How Google dropped the ball but scored a home run Dora Chomiak January 18, 2018 Earlier this winter, Google launched an awful product: Google Pixel Buds Bluetooth headphones ($165), which were beleaguered by the unfortunate problem of not transmitting sound. (Here’s a...
Five competitors, one prize for the best customer service. Who won?
Like most of us, I seem to find myself at the end of the year interacting more than usual with retail, travel and service companies and organizations. Holiday shopping and travel explain part of it, while end-of-year deadlines and extra time off also mean more time...
Ian Schrager finds room for innovation in a tired hotel industry
There are few harder roles than being a transformational change agent at an established company in a legacy industry. These organizations have a lot invested in their existing model, which often means forces align to protect the status quo and discourage fresh...
How to survive an audit — of your content
The content on your organization’s website is an asset. So, imagine for a moment that each piece you’ve published is one of your employees. Some questions would immediately come to mind: What is its job description? How hard is it working? How well is the job being...
I love my electric vehicle. Why are so many other car buyers resistant?
I couldn’t be happier with my all-electric 2013 Nissan Leaf. For four years now I’ve been gleefully swooshing past gas stations. And it’s been in the shop only once, back in March, to upgrade the navigation software. Other than tires, brakes, wiper blades and washer...
I got a credit card today and it made me smile
Recently, Amazon has been all over the news for its dramatic purchase of Whole Foods. I like this move for a variety of reasons, but primarily because I’m looking forward to seeing how the company reinvents the grocery shopping experience for its customers. I believe...
Don’t wait for AI and Big Data to start listening to your customers
Regardless of how you segment them, your customers have at least one thing in common: They’re all buying something from you. And because of that one obvious fact, they’re also telling you valuable things that can help your company grow and innovate. The question is:...
How can your product provide a premium experience?
How can your product provide a premium experience? David Saabye April 27, 2017 Marketers love to tout the “premium” aspects of wares they promote. McDonald’s sells premium salads, Alamo rents premium vehicles and Hanes offers premium socks. But do all these goods...
Your employees are also your ‘customers’
You’ve heard it many times: Be customer-focused, understand the customer experience, and employ customer-centric design. The customer experience is one of the appropriate and needed aspects of the digital experience. Now, take this one step further and ask yourself:...
For marketers, yesterday’s ‘non-working’ budget is today’s digital investment
Traditionally, marketers placed great emphasis on the ratio of “working spend” versus “non-working spend” in their annual budgets. For those unfamiliar with the terminology, working spend refers to the dollars allocated to messaging placed in front of an audience...