The Blirt! Blog

Reward or Penalise?

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

There’s a lesson in DVD stores.

What happens when you don’t return a DVD on time? You get a fine. What happens when a consumer gets a fine? They choose another store, use their partner’s name or just hope they don’t ever have to pay feeling guilty every time they go near a store!

Come on, fess up. It’s true isn’t it?

Why penalise when you can reward?

What if every time you returned a DVD on time you got a credit and every 5th return gave you a free DVD? Most coffee shops manage to achieve this with a cup of coffee and a DVD rents for about the same as a standard coffee these days.

Studies (and common sense) show you would most likely use more product more of the time when an incentive is in place.

What are you penalising your customer for? What could you reward your customer for?

I wonder what a difference a small change of internal policy could make without ever spending an advertising dollar?

Best schedule some time to do a little thunking….

Posted in customer service, research, thunk | 1 Comment »

Thermostat or Thermometer?

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

Do you manage your brand with a thermostat or a thermometer?

I was reminded of this simple principle today.

A thermostat measures a temperature and then responds with action to align to a pre determined outcome.

A thermometer measures a result only and does nothing else.

Managing with a thermostat means:

1. You know what your market wants and can craft a brand to meet it.
2. You are regularly measuring your brand against a market ideal.
3. You know what your competitors are doing.
4. You have thought about the past, the now and the future of your brand.
5. You have a team that carry’s out a pre-determined process.
6. You are thinking about the next challenge not catching up with today’s challenge.
7. You are operating with the right technology that is appropriate to your markets need.
8. You are dependable.
9. You are proactive, not reactive
10. You are more than likely going to survive the current phase of the economic cycle.

Don’t just watch the mercury rise. It’s not too late to deploy a thermostat.

Posted in brand, management, strategy | No Comments »

The Asset: Job. The Brand: Employer

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

Time Magazine recently reported the #1 idea that’s changing the world is ‘Jobs are the New Assets’.

Employers take note, a change is coming, and perhaps not entirely what you were expecting. Yes, in a downturn a job suddenly becomes more valuable, but what type of job?

Most employers are glad the downturn will bring more loyalty from staff. Gone are the days of employees trading off competitive offers in the market place. A job is now something to hold like gold.

But is the job you’re offering a job your employees will want to hold like gold when you come out of the downturn?

Your brand is what your employees will work for. More than that, if your brand is strong, and it needs to be, your brand is what your employees will represent. Do they aspire to be your brand? Do they feel proud of being your brand? Could they articulate your brand? Can they communicate your brand in order to generate sales and chashflow?

When the recovery comes, and it will, will your employees stick around or will they jump to a better brand at the first chance?

Brand owners, now is the time to reshape your brand. Understand it. Ensure it is market desirable. Ensure it is employee desirable. Ensure it is understood. Start communicating it now.

When the recovery comes don’t be caught short.

Posted in brand, employer brand | No Comments »

The Blirt! Blog

Reward or Penalise?

Thermostat or Thermometer?

The Asset: Job. The Brand: Employer

Recent Posts