Month: March 2017

How to use Digital Data for Your Business

Robert Borneff Marketing , , , 0 Comment
How to use Digital Data for Your Business

The availability of more and better digital data helps companies to better understand their customers through instant feedback. According to Ajaz Ahmed and Stefan Olander in the book Velocity, brands need to use digital data to be “useful” for their customers rather than “convincing”. The following are the seven take-aways of the book:

  1. A Smith & Wesson beats four asses

New technology is changing the rules. With mountains of data available, brands should carefully collect significant digital data to learn about their customers and adapt to the new circumstances. Innovation and reinvention must become an ongoing task. Resisting the change will lead to a decline of the business. Small businesses have the advantage of being more agile and can react faster to change. Small organizations should live up to a culture of innovation and be ready to leap at any given time.

  1. It’s easier done than said

Changes and innovation should be put in action immediately, without long preparation. If it does not deliver the expected results, it always can be changed afterwards. If you know what your customer wants, deliver it before he figures it out by himself. Action tops strategy!

  1. The best advertising isn’t advertising –make meaningful connections

Business is done between people. People need to be connected to do business. Advertising is not enough anymore. The customer needs to be engaged. Digital technology allows more communication in different forms (blog, facebook, twitter, etc.) The customer needs to understand and share the story behind a service or a product. Serving the customer means entertaining the customer and creating emotions.

  1. Convenient is the enemy of right

Shoot for the moon, so you can hit the stars. To be on top of the game it’s necessary to work on the highest level of achievement. Learn from experience – yours as well as others. Make things as simple as possible.

  1. Respect human nature

Use digital data to learn about the customer and combine it with real life experience to make life easier, richer and more fun. Apply your messages to different senses of the human body (visual, audio, smell etc.) Support your customer in choosing the right product. Remember the feeling when a pharmacist gives you the right product for you out of a two shelf collection.

  1. No good joke survives a committee of six

Make decisions based on facts and stand behind them. Do what’s right and not what everybody does. A open discussion must be honest and lead to practical decisions. Be guided by your mission and your values.

  1. Have a purpose larger than yourself

Be guided and inspires by your mission. Dream big and love what you do. Be taken away be the people you serve. Have an overall goal that helps the public.

On a personal note I think that a lot of companies don’t realize the power and opportunities of digital data. Being engaged with your customer and relying on feedback will be a crucial part of many businesses in the next years. Here at Jazzyjobber I am looking for ways to create an organisation that prioritizes what the customer wants and delivers what’s requested.

The 2 Main Things in Retail Today

Robert Borneff Retail , , , 0 Comment
The 2 Main Things in Retail Today

The possibilities to sell goods to customers have never been easier and numerous than today. eBay, Etsy, Amazon, Craigslist, online stores, mail-to-order, garage sales, flea markets, auctions, product parties  and pop-up stores are just a few alternatives to the classic physical store. This huge selection enables customers to shop according to their preferences.

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Let’s get together

Robert Borneff Lifestyle , , , 0 Comment
Let’s get together

What’s better than getting together with friends and family? Our kids have parties all the time. We need to open up to our colleagues, friends and neighbors. We should enlarge our circle of friends. Our homes are not made to be hiding places. Any time spent with friends and family is worth the effort of serving a meal and creates happiness.

Keep it simple

A dinner party should always be gathering of like-minded people. Only invite guests that you really want to have around yourself and of whom you believe that they are interested in one another. Eight, ten people are a good size, so everyone can talk with each other.

Choose a one course meal that you are familiar with. Certainly you can choose something easy, like pasta. That is always a hit!. You may serve it with a soup to start, a salad on the side and a dessert afterwards. Important are good bread, butter, and olive oil for munching. If you choose to work with a catering service, the atmosphere could be a little bit like in a restaurant. Not as precious and authentic as home prepared food. It does not matter if you have been standing in the kitchen for one hour or ten. The only thing that counts is that it tastes good.

Relax! It’s not a competition

To ease the stress the best thing is to prepare the day before; calm and with leisure. The whole thing is supposed to be a pleasure. The host belongs to the table and not in the kitchen; the guests want to enjoy their host! Therefore  you might prefer stewed or oven-baked dishes over au-point cooked dishes. Comfort food is always popular.  Soups can be prepared the evening before, desserts anyway. Personally I am a fan of Hungarian Goulash, which tastes better every time you warm it up.

Be careful with experiments. It can be fun to try out dishes the first when you have guests, but you will need a back-up plan in case something goes wrong. You don’t have to apologize to your guests but you need a trick for the show to go on.

