Rey(es) of Light

Defining the Brand: Loyalty or Acquisition?

Patrick Reyes — Fri, 25 May 2012 16:06:51 +0000

Like most mornings before I get my day rolling, I check the internets and see what’s going on. Lo and behold, my buddy Bryan Willmert shared this article about gamification from Mashable. In this article, we are presented with the game mechanics needed for customer loyalty:

Define the “grind” - a clear and easy-to-understand action as the core of your product and loyalty effort
Lay down an XP (“experience points”) system
Create five social actions
Develop a Social Loop With Appointment Mechanics
Have a Reward System Based on SAPS (non-cash rewards by the way)

As I read it, I was reminded of something I posted a couple of years ago where I recommended my former employer change their focus from customer acquisition to customer loyalty. Now, I’m not naive as I completely understand in the automotive industry, sales are king, BUT I will say that times have changed and that focus might need to make a shift towards loyalty, customer relationship marketing, customer experience or whatever you want to call it.

My “out of the box” idea to my friends at The General would be to take the $10 million you pulled from Facebook advertising and the money you would have spent on the Super Bowl and invest some (or all?) of it into a platform that develops the Apple following I’ve heard many of my former colleagues talk about when I was there. If you want to develop a car culture where you have people talking about you on their own, provide recommendations and not have to rely mainly on incentives, why not give it a shot?

Check out the following chart that just happened to pop into my inbox as I was writing this:

Most companies would love to see this chart about them, wouldn’t they? Things are different now, especially online. Investment must be made and the platform and consumers need to be cultivated. The biggest question is, are you patient enough to wait?

Mother’s Day

Patrick Reyes — Thu, 10 May 2012 02:47:27 +0000

As another Mother’s Day approaches I wanted to take a moment and honor the women that play such a huge role in the lives of our families today. As many of you know, my mom passed away in 1990 and as I now go into my 22nd year without her, I know her spirit lives on through me and my kids. I’m also lucky enough to be married to a woman that also shares a lot of the same qualities my mom had growing up.

For Julianne, you are totally appreciated and at least I know I don’t tell you that enough. You are loved by me and your kids even though at times it may not feel like it. You are beautiful and each day I find myself appreciating how lucky I am to have you at my side. So thank you…thank you for all you do and for you who you are. I know that for at least this family, having you a part of this Reyes clan has been a blessing to Gina, Joshua, Jessica, Luke and me (even the dog, cat and fish)!

For the rest of you moms, Scott Stratten shared this on Twitter tonight and I just had to share it. Happy Mother’s Day to all of you! Enjoy your day!

P.S. I’m glad I’m a “real man”…check out the video and see what I mean.

Don’t Be A Dinosaur

Patrick Reyes — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:04:37 +0000

If you saw Moneyball, you’ll know the scene. It’s the scene that summarizes why I am the way that I am. It’s the scene that explains why I want to challenge the “way things have always been done” because when it gets to that point, it’s time to do something new. It’s the scene that explains why I challenge those that ask what the ROI of social is when the only measurement I can get from a large TV media buy is impressions (bold statement to make but certainly appropriate).

Marketing is different. I subscribe to the notion that “social media” has transformed marketing from megaphone to dialogue. Consumers now expect to have conversations with brands. The DVR era has made commercials an easy thing to skip, but guess what…brands are putting them on YouTube so they can get more eyeballs and socializing them on Facebook and Twitter. That’s a little funny to me.

I think many people and brands understand this and are trying to figure it out. We all know what Old Spice did in taking their traditional TV commercial and transforming it into a platform that in a humorous way talked to its consumers and fans. They understood this “trend” and took a chance on something that was different.

The critics of social media and those that say it doesn’t work only have themselves to blame. I recently read an article from Ian Schafer on Ad Age (definitely take the time to read it) where he talks about this very thing. Two things resonated with me.

FACEBOOK IS NOT A PUBLISHER. FACEBOOK IS A PLATFORM. And it’s the way people spend the most time with digital media.
Solely blaming Facebook for their inability to deliver advertising ROI, or enough metrics, is like blaming the school you went to for your salary not being high enough. Advertisers are in full control of the experiences they create on and off the platform.

At the end of the day, we control the advertising switch. It’s up to us to flip the switch and do things that engage consumers and make them want to engage with you. That includes using the platforms for conversation and not publishing as well as embracing technology and allowing the consumers to have the power to make their brand experiences personal.

Don’t be a dinosaur.

Reverse The Irreversible

Patrick Reyes — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:47:43 +0000

Ever wonder how lives can be transformed? Hear 3 stories of change and how the transformative power of the Holy Spirit can inspire and give hope.

