Experience Guru

The Enjoyable Flying Experience?

Notable Quote: "We trust that your experience has been safe, comfortable and enjoyable." - Flight attendant on the last leg of my San Francisco trip last Friday.

How does the old saying go...two out of three ain't bad? Well...how about 1 out of 3? We arrived safely. Was it enjoyable? Did anyone with the airline REALLY care whether it was or not? C'mon...if you've flown recently, you'll understand. Getting from Point A to Point B is challenging in today's economy...hopefully safe - but not necessarily comfortable and enjoyable.

The "Popcorn Bucket Experience"

Today's Notable Quote: "Can you believe what they're doing with that refillable popcorn bucket?" - Overheard in the concession line at the local Carmike Theater this past weekend.

Buy a "refillable" plastic popcorn bucket for only $8.00 - and get 50-cent refills on each return visit to the theater during the coming year! 

Initial response? WOW! In the land of unrealistically high-priced candy, food and beverage--i.e. the local movie theater...this sounds like a great deal...a response followed by looking at the people in line--in our case, an acne-faced concession-seeking patron who scratched his face and other areas of his anatomy with the plastic popcorn bucket, before putting it on his head. At this point, our initial excitement was replaced with the sobering realization that hordes of strangers will be bringing buckets from their various abodes to be dipped into the common trough alongside our popcorn bag or bucket. Hmmm.

As a student of human nature and safe food handling practices, I have learned a few facts that cause me to look at the bucket offering with something less than full-out enthusiasm.  In the interest of the public health and welfare, I will share a few of my observations and a possible solution to the bucket dilemma.

Regarding foodborne illness - directly related to safe food handling:

1. Each year in the U.S. , approximately 75,000,000 - or about 1 in 4 citizens contracts some form of foodborne illness - often mistaken for intestinal flu or other illness.

2. Nearly 325,000 Americans are hospitalized due to something they ate which was improperly prepared, or mishandled during serving.

3. An estimated 5,000 deaths result from mishandled or contaminated food consumed by individuals in the U.S. each year.

Regarding human nature:

Are the individuals taking steps to insure the proper cleaning and sanitation of their popcorn buckets prior to and during transport to the concession line?

Are the service clerks behind the counter taking the steps necessary to provide clean, safe, contaminant-free popcorn to each patron(washing their hands, wearing disposable gloves, etc.)?

I could go on and on, but won't, in the interest of your ability to enjoy lunch or dinner.

Regarding a possible solution:

For now, I suggest "kicking the bucket" - and probably adhering to the TPAP (Theater Popcorn Abstinence Plan). Were I in charge of concessions, a simple solution would be to implement the sanitation protocol described above, along with providing disposable liners for use by the refillable bucket bearers. Of course, along with these steps, I would clean the restrooms on a regular schedule, teach the staff basic principles of customer engagement, etc., etc.

 

Indiana Jones' Bucket of Doom?

Finding Santa in an Unexpected Place...

Today's Notable Quote: "You happen to the set...and the set happens to you". - Doug Johnson, Experience marketer extraordinare, and creator of GGP's Santastic Experience.

You can find a traditional "Mall Santa" at hundreds...perhaps thousands of locations across the US. To experience the sights and sounds of Santastic, however, you must travel down to Cajun country into Baton Rouge - to Baltimore - or, as I did into the desert climes of Tuscon AZ.

So, what exactly is Santastic, and how did it originate? 

A few years ago, Doug began thinking about the experience that his children had when paying a visit to the Mall Santa. It became obvious with each passing year that Santa didn’t know Hannah or Liam’s names—or what they hoped to receive for Christmas. This truly bothered him, believing as he does that Santa is a source for goodness and happiness—and is capable of eliciting such responses in children of all ages. What could be done to ensure that Santa knows each and every child by name?

