In the Puddin'

Brand Champion Award - September 26, 2008

Jeff Haase - Treasurer

Professional Exchange Club of Scottsdale

Brand Champion Awards - Awarding individual team member's actions & how it delivers their organization's brand promise in an extraordinary way

"Working to make our communities better places to live through programs in Americanism, Community, Youth & Prevention of Child Abuse."

That is the brand promise of the Professional Exchange Club of Scottsdale. And, Yes - promising to make entire communities better places to live is a lot to live up to. Even for the Exchange Club, with tons of local chapters in major cities all over the United States and thousands of volunteers, that is a very big promise.

With communities made up of so many different people with different needs, challenges, hurts, disappointments, talents, gifts, aspirations and heritages - Where do you even start? How do you get your arms around how to really make the entire community a better place to live? There are a lot of ways that the Exchange Club addresses that question such as partnering with several other organizations. But I'd like to focus on one specific aspect for a moment - Their emphasis on Americanism.

It is an interesting time for our country - No question about that. And countless conversations these days are based around questions regarding where someone stands. Or perhaps better said, what side of the fence do they stand on. Right now, it is so easy to point out the polarizing differences (it is, after all, just weeks before the election) that separate us. It is not hard to place blame on others have different belief systems. Just look at the headlines at any given time and see 'who is at fault' for causing injury to the economy. And above all, it is so simple to be apathetic about what is in our favor - the advantages of freedom and empowerment we have in our country that happens to be made up of individual communities.

As a first generation American with parents from 2 different cultures that make most of our communities look like perpetual Disneylands...well, I have to admit I, too, forget the everyday benefits and blessings I have simply because I live in the United States. It is not difficult to take all of that for granted. That is, unless, they are having a conversation with Jeff Haase, Treasurer for the Professional Exchange Club of Scottsdale. Then that might be next to impossible.

Listening to Jeff speak about his involvement with the Exchange Club one afternoon (of which, by the way, he was far too modest...) I was quickly self-conscious - in a positive way - about my active participation as an American. Yes, I'm involved with trying to support legislation that will move (what I believe, at least) governmental actions in the right direction. Yes, I'm  a registered voter that serves on associations. So I can feel pretty good about myself, right?

I listened to Jeff talk with such natural pride for how he was contributing to Americanism through the Exchange Club and the tenor of his voice when he spoke about his upcoming project with them -  and was instantly humbled. In his voice was undeniable gratitude to be of service - he was genuinely thankful he could contribute in someway - and yes, he downplayed things a lot.

Instantly, I re-examined how I viewed my role as an American in my community. Something was bothering me and I couldn't shake it. I thought about all of the times I complained what our government was or was not doing in our country - and most often the issues were in my own community. I then calculated that figure against how often I actually did something about it. I was embarrassed by my own arithmetic. Why? I couldn't help but be honest with myself...

What if I had an employee who passively complained about our work environment 5 times, 10 times as much as much as he ever got off his backside and pitched in to set things right? He wouldn't last a week in any organization I've ever managed.

What if I told my best friend what really irritated me to the point of disgust about what they were doing 10 times as much as I did something to let them know I cared? Totally unacceptable, right? So tell me why it is alright to do that as an empowered citizen of our own communities? Listening to Jeff talk, realization washed over me and was aware I had some adjustments to make.

And the best part was that I just wanted to. All on my own. Never for a moment did Jeff question my attitude. Not once did he give the impression that I needed any sort of adjustment. He simply told his story  - and I was convicted by his sincerity and honest belief. And that is what makes him a champion for the Exchange Club's promise to Americanism. Jeff lives his promise to Americanism so authentically that it is truly compelling. He's not trying to sell anyone on what his organization represents - He's just living it out. He's not trying to convince you to change - He's simply an exceptional role model for others to follow. And because the brand promise means something to him in a deep and personal way, the effect on others (myself included) is convicting.

We're going to do something a little different with the Brand Champion story today. Instead me telling the story in writing, I'd like you to meet Jeff. Granted, it is a brief video clip that does not do him justice, but the news reel tells the same story I heard that afternoon. And you really need a glimpse of the images to begin to appreciate what Jeff and his team did for our community. Here's the link - click on the video portion to see the segment.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2008/09/12/20080912Memorial0912.html

By the way, we are aware the dates of brand champion awards are issued and the current dates don't match. We are currently verifying information on a few champions so that our reporting to you is accurate. It is likely that there will then be more than one champion announced in a week - Stay tuned.

