One final thought for the year: There is always a way to make something better. Even something as simple as this computer bolt. Bolts and screws have been around for centuries, but someone still figured out how to make it easier for users: A slot big enough to use a dime if you don’t have [...]
Archive | December, 2011
A secret to employee longevity
Give people space that feels temporary and you turn them into temps. If you want employees to stick around, you need to create an office environment that feels like home. People need a place that is personalized, personal, and THEIRS. They need to put down roots. I just don’t understand companies that try these schemes [...]
12 ways to be a fantastically family friendly business
IKEA’s family-friendly shopping is legendary. More important: Everything they do is cheap and easy for you to do too. How many big companies pay for some overly-clever multi-million-dollar ad campaign to tell us they are family-friendly, instead of just doing the easy things that actually matter to customers? It’s easier to just do it right.
If you’re going to send a corporate holiday gift — do it right or don’t do it.
Lame: Generic can of popcorn with sender’s logo on a sticker. No card. Clearly they just handed a mailing list to catalog and gave zero thought to their customers or relationships. Awesome: Johnson Gray Advertising’s bizarre and wonderful Olf the Troll. I can’t explain it, but it did exactly what it was supposed to do: It [...]
If you give me a return label, I’m more likely to order again
Do anything and everything you can to give your customer a reason to come back. Something like this pre-paid return label strongly emphasizes that this retailer is low-hassle, cares about customers, and isn’t going to waste your time. Best part — the label costs nothing if it’s not used. (But it sends a strong message.)
Be interesting, or be invisible
Getting noticed on a store shelf is almost impossible these days. You don’t have many choices: Pay for special placement, pay for gobs of advertising … Or be fantastically interesting. Anti-Monkey Butt anyone? What do you need to do to get noticed?
The Awful Awful Star Wars Christmas Special
Once again, I share a truly terrible Chirstmas movie for your viewing pleasure: George Lucas once said, “If I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every copy of that show and smash it.” More from Wikipedia.
Maker’s Mark does it again
Another perfect holiday gift from Marker’s Mark to their ambassadors: A sweater for your bottles. It’s a perfect word-of-mouth generator in so many ways: Fun and worth talking about Something you will display, which gets the whole family talking about it Worth saving, so it starts more conversations next year. (Thanks, Matt.)
Work With Me
We're the community for social media leaders at the world's greatest brands. Learn more >>
Learn about my keynote speeches >>
