Farming is now cool and retro.  Farm-to-table restaurants are one of the hottest restaurant category niches.  Look no further than Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico, NY and Richard Gere and Carey Lowell's hot new restaurant Bedford Post, also in New York.  Fresh local produce, meat and breads are lucrative business today.  One look at your bill at the end of a great meal and you'll see that firsthand, and feel it in your wallet as well.

Farms are back in our consciousness in a big way.  Look around - almost every town has a weekly farmers' market that continues well into September and October.  What they've been able to do is sell quality over bland supermarket produce offerings.  You'll pay more, but it's worth it.  Farms have brand value and equity today.  Everyone wants to get on the sustainability train. 

There is something wonderful about growing and cooking with fresh local vegetables.  Being a long-time gardener, there is no better feeling than harvesting something you've grown, many times from a seed. The vegetables and fruits cultivated in the garden are vibrant in color, from lush, fire-engine red Big Boy tomatoes and regal orange carrots to dark green bell peppers and aubergine eggplants.  The colors of summer help make this fleeting season one to enjoy.

Supporting farms is not only good for you; it's good for the community.  Farms bring people together by promoting engagement and connection.  Who doesn't want to support a local farmer - it keeps money in the local economy.  A local butcher called Butcher's Best opened nearby where I live and the meat they sell is grown on local farms.  There is a discernible difference in the taste of the meat.  Pork and lamb taste like they used to before supermarkets ran independent butchers out of business.  You pay dearly for it, but doesn't taste prove quality?  The adage has always been that a great brand derives 10% to 15% premium - farms/farm fresh products bear this out. 

The farm trend is everywhere you look.  Just this past weekend, we went to the Dutchess County Fair which features a tremendous amount of agricultural/farming influence.  People were engaged and involved in all the barns, exhibits and demonstrations - ranging from cow milking to livestock auctions. There were four-mile traffic jams winding through the bucolic town of Rhinebeck waiting to get into the parking lot.   The awareness and appreciation of all things farming was certainly heightened, although you were hard pressed to find any healthy "farm fresh" dining choices throughout the fair grounds.  That's not such a bad thing - who doesn't enjoy a sausage and pepper sandwich, hand cut fries, fried dough and beer!!  Good thing they don't post calories for all the junk food we consumed. 

The Farmer's Cow brand, originated by six family-owned dairy farms in Connecticut, is an example of farm brands working.  They saw an opportunity to cash in on the farm-to-table trend by launching the Farmer's Cow brand back in 2005. Recently they stepped beyond milk, extending the brand to ice cream.  Brand extension - a sure sign of success!   The brand is found throughout retail supermarkets in CT, NY and southern New England.  They are a part of the State of CT's $2 billion agriculture industry.   They proved that revenue streams lead back to farms.  Their operating credo - "We believe in what we do - protecting open space and our precious agricultural heritage for future generations."   By supporting "farm brands" we're doing our part to make this happen.  That's great brand evangelism! 

Earlier this month, the first class of video game icons was inducted into the International Video Game Hall of Fame in Ottumwa, Iowa.  Why not?  Even mascots have their own hall of fame. Who hasn't been touched by video games - the ultimate in brand engagement that lasted hours upon hours?  Video games have helped shape us and are a part of who we are. 

Who doesn't remember the initial primitive games of Pong and Asteroids or spending hours drinking beer and playing Pac-Man, Asteroids and Centipede - albeit on self standing video arcade machines that are now relegated to being novelty  adult "trophy" items in basement game rooms.  A quarter went a long way in those days.  Pac-Man was a breakthrough in technology and game playability back in the early 80's.   Ms. Pac-Man was a weak brand extension.  Yes, Pac-Man was one of the first hall of fame inductees - a fitting acknowledgement of this brand icon recognized by 94% of U.S. consumers.

Few industries do a better job of cannibalizing themselves than video games.   According to USA Today, nearly 100,000 video games have been released since the days of Pong and the Magnavox Odyssey - the world's first home video game system in 1972.  Fame is fleeting as Nintendo has learned.  You're on top of the world one day and looking up at leaders the next. 

Video games offer a core promise of challenge and competition.  They are a break from reality.  Who doesn't want to be a Mario Brother and take on the Koopa Brothers - Morton, Boom Boom and Larry?  (I never did get past them all!!)  There's one thing that I always wondered about the Mario Brothers - Mario's brother was named Luigi which made him Luigi Mario, so if you followed the naming convention, Mario's name is Mario Mario!!  Competition is the driving force behind EA Sports' dizzying success with Madden Football.  It is you against the world - mano a mano.  There is no denying the effect of video games on pop culture.  Game Boy, Playstation, Xbox and Wii are brand names that are indelibly etched into our consciousness and firmly entrenched as a part of who we are and who we were.  We became brand friends for life. 

