Jaffe Juice

From Z.E.R.O. to Hero via Kickstarter

It's hard to resist making this a looooooooooooong post, so instead I'll do my best to be as brief and succinct as possible, so here goes...

My good friend and ex-client, Maarten Albarda and I are co-authoring a book together. It's my 4th book (after Life after the 30-second spot, Join the Conversation and Flip the Funnel) and Maarten's first. Besides sharing the same vision and passion for the subject, we're bringing a 1-2 punch to the table in the form of advertising-agency perspective on the giant elephant in the room: media or rather paid media.

The book is called z.e.r.o. and the sub-title, "zero paid media as the new marketing model" kind of says it all (and in less than 140 characters).

The book posits that in a perfect world, your paid media budget would be z.e.r.o. - literally, but also figuratively in the form of an acronym which stands for Zealots (advocacy), Entrepreneurship (innovation), Retention (customer centricity) and Owned Assets (moving from tenant to landlord)

On one hand, it's me returning to my "Life after" roots, but on the other other (and more poignantly), it's our set up of our premonition of a perfect storm approaching in marketing; one in which the bottom could conceivably fall out of the media model. Fortunately, the world is not perfect and change takes longer than we expect, but then again...just look at how your world has changed in the past few years to validate the fact that sitting and doing nothing is not a viable solution.

For me, it's a bold move for two reasons:

1. I've made the move from being a 3-time published author to self-publishing (thanks to Richard @ Wiley for everything to get me this far and props to my new home, Archway Publishing)
2. We're kickstarting this revolution and here's how you can play a key role.

Kickstarter component:

• Go to Kickstarter and visit our page or just search Kickstarter for Z.E.R.O. or zero
• Check out the video and the overview of the book
• Review the various pledge rewards and become a backer. We've named them after famous misers.
• From the Hetty Green and Warren Buffet (digital and hardcover copies respectively) to the maximum reward, which delivers 10 autographed books and an in-person keynote from either Maarten or myself (only 2 available per person)
• The no-brainer and value rewards are the Mr Burns and Mr Krabs respectively, that also include a 140-character acknowledgement (plug) in the book itself

We just pre-launched the book and Kickstarter campaign at the Festival of Media in Montreux, but here's the crazy part...in just over 24 hours after I hit the publish button (in stealth mode), we've almost hit our initial funding goal of $10,000. With your help, we'll push this over the edge and see how far we can take it.

The wild thing is that the book will become it's own case study insofar that it will demonstrate how we were able to self-publish our book for "z.e.r.o." by tapping into our advocates and leveraging our owned assets. It's U.N.M.2.P.N.M. circa 2005 retooled for 2013.

So...if you're part of my community and/or appreciate my content, show your support on Kickstarter with the pledge amount (or more if your heart desires). I will post regular updates over the 6 week period to acknowledge my backers (which would be you)

And all things being equal, Z.E.R.O. will launch in September of 2013 and will contain the 10-point action plan towards implementing this bold vision towards helping marketing evolve, normalize and allocate scarce resources to a re-prioritized hierarchy of connection points.

 

Read the Tea Leaves

Still playing catch up on the Mediapost column front. So here's a previous Online Spin article about customer experience (or the lack thereof) when it comes to Tea. And obviously the implications in terms of how you are packaging and ultimately putting a premium on your otherwise commoditized product or service.

I’m not sure what your personal experience is like where you live on this small planet, but here in America, when you buy tea in a restaurant or café, the most incredibly (bad) customer service occurs.

When you order tea, you typically receive a cup (and saucer) of boiling water and (separately) a standard tea bag from a popular commercial brand such as Lipton. Your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to open the tea bag packaging and proceed to dip your teabag to your heart’s content.  For this manual labor, you are charged some kind of ridiculous premium: typically $2.75 or more.

Even Homer J. Simpson himself would be able to do the math to calculate cost of good sold (COGS) of a cup of boiling water (it’s pretty much zero) and a teabag (again, pretty much zero).

Contrast this with a similar scenario at your local Starbucks, where an Americano (boiling water and a few shots of espresso) sells to willing buyers at around $4 +.

In the former example, I would contend that restaurants should give away generic tea for free. Or if not, you should get as many teabags (and hot water) as you like. Yes, I get the fact some people like strong tea versus weak tea, but by the same token, restaurants don’t slap a raw piece of meat on your plate and say, “grill it yourself, ” do they? Perhaps I’m a romantic, but I hold hope that my waiter or restaurant barista is trained in the dark arts of “weak” or “strong” tea brewing.

Or of course, a restaurant can get fancy and create a tea library that rivals its single-malt scotch collection. Green, peppermint, Rooibos,  lemon -- and the flavors continue. They could even invest in real tea leaves, strainers and exotic flavors such as Mango Diablo (I recently purchased these from a new specialty tea store in Westport called Davids Tea).

In this day and age of transparency, there’s such a thing as too much transparence. In a time when customer experience is the new marketing, everything that touches a customer -- from website design and UI to preparation of tea -- is part of customer service.  When done right, our customers will pay a premium for great service, storytelling, subject matter expertise and concierge solutions. When done wrong, Twitter is just 140 characters away.

