Seth Godin

useful comms quotes #329 – Seth Godin

Posted on by Becky Green (was McMichael)

If you don’t get it built, the work doesn’t matter.

So when you’re pitching, writing plans, costing proposals and brainstorming endlessly, remember – that work, that investment, that blood sweat and tears doesn;’t matter if you can’t actually persuade someone to take the risk, run with the idea and do the campaign.
As an industry, we place a lot of emphasis on creativity and ideas people.
But the people who make them happen, push them through, get them bought and finish them off are the ones you need in your team too.

remarkable companies – who makes your list?

Posted on by Becky Green (was McMichael)

Seth Godin is inviting people to contribute 200 words about a company they see as being remarkable for the updated version of Purple Cow. You can’t work for or with any company you put forward and entries need to be in by midnight EST on 24th may so you haven’t got long now!

I just had a go.

My purple cow is Howies, you might know it.  Whether it gets in or not, I think they are a remarkable bunch.

http://www.howies.co.uk/

Howies clothing is a truly remarkable organisation.  It makes and sells clothes.  But it provides brainfood.

Howies partners with charities, views its business through truly sustainable eyes and makes the most beautiful brochures I have ever seen.  The reason it can do this is because it understands its customers. It also understands they care about the future of surfing, the battle for clean beaches, the world’s coolest skate parks, sustainable organisations, ethical supply chains….you get the picture.

Howies is one of the few organisations that manages to completely personalise its company by making every employee “the brand”.  So they photograph the stories for the catalogue.  They write the blog.  They hold charity debates in their local stores.  Howies features its product by showcasing it in a world its customers care about.  But it does this from the roots of the company, not just out of the marketing department. And although it shouldn’t be, that is still pretty remarkable.

Which company is remarkable enough to make it onto your list?

Seth’s Blog: Do you have customers or members?

Posted on by Becky Green (was McMichael)

Do you have customers or members? If you changed your model to have members instead, what would that look like? If people had to subscribe, or be admitted, or apply… and if you had to please the membership, not convert new strangers. The web likes businesses that have members.

via Seth’s Blog: Do you have customers or members?

How would your business change if you removed the word customer from your strategy or model and started building a strategy around your members? A greater focus on customer service? More importance placed on members understanding you and valuing the products you offer? A focus on building advocacy, renewals and references instead of adding heaps of new people to the list?

As usual, Seth provides food for thought.

Using photos in social media

Posted on by Becky Green (was McMichael)

Interesting post from Seth Godin on the power of using a good picture on social networking sites.

“If it’s important enough for you to spend your time finding and connecting with new people online, it’s important enough to get the first impression right.

If you use any online social network tool, the single most important first impression you make is with the 3600 to 5000 pixels you get for your tiny picture.”