 

This thinking led Mr. Johnson to the idea for Santastic—an interactive land in which family togetherness is fostered and where you “happen to the set” as the set “happens to you”. There is a true co-creation of value driven by the staging of a North Pole Experience as seen through the eyes of a six-year-old. Gone are the schlocky pillow stuffing and plastic trees—as well as the animatronic reindeer and snowmen. You have entered a different world—one in which Santa believes in you, and you in him.

 

Doug has done a delightful job of staging a compelling experience--one which children of all ages will learn from, enjoy, and want to linger in as they find a sense of joy and escape from the chaotic crush of Holiday shopping.

 

Doug Johnson "mugging" for the camera prior to the morning opening of Tuscon's Santastic at Park Place Mall.

The "Fizzing" Experience...

Today's Notable Quote: "Americans drink 13.15 billion gallons of carbonated drinks every year." - Marion Nestle, author of Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health

So...in an effort to support this incredible consumption level, I am sharing the following "fizz-keeping" guidelines from The Wall Street Journal's interview with the American Beverage Association.

Problem: Keeping the fizz in pop.

Solution:The key to keeping carbonated beverages from going flat is to minimize their exposure to air. "Air is the enemy," says Mike Redman, vice president of scientific, technical and regulatory affairs for the American Beverage Association. "As soon as you pour the product, be sure to seal it" with a lid. Temperature is also important, Mr. Redman says, so store the opened soda bottle in the refrigerator. "It's a basic law of physics: If you keep a dissolved gas in solution, you keep that solution as cool as possible," he says. Finally, pay attention to the "use by" date that many bottlers print on the packaging. While soda won't go bad, fresher soda tastes better, Mr. Redman says. Products available that claim to keep soda bubbly are available on shopping Web sites. Soda dispensers, like FizzItUp (about $15), invert a 2-liter bottle onto a stand and pour soda through a nozzle. Bottle stoppers, such as the Jokari Fizz-Keeper (between $3 and $6), create a pressurized seal.

Write toBeth DeCarbo at beth.decarbo@wsj.com

So...in an effort to support this incredible consumption level, I am sharing the following "fizz-keeping" guidelines from The Wall Street Journal's interview with the American Beverage Association.

Problem: Keeping the fizz in pop.

Solution:The key to keeping carbonated beverages from going flat is to minimize their exposure to air. "Air is the enemy," says Mike Redman, vice president of scientific, technical and regulatory affairs for the American Beverage Association. "As soon as you pour the product, be sure to seal it" with a lid. Temperature is also important, Mr. Redman says, so store the opened soda bottle in the refrigerator. "It's a basic law of physics: If you keep a dissolved gas in solution, you keep that solution as cool as possible," he says. Finally, pay attention to the "use by" date that many bottlers print on the packaging. While soda won't go bad, fresher soda tastes better, Mr. Redman says. Products available that claim to keep soda bubbly are available on shopping Web sites. Soda dispensers, like FizzItUp (about $15), invert a 2-liter bottle onto a stand and pour soda through a nozzle. Bottle stoppers, such as the Jokari Fizz-Keeper (between $3 and $6), create a pressurized seal.

Write toBeth DeCarbo at beth.decarbo@wsj.com

American Exceptionalism in Action: The Voting Experience...

Today's Notable Quote: "The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults." - Alexis de Tocqueville

Vote! Exercise your privilige to speak your mind in this election. One of the remarkable things about being a citizen of this great Democratic Republic is that we can vote in free and open elections. With that in mind, I've included some quotes from the late American Humorist and Humanitarian, Will Rogers--a man who said "I never met a man I didn't like".

Election Day Reminders (from George Grant)

America's foremost comedian, Will Rogers, was born near Oolagah, Oklahoma on this day in 1897. He often lampooned politics and politicians in his beloved nation--famously saying:

“There is no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you.”

“I belong to no organized political party--I’m a Democrat.”

“There is something about a Republican that you can only stand him for just so long. On the other hand, there is something about a Democrat that you can’t stand him for quite that long.”

“Democrats are the party that says government can make you richer, smarter, taller, and get the chickweed out of your lawn. Republicans are the party that says government doesn’t work, and then they get elected to prove it.”

