Can you put a price on the Element of Surprise?

I have met some pretty amazing people because of this here blog and one of the folks I am very lucky to have met and consider a friend is Andy Nulman. For those not familiar with Andy, he writes a brilliant blog on Surprise Marketing and is one of the most interesting folks I know.

I met Andy for lunch a while back and we were talking about the concept of "free" and he said something interesting...and I am paraphrasing here so notice there are no quotes....no matter what product or service you market you should consider finding your best customer and give them your product for free because that person will bring in the equivalent or more new business by telling everyone about the experience.

This conversation stuck and was rolling around in my head a handful of weeks ago when I experienced this first hand....and just like Andy said, I am now telling all of you about it.

So I have this friend in NYC who is always doing nice things for me and I wanted to show my appreciation by doing something cool and very "Saulish" in return, so I took this friend to the Nike Town store to design a custom pair of shoes because I love custom shoes and part of my role on this earth is to infect my likes and dislikes on as many people as I can....and because this is a super cool "thank you" present.

This was my first time in the NikeID studio and the process of the whole thing was pretty amazing but the real SURPRISE came when it was time to pay for the shoes. Ya see I had no real idea how much it was going to cost for the customization and just assumed it would be twice the price of the shoe or something close to that but in reality my fully customized shoe (I got a pair as well) was only $10 more than buying a the same pair of shoes in standard colors and materials. I asked the guy there why they don't charge more since people would definitely pay top dollar for custom shoes and he said that they don't advertise the price and let people find out on their own because that is all part of the experience...and he went on to say that the NikeID studio is supposed to be for everyone and not just people who really love sneakers and by keeping the price in check it will never be exclusionary.

I gush quite a bit about Nike on this blog and sometimes I am shameless about it but this experience was a surprise and something worth sharing....and while this doesn't fit 100% into Andy's theory of free, I think for $10 it is close enough.

...and if you were wondering, here are my shoes

My newest pair of Custom Nike AF1's

Caifornia Bound

Happy Sunday Everyone,

If I seen a little timgly today it is because yesterday I made a trip I have wanted to take since I was 13 yeas old.

Yes that is the Nike World HQ in Beaverton, Oregon!

So in honor of my trip I now present you a video of somone as fanatical about Nike as I



...anyway I will be in California for the rest of the week but have a few good blog posts cooking in my brain, I just am waiting for someone to let me know it is OK for me to talk about them.

So please come back and check it out!

A little something for a Friday.....

http://view.break.com/486126 - Watch more free videos

BTW do I need to tell you to not to try this in real life?

Well I guess I just did!

Bring back Customer Experience to shopping and you will bring back shoppers!

If I believed in luck I would say I have been a pretty lucky guy....but since I think luck is nothing more then probability made personal I will go on record and say that I have had some great opportunities present themselves because of this blog.

One such opportunity came a few months back based on a post I made about department stores and how to make them fun again.. Someone at a super fancy retailer read my ideas and invited me to come in and pitch some fun ideas to them.

All my ideas revolved around creating a "destination" by adding super customer experience.

My ideas were not well received since they lived outside of the comfort zone of these guys and would require a leap of faith and at the end of the pitch the execs asked me if there was anything I like about department stores and I unleashed on a friendly rant about how I love department stores and as a kid thought Macy's in NYC was as close to heaven on earth but nowadays the large store experience is bland and customer service is nothing more then a memory.

The reason I am talking about this now is because I got an email from the exec today asking me to suggest stores that "get" customer experience since they want to learn from it.

The store I told them to study was GoodFoot. I know I slurp shoe companies a lot on this blog and I know this post lacks the punch it could have if I had pictures to accompany it but as someone who loves to shop and pays attention to what people do with their marketing I think GoodFoot is the best there is at Customer Experience.

Walking into the store is a new experience every time because they change the look of the place monthly....and by change the look I am not talking about just the window dressing but they change the place inside and out (including the wallpaper) on a monthly basis.....and by wallpaper I am talking about fully custom graphic walls that are closer to a "wrapped" car then a store wall.

This is a store that knows the product is top notch but it there is a bunch of competition so instead of competing on price and product they are setting themselves apart by creating a destination store that people will come to check out and talk about even if they are not shopping......just like I am now.