If it’s true that necessity is the mother of invention, I would contend that survival is the father of innovation. There’s absolutely nothing stopping a restaurant from turning the uninspiring delivery of a commodity into a unique, memorable and sharable experience.

And in doing so, what a unique opportunity to turn the last underwhelming contact with a customer into a lasting impression that surprises, delights and delivers the triple threat of repeat business, referrals and “earned media.”

Innovation these days is largely associated with technology, but sometimes it is worth getting back to basics, with a common sense, “analog” approach to better business.

Tea, anyone?

Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/189222/read-the-tea-leaves.html#ixzz2IkBaNjQz

 

 

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Revenge of the Brick

Catching up on Mediapost articles post-Thanksgiving. This one is all about the future of bricks 'n mortar stores. Hint: It's all digital. Sort of.

I just returned from London, where I gave a keynote presentation on Flip the Funnel and how customer service and customer experience will become the key strategic differentiator in an increasingly commoditized world.

The next day, I witnessed complete validation of this hypothesis.

As I was walking down Piccadilly, I passed an Audi showroom unlike any I had seen before. In fact, it’s the first concept store of its kind for the brand in the world. The showroom was exceptionally clean, with one or two models on the white floor. No desks. No papers. No chairs. Several color coordinated, well-dressed salespeople. Several interactive kiosks. And wall-to-wall giant synchronized TV screens.

I proceeded to customize my swanky new S5 convertible using the interactive kiosks and with an effortless swipe, I was able to project my configured car onto the big screen. I was also able to swivel the car using gestures on the kiosk, but I was just get started.

Using Microsoft’s Kinect technology, I was able to use my body as a joystick or mouse. I could take down the roof and watch it roll back in real time. I watched the car drive off and come back to rest with surround sound emulating the actual sounds of the car.  I was truly surrounded by a realistic experience of what it might feel like to drive an Audi S5 Convertible.

There were other gadgets, bells and whistles, like the ability to save my session to a USB and whenever I returned, pick up where I left off.

The experience was terrific, but what really blew me away was the epiphany that bricks-and-mortar stores were not dead, but alive and kicking. They were about to go through an incredible revival or even renaissance. 

There were those who once said (and I’m probably one of them) that bricks-and-mortar stores were endangered species, and that everyone would shift to online shopping, customization and commerce. There were also those who said (I was not one of them) that no one would ever move to digital channels to purchase things like clothing, homes or cars. 

As it turns out, they were both wrong.

What I witnessed in this London showroom was the future of retail: a holistic, immersive physical digital experience. One in which human beings still played a key role. The best of all worlds. 

In that moment, I realized that purchasing cars online is not the optimal experience. It just isn’t possible to get an accurate or lifelike feeling of what it must be like to drive an Audi S5. The most accurate experience would come from actually driving one — a test drive — but  what I witnessed was pretty damn close.

I believe the future of bricks-and-mortar stores is a bright one if – and only if – it is anchored around a core digital experience and supported by humans. 

Not only for traditional brands, but pure plays as well. For example, I expect to see an Amazon.com store in the near future; one without a single piece of merchandise in it. Why would you need a book, when everything can be swiped, synced and swooshed into your Kindle? I expect Barnes & Noble to be out of business if they cannot figure out a way — quickly — to emulate the Audi showroom and in the process, get rid of as many dust-gathering books (and space) as possible.

People might continue to window show online using their screens as nose warmers, but when they want to actually buy, there’s a lot to be said for getting off their rear ends and making the physical commitment to get into a store.

It’s back to the future, baby. With one hell of an ironic twist.

Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/187065/revenge-of-the-brick.html?c=101816#ixzz2DMVnJc5i

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The occasional rotten Apple

My weekly Mediapost innovation column focuses on the supply chain brainfart lag with Apple's new iPhone 5 between product announcement, release and the resulting accessory time lapse to supply the stores with protective cases.

Here's the link to the article on Mediapost and a sample of the text is below:

I have a love-hate relationship with Apple. I’d like to describe myself as a Pragmatic Advocate (as opposed to a Zealot Fanboy prepared to sleep outside for 5 days to get a phone that everyone else will have within days or weeks).

I personally have switched almost entirely to Apple products (Phone, Pad, Air) based on the unbeatable form and function combination that truly is superior to anything else on the market. I don’t do this blindly. I feel like it’s been a logical and natural process. I love the tangible product family, however I really love the intangible service and experience excellence (Blue shirts, Genius, 1-to-1) that truly separates them from their competition. 

With a bar set so high, one would think it’s OK to slip up once in a while. Perhaps they’ve earned a Mulligan or two in the marketplace. Only that they actually slip up more often than one would think (the antenna fiasco, battery issues, cracked screen, overheating – the list goes on.) My problem with the company is their detached closedness, secretive opacity and perceived arrogance associated with how they go to market. 

This is a company that projects aloofness and a superiority complex, which does not behoove a humble leader. I say that intentionally, because I don’t think they want to be humble. They absolutely believe they know better than their consumers and aren’t influenced by the market. 

I don’t even have a problem with that. I just wish the company would — occasionally — admit when they’ve made a mistake. 

