The iPad: What were they thinking?

There's a certain Kool-Aid that comes with every tech product that was born on a napkin in the recesses of a certain campus in Cupertino, CA, and the taste is distinctly Apple. Most who support the products drink this Kool-Aid with wild abandon. For them, there is no other Kool-Aid in the world.

Everyone's entitled to an opinion on the iPad. Mine is that most people on the iPad bandwagon are Apple Co. devotees and Polly Anna types. They want to -- HAVE to -- believe everything Apple produces will be another home run. Let's not forget, even Apple knows how to crash and burn spectacularly: http://www.newlaunches.com/archives/top_10_apple_products_which_flopped.php

Some love it, some think it missed the mark. One of those camps has to be more right than the other. Right? I believe people who predict the future are asking for trouble, except we rarely hold any reviewers to the flame when it turns out later that they were way off base.

At some level, everyone's gotta be asking the same thing: What were they thinking? Even if you make all the excuses for Apple, you know you're thinking it.

You can argue that including Flash support would slow down the performance. I'd argue that the slow down would be insignificant -- use a faster processor if you have to. Everyone knows Apple products are expensive, so what's another 20 bucks?

You can argue that a webcam adds weight and cost. I'd argue that a friend of mine purchased a replacement webcam assembly online for $17 a year ago. I'm guessing Apple gets theirs cheaper. And integrated webcams weigh ... what ... less than a single grape? (Sticking to the fruit theme, here.)

You can argue that multitasking is only important on computers. I would argue that, for all this thing should be able to do -- especially for the price -- leaving out multitasking serves no greater good. It costs nothing (they already have the code) and adds no weight (okay, maybe on the atomic level).

You can argue there's no need for a built-in card reader. I'd argue that the list of things you can argue about regarding the iPad is growing quite long.

Everyone's scratching their head over the lack of USB ports. No USB??? The "U" in USB stands for Universal. How can you leave off something so U-biquitous in today's gadget world?

It's no surprise you can buy add-ons so the iPad can do more, like have a USB port. After all, the company thrives on expensive-but-practically-mandatory accessories. Here's the big question: If they see the value in adding USB support with their camera add-on modules, why not just make it part of the device in the first place? The iPad would have made the perfect photo previewing tool for photographers in the field, but now it's the IMperfect tool because something has to jut out of the frame to make it functional for photogs. A niche audience, perhaps. But has Apple forgotten who uses their products and has helped get them to where they are today?

I'm looking forward to the ads next year: The release of the iPad 2, now with USB and card reader! Or choose the iPad 2WC with included webcam. And coming this fall, the iPad 3 with all those accessories built in!

Ah, but I shouldn't predict the future.

From Papyrus to Elephant Poo

It's getting difficult to keep up with the newest trends, isn't it? Especially to stay on top of your industry. Seems like everyone's in a hurry to get to the next big thing, we barely get enough time to enjoy what was hot last week.

Take writing, for instance. The earliest writing (beyond what has been found on cave walls and in mud) was done on papyrus. This was back around 3000 BC, about the time the city of Troy was founded and, quite a bit west of there, some folks were setting up what would become Stonehenge. We're talking ancient history here. Papyrus was great stuff, but kind of a pain to make.

Fast forward five millennia to the present day, and what are we writing on? Good ol', tree-grown, machine-made paper. Right? I mean, we all write on paper, don't we?

Well, if you're green (ecologically), you might be writing on poo. Elephant poo, that is. No, really, check this sh** out. They're selling us a "better" alternative to -- again -- good ol', tree-grown, machine-made paper. Better, as in this stuff comes from the outbox of the largest, most poopin'-est land mammal.

Imagine the lovestruck gal sealing her ecologically superior letter with a kiss. Wouldn't it be ironic if they made toilet paper from this stuff? If someone printed their best selling novel on it, wouldn't you still be correct in saying "it's crap"?

But I digress. The point is, I like good ol', tree-grown, machine-made paper; it's biodegradable, and ... who the hell figured out that you can make paper from an elephant patty?

I guess the lesson here is that we have to pick and choose the advancements that come our way, even if they could be good for the Earth. Going green is good business these days. I'll turn off the lights when I'm not using them. But if you ask me to give fertilizer-grade paper a try, I'm going to be a party pooper and stick to the tried and true stuff.

Happy holidays, friends. Looking forward to enlightening you more in 2010.

Mike Spanjar

Branding Yourself: Part 2

I recently attended a conference where the keynote speaker knew a thing or two about marketing and advertising. One of his clients was MasterCard, and he came up with the winning word we've all heard: Priceless. Okay, he didn't coin the word, he just gave it one hell of an overhaul.

Stewart Emery knows branding. He differentiates great products from simply "objects" by referring to them as "ideas" or better still, "experiences." In this economy, Emery said, you must provide the ultimate experience. Your brand lives in your customer's gut. I love that.

Jason Kilar, CEO of Hulu, says that "brand" is what people say about you when you're not in the room. Again, brilliant. Because if you can get people speaking positively about you when you're somewhere else, you've truly arrived. And Emery agrees. When you matter to your customers, they talk about you and they want you to win.

So you need to be more than a URL, more than a set of features, and more than a common promise. You have to be an experience your customers want and prefer over competing experiences. Actually, if you can rise to the status of "Positive Experience," you've already beat out most or all of your competition that remains content being a quality product or service."

