A quick trip to Trader Joe’s to return an item got me wondering, how could more brands be like Trader Joe’s?  (And what would shopping be like if they were?)  Let’s look at what makes the Trader Joe’s experience so different from your everyday grocery store:

1. TRUST:   They exchanged my item with no questions asked. A company who believes and trusts their customers says a lot without them having to prove anything else.

2.  EASE:  An added benefit of the above scenario was TJ’s willingness to eliminate processes and add a little ease to a situation like a return.  No filling out forms or recording of zip codes.  Just a simple “tell the checker on your way through the line.”  Wow.  Easy.

3. INFORMED/HELPFUL:

Of course on my second trip to TJ’s within hours of one another I decided there were a few other items I should pick up while there.  The stockers not only had a handle on a myriad of products but knew exactly where they were located and what their status was.  (They were sold out, darn it.)

4.  ENGAGING:

I very rarely take the time to read my local grocery circular that comes in the mail or with the newspaper. For some strange reason (well written, fun copy) I read the Trader Joe’s “Fearless Flyer” ad every time it comes to the house.  It renews my faith in the fact that there still are people who appreciate wordsmithing and compelling copywriting.   It doesn’t hurt that, by extension, I feel my copywriter wife’s services will continue to be needed as long as there are companies out there like Trader Joe’s who place a value on the written word.

5.  FUN:  The Yeti

If you’ve never been to a TJ’s they have a stuffed Yeti that they hide somewhere in the store and the kid who finds it gets a prize.  One of the first times I went to TJ’s I missed the age qualifier for the contest and, much to the embarrassment of my wife, practically skipped to the front desk to tell them I had spotted the Yeti.  Dejected when they told me it was a a contest for kids, they directed me to the back of the store for a special prize anyway.  (The coffee sample cart.) I was pretty happy with that solution.

6.  FRIENDLY:  Someone once burst my bubble and told me the checkers at TJ’s are super friendly because it’s required.  Frankly, I don’t care.  Why?  Because, even if it is required, everyone seems to have bought into the idea that a good conversation creates a great environment for the employees and the customers.  Which leads me to my next point.

7.  PACE:   The aforementioned oversations add to the overall experience of shopping at TJ.  I never feel like I’m being ushered through as quickly as possible while the checker works against some unseen productivity quota being looked at by some unseen managerial staffer who really just wants to sell more stuff to more people quicker with less chattiness.  I’ve been in those stores. You know who you are–now, stop it!

8.  SELECTION:  It probably works this way in all grocery businesses, but TJ’s product replenishment loop (based on sales and feedback) is an interesting model that they’ve transparently made work for them.  Products have been tested, tried and are recommended by staff.  It’s like amazon.com reviews for groceries.  There are always new surprises cropping up in the store. Swiss Almond Crunch cookies?  Hmm, never seen these before.

9.  CREATIVE:

Hand drawn signs.  Why take the time and effort to hire a full time artist to draw all their signs?  A commitment to a brand ideal?  A quirk that just stuck?  I have no idea, but like their commitment to compelling copy of the Fearless Flyer mentioned above, it’s a nice touch and something about the TJ’s experience I enjoy.

10:  ENJOYING SALES:  All of the above really serves to do one thing:  Sell products.  They do it unashamedly with an ongoing sampling corner that probably pumps out as much coffee as your local Starbucks as well as nibbles of one type or another.  But Trader Joe’s does it with style.    They make it so that everyone enjoys the process.  And in the end, no one minds being sold to if it’s engaging, fun and informative.

What can your brand do in 2010 to employ some of Trader Joe’s tactics to your marketing?

I help companies find their ad agency –An Agency Search Consultant.  It’s a great gig.  I love it.  I’m good at it.

Usually I hear from CMOs, Marketing VPs, start-up companies, established brands.  Today I got a call from a Top Chef!  After the surprise wore off, we had a great chat.

Since we try to keep searches confidential, I’ll decline to say who it is.  For now, I’ll just call them “Chef”.

I enjoyed watching Chef this season as they moved through the competition and was sad to see them eventually go.  But, that’s the way the cookie crumbles.  (I’ll try to avoid any more bad food puns.)

Suffice to say, Chef is talented, engaging, has a great story and is smart.  Smart because Chef wants to capitalize on their recent fame and continue to build their personal brand–and now is the time!  Besides that, I’m always up for a new challenge–and heck, it sounds like a lot of fun!

At this point I’m reaching out beyond my agency network to connect with specialists to help find “Chef” the right person, persons, or firms to pump up their brand.

