Your Brand and the Amazing 1975 Lunchroom Cinnamon Roll
Your Brand and the Amazing 1975 Lunchroom Cinnamon Roll What does your brand have in common with a lunchroom cinnamon roll? I have vivid memories of first grade, some of which center around the bewildering world of the school cafeteria. At Green Elementary School in Jackson, Mississippi, I would stroll into what I recall as an aircraft-hangar-sized lunchroom with the rest of Mrs. Bass’s and Mrs. Thompson’s classes, go down the line with my tray, and happily present my card-stock lunch ticket at the end. The cashier would smile and click her hole-punch on the day of the week, and I’d sit down with another plate of delicious industrial nourishment. The lunches weren’t really as bad as the cultural references always joked, but that didn’t mean they were great. Except that sometimes… they were. There were certain days, in fact, where the lunch experience was transformed into something completely unforgettable. You see, as you finished the normal serving process and approached the cashier, you passed a small area with colored plates. These were the additional desserts, usually small pieces of cake or other pastries. But the most important one of all was the lunchroom cinnamon roll. And on some days, Mom would give me a nickel and a dime to go along with my lunch ticket. Fifteen cents was the price of one of those lunchroom cinnamon rolls, which was my admission to the glorious land of the elementary school sugar high. Buying a fifteen-cent cinnamon roll was probably my first solo experience as a consumer. Those little transactions made me feel like a grown-up, making a purchasing decision and completing an independent transaction as an individual with a vision for his future and the cash to make it happen. And of course, they had to be delicious because they tasted like sugar, cinnamon, and power. Amazing. As I thought about the experience, I identified a few factors that I think played into the impact of experiences like my amazing 1975 lunchroom cinnamon roll. You can apply these ideas to the way you take your own products and services into the marketplace. • The excitement and impact of getting something extra Big or small, there is something irresistible about a bonus. Whether it’s a freebie or an opportunity to make an impulse buy, even a tiny extra feels special. What can you add to the experience of working with you that feels like an extra? It doesn’t have to be big, flashy, or expensive, as long as it’s awesome. • Perceived status There is an undeniable sweetness to knowing your peers envy you. It’s human nature to savor the moments when we get to be the leader in line, or king of the hill, or the cool kid. When your clients interact or do business with you, does the experience leave them with something to brag about? • Transformed memory of an assembly line experience Four decades later, I still remember the price, the presentation, and the general experience of buying a cinnamon roll in my lunchroom. I remember where they were in the line. I remember the kinds of plates they were served on. I can even vaguely remember the cashier’s face. Meanwhile, I cannot tell you for certain any other item I ever ate in that lunchroom. I have no specific memory of any other part of the experience. A year from now, what will the client remember about their experience with your brand? What if a special extra is the key to creating a lasting memory of your brand?
12 Amazing Audience Engagement Ideas I Learned on a Cruise – Part 2
12 Amazing Audience Engagement Ideas I Learned on a Cruise – Part 2 This follow-up is long overdue, but worth the wait! Here’s part 2. Amazing tip #6: Encourage your audience to walk through your experience on occasion, instead of always streamlining everything. Dover, England – With London only a short drive away, people often skip Dover as they are embarking or disembarking. But Dover Castle has a charm of its own and it’s worth the trip to the top of the hill to see the view. It was worth it to walk up rather than take trolleys or cabs – we climbed a beautiful staircase in the woods. While walking through the city toward the castle, we found a number of shops and a great place to eat when we came back down. Once in a while, it may be worthwhile to buck the trend of hyper-streamlining an experience and encourage your audience to walk and take the stairs. It was strenuous and we had to catch our breath, but the experience was richer and more memorable than a taxi to the front door. Amazing tip #7: Make it worthwhile to look past the surface. St. Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands – Castle Cornet on the island of Guernsey is, for some travelers, just “ABC” – that is, “another bloomin’ castle.” But taking the time to explore yielded multiple intriguing stories ranging across centuries. There’s nearly always more to “ABC” than you might think, which means it can be rewarding to explore unknown brands. At the same time, it’s incumbent upon the owner of the lesser-known brand to take whatever it is that they’ve got, frame it effectively, and communicate it to the audience in a way that makes them curious enough to dig one level deeper. Amazing tip #8: Effective branding overcomes a change of context. Waterford, Ireland – When you think of Waterford, Ireland, you probably think first of Waterford Crytal. In addition to their worldwide fame for making crystal dining ware, they are also well-known for their creation of art objects and trophies such as the crystal football BCS trophy. The city is also home to Reginald’s Tower, a relic from the town’s Viking history. In the midst of all the things that Waterford is best known for, though, I have another unforgettable memory of Waterford, Ireland that has nothing to do with its history. As I crossed a busy street, I recognized the logo of my alma mater on the jacket of a gentleman crossing in the other direction. I greeted him with “Hail State!” and we have stayed in touch since then. That recognizable brand did its job, allowing fellow fans to establish a connection even in an entirely unrelated context. There was no reason for me to be looking for that logo or thinking about my alma mater, but the sight of the school colors and the logo instantly transcended the context of the environment. Not every brand has a goal of facilitating interpersonal relationships among alumni, but every brand can aspire to the powerful goal of being instantly recognizable even in an unrelated context. You can read the other entries in this series via the following links: 12 Amazing Audience Engagement Ideas I Learned on a Cruise – Part 1 12 Amazing Audience Engagement Ideas I Learned on a Cruise – Part 3
Branding, Integrity, and Handling Mistakes
Branding, Integrity, and Handling Mistakes Integrity is not just a smart and moral way to navigate your personal life. It’s also part of your professional branding, and it will inevitably affect your business success. This past weekend I performed for a new client. They had previously booked another performer, but he phoned them to cancel his appearance just a day and a half before the event. They were not convinced that his “double booked” story was true, and he did not make an effort to replace himself but simply left them to pick up the pieces. I got the call, charged them a higher price (I simply could not match his low-ball fee), and got uniformly great feedback afterward. As a bonus, I expect significant additional work from this client. The truth is that the other performer may have indeed honestly and accidentally double-booked himself. Mistakes happen to everyone. But there is no excuse not to have gone to the client with a solution in hand, already having made arrangements to replace himself. There are literally dozens of performers in this area – at a range of skill and price points – and he should have at least reached out to a couple of them so that he would have options on the table when contacting the client about his error. The best possibility is that other performer made an honest mistake. On the other hand, he also may simply have ditched them for a “better” or more lucrative gig. I prefer to give him the benefit of the doubt, and I did so even when this client expressed their suspicion. But by leaving the client stressed, without easy options, and convinced that they had been ditched for a higher-paying opportunity, he spoiled any chance of working for them in the future. He also eliminated any possibility that he might get future “overflow” work from me because of the way he chose to handle the situation: leaving a client hanging rather than taking the initiative to attempt to replace himself. You and I will make mistakes, too. But how we handle those mistakes will be a good indicator of our integrity, our commitment to our clients, and to our own professional reputations. “Regard your good name as the richest jewel you can possibly be possessed of — for credit is like fire; when once you have kindled it you may easily preserve it, but if you once extinguish it, you will find it an arduous task to rekindle it again. The way to a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.” ― Socrates