There's big money in video games today.  From its launch in 2006 until May of 2009, Wii Sports sold 45.7 million copies.  The previous record was Super Mario Brothers, with 40 million copies.  Think of the profit margin delivery on that one game.  Just last year, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 generated $401,690,771 on the launch date of November, 11, 2009.   That is nothing - the most played, coin-operated video game franchise is Golden Tee Golf - over 1 billion copies worldwide in more than 100,000 bars and pubs.  That's enough coin for me to consider them a sure bet for entry into the Video Game Hall of Fame.   

Video games are still the ultimate in user experience and engagement.  Brand attachment is held close to the vest.  As a gamer you're identified by the games you play and your operating system preference.  It's all about mastering the game and the friends you play with and against - competition in its purest form. 

Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft are currently embroiled in a battle royale for dominance in a market forecast to hit over $75 billion worldwide.  Success is fleeting as Nintendo can certainly attest.  At one point they held over 90% market share.  It's all about the next best thing - leap frog technology advances.   One day you're on top, the next you're at the bottom.  Gamers are loyal to certain games, but extremely fickle about operating systems.  Constant innovation is critical to success.

The International Video Game Hall of Fame class of 2010 pays homage to many of the early video game visionaries - from Donkey Kong creator Shigeru Miyamoto, the Microsoft Xbox design team and many competitive gaming champion players as inductees.   Pac-Man was the only arcade game inducted.  Can Space Invaders, Pong and Grand Theft Auto be far behind?    At the very least, they should be considered for election to the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame during Advertising Week in NYC during September.    Video games - be it in an arcade, a console or on computer - are a constant in our lives, many of them great brand icons that have had more than 15 minutes of fame.  They gave us so much more than 15 minutes of fun.  They deserve life-long brand icon status.  Why not relive your youth or recapture some of your glory days by revisiting one of your old video game branded friends?  Just maybe you'll post the "high score" enough to qualify in your own hall of fame. 

Nearing the end of my internship experience, I can confidently say that I surpassed any expectation about what I would get out of the summer internship. First, I am so grateful that I was given specific tasks that enabled me to measure tangible outcomes for the company. In addition to the positive feedback I received from friends, family, and other Mintz & Hoke employees, I can proudly point to how many Mintz & Hoke Twitter followers I gained, how many people "Like" Mintz & Hoke, and how many readers were driven to the B2 Blog. Being able to see my impact was a realization of accomplishments and impact on the business which drove me to try every day to widen my horizons - reaching higher than my grasp.

When I was asked to write a blog entry for B2 - the agency's blog, I was both excited and nervous. I love to write and always have, so naturally I jumped at the chance to author my own entry. However, I had never written a blog before and didn't really know where to start - or where to finish. I constructed my first entry tentatively, but got more confident as I wrote it and re-wrote it. Blog writing content and style became another valuable take-away from my internship experience. Not only did I learn that blogging is essential to get ideas out in the professional world, but I also learned how to get those ideas out effectively and persuasively.

Beyond the tasks that were initially outlined for me, I had the privilege of working on a few projects across various agency segments. These tasks really tapped into my love for all things creative. I sat in on meetings and watched the inner-workings of the agency unfold between the creative and account service practices, seeing the interaction close-up. I worked closely with web designers and programmers to learn about posting material on the website and on blogs. Through these meetings, I was able to meet employees from all different departments and backgrounds. Thus, I really gained a well-rounded view of all possible jobs within an agency and how they are related. I got a feel for where I might fit in two years upon my graduation.

Before my experience at Mintz & Hoke, I had never held a full-time job. It is completely different than working part time! Although I have only been here two-plus months, it was long enough to get acquainted with the 9-5 grind. I've learned how to manage my time at the office, and how to conduct myself in a professional setting - two skills that will be invaluable in a future career. Everyone that I met and worked with has contributed to my learning, and for that I am exceedingly thankful. From my experience here, I have gained an important mentor in Bill. He has been a role model of professionalism and leadership, and has given me the opportunities to take away an immense amount of diverse and meaningful knowledge. He has truly encouraged me to reach higher and become better.

