Marketing Brilliance and the lack there of

So, if you are keeping up, you know I was in Michigan for the Christmas holiday. During our trip we got to see all of my family members...including the cutest 22-month old little boy named Jack. He put a box on his head and ran around screaming "MONEY!" Quite possibly the funniest thing I have ever seen...for the first 10 minutes any way! Check out the picture!



It's time to focus now. During my trip to Michigan, I had the pleasure of meeting with an old friend who will be able to help MarketMatch go to the next level with regard to technology, networking and phone systems. A pain I know you have all felt at some point. In that it would have been inappropriate (and painful!!) to bring my husband to the meeting, I did what any other really good wife would do. I gave him my T-Mobile account information and dropped him off (with his Mac book in hand) at the only Starbucks within a 30 mile radius. Yup, really small town! I thought that would keep him busy during my meeting a few miles away.

After two hours of geek speak, my meeting finally ended. I called my husband and told him I would be there in 10 minutes to pick him up. When I arrived at Starbucks to pick him up, he was...ummmmm...what's the word....ANGRY!!! Apparently this is the only Starbucks on Earth that doesn't have Wi-Fi access. 2 hours of good coffee and people watching was all he got.

As a business traveler, I have come to rely on the Starbucks connection. I can always count on the trusted coffee shop to provide me with the 15 minutes of connection I need to send the critical email and file, and sometimes even deliver on the promise to blog.

What a great Brand Position Starbucks has created. Imagine my disappointment when I realized that the brand promise didn't deliver. I don't care if it is Mount Pleasant, Michigan or Dayton, Ohio, Hilton International or a community bank. When a brand is created and delivered it should be consistent. When we deliver our brands inconsistently our customers become less faithful. If there is nothing they can count on, why should they count at all?

Did you know many McDonald's locations are now offering Wi-Fi? I would rather smell coffee than fries any day, but when I need connection my preferences go out the window. Maybe I need to reconsider on whom I rely.

As we enter 2008, take a minute to think about your branches, your people and the messages you are sending. Is it consistent or are you giving your customers a reason to stop somewhere else for their connection?

Your Partner in Branding,
Jenna