The Running Commentary

Social…..it is simply not for everyone

Marketing and branding is not about making your clients message fit into a specific marketing channel. It is about understanding what value the brand can draw from being in the space.

The Customer Service trap

In the small to medium size sector you cannot hand over your customer service experience to someone who is not directly linked to the business in some way. You need to employ people who understand the dynamic of working in a team where “all hands are on deck” and that there are truly no sacred cows.

Technology should never dominate your customer contact point

The companies getting it wrong are sending pre-recorded messages to their prospective clients…….

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Doors

A wise sage counselled me once “How you close the doors in life is, often more important than how you open them”

Organisation change and trust a critical union……

We have all heard the saying along the lines of, “It is insanity to do the same thing time and again and expect a different result”

Social Media – Unlocking the value of the focussed communication opportunity

In the maze of social media options, I am consistently asked “which channel is the best one for my brand?” My stock response to this question is “all of them”. This response generally is generally not well received and almost always results in the person saying “well then it’s not for me”

Consumer Protection Act: Creativity should not be confused with deception

Let me conclude by saying that being creative does not mean that you need to be deceptive and too many companies are still confusing the two……..

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Impact counts, but service retains the client……………

In all these two very recent incidences have left me even more convinced that it is not only the impact that counts, but the service the customer ultimately experiences that will ensure ongoing success……

Aaaah Marketing I remember you well……

when marketing was a discipline that was practiced with vigour and when “degrees” were not handed out like sweets.

CPA and Apathetic consumers……. a marketing struggle in South Africa

The South African consumer is not vociferous around basic complaints. We accept poor service all of the time and we do not complain. In fact complaints are so novel that they enjoy celebrity status on many social networking platforms……

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