Starbucks Promise

Since Starbucks opened I have liked the company: their environments, promotion design, accessibility, coffee and fair practices. They are all about a positive experience and a respite in your hectic day.

Since my last few visits, I'm putting them on notice. Despite poetic signage about daybreak breakfasts, it was not a positive experience. 

The restroom mirror had a splash of gunk plastered on it and looked as though it had been there for a while. Don't their employees ever visit the restroom? I know it gets heavy use but cleanliness in a coffee shop is not a frill – it's basic. 

Branding is a promise, not just about advertising but every small detail of customer service.

I still like the staff service and love that everywhere I go they are never more than a few blocks away. Their brochures are cool and their drinks are hot. Is that enough? 

What's happened to their management? Am I the only one noticing?

The Economy Sucks. My Marketing Sings

I usually don't comment on the economy. I'm not an expert. And when it comes to stocks, I can't help but hear my dad whispering in my ear ... "hold it." That may not be advice that applies on the street today however I'm still holding on. If Warren Buffet's buying, I'm not selling. I hope it pans out.

But onto more immediate matters and those I have expertise in: marketing and branding. 

I'm seeing that companies (both small businesses and our clients) have a huge choice to make. Hunker down and worry – or move forward boldly. Hide – or forge into marketing and brand building as never before. I favor the latter. 

After 9/11, my design firm was hit hard. I restructured and never looked back. It was a good decision. My brand was somewhat known and it held up even when I moved from design to the broader spectrum of marketing, where I felt I could have greater impact.

The classic example of Coca Cola always comes up (not that I'm a soda drinker) but if CC were to lose all its production facilities, it could rebuild. If it lost all brand recognition, it would not survive.

It's ironic that many small companies bet the ranch on tangibles (office furniture, computers) without investing in their brands. They say they can't afford it.  

I'm all for infrastructure. The computers must work efficiently and the office must look good. That's basic. It's actually all part of your brand . . . employee satisfaction, efficiency and the customer experience. Your brand is infrastructure too – how the world views you, how they experience you.

Differentiate or Die

The truth is you can't afford not to invest in marketing. It's a lesson I learned in the many years of working with Fortune 500s. They spend big time on marketing as we know. You can't cross the street without being bombarded by marketing messages. And they get a huge return on investment.

I'm expanding my marketing right now and I know several of my clients will also. As a result, I'm confident we'll weather the storms. We'll be there when the ranks thin out. And when the upturn comes, we'll be in a great position to mine for gold.

I hope you plan to join me. Be visible. It's a great time for marketing!

Tell us how you plan to survive the economic winds of change.

NY Enterprise Report

Some of you may not know Rob Levin's excellent publication "The New York Enterprise Report." It is free to qualified small business owners and provides information, columns, articles and case studies in print and online formats.

I have been a contributor. To see my articles online go to:  

www.nyreport.com

Use the search for ReportLinks

679

368

The first article speaks to how your employees can build your brand and the second to how your employees pose risks and can take your business down.

Polar opposites: it wasn't exactly planned that way but now that I see them together ....

Welcoming your comments.

Calling All Association Executives

I will be speaking on Monday, September 29th at 12 noon at the New York Society of Association Executives (NYSAE). We will be discussing Web 2.0 and how nonprofit organizations can take advantage of the new online tools including social networking. 

For a description and to register, type this link in your browser:

www. nysaenet.org 

Go to events and then to monthly luncheons. 

Hope to see you there!

Anna

Marketing During Hard Times

Just returned from a week at "The World's Greatest Marketing Seminar" in Los Angeles. What a wow! 

Incredible to see how top marketers are using technologies, new and old, to become wealthy. I'm personally excited by teleseminars, home shopping TV, membership sites, nonprofit and corporate partnerships, video, and combining SEO tools with your brand. I will be studying these techniques in depth with the masters so I can use in them my own business and channel them to my clients. This isn't MBA learning. It's today's frontier in business.

One finding that reinforces my mission is that entrepreneurs spend 25% of energy on products/services, 65% on operations and 10% on marketing. Not helpful when the going is tough. For a winning ticket, spend 25% on products/services, 10% on operations and 65% on marketing.  

The bottom line: show up for your business. Stay fresh. Find new systems to automate marketing and make marketing a daily habit.  

Practical Strategies for Managing Risk

Hi Everyone, 

I'm teaching a class at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) in the Creative Enterprise Ownership Division, open to all. 

You are invited to join me.

4 sessions: October 15, 22,29, November 5

6:20 pm - 9:10 pm.  $135.

Practical Strategies for Managing Risk

Entrepreneurs face constant challenges ranging from competition, market trends, technology, finance and management to the political/economic landscape. To succeed, we need to adapt and grow, solve problems quickly, juggle multiple priorities, and satisfy customer demands. Explore ways to turn problems into opportunities through innovative approaches to launching and operating a business today. We examine the warning signs and learn fail-safe factors to help business thrive.

Visit FIT and search for CEO 029

Breville and I Mix It Up: What Can We Learn From A Blender?

For those who read my last posting (see the entry below), I did get my blender set up immediately due to urgent need. The instructions were simple and readable. No, I'm not being paid by Breville to say all this, honest. I'm just impressed by this innovative Australian company. The blender works great and I've had the best smoothies ever. But I couldn't toss the box because I love the marketing message printed on its side, so here it is.

Breville

Counter thinking.

Breville was founded on a simple philosophy.

Make products that people will use.

And enjoy using. Every day. If possible.

Don't make art.

Don't make showpieces.

Make things better.

Listen to what people say when they like them.

And what they say when they don't.

This thinking led to the first juicer to juice whole fruit.

The first espresso machine that extracted more

crema from every bean.

The first blender that turned ice, into, well, snow.

And an impressive collection of international design awards.

Over 70 years.

More than 200 products.

90 patents.

And a nagging feeling that we can still do better.

We call it Counter Thinking.

Don't you just love it? Real dialogue. Real products. Good design.

Wow! Can't we all use some of this in our business?