4 Must-Have Components of Effective Magic (and Branding!)
4 Must-Have Components of Effective Magic (and Branding!) It pains me to say it, but there’s a lot of ineffective magic out there. Magic that people don’t get, don’t like, don’t remember, and ultimately don’t want. Very often, performers may nip at the edges of amazing experiences. Sometimes, some audiences may be engaged for a moment, or think a performer is clever, or be fascinated by great skill, or even enjoy the temporary spectacle of a show… but the overall experience somehow doesn’t quite qualify as “magical.” Why is that? I suggest to you that there are 4 necessary components of truly effective magic, and that they can be summed up in one sentence. No matter how well I perform a sleight, operate an apparatus, or do some other secret action, it’s not really magic until an audience experiences something impossible that means something to them personally. The Magic Side That’s a statement that is going to take a little unpacking. Here are the four criteria, each spelled out in a bit more detail. 1. Magic requires an audience. It can be fun and rewarding to practice a technique to perfection, or to develop a new routine, or to work out a new plot. Rehearsing can give you exciting glimpses of what you may be able to accomplish with the art. But it’s not magic until there’s an audience to experience it. In fact, “performing magic” is somewhat misleading phrase. Magic is a witnessed phenomenon, not a performed one. Magic is not performed until it is witnessed. 2. Magic requires mystery. It can be fun to solve a puzzle, or to engage in some clever wordplay, or to peek behind the curtain. But once it happens, the sensation of magic is destroyed. It’s not magic if the illusion is penetrated. Poor technique, equipment failure, or a lack of good design can all endanger or eliminate the magical experience. Magic explained is not magic. 3. Effective magic has a meaningful context. Walk onstage, push a giant needle through a balloon, and walk off. You might get a smattering of applause. But even the simplest illusion, given some dramatic framework or connection to the world, becomes more powerful. Is the illusion about your comic failure to make the balloon burst as expected? Is it about challenging expectations? Is it about surprising strengths? If it’s just a puzzle, it’s not really magic. Presentation counts as much as technique. Give magic a “why” to heighten its impact. 4. Effective magic connects with people personally. Good magic has a context that gives it a meaning, answering the question “Why are you doing that?” But to go even further, great magic connects to something the audience values, answering the question, “Why should I care?” Whether you are physically doing close-up magic in a spectator’s own hands, or scripting an illusion to perform for a thousand people, find a way to relate what you’re doing to something the audience cares about. Give your audience a reason to care about the magic. The Business Side Interestingly, if you consider each of those points, I suspect you’ll see that they apply just as much to branding, marketing, and customer experience issues as they do to the performance of magic. • You have to gather an audience for your message. • The more of your process that the audience perceives, the less magical their experience. • You increase your impact by giving your audience a framework through which to interpret what you share with them. • You maximize that impact by making that framework something that they care about. What can you do today to change the way you communicate and engage your audience so that their experience with your brand is more magical?
Branding, Acting, and the Given Circumstances
Branding, Acting, and the Given Circumstances Sometimes we talk about the art of acting as if it were somehow dishonorable, and about nothing but lying and ego. But the reality is that great acting is about the truth, and understanding that can affect the way you make decisions about your brand and your real life responses to change and challenge. In my college acting days, I read A Practical Handbook for the Actor by Melissa Bruder et al. This little book transformed my approach to acting by boiling down much of the Sanford Meisner technique into its most accessible components. It dispensed with a lot of the esoteric emotional exercises and helped focus the actor on the questions at the heart of any scene. Who are these characters, and what do they want? In providing a way to answer those questions, the book first introduced me to a formulation of Meisner’s definition of acting, and it has stuck with me ever since. Generic Viagra https://www.wolfesimonmedicalassociates.com/viagra/ In short, acting is the art of living truthfully within given circumstances. The Given Circumstances In the theatre, the given circumstances can include the words of the script; the choices of the director with regard to blocking, style, and characterization; and the physicality of the set, costumes and props. Sometimes the director chooses to be flexible and allow changes to the given circumstances, but sometimes they are solid boundaries. The magic of acting, though, is that there is nearly infinite room for creativity and expression even within what may seem heavily constraining limits. In fact, some of the most memorable moments on film were improvisations by actors who, in character, reacted most honestly and authentically to changes in their given circumstances. From Jack Nicholson’s “Here’s Johnny!” in The Shining to Dustin Hoffman’s “I’m walking here!” in Midnight Cowboy, there are numerous film examples of amazing, high-impact moments created by actors committed to their purpose and the authenticity of their reactions. Accutane online https://advicarehealth.com/accutane.html In the past couple of weeks, I’ve watched several friends encounter difficult changes in their given circumstances, including lost jobs, problems with children, and the loss of their spouses. Other friends have had happy changes including signing new contracts, landing huge new clients, and having children – or in some cases, grandchildren! All of them will make new choices and they will take new actions as a result of the changed circumstances. Regardless of the nature of the changed circumstances, though, the actions they take will illustrate who they really are. What are their core values? What is, ultimately, their personal brand all about? Authentic Actions Illustrate Character In the same way that people illustrate their values and personal brands through their actions in changing circumstances, so also do organizations and corporate brands. Sometimes the changing circumstances are a function of the economy, or technology, or a change of leadership. Sometimes the new circumstances are a function of a crisis brought on by a customer service or public relations misstep. That there will be changes in the given circumstances is inescapable. That we deliver insights to our audiences by how we perform in the given circumstances is undeniable. Human beings instinctively process stories and characters based on the actions they take as the plot unfolds. Authentically motivated, value-driven responses to changing circumstances are the hallmark of top performers, whether on-stage or in the market. We are all actors because we all take action. When you act with authenticity that is driven by your goals and values, and you will captivate and amaze your audience.
