Customer Crossroads

What's your mobile strategy? Seriously. Get one. Now.

Miro Slodki added some great comments to the post on bank branches, reproduced here:

Hi Susan thought you might be interested in this forecast re mobile/internet/branchless banking Source: http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1278413

By 2014, over 3 billion of the world's adult population will be able to transact electronically via mobile or Internet technology. Emerging economies will see rapidly rising mobile and Internet adoption through 2014.

At the same time, advances in mobile payment, commerce and banking are making it easier to electronically transact via mobile or PC Internet. Combining these two trends creates a situation in which a significant majority of the world's adult population will be able to electronically transact by 2014.

Gartner research predicts that by 2014, there will be a 90% mobile penetration rate and 6.5 billion mobile connections. Penetration will not be uniform, as continents like Asia (excluding Japan) will see a 68% penetration and Africa will see a 56% mobile penetration.

Although not every individual with a mobile phone or Internet access will transact electronically, each will have the ability to do so. Cash transactions will remain dominant in emerging markets by 2014, but the foundation for electronic transactions will be well under way for much of the adult world.

Every time I see these kinds of projects, [which i do not doubt for a minute] it makes it clear to me that much of this technology advance will be driven by the needs of the un-wired i.e. developing world. Mobile business applications in undeveloped countries have the capability to transform lives. Perhaps they will achieve what decades of foreign aid have failed to do.

All businesses need to be thinking about their mobile strategy. I'm currently running a research project that permits people to contribute observations by SMS text message or e-mail -- all mobile. And I get e-mail daily telling me about more potential mobile research platforms.

When you combine mobile with location markers like smart codes of various sorts, incredible new possibilities open up.

We need to start thinking about why we need offices and retail stores, and what we really want to do with them. Because I think we DO want to leave our desktops to interact with the world. Mobile lets us do that. But it doesn't necessarily mean we want to make investment decisions while riding the bus.

Resources:

Seth Godin had an interesting post on offices.

Miro Slodki writes well informed commentary about marketing. Like the current article that takes a closer look at how ideas actually spread. It isn't the BS you've been hearing.

Nick Chiarelli at #Prague2010: Ignorance is more expensive than research

Going through my notes from the Prague 2010 conference on qualitative research, and came across these two gems from Nick Chiarelli's talk on trends.

"Don't keep banging on the why button. Don't assume consumers know why".

"You think research is expensive? Try ignorance."

Brilliant bank expansion strategy from TD: innovative thinking

Innovative thinking can touch any area of your enterprise, not just new products or creative marketing. Here's a great example of innovative thinking at work in a retail expansion strategy.

TD Bank wants to expand in the eastern US, and has decided to snap up old burger and chicken outlets and convert them to bank branches.

Great idea both for customers and for the bank. These kinds of locations are usually ideally situated on major streets and intersections, and almost always have abundant parking. Fast food places often have a lot of windows above table-top level, which is exactly what you need in a bank --  a bright location that doesn't show below the desktop level.

An added bonus will be that many locations will be set up for drive-through access, something that can take a lot of time to get through zoning.

For the neighborhoods involved, a bank branch is usually considered an upgrade from whatever commercial enterprise was there before. In some cases, I suspect that these conversions will support the local micro-economy, because the food places may be sitting empty now because of the recession.

So it looks like a win-win all around both for the shareholders and the communities. Nice innovative thinking.

Resources:

TD cooks up burger joint plan for new U.S. outlets, by Grant Robertson. Globe and Mail June 17, 2010

Full disclosure: I own shares in the parent company.But this isn't investment advice, so who really cares?

How we showcase a city during G8 G20 in 2010: aka the Gee Whiz

Every trip downtown in the last few weeks has seen more fencing go up. Yesterday, a client told me that handles from the doors on their office building would be removed to prevent protesters from making nefarious use of them.

We should really call this event "the police and security pension top-up" because of all the overtime that will be earned by all sorts of uniformed people.

Today, this travel advisory from Carlson arrived in my in-basket. The laughable part of this is that the whole thing is being spun as an opportunity to showcase Toronto and the gorgeous Muskoka district. It's hard to see how you can enjoy much of anything inside a fenced enclosure.

More to the point, apparently Pittsburgh went through one of these, and I didn't even notice. So these events aren't exactly the attention grabbers that the politicians are making them out to be.

