Every week, our sales team has a happy hour at a different location in the District of Columbia. A couple of weeks ago, we found ourselves at Mussel Bar in Bethesda. The establishment specializes in both mussels and Belgian beers–2 things we never want to say no to! We love going to Mussel Bar because it’s got a great atmosphere and absolutely amazing food!
We’re all about sourcing local, and Mussel Bar does just that. They’re ingredients are as fresh as can be as they are sourced right from farms in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and even in our own Bethesda backyard!
We’ve known the faces behind MB for a couple of years now, so when they asked us to help design some new t-shirts, we were more than happy to oblige! Check out our latest design:
And best of all, Mussel Bar is expanding! Another MB location is opening in Atlantic City at the entertainment resort, Revel, this May. Be sure to drop by either location to sample the amazing Grilled Calamari with Chorizo. It’s one of our personal faves!
One of the most important features a successful event can’t afford to go without is a memorable and charismatic guest speaker. Without the ability to both draw in and engage the crowd, a keynote speaker is responsible for setting the mood of the audience whether they like it or not. So it’s no wonder why Tony Hsieh, former CEO of Zappos, is one of the more sought after key-note speakers for conventions around the US. But what is it about Hsieh that engages the audience the way that he does? It might have something to do with the fact that some would consider Hsieh’s tactics as CEO as innovative and influential in such a big business, making him today a perfect candidate to enthusiastically share wisdom with an audience.
Tony Hsieh didn’t always know he was setting out to be a CEO. As a Harvard graduate in 1995, Hsieh found himself unsatisfied with the corporate environment, so he decided to develop his own advertising network. In 1996, he founded Link Exchange, an internet advertising cooperative that allowed business to advertise their sites over the network. Just two years later, with the site boasted 400,000 members with 5 million ads rotating daily, Hsieh sold the site to Microsoft for $265 million.
In 1999, Hsieh was approached and asked if he and his current investment firm, Venture Frogs, would be interested in investing in the online shoe company, Zappos. Hsieh agreed and came on board as the CEO.
What makes Zappos so unique in its market? It’s all in the way you market the company. Explained Hsieh, “We’re a service company that just happens to sell shoes. But in order for that to happen, we had to control the entire customer experience.”What does that entail? Hsieh had a radical vision for the company. Zappos began retraining their employees to focus on the customers’ experience with the company, not efficiency in handling as many calls as possible. They implemented a 365 day return policy–with free shipping. Both ways. They stopped shipping from the manufacturers and instead expanded their warehouse in Las Vegas. It may not be the cheapest business route, but in the end, Hsieh wanted to emphasize the importance of customer service, and instead of heavily advertising their company, build a quality brand reputation that would be passed along to new customers from old via word of mouth.
Why such a focus on customer service? “Better service would translate into lots of repeat customers, which would mean low marketing expenses, long-term profits, and fast growth.” And you can’t argue with Hsieh; revenue for the online shoe company in 2009 had soared to $1 billion. Hsieh has created an über successful and entertwined company and customer culture in which the company’s generous treatment towards employees therefore trickles down to the customer, leaving the buyer more than satisfied with their purchase. Our own experience with Zappos in the past as a customer only reinforces our belief that Hsieh was right–customer service can make all the difference!
In 2009, facing pressure from Zappos’ board of directors, Hsieh relented allowed the acquisition of Zappos to Amazon for $1.2 billion. Since then, Hsieh has released a book Delivering Happiness, and sharing his experience with customer satisfaction as a guest speaker at conventions and events. Check out Hsieh in action at the SXSW event in 2009 and see for yourself him explain the importance of emphasizing the importance of customer experience.
A couple of years ago, former Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn moved to Washington, D.C. to open a family-run restaurant that embodied the nostalgic taste of American’s favorite foods: handcrafted burgers, handcut fries, and handspun milkshakes. Good Stuff Eatery opened in 2008 on Capitol Hill and two years ago Spike went back to open another establishment next door; We The Pizza offers new york style slices, fresh subs, and even an italian soda machine.
The team at these two restaurants have pledged a great commitment to the environment and the community. The restaurant’s owners are involved in Mrs. Obama’s Let’s Move and Plant A Billion Trees, both of which are respectively dedicated to giving back on a community and global level.
