The Default Effect

Bliss

In 1996 while on the way to visit his girlfriend, photographer Charles O'Rear was travelling along a winding country road just north of San Francisco, USA. A storm had just passed over and the recent winter rains had made the area vibrantly green; He was alert for a photo opportunity.

"There it was! My God, the grass is perfect! It's green! The sun is out; there's some clouds," he remembers thinking - proceeding to pull over, set up his tripod, find a frame and shoot.

"Bliss" from Microsoft Windows XP - Used with permission from Microsoft.

Charles has no idea at the time this photograph would go to be arguably one of the most recognised photographs in the world, distributed on over a billion copies of Microsoft's operating system -Windows XP. "every corner of the globe, every culture, every country, has been exposed to it."

In this blog post I will be looking at other examples that have gained recognition and notoriety because they were the default or sample.

Tom

Anyone who had a Myspace account prior to 2010 will remember their first friend when they joined was someone named Tom. Every account that was created had Tom as a friend by default, giving him a total of around 270 million friends and influences at his peak.

Tom Anderson is still often referred to as "Myspace Tom" in reference to his acquired fame however he hasn't worked at Myspace since 2010.

Snake

The video game concept for snake first originated in 1970's arcades, long before the 1997 version made by Nokia. Its notoriety comes partly from the video game Tron but it owes the majority of is success and recognition from Nokia adopting it as a default game for their mobile handsets of the early 2000's. 

The Nokia Tune

The Grande Valse, better known as the "Nokia Tune" was the first identifiable musical ringtone on a mobile phone, and has become a cult classic because of its inclusion as the default on Nokia's mobile phones.

This simple melody was composed in 1902 for guitar by Spanish classical guitarist and composer Francisco Tárrega at a time were landlines phones were just taking off.

Once used for the purpose of a default ringtone by Nokia the tune has gone on to become an icon for the Nokia company and is estimated to be heard 1.8 billion times per day, about 20,000 times per second (2010).

The Default Effect

It is interesting that by simply being the default, something can be propelled to such notoriety. Can you think of any other examples?

Symbols On Packaging. Do You Know What They Mean?

I was looking at different packaging from products on my bathroom shelf and noticed that they are covered in symbols. A symbol is defined as: Something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention. The main point I'm looking to make in this blog post is that for some of these common symbols, I wasn't actually sure what they represented. Therefore, after spending some time researching them I have created this guide which offers some interesting revelations about what these symbols mean.

Product Durability
Often found on cosmetic products, this tells you the number of months of recommended use once the product has been opened. Once you realise this then the rest is pretty self-explanatory with the 'M' representing months next to the number of'. The interesting thing about this is that cosmetics do not require a sell by date if their shelf life is more than 30 months, they have this instead.

The Green Dot

You would be correct to think this denotes recycling, but what aspect of it? This symbol does not necessarily mean the packaging can be recycled but is actually an indicator that the producer has made a contribution towards the recycling of the packaging. 

How do they make this contribution? Put simply - they pay for the right to use the symbol and this payment is used to fund the cost of recovery and recycling - for example household waste collection or containers outside supermarkets. The more packaging they use that's not recyclable - the more they have to pay. Thus promoting the use of more recyclable materials in their packaging in order to save money. Pretty clever.

Estimated sign
You will usually find this next to a measure of weight or volume and it means that the amount specified is not exact. Interestingly, the average quantity (per batch) cannot be under the amount per product, only over.

CE Marking
If you bought the product in Europe it will most likely bare this symbol. The (curved) CE stands for Conformité Européenne, meaning "European Conformity" and  is required for many products. It states that the product is assessed before being placed on the market and meets EU safety, health and environmental protection requirements.

How many did you know?

Sources:
http://www.thinknoodle.com/period-after-opening-pao-symbolhttp://www.recyclenow.com/why_recycling_matters/recycling_symbols.htmlhttp://s3.media.squarespace.com/production/320009/7391668/blog/images/2008/09/17/estimated_5658.png
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/symbol
http://checkcosmetic.net/
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/single-market-goods/cemarking/index_en.htm
http://www.gmkfreelogos.com/logos/G/img/green_dot_sign.gif

The Internet - Bringing a Voice to the Consumer

The Internet has changed customer behavior in such a large way, both in the way they act and how companies perceive them. In this blog post I am going to talk about a part of this change that I think is the most important for customers - having a voice, and more importantly, being heard.