Lead Late

Patrick Reyes — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:22:15 +0000

Everyone is in such a hurry to be a leader, to get ahead, to be noticed. I received a great piece of advice recently. A man that I have a ton of respect for told me the best advice he was given was to not worry about recognition or being considered a leader to early in life. He was told, “let God bring success and fame your way when you’re gray and can handle it. Right now, grow, mature and raise your family to love and honor Him.”

Some people are born to be leaders but I’m sure those leaders didn’t chase it. They were naturally thought of that way and were recognized as leaders at a time when they were prepared to lead.

Have a great Friday.

UPDATE: Check out this blog from Sam Luce. I think it fit with what I talked about above.

The New Has Come…

Patrick Reyes — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:00:25 +0000

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

People change. When someone says “that’s just the way that I am” or “I can’t change who I am” it frustrates me because you can change who you are and often for the better. A while back, I shared with you an e-mail I sent to my friends and my family talking about my how my faith in God was growing. There was a point in my e-mail that I said, “What I don’t want is for all of you to think I’m going to completely change who I am and who you all have come to know me to be.” Well, I’m COMPLETELY different from the person I was 5 years ago. My priorities are different. My outlook on my wife, my kids and my job is different. The reason I’m different is because of a faith in Someone that has the transformative power to heal the sick, mend the broken and raise from the dead.

The same Someone impacted the life of Travis Gluckler. A guy that lived the east coast lifestyle and moved that lifestyle to Las Vegas. See how his life was transformed. Who knows, maybe it will get you to think about your own life and the changes you need to make.

The Sun Will Rise Again

Patrick Reyes — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:02:48 +0000

This week has been a very sad week for my neighborhood. Our neighbors across the street lost their dad/husband unexpectedly on Saturday morning. The mom is now left to care for her 3 children (ages 8, 5 and 3) on her own without the support of her husband. Julianne and I were away with the kids on a quick getaway to Frankenmuth and Splash Village when we heard the news from a text I received from another neighbor. We were in complete shock. Jon was a great father. I’d always see him out in the yard with his kids playing baseball or making snow men…doing the things dad’s should be doing every day. I knew he valued the time spent with his family more than the time he spent at work.

Today is the funeral and I can only imagine what they are going through. I lost my mom when I was 18 but to be 8, 5 or 3? Wow. As we come around this family and put our arms around them, my hope is that they will treasure the time they had with their dad / husband. The memories will last forever.

This is a powerful reminder to men to embrace the times they have with their family. Don’t let work get in the way of soccer games, ballet recitals, or piano recitals. The work will always be there but your kids or spouse might not be if you continue to put a premium on the job.

Say a prayer for the Jacksons today. Pray for peace, comfort and healing. Pray for the sun to rise again in their lives.

Lessons Learned From A Loss

Patrick Reyes — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:18:38 +0000

I’m not one that accepts defeat easily. In part, it’s the competitive nature in me. It’s also the fact that I’m an only child so I’m used to getting my way. But when it comes to missing out on an opportunity to work on a fun business project, you need to evaluate and figure out what the lesson is to be learned.

Here is the background. MRM Detroit was given the opportunity to pitch a website redesign project. After a lot of hard work to come up with 4 designs we thought this potential client would appreciate, we were awarded the business. We were subsequently presented with a new requirement that wasn’t part of the original scope and needed to quickly assess what could and couldn’t be done. Our point of view was that it significantly increased the amount of work and budget and could jeopardize the live date of the site. So we pushed back. We did commit to delivering on the original scope but presented the clients with some other options…one of which was to delay the launch so we could go back to the drawing board and do this right. The clients picked the “delay” option but with the caveat that they would open up the redesign for bid again. Needless to say, they picked the other agency and awarded the project to them.

So now what? After a few days of being disappointed, I decided to take the approach of “what can I take from this experience and apply moving forward.”

Don’t Commit To Something You Don’t Believe In
Nothing good can come of this. The requirement being asked of us after being awarded the business was technology that was innovative but not something we as an agency had done (yet) or would really recommend. We backed up our POV with research we had done with some of our larger clients. Additionally, we felt in order to protect our agency’s reputation as well as the client’s brand, to try to develop something that wasn’t broadly being used as well as in a timeframe that wasn’t reasonable didn’t make sense. We did make the commitment to partner and collaborate with our clients on this project but wanted to do it in a way that was strategic and would benefit everyone.

Be Specific And Know Your Role
Looking back on this experience, there was a lot of ambiguity in the process. One thing that we did when we re-pitched the project was clearly list out the assumptions we had going into it. We made sure that we listed out what we knew our responsibilities were and our assumptions on what client responsibilities were. Whenever going into a project, knowing who was doing what can certainly ensure seamless delivery and launch. If you’re not sure, ask. If you disagree, discuss. If you agree, approve and go.

