We have all gone through our neighborhoods and evaluated our neighbors landscaping, house and other parts we just have to observe and give an opinion on. But did you ever see that house that was beautiful, great curb appeal and then you notice the garden gnome… and then another and then another… pretty soon, all you see are the hundreds of garden gnomes… holy cow!
Now I am not opposed to garden gnomes, after all I do like the Amazing Race sponsored by Travelocity and that’s a garden gnome! Just kidding, the point I make is that adding things to something adds flair and a bit of visual interest but then there are times when it just goes overboard. When does it get to be too much? To clarify… not saying any of my neighbors, friends, or family is guilty of this, it is just something I have noticed.
That’s the same with everything I see. I love conceptual thoughts, marketing aspects, the goals of what they want to convey between the lines and what their target market is. I know, I am a nerd and I can’t seem to enjoy the fact that it’s a good bar and it serves a great pint. I was out over this weekend with my friends, and I went into some dive bars as well as one of my favorite places Suite Lounge.
The concept is simple in the places I have gravitated towards, no over the top glitz, glam, just a great place, that was packed wall to wall and every place I went to and chatted up the managers or the bartenders, they were all true individuals. The meant well, they enjoyed what they did and it shows. The people gravitated towards them, they felt like they were at home and the number of people that went up to say hi just shows the familiarity of the staff and how they project themselves to their client base.
The same goes for companies trying to establish a brand and customer base. Operating with strong organizational talent, coupled with a product they believe in and operating transparently can help establish a strong fundamental connection with their customers.
Taking that approach to their strong customer base, sometimes it can go down the wrong way. Finding that fine line of offering value that is just right compared to “over engineering” the concept is where they lose that personal touch with their consumers. I love technology and tools just like the next person, but when I was able to pick up the phone and get a live customer service rep in 2 telephone prompts now takes me 10.
I understand the need for efficiency, but now it is taking it too far where you lose and frustrate the people that have got you there. As I said before, I love understanding the nuances of how companies, bars, people market themselves and brand their identities, but losing the most valuable asset, you customers, is a true threat.
Take that threat, and use it in your behalf. Poll your valued customers; make it a point where they feel a vested part of the growth of the organization, and make sure you find that line of where you don’t make it too tough for them to be able to connect.
Now this isn’t a preachy sort of topic, but I really have seen where people take it to an extreme, overload the consumer base and at that point have the customer inherently tune out the messages they are receiving. I am not saying I am the greatest person in the world to identify all this, it’s just mere observations. Build on the formula that got you there, and know how to edit yourself to protect from losing the values that made you strong in the first place.