Fossum Creative Blog

Case in Point: Why Customer Service Matters

The following is an email I just sent to the BorrowLenses.com help desk (help@borrowlenses.com). It is the only email they have listed. Anywhere. So there was no one to cc in hopes that it would be seen by someone in their marketing or customer service department. But it is a really good example of why good customer service is important and why you should never, ever, EVER charge your customers' accounts without sending them a notice that it has happened and why.  

Subject: Re: [#KKZ-800-12036]: Re: Your Returned BorrowLenses.com Order 145307 Has Broken Rental Items

Hey Jonathan,

I returned the part. Hope you got it. Noticed that I have a $44.95 charge from Borrow Lenses about to clear on my checking account. Yet I have no notification from you guys that you have done this or why.

Not cool.

I really like your service and was hoping to use it a lot in the future. However, I need to express disappointment at your handling of this issue. 

The light handle broke off while I was using it. Upon inspection, it was clear to me by the presence of what appeared to be glue that this was not the first time. I reported this to the gentleman at Foto Express in San Jose when I returned the equipment. After I was contacted by a less-than-friendly rep, I made arrangements to return a piece that had fallen off and I literally found while speaking on the phone. I had the piece in an envelope ready to mail out minutes afterwards. I was then notified by you that it would not be that easy and I would need to put it in a box with a tracking label. Which requires a trip to the post office - something that is a bit out of my way and took a few days to deal with. But I did as I was leaving town last Friday and got it sent off to you as requested. 

And now I am being charged $44.95 without any word from Borrow Lenses as to this happening or why. I'm smart enough to deduce that this is because the fallout of your broken product resulted in your inability to rent it out and therefore I'm being charged for a full week. I get it. I just wish you guys would tell me about it instead of just taking the liberty of charging my account. That is something that a Zappos or Amazon or Nordstrom or any other company that I know Borrow Lenses aspires to be like would do. This actually wouldn't be an issue with them in the first place. 

But what really disappoints me is that I am a first-time customer of yours trying out an untraditional service but trusting you enough to give it a try and see how it works - and this is how I'm treated. I wonder how you treat your repeat customers and am currently on the fence about sticking around long enough to find out. 

Sincerely,

Cory Fossum

Business By Design: You Have to Stop to Keep Going

This upcoming September will mark the 10-year anniversary of Fossum Creative. More specifically, it will mark the decade that has passed since I got laid off from my last full-time job and decided to branch out on my own and follow what I believed to be my true calling.

At this point, I have spent a quarter of my life working for myself, chasing project after project, rowing through the ebbs and flows that is business ownership. It is all I know. It is exhausting. It is exciting. It is fun. And it is terrifying. (Sometimes all in the same day.) And it is the second most rewarding this I have ever done. 

The most rewarding thing I have ever done is the ongoing project of being a dad. I have built my adult life and my business around trying to be the best father possible for my son. When I'm comparing myself to the Joneses and beating myself up for not having this or not having done that or not being exactly where I thought I'd be at this point in my life, I remind myself of one thing: raising my son is my top priority in life.

I designed my entire business around that. And because of it, I have been there for every milestone and special moment in his life. Sure, it isn't always the smoothest path, but most things that are worthwhile aren't. We make choices and we go with them. The Joneses have their own sets of sacrifices to make and they experience their rewards in their own ways. We do what works for us.

All of this is coming up for me because I just finished watching Scott Stratten's presentation at TEDx called "Keep Going Until We Stop." He ties his experiences as a father and as a social media Big Deal back around into the reminder that our culture is taught (trained) to keep going at all costs.

Through heartbreak, tragedy, triumph, ruin, success, we just keep going and keep going, no matter the toll it takes on our personal, emotional, physical, or spiritual lives. We are constantly connected to the outside world through smartphones and tweets and updates, but we need to shut them off every once in a while and appreciate what's right in front of us. We have to stop to keep going. Because it can all disappear at any given moment.

I can't encourage you enough to set aside the 15-minutes it takes to watch his presentation below. May it find you at a place in your life when you can stop long enough to acknowledge that you're on the right path and doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing. 

 

 

 

You can follow Scott on Twitter at @unmarketing and definitely read his book Unmarketing. I just finished it last night and there are truths and rants in there that made me smile ear to ear.

 

Living the Meme: What Marketers Really Do

 

I realize the hoops at the bottom should have flames, but I couldn't find any.

Here are a few of the "What we really do" images that didn't make the cut. Though it doesn't make them any less accurate. 

(All these images were found using Google. Their photographers all deserve mad props.)

 

Where Do You Find Inspiration?

The inspiration for creativity comes in different forms for different people. For me, it comes in the form of music and movies. For years, I tried to figure out why this was the case. It was a giant revelation when I realized that it was the way music and movies made me feel. One song could change my entire mood for the better. Or if I desired, for the worse. (Sometimes you just need to go there.) Movies have the same power. And while I watch fewer than I used to and most of them aren't that good, the ones that hit me stay with me forever. 

One of my favorite songwriters is a gentleman by the name of Brian Fallon. He is the frontman of The Gaslight Anthem, as well as his side-project The Horrible Crowes. His music and lyrics moves me in ways I can't explain and inspires me to become a better writer myself.

