Category Archives: Uncategorized

Coffee Bean: Readying for a Starbucks Fight

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I love to see new brick and mortar businesses start.

I get a charge out of seeing businesses do their best to acquire first-time customers and create in-store experiences that keep them coming back a second time.

I also love it when companies put up a fight.

You have to be crazy to compete against Starbucks, right? Starbucks (the Goliath), with over 20,000 stores worldwide, is one of the most recognizable brands. Drinking Starbucks coffee has become as common as brushing one’s teeth in the morning. It takes incredible fortitude and vision to build a 3rd place (after home and work), but Starbucks has done it.

Starbucks may bring the noise, but Coffee Bean may bring the experience.

Starbucks may bring the noise, but Coffee Bean may bring the experience.

Enter David: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

If there was ever a quantity vs. quality feel between competitors, this is exhibit A.

I vaguely recall seeing Coffee Bean stores in shopping malls in the late 70s/early 80s. These were the days when coffee wasn’t the social phenomenon it is today; Folgers’ industrial blend in the metallic can was considered gourmet.

Surprisingly, Coffee Bean actually was around 8 years prior to Starbucks. Starbucks was founded in 1971; Coffee Bean had arrived in 1963. While Starbucks’ rise has been meteoric in scope and scale, Coffee Bean’s slow, steady growth took plenty of persistence and dedication.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, headquartered in LA with 900 stores strong, has been ramping up its presence in the Austin, Texas market over the past few years.

I can’t say that I’ll never step foot in a Starbucks again, but a recent experience at a freshly-opened Coffee Bean store in Austin, Texas made me think that Starbucks should put their dukes up; it’s time for a fight.

Thankfully, I’ve secured my ringside seat for this battle.

So what did Coffee Bean do that made me a raving fan?

Stay tuned next time where I share the secrets that made an ordinary coffee experience at Coffee Bean, an extraordinary one.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

Dick’s Sporting Goods Delivers E-mail Again and Again

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With the Christmas season behind us, everyone awaits the unfortunate noise that occurs in January.

THUD.

CRASH.

THUMP.

Something heavy landed in your mailbox or inbox.

It’s the credit card bill, weighed down with a scooter for Johnny, books for Susie and an Xbox for Billy.

Now that we’ve had time to reflect on the holidays, I remember not only the record number of desserts I consumed, but watching my inbox light up with specials, promotions, emergency offers from home décor, electronics, clothing retailers.

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Hey Web surfer: I’ve got a great deal for you on sports equipment.

It’s the curse of marketing that I can’t/won’t unsubscribe from these e-mails; I am sucker to watch how they attempt to persuade me to open, click, and buy.

One retailer, Dick’s Sporting Goods held a special place in my inbox during December.

After Thanksgiving, I noticed a quick spike in the number of e-mails from this store. Six e-mails in a span of one week right after Thanksgiving.

I know Black Friday is the ‘Super Bowl of Shopping’, but when does ‘hey, look at me!’ ‘Hey, look at me!’ ‘Hey, look at me!’ become the returning solicitor that doesn’t get the message that you aren’t interested.

I know. I didn’t use the power of the ‘unsubscribe’; this would be the ultimate ‘stop the madness’ message. Remember the marketing curse?

But couldn’t Dick’s Sporting Goods notice through their sophisticated e-mail/profile tracking that I didn’t open one of their 23 e-mails over a 34 day period from Thanksgiving through Christmas? Wouldn’t this lack of open activity signify a lack of interest?

There is some good amidst this rant; I visited a Dick’s Sporting Goods store in late summer in Austin, Texas and enjoyed the experience.

The store was clean, the staff was approachable; I found what I was looking for and made a purchase on the spot.

Dick’s digital approach, however, needs some attention.

With the slow January shopping season underway, my inbox has been nearly Dick’s Sporting Goods free for two weeks.

Next Thanksgiving, I could unsubscribe from Dick’s Sporting Goods e-mail list, yet part of me really wants this new retailer to get both parts of the equation (online and offline) firing on all cylinders.

I love it when a good plan comes together.

Who knows? If Dick’s sends me the right offer at the right time, I might have a heavier credit card bill next year, weighed down by purchases from Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

Cirque de Soleil: Emotional rides given daily.

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Breathless. Awe-inspiring. Captivating. Amazing. Remarkable.

The adjectives can’t adequately describe the experience of Cirque De Soleil. This company has been successfully delivering thrills and inspiration for a number of years now. I’ve just entered their realm.

Entering the darkened theatre in Las Vegas, we marveled at the intricate stage design. Part exotic, part metallic, with sharp edges and platforms, this stage was ready to play tricks with the mind. How would this backdrop be a part of the show?

The subtle juxtaposition of light/dark, fast/slow of Cirque is legendary.

Actors playfully grunted and groaned as the audience got comfortable. From the moment we took our seats, we were transported to someplace special – far from the world we knew. It was the start of an escape that we knew would be like none other.