What we love about Good Stuff is it’s commitment to the community. They buy all their ingredients fresh from local suppliers so you know you’re eating the best stuff that’s supporting the surrounding neighborhoods. You can’t beat that fresh taste!
For the past couple of years we’ve done some work with Good Stuff Eatery and We The Pizza to help with merchandising and promotional products. From T-shirts, to aprons, and signature cowbells, we are proud to provide these two restaurants with some memorable items to promote the awareness of their brand.
The best news of all? Good Stuff is expanding! New locations are coming soon to Georgetown and Arlington, VA this spring so you can enjoy the delicious food all over the district. When you inevitably find yourself in Good Stuff Eatery, make sure to try the Michelle Melt with a Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake. Goodness, gracious–it’s so good.
We’ve always been wary of identity theft and the ways to avoid susceptibility, so when we learned about this new technology in protecting yourself from identity theives, we knew we had to pass it along!
Recently, the use of RFIDs have become increasingly popular in comparison to the use of barcodes. We can now find RFID’s in most of the tech-products we’ve become oh-so accustomed to. What’s an RFID, you ask? It stands for a Radio Frequency Identification, and it’s about as big as a single grain of rice:
Technology…so wild.
These chips have become increasingly popular in the last few years to make our lives more convenient. We can skip the long customs lines using an E-Passport. We can easily pay for things like parking on our smart phones. And most recently, we can pay for stuff using new touch-free systems in stores, as banks are putting the technology in our credit cards. But with all aspects of convenience comes a downside. There are increasing reports that RFID makes you more susceptible to identity theft, and more easily than you think. Because of the RFID chip in your credit card, scammers have found a new way to lift your credit details right from your wallet. Check it out:
So, you ask, how do I protect myself from this identity theft? There are a couple of things you can do:
1. ID Stronghold is all about protecting you from RFID wallet hackers. They offer special alloy lined card sleeves that protect your secure credit information. Put your company information on it and give it out to your clients: it’s like a super secure business card they’re sure to hold onto! ID Stronghold also has a line of leather wallets and passport holders.
2. You don’t necessarily buy a specially-lined wallet to protect your cards from theft. Aluminum foil and duct tape are also great: whether you wrap your cards in foil or cover your wallet–albeit slightly dorky–in duct tape works too.
3. Most importantly, you can have the RFID chip in your credit card removed at any time. It means your card wont have the easy payment capabilities such as the Swipe-and-Pay, but for the safety of your identity, it might just be worth it!
How do you add a splash of fun to your mundane shades?
We saw Looneyz Custom Imprinted Sunglasses for the first time at the ASI 2012 Trade Show last month and were amazed by these stunner shades. The glasses can be imprinted with pretty much any picture, logo, or background you could want or imagine.
How does it work? The image is directly applied to lens using an eco-friendly that still gives you full UV protection. And while you can see everyone and everything clearly through the glasses, people looking at you will only see the image or message on the lenses.
These glasses are perfect for parties, special events, campaigns, and a great and creative way to get your message across!
Who says you need speakers and cables to enjoy amplified sound from your iPhone?
The AirCurve Play from Griffin is an impressive and transportable alternative to messy and elaborate speaker systems. Requiring no power, the AirCurve Play offers a quality sound boost using an internal engineered waveguide.
Perfect for video conferencing, this speaker can sit your iPhone 4 or 4S in either landscape or portrait mode, and still leaves space for your cable to charge your phone.
It may not the perfect sound quality, but it’s definitely an easy and cool way to listen to music wherever you may be.
We are MetroLogo, a marketing company with over 20 years of experience in providing promotional products, brand management, and marketing strategies to clients all over the United States. We assist companies in helping develop their targeted messages and marketing strategies.
Working in the heart of D.C., our team of experts will yield results towards your target objectives. We offer a perfect blend of skilled people coupled with leading-edge development tools and creativity to guarantee the effective development of your business solution. We appreciate and understand that every client has unique needs and it is our goal to provide solutions that are strategically designed for your target audience.
Our blog here is the perfect way for you to keep updated with all of the latest news and products in our company, as well as a great way to stay up to date on tips, news and events in the industry. Happy reading!
