The Experience Journal

Experience makers stand united!

2007-04-08T09:14:00.000-05:00

Jay the waiter on customer service -"I'm not an order taker. I'm an experience maker!"

I just love this line, and dream that companies actually take this to heart. Forget the mission and/or vision statements - just follow this simple mantra!

The Nardelli Reign Ends

2007-01-03T20:26:00.000-06:00

Many have already started to post on the subject of Bob Nardelli's resignation from Home Depot, inlcuding Church of the Customer's post on "General Bob".

I have posted earlier about Bob Nardelli's reading of Pine and Gilmore's "The Experience Economy", and was hopeful that the giant of Home Depot could reach deep into its grass roots to create some remarkable experiences. This however was not to be, and then I start to ask why...

1. Why do seasoned executives time-and-time again become so insulated from their customers? In Nardelli's case he had 24/7 surveillance in the stores to see what is happening real time in every store.

2. How do companies built on customer-centricty loose their souls? Like it or not, Home Depot grew because of a passion of providing local service and products.

So, what went wrong? I think Ben hit the proverbial nail on the head with his comment:

His vision of military precision was largely out of synch with what most on-the-ground soldiers actually experience: a lot of improvising in the face of unforeseen circumstances.

Far too often, managers and executives forget about where the real battle takes place. It's not in the meetings or the board rooms. It occurs every minute on the sales floor (physical or virtual), where customers intersect with the business operation. This meeting space is where experiences are created. Managing them remotely, especially via a "spy-game"wizadry does not lend itself to the world of experiences. It only creates a perception of understanding - absent the other four senses.

So, so long to Mr. Nardelli. And hopefully to the detached omniscient management style he appeared to have brought to the table. Sorry Bob, you were so close and reading the right things, but in the final analysis it boils down to one thing - EXECUTION.

Blog Tag

2006-12-23T09:36:00.000-06:00

Ok, ok, ok... As a child I never liked the game of tag (probably because I was really bad at it), but since I have been tagged numerous times AND reminded of my outdated blog - here are 5 things you may not know about me:

1. My favorite rock band is Marillion - who? Yes, an 80's Scottish power-rock band that lived more in the medieval times than today's world. You can't beat a 19 minute song about Grendal...

2. The foreign language I learned in high school was Swedish... Very helpful in my home city of Minneapolis, MN.

3. I can jump off a diving board and keep my head above water. Don't ask!

4. Soccer is my favorite sport, much to the dismay of my Vikings friends. Two favorite teams are Arsenal and Chelsea.

5. I saw U2 in concert - for the War tour! How about that for a trendsetter. Of course, I was dressed with camouflage pants (pinned calf-high with safety-pins), and a bandana around the waist for a belt.

Who's next?

Michael Margolis

Timothy Ogilvie

Leigh Duncan

Tim Sulivan

On with the show - hey, what are you looking at?

2006-08-12T07:44:00.000-05:00

I'm back... After taking almost the entire summer off for enjoying, observing, and just flat out experiencing life! It is amazing to me as I look around my daily life and realize how many things are truly experience based - or at least the important things that stick in my memory. This fall, I will document a host of these observations from the summer.

So, when do you restart blogging after taking some time off? Well, a post at the ever engaging and thought provoking site Confessions of a Brand Evangelist started me thinking about the questions I ask all the time about who people are being. The essence of this question leads ultimately to the concept of brand identity. It is nearly impossible to extract oneself from their minds eye view of who they are (their personality projection), to figure this out. Same holds true with companies - they get too hung up on who they want to be, and ignore who they really are - at least from a customers point of view. Aaron Dignan has a direct hit in his opening question.

"When you meet someone new, there is often something about them that sticks with you, something you remember."

The hit? Its what remains in your memory. When you start thinking about crafting experiences personally or within your business you must ask the question "what do I want people to remember?".

Its good to be back - I missed you all terribly!

What you do...

2006-04-11T07:21:00.000-05:00

matters more than what you say you do.

Many of you have heard me say this over and over and over again. I keep pounding the drum beat because it is the access of experience.

The other day I was struck by the following quote that appeared in my Franklin Planner:

Don't say things. What you are stands over you the while, and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary. Ralph Waldo Emerson.

