Getting out of the Red - Red Lobster's Turn Around?

Ever since the NY Times wrote an article back in February on the eroding middle class effecting major restaurant chains, I've been interested in this phenomenon. How do companies survive and even shift their business towards the growing upper class without neglecting and even disappointing their base? Interestingly enough, many companies catering to the middle class were founded on the very principal of bringing that product to the masses - whether it was coffee (Folgers) or seafood (Red Lobster). What was once a luxury is now attainable. But over the last few decades, it wouldn't be a stretch to say many businesses have taken advantage of their middle class customer, sacrificing quality for cost, focusing heavily on promotions and hoping a gimmick would get people through the door. So beloved brands have become just another cheap deal - quantity over quality. With the conversation shifting from "I got this at X" to "I got this at X% off." Brands have fallen into a price war arms race, lowering the value of their products and brand. What once was a semi-annual special trip to a restaurant may now be a regular, monthly routine. Or once cherished clothing is now discarded with the seasons.Where has this gotten us? Americans are now more in debt, overweight, and it's safe to assume based on the rise of the self-storage industry, have more stuff than ever. Companies are struggling to keep up with customer quantity demands, hurting the environment and navigating murky labor practices as they continue to cut costs.

While they're struggling, a counter-trend is rising. Fast food is being out run by fast casual with sustainability-focused companies like Chipotle leading the charge. Even McDonald's has decided to rebrand. Online retailers focused on sustainability or ethically sourced materials like Zady, Accompany, Everlane and Warby Parker are popping up every day. And trendsetters like Millennials are shifting their spending - focusing on pure utility rather than the emotional benefits that come from owning a brand. For instance, car sharing companies have been proven to displace car sales. On a smaller scale, the growing number of subscription coffee services and even ingredient delivery services like Blue Apron show that people are choosing to forgo the prestige of eating and drinking out in order to save money - but they still want a high quality experience.

What do I predict will happen when brands like Red Lobster go back to their roots and offer the high quality experience they once did? First, they'll attract a whole new customer - the upper middle to upper class who may have even had positive associations with the brand from their childhood. Red Lobster may lose customers who were driven by discounts and deals but most importantly, their core customer - a true advocate of the brand - may learn to shift their budgets. What was once a cherished, special meal will become a special, occasional meal once again. Bringing Red Lobster out of the red. 

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

What will surprise EXACTLY NO ONE who knows me - is that I managed to find an adorably charming French cafe about a week after moving into my Upper East Side neighborhood. Like Brooklyn's Smith Canteen, which I had the pleasure of frequenting during my brief, but lovely stay in Carroll Gardens, Le Moulin a Cafe is also directly across the street from a French school. I often arrive just in time to stand behind a gaggle of parents who've just dropped their children off at Lycee Francais, energetically speaking to one another in French and somehow eating their daily croissants despite remaining thin. For exactly ten minutes a few times a week, I can pretend I'm living in Paris. Furthering this pleasant illusion - I've convinced one of the baristas to speak to me only in French - which seems like the exact opposite of what one should do before having their coffee. There is much stuttering on my part.The baristo, on the other hand, while not knowing French, knows something even better - my order. With a kind smile, he ceremoniously pours my side of soy milk into an espresso shot glass along with my coffee, a seemingly small luxury to arm me with an inevitably crowded subway ride and long day. The other day, I surprised him by switching up my order - a switch up made in an attempt to save money in 2014. How could he have known?

I'm working on an essay contest around how brands should behave in the digital age. Sunday night, I had one of those moments that artists strategists dream of - or maybe dread. It involved waking up in the middle of the night unable to sleep with ideas running through my head. I finally had to write them out in the dark on a scrap piece of paper - which were fortunately legible the next morning.

I digress.

