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Associations

Dec 01
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Make it Better

By Associations, Brands, Inspirations, Strategic Thinking, Uncategorized No Comments

Here at MonkeyBar Management, we have (precious few) guiding principles.

One of them essentially is, “When we don’t do it right, we make it right.”
(Another is that we don’t work with bullies or jerks, but that’s the subject for another post.)

In case you missed it, in advertising news this week, Arby’s somehow had missed honoring a detail of their advertising deal with PepsiCo:  feature Pepsi alongside Arby’s food in two commercials. (That specification was likely in “the fine print,” and clearly it had fallen off of someone’s radar screen and it got missed. It happens.)

And someone at PepsiCo (rightly) called them on it.

Arby’s did three things:
1) they acknowledged the mistake
2) they collaborated with their agency to fix it in a way that didn’t jeopardize all their other creative efforts
3) they took a risk to be human

Their agency (Fallon) went out on a limb and suggested a new ad (if I had to guess, crafted by a probably exhausted and possibly frustrated creative team). An ad that could have been rejected by “the suits,” but one which the savvy humans on the team Arby’s (and then Pepsi) both agreed to run:

And it’s kind of brilliant*.

(*Brilliant, if you know the backstory.  But even if you don’t, it surely accomplishes MORE THAN the letter and the spirit of their agreement with PepsiCo, which surely was the primary audience for this “fix it” job.)

How you behave when you’ve screwed something up is a measure of who you are.

Do you reluctantly fix it, or do you go above and beyond?

Do you “blamestorm,” bluster, make excuses and generally become a pain to work with?

Do you awkwardly try to cover up the goof, or do you own it, ask for forgiveness, and make it right?

When you have the opportunity to make it right, make it memorable.

Don’t just make it right — make it better.

Dec 30
Love0

Play to the Whistle

By Associations, Inspirations, Retail No Comments

It’s one of the earliest concepts taught in youth sports:  you give it your all – 100% of your effort – until the referee blows the whistle.

It’s not enough (and in fact it’s not smart) to simply follow the cues of those around you: if you haven’t heard the whistle, the play isn’t over. There’s still a shot at the score.

Depending on which side of the Chicago Bears / Green Bay Packers (American NFL Football) rivalry you fall on, you either love or hate this simple lesson this morning. A game is more than a single play, of course, but the Packers prevailed by only 5 points in the NFC north championship game in part due to a moment of awareness of one of the game’s most basic rules:  it’s the whistle that signifies the end of a play.

Marginally-applicable sports analogies abound in business management philosophy, so why not this one: when in doubt, assume the ball is live. As the wound-licking Bears (and their fans, some of whom I am related to) know all too well this morning, it can be the difference between a berth in the playoffs and the end of the season.

I had a powerful real-life lesson in this during our busiest season this month: a multi-year client contract was scheduled to sunset. It might have been easy to give in to the temptation to “phone it in” on the last few weeks of the agreement: I’m a human and life is busy. I could have put my (limited) energy into upcoming (new) business rather than the final phase of a contract that was coming to an end.

But we’re “finish strong” people, even when it pushes our limits. The last days of the contract get superior service, too – equivalent to the first days. Because leaving with a strong impression is at least as important to coming in with one. Our opportunity for return engagements and for word-of-mouth referrals depend on it.

The whistle hadn’t blown. And in the final days of the project … much to all of our surprise, the client’s situation shifted dramatically. And our contract was not only renewed but expanded for the coming year(s).

Which it surely wouldn’t (and shouldn’t) have been if we had played lackadaisically in those last weeks.

Similarly, I have been to one too many retail stores this week where staff were barely “going through the motions” after an (understandably) exhausting Christmas season.

But the whistle hasn’t blown:  shoppers are in the store, spending hard-earned money. These are sales needed to clean out the shelves and provide cashflow. From that perspective, they are critical (not to mention potentially the opportunity to convert shoppers for future visits or sell tie-in merchandise at full price.)

When the whistle blows signaling the end of 2013, will you be proud of your team’s efforts?  Or will you be kicking yourself for a momentary lapse in judgement and dedication?

Until the play is completely dead, there’s always a chance:  to retain the customer, to make a great impression,  to renew the membership, to get the score.

But you’ve gotta play like you mean it. Play like the ball is alive. Like the game is on the line. Because in business, it almost always is. 

Aug 15
Love0

Everything Speaks

By Associations, Brands, Managing Change, Real Life, Retail, Stuff We Adore No Comments

How much would I have to spend at Macy’s in order to get a bag as nice as I just got to carry two $8  burritos home from Chipotle?

My husband asked last night (over the aforementioned takeout dinner.)

