PAUL MERRILL
The makers of Cheez-It snacks weren’t thinking too well. Only a tiny precentage of their buyers would ever notice the name change from “Party Mix” to “Snack Mix.” My guess is that their staff were so excited about the new name that they felt they had to announce it on the box.
The rest of us? We would never have noticed the name change.
Takeaway: Think of your audience in any communications you create. Consider what they care about.
I was given a wonderful Lindt chocolate bar for Christmas. (I love chocolate, you see.)
I was sad to read that the chocolate bar was made in New Hampshire. (Click on the image for details.) I would guess that the chef did not look like the one on the package. And yes, it tasted exactly the same as if it had been made in Germany.
Why is it I felt cheated when I know that BMWs are made in South Carolina — and I would not feel cheated if I were the buyer of a South-Carolinian BMW?
I don’t know.
“It’s a point of pride for the staff of the Sojourn to always be in uniform, no matter what the request.”
I was amused to see this picture in an airline magazine — part of publicity for a luxury cruise.
My first thought was, could you swim laps with us? They would have to stay in uniform...
I absolutely hate websites that make you click several times to read a single article. It’s simply nasty and mean to us, the readers.
So, website designers — if your boss or client asks you to do that for a site, please refuse. Think of the end user and respect their time.
(For the sake of naming & shaming, Automobile Magazine was the culprit, in this case.)
Advertising is part of life in this world (unless you live really off the beaten path — and if you’re reading this, you most likely aren’t).
We get a packet of junk mail every Wednesday. Without fail, I spend about three minutes sorting through the pile. Some weeks, I think I should just toss it all in the recycle bin before even looking at it. But I go through it anyway, to set out the supermarket flyers for Heather and to see if there are any other treasure awaiting. Most of the time there aren’t.
Takeaway: What things can you cut out of your routines to save time? And to save mental energy, be it however small an amount?
And by the way, happy new year!!
Hard to tell from this picture, but Apple was displaying giant iPads inside giant snowdomes. The display creators took the analogy a little further and had snow falling throughout the whole display, rather than just inside the dome.
I thought that was a very fun way to capture the viewer’s imagination. (And that appeared to be true for those inside the store, anyhow.)
It’s often helpful to take things out of context. That can greatly increase awareness of what you wanted to highlight.
A month or so ago, the weekly iTunes email arrived in my inbox. Rarely do I even look at them. But that time, I saw this little ad. I was amused at the thought of Apple earning interest on deposits from eager customers. (Think of however many people who pre-order, and a week or two’s interest on that sum? I’m not a banker, but I’m sure it’s significant!)
Takeaway: What are some ways you can help your customers feel like they are winning when you are winning too?
We ordered some videos for my in-laws for Christmas. The Amazon seller wrapped the video set in a plastic shopping bag — making it seem like a gift. They did such a good job of placing the bag’s image and making it seem like a present for us that I rewarded them. I took the extra time to leave very positive feedback on Amazon.
Their special care and effort was a really nice thing. But it paid off.
Takeaway: What are some ways you can add extra value through a little extra effort or care?
Check out the descriptive words in this write-up.
They just don’t use words like that to describe products (or product features) anymore. I would propose that it is OK to return to such descriptions.
(Tiny article courtesy of Automobile Magazine, December 2010.)
Netflix is killing off cable and satellite TV, almost single-handed. It’s cheaper. There are more options on what to watch. You don’t have to watch ads.
And now you can stream movies and TV shows to your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. (The streaming to your computer option has been able for a while.) So they released a plan that is solely streaming with no DVDs by mail — for a mere $8 a month. Eventually, if Hollywood loosens its grip a little, I’m guessing all movies and TV shows will be streaming. Currently only about 10–20% of Netflix’s library can be streamed.
So of course they’d up their prices. The $17 plan is now $20. Other plans went up too. If you have a monopoly, why not raise your prices? (Yes, technically, there are other competitors, but Netflix is the 1,000 pound gorilla in that marketplace.)
Note for my overseas readers: Netflix is not yet available in other countries except Canada, but I think it’s a matter of time, if the country’s infrastructure can support it. I’m not expecting it in Afghanistan anytime soon.
