I love humour … a good comedian is the ultimate wordsmith and they are also one of the most creative people on the planet.

Which is why when they talk about creativity and the creative process, I listen.

Recently I watched this video of John Cleese speaking at a creativity conference. In this speech there is barely any humour, just extremely well considered and thought through strategies on building your creativity.

I originally shared it on my Heart Harmony Facebook page – but it was too good not to also share on this blog.

Enjoy …

Ingrid Cliff

We put your business into words

Heart Harmony – Brisbane Copywriter

If you have listened to a news report, or read the papers online or in print form, you could be excused for thinking the world has spiraled into another Great Depression. Stories about shaky consumer confidence and massive downturns in sales plaster the media. The doom and gloom merchants are out in force!

So of course, I got to thinking. And I rattled through my archives to find out what happened during the big one … the real one … the Great Depression. You see, my grandma had lived through it, and I remember myself as a small child, sitting listening to her stories late in the evening in her lavender-scented tiny house in Thornleigh in Sydney. And from her stories, I imagined a world where everyone lived on bread & dripping and there was no money to buy anything. I imagined street after street of boarded up shops, and no-one game enough to start a new business. My grandpa became a traveler – moving from town to town to get what work he could, whether that was milking cows or carpentry. Times were tough for my grandparents.

But I also know that one person’s stories are not the full story.  So here’s what I found out when I started to look at other people’s stories.

Many of the largest companies started in the Depression. Names like Disney, HP and GE all had their starting point when we would imagine no-one in their right mind would want to start a business. The world’s first ever modern suburban supermarket – King Cullen Grocery, started during the depression (this may or may not have been a good thing!).

Then there was the technology. In 1921 there were 75,000 radios sold. in 1930 this had risen to 13.5 million radios sold in that year. Sound anything like the current stats on sales of tablets and smart-phones?

And how did clever businesses respond? They moved their advertising spend away from newspapers onto radios – after all that’s where the audience was.

Then Proctor and Gamble tried something out to engage their clients – something so powerful that we still refer to it today. They created the first “soap opera” – a drama liberally sprinkled with advertising for their products. And their soap sold like gangbusters.

Chevrolet decided to increase their advertising budget during the depression, and for 5 years from 1931, they outsold Ford where previously they trailed in sales 10:1 to Ford.

So what are the lessons? Here’s a few that come to my mind.

• There is no good time or bad time to start a business.  You can start a business in any economy if you have the right business idea, model and implementation.
• People still buy during down times. Yes, they will look for better deals, but they still buy what they need. And if you have served them well when things are tough, they will remain loyal when things improve.
• You need to get creative during down times. Find new ways of presenting your product or service.
• Don’t stop advertising or marketing. There is less “advertising noise” during down times as other people cut back on their marketing spend. Lever that opportunity – get out there more and find new ways to promote your message
• Grab technological developments with both hands and run like crazy. Get in front of the pack – don’t wait until the trend has passed you by.

So what I found was that down times are times of amazing potential if you look at them the right way. And perhaps grandma and grandpa did do it very tough – but we can learn from their experiences and try something differently.

Ingrid Cliff

We put your business into words.

Heart Harmony – Brisbane Copywriter

Well. the US Borders is heading the same way as the Australian Borders – and the vultures are circling, ready to pick over the carcass of a once great business.

We have been hearing a lot about businesses that find people come into the store to try out products or find what they want, and then jump on line to buy them cheaper than they could at the store. We’ve also heard traditional retailers complain that they have overheads of stock, high rents etc which mean they can’t compete with the online stores.

People like to see, touch, feel and try on things before buying. And in a downturn, they also want to save their money. In my mind, the time is ripe for a clever business to actually embrace this online/offline trend, rather than just complain about it.

You see, after looking at the Korean grocery video, I couldn’t help but think – what would have happened to Borders if they had leveraged their online store and reduced their offline presence. By that I mean, what if each Borders store only ever held one sample of each book in their store, so that people who like touching books before buying, could browse. They could look through the books and then either with their smart-phones or using an in-store scanner similar to a library borrowing system, they could buy a copy of the book from the store online, in either hard-copy to be delivered to their home within 7 days, or electronically to their device.

And what would have happened if Borders got into the e-book reader market – stocking the full range of e-book readers and not just the Kobo? What would have happened if with each e-book reader sold, they gave away a free e-book from Borders online?

Store sizes could be reduced, as you wouldn’t need as much room if you only have one of everything, which means rents would be reduced. Stock costs would be reduced – you only need one hard copy sample of all your stock in each store. People would learn about your online business and give it a test run – provided the service and price was good, they would come back.

All just musings on a quiet day …

Now extend this to concept to dress shops and other “at risk” stores, where people are deserting in droves to buy online.  What other ways of merging the offline/online could be possible?

What do you think? Rather than blocking the try before you buy – how could you make that your new business model? I’d love to hear your comments.

Ingrid Cliff

We put your business into words

Heart Harmony – Brisbane Copywriter

I love a headline probably more than most people … but even I now find myself rolling my eyes as I read yet another “The death of (insert current topical topic here)”.