Special Client Bulletin The G8 and G20 Summits in Ontario, Canada Canada is in the international spotlight as it prepares to host the G8 and G20 summits in Ontario Province. The G8 Summit will take place June 25-26 at the Deerhurst Resort near Huntsville, about 220 km (140 miles) northeast of Toronto. Immediately afterwards, attending delegates will proceed to downtown Toronto for the G20 summit, which will take place June 26-27 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The summits will cause serious logistical and physical challenges for businesses, residents, and visitors in Toronto and the Huntsville area. Authorities estimate about 15,000 dignitaries and journalists will arrive in the province - mostly concentrated in Toronto - for the summits. Thousands of protesters are also likely to arrive in Toronto for the G20 summit, cramming local hotels and presenting increased security challenges. Security will be extremely tight ahead of and during the events, with a small portion of downtown Toronto completely inaccessible to the public. Road closures and detours will add to Toronto's already high congestion, though significant mass transit disruptions are not planned. The increased security and transportation challenges have prompted many businesses in downtown Toronto to close June 25-27, and officials are advising individuals who do not have to be in the area to avoid the region. Disruptions will not be as severe in Huntsville due to the remoteness of the summit site, but increased security and road detours will still present some challenges to the region.

 

Security Restrictions G20 Summit Authorities will use a two-tiered security system for the G20 summit in downtown Toronto. The inner "red zone" will encompass the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and other nearby venues, including the CBC broadcast center, CN Tower, and several hotels where the delegates will reside. A 3 meter (10 foot) tall fence composed of a concrete base with chain link fencing on top will stretch approximately 3.5 km (2.2 miles) around the zone. To enter the red zone, individuals must be approved in advance, a process that will include a complete background check. Surrounding the red zone will be the "yellow zone". This pedestrian and traffic controlled area encompasses Union Station, Rogers Centre, and Air Canada Centre, in addition to other venues. The yellow zone is slated to remain open during the summit but may be closed if deemed necessary due to security threats. Entrance to the yellow zone will be permitted only through the three available checkpoints. Individuals planning to enter the yellow zone can seek accreditation in advance. This voluntary process will allow individuals to enter the zone much more quickly through an express line. Pedestrians and motorists who do not receive accreditation in advance will still be permitted to enter the zone but will go though a more thorough check and will likely face much longer delays. All individuals will have to show photo identification and have a clearly stated purpose to enter the zone. G8 Summit Security plans for the G8 Summit in Huntsville will be similar to those in place in Toronto, except the remote location of the Deerhurst Resort will significantly reduce disruptions to the public. The primary focus will be on securing the wooded areas that surround the resort. The G8 Summit is also projected to attract a much smaller protest base, reducing some of the security threats. However, accreditation will be required to travel on certain roadways in the Huntsville area, including a section of Highway 60. Individuals who have not been approved in advance will be forced to detour around the closed section of Highway 60, barring emergency travel. Police checkpoints will be in place to block prohibited travel in the area.

 

Transportation Disruptions Authorities will shut down a number of roadways nearby the summit sites in response to security concerns. Toronto: Motor vehicle restrictions will be in place on Lakeshore Boulevard between Bay Street and Bremner Boulevard to accommodate the pedestrian walkway. Officers will be posted at the entrance and exit to ACC/Maple Leaf Square and Bremner Boulevard to facilitate vehicle access. Closures and restrictions will also affect King Street, Yonge Street, Queens Quay, Spadina Avenue, and John Street. Huntsville: A section of Highway 60 and Muskoka Road 23 (Canal Road) will be closed to drivers who have not received advance accreditation. Harp Lake Road and Williamsport Road will also only be accessible to local residents. Checkpoints will block all unauthorized traffic. Through traffic should use Highway 118 to bypass the restrictions. Additional road closures will occur during the summits but will not be announced in advance. Motorcades will transport delegates to and from the G8 Summit to the G20 Summit and the airport. There will be intermittent restrictions on Highway 427 and Gardiner Expressway to accommodate such travel on June 26 and 27. Traffic delays may extend for several hours. Police may also close roads to accommodate marches or other protest activity. Such closures will likely be made spur of the moment on a case-by-case basis, with little or no advance warning granted to the public. Significant parking restrictions will be in place within and surrounding the security perimeters in Toronto. These restrictions will be clearly marked by signs. Huntsville is planning to operate under normal parking restrictions. Mass transit disruptions should be minimal during the summit. Currently, both the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and GO Transit intend to operate on normal schedules, though minor surface route diversions will occur. routes may be delayed or diverted per street closures or detours during the event. Though Union Station is located within the yellow zone, it will remain open during the summit, though traffic will be funneled through two exits/entrances (Bay Street and Skydome). VIA Rail Canada trains will not travel to Union Station - the rail line's busiest hub - June 24-27 due to concerns surrounding the increased security and high congestion in the area. Instead, trains will turn around at suburban stations in Oshawa, Brampton, and Oakville. Minor disruptions may occur at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) ahead of and after the summits to accommodate arriving and departing diplomats. YYZ will remain open to all commercial traffic during the events, but air travelers may be blocked from particular areas and will likely face increased security. Airspace restrictions will be in place within a 24 km (15 mile) nautical radius around Toronto and Huntsville, with no unauthorized or recreational air traffic permitted. Marine exclusion zones will also be in place on a portion of Lake Ontario during the G20 summit. Due to concerns that some hard-core protesters may attempt to enter Canada through US border crossings, individuals may face increased security and probing at all border stations in the run-up to the summit. Security will likely be high at the more remote border crossings, which authorities predict will be targeted by protesters in hopes of finding lower security standards. Delays are possible at US-Canada border crossings through the summit, especially at eastern checkpoints. In the event that you are travelling or expecting clients or guests during this period, please contact our office regarding flight arrival or departure information 1-800-263-2721