I will take my experiences and memories from Mintz & Hoke back to the University of Michigan and put them to use. The internship far exceeded my initial expectations. I learned more than I ever thought I would.  I'm far better off for the time I spent at Mintz & Hoke. Everyone should absolutely pursue an internship by participating or offering one. It is so worth it!

This thought struck me last week as I got to spend a free evening taking in a Cubs game at the time honored mecca of baseball stadiums - Wrigley Field.  Wrigley is old school baseball at its finest.  Yes, lights have been added for night baseball but the streets surrounding the stadium remain the same as back in 1914, the year Wrigley was built.  Much like Fenway Park, there is significant history in Wrigley Field, albeit mostly tragic for Cubs faithful.

What strikes you on first impression coming through the tunnel is the sheer magnitude of visual green brilliance - the field, the stands, the ivy covered outfield walls and the scoreboard, which to this day is still hand operated.  What is also glaringly obvious is the lack of marketing/  advertising signage.

The oldest park in the National league features no replay screens.  You'd better pay attention to the action.  If you miss a play while texting or emailing, you won't see it again until SportsCenter.  Two discrete Under Armour logos are carved out in small sections of the ivy in right and left center.  Very classy and nonthreatening to the character and charm of the wall.  You won't see highlights of out of town games or be subjected to endless promotions and videos.  It is all about the game of baseball.  It's the way baseball games used to be watched and experienced. 

The historical significance of the stadium and baseball hit me as the sun was setting and rays of late evening sunshine shone through the upper and lower decks.  It mirrored some of the great pregame stadium scenes from The Natural.  It made for a perfect evening. 

There are only four digital ad signs in the stadium along with a Toyota sign (elegantly constructed) in left field over the bleachers.  Despite outcry from traditionalists, the sign went up; but Cubs management can't put up another until 2014!   Music wasn't being blasted every few minutes.  Fans kept score and were involved in the game.  Ushers were friendly and didn't have their hands out to be greased.  They took pictures for fans and made them feel welcome.  The Cubs offer a great baseball brand experience.  All without resorting to gimmicks, prizes and contests to cater to a populace that has to be constantly stimulated.  It was about baseball and all that is great about it. 

The Cubs are awful this year, yet the fans were easy on them.  It was a Midwestern feel that you don't get in Boston, New York and or Philadelphia.  To them, Wrigley is a cherished monument that they want kept the way it has always been.  Yes, to me it looks really weird without signage and modern conveniences - replays, out-of-town game scores, highlights, etc.  Wrigley Field is registered as an historic landmark; so special landmark permits are required for any physical changes.  Change comes slowly, but is that necessarily a bad thing?  What is unique is the fact that Wrigley Field was one of the first "corporate" named stadiums - a trendsetter in naming rights.  Today, it is one of the few stadiums that doesn't have corporate naming rights.  Others include Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium and Dodger Stadium.  That's not a bad thing!

Traditions are upheld - including daily guest singing of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."  What's old is new at Wrigley.  It's all about baseball and Cub fans want it to stay that way.  There is something comforting in knowing that not everything has to be new and improved.  Some things can't be improved upon - one being taking in a ballgame at Wrigley Field. 

In a category that is so rampant with change - what is the next big thing? The new trend is Internet radio. Free sites for streaming radio have the very real potential to threaten the future livelihood of the music industry. Pandora is the hot brand du jour, offering the ultimate in music engagement.  It allows users to create their own radio stations based on genre and artist and listen to them relatively commercial-free.  Users can "like" and "dislike" songs in order to optimize their listening experience. Pandora-like sites are exploding daily. With music becoming "free", it begs the question - are people less and less willing to pay for it? The music download is quickly becoming ancient history, and industry profit margins are being washed away as well. 

With the constant change and innovation, musicians and executives must keep an open mind to new technologies and potential revenue streams.  They can no longer be content just to extend and defend, but must search out new ways to drive revenue and profit growth.  Long a staple among movies and TV, product placement is finding a permanent niche in the music video segment. The shifting tides of the music industry and new economic models have caused artists to rethink any anti-commercial ideology and embrace product placement. Recently, many musicians have adopted product placement as a means to reaching the revenue end game.

