There's no place to hide your less-than-perfect brand behaviour.
(This not-especially-original insight was reinforced for me this morning as I sat in the dentist's chair, listening to the hygienist scrape away the accumulated plaque from my teeth. The consequences of my less-than-perfect flossing over the past six months were right there for her to see – and for me to feel guilty about.)
When a company or brand slips up, you can expect the news to travel fast, thanks to zealous reporters, bloggers and the everyday chatter heard around watercoolers or at holiday parties.
So more than ever, it's important to be clear what your company stands for, and make sure everyone on your team understands and lives by your values. Then, if you do mess up, be sure to fess up before others do it for you!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
The Bell tolled for Ted Rogers
A few years ago, I was a fervent supporter of Bell Canada for my cell-phone and internet needs, believing all the talk that Rogers was impossible to deal with. But partly as a result of some inferior technical capabilities and sloppy customer service from Bell, I've since switched most of my business to Rogers.
Without question, the complexity of delivering flawless, uninterrupted service across various high-tech platforms makes it nearly impossible to achieve complete customer satisfaction, but overall, I've been impressed by the friendliness of Rogers' call centre folks, the clarity of their messaging... and I have to say, i ADORE my iPhone!
One factor that caused me to reconsider Rogers was Ted Rogers's inductee acceptance speech at the 2007 Marketing Hall of Legends (www.marketinghalloflegends.ca) gala. At the close of the evening, Ted stood at his chair in the audience and enthralled us with the story of how, in the early days, he managed his clamouring creditors by drawing invoices out of a hat on Friday nights! That night, we saw a side of Ted that I suspect many of us didn't know.
I recently purchased the audio version of Ted's autobiography, Relentless, and have been really enjoying his stories about the struggles to build his company, his candour about his strengths and weaknesses, and his entrepreneurial advice.
Not surprisingly, the obituaries published earlier this week have been less flattering than his own book, but nonetheless, it's hard not to admire the ambition, patriotism and foresight of this Canadian legend. It makes me a bit more proud to be a Rogers customer.
Without question, the complexity of delivering flawless, uninterrupted service across various high-tech platforms makes it nearly impossible to achieve complete customer satisfaction, but overall, I've been impressed by the friendliness of Rogers' call centre folks, the clarity of their messaging... and I have to say, i ADORE my iPhone!
One factor that caused me to reconsider Rogers was Ted Rogers's inductee acceptance speech at the 2007 Marketing Hall of Legends (www.marketinghalloflegends.ca) gala. At the close of the evening, Ted stood at his chair in the audience and enthralled us with the story of how, in the early days, he managed his clamouring creditors by drawing invoices out of a hat on Friday nights! That night, we saw a side of Ted that I suspect many of us didn't know.
I recently purchased the audio version of Ted's autobiography, Relentless, and have been really enjoying his stories about the struggles to build his company, his candour about his strengths and weaknesses, and his entrepreneurial advice.
Not surprisingly, the obituaries published earlier this week have been less flattering than his own book, but nonetheless, it's hard not to admire the ambition, patriotism and foresight of this Canadian legend. It makes me a bit more proud to be a Rogers customer.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
'If' nails it for uncertain times
It was back in the late 1970s, when I listened to the music of Roger
Whittaker (during my summer-camp, guitar-playing period), that I first
heard the song 'If' (the sung version of Rudyard Kipling's famous poem).
The smooth sound of the song, but more importantly the words of the
poem, have stuck with me all these years.
As I contemplate the issues of middle age – as well as the current
uncertainty in the economy – I believe there are valuable lessons for all of us
in this poem (you can read the poem by visiting (http://www.everypoet.com/archive/poetry/Rudyard_Kipling/kipling_if.htm).
The most compelling part of the poem for me are the lines: "If you can fill each
unforgiving minute / With sixty seconds worth of distance run / Yours
is the Earth and everything that's in it / And – what is more –
you'll be a Man, my son!"
I hope you find inspiration and comfort in If too!
Whittaker (during my summer-camp, guitar-playing period), that I first
heard the song 'If' (the sung version of Rudyard Kipling's famous poem).
The smooth sound of the song, but more importantly the words of the
poem, have stuck with me all these years.
