Brands-In-Sight: To 'E' or not to E-Book, That is the Question

Brands-In-Sight: To 'E' or not to E-Book, That is the Question: (source: http://ebookfriendly.com/2011/11/25/alternative-literature-comic/ ) "I want to make this crystal clear: I love bookstores. I lo...

Brands-In-Sight: Cineworld's Failure @ CRM

Brands-In-Sight: Cineworld's Failure @ CRM: One key factor that companies should have in their Marketing Strategy on how they will gain competitive advantage, is how they plan to enhan...

Cineworld's Failure @ CRM

One key factor that companies should have in their Marketing Strategy on how they will gain competitive advantage, is how they plan to enhance their customer's experience.  Take the example  of Cineworld Movie Theatre, they offer customers unlimited viewing of movies for flat monthly rate.  When this was first launched, Cineworld was the only movie theatre in the area that offered this service so they had the competitive advantage over their competitors.

 As you could imagine this would soon change and the other cinemas would also adapt a similar movie watcher's club.  If you are a  Cineworld customer and have been to the cinema's lately, you would notice that after each movie preview, there's an advert to promoting membership for their unlimited card.  It is quite evident that the company's current strategy is to focus on boosting unlimited card membership as this would provide a constant review stream and help increase their profit margins.  A customer who signs up as a Cineworld card holder is locked in to a contract for a 12 month period.  If you typically go to the cinema at least 3x a month, then you would have gotten your money's worth for the membership.  The company would then also have customers locked in to their cinema vs their competitors.  Using myself as an example, whenever I go out with my friends to watch a movie, my only criteria is that we go to Cineworld.  This is because I refuse to pay for a movie ticket else where when I've got a monthly membership with Cineworld.  From that aspect the card is a wonderful things so this blog is not about the concept of the card, I am supporter of the programme.  It's the behind the scenes aspect that this blog focuses on.

There is no added value in having the card other than you can get unlimited movies, to some customers, this might be enough, but to others it is quite far from enough.  Take for example AMC vs. Cineworld,  AMC have rolled out a movie watcher's club to compete against the unlimited card offered by Cineworld, but AMC have been offering their users perks under their moviewatcher's club programme for quite some time.  The card was aimed at offering customers who regularly visit the cinema perks to entice them to visit the overpriced concession stand. See what these companies fail to realise is that there is a "movie watcher's experience" that plays into the whole reason why people go to the cinemas versus watching movies at home.  For instance, Cineworld changed their tickets to a new flimsy paper and I was totally devastated.  The guy at the check point rips it in half without a care in the world and no clue as to how he destroyed a little bit of my movie watching experience.  The little things in every relationship matters -- personal and business the common denominator is that you are interacting with people.

So what do people want to keep that spark alive in the customer relationship between Cineworld and their customers, i.e - me?  I would like for this company to start understanding what's important to me as their VIP customer.

As a loyal Cineworld customer for the past three years and a budding Marketeer, I've decided to request a meeting with the manager at my local Cineworld to raise my concerns about their CRM strategy.  Now I did not expect her to do much other than when there is a conversation with her higher up regarding their objectives with gaining more unlimited card members, for her to recall my comments to say that a customer actually went out of her way to meet her to raise some concerns that they should and could be doing more.
The take away from the meeting is that there's definitely some things in the pipeline regarding how the unlimited movie watcher card (duh, there's an advert after every preview pushing the join now message down our throats) so basically she said to watch this space and we'd loooove to hear from you when we've made the implementations (really so you'll call me by mysteriously using high tech tracking to find out how to reach me-- don't make me laugh).

So here's what I am going to do.  I am typing this lovely blog (as required for my Digital Marketing assignment) and will discuss the CRM strategy (as required for my Customer Relationship Management course) and send a link to Marketing team at Cineworld who I hope is scouring the internet to keep abreast with the online chatter about their brand -- watch this space for an update.

As Nic always says, think about the Customer's Journey!  So let's look at some loop holes that could use some attention (there are others that I am not going to go too in-depth into - knowledge is power and also not free).

1) Ease of Use
An unlimited card holder is quite limited with their options to purchase their movie tickets compared to a regular customer.  An unlimited card person cannot purchase their tickets through any other means other than the on site agents in which they must stand in a long line (depending on the time of day) to get served.   The kiosk machines, internet or even a phone app option to purchase is not feasible for the (why are we being punished) unlimited card holders.

Taking myself as an example, I am always going to movies on a spur of the moment and have often times bought my tickets after the actual scheduled time for the movie.  This data would be very useful to offer a solution to enhance my buying experience by offering a quicker check in option.  

2) VIP Treatment 

AMC offers.

Secondly, personalization is also important.  When I go to the desk, how difficult is it for the staff to use the person's name (it's not like they don't have the information - if it is not on the screen it is on the card).  People want to feel special.  