-saul

Another installment of "What is up with Saul"

If you are wondering why I haven't been posting much.....you are not alone. I got a call from my Mom today asking what is up!

SO to answer my Mom and fill you guys in I am here with another installment of "what is up with Saul"

It is not that I am running out of things to say or that I don't love you guys anymore because, I love all my readers so much I would make out with each one of you....so that brings me to what has been keeping me busy.

Well work mostly....but this is a good thing since I very happy and getting to do some pretty cool and different stuff.

What stuff you ask?

Well for one I am leaving in two weeks for a couple weeks on the road in an RV to spread the love of FreshBooks. I will be driving from Miami, FL to Austin, TX (with stops in West Palm Beach, Orlando, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Pensacola, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Houston, San Antonio and Finally Austin.

Oh ya....I should clear up that I have been blogging...just not here so much.....I have however been posting a bunch of stuff over on the RoadBurn (RV trip) Microsite and want more then anything to post this video of an RV salesman curse for 4 straight minutes. It is only funny for a minute or two but I laughed the first few times I watched it.



The video may go up on Monday/Tuesday but go to Roadburn.Freshbooks.com now and read about trip and while you are there why not bookmark it so you can follow my adventure along the way....I have a feeling there may be more then one picture of me crying :)

Two other cool work things I have been working on combine two of my greatest loves. Podcasts and Shoes!

We are sponsoring a contest with Yahoo and PodCamp Toronto to take some folks to see a Hockey Game. If you are into Podcasting and are considering or are attending Podcamp Toronto you should check this contest out!

and finally

I am super Jazzed because I soon will be sporting custom FreshBooks Nike Air Force Ones! I will be premiering these kicks on the RoadTrip but you can see them first here!




Thanks for indulging me in my gushing about work projects and I promise I have some original content coming tonight or tomorrow!

-saul

I am a Nike AF1 guy and would never wear Reebok but .......

These shoes rock HARDCORE.



I may have to pick up a pair for my kids. Normally they only wear Nike Baby Force Ones or rubber boots but they could wear these without losing the street cred I have worked so hard to develop :)


Check out Highsobiety for more deets (that is "street" for details...see I am always building the cred)

-saul

...an arts and crafts project for you to try

Hi Everyone,

Been tied up with work stuff (something I will be blogging about soon....perhaps later today) so I have not been posting as much as I usually do.

I am busier then ever today so instead of posting about something that isn't going to move you and captivate your imagination (I was going to write about a rumor that DC Comics is going to kill Bruce Wayne and make Robin become Batman) I have decided to wait till tomorrow to fascinate you with my brain power!

BUT WAIT

Just because I have nothing interesting to write about today doesn't mean I am not leaving you with homework.......as you may know I have an unnatural connection with custom sneakers....so much so that I considered starting a small business designing custom AF1's. People always ask me to make them shoes and/or how I do it so I am going to spill the beans.

Here is a step by step guide how to create some cool kicks!

Have fun!

saul

Now there is more of "SAUL" to love!

For those of you who just can't get enough of me (and I know of at least three of you) I am here to announce that there is now more ways to get "SAUL"

This is still the best place since I post here all the time and will be increasing the output over the next few weeks but if you want to read or hear more of me you can now find me writing (on a semi regular basis) about shopping at Bargainista. My latest post is about buying Air Jordans for my son.......and if you want to hear my silky smooth voice you can now hear my as a semi regular contributor to Six Pixels of Separation (The Twist Image/Mitch Joel Podcast) where I will be talking about stuff I find interesting and sharing some ideas.....sorta like here but will alot more "umms".

Stick around for more posts today as I have a doozy of an idea cooking as well I am going to share some news!

-saul

I have been tagged and now I have to share personal things about me!

I am “it”.

