Redbox: An informal brand case study

In a previous post, I indicated that Redbox was an irresistible brand. I want to prove my point further in this post. Below is an email correspondence I had with Redbox concerning an unplayable disc. I rented a movie and halfway through watching it, the picture went ballistic on me. As a result, I was unable to finish the movie.

A few things worth noting...

• As you'll read in my online inquiry, I didn't ask Redbox to compensate me in any way.
• Redbox explicitly states a response time of 24 - 48 hours for web inquiries (suffice it to say, their response time was lightning fast)
•  There were no grammatical gaffes or typos in Redbox's communication.

If you're a Redbox customer, I'd like to hear about your experiences (good or bad). Thanks for sharing!

...Original correspondence starts below...


Recently you requested personal assistance from our on-line support center. Below is a summary of your request and our response.

Subject
Unplayable Disc
Discussion Thread
Response Via Email (JessicaO)	06/11/2013 04:44 PM
Hi Giovanni! I’m sorry to hear that your Blu-ray Disc didn't play properly. If you haven’t already, please go ahead and return it to any Redbox location. It’s possible that the disc you rented was manufactured after your Blu-ray player. To play new Blu-ray Discs, you may need a firmware or software update from your manufacturer. We encourage you to check the manufacturer’s website or call its technical support team to find out if you need an update, and if so, how to get it. To apologize for the inconvenience and cover the cost of the rental, I’d like to give you some promo codes good for a free one-day rental of any Blu-ray Disc or DVD of your choice, or a discount on a one-day game rental. The codes can be used online or at the box and are valid for 45 days from today's date. Only one code can be used per transaction. Here they are: XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX To use a promo code at the box, touch the PROMO CODE button when you get to the checkout screen. You’ll still be asked to swipe your card to cover any additional days you hold on to your disc. You won’t be billed for your first rental day, but you’ll see an authorization hold that’ll drop off of your account in 5-7 business days. To use a promo code online or on the mobile app, click the “Use Credits or Promo Code” box on the checkout page, then select “Use Online Promo Code.” You won’t be billed for your first rental day, but you’ll see an authorization hold that’ll drop off of your account in 5-7 business days. If you have any more questions, please contact us at 1.866.REDBOX3 (1.866.733.2693). Thanks! Redbox Customer Care 1.866.REDBOX3 www.redbox.com
Customer By Web Form (Giovanni Ella)	06/11/2013 04:30 PM
I rented Broken City and it played fine for the first half, but I was unable to watch the other half of the movie because it wouldn't play (even after cleaning)...the images got pixilated and distorted. Anyway, thought you should know. Keep up the great service!
Question Reference #130611-003143
Date Created:  06/11/2013 04:30 PM Last Updated:  06/11/2013 04:44 PM Status:  Solved Credit Card Last 4 Digits:  XXXX What can we help you with?:  Unplayable Disc Rental Location ZIP Code:  XXXXX We are here to assist you with:  DVD/Blu Ray/Games Rental

Who in the world has a Discover Credit Card?

I've seen my share of Discover Credit Card ads. I've heard them on the radio and seen them online. There's even a billboard off Highway 101.

Discover is certainly not some fly-by-night credit card company by any stretch of the imagination. As a non-member, my perception of their brand is positive. Yet despite these attributes, I'm still hard-pressed to know anyone that has the card.

I've marketed credit cards, so I know Visa and MasterCard are the top dogs. Then there's American Express.

Where does Discover fall in the ranks? According to the Nilson Report, Discover is the fourth largest in terms of market share. Visa, MasterCard and American Express are the top three.

As I look back at how my credit card relationships came into being, I remember that American Express was the first company to give me a credit card (in college). I'm not entirely clear on how my relationship with Visa began; and I've never had a MasterCard.

I'm on a quest to find somebody with a Discover Credit Card. If you have one, what drove you to get your card? What is it about the card that you value most? Thanks for sharing.

Redbox is an irresistible brand

 

Redbox has created an irresistible brand by delighting their customers--certainly not a new concept, but it's one that many brands can (and should) aspire to. This has become a key differentiator for Redbox in the otherwise unsexy space of video rentals. And they consistently delight their customers. Here’s how:

·         Convenience. They’re practically ubiquitous in terms of locations. You can rent titles from your PC or mobile phone and return them at any Redbox kiosk.

