Is BLACK the NEW BLACK?

The more I observe, the more I'm convinced that we truly are a curious nation of followers. A few months ago, I wrote about America’s brand, asking the question what does “Brand America” look and feel like? Beyond the American flag, apple pie, spacious skies and purple mountains majesty, I asked if we’ve made lasting changes to our views and perceptions about race in our country – did we wake up on November 5th to a new icon that says we feel differently about each other?

Well, I dunno if we’ve made lasting changes; tremendous strides? Yes. Lasting changes? I’m not so sure. But I can say that what I’m witnessing now borders on the ridiculous, and is very typical of the American way. And that is to be ‘Fashionably Black’. Not a reverse discrimination per se, but suddenly, it is very trendy to have Blacks in leadership, on our boards, committees, and running our companies. Black is the New Black!

Now before you judge my views as bias (Good Lawd, I can hear the NAACP calling for my card). I am an African-American woman who proudly voted for President Obama, who supports Black initiatives along with select Black organizations. I believe in diversity, fairness and equal opportunity. But I question the sincerity of any organization that has had no history of African-American inclusion suddenly wanting to engage Blacks in leadership. And not necessarily because the person is the best at what they do or the most qualified (although they could be), or because it demonstrates a company’s earnest desire for diversity. No, many businesses are just following a perceived trend. From the nomination of Michael Steele as the new Chairman of the RNC to Mike Paul, publicly demanding that the PR Society seat a Black member on its executive board, companies are scrambling to include more African-Americans in prominent positions. Yet there are countless numbers of companies that have no diversity whatsoever. Okay, so you’re thinking, so what’s the problem? Well for one, any company that would follow a “jump-on-the-band-wagon” trend is sure to disengage when the fad has passed. Second, ‘Fashionably Black’ rings disingenuous – did it take electing a Black man as the leader of the free world for us to realize there were no Black leaders in our companies? Did your company embrace diversity before November 4? How many African-Americans were a keynote speaker or spokesperson for your product, or invited to your party or a preferred vendor before the election and how many are you seeking out now?

But this brings up a more serious phenomenon in business, and that is our propensity to be followers rather than innovators, creators and real visionaries. One of the reasons President Obama was successful in his bid for the white house, was his audacity to do the outrageous, the unthinkable, to stand out, and then run the most unique political campaign in our nation’s history. The fact that he did all this is as a Black man was an added bonus of fortitude to the package. And don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a problem following some of today’s trends (why re-invent the wheel?) – I enjoy my iPod, text-messaging, Apple martinis and hair extensions. But I also recognize that trendy phrases like, “your call is very important to us,” “how may I direct your call?” “service first” are all very passé and meaningless idioms. We do it because someone else did it. That’s because growing this country, like growing your brand, requires a business to be innovative and a front-runner of the unthinkable – inventing a brand, new bar, not following the herd under the old one.

If we want true economic recovery we can’t get stuck at the top of this victory hill (none of us is allowed to rest on the coat tails of President Obama’s blackness). We must bravely go out and create something new, something cutting edge in our businesses, our marketing campaigns, our events and promotions. And if that means including more African-Americans in our organizations, that’s even better! But don’t follow what has been done (there is only one Barack); instead blaze a new trail, a new path. Be original. Be uniquely you. In fact, I encourage each of you to be so daring, so brash and brazen that it makes your insides churn with fear just thinking about what you’re planning to do. Because only then can you be a creator of the next big thing, the next impossible endeavor – which is the backbone of America’s ingenuity – it’s our brand! And by all means hire me to aid you in pushing new, creative boundaries – but not because I’m ‘Fashionably Black’, but because I share your company’s vision for setting a new bar!

Is Your Client Madly in Love With You?

