Dumbing down and Smarting up

Yesterday I gave my daughter my copy of Seth Godin's Purple Cow. If you haven't read it yet. Do so. This week.

One of the thoughts behind the Purple Cow is that you need to be remarkable. Exceptional. Not Perfect, but something that will break out of the ordinary of the plain old black & white (or brown & white) cows and that can separate you from the rest.

Now about the Dumbing Down concept. Last week at the Labov & Beyond Seminar ( Next Thursday is the next and last chapter of the Umbrella series), Barry Labov mentioned how some businesses get repeat business from dissatisfied customers due to the "Suck Factor". You may suck, but your competitors suck even more, so you win by default.

Smarting up is the opposite. It is the Purple Cow. It is also the subject of this tidbit from MarketingProfs.com:

How Can You Give Customers a Little Thrill?

"When looking for good ideas about customer service, ask around," writes Paul Williams in a post at the MarketingProfs' Daily Fix blog. "Exceptional services experiences are rarely forgotten." He even asked his parents for their input on the topic, and they came up with two experiences that made a lasting impression:

• While vacationing on St. Thomas in the 1970s, they made dinner reservations at the Cafe Brittany. On their arrival the couple found two matchbooks embossed with their names. "The restaurant made custom matches for every reservation," explains Williams. "My mom still has them."
• Following LASIK surgery performed by Dr. Peter Polack of Ocala, Fla., his mother received a $25 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble with a card that read, "Enjoy your new eyesight!"

According to Williams, these examples have three things in common:

• They're an unexpected surprise.
• They have relevance for the customer.
• They foster a fond remembrance of the brand.

The Po!nt: Asks Williams, "How can you offer your customers an unexpected surprise, something relevant, and something that helps them remember your brand?"

Source: Daily Fix. Click here for the post.

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