A lethargic Austin
Staring at the showerhead, I
began to think about what the brand, Speakman, intended by putting their
information front and center on the product.
Of course, this would be immensely helpful during installation of the
product in case any problems arose. But
once the piece was affixed and working, what then? Did Speakman still want to hear from me? Was this supposed to be an invitation to
start a conversation?
During his SXSW09 plenary
talk, Tony Hsieh stressed that customer service that delivers happiness is the core of his company
Zappos’ culture. Zappos’ focus is on
building a lifelong relationship with each customer, one call at a time. For Zappos, the 800# is one of the best tools
for creating branding opportunities with their customers. Contrary to many in the industry, Tony wants
customers to call his company and his people to spend time with each customer,
regardless if it relates to a direct sale.
The conversation rather than the transaction between brand and customer
is most valued. If people can call
Zappos from a hotel room at 2am looking for a hot pizza, then shouldn’t someone
be encouraged to call or tweet Speakman from a 7am shower just to share their
gratitude for the rainforest spray power setting?
Now this is where things get
bumpy. Can we start to expect shower
liners with advertising callouts, branded entertainment or coupons? Touchscreen technology is exploding – its
already finding its way into our living and dining rooms, the elevators we ride
each day, the gas pumps we congregate around – are the shower walls next? Imagine catching up on your iTunes shopping
while getting a deep conditioning on your split ends. Or better yet, being able to place your
coffee order for pick up at Starbucks as you finish shaving. But at what point do we say that certain
spaces are “off limits” to brands? Or,
does it depend on the context? Another
SXSW09 panelist, Jamie Monberg, stated that you have to be thoughtful on where
you place your assets and on the interaction you want to create. To me, the best interactions result in great
stories. And how you create
opportunities to appropriately generate and share those stories with consumers
will be the main challenge for brands facing an increasingly digital world. The right way can endear you for life. The wrong way can get the door slammed in
your face, with a slim to none chance for redemption.
For now, we’ll have to wait and see how brands and consumers explore this next frontier.