May 22, 2013
Abercrombie and Fitch ( ANF) is facing some serious criticism for their brand right now. There are stories almost daily quoting (or attacking) heartless, and now famous, CEO Mike Jeffries who markets only to thin, popular kids. For any brand this kind of coverage would be a nightmare. Public Relations and branding pundits have been commenting for days about what A&F should or shouldn't do. What has been left out of the conversation is something far more troubling for brand and reputation managers: This story is SEVEN years old. This kind of durability in the press, until now, has been reserved for the likes of Jennifer Aniston or Princess Diana. Seldom has the press or the blogosphere dredged up quotes that a C-suite exec made so many years ago. That was then, this is now. Reputation managers need to start thinking about these issues in a new way. We have been captivated by the speed of the news cycle and rushing to get information out quickly. Perhaps what we haven't thought about enough is that what a brand, or an executive, says or does will live on the internet forever in some form. A story, like the Energizer bunny, can just keep going and going and going.
Posted by Stephanie Miller.
May 20, 2013
This is excellent talk by Tim Brown of Ideo. I thought it was a simple, brilliant summary of how we can generate fresh ideas and what makes us creative. If you take time to watch it you'll find both their work and his conclusions extremely interesting.
Posted by Stephanie Miller. Posted In : Stories
February 2, 2012
Evidence in a recent
Gallup study suggests that miserable staff members may be having an impact on
your bottom line. Most businesses measure success with numbers like profit,
loss, staff retention and productivity, but the most important factors may be
lurking under these numbers. An unhappy employee isn’t thinking about how to
grow your business, retain your clients or find a more efficient way to do
their work. They are also unlikely to be
committed to furthering your mission. Part of assuring financial success is
making sure that employees are happy. Companies like Zappos or Southwest have
proven that happy employees translate to higher profits and loyalty. Increasing
profitability may be as easy as asking your staff if they are happy, if not, find
out what you can do to change it. It
might be the most profitable decision you’ve ever made.
Posted by Stephanie Miller.
February 1, 2012
The veritable flood of
television commercials right now that use the humor behind poor customer
service. The reason they are so universally funny is that they share a single,
universal truth. We recognize the feeling of not being heard. We have all
called an automated phone system that doesn’t recognize our voice or talked to
a customer care specialist who doesn’t speak English well. This can add a layer
of frustration when you are already at wit’s end. Customers at every level want
the same thing you want. They want to be heard and they want the problem to be
solved. Whether you are sitting with a CEO or a client administrator take to
heart the truth behind the Discover card commercials and ask yourself ‘Does my
client feel they’ve been heard?’ If you don't know Peggy, click here. For other bad service click here and here.
Posted by Stephanie Miller.
January 13, 2012
One of the key ingredients
of a successful client/agency relationship is candor. Clients must feel that
they can tell their agency the unvarnished truth. They must also have a sense of agency
transparency. If they can see how things work inside of the agency they’ll be
able to provide you with valuable feedback.
Allstate and Leo Burnett
have shared a 54-year partnership. This is a great example of how two-way
transparency serves both clients and agencies. A Long Union, Allstate and Burnett
Posted by Stephanie Miller.
January 12, 2012
When I worked in
corporate communications for a Fortune 500 company.
One of the first things I learned was that everyone was extremely
unhappy with our long-time PR firm. Even
though the agency consistently delivered what we asked for and had placed a
full-time person in our offices to ensure timely service. My colleagues complained
consistently and specifically about the agency’s performance, and never once
said a word to anyone at the agency about what they were doing wrong. When I finally asked why they didn’t direct
their complaints to agency management my peer said quite sincerely “What’s the
point of telling them?” Unfortunately this is all too common in agency/client relationships. Many people naturally avoid conflict and giving others bad news, especially people they like. In addition, many clients feel that speaking up won't make any difference. Creating an environment where your clients feel free to give you negative feedback is crucial to creating a lasting relationship. Another important step is acting in a visible way once you have input from your client. Make sure they feel there is a benefit to telling you what you are doing wrong.
Posted by Stephanie Miller. Posted In : Stories
January 12, 2012
The image below visual expression
of the Fibonacci number which appears throughout nature. From pattern of
the florets of a flower to the leaf arrangement in plants, the center of a
sunflower, the scales of a pineapple, or the bracts of a pinecone bears a
certain natural perfection. The Fibonacci numbers represent the growth of every
living organism, beginning with a single cell, a hive of bees, and
continuing up to the complexity of human society. I chose this symbol to
represent Client Service IQ, because I believe in the natural beauty of organic
growth and that it can be expressed mathematically. I'm a person that
uses both my right and left brain equally. I am an artist, a writer and a
statistics nerd. I believe that a client relationship, like any great
relationship is a living, growing thing. That's what Client Service IQ will
create for you and your client.  If you are interested in
math, the first two numbers in the Fibonacci sequence are 0 and 1, and each
subsequent number is the sum of the previous two. The Fibonacci numbers are
expressed in the following integer sequence: 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,12,21,34,55,89,144…
The mathematical equation
that expresses the relationship is beginning with 0 and 1:
F n= F n-1 + F n-2
Posted by Stephanie Miller.
January 12, 2012
When I was just starting out I worked at a large international agency, (who I’ll call Acme Advertising). At the time Acme Advertising had a relationship with a client (who I’ll call Top Chemicals) that was famous for its longevity, they had been together for 68 years. The day that Top Chemicals announced the business was going into review the Acme Account Director was playing golf with the Top Chemicals VP of Sales and Marketing. When he returned to the agency after his golf game we asked what had happened, how had we been fired after 68 years? He said, and I’ll never forget it, “I have no idea.”
The thing that is so troubling about this story is that it is so common. Many times agencies have been dismissed for reasons they may only dimly understand. There are the inevitable changes to management or budgetary constraints that may lead to agency changes, but you should never find yourself in a situation where you have no idea why you have been fired.
Posted by Stephanie Miller.
Client Service IQ, 1146 North Central Avenue 312, Glendale, CA, 91202 © 2012. All rights reserved.
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About CSIQ
| Stephanie Miller |
| Los Angeles, Ca |
I chose this symbol to represent Client Service IQ, because I believe in the natural beauty of organic growth and that it can be expressed mathematically. As a person who uses both my right and left brain equally, I believe that an agency/client relationship, like any great relationship, is also a living, growing entity. Client Service IQ will help your relationships with your clients grow strong.
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