| In my humble opinion, a lot of giant retailers of | | | | A few months ago, I launched the world's first |
| various products do some things very, very right, | | | | cartoon gourmet coffee gift basket (with whole |
| and others, leave something to be desired. | | | | fresh beans from 5 different countries, some |
| One example is Starbucks. I happen to be a fan of | | | | flavored, some not). I included a set of four cartoon |
| Starbucks, but I do not visit it as often as many of | | | | coasters, both the oversize cup and the coasters |
| my peers for several reasons. | | | | have the cartoon of the customer's choice. I put it |
| The average bill at Starbucks is $4-7 plus a tip. You | | | | on my website. I posted it at Shop.com, |
| don't need a calculator to evaluate money (literally | | | | Amazon.com, Ebay.com, and a bunch of others. And |
| down the drain). The flavorings at Starbucks is very | | | | guess what. I was right. People enjoy the coffee and |
| good, in fact excellent. The coffees themselves are a | | | | laughter, not coffee and Emanuel Kant or coffee and |
| bit better than mediocre. This is because they do not | | | | today'scrime du jour. |
| buy their coffees in beans as some chains do and | | | | So what does all this have to do with corporate |
| grind it themselves. Coffee gets stale fast unless in | | | | gift-giving. I decided to not only discount the coffee |
| bean form. Okay, that's simpler and I do not blame | | | | gift boxes but offer engraving of one's company |
| them for it. | | | | name and URL for only $2. Do I take a loss on that? |
| Who am I to speak with authority? | | | | Sure do. I make up for it with a decent markup, |
| Aside from owning my own private label gourmet | | | | however. I am not becoming Bill Gates, but the |
| coffees that are sold in gift baskets, I did quite a bit | | | | marketing concepts works for some reason. |
| of research on worldwide farms, how to make | | | | And the reason is psychological. Think about it. There |
| better coffee, and some psychological benefits of | | | | are a million ways to advertise you and your |
| the packaging of coffee (whether it be in gift | | | | business. But there is only one way to advertise your |
| baskets or at a table in a shop). | | | | name and business to your client or potential client in |
| As good as they are, I believe it was a big error to | | | | which he/she, first thing in the morning, sees not only |
| print provocative philosophical text on their cups. I do | | | | your name and URL, but a very funny cartoon that |
| not want to talk about deep subjects first thing in | | | | immediately puts them in a good mood. As time goes |
| the morning. My newspaper editor and probably | | | | by, when they think of you or your company, they |
| yours too knows what we like best. We like to laugh. | | | | think positive thoughts. |
| He/she has devoted an entire non revenue-producing | | | | I have decided to do this on other items as well |
| page just for us called the comics page. The editor is | | | | from Christmas Ornaments to clocks. It works. Put |
| fully-aware we are going to be reading some "pretty | | | | yourself in your client's shoes and think how you |
| nasty stuff" before we wade through to the comics. | | | | want to feel in the morning. And if you want to feel |
| So why not offer simply comics with your coffee? | | | | good in the morning (most of us do), it's nice to see |
| I did. | | | | the name of your friend who sent you the gift. |