Experience Manifesto

Mr. Clean Takes Car-Wash Gig - WSJ.com

I'm a big fan of this idea and hope that it will be successful for P&G. I think it's really an excellent way for P&G to put the Mr. Clean brand front & center with consumers and probably a whole lot cheaper then a large, national ad campaign!

The giant manufacturer of household staples including Pampers diapers, Crest toothpaste and Gillette razors is forging a new business model: franchising car washes.

To jump-start plans for a nationwide chain of Mr. Clean Car Wash franchises, P&G in December acquired the franchise assets of Atlanta-based Carnett's Car Wash, which has 14 locations.

"We need to look for new opportunities to allow us to grow," says Bruce Brown, P&G's chief technology officer. "That isn't limited to things within our current business model."

P&G is under mounting pressure to find new sources of revenue growth, particularly as more cash-strapped shoppers think twice about buying its premium-priced products. Wall Street is increasingly skeptical that the mammoth company can garner meaningful gains in its slow-growing product categories and a tough economy.

Known for exhaustively testing new ideas, Procter & Gamble has been quietly experimenting with service businesses in recent years. Since 2007, it has operated two Mr. Clean Car Washes near its Cincinnati headquarters. Last year, it unveiled three Tide dry-cleaning shops in Kansas City, Kan., area. Also in 2007, P&G said it bought a minority stake in membership-based medical services firm MDVIP, based in Boca Raton, Fla.

Professional car washing, which rings up about $35 billion in sales a year in the U.S., according to P&G estimates, won out as the company's first major franchise push. "We want to blow this out to a national network of car washes," Mr. Brown says.

The car-washing business has a handful of competitive advantages, says Nathan Estruth, vice president of P&G's FutureWorks, which develops new business ventures. It lacks a dominant national chain, aging baby boomers are reluctant to wash cars themselves and more water-strapped communities are pushing professional car cleaning as a conservation measure.

Mr. Clean Takes Car-Wash Gig - WSJ.com.

Great Verizon Experience

It's not often that I give credit to phone companies for anything that they do, but Steve Hall posted this program called Verizon Can be Funny! Not only is it funny, it's brilliant as well. I laughed out while watching it, replayed it for my wife, replayed it again for my daughter, sent it out to a couple of newsgroups and twittered it. Yea, this is that good!

Now, I'll be bummed with a capital B if it turns out the guy on the phone is actually in on it. But he has a great laugh and really seems to be getting a kick out of it. And it's a testament to how well these commercials do that the guy was able to say that the network was following him.

Steve, you're right, Verizon can be very funny! Anyone know who did it?

Creative Online Weekly - August 13, 2007

Absolutely love this idea! And what a great way for Fisher-Price to introduce new toys to both parents & kids! It's what co-marketing should be, an experience that creates a point of differentiation for both brands, while simultaneously creating a better guest experience. Kudos to all involved!

Loews Rolls Out Newest Component Of 'Loews Loves Kids' Program With New Fisher-Price Smart Cycles

This summer, Loews Hotels will introduce on-loan "mini-gym" equipment for kids. Available in Loews' 18 hotels and resorts chain-wide, the equipment will include Fisher-Price Smart Cycles(TM), a brand-new innovation that hasn't even hit toy store shelves.

Using plug and play technology, the stationary Smart Cycle combines physical play with learning, allowing preschoolers to pedal while problem-solving with multiple software programs such as Dora's Friendship Adventure, Sponge Bob's Ocean Adventure and Barbie Fairytopia.

"Childhood obesity is a growing problem in the United States," said Jonathan Tisch, Chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels. "We are constantly seeking opportunities to introduce new, innovative ways for children and their parents to pursue an active, healthy lifestyle."

The exercise equipment for kids is the newest component to Loews Hotels' popular Loews Loves Kids, a multi-faceted program addressing the practical and playful aspects of traveling with children. One of the industry's most comprehensive family programs, Loews Loves Kids features everything from gift bags on arrival, and a special "On Call for Kids" lending closet filled with practical and playful travel necessities. New this summer also in partnership with Fisher-Price, a selection of lending toys will be available in restaurants, so parents can enjoy a more relaxed meal while the children are happily occupied.

Link: Creative Online Weekly, August 13, 2007.

Upcoming Blog Book Tour with Jonathan Tisch

On May 21st and running for a full week, we're excited to co-host a blog book tour with Jonathan Tisch, CEO of Loews Hotels. He'll be spending a week traveling across the blogosphere, talking about the need to create better experiences in order to create successful businesses. You'll have a chance to hear first-hand how Mr. Tisch uses experience in his own business, as well as hear some great examples from around the world. But the most exciting part of the blog book tour is that you'll get a chance to participate. You'll be able to post your questions and see them answered on the tour!