Pride Goes Before the Fall – So Stay Proud!
Pride Goes Before the Fall – So Stay Proud! I’m sure you’ve heard the idiom “Pride goes before the fall” sometime in your life. You may recognize it as coming from the Bible – Proverbs 16:18, to be exact. In the original context, it is a traditional two-part warning: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” But modern English usage has shortened it to “Pride goes before the fall.” It’s generally used in the context of warning people that overconfidence and hubris often precede defeat, humiliation, or setback… usually because the excess pride led to complacency or mistakes. A stuck-up person can be blind to his or her weaknesses and fail to acknowledge his vulnerabilities. Warning people to avoid that pitfall is good advice. There is, however, another way to interpret “Pride goes before the fall,” but it requires that we split the concept “pride” into two component parts. Zenegra https://www.wolfesimonmedicalassociates.com/zenegra/ One part is hubris and haughtiness. That arrogant, overconfident element is a vice and is what the original proverb is warning against. It is about not merely elevating your perception of yourself, but diminishing others as well. It is an unloving and unwise characteristic and certainly as deadly a sin as we’ve been taught. But I believe, as have many before me, that underneath the vice, there is a virtuous element of pride, specifically, the state of being pleased or gratified with the result of good performance, whether your own or someone else’s. Even Christians are taught that we should desire to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant.” That compliment is clearly intended to engender a combination of gratitude and pleasure at a job “well done.” Generic Ambien online https://www.gastonpharmacy.com/ambien.php The negative aspects of pride are, as always, a perversion of a virtue; that is, being proud to an extreme that goes beyond what is merited. Warnings against haughtiness are warranted. But it is both unreasonable and unwise to abandon the feeling of pride in true work and true value. If your work merits approval, then there is nothing wrong with being pleased that you’ve done a task well, that you’ve delivered the value expected of you, or that you’ve performed at a high level. In fact, I think that such pride in one’s work and one’s workmanship is a necessary component of a successful, prosperous society and a successful, prosperous brand. And that’s where the second interpretation comes in. When that virtuous pride is gone, your society will fall. When you stop taking pride in your work, your achievements will slow and stop. When you stop taking pride in your family, your relationships will weaken. When you stop taking pride in your community, your society will crumble. When you stop expecting others to demonstrate pride in what they do, overall quality of output will decline. When pride goes, a fall is sure to follow. It is smart to avoid hubris and arrogance. It is wise to avoid being unrealistic about your weaknesses and vulnerabilities. It takes humility to accept that you still need to improve. But in the same way you look at your shortcomings with an honest eye, you must also look at your achievements on their real merits, and take pride in doing a job well. You have a right to be proud of your brand and the things that you do to strengthen it. Enjoy your success – not in a haughty way, but in the context of building on your momentum to achieve more.
