Jaffe Juice

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

 

Cracks in the Bricks 'n Mortar

File this one somewhere between Holy Sh1t! and Who gives a Shit...

When you see a headline that reads, "Amazon will pay shoppers $5 to walk out of stores empty-handed," it definitely warrants a further read.

Turns out Amazon was in fact offering consumers $5 off if they compare prices using their mobile app during a one day promotion, which took place on December 10th. Actually it was 5% off or up to $5 on a maximum of 3 items.

So yes....lots of conditions, but this is a probe being launched to scour the realms of possibilities and potential. Or of course, if you're a traditional retailer it might feel like an anal probe.

The process is still clunky:

• consumers would walk into a store
• open up their Amazon.com App
• scan a bar code or take a photo of the item in question
• check and compare prices

In retailers' favor, this process makes several assumptions and requires several additional steps to be in place:

• To start, consumers would need to have the app downloaded
• ...and be aware of the service (requires advertising, messaging, CRM etc)
• They'd have to have the time to conduct the comparison searches (which - when time strapped and/or distracted by kids etc - is no given)
• The offer in question would have to be compelling and whilst $5 isn't exactly like hitting the Powerball jackpot, it's not insignificant, especially in these trying times
• They'd have to sacrifice the convenience or desire of walking out the store with the item in question in favor of receiving it 2+ days later

That said, it's quite possibly the beginning of the end and any retailers that ignore this (and mobile in general), are doing it almost certainly at their peril.

Retailers will have to invest now - more than ever - in a combination of innovation, service and experience if they are to remain competitive, differentiated and compelling to consumers. 

Anything less is just not good enough.

(Hat tip to Niv for sending this)

 

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!

JJTV #137 - Permission Marketing 2.0

Seth Godin was right. It is all about permission marketing.

Here's a new spin on the idea of being bale to take permission to the next level: relevance.

Using Quora as an illustration of how to segment and even sub-segment what might have been one e-mail newsletter or subscription into over 40!

Call it multichannel servicing if you like. Either way, it's a smart way to slice and dice and CUSTOMIZE your information and add the all important CONTEXT to your CONTENT.

What do you think?

• Share JJTV with your e-mail agency, colleagues, clients and followers
• Tweet or RT: New JJTV - Seth Godin was right, but now we can add customization and context to the mix - http://bit.ly/permission20
• Subscribe to the show via iTunes or YouTube
• Leave a video comment

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:

JJTV #128 - Customer Consolidation

Just in time for the holidays (and the huge Storm in the North East), American Airlines announced they were pulling their fares and schedules from Orbitz.

This isn't the first time we've seen this kind of tension with respect to consolidated or aggregated offerings across industries like Music, Entertainment and the like.

Perhaps it's time for us to stop thinking about this from a seller's perspective, but instead from a buyer's viewpoint i.e. a customer centric approach

What do you think? Let me know.

• Share JJTV with your gate agent, colleagues, clients and followers
• Tweet or RT: New JJTV - How the airlines and other service industries can learn from customer consolidation - http://bit.ly/customerconsolidation 
• Subscribe to the show via iTunes or YouTube
• Leave a video comment

Best Small Business Book of 2010: Flip the Funnel

It isn't currently, but it could be....with your help!

Flip the Funnel is currently up for a Best Small Business Book of 2010 Award.

Currently the book is hovering around 10th place - and whilst a top 10 finish would be absolutely awesome, I think I can win this thing - especially with your help.

Flip the Funnel has resonated extremely strongly with people. I'm personally blown away by the response and I think this message is as close to the elusive "silver bullet" of marketing that we may ever get - especially during these challenging economic time.

First and foremost, if you haven't read it yet, make the $20 purchase and I personally will refund your money if you don't love the book.

Secondly, if you liked the book and the central premeses of retention as the new acqusition, customer service as the KEY strategic differentiator and the real role of social media being retention, then I'd humbly ask for your vote and to spread the message with your personal and professional networks.

You can vote here or just click on the logo below:

To be clear, I don't particularly like these popularity contests, but lists are lists. And so in the competitive and holiday spirits, I thought I would do something different that is ON STRATEGY, ON MESSAGE and ON POINT:

If I win this award, I will personally give away 300 copies of Flip the Funnel to the first 300 people who already have purchased the book to "pay it forward' and gift to a friend.

How's that for using existing customers to gain new ones?

Jim Blasingame = The Small Business Advocate

Over the past year or so, I've become a returning guest on The Small Business Advocate radio show hosted by Jim Blasingame. Who is Jim Blasingame? Just type in "small business expert" into Google to find out!