I am saying this because I was tagged by by Stephanie Fierman to participate in a b5media’s meme about 7 (G-rated) things you may not know about me (or care)....so here is my list:

1- I love Blaxploitation films like Coffee, Black Belt Jones, and Dolomite
2- I sold my 20,000+ comic book collection because I didn’t want to move them with me into my new house....but I kept my 500+ trade paperbacks.
3- I own 12 suits, 45 shirts and 100+ ties and yet I wear jeans and superhero t-shirts everyday
4- My two favourite fiction authors are Lee Child and Harlan Coben.
5- I fall asleep listening to podcasts
6- If I am home alone for dinner I will usually eat cereal.
7- I usually read two books a week...and by books I mean real books (business or fiction books)

And as a bonus.......#8 – I am the Smartest Man in the World (I bet you saw that coming)


Stolen directly from Stephanie Fierman's site

According to The New York Times, a meme “is an infectious idea or any other thing that spreads by imitation from person to person… the World Wide Web is the perfect Petri dish for memes.” It seems like a 21st century chain letter to me but (a) neither I nor any of my family was threatened with death if I didn’t ‘pass it on,’ so that’s an improvement, and (b) it seems a harmless way to connect with people and to promote websites and blogs not only inside your existing network but to a broader audience, as well. Perhaps memes could be worked into fresh “Refer A Friend” online customer acquisition campaigns.

I tagged email a few folks and told them to participate but I am not going to publicly tag anyone!

Hope you liked my list

-saul

Who do I have to sleep with to get one of these?

One of biggest products of the year will definitely be the iPhone. With all the lines to get them and all the hysteria about it being a locked phone ect this could be the most talked about item for holiday gifts and just general demand. Well this post is not about the iPhone but rather another product that is about as hard to get......for me at least.

The Nike Hybrid Commuter Messenger Bag



Yes I know I shill for Nike too much but here is a critical post and not one of blind love so keep reading (please).

I need a new work bag and started looking around on the net one night and came across (by accident) the Nike Hybrid Commuter Messenger Bag.

I am far from a bag aficionado but this is a cool bag with lots of pockets (including one for my iPod) and a padded sleeve for my laptop. I just like it and figured I would pick it up..........except Nike wont sell me one.

When I called the Nike.com to purchase the bag I was told I couldn't get this.....I thought it was because I was such an evangelist for them that I was maybe getting a freebie (stranger things have happened) but instead it is because I was born 71 miles in the wrong direction.

Yes it seems the retail division of Nike doesn't like Canadians (I say this jokingly but in fact it is kinda true) because Nike.com will not ship any product in to Canada.

The next call I made was to a Nike Town store. While all the people were nice and respectful they still would not take my money and mail me a bag........so I called back Nike.com to see if I could send the bag to a friend in the US and I would make arrangements to get it from him. They told me that they couldn't take a Canadian credit card for a US purchase.

Anyone look at the value of the Canadian Dollar lately? We are a fraction of one penny from being at par with the US dollar. There is a very real chance that the Canadian Dollar will be superior to the US dollar in the coming weeks and months. If/once this happens Canadians will be looking to spend more money with US retailers as they will be able to enjoy the benefit of the exchange rate.........This is what I was looking to do with this purchase.

Why would a global brand and ginormous retailer not accept a credit card from Canada? I understand that not all products are not available everywhere but I have owned online stores and I always got excited when I got a payment from Japan or Australia. I still consider the people working at Nike to be smart folks and I can't imagine this is just an over site in some way so I would love to know the "official explanation" for not wanting my money.....because if I don't hear otherwise I am going to spread the rumour that Nike discriminates against good beaver tail eating, maple syrup making, hockey watching, snow shovelling, CBC listening, Potine lovin' folk.....and I think that is wrong!

Wrong I tell you!

....and as far as this bag.......I still want one so if anyone in the reading audience wants to by me one I will reward you with something way more valuable then when Joseph Jaffe asked for an iPhone.....I will send you a money order for the full price of the bag as well as a signed (and personalized) picture of me (clothed or topless - you choose) as well as an autographed collection of books I have written!

-saul

p.s. and if anyone at Nike want to sell me this please contact me as I would be happy buy one directly :)


UPDATE!

I got an email from someone asking what was so great about Canada and surprisingly he wasn't joking about it.

I shouldn't have to defend myself but I will. Canada has made MANY contributions to the North America way of life:

Blackberry (the smartphone not the fruit)
Basketball (invented by a Canadian)
Pam Anderson
William Shatner
Jim Carrey
SCTV
SNL (created by a Canadian)
Seth Rogan (What? I like him)
and I can go on and on!

Your Personal Brand.......My Red Shoes

There is a guy who works across from my office and I see him most mornings on my way in. The man is in his late fifties or perhaps early sixties and every morning I see him I think “That is one of the coolest guys around”. I have never spoken to him and for all I know he could be a real bad dude but I have formed my opinion based on his glasses.