“No party is as bad as its leaders.”

Good reminders as we go to the polls today. Politics is of course important--but, because it is just politics, it is certainly not all important.

On the stage of Life...and Business...

Today's Notable Quote: "Work is Theatre and every business a stage." - B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore, in their 1999 HBSP best-selling The Experience Economy.

Was reading from Shakespeare's As You Like It, and thinking how it applies to the staging of business experiences. KNOWING the stages through which humans pass, and carefully crafting the theming, cues, props, stage elements and scripts to authentically appeal to people based on such knowledge will, it seems to me, enable businesses to reduce customer sacrifice dramatically.

I've just begun reading Martin Lindstrom's newest book, Buy-Ology which is based on findings from a number of cognitive studies which purport to uncover "hidden" buyer motivations. Looks interesting. At any rate, I'll close with an exerpt from the Bard, in hopes that you can extract something of value for your customers and businesses as well:

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

A Santastic Interview

Following the 2008 thinkAbout in Las Vegas, we had the opportunity to speak with this years Experience Management Achievement (EMA) winner Doug Johnson and he shared some ideas on the event and the Experience Economy for an article in the latest edition of The Experience Monitor.

EM: You were awarded the Experience Management Achievement at thinkAbout.  Congratulations!  Can you tell us about Santastic and what inspired the idea?

Doug: Santasticis a magical in-mall setting; a Santa Claus décor package designed to be experienced, not just displayed.  Santastic embraces the magic of Santa Claus and stages memorable moments for the entire family.  The inspiration: My family had visited the same Santa at the same Chicago location for three years in a row and realized that Santa had no idea who we were.  I felt like their was an opportunity to stage a better experience for families and deliver some of the North Pole magic that children of all ages believe in.

EM:  How do people react to the experience?

Doug:  No matter the age, the guests get lost in the space.  No one keeps track of time and everyone is smiling.

EM:  What are some things people come away saying?

Doug:  My #1 favorite: when children say, “He remembers me!”
My #2 favorite: when adults say, “I wish I had this when I was a kid.”

EM:  This year, thinkAbout focused a lot on polarities.  How do you think this plays out in the business world and what advantages do you see companies having if they recognize and address the polarities that they may be facing in their business.

Doug:  We had to embrace polarity if we were to be successful with Santastic.  Polarities such as Child/Adult, Express Reservation / Queue Line, Complimentary / Fee Based and Unexplainable/Revealed all had to be considered and respected.  We were strategic in our design with each polarity and took advantage of the opportunities they presented.

EM:  You never know what will come out of the various exercises at thinkAbout.  What was the polarity that your group focused on and how did your exhibit portray the polarity?

Doug:  Our polarity was day / night and we studied a typical day and night at the Luxor Hotel and Casino.  Through employee interviews we literally studied all 24 hours.  The Luxor does an amazing job embracing the polarity of day / night and ensuring their property’s offerings and experiences change throughout the time of day or night.
 
EM:  Your group actually found a gap that you brought to the attention of the hotel, correct?  What was the gap and how did the hotel respond to the finding?

Doug:  The gap was in two, 3 hour blocks of time.  One thing we learned about Las Vegas was that if designed and staged appropriately, guests will spend their time and money with you regardless of the time.  The property had 18 hours scheduled perfectly and about 6 that presented an opportunity.

EM:  In creating an experiential offering, what do you think are some of the key things to remember?

