The squeaky wheel gets the grease. And the coupons.

Written by Jaime Wisz, Account Executive
Wednesday, 16 May 2012

I was always told that you get more with sugar than you get with its less–than- desirable counterpart. I have lived my life that way and found that it is an effective method to living a happy life, most of the time.

Example:

Approximately four months ago I was shopping at my local supermarket and found myself convincing two other shoppers to try the dog food that my dog, Gus, can’t get enough of. After about three minutes they were convinced and purchased a bag a piece. With that, I went home feeling good that I had steered fellow dog owners away from the Dark Side- cheap- dog- grub and introduced them to a more refined, gourmet option that their best friend will love.

Coming off of my good deed, I decided to let the manufacturer of said dog food know how my over-the-top affection nabbed them some new customers. So I shot them a quick email.

I was shocked at the response I got. “Thank you for supporting our brand.” That was it. I have to admit I was aggravated at their lack of enthusiasm.

Jump ahead to the following weekend when I purchased dog treats from the same manufacturer. I brought them home, opened the box and tossed one to Gus. Guess what: he hated it and spit it out!

So, I thought, let’s see what happens when I email a complaint. Will I get the same cursory email response? Turns out, no. I got coupons for free food ($25 worth) along with a personal phone call from the Customer Support Manager to make sure I received their recompense.

I was outraged! This went against my life’s mantra. I had hoped it was a mistake and that the coupons were actually for my praise and not for my criticism, but they weren’t. This blatant lack of gratitude got me thinking about throwing the coupons away or reaching out to complain about my complaint and how it was poorly handled. But it seemed pointless- they just didn’t seem to get it. So, in the end, I let sleeping dogs lie- or eat: and thanks to their mea culpa offering I haven’t spent a dime on dog food in months.

WHAT'S YOUR SITE-Q?

Written by Victoria List, Copy Chief
Monday, 30 April 2012

As part of my job as writer/editor/proofreader, I spend hours online searching for information – checking the spelling of foreign names, deciphering a client’s technical arcana, perusing the websites of our clients’ competitors, etc.

By now, based on the “intelligence” of how a website is organized, I quickly get a feeling about how a business is run. Yes, graphic design plays a large part – but just as important is its usability.

Here are some insights by this data-seeking "web warrior," all based on actual sites:

1. If you have a business, you must have a website. If I search for your company and the best I can find are references to it on other websites, that shows you're either not serious about what you do, or about customers finding you.

2. Nothing says more about your company than your landing page. Don't greet visitors with sensory-overloading amounts of motion, music, colors, and tons of copy blocks and photos. Remember, they're looking for information, not a circus. But don't go overboard in the other direction, offering the same info tabs across the top, down the left side, across the bottom and again in the center of the page.

3. Be sure to communicate the basics.  This includes street address, email address, phone number and business hours. Make it easy for me to visit or contact you by phone, email or through your site.

4. Make your site intuitive to use. Nothing is more frustrating than arriving at a website and not being able to find what I need. Once your site starts growing, put in a "search" tool. If you don't have a search tool, add a site map.

5. Never let your online presence frustrate potential customers. If a hotlink is created to give more information on a specific product or feature, make sure it takes the visitor directly to that page. Don't let it drop them off at your landing page with no inkling of where to go from there.

6. As visitors navigate deeper into your site, make it easy to backtrack. Don't force visitors to return to your landing page whenever they want to go back just a few pages. Let them know where they are and how to return to previous page layers (like the internet History tab on your computer).  

If your online visitors come away not only better informed but with a positive feeling about your company, products and services, your website has earned back every penny you invested in it.

Retail: where smartphones truly shine [Infographic]

Written by Kevin Janosz, COO
Thursday, 19 April 2012

The smartphone has become a vital component in consumers' lives. Our smartphones are with us from the moment we wake up, and are in the palms of our hands throughout the day. In fact, these digital do-it-all dynamos are causing marketers to re-evaluate many of their strategies.

Smartphones communicate, inform and – most importantly to retailers – provoke action. And at retail, an action-provoking medium is always attractive, because it's in that setting where purchase intent is at its strongest.

Need a recommendation? Want to compare prices? Checking Facebook for related postings? It's all right at your fingertips. Even for bargain hunters, coupons or special offers are frequently a mere tap away.

To get a deeper understanding of the consumer psyche at retail, smartphone in hand, check out the following infographic. And if you have any other marketing questions – or you're looking for an agency to give your company a leg up – please feel free to contact me.