Archives For 2014
I recently finished reading Presence: An Exploration of Profound Change in People, Organizations, and Society in which one of my favourite business authors/thinkers Peter Senge is in conversation with three of his colleagues about how the natural concept of presence can apply to organizational learning. I’ve had it on my bookshelf for several years and am glad I finally got to reading it; good book.
In the epilogue they introduce the reader to the work of Japanese researcher and photographer Masaru Emoto. Fascinating. Emoto has taken photos of frozen water taken from numerous sources around the world and observed that they form different crystal patterns, with water from natural sources being more beautiful than from processed or polluted sources. What’s more is that water from the identical distilled (pure) source typically forms bland crystal structures but the same distilled water forms beautiful crystals after having been complimented, prayed for, or played music to.
This is post was originally published in Fall 2011 on the now-defunct Warms blog. Tis the season, and it fits the theme since popularized in viral holiday videos by WestJet, UPS, and others.
In 2004 Ikea amused and impressed Swedish train commuters by handing out free pillows during the morning rush hour. Each pillow said “Better Sleep for everyone” and of course indirectly linked Ikea to beds and good sleep.
In 2007, as part of the largest US campaign ever for Maxwell House, Kraft Foods included a clever gift element along with its sampling program. They took over tollbooths nationwide from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and in addition to handing out millions of coffee samples they also picked up the toll tab for motorists.
In 2010 popchips launched its brand of healthier snack chips using a combination of influencer seeding and gifting to friends via social shareability. Over 2000 personalized popchips gifts were sent out and the brand has risen in profile ever since. (↬Flowtown)
In 2011, Kimberly-Clark’s Kleenex brand sent over one million tissues mini-boxes as part of its “Softness Worth Sharing” campaign introducing a new softer version of the tissue. The program let people send samples to friends and family via Kleenex.com. It lifted market share at least 1.7 points (↬Flowtown).
And recently, Canadian retailer Shoppers Drug Mart has been randomly handing out to customers free surprise gift cards worth $10, $25, $50 or even $100 off a subsequent purchase. This approach employs a technique called a lagniappe – a small gift added by the merchant, in the same way a baker might throw in a 13th donut with the dozen.
Gift marketing is a concerted way for brands to make a positive impression by unexpectedly delivering something of substance or value to either a key prospect or a valued longtime customer.
Gift marketing is a combination of branding, advertising, promotion, PR, social engagement, product sampling, and customer service. It’s old in the sense that companies have long sent preferred clients calendars, holiday baskets, and perhaps some bonus reward points, but it’s new in that these activities are becoming more planned, more creative, more finely targeted and better measured (ROI), and larger in scale.
I remember catching this video occasionally on MuchMusic back in ’94 when it came out (and when Much still played music videos). Loved it! Great track. And 20 years on, it’s aged quite well I think.
What surprises me though is how obscure it was then and still is now. How did such a good song not break out – even as a one-hit wonder? Where did The Troubleneck Brothers disappear to? And why – so many years after its release – is there still only a grainy, out-of-sync TV capture (with only 6-digit views since 2007!) of their excellently nostalgic video for Back to the Hip Hop on YouTube?
Anyways, always worth a re-listen.
Passenger Airplane Container System [US Patent 64944404]
One story that popped up is this one: Passengers Boarding Planes: We’re Doing It Wrong. If it sounds familiar, it is. It’s a story that’s been recycled numerous times, bemoaning the sorry disarray of aircraft boarding at airports. All those operations people in aviation and still no improvement – despite things like the smart Steffen Method – in how to efficiently and calmly board a couple hundred people in a tin can; something done thousands of times each day.
Time to let the cat out of the bag. I’m writing a book. It’s going to be awesome. I’ve tentatively titled it The Herd of Cats: How Entrepreneurs, Improvisers, and Disaster Managers Approach an Uncertain World and it’s inspired by the three very different worlds I’ve been exposed to over the past year or so with RallyEngine.
Here’s the draft jacket copy…
Last week I attended two very different conferences. Earlier in the week I was in Vancouver for the APCO Canada conference for public safety communicators. And later in the week (and weekend) I was in Austin for the AIN applied improvisation conference. RallyEngine had a tradeshow booth and a small speaking slot at the former and I had no idea what to expect at the latter; a wildcard.