In 2012, JWT predicted that a top ten trend in 2013 would be predictive personalization - the idea that brands would be able to predict what you're interested in buying based off of the data they have on you. But what if this is not a new concept at all? What if digital is simply a stand in for those everyday client / customer experiences? Instead of a charming baristo with a vague British accent to know your order, recommendations for products based on our preferences can easily be served up through digital. In fact, if this interaction took place in a small village a century ago, a store clerk might have even heard through the grapevine that I declared to save money in 2014 and might have offered a less expensive product. Back to our digital age - what if brands could link in with Mint or a finance-management APi, offering you products within your budget and even encouraging you to stick to the budget.

We've finally entered a future where brands can build relationships with their customers using the data collected through daily digital and in-person interactions, arming their employees to treat us like friends and serving us appropriate products. Ironically, this revolutionary new digital capability is  feat that has been second nature to humans through their existence.

Cheers!

How to Make It In New York City

Last week, I reentered the unpredictable world of strategic consulting. I'm excited to work with clients across various verticals and disciplines, conducting research and providing both insights and strategic direction to impact their business and help them better engage with their consumers. It's increasingly apparent that a full time position only offers the illusion of stability in today's economic climate. In fact, every time I get LinkedIn updates from my network, half the updates show that someone has gone freelance; whether by choice or layoff, I cannot say. I'm sure universal health coverage will accelerate this trend. A recent New York Times article pointed to a Gallup study that found

"Among the 100 million people in this country who hold full-time jobs, about 70 percent of them either hate going to work or have mentally checked out to the point of costing their companies money — “roaming the halls spreading discontent,” as Gallup reported. Only 30 percent of workers are “engaged and inspired” at work."

While a full time position can offer (often) measly health benefits and the continuity of working with the same colleagues and clients, employees start to get too complacent, failing to maintain their network and nurture their reputation outside the company. And then they find themselves on the chopping block, without an updated resume or wealth of contacts to help them land their next gig.

So after surrounding myself with successful people, absorbing any hearty advice I come across and attending as many educational events I can fit in, I've narrowed down a few rules for becoming a successful consultant or protect ourselves from a lengthy unemployment. Through social media especially, we have the power to shape our own brand, so that if we do end up on the chopping block, we have enough contacts, credibility and experience to turn that snafu into an opportunity.

1. Solidify and properly convey your story. Everyone you come across wants to understand where you came from in order to better connect. Figure out what makes you tick - and how those insights led to where you are now. My story is that I've always had a deep fascination with people from the time I was in high school, taking advanced life-drawing classes, to a long history of street and portrait photography. I translated this passion into consumer insight-driven strategy, working with brands to better understand their consumer's motivations and habits to grow their business. Michael Margolis from Get Storied, believes that often something that happened when we were between 8-10 years old shaped who we are today. Growing up in a bi-religious household, in an ethnically diverse town shaped my fascination with people and their cultural influences. Yearly trips to an American enclave in the middle of Mexico solidified this interest.

2. Establish your credibility. As the return of investment of MBAs increasingly come into question, entrepreneurs have sought new forms of establishing credibility among their clients. First and foremost, be authentic and honest in your business dealings. Put 200% into every client you work for and only do your best work. Extend the brand of you through speaking engagements, teaching (Skillshare), public presentations (Slideshare), writing articles and working with respected clients. Document your achievements and get permission to publish any positive client feedback.

3. Grow your network. Relationships are the glue that hold a successful career together. A strong network can offer mentorship, job opportunities and emotional support to navigate ones career. When we are passionate about our career, we find genuine connections with people in our industry. Maintain these connections regardless of your current employment status and make sure to give back or pay it forward. I have had the good fortune to have numerous people help me along the way. The best way to reward a mentor is to immediately incorporate their advice and achieve success doing so. The knowledge that they made a positive difference in someone's life and will pay it forward, is reward enough.

What advice have you been given that's been critical to your success?

Trend Series: Caffeine Culture

This is the first of what I hope will be a regular series where I explore trends that I've captured mostly through my iPhone.