As I contemplate the issues of middle age – as well as the current
uncertainty in the economy – I believe there are valuable lessons for all of us
in this poem (you can read the poem by visiting (http://www.everypoet.com/archive/poetry/Rudyard_Kipling/kipling_if.htm).
The most compelling part of the poem for me are the lines: "If you can fill each
unforgiving minute / With sixty seconds worth of distance run / Yours
is the Earth and everything that's in it / And – what is more –
you'll be a Man, my son!"
I hope you find inspiration and comfort in If too!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Confessions of a Lapsed Blogger: Egotism or shame?
It's been months since my last entry in this blog. Why the drought?
Yes, I've been busy, but then, who hasn't been.
Have I lacked anything interesting to say (my kids might say so), but I don't think that's really true, since I've had plenty of great things happen in the last while.
I believe it's partly because I have a small fear that blogging is a bit egotistical – a way of 'showing off' to the world how clever or insightful you are. And so, I keep asking myself: "Is what I am about to write meaningful enough or worth putting on public display?" Invariably, it seems, my answer was 'no,' so nothing got written.
Then, if you stop doing something for long enough (such as an exercise or dietary regime), you start feeling guilty and ashamed about not keeping it up, which further fuels the flames of inactivity (pardon the mixed metaphor).
I worked for nearly 10 years with a client named Heather (she just retired) who taught me many things. One lesson was that newsletters are dangerous, because once you start them, you must keep 'feeding the beast' with new content. And since a blog is like a running newsletter, the same situation applies right here at 'The Spot.'
So, I ask for forgiveness for my blogging lapse and solemnly promise that I will 'hit The Spot' more often. I will loosen up on myself about the fear of seeming egotistical, and will write stuff that I hope has at least some redeeming value in terms of business, life lessons, or humour.
Here goes!
Yes, I've been busy, but then, who hasn't been.
Have I lacked anything interesting to say (my kids might say so), but I don't think that's really true, since I've had plenty of great things happen in the last while.
I believe it's partly because I have a small fear that blogging is a bit egotistical – a way of 'showing off' to the world how clever or insightful you are. And so, I keep asking myself: "Is what I am about to write meaningful enough or worth putting on public display?" Invariably, it seems, my answer was 'no,' so nothing got written.
Then, if you stop doing something for long enough (such as an exercise or dietary regime), you start feeling guilty and ashamed about not keeping it up, which further fuels the flames of inactivity (pardon the mixed metaphor).
I worked for nearly 10 years with a client named Heather (she just retired) who taught me many things. One lesson was that newsletters are dangerous, because once you start them, you must keep 'feeding the beast' with new content. And since a blog is like a running newsletter, the same situation applies right here at 'The Spot.'
So, I ask for forgiveness for my blogging lapse and solemnly promise that I will 'hit The Spot' more often. I will loosen up on myself about the fear of seeming egotistical, and will write stuff that I hope has at least some redeeming value in terms of business, life lessons, or humour.
Here goes!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Porter’s portable vase
This morning, I tried Porter Airlines (www.flyporter.com) for the first time. I welcomed the convenience of departing from Toronto island airport on my way to Montreal for the day, including the chance to pass through airport security in about two minutes, and the small luxury of drinking a decaf latte out of a heated cup!
Though Porter’s island terminal is small, it has all the expected airport features and produces the familiar sensations of air travel: filling the idle time until boarding, being surrounded by strangers taking the same journey, and feeling your pulse quicken as the engine revs up at the head of the runway.
For my flight home, I arrived at the ‘regular’ Trudeau International Airport in plenty of time. When I arrived at Gate 7 it was empty, save for the overhead monitor confirming I was at the right place. Over the next 30 minutes, I watched the scene come to life. First, the Porter counter attendant arrived, setting up a laptop and printer behind the front counter. Other passengers arrived at the gate and began filling up the nearby benches. Then, the counter attendant reached into the cupboard and pulled out an elegant glass vase with a bold bouquet of white flowers – the final touch of the Porter brand experience!
Though Porter’s island terminal is small, it has all the expected airport features and produces the familiar sensations of air travel: filling the idle time until boarding, being surrounded by strangers taking the same journey, and feeling your pulse quicken as the engine revs up at the head of the runway.
