Consumer Psychology and Expert Business Insight for the Wedding Industry - Think Splendid®

Splendid Sundays Volume 135

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Sun, 19 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

A handful of splendid finds from around the worldwide web:

*How one philanthropist is taking a "Moneyball" approach to giving. [Wall Street Journal]

*Patagonia has launched a venture fund for environmentally responsible startups. [Fast Company]

*Google Glass from a todder's point of view. [Huffington Post]

*Support for same-sex marriage has doubled since 1996. [The Atlantic]

Form + Function:
*The Number 1 Rule of Firing
*5 Things Employees Think Are Illegal . . . But Aren't

Recent wedding job postings:
Event Producer at Amy Zaroff Events and Design (Minneapolis, MN)
IT Intern at Luxe Bridal (Columbus, OH)
Editorial Design Intern at Spitfiregirl (San Francisco, CA)
Design Intern at Spitfiregirl (San Francisco, CA)
List an opening for a wedding-related job or internship

Noted. Volume 46

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Sat, 18 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

When Brands Derail

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Tue, 14 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

When brands go off course, it's usually not because of one circumstance that can be pinpointed. Instead, it's a slippery slope of seemingly minor decisions and inconsequential actions. A cranky reply here, an apathetic "good enough" there -- all of these add up over time.

The math associated is where it turns unfair, because instead of adding up one by one, it functions like compound interest. Out of nowhere a major, brand-threatening problem appears, but in reality it was there all along, growing exponentially larger under an unfocused eye.

The converse is true as well: seemingly minor decisions and inconsequential actions -- done well, done right -- multiply quickly. The math here is the same, but this time it's what your competition calls your "lucky break."

Splendid Sundays Volume 134

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Sun, 12 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

A handful of splendid finds from around the worldwide web:

*How did poetry become an essential part of American wedding ceremonies? [Poetry Foundation]

*UNICEF asks people to stop 'liking' things on Facebook and to send money as a show of real support. [Humanosphere]

*Can Instagram finally make a profit with its new tag-and-search feature? [The Atlantic]

*Beka Rendell and Laura Novak have teamed up to create Photopop Creative.

Form + Function:
*The Department of Homeland Security now requires employers to use the new I-9 form.
*My employee told me they're transgender . . . now what?

Recent wedding job postings:
Invitation Artist at Momental Designs (Wyoming, PA)
Assistant Wedding Planner for a show on a major cable network (Television Opportunity)
Advertising Account Executive at Oh-Brides (Atlanta, GA)
Intern at Tim Duncan Events (Atlanta, GA)
List an opening for a wedding-related job or internship

Noted. Volume 45

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Sat, 11 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Relax, It's Just Another Generation

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:45:00 +0000

By now you've probably seen this week's cover of Time Magazine focused on the millennial generation, with a less than flattering name for them:

Hating on the generation coming of age is nothing new. Here's Time magazine's cover from July 1990 describing Gen X as having "trouble making decisions ... They have few heroes, no anthems, no style to call their own. They crave entertainment, but their attention span is as short as one zap of a TV dial. They hate yuppies, hippies and druggies. They postpone marriage because they dread divorce." Hmmm. Does that last sentence sound familiar?

Time's take on Boomers in a June 1968 issue isn't any less negative, with a cover story pronouncing them, "troubled and troublesome ... with a sober, even tragic view of life."

Moral of the story: every generation gets a bad rap from the ones preceding it. All of them turn out okay.

Noted. Volume 44

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Sat, 04 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Daily Wedding Stat: Feminine Style Weddings Among Premium Budgets

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Wedding statistic: 1 in 6 couples with premium wedding budgets ($31,000 - $95,000) want their wedding style to feel feminine.

Download the new 2012 wedding statistics and bridal research from Splendid Insights!

Mindset Over Matter

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Opportunities seem to show up more often when we're willing to admit that we're worth receiving them.

I say "seem to show up" because I'm not convinced opportunities show up only when our mindset is in the right place. It's more likely that we simply notice them more when we're operating from a place of "yes, I could do that" rather than a place of shutting down ideas before they start.