The December “Plus 1” Challenge
The December “Plus 1” Challenge Every day from now until Christmas, post a genuine compliment to one large brand’s and one small brand’s Google+, Twitter, or Facebook page. I’m a small business owner and a lover of small business and entrepreneurship. But I am not a fan of envy-driven activism or divisive campaigning. I’m weary of marketing that presents our buying choices as false dichotomies for the sake of sensationalizing purchases I make for myself and my family. If I choose to buy a product at a small shop or at a giant chain discount store, that’s my choice. And if my choice is a chain store on Monday, that doesn’t mean I won’t shop at the small shop on Thursday… unless I believe I’m being insulted or guilted for making my own buying decisions. My purchase of a replacement ink cartridge, or a candle, or a picture frame at a big shop is not “buying a vacation home for a rich CEO.” It is meeting my needs as a consumer. A business is not automatically good or worthy of support because it is small, nor is it automatically evil or profiteering because it is part of a large corporation. Large or small, it is the brand’s job to deliver an outstanding experience to me. It is their job to establish the context they’d like me to use in judging their performance. If they don’t want to be judged on price like a discount chain, fine. Tell me how you want to be evaluated, but you don’t have to malign another brand or entire sector of businesses to do it. That is a cop out. [su_pullquote]Every day from now until Christmas, I dare you to share a genuine compliment about a small brand AND a large brand that are delivering great experiences to you and your family.[/su_pullquote]Bigger businesses and brands are operated by people who also have families, piano lessons, church obligations, aging parents, and so on. They have bills to pay, they love their kids, and they want the same things we all want. Employees and managers and yes, even leaders and executives of large businesses do not automatically deserve to be mocked, derided, or blamed for the ills of society because a few CEOs, bank presidents or board chairmen get in the news for bad decisions or despicable behavior. Those kinds of stories make headlines, of course, but there are plenty of examples of bad eggs in all kinds of businesses. Fortunately, there are also plenty of great examples of good, solid human beings making good decisions every day, in businesses small and large. So here’s the challenge. Every day from now until Christmas, I dare you to share a genuine compliment about a small brand AND a large brand that are delivering great experiences to you and your family. Even if they have been mocked in the news. Even if your political preferences don’t align with that organization’s leadership. Even if they have dropped the ball before but did something right for you this year. I dare you to give them a “plus one” public pat on the back. You know you benefit from the work they do. You use their products and services in your home, office, church, car, or clubhouse all the time. You like their sandwiches. You drive their cars. You use their bank cards. You buy their gasoline. I love being a small businessman and an entrepreneur. I love a thriving business environment at all levels and magnitudes, from the at-home start up to the giant corporation. And I want them all to be even more successful.
Five Kinds of Amazing, Part 5: Hypersight and Vision
Five Kinds of Amazing, Part 5: Hypersight The fifth of the Five Kinds of Amazing relates to another branch of mentalism effects which I’ll group under the umbrella term “hypersight.” This category is distinct from the prior one in that while it includes apparent psychic abilities, this specific type of inexplicable knowledge is not derived from mind-to-mind telepathy, but rather from apparent knowledge at a distance without a direct telepathic connection to another mind. What kinds of effects or experiences might be included in this genre? In my own performances, I sometimes call out the serial number of a bank note volunteered from someone’s wallet or purse. This is information that wouldn’t exist in anyone’s mind, waiting to be telepathically read. The information simply exists in the environment and must be sensed through some kind of unusual remote vision. Likewise, a performer who can somehow tell you what items are in your purse, briefcase, or glove compartment would be demonstrating this kind of effect. Examples outside show business might include the “psychic detective” who somehow knows where the body is buried or where some other lost item can be recovered. (I don’t personally believe in the real-world validity of such examples, but they are common enough stories in the popular culture that they serve as a clarifying example.) There are even tales of Cold War experiments in which the concept of remote viewing was explored for the purposes of espionage. I also include in this category any apparent knowledge at a temporal distance – that is, the apparent ability to see into the future. As an example, I have frequently predicted (in the theatrical sense) local newspaper headlines or sports scores that would be reported on the day of my performances. Outside show business, figures such as Sylvia Browne, Jeane Dixon, Uri Geller, doomsday cult leaders and others have taken the prediction game to an extreme, leaving the theatrical framework aside to attempt to convince gullible or heartsick people that they really could see into the future. As a result, these and thousands if not millions of other unethical individuals have made livings and sometimes fortunes by monetizing the misplaced hope of others. It goes without