Pixie Stix and 5 Senses of Your Brand

I went back to my high school for alumnae night at the musical (High school version of “Grease”… no Rizzo did not have a ‘bun in the oven’ and no ‘There are worst things I could do’). I graduated 25+ years ago, and the place still smells the same! It took me back to the early 80’s of cheerleading, research papers and plaid skirts! I doubt this is a conscious branding effort by the nuns but it made me think about customer experience and how people can engage with your brand through all of their senses. This is not a new concept but it’s on my mind with refreshing our brand at work.

Smell: I saw Steve Wynn speak at a marketing conference a few years ago, and he said this was definitely a factor when designing the brand experience for his resorts and casinos. My family frequently visits Las Vegas and we ALWAYS stay at the Mirage (yes, we are the Griswalds). The Mirage was one of his first ventures on the strip. When you walk into any entrance, you immediately smell the tropical air and get a relaxing, ‘vacationy’ vibe. Even after they renovated, the smell stayed the same.

Hear: How many people can mimic the three-belled NBC chime? Or combining music and lyrics in the new Subway $5 Footlong song! Has that ever gotten stuck in your head and you find yourself singing it like karaoke? The next time you’re trying to figure out what to have for lunch, that song leads you to a $5 footlong Sub Club on wheat with lettuce, tomato, onion, green pepper, spinach, S&P, oregano and vinegar no oil.

Touch: Remember Pixie Stix? Those awesome paper straws filled with flavored sugar? I bet if you were blindfolded and someone placed a pixie in your hand, you would be able to identify it by touch…both the little single servings, or the gi-normous plastic version ! Or think about the difference in the paper stock of Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair. Somebody chose that paper for a reason. Wouldn't that be an exciting job?

Taste: Can anyone tell the difference in taste between Dasani, Dannon, Poland Springs, Evian and FUJI water? I bet you can tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi. What about Skippy and Jiff?

See: Simply said, if you drove by a restaurant that looked like a McDonald’s but the arches were purple, would your kids eat there?

Goal for 2010: Check

So I set the Go St. Louis 5k as a goal for 2010. Growing up I was a gymnast, dancer and swimmer. I never did anything that required running any distance… no soccer, no track, zero running. In high school we did the presidential physical fitness award. The only task I had to redo was, of course, the mile run.

About 10 years ago I did a 3k. I remember hearing someone behind me running flatfooted. As they began to pass me I noticed it was a little girl, maybe 8 years old, wearing purple Keds and pink glittery socks. Yes, she and her father passed me and finished the race ahead of me.

I’ve been run/walking and swimming at my local YMCA. I’ve also been taking yoga to improve my strength, flexibility and balance. Every morning I look at my vision board and see the goal of the Go St. Louis 5k. That's really kept me focused.

The race was this past Saturday and an absolutely glorious day! I started the race with all my co-workers who are seasoned runners. I quickly realized I could not keep up with their pace so I dropped back. No Ipod, no friends, just me and 3.1 miles in Forest Park. Running on asphalt and up and down hills is extremely different from a flat, indoor, padded track! My goal was to finish under 45 minutes. My official time was 44:40! If you’re into numerology: I was in the 40-44division, I’m 44 and my time was 44:40…let me know what that means!

The photo above is at the finish line, surprisingly athletic looking! That was taken right before I crossed the finish line. I ran/walked throughout the race but was definitely running when I finished! Feels gratifying to have set a lofty goal, work hard and actually finish the race running much more than I walked! Of course my body is still aching two days later, but now I’m thinking about what my next big athletic goal for 2010 will be… What’s yours?