You, as a customer are a stakeholder in every business you purchase goods/ services from. You don't go to board meetings, have a desk in the office or attend the company picnic but you're an important part of the process - so important, the business wouldn't exist without you.

While all businesses are (hopefully) aware of this, it didn't used to matter too much as there are a lot of you. To a big corporation you were just one customer and it used to be difficult, if not impossible, to make your voice heard.

If you have something to say then you could go directly but I don't think this carries much weight and singles you out as just one customer vs the company. Where would your complaint even go? It will most likely be heard by someone at customer services and if you're lucky, their manager. Will it go the distance you want it to? Will it reach the person it needs to? - To the person higher up, the person who makes the choice, the person who is actually responsible? I think not. In this way it is easy for your voice to go unheard.

While I was going through college I worked part time at a hotel and I used to see this all the time. For an example: A situation like food not being up to standard, customers would complain directly to me, the waiter, as if it was my fault. I didn't cook the food I merely brought it to them yet I shared most of the blame. The chef didn't hear the full extent of your complaint and at most it would go as high as the manager on duty.

Alternatively some customers chose to voice their opinions online through a hotel review site. As opposed to the other method which was heard only by me and at times my manager; These could potentially be heard by everyone. Importantly this included potential new customers, all staff and higher management. Even the CEO looked at and read reviews on this site.

The Internet is a soapbox to stand on. 

Your voice gets heard and might match others or gain support - As customers group together visible trends emerge, the customer voice gains traction prompting a direct result from the business. An actual change brought about by you and those who share your opinion. All made possible by the use of the internet. The customer stakeholder is not quiet any more and can make a real difference.

Here are just few examples of how you can do so:

• Write an online review for an app or somewhere you have visited.
• Join a social networking group dedicated to a cause.
• Share yours and others experiences on social media.
• Don't just voice the bad but the positive too.
• If your not happy with the company where you are currently employed try Glass Door to write anonymously about it.
• If you have an issue with Customer Service and are having trouble getting noticed try Gripe Vine.

Everyone now has the power to change things in a business - the customer finally has a voice, so make yourself heard.

Sources:
http://www.dailywritingtips.com/wp-content/uploads/active-voice.jpg

What Happens To Your Old Mobile Phone?

Lots of companies are after your old mobile phone and even willing to pay you for it, but why? In this blog post I will be talking about the business of mobile phone "recycling" and why companies are willing to pay you money for last years technology.

How do they make money?

Once your phone has reached the end of its life with you, its fair to say its going to be pretty well used, damaged and worn. You might think that it has no re-sale value and is essentially worthless but its not. There are actually lots of people who want to buy and use you old mobile phone - they're just not in your country. 

Mobile phone use in emerging markets such as India, Africa and parts of South-east Asia has sky-rocketed in recent years, creating a high demand for your old and unwanted phone. The average consumer there is unable to afford a brand new device however are keen to follow western trends, making them more than happy to buy what you might consider to be worthless. 

This is how these businesses make money, essentially buying your old phone from you then selling it on for a profit in another country, in a market which is made accessible only for large organisations. This is because aside from actually going to India, there is not a way for you to do this on your own back.

But what about broken phones or handsets even they cant re-sell? Even these are valuable. Phones contain small quantities of metals such as platinum, gold, silver and copper and  a fair amount of nickel (from the battery) - your old phone is processed by these businesses to extract these metals which can then be sold on.

So, you old phone may end up belonging to some guy in India, a piece of jewellery or even a saucepan - Making some money for you and the business along the way.

Sources:
http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/what-happens-to-phones-when-they-re-recycled-595647
http://venturebeat.com/2013/06/26/emerging-markets-are-the-key-to-unlocking-the-next-billion-users/
http://www.simplygeeky.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/recycle-your-mobile.jpg
http://www.fonearena.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/india-mobile.jpg?99eae0

What Makes A Good Airline?

I recently had the pleasure of travelling to Dubai form London with Emirates airline in a brand new Airbus A380. I have travelled with other airlines and certainly feel that they are the best by far and I am not the only one to think so.

