VisualSnare

Back again

Sorry for the lack of new entries!

I just returned from a trip back home (to the midwest) and tried to be as unplugged as possible. This sucked was harder than I thought, but quite frustrating refreshing.

It's interesting how addicted we've become to the internet and being connected. Being without it makes you feel like the world, and all of it's news, thoughts, and events, is leaving you behind.

So, sure enough, I came back yesterday and literately devoured my list of blog reads. Sitting in front of the computer in engrossed in the latest happenings. Here are a couple of the highlights:

• Dan (visually) describing to MSNBC how small businesses can reach more customers cheaply
• Tom talking about what makes a good website (in his eyes)
• Paul on unique creativity and it's affect on brands

Also, an older blog that I just found called the Kaiser Edition. Fresh, interesting thoughts abound, but it's a pity though, as it seems like the author is actually unplugging from web 2.0 all together. Citing that he is ready to "start doing things in real life. Not beta." Forward thinking considering I've heard (obviously just a speculation) that by 2011 most power internet users will be living double lives. One real, one e-life. Pretty scary.

Thanks for continuing to check this blog - and look forward to some new posts over the next couple days of design and marketing experiences from my time offline. -Reed

Free advice - worth taking?

Simply Google design or marketing blog, and you'll find TONS of relevant links... but how many are actually good sources?

I remember having to do school projects, and there were only certain sites that were considered "real" sources to cite for projects. With Wikipedia and other user-generated content this old way of learning who to trust has been thrown out of the window.

After 'stumbling' a couple pages today I came to Debra Unplugged. Now, I'm sure the blog has some great nuggets of advice in the vault of posts. And, probably gets over twice (if not more) the unique visits as this blog... but I was shocked at the post that everyone had Stumbled.

In the post, the author literally stumbles through product branding, naming conventions, graphic representation, color theory, and then finishes off by telling me that a good logo can be had for only $150-250.

Since the preface for this blog is "Unplugged on Information Marketing," I'm guessing the audience are not designers... therefore each one of these topics deserves at least it's own post. That being said, I hope the readers don't take her advice (this time). Instead, they should just go hire a designer locally and go through the entire process nice and slow. It'll cost more than $250, but they'll get a MUCH more effective logo.

Coming back to the preface of the blog, and the point of this post, the web has made it incredibly easy to share advice. This is proves to be a catch 22, and somehow reminds me of the infamous quote from Spiderman:

"...with great power, comes great responsibility."

By participating in social media through blogging or twittering or whatever, we've been given our proverbial podium to broadcast our thoughts and ideas. Because of this, we need to understand that the advice we give must be valid, as true as possible, and lastly relevant.

In this blog's case I think the author just missed the last point and reached past her comfort zone into design. Business' can fall into the same tempting trap with brand extensions. Starbucks for one is in the middle of a huge revision to more accurately reflect their original purpose: selling coffee.

They're doing this by setting criteria with which to hold to current and future product offerings. This is a great example of the right thing to do, and might be helpful for your business. Get some perspective on your offerings and toss out the ones that aren't relevant. I know I won't miss the stuffed Barista bears at Starbucks, and your customers probably won't miss your non-relevant offerings either. -Reed

Details, details, details...

What is your business' quality control on the smaller interactions you have with customers? 

Today I went to one of my favorite little chain to grab lunch and ordered a "Going Nutz" shake. Shortly after I hear my name called to pick up the shake, and a lady, with a frown on her face (not kidding), passes me the shake.

By the time I go to grab it, the overfilled shake (that I didn't notice before) has spilled all over my hand and the lid, which was never fully attached, is barely holding on. I asked her if I could get some help and she just shrugged her shoulders... until one of the other employees ran over, dumped it in a larger cup, and handed it back to me with napkins with a quick "problem solved" (and a smile).

I was a happy customer and thoroughly enjoyed the shake and dry hand, but it made me think that often customer touchpoints as little and seemingly mundane as this can make a big impact on a customer's experience.    

The fact is that these points of interaction should be cared for, and thought out, with as much detail as the greeting (or whatever first interaction you have with your customers). The reason is that this is often where in a hyper-competitive market, you can really standout.

Ever notice how you rarely have a leaky cup of coffee from Starbucks? That's because the barista, through training, has learned that the lid has to be put on opposite of the cup seam. It's a small detail, but allows you, the customer, to really enjoy their product and the 'coffee experience'.

How are you fostering your product's experience? Think about these small touchpoints, and you might just have a happier customer! -Reed

Keeping things fresh

(photo cred Chris on Flikr)

I wonder how long the hot marketing tactics today will remain effective?

If they expire, what's next?

I was watching Guy yesterday in his keynote speech about the "Art of Innovation" (apparently I'm way behind) and really got into one of his points that he makes that true innovators don't just look towards tomorrow, they "jump curves" and accelerate past status quo towards a hypothesized future.

The same holds true with marketing. It's easier to just tackle the current marketing situation than jump forward and see what the future might hold. True, you might be wrong, but the steps you take to make that leap might just lead to the innovations you need today.

One example of this is kluster, which combines open-source thinking and social media connectivity into an incredible business resource (or creator!). Is this tomorrow's outlet for creative business ideas? Will it succeed? Who knows, but I love that they state that it's just a beta-test. That it will evolve and change and be refined over time to fit the needs of the users and the demands of the customers (idea-seeking companies).

