brand as business bit:  I got a response to my last “brand as business brief“, Value and Values, that I just have to share with you.  It’s from Kevin Knight, who along with his wife Heather, run Anjou Bakery, a “a thriving incubator of good taste in food” in Cashmere, WA (about 2 hours East of Seattle.)  Kevin writes:

“I am currently re-reading “Setting the Table” by Danny Meyer and at the end of the introduction he says ‘Business, like life, is all about how you make people feel. It’s that simple, and it’s that hard.’  He defines Great Service as delivering on your promise, steps 1 – x, a monologue, what your company sets out to do, etc. Great Hospitality on the other hand is a human dialog that makes people feel good. It’s thoughtful and creative, customized and intelligent.

To achieve all you can be (in life and business) you must be good at both…In our business I try to tell everyone to think of each customer as if they were their grandmother. A bit corny perhaps, but for me that idea sets the stage for a positive interaction.”

It’s because of retailers like Kevin and the hundreds of thousands of others out there who “get it,” that I believe retail is far from dead.  Long live retail!

P.S. (My next “brand as business brief” on brand experiences is coming out next week — don’t miss out — subscribe here.)