Have a great time

You are the life of the party! It’s your turn to get the party started! Just do not rush! Invite your guests early so they can mingle and snack on nuts and appetizers before the dinner starts.

Instead of serving each dinner on plates it shows more generosity to serve “family style”, which means everybody helps himself from the pots and plates. That makes it also easier for the guests to open up to their neighbor. And the host can devote himself to his highest duty: to enjoy the evening.

Party more and stress less! Hosting small casual parties does not have to be stressful. You’ll probably have a lot of time to enjoy the party with your guest. People will appreciate your effort and hospitality. Over the delicious food and great conversation you may look forward to the next get together.

Sailing Blue Oceans

Robert Borneff Marketing , , , 0 Comment
Sailing Blue Oceans

Business is tough! When you start a business, you should find out what the competition is doing! To gain market-share you have to beat the competition! To be successful you have to offer a better product at a lower price offering better service! – Sounds familiar? We all know this. Business books are full of it. But is this really the way for a company to be successful, in a time when everything seems to be upside down? Can it not even be dangerous to do what competitors are doing, just trying to do it better?

Markets, products and customers are changing today faster than ever before. Who still thinks that phone calls overseas have to be expensive? How much do we have to pay for social media? Can you publish a book yourself today? Hasn’t Amazon opened a store where you can leave with the product without payment?

One way to be successful in today’s marketplace is to not to fit in or stick out of the competition, but to be different. Instead of butting heads with other companies, eliminate the competition by doing what nobody else does. Create new demand for products and services that only you offer. Sounds difficult? It is, but wait, there is help.

W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne developed a strategy to maneuver around the competition and sail in untapped ocean of new markets. Whereas other companies fight in cutthroat competition that turns the ocean bloody red, companies following this strategy may find calm blue oceans to sail in. That’s why it’s called Blue Ocean strategy

How does this work?

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Fair Trade and Home Decor

Robert Borneff Marketing , , , 0 Comment
Fair Trade and Home Decor

In times when one food scandal chases the next one and when the news is covered with reports about miserable working conditions and accident disasters in various countries of textile and furniture manufacturing, consumers are increasingly unsettled.

The Movement

“Good” products are no longer measured by their attributes, but by the stories they tell and their socio economic footprint. Trust is not a given fact, but has to be developed continuously and through transparency companies can establish confidence among their customers.  What emerges is a new type of critical customer that knows his power in a world of sharing and social media. The closer a product is to the body, the more sensitive the customer reacts.

The movement of “Fair Trade” is growing globally. It is the need for certified products in which people can believe in. On the one hand,  because it is important where products and their components come from. On the other hand, it also matters that there was value added in the region of production. Environmental protection, resource efficiency and corporate social responsibility change the economic system in the long term. Growth in the future will be generated by a new mix of economy, ecology and social commitment.  Certainly this also opens a multitude of possibilities for cheating and the fake environmental promotion (Green washing).  That subject will be left for another post here on Jazzy Jobber.

The Opportunity

For a long time Fair Trade products were limited to crafts and coffee, but as the Wall Street Journal recognizes in an article in 2015, “Fair Trade becomes a Fashion Trend”. And by the way, it’s not just fashion, but also home decor.

For companies in the Home Decor industry working with fair trade products may be a way to be different from the competition. It also shows that the company cares about social standards and sustainability. This can lead to gaining new customers who appreciate the added value of Fair Trade products. Last but not least, Fair Trade is an interesting growth market and the demand for fair trade products is rising.

Sources:

  1. Fair Trade – Von der Nische zum Trend; Zukunftsinstitut 2016

https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/artikel/fair-trade-von-der-nische-zum-trend/

  1. “Fair Trade“ becomes a Fashion Trend; The Wall Street Journal 2015

https://www.wsj.com/articles/fair-trade-becomes-a-fashion-trend-1436307440

 

“Mahlzeit “ – About Sharing Meals

Robert Borneff Lifestyle , , , 0 Comment
“Mahlzeit “ – About Sharing Meals

It is better to build a longer table than a taller  fence.                                                                                            Unknown

There is a piece of furniture in most homes that experienced a change of importance over the the last decades. It’s very often found in the kitchen but in a lot of cases there is a whole room dedicated to it. At some point it was the control room of a family, a place where most important decisions were made. Over the years it has lost its importance and has been degraded to a playing area or a storage place for paper and other stuff.

I am talking about the dinner table. Not so long ago that was the place where the family met, up to three times a day, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I am the offspring of one of those families growing up the in seventies and eighties in Germany. We did not only have breakfast together every day before school. No, my mom cooked every day a meal for lunch, because my dad came home from work, and in the evening we gathered again around the same table for Brotzeit.  I continue to strive to spend many mealtimes during the week and especially on the weekends with my wife and three children.