3) Waste of Data 

Cineworld should have at their fingertips what type of movies each customer typically likes to watch and should be able to create some marketing targeted to the customer and their likes. The company could have also developed a swipe system to log what type of foods were being purchased at the concession stand (guess no one thought of that and it's all about making the quick buck today -- get the transaction over with and forget about the relationship).

The theatre doesn't even track how frequent a customer visits the cinemas, well if they do, they have failed to use the data for the benefit of the customer which is once again the transactional point of view --- as long as that check clears for the £14 a month, who cares if they come or not.  See someone in the marketing team should start raising the point that we should care because this risks cancellations.  What are these customers now doing why they aren't coming?

Take myself as an example, I have not been to the movies in several months and each month that I have not attended, I've looked at my bank statement and considered contacting them to cancel my membership.  In fact, it would be 2 memberships because I pay for my little sister's movie card as well.  Basically, I have gotten to the point where I found the value of the card decrease and my £30 a month could be better spent else where.  

So many brands focus on customer acquisition, but forget to tighten up their customer retention process as well.  Its like filling your hands with sand and the sand is slowing seeping out through the cracks.  So whilst Cineworld focuses on gaining more customers on their unlimited card programme, I hope that their Marketing team also have taken into account a strategy to enhance the customer's experience by reviewing each element of the customer's journey within their customer relationship module and stop wasting valuable data. 

All Naturale

Thought I'd share some hair care tips with some of the ladies out there who are trying to relinquish the chemicals and go all natural.  

The main important thing to keep in mind is that you would need to keep your hair moisturized.  As black women, our hair requires some form of moisturizer to keep it silky smooth.  The types would vary per hair type. I will walk you through the wash  and dry process for those who are transitioning from a perm to natural or have natural curly/kinky hair and would like to wear it bone straight. 

Washing Your Hair 

1. The first wash that you would need to do is to get the hair follicles nice and wet so don't waste too much shampoo on the initial wash.  
2. After you have gotten all strands soaking wet, begin your second wash with a cleansing or purifying shampoo - basically because we don't wash our hair daily, we must remove all of the gunk build up (grease/sprays etc).  Please note that if you are mixed race, your wash frequency would depend on which gene pool your hair is mostly based off of. If your hair is more like the Afro type, then daily wash is not recommended as this damages the hair.  
3. Once your hair is nice and clean (you should feel the difference after using a clarifying shampoo) then you should do a third wash using a moisturizing shampoo.  This is to replace the moisture that was stripped out of your hair.  
4. The next stage is to condition your hair.  Remember that though your hair would feel a bit softer from the moisturizing shampoo, it is still a cleansing agent and your hair requires conditioning.  Please follow the instructions on the bottle and remember to rinse with cold water during the conditioning stage. It is also a good idea to comb through the conditioner to help get rid of some of the tangled dead hair.  Be careful when coming through as your hair's elasticity increases when when and pulling too much on your hair can cause damage. 

A word of caution with handling your hair, your conditioner and shampoo agents are chemicals and therefore I would suggest to avoid mixing them with other brands to avoid scalp irritation.  Unless you are a chemist, then don't try your luck. 

Drying Stage  

1. After you have towel dried your hair,  you now have the lovely task of detangling and drying your hair. Now if you are anything like me with a head full of hair, this is a time consuming process.  If you are tender headed, this will be a painful process unless you have the right tools. 
2. Always use a detangler comb.  You may also opt to use a detangler spray to help tame your mane. 
3. When coming the hair through, start from the ends and work your way back to the roots.  Hold the roots to buffer any pain from detangling the knots (essential when combing children's hair)
4. Part your hair into sections (4) to make the drying process easier.  I would not recommending air drying your hair unless you are trying to add body to your hair.  For a bone straight look, use a hair dryer with an attached fine tooth comb. 

~~I Whip My Hair Back n Forth~~

  ~~I Whip My Hair Back n Forth~~

 

Styling Stage 

1. The correct tools are essential for this part to come out correctly.  Always get a flat iron that has a dial setting to increase or decrease the temperature, and the best flat irons for Afro natural hair (domestic) have ceramic tourmaline plates. You will also need a rat-tail, fine tooth comb to part and style your hair. You will need some items to hold your hair in place (scrunches, clips etc) and you would also need some hair grease. 
2. While the flat iron is warming up, start parting your hair and applying some grease to the scalp.  The type of grease would depend on your preference (light oils, creams, thick grease etc).  Remember to simply apply a small amount to the scalp and part hair in big chunks. 
3. When you are ready to start straightening your hair, use then rat tailed comb to part a small section of the hair (start from the back and work your way to the front).  
4. From the base of the hair, pull the hair through the flat iron slowly.  Be careful of the sizzle from the grease that was applied earlier and not to burn yourself with the hot flat iron.  As you pull the flat iron through, this is locking in your hair follicles (all the moisture that was applied before is now locked in and would give a sleek look).  
5. For curled ends, bump slightly as you pull out at the end of the hair to create a curl. 

