I’ve found thus far!! and simple to follow ;o)

  3. Dave Armon says:
    January 21, 2010 at 8:34 am

    Agreed. Nap time can only make us better communicators.

    Is the SM version of the Gold Star the badges we earn for checking in on FourSquare?

  4. Debi Kleiman says:
    January 21, 2010 at 9:26 am

    jwallace – maybe “nap time” in regards to social media is the idea that sometimes you should take a break from it! Some things are better said or done in person; or there can be a tendency to get addicted to your online social life… so taking time away for it, for a “nap” of sorts, is just good sense.

  5. Debi Kleiman says:
    January 21, 2010 at 9:28 am

    Will, I like the idea of rewards – makes me think about gaming too, also a part of social. Using rewards (tangible and intangible) can make the community stronger and more interesting! Thanks for adding that.

  6. Lisa Cahn says:
    January 21, 2010 at 10:37 am

    How about
    6: don’t run (walk/tread slowly) with SHARP objects (or words or anything that can harm yourself or others….
    Be wise about what you say and do

    7: READ and do PUZZLES…it develops and hones your mind skills. Do your research. Surf the web for ideas, but don’t forget to give CREDIT where CREDIT is due (no copying!!!)

    8: PAINT a picture of what you or your business are or want to be…make new pictures often…put them up with magnets on the fridge…watch your evolution…be proud of your talents (humbly of course)

    9: Put things back where they belong…be ORGANISED…protect the earth; reuse, recycle, wash carefully, cut up old magazines but read the stories! Don’t forget your /the past…

    10: Taking naps is ESSENTIAL to healthy life

  7. Josh Bernoff says:
    February 3, 2010 at 8:55 am

    From your keyboard to god’s ears . . . you are right but civility is a hard thing to earn. Gizmodo just shut down comments since people weren’t being civil.

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19 January 2010

How to Sell Listening to Your Organization

by Guest Blogger: Joel Rubinson

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First, let me thank Communispace for inviting me to be a guest blogger. I think I’ll ask Diane to return the favor on my blog in the near future.

Now the topic…

People who are involved with listening approaches (mining conversations in blogs, managed communities, etc.) get a little frustrated sometimes; they ask me for guidance of how to sell listening.

First, let me thank Communispace for inviting me to be a guest blogger.  I think I’ll ask Diane to return the favor on my blog in the near future.

Now the topic…

People who are involved with listening approaches (mining conversations in blogs, managed communities, etc.) get a little frustrated sometimes; they ask me for guidance of how to sell listening.

Here is my advice; don’t think of this as research.  Think of it as process reinvention.

For example, consider how an organization might reinvent its innovation process.  How could any informed marketer, when rethinking innovation in an era of social media, NOT integrate listening into the innovation process?  Listening is about hearing what people rather than the marketer wants to talk about, and hearing it in people’s own words.  It’s a window in the mind, heart and emotions of people, one you need to have your nose pressed up against continuously.  Because things change…really fast…giving agile marketers great opportunities leaving traditional marketers wearing the WTF happened look on their faces.

Traditionally, research has been at the fuzzy front end with qual and downstream with volumetric concept or concept/product testing.  Listening is about realizing that things change constantly.  Consumer needs are not linear and scheduled, they change at any time.  If there is no linear process, there is no fuzzy front-END; this is continuous and listening is essential.  Your concept testing must morph into learning experiments instead of magic number idea killers.  If you missed the action standard, learn why.  Is the underlying premise wrong or the idea impractical from a business point of view?  If not, keep working at; if yes, move on.

Now it gets even crazier.  Innovation is not just about creating new “things” with new features.  Brands are experiences and the innovation might come from a connection made via social media.  For Unilever’s Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, the innovation is in the media—creating social media environments, videos, and events that were intended to change people’s concept of beauty in a way that would enhance female self-esteem.  It was a great and innovative thing to do and not a new SKU in sight!

Now if the fuzzy front end is really a continuous backdrop requiring listening, it also means that there is little difference between new product innovation and existing brand sense and respond.  It’s all about a marketer intersecting their assets with emerging needs to serve people—add value to daily human life—who cares if you do that via media, new products, or rethinking your existing brand?  It’s about the need, not your brand management structure.

In an era when 300 million or more are on Facebook, where word of mouth is becoming one of the most trusted sources of advice, and where people love sharing their feelings online in communities, how can a marketer not want to tap into this constant and organic flow of conversations?

IMHO, that’s how you sell listening.

To learn more about how to become an agent of change for your organization regarding listening, come to the ARF’s workshop on Jan 28th in San Francisco, “Putting Listening to Work”.  All attendees will also receive a copy of our just published book, “The ARF Listening Playbook” which contains 35 great success stories that wouldn’t have happened without listening.

