These days it seems like everyone “drives” around in a different way, whether it’s by traditional means, car sharing, ridesharing, or even scootering! And while it seems like these services came out of nowhere, they’re actually termed “industry disruptors” because they force an entire industry to change, much like Uber and Lyft forced the taxi industry to change.
In our infographic, we break down startups and their impact as an industry disruptor and transportation startup. We talk about how they have impacted three key industries: public transportation, taxi and limbo services, and of course, the automotive industry. (Think about Bird scooters, Car2Go, and other rideshare services for an example) And while some industries may not survive these creative periods that change how people view transportation, others turn to investing into it. For example, if you look at Toyota, they quickly adapted to the rideshare industry by investing in Uber and Grab to adapt, both of which received billions in funding overall. This is one takeaway we can grasp from these startups: learn to adapt and be flexible, and reconsider conventional wisdom to lead you to innovation!
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I always wanted to be a fireman but after attending fire fighting training while serving in the U.S. Navy I quickly realized that wasn’t for me. I have immense admiration for firefighters.
What was home like?
I grew up in a small town in western North Carolina and absolutely loved it- still do today. I live in Texas now but I miss the mountains, the fall colors and the smell of the mountain air every day. I am the middle child of three boys and I grew up mainly with my father and my grandmother (Nana, more on her later). We always had plenty to eat, clothes on our backs and a warm place to sleep so I feel very fortunate.
“CARE to Lead” was recently published. What inspired you to write?
I take my role as a leader personally and I strive to be a better leader every day. I spent some time thinking about leadership successes and failures that I have been a part of and thought I could pass on some lessons I have learned to others in an effort to help them be better leaders.
Who or what has influenced your writing?
Reading my book you will see that I am just a normal person just trying to be a better leader so this answer is probably going to be cliche’. I was inspired by my grandmother (Nana), the late Kathleen Clarke McGalliard. She lived in the same county her entire life, had an eighth grade education and is still one of the most insightful and inspirational people I have ever met. She shared many life lessons and hilarious colloquial sayings (some fit to print, some not) but the one thing she always insisted on was that we treat people like we want to be treated- the Golden Rule. I strive to live my life by the Golden Rule and it is the basis for my book and the CARE Leadership Tools because I believe most people want the people they work for to use the tools.
Is there a message in your book you want readers to grasp?
Author Alec McGalliard, “CARE to Lead”
Yes- thanks for asking. 1. Living your life by the Golden Rule will lead to many more successes than failures, and you will feel good about how you treated people even in tough situations. 2. Leaders must set the example as there are few things more powerful than watching your organization’s leaders model the exact same behaviors they expect of you and few things more damaging when they don’t.
Since this website is about sales & leadership, talk to us about some of your favorite blogs and websites you visit for information.
My favorite is the Leadership Freak because the messages are short and to the point. I wrote my book to be short and to the point as compared to other leadership books I have read. I also like Great Leadership- they recently had a really good article on the importance of organizational culture which is a passion of mine.
Finally, any advice to writers just starting?
A couple of things: 1. I was so scared to put myself out there and doubted my ability to write a book. I overcame that (still a little scared) because of the passion and belief I have in the content of my book. 2. The most difficult part about writing the book was having to realize that there comes a point where you can’t make any more changes if you ever want to get the book published as I think of something every day I wish I would have added or changed.
If you’re like many business people, you probably put a lot of time into thinking about your budget, about your company’s processes for developing its products and services, about your bottom line, about your marketing. But the thing is, if you lose sight of one very important essential, none of those other plans (or worries) for those topics will matter.
That essential, of course, is the customer. If your customers aren’t having a positive experience each and every day, then nothing you do to plan or project or think about your business on a day-to-day basis, or long term, are going matter. That then is why the plan of a customer-centric company has taken hold.
This is a mindset, of course, but it is also about using data and feedback to continually adjust and refine how your customer experiences your company. A lot of that, of course, is influenced by technology. This graphic explains it.
Nostalgia marketing can be an effective way to reach your audience. By associating something with a longing for the past, something consumers have already grown to know and love, you can create sentimental feelings which makes people increasingly willing to invest in a product or service. To induce nostalgia into marketing campaigns, we can learn a lot from successful advertisements of the past.
Invaluable created a neat infographic that highlights some of the most effective vintage ad techniques still useable in the modern age of advertising. From bold, catchy headlines to incorporating a creative use of color, draw inspiration from examples of the past.
Cultivating brand loyalty is an important factor in building a successful brand. Research has shown that customer acquisition costs as much as five times as much as customer retention, meaning that there’s a big ROI on marketing to existing customers.
But, in an era of convenience and instant gratification, just how loyal are customers to brands? And what influences that loyalty? To find out, Wikibuy surveyed 5,000 Americans on their feelings toward brand loyalty in 2019. Read on to see what they found.
Almost half of customers report being brand loyal
According to the survey, 43 percent of consumers reported being loyal to brands. Both gender and age played a role in brand loyalty: Women were found to be more loyal to brands than men, and members of generation Z were found to be 44% more brand loyal than baby boomers.
Product quality is the most important aspect of brand loyalty It’s not just who is loyal to brands that matters; it’s why they’re loyal as well. According to the survey, product quality played the biggest role in keeping brand loyalty; it was ranked the most important factor by respondents in what made them loyal to brands. Additionally, approximately 1 in 3 respondents said that poor product quality would turn them away from a brand.
Brand loyalty leads to long-term revenue and grow
So, why is brand loyalty important? As mentioned previously, it’s more cost-effective to market to existing customers and acquire new ones. Wikibuy’s survey also found that 1 in 4 people by products from a brand specifically because of the brand, meaning that cultivating brand loyalty can lead to long-term customers. Brand loyalists are also more likely to recommend the brand to others, helping grow the brand without the typically high cost of customer acquisition.
As Wikibuy’s brand loyalty survey demonstrated, cultivating long-term customers can help build and grow a successful brand. To do so, focus on the factors that matter, like product quality, and be sure to create a positive experience for every customer.
