Oct 31, 2007
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Have you watched this scene from Glengarry Glen Ross? “Coffee is for closers. Always be closing.” I saw this for the first time about three weeks ago. Wow. It left an impression.
I’ve since discovered that this is hugely popular monologue for auditioning actors. And apparently, salespeople refer to it all the time (but not as an example of good salesmanship).
But what if an account planner had written it?
We’ve been talking a lot about ideas. But ideas don’t always translate well without examples. Thankfully, the internet is replete with experiences great and poor.
The single most often-used benefit of the internet is information. Wikipedia, online newspapers, blogs, and all their associated links and RSS feeds. People tend to be more tolerant with information experiences (hey, you read my entries, don’t you?), but when money gets involved — people listen. And more importantly, they’ll turn away if they don’t like what they experience.
Two specific (and very different) examples to consider: Victoria’s Secret, and the International Standards Organization. Comparing apples to oranges? Only in product. When it comes to online shopping, it doesn’t matter if it’s underwear or a whitepaper — if you don’t get what you need, you’re not likely to happy about it.
This blog is meant to give readers an inside look at what we think it takes to build great experiences. It’s easy to point to beautiful sites we’ve designed for clients like Rolex or sexy microsites we’ve built for Mercedes and talk about the experience design methods and processes used there. And for sure, there is tons of value in sharing those stories with our readers.
But one area that we don’t hear a lot about when it comes to building compelling experiences is the art of building excellent and positive client relationships. Arguably, it’s more important than any process or method we use. Without it there is no foundation to do the best work possible.
Oct 23, 2007
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Heard in coffee shops across
Regardless of how you feel about his politics or his stand on the environment, you have to give the guy credit. In a feat of personal brand management, Gore has transformed himself from Ozone Al, the presidential “almost was” to the new Green Giant complete with his own Nobel Prize.
Also heard in some coffee shops across
After the jump: Finding your inconvenient truth …
Sep 28, 2007
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Those of us in the business of planning and building compelling experiences have all been there. You know what I’m talking about - that point where, in a project that’s been going great, you feel like you’re slowly losing sight of the original vision and the process has become a steady flow of revisions with no real end in site.
At Critical Mass, we employ a couple of collaborative design methods that help our teams escape what I call the vicious cycle of review and revisions.
Sep 14, 2007
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Welcome to Experience Matters - the collective thinking of Critical Mass on great experiences and what it takes to pull them off. Our past tells us great experiences are a lot of work - in planning, execution, and refinement. After all, if they were easy, everyone would be doing them. In fact, they’re as much art as science.
We’re writing this as a company blog from an agency that has had the pleasure of working with some amazing clients including Rolex, P&G, Mercedes-Benz, and Global Hyatt among others. Our work spans the brand and transactional space; from strategy through implementation. Much of it is global in nature. You can learn more about our company at www.criticalmass.com, or check in here periodically and we’ll keep you abreast on our work and thinking.
We’ve assembled a cross section of our team, from planners to creatives; from information architects to analysts; from technologists to marketers. We’ll engage some of our clients and others in the industry as the blog grows to discuss how better experiences that can deliver better results - to the business and the customer. We plan to discuss both “the what” and “the how.”
Sep 14, 2007
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It’s been said before—planning, designing, and building a successful digital experience is not unlike building a house. And like all good homes, a successful digital experience bears similar hallmarks of a well constructed building. It’s structurally sound, the plumbing and wiring works—it’s got curb appeal. And of course a home can be unique—both on the inside and out. Interior and exterior design appeals to our emotions, sensibilities, and preferences. Some home designs attract us while others do not. Sometimes it’s subjective and sometimes it isn’t. (more…)