This all comes back to the point that you can't be an industry (or local market) leader by just keeping up. At some point you're actually going to have to lead. Whether that's in the way you treat your customers, or the products you offer, you'll need to step beyond where the competition is at and towards where you think it (or you) will go in the future. You gotta keep it fresh. -Reed

Wow me [or you]

Otherwise, I'll just go down the street to the next business that will.

With so many competitors, when a customer walks in your door, reward them. Wow them with what you offer, how you offer it and what you do to support it. 

I walked into my local board shop this weekend in hopes of buying a new wakeboard setup. This is a big purchase for me, and so I had done a little research. I liked the idea of buying local so that if I had any problems I could bring it back. Also, I thought it'd be good because they might have some good advice.

I walked in (it's only about 20'x10' as it's right by the water) and sat there for 5 minutes until someone finally came over to help me out. Then, when I asked about a new board out just this year, the representative was clueless. This alone took away one of the key reasons I walked through the doors. Next, he told me that I could try out the product, but there would be a large, non-refundable fee attached to the demo (even though I would using their board made for demos).

I left shortly after boardless and fed-up. This boardshop is barely making it, and you can tell why. It's sad to see business' not being proactive about creating good experiences for their customers. If they did that, they would of had one more this weekend (and, I would have recommended it, for free, to my friends who are also looking to buy). -Reed

A good interruption

Shocking news from BusinessWeek: "MySpace users have built up an ad immunity"

Who would of ever guessed that the mass amount of banner ads, spam, and painful interruptions would take a toll on your user base?

I once heard Vegas described as the American dream run a muck... sadly this is where I think MySpace has gone with it's advertising. Where it was once an incredibly cool way of connecting with old friends and establishing new online networks of friends, now it's riddled with random, non-related ads.

The report states that click-through rates are as low as 1 in 1,000 on their major banners. And, advertising companies are feeling the sting on their ROI. So much so, that many are pulling out.

And, going over to Pandora for what is a surprisingly successful way of advertising. It's relevant, engaging and get this... doesn't even try to sell anything. It's just a start to the conversation with Pandora's users by offering cool mixes that reflect the advertising brand.

Example A: VW with a cool radio feed for "the People"

It's part of a trend that is being called "Advertising 2.0" and has been talked about under different guises by Seth in his book "Permission Marketing". It is basically just advertising embracing social media's user data to approach a targeted group of customers in a fun way in a place they feel comfortable. Becoming harmonious with their experience instead of being interruptive. Because of this, customers feel at ease interacting with the ad's prompts.

Slowly but surely, brands are gaining back the trust of their customers through these 'good' interruptions. And, the customers are responding by giving these brands more permission to market to them. -Reed

Young is in

...in the job market that it is.

Here are 10 innovators that will prove this.

This is an update from a previous post about what matters more in the office: Experience or Objectivity. For my sake, I'm glad the young guns are holding their own in new businesses. I'm excited to see how this trend matures (no pun intended) in the near future.

I'd love to hear from you about age and it's place in the office. -Reed

The [wrong] office preception

Why do so many companies use these ubiquitous, stock office pictures to describe their office environment?

It's pretty sad that in their attempt to "look" sophisticated (and good looking), they're actually dumbing down their external perception of the brand.

The typical formula for these pictures is: modern, ultra clean office environment, business attire (neutral grey of course), some sort of social interaction, and then here's the kicker... everyone is smiling or in the case of this picture, giving their undivided attention to what's going on (or presented).

Here's what I'd rather see: a messy conference room (because it's being used so much for fun, engaging brainstormers), with people in all sorts of attire (bonus points if they're not matching or a tie is undone or shirt untucked), with some people scribbling notes (or drawings) and others drifting off in some wild thought (relevant or not), and finally, expressions that befit the experience. If they're smiling, the picture better show why. Otherwise, it seems fake.

And, I think this is the most important takeaway from this post: don't hide what makes you unique. Because it's this uniqueness that translates into authenticity... and consumer trust (and engagement) in your brand.

So, forget about the beauty contest, and let your true business shine through. It'll at least garner some fun pictures! -Reed

Digg sets the standard

I'm sure you're all familiar with Digg (www.digg.com), but damn, they killed it with their registration.

Normally, these site's registrations are cumbersome, invasive, and plain boring… not the so with Digg.

Their attention to detail was what shocked me.

Such as only having to scroll through relevant dates for your birth years (08, 07, 06, 05…). Or, letting you choose different ways of saying what gender you are (Guy, Girl, Dude, Lady, Bird, Chap, Transgender, etc)

I seriously laughed at the last one...

But, best of all, they took all the information that you plug in and create a story about you to tell to other 'Diggers'. Mine was:

"A 24 year-old dude from San Diego, CA (US) who joined Digg on April 29th, 2008"

This is a great example of a business really being aware of the experiences their customers are put through. Making processes that usually are boring, fun. Because, who wants a bored customer? Do you?? -Reed

p.s. You can find me on Digg here.

Don't be a poser

When will people learn that doing things half way just doesn't cut it anymore?

I was at a local outdoor mall today and noticed this pattern on the exterior walls. Now, I'm glad they were trying to carry the Italian Villa theme over to the buildings with stucco-look, but if they were going to do it, why not actually go all the way?

Instead, they just spot distressed the walls every few feet (to save money I'm sure). It looked like the walls had the chicken pox!

Your customers are smart. They'll notice when you cut corners. Do it enough, for things that matter to them, and you might just start loosing their attention... or even worse business.

The moral of the story is that in your pursuit of authenticity, sacrifices will probably have to be made, but make sure not to skip on the important stuff! In the case of this shopping mall, I think I'll let them slide this time, because they had some sweet truss work. -Reed