Monthly Archives: April 2012

April 4, 2012 · 10:37 am

Make Someone Happy…But Who?

Fascinating look at the relationship between brands and customers this morning from the folks at Loyalty360 and Acxiom. And I quote:

As… empowered customers become increasingly savvy, marketers need to re-evaluate how they define and build customer loyalty. The issue, according to a recent survey of 129 marketing executives conducted by Loyalty 360—The Loyalty Marketer’s Association on behalf of Acxiom, is that although marketers know they need to focus better on customer retention, they aren’t doing it.

A business ideally is continually seeking feed...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Think way back when – you know, like maybe 30 years ago.  Customers knew the companies with which they did business based on the faces they saw.  The butcher, the tailor, the book seller.  More importantly, those faces knew their customers and who bought what.  Today, those mom and pop businesses are, for the most part, history.  Instead, we’ve got chains and online megastores, and with that comes the ignorance mentioned in the study:

Only 49.6% of respondents agreed with the statement “I know who my most loyal customers are, and I know the best way to reach out to them and get them to engage with my brand.” Only 10.1% strongly agreed.

 That number would have been a lot higher years ago.  One only needs to walk into a neighborhood like Arthur Avenue in the Bronx – no chain stores, just gold chains around necks – to understand the difference.  Customers are greeted by name, they begin to fill orders before the customer can even say what they want since the familiarity is there.

Obviously it’s not going to go back to the way it was before the web and before chain stores.  The marketing dynamic has come full circle in many ways – from customer-centric control over local merchants to brand control over pushed messages and back to the customer.  As a piece on the study concluded :

Consumers have access to ever-growing volumes of information about products, prices, customer satisfaction, and availability. As a result, virtually all metrics, including loyalty, are in serious decline.

So go make a customer happy today – as soon as you figure out who that should be!
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April 3, 2012 · 9:15 am

When Does An Offer Of Help Constitute A Bribe?

I’ve been wrestling with something over the last 24 hours and I’m hoping you all might have some thoughts on the matter.  As I’ve mentioned before, as someone who blogs on a regular basis, I get offers from various folks almost every day.  These offers are interview opportunities, review copies of books, maybe the odd report here or there, and I’m usually happy to hear about them.  It may not seem like it, but coming up with content for the screed can be a challenge!

Bribe Deutsch: Bestechung Suomi: Lahjus Русски...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Anyway, yesterday I received an offer from a publicist to interview an author and/or to get a copy of the author’s new book.  Nothing unusual there.  What followed in the email, however, is what’s giving me pause:

In exchange for your help, we’re also happy to help you in any way we can – from blogging about you, sending traffic your way or even getting you linked into our affiliate program to make you a few bucks.

As an author myself, I’m always looking to grow the readership of this blog (and I hope you tell folks to check it out when you can!), so an offer of traffic or publicity or some cash based on book sales are things which are appealing.  On the surface, this is something that’s just a “you help me out, here is how I can help you” exchange that goes on in business all the time.  So let me explain why I’m troubled.

There’s a statement on the PR firm‘s website which says they always act with honesty and integrity and never compromise the truth. They also stick to “white hat” marketing tactics, never trying anything that could comprise a client’s image or brand.  Very commendable, so why does the above offer feel smarmy?  In my mind, it feels like a bribe – write about our client and we’ll do what we can for you.  Maybe it’s because everything is conditioned on me publicizing their client instead of a “we love your blog, we’re going to publicize it and by the way, you might be interested in this other person with whom we’re working.”  Of course, one had to wonder what happens when 20 or 30 of these offers are accepted – how much linking and writing can they really do?  How many book sales would it take to generate meaningful cash, or even enough for a trip to the movies?

I turned them down, mostly because the author’s expertise doesn’t really match the focus of this blog.  I probably could have found an area of the author’s expertise to fit but there was the other issue of why I was speaking to her in the first place.  While this isn’t the first time I’ve received offers for stuff beyond the interview opportunity or review copy of a book, it is one of the most blatant.  So what do you think?  Am I being too critical or do you think this steps over the ethical line?

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April 2, 2012 · 10:53 am

By What Authority?

The word “authority” has may different meaning depending on context. It can mean “power.” It can mean “status.” It can come from a government or from a culture or from within. The kind I got to thinking about today is the kind that’s the kind one commands yet can’t demand.  I suppose some folks would call it credibilitybut I think it’s more than just that.  One can be a credible idiot – that doesn’t make an authoritative voice.

A segment of a social network

A segment of a social network (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I like this from the Wikipedia page:

Authority is an essential factor in the organisation of social life and regulates social control and social change. From a social-psychological standpoint, the use of authority is a type of social influence.

The above implies that authority comes from others – I guess that makes it a gift of sorts.  Then again, it’s basically knowing what you’re talking about, so maybe that’s a gift to others.  Either way, I think as professionals we all strive to be authoritative about something and as businesses we like to be seen as resources that speak in that same authoritative voice.

The real trick is not to pontificate (I can hear you laughing now…) but to listen and respond with useful, actionable information.  Yes, part of establishing my bona fides is part of why I blog each work day but I read thousands of more words each day than I write.  I try to learn from those I’ve found to be authorities on the many fields in which I work.  Great salespeople never “sell” but become the resources I mentioned.  We each have friends who are the “go to” people for movie or restaurant recommendations.

Establishing your authority is a critical part of growing as a business person, both in and out of the office.  What have you done today to boost yours?

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