Joe Mamma!

Another effectively branded Canadian institution, Joe Mamma Bikes & Boards is striving for second place as the worst-bike shop in Ottawa for customer service. Employees at this LBS successfully effect an east-coast ‘boarder’ attitude.

Customer: Do you carry the Ottawa Cycling Map?
Clerk: Joe Mamma.

Customer: Do you know where we could find the Ottawa Cycling Map?
Clerk: Joe Mamma.

Customer: Do you have any mountain bike trail guides for Ottawa?
Clerk: Joe Mamma.

Customer: Where do mountain bikers ride around Ottawa?
Clerk: Joe Mamma.

Curt answers convey a flippant tone to customers. This nonchalant behavior is rabid among teen- and other inexperienced sales personnel, particularly in the retail sector. Your local bike shop (LBS) included. Use every customer contact as an opportunity to develop rapport by using effective dialog. Ask lots of questions. Dig under the surface to find what the customer really wants.

If you ever need advice about marketing or sales efforts, don’t worry. You’ll never hear a “Joe Mamma” response from me. Meanwhile, for a more motherly experience, check out Maman at the National Gallery of Canada.

Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada?

What is the “Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada?” According to Google, you’ll find it’s Squamish, British Columbia. More than a motto. Squamish has successfully branded itself as a canoeing-fishing-hiking-kayaking-mountain biking-rafting-rock climbing-scuba diving-windsurfing mecca.

Jen and I recently joined our friends Lourdez Olanda and Erin McClelland for a few days of single-pitch trad climbing bliss at Murrin Park, and Smoke Bluffs, just below the Stawamus Chief – one of the largest granite walls in the world.

See our Squamish climbing pictures

DQ: Sweet Treats, Sour Brand Image

Casual Fridays Gone Bad

Marketing is more than branding your image. Take my recent visit to the Cle Elum Dairy Queen. The Heath Bar Blizzard and cherry sundae sure tasted sweet, but our experience was sour…

Good food, good service and good value are what most customers expect from any restaurant. You expect the traditional DQ menu of Cool Treat Deals, DQ Baskets, and Blizzards. You don’t expect the Plus It: Add Plumber’s Buttcrack to every order for no extra charge!

Employees’ slovenly attire impacts how customers recall Dairy Queen’s brand image. Gone are the strawberry red lips, the DQ moniker. What’s left is a memory of unprofessionalism. DQ’s tolerance for indecent dress not only tarnishes its brand image, but it offends customers who still believe belts keep your pants up, not down.

Up and down doesn’t matter when you’re mountain biking and climbing around Leavenworth and Cashmere. It’s all fun. Check out our recent photos of Clamshell Crack, Mountaineers Dome, Devil’s Gulch, and Freund Creek:
www.marketingbymarlow.com/photos/