·         Service. I once reserved a title online and when I drove to the kiosk location, it was inside a supermarket that was closed for the long weekend. I emailed Redbox and they responded immediately by giving me free rental credits, with no questions asked. How's that for aiming to please?

·         Brand consistency. I consider myself a strong brand advocate. They’re a bit wacky but that’s what makes them even more unique and likeable. They’re frequency of communication is just right and Redbox can always count on me to read all their text messages and emails (perhaps it's because they’re messages are always relevant).

      As of Q2 2011, 68 percent of the U.S. population lived within a five-minute drive of a Redbox kiosk (Source: Redbox corporate information, December 12, 2011). With this many Redbox locations, every night can easily become a movie night.

 

Top 10 Digital Thoughts from LiveRamp 2013

I was going to do an additional LiveRamp write-up but stumbled across a post from fellow-blogger Anthony Power of TC Media. Anthony summarized (nicely) what various CEOs discussed during the May 30 LiveRamp Summit. Have a read at his post below...

Top 10 Digital Thoughts from LiveRamp 

RampUp 2013: On Big Data

I attended the RampUp 2013, LiveRamp Summit yesterday. It was held in the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. Approximately two-third of the 1,000+ attendees were from outside California.

What is RampUp?

It's an educational forum uniting data, advertising and technology. The purpose of this year's summit is to engage in dialogue around the convergence of offline and online data (Big Data) in digital advertising.

Big Data is one of the latest key buzzwords in the evolution of marketing. Marketers face a fundamental challenge today, as they're inundated by mass amounts of data from every direction. How do marketers transform all that data into actionable information while creating meaningful relationships with their customers?

Big Data is BIG! 

Here's some high-level stats and comments from some panel discussions:

• In 1970, there wasn't a single iota of data in existence; by 2003, there was 1.5B gigabytes.
• There's about 5B gigabytes of traditional data being used by major brands today, coupled with another 5B gigabytes of structured data funneling through ad exchanges and social networks daily.
• Sorting through this mass amounts of data is a fundamental challenge for companies--there aren't enough data scientists to "off-board" all the data.
• Off-boarding this massive amount of data requires not only science but art--relying solely on system algorithms is insufficient. A human element is needed to factor in the strategic considerations.

Look out for future posts where I'll cover more specific information from the summit including attribution, re-targeting and highlights from keynote speaker Neal Mohan, Google's VP of Display Advertising.

Everything's negotiable. How much do you want to bet?

Negotiating is part of everyday life. You may find yourself negotiating the terms of your lease, how much you'll sell your home, even where you'll have dinner tomorrow.

If you're not already negotiating, you should be; and you should do it whenever you can. You'll be surprised with what you can get just by asking.

When my wife and I purchased our Saab a few years ago from a Lexus dealership, the car didn't include the rear cargo cover. I called the Saab dealership to find out if they had one in stock and how much it cost. 

$450!

After getting over the initial shock, I asked the parts guy if the cargo cover ever goes on sale (Note: There's an art to negotiating. You don't want to ask for a discount off the gates. You need to engage in some dialogue first). He replied, "How about I give you a 15% discount?" To which I replied, "How about 20% and you have a deal." He said okay and there you have it.

Negotiating even works on eBay. I've made it my ritual to ask before bidding on an item. It works on any type of auction--even those that already have bids on them.

If you don't ask, you'll never know the outcome and miss an opportunity.

Now I do want to throw out a caveat. You can't just walk into Nordstrom and ask for a discount, or go up to your boss and ask for a raise. There's a time and place for negotiating. Use common sense and good judgement.

Which reminds me...I found a pair of sneakers on eBay and pinged the seller about lowering her price. She just responded and says she'll knock off $10 from her Buy It Now price.

Excuse me while I go negotiate.

Prolific Oven, yes. Prolific grammar, no.

I tried Prolific Oven's (Santa Clara Rivermark location) Eggs Benedict breakfast and I have to say it was quite tasty and reasonably priced. I give them props for being prolific at food preparation, but when it comes to grammar, they need a bit of help.

The possessive case in grammar can be tricky and often trips people up. Case in point, Prolific Oven's sign above their beverage bar. There shouldn't be an apostrophe in "Coffee's."

Sure, it's only one stinking sign, but that's no excuse! The rule of proofing what you publish still applies, no matter the scope or amount of copy.


Let's not forget there's a brand at stake, so pay attention.

Now I'm curious. Does the Prolific Oven location across town have the same goofed sign?