Kelly Mooney's blog about the online shopping experience from the customer's point of view -- MooneyThinks.com

Consumers Demand Companies To Get Human

Private numbers. Secret codes. Juicy tell-alls.

Sound intriguing?

If you've ever felt your blood pressure elevate as you sit with the phone pressed to your ear, listening to menu options that don't serve your needs, wondering when or even if you'd ever hear a live human voice, it might be just what you're looking for.

That's what Paul English thought. And that's why he started a blog, an organization, a movement, Get Human. And an article in yesterday's New York Times goes into all the great details.

First I say, what a great use of the medium. Sticking it to all the big guys who refused to listen (even when they say they're listening) by putting it out there, by telling a story and giving others the opportunity to tell their own stories.

And secondly, and more depressingly, I just can't believe it's come to this! Personally, In the last week I've walked away from two sales people, two sales people I WANTED to give my money to. Two sales people who couldn't get past, well, frankly, themselves, to help me. What is up with that? What is up with being so involved in yourself and your brand that you forget about the people who make it all worthwhile?

So, broadly, the web gives consumers a destination, a vehicle, an opportunity to get back in companies' faces and tell them what they really think, to sound off, to demand to be heard. But it shouldn't come to that. The web is the perfect opportunity for companies to be proactive, to get in consumers' faces (with a smile and a genuine how-can-I-help you?) and stop these problems before they even happen.

Borders' Loyalty Program Comes Just In Time For The Holidays

I have to say with just an initial glance, I was not enamored with Borders' press release today about its new free customer loyalty program. We all know that Barnes & Noble charges an annual fee, and many of us (me!) still gripe about forking over the $25.

So Borders' announcement at first felt more like a dig at Barnes & Noble, than anything else...until I read the entire press release. The free part is just the beginning. There are a host of promotions and discounts, automatic and earned, but there's more.

The really exciting part about the program is what they're calling Holiday Savings Rewards™. They explain that 5% of qualifying purchases (let's hope "qualifying" isn't a hurdle) made by members throughout the year go into a personal Holiday Savings account. Money accumulated there can be used on purchases made from November 15 through January 15, prime holiday buying months.

An interesting strategy to try to create preference NOW for what later becomes an intensely competitive season – holiday gift buying. Can't wait to see how it plays out because we follow these sort of things in our annual Holiday Ecommerce Watch. Try it...at least it won't cost you anything. ; )

What's More Important Than WHAT?

As much as I hate it when people say they've been on the web, well, forever, I have to give context to my entry to say that we at Resource Interactive have been immersed in the web since the beginning (as far as consumers are concerned, at least). And in these last 12+ years we've watched and analyzed as specific audiences, business models and industries have hopped on the web.

In my opinion, one of the more exciting--and recent--evolutions has been consumer packaged goods. For years, CPG companies created web sites and then spun their wheels trying to figure out what to do with them. Outside of a few super-stars (like Procter & Gamble's "The Tide Fabric Care Network" and KraftFoods.com) it's only been in the last 18 months that we've seen most of these companies and brands really start to figure it out. And I'm not just saying that because we work with a bunch of them ;).

I read an article last week in DM News that explored the many great ways that the interactive medium supports CPG. I particularly liked this reasoning why:

"Beyond the economics, interactive is a great hub for this new relationship because it enables two main criteria: the relationship must put the consumer in control, and it must base the relationship on something beyond the product."

And while the article went into more depth about the WHY--why interactive is a perfect way to build relationships between customers and brands, and even the HOW (not just web sites alone, but podcasts, RSS, etc.) it didn't really get into what I find even more important today, the WHAT.

To me, the real challenge and fun of working on these projects ourselves has been figuring out the WHAT. WHAT is going to be relevant to consumers on a CPG web site? WHAT will they expect? WHAT will they need? If we don't first figure out the WHAT, it won't matter how interactive, how beautiful, how flashy the sites are, because consumers won't care.

In the end, in some strange way, we come full circle with what great marketing should always do (online or off), get closer to the consumer. Then, and only then, will the WHAT become more evident.

JCPenney Works To Stay Fresh And Relevant

Get this. JCPenney is about to open a brick-and-mortar version of a virtual version of a brick-and-mortar store.

Stranger things have happened. But dubbed by Business Week as the most expensive and spectacular branding event in the company's (104-year) history, I'm a bit curious about this one. (On top of the pricey real estate, the store event coincides with JCPenney's sponorship of the Academy Awards.)

Apparently, the company is building a temporary 15,000-square foot physical virtual store on the corner of 42nd Street and Broadway. And between March 3-26, shoppers can come in and peruse "the spring collections of the company's private and exclusive brands." And everything in the store will be available for purchase through interactive kiosks.

While at the surface this idea gives me a little chuckle, I think that more importantly it gives me hope--hope for innovation. To see a company that's been around for more than a century put such an investment into being where (literally and figuratively) its customers are is a great sign of things to come.

Go Ahead, Google Pontiac, I Dare Ya

I saw the strangest thing on TV last night.

A car commercial.

