MARKETING: Experience and Satisfaction vs. Nickels and Dimes — What Would You Choose?

Sunday, July 25th, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Great brands rock because they succeed at providing exceptional customer experiences and satisfaction. Great brands also rock because they succeed at convincing customers that the value provided is greater than the price charged. But what happens to that brand when it “nickels and dimes” its satisfied customers to almost laughable extremes? And what would you choose to do — abandon the brand, or accept the pocket-change-mentality surcharging?

Case in point: AirTran Airways.

You may disagree with me (and you probably will), but I love AirTran. They satisfy my business travel schedule with more non-stop flights. Their fares are low. Their online reservations process is a breeze. Their online ticketing process the same. Their fleets are new and clean. Their flight attendants are generally very positive. And heck (depending on whether you think it’s a plus or a minus), they were the first to market with in-flight internet.

But here’s the nickel and dime rub, and it’s moved beyond luggage. In my experience, there exists not one seat on any AirTran flight that doesn’t come with a surcharge. Front, rear, aisle, window, middle, exit row, within sniffing distance of the lavatories, it doesn’t matter — now that you’ve booked your flight, you get to pay again to sit down. And last I checked, sitting down is mandatory on U.S. air travel.

I applaud AirTran’s ability to get away with this and still not really irritate me. It speaks volumes for their brand’s overall positive experience, satisfaction and price-value relationship. That’s a goal every brand should strive to achieve regardless of pricing structure. But what would you choose — to reward the exceptional brand that is all about money (so to speak), or abandon ship?

SOURCE: NOISE, John Sprecher

Tags: ADVERTISING, agency, airtran, best, brand, brand development, customer satisfaction, experience, florida, fort myers, interactive, marketing, milwaukee, naples, noise, sanibel, SOCIAL MEDIA, web, wisconsin

BRANDING: Where Apple Shines.

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments

How bad is it for Microsoft when the corporation, in a “cost conscious” effort, cancels the annual company picnic?

Well, it can’t be good. And upon closer look, it ain’t:

•  Just announced: Apple’s second quarter fiscal report “blows away” analyst expectations, delivering its best non-holiday revenue quarter in history.

•  Just announced: Apple’s iPhone registers its one billionth app download.

•  Just announced: Microsoft reports its first ever year-over-year decline in sales.

Clearly, while Microsoft may still hold significant market share, it’s failing and flailing at capturing or retaining mindshare. While Microsoft may still be the 900 pound gorilla, it seems more like a dinosaur. While Microsoft may still have a lot more soldiers on the ground than Mac, why is the brand having to defend its flag so aggressively?

While part of it is product (iPod, iPhone, iBook), and part of it is product design (silver, sleek, sexy), I would argue (and can you really argue back?) that another part is the clear, consistent brand message, personality and promise that’s been so beautifully articulated over the past years by TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles.

Whereas Microsoft has scuffed around for more than a decade, trying this ad campaign and that ad campaign, launching something only to blow it up only moments off the launch pad, Apple and its agency have stayed, stayed, stayed on point — quietly talking up its (often) superior features and benefits, while loudly and clearly speaking to its consumer’s heart, soul and self-image (real or perceived, depending on whether you’re a Mac or PC user).

How can one company get it so right, so often, and another not? It’s a lesson everyone in the business, on both client and agency side, should study and learn from.

SOURCE: cnet, NOISE

Tags: ADVERTISING, agency, apple, brand, brand development, florida, fort myers, mac, microsoft, milwaukee, noise, pc, sanibel, wisconsin

BLOGS: Instant Messaging for Business.

Monday, September 8th, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments

The best examples of business blogs are those that provide useful, relevant, enlightening content that their audiences can learn from and apply to their own personal or business situations, and further their success. That’s the kind of blog that NOISE aims to achieve each month with Trendspottings, which nearly 1,000 marketing professionals now subscribe to — and the response last month to our post “Are You Ready For Your Brett Favre” suggests we were pretty successful.

Beyond the number of positive personal comments we received, our article in appeared (in no particular order) in online news channels and blogs including:

• Small Business Times
• Zimbio.com
• Project Clarity
• Bitemarks
• Alltop

A little chest-thumping on our part? Okay, we admit it, a little. But here’s the real point we’re trying to illustrate: If you’re a marketer that includes blogging as part of your overall branding, marketing and communications mix, don’t miss the opportunity to make bold, timely statements — statements that could reverberate throughout the blogosphere, garnering you and your company valuable ripple effects of awareness and attention that could, ultimately, add to your success.

Source: NOISE
Reported by: John Sprecher

Tags: ADVERTISING, Blog, brand development, BRANDING, Digital Marketing, florida, fort myers, milwaukee, noise, public relations, sanibel, wisconsin

WEBINARS: Talking the Leadership Talk.

Monday, September 8th, 2008 | Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Who are the leaders in your organization? Odds are, they’re not just c-suite professionals anymore. Leaders today are emerging on all levels within progressive companies — creating newness, discovering solutions, winning awards, garnering attention or otherwise rethinking the way things have always been done.

In branding your company, there isn’t a better place to be or positioning to adopt than that of the leader. And NOISE believes the best way to communicate your leadership is to exercise every opportunity possible to get your leaders talking the talk.

Take webinars. Today, webinars allow interested parties from around the country or the world — literally in any location anywhere there’s internet access — to sit in as active, interactive audience participants in a presentation of interest.

Mary Parodo, NOISE president, was one of three honored panelists in a September, 2008 webinar on health care marketing, hosted and promoted by HealthLeaders Media. With some preparation and a little polish (as in professionally-produced PowerPoint slides and video, example here), Mary was able to benefit health care marketers throughout the United States with her knowledge and insight — as well as position NOISE as an industry leader to hundreds of potential clients.

There are lots of ways your leaders can show off their leadership, from webinars and blogs (like this one) to white papers and feature articles. Interested? Let NOISE lead the way for you.

Source: NOISE
Reported by: John Sprecher

Tags: ADVERTISING, award winning, brand, brand development, E-MARKETING, florida, fort myers, milwaukee, noise, sanibel, WEB MARKETING, Webinar, wisconsin