Posts Tagged ‘Behavior’

12 March 2010

Lawyers, Guns, and Coffee

by Rocky Prozeller

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All posts by Rocky Prozeller

Does Yosemite Sam enjoy the occasional shot of espresso? Perhaps, but as Starbucks recently learned fans of the Second Amendment sure do. The brewer of brown beverages found itself in the throes of a nationwide debate centered not on caffeine, but gun rights.

Does Yosemite Sam enjoy the occasional shot of espresso? Perhaps, but as Starbucks recently learned fans of the Second Amendment sure do. The brewer of brown beverages found itself in the throes of a nationwide debate centered not on caffeine, but gun rights.

After California Pizza Kitchen and Peet’s Coffee & Tea put a policy in place preventing people from packing heat on their hip when in stores, a gathering of gun-toting citizens were forced to find a new place to frequent—so they sauntered to Starbucks.

Legally, they’re allowed to lug their heavy metal in any of the 43 states which protect the principle; of course businesses bear the right to prohibit people from entering their establishment when wearing weapons—which represents the firepower behind the fracas.

Starbucks is staying centered, ignoring both the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence’s pleas to ban artillery at the bistro and OpenCarry.org’s overture calling for its 28,000 members to caffeinate there in a show of support.

Standing behind a belief that gun-control debate belongs in the legislatures and courts, Starbucks suggests adopting a policy of prohibition in states where it’s legal to roam with a revolver would place its employees in the untenable position of pushing law abiding customers out of stores—an unfair and potentially unsafe position.   

As we stand atop our virtual soapbox during these blog sessions, our solution usually starts with a simple adage: ask your customer. But is that a decaffeinated cup of caution in this case? Both sides sport ammunition in the form of numbers, so who does Starbucks select as a sounding board?

Ordering an opinion from Regular Joe is still justified. It’s the average customer (the many, many more who mind the middle of the argument) who matter most; uncovering their passion, or perhaps utter lack thereof, may provide a made-to-order PR solution. After all, finding an answer doesn’t have to be as difficult as dictating an order for a half double decaffeinated half-caf, with a shot of caramel. 

–

As you pull the trigger on the weekend make sure to get your fill of fun, but don’t forget to set those clocks accordingly on Sunday!

One Response to “Lawyers, Guns, and Coffee”

  1. Matt D. says:
    March 12, 2010 at 11:24 am

    How was I to know she was with the Russian’s brew? HOT!

    It is interesting to see an iconic corporation like Starbucks stuck between a glock and a hard place. Just for my personal amusement, I wish they would stop a second, put the frothed milk down, and take a stance…pro-guns or no-guns. Then other mega-moguls, like Mickey D’s, would be forced to stand up and declare their stances as well. At least then when I was ordering my non-fat, half soy, shaken, not-stirred double grande crappacino or my quadrouple-stacked, fake beef McCalorie patty, I would know if the dude next to me, who looked a little too angry about how much whipped cream they put on his drink, was packing heat or not. (Deep breath…exhale calmly…)

    You are totally right here though…all of us in the middle probably don’t care if Starbucks picks a side. But if I getted capped while frequenting their faux-groovy establishment…I will totally bitch about them not prohibiting firearms!

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12 March 2010

The Risk of Not Making Mistakes

by Bill Alberti

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All posts by Bill Alberti

Risk is a tricky concept. Business typically wants to limit, manage, or mitigate it. Eliminating risk altogether probably would be seen as the ultimate success (thank you, Six Sigma). But in life, most great things don’t come without some level of risk.

Getting married, having kids, quitting a job, taking a new one. Think of any of the biggest developments in your life or the broader world around you and I’d bet none of those happen without a fair amount of risk.

Risk is a tricky concept. Business typically wants to limit, manage, or mitigate it. Eliminating risk altogether probably would be seen as the ultimate success (thank you, Six Sigma). But in life, most great things don’t come without some level of risk.

Getting married, having kids, quitting a job, taking a new one. Think of any of the biggest developments in your life or the broader world around you and I’d bet none of those happen without a fair amount of risk.

However, from an early age we are taught to avoid risk. We understand that with risk comes mistakes. And mistakes can be painful. But making mistakes is also how we learn.