Remember to wrap your hair at night using a silk head-tie to keep the look fresh  for following day(s). 

 The End

To 'E' or not to E-Book, That is the Question

(source: http://ebookfriendly.com/2011/11/25/alternative-literature-comic/ )

"I want to make this crystal clear: I love bookstores. I love going to them and checking out the bookshelves and the magazine racks, and finding some good things to read. I discovered a bunch of books and magazine because of bookstores...That being said, I find more and more often that I go into bookstores and leave empty handed...There is just no substitute for a real, physical book... I also have a pretty nice bookshelf that would go to waste if I didn’t keep buying print books...but as I said in the intro, I tend to go into bookstores with the intention of buying a book, and end up leaving empty handed."

Author:  Joe Casobano
Date:  January 11th 2012. 
Title:  Why I don't by from bookstores. 
To read the article in its entirety, please click on the below link:
http://web.appstorm.net/general/opinion/why-i-dont-buy-books-from-bookstores/

"Part of  the whole experience of buying a book (or any other media for that matter) you are actually getting a physical manifestation of that work which then gets proudly displayed on a book shelf. Buy an ebook and all you really have is an electronic file stored on a device that you only ever see when you switch the ereader on. Yes ok you can read it within seconds but part of the fun for me is the anticipation of waiting for that box of books (if you bought online that is).

Author:  unknown
Date: 05/01/2012
Title:  Why I stil buy paperbooks
To read the article in its entirety, please click on the below link:
http://sfbook.com/news/why-i-still-buy-paper-books/?p=2141


Couple important facts about how we perceive books and bookstores 


a) Shopping at a book store makes us look smart
b) Having books in your home, neatly organised on a book shelf makes you seem well accomplished; having them in a disarray makes you seem scholarly
c) To be seen walking around with a 'thick' book in your hand does boost your reputation as being sensible and educated.

I think that it is quite safe to say that customers would always see the need for  hard copy books; however, would there still be a need for a bookstore?  Books can be purchased online and in fact are much easier to purchase online due to the capability of having a vast amount of customized information at your fingertips.  There's no need to stand around for minutes searching through the shelves to find the book you're looking for or one that you might be interested in. Also when purchasing online you are able to compare prices and read customer reviews.  This is not something that bookstores currently offer to its customers to enhance in store purchasing.  The other issue is that there is very little reward gained in the whole shopping experience - customers are not leaving the store feeling uplifted with their fingers tightly grasp the straps of the shopping bag from the teller.

To survive in this digital age, Waterstones must focus on how they could enhance the buyer's experience
 for in store purchasing.  There is a different needs being fulfilled for the 'online' purchaser and the 'in store' purchaser.  The quicker they find out who these customers are and what they want the better chance they would have at surviving in the future.

As  for me, I am  an online purchaser of books - I love things quick and easy and I am not a fan of ebooks, it's just not the same as reading the real thing.  There is very little value in the buying experience of driving to a book store, parking, paying for parking, walking to the store, entering the store to be bombarded by the aroma of coffee, climbing the stairs, searching for the area that my book would stored, then standing there steering at the towers of books hoping to find the title that I need to only check the back cover to ask myself --Is this price for real? Can I find it cheaper somewhere else?  Is this book really worth this amount?  Do I really need it?

N-E-How, that's my thoughts for the day about Waterstones - who really cares about the- apostrophe-S-bookstore.

Good night all -- before I go, I'll leave you with a few favorites from my bookshelf.

  

The Future of Waterstone's

One of my pending assignments is to work on a Marketing Strategy for Waterstone's that would help them survive in this digital age where bookstores are becoming obsolete.  What does the future hold for the likes of Waterstone's? Are people buying books as a paper copy or digital version? Are people buying these books physically from a bookstore or do they prefer ordering them off the Internet? 


Upon receipt of this project, many thoughts raced through my brain about what I would need to do to get the ball rolling -- as horrible as it sounds, I'm really excited about this challenge.  This is a valid problem and though many of us might be naive in thinking that it's not really a big deal, ask yourself one thing - when was the last time you visited a public library? When was the last time you've used a cassette player, VHS, or even a walk-man? Things that we never thought would go away are so scarce today as we're more digital savvy with our new techno toys. 


To get started on this project, I did what any sensible Marketeer would do.  I went shopping :).  Now I must admit that I felt like a fish out of water.  I do appreciate bookstores and love their ambiance, but it was a very awkward feeling.  I remember when it was cool to go to a book store.  I actually remember going on a date once at a book store (Barnes & Nobles in fact) and now for some unknown reason the bookstore environment have become so cold and 'elite'. Maybe it's just me, but one often feels as though you must always be on best behaviour, speak perfect grammar, and behave like the posh folks when you're in a book store so there is no wonder why these stores are becoming retail dinosaurs. 


N-E-How, my job is to find a solution and not gripe about their hang ups.  By the way, what do you think of their new logo? I think that it's going to take more than a font to change this brand's tone of voice.


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