Posts Tagged ‘Companies’

27 August 2010

So What?

by Bill Alberti

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All posts by Bill Alberti

A recent study conducted by Boston Consulting Group illustrated a disconnect between internal insight teams and their business line counterparts (i.e., their clients). The biggest gap between what the insight teams thought they were delivering and what the business lines received was the answer to a fairly simple question, “so what?”

A recent study conducted by Boston Consulting Group illustrated a disconnect between internal insight teams and their business line counterparts (i.e., their clients).  The biggest gap between what the insight teams thought they were delivering and what the business lines received was the answer to a fairly simple question, “so what?”

A full 73 percent of insight teams thought they consistently answered this question about the data they provide (p.15).  This is in contrast to the 34 percent of business line personnel who agreed with them … a gap of 39 points … the largest in BCG’s study. 

This gap poses an interesting challenge to insight teams.  To think beyond the finding.  To not only articulate the insight, but to communicate a point of view about it.  And to make sure the insight is actionable. 

The truth is, an insight is only as valuable as the impact it creates.  That may be a hard truth for some to accept.  One might say, “If I do my job finding insights, I can’t be held accountable for what happens next.”  Maybe not.  But it’s not likely you’ll be promoted either.  By thinking about the possible impact an insight could have, you are elevating your role from one of research vendor to business partner.  And as a partner, there is more opportunity to inspire your audience and help them solve problems.  If you can effectively communicate how the business can act on and benefit from the insights you are uncovering, the insights become inherently more relevant, meaningful and impactful … and so do you.

Maybe the question you should be answering isn’t “so what?” but “what if?”  To help people think of the possibilities and opportunities created by the insights you are uncovering?  This doesn’t require you to have all the answers, but it does require you to think in context of business problems and possible solutions.  To me, that’s a more powerful place to be … evolving from one who is answering questions to one who is helping solve problems.

So what if you focused more on solving problems than simply answering questions?  What if you started to answer not only the “so what?” but the “what if?”  What if you focused more on the impact of the insights than you did on the methodology of finding them?  Could you transform the insight function within your organization?  Could you transform your organization?

One Response to “So What?”

  1. Barry Silverstein says:
    August 31, 2010 at 3:47 pm

    Great points Bill. Sometimes this can come from not being close enough to a client’s business to be thinking about problem solving and the “what ifs”. It’s a shared responsibility for the client to bring the insight team into their business and the insight team to be thinking proactively about the business. When that happens, real magic can take place.

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17 August 2010

The 30,000 Foot View: How KLM stays “in-touch” with customers

by Jennifer Adams

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I have always loved flying. Now, I don’t mean just the hurtling through space in a comfortable cabin with movies, wine and dinner at my discretion. I mean everything about it—from the preflight wandering of airport bookstores and people-watching—to the in-flight blissfully out-of-time, disconnected from the world, “me time” with no chiming BlackBerry or demanding email—to my ultimate safe arrival somewhere across the globe that always has me marveling things like: “Seven hours ago I was in London, now I am in New York—that is crazy!”

I have always loved flying. Now, I don’t mean just the hurtling through space in a comfortable cabin with movies, wine and dinner at my discretion. I mean everything about it—from the preflight wandering of airport bookstores and people-watching—to the in-flight blissfully out-of-time, disconnected from the world, “me time” with no chiming BlackBerry or demanding email—to my ultimate safe arrival somewhere across the globe that always has me marveling things like: “Seven hours ago I was in London, now I am in New York—that is crazy!”

How crazy that transportation across space and time is—from a sheer logistics standpoint—I never really thought about it until I began, three years ago, to manage for KLM its In touch Community of Elite flyers from the Netherlands, U.K., Germany, Norway and Sweden. Before then, I never spent much time considering how much thought goes into getting 300+ people to their destinations, on time, in comfort, fed and entertained, without incident. … But now, I arrive at the airport and ask myself, as KLM asks its members every day in the In touch Community: What does efficient boarding mean? What is important in an airport lounge? How is the food? … the seat comfort? … the entertainment? What would make me more loyal to this airline? And how would I bring innovation to the industry? Now, as I board my flight, sip my wine, eat my meal or simply watch the wheels alight on the ground of Schiphol, I can’t help but notice the details.