We aren’t born knowing that the square peg doesn’t fit into the round hole. We need to try it for ourselves. We experiment. We learn not only what doesn’t fit, we also learn what does. And in that process of learning we begin to see relationships—those between shapes and spaces, challenges and solutions, effort and satisfaction. More is learned from the time spent trying than if we got it all right on the first attempt.

But in business, mistakes mean more cost, more time, and lost opportunities. With the drive towards higher levels of productivity, higher margins, and more efficiency we don’t have room for mistakes.

Without that room, the ability of business to learn and grow is limited. Sure, companies can capitalize on incremental opportunities but they will miss the bigger breakthroughs because they didn’t see as many relationships, have as many experiences, or try as hard. They won’t learn as much from their mistakes, because they won’t make as many of them.

Companies need to create room for mistakes. To explore and try out stuff with their customers. To learn. And to do so faster, to get to the right solution sooner. When companies can make mistakes (ideally outside of the public eye) they can learn invaluable lessons from doing so and bring their customers better solutions because of it.

Risk isn’t that tricky of a concept if you think about it differently—not as the negative value of an event, but as a process capable of yielding positive, even breakthrough results. Make a practice of making mistakes. Create a private space in which to do so. Build a “learning agenda” for your company. And embrace risk. Because what’s true in life is true in business—most great things don’t happen without a fair amount of risk.

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9 March 2010

You Had Me at Happy Meal

by Jen Maltby

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All posts by Jen Maltby

It’s not easy for me to admit this, as I am not really known as the “emotional type,” but I need to get something off my chest…McDonald’s made me cry.

Allow me to explain:

It’s not easy for me to admit this, as I am not really known as the “emotional type,” but I need to get something off my chest…McDonald’s made me cry.

Allow me to explain:

It was a Saturday afternoon and my daughter and I were out running through my ever-growing list of errands when I realized that it was getting to be lunch time. I was too far from home to head there to satiate the persnickety cravings of a three-year-old, so I thought we should grab a quick bite on the road and the first thing that caught my eye was the “golden arches.”

Here’s the thing: I have never actually taken my daughter to McDonald’s before. There, I said it. I’m a vegetarian for crying out loud and I generally just don’t eat this kind of fast food. Hell, if I’m really honest, I didn’t really think I was a fast food kind of mom. I mean we buy organic and love Whole Foods, could I really take my daughter to McDonald’s? These thoughts rattled through my exhausted brain as I found my blinker turning on and my car cruising—as if being controlled by someone else—into the McDonald’s parking lot. With one click of the car seat buckle, I grabbed my daughter’s happy little hand and off we went.

Once inside, without a thought, I ordered my little lady a hamburger Happy Meal. The exact meal my mom had ordered for me close to 1 bazillion times before when I was a child. I got myself a milkshake (because, why wouldn’t I?) and we proceeded to a little corner table by the window. As my daughter tore into her bag with excitement and discovered not only French fries and a hamburger, but a toy surprise, she was absolutely GIDDY! She looked at me with such earnest three-year-old eyes and said, “I like this place momma, a LOT.”

That did it. Here come the waterworks. The feeling of nostalgia hit me like a tidal wave and I started to tear up like this was some sort of milestone moment in my daughter’s young life. I remember thinking, “What the hell is wrong with you lady, get it together!” But I couldn’t help but remember all the “special” meals I had at McDonald’s as a kid. All the affection I had for the brand that lay latent for 20 some odd years was back … with a vengeance.

Once I got myself together and my daughter happily gnawed on her tiny bag of fries, I started thinking about it. Why did I react this way? I guess it was a mixture of nostalgia, and a deep brand connection that caught me completely off guard. As a recovering member of the ad agency game, I couldn’t help but think if agencies could figure out how to harness this kind of connection with consumers it would be like uncovering the Holy freaking Grail. But it’s a tough nut to crack and it seems like there are really only a few iconic brands that will ever have permission to live on this kind of hallowed ground.

So what do you think, what brands do you find yourself most strongly connected to? But WAIT, before you answer, I would challenge you to skip the first few answers that come to mind and REALLY think about it. The answers might surprise you as much as McDonald’s surprised me.