Most of my girlfriends will attest, that I’m pretty happy being a single woman (most of the time) and I don’t normally flash my high-beams at a man when I’m at a party or social function. And yes, there have been many BFF discussions over martinis whether a woman can be married if she really wants to be, but I feel that my ‘dilemma’ is that I have yet to meet “the one.” In truth, I’ve decided to hold out for a man that will look at me the way Barack looks at Michelle – and yes, Mr. President-elect, we have noticed those subtle pats on her backside. But it’s very simple. I want his glance, his mere gaze to make me forget myself and where we are, and have us pause to ponder our destiny. I want others to not only admire our PDA, but envy our powerful magnetic bond. Like when Jerry Maguire finally reaches Rod Tidwell in the locker room and everyone around them feels their reverberating connection – none more than Cushman; who turns to Bob Sugar and says, “…why don’t we ever hug like that?’ So it’s not surprising that while creating Valentine’s Day party ideas this week for a hot nightclub here in Las Vegas, romance has permeated the air in my office. And I begin to explore the correlation between the man/woman relationship and the relationship we have with our customers and clients. Because I’ve determined that at the very least, I want my clients to love my creativity, and feel that the services I provide are so incredible it causes even my competitors to envy or admire the way I do business!

So much of what event marketers and producers do, requires us to be more intuitive to our customer’s goals, objectives and sometimes personal preferences. We must court the client in order to generate intangible ideas in a highly creative process that often results in emotional responses from clients and guests alike; responses that can build or destroy the relationship with the client. Because a smoking hot event can exponentially say to the world that you are hip, sophisticated, and innovative, or if lack luster can prove you to be a traditional stick-in-the mud with no vision. But it is far better to have raw emotions (and be either loved or hated) than to have a mediocre relationship with a client.

So in our new experiential-social economy, I’ve put together ways to help you go from dating or just hooking up, to producing a client that is in love with what you do and how you do it. In fact, I believe most businesses could benefit if they would treat their customers like a love interest or a really hot date.

Wooing (Muuhwhaaa…)

Wooing is that dating period of slowly getting to know each other, and it is a necessary part of the relationship (and the sale). Take the time to get to know the players and let them get to know the real you. However, now is NOT the time to discuss your previous client’s flaws, reveal that your team’s creative process involves coloring books and a bottle of Patron, or that you’re driving your parent’s second car! I’m not at all advocating being deceptive when pitching to a client, but you do want to present your best talents and unique abilities and avoid any embarrassing attributes. Concentrate on divulging how your talents can benefit the client’s business; and why you are someone they should get to know. A prominent woman speaker once said that she advises women to go on that first date wearing little or no make-up and Saturday morning ‘bed hair’ so that a man knows exactly what he was getting. You know, keepin’ it real! Well, bravo my brave sisters; you go right ahead -- because I, for one, won’t be showing up for any date without my MAC cosmetics and Bobby Brown lip glaze -- although I don’t believe in putting on airs -– for a man or for a new client. What I do strongly believe in is being my authentic self and presenting personal best.

An Exclusive Relationship (Of course I trust you…)

Have you ever really discussed exclusivity with your customer? In other words is the client even aware that your company wants to date exclusively with the possibility of marriage? If your client is still putting out an RFP for every single event or marketing project, something is wrong with your relationship. Seriously, you may be assuming that the client is all yours, when in fact they spread out their projects to one or more of your competitors. But when you have developed a strong bond with a client, they know that even if you can’t provide the service they need, they can come to you for the best possible recommendation or referral. What’s important about this is you have control and can refer a trusted source; someone that you can or will partner with. I make certain that anytime I must make a referral to another business that they also share my passion for excellence – and it’s a business that will ultimately refer me. And while I am secure in my client relationships (able to refer without creativity envy), I don’t want my clients being ‘intimate’ with some other company and then coming back infecting my team with highly contagious bad vibes, demanding attitudes and low budget (cheap) expectations. Use protection!

Communication (What’s your name again?...)

