If you want efficient movement through the streets of New York City, using a truck isn’t the way to do it. So, rather than use the same delivery system that they use elsewhere in the country, Amazon developed an e-bike delivery vehicle to navigate the crowded streets of the Big Apple.
It would have been easy for them to say that delivery times were delayed due to ongoing congestion, but instead they acknowledged the issue and came up with a creative solution.
Do you insist on staying with the same tried-and-true system that works for most, or are you open to considering new options to address micro-needs? One size does not fit all.
Pet retailers have capitalized on the trend of treating dogs as family members, and almost all of them offer special branded or birthday-cake-favored treats to celebrate the dog’s big day. Of course, the pooches themselves have no sense of their birthday; this is strictly a marketing ploy to get their humans to spend more. And, I’d venture to say, it works.
My Zoe will turn one-year-old next week, and I received an early birthday card from Chewy to commemorate the occasion. It just happened to offer me 20% their “Birthday Shop” items if I “scanned (or sniffed)” their QR code on the card. Clever!
While I did not purchase from Chewy, I did get a can of wet dog food (a delicacy in my house) and a birthday-cake-flavored treat for her and her sister. Can’t celebrate alone, can we?
Think about whether there are occasions you can turn into an opportunity, even if they are silly, arbitrary, or pretend. We can all use an excuse to infuse some joy into our lives, even if it takes a pet’s birthday to do it.
I like KFC’s chicken sandwich and am a fan of the Colonel’s food, but my fondness does not extend to sporting their merchandise. Apparently, someone thinks there is a market for a drumstick-shaped purse, a KFC wallet, or a chicken bucket backpack.
To make things even stranger, these accessories were on display at the local Hallmark store, a place I do not think of when shopping for purses.
I expect that I will see the items on the clearance rack sooner than I will see someone using them around town. Before creating a product or service, ask yourself exactly who the market is for it. It’s not chickening out to decide not to do it.
The local Chipotle has a business card holder with cards for the general manager and field leader. I always thought it was a nice gesture to feature them openly so guests could contact them.
Unfortunately, I needed to do so. I sat on a bench that had been slathered in furniture polish, with residual polish remaining. I had to leave the restaurant, go home, wash my jeans, coat, and purse, along with the seat of my car, where it transferred from my pants. It also got on the back of my brand-new sweater, and after three tries at the dry cleaner, the stain remains.
I contacted the people listed on the handy business cards — and heard nothing. Not as much as a reply, let alone an apology or compensation for my troubles and dry cleaning bill. It makes me angrier that they pretend to want feedback, but in reality, ignore it.
If you have any type of comment mechanism, take it seriously or don’t offer it at all. Raising expectations that you care makes the fall harder when it becomes apparent that you don’t.
A casino in Venice turned the baggage carousel into a giant roulette wheel, allowing passengers to guess where their luggage would land. Not only did it immediately immerse travelers in the city’s gaming culture, but it occupied their minds during that interminable wait for their suitcases.
What can your organization do to make waiting time less like wasting time? Can you add a video, televisions, games, or other mind-occupying tactics to help the time pass more quickly? Bonus if you’re like Venice and can tie it to your brand. The carousel roulette is a winner!
You’ve seen the typical hotel minibar—it’s the one that places the emphasis on “mini.” Tiny bottles of liquor or maybe a few small snacks. Not so in Vegas, where everything seems to be excessive.
The minibar in my hotel carried full-size bottles of champagne, liquor, and water as well as theater-size servings of candy. It also conveniently included a collection of charging cords and adapters, and, in a nod to its stereotypical audience, a “Lover’s Kit” labeled “Temptation!”
It would be easy to standardize offerings at every property across the country, but Caesar’s understood that Vegas demanded something different. Whether anyone ever used the Lover’s Kit was immaterial; it fit with the Sin City brand and immediately let you know that you weren’t at a hotel in Des Moines.
Think about the little adjustments you can include to make your place “yours.” Even the smallest detail is part of your story.
I went to Las Vegas specifically to see the Sphere—the newest entertainment venue on the Strip. This place is unlike anything I have ever seen: massive beyond words, the ultimate in high-tech, and a perfect place to see a concert.
The Sphere has the largest screen in the world — 160,000 square feet, floor to ceiling, side to side, all at 16K resolution. It has 167,000 speakers, so advanced that they can focus different languages to different sections of the venue! The outside is a show in itself, with 1.2 million lights, continuously displaying different patterns and videos. (Even the Eagles commented on the quality of the venue, and if you know anything about bands, they are never happy with the facilities or sound.)
Because the scale is so massive, the visuals at the Sphere must be filmed with a special “Big Sky” camera to achieve crisp resolution on a screen that size. Consequently, they needed to build a smaller “Sphere Studio” in Burbank, one-quarter scale of the Sphere, to create and test videos before bringing them to the giant Sphere screen.
I like the idea of having a separate space for experimentation. There are organizations that have off-site innovation labs, test kitchens, theater workshops, or proving grounds that allow them to create outside the constraints of doing so in public. Like the Sphere, this freedom allows them to think bigger (literally) and produce outcomes that likely would not be possible otherwise.
What can you do to pilot new offerings offline, relieving some of the pressure of a “live” setting where the cost of failure is higher? The sphere of possibilities is limitless if you give your team freedom to dream big.
One of my major class projects in an MBA class was comparing American Airlines with Southwest. While both were in the same industry, there were so many contrasts, especially in Southwest’s “quirkiness”. If I had that same assignment today, I would be stumped.
I flew Southwest last week and was saddened to see that they have become generic. It’s now reserved seating. It costs to check bags. The flight attendant uniforms could be from any airline. There were no jokes or lighthearted announcements. Not all the fares are refundable. Everything was like everyone else.
Contrast that with Las Vegas, which was one of the most authentic and branded places that I have been. There was nothing generic about the Strip — it had all the size, scale, uniqueness, and bluster of any city I’ve seen. Someone described it as “5 miles of Times Square.” Only there could someone spend literal billions to build a giant guitar-shaped hotel and have it fit right in. Vegas promotes itself as “access to excess” and wears the brand proudly.
Think about your organization and its brand. Have you capitulated to pressures and blended in, or have you embraced your own distinctiveness even though it may not appeal to everyone? You can’t have it both ways.
New Hard Rock hotel under construction in Las Vegas
Chipotle ran a 3-day deal offering free chips and queso to customers who ordered through the mobile app, and I was happy to take advantage.
When I went to pick up my food, there was a long line of people waiting, and one poor guy was frantically making all the to-go orders. Contrast that with three employees who were prepared to serve the walk-ins — but were standing around with no customers because more had ordered through the app to receive the deal.
Chipotle corporate incentivized mobile orders, but Chipotle local did not make staffing adjustments (or did not know) to accommodate the likely change in ordering habits. Thus, the free side of queso came with a side of frustration as we waited.
Much of the dislike of change could be mitigated if the people making the alterations considered who would be affected and communicated with them in advance. Don’t let the chips haphazardly fall wherever they may; let others plan for the change that is coming.
On the table at the local pizza place were two shakers of peppers: Hatch Valley Green and Four Pepper Blend. Usually, it’s a roulette of guessing and testing to see which (or whether) pepper would be best for the pie, but these jars were clearly labeled with a thermometer and “heat” rating. I could tell just by looking at them that the Four Peppers would be beyond my comfort level, but the Hatch Valley may add a welcome kick.
Here’s a hot tip: craft your labeling or instructions to preemptively answer the questions users may have, so customers don’t have to pepper your staff with questions.