Congratulations to Jeff for being a fantastic Brand Champion to the Exchange Club's brand promise to Americanism. You are truly inspiring. --Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

Champion Awards Guidelines:

• Each Friday beginning 8/8/08, an individual team member selected by ZAG Group and In the Puddin' will be selected and awarded 'Brand Champion'
• Brand Champions will be featured in 'In the Puddin', and receive an honorary certificate
• A Brand Champion's direct supervisor and corporate office will also be officially notified
• Each weekly Brand Champion is then eligible for the ZAG Grand Champion prize at the end of the year.
• On September 1, 2009 - the ZAG Grand Champion will be announced. More details on the prize coming soon, but will include: airfare, hotel room and a very cool experience (of course).

Brand-ching Out

In the Puddin' - Brand You Series

There are two brand principles that I emphasize more than others:

1.  Brand strength comes from what you own - what you distinctively do better than anyone else, placing you in a market position that transcends competition.

2.  A brand is a promise - and brand value is determined by how well your brand delivers on its promise through the experiences you offer.

I am constantly looking to find my clients' unique strengths and partnering with them to find new ways to leverage those strengths into their offerings and performance.

And while I place a great deal of emphasis on pushing forth what you / your brand is extraordinarily good at, that - in no way - should diminish the tremendous importance of working on the things that are not currently your strengths today.

A great basketball player can shoot with their left or right hand. Sure - one is more natural and probably has a much higher percentage of success, but a champion knows the time might come when their team relies on them to take a shot from their weak hand in order to clinch the championship. So, they will spend hours of frustrating practice to work their weaker shot for the sake of the team.

I could go on for hours with like analogies, but the point is this: to be a champion that your team can count on, you've got to get out of your comfort zone and push yourself to do things you are not 'the best at' today, in order to be an asset to others tomorrow. You must branch out in order to be able to provide new skills, services, offerings, etc. to continue increasing the value you currently provide.

It's painful to try new stuff that is not your strength. It's uncomfortable to step into a world that is not your own - especially if you are an 'expert' in something. And that is exactly why you should do it.

·       Innovation comes from stepping into the uncomfortable unknown

·       Courage and Bravery come only to those who allow themselves to walk into a fearful situation

·       Wisdom only comes to a teachable spirit who allows itself to be humbled by those wiser

·       Change only comes from new perspectives that require placing yourself in a position you've never ventured to stand in before

Big talk from a consultant who makes a living telling other people what they should do differently, right?  (It's OK if you were thinking it - I agree with you). No one should give recommendations or advice they are not willing to take themselves. I ask a lot of people to stretch and get uncomfortable by thinking and performing in new ways. It would be easy to lose sight of how difficult that truly is if I didn't practice it myself on regular basis. So, I do my best to stick my own neck out there and place myself in situations where I am personally responsible for creating new experiences that are not my current areas of expertise. And most of the time I don't broadcast it. But this experience is different:

On Sunday, October 5th (six days) I will be participating in a 10K to benefit the courageous Women of the Congo whose suffering has been unimaginable and extreme due to the violence that has plagued their area.

It is important that you know I am not an athlete by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, a nasty spill down a flight of stairs last year (and other bothersome physical limitations) have kept me from normal exercise - period. And I've never, ever participated in a 10K before. So there is absolutely no glory in performing this experience for me personally. In fact, if I was worried about how this made me look, the real possibility that I will be one of the last to finish (or THE last) would probably be enough to stop me from taking on this experience. As is always the case when you find yourself in situations that stretch you past your normal comfort level, there are a myriad of 'reasons' that can be found not to this:

·       No adequate time to train, prepare or run a large campaign (wasn't sure I'd be in town & available until now)

·       It's still 100 degrees in Phoenix – upping the level of difficulty substantially

·       I have no idea 'how' to run a 10K (strategy) - can't really conceive where the finish line will be

·       It's 'ramp-up' season with work - very busy right now

Those are all great excuses, right? So why am I doing this? Here are a few reasons:

·       I have the blessing of intelligent people who challenge me to stretch and be my best. A lovely woman named Renee M. challenged me a year ago to stay vulnerable

·       Then another inspiring woman named Laura A. invited me to do this

·       Then there is the spirit of another woman, Marilyn M., who cannot run but has put her faith in my abilities to make a difference

·       And then, most importantly, there are the many women of the Congo who have experienced the devastating loss of 5,400,000 people due to one of the deadliest wars in history - struggling to re-build their lives and community. How much more motivation could I possibly need?

