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This Just In – Customer Experience Affects Brand Loyalty

lego_loyalty_cardIn a new study, Forrester reports the obvious – customer experience affects loyalty.  In case you were wondering if there was any correlation between experience and future action, you needn’t wonder anymore.  Forrester surveyed 4,500 U.S. consumers about 100 brands to come up with this finding.

However, there is more to it than the obvious.  The more interesting part of the survey is the comparison of the data to the results of a similar Forrester survey conducted in 2007.  Across all 12 industries included in the survey, the degree of correlation between experience and loyalty increased in 2008 over 2007.  The cause?  The tanking economy. [Read more…] about This Just In – Customer Experience Affects Brand Loyalty

Outside In

emc outdoors ad examples

So I’m on hold, waiting for a customer service representative, and since I’ve got the company’s website open in front of me, I decide to check out the Careers page. The company in question has a fairly high public profile–and since it’s in an industry where many jobs are thought of as something to do while looking for something better, there’s a fair amount of turnover. Therefore (I reason) it should be interesting to check out their recruiting strategy, as long as I’m stuck in their world for a while.

And it certainly was interesting, on many levels. In fact, I thought up seven topics for future posts in about three minutes, so this was on-hold time that really paid off. And one of the things I started wondering about was—why are people looking at a Careers site in the first place? Now that might seem like a really basic point. And everyone else may be thinking about it all the time, while I’m just way behind. Maybe not, though . . .

I was on this particular company’s site for another reason, and ended up at the Careers page through equal parts of boredom and curiosity. But other site visitors—such as potential investors, customers, or clients–might drop by Careers while trying to get a 360 view of the company. And competitors probably stop in occasionally to see what their rival is up to.

So one moral of this post is: Don’t be so focused on job-seekers that you forget about other visitors. Some of the folks who wander by for a different reason might be (or know) potentially perfect employees. Is there something on the site to catch their attention? 

The other question that came to mind was “Are there any clever, creative ideas out there for getting people to the Careers site?” Preferably the right people (but let’s not rule out the volume approach). And no, I really didn’t find any. But I did end up thinking about the use of outdoor advertising for recruitment. You can’t put a lot on a billboard—but you can definitely highlight a web address. The examples shown in this post are from EMC Outdoor, and their website points out that recruitment ads which use outdoor media get attention by being different, as well as by appearing in interesting places or being seen in the same place repeatedly.

But I think there’s a subliminal message at work also. The scale of a billboard ad seems to say “This is a really big opportunity!” So the other moral of this post is: What messages are you sending indirectly on your site? Does it bring to mind exciting opportunities? Big dreams? Secure future? Or . . . ?

It’s Bankruptcy Number 3 for Trump Entertainment

trump_plazaJust four years ago in 2005, Trump Entertainment emerged from its second Chapter 11 filing, and today, the company, along with nine of its affiliates, went down that path for a third time.  Certainly, the recession played a significant role in the fate of Trump Entertainment, which operates three casinos and hotels in New Jersey.  The company is quick to point out that the Chapter 11 filing will cause no changes in daily operations or the company’s philosophy. 

The Chapter 11 filing did not come as a surprise to financial experts, and it certainly won’t hurt Donald Trump who vocally disagreed with the Chapter 11 filing and stated he would resign from the company’s board if it filed for bankruptcy.  Looks like he’s moving onto bigger and better things, because according to an article on Reuters, Trump claimed that Trump Entertainment, “represents less than 1 percent of his net worth and that ‘my investment in it is worthless to me now.'”  Strong words from the anti-brand champion who vacated the role of CEO of Trump Entertainment after the 2005 bankruptcy problems. [Read more…] about It’s Bankruptcy Number 3 for Trump Entertainment

Silver Linings

job-angels-2

I’ve started at least five times to write a post on the current wave of bad economic news—specifically, how lay-offs, down-sizing, store closings, and other RIFs affect recruiting. And what that means for the Careers site in particular, and online recruiting efforts in general.

But I decided every time that I should really write about something else first. Here are some of the reasons I kept veering away:

  1. Circumstances are changing almost daily, and it seems unlikely that trends in the employment situation can be predicted accurately.
  2. Problems are so big and so many that it’s difficult to analyze the various factors that might affect specific companies, or even specific industries.
  3. There are assorted viewpoints and theories–and it’s too soon to tell which of them (if any) will prove to accurate or helpful.
  4. And (of course) this is just an unhappy topic to write about . . .