I'll be posting a list of the participating blogs tomorrow and we’ll have a chance to get the dialogue started. There’s some information below to get your warmed up, so start thinking about what you’d like to see discussed. Given how critical it is today to create authentic, compelling and relevant brand experiences, this should be a great conversation!

Chocolates on the Pillow Aren’t Enough: Reinventing the Customer Experience

No matter what industry you're in, the only way to build long lasting customer relationships is to create great customer experiences. No business knows how to do this better than hospitality, and few individuals are more skilled at turning customers into life-long guests than bestselling author Jonathan Tisch, CEO of Loews Hotels.

At a time when customer loyalty is declining in all industries, Chocolates on the Pillow Aren’t Enough: Reinventing the Customer Experience by Jonathan Tisch shows how enduring customer relationships can be built with dynamic customer experiences that extend far beyond a financial transaction.

As seen in USATODAY, Advertising Age, and on MSNBC.com, Chocolates on the Pillow Aren’t Enough addresses the equally urgent crisis of today's disintegration of customer loyalty. The solution is simple. “You don't have to be an anthropologist (or a CEO) to have powerful insights about the customer experience," says Tisch. "You just have to be human.”

Omnivorous: NewsBreaker Live Premiere

As you know, we've been working on project with SS+K on behalf of their client, MSNBC.com. We paced the room like anxious parents-to-be, until the game was getting ready to launch at the midnight showing of Spider Man 3. Nervous as I was, I decided we should run a game early and we seemed to have enough people waiting in the theatre to give it a go. Up until now, we had only tested with 10 - 15 people, so having a hundred plus was going to be the right test. We started the game and, despite a little tech problem with the sound being to low, the audience took to it right away. There was a high score from when we did the install and this group decided they needed to beat that score. They immediately began shouting left or right and working together. Each game is three rounds and you could certainly see improvement as they moved from round to round. And, at the end of the game, they were a few thousand points short of the high score.

So, although I had hoped they'd like the game, I wasn't expecting them to be so enthusiastic! They began yelling to play again and we obliged. Right before the second game started, Sam and the team from SS+K arrived and they were able to see the audience start the second game. And, as you can see by what Sam Mazur, Vice President, Associate Creative Director of SS+K had to say:

Two nights ago was the perhaps the proudest day in my professional life. I was in L.A. to premiere a new in cinema gaming technology on behalf of my client msnbc.com, right before the midnight premiere of Spider Man 3. I can’t imagine any commercial message in the history of advertising has ever recieved a response like this.

In all, that audience played about 5 games — 15 rounds — and never lost their enthusiasm for the experience. And yes, they finally broke the high score, which I think is still standing. And most audiences have been just as enthusiastic.

We’ve now had a weekend under our belt and we’ll post most results later this week. But one thing seems clear. People like having this group, collaborative experience. And I think as we do it more, it will create a differentiation for the movie going experience. It’s a great example of the Socialization of Place.

If you’re in LA, Philly or the NYC area and want to experience the game yourself, just contact Barry Grieff via e-mail or at the office and we’ll set something up.

Look for video and additional information later this week!

Link: Omnivorous: NewsBreaker Live Premiere.

Q110 – Die Deutsche Bank der Zukunft in Berlin

While I was in Chicago last week for the RAC conference, Michael Robinson from Anthropologie asked me if I knew about the Q110 bank in Berlin. I hadn't heard about it and he sent me over the link today. This is the "future-banking" concept store from DeutscheBank and it's really pretty damned cool. The site is in German, so I don't really know what most of it says, but take a look at how they adding to what being a bank means. They have lounges, a kids corner and even a trendshop! Makes even a WaMu or Commerce branch seem pretty lame!

Link: Q110 – Die Deutsche Bank der Zukunft in Berlin.

Mac Rumors: Apple Mac Rumors and News You Care About

The countdown continues to the excitement of the keynote at Macworld in a few hours. We'll post as soon as the news breaks! Right now, the big rumors are:

Apple phone, to be on Cingular

A new TV device to share content across TV/computer/iPod

A new iPod

Maybe a whole new device, think Newton with a cell phone

Boy, nobody whips up the new product frenzy like Apples does!

