Delivery vs Discovery

The past couple weeks have been difficult in terms of getting blog posts up:) I have a bunch of ideas queued up with handwritten notes etc, but not time to type them. One of my colleagues is in India visiting our offshore team, and so evenings are prime time for work discussions, leaving little time for blogging. However I have still been sifting through my feeds and came across this post by Tim Haskins on Content Discovery vs Delivery Systems.

He defines 7 key aspects of content discovery systems:

1. Content discoveries looks like solutions in the eyes of the customer
2. Content discoveries come at a perfect time
3. Content discoveries serve the context of the customer
4. Content discoveries get shared by the customers
5. Content discoveries involve an adventure
6. Content discoveries put emphasis on how the content is used
7. Content discoveries transform the customer's experience

Like all aspects of business we need to transition from archaic models where we deliver something 'to' a customer to ones where the customer drives the transaction, and ultimately is more satisfied with the result. Are you a delivery company or a discovery company?

Why People Go Online

With business today its important for you to understand how to understand and interact with your customers online. Stowe Boyde puts forth an interesting idea about why people are online:

People are online for discovery. It looks like its about things, but its not. They go to 'places', but really to find people. And below it all, they are involved with people to discover themselves.

This is not a high-minded philosophy pitch: it just practical. If you are trying to build social apps you have to understand that, even if the people using the apps think that they are merely trying to find new music, or better shoes, or the best extreme kayaking trip in Hawaii.

As more of the web moves toward this model, more power moves to the edge. Users want control, they want to make the rules, choose their terms, friends, networks. Only the players that understand this will succeed. People will find meaning from relationship with others, not by membership in organizations or groups.

Not a lot to add to this, but just something to think about as look to better utilize this channel more effectively. I also recommend watching the slide show, and the video presentation called Social = me first posted on the site where this concept is discussed.

Don't Be a Player

The new year is a great time for blog reading. Everyone is back from needed time off fresh with new thoughts and ideas. Here is a great analogy about how companies/brands often treat their customers by Alain Thys. He uses the analogy of a one night stand, or in this case a 'one night brand. where the company appears to be intersted...

"They advertise, promote, seduce and sell to get us to trust and believe them. And once we have fallen for their charms, we get a box with product and a customer service number which doesn't really want to answer our calls."

Companies often act like 'players' to their customers, often without even knowing it. Just remember players either eventually grow up, or then end up old fat and single still trying to play the same old tricks, but getting nowhere. Talk AND act like the kind of company your customer will want to have a relationship with.

Tim Hortons - Modernize Your Thinking

My blogging will be lighter over the next two weeks as I am back home in Ontario Canada visiting my family, but I will post as I can. Being back here, I got to thinking about an interesting retail phenomenon in Canada - Tim Hortons, which has almost a cult like following here. They started out as great coffee and donuts at an unbeatable price, but have moved into having a great lunch menu with soups and sandwiches too. All of this coupled with extremely friendly service, in a spotless environment. They offer unbeatable consistency - you know exactly what you are getting when you go in there, and are a staple of both rural and urban life. However some of the companies policies feel a little like stepping back in time.

The first is that they do not accept any form of payment except cash. I am sure they have some great arguments as to why this is a good business practice (low transaction amounts and speed of checkout) but whatever they are it seems that this came out of status-quo thinking. Not only is the policy not well signed (people can get all the way to ordering only to find out about the cash only policy), but they don't even offer alternatives (in-store cash machines). This policy feels like an un-innovative solution to the wrong problem.

A second interesting fact is that they appear to have no interest in building a relationship with their customers beyond that of a sales transaction. Somehow their own success has duped them into thinking that they know better than their own customers. On their web site under the FAQ section I found the following response to the question of "I would like to submit an idea to Tim Hortons":

"Tim Hortons is approached about many ideas, suggestions and new product concepts. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept unsolicited ideas. We rely entirely on our own advertising, research, marketing and product planning departments for the generation and development of new concepts. We thank you for thinking of us, but must decline to avoid the possibility of future misunderstandings"

Come on guys - do you honestly believe that you know better about what your customers want then they do? The Tim Hortons myspace page makes it obvious that the advertising/ marketing team needs a serious lesson in new economy marketing...

Tim Hortons is definitely a retail success and has found a way to build a loyal customer following, through good products and services. The will continue to grow as they expand into new territory, but I question if they are somehow limiting themselves with decision making that is so obviously not focused on building better relationships with their customers. They already have what many companies yearn for - loyal customers. By modernizing their thinking they could capitalize on their most underutilized asset -their customer.