Ogilvy Vice President and PR Guru Rohit Bhargava first mentioned our blog about two years ago (click here to read the mention).
That may be a shameless plug. But what is not shameless is that since that mention, Rohit has become a social networking expert, and he’s penned his first book, Personality Not Included. The books arrives in bookstores right about *now* and we’re excited to share an exclusive interview with our readers.
What makes the book so special is that Rohit is introducing companies to the importance of transparent marketing, which is designed to encourage companies to connect with customers in a more interactive, authentic way. Brands are able to use their personalities, have employees that talk like real people, and manage to have a real conversation with those that love their brand.
Below are our 5 exclusive questions as they pertain to the world of professional organizing, along with Rohit’s very thoughtful responses. You can also read some other interviews by visiting his website. Rohit’s answers shed some light on how your purchasing habits may be influenced in the future, in a good way.
1.) Retail Stores like The Container Store seem to know how to connect with their customers in-store. Their employees are encouraged to engage with their clientele and "hear" their story. Why are the customers shopping there? What clues are they giving to the employee for their next project and how can the employee encourage the customer to return for the next solution? Sometimes the conversations turn into counseling or therapy. How do you explain that and what value does this conversation provide to retail personalities like The Container Store?
"I think this is a great example of the power of personality. Essentially, what The Container Store manages to do is have their employees sharing their real voices and all adding to the public perception of the brand. There are some other great examples in the book of brands that manage to do this, from Trader Joe’s to Zappos.com. All have realized similar lessons in the power of giving your employees the chance to have a real voice."
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Spring cleaning is here. Are you feeling it?
