Utah Marketing, Strategy, Management and Execution | Sprout Marketing

2008.12.16 07:34:18

In the past few months, I have spent hours conducting Voice of Customer Interviews with customers. I cannot tell you how many times I thank someone for their time and help at the end of the interview and in turn they thank me for taking the time to listen to their concerns. Customers really want to feel as though someone cares about what they have to say. As marketers, we must always be aware of what our customers are saying and listening not only to what they say but to what they don't say. This may sound obvious but by knowing more about our customer, we can better meet their needs.

Consistently checking in with your customers, taking a genuine interest in their comments, and then acting on their feedback can prove to be one of the best ways to generate a loyal customer base. After all, customer loyalty is an investment not an expense.

Tags: market research | VOC | Voice of Customer

Hits: 58 | Read more...

Brandon Carter

Dude, where's my jellybeans?

2008.12.12 07:07:23

Don't you get frustrated when you plop down $5 for a box of candy at the movies only to get back to your seat, open the box and find that the dang thing is only half full?

Potato chips pull this prank all the time. Being the cheapest person on the face of the earth, I actually have a method for feeling around on bags of chips to be able to tell which one is the most full. You'll never find a bag more than 3/4 of the way full. It's a fact of life.

Now jellybeans have joined the fray. Someone brought in a box of jellybeans as a treat for Sproutians (who, in all honesty, don't need more treats). It was a big honkin' box from a leading jellybean company. Delicious.

Compare the actual beans to the box in which they came.

Beans!!

Dude, where's my jellybeans? The amount of beans is about 1/3 the size of the box.

I don't think there's a law against this, but it strikes me as a total breakdown of a promise. Not to mention a total waste of materials.

Are your customers getting what they think they are when they fork over their dollars? Or are you charging them for a big ole box, when all they want is jellybeans?

Tags: Marketing | Branding

Comments 2 | Hits: 94 | Read more...

Mary Yedlin

Staying In Touch

2008.12.11 23:07:35

It’s fascinating and instructive to watch one of America’s oldest retailers drawing on its pioneering heritage as it moves to the forefront of using mobile technology as a viable marketing tool. With the introduction of Sears2go in November, its customers can browse and purchase items on their web-enabled cell phones – and then receive a text message when the items are ready for pickup if they don’t want them delivered. Designed to work seamlessly with its website and hundreds of mobile phone models, Sears has created a model that introduces a new level of utility and convenience for its customers.

So here’s the marketing maxim: Over the years, Sears has succeeded best when it has stayed true to its core brand traits: all-American value, quality and convenience. Beginning with its now-iconic catalog that was designed to reach rural customers who couldn’t easily get to its stores, Sears has again found a way to deliver on what its customers expect of its brand.

Here’s more on the Sears2go launch:

http://www.btobonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008812059975

Tags:

Hits: 69 | Read more...

Jorge Mazal

The Shift in Client Relationships

2008.12.05 01:31:46

In our modern economic history, individuals and organizations that engage with businesses to buy goods or services have been grouped into three categories: consumers, customers, and clients. I called this triumvirate the 3C's of the buyer engagement spectrum.

Traditionally, you can imagine the marketing executives at P&G thinking about the working mom needing a better detergent as a consumer. The executives may know everything about their targeted demographic group, but they have never even seen 99.9 percent of the individuals in that market segment.

On the other hand, the owners of a restaurant see their customers daily. They greet and interact with each of them. However, they still don't know their buyers personally, except for a select few that come almost every day--which receive the honorable title of clients.

Finally, a law firm or a marketing agency, such as Sprout Marketing, knows each of its buyers very well. Often we know their spouses' names, hobbies, favorite places to go on vacation, what their pet peeves are, what the best times to reach them are, sleeping habits, etc. In other words, we know our clients, and it is because we know them so well that we call them clients.

In other words, the more you directly and personally engage with your buyer, the less a consumer she is and the more a client she becomes.

In recent years, we have seen a movement to push consumer and customer relationships into client relationships. For example, one of our clients, ProvoCraft, has created a remarkable online community for Cricut users. Through this community, ProvoCraft can interact directly with its buyers and get to know them personally. Users know some ProvoCraft employees by name and vice versa. Users can ask for new features, cartridges, or updates, and ProvoCraft can run new product ideas through a naturally formed panel of buyers and decision makers.

This strategy has moved a consumer-level relationship bridged through retail partners to a direct, almost-client relationship. The benefits are endless.

A similar change is occurring with retail chains that get your name, address, and email address for a store-specific card. Through your purchasing habits, which they track, they can learn almost everything about you: ages of your children, whether you drink or not (and how much and when), whether you like Hispanic, Asian, or Italian food, etc. With this information, managers can direct marketing communications directly to you that are completely customized to your interests and needs. You’ll feel that they know you closely and talk to you about the things you are care about; and in a way, that is actually true.

The key that has unlocked this shift is information technology and the Internet. With these resources, companies can establish direct relations that closely resemble personal relationships. This allows them to build top-of-mind awareness, be relevant to each buyer, and strengthen brand loyalty, which result in increase revenues and profitability. I think we’ll continue to see this trend grow as technology becomes more accessible to small- and medium-size businesses.

Hits: 84 | Read more...

Jennifer Hoglin

Running through the Sales Field

2008.11.26 07:08:47

Throughout most of October I was fortunate to spend time with clients in the field. I observed sales guys pitching existing and potential customers. I managed conversations and answered questions when my sales guys were engaged with other discussions. I spent a lot of time in the car with sales guys talking about what they need to support their efforts, how we need to deliver our message, and why we are successful and why we are not successful.

Every time I go on customer visits I am reminded how important it is to stay directly connected to the customer. By directly, I mean interacting with them face-to-face actively and inactively. It is so important to learn from these interactions about their issues and understand how our products/services meet their needs and overcome their issues. Each interaction gives a marketer more insight and knowledge about the customers’ culture. With this holistic view marketers can approach every strategy and tactic with intention and customer insight. Plus, it also gives you ideas for potential new products or line extensions.

Everyone knows that business travel is not glamorous and stresses out the home front. But don’t let that slow you down. Marketers need to be in the field. It is vital to the job, career and discipline.

Tags: Marketing | Sales | field visits | sales guys | marketeers

Comments 1 | Hits: 104 | Read more...

Page 1 of 8

Start
Prev
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Next
End

Blog about joomla | IDOBlog - blog for joomla 1.5

Sproutians

Tag Cloud

Archives

Follow Us

Twitter Updates