Solutions Talk

The "Fizzing" Experience...

Today's Notable Quote: "Americans drink 13.15 billion gallons of carbonated drinks every year." - Marion Nestle, author of Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health

So...in an effort to support this incredible consumption level, I am sharing the following "fizz-keeping" guidelines from The Wall Street Journal's interview with the American Beverage Association.

Problem: Keeping the fizz in pop.

Solution:The key to keeping carbonated beverages from going flat is to minimize their exposure to air. "Air is the enemy," says Mike Redman, vice president of scientific, technical and regulatory affairs for the American Beverage Association. "As soon as you pour the product, be sure to seal it" with a lid. Temperature is also important, Mr. Redman says, so store the opened soda bottle in the refrigerator. "It's a basic law of physics: If you keep a dissolved gas in solution, you keep that solution as cool as possible," he says. Finally, pay attention to the "use by" date that many bottlers print on the packaging. While soda won't go bad, fresher soda tastes better, Mr. Redman says. Products available that claim to keep soda bubbly are available on shopping Web sites. Soda dispensers, like FizzItUp (about $15), invert a 2-liter bottle onto a stand and pour soda through a nozzle. Bottle stoppers, such as the Jokari Fizz-Keeper (between $3 and $6), create a pressurized seal.

Write toBeth DeCarbo at beth.decarbo@wsj.com

Taming the beast...

Sometimes you (or at least, I) don't have anything particularly profound to say. Oftentimes when this is the case, I refrain from speaking and/or writing. Not so today. There is too much to be in awe of. I will tame the "beast" of complacency and ingratitude. There are too many blessings in our paths to count. Think, if you would, for a few mere moments of your nearest and dearest relationships. Those who readily accept our failings and odd behaviors, often without questioning. Think also of the modern conveniences--many which we take for granted--artificial lighting, permanent shelter, paved roads, bike paths and sidewalks--hot and cold running water, "portable" musicians and storytellers (who travel with us at our bidding via the mp3 or ipod). On, on, on and on goes the list. For those of us living in the US and many Western countries, we enjoy unprecedented levels of self-determination and personal liberty.

Much to see, do and appreciate on this day after Veteran's Day.

The American Experience: American Exceptionalism on Election Day...

Today's Notable Quote: "The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults." - Alexis de Tocqueville

Vote! Exercise your privilige to speak your mind in this election. One of the remarkable things about being a citizen of this great Democratic Republic is that we can vote in free and open elections. With that in mind, I've included some quotes from the late American Humorist and Humanitarian, Will Rogers--a man who said "I never met a man I didn't like".

Election Day Reminders (from George Grant)

America's foremost comedian, Will Rogers, was born near Oolagah, Oklahoma on this day in 1897. He often lampooned politics and politicians in his beloved nation--famously saying:

“There is no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you.”

“I belong to no organized political party--I’m a Democrat.”

“There is something about a Republican that you can only stand him for just so long. On the other hand, there is something about a Democrat that you can’t stand him for quite that long.”

“Democrats are the party that says government can make you richer, smarter, taller, and get the chickweed out of your lawn. Republicans are the party that says government doesn’t work, and then they get elected to prove it.”

“No party is as bad as its leaders.”

Good reminders as we go to the polls today. Politics is of course important--but, because it is just politics, it is certainly not all important.

The Stage of Life...and Business...

Today's Notable Quote: "Work is Theatre and every business a stage." - B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore, in their 1999 HBSP best-selling The Experience Economy.

Was reading from Shakespeare's As You Like It, and thinking how it applies to the staging of business experiences. KNOWING the stages through which humans pass, and carefully crafting the theming, cues, props, stage elements and scripts to authentically appeal to people based on such knowledge will, it seems to me, enable businesses to reduce customer sacrifice dramatically.

I've just begun reading Martin Lindstrom's newest book, Buy-Ology which is based on findings from a number of cognitive studies which purport to uncover "hidden" buyer motivations. Looks interesting. At any rate, I'll close with an exerpt from the Bard, in hopes that you can extract something of value for your customers and businesses as well:

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

The Exercise Experience...

Today's Notable Quote: "To get back to my youth I would do anything in the world, except take exercise, get up early, or be respectable." - Oscar Wilde, Irish Poet, Novelist and Critic (1854 - 1900)

The exercise experience is one that seems counter-intuitive. We work our muscles until they are tired in order that we can have more energy, strength, stamina and sense of well-being. On the other side, without regular exercise as we progress through life--we often find ourselves on the "losing end" of the battle of the bulge.

I find exercise to be a beneficial investment of time and effort, and work to make accomodation for an hour or so several times each week. Like reading, or good conversation with friends--vigorous regular exercise is a great experience, hitting the "sweet spot" in the center of the four realms of a fully engaging "4-E" Experience.  Your thoughts?

A "Santastic" Interview...