·       THE BOTTOM LINE IS: You don't have to be great at something to do something great for other people.

Maybe I will look foolish - But I'm willing to help

Maybe I will look as if I've failed every time I stop - But it's my victory to be active once again

Maybe I will finish last - But I will finish for the cause: the Women of the Congo

Maybe I will raise a modest amount of proceeds - But I will help someone

I am not a 10K expert. I am not even an exercise enthusiast. Running is nowhere in my current personal brand strength. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't try to stretch to improve this area - Especially if there is a team counting on me.

Please consider 2 things:

·       Supporting this very import cause and the lives it impacts by visiting my fundraising page at:  http://www.active.com/donate/runforcongoaz/DMcKay34

·       How can you step out of your comfort zone and work outside of your expertise for future strength and the benefit of others? What’s stopping you?

Thanks for thinking about joining me in Brand-ching Out for the Women of the Congo. I won’t win anyone a gold medal, but I won’t let the team down, either – I’ll finish the 10K and we’ll help as many people as we can.

Yours (in earnest if not speed),

Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

Applying Obsession

In the Puddin' - Brand You Series

Like most powerful things, having great passion for your personal brand strength is both a blessing and a curse.

Due to the fact that your personal brand strength is both something that draws your interest in a compelling way and is something you probably have a fairly high aptitude for, you are apt to develop an obsession for the subject. Because of your interest and talent in that particular area, you are drawn to learn more and more about the subject - perhaps even developing an insatiable appetite for garnishing every possible tangent of information regarding the matter.

Your blessing: You are on your way, if not already there, to becoming a specialized expert. That's great. And it can certainly become a powerful advantage to your brand and / or how you represent your organization's brand assuming one thing: That anybody cares about what you know.

And therein lies the curse: It is highly unlikely, that most people will appreciate the meticulous way in which you seek and dissect information regarding your particular brand strength. In fact, the more you are obsessive about a subject, the more of a chance there is that you may be annoying people by regaling detailed pieces of information that they 'don't get'. Most talented people are highly knowledgeable at something - a 'superpower' that their teammates or customers cannot quite understand.

So, the brand strength question becomes, "How do I use my superpowers for good?"  By finding a way to make your obsession tangible to others.

Your superpower knowledge on a subject is probably not digestible to the general public. Therefore, you need to find the best way to glean the most useful pieces of your vast knowledge into appetizing, bite-size pieces. A great example of this is Matthew Weston, Resort Beverage Manager for Royal Palms Resort and Spa & T.Cook's restaurant.

Working his way up in the industry, Matthew was a fine dining food server for a number of years. His passion for pairing wine with food made him a popular experience provider with guests and Matthew had a strong following of repeat guests requesting to be in his service. Understanding that his wine knowledge was a large part of his personal brand strength and professional success, he used his obsession to learn more about wine to further his career. Matthew chose to endure the rigorous studying and testing to become a professional sommelier. Here's a quick summarization of a sommelier's role:

Their principal work is in the area of wine procurement, storage, and wine cellar rotation. They are also responsible for the development of wine lists, the overall delivery of wine service and training for the restaurant staff. Working along with the culinary team, they pair and suggest wines that will best complement each particular food menu item. This entails the necessity for a deep knowledge of how food and wine, beer, spirits, etc. work in harmony. They also work on the floor of the restaurant and are in direct contact with patrons. The sommelier has a responsibility to work within the taste preference and budget parameters of each patron. Bottom line: They are super-powered brand experience agents.

Leveraging his passion and knowledge, Matthew was promoted into management. Although, this would be a fine enough example of how to leverage your personal obsessions into brand strength, Matthew took it further. You see, in Matthew's quest to quench his thirst for more knowledge about everything related to wine, he became more of an 'expert' about wine than the current job parameters had use for.

• There is only so much about the history of wine that a service team member can digest without their eyes rolling into the back of their head.
• There are only so many anecdotes he could tell a a restaurant patron about what famous historical figure drank which wine and why.
• There was way too much 'wine knowledge stuff' in Matthew's head than could currently be used on a daily basis.
• And, as it goes with obsessions, Matthew sought even more information on a daily basis. It was only going to stock-pile higher.

