The Delta Email

Here's an excerpt from a recent email I received from Delta about the exciting new updates for the fall:



"...But we're adding more than munchies. This fall, domestic First Class goes high class. Enjoy pillows, glassware and metal cutlery, in addition to the superior service you're already accustomed to receiving when flying First.........Flying has never been so refined!"



Talk about a sad state of affairs. It never ceases to amaze me how companies aways refuse to admit their weaknesses and actually talk to people like normal human beings. Imagine if they said something like "we realize flying has been tough over the last few years, but at Delta, we're trying to make flying better. With the reintroduction of pillows, glassware and metal cutlery in domestic first class, we're taking the first small step to making your first class exerience a little more first class. Yes it's a small step, but it's an important one, because we feel like every little bit counts."


I would think there's a pretty good chance anyone who can afford to fly first class, can remember the times when pillows, glassware, and metal cutlery were standard items in coach.... and that first class actually was "refined". So why act like having these things is an earth shattering experience? We all know better....a precious opportunity squandered.

The Shape of Song

Ever wonder what a song looks like? This one is Chopin, Mazurka in F# Minor...










Here's Madonna, Like a Prayer....

Just found this site. There's a whole library of songs to look at. Pretty cool.

http://www.turbulence.org/Works/song/mono.html

How fun would it be to run people through an fMRI machine while listening to these songs and see if any brain activity patterns correspond to the musical patterns?

Brand Relationships and Looney Tunes

Was doing a presentation the other day and used this video from an old cartoon. Think it's a great (and simple) example of the two different types of relationships most brands have with people.

The first type (brand is the little dog, its customers are the big dog)...


Most brands are like the little dog in how they use research and how they communicate. With research, most brands typically only reflect people by asking them about their desires. In essence the brand/customer conversation is "you said this is what you want, so that's what we'll do" That's ok, but it doesn't build strong connections. That's because it doesn't try to uncover the values they both share....it forgets the values and strengths of the brand and gives the customer too much power in the relationship. The brand is there and somewhat useful, but not hugely valued (much like the little dog)

To express this differently, think about that person who we've all dated at one time or another who had no opinion and agreed with anything you said. The relationship can last, but easily ends when you encounter someone with a clear sense of self or point of view that you find interesting or that challenges you.

It's the same with communications. Most brands just pester people with their messages hoping they will listen. They feel like unless they tell people everything they have to say, they'll be ignored. They leave no room for discovery. Think again of that person you dated. Very nice, but probably a little desperate in their desire to always please you.....a trait that's never high on many "great qualities" lists.

Here's the second type of relationship...


A bit extreme I admit (don't think companies would ever slap their customers around), however the difference is that the brand knows what/who it is and is flaunts it. Inherently there's a part of this type of relationship that many brands are very uncomfortable with....being ok with the fact that some people might not like you. However, that's not such a bad thing because the people who do like you will like you that much more. It's the difference between being a leader and a follower. Not everyone agrees with a leader's style, but those who do form a much stronger bond with that person. Whereas a follower has no style for people to even have an opinion about.....not a situation that's conducive to loyal relationships.

Before you start thinking that brands must alienate people to be successful, stop and think about points of view in general. While it's true that some strong points of view are polarizing, some are have very wide appeal....creativity (apple), safety (volvo), and money is only a means (Citibank) just to name a few. I suppose the trick is to have a point of view that has broad appeal and is relevant to your business.....specific enough that it easily relates to your business, but broad enough to appeal to larger insights into human nature.

Granted, these videos are examples of the extremes of the brand/customer relationship (most are somewhere in between), however they offer a good way to think about having people chase your brand instead of the other way around.

Nothing says Love like White Castle

White Castle is hosting Valentine's Dinner special with table clothes, candles, romantic music and wait staff. Reservations are required. Love this idea....partly because I love sliders, but mainly because someone has finally come up with a way to celebrate the over-commericalized holiday in a tongue and cheek way. And it fits perfectly with people's perceptions of the place. Hope they blow this out more.

Apparently the promotion was so popular in the midwest, they expanded it to most of their stores.

Would love to try it, but I've already been threatened with the doghouse if I even think of it. Here's the link.


http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/386272p-327769c.html

Banksy

If you haven't seen this guy already, check him out. He's an unknown graffiti artist in London who goes by the name Banksy. Nice to see an artist who is challenging the conventional thoughts on the role of graffiti. The site is below but doesn't do his work full justice. Check out his "best of" book called "Wall and Piece"

A few things strike me as interesting about him. The level of thought and context that goes into his work is great as well as his driving motivation that graffiti is a way for the people to reply to the public assault we recieve from corporate marketers and public institutions. But the fact that he has remained mysterious is the most interesting. Have no doubt that's what makes him so intruiging, famous (and good at staying out of jail). It's the ability for you to imagine who he is. Why can't more brands do some of this instead of pounding us over the head with every imagineable fact?


http://www.banksy.co.uk/menu.html

Search engines that think

Article about Google and other search engines becoming "smart" and building brand preferences and associations of its own....

 

http://adage.com/cmostrategy/article?article_id=114705

Weird Science in the Kitchen

Click the video above after you read this....

