Category: Marketing

Ideas have flowed through my brain my whole life. I once had a list of about 20 that might be worth pursuing. A few I followed up on. Most fell by the wayside after a little research and further discernment.

(Nobody wanted to fertilize their lawns by placing a pellet in their sprinkler system… all because they worried about it backing up into their water supply. Who knew?)

One idea tuned into a home run: Anthony Travel… a sports travel company. One turned into this 15-year journey of fun: Success Handler, LLC. One appeared in the last 90 days and I was so certain it had legs I immediately reserved the URL for two years.

I shared this idea with a few trusted sources and the response was positive. A couple folks even helped me clarify exactly what I wanted to achieve. I was excited, yet moved slowly, because, well – you know – I have this other gig.

If you ascribe to the theory that the universe is one big giant humongous source of energy, then you might agree that when you have an idea, you’re actually tapping in to the consciousness that already exists. In other words, it ain’t original.

Thus, I shouldn’t have been surprised when six weeks after I came up with this wonderful bit of ingenuity… one of Oprah’s good friends published a book on the same subject.

So I moved on. Just you wait though. I’m thinking about one now that could be big. We’re talking really big.

During their first homestand of the season, the Astros celebrated the World Series title in style – giving away all kinds of collectibles for fans. Saturday’s loyalty reward was a replica World Series ring, which looks darn close to the $11,000 one players and employees received in an earlier pregame ceremony (other than the fact their 200+ diamonds were real).

So when my son and his girlfriend invited Kathy and me to join them at Minute Maid Park, of course we said yes. Knowing there would be high demand for the ring – given to the first 10,000 fans in attendance – we arrived several hours early. After walking three blocks from a parking lot, we were surprised to see the line wrapping around the stadium.

Not content to join the masses without checking out other entrances, my son ventured around the corner and texted us to join him. Five minutes later we were through the metal detector and inside. Then we learned they had just run out of rings.

Personally, this isn’t a big deal to me, as I’m not much of a collector. However, when I think of all those fans who were still outside in that long line – who arrived long before we did and probably didn’t learn for another hour their efforts would be unrewarded – I can’t help but think the Astros missed a great opportunity.

Perhaps the next time they win the World Series, whether this season or after another 54-year wait – they’ll give every fan who attends the game a ring. That way everybody goes home happy.

The first Chick-fil-A sandwich I ever ate was more than 30 years ago in Ft. Worth. The father of a guy I knew was their regional franchise director – and I stopped in soon after he told me about it. That was the first of at least a dozen visits a year, so it’s safe to say, I’ve eaten more than 300 of them… each served with a couple dill pickle chips on top.

While Chick-fil-A expanded its menu over the decades, the classic crispy fried chicken breast sandwich is still the best seller. Those ‘Eat mor Chikin’ cows in the television commercials and on billboards around the country know a good thing when they see it.

Recently I read the average Chick-fil-A does more than $3 million in sales annually. That’s a lot of sandwiches at $3 each. I’ve heard the location right by our house is one of the best in the system… and since there is a line nonstop from early morning, through rush-time lunch, mid-afternoon and well into the dinner hours, their sales must be amazing. (Imagine if they opened on Sundays!)

In contrast, the franchise that started the chicken craze way back in the 50’s with its secret recipe – despite a recent run of television spots featuring well-known actors impersonating the Colonel – averages just under $1 million per location. KFC (rebranded to lessen the Fried focus) doesn’t quite meet the AAAA grade of its rival.

The lesson here comes straight out of Jack Palance in “City Slickers”. Find your one thing and do it really well. Multiple that by 2,000+ locations and you impact a lot of people with a smiling “Welcome to Chick-fil-A” and a cheery “My pleasure to serve you” sendoff.

Note: About 10 years ago, I started ordering the healthier grilled version on most visits to Chick-fil-A. Getting older has its drawbacks.