Lady Gaga and Beyoncé feature rampant product placement in their Telephone video, generating considerable chatter from media and marketing experts.  What makes Telephone so buzz worthy is its fence-straddling posture between being blatantly commercial and aesthetically artistic. The obvious product placements for Virgin Mobile, Diet Coke, Miracle Whip, and more are heavy-handed.  In addition to music videos, product placement has found its way into song lyrics and concert tours. Rap artist Nelly features a song titled "Air Force Ones", and Travie McCoy claims "I wanna be on the cover of Forbes Magazine" in his 2010 summer hit Billionaire.  California Girls, the recent chart-topping single by Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg has not one, but two mentions of the Jeep brand. The Black Eyed Peas toured this summer with sponsors Blackberry and Bacardi advertising on t-shirts, tickets, posters, and even between sets at the concert. The lines between business and music are continuing to be blurred and crossed by musicians and studios alike.  The new credo is - follow the money! 

Do these placements work?  Can they move product and drive brand loyalty?  Celebrity endorsement is a slippery slope for marketers to traverse. The primary criteria needs to be - is it right for the brand? In the Telephone video, Lady Gaga spends an entire scene making sandwiches with a bottle of Miracle Whip mayonnaise.  Product placements don't get any more blatant than that. Miracle Whip is trying to contemporize the mayonnaise category.  This video was highly sexualized, and is being played out endlessly via YouTube, VH1 and other outlets that cater to the 18-24 demographic. Does Miracle Whip's Telephone placement make a 19-year-old college student run out and buy mayo? Highly unlikely. In fact, the sexually charged nature of the content runs the risk of ruining the brand by fueling jokes and innuendos.  The majority of time, your brand of Mayonnaise is a personal one - based solely on what you grew up with. The only one who benefits is Lady Gaga - the ultimate marketer in today's new-era music industry.

Although musicians are brands themselves at their very core, they're seeking ways to extend their brands deeper and broader. This ensures profits across multiple industries and categories, not just limiting themselves to their music niches. The best example of personal branding is artist Sean Combs - "P. Diddy". Combs, having made a name for himself in the Hip-Hop world, has been able to evolve beyond music with his Sean John clothing and cologne line, his Ciroc brand of vodka, and even his politically charged MTV "Vote or Die" campaign. He is the star of MTV's Making the Band, and founder and CEO of Bad Boy records. Combs' marketing and branding prowess has been the catalyst for transcending the hip hop niche and entering the mainstream, earning Sean John clothing a spot on the Macy's shelves. His elastic branding philosophy is a textbook case of evolving in sync with a changing industry. This continual brand extension is working for Combs, to the tune of an estimated $380 million net worth, and a permanent ranking on Forbes' "Top 20 Celebrities" list. The only dilemma for artists is one that they've struggled with for decades: being a business success or an industry sellout. There is often a delicate balance that fans are left to decide.  Musicians realize they must be distinct, or be extinct.

Text messages and Twitter force us to condense our thoughts into 140 characters, with formal writing taking a back seat - or no seat at all. These forms of communication, while instantaneous, are not always articulate. Digital age teens have difficulty expressing themselves clearly - a necessary skill when utilizing the written word. The majority of my peers do not consider their digital communication via social networking, email, and instant messaging to be true "writing". Conversely, they believe strongly that writing skills are necessary for success in a business environment. These conflicting forces create a dilemma for young adults entering the professional world.

Students are right about one thing: writing is an essential skill for professional life - 120 major American corporations rated writing as a "threshold skill". Writing is pervasive in the competitive business world. Clarity, persuasiveness, and even grammar are rudimentary skill sets for professionals. These same skills are completely ignored in the social networking world. For many college grads, writing a simple business letter or memo is oftentimes an insurmountable task.

 Writing shortcuts are taught at a young age. According to Kara Miller, a first-year writing instructor at Babson University, professors are encouraged to spend 15 minutes grading a paper. Consider how much time should be afforded by a high school teacher, whose students are more inexperienced, and thus need more individualized attention! It becomes far too easy for teachers to grade students' papers without thoroughly examining writing technique. Minor writing flaws become major if consistently left uncorrected. Students' failure to reach writing proficiency in high-school leads to a cycle of continuous inadequacy in college and professional life. With time, it becomes and harder to overcome.

