I wonder how long it’ll take marketers to finally start to come around to the new reality of the market. If Mike’s thoughts are worth anything, I’d say at least another 10 years….
Seth Godin writes about his experience with American Express:
“. . . a customer just took the initiative to call in, to do business with you, to pay attention. And the company, just to save a buck or so in excess capacity, makes this eager person just sit and wait.”
I wonder how much American Express paid Ellen DeGeneres and Robert Deniro to appear in their beautiful, entertaining and well-executed commercials. I wonder how many millions of dollars went into the hands of ad agencies, marketers, designers and media outlets to help AmEx become a trusted and respected financial brand in the minds of consumers.
And when all those people do their job effectively . . . when their work inspires someone to take the next step toward becoming a customer. After all that goes just as it should, AmEx pisses it away. They fumble the ball on the five yard line.
Little did they know if they could have handled this one customer correctly, they might have earned an evangelist. If they could have blown his socks off with their service (like Captain Denny), they most certainly would have made an evangelist.
Great marketing. Lousy execution. You can shine shit, but it’s still shit.
