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29
Dec
Easy Target
Jeannie Chan

I was home for the holidays. Like many families across the country, there was a family gathering at my home. There, I learned that my aunt had a hobby of making jewelry, and she had even sold a few pieces.

She also revealed something quite profound. While she’s an immigrant herself, she wouldn’t sell to immigrants. Why? It’s not discrimination. It’s because there wasn’t a demand from the immigrant population.

Immigrants, perhaps through their trials and tribulations, had learned to be more critical of their purchases, generally speaking. They believed that they should not to pay for that piece of jewelry, because it was something they could make themselves!

This is a simple short story. But it reveals to us that no matter how small your business may be, how simple your product may be, it is always good to segment your population. It is the only way to know who you should target, and more importantly, who you should not target. No one can be everything to everyone.

My aunt could easily target the immigrant population, being an immigrant herself. She had a network. However, that would have been a waste of effort, time, and/or money!

Photo Credit: Target, originally uploaded by wili_hybrid.

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25
Dec
Up In The Air
Jeannie Chan

Up In The Air, staring George Clooney, opens nationwide on Christmas. I previewed the movie and enjoyed it. My friends gave it just okay reviews. See for yourself, and give your own ratings.

But, why am I writing about a movie on this blog? Because I thought it was great movie for product placement. Unlike James Bond movies where each product flashes in front of you for mere seconds, the products in this movie were an integral part of the movie. They really sold it. I think it was one of the best movies for product placement since the Italian Job.

What products were featured? American Airline, Hilton, Travelpro, and Hertz. Just to name a few.

Travelpro is a line of luggage. This movie showed again and again how great these luggage moves. They spin. They roll. They go everywhere with ease. All the cool jetsetters use them. Way better than the old clunky suitcases you may have at home (in fact, there is a scene dedicated to this point).

Hertz, it gets you in and out fast. If you’re a Hertz loyal customer, you can get in and out in seconds. No long lines. In fact, they will “move mountains” to get you the car you want.

Hilton hotels have plush soft beds, and comfy little robes and slippers. Hilton hotels offer all the comfort of home and then some, well, at least to a guy that travels for a living. Of course, don’t forget about the Hiltons HHonors program! It’s a great promotion (George Clooney said it, not me). Plus, you get to skip the lines and get the preferred VIP treatment! Loyalty pays.

Talking about Loyalty, let’s talk about the featured star: American Airline. American Airline can take you everywhere! It satisfies even the needs of someone who travels over 340 days and 300,000 miles a year! And once again, loyalty pays. If you’re a loyal customer, you get to use exclusive lounges, be greeted by a custom greeting, and even, if you’re really really really loyal, get your own dedicated customer service phone line. Ahh, I want to join AAdvantage now!

Ahh, product placement… when done well it’s integrated into the story line, while leaving you with a good impression of the brand.

Photo credit: American Airlines, originally uploaded by anneh632.

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15
Dec
Don’t call me a customer!
Jeannie Chan

I’ve been doing some traveling lately, which in part accounts for why posting on this blog has been a little slow… (sorry!)

Recently, just flew on Southwest and on Continental. I couldn’t help but to notice that a brand is built on the smallest little things.

I’m not about to go into a case study of Southwest, as it’s quite obvious that they have built a unique brand. They have their unique boarding and seating system. Their flight attendants make jokes. Southwest is definitely not your traditional airline.

But what I noticed during my travel is that Continental repeatedly referred to travelers, like me, as “customers.” True, I paid for my airfare… but somehow, I did not like being called a customer. I prefer the word “passenger”.

Now, of course, I’m only one person. I’m a data point of one. I do not represent everyone whom Continental serves or hopes to serve.

However, this points out how sometimes even a single word could make a difference. Now, that one word is not going to stop me from traveling on Continental. Continental still has a lot to offer me. And, at the end of the day, if I stop traveling on Continental, Continental probably wouldn’t miss me.

However, if you’re a small business, every customer counts. Especially, if you’re in a very competitive business, your customer could be turned off by something as simple as one single word, and be persuaded to go to your competitor where they feel more comfortable or welcomed.

Therefore, always keep you finger on the pulse. Big companies do extensive consumer research on every single word you see on any print ads or television commercials. If you are not doing that, make sure that you’re having conversations with your most loyal customers. Ask them what they think about your latest flyer.

Every little thing matters!

Photo credit: by gTarded

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