As always, Emerson puts things so simply and eloquently, and reminds me often of the basics in life...

So, if you are a marketing person did you hear what Emerson said. If not, go to a quite room, turn off your mind, and re-read. Repeat until you have absorbed the words...

Bet the farm

2006-03-20T12:19:00.000-06:00

I recently read a story about a local developer in the Minneapolis, MN market who made a huge investment (in the millions) to build and advertise their new branded development. Comparatively, most developers and builders don't even consider a budget of this magnitude.

The story as told in the newspaper describes the creative process taken by a local advertising firm to develop the image. Yes, they believed that an image could lure couples to the development. Despite the objections of the developer, the agency continued down the path of developing a broad reaching brand.

The objections centered around the history of the actual property. Once the biggest farm in the state with prize-winning horses, a growing dairy business, and housing of German POW's during WWII. The desire was to keep an appreciation of the land in what would be a high-end farmstyle home development (in the vain of other traditional neighborhood designed communities).

"You can't live in the past. You can't have $750,000 to $1,000,000 homes with old technology". "You want a house in the 21st century. In the end, this is not a historic site." And with a brush of these words the history was revised -more like eliminated by the advertising agency.

The developer originally dreamed of making this a nostalgic place to live. A place were people feel grounded, and feel a sense of history in a neighborhood dotted by authentic and historic buildings.

In their rush, if you call a 1 year development plan a rush, the creative folks threw out the baby with the bath water. What had tremendous potential for an experience based community, was dashed by the limited imagination of an advertising agency. In their limited worldview they did not think the essence of the site was relevant - more important were fonts, colors, and image selections.

We wish the developer would have stuck to their guns and built the experience they new in their gut. However, they deferred to the "wisdom" of the marketers. And as a result the site has forever been re-branded in the name of ego, and a resonating message of the developments history erased.

Experience destinations are a growing phenomena, and will continue to grow in scale and numbers in the years to come. And, this scares the hell out of many marketing folks - not all, but many. So, consider your options carefully when assembling your next projects creative team. At a minimum, you will want to include an experience architect.

By the way, the first couple through the doors were from the area, new the property, and just wanted to stop by and see it themselves. Not a stich of advertising brought them through the door...

What does it take...

2006-02-18T08:14:00.000-06:00

to bring your customers into the NOW?

A question posed at my last presentation for a local American Marketing Association event.

For those not able to attend, I presented the concepts of the past, present, and future. And tried to connect the dots of how they relate to experience. Here are a couple tidbits:

1. To the ego, the present moment hardly exists. Only past and future are considered important… It is always concerned with keeping the past alive, because with out it who are you? EKHART TOLLE

2. Our daily lives condition us into believing that we have no control of our reality

3. Quantum mechanics is the physics of possibility - all possibilities exist side-by-side. And, therein, all experiences exist side-by-side as a possibilities for your customers.

4. Customers allow companies, products, and services to exist in their world for brief moment in time.

5. Do our minds or does our brain see? We collect more information per second from our 5 senses than we are aware of. Our brain cannot distinguish between what is stored and what occurring at the moment - the image is the same.

6. Customers are so absorbed in their own drama that they have little to no time to try to understand yours.

While there is not a simple answer, there is an obvious answer. Keep in the NOW. Remain ever diligent about your customersrs NOW - they don't care about your 5 year strategic plan, they care about what you are doing for them right NOW. Also, there is a need to pull them into the NOW - remember, they are living either in the past or the future of their own little world. In order to get their attention you need to disrupt that thought pattern in a pleasant way.

Experience + word of mouth + transformation

2006-02-08T15:46:00.000-06:00

= possibility!

I just completed a completely inspiring conversation with two incredibly bright people. Jodee Bock, transformational coach, and Tim Sullivan, word of mouth uber guru. If you don't know them, you need to.

As I continue down this path of customer experience design, I am increasingly becoming aware of collapsing theories - one theory that combines with another to create yet a third possibility. There is clearly a shift occurring in my life time that is more than a business management fad, or even a temporary blip. A new awareness for company and customer alike is emerging.

Thanks Tim and Jodee for expanding my awareness, and for the shared pioneering passion!

Can I help you?