From our Sister publications - The Experience Monitor and The Experience Guru:

Following the 2008 thinkAbout in Las Vegas, we had the opportunity to speak with this years Experience Management Achievement (EMA) winner Doug Johnson and he shared some ideas on the event and the Experience Economy for an article in the latest edition of The Experience Monitor.

EM: You were awarded the Experience Management Achievement at thinkAbout.  Congratulations!  Can you tell us about Santastic and what inspired the idea?

Doug: Santasticis a magical in-mall setting; a Santa Claus décor package designed to be experienced, not just displayed.  Santastic embraces the magic of Santa Claus and stages memorable moments for the entire family.  The inspiration: My family had visited the same Santa at the same Chicago location for three years in a row and realized that Santa had no idea who we were.  I felt like their was an opportunity to stage a better experience for families and deliver some of the North Pole magic that children of all ages believe in.

EM:  How do people react to the experience?

Doug:  No matter the age, the guests get lost in the space.  No one keeps track of time and everyone is smiling.

EM:  What are some things people come away saying?

Doug:  My #1 favorite: when children say, “He remembers me!”
My #2 favorite: when adults say, “I wish I had this when I was a kid.”

EM:  This year, thinkAbout focused a lot on polarities.  How do you think this plays out in the business world and what advantages do you see companies having if they recognize and address the polarities that they may be facing in their business.

Doug:  We had to embrace polarity if we were to be successful with Santastic.  Polarities such as Child/Adult, Express Reservation / Queue Line, Complimentary / Fee Based and Unexplainable/Revealed all had to be considered and respected.  We were strategic in our design with each polarity and took advantage of the opportunities they presented.

EM:  You never know what will come out of the various exercises at thinkAbout.  What was the polarity that your group focused on and how did your exhibit portray the polarity?

Doug:  Our polarity was day / night and we studied a typical day and night at the Luxor Hotel and Casino.  Through employee interviews we literally studied all 24 hours.  The Luxor does an amazing job embracing the polarity of day / night and ensuring their property’s offerings and experiences change throughout the time of day or night.
 
EM:  Your group actually found a gap that you brought to the attention of the hotel, correct?  What was the gap and how did the hotel respond to the finding?

Doug:  The gap was in two, 3 hour blocks of time.  One thing we learned about Las Vegas was that if designed and staged appropriately, guests will spend their time and money with you regardless of the time.  The property had 18 hours scheduled perfectly and about 6 that presented an opportunity.

EM:  In creating an experiential offering, what do you think are some of the key things to remember?

Doug: #1) No detail is too small: when we serve cookies and milk at Santastic, we make sure we have taken into consideration every possible allergy.  We make sure every child can take part.  If that means we need to buy 10 types of cookies and 10 types of milk, then we will.  Santa would never make a Mom say, “I’m sorry honey, there’s none for you.”
#2) Great design must include the elimination of customer sacrifice and negative cues: if a guest doesn’t understand or “get it,” then that’s my fault.  That means I designed something poorly.  Think it through: from every angle, from every age, and make sure no one can ever say, “I don’t get it” or “clearly, no one took the time to understand my needs.”
#3) Change Lives!: Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore wrote in The Experience Economy, “Variety is not the same as customization.”  At Santastic, we make sure our “helpers” understand that their entire job is to give each family “THE BEST SANTA CLAUS EXPERIENCE OF THEIR LIVES” and in order to do that we must offer more than variety.  We have a plan in place for happy kids, nervous kids and petrified kids.  We have a plan in place for engaged parents and bored parents.  We embrace the responsibility our malls have to staging Santa Claus in a magical way.  Santa changes lives; so must we.
 
EM:  Any words of advice for fellow thinkAbouters or those who may be thinking of attending next years thinkAbout?

Doug :  To those of you who attended this year in Las Vegas: I look forward to seeing you again next year in Philadelphia.
To those of you who may be thinking about attending next year: Stop thinking about it and attend. 

To view the Santastic website and find a location near you click here.

To sign up and receive The Experience Monitor newsletter

(a free publication from Service Solutions Consulting) click here.

What do you stand for?

Today's Notable Quote: "If you don't stand for something you will fall for anything." - attributed to Malcolm X (1925 - 1965)

Watching the "news" of late has caused me to seriously question my personal judgment, logic and sanity--as well as that of the media, the American public, and politicians of both political parties. I am truly concerned that for many of us, "getting our way" is more important than being honest and honorable. We seem to have descended to a new "low" standard for acceptable standards of honesty and integrity. Unpopular decisions are "swept aside" via llying, misrepresentation, deceit and disingenuousness--which runs rampant, despite personal, as well as video and audio evidence to the contrary. I wonder where, when and HOW we will one day be held accountable for our impudence and arrogance. 

