Sunday, April 12th, 2009
I’m a huge comic book fan. I read tonnes of them each year and like all comic book fans, I get my new from the internet these days, instead of the old comic magazines that used to be published.
So one of the Big Two, DC Comics (the other being Marvel), started a blog called The Source just about a week ago and has been publishing posts fast and furiously ever since. And I think while their industry, being one that sells new product on a weekly basis, certainly fits the speed and delivery of a blog very well, they’ve used it in some interesting ways that have made me sit up and take notice.
First of all, when you get to the blog, you can’t help but notice the “After Watchmen” banner right on top. Absolutely brilliant strategic move to tie in the blog to the hit movie, and let the larger audience know that Watchmen was indeed a product of DC, many many years ago.
The next and most obvious way for DC to utilise their blog, would be to tease upcoming content. And they’re doing just that, with lots of stuff on this summer’s big event, Blackest Night. So they do stuff like that, which certainly helps put their product front and center in people’s minds, but what I really like is the way they’ve used the blog to humanise the company. For example, the blog details a day in the life of a Batman group editor, as well as pictures of certain interiors of the office.
I talk to people about starting a blog all the time, and I’m always astounded when people say their stuff is boring, no one wants to read this, what’s there to blog, the usual excuses.
There’s lots of things that can be done with a company blog. And surprise surprise, it doesn’t always have to be about your product/service/cause/non-profit/school/whatever, and frankly, neither should it be.
Tags: batman group editor, blackest night, cause, comic book, company blogs, corporate blog, dc comics, dc universe, Graphic Novels, humanise company, humanize company, marvel comics, non-profit, office interiors, product, school, service, the source, watchmen
Posted in Blogs, case studies, social media | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
You might have read the “About me” section that I put up on the blog maybe a month ago and picked up that I collect comic books/graphic novels. The thing about comic books (and to some extent normal books), is that they’re homogeneous. I could get them from any comic store (or book store) in Singapore (or the world, for that matter), and it would be the exact same product.
So what do you have going for you? Either a very competitive price, excellent service and customer relations, or both. (Singapore is pretty small and all the stores are centrally located, so I’ll leave location out of the equation).
I had to move to G&B Comics when the previous shop I went to closed down. Their prices are not terrible, but I’m paying more than I did at the old shop, and I can get some stuff at Kinokuniya at a better price. What really irks me is the customer service. So much so that I’ve had time to sit down and think of four things not to do if you’re in their position, of which I will share two today.
#1 – Don’t give your customers a number
The thing about this store (as opposed to previous stores) is that they don’t know who the hell you are. We go by numbers. So every week when I go to the store, I report my number like a prison inmate before I get my stash of comics. It’s not a great feeling.
#2 – Don’t employ the wrong people
In the previous store, Colin did everything himself, which means he knows a little bit about the comics industry. If you needed to order something, he’d take note immediately. The people hired at this store, aren’t like that and they’re literally like the checkout people at a supermarket. They’ll take your cash, but ask them about anything actually related to comic books, and you’re out of luck. It also doesn’t speak very well of the store if you’ve told the staff three or four times to help you keep a book, and they keep leaving it out.
After awhile actually becomes easier for me to just forget about asking them “Sorry I’m missing a copy of Manhunter” and just pick it up elsewhere instead. If they can’t be bothered about taking note of my buying preferences, then some other place can take the money.
#3 and #4 coming tomorrow. By the way don’t take this post like I hate the store. I’ve just had countless negative experiences in a few months that have been bugging me, despite me giving suggestions on how to improve.
Tags: bad customer service, comic book stores singapore, comic books, competitive pricing, customer relations, customer service, Graphic Novels, selling homogeneous product
Posted in Poor Practices, Singapore | 2 Comments »
