Archive for May, 2010
Monday, May 31st, 2010
Yesterday I went to my favorite local butcher to pick up my meat for the week. After that I got back in my car and drove a few blocks away to my fish monger to buy some salmon and shrimp. Later that day I biked over to the farmer’s market and bought some fruits & veggies. All of these spots have a few things in common – they cater to people like me who are willing to pay a premium and battle inconvenience to get high quality, locally grown, wholesome foods.
Today I went shopping on Etsy for a friend’s baby shower gift and came across a lovely store that specializes in creating custom crib accessories. But I was torn between that and a baby’s room wall decal. I could see both being perfect for my friend because they cater to style-savvy new Mom’s looking to transform a blank room into a baby oasis. Unfortunately I had to choose one or the other since the bedding didn’t work with the decals – otherwise I would have been tempted to get both.
What binds these stories together? In both scenarios the companies involved have missed an opportunity. Imagine if the wall decal company partnered up with the crib accessory company to create a line of decals the complimented the baby bedding. Imagine if the butcher, the fish monger and he fruit & veggie farmer combined forces to create a one-stop-shop market. Would all parties involved sell more product? It’s very likely.
Sometimes, as businesses, we get consumed by what we do and lose sight of how our customers buy. Ask yourself whether there’s a different way to package your products & services or if there’s an opportunity for partnership with a like-minded business that will result in more value for your customers.
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String Gardens has re-imagined floral design by suspending flowers instead of planting them. But it doesn’t stop at there – they also hang trees and shrubs as well. I think this could be a very interesting way to use vertical space and, of course, create the unexpected from expected event decor.
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The idea behind UK-based Cocktail Box is simple and unique. Order a cocktail online and a bartender will make it fresh for you, using high quality ingredients, and a fridge-friendly cocktail box will be shipped directly to your door. Holding a large party? Order their catering pack and get 20 servings of your favorite pre-mixed cocktail.
So what do you think?
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1. A luxurious event table is set up in the heart of a bustling Istanbul market via Axel Burla.
2. A slide show of event design from the last 10 years of the mind bending Robin Hood Gala via BizBash New York.
3. Samsung uses a stunning 3D projection on a historic Dutch building.
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We are faced with a constant pressure to make things more efficient – faster, cheaper, new & improved.
This lesson was never more evident than when I was working with a well-known confectionary brand for my agency many years ago. Our task was to redesign their chocolate bar label – and part of the brief was to totally change the packaging itself. The main reason? The client felt the existing packaging was too expensive to produce. My immediate gut reaction was, ‘No way!’. The packaging stood out – amongst a sea of boxes and wrappers, it was a beacon. And, being an avid consumer myself, I knew the wrapping was a part of the experience of enjoying the product.
After much debate with the client, we convinced them to invest first in understanding how consumers felt about their existing packaging. We sat down with consumers, talked to them and watched how they consumed the product – we quickly learned that the ritual of enjoying the chocolate began well before it was first tasted. We discovered that the package was where the experience of the product first began as well as ended. The ritual of unwrapping the package created the same anticipation as opening a gift, the package felt decadent…just like the chocolate, the package allowed them to rewrap what they didn’t get around to eating, the package was how consumers recognized the brand on shelf, and the package was the same one they grew up using. We heard their message loud and clear: “Don’t mess with my package”. They didn’t – and to this day, although the design of the wrapper has changed, the chocolate bar remains in the same packaging and has maintained its position as one of the top selling bars.
Fast forward to 3 weeks ago. I attended the closing ceremonies for Events Asia 2010 on beautiful private beach in Boracay, Philippines. After a few hours of the most amazing live entertainment I’ve ever experienced, a heap of white canvas appeared at my feet. Next thing I knew the announcer was telling us to get on our feet and bring the canvas lanterns with us to the outdoor stage by the sea. The air seemed electrified with excitement and anticipation as we listened to our instructions (which, quite frankly, seemed to go on and on). Lighting them was not going to be easy. People banded together to help each other light their wicks. It was a long process of hoping your wick would burn and waiting for your lantern to fill with hot air. I felt like a kid when I watched my husband’s lantern leave his hands and rise through the night’s sky to join the others rapidly rising above our heads. People cheered as they floated away. It was a perfect representation of the end of a great conference.
There are plenty of experiences that are faster, cheaper and newer than lighting lanterns. But after spending 2 days sitting in a conference centre, this ritualistic experience was in one word: magical. It will be something, I can say with conviction, that I will never forget. And it’s an experience that united everyone who participated.
So what rituals are you building into your events? How are you incorporating your guests into the event experience? How are you foregoing faster, cheaper, newer for powerful, meaningful and unique?
(video courtesy of Brian Slawin from Busy Events)
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While in the Philippines we were invited to visit the über luxurious Shangri la Boracay. It was a jaw dropping property boasting one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen. But I digress. The reason I mention this resort is not because of the stunning rooms or views (I’ll talk about this another day), but instead it’s for their amazing attention to detail. Specifically…what they did with sand.
I stumbled upon two great ideas that would be so easy to steal for an event. The first was a sand-topped table display with a pretty border hand traced into the sand. I thought this would be so beautiful as an inexpensive tabletop idea (but if you’re thinking of also eating off of these tables, you’ll want to add a glass top…to avoid gritty chicken ;).
The second idea sat inconspicuously outside of the hotel elevators. Imprinted in the sand of an ashtray was the resort’s logo. Simple, simple, simple – yet really smart.
The last idea I came across wasn’t from Shangri la. It was something I found on the Ellerslie Four Play blog and shows a standard illuminated table decorated with a sand design. It’s a really creative (and inexpensive) way of converting a basic rental item into something quite extraordinary.
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I got home a couple of days ago after spending 3 magical weeks in the Philippines for Events Asia 2010. I have some amazing stories and can’t wait to share them with you. In the mean time I put together this video to showcase a smidgen of what Michael and I experienced in our short stay in Paradise.
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