Sep200911
Posted by: Mark Grondin In: eCommerce Best Practices
In another solid post on the Damn, I Wish I’d Thought of That! blog, Andy Sernovotz recently recommended that brands should take their fans “behind the scenes”. This is a strategy that we are often talking to our brand partners about. I can tell you from experience that those who love running shoes want to know about the next insole innovation, just as much as those that are into life-like toy horses want to know about the next model coming out. In other words, every brand has its hard-core loyalists. Give them something to think and talk about, and they will talk. This strategy can manifest as a simple blog (such as Spy Optic), a Facebook page (like Sanuk) or as a more complex “insider” club.
Here are a few ideas from Andy’s blog on what you can give your fans access to.
1. How it’s made
Your biggest fans love to see how your stuff is developed, tested, and manufactured. In Nokia’s series of videos and blog posts focusing on “a bunch of guys who break phones for a living,” they showed their engineers using elaborate machines to test phones in extreme temperatures, against repetitive button mashing, and undergoing some serious abuse. Options for showing off your testing and manufacturing process include opening up your facilities for tours, letting customers join in on trying out new products, and sharing a few photos and videos from your research facility.
Learn More: Nokia Conversations Blog
2. Who made it
Bruno’s Chef’s Kitchen in Eugene, Oregon is loved for its personal, friendly nature. Founders Tom and Bessie Bollag have built their business on word of mouth and make a point of putting their love and passion for what they do on display — including devoting a detailed section of the restaurant’s website to how they met, how they got started, and why they do what they do. You could show your fans who made it by putting your CEO or founder on the front-lines, by putting your regular employees on stage, or by hosting “open house” events where customers can meet the whole staff.
Learn More: Bruno’s Chef’s Kitchen
3. Where it’s from
Stone-Buhr — which touts itself as the first certified flour from sustainable farming — has created what they call, “Find the Farmer.” It’s a website where you can enter the lot code from your sack of flour to find the exact small group of farms that contributed to making your batch, where they’re located, and even links to learn more about the farmers themselves. Try a simpler version of showing where it’s from by creating a simple booklet to include with orders showing the communities in which your products are made, or by reminding customers that you’re a local by including stuff that they’ll appreciate in your publications like area news or local history.
Learn More: Find the Farmer