How to Disrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Programming

Coach Brad Stevens’ Unexpected Move is Your Power-Move

It’s May 10th at the very end of the 3rd quarter of Celtics Game 5 in Boston when Washington Wizard Kelly Oubre Jr. finds himself at the free throw line – and MISSES.

Even if you’re not an NBA fan, let alone how *enthusiastic* Boston fans can be, you probably know unsportsmanlike conduct can get ugly. And the well-documented charge by Oubre of Boston's (undeserving) Olynyk two games earlier in the Playoff series was a textbook example.

It's now Game 5, tied at 2-2. The Celtics have returned home and are ready to prove themselves. They do so immediately, establishing a +/- 20 point lead in the first few minutes of the game.

Celtics fans had been charged up from the get-go, anti-Oubre chants further amplifying things well before he was even put into the game in the 2nd half.

It’s easy to argue it wasn’t necessary for Brad Stevens to make a lineup change right after Oubre misses that first free throw. But without missing a beat, right as the Garden explodes with joy over Oubre’s miss, Stevens sends Kelly Olynyk in.

The place detonates.

Timing is often an important part of the equation. You must also know your audience, which Stevens clearly does. There’s also something big to be said for giving people even more of the same (e.g. what they expect or crave from your product) – in this case, another intense emotional charge.
 

And – newsflash Event Managers! – nailing the timing doesn’t mean you have to be 100% planned. You can’t be afraid to be spontaneous when the opportunity presents itself.
 

[Rebecca S.] I know all too well that that lesson can go against the grain. I shocked myself, in fact, at the revelation as I caught my breath and sat back down at TD Garden. The event planning niche my team and I occupy is one that celebrates customization; Pour Favor Wine Events is not the bento-box of wine tasting events. 90% of what we do is carefully orchestrated to reinforce our client’s brand or culture. That takes even more planning.

At the same time, I couldn't help but pause... We’ve been at this for 9+ years. We have an incredible roster of partners, a rich skill-set among our staff members (beyond the obvious wine knowledge required) and have curated myriad events – we have a lot of inspiration to draw from. We could develop and implement a still-customized event pretty quickly.

It seems then, if you:

1)      Know your audience and

2)      Have a great supporting cast, whether your planning team or network of partners, and

3)      Are clear on your brand identity and/or event goals, you are in a clutch position.

The Stevens Take-Away?   Don’t hesitate to take advantage of the moment, and strike while the iron is hot to super-charge your own “fan base”, aka customers or guests, with a memorable event. Otherwise, the opportunity might pass you by.
 

We’re HERE when you need us.

How Wine is an Asset to Every Marketer’s Brand Strategy

People always ask how I [R. Schimmoeller] got into wine. To be honest, it was never something I thought would impact my professional path; it was purely a hobby. My day-to-day was related to brand strategy and business development. It wasn’t until later that I realized wine could be leveraged to tell a compelling story about a brand – and on a key, subconscious level.

Wine wields a powerful sword. It has the power to bring people together, reignite memories and provoke connections. In effect, the entire shared experience of discovering a new wine strikes a particularly memorable cord for people.

And marketers know that the more people connect to something (or someone) on a core level, the more compelled they are to act or engage. The challenge is that emotion is hyper-personal. It is incredibly difficult to pinpoint what ultimately triggers a consumer to buy – in large part because they often struggle to tell you why they prefer your brand over another themselves!

“marketers know that the more people connect to something (or someone) on a core level, the more compelled they are to act”

To develop a winning brand strategy the challenge (and fun) is to be as subtle as you are strategic. You must plant seeds through different channels and approaches, and with a consistent brand experience each and every time you do. Such a nuanced approach will intercept and ultimately engage consumers meaningfully.

For example, events offer a great opportunity to leave a particularly lasting impression – that you control. You know how rare this is in brand-work, where others’ perceptions are the reality you contend with. An event experience offers a chance for potential customers to interact with multiple pieces related to your brand, too – from your staff, to your physical office space, sometimes even to your actual product.

Now, how many times have you been to an event with just one wine?

