Seeing Glasses in a Whole New Light

If you wear glasses you know that shopping for them at the traditional places like LensCrafters and EyeMart etc.. is mildly, well…. antiseptic. One thing it is NOT is sexy or fun. Stores are boring with bad lighting, doctors smocks, mysterious pricing and ultimately, very expensive. I found this out first hand recently when I…

Abercrombie’s Brand DNA Revealed in an Unexpected Moment

Back in 2006, the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, Mike Jeffries now famously admitted in an interview with Salon.com that his brand was intentionally “exclusionary” and perhaps most offensive… well… I’ll simply quote him: “Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot…

Improving Life on the Road: Inspired Creative Minds

Traveling a lot certainly has its ups and downs (yes.. literally). One of the surprising “ups” is stumbling upon marketing and design brilliance, sometimes in the most unexpected places. For me (admitted marketing geek) I get true inspiration from creative, elegant and insightful solutions that demonstrate deep understanding of the plight of the customer. And…

Sometimes “Good” Marketing Isn’t a Good Idea

I appreciate good marketing. Duh. Especially when you can tell they were thoughtful about the brand (and its touchpoints), understand the impact of customer service, are consistent in the environment and truly 360. But alas sometimes, as I have learned, good marketing may in fact be a red flag. Case in point… the dentist. Recently I was referred…

When Good Service Brands Go Bad

Think of brands known for service and you think of Nordstrom, Enterprise Rent a Car, Ritz, Virgin Airlines, Zappos, Starwood. These are brands known for differentiating themselves by their service DNA. And yet, sometimes even the brands that are known for getting it right, get it wrong. Somehow this is even more devastating then if they…

History Repeating

My mom has a long history with Sears Roebuck & Co. She has always shared stories about how exciting it was when the massive catalog arrived at their doorstep with a thud, initiating near fist-fights between her and her brothers over who got to browse its’ pages first. They would dog-ear the pages that contained…

A Delightful See’s Candies Experience

Yesterday I had a totally unexpected and absolutely charming customer service/brand experience that still makes me smile to think about. I was in the Bay Area on business and noted a See’s Candies store. I have distinct emotional memories of See’s Candies from when I was a little girl – a good friend’s grandparents would…

Anointing a Small Southern Town

Charleston , South Carolina.  Just returned from my first trip to this charming, enchanting town.  It drips with history, southern hospitality and slow, elegant grace.  With its horse drawn carriages, Georgian and Neoclassical influences, cobblestone streets and root-impregnated sidewalks bursting from towering, ancient trees overhead, it’s a meld of New Orleans, Savannah and a bit…

A New Era of Customer Service Is Upon Us. Are Ya Listenin?

The Internet has forever changed the business of customer service. Period. Response time has to be faster, more understanding, more flexible and more, well human. Its amazing to me that in an era of the Zappos’s of the world – where “surprising and delighting” customers with perks like unexpected and free overnight delivery is like…

Next Generation Health Care.. A Very Good Thing!

Recently I had a nagging cough. I ignored it and hoped it would go away. Mostly because I didn’t want to deal with going to the doctor. You know the cattle call like experience that we call health care today? “Care” marked by long, mysterious waiting room stewing, impersonal/rude/over-worked staff, consistently late, preoccupied, rushed doctors…

I Love Trashy Gossip Magazines

There. I said it. Yep. I admit it. They are a guilty pleasure. I love reading about the tragedy and triumph in the lives of beautiful and talented actors and actresses.. and strangely even the dirt about the decidedly less beautiful and clearly less talented hacks of “reality” TV. What is up with that? I…

Filene’s Basement Filing Chapter 11.. Again

I was irrationally deflated to read this morning that Filene’s Basement is again filing for bankruptcy protection. The company has been around since 1909, went public is 1991 and previously filed Chapter 11 in 1999.  Clearly they’ve been around a long time and were able to emerge previously.. so what are they doing wrong?  And the real…