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This column is for self-study or classroom use and gives guided help with reading the wide variety of writing styles and topics that appear as feature articles in the Bangkok Post. The lessons include background information, skill-building practice and vocabulary explanations. July 19, 2005 A touchy subject INTRODUCTION

TEACHERS This is a story that can generate some very good discussion and it may even change the way your students behave or do business. The key concept in the story is touchpoint and students should be able to understand from the examples given, but it wouldn’t hurt to bring up some examples of you own. Read the story to see what I mean. Consider “touchpoints” for someone considering buying a new car or using a new mobile phone, for instance. Here, the look, feel, smell (for a new car) and convenience all play a role, but so does the service the buyer receives. Another “touchpoint” that I particularly notice is telephone customer service, such as when dealing with a problem concerning the Internet, TV or a hotel reservation. As an exercise, consider having your students demonstrate their understanding of certain words by acting them out. For example, scribble, jostling, hastily, running the gauntlet and tactile are very good for acting out in small groups. Another suggestion is to have them illustrate a word. For instance, bond can be illustrated by a diagram (two circles with a link between them) and you can then consider how the particular bond was forged. Think of a situation or action that could irreparably break up a relationship between a boyfriend and girlfriend. Once you get the idea, it sounds like fun, doesn’t it? STUDENTS BrandMatters is a regular column on brands and how to develop and protect them. This column is particularly interesting because it deals with a concept we all experience, but have probably never really thought of before. The concept is known as “touchpoint” and the writer explains it as an instance when a consumer interacts with a brand. The writer knows that this idea requires more explanation, and throughout the column he gives you many good examples to help you understand it. As you read, find out if the writer thinks most companies take the idea of “touchpoint” seriously enough. Look for examples of what companies do wrong. Next think of yourself. Think of what you do to make a favourable impression on other people in your “touchpoint” situation (i.e., when you are interacting with people). Then think of yourself as a representative of your school or of your company. Or, if you prefer, think of your experiences — both positive and negative — with brands you are familiar with. Has anything every happened to make you stop using a product or service? The story may seem a little difficult at the beginning, but it gets easier and easier as you begin to understand its main point. observation comment based on something you have seen community all the people who live in a particular area foundation an organisation that is established to provide money for a particular purpose overview a general description or an outline of something cornerstone the most important part of something that the rest depends on concluding to bring something to an end donate to give money, food, clothes, etc. to somebody/something, especially a charity

OUR STORY FROM THE BANGKOK POST A touching tale about branding GEORGE ROMANYK From the moment we wake up in the morning until we drop off to sleep at night, we’re involved in an intricate and tactile relationship with brands. Every instance in which a consumer interacts with a brand is known as a “touchpoint” — and each touchpoint is a vital moment that must be managed to perfection if a lasting, emotional bond with customers is to be forged. From the flavour of our preferred toothpaste to the picture on our orange juice carton to the smell of the soap we use in the shower to the after-sales service from the company who sold us the car we drive to work in, we are continually (and often unconsciously) assessing our relationship with brands. And one bad touchpoint experience can do lasting and sometimes irreparable damage to the relationship. I’m amazed sometimes at the cavalier manner in which many companies approach the issue of touchpoints. Consider the hotel and resort industry. For most customers, their first real touchpoint with a brand is arriving at an airport and being greeted by a hotel representative of the hotel. This is an absolutely crucial moment in shaping the perception of a hotel brand, and yet I'm continually shocked to see how this moment is often mismanaged. Particularly if you're a five-star, luxury brand, this is where the relationship can begin to sour if the guest arrives to a confusing array of young fellows jostling and waving hastily scribbled names. It pays to put some extra effort into getting this touchpoint right, with little touches like having the names properly printed, making sure the representative is in uniform, having welcome drinks and a scented towel, and other little touches that can speak volumes about a brand. This is the first, but by no means the only important touchpoint to get right. Others include the sense of arrival, room design and layout, reservations, check-in and check-out, loyalty programmes, room service, business centre, exercise facilities, restaurants and bars. In a wider sense, the whole issue of airport arrivals is terribly important in shaping perceptions of a country, especially for a nation like Thailand. The arrival experience at Don Muang Airport certainly does little to get the relationship with “Brand Thailand” off to a glowing start. After running the gauntlet of the often-grouchy immigration officials, you trundle out into the arrivals hall to be besieged by a legion of leering touts intent on strong-arming you into an overpriced airport limousine. How is the first-time visitor to know that perfectly good metered taxis are waiting in an orderly queue outside? The opening of the new Suvarnabhumi Airport offers a great opportunity to improve this touchpoint, and if the Tourism Authority of Thailand is on the ball, it will be working closely with airport officials to give visitors a better arrivals experience. Attractive and well-dressed information-providers, clear signs in English and major languages about taxis and other transport options, and making the touts behave themselves would be a start. It's no surprise that the most successful brands are the ones which pay the most attention to touchpoints. Consider Starbucks. A story I heard recently concerns Starbucks and the touchy subject of toilet paper. The Starbucks brand’s promise — “a great coffee experience” — is taken seriously, and covers everything from store design to bean selection and the personalities of its baristas. Apparently one of the company’s bean counters — pardon the pun — hit on the brilliant idea of downgrading from two-ply to one-ply toilet paper in the washrooms. On paper, the savings were considerable. But better brains prevailed, arguing it was bad branding to scrimp on this most delicate of touchpoints, and the two-ply paper remained. It’s an amusing story, but it’s also a great example of how no brand worth its salt ever forgets that it’s communicating with its customers through every interaction, no matter how minor or trivial it may seem. George Romanyk is chief executive office of Creative Inhouse, a local branding consultancy and ad agency. Email george@inhouse.co.th brand a type of product made by a particular company consumer a person who buys goods or services for their own use interact to communicate or react with favourable impression a positive or good idea or feeling towards someone or something intricate having lots of small details or parts; complex; difficult to understand, solve or produce tactile related to touch bond a close connection or relationship forged made or produced unconsciously without thinking about irreparable not able to be repaired; impossible to make right again cavalier thoughtless; not carrying about other people’s feelings perception opinion or belief sour to become unpleasant or unfriendly array a large group of people or things jostling pushing or knocking roughly against someone in order to more past them or get more space hastily done quickly scribbled written quickly or carelessly scented given a good smell touches small additions or details that make something better speak volumes about to say a lot about; to give a good sense of what something is really like glowing very positive; very good running the gauntlet having to deal with a lot of people who are attacking, criticising or annoying you grouchy easily annoyed and complaining besieged surrounded touts people who sell things unofficially, usually at a higher than normal price on the ball to be quick to understand and react touchy needing to be dealt with carefully bean counters accountants pun an amusing use of a word or phrase which has several meanings. prevailed got control scrimp to save money by spending less than is necessary worth its salt good at its job trivial unimportant • This lesson is adapted from the Bangkok Post’s You Can Read website. For more inspiring lesson ideas, log on to www.bangkokpost.com/youcanread. Read our other learner centre columns here. Return to our home page. | © The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. All rights reserved 2005 | Last modified: July 11, 2005