Thursday, November 18, 2010

Different and Exceptional

Have you ever sat back and thought the days of "business as usual" have passed? We are now in the history records as the generation that does it differently.

The new slogan for our ShotPak® brands is "Drink Differently/Drink Responsibly."

Same for our PGS machine group "Pouch Machinery/Fast and Different."

We have found great success using the new marketing approach of leverage. Our communication is to leverage our customer service and technical people. Leveraging our products and sales locations are the new normal for us. Basically sell what you have and not what you wish you had.

We have spoken for three years about viral marketing. We accepted "digital skin" as our way to communicate with customers and think of each person we touch as part of a large web-based jigsaw puzzle. These pieces are actually where we connect and thus allow us to service or inform the customer of our leverage plans. In the past five years 25% of the world has come to use a Smartphone and get most of their information from these handheld devices. In the USA the penetration exceeds 30%. What this means is that your potential customer can use APP's to get to your web site and look at video or look at the machinery and in turn can send these to friends. The social web experience starts.

In some cases we leverage by product. We have our Regional Brand Sales Manager, Kevin Tur, looking for ways to make ShotPak® products the new daily "Drink Differently/Drink Responsibly" brand in a pouch. So mixing with sparkling wine for a dry Spritzer or with champagne for the Ultimate cocktail are new ways to enjoy the products.

On the other hand, National SBU Manager for Machinery, Rob Libera, leverages people like engineers or brand managers into understanding that our pouch machines are "Different and Fast." It's all about speed and having an edge over the other machine guy, or a pouch that is better in the market place!

I have for years exhibited passion and enthusiasm for providing solutions for easy access to safe and secure beverages in a StandUp pouch and for machines that perform beyond expectations. This is how brands are born. Customers understand the game plan and welcome products that fit into today's lifestyle without worries.

The message is clear this month. We must finish the puzzle by connecting all the pieces around being Different and Exceptional. Customers will hopefully remember.