2006-02-06T20:39:00.000-06:00

On a recent trip I stopped into the restaurant in my hotel. The menu looked decent, and I was tired and looking for a quiet and abbreviated dinner. Upon my arrival there was less than a third of the tables occupied - great, I think to myself, this will be perfect.

Well, this dream was short lived. After the hostess walked by 3 times asking if anyone has been there to help me. The hostess never asked if she could get me a drink while waiting. So, when my server finally arrived about 10 minutes later, the first on my list was a drink (Coke of course). Big mistake, because my server returned to his hiding spot, and again I was asked if anyone had helped me at least 3 times.

Slightly amused, I turned into the observer and looked around. What I immediately notice was a broad expanse of chaos. Every server was cross-checking with other tables, while briskly passing their own tables. While listening to the conversations I realized that a couple new servers were working - and yes, I was one of the chosen who was part of the experiment.

At last my server returns with my drink from obviously some distant location, to only set it down and start to walk away. I was not about to let this slippery fellow sneak away again, so I got his attention (and a couple of other folks at the table next to mine), and placed my order.

The food was delivered as you might expect by another server. Thrilled to have my food, I requested another drink. As I was finishing my meal, I was approached again by the hostess to see if I need something, I said I was waiting on a drink, to which she replied "great, let me know if you need anything else" and off she scurried away. Finally, my precious Coke arrived.

The finishing act of this evening was my insane thought of ordering a desert to go, and pay my bill with my credit card. This was handled by 2 additional servers that had just stopped by to see if they could help. Well, another 10 additional minutes go by and the manager stops by, "can I help you with anything?". By now I am near tears of laughter and exhaustion... My response, can you just find out where my desert and credit card are?

After it was all said and done, I counted 6 people in all delivered on the most pathetic experiences of my carnivorous life...! However, the side-show was quite amusing.

A couple things to note:
1. "Can I help you" is not a phrase to be used for ideal conversation - it implies and requires action.

2. Stay in your position - something football players always talk about, and for good reason. When everyone starts covering for everyone, the whole system breaks down. The experience is completely compromised.

3. Always provide new hires with training before they start their individual experiments in customer experience triage .

4. Don't make excuses for delivery really a bad experience - just acknowledge it, and offer a remedy to your customer. In this case, I spoke with the manager who replied "yeah, they are still learning". Clearly at my expense!

This is one for the record books - maybe a tie with my Office Max experience.

What's love got to do with it?

2006-01-31T08:33:00.000-06:00

Well, I will tell you if you attend my presentation on Valentines Day (February 14, 2006 - for those who forgot)... Thanks to the Minnesota Chapter of the American Marketing Association for hosting me!

A hint for those who cannot attend - think about why you love certain things, and how that picture frames your daily choices... Don't worry, I will share some of the highlights after the 14th...

...but in the long run we have found, silent films are full of sound, inaudibly free ... slow down everyone, your moving too fast. Frames can't get you when your moving like that...
- Jack Johnson

Be an observer

2006-01-20T08:57:00.000-06:00

A great excerpt from A Year in the World, by Frances Mayes - published in the March 2006 Real Simple magazine.

Travel pushes my boundaries. When you travel, you become invisible, if you want. I do want. I like to be the observer. What makes people who they are? Could I feel at home here? No one expects you to have the stack of papers back by Tuesday, or to check messages, or to fertilize the geraniums. When traveling, you have the delectable possibility of not understanding a word of what is said to you. Language becomes simple a musical background for watching bicycles zoom alongside a canal, calling for nothing from you. Travel releases spontaneity. You become a godlike creature full of choice, free to visit the stately pleasure domes, make love in the morning, sketch a bell tower. You open, as in childhood, and - for a time - receive this world. There's the visceral aspect, too - the huntress who is free. Free to go, free to return home bringing memories to lay on the hearth.

Wow! Experience life...

The matrix experience

2006-01-19T21:14:00.000-06:00

I've been spending a lot of time, probably more than I should, thinking about what exactly is an experience. Is it real, or is it a story?

Like the Matrix, we live in a world of partial reality - at least experientially. Since our minds have a hard time distinguishing between reality and its version stored locally (the story), we do live in a partially self-developed reality. You see, we collapse our experiences with other experiences stored in our memory banks. The result is an amplified experience that is further removed from reality.

