Monthly Archives: July 2014

July 14, 2014 · 9:46 am

Woe-Mart

Today’s rant tale of business woe comes to us courtesy of the Wal-Mart folks. While I’m not usually surprised at the silliness that is foisted upon the customer from any business entity, this was a new low, at least in my experience.

This is a selfmade image from the english wiki...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I was helping to cook for a party this weekend and part of the menu was fried turkey. I went to my usual source of peanut oil on Tuesday (my preferred frying lipid) and discovered that there was none to be had. I get that – why stock an item that’s not in demand until late November. I checked several outlets online and Wal-Mart had what I wanted at a reasonable price. They could also deliver it by Friday – Saturday was the cooking day. I placed the order and got my confirmation. So far, so good.

Two days later, I get an email from Wal-Mart – “Unfortunately, one or more of the items in your order have been delayed.” Oh oh.  The email won’t allow you to cancel to order electronically (fail #1) but does give you a number to call to do so.  I speak with a very nice rep who assures me the order is cancelled and I should see a credit within 48 hours.  I then spent some time frantically searching various sources in the area (online ordering is now not going to happen – overnight shipping costs for 6 gallons of oil are seriously expensive).  I finally give up and buy several gallon jugs of soybean oil which I lug home.  By the way, good luck finding a whole, fresh turkey in July.  Even frozen ones aren’t readily available.

If this is where the tale ended, you wouldn’t be reading this post.  Stuff happens – maybe their inventory system didn’t update the online store quickly enough – I can handle that.  Late Thursday evening (like 10pm) I get another email from Wal-Mart – your order has shipped!  It will arrive by 10am Friday (which is what I was told Tuesday when I placed the order).  Here’s a tracking number.  Sure enough, Friday morning I have peanut oil and well of 6 gallons of soybean oil I know have to return to the store.

Wal-Mart was trying to do a good thing.  They got out in front of a potential problem by notifying me that I might not receive my order as promised.  I dealt with it.  Obviously, however, the order was neither cancelled nor delayed.  Whatever triggered the “it’s delayed” mail was wrong.  Whoever said the order was cancelled was wrong.  Putting aside the unnecessary concern they caused me and the time it took to find replacement oil (and to return it), do you think there is a chance in hell I will ever order from this three-ring circus again?

We can’t pull the fire alarm on our customers unless we know there is something ablaze, even with the best of intentions.  Wal-Mart has an issue with their inventory management and maybe with customer service too.  The systems problems they have and the short term issues those problems caused me  has resulted in a long-term issue for them – the lack of a customer.  Moreover, this customer is telling all of you.  Thoughts?

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July 11, 2014 · 8:21 am

D.O.C.G.

Foodie Friday and today it’s a fun trip into the mysteries of labels.

Organic Italian Wine from Tuscany

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you’ve ever gone to buy Italian wine you may have come across something on the label that says “D.O.C.”.  It’s an abbreviation of a long Italian term that means the wine is coming from a controlled area.  The grapes used to make chianti, for example, must come from that region and can’t be grown near Rome and shipped to Tuscany.

Of course, things being as they are in Italy, after a time a need arose to control the controlled label.  Although D.O.C. means the product comes from a specific area and is of a defined quality and is produced using methods specified in the regulation, the Italians added another level – D.O.C.G.  The “G” is for guaranteed which of course calls into question in my mind exactly how strictly the original high standard is followed.

You many also have seen San Marzano tomatoes at the store.  I love these and cook with them all the time.  One needs to read the label very carefully – San Marzano style is not the real thing.  You can tell the real thing by the D.O.P. certification on the label.  It’s the equivalent of D.O.C. used on other foods such as cheeses and tomatoes.  So if your tomatoes come in a jar or are pureed, chopped, diced or even organic, they aren’t real San Marzanos which are only sold peeled whole or halved.

What does this have to do with your business?  These labels are a sign for consumers that the product is real and is of the standard they expect as they hand over their cash.  The reality is that consumers find those labels in other ways even if they’re not printed on the product itself.  It starts with your marketing.  Is it authentic?  They look at the sales agent which may be a person or a web page.  Does it seem real or does something not feel right?  Smart brands know this and do what they can to offer the D.O.C. comfort.  “Intel Inside” is one example.  Verisign and TrustE certifications are another.

Is your brand giving off the assurance consumers need and want?

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July 10, 2014 · 11:14 am

What’s Your Story?

I’m preparing to work with a client team on their marketing plan for the next year.

Bedtime Stories

(Photo credit: Robynlou8)

The group is excited to start talking about which media, various tactics we’d use across the social platforms they employ, and how we’d communicate to consumers. I’m pretty sure that I’ll bring the discussion to a pause by asking them to tell me the story before we focus on any of that. I’ll get several curious looks but I think that’s the most important question one can ask as the plan begins to take shape. Why?

The story is what defines everything else. If we’re going to be successful in touching the consumer we need to do so in a way that resonates with them and stories are the things that drive that connection.  Obviously the consumer needs to be the hero of the story.  Well, maybe the focus of the story is a better way to say that.  They will be confronted with an obstacle and that problem is solved by whatever it is you’re selling.  Seems pretty basic, right?

Take a look around you.  How many pieces of marketing content can you spot that have it backwards?  The product is the hero, the consumer just a spectator.  How many tell a coherent story (they have beginnings, middle, and ends)?  How many have a call to action, even if it’s subtle?

Once we all agree on the story we’re telling, the focus becomes translating that tome into each channel and each medium.  We may need to alter the story slightly to be more specific to the audience we’re reaching through a particular medium but the basic story itself needs to remain intact.  If we’re really doing our jobs well the message will resonate, the characters (which might be the product and the consumer) will be well-formed, and the call to action will result in whatever it is we want them to do – a click, read something else, give us an email or maybe even buy something.

Tactics are, frankly, the less-fun part.  Writing the story is fun and an important first step.  So ask yourself – what’s your story?

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