Gift cards have become the de-facto standard for gift giving in North America. I don’t need a lengthy research report to support the claim. This time I’m relying on my visceral instincts. During the past Christmas holiday season, I overheard multiple conversations concerning gift giving ...
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Being a retailer is not easy today. In addition to keeping up with merchandising trends, retaining employees, and battling price transparency and the debilitating effects of “showrooming”, you also must redouble efforts to retain and delight customers. That challenge may sound like it should be...
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Every once in a while, it’s good to get back to the marketing basics. I was reminded of one recently while reading Reverb, an interesting e-book by writer and consultant Gwen Bell. While it’s primarily about building a small business from the ground up, there’s one quote in the book that reall...
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Carrabba’s Italian Grill stands apart from many of its chain restaurant competitors. Sure, the food is freshly prepared, the wood-burning grill adds ambiance to the setting, and the service is excellent, but I was thinking about their approach to building customer loyalty. Looking at several ...
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Banks traditionally build brand on the pillars of strength, reliability, security, and service. Few have developed a “personality” brand and I cannot think of one that has created a brand that evokes a passionate response from its fans as do Starbucks, Apple, and Coca-Cola. Though banks ...
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A small firestorm over the efficacy of Loyalty Marketing programs broke out over this past weekend thanks in large part to an article written by Joanne Kaufman for the Wall Street Journal. Ms. Kaufman recounts a telling tale of how her own household purchase behavior adapted to take advantage of rew...
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When it comes to brand recognition, the usual names that dominate the conversation are Apple, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Visa and …. Chick-fil-A? Ok, Chick-fil-A may not be a household name of the same caliber as Starbucks, but I guaranty that the “second largest chicken restaurant...
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