Imagine the possibilities of an un-collapsed experience (one that has not mixed with another experience). Now imagine if a company lived in the moment, and delivered experiences to you unfettered by their past and their possible future. Now imagine you are responsible for staging this said experience. Given it’s a matter of choice, what do you choose? You see the customer plays a role in the experience - a big one, since the experience you stage is blended with the experiences they have stored. You can almost argue that they create the experience, and you have simply created the environment for them to exist.

Ok Nero, time to unplug me from the grid... I think I've gone too deep with this metaphor!

Would you like a latte with your petroleum?

2006-01-05T17:03:00.000-06:00

Have you seen the new advertising campaign by SuperAmerica?

If not, it is a variation on their hometown team, and the local manager commercial campaign. However, in this new ad they introduce coffee specialists who will help you with your coffee selection and answer any of your coffee questions.

Interesting idea - I wonder how its working for the company and their customers. A couple questions I have:

1. Are loyal customers seeking this additional information and/or need the additional assistance during their caffeine fill up?

2. Are casual customers pleasantly surprised by the coffee attendant? Or are they just buying a commodity of fuel for their car and brain?

3. Is it what you expect within the context of buying coffee at a gas station? Sorry SA, I still think of you as just that... a gas station.

Most experiences are outcomes of expectations - what I as a regular, first time, or casual customer expect when I interact with a product or service. If I don't need the help, I feel awkward and avoid the interaction. If I'm a first timer, I may be confused.

Expectations are established in an awkward, random, and non-verbal way (typically) between customers and companies - your mind archives the experience, and references it the next time you interact with a specific store or group of stores. Once established these experiences are hard to modify.

Clearly SA is trying to modify the coffee experience within their stores. The question is whether or not it is within the expectation set of its customers. One thing is certain. The first time you are waiting behind big John the lotto-man who is buying, scratching, and cashing in tickets and you glance up to see the coffee specialist waiting for the next coffee triva question, you will have a new experience - guaranteed!

An interesting topic that I would like to pursue further as it is becoming clearer to me the delicate equilibrium that exists between the two elements...

Final score: Stores 68, Online 27

2006-01-03T09:36:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! Unless you are a store retailer...

Interesting numbers posted by the Church:

Nielsen's spending distribution for 2005, with the percentage change from 2002 figures:
Stores: 68% (-10%)
Catalogs: 5% (-1%)
Online: 27% (+11%)

The shift is on... The question is why? I am certain part of it is because of the dismal experiences produced by the retail industry. While they instinctively understand that they are in an experience business, most are still acting like a commodity pitchman... Likely driven by Wal*Mart.

This reminds me of Joe Pine's comments about competition:
1. Dollars are fungible (customers can shift their spending quickly)
2. Time is limited (this is a huge part of the shift)
3. Attention is scarce (lots of noise out there, and the customer is getting good at blocking it out)

A couple questions to think about:
1. When is the last time you were at a store and could quickly find what you are looking for, and within seconds ask an all-knowing, omniscient clerk to search for like products?

2. When was the last time you were presented with some additional products that have been purchased by other customers who have purchased the same product you are purchasing?

3. When was the last time you were greeted by your first name walking into a store?

4. When was the last time you didn't have to listen to a teenager talk about what they wanted to do last night, and couldn't - described in great detail as if you were not present?

Any questions why online sales are increasing now?

The challenge for retailers to accomplish something of similar attraction.

Anti copying software...

2005-12-08T09:17:00.000-06:00

or anti customer software?

As you probably have heard by now that Sony BMG added a rootkit to their CD's that makes the users computer vulnerable to attack.

While the existence of such monitoring did not surprise me, what did was a comment by Thomas Hesse, Sony BMG's president of global digital business division. He said during a interview with NPR the rootkit was no big deal - "Most people, I think, don't event know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?"

This reminds me of the old adage that what you don't know can't hurt you. I wonder where in the world Mr. Hesse has been, because his statement could not be further from the truth. The Sony BMG experience now contains an element of distrust (a poison pill for customer loyalty). In addition, his callous statement shows how they really feel about their customers and the reality of the new business world BMG faces. They are still living in the days of the past.