There was, however, another distinctive way for Matthew to apply his ever-growing wine knowledge on a continual basis for the benefit of his personal brand and that of T.Cook's brand: He was the caretaker of the T.Cook's wine list.

T.Cook's has an unusual brand promise in which it is the intention of the restaurant to provide an experience that likens that of "home away from home". To be more specific, that your home away from home is your very rich uncle's mansion in the Mediterranean - complete with an entire staff of estate caretakers to cater to your every whim. (I, for one, would love to find that uncle in my family...)

For the past several years, Matthew has been responsible for the content of the wine list that is the only one of it's kind I've ever experienced. Yes - it lists all of the wines by varietal and shows patrons the price. But it's unique quality is everything interspersed between the items.

• Tasting notes that not only talk about fruit, oak, butter and the like - but refer to the poetic qualities of that particular wine, as one would describe a dear friend
• Tasting notes that describe the personal preferences of specific patrons and team members
• Tasting notes that evoke excitement and seem to capture what Matthew was thinking when he first tasted it
• Pieces of relativity: How wines compare in profile & value to well-known brand names
• Excitement alerts: Wines you don't want to miss considering and why
• Quotes from famous wine advocates and wine makers throughout history

The end result: Matthew takes his vault of wine knowledge and continually sprinkles delightful pieces of it into the wine list that has more of the flavor of a wine journal than an obligatory wine list. Patrons have the wonderful opportunity to experience the profiles of the wines in a very personal, tangible way before committing to which one to buy that night. And, chances are, they have noted which one they will have to come back for. Brilliant.

By the way, apparently I'm not the only one who thinks the list is extraordinary. The T.Cook's wine list , under Matthew's watch, has earned Wine Spectator Magazine's Award of Excellence every year since 2001.

And here's the beauty of it for Matthew as well as his guests: Because wine lists change frequently, Matthew has a never-ending responsibility to update the list and draw from his plethora of wine knowledge in a delightful way that adds incredible brand value to the T.Cook's dining experience.

Congratulations to Matthew for being a perfect example of finding an important, tangible way to showcase your obsession and add value. Cheers to you --Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

Rendering Strength

In the Puddin' - Brand You Series

There are some principles that are perfectly unfailing. You can count on their effectiveness time and time again - in a variety of situations. I have always appreciated the principle of leverage. One of the oldest, simple machines, a lever is used to exert a large force over a small distance at one end by exerting only a small force over a greater distance at the other. But you knew that already.

I like the way Archimedes looked at leverage when he said, "Give me a place to stand and with a lever I will move the whole world." Now that's my kind of a guy - a real change agent, if you ask me.

The last science-geek fact I will mention is that in physics, the point where you apply force is called "the effort". Naturally, where you decide to apply the effort determines how much you are able to leverage and lift.

So I ask you, Where are you applying your effort in your brand? What are you using as your lever? If you said "My unique strengths" you are absolutely correct and on your way. If not, today is a good day to re-examine your simple machine before you hurt yourself.

A great example of an individual who is re-branding their business to leverage their powerful unique brand strengths is Craig Jolly, owner and CEO of Studio F1 - an architectural rendering, animation and design acceleration firm. They are in the business of creating all sorts of digital images and animations related to construction projects that do not currently exist in order to help clients: sell projects to the city, investors or general public and assist architects refine the design process. Basically, they are the technical creative geniuses who have the rest of the world double-taking to wonder if the image is 'real' or not. They are also the guys that watch Pixar movies from a entirely different perspective than the rest of of the audience...

Responsible for the future growth of the business, Craig had to consider where to apply his effort - what his brand strengths were that would give him the leverage he needed. It didn't take long to discover that Craig had some powerful strengths that most of his contemporaries did not. And for awhile in business, they were easy to miss. They always are as owners attempt to juggle all the variables in day-to-day business and quality. It is very difficult to take a step back and evaluate while an operation is in full motion.

In his industry, there is no question that the best competitors in his field were creative and tech savvy - imperatives to producing good work in his industry. Craig's team was creative and tech savvy, too. But they had something that their competitors did not. They had Craig - and the fact that he happened to be an architect himself as well as having an MBA. So what difference does that make? What does that have to do with the process of producing electronic images? Everything when you think about what those images mean to the business of architecture, construction and development.