True humility doesn't hide its gifts. Where are you downplaying your talents and thereby missing out?

Originally published September 2012
PREVIOUSLY:
Leaving Room for the Miracle
What You See Is What You Get

Splendid Sundays Volume 133

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

A handful of splendid finds from around the worldwide web:

*Why Dove's new 'Real Beauty' ads are damaging, not empowering. [Bloomberg]

*Want to write a book? Veteran editor, Eric Nelson, has started a new blog called Think Like Your Agent with advice on how to get published.

*What Libby Wadle's promotion says of the future of J.Crew. [Fast Company]

*Can Coach become a luxury lifestyle brand? Why it's not there yet. [Bloomberg]

Noteworthy from The Splendid Collective:

*Kat from Rock n Roll Bride wrote up a piece using the Splendid Insights data on how couples in the UK plan their weddings and choose their suppliers.

Form + Function:
*Is it illegal to ask for a photo with a resumé?

Recent wedding job postings:
Full-Time Event Designer at Calder Clark Designs (Charleston, SC)
List an opening for a wedding-related job or internship

Noted. Volume 43

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

The Impact of Words

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

We all know the deadliest words and for the most part have scrubbed them from our vocabulary: "We've never done it that way."

This sentiment manifests itself though in other equally deadly phrases including "you can only" statements: "You can only reach wedding guests through the bride. It's impossible to market to them without reaching her first."

Another success killer? "That's just how it is in __________" (fill in the blank with your city).

Your words carry life, if you let them.

Originally published January 2012

Daily Wedding Stat: Casual Style Weddings in the Midwest

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Wedding statistic: 1 in 4 couples in the Midwest who married in 2012 had a casual-style wedding.

Download the new 2012 wedding statistics and bridal research from Splendid Insights!

Daily Wedding Stat: UK Couples and Peer Perception

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Wedding statistic: 44% of engaged couples in the UK want their wedding to reflect a certain level of success.

Download the new 2012 wedding statistics and bridal research from Splendid Insights!

Valid Stubbornness vs Ego Stubbornness

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Every business owner is, to an extent, stubborn. You probably wouldn't get very far in business if you weren't. Most new ideas are met with resistance, even the best ones. When shopping carts were first invented, grocery stores had to hire models to push the carts around so customers would see them, stop being afraid of something different than their hand-held baskets, and start using them. The customers were being stubborn out of fear. The store owners were being stubborn out of a need to increase profits.

Some stubbornness comes from ego. I've sadly watched companies close their doors over the past few years because they refused to try anything new when it came to business. Their newer, younger competitors used social media so to them taking a class on blogging was a step down, an acknowledgement that someone else may have been doing something that worked better. Digging their heels in because of ego left them ill-prepared to weather the storm when the economy shifted and many suffered irreparable damage to their businesses.

Other stubbornness comes from real vision -- a gut feeling that what you are working on is a big idea that has legs even when others don't see it. To me, this stubbornness is valid. It brings a willingness to be misunderstood for a while, a willingness to allow others to think you're just wasting your time. In the end, however, you have great results because you stuck it out.

The trick is being honest with yourself about where your stubbornness is coming from. Is it based on a dream that you believe can become reality or is it based on fear and ego? Don't underestimate the power of your ego as it will kill your business faster than anything else. Conversely, never doubt your ability to justify. Labeling each idea as not worthy to be pursued and never being stubborn about your valid ideas will also kill your business by causing you to stagnate.

Originally published July 2011

Daily Wedding Stat: The Role of Google Among Luxury Couples

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Wedding statistic: 45% of couples with luxury wedding budgets ($96,000 or greater) found at least one of their wedding professionals through an Internet search (Google, Bing, etc).

Download the new 2012 wedding statistics and bridal research from Splendid Insights!

Splendid Sundays Volume 132

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

A handful of splendid finds from around the worldwide web:

*Stone and Strand, a new site featuring fine jewelry from independent designers, launched this past week.

