Remarkable Product

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Our Own Big Moo

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12butt2

Thanks to Diane St. Claire and her Animal Farm, Keyah Grande received mention in the NY Times today.

My point is not to plug KG. My point is that people really do covet meaningful things, and those things get talked about…and written about. It just happens like that.

Average things with no genuine story behind them don’t attract attention. Nobody cares. And, in order to get any PR for something like that, you have to “spin” like a Maytag to get any editorial notice…or resort to buying ads. Good luck.

Think Remarkability!

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You Can't Shout Your Way To Success

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Here’s what we know about the buying process for remarkability.

We know more and more people “want” meaningful and remarkable experiences.
We know they will pay more for them.
We know they choose these products and services carefully.
We know they rely on trusted sources like friends, family and travel agents to guide them.

So, why is there such a tendency to shortcut that process in our business? Why do we insist on SHOUTING our message with ads, infomercials, fancy brochures and the like?

A bigger or brighter sign doesn’t make you more desirable. Billboards don’t increase sales. Neither do TV commercials, radio ads or $25,000 websites. But, we sure buy a boatload of them.

Look, for the money we pour down the drain shouting our message, we could build one heck of an experience and get all of our partners and customers to tell all their friends and co-workers about it. Invest in the experience and relationships, and I guarantee you the word would spread. Just be passionate about what you do, and give it a little time. But, if you don’t have the desire to be the best and the patience to see it through…buy the ads and the flash loaded websites. At least you’ll get to blame someone else if it doesn’t work.

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Think Remarkability

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I'll leave you with this thought for the weekend, courtesy of Tom Peters...

Add value. [LOTS and LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of.] Turn a MACHINE MAKER into ... the WORLD’s LARGEST PROFESSIONAL SERVICE FIRM ... almost overnight. [IBM.] Make every damn move & twitch a ... DELICIOUSLY DESIGNED GASP-WORTHY “EXPERIENCE.” [Whole Foods/Starbucks ... just a cuppa and grocery shopping, for Lord’s sake.] [Sales per Square Foot/Grocery: Albertson’s: $384; Wal*Mart: $415; Whole Foods: $798]

If you don't think a "gasp worthy" experience makes a difference, take a second look at that Whole Foods figure.

Think Remarkablility.

Have a great weekend, and Go Gators!

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Tom Gets It...So Does Charleston

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Charleston

Tom Peters has posted twice in a week (here and here) about his visit to Charleston, South Carolina. It seems, the town is making quite an impression on him…in a good way. Here’s a guy who logs about a gillion miles a year and has been just about everywhere on the planet. So, when he makes a point like this…people should listen.

Here are some interesting facts about Charleston (2003/2004):

Population, about 500,000
Unemployment rate, 4.4%
Port traffic, 1.72 million containers annually (it’s the largest container cargo port in the Southeast, including the Gulf Coast!)
Retail sales, $13.7 billion annually
Largest employers include Medical University of SC, Piggly Wiggly (it’s a grocery chain), US Air Force and US Navy, Roper St. Francis Healthcare, Columbia/HCA Healthcare and the Robert Bosch Corporation

Find even more info here

These facts are interesting because you never hear about them. What you do hear about is what Tom highlights in his writings...history, hospitality and good old fashioned southern charm. In a nutshell, it’s a tourist town. And, just about everything is geared toward that. Master plans, websites, economic development, PR, TV ads and on and on. And, for being focused, they receive about 4.6 million visitors annually who contribute approximately $5.1 billion to the economy. That’s not chump change in anyone’s book.

If your town is having trouble figuring out the tourism thing…go to Charleston. You won’t find too many folks there who don’t understand the big picture, and more importantly who lines their pockets.

Oh, and one more thing...I proposed to my wife there. So, I too have some very fond memories.

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Big Red Image

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Marriott_1

I saw this article the other day on how Marriott is “changing” to appeal to the younger generation. They’re embarking on an overhaul of design in some of their properties to change their image with this particular audience.

Well, you can’t just change your image this way, especially if you’re Marriott. And, perhaps more importantly, why would you? You’re (Marriott) clearly the “best” at providing a very consistent, upscale lodging experience. Yes, in most of your properties, you lack “hip”…and a story. But, even the younger generation has a slice of customers looking for clean, comfortable and full service that’s reliable and consistent. That’s what you’ve worked so hard to become. You are what you are as a result of hundreds of thousands (probably millions) of guest experiences over time. We all have an “image” in our mind about Marriott. I bet it’s similar…that’s called brand harmony and is precisely what Marriott and others so fiercely covet. Once you have it, that memory is hard to erase. And, I wouldn’t waste my time trying to change it. Rather keep making it better.