So I was delighted to find a story in this category that is not only clear and simple, but also very heartening. John Zappe’s post on ere.net tells how HR consultant Mark Stelzner recently sent this message to his 700 or so Twitter followers: “Was thinking that if each of us helped just one person find a job, we could start making a dent in unemployment. You game?”

They were. And the result is Job Angels. After just a couple of weeks, this spontaneous movement not only has its own Twitter following, but also groups on Facebook and LinkedIn. A Job Angels website is under construction.

Job Angels is partly a platform to connect people who can help with people who need help–and partly a mission to create awareness and provide hope. Stelzner explains on his blog: “When faced with hundreds of thousands of job losses, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and helpless. But if the idea is for you to simply aid one person –a friend, a family member, a colleague or a complete stranger–that somehow not only seems possible, it seems probable.”

Even when recruiters and other HR professionals don’t have vacancies to fill, or they can’t hire as many people as they once did—they still have expertise and connections that can help people find work. I’ll bet a lot of people were already doing this without even thinking about it! Job Angels provides a way to capture and multiply some of that energy, through the power of social networking.

80% of Online Video Traffic Comes from Blog Referrals

youtube_generationThere is no doubt that online video is the next big trend in online marketing and branding.  Statistics from comScore show that the increase in online video has surged in the last year alone, and the 18-24 year old demographic watches more online video than television.  A new report from TubeMogul directly links the success of online video to blog referrals.

The TubeMogul report shows that longtail search drives 80% of traffic to the top online video websites. 

What does this tell us? 

Simply creating online branded videos isn’t enough.  To drive real traffic and make those videos work for your brand and your business, you need to reach out to bloggers.  That doesn’t mean simply inundating bloggers with PR pitches, but rather, actually building relationships with bloggers, particularly those who write about your brand’s niche.  [Read more…] about 80% of Online Video Traffic Comes from Blog Referrals

Details, Details

Starbucks

I’ve been looking at a lot of sites lately, and have come across several items that don’t need a whole post, and don’t fit anywhere else either. So thought I’d round up a few examples of small things that can make a big difference.

Message: Job-seekers Welcome

Starbucks hangs out the Welcome sign by putting a Careers link in the exact middle of its About page. The prominent placement indicates that jobs/people are central to the company.

Quiktrip

QuikTrip highlights the Jobs tab on its top menu with a red circle and the note ‘Excellent.’ This double-duty detail not only makes Jobs seem important—it also delivers a one-word message that sets up positive expectations.

Qualcomm CEO

Message: We’re Serious

Qualcomm offers a substantive three-minute video in which the CEO talks about the importance of employees in the company’s success. The presentation signals visitors that filling jobs at Qualcomm is not just an agenda item for HR—it’s a top-down priority.

Qualcomm recruiters

Message: We’re on Your Side

Another nice Qualcomm touch is introducing the visitor to some recruiters. Every recruiter profile includes a photo, plus interview tips and the recruiter’s own insights about the company. The effect is not only a feeling of personal relationship, but also an impression that Qualcomm wants job-seekers to succeed. (One criticism: This nifty feature is buried behind an Employee Profiles link. I think it deserves a spot on the top page!)

BCG: interview prep

Boston Consulting Group takes the on-your-side message even further with an Interview Prep section that is extremely cool. In fact, it’s so cool I’ll talk more about it in a future post. Preview: BCG has come up with a simulation that really works. But even if this prep feature were just a few bullet points or an ordinary Q&A, it would still send a strong signal of support to the job-seeker.

Message: Let’s Connect

NetApp: connection

NetApp puts a contact invitation prominently at the top of each page on the Careers site. While ‘call right now’ is not a feasible strategy for every company–someone has to be at the other end of the phone!–an invitation of some kind (search jobs, send resume, download fact sheet, etc.) gives visitors the opportunity to make an active connection with the company.

Reminder

Details are important. If the major elements—core message, look-and-feel, content items—of a site are strong, the minor elements can add a valuable extra dimension. And sometimes it’s the little things that make the visitor feel important, or distinguish your site from a competitor’s, or help synch the Careers message with the company’s brand focus. So take a look at your site and see if there’s room for improvement at the detail level.