Tretakoff Musings
Sunday, February 22, 2009
The Times, They Are A Changing...
This blog is dead. Kaput. Retired. R.I.P. But, like any good comic book hero, it arises again...
This will be the last post here...if you are reading this, it's because you read this blog somewhere other than Tretakoff.com. Fear not, however: update your links as described and you'll never be deprived of the inane babblings of a gadget-obsessed, comic-inspired, far too web-enabled Northern California lunatic.
Yep, 2009 brings a new look to the old Tretakoff Musings, and a new location: while you can still see it at www.tretakoff.com, it will redirect you the new home of Tretakoff Musings, at http://tretakoff.blogspot.com. Of course, with migration comes a bit of pain. While the current RSS feed at http://feeds2.feedburner.com/TretakoffMusings should continue to work, in case it doesn't, please update your RSS feeds to point at http://tretakoff.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default instead. If you are using the mobile version, there's a sparkly new version at http://tretakoffmusings.mofuse.mobi/ that better reflects the site's look and feel. Some of the relevant navigation elements from the old site, like links to Josh's resume or those stunningly well-edited home movies, are now off to the right, in the Tretakoff Links section. I'm fairly sure my old cool JavaScript the automatically updated the webcam image every 30 seconds has a few glitches, so I'll be working on that.
Why the changes? Well, besides the very cool new design, it was time to update the blog for 2009. First, answering some of your complaints, I've eliminated a lot of the slow widgets that were making page loads a beast. Second, I've moved to the 21st century with CSS instead of kludgy HTML. Finally, I've shifted hosting of the blog over to Blogger's hosted BlogSpot domain, to enable easier editing.
See you in the new real estate!
This will be the last post here...if you are reading this, it's because you read this blog somewhere other than Tretakoff.com. Fear not, however: update your links as described and you'll never be deprived of the inane babblings of a gadget-obsessed, comic-inspired, far too web-enabled Northern California lunatic.
Yep, 2009 brings a new look to the old Tretakoff Musings, and a new location: while you can still see it at www.tretakoff.com, it will redirect you the new home of Tretakoff Musings, at http://tretakoff.blogspot.com. Of course, with migration comes a bit of pain. While the current RSS feed at http://feeds2.feedburner.com/TretakoffMusings should continue to work, in case it doesn't, please update your RSS feeds to point at http://tretakoff.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default instead. If you are using the mobile version, there's a sparkly new version at http://tretakoffmusings.mofuse.mobi/ that better reflects the site's look and feel. Some of the relevant navigation elements from the old site, like links to Josh's resume or those stunningly well-edited home movies, are now off to the right, in the Tretakoff Links section. I'm fairly sure my old cool JavaScript the automatically updated the webcam image every 30 seconds has a few glitches, so I'll be working on that.
Why the changes? Well, besides the very cool new design, it was time to update the blog for 2009. First, answering some of your complaints, I've eliminated a lot of the slow widgets that were making page loads a beast. Second, I've moved to the 21st century with CSS instead of kludgy HTML. Finally, I've shifted hosting of the blog over to Blogger's hosted BlogSpot domain, to enable easier editing.
See you in the new real estate!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Infinite Wallet Space for Loyalty Cards
Disclaimer: I am in the business of helping loyalty programs thrive.
With all of the loyalty programs out there, it seems bizarre that so many companies still use physical cards. There's good reason, of course: the barcode on the card is read by the point of sale system (POS). But the average American's wallet only has 6-8 slots, total: after license, credit cards, ATM cards, and the other essentials, there is rarely room for another.
If you have an iPhone, you might be in luck. A new free application, called WalletZero, allows you to simply enter in the number on your loyalty card. If it's a card that features a barcode, it generates it on the large iPhone screen, allowing it to be scanned right off the screen at POS. The app knows many of the most common programs, and even allows you to enter ones for those that are not necessarily barcoded.
Lots good about this app, but definitely some improvements could help. First, it relies on the developer to add more programs; I'd like to see a more freeform input approach. Second, it doesn't personalize with the logo or colors of the program. Finally, there are various misspellings, but those are minor.
Overall, a nice way to apply technology to a common problem. A great first effort, and I'd love to see it thrive!
Disclaimer: I am in the business of helping loyalty programs thrive.With all of the loyalty programs out there, it seems bizarre that so many companies still use physical cards. There's good reason, of course: the barcode on the card is read by the point of sale system (POS). But the average American's wallet only has 6-8 slots, total: after license, credit cards, ATM cards, and the other essentials, there is rarely room for another.
If you have an iPhone, you might be in luck. A new free application, called WalletZero, allows you to simply enter in the number on your loyalty card. If it's a card that features a barcode, it generates it on the large iPhone screen, allowing it to be scanned right off the screen at POS. The app knows many of the most common programs, and even allows you to enter ones for those that are not necessarily barcoded.
