July 5, 2005

On Holidays

Everyone seems happily refreshed today after the holiday weekend. There's a reason for holidays...the change of pace enables us to relax, see things differently, and - even - create.

Years ago, we worked for a company that makes wound care hospital beds...that is, their beds significantly relieve the pressure of the human body on the bed surface, thereby reducing pain (among burn victims, for example) and reducing problems such as bed sores.

The idea for the technology came to the founder as he lay on the beach one holiday weekend. He focused on the sand, recognizing how it conformed to the shape of his body. His imagination went to work. He imagined a product that conform to a patient's body while significantly reducing the weight of the body on the surface.

Ultimately, his product used airblown ground glass (ground so finely as to resemble sand). The ground glass is held within a "sleep surface" that conforms to the shape of the patient's body. It is suspended by the air pressure, so the result is much less weight on the surface.

That multi-million-dollar idea was holiday produced.

Another example was a creation of a great marketing genius (who happens also to have been from Charleston). His name was Bill Backer, and he was the lead McCann-Erickson creative on the Coke account for many, many years.

On a vacation flight back from Europe, Backer's flight stopped in Shannon Ireland with some technical difficulties. The flight attendants placated the anxious passengers by serving soft drinks. Backer was so impressed by the power of the product that he immediately wrote a Coke song that has become a legend: "I'd Like to Sing the World a Song."

Starbucks Keeps Singing

Starbucks sold more than 750,000 copies of the Ray Charles "Genius Loves Company" CD. And now they've got an exclusive to sell the previously bootlegged Bob Dylan "Live at the Gaslight 1962" album.

More smart marketing from the Starbucks people. Their average check is $4, but the addition of hot music sellers will help push that up. And - with music, wi-fi, and comfy chairs - they're turning Starbucks into a destination...which is exactly what they want.

I remember that Chock full of Nuts used to boast that their counter stools became uncomfortable after about 10 minutes...so they could get a good turnover in customers. Starbucks takes a different approach. They WANT their customers to stay. They want the stickiness of a customer who likes to hang out and ends up spending not just more time, but more money.

Funny...you don't see so many Chock full of Nuts places any more.