As you may know from following my Instagram feed and reading my blog, I have a love / hate relationship with caffeine. Mostly love, of course. Starbucks was one of the first companies to develop a brand around coffee, modeling their in store experience after sophisticated European cafés. But with the saturation of Starbucks, the last few years have seen a distinct 180 shift from the Starbucks aesthetic. Perhaps due to the sea of chain restaurants, plastic, disposable and mass produced everything, we're desperately seeking more permanence. Growing coffee companies like Stumptown and Kaffe 1668 use the dim lighting of incandescent bare light bulbs, candles and mason jars to hark back to a time where the General Store dominated, long before mass production and globalization. But with the added conveniences of wifi and elegance of a Dwell-worthy spread. Patrons are reminded of the craftsmanship, personal touch and ritual that goes into caffeine consumption through porcelain cups and latté art. Baristas have become artists, identifying themselves by wearing the uniform of newsboy caps, vests and the occasional bright red lipstick to remind customers that they are part of the creative class.

In New York, the four dollar cup of coffee has held its ground despite our stagnant economy. Perhaps we use this perfectly poured cup of coffee to escape the realities of our fast moving world, filled with constant email pings and chatter of always being busy? Ironically this escapism is often ruined by the compulsion to document and share our coffee experiences through social media channels like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

In the last few years, it seems that Brooklynites are nearly obsessed with this pre World War II lifestyle. Can you spot some examples?

Brands: A Lesson in Western Religion

As I contemplate my next move in the advertising world, I’ve started to delve into the science and philosophies behind positioning a brand. With each client I've worked for, I've wondered, will these ads even matter if at its core, the company does not share these beliefs? A few months ago, I attended PSFK’s conference in NYC and was inspired by their collection of speakers ranging from those passing on philosophical insights to practical advice. Vikram Gandhi’s talk on “Directing “Kumaré From Illusion Comes Truth,” stood out as an eye opening look into why brands have become such an important part of our lives. And well known for being an expert on branding, Debbie Millman’s book Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits compares brands to religions in the first few pages.As an art history minor who spent a semester in Florence, I realize how the history of advertising can neatly be aligned with the history of Christianity. I focus on Christianity only because I am more familiar with its history and symbolism thanks to my art history classes while abroad.

In the beginning of Christianity, Jesus and his story were depicted through symbols. A circle, or halo was used to indicate Jesus along with other elements to indicate important people in his story. Mosaics in North Eastern Italy (Ravenna, Rimini), were featured in churches where people gathered to gain wisdom, a sense of community and direction from these images, each other and spiritual leaders. Compare this to the experience of regularly buying from a store in the 1800s. Would buying from one particular dressmaker or tailor make you seem more educated or put you in the upper class? While you felt that wearing their clothing gave you a particular sense of confidence, the key contact with the "brand" was limited to the physical location it was sold in just as the main connection with Jesus was made in a church.

Eventually, as Christianity grew in Italy, so did the experience of worshipping Jesus. Catholic Churches became more gilded, and church-goers were surrounded by painted imagery that told the story of Jesus. Through rituals and community, Christians were reassured that they were a part of something special and somehow connected to something bigger than themselves. The spread of the word of God inspired countless artwork around its stories but the ownership of the "brand of Christianity" was strictly controlled by the Catholic church.

In parallel, as brands developed in the late 1800s, so did the experiences around them. Their story was told through the in store experience and through newspaper ads. Brands helped people identify who they were and gave them a sense of belonging. Do you drive a Ford or a Mercedes? Do you smoke Camels or Marlboros? The brand images were tightly controlled by the companies that ran them. Brands developed manifestos and content; Soap Operas, The Michelin Guide, etc. but it was not a two way conversation between the brand and the consumer.

Eventually, the Catholic church became the most powerful force in Europe and started abusing its power by charging believers to have their sins forgiven. Like a company that lies to their customers because they know they can get away with it, their brand image eventually suffered. The intersection of Martin Luther's theses' against the Catholic church and invention of the printing press created a huge shift in people's relationships with Christianity. The new group of Protestants were taught that they had a direct relationship with Jesus and could read the Bible for guidance.