Okay, can I just tell you right now that if a man doesn’t call me the next day after a night of intimacy, there will never be an encore performance. Or if this said man calls me only when he has ah, um shall I say, “needs,” I consider this to be an official booty-call and subsequently will block his phone number. So if that makes sense socially, why on earth do companies only contact their clients when there’s a sale to be made, or a need to talk about the latest-and-greatest new product? How often do we complete flawless operation of an event or production, and then stop communicating with the client for months at a time. No ‘follow-up’. No ‘what’s next’. No ‘do you still like me’. You would be shocked to know that a producer of a major world expo doesn’t contact their attendees again until a few months before the next expo. And they are not alone. An accomplished paramour will stay in communication (with love notes, late-night phone calls) right up until the time for the next soiree! For heaven sakes, stay in contact with your clients! Geez!

Gifts (For me?...)

From a single rose to diamond jewelry and everything in between, women love receiving gifts from a man she’s dating! It demonstrates his sincerity and level of interest. So, what is your excuse for not sending thank you or congratulatory gifts to your clients? Even in a down-turned economy, it costs very little to bring coffee, donuts or snacks to your meetings – don’t be labeled a ‘cheap date’ because the client will remember this when the market turns around (and it will). Okay, if you must cut-back, cut the office supplies budget, but leave money to spring for client lunch, dinner or drinks – this will go a lot further in cementing the relationship. And may I digress for just a moment? Pahleeze, don’t send clients ‘gifts’ encased with your logo, phone number or URL address. This smacks of cheesy, self-promotion and appears disingenuous. Save the company logo and a picture of your dog, Sparkie, for pens, hats and other small promotional give-aways and give ‘gifts’ that the client can actually use. Picking up the tab for drinks and dinner can be much more cost effective than purchasing advertising in a trade magazine or main stream publication –socializing with the client is much more personal!

As we prepare to enter a new year, it is important to me to make everyday count and to engage with people I respect, admire and/or care about (whether in love or in business). Wouldn’t it be fantastic if in 2009, whenever possible, each of us could choose to work with clients that we are genuinely happy with? I’ve been fortunate so far to only work with clients I really like (even in this recession). And I admit that it’s the initial falling-in-love stage with the client that I enjoy the most. Meanwhile, I’m still waiting for my own ‘love connection’ with a man who will make me want to share my bathroom vanity, remote control and shoe rack.

Branding Wisdom From My Mother's Kitchen

Exactly what is branding? No, I mean really; beyond the Wikipedia definition, what do we mean when we throw around the word, “branding” sitting in a strategy meeting trying to look cool and sound sophisticated? For far too long, branding was seen as just the use of logos, icons, symbols and the corporate name. But if you’re a smart marketer or business leader, you know that creating and establishing brand identity is far more reaching than a color-coordinated ad campaign. Powerful branding has exponentially morphed into the sum total of the audience’s experience. Branding now reflects the views and perceptions imprinted in the consumer’s mind until that psychological interaction shapes their behavior. It all boils down to an emotional experience – the way you handle your customers, how well you deliver products, promises and services. Susan Allen, owner of Out The Box, states, “…Branding means starting with your values and beliefs, projecting these into everything you do, and going forward from there…”

My mother was an incredible cook. Her down-home southern styled meals were served with warmth and genuine hospitality. And all you had to do was ask someone if they were going to Katie’s house for dinner after church and their mouth would water! Mom didn’t skimp on ingredients, spices or portions when the economy was bad. And she never cut the guest list or ask for donations when food costs went up; nor were people asked to leave early or do the dishes. Her caring personality, smile and awesome recipes were her brand. It was the experience of good times, laughs, a warm kitchen filled with love and a stomach full of the most delicious food you’d ever eat that people remembered. And that's what created her brand.