saying that any skill – theatrical, technological, or otherwise – can be used for purposes either good or ill. The underlying concept of precognition or second sight, though, is a truly compelling theatrical idea. It is a startling and amazing thing to think that someone could know in advance the outcome of a crisis, challenge, contest, or any other question or endeavor. So what business competency can we develop that gives our audience this kind of experience, in a positive, inspirational, and ethical way? Vision To answer that, I go back to management consultant Peter F. Drucker’s well-known turn of phrase, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” While perhaps a bit clichéd now, this is an empowering and illuminating idea in several ways, all of which revolve around the concept of vision. First, the direction to create the future assumes a fundamental ability to create. Creativity is an invaluable asset and, while some may demonstrate it in higher degree than others, everyone has the ability to increase and improve their creative output. Once a new product, service, technique, or idea becomes accepted and embedded in the environment, the person, group, or brand that put it there will retroactively be credited with uncanny vision of the future. Second, creating the future assumes a clear goal. Does your brand define clear goals and make it clear that they have been achieved? The pattern of declaration, achievement, and celebration is convincing evidence that there is an evolving but clearly intentional vision for the future of the brand and its relationship to its audience. Third, creating the future hinges on the ability of a leader to inspire action. Whether dealing with a large organization, a small team, or even oneself, the most innovative creativity and the clearest vision are of no use until action is taken. Vision, as a corresponding competency to hypersight, relates to the ability to identify, anticipate, and create trends by innovation and thought leadership. Creativity, clarity, and leadership are the tools that allow you to amaze your audience in this mode.
Five Kinds of Amazing, Part 4: Contact
Five Kinds of Amazing, Part 4: Contact We all want our audiences to perceive our brands as “amazing,” and the “Five Kinds of Amazing” model provides a way to organize our approaches for making amazing experiences happen. In reviewing the first three elements, the magic metaphors all relate to primarily visual experiences. – Talent/Expertise: relating to open and frequent knowledge sharing – Science/Process: relating to embedding unexpected positive experiences in standard processes – Mystery/Empowerment: relating to the overt contradiction of an established process In this article and the next, we are going to shift gears a bit. In the final two categories, we’ll be referring to effects within a particular branch of illusion arts known as “mentalism.” I’ve written about mentalism before, and you may find it helpful in understanding the metaphor by reviewing that article. To summarize, though, mentalism is a branch of the illusion arts that deals with experiences that are more psychological than visual. Instead of more traditional conjuring effects such as objects appearing, floating, changing colors, or being destroyed and restored, mentalism relates to experiences of supposed ESP, mind-reading, mental influence, ability to affect the physical world through the power of the mind, and predictions of future events. Some mentalism effects or experiences relate to the concept of mind-reading. The “Contact” category corresponds to this kind of illusion, in which one person seems to be able to communicate with another person solely through mental power. The apparent ability to read minds or to influence people mentally is a powerful theatrical experience. Classic performers like Alexander and Dunninger and more modern figures like the Evasons and Max Maven have created sensations with their ability to seemingly get inside the minds of other people. Communication In business, contact equals communication. The key factor here is that there are two minds involved – someone is sending the message, and someone is receiving and, more importantly, responding to it. If someone could really read your mind – and let’s say that they can only read it to the extent that you permit them to read it – how do you think you’d feel? Let’s leave aside the possible negative aspects for a moment and just think about some of the other implications. You might feel as if there were a direct and unfiltered connection, and that the communication was practically instantaneous. Depending on how they handled that information, you might develop a deep trust. You’d certainly feel that you had their undivided attention if they were peering directly into your mind. If you want your audience to feel like you’ve made the best possible connection with them – that is, an amazing connection, then it’s up to you to make sure you communicate with them in similar ways: Regularly So that there’s an expectation that you’ll be in touch consistently. Quickly So that there’s an immediacy in the engagement. Honestly So that there’s an establishment of trust. Attentively So that there’s a clear prioritization of that communication. The faster you respond, the more amazing they’ll find that interaction. The more you share honest, useful, information with them, the more amazing they’ll find your brand. The more attentive you are to them in the moments when they are reaching out, the more amazing the story they’ll tell their own audiences. Next time, we’ll wrap up the five kinds of amazing with a look at another type of mentalism experience and how it relates to your brand’s audience!