Charles Hageman, Research Analyst for KLM and the driving force behind the In touch Community, never forgets the details, as he meticulously ensures that Elite flyers’ answers to all those questions get funneled throughout the KLM organization, to over 200 different people across functions and roles. His next magic trick? Opening the community up to the larger Air France-KLM organization, and expanding community membership into France, Spain and Italy. I, for one, cannot wait for even more reasons to interact in the In touch …with Air France and KLM Community with fellow travelers and help guide the innovation of an industry and brand that has transported me—on time and in style—across the world.

Charles recently sat down with Tamara Barber at Forrester Research to discuss the origins and impact of the In touch Community. You can read that case study here and also watch a video below of Charles talking about the community:

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11 August 2010

It Takes an iVillage: A conversation with Candice Carpenter Olson on the evolution of community

by Diane Hessan

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One of the most iconic symbols of the early days of online community is iVillage – and the company’s founder and former CEO, Candice Carpenter Olson, recently visited us at Communispace. It was fascinating to hear about her original vision for iVillage, her philosophy about how women would connect with each other on the web, and her next big idea in the learning space.

One of the most iconic symbols of the early days of online community is iVillage – and the company’s founder and former CEO, Candice Carpenter Olson, recently visited us at Communispace.  It was fascinating to hear about her original vision for iVillage, her philosophy about how women would connect with each other on the web, and her next big idea in the learning space.

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3 August 2010

When Granny Comes Callin’

by Julie Ruiz

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All posts by Julie Ruiz

For many of us, the dawn of the “Information Age” and computer illiteracy are far behind us, like dinosaurs roaming the Earth. Or even like buying encyclopedias from a door to door salesman (I was told at a young age that I was LUCKY to have my own set, HA!) Although for many Baby Boomers, finding information and products on the Internet is a daunting task.

For many of us, the dawn of the “Information Age” and computer illiteracy are far behind us, like dinosaurs roaming the Earth.  Or even like buying encyclopedias from a door to door salesman (I was told at a young age that I was LUCKY to have my own set, HA!) Although for many Baby Boomers, finding information and products on the Internet is a daunting task.

For instance, my grandmother still refers to the Internet as a person, like a faceless man in a suit with enumerable secrets locked away in a metal suitcase. “Yes, Grandma…I will ask the Internet.” And often I am forced to placate her, while taking a few minutes to play treasure hunter for her – whether it’s paying bills or buying items from the Disney store online, assuring her that you don’t have to go ALL the way to Orlando to get Mickey Mouse socks. They just don’t get it! Meanwhile, I find myself asking, “Why is Grandma suddenly calling to get information from me? What happened to the old ‘how’s work’ question? When did the paradigm shift?” Apparently, I wasn’t the only one with this problem …

Morey Wright, of South Florida opened Netcrossers, a service based firm that helps Seniors navigate the web in a way that’s comfortable, safe and convenient.  For as little as $199 a year, Seniors get unlimited access to a web specialist for search requests. This concierge tool can be used for a variety of things, like finding the perfect earrings, or helping Granny check in to the grocery store on Foursquare.

Ok, that last one was a joke. I don’t need another medium to find out a lady who used the 10 items or fewer line with 12 items (#killme). However, if it will help her get the information she needs without bugging me in the process, I think its value is inherent.

And while I didn’t invent this business, I’m happy Mr. Wright did.

So tell me, is $4 a week worth the price of catering to Granny’s insatiable whim?

3 Responses to “When Granny Comes Callin’”

  1. Morey says:
    August 3, 2010 at 2:58 pm

    Thanks for the write up Julie! At Netcrossers our mission is simplifying the lives of Seniors! And to answer your question, i think granny is worth the price of one Starbucks visit a week!

    Morey Wright
    Founder and CEO
    Netcrossers

  2. Julie Ruiz says:
    August 3, 2010 at 4:00 pm

    Morey, I think your business is the epitomy of innovation. I’ve been following your company recently, and I’m excited to see your employment goals come to life. Thanks for bringing jobs to South Florida!

  3. Jason says:
    August 5, 2010 at 2:51 pm

    Hey Julie, great article. I had no idea about this company but it makes sense. Like you said… most seniors just don’t get it. A phone call is so simple and it’s like… calling Google.. or calling Mr. Internet for an answer. Now the question is, how often can they call, up to how many hours of service do you get? I guess I’ll have to mosey my way over to the website now.

    My last question is… who will win the Heat/Celts game on opening night?