Here’s a suggestion. If you want to be successful at managing boutique hotels (which are inherently different than a Marriott), leave the Marriott affiliation off (You’re on the right track with your consent that your restaurants really won’t work in a new brand). Boutiques typically have healthy doses of design, story and care. Marriott’s got care, but arguably lacks the design and story elements. And, I don’t think anyone’s going to buy into a “transformed” Marriott brand. The folks that stay in independent, boutique properties do so because it’s not Marriott. Get it?

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Our Town

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Pagosa_baloons


I had an interesting discussion with my mother the other day spurned by the recent Akron saga. One of her comments…“some towns just aren’t in to tourism”. This started me thinking…all towns have tourism, whether they like it or not. While they might not make it their focus, there isn’t any place on the planet which doesn’t see some sort of visitor traffic.

Now, they can embrace that and build upon it…or not. I’m not sure why you would choose to ignore such a vibrant and financially rewarding business. But, that’s another story for another time.

If a place plays on either end if the experience spectrum, it’s okay…as visitors we get it. If you absolutely don’t care about tourism and are focused on some other industry whether it be coal mining or whatever, it shows. When we get to your town, we understand your focus is not on us…but on whatever. And, on the other end, if you’ve created something remarkable and the vast majority of your resources are poured into a visitor’s experience that’s equally noticeable.

The problems begin when a city, town or region tries to capitalize on visitor traffic without investing in itself and creating a remarkable experience. Half baked and inconsistent products send mixed signals to the audience and hence create dissonance about the experience. Usually, this type of experience is the result of a disjointed approach to tourism with no real plan or community teamwork. We have a little bit of that going on in my town…but, it’s getting better.

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Riding The Tail

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I recently received a request for some help with e-marketing and search engine optimization. Neither is my true area of focus. So, I referred the questions on to others. But, it brought to mind a fundamental thought about sales strategy and why it is we have come to rely so much on the likes of Google and Yahoo for people to find us.

In our business, there are only two basic approaches to selling. I call them remarkable…and coat tail. In a nutshell, people are staying with you either because of you…or because of something else. Unfortunately, the one used most often is the coat tail variety…mainly because of the low barriers to entry. And, while we all use some of both, you’re definitely coming into the game from one corner or the other.

Remarkable

This is the approach we should all be striving for. The experience you offer your guests is meaningful, relevant and interesting. It’s based on Design, Story and Care, and is best for you and your guest.

The advantages:

You are seen as “the best”
You are in whole or in part the “demand generator”
You are more in control of your performance and destiny
People spread the word about you
PR (editorials) comes much more easily
You don’t buy advertising
You can charge more for what you’re selling
Your experience has more to do with guest “wants” than “needs”
You don’t need to lie

The disadvantages:

It’s more expensive
It takes more patience
It requires a lot of “right brain” thinking
It requires a heavy investment in relationships

Coat Tail

This one is by far the more common variety, mainly because it’s easier and cheaper.

The advantages:

It’s easier
It costs less (you spend less on design, people and almost nothing on story)
You may see results more quickly
The “remarkable” or hard work is being done by something or someone else (theme park, national park, convention center, etc.)
You’re serving people’s needs more than wants (needs less creativity, i.e., “right brain”)

The disadvantages:

Results are likely marginal over the long-run
You’re experience becomes average
You’re more apt to “spin” your story in order to get people’s attention.
People don’t talk about you…they talk about the coat
You’re excellent franchise food (an expensive credibility stamp)
You’re forced to compete more on price
The supply/demand equation is very important (if there are less people in need, you suffer)
You’re more susceptible to the volatility of the market
You’re forced to spend money and time on the volume of your message (ads, special deals with coats, etc.) in order to get attention in a noisy market

We all ride a coat tail to some degree. But, the more we focus on becoming remarkable, the less dependant we are on the coat and the tail, i.e., the demand generators around us. And, consequently, the less we feel the effects of the various ups and downs experienced by those we rely on to provide our stream of business. In short, we are more in control of our own destiny.

So, if you’re in it for the long haul, the answer to selling more isn’t to spend more time and money increasing the volume of your message whether it be on SEO, ads or whatever. Rather, it’s more effective to invest those resources on being remarkable and the relationships necessary to spread the word. It’s tougher (mentally and fiscally) and takes longer to get a return. But, in the long run, you’re much better off and better insulated against outside threats. And, the result will be much more meaningful to your guests.

However, if you’re stuck in the coat tail doldrums with little chance of relief (usually a lack of money), get whatever help you need to move your property to the top of the search results page…and ride the coat tail as long as you can.