“$400? $500? I’m serious. I don’t think they even have an option anymore other than those cheap plastic bags whose handles rip before you get to the car.”

A whole brand experience, summarized in our snarky comments about a flimsy (and it IS flimsy) printed piece of plastic.

Not entirely fair, no. But accurate. And consumer perception is reality.

Macy’s has (apparently) invested an incredible amount of corporate resource to curate their “fashion brands” … (Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Martha Stewart, Trump, etc.) and yet every customer who walks out of the store with these “investment pieces” carries them in something (far) less durable than a kitchen trash bag? (A bag which is likely bundled up and carried through the last 1/4 mile of parking lot in a clenched fist like a cheap version of Santa’s sack when the handles pull through?) We’re not talking about the new brands they launched this season over dinner, we’re discussing the memorably-shoddy quality of the container used to carry out the merchandise.  (We’re dorks who spend a fair amount of time laughing over their painfully long 6-point-font sale exclusions policy language as well, but I digress.)

EVERYTHING about your brand sends a message to the customer.

(I offer for contrast the reuseable fabric bags I just lovingly folded up and carried home in my suitcase from  Lululemon and Hot Mama, both laden with inspirational messaging designed to resonate with their largely-female consumers, a consumer I presume they share with Macy’s.)

You know, it wasn’t always this way. I remember handled paper Macy’s bags from Christmases past, perhaps even with some sort of holiday messaging or – gasp – grommets and rope handles?  (It’s just dawning on me that I might have a bag fetish.) I must presume that somewhere along the line a cost-cutting decision was made at Macy’s. Has anyone looked at that decision recently with fresh eyes, asking “what does this say about us?”  and “is this consistent with the brand experience our customers expect?”

Brands are living organisms that exist in a complex and constantly changing ecosystem. I bet no one sitting in a ‘brand identity’ meeting at Macy’s today has any idea they are being compared with Chipotle, and yet they are. No brand experience lives in a vacuum. Your consumers compare the experience at your store (the products, the sullen cashier, the restrooms, the lighting, the music, and yes – THE BAGS)  to every other restaurant, hotel, store, that we’ve been in recently:  whether you see them as “your competition” or not.

When your fancy department store offers a less inspiring ending experience than a fast food transaction,

When your independent retail staff cultivates less project assistance or visual inspiration than a “big box” store,

When it is (far) less frustrating for a customer to order something online from you than to muddle her way through your in-store experience,

(And, lest you think I’ve forgotten the nonprofit organizations,) When your pricey annual association membership offers a less educational interaction or a less connected network than participating in a virtual group through Facebook, Linked In, or a magazine,

…  you’ve got some soul searching to do.

Everything speaks.  Are you listening?

 

HotMama

ChipotleLululemonphoto credit:  my bags, taken with my Android.  Apologies to Macy’s that their bag isn’t shown – it wasn’t worth keeping after the last trip. 
Mar 13
Love0

Scheduled Succession: A Cardinal Sin of Management

By Associations, Managing Change, NonProfits, Strategic Thinking No Comments

Despite my marginally clever play-on-words, this isn’t a post about Pope Francis I. (A man whose qualifications for the job he has just been elected to I am woefully incapable of evaluating.)

What it is a post about is a dangerous phenomenon:  one that I have witnessed in nonprofit associations, in city governments, in businesses large & small, in families, in volunteer committees of all shapes and sizes.

It’s a phenomenon that – given its pervasiveness in society – I could surmise might have plagued the Papal Conclave as well.

It’s His Turn

You’ve surely witnessed this plague in action:

• Susan was the Vice Chair of the event last year, so she’ll become the event Chair this year.

• Max has ‘paid his dues’ on the board for 5 years so he should ascend to the Vice Chairmanship.

• Mary has been the Coordinator in that department for 3 years, so now that Bob has been promoted to Director, she should logically take over his position as Manager.

• The current city council members have an off-the-record conversation that “If Gene wants to run for Mayor, we won’t run against him…”

• He’s the first born (son), so he’s going to take over the family business (country).

I suppose it is statistically possible that the ‘next in line’ actually IS (by coincidence rather than design) the best person for the task at hand.  But particularly given the pace of change in the world today, my observational experience says it’s more-than-likely not to be the case.

Worse than just not ideal – allowing an “It’s His Turn” philosophy to flourish can truly be a kiss of death for an organization. Even the perception of this ethos at work can signal that the company is not actually responsive to client/constituent needs. That merit and skill are less valued than time served. That we are out of touch with what is actually going on in our community. That we are not transparent about our process.

For the sake of the Catholic Church and the 1 billion + people worldwide that they serve, I hope that the College of Cardinals asked questions like these when considering whom to elect:

What specific skills does the organization need today?

