This Case Study About A Video Game Manufacturer Will Blow Your Mind. Read It Now.
The Client Had No Idea They Were Sitting On A Goldmine.
How To Turn The Seemingly Ordinary Into The Greatest Thing Ever.
By Rich Harshaw
The year was 1997 and I was less than 3 years into my career as a marketing guru.
Actually, guru status was the farthest thing from my mind. My main objective was to extend my winning streak with this client, Dynamo, Ltd. This was way before I got into construction marketing.
The company manufactured coin-operated amusements… stuff like pool tables, air hockey machines, foosball tables, and so forth.
Earlier in the year, I had hit a homerun for them with a product called “Top Brass Pool.” I had created an advertising campaign that very effectively convinced the owners of bars, bowling alleys, restaurants, and yes, even gentlemen’s clubs… that they could make more money from their pool tables by upgrading from the traditional green felt and wood colored pool table (50 cents per play) to the much fancier blue felt and black laminate version ($1.00 per play).
When truckload-sized orders started pouring in, my client was thrilled—they had been literally on the brink of bankruptcy 7 months earlier when they hired me. Now they were flush with cash—but also overflowing with great expectations.
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The Single Greatest Example Of Customer Service I’ve Ever Seen—From A McDonald’s Clerk.
How A Single Employee With A Great Attitude Totally Changed My Thinking About McDonald’s. And My Own Business.
By Rich Harshaw
“Am I going to enjoy your company today, or have you made prior arrangements?”
Huh?
It took me a minute to figure out what the clerk behind the McDonald’s counter meant when he asked me in an extremely sophisticated and playful way if my order would be for “here or to go.”
Except he didn’t say “for here or to go.”
It was the Tuesday before the week of Christmas at 12:35 in the afternoon and I was in a hurry. I had two things to do before meeting with a teenage boy I mentor as a part of the Big Brothers program: 1) Stop and get him a McDonald’s gift card for Christmas, and 2) grab a quick lunch. Time was short, so I decided I’d kill two birds with one stone and order my lunch from McDonald’s. Even though it’s, you know, McDonald’s.
You already know the unexpected greeting I received when I approached the counter. Turns out, that eloquent greeting was just the tip of the iceberg.
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Holiday Inn Express Has The #1 Guest-Rated Showerheads. Why? Because They Constantly POINT AT THEM!!!
Holiday Inn Express Has The #1 Guest-Rated Showerheads. Why? Because They Constantly POINT AT THEM!!!
Do You Ever Feel Like The “Best Kept Secret”?
How To Use Confirmation Bias To Your Advantage In Contractor Marketing.
By Rich Harshaw
A few years ago, my wife and I decided to put our sanity to the test by embarking on (what turned out to be) a 4,975 mile cross-country trip in a silver Chevrolet fifteen-passenger van with our six lovely children. Yes, it’s true—in an era of shrinking family sizes and conveniently pre-packaged vacations, we have bucked all trends by not only churning out six of the little dickens, but also by having the courage to venture on a cross-country vacation Clark Griswold-style in the family truckster.
While the kids labored through at least 179 DVDs and countless hours of video games (whatever happened to the license plate game or the “A-B-C game”???) I found myself discovering interesting marketing principles all the way from Southlake, Texas to Meridian, Idaho and back again. I recently told you the lesson I learned about the role of repetition in marketing while driving through South Dakota, and in an upcoming article I’ll teach you a principle of perspective I learned in southern Colorado. For now, let’s go to the Beehive state.
After two relatively uneventful days of driving, we were descending out of the mountains into the little community of Ogden, Utah and started looking for a hotel. As fate would have it, the first place we found was a Holiday Inn Express. It met our basic requirements—relatively new, breakfast included for free, and a swimming pool.
As we checked in, I couldn’t help but notice a sign on the counter showing that Holiday Inn Express was the home of the “Stay Smart” Showerhead by Kohler. The sign showed a picture of a giant showerhead that appeared to be bigger, badder, and bolder than any regular showerhead could ever hope to be. I didn’t pay that much attention—just another sign on another counter—no big deal.
When we got to our rooms, the kids immediately started jumping between the beds, turning on the TV, and generally causing a ruckus. Next to the TV on the dresser was another sign showing the picture of the hulking showerhead and inviting me, at my earliest convenience, to check out the “Stay Smart Bathroom,” featuring the “Stay Smart” Showerhead by Kohler.
Okay, I’ll bite.
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