Great post. I am having heart palpitations dreaming about my two favourite things...Chex Mix and dark chocolate. (heavy sigh)
Jeff Crites
· 1 year ago
That bag and story are fabulous. What great branding.
Stephen Hopson
· 1 year ago
Chris:
Well, that was a FIRST for me - seeing a card I wrote appearing at a blog with such clarity! Wow. No one ever photographed a card I wrote and put it up for all to see.
Thanks for doing that - like the card and bag of chocolate brought a smile to someone's face, this one brought a smile to mine! :)
kat brogan
· 1 year ago
love is a morsel of chocolate on top of a giant box of chocolate that is dipped in chocolate itself
thanks for *your* personalization *smooch*
Dean @ Sachi
· 1 year ago
As a web designer, I really love Cheryl's card. Nice design and nice brand. Makes it all the more memorable and business productive as well.
Keith Burtis
· 1 year ago
What about guys like me? Sometimes I find myself too differentiated. I could go chat with other woodturners and read woodturning blogs (rare), but thats not who my customers are.
Chris Penn, and John Wall said on marketing over Coffee that it's tough to sell a $10,000 dollar talk on "twitter use" to a bunch of twitter users.
I am that guy..I am a bit different, sometimes I think folks aren't sure what to do with me. For me the challenge is to help others identify the parallels.
Robin Cannon
· 1 year ago
It's difficult to differentiate, and you've picked out some great examples from different walks of life. I think in the web/online world it's easier to get away with a touch of quirkiness. But it's very difficult to find a balance between necessary seriousness and being overly gimmicky.
Personalisation, originality in site design while retaining intuitive navigation. Having a niche, even if it's not a massive difference just a different approach. E.g. I should focus more on my expertise in usability and accessibility in web design perhaps.
Viviana Sutton
· 1 year ago
Just bought myself some asphalt (the dark chocolate kind)...I can see why you featured this company--when it comes to marketing approaches, the genuine ones always shine through.
Leo Bottary
· 1 year ago
In the April edition of Harvard Business Review, Frances X. Frei suggests we ask ourselves, "Are we trying to be all things to all people, or specific things to specific people?"
While my blog is focused on client service and all that it encompasses, today it all comes back to being specific things to specific people. Those who stay attuned to best practices from all types of industries and who embrace not only customizing, but personalizing their products/services will win the day during the next decade.
bgavin
· 1 year ago
Interesting that use of USMail (my personal favorite tool) is now so rare as to be commented on or called quirky.
As always, Chris, thanks for a great post.
Karen Putz / DeafMom
· 1 year ago
Oh wow, that chocolate looks good! I never did meet a piece of chocolate that I didn't like.
I have a bunch of blank cards sitting in my desk for those occasions where an electronic touch just doesn't cut it.
KareAnderson
· 1 year ago
the alkali in the ingredients stopped me.. so, like Keith, I discover how differentiation can cause some to not buy and others to want to buy
Rex
· 1 year ago
Thanks Chris! I was filling orders and someone mentioned they heard about Road Crew Crunch via your blog - it made my day (well, I read the article at 2am while packing bags!)I hope that you enjoy what is inside as well you did our packaging! Dig In!
Rex
chrisbrogan
· 1 year ago
Oh, the insides were top shelf, Rex. I'm making my way to the bottom of the bag. Make sure you tell Pat from Carriage Town chocolates. She did a great job of selling your goods on your behalf, praising your chocolatiering skills all the while.
Matt Searles
· 1 year ago
I thought Joseph Jaffee sorta said it best when he said "If you want people to love your brand, you gotta make it lovable," which kinda seems like at the core of what you're talking about.
All Comments
Well, that was a FIRST for me - seeing a card I wrote appearing at a blog with such clarity! Wow. No one ever photographed a card I wrote and put it up for all to see.
Thanks for doing that - like the card and bag of chocolate brought a smile to someone's face, this one brought a smile to mine! :)
on top of a giant box of chocolate
that is dipped in chocolate itself
thanks for *your* personalization
*smooch*
Chris Penn, and John Wall said on marketing over Coffee that it's tough to sell a $10,000 dollar talk on "twitter use" to a bunch of twitter users.
I am that guy..I am a bit different, sometimes I think folks aren't sure what to do with me. For me the challenge is to help others identify the parallels.
Personalisation, originality in site design while retaining intuitive navigation. Having a niche, even if it's not a massive difference just a different approach. E.g. I should focus more on my expertise in usability and accessibility in web design perhaps.
While my blog is focused on client service and all that it encompasses, today it all comes back to being specific things to specific people. Those who stay attuned to best practices from all types of industries and who embrace not only customizing, but personalizing their products/services will win the day during the next decade.
As always, Chris, thanks for a great post.
I have a bunch of blank cards sitting in my desk for those occasions where an electronic touch just doesn't cut it.
Rex