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27 July 2010

Can McDonald’s Pull Off “Local”?

by Lou Tamposi

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All posts by Lou Tamposi

Local is all the rage right now. Everywhere I turn, I see restaurants and stores pitching their food as locally grown and sold. I think this is pretty fantastic (though it certainly can get out of hand—I recently saw a “locally raised and organically fed filet of rabbit with a side of natural root of summer squash and a home-grown fat of pig garnish”), so I was especially intrigued when I saw that McDonald’s has recently launched a “locally sourced” food campaign in Washington state.

Local is all the rage right now. Everywhere I turn, I see restaurants and stores pitching their food as locally grown and sold. I think this is pretty fantastic (though it certainly can get out of hand—I recently saw a “locally raised and organically fed filet of rabbit with a side of natural root of summer squash and a home-grown fat of pig garnish”), so I was especially intrigued when I saw that McDonald’s has recently launched a “locally sourced” food campaign in Washington state.

The premise is simple—McDonald’s claims that 95 percent of the fries and Filet-O-Fish sandwiches and 88 percent of its apples served in Washington come directly from within the state. These are pretty interesting statistics, especially because McDonald’s is seen by many as a big bad corporation—the antithesis of local. If you take a look at the microsite for the campaign, you can see the full list of specific products, and where they come from in Washington. Nifty stuff, and, if nothing else, they’re offering a free medium fries just for checking out the site. You can bring that one right to your nearest Washington McDonald’s for about 28 free fries from Washington, and 2 from god knows where else.

The question is—does a big company going local mean anything to you? If you heard that your local McDonald’s used locally sourced ingredients, would you be more likely to succumb to your Big Mac cravings? Or, do you think this campaign, with its varying “participation and duration” clause, is a sham to “localwash” consumers? If it’s successful, should McDonald’s try to expand the idea throughout the country? You tell us!

2 Responses to “Can McDonald’s Pull Off “Local”?”

  1. Nina Kentsis says:
    July 28, 2010 at 8:49 am

    This is interesting because many large companies are trying to do this, including Wal-Mart. While I don’t eat at McDonald’s, and I’m not sure how many people like me would be swayed to do so because of a campaign like this–or even how many regular customers care about this kind of information–I think it’s a good thing. Companies like this have the power to move markets and to change the way we eat. For example, when Starbucks decided it didn’t want the milk that it served to have rBGH, I’m sure it had an effect on milk production in this country because Starbucks buys so much milk.

  2. Geri Koeppel says:
    July 30, 2010 at 7:43 pm

    I don’t care if McDonald’s grows their own food in their parking lots or on their roofs; I won’t eat it because it’s uber-processed and full of chemicals. They are missing the point of eating locally and seasonally, and attempting to pander to a demographic that probably never will be customers anyway. Or, more likely, they’re giving current customers a way to justify their bad eating habits, which they don’t need — folks who eat fast food will eat it no matter what. Either way, I think it’s wrong-headed.

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13 July 2010

Old Spice’s “Man Your Man Could Smell Like” Campaign is Fantastic

by Lou Tamposi

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Old Spice has been getting all sorts of praise for its “Man your man could smell like” advertising campaign. The premise is simple: jacked dude explains to women that if their men used Old Spice, they could smell like him—while all the while he is shirtless doing amazing feats (and riding horses… backwards). It’s cracked me up from the start and is absolutely brilliant in its absurdity. Understandably, the ads were instantly viral.

Old Spice has been getting all sorts of praise for its “Man your man could smell like” advertising campaign. The premise is simple: jacked dude explains to women that if their men used Old Spice, they could smell like him—while all the while he is shirtless doing amazing feats (and riding horses… backwards). It’s cracked me up from the start and is absolutely brilliant in its absurdity. Understandably, the ads were instantly viral.

With their new series of ads though, they’ve taken brand participation to a new level. The Old Spice twitter handle is written in the “voice” of the actor, which is funny and is a great way to make the brand accessible. But tweeting isn’t all—the company is also taking the time to individually respond to “@OldSpice” tweets with commercial-style video responses.

So when Kevin Rose, the founder of Digg.com tweeted “i’m considering buying old spice body wash just so they keep making these epic commercials – http://bit.ly/K87jz” while also complaining about a fever in a later tweet, Old Spice guy responded with this:

Absolutely love it. Now, I may not be a marketing guru, but I do think I know funny. And this, dear readers, is funny. Funny things get passed around and talked about. And that, I’m pretty sure, is marketing gold.

So what do you think: Is this an effective campaign? Do you think that as brands look to engage deeper and deeper with their customers we will be seeing more of this direct participation? Or, even more importantly, does a funny, viral campaign even affect sales? Will Old Spice be able to measure the effectiveness of this campaign?  Let us know what you think in the comments!

