CASE: SIGG Brand Damage Control

I try to stay away from plastics are much as possible. I don't even like to microwave my food in a plastic container. And, ever since the Health Minister declared BPA a toxic substance, I became even more cautious.

With that came my purchase of a SIGG canteen. Something I thought would be a safe bet for lugging around the city. And then the news today...

"SIGG bottles manufactured prior to August 2008 have the former water-based epoxy liner which contains trace amounts of BPA. These bottles have been thoroughly tested and showed 0% leaching of BPA"

After a quick check, of course, mine was made prior to 2008. Ergh. This was a $35 investment. I paid $20 for the bottle and $15 for the cleaning tablets (of which I still have plenty of). More importantly, I highly recommened this for my cousin's children as a great alternative to water bottles - and yes they did purchase it (email already sent).

So now what?

Although the bulletin states that "absolutely no migration or leaching of BPA or any other substance from the protective inner liner" - do I take my chances? They had clearly known about this for a long time.

How would you navigate through this brand crisis?

Some tactical items I would consider:
- Email your customer list right away with this information
- Connect with your community - online and offline
- Offer a discount on a new bottle when you bring in your old bottle
- Make sure that your vendors are well informed and make customers feel that there is no harm


VIA: Sigg Tries to Control Brand Damage After Admitting Its Bottles Contain BPA. http://bit.ly/16a0Uc (via @adage)

Online Deception

The PRSA's latest stand against unethical editorial content by way of
paid bloggers, tweeters and such should also be adopted my marketing
agencies and departments. Believe it or not, this also applies to
internal communications as well.

I have been in many a meetings where colleagues believe that this is
okay, especially on sites they are advertising on already.

But, your audience isn't stupid. It is clear and many times obvious
when a community member is not authentic. You will lose more than you
gain.

http://media.prsa.org/article_display.cfm?article_id=1370

Via @shel

http://shelholtz.com/prsa-condems-growing-use-of-online-deception

How much is a cup of coffee worth?

Mark went into the local Starbucks (http://www.starbucks.com) the
other day and was told at the register that it was his lucky day.

No, he didn't get his drink for free, which was what he thought.
Instead, he was given a code to fill out a survey online and upon
completion he would then get his free bevie.

So when he got home, he logged onto the site and started the survey.
Seven questions in, he noticed that the progress bar said 7 percent.
Quickly doing the math, he would have to answer 93 more questions to
obtain the free bevie. He didn't think it was worth it. Do you?

Although surveys are a great way to get customer insight, be
realistic. Starbucks may think that their drinks are worth 100
answers but their patrons might not.

Your hair is your crown

There are quite a number of hair salons in my neighbourhood...probably about 6 within a kilometer.

The thing about the hair business is that it is built on customer service.

1. People search for a hairstylist for a long time. The stylist must suit different personalities - they will do what the customer wants, offer suggestions or will have built trust so they can do whatever. If a salon's sylist can do all three of these on the fly by knowing their clients, they will be successful.
2. People are more likely to go to the hairstylist who they have built a relationship with - even if it means travelling a distance.
3. People are willing to pay a reasonable to a lot amount of money on their hair.

If the top three points were met, then a salon should be buzzing with clients.

However, in the last few weeks I have noticed that the three points mentioned above are just not enough anymore for salons. Some of the recent services I have seen salons in my 'hood offer are:

1. Longer hours and open on Monday's!
2. Clinics - how to blow dry your hair, how to trim your bangs, etc.
3. Discounts - 10 - 20% off!
4. Use of online tactics and social media to help spread the word.

Nannies4hire.com

As a new mommy, you quickly learn that taking care of a baby is not easy. Toss in the housework and you can feel the stress pretty quickly.

A second pair of hands, whether it is your mom, sister, friend of neighbour always helps. But, if you are looking for something longer term and regular - a sitter or nanny may be a great option.

I came across nannies4hire.com while going through my feeds and thought this was a brilliant idea. As another friend mentioned, it is basically eHarmony for nannies. You simply put in your postal code and a list of available nannies will show up complete with their bio. You have to sign up to speak with them.

Why does this make perfect sense?
- It doesn't waste your time or the nannies time. Every family has different requirements for the type of care they need. It can be special needs, time of the day etc. This allows you to search the database and find the person who fits the upfront criteria you are looking for.
- For someone who has never had a nanny or knows someone who has one, it offers resources that give you a general idea on pay, how to go about finding a nanny safely etc.

This is another great use of the web. A way to connect people who both have a need.

How to not get new business

1. Don't return phone calls or emails from prospects and customers - especially those who say they want your product.
2. Don't ask customers if they need any help when they walk in your store.
3. Follow your customers when they are in your store.
4. Make your customers feel bad when they don't buy additional accessories to a product they are purchasing.
5. Don't smile or look your customer in the eye.

Having a Bevie with Don Draper

I just bought season two and I can barely wait to crack open the shirt box. I was a big fan of season one!

The one thing that has been all the craze over the last few days on facebook and twitter has been the 'Mad Men Yourself.' Lots of my friends and tweeps have been creating their own avatar and changing their profile pic. These snazzy illustrations are quite good.

For AMC, this is a great way to get people informed that season two is out on DVD (although it is hard to miss since it gets great reviews) or just interested in the show.

NPR wrote a great article about this.