At the moment there seems to be a huge debate about the death of retail due to the insidious and evil online shopping epidemic.  Open any traditional or online newspaper and you will find loads of articles bemoaning the demise of Borders books (and soon to be be Angus & Robertson if all the rumours are true), Colorado clothes and a whole pile of other retailers. Here’s just one from today’s round-up.

The easy target is online purchasing. People are blaming online buying as the sole cause of death. Not a word about the global financial crisis, not a word about consumer spending confidence dropping, no mention of the cult of saving starting to spring up, no mention of rigid management practices or out of date pricing policies. People’s buying patterns are shifting, but you can never just blame death on one single cause.

I think back to when every desk had a typewriter, back before PCs existed (yes, I really am that old). Then came the birth of PCs and people adapted. Many typewriter companies folded, others changed and merged to keep pace. Death was not the birth of the PC, it was the change in how people wanted to use information combined with society changes towards greater freedom and independence.

The thing is that we are always in a state of change, and yes, the change appears to be moving faster when we are in it. The businesses that survive are the ones who keep one eye on the unfolding trends and work out ways to surf the trend rather than sink. The retail businesses that will survive will be the ones that find new ways to access their market, in the way their market want to be served.

This will probably mean that retailers need to change and adapt to keep pace. They need to increase their information gathering rather than close themselves into their box and deny the change is happening. They will need to get onto services such as Trendwatching and listen to social commentators – and sift the data that is coming through before feeding it into their planning.

My inkling is this also means that 5 year strategic planning model is also under change. Which retailer 5 years ago could have predicted the impact of apps, let alone the impact of social media? Planning these days is probably more of the one-page one-year variety (and even that may be too long a time horizon).

So, for me, every new “death of …” headline simply screams opportunity. It means that the particular industry is in a state of change and is looking for ways forward.

Step up. If you are in that industry, try something radically different. Get on top of the trends and invest heavily in testing and measuring what works now.

Any “death of … ” headline should simply be a clarion call to action and getting your butt into gear … NOW!  Or you could just wait a few months, and join Borders.

Ingrid Cliff

We put your business into words

Heart Harmony – Freelance Copywriters

Note – Post has been updated – GrabOne is another site with a client friendly refund policy

In the last 12 months there has been a massive growth in group buying sites. You know the ones …  where businesses offer their goods or services at up to 90% off as a way to get new customers through the door. There is a veritable plethora of sites out there, all looking pretty much the same on the surface. So how do you choose a site to use?

First – I have no business link to any site I am about to mention (and after this post, I am very unlikely to have any connection in the future). I have purely used a few different sites as a customer.

So why do I say that Cudo in Australia is the only group buying site worth using? It all comes down to the terms & conditions … you know those things that no-one reads. We all just merrily click the “agree” button and hope all is well. But, when something goes wrong …

It all started about 6 months back when I bought a cleaning deal through one of the sites. Well the deal was on, but when it came to ring the company to book the service, the phone was always on answer saying how busy they were with the unexpected influx of people, so please leave a message. Needless to say repeated phone messages over a number of weeks were not answered, so I tried contact by email.  Repeated emails were also unanswered. I finally went back to the group site asking for a refund – after all I had paid them for a service that was not being provided. The site hummed and hawed – and pointed me to their site terms which suggested no refunds were payable unless the deal company was in receivership (until I mentioned the Department of Fair Trading … when suddenly a refund was paid).

The same week I bought the cleaning deal, I also bought a photo on canvas from a different deals site. This time I had an email to confirm it would be done within a fortnight … and then nothing. I chased it over 3 months … and still nothing except more promises to do it in the next fortnight. So, I went back and checked the terms of the deals site. This time the terms said no refunds no matter what. So I am now discussing the matter further with the deal business – using terms like “failure to supply”.

Now to be honest, yes … I should have pored over the T&C of each site before committing to purchase  – in as much the same way that all the people who were flooded in Brisbane should have read the T&Cs of their insurance policies. But silly me thought that they would all be pretty much the same, that refunds would be payable if the deal company didn’t supply the goods advertised. I was wrong.

So in the interests of my readers who may want to try group buying sites (and who also hate reading T&C’s) , I have stripped out the refund terms of some of the major & newer players.

Bizz Buzz

You understand and agree that Bizz Buzz Vouchers are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged or redeemed for cash. If any issues arise with the Merchant or the supply of the product/service, you should take up this issue directly with the Merchant. We are unable to assist you in resolving disputes with the Merchant.

We will refund the purchase price or exchange the Bizz Buzz Voucher where we have made a mistake

Scoopon

15.1. Scoopon vouchers are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged or redeemed for cash because you have changed your mind, are unable to use the Scoopon voucher or the Scoopon voucher has been damaged, lost or stolen.

15.2. Scoopon will refund the purchase price or exchange the Scoopon voucher where we have made a mistake; for example, the Scoopon voucher we issued is not for the product that was advertised.

Spreets

REFUNDS:  Except as required by law, a User is not entitled to a refund if the User simply changes their mind or makes a wrong decision. A User receives their voucher via email at midnight if the Deal they have purchased reaches its minimum number of buyers. If a User has any problems using their voucher at a business, they can contact support@spreets.com.