Don't you even know me? Why e-mail marketing isn't working for people

I've written before about why I think e-mail marketing needs to be rethought -- at least for most people using it.

Turns out it isn't just me that has a problem.

In a recent study of e-mail relevance reported on DMN Newswire, research conducted by Forrester for e-Dialog shows that a lot of people are finding marketing e-mail irrelevant.

Here's a few interesting facts from the research:

• a clear majority of those surveyed (86%) want easy access to preferences as soon as they sign up for something. The report recommends putting easy preference access on every page of a website (like the privacy policy)
• we want to see highly tailored product recommendations and task-oriented notices (commonly called alerts)
• We want evidence that the marketer/company knows who we are

And why shouldn't people expect this? The amazing issue is that anyone needed to be told. d'uh.

Resources:

The Gig is Up: The One-to-Many Model of e-mail marketing is broken. June, 2010 DMN Newswire

Get the report here (registration required) Manifesto for E-mail Marketers: Consumers Demand Relevance, e-Dialog, December 2009

Permission Revisited: don't assume I'm a fan when all I did was say hi. This blog, March 30, 2010.

Body language in real life: Susan meets the security guards, and ponders intimidation in customer experience

On a short trip through the shopping concourse at Union Station last week I noticed amazing pink chocolate boxes at Laura Secord. Yes, indeed, they were Sex and the City chocolates! I thought to capture a short video of them for you, dear reader, which is below.

What isn't in the video is that two huge security guards came up behind me and got all serious about "what was I videoing", and made vague references to the need for heightened security in the shopping concourse because of the impending G20 meetings here. They even told me I was not on public property -- how this can be true in a transit hub is beyond me.

Given that I had just finished a book on body language (previous post), I found it fascinating how quickly these guys were able to make my stomach do flip-flops just by standing far too close to me, mere inches from my face. Too close to see their hands, too close to see their feet.

The fact they were wearing bulletproof vests didn't help. And neither one identified themselves, so I still don't know who they were, although at the time I assumed them to be private security guards.

I'm joking about it now, but the truth is, at the time I found this quite distressing, it totally took the fun out of my day. And I didn't feel like buying any SATC chocolates either, although they might have helped my mood. Instead of lingering, I left, happy not to have had these guys pawing my Blackberry.

Having just returned from the Czech Republic, an authoritarian regime until the early 90's, it made me wonder what it must be like to live in a totalitarian state, where intimidation is the rule of the day every day. 

Every day intimidations customers endure

On a more mundane level, when you put yourself in your customer's shoes, it's important to consider what elements of your environment are potentially intimidating. Because intimidation is rarely a desirable element in a customer experience, and it is present more often than you'd suspect.

Older bank branches and hospitals are good examples of environments constructed to be intimidating, to hold up the authority of the institution, and to varying degrees de-personalize the customers/patients. Contrast the feeling in these environments with newer constructions and you will see that this was no accident.

Many pharmacies still put the pharmacist on a raised platform so that they are always standing above you, reinforcing a status difference. Not only that, but you must endure a private discussion in the presence of others -- others waiting in boredom for their own few moments of reluctant self-disclosure.

Once you start looking for these elements in customer environments, you will find them everywhere, in the way the environment is designed, or the way the employees behave.

By contrast, consider the environments that are winning awards and leading business results -- frequently, these organizations have systematically re-thought the power structure signals and elevated the status of the customer. And customers love it.

The video that threatened security of the G20, or something like that