What You Don’t Know, Learn To Do
The new requirement was responsive web design. We’ve never built this for a client. It’s new and there are 2 big names I found that are using it fully…Barack Obama and The Boston Globe. Why hasn’t MRM built a site with this? This morning I sent an e-mail to our technology, user experience and interactive teams suggesting we do a prototype. Guess what? They agreed. We may not be currently doing this for a client but we certainly need the expertise and background to provide innovative solutions for our clients.

There you have it…lessons learned from a loss. We may not like it but there is always an opportunity to learn something when things don’t go exactly your way. What lessons have you learned in losses?

Did You Know…

Patrick Reyes — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:55:53 +0000

The average American Christian donates a measly 2% of their income annually. If all of us who call ourselves Christians donated 10%, we could raise $163B (yes, billion) dollars. That would be enough to feed every poor person daily, build wells to provide clean water, and get basic medicine for things like malaria.

Something Is Missing

Patrick Reyes — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 03:26:29 +0000

Something is missing. I think I know what it is and the irony of it is that I talk about it often about other people. Action. Doing more than talking about something but actually doing something about it. In this case, I’m talking about my faith. Yes, I talk a lot about it but do people really see me living it out? Maybe. Maybe not. Regardless, there is a big hole in my faith and I can finally see it.

Do We Pursue God’s Blessing And Not His Heart?
Where is my focus? Is it only in how my faith impacts my own life and my family? If I were to take an honest look at how my prayer life has been, I’d say it’s selfish. ”God, please bless my children. Help them grow up to know you. Please bless my marriage and help Julianne and I keep our focus on you.” Don’t get me wrong, these are great prayers to ask but do these really get at the heart of God? Where is my prayer about what God is calling me to do in this life with my resources and time?

Let’s put some context around this. Do you consider yourself rich? I originally thought I wasn’t especially when you put it in the context of the country we live in. What if you put it in the context of the entire world? Did you know that my family is in the TOP 0.49% of the richest people in the world? In the world! Wow! If I’m so rich, what am I doing with my money? Who is being blessed by it other than me? This doesn’t just have to be about money either. Where are you spending your time?

As Christians, if we were to truly follow the heart of God, we’d be doing more. A lot more because what I’m doing now isn’t enough.

Faith Alone Saves But Faith Is Never Alone.
What I’m talking about is more than doing things. This is about taking to heart the idea that someone loved me enough to pay the ultimate price for my sins so that I can share that love with my family AND OTHERS.

“We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19 NIV)

This is about believing in Someone I can’t see. Trusting my wife and my kids to Someone I can’t see. Surrendering my entire life to Someone I can’t see. It’s called faith for a reason and at some point you just have to believe. I’d rather take the risk of believing in God than not at all because if that can help me become a better husband, father, friend and co-worker then it certainly is worth it to me and to those that I am in relationship with on a daily basis.

I believe that my faith in God has saved me but I can’t just rest on that. I need to live out the “We love” part of the verse above and that is why faith is never alone. If I really believed what I’ve just written and if I believe that what the Bible says is true, then my faith is going to be accompanied by action.

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. (James 2:14-18 NIV)

This Is What Is Missing…
Now comes the part where I ask you all to keep me honest. This is where I actually tell you what I’m thinking about doing and in all honesty, it scares the crap out of me. Two things keep coming up in my life:

Foster Care and/or Adoption
Going on a mission trip

These are things that I’m digging into this year. I’m going to take that first step in each one of those things and commit to following a nudge from God (through others) and seeing where it takes me. I have no idea where all of this will lead but what I do know is that I can take comfort in knowing that I’ll be doing more for my faith and my family by stepping out of my comfort zone and following the heart of God and serving others.

To The Skeptics…
Some of you might think I’m crazy. Thank you. What I’m hoping this does is motivate you to look at your own beliefs and decide if the God I believe in is worth your time. I’m more determined than ever to live out my faith and let it be a way to have a dialogue with people that might not believe. You all are out there. I see it in my Facebook News Feed every day. I know I’m not going to miraculously convert all of you by the Bible verses I generally post. I am certainly not going to debate you on matters of politics and religion. What I am going to do is attempt to live the best life I can that is based on the life of Jesus Christ and the things He did when He was here on earth.

To My Fellow Christians…
Take this to heart and evaluate your own faith. Is there something missing? I challenge you to found what your mission in life is and follow it. More than likely you are only scratching the surface of what your life is all about. Take a moment and listen. Keep your eyes open. Be aware of God’s will for your life and follow it. If all of us did that, the church could radically change the world as we know it…brick by brick.

If you’re wondering where all of this is coming from, take a look at the video below. If you’re interested in seeing this series yourself, I invite you to go to Kensington Church and check it out. In the five years that I’ve been going there with my family, this series will be a catalyst for my faith and how live out my life moving forward.

What about you? What’s missing in your life?