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19 January 2010

An Open Letter to Restaurateurs:

by Jen Maltby

6 Comments »
All posts by Jen Maltby

Over the holidays I spent a lot of time in restaurants. I went to everything from fast-casual to white-table-cloth establishments, and I found that all of them were all but ignoring one important group of customers – children.

I know what you are thinking: Why aren’t you going to those “kid friendly places” that have the clowns and balloons and video games? Isn’t that where parents go? My answer: Have you been to one of these little corners of Hell? Ok, maybe that’s a little harsh, but I am an adult and I want to have a clown-free evening! Can’t I do that and still have my child enjoy the experience?

Over the holidays I spent a lot of time in restaurants. I went to everything from fast-casual to white-table-cloth establishments, and I found that all of them were all but ignoring one important group of customers – children.

I know what you are thinking: Why aren’t you going to those “kid friendly places” that have the clowns and balloons and video games? Isn’t that where parents go? My answer: Have you been to one of these little corners of Hell? Ok, maybe that’s a little harsh, but I am an adult and I want to have a clown-free evening! Can’t I do that and still have my child enjoy the experience?

An article in The New York Times touches on this quandary as it tells the tale of a group of Brooklyn moms who were banned from going to a local bar with their kids. Though I am talking about restaurants rather than bars, one of these moms made me think when she said, “[Going to this bar is] one way of denying that your youthful exploits come with a shelf-life… Psychologically, you feel like, ‘Oh, my life hasn’t changed that much.’”  So I’ll admit it, maybe I am still going to all the same restaurants that I went to before my three year old was born because I don’t want to admit that things have changed that much. But should they have to? Can’t restaurants do a little better job servicing our kids (and their parents)?

So, restaurant owners out there, I have some suggestions and observations that I would like to share:

Rethink your kids’ menu. If you had kids or were thinking about them, you would know that everything needs to have a fancy made-up name (think “super princess burger” not “hamburger”). And don’t be afraid to veer from the old standbys. The happiest my daughter ever was at a restaurant was the time she was able to order a “chocolate sandwich” from the menu. It was simply Nutella on toasted honey wheat bread, but she stared at it in awe and quietly ate the entire plate-sized sandwich without a single peep for 20 minutes. If this restaurant was local I would go there once a week.

Crayons are nice, but can you mix it up a bit? We went to a restaurant last year that brought over “Wikki Stix” when we were seated (for those of you unfamiliar – click here). They even let my daughter pick her favorite colors and brought extras when she had used all of her initial set. She was entertained for the entire meal and I was blown away. And how simple was that little idea? We now go to that restaurant at least monthly.

Kids are customers too. I can’t tell you how many times I have been in a restaurant where the waiter completely ignores my child. I am not expecting them to tell me how cute they think she is (even though she really is cute), but it would be nice if you said hello to her when you were greeting us. And can you work with me on when you are delivering my child’s food? I know best when it should come, and believe me it changes with every meal, so involve me — and for the love of god don’t bring me scalding hot food! Let me tell you my friend, that is one quick way to lose your tip and our business. For good.

So, long story short, Mr. and Mrs. Restaurant Purveyor; I want you to think about kids and their parents. We are an important and underserved target. And if we are going to spend our hard-earned, disposable income in this economy, we are going to choose the restaurants that are doing it right and leave the plain hamburgers, crayons and scalding hot fries behind.

6 Responses to “An Open Letter to Restaurateurs:”

  1. Karen Barone says:
    January 19, 2010 at 8:56 am

    Jen,
    I totally agree with you and those insightful women from Brooklyn. We have found a GREAT adult/KID-friendly restaurant: GASLIGHT in the South End.
    I know. I know. It seems impossible, but it’s true. The food is incredible, there’s parking (!!!!!!!!!) and they’re totally cool with kids. They don’t offer toys/crayons/whatnot, but they don’t mind if the table gets crowded with the ones you bring from home. Not perfect, but it’s a start. (Did I mention the parking?)

  2. Jeffrey Gates says:
    January 20, 2010 at 9:48 am

    Jen,
    you rule! As the father of three children, 1 small, 2 not so much anymore, I hear you sister.
    I will share your blog with our 6 restaurants and who knows, Wikki Stix may be coming to a small French/Mediterranean Bistro/Brasserie or American Bistro near you soon!
    Thanks for continuing to dine out in this troubled economy.
    By the way, in my 30 years of business, I have never fielded a complaint regarding and unruly child patron. Wish I could say the same for all of my adult patrons.
    Please feel free contacting me directly with any comments or requests.
    Jeffrey Gates
    Partner
    Gaslight Brasserie du Coin
    Aquitaine Group
    jgates@aquitainegroup.com

  3. Jen Maltby says:
    January 20, 2010 at 12:03 pm

    Thanks Jeffrey, and you make an excellent point about this troubled economy. It’s really never been more important to pay attention to all your patrons. Keep up the great work and see you at Gaslight soon!