Jump On It

b) You will not be to entitled to any refund on the purchase price of an issued Voucher, except as required by law. However, Jump On It will provide a no-questions-asked money-back guarantee and refund the full purchase price of any Voucher, for any reason, within 30 days of purchase.

c) If for any reason you cannot redeem a Voucher (including but not limited to circumstances in which a Merchant goes out of business or ceases offering the service described in the Deal), Jump On It will provide a full refund if you request such a refund during the Voucher validity period.

Our Deal

31. We will however refund the price which you have paid for a voucher if:

1. we become aware that a Supplier has become bankrupt, started being wound up, entered into administration or had a receiver appointed to it after the start of the Advertising Period but before we transfer the purchase price which you have paid for a voucher to the Supplier;
2. we make a mistake, for example by issuing you a voucher which is incorrect.

Wimzy

Please choose carefully when purchasing from our merchants. We do not normally give refunds if you simply change your mind or make a wrong decision. You can choose between a refund, exchange or credit where goods are faulty, have been wrongly described, are different to the product purchased on the website or doesn’t do what it is supposed to do.

Deal Me

10. Changing your mind and refunds

10.1 Please choose carefully when purchasing a voucher because we do not normally give refunds if you simply change your mind or if you make a wrong decision. If you have any problems using your voucher at a business please contact support@dealme.com.au. It is the responsibility of the provider/supplier whether they issue a refund for a good or service.

Compare these to the refund policy of Cudo  & Grab One & the choice of which site to use suddenly becomes simple.

Grab One

Can I return my GrabOne Coupon?
Once you have purchased a deal you are committed to the transaction and your credit card will be charged immediately following confirmation of the deal. Except where we are required to under law or in relation to our GrabOne Promise, we do not give refunds or allow exchanges.

What if the business for my GrabOne Coupon closes down or does not honour my GrabOne Coupon?
If a business that is supposed to provide goods or services to you under a deal closes down, or if that business does not honour your GrabOne Coupon, we’ll make sure you get your money back. Please refer to the GrabOne Promise for the specific terms that apply.

Cudo

3.2 You will not be to entitled to any consideration, credit or full or partial refund on the purchase price of an issued Coupon, except as required by law.

Cudo’s Satisfaction Guarantee – Terms and Conditions

1. Cudo members may be entitled to receive a full cash refund (“Refund”) on the terms set out in these terms and conditions if that Cudo member is not satisfied with the quality of the goods and services received pursuant to a voucher he/she has purchased on the Cudo Website (“Voucher”) or is not satisfied that the goods or services provided by a merchant conformed with the terms and conditions for that offer.

2. A request for a Refund must be submitted via the form located on the contact page of the Cudo Website or via email to Cudo Customer Service (see contact us).

3. All Cudo members requesting a Refund will be required to provide a full account of their experience with the good and/or service and full particulars as to why they are not satisfied with the quality of the goods and services that are the subject of a Voucher and/or are not satisfied that the goods or services provided by a merchant conformed with the terms and conditions for that offer as published on the Voucher and/or the Cudo Website (“Particulars”). In addition to Particulars, Cudo members are encouraged to provide feedback on how Cudo can improve its services to members.

4. Cudo reserves the right to verify the validity and veracity of some or all of the Particulars at any time, including (but not limited to) by consulting with the relevant merchant responsible for fulfillment of the offer and/or by asking the Cudo member for additional information or documentation.

5. Where Cudo concludes that a complaint is invalid or that a Cudo member’s Particulars are misleading, incorrect and/or deceptive, Cudo reserves the right to refuse a Refund (in its sole discretion).

6. Where a Cudo member has previously received a Refund from Cudo (including pursuant to these terms and conditions), Cudo reserves the right to refuse a further request for a Refund made by that Cudo member (in its sole discretion).

7. The value of the Refund will be the same as the purchase amount of the corresponding Voucher. The Refund will be paid directly into the bank account which the Cudo member used to purchase the Voucher.

8. A Cudo Member may request a Refund up to thirty (30) days after the expiration date of the relevant Voucher (as published on the Voucher). After this time, a Refund may, or may not, be provided to the Cudo member at Cudo’s sole discretion.

9. Cudo reserves the right to resolve a Cudo member’s complaint and/or dissatisfaction with the goods and/or services provided by a merchant via other means prior to paying any Refund to that Cudo member, including (but not limited to) repairing or replacing any good and/or resupplying the relevant good or service that is the subject of the Voucher.

10. Any Refund provided to a Cudo member is in no way an admission of guilt or liability by or on behalf of Cudo or the admission of any other fact in connection with any act or omission which led to the request for a Refund being submitted by a Cudo member.

11. Cudo’s Satisfaction Guarantee policy may be amended or cancelled at Cudo’s sole discretion.

Who knew a refund policy could suddenly become a unique selling proposition?  Now … why on earth are Cudo keeping it secret and burying it in their T&Cs?

I’d love to hear your experience with group buying sites – both positive & negative.

Ingrid Cliff

We put your business into words

Heart Harmony – Freelance writer