                The larger issue is an overall lack of assertiveness on the part of students themselves to better their own writing. Only recently did the SAT make its writing portion mandatory, while the ACT still offers a test with no writing section at all. It is as if even the major testing organizations cannot agree on what level of writing is sufficient. Even so, many colleges dismiss the writing section of the standardized tests as "experimental" and "new", and do not consider it a "serious" part of the admissions process. This very approach is fostering a generation of "everybody wins". If students don't do well, they are willing to chalk it up to, "I'm still good" because they do not see the negative consequences of their scores. At Michigan, we have available writing tutorials on "How to Write a Business Letter" or "Cover Letters 101", but most students don't care to know about or to use these resources. Today's generation is all about shortcuts - the less work, the better. With many of us, it's all about investing time in things that will bring tangibility and instant gratification - anything other than that is just a waste of time. There is simply no motivation for students to take the initiative to write. It's boring. It's hard. They want no part of it.

If students don't want to worry about their writing skills, someone should. Estimates indicate the lack of writing skills is costing American corporations as much as $3.1 Billion per year. This staggering figure points to the need for someone to be held accountable. One solution for businesses is to thoroughly examine a candidate's work before hiring them. Requesting a mandatory writing portfolio or even presenting a quick writing assessment in an interview wouldn't hurt. Writing ability can be demonstrated in many ways. As a soon-to-be member of the new work force, I wouldn't mind being held to those standards. Many of my peers would not agree. Everyone should stop playing the blame game. Schools or businesses should not be faulted. Writing is personal. Read a book. Write a thank-you note rather than dropping a text. If you cannot write, it will hold you back forever. Practice your writing. The only way to be a great writer is to write.

Look no further than the 787,126 fans on Boycott BP page on Facebook to see the veracity of hatred toward BP.  The hatred is in black and white and growing by the day.  Sites like seizeBP.org are emerging with the sole purpose of defacing the BP brand.  Protests are spreading to BP branded gas stations which offer easy targets.  The question remains, are they the right targets? 

What began in the Gulf Coast states has spread to nationwide boycotts of BP gas stations.  In the month of May, total sales at BP gas stations declined by 8-10%, according to Jim Smith, president of the Florida Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores Association.  The problem is these boycotts are hurting the "jobbers" - the independent station owners.  Of the 10,000 BP stations west of the Rockies, the overwhelming majority are independent.  Many stations are forced to cut prices to drive traffic which means little to no profit in the intensely competitive, razor-thin profit gasoline business. The average profit on a gallon of gas is around 6 cents!   Fewer gas customers also mean fewer sales in the attached convenience stores.  It is very likely that many of the BP stations face a dire future.  That equates to lost jobs and wages for a segment of the working populace that can ill afford it. 

As often happens when the groundswell hits among the public to make a corporation pay for its sins, the attack is misguided.  The general public is often unaware of the make-up of a corporation and the distributor channels they work with.  People believe that they are being socially conscious, but they may in fact be conscious of the wrong thing.  

While it is construed as guilt by association, BP station owners are bearing the brunt of the consumer backlash.  They face brand assassins day in and day out.  Until recently, they were out on an island all alone.  Just last week, BP rolled out a series of initiatives aimed at helping its independent dealers.  These initiatives allow regional BP gas distributors to offer selected retailers a discount.  Co-op monies are being made available to the gas station owners that are the hardest hit.  This extends to distributors, who are also hurting.  There are 475 BP gasoline distributors that deliver gasoline by tanker to the service stations.  They'll get a break on prices. 

Boycotts are easy and quick.  They can work if they're directed at the right people.  If so, then the boycott should be extended to both Amoco and Arco who are owned by BP.  I'm sure that very few, if any, of the BP boycotting public is aware of this.  That is why it is hard to make a company "pay."  The inner workings of channel partners and distributors are often complex and daunting.  Yes, it is the yellow and green BP sign outside but who are you really hurting?  It's potentially the neighbor who owns the local BP franchise and who lives in your community.  I hope that the boycotters would think twice if they knew that. 

The Connecticut branch of Metro-North is the last bastion of bar cars.  Chicago's Metra line shut down their bar cars a couple of years back.  Back in the early spring it looked like doomsday for the Connecticut rail riders as well as Metro-North was considering dropping bar car service.

A groundswell of outcry got officials to rethink the strategy of removing the Bar Car.  There was sentiment for replacing the bar cars with cars that would accommodate more passengers, making perfect business sense for Metro-North.  But would it?  According to revenue figures, the Bar Cars delivered $1.3 million in revenue in 2008 and $1.5 million in 2009.  That is a 15% plus increase in year-over-year revenue in a depressed economy.  What company or brand can claim those increases in a deep recession?

