My wife and I celebrated the birth of our third child, Pearson, last night. Pearson was born a week ago and is adjusting to life outside the womb just swimmingly. He is one of those easy babies who eats well and sleeps well, and doesn't squawk too much; however, Susannah and I are well aware of the threat of having that good fortune turn on us in an instant (all-night screaming, and so on)!
We celebrated by grilling thick asparagus and big slabs of prime grade New York strips, with olive oil roasted potatoes on the side. And the crowning touch was a phenomenal bottle of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon from Provenance Vineyards. We had the 2007 vintage. I actually found this wine at Costco and I'm always impressed with the deals and selection there.
What struck me is how these niceties were anchored to the idea of a great celebration. Wine is basically a celebration in a bottle. Steak with red wine is a delightful combination that almost always works. Even the idea of having a lovely meal as a way of celebrating was at play last night.
All these great rituals are anchored in my mind as a way to commemorate something special. The wine industry knows this, and does well to show their products being used as a central element of celebration. And the pleasant memories of the celebration bring people back to wine to ensure their party is a success. Wine has always been that way (see the New Testament where Jesus Christ makes a bunch of wine for a giant wedding party). Of course, wine does mean different things to some people: it's a collectible, a form of art, or just a status symbol. But mainly it is a celebration in a bottle.
How are your products anchored in the mind of your tribe?
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
The power of testimony
As any parent can tell you, you never know what exactly your kids are going to end up playing with. Usually it's the box that the $30 toy comes in. And no matter how long a particular toy has sat dormant, if one of my kids pick it up, it is suddenly an object of interest to the other.
Here's an example. My kids are crazy about this mini ketchup bottle that we have. All it is is a small red bottle whose cap you can take off to put water inside. They pretend to drink out of it, put ketchup on hot dogs, carry blueberries inside it, and so on. And if Madeleine picks it up and William sees her, suddenly he drops whatever he is doing to go after it. They end up fighting over it and I have to break it up (William, wait your turn, Madeleine, be sure to give William a turn, that sort of thing).
I realized that the bottle doesn't get much attention until one of the kids randomly picks it up. Once Madeleine starts drinking or preparing salad dressing with it, William is all over her because he sees how much fun she is having, and he imagines himself having the same good time. She is testifying to the value of the toy, and suddenly he is paying attention and he wants it.
It seems the same way with adults. Evaluating a new product? Hear from someone who has been there, used it, and been improved by it. The more authentic and enthusiastic the testifier, the better. It's one of many ways to communicate the value of something you are selling.
But the key is to be authentic. The power of a "paid actor" is on the wane. Spontaneous, authentic excitement from real customers is becoming the predominantly effective way to do this.
Here's an example. My kids are crazy about this mini ketchup bottle that we have. All it is is a small red bottle whose cap you can take off to put water inside. They pretend to drink out of it, put ketchup on hot dogs, carry blueberries inside it, and so on. And if Madeleine picks it up and William sees her, suddenly he drops whatever he is doing to go after it. They end up fighting over it and I have to break it up (William, wait your turn, Madeleine, be sure to give William a turn, that sort of thing).
I realized that the bottle doesn't get much attention until one of the kids randomly picks it up. Once Madeleine starts drinking or preparing salad dressing with it, William is all over her because he sees how much fun she is having, and he imagines himself having the same good time. She is testifying to the value of the toy, and suddenly he is paying attention and he wants it.
It seems the same way with adults. Evaluating a new product? Hear from someone who has been there, used it, and been improved by it. The more authentic and enthusiastic the testifier, the better. It's one of many ways to communicate the value of something you are selling.
But the key is to be authentic. The power of a "paid actor" is on the wane. Spontaneous, authentic excitement from real customers is becoming the predominantly effective way to do this.
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