The images are a product that someone with the technical knowledge can produce. But someone with the technical knowledge plus architectural knowledge and a strong business acumen can provide a valuable service to architectural and development companies in order to refine money savings and generating strategies in addition to simply producing the image. Because of Craig's personal brand strengths, he was able to leverage his company's offerings from a product to transcending into more service-related offerings and advantages. That is some serious lift.

The official launch of his new brand and offerings is set to launch this fall and I will keep you posted on the details of how he is executing his strategic leverage and the specific types of services his firm will extend. Despite the fact that the re-brand has not officially rolled out, interest in Craig's unusual brand strengths has already been sparked not only in the local market, but requests are now coming from California, the Midwest, New York and even Dubai.

Congratulations to Craig for restructuring the future of his company to reflect his personal brand strengths and launching his company into the next phase of growth. Archimedes would be proud. --Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO.

Creating Your Masterpiece

In the Puddin' - Brand You Series

What makes art so interesting is undoubtedly the perspective of the artist - The simple fact that every person on Earth can look at exactly the same thing, yet have a completely different perspective and understanding of what they see.

What makes some art an extraordinary masterpiece? When the artist labors with their hands to refine the image of precisely what is in their mind. Did the great masters of art simply complete their commissions? Absolutely not. Communicating their vision to others, in whatever tangible way they could, was always the goal.

It would be a really easy thing to simply tell you to "Go out there and create your own masterpiece." And I will. But not yet. We need to check your vision first.

How do you see things? This is an important question to answer when defining Brand You. Talk about distinction, what could add more distinctive value than the guarantee that it is impossible for anyone to look at your market, your job, your customer, your product, your spouse, your dog, whatever...with exactly the same perspective? That is so much more valuable than most people imagine. Not to mention, you are subconsciously driven to approach things in your own unique way, anyway. It ends up being more work fighting your natural inclination and has the danger of coming off as a bad attitude, insincere or unskilled when you forcibly try to conduct business in ways incongruent with your mind's eye.

An example of someone who took her personal brand and leveraged the unique way she sees things is Teresa Wilson, owner of Camelback Flowershop. 

Teresa was mentored by a professional artist since the age of five. As a young woman, she took a part-time job in a local flower shop, that turned into a full-time job with more overtime then she could have imagined. Before long, her employer announced the shop would be for sale and practically overnight, Teresa constructed a plan to buy the flower shop and turn it into a profitable business - at least for awhile - her art always beckoned.

Naturally, Teresa's artistic skills and training served her well in producing an excellent product for her clientele. No doubt, her arrangements were gorgeous and business was doing well. But now what? Buy a bigger shop and produce a higher volume to grow the business with greater profits? Maybe. She knew she wanted to do greater things with the business, but what did that mean?

Teresa describes her answer to that question as a period of soul-searching: Establishing how she wanted to view her business as opposed to her learned mentality of "This is how you run a flower shop". She started taking an inventory of what she wanted and then got out of her own head. She hired an experience consultant to assess her unique brand assets and evaluate her competition's brand assets. Guess what brand assets floated to the top? Teresa's unique perspective of how she sees things.

To Teresa, flowers were not just a product she sold. Flowers were not just an obligatory gesture or stage prop. They were art. Individual works of art commissioned to carry a special message to others that she was responsible for creating. As a matter of fact, her team members were not florists, they were 'story tellers' - messengers responsible for capturing the emotion and intent, and conveying the sentiment in a personal, beautiful way: The message amongst the petals (their brand promise).

By the way - Here is how you know your personal brand is being used: Suddenly, you have the vision for all types of possibilities - applications and actions to stretch your organization's brand that are crystal clear to you. Take a look at where Teresa took that vision next:

Teresa's Artistic Experiences:

·       Art shows: Monthly, Teresa displayed the art of up-and-coming artists within her shop leading up to an evening art show with wine, appetizers, live music and the featured artist in person to mingle with guests of the shop

·       Floral Art 101: Hosting a variety of workshops to: teach technique, enjoy food and beverage, socialize and take home a personally created work of art

·       High-Profile fashion shows - Partnering with Saks 5th Avenue, Maserati and others to incorporate the art of fashion with the art of flowers

·       Ultimate WOW Factor gift-giving - Strategic partnerships with exclusive designers such as Roberto Botticelli. Artistic presentations of tiered floral arrangements and a pair of Botticelli shoes for the ultimate Valentine's surprise.

·       Exhibiting at the Phoenix Art Museum: demonstrating how floral designs can complement and reinterpret works of art - designed to harmonize perfectly with the works of art on display. Incredible and inspiring work.