Here’s the most recent one: My new iPhone 5 arrived on Friday, Sept. 28. Today (as I write this), it’s October 12. 

I still don’t have a case for my iPhone. 

The Apple store has nothing in stock. In fact, they’ve never received a single case. They also have “no idea” when they’ll receive cases. They are, however, very happy to sell you Applecare for $100 and a $49 replacement fee for when (not if) you drop your caseless phone and crack the screen.

Can you see what’s wrong with this picture?

Read the rest of the article here: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/185162/the-occasional-rotten-apple.html#ixzz29StZtSnh

 

Find your (brand) greatness

My latest MediaPost column is up, which focuses on how Nike used Fuelband to activate their #FindyourGreatness platform. Or perhaps it was the other way round.

It's a great example of what happens when "you put 1 (technology) and 1 (creativity) together? You get 12, August 12, 2012 to be specific. #findyourgreatness Day. On August 12, all Fuelband users had an opportunity to set a “world” record of Fuel earned in a single day. A global challenge uniting every single customer. In addition, individuals had the opportunity to set their own personal best and break their records."

Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/182750/find-your-brand-greatness.html#ixzz26MqT6Ism

Jaffe Juice #161 - Chatting with Author of @ Your Service, Frank Eliason

I recently sat down with the original @comcastcares guy, also known as Frank. Eliason. He's since moved to Citi to head up their Social Media efforts AND authored a book called, @ your service. Get it?

So here's our conversation about customer service, customer experience and a whole lotta funnel flipping.

Be sure to forward this to any brand marketers you think would benefit from the discussion.

Listen to it LIVE (left click) or download it HERE  (right click)

Subscribe to the show via iTunes here

 

Marketing over Juice

John Wall is one of the good guys. He's also a social media veteran - meaning he's been doing this at least since 2005.

In fact, I met John when he was the host of the wonderful, "The M Show".

Today, John podcasts with another well known name in marketing podcasting circles, Christopher Penn (host of "The Financial Aid Podcast"). Their show is called "Marketing over Coffee" and it's a pretty popular and really informative show which I recommend you subscribe to.

A few weeks back, I was in Boston for a panel at the DMA, led by Beancast host, Bob Knorpp. John and I found some time to sit down together to talk about podcasting memories, Flip the Funnel, social media stuff and....of course....marketing...over...coffee.

Listen direct by left clicking or download by right clicking here

Enjoy!

PS Appreciate the Sean Connery photo, whatever the connection or implication.

Shownotes below:

01:42 Starting with Flip the Funnel, Crayon and Powered, the peril of wooing strangers

05:22 Did Flip the Funnel run on it’s own as predicted?

08:35 Operationalizing the Ambassador and Advocacy Program

10:13 Bullish on the Future

13:10 Can the existing bureaucracy adapt or will they be replaced?

16:11 What’s the future of Direct Marketing?

21:35 The Podcasting Phenomenon

23:02 Upcoming Events:

• BlogWorld Expo and Podcamp LA – Nov. 3-5, 2011, Los Angeles, CA – MOC20, 20% off any pass, MOC50, 50% off Expo

23:25 The 38th Annual Marketing Over Coffee Awards Coming Soon!

Marketing as a (Customer) Service Interview

I recently was closing keynote at an ANA Brand Conference in New York City. Before I presented, I was interviewed by Peter Cervieri on my keynote, Flip the Funnel, Content Strategy and more.

Here is the interview:

Jaffe Juice #151 - Salem Baskin joins Joel and Jaffe as we debate the New C-Suite

In this episode, we step it up by inviting Jonathan Salem-Baskin to join Mitch Joel and myself in our monthly debate. Perhaps JSB will join us on a more frequent basis as we rebrand ourselves as "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly" or "The Three Musketeers" or whatever floats your boat.

In this episode, we use Jonathan's very crabby post which references a Forbes article about the rise of the "Chief Customer Officer". We talk about whether companies like Forrester or Ad Age are boosting nonsense titles, or in fact whether this title for example, should be folded into the Chief Marketing Officer's roles and responsibilities.

...but we don't stop there, questioning the role and relevance of the CMO title itself!

Personally, I'm in favor of the Chief Customer Officer, which is why I think this makes for a lively debate with some very poignent takeaways.

Hope you enjoy it as well.

Original JSB blog post here and Forbes article here

Listen to it LIVE (left click) or download it here (right click)

Subscribe to the show via iTunes here

Follow Jonathan, Mitch and myself on Twitter

JJTV #133 - FourSquare Check Ins are for the Birds

The other day I went to Bryant Park Grill for lunch and was pleasantly surprised by an "on brand" FourSquare tie-in which was equally matched by the reaction/participation of the store.

It's really not that difficult people.

PS I'll be back for a drink there for sure. Anyone want to join me?

What do you think? Let me know.

• Share JJTV with your Chief Marketing Officer, colleagues, clients and followers
• Tweet or RT: New JJTV - FourSquare Check Ins are for the Birds. Here's why: http://bit.ly/foursquareforbirds
• Subscribe to the show via iTunes or YouTube
• Leave a video comment