Krispy Kreme use to be a powerful brand until we bit into too many dry donuts left too long in the AM/PM kiosk – damn, did they forget what the “HOT” light sign did to our taste buds? I use to hide the empty KK box in the outside garbage can so my boyfriend at the time wouldn’t know I had eaten the entire dozen in an 8-hour period! My weekly trips to their stores have dwindled to once or twice a year now. United Airlines was the crème de la crème of airlines (my mother wore white gloves back in the ‘60’s when we flew) until they left too many passengers stranded for hours at too many gates, or left us at the mercy of rude and over-worked (and sometimes not so attractive I might add) flight attendants – with nothing more than a half-can of Coke and less than an ounce of peanuts. But boy aren’t their new commercials great? But now if I have to fly United, I won’t go.

So what does brand America look and feel like? Like many Americans I wept and cheered on election night at the audacity of hope, the possibility for greatness and the millions of cracks made in racial barriers. But I have to ask, did the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States, improve America’s brand? Because beyond the brand – you know, the American flag, record voter turn-out, spacious skies and purple mountains majesty – have we made lasting changes to our views and perceptions about race in our country – did we wake up on November 5th feeling differently about each other?

If I had a dollar for every blog, news article and quote that touts instruction on how to market your brand in a down economy, I could probably pay off most, if not all, the $ trillion national debt. Every business guru and pundit has sage advice on how to get focused, how to concentrate your efforts on your core customers. And most of what has been said has really been right on the money. But providing an incredible customer experience should have been happening all the time. Akin to what I call, the 911 share & care syndrome, excellent treatment of our customers is a behavior phenomenon that should be the norm. Why must we wait until a down-turned economy to start paying attention to our best customers, offering the best service with the most competitive pricing, or to reduce ineffective ads and promotions and begin thinking creatively for branding solutions? Effective branding shouldn’t be reactive to a bad economy or any other external forces, but should be an on-going persuasive experience that produces tangible results from our target audience. As author Jonathan Baskin points out in his book, Branding Only Works On Cattle, behavior trumps branding every time!

So in essence, branding isn’t the cool pictures, a killer logo or really funny creative ads. Branding is the sum total of the experiences of your audience. And it isn’t true branding until those attributes, and the created value, gets communicated through your actions and in turn influences the mind and thoughts of your audience. As my mother would say, it ain’t what you say baby, it’s what you do! Mom, you were absolutely right!

Entertain Us Already -- Please!

This week while helping a friend plan a baby shower, we were discussing different venues for our Big Belly event. But when she mentioned Caylix Jazz Supper club here in Las Vegas, I quickly pointed out that they may not be around by the date for our party. It made me wonder how many other businesses won’t be around in 6 months if they continue on with business as usual. Caylix Jazz Supper Club is a gorgeous venue with killer ambience, décor and a great location. But their service is some of the worst I’ve experienced in Las Vegas, with over-price low-value-slow-to-arrive food, run by aloof and clueless management. While sad, but true, without immediate marketing 'adjustments' they won’t be open much longer.

A new economy has arrived people! And if your business is directly involved with any component of entertainment, special events or F&B service, now more than ever, you will need to change how you provide the business of entertainment. No longer will ho-hum event(s) or mediocre service be acceptable. Elements that are entertaining, wildly exciting and vastly different from anything consumers have done or seen before will set the bar – this is especially true for any type of soirée hosted here in Las Vegas – the mecca of ‘experience marketing’.

Case in point, why on earth in the middle of the fiercest battle ground for the consumer’s dollar and attention would Jay-Z’s 40/40 club Las Vegas give us coffee – plain, no cream, no sugar and definitely no added foam and sometimes not even hot. It broke my heart to see the posh VIP sports venue close their doors last month so soon after opening, when many of their marketing faux pas might have been easily avoided [the official statement is they sold--okay...]. Today businesses like 40/40 need brand managers who not only understand the nuances of the brand and hot marketing trends, but more importantly have their ear to the heart beat of the customer. [Shameless Self-promotion: if your club, restaurant or venue hasn’t hired a mystery shopper who can also provide you with feedback and marketing solutions, please stop reading and call me immediately so we can get you started -- geez]. Unfortunately, the 40/40 Club Las Vegas never gave us the swagger its namesake is known for – management never took us past a boring-ass happy hour with inexperienced, inattentive wait-staff to a world where grown-ups got to play hard (centered around sports). Celebrity name or endorsement alone isn’t enough – especially now that our hard-earned play money is harder to come by. Our down-turned economy will cause consumers to demand more than "corporate speak" over the chicken dinner and jazz trio!