*Big fat weddings weigh down Qatari grooms. [Al Jazeera]

*Forget gold, the gourmet cupcake market is crashing. [The Wall Street Journal]

*Luxury weddings in India are on the rise. [Bloomberg]

Noteworthy from The Splendid Collective:

*I'm covering bridal market this week for Wedluxe Magazine. Follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as I share live updates from the runway.

Form + Function:
*When good employees go bad.
*The new style of apprenticeship

Noted. Volume 42

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Daily Wedding Stat: How Press Factors Into Hiring

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Wedding statistic: 1 in 5 engaged couples in the Western U.S. say that the amount of press a wedding professional has matters when deciding who to hire.

Download the new 2012 wedding statistics and bridal research from Splendid Insights!

Being Yourself

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

You're unique. You're not different.

Different is temporary and easy to duplicate. Everyone knocks off your idea, so you change your branding and company's identity. You go through a long redesign and now your website, blog and twitter background are decked out in pink polka dots instead of green argyle. You have a new logo, new fonts and maybe even a new workflow system -- more streamlined to deliver better customer service. You're different than the competition.

Until the competition catches up. Suddenly, everyone's blog and twitter is now pink (or they all now have a "blog-site," even if it makes no sense for their particular company). They also have a new logo and fonts (uncannily similar to yours -- imagine that) and they've ramped up their customer service as well. Everyone is now different -- just like you. You may have been first mover in the marketplace with your fresh look and approach, but you are no longer different.

Instead of striving to be different, focus on being unique. Unique is you. It's in your DNA, it's who you are. No one can ever copy your uniqueness simply because no one can ever be you. They can try, but they will fail, because they cannot emulate your personality (at least not for the long haul), cannot bring your culmination of life experiences to the table, cannot see the world with your particular worldview or perspective. You are who you are, and that is what makes you unique.

As it relates to social media, the entire focus of blogs and other outlets is to bring transparency to the person who is writing. Don't focus on being different, just be yourself. Don't try to be something or someone you aren't, don't try to write or post like someone else because it seems like what they are doing is working and don't try to be what you would like to be rather than who you currently are. Just be the person you are right now, in this season.

Be unique. You already are.

Originally published August 2009.

Daily Wedding Stat: Word of Mouth among Southern Couples

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Wedding statistic: 57% of engaged couples in the South said that knowing someone who had worked with a particular wedding professional in the past mattered when deciding who to hire.

Download the new 2012 wedding statistics and bridal research from Splendid Insights!

On Generosity and Raising the Bar

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

There is a woman who has written more than 25 books and makes her living as a professional author and as a writing professor at a university. She was up for a literary award and lost out to a another writer -- a young author new to the scene who won the award for her very first book. The older author nursed her grudge through the event, cycling through jealousy, self-pity, and even anger. That award was rightfully hers! She had been in the industry for decades! Who was this nobody who came along and took the award after just one book? She hadn't yet paid her dues like everyone else!

After the event, the younger author approached the older one, stuck out her hand in introduction and asked, "do you remember me?"

The older author confessed that she did not.

The younger author replied, "You were my writing professor in college. In fact, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life until I took your class. You were the one who inspired me to pursue a career as an author. Thank you so much -- I feel alive when I write, I love my life, and I owe that to you."

The older author was taken aback and, of course, immediately felt guilty about nursing any animosity towards the younger writer. This person she had felt jealous towards only a few moments before was crediting her for her success.

Working to leave the industry better than you found it will almost always come back to benefit you. Generosity is the backbone of social media. If you can't be generous in your content, you will never "get" social media and you will always be frustrated that it isn't working as well for you as it is for other people. Raising the bar creates more room underneath.

Originally published February 2012

Daily Wedding Stat: Canadian Couples and Vendor Portfolios

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Wedding statistic: 93% of Canadian couples married in 2012 said a wedding professional's portfolio mattered when choosing who to hire.

Download the new 2012 wedding statistics and bridal research from Splendid Insights!