Doug: #1) No detail is too small: when we serve cookies and milk at Santastic, we make sure we have taken into consideration every possible allergy.  We make sure every child can take part.  If that means we need to buy 10 types of cookies and 10 types of milk, then we will.  Santa would never make a Mom say, “I’m sorry honey, there’s none for you.”
#2) Great design must include the elimination of customer sacrifice and negative cues: if a guest doesn’t understand or “get it,” then that’s my fault.  That means I designed something poorly.  Think it through: from every angle, from every age, and make sure no one can ever say, “I don’t get it” or “clearly, no one took the time to understand my needs.”
#3) Change Lives!: Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore wrote in The Experience Economy, “Variety is not the same as customization.”  At Santastic, we make sure our “helpers” understand that their entire job is to give each family “THE BEST SANTA CLAUS EXPERIENCE OF THEIR LIVES” and in order to do that we must offer more than variety.  We have a plan in place for happy kids, nervous kids and petrified kids.  We have a plan in place for engaged parents and bored parents.  We embrace the responsibility our malls have to staging Santa Claus in a magical way.  Santa changes lives; so must we.
 
EM:  Any words of advice for fellow thinkAbouters or those who may be thinking of attending next years thinkAbout?

Doug :  To those of you who attended this year in Las Vegas: I look forward to seeing you again next year in Philadelphia.
To those of you who may be thinking about attending next year: Stop thinking about it and attend. 

To view the Santastic website and find a location near you click here.

To sign up and receive The Experience Monitor newsletter

(a free publication from Service Solutions Consulting) click here.

Charcoal Filtered History

We recently had the opportunity to travel to the home of the Jack Daniel's distillery in Lynchburg, TN. The idea: find out what it is that draws nearly a thousand people per weekday and even more on weekends to the distillery.  The result: we found a town filled with history that embraces a theme and that theme has traveled around the world.

The town of Lynchburg resides in Cook county. A county that has been dry since prohibition. With one of Tennessee's smallest populations, it is ranked 94 out of 95 Tennessee counties in terms of size.

The town fully embraces the Jack Daniel's theme. Stores have clever names, sell themed products from shot glasses and t-shirts to full sized statues of Mr. Daniel's. Restaurants serve Jack Daniel's themed food and the town holds many different "cook-offs" where participants are encouraged to use ingredients that include the world famous sipping whiskey.

After taking a look around the historic town, we headed to the Jack Daniels Distillery. The facility is warm and inviting and the staff is eager and willing to make sure that your visit with them is a memorable one. The tours are free and leave every fifteen minutes or so and the groups are kept to a size that encourages conversation with one another and the tour guide.

Disney's New House of the Future

Disney's House of the Future had become somewhat of a laughing matter largely due to the fact that it had not changed in nearly fifty years.  Tech lovers rejoice! An updated version was revealed at the end of June and it is nothing to laugh at. It showcases just how much computers and convenience technologies have become a part of our present and will be major role player in our future.  Countertops in the kitchen recognize the products you place on them and display "touchable" recipes, zoned climate control acknowledges when you walk into the room and adjust the temperature accordingly, whole house audio and video are controlled from a single touchscreen remote, mirrors project wardrobe selections onto your reflection and make matching selections, water spouts hide themselves in the countertops when not in use, and the internet is accessible in every room via touchscreen computers.

 

The new House of the Future is a far cry from the original and will immerse visitors in a truly engaging way. Click here to see what was once considered the future and click here to see the new updated version.

Two pints and a growler to-go please.

We recently had the opportunity to visit the Yazoo Brewery in Nashville, TN.  The beers made by Yazoo have been gaining popularity with micro brew enthusiasts since its opening in 2003.  Yazoo offers its fans a unique experience by welcoming them into the brewery for a guided tour (beer samples included) in which one will learn what exactly goes on during the beer making process.  The guides are well educated in their art and are quick to answer any questions that one may have.  After the tour, guests will want to visit the Taproom where they have all of their beers on tap and a sampler platter is a great way to get a taste of each beer in 5 oz servings.  Though they don't have a full food menu, the bartender recommends ordering the cheese sampler to go with the beers.  It's a unique idea to pair cheeses with beer but it works surprisingly well.

We took some video and pictures during our visit so check out the Yazoo Brewery video down below!

If you're going to be in the Nashville area and want to check out Yazoo for yourself, take a look at the following information.

http://www.yazoobrew.com/

Google Street View and address