5 Responses to “Old Spice’s “Man Your Man Could Smell Like” Campaign is Fantastic”

  1. Steffani Cameron says:
    July 13, 2010 at 8:37 pm

    The thing that makes this advertising campaign so effective is it’s just ludicrously funny, and because no one knows Mustafa’s name (and he’s been signed as “talent” to NBC for a series to be developed), everyone keeps calling him “The Old Spice guy”. Brand, brand, brand.

  2. Lou Tamposi says:
    July 14, 2010 at 9:24 am

    Steffani–I completely agree. If nothing else, this keeps the Old Spice brand buzzing. Do you think Mustafa is so linked to Old Spice that if and when NBC develops a series around him it will generate even more hype for Old Spice?

  3. Mike P says:
    July 14, 2010 at 1:53 pm

    Hype is 1 thing, but a more interactive and engaging experience with the brand would be to follow up with free “product” or attach coupon codes or other incentives to get people to purchase the product. That is a more integrated campaign, IMO

    Mike Pascucci
    @mikepascucci

  4. Barry Silverstein says:
    July 14, 2010 at 1:54 pm

    I agree it’s a brilliant campaign. It has brought an old, tired brand back to life. It’s not often agency and client teams are able to be bold and use humor in a way that has this much impact. I wonder what if any copy testing research was used or if they just went for it?
    Very cool.

  5. Jack Cahill says:
    July 14, 2010 at 4:37 pm

    I agree with Barry. I remember the first time I saw this ad, I did a double take and thought to myself, “that was Old Spice?!”. Great job of making me start thinking “cool” about a brand I had pretty much forgotten about. And Lou, it cracks me up everytime too. Nice post.

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18 June 2010

Can You See the Lite?

by Rocky Prozeller

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Friday features the most welcomed of workweek traditions, Happy Hour; a simple sip of suds revs up the relaxation regime as we brew a better vibe. So which beer-top will you pop?

Out with a new campaign, Miller Lite is making a bid for you to buy their brew. Their advertising recipe offers a bit of beer-battering, with a series of spots featuring a frisky bartender belittling men as boys for their willingness to accept any light beer — pulling punches with overplayed ‘computer bag/carryall-as-purse’ lines, ‘lose-the-skirt’ statements and the like. The givers of ‘Great Taste, Less Filling’ have gone aggressive, challenging would-be chuggers to ‘man-up’ and have a Miller Lite.

Friday features the most welcomed of workweek traditions, Happy Hour; a simple sip of suds revs up the relaxation regime as we brew a better vibe. So which beer-top will you pop?

Out with a new campaign, Miller Lite is making a bid for you to buy their brew. Their advertising recipe offers a bit of beer-battering, with a series of spots featuring a frisky bartender belittling men as boys for their willingness to accept any light beer — pulling punches with overplayed ‘computer bag/carryall-as-purse’ lines, ‘lose-the-skirt’ statements and the like. The givers of ‘Great Taste, Less Filling’ have gone aggressive, challenging would-be chuggers to ‘man-up’ and have a Miller Lite.

At the other end of the cooler, Heineken Light is looking for the same segment of sip seekers, but with a dramatically different design. Their commercials cover a pair of 30-something pals at a Florida retirement community, raking in lessons on life from their elders. An education earned through experience is shared in a series of chat sessions, serving up a glass of appreciation for the classically cool; those handing down the hops help inspire future brewmasters to ‘See The Light.’ Heineken Light is never mentioned outright, just coyly covered by a couple of clips of camera work.

The difference is degradation versus aspiration. Light (and/or Lite) beers serve their purpose, simpler on the stomach and efficient space savers; but few beer buyers (particularly the guys both brewers are going after) define themselves, or more to the point, their manhood, by way of light beer. The context Miller Lite has created, testing testosterone levels by goading guys, falls flat; while Heineken helps itself by giving men the means to elevate their game — the difference is focusing on what we hope to be, rather than what we are not. It’s bottoms up. 

–

As always, a beat to help you break for the weekend in search of your own brouhaha; be sure to raise a mug in honor of the men you define as Dad!

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25 May 2010

A Nod to the Nod

by Jen Maltby

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My day started like most weekend days … where’s the laundry basket? Can I fit in the grocery store before the gym? What’s for breakfast? Do we have light bulbs? Do I really have to go furniture shopping today?