The Horrible Crowes' album 'Elsie' was my soundtrack for the second half of 2011 and contains more soul-shattering lyrics than I know what to do with. If you get a chance, you need to check it out. 

To get to my point though, it's always interesting to see who inspires the people who inspire you. And it's even more interesting to hear why this is the case. Often times, they say it better than you ever could. Which is why I so thoroughly enjoyed this article about Brian's influences - not just for who those influences are, but for the way he describes them.

A few of the highlights really speak to the creative process:

"I love songs or movies or books that, if somebody asked you what the movie was about, you’d be like, 'I don’t know man, but it feels like this…' That’s what I care about – the emotion coming through and that kind of sentiment." 

"When you listen to a song and you’re influenced by it, what that really means is you’re trying to steal the essence, or at least, that’s how it is for me and some of my friends. You try and take what you can and make it your own. When it’s movies, there isn’t something specific that you can steal. It’s a feeling you have to re-create in a different way that relates to your life."

You can read the entire article here and when you're done, do yourself a favor and go listen to "Elsie" by the Horrible Crowes, just about anything by Gaslight Anthem, or whatever it is that inspires you to do your best creative work.

Then see what happens.

Fossum Creative LIVE: "Storytelling in the Digital Age"

Last month I had the pleasure of presenting a talk at Kelly O'Neil's IGNITE event in downtown San Jose, CA. Here are some of the highlight topics I covered:

Storytelling in the Digital Age: How to share your authentic voice through words and video

• Why being yourself can dramatically shorten the sales cycle

• The many secrets to creating an emotional connection with a single click

•  Why you don't really want everyone to know, like, and trust you

• The 8 elements of powerful social video

• How to write a script without ever picking up a pen

• How a single video can increase your prices overnight

Hope you take a moment to watch the replay below. Lots of good nuggets in there!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iGcq192XII&feature=related

 

 

Check Out Our Latest Videos!

 

We have spent the past few weeks moving web hosts from the unreliable and outdated iPower to InMotion Hosting. And while we were at it, we made a few tweaks to the long-neglected website. This includes new additions to the video gallery. So head on over there now and check out some of our best video work from the past year. We're quite proud and hope you enjoy it all as well!

http://www.fossumcreative.com/gallery.html

Is a Return Policy the Best Policy?

A colleague and I were recently discussing the return policy of his parents' executive office chair business. His folks were concerned that if they were too liberal with their policy, they would wind up losing money every time somebody returned a chair. I suspected the opposite would be true, and suggested that they extend their return policy to 30, 60, or even 90 days. 

The rationale? 

The chairs in question are very high-end and cost in excess of $2,000 each. A large portion of their sales come directly from their web site, which means they're asking customers to spend a hefty chunk of change on something they probably can't experience first. Strong copy and sexy imagery can help whet their appetite. But they can only go so far.   

Having a strong return policy diminishes the perceived risk for buyers who are on the fence. They get to order the chair, try it out, and if they don't want it, they know then and there that they can return it for a full refund. 

Some will. But most of them won't. So the company may take a hit on logistics costs associated with the returns, but they will more than make up for them with the additional sales they earn because of the return policy.  

This point was driven home even further in the May 2009 issue of the American Marketing Association's Journal of Marketing (Vol. 73, No. 3). In their article "Are Product Returns a Necessary Evil? The Antecedents and Consequences of Product Returns", authors J. Andrew Peterson and V. Kumar reveal that "customers who return a moderate amount of products tend to purchase the largest amount of products in the future."

They go on to point out that if customers feel good about a retailer's return policy, they will feel less risk when making a purchase and will exhibit stronger brand loyalty in the future. And let's not overlook the fact that many in-store product returns are accompanied by additional purchases during the same visit that may not have otherwise occurred. 

So instead of viewing customer returns as a necessary evil that costs money, the wise retailers should position their return policies as an opportunity to minimize anxiety in their customers, create additional sales, and enhance their relationship and loyalty over the long-term.  

How does your return policy factor into your marketing plan? 

Want to read more about this? You can find the original article abstract at http://tinyurl.com/d96c6d.

This Ad May Be Brilliantly Funny — But Will It Work?

Audi just posted this on Facebook and it made me bust a gut. I mean I literally LOL'ed at the end of it. Which is what they wanted me to do. 

My initial reaction afterwards was to post it on the Fossum Creative Facebook Page and rave about how brilliant it was and why it worked so well. But then I started to read some of the comments, and they snapped me back to reality.

Check out the video first:

    

Most of the comments came from Audi owners — of which I am one — who weren't too happy with it. Sure it was funny, but what does it have to do with the brand? And how does it make people want to buy an Audi?

Do the prisoners represent Audi owners? If so, what does that say about us?

Is Kenny G the new face of Audi? If so, what does that say about the brand? (With all due props to the man for poking a ton of fun at himself and even dropping the f-bomb quite successfully.)

Audi is a really cool brand. But stylish cool. Classy cool. Elite (in a good way) cool. Even grown-up cool (it happens to the best of us). 

