Top Ten Things I Learned in Vegas, Part I

I just got back from the NRA Marketing Executives Group (MEG) Conference at The Green Valley Ranch in Las Vegas. (For those of you who don’t know, the MEG conference is a National Restaurant Association study group where marketers, presidents and CEOs come together to learn the latest in restaurant marketing.) The agenda was action-packed with topics ranging from social media to small-budget tactics to lessons from outside the industry to compelling campaigns.

But here are the Top Ten Things I really Learned in Vegas.

#10  You Can’t Fake Authenticity

Vegas is the perfect backdrop for this lesson, for obvious reasons. But the lesson extends beyond the obvious. As conference presenters discussed the use of social media, a recurring theme was the necessity of using the "authentic voice" of the brand versus the sometimes phony "advertising voice" that consumers have become so inured to. I’m sure it has everything to do with fitting into the environment. An advertising pitch is perfectly at home in an advertising medium…not so in a social medium. Social media is an extension of what you try to achieve in-store, not on TV.

#9  If You Don’t Have Big Budgets, You Need Big Ideas

Blake Mycoskie, Founder & Chief Shoe Giver of TOMS Shoes, told the inspiring story about the foundation of his company based on the simple promise to give a pair of shoes to children in need around the world with every pair sold. It began with a vacation he took to Argentina, where he noted that the 250 children in the village he was visiting couldn’t go to school because they didn’t have shoes. This simple "big idea" of giving "one for one" has resonated with people all over the world, and TOMS has given 140,000 shoes to children in need, illustrating that entrepreneurs don’t have to choose between earning a living and making a difference.

Big ideas that touch people on a deeper level can magnify an organization’s momentum whether it is tied to a charitable endeavor or merely one that touches your guests on a more personal, meaningful level. Denny’s ambitious free Grand Slam promotion, although not really "small budget," is still a big idea that engaged guests with a sense of community and at a more profound level than mere scrambled eggs and toast. Speakers from Qdoba, Fox & Hound, P.F. Chang’s and El Pollo Loco all demonstrated that the size of the idea not the size of the budget will determine success.

#8  The Best Advertising Is the Truth

Blake’s message resonates because of its truth. The authentic social-media conversations from companies connecting with their guests in cyberspace have a real ring of truth. Similarly, years ago the first TV campaign I ever mounted was based on unscripted testimonials from real people…the results were impressive same-store-sales gains.

#7  If You Ever Want to Know Why People Do What They Do….

…look where the rewards and punishments are.

Southwest Airlines is a classic example–people either love it or hate it depending on how they respond to the "rewards and punishments." I love flying Southwest because I totally respond to the reward system: check in 24 hours in advance, and your chance of getting an aisle seat are terrific. (Not surprisingly, everyone else has been conditioned by the system so that in the first minute of online check-in the other day on my flight to Las Vegas, there were 55 boarding passes issued before mine!) I also love that they don’t charge for baggage. Although practically everyone else is charging for checked bags, Southwest has managed to resist the temptation. It’s a win for passengers and a win for Southwest–it’s quick and easy to board without the drama of having to separate people from their carryon bags.

Consumers are smart and they respond to the incentives we create….almost too well. As you create incentives within your brand, they need to be in sync with the brand and in sync with guest needs to be a true win-win.

#6   Virtue Is the Result of Insufficient Temptation

Overheard banter while passing a blackjack table…I guess this one speaks for itself.

Part II to follow later this week.

Until then…I’d love to hear your thoughts.