I often use the music industry example to demonstrate how poor customer experiences invite competitors from other industries to create products and services that make you irrelevant. Apple, the iPod, and iTunes did just that to the entire music industry and its distribution system.

Many lessons to learn about customer experience from a species on the verge of extinction...

What is the old saying?

2005-12-01T07:01:00.000-06:00

Never such a thing as a dumb question. Well, yesterday I stopped by a Wal*Mart store in SW Florida to pickup a sand bucket and toys for my two girls. I am working here on a project, and decided to have my family come down for a visit. Being from Minneapolis, MN a couple days in the sun will be great...

So, I wanted to get some toys for the beach. Well, the extremely unhelpful associate responded to my question with "why would we have those? That would be stupid. It’s out of season". Thus rejecting the old saying about a dumb question...

Now how did that change my shopping experience? Well, besides being belittled by this associate who probably thought he was just speaking common sense, it reminded me again about how far the big boxes have to go. With smiling greeters at the entry and exit doors, the associate who actually impacted my experience never bothered to learn anything about me - he was too engulfed in his point of view. By the way - he didn't smile, say hello, or goodbye.

So, where did I go? Well, I stopped at the Home Depot down the rode. Did they have the toys? No, but a helpful and creative associate suggested some paint buckets, garden tools, and even some kitchen utensils. And by the way, she smiled, said hello, wished us fun in the sun, and said goodbye. She got it... she cared about what my needs were - not what their wares were... A huge difference in the age of experience!

Anyone else had a remarkable experience in an un-expected venue?

Can you say experience?

2005-11-25T09:53:00.000-06:00

That is 9 times. This advertisement insert in this months Inc. Magazine caught my attention. Especially because of its over abuse of the word experience.

Cars have always been about experiences (right?), but marketing "experience" in the way Lincoln did is almost repulsive.

Here is my basic premise. Experiences are meant to be had and shared, not simply identified as an "experience". Looks like one of the Madison advertising agencies decided to act on a hot new "buzz word"... I think they are completely missing the point and the opportunity. And in the end, this could be their demise.

Am I over reacting, or are you also getting weary of advertising like this?

Another cool friend

2005-11-20T08:53:00.000-06:00

Side note: After what has turned out to be another 30 day hiatus from this blog, I'm back...

While traveling around I have met another inspiring person...

Tim Ogilvie, a fellow Scotsman, and CEO of Peer Insight LLC met me in Washington DC for a quick conversation about the state of customer experience in our country. Yes, we found a Starbucks to begin the conversation, and then continued on the way to the airport. He has teamed up with former Ideor Jeneanne Rae to found their remarkable firm. Their unique service model helps firms see emerging trends within their business sector.

Tim and I shared many similar thoughts about the state of the customer experience industry (if we can call it that yet?) :

1. We are in the infancy stages of this thought movement / industry
2. Capacity of experience architects, and other experience experts will soon be outstripped
3. The base of providers is highly fractured, and cluttered by "me-too" advertising firms trying to jump on the bandwagon
4. A common language is missing - instead several firms are attempting to trademark their own little vernacular (in direct contradiction to many of the customer experience elements I hold dear...)

So, if you are interested in joining our conversation, please drop me an email.

Where did the last 30 days go?

2005-10-12T12:22:00.000-05:00

Well, I am not sure other than they have passed me by like a moving train...

However, during this train ride, I have met some really cool people.

#1: Michael Joshua Margolis, President of Thirsty Fish - a story marketing firm based in Washington DC. He is one of the most passionate people I have met in my recent travels... One of few marketers I feel at home with - hint: He is passionate about creating "tipping-point" stories that ignite societies (my words, not his).

#2 Max Lenderman, Creative Director of GMR Marketing - an experience marketing firm based in Chicago, IL. Max is working on a new book/manifesto that is worth reading (based upon my early read of the book). He also is the author of the blog Experience the Messasge. Max is another marketing guy that I tend to agree with - Max, just always remember that the experience is the marketing...

Last month I spoke at the Innovation Convergence conference in Minneapolis, MN (where I met Michael). My audience was full of some of the brightest people I have ever met - people who are responsible for innovation at their companies. There were many great questions about how customer experience design can be deployed as a innovation strategy, plus many individuals commented that they now have another dimension to think about when innovating...