Fast forward to the onset of social media in our current century. Like the invention of the printing press in the early 15th Century, social media has enabled an even faster spread of information. Companies who have chosen to take advantage of customers have been exposed and no longer exist. Like Protestants, I can have a direct relationship with the brands I admire through social media. I have a shared set of beliefs with other users of my brands and the brand acts as a virtual church or community where I can connect with people who share my interests. I can go into a Nike store and put on a pair of shoes that I think will make me run faster. Or I can go for a run, motivated by Nike+ in the hopes that I'll run faster and further. Just as I can go to church and take communion or choose to cultivate my own relationship with God at home worshiping various icons and performing certain rituals.

During Easter Services this year, my Pastor, Pastor Derr, known in the religious community for promoting the universality of all religions, said that religions are connected by a universal, human truth. He cautioned against religions that discriminate or against those who skew parts of the Bible for their own personal agenda. He reminded us that we all have the power to learn from our religious leader's teachings and find support through our faith. Clearly this thinking doesn't have to apply to Jesus but rather, to any religion.

So where does this leave brands? Consumers are increasingly expecting the brands they buy to entertain and more importantly, inspire them. I want to know that a brand isn't just out there just to get my money, but exists to make a positive contribution to society, just like I know that my offering to the church will go towards helping the needy. Only then when a brand has entertained or inspired me and given back to society, will I purchase their products in the hopes that the brand will live on to "do good."

I gave money to my church at the service not because I had to, but because I wanted to support the institution and people who had inspired me, who had connected me to others, and who I know will continue to give me spiritual guidance and fulfilling experiences. Because as strong and as resilient as I am, I still need a supportive community and the occasional inspirational push. I don't know if that moment of support will come from a brand or a religious institution but I do know that the person giving it to me will receive my loyalty as a customer.

Interview with Brand Anthropologist Richard Wise

Richard Wise is the resident Brand Anthropologist at the experiential marketing firm, Mirrorball. He received a masters at the University of Sorbonne in Paris and has spoken at various conferences, most recently the Future Trends Conference in Miami. You can follow him on Twitter @CultureRevealed or his Tumblr where he highights a plethora of interesting cultural trends and insights.  As a cultural anthropologist, you approach planning from an intellectual, academic angle. How valuable is the study of cultural trends to brands?

Look at the list of problems brands bring you to solve.  They almost always come back to cultural issues.

“Our franchise is aging and we’re starting to look dated.”

“People don’t talk about us as much as they used to.”

“People say we have an arrogant, out-of-touch image.”

“People don’t know what we stand for.”

So…you’re losing it with the group because what you stand for is no longer valuable to them – to their culture!

The thing about culture and brands that makes it so challenging is this; culture hides more than it reveals - and what it hides, it hides most effectively from its own participants.  You can’t understand that fully unless you go live in another culture and, starting as an outsider, become an insider.  Then you go back to the culture you came from and suddenly you can actually see all the hidden meaning.  And this is true for people who work on brands and try to solve the cultural problems of the brands without actually understanding their own culture.  They won’t get very far.

The opposite is wonderfully true.  The more you make serving the culture your brand mission, the faster you will grow – and it will feed and feed on itself.  While most companies have been stagnant or declining in the last ten years, Apple‘s revenues, profits and public valuation have grown vertiginously.  It all started with the return of Steve Jobs and their publicly thanking their fans with the “Think Different” campaign.

There's a minor war in the advertising world between traditional agencies that tout their big idea thinking and a rigorous approach to research and smaller, digital agencies that are well versed in current digital trends. Who do you think will win the "war" and why?