On Brand Confusion and Competition

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

When speaking with entrepreneurs in the wedding industry, I almost always ask who they consider to be their competitors. After hearing their list, which is usually off base, I'll ask, "What about Company X?"

"No, no, no," comes the reply. "We do not compete at all. We were first/we have a different service or product/we are better."

Sorry, but you don't get to decide whether or not you compete with Company X. The marketplace does. And the market often does not take into consideration the differences you are citing. This is especially true in the wedding industry where repeat clients are low and the typical client only pays attention to bridal marketing for about 12-24 months. If potential clients think you offer the same thing that another company does, that is all that matters.

If you want the world to see that you offer something head and shoulders above the rest, then you need to be honest about when and where brand confusion is happening. Sticking your head in the sand and pretending it's not is a losing game.

This is harder than it seems: too often, when companies realize they are being lumped together with someone else, they tend to get louder, flashier and more gimmicky. Focus on being unique, not on being different. Being somewhat similar is not the sin of competition. Not being true to your core is.

Originally published November 2011

5 Tips for Surviving Bridal Market

noreply@blogger.com (Liene Stevens) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:30:00 +0000

I wanted to repost this for those of you attending Bridal Fashion Week (also known as Bridal Market) for the first time later this week. It's an event that has several unspoken rules and norms and knowing them will help you have a more successful trip.

---

Bridal Market kicks off this week, and many of you are coming in from out of town for it. Market is one of those things that social media (primarily Twitter and Facebook) makes seem much more glamorous than it actually is. Still, it's a week that can be fun and beneficial, if you have realistic expectations going into it. If this is your first market, here are some tips and insights to help you prepare:

Dress Code
For the market shows, business casual/business chic is appropriate. Jeans are too casual and cocktail attire is trying too hard. If you are wearing heels, bring a pair of flats for your purse. You'll need them as you run between shows. Two more things to toss in your purse: an umbrella and your favorite brand of protein/breakfast bars.

Cab Fare
Bridal Market is spread out all across the city, primarily in hotel ballrooms or trendy warehouse spaces. There is no main cluster of tents like at Bryant Park or Lincoln Center for Fashion Week. All NYC cabs have to accept credit cards, but have some cash on you in case you get a driver who claims the meter is "broken." If it's raining, you'll have a tougher time catching a cab, so be prepared to wait or walk (you'll thank me later for the flats and umbrella suggestion, I promise).

Know Your Place
Bridal market is a trade show, just with fashion shows instead of row-by-row booths. The designers are there primarily to sell the next season's line to the buyers from various stores and boutiques from around the world. After that, they are trying to get press for their lines so that brides will ask the bridal store owners for a particular dress, enabling them to sell more. If you are not a buyer or a highly-trafficked press source, they do not care about you this week. Sounds harsh, but know your place. Imagine how you would feel if someone came and tried to talk to you while you were in the middle of a consultation with a potential bride or groom. You'd probably be upset that they were costing you booking that client. Same thing applies here.

Follow Instructions
If you're annoyed that your seat at a show is actually standing room in the back, get over it. Don't switch seats to a better one (they will not think twice about making a spectacle of kicking you out of the front row for the tardy VIP) and don't complain. Again, if you're not a buyer or highly-trafficked press source, consider yourself lucky to be there at all. When the photographers yell "uncross your legs," just do it. If you don't, your feet get in the shot and mess it up. These shows are expensive to produce, and like a wedding, there are no do-overs.

Write It Up
Are you obligated to write or tweet about the different shows you attend at bridal market? Of course not. Do it anyway. Market shows are in small venues and space is tight. There really are waiting lists and people who would like to attend, but couldn't because all the spots were full. If you are able to attend, say thank you by writing about the designers and dresses. You may only have a handful of readers, but the links you post do help the designers (even if they don't realize it), so spread good karma and write about them.

If you're attending Bridal Market or just want to follow along on Twitter, the primary hashtag is #bridalmarket.

Originally published October 2010