“Small minds discuss people , average minds discuss events, great minds discuss ideas.”
-Anonymous
The next time you find yourself gossiping about people, remember this quote.
Tag Archive for ‘Perception’ 
What Do You Talk About?
The Earth is Flat
In my Grade 11 Biology class we were given this list of the Animal Kingdom Phylums and were expected to memorize the entire list for a test (writing out the entire list) the following week.
Sexist? or Smart Advertising?
This ad has been creating controversy in the media this past week and for good reason. Originated on the CBC Canada website, the article talked about the condo developer taking the ad down and offering a formal apology as well as the agency that created them offered an apology but the comments on the article are much more interesting than the article itself, I have quoted a few below.
“They are sexist, tasteless and old-fashioned. They will attract the wrong sort of people who think this sort of thing is okay.”
“has anyone ever heard of this popular slogan: SEX SELLS”
“I don’t know about the rest of you… but I’m not wasting any of my 25 year old scotch on a 25 year old Blonde.”
“The ads don’t appeal to me. But you have to be pretty uptight to let these harmless ads bother you. Wil Knoll says he wouldn’t want to be in a room with people who thought it was a great ad. I don’t think I’d want to be in a room with Wil Knoll.”
From Twitter:
@Jaynauta: I bet the goal of that condo ad was to cause I huge uproar. I’m a guy
Why Are You Buying That?
In some industry’s I would argue brand loyalty does not exist for the vast majority of people. For these products price is the main reason of choice. In the grocery store I have too many options in front of me, so like any other confused male in their twenty’s in a grocery store, I begin to compare prices and inevitably many of my choices are dictated on which is the cheapest. But a product can look good enough that you will pay a premium just because you perceive it to have more value (this happens a lot). Many products in the grocery store are sold because of implied value, which creates brand loyalty. Marketing has aided this effort for years, making products seem better than they actually are, just so people would buy.
Alright so you buy Kraft over the no name salad dressing, and you buy Bicks because No Name pickles taste funny (when in fact they taste fine). Marketing has done a great job building trusted brands for us but I don’t agree with buying a name brand products just so a multi-national company can keep marketing it. Presidents Choice Cola tastes strikingly similar to Coke Cola but Continue Reading
mmmmmm Your Company Looks Good
Want your company to look good? Want people to look up to your brand? Want people to say, “Wow, what a sexy brand!” Unless you are Richard Branson, you’re company’s brand isn’t that sexy. Don’t fret there is a solution.
At a recent Chamber of Commerce presentation I was attending, there was a small committee waiting to greet me immediately as I walked in. This wasn’t your regular Wal-mart greeter, far from it. Later I found out it was the DirectWest Street team, four great looking individuals begging to show me something on my phone, how could I resist? I learned how to do a local search on my phones browser, useful for a person like me or anyone that doesn’t carry a phone book on their hip. The interesting part is I’ve seen this service offered on a billboard before but never tried it out, until that day.
Involving your brand with young, beautiful people is a great way to better the brands perception, you can’t help but smile when talking to these folks. In Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink he talks about how good looking people are easier to talk to and much easier remembered, our first impression of these Continue Reading
The Cute Teller
Ever go to the grocery store and someone goes out of his or her way to help you? Your favorite pub has that one server that is simply amazing paired with that irresistible smile? Finally, does your bank have a cute teller?
These perceived small aspects of your business have a much larger positive affect than you think. The three examples above all have something in common; they make the customer happy. A happy customer is a repeat customer and an ambassador for your brand. Think about it, if you like a server at a certain restaurant chances are you will return, why? Because they made you feel great and that’s worth talking about, the definition of being remarkable.
This doesn’t happen regularly and it’s difficult to ask out of your staff but you can encourage it. When someone goes above and beyond to help someone, show then that you appreciate it. Encourage your staff to pay attention to detail, after all they don’t have to dress as nice as they do, do they? There will always be some people who leverage their own assets to create a positive affect on their organization, it’s up to you to spot those Continue Reading