Teresa took the business of someone else's failing flower shop and transformed its business into a successful venue of floral experiences. Camelback Flowershop has been commissioned to perform some of the highest profile events and occasions as well as being entrusted to convey exclusive messages to celebrities, politicians and other public figures "amongst the petals" of her artwork. All because she took the time to really evaluate, understand and apply the very unique way she looks at things.

Thank you, Teresa, for your inspiring contributions to experience design in your field, bringing exceptional beauty to a variety of other markets and being a perfect example of utilizing your individual perspective to strengthen your brand. I look forward to what beauty your vision will produce next. --Dolores McKay

Mr. Santastic

In the Puddin' - Brand You Series

In my learning experiences, people often ask, "How do I create my own, personal brand?"

The answer is not always expected: "You don't create it - You just live it out on purpose". Just like any distinctive brand, you must discover your truly unique assets and then leverage them in a way that is important to others. That's it. Really. It sounds a lot easier than it is to actually do well...

So where do you start looking? Start with what moves you. Think about those moments in your life that were so inspirational, memorable and almost magical that you will never forget. An example is Doug Johnson - the Director of Strategic Partnerships for General Growth Properties who manages over 200 malls in the United States.

Doug tells me the story of taking his daughter to Disneyland and holding her up in his arms to watch the parade of Disney characters pass by. The Seven Dwarfs stroll passed and wave at the crowds. Directly behind the dwarfs, of course, follows Snow White. As Doug is about to excitedly say to his daughter, "Look! It's Snow White!" - Snow White looks his daughter directly in the eyes and gasps with joy as if to say to Doug's daughter, "Look! It's You! I've waited all day just hoping I would see you." It touched his heart beyond words how his daughter felt to be acknowledged in such a highly personalized manner and that an experience was created just for her.

Doug then recalls the ritual of taking his children to see Santa at the same shopping center they visit every year for this purpose. After visiting the same place with the same Santa year after year, it occurred to Doug that Santa and his helpers did not "recognize" his children. If Snow White in the middle of a crowded parade could do it, shouldn't Santa, the jolly old fellow that is supposed to know each child in the world and if they've been good or bad...Shouldn't that guy recognize his children in person from year to year?

Utilizing his personal passion for creating joy and sense of responsibility for providing unforgettable, life-changing experiences, Doug realized there was an opportunity to embrace the tradition of Santa by completely innovating the Santa experience in his company's malls. From concept, to set design, to interactive experiential tactics and down to the name itself - Doug is the extraordinary experience designer of the "Santastic Experience".

I had the privilege of participating in the Santastic Experience at one of the three beta sites last December. (BTW - General Growth Properties was so supportive of Doug's innovation, that they supported 3 beta sites when Doug suggested 1 - extraordinary) The nation-wide role out will occur in 2009, but here are some brief highlights to demonstrate how beautifully Doug applied his personal brand of passions into an exceptional brand for GGP:

1) Each child is individually welcomed and given an overview of what to expect. It is abundantly clear that they are important and the perception is created that the experience is created for them personally.

2) Children then experience Santa’s Mailbox where time is allowed for each child to drop their carefully crafted letter or take a moment to create a heartfelt wish. Either way, they are rewarded with the snow-filled tactics of having it whisked to the North Pole. Most importantly – the precedent has been set that this place is magical where miracles can and will occur.

3) So – Children now know that this experience is Personal & Magical

Coaching organizations on providing exceptional experiences, I always explain that an experience’s success is based upon how the consumer FEELS ABOUT THEMSELVES when interacting with the experience. (I’ve said it so many times it has been threatened that it will be put on my headstone someday) Therefore, it is the responsibility of each involved in providing any aspect of the experience to genuinely honor what is GOOD in the consumer – to remind them to feel good about themselves. By the way, I also firmly believe it is the responsibility of each employer and co-worker to provide the same internally.

Doug has nailed this with the Santastic experience -He built it into the experience beginning with the Naughty or Nice Meter. My eyes welled with tears as I watched each child under the age of 6 approach the Meter with a seemingly disproportionate amount of concern about their “judgment”. Were they more naughty or nice? As I watched each child work through the drama of having the needle teeter between naughty & nice, the positive ending consistently produced the same result: Pride and Joy in themselves.