This is completely preliminary. I’ve not had a detailed discussion yet to know “Chef’s” goals.  At this point, I’m just trying to find out who’s out there in preparation for our next call.

I envision getting “Chef” connected with a speaking bureau, an agent, a social media consultant, a public relations specialist, a publisher (think we may have a writer already), perhaps even a few brands who’d be interested in sponsorships.  At this point, all ideas are on the table.  I’ve already reached out to some folks I know, but perhaps I should know about you?

Email me if you’d like to discuss this further: david [at] marketinghitch dot com.

How do you frame your company or help your clients frame theirs?  For example, Xerox doesn’t sell copiers, it sells workplace productivity (thanks Harvard Business blog.)

A smart friend from a killer web company in San Francisco said yesterday:  [sic] in this economy we’re looking with clients at areas where there’s a problem that needs to be fixed.  This is not the frame itself, but the method to get at the frame for the customer.

Which gets to the heart of issue:  frame your company in a way that solves a problem for your customer not your solves your sales quota.

Guy Kawasaki in Reality Check says you either “frame or be framed.”  And isn’t this a position you want to influence for your brand?  If you don’t someone else will.  A proper frame gives, well, a frame around which customers can have conversations about your brand.  Your customers are having these conversations all day every day with or without your input.

Guy goes on to asert the following truths of how to control the frame:

• Be true to yourself:  a frame should represent what you stand for as opposed to what market research might tell you to stand for.   This is just another way of talking about transparency.  Zappos is huge on this.  They put on no airs.  What you see is what you get.  See the interview question: Why is culture so important?
• Avoid the frontal assault:  When framing the competition do it with faint damning praise.  (Not going into tons of detail here, buy the book!)
• Align with core values:  these should be the values of your customer and or generally accepted social mores
• Draw first blood:  better to fire the first shot and force the other party to react to what you’ve done.

Framing your (or your client’s) company is easier said than done.  It asks you to step outside the traditional features, advantages, benefits scenario and take a look at your company in a way that adds to the customer’s dialogue already in progress about your brand.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some carpentry to do.

Philippe Petit is a master of the positioning statement.  He does USP (unique selling proposition) like no one I’ve ever seen.  In the film Man on Wire, Philippe shuns the traditional definition of what he does (tightrope walker) and creates a space in your mind that is utterly unique.   (I’m not going to be a spoiler by stating it here, rent the DVD and see for yourself.) 

Yes, Philippe is an artist but he’s more than that.  And his view of himself and what he does is sharply focused and narrow yet incredibly expansive.  It fires the imagination.  And the people who witness him in action are moved to the same conclusions about him that he has of himself.  That’s positioning.  

In The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing Al Ries and jack Trout state “If you can’t be first in a category, set up a new category you can be first in”.  Philippe Petit does that brilliantly and so can you if you look beyond the products you represent.

Philippe defies categorization.  He occupies a completely distinct place in his audiences’ perception.  He challenges anyone who labels him as a circus performer or mere high wire act.  And in so doing, occupies this ethereal space that is completely his.  It’s brilliant.  And a lesson we can all apply to our businesses in 2009.

To begin with, Philippe is careful to use a common understanding (or misunderstanding) of what he does to help you get your head around who he is.  “Tightrope walkers had their start in the circus and side shows around the world.  They are acrobats and contortionists, daredevils and entertainers”.  He helps you get to his space by using your initial cultural understanding of what he does.  Then he quickly expands that notion and demonstrates how he’s the only one who does what he does.  And his position is not only believable; it’s proven in the movie.

Philippe’s view of himself is a philosophy we can adopt when defining ourselves and our businesses.  How unique to be able to say, I’m the only one who does what I do.  Work on creating a space in the minds of your customers—one that only you can occupy.  Talk about a positioning statement.  Sure it’s harder to give that 10 second elevator answer.  But a yawp when balanced on a tightrope 1000 feet up just may be more intriguing.  Think about it.

Dig deeper to define yourself beyond conventional terms .  When positioning your company ask yourself: What can my brand represent to my clients, partners and peers that goes beyond just what we do or sell?  What emotion or intangible does our brand represent?  Defining your company beyond just your products and services is positioning.   Rolex, for example is not just a luxury watch, it’s a symbol of achievement.* 

As part of your strategic planning for your company in 2009, think about how your company defies categorization.  What space can you claim that is uniquely yours?  And own that space. 

*wikkipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positioning_(marketing)

©  David Wiggs