Delivering Happiness Delivers Indeed

Yes, nice guys can finish first. This is the overarching theme of Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh’s new book Delivering Happiness, a Path to Passion, Profits, and Purpose. Released today (I was given a free, preview copy), Delivering Happiness chronicles the rise of Zappos from a half-baked notion to multi-billion dollar pinnacle of high touch customer [...]

Is Zappos’ Email as Good as Their Social Media?

Guest post by David Hibbs, lifecycle marketing manager for integrated marketing firm Off Madison Ave. He specializes in developing strategies to reach the right customer, at the right time, with the right message. I’m a big fan of Zappos.com. They have personality, transparency, and the willingness to try new things (see every social media case [...]

Optimizing the Impact of Please and Thanks

When was the last time you applauded a company? On a Southwest Airlines flight to Austin for South by Southwest a couple weeks ago, our plane was delayed due to a flat tire. The tire was changed in about 30 minutes, and we were on our way. The flight landed late in Austin of course, [...]

Find Your ONE THING Before Launching in Social Media

(originally written for MarketingProfs Daily Fix) The history of marketing has been an unending stream of “biggest sale ever,” “now with extra raisins,” and “easy financing available.” The power of social media is that it allows consumers to peek behind the curtain of brands that have historically been stoic, pushy, and unresponsive. Successful social media [...]