For my flight home, I arrived at the ‘regular’ Trudeau International Airport in plenty of time. When I arrived at Gate 7 it was empty, save for the overhead monitor confirming I was at the right place. Over the next 30 minutes, I watched the scene come to life. First, the Porter counter attendant arrived, setting up a laptop and printer behind the front counter. Other passengers arrived at the gate and began filling up the nearby benches. Then, the counter attendant reached into the cupboard and pulled out an elegant glass vase with a bold bouquet of white flowers – the final touch of the Porter brand experience!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Reflections on a career-in-progress
This morning, I braved the winter’s latest snowstorm to venture out to the University of Toronto Mississauga campus to participate in a student networking event for students studying marketing or communications.
While passing along various nuggets of advice from my own experiences, I was struck by the realization that like most things, career-planning success comes down to positioning, persistence and politeness.
Positioning, in understanding what excites you, then packaging your skills and interests into a ‘brand’ that expresses who you are and what you want to do, but is also aligned with the prerequisites and capabilities of the job you’re seeking.
Persistence, in appreciating that getting a job is partly a numbers game (first you’ve gotta get your ‘brand’ intrusively launched into the marketplace, then you need to keep on reminding your prospects about your existence until, when their need arises, you’re top-of-mind).
And finally politeness, in having the smarts to not presume that your skill-set will automatically fit the employer’s needs, but ‘taking it slow’ and respectfully asking to begin a conversation with them that ideally leads to a job.
I drove away from the session reminded about the innocence of youth, but also thankful that I’ve found a rewarding career for myself with Glue.
While passing along various nuggets of advice from my own experiences, I was struck by the realization that like most things, career-planning success comes down to positioning, persistence and politeness.
Positioning, in understanding what excites you, then packaging your skills and interests into a ‘brand’ that expresses who you are and what you want to do, but is also aligned with the prerequisites and capabilities of the job you’re seeking.
Persistence, in appreciating that getting a job is partly a numbers game (first you’ve gotta get your ‘brand’ intrusively launched into the marketplace, then you need to keep on reminding your prospects about your existence until, when their need arises, you’re top-of-mind).
And finally politeness, in having the smarts to not presume that your skill-set will automatically fit the employer’s needs, but ‘taking it slow’ and respectfully asking to begin a conversation with them that ideally leads to a job.
I drove away from the session reminded about the innocence of youth, but also thankful that I’ve found a rewarding career for myself with Glue.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
The rewards of giving back
Making time for volunteer work these days is always a challenge, what with client projects, kid’s hockey games and spending time with your spouse all competing for the planet’s most non-renewable: time.
For three years, I’ve given a great many hours to the Marketing Hall of Legends (www.marketinghalloflegends.ca), an organization that celebrates marketing excellence in Canada. The primary part of my role has been conducting phone or in-person interviews with each year’s inductees, then translating these into two-page profiles in the gala evening program book.
While the hours I’ve contributed are considerable, so too are the rewards I’ve received. First, simply getting to talk with some of Canada’s most successful marketers is a treat. Second, the opportunity to hear about their career influences, their personal mantras and their views on the industry today is enlightening. And third is the satisfaction of knowing that my work – together with that of the others on the committee who also donate their time to the cause – reaches the eyes and minds and hearts of other Canadian marketers.
Last night's gala was once again a great success. Since this was my final year as an MHOL volunteer, it was a bittersweet moment to witness the energy in the room. I left feeling very proud of the part I'd played in helping our industry honour its legends.
For three years, I’ve given a great many hours to the Marketing Hall of Legends (www.marketinghalloflegends.ca), an organization that celebrates marketing excellence in Canada. The primary part of my role has been conducting phone or in-person interviews with each year’s inductees, then translating these into two-page profiles in the gala evening program book.
While the hours I’ve contributed are considerable, so too are the rewards I’ve received. First, simply getting to talk with some of Canada’s most successful marketers is a treat. Second, the opportunity to hear about their career influences, their personal mantras and their views on the industry today is enlightening. And third is the satisfaction of knowing that my work – together with that of the others on the committee who also donate their time to the cause – reaches the eyes and minds and hearts of other Canadian marketers.
Last night's gala was once again a great success. Since this was my final year as an MHOL volunteer, it was a bittersweet moment to witness the energy in the room. I left feeling very proud of the part I'd played in helping our industry honour its legends.
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