But it is not ironic cool. We don't drive our Audis ironically. And there is nothing ironic about the brand. It isn't what we pay for. 

Toyota can pull off irony in their advertising with the the Sienna Family and their Swagger Wagon because they are appealing to families and playing off of the stigma that comes with minivans. And because they are going after a different audience with different needs.

The Kenny G spot is apparently a preview of something bigger; some new ad that will blow our minds this Super Bowl Sunday. But while it made me laugh, in hindsight, it didn't make me feel proud of my Audi affiliation. And if the feedback on Facebook is any indication, I'm not alone in this. 

It's a funny concept. Great execution. Wrong brand entirely.

What do you think about it? Leave your comments below and let us know!

Watch Our Words Come to Life for Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems recently hired Fossum Creative to write a series of videos for its new Cisco Videoscape service, which they announced earlier this month.

Working together with the clever minds at Lux Design up in San Francisco, we fleshed out a bunch of crazy ideas that never saw the light of day. One of them involved a giraffe.

But it was all part of the creative process that led us to the final versions you see here: a series of kinetic text promos that highlight the key competitive advantages of Cisco Videoscape over other similar services. 

We've never seen our words come to life like this before! Hope you'll take a moment to enjoy. 

Cisco Videoscape: Access More Content

 

 

Cisco Videoscape: Enjoy Higher Video Quality

 

 

Cisco Videoscape: Enjoy Higher Video Quality

 

 

Cisco Videoscape: Increase Your Mobility

 

 

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Cory Fossum is the Principal and Creative Director of Fossum Creative, a Silicon Valley marketing communications and social video agency. For cool video tips, powerful marketing strategies and a healthy dose of geekiness, join us on Facebook at www.fossumcreative.com/facebook. 

(c) 2011 Cory Fossum. All rights reserved. You are welcome to use this article on your blog, website, or newsletter as long as you include the entire bio above.

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Has "Storytelling" Become Another Lame Buzzword?

About a year ago, I made a video for Fossum Creative where I discussed the power of storytelling as it relates to marketing your products and services. To peel back the curtain for you, it was all part of a long rant I went on for my videographer where I discussed what was on my mind at that moment. 

When I took the footage into the editing room (which doubles as my office - gotta love the MacBook Pro), I pieced the interview together into what I think is a compelling little piece about the impact you can have on people by telling just the right story. I thought it was a pretty original approach. And I still feel this way. That hasn't changed.

Here's What Has Changed

But you know how when you're shopping for a car and you suddenly notice every single car on the street? Or when you're in the market for a new computer and you suddenly pay more attention to what that random girl in the coffee shop is using? Or when Apple releases a new iPhone and suddenly everyone seems to have it but you? (OK, maybe I'm projecting a little.)

As soon as I released the storytelling video and started to play up the storyteller angle, it became apparent to me that I was not alone. There were other storytellers out there. Everywhere.

Suddenly, everyone that had anything to do with marketing was a storyteller. At some point when I wasn't looking, "the story" had become the term de-jour of the marketing world. And now that I was looking, it seemed that everyone had become a storyteller.

Kinda Good. Kinda Not So Much.

Of course, the part of me that's still convinced I came up with the expression "I'm Audi 5000" was a little bummed by the discovery. But the marketer in me was thrilled. The role of storytelling in marketing was getting the attention it deserved. And not a moment too soon.

In this new world of social media, businesses need to use storytelling to capture the imaginations of their customers. To bring them into the experience. To engage with them and make them feel more connected to the company. 

For intuitive-feelers like myself, it feels like the rest of the world is finally catching up with the way we think. My worldview of connecting through emotion is finally becoming accepted by the marketing community. People are constantly looking for new ways to incorporate storytelling into their marketing message.

The industry as a whole is realizing what many of us had known all along: consumers respond positively to empathy and shared experiences. Because before they are consumers or executives or salespeople or prospects or customers, they are people. And barring those with sociopathic tendencies, people just like it better when they are treated like individuals. 

But Here's the Rub

But there is a problem in all of this storytelling business. The term itself is running the risk of overexposure. It is on the brink of jargon status and I fear that it will soon need to be placed on a shelf next to other buzzwords. I worry that the title is about to become a marketing cliche. Which would not bode well for a lot of us in this field.

It's one thing for marketers to call themselves storytellers, but what does this really mean? What role does storytelling really play in the sale of goods and services? And how is this different from what we've been doing all along? Is it just a new title for business as usual?

Once we have a handle on what it actually means to be storytellers in the marketing world, maybe we can put the practice to better use. And help to ensure that storytelling doesn't become just another lame buzzword.

So how do you define storytelling in terms of your marketing? And what companies do you think are doing it really well? Please leave a comment below and tell us what you think!

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Cory Fossum is the Principal and Creative Director of Fossum Creative, a Silicon Valley marketing communications and social video agency. For cool video tips, powerful marketing strategies and a healthy dose of geekiness, join us on Facebook at www.fossumcreative.com/facebook. 

(c) 2011 Cory Fossum. All rights reserved. You are welcome to use this article on your blog, website, or newsletter as long as you include the entire bio above.

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