Nowadays it looks like this is the exception to the rule. According to a survey of Department of Health and Human Services in 2011 -2012 fewer than half of Americans eat meals daily with their families. That makes sense. Everybody including children are more independent now. Schedules are tight. Grabbing a bite (mostly fast food) is quite simple. But what’s the price families pay for that convenience?

Here are some benefits to consider:

  • Eating at home is normally healthier than eating out
  • Eating together means eating slower, recognizing earlier when to stop
  • Family dinners promote better communication skills in children and adults
  • Eating together teaches social skills, helping children to interact with peers
  • Sharing meals supports creativity and critical thinking

But eating together is not only beneficial for children:

  • Eating lunch in the office together supports the team culture and morale
  • Sharing meals brings people together and invites the exchange of ideas
  • Doing business over a meal is more convenient than in an office
  • Inviting strangers to share a meal creates friendship and tolerance
  • Sharing meals nurtures the mind and the soul and supports happiness

So the next time you are up for a meal think about if you want to munch something all by yourself, or if you should ask that person near you if they would like to eat with you.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          “Mahlzeit”

Source:

https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/downloads/ChildrensFoodEnvironment.pdf

Benefits of a Minimalistic Lifestyle

Robert Borneff Lifestyle , , , 0 Comment
Benefits of a Minimalistic Lifestyle

During the last recession a lot of people got worried about their financial future. For some peple this changed their lifes for the better. They have learned to live within their means. Don’t live in a house that’s too expensive for you; don’t get into debt for spending too much. Always pay your bills. Make life much simpler than it used to be. Appreciate the people around you, enjoy the beauty of nature and find time to do the things you are passionate about.

In short: Live a better quality life without the hassles of buying and spending. This can be considered a “Minimalistic Lifestyle”. Here are some benefits of this lifestyle:

  1. Being your true self and relaxed:

Your self-worth is not connected to your belongings anymore. You are valued as a personality and not as an owner of things. You escaped the cycle of debt and overwork and you live relaxed.

  1. Cherish relationships.

Since you are not constantly maintaining, fixing and storing your possessions, you find time to play with your kids and visit friends and family. You may also be able to volunteer in your community and be grateful for what it offers to you.

  1. Value the work of others

You become aware that cheap manufacturing is at the cost of those in poverty working overtime under unbearable conditions. You are choosing your purchases wisely respecting the work of others.

  1. Protect the environment

Your lifestyle saves energy, water and resources. You are aware of the destructive powers of industrialization. Your lifestyle contributes to the use of renewable energy, sustainable grown wood and responsible agriculture.

  1. Strengthen neighborhoods and communities

Your lifestyle supports local businesses and communities. You are an active part of your community and you exchange your gifts and talents with the people around you. You are accepted and you enjoy the fruits of the community.

  1. Agree with of words of Henry David Thoreau:

    “I make myself rich by making my wants few“

 

 

First Shoot – Then Aim

Robert Borneff Decorating , , , 0 Comment
First Shoot – Then Aim

Common sense tells us that before we do something, we should have a plan.  That applies for our careers, for businesses and even for your whole life. A plan structures what we are doing and adds a timeline. So having a plan is helpful.

But what if the goal of the plan is not crystal clear? What happens if the goal of the plan depends on out-of-control factors? What to do if we are not sure if we like the goal of the plan (“Be careful what you wish for”). A lot of times it makes sense to just do something and then see what happens. After that there is still time for reflection.  This also reduces the fear of commitment.

A lot of people think about their home in the same way. For them the home is a piece of art in progress, that continually gets changed and adopted. We are living in times of Bohemian Style where mixing different elements and colors became fun.

When you first decorated a room you probably did not know what it looks like in the end, but you knew exactly how you would use this room and you expected the room to radiate a certain feeling. So you picked everything in this room in a way to achieve the desired look. The layout; the furniture; the lighting;  the accessoirs;  the art;  the colors and the fabrics.

You were probably quiet happy with your design, but soon you found other pieces that you liked to have in this room. Maybe the expectation of how the room should feel changed. Maybe suddenly the purpose  of the room shifted and you had to adapt.

The design of your home is not set in stone. Except for rooms with a public character, you should feel free to try out whatever you feel like in your home. Don’t worry – just do it. If you don’t like it, you can change it again. In doubt you can always consult an interior designer.

The important thing is that your home should provide you and your family with the right kind of energy to make you feel good, successful and HAPPY!