What are the biggest obstacles we face on the path to success?

What kind of personality traits are best suited to address our needs and challenges?

What communities will be emboldened or disenfranchised by the selection?

What changes are coming rapidly that we need to prepare for, who has the vision to see them clearly?

To the public eye, the College of Cardinals had the opportunity to choose anyone (well, any Catholic Male) to lead them.  I am hopeful that with days of prayer, reflection, holy wisdom-seeking that they didn’t simply select the person who was the ‘first runner up’ to Benedict during the prior voting. Given the secrecy and lack of transparency surrounding the process, we can’t know. Surely he is being lauded by the media (and Catholic friends of mine who are more equipped to gauge) as the “right man for the job” – with traits that do seem to answer at least some of the questions above.

Decisions in your world may not attract such scrutiny or media attention, but if it feels like “It’s His Turn” for something in your world, ask yourself – ask your team:  SHOULD it be?

And if the answer is no, I pray that you have the courage to vote differently. Your business depends on it.

Mar 01
Love0

Start a Bonfire & Grind Up the Sacred Cow (Scorched Earth – Part II)

By Associations, Managing Change, NonProfits No Comments

Today – right now — imagine your association in a fight for survival. It’s not far-fetched. Many associations already are seeing “the end of times,” whether they acknowledge it or not. It’s time to consider what you need to do in order to survive. For many groups, cooking sacred cows for nourishment will be one option. Be ready to build a sizeable bonfire and build a plan to carry on.

1. Understand what nourishment looks like. You first must commit to keeping the enterprise fed, even if that means eating bugs and chewing up the sacred cow. Create an environment whose mission is to provide sustenance to the organization at any cost. This includes not only allowing but cultivating the “crazy ideas” – the 10% of ideas that may, at first glance, seem bizarre and unpalatable. All edibles are on.

2. Identify your sacred cow(s). Every client I have worked with has programs and processes that continue to move forward, unquestioned, “because that’s how we do it.” To find yours, ask three questions:

Where are the non-performing SKUs?: Borrowing a term from retailing, profitable retailers must ensure that their square footage is returning the best margin possible, regularly discontinuing the bottom 10% of products to create space for higher-producing inventory. In associations, your “shop floor” is your staff and budget. In these lean times, most are pushed beyond capacity fulfilling the programs (products) you’ve already got. Reconfigure now to create space for programs and services that will return a better margin, audience, or connection.

Whom do we need to alert? Before you discontinue any program, be candid with those customers who will be affected. Most are probably business people who have made difficult decisions of their own and they will understand.

Who’s got a cow to proffer? To create a culture of identifying the tastiest sacred cows, turn to staff and volunteers, conducting a monthly or quarterly “What should we stop doing?” inquiry. Incent them for their suggestions.

3. Know your enemy. In any post-apocalyptic environment, you’d be aware of the marauders around every corner. Have you considered enemies like these?

Competitors: Associations today have many competitors. In fact, besides the Internet, the growth of competition is the most significant challenge to association management I’ve seen in 20 years. Formerly supportive sponsor organizations launch their own programs and services to reach the membership base. Once collaborative trade magazines, in a scramble for revenue themselves, are launching online and print products that compete aggressively for a shrinking ad revenue stream. In a world with fewer geographic boundaries, other state/regional/national organizations are claiming new ground. Your members are already finding value elsewhere. Do you have a “Chief Competition Officer,” someone whose job it is to know what these others are doing?

Nelly & SALY: “Negative Nelly” shoots down any idea presented and creates an unpleasant work environment. Get rid of her, and watch the rest of the team’s productivity skyrocket. SALY, “Same As Last Year,” is not a person, it’s a philosophy. SALY breeds in places where too much workload & too few resources produces little incentive for the team to innovate. A “no-SALY” policy gives new products and services a fighting chance.

4. Stop biting the hand that feeds you. Sponsor neglect is rampant in associations, a recipe for disaster in a competitive environment. Senior executives should regularly sit down with the top 20% of sponsors. An open dialogue will disclose how – and whether – your association’s products and services are meeting sponsor needs. In many cases, sponsors are more attuned to member needs than staff and can bring compelling ideas (and funding) to your table.

Through honest & aggressive consideration of these four areas, associations can be well on their way to a sustainable future. It’s not too late to start: your survival, literally, depends on it.

Part I of the “Scorched Earth” series was published in the October issue of Marketing AdVents, the monthly newsletter of the Direct Marketing Association of Washington (DC).  Part II – “How To Start A Bonfire and Grind Up the Sacred Cow” was part of the February 2013 issue in the association’s monthly column addressing trends in direct marketing within trade associations and nonprofits.