If one wine has the power to compel curiosity and interest, imagine what happens when an entire flight (aka multiple wines) has been curated – very deliberately – to tell a bigger, even more captivating story that ties back to your brand. Think about it. Each wine offers an opportunity to elicit a reaction, to draw someone in. Together, each wine can serve as a chapter in your brand story; the flight delivers a beginning, middle and a (happy) ending.

“imagine what happens when an entire flight has been curated – very deliberately – to tell a bigger, even more captivating story that ties back to your brand”

Here are some starting points.

If you’re all about innovation, choose wines that are in some way; if you’re about luxury, go baller; if you’re showcasing a product with a customizable interface, craft an entire wine experience that has a personal, hands-on element. Ping me and I’ll give you a few specific ideas.

BOTTOM LINE.

If you’re clever and creative, you can create a larger wine experience that’s fun and uniquely personal, that reinforces connections and celebrates your brand – without ever waving a big red flag. You will tickle your potential buyers’ subconscious in a truly memorable way. The key is to tell each wine’s story during your event synergistically and such that the subtly is not lost. Guests should go home appreciative of the artful tie-ins because you set the stage accordingly.

Why Your Next Event Needs a “House Wine” + How to Choose

When was the last time you were at an event and you walked away from the bar talking about the wine? It’s hard to get excited about the same old selection you see ubiquitously at every one of “these things,” right?

If you’re like the corporate planners we polled this summer, the last thing you want is for guests to consider your event run of the mill. In fact, if you’re like them, you want your event to be memorable for the right reasons – with guests actively participating, having fun and connecting with each other.

You want your event to be fresh and add value.

Did you know wine selection is a key tool for making your event a success?

“If you’re like the corporate planners we polled this summer, the last thing you want is for guests to consider your event run of the mill.”

Let’s take one of our venue partners for example, a top-notch, full-service operation that must create stand-out events time and again to be successful.

They rightfully pride themselves not only on their immaculate space and thoughtful approach in planning, but also the farm-to-fork food experience they deliver. Their wine list needed to follow suit.

Called upon to help, we saw a unique opportunity to set them up for success – not only in working with their clients, but also by ensuring their wine list would pay itself forward to guests’ event experiences.
 

Why? Analysis Paralysis is an Event Killer. 
 

“A key networking and guest-engagement opportunity is lost.”

People (guests) who find themselves in unfamiliar territory are overwhelmed by too much choice. And people who consider themselves in the know become distracted by too many options (whether good ones, or more often, stuck determining the ‘best of the worst’). At an event, while the bar line grows and grows, conversation among party-goers becomes awkward as people fight their decision demons. Guests become stressed and just want to get back to the people they already know and the larger festivities. A key networking and guest-engagement opportunity is lost.

So we retooled their custom list aiming to:

a)  Streamline offerings, which even novice clients (like many guests) could comfortably choose from;

b)  Offer wine options that would stir the interest and enthusiasm of guests when they saddled up to the bar – and as they headed back to the festivities;

c)  Creatively reflect their brand.

From here our partner was ready and able to work with their own clientele to create a winning guest experience. In effect, their custom wine list became their secret weapon.

“In effect, their custom wine list became their secret weapon.”

As in the example above, you can – and should – use your wine selection to bring additional creativity to bear, get people engaging (in and outside of the bar line) and underscore your brand or event in a fresh, subtle way.
 

How do you go about it?
 

Streamline Selections, aka Operate in Technicolor.   While guests may not know the ins and outs of wine, they do know which color they prefer. Offer just one of each style: a white and a red, with one festive sparkling wine for good measure. That’s your flight of what we call “House Wines” – Analysis Paralysis abated.
 

Pique Curiosity.   Skip the Italian Pinot Grigio, California Chardonnay or Pinot Noir and the Argentine Malbec. You get the idea – these are the predictable options. Offer choices that have familiar nuances, but that guests might not ordinarily come across. Guests who consider themselves in the know try something new (or are excited to enjoy something they recognize isn’t often an option) while novices just enjoy for the sake of enjoyment.

Hint: Blends from France, Spain and Italy are often a wonderful starting point, or seek out wines from lesser-known countries like Austria (whites) or Lebanon (reds). Don’t hesitate to ask for guidance, or get outside help. Your local wine shop is a great resource to solicit input on lesser known crowd-pleasers.
 

“. . . make things less fussy – and more fun – for guests.”