Remember that pre-Internet classic, Ogilvy on Advertising?  I always love to get free advice from Uncle David.  He said in his charming book, published in 1985 by the way, that his best advice to young men and women in advertising would be to learn everything they can about direct response – because it’s the future of advertising.  You can see what works and what doesn’t, you have to lean forward and sell, one person at a time, like Ogilvy did when he sold stoves door to door.  He indeed saw it all coming and he was right.

So big agency, digital shop…everybody looks for evidence of what works, what’s surprising and fresh, what people really want to experience.  And the only way to find that is to experiment.  If you’re conducting meaningful experiments then you have as much of a chance as anybody of owning the future.

That being said, I like what Karl Marx said: “Every time the train of history goes around a corner, the reactionaries fall off.”  The bigger you are, the more likely you are to be a reactionary. My heroes are guys like Ogilvy and Bernbach because they stayed humble and curious even as they got enormously successful.  And I think Robert Greenberg is just like that too.

The race today goes to whoever likes to learn the most and is fast at it.  But I like to think that, if you’re slow, but you love to learn, you may have an edge over the fast learner who’s arrogant.

What books, magazines and activities do you experience to remain on the cutting edge of cultural trends and developments? 

The most important thing I do is read books that have nothing to do with marketing or brands but books about human nature and civilization.  Most recently, I read two masterpieces of cultural anthropology: Becker’s [amazon_link id="0684832402" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Denial of Death[/amazon_link] and Girard’s [amazon_link id="0826468535" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World[/amazon_link].  I saw King Lear at the Public Library.  I walked through the Frick Collection.  I do this because it’s one of the best things I can do with myself.  It always pays dividends in my work – provided I don’t directly seek them.

OK, then there’s thinking about marketing, brands and culture.  Tumblr by itself is more than enough to be endlessly enriched, stimulated and provoked.  If you curate the right list of people to follow you will be in the kitchen of emerging culture where it’s all being made right before your eyes. I read the Wall Street Journal, the paper itself, every day – my God, it’s so beautifully designed and it has amazing trend info. If you don’t have time for it, though, follow me on Twitter, I always tweet out their best stuff.  I also love a couple of key websites: sciencedaily.com and psychologicalsciences.org.  And I live in Bushwick – there’s something about the experience of living there, not being a tourist, that’s very valuable.

At the recent Future Trends conference, you gave a presentation on two cultural phenomena, FameUs, and AnonymUs, showing how everyone wants to be famous while at the same time, wants to contribute to the greater good. Are these attributes just two different sides of the same consumer or completely different targets? 

I don’t believe that trend work should be some kind of glossy PC channeling of the Zeitgeist.  It should describe what is really going on.  I also believe that for every trend, there is a countertrend.  So here’s how I apply that with the shift taking place in our public and private selves.

On the one hand, FameUs describes the ever-widening sense of intimacy we have with our celebrities, the feeling of control we have over their self-expression and the growing conviction that we ourselves are going to be famous.

Its countertrend is AnonymUs - the growing conviction that so much of social media is communal narcissism, the impulse to unplug from a culture of celebrity worship, and the spiritual inspiration to lose oneself in pursuing a greater social good.

How we experience and live in these trends varies from one person to the next.  You can be your own Lady Gaga 24/7.  Or you can wear unbranded vintage clothing that you bought at The Cure while you volunteer at the Homeless Shelter.  And, just to keep things interesting, you can try to live in both trends simultaneously like the cast of Dr. Drew’s Celebrity Rehab.  Same thing for brands – they, too, can go to Rehab like Domino’s Pizza did, to great success, improving their store sales by 10% in one year.

The recent New York article The Kids Are Actually Sort of Alright, shares some of your findings about Millennials thinking they'll be famous someday while focusing on their reality as unemployed and disillusioned with the system. How can brands target these consumers given our current economic climate?

