Company Blog
Focus Is About Saying "No"
by Ryan Joy — November 12, 2011
In 1997, before Steve Jobs returned as Apple’s CEO, he summarized what it would take to turn Apple around:“You think, well, focusing is saying ‘yes’.A recent example of this focus is Apple’s refusal to support Flash on iPhones and iPads, in spite of significant market pressure. Earlier this week Adobe ended development for mobile Flash. I don’t know if this is a victory for Apple, but it illustrates how focusing resources and saying “no” to non-essentials has allowed Apple to consistently stay ahead of competitors.Lack of focus is, in my opinion, the problem with most marketing strategies. It’s common for companies we meet to want to do everything. Our job then, is to help develop a holistic plan to accomplish their goals, and to help maintain that focus as we execute the plan together.New initiatives appear suddenly and spread like weeds around your core activities. Someone suggests an idea in a meeting, another person says “good idea,” and voila, the company now has one more project to squeeze ...read more
No. Focusing is about saying ‘No.’
You’ve got to say ‘No, no, no.’ And when you say ‘no’ you piss people off…
But the result of that focus is going to be some really great products, where the total is much greater than the sum of the parts.”
Stopping to Reflect: The Power of a Strategy Debrief
by Ryan Joy — November 12, 2010
George Bernard Shaw once said, “Few people think more than two or three times a year; I have made an international reputation for myself by thinking once or twice a week.” We are all so busy doing, that sometimes we forget to stop and think about what we’ve done and what we want to do. Stopping to really think about your marketing strategy—learning from the past to plan for the future—is a powerful thing, even if you do it just once a quarter.One of our clients has made a tradition of gathering all the key players in their team for a day at the end of the holiday season to debrief. While the season’s successes and blunders are still fresh in their minds, it’s easy to find the spark that leads to new ideas and insights for the year ahead.Another one of our clients recently visited our office to develop next year’s marketing plan. As we reviewed last year’s disappointing numbers for their email coupon redemptions, we realized (“a-ha!”) that a simple layout change could make all the difference. The weekly ad had been taking up most of the space, with the coupon practically hidden in the bottom right-hand corner. We all may have missed this critical adjustment if we had jumped into planning next year before debriefing this one.Debriefing is such a valuable practice, and all it requires is that we pause our busy schedules to:- EVALUATE: What worked and what didn’t?
- LEARN: What insights can you take from what you see?
- THINK: How
...read more
Connecting with Younger Customers Part One: 5 Keys to Marketing to Millenials
by Ryan Joy — September 24, 2010
As your loyal, core customers age, it is becoming more critical to really understand younger customers. The children of the Baby Boomers, often referred to as “Gen Y” or “Millenials”, are being courted by national chains. And as the first group of Millenials turns 30 this year, it’s past time to pay attention to these 80 million potential customers.1. Vary your offers and your offerings.Millenials are a much more ethnically diverse group (about 40% of Gen Y is non-white versus 30% for those over 30 years old). They grew up in a world where sushi and Pad Thai are nearly as common as pizza and pot roast, and they expect variety in your food offerings. Next time you plan to feature chuck roast again on your front page, consider whether there is another story that might get the attention of an audience looking for more.2. Get to the point and make it fun and interesting.
Millenials have learned to deal with the overload of information constantly coming at them by ignoring anything that isn’t immediately relevant to them. Don’t expect most of them to wade through eight cluttered pages of deals in a circular to find what they want. Focus on one great deal that matters to them.3. Start investing in new media.
The Web is a basic part of the context of their lives, and these “digital natives” can barely remember a time without mobile texting or connecting socially online. Consider moving some of your circular ...read more
Lessons from Trader Joe’s
by Ryan Joy — August 26, 2010
This month’s Fortune Magazine features a wonderful article on Trader Joe’s, and it made me think about the kinds of competitive advantages that are often overlooked.1. Distinctive private brands are a competitive advantage. From “Two Buck Chuck” to “Trader Jose’s” to “Reduced Guilt Potato Chips,” Trader Joe’s does not carry generics; they skillfully craft private brands.2. Culture is a competitive advantage. Employee culture is a source of innovation and authentic customer connection. It’s also a powerful advantage in employee recruiting and retention. Trader Joe’s pays higher than average, encourages creativity and fun, and has built a reputation as being a great place to work.3. Stories are a competitive advantage. Who knew that procurement was such a resource for storytelling? The tales of the Trader Joe’s buyers trotting across the globe to find the most interesting products have become a powerful part of the store’s identity. What are your most potent stories?4. Customer experience details are a competitive advantage. Like any other relationship, your relationship with customers is won or lost in the little things. Trader Joe’s has developed specific, standardized customer service practices, like commenting on a product in your basket as you check out, carrying stickers for kids, and ringing a bell for front end service help. These are practices that flow from an empowered employee culture, and a management team that recognizes a good idea ...read moreLessons from Trader Joe’s
by Ryan Joy — August 26, 2010