Lots good about this app, but definitely some improvements could help. First, it relies on the developer to add more programs; I'd like to see a more freeform input approach. Second, it doesn't personalize with the logo or colors of the program. Finally, there are various misspellings, but those are minor.
Overall, a nice way to apply technology to a common problem. A great first effort, and I'd love to see it thrive!
Labels: iPhone, Loyalty Lab, retail, Software
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
When Brands Become People
One of the interesting side effects of brands using social networking to communicate with their customers are the humanization of the formerly faceless brands. As NASA found by using Twitter to let the Mars Rover communicate with interested parties, people form an emotional attachment to what were formerly cold and lifeless objects. But what happens when those are brands, come to life?
The results are fascinating. Take a look at the "tweets" today, left. That's a conversation between, ostensibly, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue. Both are active on Twitter, letting folks know of new routes, delays, and new features. Both are typical of Twitter, representing themselves as the brand, not as individuals of that brand. Thus, to the follower, while you "know" there's a human behind it, the brand is the voice. For that reason, the voice tends to be reflective of the brand: SouthwestAir is fun loving, chipper, and relentlessly upbeat; JetBlue is suave, slightly amusingly snarky, and very much emphasizing on new features.
In this case, and it's the first I have seen, we have one "brand" directly talking to another. And not just another company; a direct competitor! And it's a public discussion for all who follow either to enjoy. This completely breaks down the walls around corporate communication and adds a whole fascinating new dynamic.
Imagine a customer who misses their JetBlue flight: they tweet to @JetBlue, asking for help. @JetBlue, replies, getting some details, finds the customer is in a market that they know Southwest Air services more regularly. @JetBlue tweets to @SouthwestAir, asking for some help to get the customer rebooked. @SouthwestAir finds it, makes it happen, and replies to both @JetBlue and the customer. Boom, the customer is rebooked on Southwest Air, having a GREAT impression of both airlines, before they even get to the airport.
There are other companies who take a different approach, allowing individual faces on their brands. Comcast Frank is one of the most famous, having been profiled multiple times in mainstream news. Frank's approach is very different: his Twitter usage is proactive, and his manner is very much different than either Comcast's brand marketing or the customer's expectations of customer service. In this case, because he's Frank, you think of him as an individual first, and a representative of the company second; as a result, personal interactions are far better and have more civil tones.
Both are great examples of how social media is transforming the corporate to customer communication landscape. It's fascinating to see the unexpected and delightful evolution. Part of me never wants to see the folks behind @JetBlue and @SouthwestAir. I actually would prefer a picture of two individuals meeting in an airport bar, with a big logo of each brand over their faces; it's how I want to think of them from now on.
One of the interesting side effects of brands using social networking to communicate with their customers are the humanization of the formerly faceless brands. As NASA found by using Twitter to let the Mars Rover communicate with interested parties, people form an emotional attachment to what were formerly cold and lifeless objects. But what happens when those are brands, come to life?The results are fascinating. Take a look at the "tweets" today, left. That's a conversation between, ostensibly, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue. Both are active on Twitter, letting folks know of new routes, delays, and new features. Both are typical of Twitter, representing themselves as the brand, not as individuals of that brand. Thus, to the follower, while you "know" there's a human behind it, the brand is the voice. For that reason, the voice tends to be reflective of the brand: SouthwestAir is fun loving, chipper, and relentlessly upbeat; JetBlue is suave, slightly amusingly snarky, and very much emphasizing on new features.
In this case, and it's the first I have seen, we have one "brand" directly talking to another. And not just another company; a direct competitor! And it's a public discussion for all who follow either to enjoy. This completely breaks down the walls around corporate communication and adds a whole fascinating new dynamic.
Imagine a customer who misses their JetBlue flight: they tweet to @JetBlue, asking for help. @JetBlue, replies, getting some details, finds the customer is in a market that they know Southwest Air services more regularly. @JetBlue tweets to @SouthwestAir, asking for some help to get the customer rebooked. @SouthwestAir finds it, makes it happen, and replies to both @JetBlue and the customer. Boom, the customer is rebooked on Southwest Air, having a GREAT impression of both airlines, before they even get to the airport.
There are other companies who take a different approach, allowing individual faces on their brands. Comcast Frank is one of the most famous, having been profiled multiple times in mainstream news. Frank's approach is very different: his Twitter usage is proactive, and his manner is very much different than either Comcast's brand marketing or the customer's expectations of customer service. In this case, because he's Frank, you think of him as an individual first, and a representative of the company second; as a result, personal interactions are far better and have more civil tones.Both are great examples of how social media is transforming the corporate to customer communication landscape. It's fascinating to see the unexpected and delightful evolution. Part of me never wants to see the folks behind @JetBlue and @SouthwestAir. I actually would prefer a picture of two individuals meeting in an airport bar, with a big logo of each brand over their faces; it's how I want to think of them from now on.
Labels: business, social networks, Twitter