OK, suppose we’re Westinghouse or Maytag.  Why don’t we open stores for refurbished vintage home appliances?  They did it with manufacturer’s certified “pre-owned” automobiles.  Why not fridges and stoves from the different decades?  Why not train people in all these stores on how to refurbish vintage appliances?  That would create local jobs.  The appliances would look great.  And you’d be reclaiming, not just sending things to the dump.  I think there’s a lot of opportunities like that if brands would ask: how do I create jobs, how do I distribute my brand idea and logistics locally, how do I own not just what I make but what I have made?

As advertisers, working in trend setting cities like New York, San Francisco, Portland, etc. how can we be sure that our observations on trends reflect the viewpoints of the rest of the country?  Should brands look to be ahead of the curve or eye to eye with consumers? 

Go live in your trendy neighborhood – you want to see what’s coming next.  But here are some suggestions, based on my personal experience, on how to avoid becoming nothing but a snob.  Truth in advertising: I am a snob but I am not JUST a snob.  Sign up for thankless volunteer jobs.  Go to a regular, old-fashioned church and listen and learn.  Call your Mom and find a way to be of service to her.  Try to avoid gossiping about anybody for one day.  Take a cross-country drive and hang out at truck stops.  These are all intrinsically good things to do but they will also help you in your work.

Finally, can you give young planners with varying backgrounds advice on how to incorporate cultural anthropology into their research and brief writing process? 

Show respect for the dignity of your fellow human beings but try not to be so PC.  PC is the sanctimony of our time.  Sanctimonious people don’t make very good art nor do they write very good briefs.  Be curious, humble and open-minded.  Always give into your curiosity and don’t be afraid to admit you don’t understand why people behave a certain way or prefer a certain brand.

Can Psychology Help Us Understand Our Changing Relationships with Brands?

I always find it fascinating and exciting that the craft of planning requires so many different levels and ways of thinking. One must approach a brief from a psychological, creative and business perspective, to name a few. But one thing that remains constant is the focus on relationships; between the client and agency, planners and creatives, and most importantly between consumers and the brand. Max Spiegelberg points out how as advertisers, we should think about the relationship between our brand and the consumer in the same way we'd look at interpersonal relationships and note the implications.This article is re-blogged from Popsop Brand Magazine Online written by Max Spiegelberg.

You are welcome to share your thoughts on this article written by Max Spiegelberg, Brand Director at Bloom The saturation of markets, congestion of media and maturity of consumer understanding of brands has steered marketing practice in recent years beyond ‘image branding’ towards ‘relationship branding’. Loyalty is no longer simply won through passive respect. Consumers demand more.

The brand’s role today has evolved from being an object of desire to being a champion of its own philosophy. This is no easy feat for marketers. It takes time, confidence, continuity and a lot of money.

So it’s important to get it right from the start. It’s important to understand how we as consumers relate to brands and why we enjoy the relationships we have with them.

In 1997 Jennifer Aaker published the paper ‘Dimensions of Brand Personality’ in the Journal of Marketing Research. At the root of this paper, Aaker outlines a brand personality scale, mapping out 5 dimensions, or human characteristics that could be associated with brands. These are Sincerity, Excitement, Competence, Sophistication and Ruggedness. This scale is often used to determine the current perceptions of a brand and to describe the desired future status of it.

This is all well and good but how do these traits strengthen a brand’s relationship with its audience? Should we profile consumer personality traits and map these against brand traits? Which characteristics are right for the brand?

These questions have led some academic marketers back to the Psychology text books to try to understand the affinity we as humans develop in our own relationships and whether this thinking can be applied to the consumer-brand relationship.

Social Psychology, put simply, is the study of how we perceive ourselves and how we interact with each other. Potentially there are some rich pickings amongst the research and models that this discipline has created.

As an example let’s look at a study of the development of interpersonal relationships. One of the most influential models in this field is proposed by psychologist, George Levinger (1983). According to his ABCDE model, the natural development of a relationship follows five stages:

1. Acquaintance: Becoming acquainted depends on a number of factors including, proximity, first impressions, attractiveness, similarities in personality, attitude, and interests and association to positive situations. Acquaintance may lead to the next stage or can continue indefinitely.