And can I digress for just a moment? What marketer worth their weight in salt doesn’t at least collect basic demog info on party goers in order to stay in touch and market their product? Take the Ceren Vodka Launch several months ago, hosted by Cedric The Entertainer (whom I LOVE btw) at the doomed 40/40 hot spot. And while Cedric’s Grand Prix race car might have been on display in Denver, it wasn’t in Las Vegas! Not only was the event lack luster at best with absolutely nothing “special” about it (can we at least smell exhaust fumes?), we were never even asked our opinion about the vodka after we FINALLY got to taste it. A total waste of marketing dollars. I felt like if the 40/40 Club had NID (No Imagination Disease), Ceren Vodka also tested positive (it is known to be highly contagious). Pity, I guess the importer, Rio Blano Spirits didn’t feel collecting consumer information was important. In Las Vegas? Where the average audience yields regional, national as well as international consumers. I could go on; there are others. For example, the MB shoe store, in the Wynn Las Vegas who just this month hosted an in-store promotion for a we-are-all-so-very-over-it Sex And The City DVD release. But I won’t. But pahleeze, don’t make me come over there VY and hit you in the head with my creativity spoon!!

The trend is this. Consumers are opting out of traditional marketing channels like never before (i.e. spam filters, pop-up blockers, Sirius radio, TiVo, DNC registry). That means that a special event has the potential to be the perfect medium for making a memorable and lasting imprint on your target audience. But in order to truly connect with your customers in an almost cognitive way your event has to be knock-your-socks-off-when’s-the-next-shindig experience. Lackluster products or service won’t survive in the new economy. To survive the tough times ahead, businesses must wake up and figure out how to give customers entertainment vastly different from anything they’ve done before or they might as well hit the snooze button and sleep-in for the next 5 years. Meanwhile, I wonder if we can we take a bunch of pregnant women to the Blue Martini – talk about the exceptional standard? Question. Why in the hell doesn’t Hank Serrano (the GM) hold classes on ‘how to give excellent service’?

Sex And The City in Sin City!

Gurlfriends, come get Carried away at the hottest party of the year for the hottest movie of the year, in the hottest city on earth!! We cordially invite you and your friends to join us in Las Vegas for a “Manolos and Martinis” Sex And The City Party. Join us on Sunday, May 18th at 5:00 PM as we celebrate Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda in their continuing saga. You will be treated to the Manolo Blahnik Spring collection and see the spectacular shoes featured in the film. There’s an appearance and book signing by Ms. Ollie Levy, one of the original HBO writers of the show. Enjoy complimentary yummy hors d'oeuvres, martinis and 'Metropolians' our signatue party cocktail (courtesy of our Vodka sponsor). Plus there's a fabulous Shoe Fashion Show Extravaganza by Fabreana Shoe Store and Manolo Blahnik, SATC trivia contests, fan favorite episodes, short SATC tribute film, games, prizes, and many more lovely surprises!

But more importantly be fashion-conscience: donate a pair of new/gently worn shoes to Soles4Souls (www.soles4souls.org) and you could win a pair of tickets to the advance screening of the Sex And The City movie (opening in theatres May 30). Hurry! This event is guaranteed to sell-out! For tickets ($25 pp) go to: http://www.satclv.com/ The Brass Lounge is located at 425 Fremont St., Las Vegas, NV 89101 (702-382-1182). WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!