During this week of Thanksgiving, I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude for your friendship and for your support of our Idea of the Week. Too often, I take for granted the relationships that God has so graciously given to me. The gift of friendship is what provides meaning and purpose in my life. So thank you. I’d like to acknowledge each of you for your contributions to your peers, to your employees, to your customers, to your suppliers and vendors, and to the communities in which you serve. In the busyness of living, we often forget to acknowledge ourselves for the acts of kindness and generosity that we give to one another without hesitation or expectation of receiving anything in return. I’m thankful and grateful for the many, many blessings that bring delight, magic, love, joy, peace and connection into my everyday, ordinary life. “Whatever our individual troubles and challenges may be, it’s important to pause every now and then to appreciate all that we have, on every level. We need to literally ‘count our blessings,’ give thanks for them, allow ourselves to enjoy them, and relish the experience of prosperity we already have.” — Shakti Gawain [...]

George Bernard Shaw once said, “Few people think more than two or three times a year; I have made an international reputation for myself by thinking once or twice a week.” We are all so busy doing, that sometimes we forget to stop and think about what we’ve done and what we want to do. Stopping to really think about your marketing strategy—learning from the past to plan for the future—is a powerful thing, even if you do it just once a quarter. One of our clients has made a tradition of gathering all the key players in their team for a day at the end of the holiday season to debrief. While the season’s successes and blunders are still fresh in their minds, it’s easy to find the spark that leads to new ideas and insights for the year ahead. Another one of our clients recently visited our office to develop next year’s marketing plan. As we reviewed last year’s disappointing numbers for their email coupon redemptions, we realized (“a-ha!”) that a simple layout change could make all the difference. The weekly ad had been taking up most of the space, with the coupon practically hidden in the bottom [...]

Earlier this year, I visited a wonderful supermarket chain in the southwest. It is an excellent supermarket company, with beautiful and well-merchandised facilities. Since it was going to be my first visit, I did some advance research about the company. In doing so, I learned that the business was committed to, among many things, delivering exceptional customer service and exceeding customer expectations.