Marketing Pilgrim Published: “Cup of Joe: How To Kill A Relationship With 30 Years Of Wheelchairs” plus 2 more |  |
- Cup of Joe: How To Kill A Relationship With 30 Years Of Wheelchairs
- YouTube Wants to Make Stars Out of Stars!
- This Photo Needs Your Caption!
| Cup of Joe: How To Kill A Relationship With 30 Years Of Wheelchairs Posted: 18 Feb 2011 09:10 PM PST
I didn’t get my first electric wheelchair til I was in high school. It had a custom cushion and programmable joystick. With it I was able to go places that I had never been before. It gave me a new sense of freedom. I remember feeling a tiny bit of sadness when I traded it in for a new chair. But the new one gave me even more independence than the last, so all was not lost. Every chair that I have ever used has been an integral part of my life. Which is why for the last 29 years I have only used one company to handle my wheelchair needs. I started using this company when I was a kid after my parents got their name from my doctor. When they built my first wheelchair they had a two room office. Now they have a sprawling office building that employs dozens of people. Because I have always relied on them to furnish my wheelchair needs, I have always considered them nothing short of family. So you can imagine how I must have felt when I called them this week to schedule a tune up, when the receptionist told me, “I am sorry we don’t do wheelchairs anymore”. What? Don’t do wheelchairs?? I immediately said to her, “What do you mean? I have been getting my chairs from your company for the last 30 years!! Let me speak to Dave!” Apparently, Dave – the same guy that I have personally known for 30 years, decided to retire, and with him the wheelchair division went. They now do prosthetic limbs, braces, orthopedic shoes, and other medical equipment. I know it might sound silly, but hearing that they wouldn’t be able to provide services to me anymore, felt like a family member had passed away. Over the last 30 years I built a relationship with a company in a uniquely personal way. When that relationship ended, it affected me. I have lost a certain amount of trust in them, and to be honest I am not sure I would ever recommend their services now. They played a giant role in helping me find my own independence, and now they are gone, forever. I don’t think I have ever been this let down by a brand. As entrepreneurs and marketers, it is extremely important to be mindful of the relationships that we create. Even though we may not view our companies and brands personally, others do. In fact your job as a marketer is to build these types of relationships. But its also your job to continue these relationships even as your company makes hard changes. Doing so will increase your chances of your brand spreading even when you have to disappoint your loyal customers. And also, its just the right thing to do, and that in itself should be the only marketing tactic you need. [photo credit] The chair pictured above is the same make/model as the titanium chair that is mentioned in the first paragraph.
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| YouTube Wants to Make Stars Out of Stars! Posted: 18 Feb 2011 01:35 PM PST
Yes, it’s true. At least according to Vulture it is. (They’re a sister site to New York Magazine, so don’t dismiss the story because of the publication name.) In an exclusive story, the online mag says that YouTube CEO Salar Kamangar is actively looking for a number of celebs around which they can brand a YouTube channel. They’d like to have the celeb star in weekly segments then fill in with other themed content and YouTube will foot the bill. They’re even generously agreeing to allow the celebs to keep the rights to their produced portions, which is pretty nice seeing as all they have to bring to the table is their name and their fame. It’s actually a pretty smart move as exclusive, celebrity content will allow YouTube to ask a higher price for advertising and it will help them become less of a content aggregator and more of a content provider. It’s good that YouTube is trying to expand beyond their current business model and only fitting now that video is such a thriving business. Did you know that YouTube already has a streaming movie rental business? It was news to me even though it’s been open for a year so I imagine that income isn’t anything to shout about. But this new concept is much closer to home and it should be a hit. After all, YouTube is famous for turning everyday people into stars, so they should have no trouble doing the same thing for some trendy celebrities. Pilgrim’s Partners: SponsoredReviews.com – Bloggers earn cash, Advertisers build buzz!
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| This Photo Needs Your Caption! Posted: 18 Feb 2011 08:47 AM PST Since we already gave a comic’s view of last night’s dinner of tech heavyweights with President Obama we thought we might have some fun too. Remember that in attendance are Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Eric Schmidt, Carol Bartz, Larry Ellison and more! (Collect’em all and trade with your friends!) What we are asking our Pilgrim Readers to do is give us what you think is being said in this toast. Tell us in the comments section and let’s see just where your Pilgrim imaginations can take us all!
We’ll even get it started: “Here’s to finally getting Microsoft moved to the Internet kids table!” Have a great weekend!
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Some of you know that I use an electric wheelchair to get around. In fact I have used a wheelchair my whole life. You can get the whole story 
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