Don’t take yourself so seriously

This applies to personal advice and for your business as well. Everybody is too serious nowadays, have some fun and your customers will love you for it (and talk about you more too).

Case Study 1 – nudie

Yes, you read that right. The drink’s name is nudie… and yes, that’s a picture of an embarrassed naked cartoon person on the label. No it’s not a pornographic related drink. Just your regular juice, but with an awesome word-of-mouth twist.  Here’s the back of a nudie smoothie:

In case you can’t read that, here’s the text version:

“What is a nudie smoothie?
Okay, so you’re thinking ‘where’s the fruit in this one?’ It’s not hiding. It’s vanila! Somewhere along the line we found out that vanilla is the only edible fruit in the orchid family. (A handy fact to keep up your sleeve for awkward silences or BBQs.) As for those happy cows, they’ve been partying non-stop ever since they discovered the word ‘moo’ in smoothie. At first they were concerned about subliminal advertising but we quickly assured them no nudie drinkers would be harmed. The cows are now over the moon.”

Let’s see:

1. They told a brief and entertaining history about the drink
2. Gave you a quick fun fact
3. Personified cows
4. Made some more jokes
5. Made a reference to an old nursery rhyme
Bonus: They give you their address, email address, and website URL as well. Seriously?!

This whole company is positioned as light-hearted and fun. I don’t even drink it, just checking out the label alone made it worth talking about. As a consumer and a marketer, all I can say is “that’s freakin’ awesome!”

Oh and one more picture. This is what I get when I searched for their website on Google:

Yep.

Give them a visit: www.nudie.com.au

Case Study 2 – Zappos

Zappos, big online shoe retailer as you know, made about $1 billion in sales last year. This is probably old, but I went to their site, scrolled down and found this (highlighted with a red circle):

Naturally, I clicked it. Even big money-printing corporations can have some fun. Here’s the video it led me to:

Yep. Just got RickRoll’d by a billion dollar company.

Visit Zappos: www.zappos.com

Give your customers the gift…

My favourite restaurant of late is Mamak in Sydney’s CBD. While the food is spectacular, that is not the best thing about this restaurant. The first sight that greets you every night is the long line of customers snaking outside the door and into the street. As you approach for a closer look, you see a kitchen through a large clear window; cooks flipping, twisting, turning and stretching the next roti canai to serve a customer.  It was almost mesmerising. If the line wasn’t enough proof of the quality of the restaurant, that certainly was. This is a diner that has nothing to hide and openly flaunts its popularity. Everytime I eat at Mamak, I join the queue, accompanied by the doorside kitchen. By the time I’m seated I’ve already gotten my money’s worth.

Lesson: Don’t be afraid to show your potential customers that you are the real thing. Build it up. Give your customer’s the gift of authenticity and anticipation.

I’m tired of it.

I’m tired of it.

I’m tired of hearing from my friends that they haven’t read a book since high school.  There’s a reason why they made you read at school.

I’m tired of hearing them say it as if it’s a badge of social pride.  Except one of the premiere partiers of our generation loves to read.

I’m tired of hearing people claim books are boring. I say you’re too lazy to exert the effort. Too lazy to use your imagination. It’s no secret that many of the most successful people in the world read. A lot.

I’m tired of hearing people say that they have better things to do. Then they go spend 2 hours a day watching TV.  Over here is an aspiring writer who doesn’t read (just kidding).

I’m tired of hearing people who want to read say “I just don’t have the time”.  I say you’re just not trying to find the time. How about during breakfast? Lunch? While you’re on the throne? On the train or bus? Twenty minutes before you sleep? Or you can just set some time aside per day to read. If you really try, can you honestly say that you can’t find any time at all? Really?

To the booklovers in the world: Thank you, spread the love.

To the people who intermittedly read: Thank you, spread the love.

To the people who have an excuse for not reading: I’m calling your bluff.

Favourite Stories from ‘The Big Moo’

The Big Moo is one of my favourite marketing book. Filled with good ideas. Admittedly some of the ideas are conflictling, though I believe that is point. Nevertheless, here a few of my favourite ones:

• Real Artists Ship. Don’t aim for perfection during the development stage. Compromise, make it good enough (remarkable) and get it out the door before someone else does it with competitor product.

• “It takes 99 percent of the time you spend just to be average. The remarkable stuff can happen in a flash.” (Spend 5 minutes and do something special. Become remarkable)

• “But” Or “And”. Don’t say “but”. Give it a chance. What if you had to say “Yes, thanks!” or “Sure, how” every time someone had a suggestion”

• Google has a policy for employees to spend 20 percent of their work time on projects of their own choosing (which often evolve into new features and product lines for the company). Understanding the value of cultivating these personal passions.

• Ask customers about various business ideas. “Your customers are you best advisers”. Pick 3 of your best customers and call them this week. Ask them what you’re doing right/wrong and what can be done better. What else do they wish you would do. Tell them your biggest ideas about your company’s future.

• Keep an “idea wallet” – record any ideas, insights and inspirations in a notebook. Carry it with you.

• Capitalise on what you’re good at. Don’t compromise to be like the other guy.