Tag Archives: branding

Boo on Borders

Posted on by jesskry
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As a follow up to yesterdays ‘Yeay for Amazon’ post,  I’m writing regarding today’s experience with Borders.

As a rewards member, I receive emails regarding sales and new releases which come about once a month. These are useful and contain coupons for things I’ll actually buy. But recently, I’ve been receiving many emails regarding the Borders Reward Perks program that I joined. These are additional rewards from other vendors (flowers, candy, retail, etc.). They’ve been coming in increasing regularity and are very very annoying. Also, I mistake them for my usually happy encounter with the Borders Rewards emails that I enjoy.

Today, I decided to take action: updating my subscription settings. Now, normally, like many of you, I deal with these annoying emails by adding them to spam or deleting them over and over again. I decided to do a solid by all permission based email marketers and to delete myself from their mailing lists, thereby keeping their analytics accurate, and my karma clean by not asking for email, and then calling it spam. I used the opt out link provided and was taken here:

borders-rewards-borders-books-music-and-movies_1229543335837

This isnt for my Reward Perks. This is for my normal communication with Borders. I was confused because I only had one subscription checked, and it wasnt the one they had sent me via email. I then hunted and pecked all around the site, to log in to a second section of the site (thats right, I was not only not logged in from the email they sent me, but I had to log in again to this other section). Once there, I was given a second set of subscription settings:

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Although now I wont be receiving those pesky emails, how many other people will go through these hoops to make sure versus just adding this to their spam folder or opting out of everything all together? I wonder how confusing this is to others?

Thoughts?

How Much Do We Know That We Don’t Know?

Posted on by jesskry
2

I recently read a post by Chris Brogan discussing the idea that search is social. After initial brain digestion, I began to apply it to my new position to see what I could uncover. I’m realizing that there is much to be learned regarding our customers and how they access information, but also, what they already think of our product.

How do customers decide upon a college beyond price, location and academics? If they don’t know who you are, chances are, they may not be looking for you. But, do they know what you offer, experientially, geographically and in terms of personal growth opportunities? Does your university culture offer something that others do not, and if so, how are you using that to help students decide to attend your school over another? What doesn’t it offer that may leave some students feeling like they are missing something, and yet empower others?

Creating tactics in social media are one thing, but, creating a branded identity that can be applied to a student’s persona is another. Search – and research based on customer segmentation – is a part of this, as its a part of behavior.

What are your thoughts on creating an experience as an identity, and not just a university brand?

Learning From Change: Top Five Branding Ideals from The Obama Campaign

Posted on by jesskry
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obama_24x36_1aBy now we’ve all been wowed by the well greased machine that was Obama’s campaign. But what can we learn to do, or do better, in our own endeavours? These five philosophical items can help you build your brand, be it personal or work related:

1. Embrace Your Truths -know what matters to you and wear it on your sleeve. Promote these things beyond anything else. By doing so, you’ll solidify if not elevate what you mean to others. Above all else, dont succumb to pressure to morph into what you think people want you to be: you’ll only fail.

2. Understand Conversations, Even if You are Not a Part of Them -No one can be everywhere all the time, or want to hear everything that is said, but, you can listen and learn from it. Dont try to interrupt what people are saying or change their minds. You risk appearing guilty or one sided. Hear what they say and find ways to apply it to the way you do business and communicate better. People’s unabridged ideas about you are your strongest measurement of their overall opinions. Use this to make better decisions, not arguments.

3. Harness Newness - whether social media or community organization, find ways to communicate well with people. Find where they are, and be there. Know how they best consume information, and provide it in this way. Translate it in other languages or new and different patterns of discussion. Seek out ways to do things better, even – especially – if no one else is doing it this way.

4. Ride The Wave -dont assume that things will be seamless or smooth. Expect and anticipate bumps in the road. Dont waiver, even when things seem to be going against you. By standing by decisions and embodying ideals you’ll solidify not only your concept, but maintain it in the minds of the public.  Dont fear change. Without risking failure, you learn nothing.

5. Be What You Are - nothing tarnishes a brand like pretending to be something its not. Everyone has their own thing that they do well, stay with that thing and get better at it. Provide something that others do not.