Think of the phenomenon known as iPhone. This device has transcended mere phonehood to be a truly positive experience. The iPhone represents iTunes and fancy accessories and slick commercials with the phrase "There's an app for that." People have a lot of choices when it comes to phones, but look how many are flocking to one of the most expensive devices on the planet.

What can you learn from the iPhone experience? How can you provide a truly ultimate lifestyle for your clients? Start with the little things: get back to your clients right away, use the phone more than that impersonal e-mail, and smile when you speak. Whatever it is you do for a living, be a good one, and always seek improvement. Leave the self-improvement door open or take it off its hinges completely.

Are you content to be just another product, or are you willing to be an experience?

Branding Yourself: Part 1

A friend of mine in the promotional products business complained about how slow things are at work. He said the Internet has stolen more than half of his volume, competitors are practically giving away their services, and it looks like the end.

I asked him a series of questions: How are you marketing your services? Where do you stand out? What trends do you see emerging? Do you have a customer retention or loyalty program in place?

Then I gave him the news he dreaded hearing: Steve, you're a lousy salesperson, you're depressing to be around, and you're nothing more than a cheap commodity.

Okay, to be honest, I was only thinking the first two, but I did tell him the third. He failed to differentiate himself and he continued to do business the way his father taught him more than 20 years earlier.

I told him he needed to get out there and brand himself. I suggested he write a series of articles about promotional marketing, little-known tips about how to effectively use promotional products at trade shows, and to be sure to explain time and again how his products are more than trinkets -- they represent marketing with value, handing out something with your marketing message PLUS something people can use.

Steve started submitting short articles to various publications. Before long, he appeared in a promotional marketing trade magazine and the local newspaper. In fact, the local paper allowed him to do a weekly column as long as the articles never specifically encouraged people to buy from him (that would be considered free advertising). He recently got picked up by another newspaper and appears on several websites.

His business has more than picked up; he stands to have his best year over the last five. His advice has helped many small businesses use promotional products more effectively, and his weekly tips are anticipated by a growing audience. People have come to see Steve as an expert and confidant rather than a commodity. He has branded himself, and people prefer his brand over others. Cool, huh?

Next month, we'll take the concept to the next level. In the mean time, are you branding yourself? Are you?

New Website Alert

Be on the lookout for a new Bold Copy website. The new site promises to be more sophisticated, certainly darker, and provide an improved visitor experience. See? There's the benefit statement!

This is a great time to ask you: When did you last update your site? From simply changing the story on the front page to rebuilding the entire enchilada, site updates more than keep your visitors interested in coming back. Updates show visitors you exist, that you are moving and shaking.

And you may need to make changes. Does your site contain outdated content? Still referencing upcoming events ... from last year? Take a look -- now!

We expect the new Bold Copy site to launch in late November. If you'd like to make suggestions before then, go ahead. We promise to read them before ranting about everyone having a freaking opinion, and why can't they just leave us alone. Insert smiley emoticon here.

Why Loyal Customers Make the Best Customers

You've probably heard that keeping customers is far easier than creating new ones. I've certainly found this to be true. Existing customers like you already, they have done business with you. They may do repeat business with you -- which is the point of keeping customers in the first place.

So how much repeat business do you get from these customers? Do they come back? Would you call them "loyal"? Ah, that term. We've seen it before, and it reminds us: Yes, it would nice to have loyal customers. So many of them fail the loyalty test, right?

Imagine: You get the customer, you treat her so nicely, you go out of your way for her, she buys. You send her a thank you, you put her on your e-mail list and send her special offers. And she eventually buys again, only this time, from your competitor.

Have you done anything about it? Customers require a lot of attention, during the sales process and certainly after. But what kind of attention do you give them? If all you do is send them a bunch of offers to purchase more from you, your methods fail the "What's In It For Me" test.

What can you give to them? Can you give them rewards? Points toward other products? Something of similar value? Employing a loyalty program in your business could be the smartest thing you ever do to retain customers. I've discovered a great system that does the job nicely. It mimics the ones you see big retailers using, only the makers of this product have built theirs as an online application to put it in the hands of the masses. You can check it out here.

Never underestimate customer loyalty. Loyal customers always come back for more.

Of Course You Are Full Service

Do you rely on the phrase "full service" to:
- advertise your company?
- explain your range of capabilities?
- appear bigger than your competition?

Full service has become a catch phrase, and little more in recent years. Instead of creating meaning, it has become meaningless.

First, if I am in a different industry than you, we can assume I know only a few of the many products and services that make up your total offering. By relying on the term to explain your business, you ignore what you are good at, and the kind of business you want to receive. Second, if I am in the same industry, I will take full service to mean what it means to me. And if I only know about 3 of the 20 services you provide (because my company is smaller than yours), it would be a great injustice to you.

Using the term is a form of desperation, as though you will catch a nibble if your prospects assume you do everything. Many salespeople wield the term "full service" like a giant fishing net -- a catch-all. And when their prospects look inside that net, they will see that it contains more than just fish ... it also has an old boot, a piece of driftwood, and some used syringes.

But seriously, if you want to give meaning to what it is you do, simply tell people what you do. If you can, keep it short and specific. If you meet with a group on a frequent basis, such as a networking group, offer a new element every time you meet. This makes your message crystal clear and memorable.