Emirates recently won the prestigious award for the worlds best airline 2013, voted for by millions of discerning travellers. But what is it that makes an airline good? In the competitive market of airline travel how do you stand above the rest? These are the questions I will attempt to answer in this post.

Air travel follows a rather rigid formula with set in stone industry standards so that a lot of the core customer experience is hard to distinguish between airlines. Plane journeys themselves are generally the same regardless of the airline running them. You get a seat, entertainment system, Food, drink and other standards.

Think about your best airline experience. Now think of your worst. What was the difference? The answer I think is actually very little.

Its the little things that set airlines apart.

Some of the main reasons I think this is are that there are only two types of plane manufactures, Airbus and Boeing - A duopoly, and with a duopoly this results in lack of choice for the consumer (the airline companies who buy the planes). So the actual plane itself, the main thing about air travel allows for little differences. Air travel is also heavily regulated in what must be provided as standard such as Emergency Exits, Seating arrangements and Safety are all strongly safeguarded.

Bringing it back to Emeritaes airline I believe this is the key to their success. I am amazed that as a customer me and my family are happy to pay up to £100 more for an Emirates flight for the little things that cost almost nothing for an airline.

Things I was particularly impressed with were;

• Brilliant customer service - From the check in staff right to the stewards and even the pilot. All were attentive, friendly and motivated. This was the main factor.
• Attention to detail - things as simple as providing a cuddly toy for little children or enabling you to specify whether you want to be woken up for food or not.
• Clean, well looked after and new feeling planes - Even though I travelled on the brand new A380 for this journey, I have travelled with them before in older models and they still felt brand new.
• Slick and simple booking - There website is particularity modern and ergonomic.

It is clear that this is a very competitive industry with high barriers to entry. If Airlines took some time to change the little things, the easy things that cost considerably less in comparison to massive marketing campaigns or price wars - revenues are bound to fly higher.

Sources:
http://www.worldairlineawards.com/awards_2013/Airline2013.htm
http://www.emirates.com/uk/english/index.aspx
http://www.arabiansupplychain.com/pictures/gallery/Events/Emirates_A380_HongKong/Emirates_A380_HongKong4.jpg
http://www.investopedia.com/features/industryhandbook/airline.asp
http://static.stuff.co.nz/1270511963/557/3550557.jpg

Share A Coke Campaign - A Brilliant Bit Of Marketing

One thing that has really stuck me as a brilliant bit of marketing in the past few months is the Share a 'Coke Campaign' by the CocaCola Corporation. For those of you who are not familiar, the company has realised  a batch of bottles of CocaCola with 150 of the most popular names in the country printed on the bottle with the lines 'Share a coke with (insert name here)'.

At first it seems like a simple idea - that people will buy their brand over competitors due to the novelty of the customer having their name on the bottle. Although it doesn't stop there - the social networking sites I am subscribed to have exploded with people taking to social media to show off their name on a bottle, uploading photos and tagging friends, bringing a deeper meaning to name - "Share a coke campaign" and all of which is free advertising for the CocaCola Corporation.

This is not all a happy coincidence either and Social Marketing can be considered to be the end goal from the beginning.  The company has been encouraging customers to "Send us a photo of you sharing a Coke on Twitter @cokezone with #shareacoke." and even created a Facebook application to allow people to make there own personalised can.

The idea is delightfully simple and pure genius. A outstanding example of Relationship Marketing at its most basic level, what could make your customer value your product more than having their name on the very packaging it comes in. From a physiological perspective it identifies with the customer and makes them feel as if they own it already and therefore they have to pay because its theirs. 

I feel this campaign shows the beauty of good marketing, just a simple idea can put a product at  advantage against competitors. If something gets people talking, sharing and makes its way to social media then your onto a goldmine - all at proportionately, very low cost.

Sources:
http://www.coca-cola.co.uk/faq/products/share-a-coke.html
http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/Coke-Share-Campaign-051513.aspx
Berry, Leonard (1983). Relationship Marketing. American Marketing Association, Chicago. p. 146. ISBN 0-87757-161-9.
http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/article/1180359/coke-boss-salutes-brave-personalised-bottle-campaign