Every day begins with a pummeling of internal queries, but the one that was really burning in my brain on this fine Saturday was about furniture. I had to buy my daughter a “big girl” bed and all the accoutrement necessary to change her nursery into an age-appropriate room for a fast-growing little lady. It was a milestone moment that left me riddled with anxiety and added exponentially to the ever present to-do list.

My day started like most weekend days … where’s the laundry basket? Can I fit in the grocery store before the gym? What’s for breakfast? Do we have light bulbs? Do I really have to go furniture shopping today?

Every day begins with a pummeling of internal queries, but the one that was really burning in my brain on this fine Saturday was about furniture. I had to buy my daughter a “big girl” bed and all the accoutrement necessary to change her nursery into an age-appropriate room for a fast-growing little lady. It was a milestone moment that left me riddled with anxiety and added exponentially to the ever present to-do list.

I hit about five different local furniture conglomerates that day. This took nearly an entire afternoon and ALL of my energy. These stores all had little nooks with “kid’s furniture.”  All of it ugly, over-priced and set up to look like miniature versions of mom and dad’s room, not like the little corner of kid paradise that I envisioned.  At the last store, I almost gave up entirely and decided to just close my eyes and pick randomly, but something in my mom-brain said, “No, wait!”  Or maybe it was just my stomach telling me to leave and go get a sandwich. I don’t remember which. But I hightailed it out of furniture town and headed home.

Once there I began aimlessly searching online for some help and inspiration and somehow landed on the Land of Nod website. I get their catalogs and knew they were owned by Crate and Barrel, but I had never purchased anything from them before. As I swept across their easy-to-navigate site I found EXACTLY what I wanted. A real kid-looking kid bed, with all the coordinating bedding and room décor I needed. I was three clicks away from turning my daughter’s nursery into her own secret haven. And I was so relieved.

I purchased everything in about 15 minutes, and even found a free shipping coupon. It was all coming to my house and they would schedule a drop-off time on a day that worked for me within a 45-minute window. That’s right, a 45-MINUTE window, not 4 hours like most other delivery companies. Before the furniture even arrived I was pretty much in love with this company.  And I’m not done yet!

As the furniture truck pulled up during the specified day and time, I expected them to simply drop the big boxes in my living room. I was hoping to sweet talk them into at least bringing it upstairs where my husband would spend the weekend swearing under his breath attempting to piece it all together. But a small miracle happened: They arrived and asked me where I would like the furniture set up! They proceeded to put together all the furniture for me; they even moved some other furniture out of the way to make it all fit. They were gone as quickly as they came, leaving me not only with the furniture I ordered but a wave of deep appreciation for a company I had never worked with before but definitely will work with again.

So what have we learned here today? I’ll tell you, when the dust settled and my little lady’s brand new room was all set up, I sat back and thought about the process. I realized, I just made a really large purchase with a brand I had only a limited amount of familiarity with (though I was comfortable with its parent company) and I did it all ONLINE. I didn’t even realize this was a new behavior for me until it was done. I mean, I shop online all the time, but this made me realize that since I have become a mom, I am relying more and more on this channel.  I went from buying t-shirts and shorts online to an entire room of furniture without blinking an eye. 

Why? Two reasons:  1) Necessity. As a mom I don’t have the time or energy to dedicate to hours of browsing and driving from store to store, and 2) Companies are starting to get it. The Land of Nod not only provided an accessible channel with a great product assortment, but their service over-delivered to a target that really needs it the most.  So if you are a company that includes moms in your target and you haven’t really thought about your online channel lately, it might be time to put the thinking caps back on. Talk to your customer and find out how to make their online experience as satisfying as the one I just had. Who knows, maybe someone will write a blog post about you, too.

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17 May 2010

Listening Lessons

by Debi Kleiman

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At Communispace, we get asked a lot about lessons learned and best practices for online communities. Since we’ve been doing this for over ten years, we have plenty of experience about what works and what doesn’t. I wrote a blog post for the Harvard Business Review blog network that covers some of the Mistakes to Avoid if you want to be successful with your customer community. Please check it out and let us know…do you agree? What did we miss?

At Communispace, we get asked a lot about lessons learned and best practices for online communities.  Since we’ve been doing this for over ten years, we have plenty of experience about what works and what doesn’t.  I wrote a blog post for the Harvard Business Review blog network that covers some of the Mistakes to Avoid if you want to be successful with your customer community.  Please check it out and let us know…do you agree? What did we miss?

