The following post is sponsored by Staples. The words are all mine. They paid for me to give away an hour of consulting to a small business owner looking to grow their business.
John Grossman runs the Holyoke Hummus Company out in western Massachusetts. He started out with a food truck promoting fresh tasty falafel sandwiches that were healthy but felt decadent. John’s had a lot of success in other businesses, but food can be tricky. When timing struck that he could acquire restaurant space and open a brick and mortar business to complement the truck, he had to take the opportunity.
The Challenge: Get More Dinner Guests
The sponsor of John’s consulting, Staples, points out in their recent survey, that finding new customers and marketing growth is a challenge. John told me that he was getting plenty of lunch traffic, but that dinner was a bit too quiet. Economics-wise, per-customer lunch tickets average probably around $15, but dinner had the chance to be even more lucrative, especially if he could attract family dining experiences more frequently.
This is where I stepped in.
The Recommendation: Build Fast Take-Out and Delivery Options
While dinner’s a better per-customer revenue opportunity, people aren’t eating out as often as they used to according to many studies, especially in the Millennial crowd. So I had a recommendation.
Before I talk about the recommendation, I have to tell you something sponsor-related. I mentioned running to Staples to get some flyers printed up and he laughed and said something about this being paid for by Staples, so naturally he thought I “worked it in there” to talk about a trip to Staples. Both John and I love Staples. We have intimate past business experiences with the company, quite often with the print center’s ability to deliver what we need quickly and at a price point we love. In the middle of giving John my idea, we had a laugh about this.
But the pause is important, because it’s true. I told John not to do a lot on social media beyond what he was already doing. I said that printing something simple that recommended a very specific dining opportunity (fast falafel family platters) married with something people love (like watching Netflix) would be a great way to start promoting.
Hand those simple postcards out to people in the lunch crowd and talk up the offering. Easy peasy. What makes the printed material better in my conversation with John is that you can tack it up at your cubicle at work. It becomes something to look at during the day. It’s a gentle reminder. Maybe you forget about it for a week or two, but then, “Oh yeah, the Holyoke Hummus Company! I should get a platter before the game.” Kapow.
The Marketing Mindset Here
John’s smart and he’s focused on several things. He’s grown the brand. He’s working the community aspects because Holyoke matters to him. And he’s of course perfecting the product at every turn. This restaurant business is a new venture to him and so he was working from existing models.
MY idea was just to look at trends, look outside the methods others were approaching, and think about how we could meet the customers at the marketplace of their choosing. This was the magic trick. Everyone can try to get people to their restaurant. I wanted John to try getting his great falafel and hummus meal experience to people who aren’t coming out of their houses like they used to for dining.
The flyers? Well, it’s good that Staples can help with that sort of thing.
The previous was a sponsored post. They don’t get a vote on the words I use. Those are all mine. You should check out Staples for your business, as they have a LOT more than just Post-it notes and pens. Their Copy center is one of my secret weapons.
Community
Bring the Edge to the Center and the Center to the Edge
If you’ve known me for a while, maybe you’re wondering, “What’s Chris up to right now? Why is he talking about stuff like AI, blockchain, chatbots, and the IoT?” I know. It feels weird, because maybe you have me categorized wrong like lots of people do. Maybe you thought I was supposed to talk about tweets and emails forever, as if they were ever the goal and not just the delivery mechanism.
Not going to happen.
What’s Exciting is The Marketplace
I love the reality that’s upon us right now. The marketplace of old, that physical crossroads where merchants and the community intersected to exchange goods, has long since vanished. Sure, a few bazaars happen out in the world, but mostly for show. They make good tourist pictures.
The marketplace now is at the edge. It’s where we are. And so is the community. So are the opportunities. Everything is at the edge. It’s nowhere. You don’t have to BE somewhere any more, if you don’t want. Or, if the somewhere part is important, you can bring what you need to the edge.
Bring the Edge to the Center and the Center to the Edge
I can be face down in writing this and say aloud, “Alexa, order me some more AA batteries,” and they’ll arrive two days from now without me having to think anything more about it. I’m at the center of the marketplace wherever I am. Amazon’s Echo platform is an Internet of Things (IoT) play that hints ever so vaguely at what we’ll all be doing naturally in the next few years.