  4. Jani Fraga says:
    January 20, 2010 at 12:15 pm

    Jen,
    I love this entry, and as an ex-waitress, I can completely relate. Although the restaurant I worked at appeared to have an age limit, we had an arsenal of children’s books, crayons, and etch-a-sketches on stand-by for our high-chaired guests. The kids’ menu had a contest every year for the little artists to submit their best drawings of the kid cuisine, and some were featured in the menu. do-it-yourself ice cream sundaes and a good-bye balloon always seemed to leave a sweet impression.

    I always felt that in order for the parents (and myself) to have a stress-free experience, the kids were always key. “appetizer-soup-salad” timelines were modified to “appeI WANT MY HOT DOGtizer-soup-salad” … or any other customized randition :)

    Although I have no kids of my own (yet) I would love to hear more about kid-tested, mother-approved spots to go with my friends and their little ones!

  5. Erin (Giroux) Antonellis says:
    January 22, 2010 at 9:59 am

    As a veteran of the restaurant industry I have seen the best and worst case scenarios of children dining out. For the most part I didn’t agree with parents bringing their children, strollers, diaper bags, toys, CHEERIOS (you will find Cheerios for weeks after) etc. out on weekend night at a busy restaurant. It didn’t seem like the right place or right time for children. This could have been because it was mid-July on Martha’s Vineyard or the fact that I was a selfish twenty-two year old (I am guessing it was me!).

    As I think back I completely disregarded the fact that with every child is a couple of parents who are people too. They want to enjoy a night out, a vacation and God forbid each other! It wasn’t until my friends started having kids that I became the biggest supporter of our favorite couples keeping things status quo and not wanting their “youthful exploits to come with a shelf-life”. I still want to hang out with my best girlfriends and our favorite wine-loving couples with or without kids.

    So why can’t we have our cake and eat it too? Mr. Gates makes a very good point – no one is really going to complain about a child patron. For the most part parents that take their children out to a nicer “non-kid-friendly / corner of hell” restaurant come prepared (toys, extra bottles, books etc.). So in these tough times why not open your doors to these parents and welcome them with Wikki Stix and Princess Burgers because after all…their money is green too!

  6. Jen Maltby says:
    January 22, 2010 at 10:25 am

    Erin,
    So well said; and you bring up a really interesting point that I didn’t consider. Often times when my husband and I go out with our child it is with other couples. So you aren’t just losing our $ when you under-serve us, you’re losing theirs. Something to think about.
    Thanks for the comment!

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15 January 2010

The Tomorrow Show

by Rocky Prozeller

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All posts by Rocky Prozeller

NBC knows drama. The network hit the off-switch for Jay Leno’s prime-time TV experiment this week, and what’s ensued is akin to an audience laugh track. After airing for only a few short months, why pull the plug?

With Leno serving as the lead-in, local NBC stations saw their follow-up late news audience drop by an average of 25% from 2008, with larger markets New York (48%), Philly (47%), and LA (43%) leading the loss categories, according to research firm Harmelin Media.

NBC knows drama. The network hit the off-switch for Jay Leno’s prime-time TV experiment this week, and what’s ensued is akin to an audience laugh track. After airing for only a few short months, why pull the plug?

With Leno serving as the lead-in, local NBC stations saw their follow-up late news audience drop by an average of 25% from 2008, with larger markets New York (48%), Philly (47%), and LA (43%) leading the loss categories, according to research firm Harmelin Media.

For NBC affiliates, who clamored for canceling the show since its inception, this wasn’t news—it was affirmation.

Their preeminent plan to please the masses first involved Leno at 11:35, followed by Conan O’Brien’s “Tonight” show at 12:05 with a string of late-late shows lagging even further behind. Conan’s retort, which will rightfully be reviewed as perfection in PR classroom case studies for years to come, nixed NBC’s plan of inviting everyone to the late-night party.

A buyout of Conan coming soon, NBC has placed the party in-charge of the ratings plummet back in place; Leno will once again look out from behind his Late Night desk.

Is Leno the right leader or will fans continue their boredom-borne boycott? One thing is certain, NBC didn’t stop to ask the audience; they simply forged on with what they figured would work best, which is strikingly similar to the start of the melodrama.

NBC outright negated cries from their customers—doubled down when considering affiliates as well—for four months as they forged on with Leno’s weeknight work despite disastrously sour ratings. Possibly done to save dough, after all one live show is infinitely cheaper to produce than five dramas, they’re now left broke with naught but the hope of bringing viewers back.

Perhaps it’s time NBC leaves the monologues to their hosts and opens a dialogue with viewers; then again, at least they got a laugh out of their ratings.

–

Here’s to hoping you let freedom ring as we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. this weekend.

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