Unleash Your Creativity.   Once you’ve decided on the wines, facilitate fun organically by renaming each selection in a spirited or meaningful way that will get folks engaging in line – and afterwards, with their choice in hand. Try playing-off of branding or corporate culture elements. Or use the excuse to celebrate (or roast?) particular staff members or departments. Want to detach a bit from work? Give the selections personas – like “Nuanced & Daring – Red” and “Lively & Luxe – Bubbly” for the sparkling wine.

Bottom Line: Wine naturally adds levity – and a traditional bar set-up offers an opportunity for guests from all corners to connect as they make their way to your Libation Station. By being both more deliberate in choosing a focused selection of your own House Wines and more playful in how you present them, you make things less fussy – and more fun – for guests.

Are You Maximizing Your Event’s Impact? Tricks to Turning Things Inside - OUT

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image c/o LinetLinen.com

Whoops! You’ve just pulled your favorite top out of the delicate cycle and it’s inside out – fresh and loveable, but not quite ready to turn heads. With one quick adjustment you’re all set.

“Culture becomes real, such that employees often will share their company experience with others – hint: your (potential) customers.”

We've discovered companies that develop and reinforce a collaborative, fit culture from within are better positioned to pay it forward. Their approach internally allows them to turn what they do inside out, too, to reach customers—engaging them more memorably—because it is rather effortless to do so.

Aligning events with your values and the type of culture you have (or would like to have) means employees leave proud of what they do, who they do it with, and what they do it for. Values become more than a quip on a mug. Culture becomes real, such that employees often will share their company experience with others – hint: your (potential) customers.

Internal events then are also external, whether intrinsically or more deliberately (in terms of your guest list).
 

Let’s take a growing tech company in Boston for example.

Despite finding an exciting new space to relocate their operations, the custom buildout was faced with myriad challenges. What was set to be a late spring move-in became an autumnal hope. The leadership team tasked their support staff with reimagining their holiday party. Rather than taking things off-site to a well-vetted (aka trusted, surprise-free) venue, they embraced their core values of innovation and experimentation:

1.   The event would be hosted in-house, no matter how finished, in the new space.

2.   Rather than keeping their invite list internal, the company leveraged the event as an Open House celebration that included customers, prospects and partners as well as employees.

3.   They embraced the (on-going) element of surprise, making that core to the event. Invited to help, we proposed curating a truly unique, experimentation-rich wine tasting experience that not only underscored their event goals, but showcased their culture in a hands-on, unforgettable way. [Ask us how.]

How can you dial things so that your event can’t help but WOW?
 

Be Deliberate.  
Just like an architect builds from the ground up, so should your event. If your employees are sharing their day-to-day worklife experience, make your event a reflection of that experience, too.
 

Be Subtle.  
Events that maximize the opportunity to pay themselves forward, are authentic – culture-infused and value-based, but not overworked. Don’t be creative for creativity’s sake. Find natural ways to reinforce your culture through your event. In our experience, less is often more.
 

Get Personal.  
Creating an experience that can be personalized is a technique we use to help folks engage on a meaningful level. An attendee's event experience should be organic and seamless, or about them. Customers or prospects included in your events shouldn’t feel like they are being sold – whether a specific product, or your brand as a whole. And if it’s an employee event innately (not necessarily directly) celebrate your team first, their work and their accomplishments. This is not a time to promote the company.

“... folks invest in you/your brand because it feels natural; employees offer their best because they want to.”

All those who participate are simply along for the ride, and it should feel that way. Later, folks (continue to) invest in you/your brand because it feels natural; employees offer their best because they want to.

In other words, shared experiences are a wonderful way to dial things in personally, and leave a winning impression.

Certainly events are a wonderful way to celebrate, boost company culture, and reinforce camaraderie – and there is value in this alone. But why have the value end there or the impact expire with the evening? Let what you stand for become your muse, your WOW factor. Then invite folks in to experience organically why your company is unique.
 

Remember, attendees should leave the event feeling connected to the experience – and your team and your brand – in their own way. By setting the tone with subtle reflections of your culture, you can then create organic opportunities for people to connect. In so doing, your event will go from a single time, day and place on your guests’ calendar, to a memorable experience that leaves them wanting to participate and engage again and again.