My co-author is Professor Anat Keinan from Harvard Business School. She’s an incredible marketing professor who recently published a case study on Communispace for use in the first-year MBA marketing curriculum.  It’s great that the top business schools are teaching MBAs about “social business” and the power of listening.  For this new generation of business leaders, engaging in conversations with customers online will be second nature.  Interesting, eh?

2 Responses to “Listening Lessons”

  1. Lois Kelly says:
    May 19, 2010 at 5:00 pm

    Debi:
    Great piece. Hearing a lot of interest from marketers about the roles, competencies and activities of highly effective community managers. Would love to hear your views on this.
    Lois

  2. Debi Kleiman says:
    May 24, 2010 at 5:52 pm

    Great to hear from you Lois! I think that community managers need to have a multitude of skills in order to be effective. For the members, they need to be warm hosts in the community, with a sense of how their members would interact in the “real” world and be able to make that come alive and feel authentic online. It’s their job to create an inviting, personal space to get members to participate. Encouraging conversation, building on ideas, making connections, giving members many creative ways to express themselves – all are important.

    For the community stakeholders, the community managers need to be great communicators internally to help align the work of the community to the most important issues at the company. They also need to be “connectors” within the organization, knowing the business goals and priorities of all the different stakeholders of the community and how to make the work of the community relevant to them. The best community managers are also passionate about their business or mission – this makes the whole thing really hum! What else? I could go on and on… maybe I’ll save it for another post. Stay tuned. :)

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13 May 2010

From “Sellout” to “Sold Out,” or How I Learned to Hate Success

by Karen Barone

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All posts by Karen Barone

“Ah man, I saw that band years ago at a small club. I’m not paying $150 to see them at [insert name of big sports/music venue]! They’re a bunch of sellouts”

It’s a pretty typical story: small (often independent) band cultivates loyal following only to lose their most passionate fans when the band earns real notoriety and money. I’m one of these “bad weather fans,” as we’re often called. I’m fine with it; I’ve got an entire CD and cassette tape graveyard of bands I used to love, but who outgrew my affinity and loyalty.

“Ah man, I saw that band years ago at a small club.  I’m not paying $150 to see them at [insert name of big sports/music venue]!  They’re a bunch of sellouts” 

It’s a pretty typical story:  small (often independent) band cultivates loyal following only to lose their most passionate fans when the band earns real notoriety and money.  I’m one of these “bad weather fans,” as we’re often called.  I’m fine with it; I’ve got an entire CD and cassette tape graveyard of bands I used to love, but who outgrew my affinity and loyalty.

The truth is this:  I like to have secrets.  Whether it’s legitimate or not, I like to feel like I have insider knowledge, like I’m an early adopter.  I don’t like it when my favorite things “become mass.”  Which is why I was so angry when I recently logged on to my go-to shopping site, Diapers.com, and was informed that the site was out of commission due to…gulp…too much activity.

I stared at the screen in disbelief.  I kept clicking “refresh” in the hope that this mirage of popularity would disappear.  It remained.  Then it hit me, “This is my fault.  It’s entirely my fault.”

I’ve been telling any parent who would listen to use Diapers.com—great prices and free, super-fast shipping.  I can’t live without it.  (Shoot!  I just did it again. )  That’s the problem with word-of-mouth campaigns.   Once you endorse the thing you love, you run the risk of losing it. 

The irony of the whole thing is that early adopters often want their beloved musician or product to succeed, but they don’t want them to change.  There’s an emotional payoff in the “I knew them when” story. But it can quickly turn to disdain when fans/customers don’t feel like the memory is reciprocated.

It’s a real challenge for marketers.  How do you expand your market and keep your core customers satisfied?  I know it’s a particularly vexing question in the world of public television, and it’s certainly a pain point being felt by Facebook. 

I won’t pretend to give the answer here, but I’ll share this tidbit:  Elvis Costello often asks his crowd how many attendees were at smaller venues/shows in the past.  It’s a nice acknowledgement and a creative way to single out the loyalists.  As for Diapers.com, PBS and others dealing with these issues, they’d be well-suited to find their industry’s equivalent of the “backstage pass.”  What better way to find out then to ask those who have been loyal since the beginning.  As for me, I’ll take a free box of Sprout baby food from Diapers.com. 

Oh, have I told you about Sprout?!

One Response to “From “Sellout” to “Sold Out,” or How I Learned to Hate Success”

  1. Carrie says:
    May 13, 2010 at 4:22 pm

    I think it’s also your fault that Bare Naked Ladies got so big. You should have just kept them to yourself before all of that Kraft Macaroni and Cheese starting flying their way on stage

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