My cultural intentions are easier to facilitate. My community of shared interest is easier to thread together. With blockchain, I’ll very soon be able to order the KIND of electrical power I want to pay for (water, wind, solar) and thus be able to vote for my beliefs with my dollars. ( This is what I mean.)
The same way web tools like blogs and YouTube and Twitter and so on have allowed more and more people to be media stars, the NEXT layer of all this will be driven by blockchain and IoT and chatbots and AI and we’ll have a lot more control of our data, a lot more options for extracting and sharing value, and many ways to curate and create the kind of interactions we want to have.
Social Networks for the Edge
Just as all the big social networks are feeling fatter and less about “us,” all the little dating apps and simpler social networks are picking up steam because they’re allowing like minded communities to form and bring all these people around all these various edges to a joined center.
It starts with dating apps (Tinder, Grindr, Bumble, etc) and moves into whatever other interests people want to gather around. I googled “Cannabis social network” and there were a dozen or more. I googled “LGBT social network” and found plenty. Vegan? Yep. Whatever you want to search for, there are now smaller and simpler social networks hiding in the shadows of the “big guys.”
Data as Fuel and as Center-Makers
What comes soon (it’s here already, but just not evenly distributed) are all the innovations in data being more available, faster, and able to be tailored to our interests. Right now we use Cortana and Google Home to initiate requests. Soon, our virtual assistants will sift massive stacks of information to pick what we teach them we care about. Oh, there’s a Babymetal concert tomorrow in Boston AND tickets are only $50 AND two other people I know and like who like Babymetal have already said yes? Sure. Buy it. Done.
Right now, there’s either no data, too much data, or no way to do something useful quickly with data for many of us. That will change. And as it does, the tools we use to work with that information will adapt and grow and learn to anticipate our needs and bring what matters to us to the center.
The Story Continues
The stories I’m telling through my Podcast and my Amazon Flash Briefing and via my newsletter (and my forthcoming book) are all building towards helping us figure this all out. The same way I showed you (and continue to show you) how blogs and podcasts and video are neato, I want to help you find your way through all the new stuff.
What’s the best way to build a chatbot that won’t upset your customers?
How can you thread together a few simple blockchain apps and suddenly get more business from the big guys?
What will AI look like when it’s just a service you rent the way you pay for web hosting?
That’s what I’m working on with you.
I’ll bring all those weird edges to our mutual center. Are you with me? It’s going to get even more crazy (but in only the best of ways)!
If this has been interesting
Consider grabbing my newsletter. It’s only going up from here.
Will Blockchain Change Real Estate? EA Listens to the Community – The Brief for 11.21.17
Here are the notes from the Chris Brogan Media broadcast for 11/21/17. (You can watch this on my Facebook account).
The goal of these posts is that there are trends and ideas here that might impact your business now or soon. Think on the stories here and look for ways to adjust your business accordingly. If ever you’re stuck, get in touch with me and I can help.
This live video was all shot using Ecamm Live (client), the best way to do Facebook Live for Mac.
Please note that all links may be affiliate links. If someone is a client, I’ll call that out specifically.
Stories Shared
Real Estate as an interaction is still fairly old fashioned and arcane. Blockchain might very well change a lot of how it’s done.
We are working fewer hours than our parents and grandparents. So why do we feel busy all the time?
What do the most customer-focused businesses in the world do to fix their customers’ issues? They think about latte.
Many people have been in the position of having had a few too many to drink. Would you trust a chatbot to keep you safe?
Every want to know about the state of mobile and online users in South Africa? Here’s your chance.
In plant-based news, threatened industries are fighting back against plant-based companies using representations of animals and dairy products.
Buddy John Ackley shares a cool short documentary about the origins of your food staring Zooey Deschanel.
Related (and also shared by John), food is being grown in shipping containers in Brooklyn.
Old McDonald had a droid. Robots are coming to hydroponic farms.