Watching "Iron Chef America" tonight (Still dream of culinary school one day) and saw this guy...Homaru Cantu. Haven't had one bite of his food and he's my new favorite chef. Sort of a Thomas Keller meets Mr. Wizard meets mad Dr. Frankenstein.

He's thinking about food in some of the most interesting ways I've ever seen. The guy uses class IV lasers, liquid nitrogen, edible menus, and vegetable inks to print pictures on food just to name a few things.

What struck me was how much this guy is like some of the best planners and creatives I know. He questions everything and looks for inspiration outside of the world of food. And what really struck me were his comments about how they control the entire experince of dining much like a director controls a movie and he has his cooks wait tables to make the experience more interesting.

I think this guy could quite possibly become the Steve Jobs of the food world very soon.

Here's another article about him with some great stuff on his background...

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/105/open_food-cantu.html

And I thought New York was crowded...

Came across this photo of the population density of the world. More evidence why India and China are worth taking seriously.

Reminds me of a couple things:

First a bad joke: If you're a one in a million kind of guy in China or India, then there are a thousand people just like you.

Second an article that Malcolm Gladwell wrote about dependency ratios. Talks about how the success of countries, companies, and groups depends on the number of people producing vs. the number of people depending on those producers. In short, if you have a bunch of workers and no kids/retirees, then you don't get bogged down by overhead issues (time, cost, etc.) that will hold you back. Check it out...

http://www.malcolmgladwell.com/2006/2006_08_28_a_risk.html

Speaking of Al Gore.....

.....spoke with Douglas Atkin recently, author of "The Culting of Brands" One of the things we started talking about was Al Gore's movie. Douglas mentioned that one of the problems with Al Gore's movie was that after getting the audience all hot and heavy about change, he ends the movie by telling you to write your congressman.....a huge let down.

Then got into a discussion about how in order to affect change you have to give people somewhere to go after they get all dressed up. Would have made much more sense to tell them to start an online community or visit a particular place that's already doing something to aggregate their power and influence. Essentially do things to help build a community around it.

Common sense really, but most people get caught up and don't think more than one step ahead. Worth thinking about for selling things, dating, or any situation where you are trying to influence people to take action in a way you desire.

Thanks Douglas.

Getting Companies to Go Green

Amory Lovins

Been talking about this video a lot lately. (see link below) Was flipping channels late one night and came across it. Amory Lovins, who runs the Rocky Mountain Institute, talks about the real barriers to environmental change and energy independence. He's the first one I've seen who's publicly shifting the thinking to implementation vs. theory. Cool stuff about how to change corporate thinking a little to show how being environmentally friendly can actually be very profitable...something every company is interested in. Check it out. About 15 minutes. Also has a somewhat interesting interview with the hotelier Ian Shraeger on there.

I think this guy should get together with Al Gore.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4569577556800822039&q=amory+lovins

Brands and Sesame Street

It struck me the other day that the best example of marketing "engagement" comes not from the advertising world, but from something people have been doing since the beginning of time....teaching their kids. Wondering what we can apply to brands if we look closer at this situation.

Ok, here's my semi-crappy analogy. Parents want their kids to take a desired action in learning stuff like their ABCs, how to poop in something other than their pants, etc. However, most of the time kids don't want any part of this. There are probably a variety of reasons why (parents feel free to chime in) but for the purposes of this lets say it's because A.) There are much more interesting things for kids to do like mashing peas between their toes and B.) They don't really listen to their parents that much unless they want something from them. Parents overcome this and get their kids to "buy" the knowledge by making learning fun and rewarding. In essence by giving the kids something they want (fun), parents get what they want (learning). Just look at what's happening in the clip of Mr. Noodle from Sesame Street.......

Who, coincidentally enough, is my uncle in real life.....but I digress.

In today's world, most people are like kids who have many more interesting things to do than listen and subsequently tune out brands (or anyone who is trying to get them to do something for that matter). And brands are like parents trying to find ways to get people to pay attention and do the things they want. The trouble here is that most brands don't try to make the interactions rewarding in any way. Either they shout louder and more often in a boring voice that people didn't find interesting in the first place (more ads in more places saying the same thing, aka nagging) or they try to be more interesting in a way that provides little, if any, value to the audience (ever seen those large inflatable gorillas on the roofs of car dealerships?)

I suppose the short slide after this long run is that brands (or anyone trying to build a relationship or get someone else to do something) should stop thinking purely like businessmen focusing squarely on what message to deliver or what stunt they think will attract fleeting attention and start thinking like parents by focusing on how you will make your interactions rewarding by giving people what they want. It shouldn't be that hard.....there are plenty of parents out there.

The matter of "Engagement"

Been thinking alot about engagement lately. No, not the kind where you spend 3 months salary and get on one knee, but the new marketing buzzword for 2006/2007. (ie. getting people to actively interact with your brand on their own terms) Although I think some of the hype is a overkill (the best marketers have been doing this since the beginning of time) it does seem more relevant in a time where we have so many choices that in order to stand out, you have to do something interesting to get attention.

In any event, going to dedicate a few posts to the topic since its been on my mind (and work) alot recently. Like to think that these ideas can go beyond just brand and....eh hem...consumers to all aspects of peoples' lives, so would love to hear others' thoughts on this.