2. Build up: Beginning to trust and care about each other. Here there is a need for compatibility and filtering agents such as common background, cultural background and related interests. Compatibility will influence whether or not interaction continues.

3. Continuation: Following a mutual commitment to long-term relationships this is generally a long and relatively stable period. Continued growth and development will occur during this time.

4. Deterioration: Relationships deteriorate as a result of boredom, resentment and dissatisfaction. Individuals may communicate less and avoid self-disclosure. Loss and betrayals may take place continuing the downward spiral.

5. Ending: This marks the end of the relationship by complete termination or separation. There are some obvious parallels here with our own developing relationships with brands. Jooyoung et al (2008) point out that true brand loyalty is derived from brand credibility, attitude, strength and brand commitment, which form the basis of Levinger’s first three stages here.

There are plenty of other studies that could be investigated. For the purpose of this article I have explored one model as an example but it serves to demonstrate the potential of Social Psychology to generate interesting parallels and further develop brand models.

All of this is predicated on the assumption that brands carry human traits and that consumers interact with brands in the same way that we interact with each other. Could it be that our richer understanding of brands and more complex relationships with them justifies a closer look at the field of Social Psychology?

Branding Done Right

In between interviews, photographing events, and enjoying the outdoors (Saturday and NOT Sunday!) I noticed some seriously great experiential branding - companies that truly get developing brand loyalty. A few days ago, I received a post card coupon from Starbucks giving me a free Birthday beverage despite having signed up for the Starbucks card days after my Birthday. While I don't particularly like Starbucks coffee and their prepacked food, I can't deny that when I actually find a seat, it's a great place to work. And their soy lattes aren't that bad either.

On Wednesday morning, I went with my roommate and her friend to Radiance Tea House and Books. The dumplings and tea were amazing. It was a perfectly relaxing, inspiring atmosphere. And most importantly, our adorable waiter was just about the friendliest I've encountered, recognizing my roommate's friend as a regular and greeting others as they came in. And there were a ton.

On Friday, I sat in the best cafe with free, reliable Internet that I have found so far. I'm almost hesitant to mention the name because I was able to find a seat but here it goes.. VBar in the village on Sullivan street. According to their website, they have another location on St. Mark's and 1st. This must have opened after my time but I'll have to check it out. Everyone happily and quietly sat working on their laptops. Occasionally, some random person would talk loudly in a foreign language on their cell phones outside, interrupting every one's concentration and providing collective entertainment. Especially the young NYU student, loudly gossiping as she walked in where she was promptly reprimanded by the owner. I had a ham and fontina panini that was delicious and managed to be productive. There was a general feeling of good vibes, happiness and the belief in good karma. I'll be back.

Today, I trekked 10 blocks in the heat to the ING Café on 58th and 3rd, seeking air conditioning and another place to work. I only bought a banana, allowing me 45 minutes of internet, but at 25 cents, it was worth it. The chairs and seating areas were comfortable and internet reliable. Would probably be a great place to work on my novel once I'm not so focused on finding a job. I'd say less distracting than a café since it was relatively empty. I felt like ING was providing a service to the community. Branding. Company loyalty.

And finally, I stopped off at Club Monaco - one of my favorite stores, and will be even more so when I can afford the clothing. I particularly like the one on 65th and 3rd avenue. It's less crowded and seems to have just as many options as the Flat Iron and SoHo stores, although not as many sale items. Every sales clerk is impeccably dressed, polite and genuinely happy. The store layout is inspiring. I'd model my future apartment after it. And my cashier even introduced himself, shaking my hand. Oooh la la. I believe once a month, they have champagne filled evenings that I attended and of course, and bought something during.

So what did we learn from all this? A company can have a good product, but a great product is one that extends to the sales people and to the experience itself, generating customer loyalty and breaking through the clutter of infinite brand options.