Harley's, Starbucks, Club Med & Guinness

I have been reading some very interesting stuff of recent weeks and a lot of it revolves around taking business to the next level. Tom Peters is a business Guru from the States and I have been reading his take on the Tragedy of the ‘Common’, and he suggests that we need to take what we are doing to another level to reap the rewards of our efforts. In business he says that there needs to almost be a universal change from the term ‘customer service’ even if it is prefaced with exceptional or great or fantastic and use the word experience. We do not provide good customer care we give them an experience. He uses illustrations that many would be familiar with and turns them on their head and asks us to think about what it could mean for our organisations.

He talks about the fact that Harley Davidson does not sell motor motorcycles. Starbucks do not sell coffee. Club Med does not sell vacations, and Guinness does not sell beer. Think about it for a minute. One of the head honcho’s at Harley Davidson says that they “do not sell motorcycles they sell experiences. The ability for a 42 year old accountant to dress up in black leather, ride through small towns and have people afraid of him” It’s not the motorcycle its the experience.

Starbucks have identified a third place; it’s not home and it’s not work, but it’s the place that our customers come to find refuge. They have transformed the innocent cup of coffee into a Starbucks way of life. Club med is more than just a resort, it’s a means of rediscovering yourself, or inventing an entirely ne “me”. Guinness, as a brand is all about community. It’s about bringing people together and sharing stories.

Now when I think of how my organisation, and many others in the Not for Profit sector, markets itself I get very worried because so much of what we do is grounded in ‘old fashioned’ thinking that is not keeping up to speed with current thinking.

I am going to give some serious time and thinking as to what we should be doing in the near future, let me encourage you to do the same.

If you come up with anything let me know.