Culture Differences Create Gaps

Overcoming trust gaps and experience gaps are vital to the success of brands and their ability to create memorable customer experiences. A recent video released by Univision highlights the impact of cultural differences and how they create a gap for the overall customer experience. In this case, the healthcare industry is put in the spotlight as being an arena where practioners have a unique challenge yet awesome opportunity to close these gaps.

Read the original post and see the video here.

Staying True to Your Roots: Key to Advocacy

As marketers and brand specialists strive for maximum affinity, few organizations recognize the value of origins. All companies regardless of industry start out with a unique story and then make every effort to share that story with the world.

A story is made up of unique characters who all work together to bring about a memorable collection of individual tales, singular characteristics, and dynamic experiences. Some stories transcend the boundaries of time.

Reaching a point of maximum brand affinity and audience engagement in the Latinosphere is accomplished through careful research, strategic planning, and authentic insights. However, there is another plateau that only a few are able to reach. A level which exists where customers become raving fans and active advocates.

Advocates are more valuable than repeat customers.

Why? Because they are active constantly sharing your story helping your brand achieve tremendous return on investment.

How do you reach this point of advocacy? It's not easy but is made simpler when we remember our humble beginnings and stay true to our roots.

Take Pitbull for example.

He recently took home a 2011 Premio Lo Nuestro award for Artista Del Año in the Urbano category. While on stage, he made a special effort to thank those from the Miami 305 area code. Why? Because he knows where he came from and stays true to his origins. Some individuals attain a certain level of success and forget where they came from often falling short in the categories of retention and loyalty.

Sometimes...a little recognition is all it takes!

And remember...it's more expensive to capture new customers than it is to retain your existing ones.

Humanizing the Web

What's in a screen name?


Guest post by Louis Pagan of Latino Rebranded.

I remember my first live event: meeting live people...talking with live people...exchanging handshakes instead of emails or comments. It was a thrill!

When introduced with my real name, I was greeted with a confused look. On that cue, my screen name was then offered: the Latino Pundit. It was then greeted with familiarity.

Ever since that experience, I felt that people only new the mask, and not the person behind the online identity. And it was then the decision was made to make my name a brand, and not a fictitious identity to hide behind. This is the reasoning behind my Twitter handle, and my blog name albeit it has two names. I do realize that we still are not fully transparent online - even if we do use our real names - but I feel we are a little closer to humanizing the web by doing so.

So, what is in a screen name? Well, everything: how people perceive you, recognition, reputation, memorability, relatability. I'm sure I missed some.

I wonder how many people remember their first screen name, and if they still are using it solely. That would be interesting!

What's your take?

The People Factor

Okay...so we all know that the buzz around social media is in full swing causing heads left and right to stop and take a second glance at this thing we call engagement. Conversations are taking place and we all want to join in. Well...of course, because it's fun to interact and share information, build relationships, and enhance our connections.

 

Social media is all about engagement and creating conversations that actually mean something and offer value to the participants. We have B2C and B2B activities that are all trying to garner the attention of the masses. However, let's slow down for a minute and remind ourselves that this thing we call social media is about people.

 

People make this thing work. The social factor is the key that will dictate whether or not this new form of media can sustain its popularity and dynamic momentum. Let us not forget that it's still about the people and focusing on them.

 

As we transition into a more measurable and returns based system that actually offers a return on investment, we will find that the key still remains on focusing on relationship building and the practice of offering relational value.

 

 

Posted via email from Jose Huitron's posterous

A Winning Formula

The Importance of People

 

Building relationships and trust is all about people. Focus on the product, technology, process, or gimmick,...and you've already lost half your battle.

 

Today's consumer is smart, web savvy, and connected. They understand the tools and technology and have the overwhelming challenge of trying to filter out all the junk. If you understand this and embrace it you will begin to realize that positive momentum, growth, and improvement rely heavily upon the value of people.

 

The marketing mix is comprised of four P's (Product, Place, Price, and Promotion). However, it's safe to say that we can add "People" to the equation.

 

Here is a winning formula for building trust...

 

Credibility x Reliability x Intimacy / Self Orientation = Trust

 

Clearly, when we stop talking about our self and focus on building relationships the rest is history.