Tag Archives: Communication

by | Thursday, March 9, 2023 · 8:10 am

How to Apologize in Business

Everyone makes mistakes. Every company makes mistakes. It happens. But what should happen after the mistake? Should apologies be made? How should the apology happen?

It’s not unusual for mistakes to happen inadvertently. This past holiday season Graza, a startup company that produced squeezable bottles of extra-virgin olive oil, made a mistake. It shipped holiday gifts late – and badly packaged – disappointing many customers and turning away prospective new customers.

The company’s chief executive decided to take the apology into his own hands and apologized to every customer who had purchased the products within the previous 60 days and asked for a second chance. He sent a 835-word apology to more than 35,000 customers. He wrote it honestly and didn’t worry about crafting the perfect letter. It came from his heart.

The results were also heart-warming. Within minutes of sending the message, hundreds of customers responded, thanking him for his honesty. Most of the customers also pledged to continue to support Graza and buy its products.

What makes a good apology?

  1. Say you’re sorry for what you did.
  2. Show you understand why it was bad.
  3. You can explain, but don’t make excuses.
  4. Say why it won’t happen again.
  5. And offer to make up for the mistake.

Mistakes happen. Apologies should follow.

How would you apologize?

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:  

  1. Discuss what happens when a company makes an error in its marketing or business.
  2. Check out Graza’s website: https://www.graza.co/
  3. Show the Graza apology letter: https://s.wsj.net/public/resources/documents/GrazaApologyEmail.pdf
  4. Divide students into teams. Have each team research a time a company made a public mistake that annoyed its customers.
  5. Another example: Southwest Airlines flight cancellations over the holidays: https://www.npr.org/2023/01/04/1146865858/southwest-airlines-apologizes-and-then-gives-its-customers-frequent-flyer-points
  6. Now have each team craft an apology.
  7. Include the wording, the placement of the apology, and any potential remedies for customers.

Source:  Cohen, B. (12 January 2023). What happened when the olive oil startup apologized. Wall Street Journal.

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by | Wednesday, December 28, 2022 · 5:28 pm

Holiday Shopping: Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2022

Black Friday has become almost another holiday for consumers – and a challenge for marketers.  After two years shopping online, people were ready to go back to the stores.

The day after Thanksgiving saw millions of American consumers hit the stores and malls. In pre-pandemic years it was wild with crowds of shoppers piled into big box stores and malls for doorbuster promotions. But fewer people were out shopping early this year. Probably because retailers were offering Black Friday (early) deals in October to entice earlier holiday purchases (and lighten excess inventory).

Sales at brick-and-mortar stores grew roughly 18%; online purchases were up nearly 4%. Cyber Monday was definitely the biggest shopping day online with sales of $11.3 billion, an increase of 5.8% from 2021.

According to the National Retail Federation shopping survey, top gift categories are clothing, gift cards, and toys. But the national economy has an impact on spending, with most households planning to buy fewer gifts this year.

Some additional shopping highlights:

  • Shoppers spent an average of $325.44 on holiday purchases.
  • Overall shopping increased 8% from 2021.
  • Roughly 197 million shoppers visited stores or bought online between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday.
  • Traffic in physical stores increased 17% from 2021.
  • Online spending reached more than $9 billion on Black Friday.
  • Online shoppers increased only 2.3% from 2021.

Despite inflation fears, we still like to give gifts.

What did you buy?

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Discuss the changes in U.S. consumers’ shopping habits now that pandemic restrictions have been lifted.
  2. Poll students: What new shopping habits have the students formed?
  3. Where do they shop? Why? Online and in person?
  4. Show WSJ’s photos/article about the changes in store for Black Friday shopping: https://www.wsj.com/story/black-friday-is-back-with-smaller-crowds-5e22045b?mod=Searchresults_pos7&page=1
  5. Poll students about their shopping over Thanksgiving Week – Cyber Monday.
  6. Divide students into teams.
  7. In teams, have students tally how much they spent, which products were sought after, etc. See which teams are the biggest spenders.
  8. Have each team design a holiday sales promotion for a company of their choosing.

Source: Nassauer, S. (29 November 2022). Black Friday weekend drew millions of shoppers back to stores. Wall Street Journal.: WSJ Staff (25 November 2022). Black Friday is back, with smaller crowds. Wall Street Journal.

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by | Sunday, January 9, 2022 · 9:14 pm

Marketing Used for Good

We commonly think of using marketing principles and practices to promote business and grow revenue. And that’s fine – up to a certain point. However, marketing can be so much more.

We know that marketing is used to grow businesses and organizations. Increased revenue usually leads to new research and development, new products and services, and strong returns for shareholders and stakeholders. Lots of people benefit from this. And that’s good. But it is only part of the story. Marketing can also be used to help society in very powerful ways.

In one example, advertising agency Havas Tel Aviv recently used it powers for good when it partnered with Laisha, a popular women’s magazine in Tel Aviv, to promote a domestic abuse hotline. A study of women in Israel had found that most women were not even aware that a  hotline number for domestic abuse even existed. Therefore, for the promotion the agency created a simple cover page for Laisha with the 24/7 helpline phone number in large white letters on a black background. Basically, making it an impossible-to-miss cover. The text stated that women who suffer from domestic violence are not alone – and that the anonymous phone line offers help in all languages.

The result: An increase in calls to the hotline by 500%!

Musicians and artists also are powerful contributors to social programs and awareness. Several years ago rapper Logic recorded the song titled “1-800-273-8255,” directing young people to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline phone number. The song chronicled a youth’s journey through depression to a suicide prevention call. The song was nominated for Grammy awards for song of the year and best music video as well as a MTV music video award. But the most stunning result was the increase in calls for help during its release.

The results: 9,915 more calls to the support line were made in the 34-day period after the Grammy and MTV Music Award shows! The song’s impact contributed to an estimated 245 fewer suicides over the same period. That’s powerful!

Consider: Marketing makes a difference in many ways.

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Discuss how marketers can be active with social responsibility and justice.
  2. What skill sets translate from corporations to community service?
  3. Show Logic’s video: https://youtu.be/Kb24RrHIbFk
  4. Divide students into teams. Have each team select a social issue or a community program that they admire.
  5. Challenge each team to develop a marketing tactic to highlight the ways in with the programs can help people.
  6. Alternatively, have each team research an existing social program and analyze its messaging and tactics (ex: Red Cross, Big Brothers, etc.)

Sources: Ansari, T., (Dec. 15, 2021). Rapper Logic’s song about suicide prevention may have saved hundreds of lives, study says, Wall Street Journal; Griner, D. (Dec. 2, 2021). This magazine cover boosted calls to an abuse hotline by 500%. Ad Week.

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