Do You Listen?
Posted by Jaci Russo
The Peabody Hotel in Downtown Memphis is a a testament to the old south - the good parts of it. The hotel is classically beautiful and elegant. When you walk through the doors, you will be instantly transported back in time - when men wore hats and ladies wore gloves…nothing about the Peabody says jeans and flip flops.
The Peabody Ducks are an important part of their brand. No, really. For the past 75 years, the Peabody has had these super cute ducks living in the marble fountain in the center of the hotel. It’s not just that the Peabody has ducks living in it’s fountain. No, it’s the duck march. At 11am and 5pm every day the ducks march through the lobby. It is a sight to behold…an unexpected delight.
So Doug Menefee stays at the Peabody last week for a conference and tweeted “…forgot shotgun so I won’t be bringing home any Peabody duck for gumbo.”
I thought that was pretty funny. Doug is an avid outdoorsman, kayaker, fisherman, etc but the idea of him shooting a duck in the lobby of the Peabody is pretty darn funny because it would never happen.
But it was really funny when the Peabody responded with “We don’t eat our ducks at the Peabody, so we are glad you left that shotgun behind.”
Doug wrote back, “Very happy that you have a sense of humor. I promise to leave your ducks alone. My wife just wants shampoos, not duck.”
This exchange has stuck with me since I read it last week. Why? Because it illustrates exactly the right way for a business to engage online.
1 - LISTEN - The Peabody is listening for mentions of their name. That way they can respond in a timely manner. There are lots of tools that a company can use and it is necessary to keep up.
2 - PARTICIPATE - Once the Peabody heard their name, they jumped into the conversation. They read Doug’s tweet and responded with one of their own.
3 - RELAX - Don’t take yourself too seriously. People who know Doug know that he is kidding but a stranger, who has never met him and takes their ducks very seriously, might not. Yet, the Peabody didn’t freak out and call 911 assuming that a master duck assassination plot was about to occur.
4 - ENGAGE - Instead of panicking, they joked around with Doug. This step is the hardest. It’s like walking up to a group of guys you have never seen before, elbowing one of them in the ribs and joining the conversation. There is a great fear that you are taking a risk and your engagement will not be welcome. Take the chance. It’s okay.
The Peabody made an impression on Doug. Doug made an impression on the Peabody. Most importantly all of Doug’s friends on Facebook and fans on Twitter saw it. Because the Peabody participated, Doug’s network watched and some even chimed in.
Do you listen?
Do you participate?
Do you relax?
Do you engage?
Let us know what you think. Did the Peabody get it right? How would you have reacted?
