Simplicity, Relevancy & Customer Service

Having just graded your online promotional assignments, I thought that the following articles were timely, as they provide some concepts for you to consider as you start thinking about your final project.

• The story of Zappos is a great example of how important customer service is to a brand.  His keynote at Pubcon, which tells the Zappos story, is covered by Outspoken Media in an entertaining post.
• Conversely, this week’s recall of higher end strollers by MacLaren is an example on the opposite spectrum.
• Besides thinking about what differentiates your company and products from the competition, it’s important that you also consider how relevant you are to your customer.  Without that consideration, you’ll be marketing in a vacuum.
• Apparently the consumer market is moving towards simplicity, whether it’s ice cream or pet food.  While this article focuses on food products, it can apply to other products.  Is your client creating needless complications in the marketing process (including pricing)?
• While it’s not always considered part of the marketing strategy, product design (including packaging) is important.  Fast Company’s slideshow on 12 cool product packaging designs might inspire you.