Next in the experience is the main event: Sitting on Santa’s lap. What a different experience it was for these young people to stride up to the “Big Guy himself” with every confidence that they are already on “his good side”. No apprehension from the typical question: “Have you been good this year, little girl?” Instead, Santa reinforces their importance and security by calling them by name and taking another minute to remind children that they are special.

Children then depart with a button that reads, “Santa believes in me”. I wore mine with pride all day; reminded and reveling in the thought of those who I might provide joy and comfort by reminding them how special they are.

There is no question in my mind that Santastic will be wildly successful. Incidentally, consumer testing in beta showed 93% felt happier (children and parents) after participating in the Santastic experience. All started from a man knowing what truly moved him and defined his personal brand in order to genuinely create an extraordinary brand on behalf of his company. Congratulations, Doug - your work is nothing short of remarkable.--Dolores McKay 

To Sweat or Not To Sweat...The Small Stuff

In the Puddin' - Brand You Series

"Don't sweat the small stuff." It's a popular saying, a high-selling book series and the lead statement of a number of stress management and motivational speeches.

"The difference is in the details." This is what is said about greatness, mastery and success.

I've heard both used countless times, virtually interchangeably, in a variety of organizations to support either a reason not to push harder or a reason not to pull back - whichever is desired by the circumstance.

So which one is most accurate in brand performance? I hear this debate around the boardroom table a lot.

Although both certainly have their merits, the more accurate statement is: "The Difference is in the Details You Choose to Sweat". No one can operate on 'red alert status' for every little thing in an organization without being fitted for a straight jacket shortly thereafter. Conversely, the care and artistry in executing minute details or the seemingly insignificant, are powerful indicators of commitment, professionalism and skill. What truly matters are the details that you choose to prioritize that may be seemingly insignificant to your competitors but master your distinctive brand promise to your customers and team.

Owning your place in the market and earning loyalty only comes with a little sweat. Just be sure you are sweating the things that will truly make a difference to all of the stakeholders - internal and external.

A great example of this is Charlie Baziotis, owner of Kalico Kitchen in Spokane, WA. This breakfast and lunch restaurant lives up to the brand promise the name and decor suggest - a cozy but vibrant, neighborhood restaurant. For those of you in F&B, you know breakfast service is the fastest pace by far. For this reason, attention to unique details are often sacrificed for speed and efficiency in these operations. Not in Charlie's house.

Along the wall to the kitchen, are rows and rows of hand-personalized mugs. Who would sweat crafting a personalized mug for each regular patron of their rapid pace restaurant? That would be Charlie. Does it really matter?

At one point in my dining experience, I noticed a server nervously rummaging through the shelves - obviously looking for a specific patron's mug without any luck. One of her co-workers joined her, and then another. After several minutes, the guest (with the lost mug) rose from his table and helped identify his mug. The staff cheered and the guest, looking as if he had just won a championship, strode back to his table.

Four people, several minutes and one mug that held coffee just the same as all the others...except for the care and commitment that went into personalizing it. Worth the sweat? You bet. Why do I think so? Look at what Charlie's determination to sweating the seemingly insignificant has done:

• Ridiculous wait lists on the weekends - and plenty of people willing to stand and wait for the chance to have an experience there. They must know the huckleberry waffles are worth it, too.
• Perhaps hundreds of mugs for regular guests (the staff knows them all like 'Norm' in Cheers)
• Perhaps hundreds of scripted signatures (not graffiti - more like signing a portrait) from fanatic patrons in support of the restaurant proudly displayed on the walls of the foyer
• Recommendations from local hotels as 'the place' to have breakfast (no stronger PR power than Word of Mouth...)
• Dozens of loyal employees, who through Charlie's mentoring and sweating the details to honor them, have literally changed their lives from destructive habits to a positive future. This aspect is probably worth its own blog - I'm not doing it justice.

Think Charlie's competition is sweating these details? I don't think so. Were there little hiccups in the operation just like every other restaurant. Of course. But Charlie's commitment to creating his own, distinctive brand through the targeted sweat of personalized care of patrons and team members alike set his brand promise in a class all by itself in his market.

By the way, for the new-comers, (who don't have their own mug) Charlie makes it a point to talk to each guest as a genuine host (until you can get your own mug). With the young patrons, he entertains them and is not beyond pulling the old "squirting ketchup on you (that is really red string) trick. An oldie, but my daughter is still talking about it today with a grin. Another great choice of sweat, Charlie.--Dolores McKay