This month’s Fortune Magazine features a wonderful article on Trader Joe’s, and it made me think about the kinds of competitive advantages that are often overlooked.1. Distinctive private brands are a competitive advantage. From “Two Buck Chuck” to “Trader Jose’s” to “Reduced Guilt Potato Chips,” Trader Joe’s does not carry generics; they skillfully craft private brands.2. Culture is a competitive advantage. Employee culture is a source of innovation and authentic customer connection. It’s also a powerful advantage in employee recruiting and retention. Trader Joe’s pays higher than average, encourages creativity and fun, and has built a reputation as being a great place to work.3. Stories are a competitive advantage. Who knew that procurement was such a resource for storytelling? The tales of the Trader Joe’s buyers trotting across the globe to find the most interesting products have become a powerful part of the store’s identity. What are your most potent stories?4. Customer experience details are a competitive advantage. Like any other relationship, your relationship with customers is won or lost in the little things. Trader Joe’s has developed specific, standardized customer service practices, like commenting on a product in your basket as you check out, carrying stickers for kids, and ringing a bell for front end service help. These are practices that flow from an empowered employee culture, and a management team that recognizes a good idea worth spreading.5. Pe...read moreCreating Customer Moments
by Ryan Joy — August 5, 2010
So much has been said about experience in retail, that sometimes it seems like a tired, commonplace idea. And yet, when we look around the marketplace, virtually no one is actually implementing a true experiential approach. Experience is the art of creating moments. It is about empathy, thinking creatively from the customer’s point of view to design a better shopping trip, a special eating experience, and an intimate relationship with your customer. So what does an experience-focused store look like?Instead of just working on customer complaints, experience-focused stores work to remove sacrifices customers have come to accept, like standing in line at the check out or walking down long, lifeless aisles in the center store.Instead of regarding events merely as selling opportunities, an experience-focused store stages celebrations of food and community that are anticipated, enjoyed, and remembered.Instead of being satisfied with orderly planograms and stocked shelves, an experience-focused store merchandises to immerse the senses in memorable ways.Instead of narrowly defining product categories, like “general merchandise” and “canned goods”, an experience-focused store thinks of product categories from a customer’s experience, like their “morning grooming rituals” or “quick lunch in the breakroom at work”.Instead of viewing customers solely as rational decision makers, an experience-focused store understands the customer as social, emotional, irrational and rational ...read moreMarketing To Your Most Important Customer
by Ryan Joy — July 17, 2010
Question: What is the most important market segment you should be targeting?Answer: Your employees. Good companies aim first to make raving fans within their own team. Employees should be excited to tell your stories, sell your products, and explain how you provide value to customers. If your employee culture is authentic and vibrant, your other customers will feel the magnetism of a special place. Here are five ways to market to your employees:
1. Orientation
Tap into the power of first impressions by creating an experience for new employees that tells them everything you want them to know and feel about your brand. At Whole Foods, the entire team votes to decide whether to accept the new team member—a process that tells employees a lot about the company’s values and culture. New employees at Apple stores are given an iPod to watch movies about the brand, including their famous “1984” commercial. How can your orientation process tell your unique story?2. Employee-Only Tasting Events
As employees taste your unique products, explain how it was produced and what makes it special. Or give employees a punch card of signature products to try for free on their own time.3. Names
Why does Trader Joe’s call their store directors “capt...read moreMarketing To Your Most Important Customer
by Ryan Joy — July 1, 2010
Question: What is the most important market segment you should be targeting?Answer: Your employees. Good companies aim first to make raving fans within their own team. Employees should be excited to tell your stories, sell your products, and explain how you provide value to customers. If your employee culture is authentic and vibrant, your other customers will feel the magnetism of a special place. Here are five ways to market to your employees:
1. Orientation
Tap into the power of first impressions by creating an experience for new employees that tells them everything you want them to know and feel about your brand. At Whole Foods, the entire team votes to decide whether to accept the new team member—a process that tells employees a lot about the company’s values and culture. New employees at Apple stores are given an iPod to watch movies about the brand, including their famous “1984” commercial. How can your orientation process tell your unique story?2. Employee-Only Tasting Events
As employees taste your unique products, explain how it was produced and what makes it special. Or give employees a punch card of signature products to try for free on their own time.3. Names
Why does Trader Joe’s call their store directors “captains” and their employees ...read moreOn the Subject of Subjects
by Ryan Joy — June 17, 2010
If you’re like most of us, you read less than half of what shows up in your inbox, and only decided to open this email after considering (1) the sender and (2) the subject line. In their book Successful Email Marketing Strategies, Hughes and Sweetser deem subject lines “the single most important element in a promotional email.”1. Use Straightforward Language. Keep it simple and name the email something that lets recipients know what they’re getting. Look for words that clearly convey the benefit you’re offering (the word “coupon” performs well) without being pushy.
If it comes across as a sales pitch, it will be deleted immediately. It often makes sense to put the title of the publication at the beginning, as we do with “Idea of the Week”. We’ve also found that descriptive language increases open rates—subjects with words like “sweet” and “local” perform better than those without.2. Avoid Words Typically Rejected By Spam Filters. Words and phrases like “special,” “offer expires,” and even “all natural” often trigger Spam filters and keep your message from ever reaching a customer’s inbox. Other factors include words in all caps, exclamation marks, and the placement of certain words at the beginning or end of the phrase. For instanc...read more
3. Understand the purpose of the medium.