It is my goal to get back to making regular posts, and getting back to production of our next podcast...

Interview with Joe Pine...

2005-09-11T14:27:00.000-05:00

Last week, I sat down with Joe Pine and asked him some questions about the upcoming thinkAbout event in Keystone, CO. Unfortunately, the audio is not worth posting - despite the tremendous value of the content, the sound is just downright horrible...

Here are a few high-level summaries:

Q. Who should attend this conference?
A. "Experience economy mavens". Anyone who is interested in what is happening to businesses as they move beyond goods and services to staging experiences. As well as designers & consultants who are helping companies design experiences. The event is designed to expose "participants" in the event to the very core principles of staging experiences. The event itself is an experience that is not attended, but experienced.

Q. If someone could not attend, what would they experience
A. Joe and his partners are often asked if the event is recorded, or if transcripts are available that can be purchased. The event is the experience that cannot be reprinted, or you will miss something crucial. "Experiences are inheritantly personal".

Q. What has changed since the first thinkAbout?
A. First event was held in 1998 - this is the eighth event they have hosted. Intentionally, they have tried hard to keep it intimate - including raising the prices. Overtime they have stumbled across a formula that works for the event:

Day 1: The morning is a learning exercise where you are taken through a set of framework and ideas that set the context for the rest of the day. The afternoon is a learning excursion - where you go and experience things and observe what occurs. Strategic Horizons keeps the history of events on their website including invitation art work and details about the events. Evening - relax and learn about what other participants are doing in the experience economy.

Day 2: The morning is a debriefing session, taking everything put into place Day 1. Think about, process, and generate ideas for your business.

Day 3: Close with the top 10 list of experience participants should take in during the next year. Number 1 is awarded the Experience Stager of the Year Award.

Post Event: Go to a show, take in a play. This year, a trip to local nightclub with the guitar player Wayne Hancock.

Q. What discoveries have you made staging these events?
A. Yes. The events are now used to help develop new techniques. At the first thinkAbout they developed a technique called "market of one", where people learn that every customer is unique.

Q. What professional level are the participants of this event?
A. From CEO's of billion dollar companies to individuals who pay their own way (Joe's greatest compliant). VP's of customer strategies and Chief Experience Officers. That forces Joe and his team to design an event that is worth every penny.

Q. How is advertising done for this event?
A. Alumni are notified first, then an email in the spring to people who have registered on their web site. In fall they send out a formal invitation. The goal is to sign up as many people who pay money before they even know what its about (take careful note on this... it is about building a community where you are relevant - my editorial). The actual invitation is a useful piece of information and tool. So, even if you don't go you experience a piece of the event. This year includes a World of Experience Map and an Experience Field Guide.

Q. Are businesses understanding what customer experience is about?
A. More people are realizing that their business is being commoditized, and that the same old no longer works. Joe stresses "it’s not about the customer experience per se" - he adds that this generalization tends to muddy the water (and I am guilty of that at times as well). However, he goes on to define experiences as distinct economic offerings. Just making customer service people smiling more does not translate into an experience - good/important things, but they don't fundamentally change the business. Charging admission for the experience is a key element for the new economy. Thereby creating an environment where customers pay you to buy your products...

Q. Should marketing /advertising firms be designing experiences?
A. It’s probably what they should really be doing now that advertising is loosing ground. Joe is encouraging dollars from advertising to staging experiences. It’s no longer about "passive advertising" vs. "active experiences" - creatives can do this well if they get they shift their thinking. Staging experiences translates into infinite marketing ROI when customers pay admission and generates demand for the core offering.

Q. Who inside a company is responsible for staging experiences?
A. Marketing departments, operations/front-line people, and companies are now hiring CXO's - Chief Experience Officers

Q. Where is the experience economy heading?
A. No longer an emerging experience economy - it’s now "flowering". Early industry adopters like themed restaurants are being commoditized. Companies who embrace staging experiences will need to refresh their experiences, and make them more personal to avoid the future commodity trap. Peak of awareness and action in the experience economy is about 10 years out... and will last about as long as the service economy (50 years). Experiences will become the predominate economic offering. After that? Transformation experiences (think fitness centers, coaches, etc.).