3 Responses to “You Had Me at Happy Meal”

  1. Karen Barone says:
    March 10, 2010 at 8:44 am

    Moxie. I’m a Mainer and nothing makes me more nostalgic or emotional than a bright orange can of this..um…unusual drink. I’m not a soda drinker, but Moxie knocks me out. (Okay, I’m starting to mist up.) I’ve even got an old Moxie ad (featuring Sox great Ted Williams) in my kitchen.

  2. Alan says:
    March 11, 2010 at 7:46 am

    Great post for the Sally Field moment, the reasons why you reacted that way and the implications. I think that kind of latent brand connection is often just waiting to be tapped but we tend to let our rational side get in the way of the message.

    Although i don’t have any brands that I connect with that really surprise me, I feel a similar generational connection to both Friendly’s and Snyders of Hanover Pretzels. Friendly’s because of all the quick weeknight meals with my mom and siblings that always ended with a little sundae – and the way it makes my kids feel when we go now; Snyders because I used to sit and watch Mets games with my dad and munch a big noisy, crunchy box of Sourdough Hard pretzels and now I sit with my son and a bag to watch Sox games.

    Thanks for sharing your brand “moment.”

  3. Fred says:
    March 11, 2010 at 5:22 pm

    My heart flutters just thinking about Reese’s peanut butter cups. When I eat them, I actually get teary-eyed because they bring me to such a happy place. Furthermore, I eat them so sparingly due to their nutritionless benefits that upon immediate tongue contact, the sensation is euphoric.

    I immediately feel as if I’m in a safe place of the purest happiness and unconditional love and warmth. I actually own a Reese’s pillow – who wouldn’t want to let their head retire on the laurel of such sweetness?

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8 March 2010

Growth and Culture: “What’s it really like to work at Communispace?”

by James Bailey

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At a recent company-wide meeting, a long-time client summed up the unique culture at Communispace: “You have really achieved a culture here that most companies only dream of… don’t ever lose it.”

There are a number of rewards that I’ve experienced as an employee at Communispace, all of which help to feed our culture continuously. Working with more than 100 of the best and most innovative brands on the planet is one. So is being associated with a revolutionary concept in the market research landscape—one that was co-innovated by our CEO and first client over 10 years ago. Of course working alongside some of the most talented, hard working, and fun people I have ever met is a constant source of job satisfaction.

At a recent company-wide meeting, a long-time client summed up the unique culture at Communispace: “You have really achieved a culture here that most companies only dream of… don’t ever lose it.”

There are a number of rewards that I’ve experienced as an employee at Communispace, all of which help to feed our culture continuously. Working with more than 100 of the best and most innovative brands on the planet is one. So is being associated with a revolutionary concept in the market research landscape—one that was co-innovated by our CEO and first client over 10 years ago. Of course working alongside some of the most talented, hard working, and fun people I have ever met is a constant source of job satisfaction.

I get a real jolt of pride and job satisfaction out of telling people where I work. These days, Communispace carries name recognition as a great place to work, and I’m routinely asked by my peers how they can get their foot in the door.

The question I am asked most often is something like, “What’s it really like to work there?” or “Is it really as cool as it seems?” My answer is simple and true: What you see on the outside is exactly what you get on the inside. No hidden agendas, no debilitating politics—just hard working individuals passionate about being the best at what they do.

Yesterday’s article in The New York Times highlights one of the really innovative aspects of our culture here. The message of the story just makes it even easier to respond to those questions with deeper conviction. 

As you will see in the article, our growth is not inhibiting our culture at all. In fact, it continues to evolve daily.

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4 March 2010

Social CRM: A work in progress?

by Guest Blogger: Denis Pombriant

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CRM’s infatuation with all things social may be taking a bite out of its backside. Too often CRM vendors focus on outbound messaging through products like Twitter and Facebook while forgetting about Stephen Covey.

Stephen Covey?

CRM’s infatuation with all things social may be taking a bite out of its backside. Too often CRM vendors focus on outbound messaging through products like Twitter and Facebook while forgetting about Stephen Covey.

Stephen Covey?

You might remember him as the guru who told us about “The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People.” Remember Habit 5? “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Brilliant stuff—something we all should have been taught at home though I confess I don’t recall that memo. My bad. I caught up eventually.

