What is a brand?
Can you definde a brand?
Just think about it for a second....what is it for you, a logo or a design....
A brand is much more than that. This is Seth Godin's definition:
A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another. If the consumer (whether it’s a business, a buyer, a voter or a donor) doesn’t pay a premium, make a selection or spread the word, then no brand value exists for that consumer.
A brand's value is merely the sum total of how much extra people will pay, or how often they choose, the expectations, memories, stories and relationships of one brand over the alternatives.
A brand used to be something else. It used to be a logo or a design or a wrapper. Today, that’s a shadow of the brand, something that might mark the brand’s existence. But just as it takes more than a hat to be a cowboy, it takes more than a designer prattling on about texture to make a brand.
If you’ve never heard of it, if you wouldn’t choose it, if you don’t recommend it, then there is no brand, at least not for you.
Customer service online vs offline
Customer service is an essential part of your business, whatever you do.
You may have a bakery, a restaurant, a supermarket, a bank or an airline, a good customer service makes a big difference. In fact, if you give me good service and a smile, you have a very big chance that if I need that particular service again, I will come back. I am even willing to pay a little bit extra if necessary. I am sure that I am not the only one that thinks this way.
However, why is it so difficult to get a good service out of some people. Especially when we speak about high-street shops, offline retailers.
Why do online business try their upmost to give you that great customer service? There is strong competition and any small detail makes a difference. I know, but there is also fierce competition offline and no one seems to give customer service the real importance.
The other day I bought a 8 Euros pair of socks in Calzedonia of Halandri for my son. I got home and they were small. So, I went back to change them and the person in charge says, no way I cannot change them because you have torn the seal. So what?! are you willing to loose a regular customer for 8 Euros? (less than that if you think what their real cost is) The answer is yes I do not care, thank you very much.
On the other hand you have online retailers like amanzon.com that will go out of their way to give you an excellent customer service. I mention amazon.com because we all know it, but there are many other online businesses that focus strongly on customer service. These details count and definitely make me go back.
Why offline business do not see this? why don't they care?
For me the answer is clear, I prefer to buy my stuff online and support those real entrepreneurs trying to make a difference.
Stay hungry, stay foolish
Today I read a tweet by @tristanelosegui where he recalls the video below. I know that in my last post there was also a speech and graduates involved, but I just wanted to share this while it was still fresh.
Stay hungry, stay foolish.
This is Steve Jobs' message in his commencement speech to Stanford University graduates of in 2005.
Actually, I had already seen this video a couple of times a while ago and saved it to my favourites. However, I decided to view it again today.
Its impressive and if you haven't seen it yet, you should spear some minutes to watch it because maybe..... it will change the way you think about certain things.
What struck me most was this:
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
When I ask my self this question, I come to the conclusion there are things I want to change. I have made a list and I am taking action.
How about you?
Full text of the speech: Full text
My companion in 2010
Inspiration for 2010
I always carry with me this quote inspiring and driving most decisions I take in life:
Go do whatever it takes to get yourself in a position where you love what you do, where you care about what you do, where you want to inspire others, build great things, do great deeds.
Pure gold by Shelly Lazarus, chair of the advertising, marketing, and public relations agency Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, addressing graduates of the Smeal College of Business class of 2009.
What do you think?
Full text: Shelly Lazarus
Image source: www.sxc.hu
Vinissimus.com
vinissimus.com
A great selection of Spanish wines delivered directly to your door in Greece.
As you may know I grew up in Spain, Cadiz to be more precise. I really enjoy Spanish wines, but since I live in Greece I find it very difficult to get used to Greek red wines.
Don't get me wrong! (this is for my Greek friends) I don't judge if they are better or worse, for me, they are just different from what I am used to. Also, here in Greece the options for Spanish wines are few and overpriced.
Fortunately, about a month a go, I visited a friend for lunch and he laid on the table a bottle of PSI 2007, and excellent Ribera del Duero from the producers of the famous Pingus wines. I asked him where he got it from and he mentioned Vinissimus.com a Spanish wine store specialising in internet sales.