Seriously. It started out as a typical 30-second spot for a typical car (Pontiac), but just before it was over it delivered what I might say was a huge twist. After singing the car's praises, the voice-over said something like, "See for yourself. Google Pontiac." At this point the beautiful car shots were replaced by the Google search page with "Pontiac" typed into the search field.

Now, the funny part is that I did in fact Google Pontiac, and the Pontiac sponsored link at the top of the page was broken. The sad part was that the rest of the results were fairly lame. No true fan sites. None of what I'd call objective third-parties helping convince me about the merits of a Pontiac.

But the amazing part is the progress that some of the marketing dinosaurs are making when it comes to listening to consumers. To find out more about new media tactics like this, check out the blog for the Media Center Conversation, an ongoing discussion about new media that I was invited to join and have been contributing to recently.

You'll find more details about my "Google Pontiac" experience, plus some great ideas and insights from a diverse group of communications experts, advertising gurus and bloggers.

Nike First To The Olympics

Okay. Maybe they're not first to the Olympics. And maybe (or maybe not) their endorsed athletes will finish first. But, they are first in my email box. And the only major advertiser top of mind right now for the Olympics--just hours before Opening Ceremonies!

Where's all the hoopla? Maybe advertisers are worn out from pushing all those flatscreens and Tostitos for the Super Bowl. Or, maybe they're still recovering from a holiday hangover.

Sony Embraces The Da Vinci Code Critics

Love it or hate it, The Da Vinci Code book has been incredibly successful in just getting people talking.

So it's not a stretch to think that as the premier of "The Da Vinci Code" movie gets closer, the talk will continue, and potentially increase. Well, that's at least what Sony is thinking. And I wouldn't disagree. But what I think is really interesting is that the company is being proactive about it. Sony is launching a site--thedavincichallenge.com--devoted to what the critics have to say.

As of today the site isn't live, but apparently Sony's working with other groups to fill the site with essays that will dispute the theological and historical claims found in the book.

Well, whatever type of corporate spin Sony might be trying to impose (or potentially none at all), I think it's a huge step for a large corporation to be embracing the voices who will already be out there talking. Oh...and it's sure to drive up ticket sales, too.

Apple Shows How Gifting Is Done

Fresh out of  Holiday E-commerce Watch mode, where we looked at leading retailers for their ability to do gifting during the holidays, I was so pleasantly surprised to find one of the study's (unexpected) all-stars still leveraging its gifting prowess as we roll into another gift-giving occasion.

Yesterday I received an email from Apple that tried to convince me to express myself on the back of an iPod, which I would then hand over to my Valentine. Very simple, very straightforward, very smart. They picked the most giftable item in their store, put it front and center, and then illustrated (with copy and images) its relevance to my life, and, of course, Valentine's Day.

Beautiful. And, honestly, a lot better than what some of the traditional gifters out there are doing.

Bazaarvoice Harnesses Power Of Word Of Mouth

Consumers have always sought input on their buying decisions--listening to their parents, consulting Consumer Reports, surveying their neighbors, emailing their social networks, and, most recently, reading online reviews. Up until now, none of it was terribly formal, but all of it incredibly powerful.

I bring this up because fellow Shop.org board member Brett Hurt (who founded Coremetrics in a previous life) just helped launch a business called Bazaarvoice, Inc. that takes the latest, most talked about (no pun intended) form of word of mouth marketing, and not only formalizes it, but turns it into a useful tool--for customers and retailers alike.

Bazaarvoice is harnessing this powerful form of word of mouth marketing. They're facilitating online customer-to-customer conversations and then tying them right back to what the company is doing, with the help of a community management team's actionable analysis. This team's suggestions may impact various aspects of your business, from merchandising to customer service.

So now think about this...the first step to engaging consumers is letting go a bit, opening the doors to your brand and letting consumers step inside. I know that's a challenge. But what you can't lose sight of is what to do once you let them in, because just opening the doors isn't enough. You're essentially taking steps toward what I consider the ideal customer engagement strategy--co-creation.

Super Bowl, Shmooper Bowl

I lost interest in the Super Bowl as an advertising showcase years ago. After we created the 1999 Victoria's Secret spot that (for the first time) drove millions of viewers from the Super Bowl to the web, and gave them more info about the world's most-watched fashion show, everything else has been old hat.

So, I plan to watch the game about 50 minutes after it starts, of course skipping all the commercials. Yes, even the ones that cost $2.5 millions. Excuse me, especially the ones that cost $2.5 million. But as the big game approaches, I can't escape the barrage of media focused not on the athletic match-up, but the advertising sideshow. (That $2.5 million buys some darn good free PR.)

Instead of the ads themselves, I'm interested in the growing (web-based) sideshow to the sideshow. And as broadcast viewership continues its downward trend, I can only see this free-for-all growing.

• Heavy.com is posting all the ads that got banned from the broadcast
• Anheuser-Busch is using the opportunity to build what it calls a direct-to-consumer network
• NFL.com is making ads available online and on Sprint phones
• Pepsi, Burger King and CareerBuilder are just a few of the brands who've built microsites for the occasion

So go enjoy the game, or the ads (or not), or the microsites...or perhaps the brand new flatscreen you purchased for the occasion.