The Finch Post

Inspiration to go

And now for a personal anecdote... I (Daniel) returned yesterday from a trip to the Pacific Northwest, which included a visit to the world's first Starbucks in Seattle and the Nike world headquarters in Portland. Say what you want about either -- they are two amazing success stories who elevated themselves to the top of their industries and have managed to stay there for quite a while. I (like many) am personally inspired by the extent to which these brands have become essential to the lives of their customers; and I look back at the story of each one's rise to find a common illustration of exactly what it takes to achieve that type of dominance -- most importantly, visionary leadership and a relentless focus on (and steadfast execution against) the needs, desires and mindset of the customer.

 

Front of the first Starbucks store at Pike Place Market

My 6-year old scaling the Nike office climbing wall

A view of one of the many office buildings on the Nike campus

Post-PC Era?

We’ve recently noticed a few articles such as this one that suggest we are now living in a “post-PC” world.  IBM’s Mark Dean believes that services have taken over, rather than another computing device.  Frank Shaw, communications chief for Microsoft thinks otherwise, calling this the “PC plus era,” meaning that people will supplement their PCs with other computing devices such as tablets.  HPs spinoff of the former Compaq, disastrously acquired in 2002 based on a big bet on the PC, certainly suggests the end of an era.  

While the argument rages, dominant players in the technology space are both driving and reacting to customers’ sense of what they need to function – some win by leading, others by learning.  Apple has been a leader – changing the discussion with must-have technologies consumers would never have even contemplated.  Others have focused on learning – including Microsoft, whose fast follower launches in mobility and elsewhere haven’t quite taken off, but whose core “PC plus” business (operating system enhancements, cloud computing, etc.) have created value.

The bottom line is that there is no consistent template to win – ‘leaders’ have seen customers fail to follow, ‘learners’ have struggled to adapt to changing times.  The winners, though, have several things in common – a focus on brand strength and strong customer relationships.  This is the lesson for all companies, whether they seek to lead the market or win by learning from it.

The Art of the Product Demo

You must read this article and watch the video below. We are driven to share it, which is the entire point of the article. The writer tries to dissect the reasoning behind this video's “viralness” and to ascertain what brands can learn from it. For us, it makes us think about how to make the demonstration of any product as entertaining as possible. The product demonstrated in this video is a person – an impressionist to be precise; and the product demonstration couldn’t be more brilliantly conceived or executed.

 

 

 

The Amazing (but not all encompassing) Power of Facebook

In much of the social media buzz, it has been suggested that a presence on Facebook is replacing the need for a company website. But for a few rare cases; not from where we sit. For many businesses, the strengths of Facebook just don't jibe with a company's primary online objectives. For example, f-Commerce (sales transacted through Facebook) has yet to take hold; therefore, a Facebook page is not at all a replacement option for the traditional e-commerce website. Moreover, because the world of social media is so fluid, we would be hard pressed to recommend to anyone (regardless of industry or category) to link their entire digital presence to a platform that could become obsolete, like its predecessor (which was also unthinkable not too long before it happened). The emergence of Google+ at least serves as a warning that as ubiquitous as Facebook is, it's not free from threat.

Nevertheless, we remain enthusiastic advocates of Facebook and its role in a company's digital portfolio. Harnessed the right way, there remains no better mechanism for community aggregation and direct customer dialog. Here are two examples of clients we've helped incorporate Facebook into their suite of brand building activities.

Our relationship with Hydros Bottle began with packaging design and grew from there as they sought to create awareness of their revolutionary self-filtering water bottle.  We designed their website, and then applied the brand feel to Facebook, allowing both properties to do what each does best.  While f-Commerce hasn't taken off yet, we're betting that it one day will, as illustrated by the shopping tab we designed on their Facebook page. First things first, we are looking to give Hydros the exposure they deserve, beginning with the over 25,000 likers we've attracted to the page in the first three months.

 

Free Country,  a very successful wholesale manufacturer, wanted to use Facebook as a means to engage in direct dialog with consumers for the first time. In the process, the company has attracted countless non-aware customers thrilled by the quality and value of Free Country products, and  shocked that they hadn't  known of them prior. Two months in, Free Country has over 15,000 new fans.

 

An Apple A Day?

Widely reported this week was the unilateral decision (not without pressure) by McDonald’s to include apple slices and reduce the portion size of French fries in each Happy Meal.  While only 11% of Happy Meals were purchased with apple slices when the selection was a consumer option, this move will likely get McDonald’s out of the glare of health regulators, at least temporarily.

While a solid PR and defensive maneuver, what will the business and brand impact be?  The company clearly hopes that parents, the primary purchaser of Happy Meals, will make McDonald’s more than an occasional treat.  McDonald’s has had a positive growth trajectory compared to its peers, with US same store revenue up over 4% in 2010 – as the company added healthy menu options and positioned its restaurants as a more balanced, welcoming place to eat.

Apple slices will likely not be an inflection point, but the long-term question is whether or not consumers – at all levels of health consciousness – will see McDonald’s as a place for them to eat.  While others have ‘doubled down’ on an unhealthy but cheap and delicious positioning, McDonald’s clearly aspires to something more.  But will consumers and investors be "lovin’ it?"