I found the following post from Seth Godin to be particularly apropos to my thinking and writing this morning. Here's an excerpt and link to his post entitled "When you stand for something"

"People and brands and organizations that stand for something benefit as a result. Standing for something helps you build trust, makes it easier to manage expectations and aids in daily decision making. Standing for something also makes it more fun to do your gig, because you're on a mission, doing something that matters. Of course, there's a cost. You can't get something for nothing." http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/10/when-you-stand.html

The Budget Bailout Debacle...

I try to stay apolitical in this space. The recent activity by the Administration, Congress and Senate is too absurd and maddening to ignore. What a contrived, misguided and disingenuous debate. Largely due to the improper inaction and lack of oversight on the part of pandering politicians from both parties.  Take for instance the following quotes:

 

"I don't see anything in the report that raises safety and soundness problems."

--Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) 2004 on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac irregularities

"The legislation may have failed; the crisis is still with us," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in a news conference after the defeat.

"What happened today cannot stand," Pelosi said. "We must move forward, and I hope that the markets will take that message."

"We're all worried about losing our jobs," Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., declared in an impassioned speech in support of the bill before the vote. "Most of us say, 'I want this thing to pass, but I want you to vote for it _ not me.'"

1000 Years...100,000 hours...etc.

Today's Notable Quote: "If I could save time in a bottle, the first thing that I'd like to do...is to save every day till eternity passes away, just to spend them with you." - Jim Croce  (January 10, 1943 - September 20, 1973)

The eleventh annual (2008)thinkAbout is a wrap--held in the "epicenter of the Experience Economy" - LasVegas Nevada this time. This year's event included a gathering of thinkers and doers - participants and stagers - seekers and exemplars - focused on the practical business application of the principles espoused in Pine & Gilmore's "The Experience Economy--Work is Theatre and Every Business a Stage".

What a gathering! The Amazing Giovanni spoke of living 1000 years...while I pondered how to invest the "100,000 hours" we all can expect to spend in the workplace over the course of a 50 year adult worklife.

More to follow....

"Unitasking" trumps Multitasking for most...

Today's Notable Quote: "When I was young, I could remember anything--whether it happened or not." - Mark Twain

Am I an Authentic Multitasker?

Seems we like to boast about our advanced powers of observation--particularly as it relates to our assumed and unfounded powers of "multitasking". By exposing ourselves to any number of stimuli, we claim that we absorb and retain far more than what we actually do - according to a new series of studies. Read on in the following article from Advertising Age  for more about the seeming "disconnect" between what people claim and what they actually retain.

Turns Out, We're Not Such Big Multitaskers

MRI Study Finds Most Media Usage Confined to One at a Time

By Max Lakin

Published: September 17, 2008

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Marketers have begun to believe that the average consumer is able to surf the web, answer a cellphone, read a newspaper or magazine, listen to an iPod and watch TV all at the same time. Yet a report released by MRI this week found that multitasking is less frequent than might be expected.

MRI's 2008 MediaDay study surveyed approximately 8,000 U.S. adults about their at-home media usage and consumption habits, and concluded that one-half or more of at-home media usage occurs while the consumer is exclusively engaged with a single medium (TV, radio, newspapers, magazines or internet).

Attention level varies
Specifically, 55% of newspaper reading in an average day is exclusive, as is 53.8% of internet usage, 53.6% of magazine reading and 49.4% of TV viewing. Radio, as could be expected, yielded only a 28.3% exclusivity rating.

According to Anne Marie Kelly, senior VP-marketing and strategic planning at MRI, these results provide a good sense of large-scale consumer behavior, and are most valuable to marketers in suggesting how they should plan their budgets and construct efficient cross-platform strategies.

"For example, someone who does household chores while listening to the radio would be of interest to an advertiser marketing household products," she said.

The exclusivity numbers are, on average, 6% higher among newspaper, magazine and internet consumption when looking at the 45- to 64-year-old demographic, compared to those aged 18 to 29. In that bracket, only TV had more exclusivity.

TV viewers distracted
The MediaDay results also suggested that when more than one medium is used simultaneously in the home, it is typically TV and another medium: 19% of at-home magazine reading is done while watching TV; 17.4% of internet usage is done while watching TV; and 15.3% of at-home newspaper reading is done while watching TV.

This kind of data can help pinpoint what type of consumer is most apt to be exposed to a given medium, Ms. Kelly said. For the consumer who watches TV and is online at the same time, she said, TV ads containing a web URL could work particularly well.

When using media outside the home, the percent of exclusive usage drops significantly for internet and TV. Only 20.4% of usage is exclusive when dealing with the internet, largely, MRI says, because 62.2% of usage is done while simultaneously working. Similarly, 46.4% of out-of-home TV viewing is done while simultaneously working or interacting with others.

Newspapers have the highest level of singular attention, 68% among adults aged 18-29. Somewhat surprisingly, that number drops to 45% in older adults, aged 45-64.

Ahhh...the Ultimate Multitasking Device: The Classic BlackBerry