A recent article in The Economist brought a lot home to me. The article quotes work by Mikolaj Jan Piskorski, a Harvard Business School professor and one of his MBA students Bill Heil. According to The Economist, the researchers surveyed more than 300,000 Twitter users in May 2009 and reported results that include:

  • More than half said they tweeted less than once every 74 days
  • The most active 10% of Twitter users published 90% of all tweets

That last bullet should give anyone who believes in the wisdom of crowds reason to pause. What kind of crowd? Ought to be the first question we ask, followed by, who is in it? This goes right back to Covey—understand the audience before beginning your sermon. The first bullet proves another kind of wisdom; the kind that understands that membership is not participation.

Of course there are times when the proverbial (or Monty Pythonesque) blind horse could tell you all you need to know, as in when you start getting complaints that a product or process is broken. But that’s called feedback and often we confuse it with discovery.

When you really want to discover what your customers think—their attitudes, behaviors, biases, and unmet needs—it really helps to know that the data you are collecting is coming from a reasonable cross section, not the noisy ten percent. Just as there are names for processes like “feedback” and “discovery” there’s a term that describes that noisy ten percent. They’re often called outliers.

CRM’s work with social media so far seems focused in various ways on the outliers, and predictably vendors are still trying to figure out social media’s true potential. If you understand the value of communities, it should be obvious.

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17 February 2010

Wavering Brand Loyalty: The Toyota Recall

by Mark Cohen

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All posts by Mark Cohen

When did Toyota stop taking its customers seriously? When did it stop listening to them? Why would a self-described Toyota loyalist even ask these questions? Bear with me for a few moments and I’ll explain why.

When did Toyota stop taking its customers seriously? When did it stop listening to them? Why would a self-described Toyota loyalist even ask these questions? Bear with me for a few moments and I’ll explain why.

My journey as a Toyota loyalist began at a young age. As a child I always knew my family could depend on our Corolla station wagon or hatchback to safely get us where we needed to go without any worries or drama. It’s hard to recall even one time when these cars let us down. (Well, maybe the time when one of my parents left the headlights on and drained the battery, but I don’t think that counts.) Even as a kid I remember admiring a company that seemed genuinely focused on making products of the highest quality—even its marketing seemed to take the high road and eschew negative mentions of other car brands.

Not surprisingly, when my significant other needed to replace his troublesome Pontiac, I strongly encouraged him to consider a Toyota. He saw the light, and for the past six years we’ve been driving a completely reliable Matrix which hasn’t let us down once. It seemed a given that our next car would be a Toyota (we’ve been coveting the Prius), but the recent recalls and Toyota’s handling of the situation have me questioning this choice and wondering what happened to the company I’ve admired for so long.

I guess part of me believes Toyota is a casualty of its own success. Like so many companies that grow large very quickly (perhaps too quickly?), it seems to have lost touch with reality and with its customers. Perhaps it even saw itself as immune to these types of problems. You can almost imagine company executives’ naïve disbelief at hearing news of the problems—this could NEVER happen at Toyota! It’s troubling to hear how customers’ concerns were initially ignored and how Toyota initially blamed the sudden acceleration problem on drivers. This type of behavior makes you wonder if besting the Big Three became more important than the brand’s pillars of quality, value, and reliability. I’d bet you that most Toyota owners could care less about the company’s ascendancy and simply want to know that their concerns matter—especially when it comes to safety.

Despite the recent recalls, I still have faith in the company—especially since I continue to experience the quality of its products on a nearly daily basis. I haven’t given up hope that Toyota will do some serious corporate soul-searching, review its priorities, and once again see the customer as its main stakeholder. After all, I still have my heart set on getting a gas-sipping Prius.

What are your experiences with the Toyota brand? How do you think Toyota has handled its recent quality problems? What, if anything, can it do to recover? A loyalist wants to know.

2 Responses to “Wavering Brand Loyalty: The Toyota Recall”

  1. Diane Mimmo says:
    February 19, 2010 at 8:33 am

    Great article! I am not a lifelong Toyota enthusiast, but the Venza and the Highlander are on my list of candidates for our next crossover/ SUV and these incidents have tipped me back in favor of the Honda products. Even with all the bad press, I don’t think they are in danger of losing customers to the Big Three- in my opinion they are still above and beyond in terms of quality…but maybe in danger of losing customers to other Japanese automakers.