Five Kinds of Amazing, Part 3: Mystery
Five Kinds of Amazing, Part 3: Mystery In our previous articles we’ve established the “5 Kinds of Amazing” model for delivering brand experiences that create audience amazement. We’ve discussed the first two pieces of the model: – Talent/Expertise: relating to open and frequent knowledge sharing – Science/Process: relating to embedding unexpected positive experiences in standard processes In this article, we continue with the third kind of amazing, the experience of Mystery and its counterpart, Empowerment. Mystery, as we use the term here, relates to the apparent contradiction of a natural law. Most traditional magic falls here – people are cut in half and put back together, or birds appear from nowhere. Even a signed card vanishing and reappearing in a wallet fits here. This is an enormous category but the characteristic of all the effects is that the laws of nature are being visibly contradicted. When an illusionist, either a magician or a mentalist, creates amazement by convincingly appearing to contradict the physical laws of nature, they will elicit a strong response. This response will be proportional to the directness and blatancy with which the law seems to be broken. Earlier this month I saw a show featuring the exceptional South Korean card magician Yu Ho Jin. He stood at the center of a large stage in Las Vegas and, using props that would fit in a lunchbox, he captivated a huge audience. Although he performed at the end of a dynamic, high-energy show full of motion and flash, he stood planted center stage, looking out at the audience with a beatific smile. He transformed a white scarf into a single playing white card. That card was transformed into a pink card, then it changed to blue, then to green. He then reached into the air repeatedly pulling fans of cards from nowhere, dropping them and instantly producing fans of other cards. In a key moment, he visibly tore a playing card lengthwise and held the barest sliver of it in his right hand. The left hand made the other, larger piece vanish completely. The music stopped. In silence, the piece he held expanded visibly, growing at his fingertips until it was a completely restored card. It was as if it were being materialized and reconstructed from the atoms in the air as we watched. That moment was a complete refutation of reality. A gasp went out from the audience. A huge stage, over a thousand people in the crowd, and the defiance of physics in a space of about six square inches caused an honest, uncontrollable emotional response. This was a beautiful experience, and it beautifully illustrates a remarkable point: the power to alter reality in ‘impossible’ ways is charged with emotional potential. So what does that look like on your stage? Empowerment and Brand Engagement In a business, your “laws of nature” are your business processes. These processes describe how your universe is supposed to work. If you choose the right moment to break one of those rules, however, you can create an unforgettably amazing moment for your audience. Most of us can think of a time when a policy was ignored, a rule was broken, or we received some other special dispensation. It makes us feel special when exceptions are made to accommodate our needs or wants. Certainly Ritz-Carlton’s work in going beyond normal expectations is legendary, with a policy that formally empowers every employee to spend up to $2,000 to solve a guest’s problem or rectify a situation. I have personally witnessed how free first class, hotel room, or rental car upgrades can change a bad travel experience into a good one almost instantaneously. Even if upgrading to first class isn’t possible, I still feel special when the flight attendant pops an extra pack of Biscoff cookies in my hand. But just as Yu Ho Jin didn’t need a full stage illusion to break through to his audience and deliver an unforgettable experience, you don’t have to have a Ritz-Carlton budget to create amazing against-the-rules moments. If free gifts aren’t in the budget, there are other ways to show the ability and willingness to color outside the lines. Extending a sale price for a day or two after a sale can create loyalty from a customer who was just price-shopping. Merely going above and beyond in the interest of service can be almost as impressive as a policy break. Earlier this summer, I was on the leadership team for a convention at a large hotel in the Southwest. One of the activities during the convention required a full-length mirror. Rather than charge us to locate or rent a mirror, one of the hotel staff offered to loan us his mirror from his own office. That was unexpected, outside the normal rules, and made a positive impression. Are your employees, managers, or other brand representatives empowered to break the rules if needed in order to ensure that your audience gets an amazing experience? The mysterious, logic-defying feeling of magic is a brand-engagement power that you don’t have to be a wizard to wield.