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ELO

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Elo

Why did a band like ELO become so popular and with such velocity when rock ‘n roll had already been around for so many years?

Because they weren’t playing rock ‘n roll as we knew it…they started something new. The Electric Light Orchestra added strings and a true “orchestra” experience for their performances. They had a new story and very unique design by way of both sound and stage presence. This experience had never been heard or seen before. They were the only ones doing it…and were quite good at it based on record sales. That’s what made them so hugely popular, so quickly.

Eventually, the “newness” and resulting success faded as other interesting acts came along, i.e., Queen, David Bowie, etc. They could no longer attract new fans with the same experience…it wasn’t remarkable anymore. And, there were too many other choices.

Occasionally, we need to change in order to keep ourselves interesting and attractive. It’s not good enough to rely on past successes, no matter how good they were. Being remarkable means coming up with something new as often as it is necessary. And, these days, with such short customer attention spans, that’s a much more frequent occurrence.

I’m sure you can think of other remarkable artists who had a great run. Some changed along the way to keep attracting new fans. Others had a short, but very successful go of it. Here’s a short list that comes to mind:

Jerry Garcia (the one who inspired us to be The One and Only)
Queen
Pink Floyd
Ray Charles
Harry Connick, Jr.
Dire Straits
David Bowie
The Rolling Stones
The Beatles
Elvis
The Kinks

Etc, etc.

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Price The Experience

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I couldn't have said it better myself (although I've said it before). This from Joseph Jaffe in response to the guy who paid $351,100 on EBay for lunch with Warren Buffet,

The proceeds of the auction on eBay go to charity...but underneath it all, is a a stern lesson to all the marketers and advertising practitioners out there who fall victim to continous discounts, sales and undercutting the competition: consumers will pay a premium for value - especially with there is an experience which comes along for the ride.

Don't base your price on what it costs to produce the meal or to clean the room, i.e., mark-up's. Instead, ask yourself what's the experience worth?

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Wanna Go To Connecticut?

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Ct


By its own admission, Connecticut has a tourism problem. But, they also have another problem...they don't understand why.

According to this news release, they think the bulk of the issue is the result of a declining ad budget. The story is full of misguided thoughts like these:

Connecticut is reworking its tourism strategy to compete with fellow Northeast destinations such as Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. However, the state is at a disadvantage because of budget constraints.

"Pennsylvania has a budget of $33 million for tourism, while Connecticut's is $4.4 million," said Dombroskas.

Because of the budget, a plan has been in progress to change the structure of the marketing strategy. The state is being divided into larger target regions rather than districts, and the tourism effort unites these regions with the state marketing efforts.

The television ads will premiere in the New York metropolitan area next week, and, judging by reactions from their competitors, the team believes it have a strong product.

"When a nearby state watched our new television ads, the room fell silent," said one tourism executive.

The streamlined ad campaigns will contain one logo that will tie together the new approach to gain visitors.

"People will see our logo on television and in print ads, and it will stick with them,"

Most of us know the real problem lies well within the confines of Connecticut's borders. And, that it's not the advertising. If people from neighboring states are looking past Connecticut for their vacation plans, it's because there are better things to do in other places. No amount of advertising or spin is going to make up for an inferior product. When I lived in the Northeast, I never had anyone tell me to go to CT for a must see or a weekend getaway. I wonder why?

So, my advice to CT...take some of the $4.4M and create something your neighbors are looking for, or better yet, haven't found yet. Then, get some influential people there so they can connect and spread the word.

By the way, the new website is a good start to a new direction, check it out...Visit Connecticut

T&L Top Ten

Here are the recently released Travel & Leisure top ten "service" hotels in the U.S.

1 Woodlands Resort & Inn, Summerville, South Carolina
2 Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tennessee
3 Peninsula, Beverly Hills
4 The Wauwinet, Nantucket
5 The Peninsula, Chicago
6 The Lowell Hotel, New York City
7 Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Plantation, Greensboro, Georgia
8 Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, Little Torch Key, Florida
9 Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, California
10 Inn at Little Washington, Washington, Virginia

It's not surprising that the majority have the following in common: independent, great story to tell, sense of place and one of a kind.

Go here for the top ten in the world.

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Hire People Who Care

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This news release promotes a new AHMA Educational Institute video citing "Training employees to provide the best possible service to all guests in any situation is the key to building guest loyalty and increasing business."

I think the real key to your success starts way before the training class. It begins with finding people who will genuinely care about your guests. It's the caring that leads to memorable service and remarkable guest experiences.