Success only runs one direction....
The History Channel has been airing an extraordinary series titled “America: The History of Us” for several weeks now. It traces, in a remarkably entertaining manner, how the United States grew from a handful of bold settlers to the nation we enjoy today. Whether you’re into history or not, the installments are addictive; I find myself anxiously awaiting the next hour as the previous one concludes. [click here to continue…]
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Yet again, I’ve been caught cringing when someone extols the virtues of “buy local.”
If that hasn’t shocked a few of you, well…nothing will. For those of you on the floor, please take a deep breath, rally around, and hear me out. Pretty sure you’ll end up agreeing with me in a moment. [click here to continue…]
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Stories like this one light my heart up, big time. Congrats to Ken, Katie, Meg, and Jim of Capannari’s Ice Cream in Mount Prospect, Illinois for being a shining example of what sets local independent brick and mortars apart from their chain and franchise competitors. The “anything is possible” approach comes through loud and clear, and is an inspiration to us all.
Bonus points: Did you catch the poster in the window behind Ken? Yup. That’s right. The 3/50 Project, in all its glory. When I called to congratulate him on the story, he laughed. “Katie said you’d be happy.” He was right.
He was also preparing for Lee Dewyze (American Idol finalist) to hit town, which had just about everyone in Mount Prospect spinning like a whirling dervish…which, undoubtedly, means a whole lot of ice cream cones about to go out the door.
Thanks to everyone at Capannari’s for sharing the smiles, across the miles. I promise to pop in next time I’m in your neck of the woods (says the self-admitted ice cream addict).
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Several months ago, my friend Debbie Dusenberry told me she was going to be the subject of a New York Times series about the challenges of running a small business. More accurately, the challenges of running her small business, Curious Sofa, in Kansas City. While I understood how this series would benefit the author (terrific visibility, an audience, and a paycheck), I also understood what Debbie was about get in the deal-—not new customers or more foot traffic, but instead, her heart and soul laid naked for a world of total strangers to judge. [click here to continue…]
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From the currently running Walmart “game day” television commercials:
If there’s a better price out there, [we’ll] even match it.
Translated: We aren’t the cheapest.
Walmart’s allure has always been cost savings. Anyone who pays attention wandering through the narrow aisles, however, recognizes “strategic pricing,” where some high demand items may be lower in price, but an enormous percentage of items are not. They’re either MSRP…or higher. It’s all about coaxing ‘em in on cheap toilet paper, then making up the difference in the rest of the shopping list. [click here to continue…]
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From an interview with AmEx CEO, Kenneth Chenault, in the current issue of Fortune Magazine:
We’re doing a “back to the future” on the charge card. That’s our pay-in-full product at the end of 30 days. Consumers want discipline, and if we can bring that discipline of paying in full at the end of the month along with the service levels that we provide, plus the rewards and other programs we have, we think that’s a tremendous opportunity for us to grow.
Yes, it would be a tremendous opportunity for AmEx to grow, but what about small business? What about all those “Shine a Light” brick and mortars that have been so highly touted in the recent AmEx/Universal advertising campaign? What about you and your business? [click here to continue…]
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Those of us who live here in the Twin Cities are familiar with The Lion’s Tap, a family owned, decades old restaurant built on good old fashioned customer service. The history of the place is amazing…and the burgers are pretty darn good.
A few years ago, they came up with the catchy phrase “Who’s your patty?” As savvy marketers, they registered the slogan with the state of Minnesota, filed for federal trademark protection, then spent the past four years plastering the question everywhere. Their website. Servers’ t-shirts. In the restaurants. On their business cards. In their ads. And on about a zillion billboards all over the upper Midwest. It’s not unusual to run into a “Who’s your patty?” t-shirt in Fargo, North Dakota or Madison, Wisconsin.
So imagine how stunned they were to find the phrase on a McDonald’s billboard touting the Angus Burger in July, and in television and radio ads ever since. [click here to continue…]
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Well, it’s official. We’re now a virus.
Or more, accurately, we’ve gone viral. As of midnight Monday, The 3/50 Project website has seen more than (drum roll, please) 7,500 “absolute unique visitors.” Total visits, including return trips, pop up over the 8,600 mark.*
Yeah. I did a double take too. Right before letting out a big, juicy woooooohoo!
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