Star Wars Battlefront II launched recently, and immediately started taking fire from angry fans. But unlike many companies, they listened and took actions to fix the issues.
Let’s check out some of the cosplay from Anime NYC 2017, shall we?
Hey, if this has been interesting, consider picking up my weekly newsletter. It’s all unique ideas by me about how to improve buyer interactions and grow your business. Give it a peek
What ELSE is News?
You want to get featured on the Chris Brogan Media show? Drop me an email: [email protected] and let me know what’s news!
Please Get My Newsletter
My newsletter is the best work I do every week. You can get yours here.
Barbie in a Hijab. Your First AI Friend. Some other Brogan and Hyperloop. – The Brief for 11.14.17
Here are the notes from the Chris Brogan Media broadcast for 11/14/17. (You can watch this on my Facebook account).
The goal of these posts is that there are trends and ideas here that might impact your business now or soon. Think on the stories here and look for ways to adjust your business accordingly. If ever you’re stuck, get in touch with me and I can help.
This live video was all shot using Ecamm Live (client), the best way to do Facebook Live for Mac.
Please note that all links may be affiliate links. If someone is a client, I’ll call that out specifically.
Stories Shared
What do the Chinese think are the big marketing trends of 2018? Here are 18 of them worth checking out.
I shared Chinese marketing trends. Here are SEO trends for 2018 that you need to know about.
One trend is a rise in loyalty behavior. You heard about the Keurig stuff, right? That’s just the start.
After receiving the most negative votes on a community comment reply in the history of Reddit, EA is going to change the pricing on the downloadable content for Star Wars Battlefront 2.
Hey, your face might not be all that unique, it turns out. A $150 mask can crack your password on the new iPhones, according to this report.
Need a friend who’ll love you no matter what? What about an AI friend?
So you’ve heard about these hyperloop things? Super fast subways, kinda? This guy named Brogan BamBrogan (Not kidding!) has one slated for Colorado soon.
A big warning from the world’s scientists says that our planet is in jeopardy. 15,000 of them from 184 countries signed this manifesto.
But if we all die it’s okay. Headless robot dogs will still be able to roam the planet.
In more fun news, Mattel is rolling out its first Barbie in a hijab to celebrat Ibtihaj Muhammad, US Olympic medal winner.
And want to see India’s “King of Cosplay?” This Reinhardt is pretty dope.
Hey, if this has been interesting, consider picking up my weekly newsletter. It’s all unique ideas by me about how to improve buyer interactions and grow your business. Give it a peek
What ELSE is News?
You want to get featured on the Chris Brogan Media show? Drop me an email: [email protected] and let me know what’s news!
Please Get My Newsletter
My newsletter is the best work I do every week. You can get yours here.
CBM083117
Here are the notes from the Chris Brogan Media broadcast for 08/31/17. (You can watch this on my Facebook account).
This live video was all shot using Ecamm Live (client), the best way to do Facebook Live for Mac.
Please note that all links may be affiliate links. If someone is a client, I’ll call that out specifically.
Stories Shared
Everyone can help in some amazing way. Look at how this woman helped 5 million people in the favelas of Brazil.
I love when places reach out to try and build a hub in the real world. Here’s a story about moving 100 founders to Argentina to grow their startup community even more.
Google Assistant is about to break free from its singular form. Watch for washing machines and vacuums and plenty of other form factors.
Also in the smart speaker assistant world, here’s a piece about how Amazon will fight Google on all fronts.
Look behind the scenes at what makes a great culture AND a great business at this magazine.
Kids overhear some horrendous conversations. This article helps kids stick up for their peers.
Hatsune Miku turns 10. Know who “she” is? Oh, you’re about to enter quite the world.
Are you throwing away that trash? You could be DRINKING it!
Uh oh. Doritos are about to get a bit more healthy.
Hey, if this has been interesting, consider picking up my weekly newsletter. It’s all unique ideas by me about how to improve buyer interactions and grow your business. Give it a peek
What ELSE is News?
You want to get featured on the Chris Brogan Media show? Drop me an email: [email protected] and let me know what’s news!