Pretty reasonable huh?

Ya see this man, who going forward I will call “Cool Glasses Guy”, wears a uniform. Not a real uniform but a personal uniform. He always wears black pants, a brightly colored shirt (Pinks, Purples, Blues...you get the point) and while all this stuff is nice the thing that always gets me are his glasses. No matter what color shirt “Cool Glasses Guy” is wearing he has the exact colored glass frames and that is cooler then I can explain in a few quick words.

So seeing “Cool Glasses Guy” this morning it got me thinking of my personal brand and personal brands in general. I think the thing people discount most about their own personal brand is that just like a corporate brand like Coke or Pepsi, Nike or Adidas etc...........it is never about what you think of your own brand but what others think of it. You could go into any company and ask them about their brand and they will tell you how wonderful and exciting they are and you will get for the most part all positive messaging but how others perceived those same companies will almost always not reflect what the company thinks of itself.

Companies like Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Home Depot, Nike, Department Stores....and just about any other major brand all have supporters and detractors. Some people think Wal-Mart is evil and others (like myself) think it is a great place to get prescriptions filled and buy diapers. Some people think Nike is evil and that they under-employ people in third world counties while I feel they are one of the greatest brands in the world and the only shoes I wear.

The same can be all said for personal brands.

So since you can't really control your personal brand completely does that mean you shouldn't try?

No! You should work even harder on your personal brand and develop something unique that makes you remarkable......and when I say “work hard” what I mean is to think about your Brand but do not make it “work” (confusing huh?) because once it is work it becomes less authentic. Stay true to yourself and let people see “you” because that way it is easy to be the same person in all situations.

Just like companies, brand development isn't the easiest thing....look at Paris Hilton...some people see smart PR machine...others see spoiled rich kid and a whole other group of folks can’t see anything but amateur porn actress.....so if you fancy yourself as someone worth remembering you have to do some work on making your brand.....your personal brand is being formed with or without you...so you might as well contribute.

BTW....In honor of my Cool Glasses wearing friend I am wearing black pants, a red sweater, black and red glasses (my only pair) and a pair or red patent leather Nike AF1’s.

So I guess the only thing left to ask you is......what are you wearing? (said in the creepiest way possible)

-saul

P.s. Personal brands don’t only involve clothes but they do say something about your personality. I have more thoughts about online persona’s and how to convey your personality over the interweb (and places like Facebook) that I will chime in with soon!

I finally have some street cred.

I attended CaseCamp5 this past Tuesday and really had a great time. Eli Singer organized another incredible event and the networking opportunities (for me at least) were incredible.
...got to meet Mitch Joel umong others.

But that is not what this post is about.

It is about my shoes (ain't it always)

David Crow took this picture at Casecamp and posted it up on Flickr. I have only had these kicks for two days and the comments from strangers have been crazy. Walking to work today two of the biggest scariest looking guys walked up to me and were staring at my shoes. For a really short time I thought I was going to have to pretend I know Karate or even worse.....fake a seizure because people don't mug people who are in the middle of an epileptic fit.

SO as these guys get closer they are pretty focused on my shoes and are now sorta in a swarming formation and I am building up as much saliva in my mouth (to make a convincing ailment - never underestimate props).

When the guys get within reach of me the biggest dude bends over.........licks his thumb........rubs his wet thumb on both of the "toe" areas of the shoes..........stands up and announces.

"This guy has street cred.....those are ill kicks"

Then hilarity ensued.

This was one of the weirdest things I have ever been a part of

saul

p.s. The shoes in the pict are not the custom shoes I spoke about a few posts earlier. These are actually a home made custom paintjob over a pair of all white (or white on white as the kids say) of the shelf AF1's

I have been invited to design a pair of custom Nike Air Force Ones!

All my screaming and blogging about my love for Nike AF1's (Air Force Ones) has paid off. I received a secret password to design my own custom AF1's This is pretty close to winning the lottery for me since I have been playing around with designs ever since I heard that these invitations were going out.



I have whipped up nine designs and would like your opinions. I can only get one pair made and I love them all. I may just have to go with whatever you guys suggest!

(click on the picture to make it bigger)

Let me know what you think.........more later

saul