by Brady on November 20, 2011
A friend recently said that when it comes to rewarding customers, surprise leads to delight. I think he’s absolutely right, and I believe all brands should include a positive unexpected tactic in their marketing plan. That’s right, you have to plan for the unexpected, or at least develop a framework for how this can come to life in your organization.
When I worked for the Walt Disney Company, we called these ‘Magical Moments,’ and they were actually scheduled into our shifts by the computer system that deployed us. One of my favorite ”Magical Moments” was inviting a family to skip the line for one of the popular attractions. Following the experience, we would present a personalized certificate to the kids and then get back to our work. The cost? Ten minutes and a buck for the certificate. The return? Priceless.
There’s always been a benefit to this type of activity, but now that “mobile and social” trends amplify messages in real-time, creating magical moments becomes exponentially more valuable.
To read the rest of this post and the other insights from the Walmart experience, visit The GY&K Marketing Innovation Blog.
by Brady on August 25, 2011
The marketing industry is changing on so many levels. Therefore, we’re always testing new ideas at the GY&K school house and measuring to see what works. There are tried and true principles that we rely on (30+ years in business means we’ve hopefully learned a lot!), but now more than ever we have to keep an open mind and pursue innovation.
One way we do that is by meeting with clients to hear about their experiences. After all, clients will always be the experts on their individual businesses.
Of course we also read trade publications and blogs, attend industry events, network (online and in real life) and dabble with our own independent studies.
One additional way I like to stay fresh is by visiting Walmart. Yes, you read that right. Approximately 100 million customers visit Walmart’s U.S. stores each week. For brands and marketers this is a key battleground.
Here are a few insights and anecdotes from my recent field trip to Walmart.
Rock Kiosk – Remember standing in line for concert tickets because the only other choice was fighting with a busy signal over the phone? Most of the ticket ‘outlets’ are gone, but not at Walmart. I have a feeling the friendly interface encourages a number of impulse purchases and drives significant revenue for Ticketmaster. If you haven’t read about their new CEO and his strategy to make them less-hated, it’s worth checking out.
Ticketmaster kiosk at Walmart
To read the rest of this post and the other insights from the Walmart experience, visit The GY&K Marketing Innovation Blog.