  2. Sarav Chithambaram says:
    February 21, 2010 at 5:04 pm

    I agree the sentiments you penned in this article. As a long term Toyota loyalist, all my 3 cars I owned/own are Toyota, I am very disappointed. The way Toyota is dealing with the situation is not right. I had to bite my tongue and make a official complaint to NTSB about my 2010 prius. I feel Toyota should have taken ownership of the problem and done something better to preserve confidence in the brand. They missed the boat of telling their customers that they do care and go to any lengths to provide them a better experience. The previous Rav4 I owned for 10 years and it never failed on me. And I hope Toyota will do the same.. I can see lots of class action suits brewing in the background.

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12 February 2010

The Thrill Is Gone

by Rocky Prozeller

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All posts by Rocky Prozeller

While you worked last Friday, I moseyed to a movie matinee.

Boasting better than a billion bucks worth of worldwide sales, audiences flocked to ‘Avatar’ with force and it seemed time to follow. The flick, now favored among Oscar options for Best Picture (uncommon for the Sci-Fi category), proved an entertaining experience, fashionable 3D eyewear et al. Given relaxation was the reason for vacation, I decided to double-down and watch ‘Up’ (another Best Picture Oscar nomination nod) later that evening.

While you worked last Friday, I moseyed to a movie matinee.

Boasting better than a billion bucks worth of worldwide sales, audiences flocked to ‘Avatar’ with force and it seemed time to follow. The flick, now favored among Oscar options for Best Picture (uncommon for the Sci-Fi category), proved an entertaining experience, fashionable 3D eyewear et al. Given relaxation was the reason for vacation, I decided to double-down and watch ‘Up’ (another Best Picture Oscar nomination nod) later that evening.

Initially, the range in ‘Rocky Ratings’ was minor: both ranked as reasonably entertaining ways to spend some time. But as I contemplated clips and quips from both, my scale started to swing—‘Up’ soared as I lost connection to ‘Avatar.’

Fondness for devilishly clever details in ‘Up’ expanded the movie’s entertainment value; conversely, outrage over cheap copouts from its counterpart failed in forming a long-standing liking of ‘Avatar.’

As researchers we strive to monitor consumers’ opinions in the moment, intent on protecting the integrity of their insight by securing reactions before they have a chance to slip away. But doing so fails, in part, to procure a rounded reaction.

The missing metric is the linger level; understanding both the initial reaction AND the end result after the excitement wanes and we’re left with our more methodical opinion. Measurement at the point of purchase only captures a piece of the psychology involved in the decision making process. To gauge a truly accurate account we have to collect consumer feedback on a continuum, speaking with the consumer several times over an extended period.

After all, who among us hasn’t altered an opinion about a product we just brought home or an experience we engaged in after the rush resided? Think about it for a few days and get back to me.

–

As is custom, some sounds to send you sailing into the weekend in style; happy chocolate and flowers this 14th friends.

One Response to “The Thrill Is Gone”

  1. AHR says:
    February 21, 2010 at 11:20 am

    Ahhh… the psychology of it all! I make many snap decisions which I usually end up rescinding (or regretting). I am also swayed by other people’s opinions. Sometimes I can’t even tell which reaction is the authentic reaction. Great thought to focus on both.

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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

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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.

11 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.

  9. Gina Davison says:
    February 9, 2010 at 12:17 pm

    Great job bridging the un-bridgeable gap, Jack.

    I think it’s just a matter of needs and taste just as with any product; I am a loyal Mac user, but hate the iPhone (I still like to have buttons on my phone, thanks).

    TBWA’s Mac vs. PC ads are definitely better than any PC ad I’ve seen in a while though.

  10. Jack Cahill says:
    February 10, 2010 at 4:40 am

    Thanks Mike and Gina! I appreciate the comments.

    Gina, you are actually the very first Mac lover I have heard from who hates the iPhone! Although I do hear you about the buttons (I am a recovering Blackberry user), I still feel the functionality of the iPhone is remarkable. But I must admit that the auto-correct and word-suggest features can drive me crazy when trying to type something on it.

  11. Leslie L says:
    March 1, 2010 at 7:27 am

    I actually started on a MAC and then moved to a PC because it was the business standard. Full circle? Yup.

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29 January 2010

The Source of Bauer’s Power

by Rocky Prozeller

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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.

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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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