The Moo....

2005-09-02T08:21:00.000-05:00

is big, and so is its buzz. On Wednesday I received my copy of the advanced uncorrected proofs. Having been on the road the last couple of days, I have yet to start reading, the anticipation is high.

Once again, Seth has proven his ability to move things forward.

"It's the movement of the unstuck, the movement of people who want to make real change, to make things remarkable" - quote from the back of the book.

Thanks to Jackie & Ben at the Church of the Customer - our favorite marketers (after Seth of course!).

So what are you waiting for? Go to The Big Moo and place your pre-orders. Be an influencer, sneeze, and spread the virus!

Shopping with my iPod...

2005-08-30T09:04:00.000-05:00

...now makes my grocery runs easier. Yep, Kraft Foods just threw its hat into the iPod arena. Not sure how its going to work, but I just couldn't resist. 1,000 recipes in something called Recipe Hits for your iPod.

This is definitely designed for a more technical, on-the-go, and yes geeky crowd. But if it quacks like a duck, its a duck - right? Beware, installation is a little goofy - RSS Feeds could really improve the experience.

I will test this and let you know how it changes my experience at the grocery store. If you are like me (and I hope there are not many) you find yourself thinking about what you want to eat while you are at the store, not back home planning. Inspiration strikes me when I see something and say, what could I possibly make with this...

If anyone else has had an experience with this solution, please drop me a note, or leave a comment.

I never thought I would be looking at BBQ Chicken Kabobs on my iPod...!

Evangelists or healers?

2005-08-20T19:37:00.000-05:00

An excellent post by Leigh at LivePath. I agree with the point that evangelizing about customer experience design is one thing - doing it is entirely another. Often times I find that my clients discover the concept, loose it, find it again, only to loose it again... So, implementing an experience is often a traumatic experience in of itself.

I like the healer role Leigh describes. Experience is very holistic. It requires thinking about things in a fundamentally different way. Using a healer metaphor Leigh describes it this way:

"Healers remain dedicated to addressing disorders, rather than treating symptoms -- and prescribe treatment that addresses core issues."

What I find companies lacking are individuals who pursue operational excellence through the customer's eyes, ears, noses, mouths, and hands. Most simply forget about the before and after effect of the service they deliver to their customers. They assume that it just is, and that there is nothing they can do to impact. And often times even worse - they shouldn't do anything, or care enough to bother.

Many of us have been evangelizing about this new thought movement. And some of us brave souls are out there in the front lines designing + building experiences.

One thing is clear. The genie is out of the bottle... We have moved beyond fad and into a fundamental shift.

What's next for the experience economy?

2005-08-18T22:26:00.000-05:00

Well, Joe Pine thinks its "transformation". In today's WebEx presentation, Joe walked the audience through 4 imperatives of being successful in the experience economy:

1. Stage marketing experiences
2. Embrace dramatic structure
3. Mass customize your offerings
4. Go beyond experience

It's the latter that I wanted to dwell on in this post. I am often asked "what happens when an experience becomes commoditized"? Initially, I wondered if an experience could be commoditized, but the cold hard reality is that once you have experienced something it looses some of its luster. Unless it retains some element of mystery. Joe provided a great example of that today with the Library Hotel in Manhattan. They created an experience around one of the most boring topics - the Dewey decimal system. However, within their experience they created a sense of mystery around what's next? What will the next room be like? A compelling reason to continue the experience.

I also have seen the Starbucks experience become commoditized. Once Panera Bread started offering free wi-fi, the restaurant itself become another "third place" - except you can get great soup and sandwiches with your coffee. You see, other caught on to what Starbucks created, and the relief from the commodity trap they created.

Back to the call. Another fascinating fact. 70% of the attendees were from a service business and 52% said they had some experience initiatives underway. If you are in the other 48% you better wake up and smell the coffee - things are about to tip!

Joe Pine webinar

2005-08-15T22:00:00.000-05:00

Quick update. Joe will be sharing his thoughts about our favorite topic - the experience economy this Thursday (8/18/05) at 10:00 am, Pacific Daylight Time.

Register here for your own good...