Wow, I couldn't believe it, there I was checking on my Iphone the online store and their selection of wines. As Christmas was approaching, a few days later, I decided to join their club and get sent to Athens their Christmas selection, composed of:
- Michel Arnould Brut Réserve Grand Cru (2 bottles)
- Foss Marai Cuvée Brut (Italy) (2 bottles)
- Wittmann Cuvée Brut 2002 (Germany) (1 bottle)
- Vall Dolina Reserva Brut Nature (1 bottle)
The price for that selection was 86.88 € and 24.26 € for delivery costs to Greece of 6 bottles. (the delivery cost for 12 bottles to Greece is 29.94 €)
The Michel Arnould was amazing and the rest were also good, but definitely I am repeating with Michel Arnould.
Prices are really good, if you think that I could have ordered Veuve Clicquot Brut Carte Jaune for 34.60 € when the average price in a Greek supermarket is 46.00 €.
Why am I sharing this with you:
- If you like Spanish wines it is a great way to enjoy the ones you already know and discover new, unknown wines.
- Prices are really good.
- The site is in Spanish, English, French and Italian.
- Good customer service. If you receive any damaged bottles they say the will replace them. (it did not happen to me.)
I want to clarify that I am not being paid by vinissimus.com for this post, I am just sharing this with you because I am a satisfied customer and I believe that we all should make and effort to share a good online experience.
If any of you actually try them out, please let me know your opinion.
Google Spain advertising in traditional print media!
Google Spain advertisement
Wow! I didn't know that Google is advertising ad-words in print media!
On a recent business trip to Spain I found the same ad in 2 magazines. I was browsing at the bookstore and decided to buy this one just to get a good picture of it. The two page advertisement is for Google AdWords offering 50.00 Euros free.
Maybe, I am the last to hear about this, but in Greece we do not see this, or at least I have not seen it. Personally, I have received via email 75.00 Euros from Google Analytics to use in Google AdWords, but never seen it in a printed magazine.
Although initially it may seem contradictory, it actually makes sense in some markets to reach the more traditional companies that still do not know about AdWords.
Have you seen this ad?
The power of 1%
The power of 1%
Today is December the 11th and we are all thinking about 2010. The key subject for many of us is how are we going to improve next year, how are we going to grow personally and professionally.
If this is your case, I have a great reading for you.
I read this last year and it is a letter sent by Alfred Lin, COO-CFO at Zappos.com, to all employees of the company. Zappos.com is an e-commerce company specializing in footwear recently acquired by amazon.com
One thing I encourage you to do is to refer back to our Core Values document and specifically the challenge in there: make at least one improvement every week that makes Zappos better. Ideally, we would do this every single day. It sounds daunting, but remember improvements don't have to be dramatic. Think about what it means to improve just 1% per day and build upon that every single day. Doing so has a dramatic effect and will make us 37x better, not 365% (3.65x) better at the end of the year. Wake up every day and ask yourself not only what is the 1% improvement I can change to make Zappos better, but also what is the 1% improvement I can change to make myself better personally and professionally – because we, Zappos, can't grow unless we as individual people grow too.
A great message from a management point of view and very adequate for all aspects of life.
So what do you think? is it doable?
Link to the full letter: here
Image source: www.sxc.hu
Internet facts in Greece
Internet facts in Greece
As a new blog and writing from Athens, Greece I would like first to share some facts about the Internet in Greece.
- there are approximately 5 million internet users in Greece.
- 1,75 million Greeks have high speed internet connection. This is 15.6 percent of the population.
- Greece ranks 23rd out of 30 OECD countries, on penetration, speed and cost of broadband internet access according to a recently published survey by the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvad University.
- 1,3 million are the number of website domains registered in Greece.
- 217.210 are the blogs in Greek registered with blogspot, wordpress, pathfinder, other.gr and livejournal.
- 2,5 million Greeks have purchased something online during the last year.
- 125 Euros is the average amount spent by Greeks in each purchase online.
- The most popular sites according to Alexa.com are: Google, Facebook, YouTube, Blogger, Yahoo, windows live, Wikipedia, Troktiko (news Blog) and In.gr
These are the facts and as you can see there is still much catching up to do. This, also opens the door to new opportunities that other mature and saturated markets do not offer.
Actually the are new entrepreneurs and many interesting new projects in Greece, we can speak about them in a new post.
Source of the information: Athens Plus
Image source: www.sxc.hu
Follow me..
Entrepreneurship
Networking in Athens
Sobre Grecia:
- Donde comer los mejores souvlakis en Atenas
- Guia de ocio, noticias y actualidad sobre la ciudad de Atenas Grecia
Categories
- Internet (5)
- Marketing (2)
- Personal development (3)
- Recommendations (1)
