ysis of the Red-Shirt Phenomenon in Star Trek. You don’t need to be a fan of Star Trek to enjoy and understand this (of course I am a big fan). You also don’t need to be into data analytics to enjoy this - though it will hit home harder!Loved the research finding “When Captain Kirk meets an alien woman and “makes contact” the survival rate of the red-shirted crewmen increases by 84%.”
Read the article here & enjoy.
So how is this different from the regular “feedback form” which all of us have an option to fill. Very different indeed! The brand here is creating trust and a bond with its community of users by just being open and alive to customer responses, as against secretly analyzing feedback within its dark office cabins and implementing only what it wants to do. The intention to listen attentively to the customer is the key. I also believe that the willingness to put the “action being taken” upfront is a great way to show that they care.
While it appears that the guys at Starbucks are generating some great ideas and trying to implement them for the consumers’ benefit, what they are really additionally generating is a lot of positive spin around the brand and a database of truly passionate Starbucks customers. The campaign also highlights Starbucks willingness to listen to its key constituent – the customer.
Very simple but awesome viral thought. Visit My Starbucks Idea.
Organizations traditionally have a board of directors which guides the organization along its growth path and as per the demands of the share holders who own the company – however their interests in what the organization does and how the organization responds to customers / consumers the are very restricted and constricted. More over this is the tradition way of looking at business and at what an organization should do to/with the consumer. This is a very "brand to consumer" way of looking at the life and functions of organization.
It is however common knowledge that referrals work best for the organization’s growth and the passionate and involved tribes of consumers can do wonders for any brand. There is also a lot of discussion and talk on customer centric approach and thinking.
In a scenario where the world of brands is turning on its head, how about an organization having a "BOARD of CONSUMERS” ? Think about it, who better to tell the organization what they need and desire than the actual consumers or the products / services of the organization.
Here is a link to a recent article which I had penned down based on a discussion on the “events business”. http://www.exchange4media.com/viewpoint/viewpoint.asp
Personally I see no real ROI in the traditional events business model – the number of “exposed” and intended customers or partners are too few for it to be a viable exercise. The “event/project” has to be amplified by use of other media touch points.
Chances are that if years back you purchased a baby product and dropped your contact details with the retailer, even today while your kid might be on his way to collage, you might be still getting glossy baby product catalogs in your mail box. So is that a big problem?
Remember DNC - it is obvious that “DO NOT CALL” registry is not a fad but is here to stay and hence the nail is getting firmer in the coffins of unscrupulous brand owners and their telemarketing agencies that still want to drive their marketing agendas by way of unsolicited calls.
So what’s next; “DO NOT MAIL” is the next big debate raging in the marketing world. Neither is this a fad and nor am I referring to the electronic junk mail.
Advertisement mailing is serious business. It involves people and organizations which are engaged as design agencies, printing and production agencies, database specialists, bulk mailing houses, postal systems and of course the “brand” that would like to use this route of “direct” as a way to reach out to existing and potential customers by way of its shiny product catalog, a brochure or a simple offer letter.
These massive direct marketing exercises result in huge order numbers. In the
However, direct marketing also means that you as a consumer receive a lot of unsolicited mail. What we commonly call “junk mail” is a lot more harmful than merely wasting 5 minutes of your time; it is a colossal waste of the natural resources and has a huge negative impact on the environment. For every 10 tons of high quality brochure-ware produced, it is estimated that 120 established trees are cut and we do send out millions of direct mail pieces every year!
One way for the citizen of the world to reduce his carbon footprint and save some of the trees from being brought down is to opt not to receive these catalogs and mails. That’s what DNM is all about.
Direct marketing agencies and brands have started to be more responsible in their approach by ensuring that they increase the usage of re-cycled paper, better manage the database - not only to cull out duplication and wrong addresses, but also increasingly use intelligent filtering and ageing to better zoom on the target audience. However, increased reliance on electronic format of communication for the business and personal communication has meant that advertising mail is one of the last straws of survival for the powerful postal departments.
While catalog based sales are in their early stages in India, they are bound to grow as the retailer and brand owners use it as an alternative route to reach out to customers rather than only rely on the retail store in an sky-high rental rates scenario, this will further heat up the debate in India as well as this will add on the volumes of DM.
I believe DNM option is here to stay and is a good initiative as it empowers the consumer and ensures that marketers seek permission to market rather than use the mass media approach of flooding the mailbox with paper, however, I also believe that it should be driven by self regulation rather than legislation. Well introduced DNM option will surely ensure that the earth stays green a lot longer. Expect a lot more action on this in the months ahead.