The imaginative wizardry behind Cirque de Soleil is rooted in human psychology. Play with our emotions and you have us in the palm of your hand.

Stages morphed from a barren landscape to the tallest mountain. Metal music with crushing guitars turned to a single, majestic flute bouncing a melody. One scene artfully introduced the next.

Two characters huddle around a spotlight and playfully build shadow creatures with their hands. These aren’t the simple dog and cat shadows that you learned in grade school. Rabbits, snakes, soaring eagles all take shape before the hushed theatre.

The most common phrase bouncing through my head during the performance:

“How did that happen? Did that just happen?”

Minutes later, muscular men and women, dressed in colorful tribal costumes are climbing a 90 degree wall structure. Amazingly, they seemingly risk their lives like this on a nightly basis.

A hamster wheel appears, seemingly out of nowhere, and two unbelievably athletic men put their lives at risk with each spin of the wheel. Every eye in the theatre was transfixed at the drama.

My heart dropped to the floor. Again.

So what can you as a marketer, business owner learn from this spectacle?

You can’t shoot for the big win every time. You want to go in for the sale right now, but timing is everything. Build us up gently, slowly by weaving stories that pull, push and even make us feel a little uncomfortable.

If every Cirque de Soleil was a cliffhanger, the bone-chilling fear would subside. The highest of highs would start to seem strangely commonplace. By going from big to small, Cirque takes us on a thrill ride that brings us back down to earth briefly before sending us back to the stratosphere.

Think the slow, methodical hill climb on a roller coaster prior to the epic surge down a steep hill.

Audience goers have just a few seconds to loosen the grip on their seats before the actors and actresses do something that causes your jaw to drop.

It was an experience that I can’t wait to see again. If you haven’t seen a show, plan on it, you’ll go away inspired. Marketers: take your customers on an emotional ride and you’ll keep them interested.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

When you experience life, you remember.

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There usually isn’t much chatter on an airplane. People stay engrossed in a book, movie, music, or just their own thoughts.

On a rare occasion, however, conversation ensues.

I find it fascinating to hear what people talk about for a few hours as the plane seems to slowly crawl across the sky.

Let’s clear up one misconception: I am not an eavesdropper. It’s simply easy to overhear when chatter is merely feet away.

Recently, serendipity placed me next to two teenagers swapping stories about their recent trips to Las Vegas.

When fathers and sons experience life together, the storybook opens.

The tales of parties, troublemaking, sleeplessness, craziness seemed to be a series of ‘I can top this!’ Oh yeah, “I stayed up until 4am, and I wasn’t even drinking!”

The conversation weaved, stopped, started and then got personal.

“How do you get along with your parents?” the angry girl asked the ‘too cool for school’ young boy.

“They are alright,” the boy responded, reluctant to share any vulnerability.

The boy said his parents restricted his freedoms, became unreasonably involved in his life, and didn’t really know him.

Beneath the rough, guarded exterior, however, was a treasure of memories between father and son.

The boy then opened up and shared a tale of diving for fish with his dad. He counted the days until he could dive again this summer with his dad. The fish were bountiful, colorful, friendly, and his Dad told him so many wonderful things about fish and the ocean over the years.

Hate and disrespect were replaced with love. I hope this boy is able to find many more opportunities to bond with this father.

If you are a parent, create memories of a lifetime now.

If you aren’t a parent, think back to a great memory that your parents gave you, and tell them thank you.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

What 3 behaviors repel visitors from your conference booth?

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I recently attended a conference and noticed a few behaviors that I don’t think are conducive to maximizing one’s investment in an event. Unfortunately, I found myself falling into these traps on occasion. Acknowledging that these activities creep into your life is the first step towards changing behavior for the better.

When you represent your company at a conference, be aware of some potential blindspots.

1.   Whittle away the time on your smart phone.

No problem with checking up on the Twitter feed during a break in the action. But if you are in full conference mode, put the phone in the pocket and engage with your next customers. That’s what you are there for…

If the president is texting you, or your boss, ask a booth mate to cover for you for a few minutes and step away from the booth area and quiet the emergency.

2.   Talk with your booth mates.

More than likely, you’ll have ample time post-conference to chat it up about that dramatic 3-point shot at the buzzer that won the game for your team last evening. When there are people around your booth, attempt to connect with them by asking the following questions:

  • What brought you to this conference?
  • What have you learned so far?
  • What problems are you looking to solve by showing an interest in our product?

3.   Sit in a chair.

When someone walks up to your booth, you want to be at his level. Yes, your legs are tired. Yes, you’ve been standing all day. But that gentleman walking up to your booth right now deserves your full attention, and that can’t and won’t happen while you are sitting down. The gentleman may also be the next strategic customer that helps your firm grow exponentially over the next few quarters.

Sit all you want once the conference is over. When potential customers are within eyesight, stand up, look confident, and be ready to help solve their pain.

Until next time,

Dan Naden