In the continuing build up of hype leading to the Macworld SF 2007 keynote, Cult of Mac blog posts this anonymous tidbit:...a very trusted (and extremely anonymous) source of mine in Silicon Valley told me recently that he has it on good faith that Apple CEO Steve Jobs has invited all of his best friends to his MacWorld SF Keynote on Tuesday. In Silicon Valley buzz code, that means he's got something really special to show.

Meanwhile, International Herald Tribute's article about Apple's upcoming device claims that "[Jobs] was more excited about his current project than he was about the Macintosh."

Steve Jobs was previously reported to have been very excited about the Apple Phone and uncharacteristically vocal about it to his inner circle.

In the hours/days before the Macworld Expo, an acceleration of rumors and hype is common. Readers should temper their excitement with some realism to prevent being disappointed by the event. Despite the almost ubiquitous expectation for an Apple Phone at Macworld, our roundup revealed most sources pointed to a release in the 1st half of 2007.

Link: Mac Rumors: Apple Mac Rumors and News You Care About.

Target Installation at Union Square

As promised in my previous post, Experience Manifesto: I Said It's Awesome!, here are some pictures and videos of the Target experience at Union Square. Even after seeing all of the cool things at the Interactive Telecommunications Program show at NYU, Sydney still wanted to go back and play! See it if you have the chance.

I Said It's Awesome!

I'll post more later, but I had to get this review of the new Target experience up right away. As you may have read, Target has set-up an interactive installation featuring the artwork of Tord Boontje in one of the parks downtown and Sydney & I decided to visit tonight. It was pretty late for Sydney when we got here, probably 9:20 or so and she was pretty wiped. As We walked after diner, she just kept saying in that oh-so-pleasant 5 year old whine When are we going to get there already?? She knows that I drag her to a lot of these things and, well, I've been a little hit & miss!

Well, it's been about 20+ minutes and she won't leave. When I asked her what she thought, she replied without hesitation It's pretty awesome! And she's been running non-stop from place to place to play and interact.

And while there's lots of kids here, there's lots of families and lots of adults without kids. All having just a great time. And most people seem to be staying a while to play. All interacting with the Target experience. It's a huge hit and certainly continues to position target as a fun and engaging place. And what retailer doesn't want that position? Congrats to Target on a job really well done. I'll get pics and video up later.

Springwise newsletter | 15 December 2006

Boy, the ladies from the Bathroom Blogfest would have been very excited about this new bathroom experience! And this is one really serious bathroom experience! Look at everything they're doing there. Hair dryers? Straightening Irons? Messages? Man, they don't have anything like that in the men's room! As the BBC reports:

London's first superloo is opening in the West End - with a price tag of £5. The superloo, a multi-million pound powder room on Oxford Street, is aimed at women who want to relax as well as use the toilet.

It'll be interesting to see how this works as a business, because my sense is that traditionally people wouldn't pay close to $10US just to visit a clean bathroom, especially when Charmin is letting people use their cool bathroom for free. Of course, if they charged to use the Charmin bathroom, it would sort of be a self-liquidating promotion, wouldn't it? SO take a look and see what you think.

2006 is turning out to be the year of the luxury lavatory – our August coverage of a chic Parisian sanitary stop was followed by last month's arrival of Charmin's public restrooms in Times Square, and now London joins the game, with a new public powder room opening its doors at 439 - 441 Oxford Street (opposite Selfridges). The big difference with its siblings in Paris and New York, is that this one is for women only. The five-star facilities, WC1, are more than just restrooms. For GBP 5, stressed out shoppers and women on their way from meeting to meeting, or work to date can relax, revive and be pampered.

WC1 provides hair dryers, straightening irons, toiletries and cubicles that are roomy enough to change clothes in. Loos are sterilised and hygienically sealed after each visit. A large circular powder-room offers space and good lighting for touching up hair and make-up, and attendants are on hand to sell 'rescue products', from nylons and sewing kits to make-up and toothbrushes. For an extra fee, customers can book neck and shoulder massages in a treatment room.

With crystal chandeliers, stone floors, dark wood, fresh flowers and carefully calibrated lighting, the entire ambiance conveys luxury and spa-glamour, reflecting the fact that WC1 spent GBP 1 million creating the ultimate boutique powder room. The Oxford Street outlet is the starting point for what is planned to be the first chain of branded women's facilities in the world. WC1's business strategy is to roll out a franchise network (67% franchise and 33% company owned), with two more outlets opening in Q1 2007, and a further 7 by the end of 2008. Time to send them an email if you're interested in setting up your own high-end haven.

Link: Springwise newsletter | 15 December 2006.

Link: www.wc1.co.uk - Home.

Link: BBC NEWS | England | London | �5 to spend a penny in superloo.