Metro-North officials are doing a smart thing from a customer engagement standpoint - asking Metro-North customers who are Bar Car brand advocates to weigh in on their impression of the new M-8 Café Car set-up.  The name sounds contrived but may appeal to a wider audience of patrons.  Through partnership with the CT Rail Commuter Council, a survey is available on www.trainweb.org/ct for thoughts and reactions to the proposed cars.  The M-8 train cars are being manufactured by Kawasaki Rail Cars, part of the giant Kawasaki brand known primarily for motorcycles and ATV's.  For decades their tagline has stood tall - "Let the Good Times Roll."  What a perfect tie in for the new bar cars.

The brand affinity is huge for the Bar Cars - sites like http://www.wheresthebarcar.com/ allow people to check in and see what trains to catch going back home to Connecticut for drinks to help lighten the load of the day.  For social engagement, www.barcar.com is the choice.  Either way, commuters have strong affinities both for and against bar cars.  They invoke passion and involvement.

It seems to me that Metro-North is under marketing their Bar Car properties.  They never feature any meaningful promotions with spirits, wine or beer brands.  How about signage and train car wraps?  The atmosphere is a little sterile from a marketing standpoint.  Lots of missed opportunities - like "Today's 6:04 Bar Car sponsored by Heineken"!  Metro-North is leaving money on the table as bar car patrons are a highly sought after demographic that spirits, wine and beer brands covet.  Co-promotion ideas are endless.    The Bar Car - a long standing tradition that was on death's doorstep, yet continues to live on across trains on the Metro-North Connecticut branch.  Now that's an idea to drink to and get on board with.

The first survey salvo was served up early in the morning by Dunkin' Donuts with a receipt shout out - "Hey America!  Want a free donut when you purchase a medium or larger beverage?  Go to TELLDUNKIN.COM within three days: tell us about your visit."  Who doesn't want a free donut?

Just for kicks, I went to the site - decent fulfillment area with a preloaded questionnaire with lots of easy prompts and a 'percent done' calculator.  So far so good.  I thought that this can't be too bad.  That is until I started hitting double digits in questions. It gets ridiculous when they ask about your ability to communicate with the crew.  I want the crew to do one thing - get me my coffee.  After all, their tagline is "America runs on Dunkin."  Communicating with the crew flies in the face of this classic positioning notion of getting in and out quickly - the anti-Starbucks!    Another crazy question was posed - my likelihood of recommending this Dunkin Donuts location to a friend.  Who do they think I am, Zagat, and are they are a five-star dining establishment?  Who recommends Dunkin Donuts?  Total time for the survey - around ten minutes!  I earned a dollar for my time which averages to about $6.00 an hour - below minimum wage.  Coincidentally, the cost of a donut is 99 cents.   I got snookered - plus the caveat of having to buy a medium or larger beverage to get the free donut.  You have to buy the coffee to get the "an."

At lunch time, D'Angelo offered 10% off my next order for participating in yet another survey.  You know the drill, lots of questions with multiple parts that all get to the holy marketing grail - customer satisfaction.  Another ten minutes or so spent on answering the questions - truthfully and with conviction rather than just blowing through them to get the 10%.  The value for participating - about 80 cents as the average lunch is around $8.00.  My survey "take home pay" is dwindling.  My opinion has to be worth more than that!  People get $50.00 to participate in focus groups.  This is slave marketing labor!

Later that afternoon, Marriott sent an email survey about my recent stay at the Residence Inn.  Lo and behold, it came from J.W. Marriott Jr. himself.  Of course he signed it, but don't hit 'reply' as he'll never see it.  It goes to Marriott cyber land!  I am deeply engaged with the Marriott brand on many levels - a silver elite member.  What do I get for my participation in the survey?  The big ziggy - absolutely nothing - no room upgrade, no percentage off a future stay, no dinner coupon - not even a free cookie!   They want my counsel but aren't willing to pay for it.  They don't place any value on what I think so I have no interest in working free for them.

Customer satisfaction surveys are a critical component of any brand's marketing mix.  If done correctly, they're invaluable in giving insights and directional guidance.  The problem is they're becoming too prolific.  Surveys are as intrusive on web sites as pop-ups used to be.  They're annoying.  Brands are running the risk of alienating loyal customers if you don't offer the "proper inducement" to participate much like Marriott has done with me.  It has to be at a level that is commensurate with how consumers feel they should be rewarded based upon the business value that they represent to the brand.

The lesson learned is don't survey your customers to death.  Be selective and judicious about the use of surveys as a marketing tool.  Brands need to realize that people's opinions and thoughts are valuable commodities and should be treated as such.