Thoranna

Why, Oh Why, Oh Why?

Why, oh why, do you do what you do? Have you ever asked yourself? I believe that there are better and worthier reasons for running a business than just making money. You can call me naive, but that's the way it is. The fact is also, that businesses that stand for something more than just making money - well, they tend to make more money! In her book, Passion Brands: Why Some Brands Are Just Gotta Have, Drive All Night For, and Tell All Your Friends About, Kate Newlin talks about what it is that makes people love certain brands. And loved brands have loyal customers that will not go … [Read more...]

What Businesses Can Learn From My Son’s Kindergarten

We have been very lucky in that both our children have attended a local kindergarten which we have all been very very happy with.This particular kindergarten has been widely discussed in Iceland, as it has a strong philosophy. Not that I am going to discuss that here in any detail, but a few of the things they do are things that businesses can learn a lot from when it comes to customer experience. One of the criticism it has is that it is very organised. Everything is marked. The children sit in specific marked places on the floor in the main room during various activities and they have … [Read more...]

I Have Been Reminded

In autumn 2013 I had been travelling a lot around Iceland, speaking and lecturing. As I wrote this, I was in the Westman Islands, north of the Icelandic mainland, unable to get to the mainland for an extra night because of a storm and some really really high waves. As part of my travels, I have had to book accommodation, and as with so many of us, my first place to look is online. This search of mine has reminded me of some very important things when it comes to marketing. Both dos and don'ts. In particular, I was reminded of these three: … [Read more...]

Sorry, I Can’t Help You…

At certain times of year I always get a few phone calls and emails from panicking people, asking me to help them market their product or service. This is often just before the Christmas holidays. This does not just happen in November, it even happens in December! So I am going to write this blog post to enlighten you, and for me to link next time I need to respond to such an email :) My answer is simple: "Sorry, I can't help you". There is no magic marketing potion that works in just a few days or weeks. If you have not been taking care of your marketing until now, a burst of activity just … [Read more...]

I Love Pablo!

Once I went into a shop to look for snow pants for my daughter. As I came in there was no one in the store. In a little while a man comes out and when I ask him whether he has any snow pants for a 9-year-old girl he points absentmindedly in to a corner and says; "if we have them, they are over there". He then took up a newspaper and started reading! I didn't find any snow pants, and if I had, a don't think I would have bought them. Why should I? I got zero service. Then recently I went shopping at Wrentham Outlet just outside Boston. Like many women I know, I hate buying jeans. I love my … [Read more...]