Category Archives: Gift Experiences

Research results on source of happiness

By Naomi Simson | Published: April 15, 2009

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And the winner is….

By Naomi Simson | Published: March 9, 2009

This is the winning entry for the movie category of the Sneaky Awards - See complete story on Employer Branding blog post below.

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Taking Employer Branding to a new level.

By Naomi Simson | Published: March 6, 2009

Each Trimester we have a theme. This theme is designed to get every RedBallooner focused on delivering the critical component of the plan. But we make sure that we are fulfilling our fourth value of - a sense of humor and fun. After all it is okay to have fun in business.

This years' theme is from 'Success to Significance'. One of the metrics we use to determine 'Significance' is the Google page ranking. Google will rank redballoon.com.au however it chooses. We do know that the more we are being 'talked about' online the more likely our rank is to go up.

So we engaged the team in the project. Their job was to take photographs, shoot video, write articles or generally put RedBalloon in the public domain. Everybody at RedBalloon loves to 'be a marketer'. So this was their chance. We set up bi weekly winners for 'The most creative' and 'The most humorous' and last week we had The Sneaky Awards night at Fox Studios - it was RedBalloon's version of the Academy Awards.

The categories included:

Team Quantity (The team that had the most entries)
Most Creative
Most Humorous
Most Red
Most Logos
RedBalloon experience (Had to be on an actual RedBalloon experience)
Child/Animal labor
Surreal photos (Manipulated)
Greatest Public Exposure
Party of the trimester (Each team was given $150 and had to host the whole company for Friday dirinks)
Movie of the trimester

I'll share with you below - the winning entries....(as well as more of the movies - they are really funny) also the photo's of the actual awards night. It was so great to include the RedBallooner's partners at this event. After all so many of the partners had be cajoled in to assisting with the project.

Sneaky Awards night at Fox Studios

Final Sneaky Winners - 27 February 2009

Best Sneaky Movie

Other Sneaky Movies

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Experiencing the Experience of the National Telstra Business Womens Awards

By Naomi Simson | Published: January 12, 2009

I wrote this just after the event in December... while it was still fresh - but I didn't want to publish it until the video of the event came through. Here it all is.

Sitting amongst 700 glamorous people all present to celebrate the achievements of Women from around Australia at Crown in Melbourne on 9 December 2008. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Every detail was taken care of – the 34 State winners who were honored at the event were treated like celebrities. It was such a privilege to be part of the group.

RedBalloon is in the experience game, our job is to make sure we give people a good time. One of the best parts about what I do is listening to the stories of what people did on their experiences; “the 80 year old woman who had tears in her eyes as she saw a butterfly released for every year of her life – surrounded by her immediate family at North Head.” “The man who at the age of 60 got to fly an airplane – how he described butterflies in his stomach like a boy going to a birthday party.”

The Telstra Business Womens Awards was all this to me. I am so busy organising other people's birthdays and Christmas celebrations – I rarely have time to feel excited about my own – really look forward to a special occasion. But these awards touched every one of my senses.

I was nervous and excited – I was flattered and fearful. I wanted it for the team so much. The team have worked tirelessly. This award was for all the people who share the vision to change gifting in Australia forever. It is for both past and present RedBallooners – the wonderful team who turn vision into reality, that is the team who were prepared to give it a go.

To win this award is to acknowledge all those who are prepared to take a risk – and do something different. It shows you can start with nothing (from the front room of your house – with second hand computers) and create a multi million dollar business that is globally recognized as best of class.

Imagine being the first supplier to RedBalloon – trusting us in what we where upto… what about being the first customer. We have now delivered more than 450,000 activities in just over 7 years. Each one of these was bought by someone who see's that a gift can be something to share with family and friends - rather than an object.

The program of selection for the awards is rigorous – a very extensive: entry form, state based judging, then more exploration independently into the financial status of the business, then National judging. It is the rigor and the process that make this award so prestigious. It is not for the faint hearted you have to really really want to do it. But the acknowledgment is absolutely worth it.

To celebrate women is so essential. Only recently I was goaded by a fellow entrepreneur that women didn't run 'real businesses – just soft ones' These awards prove that chap very wrong. RedBalloon is built on technology and innovation. There is nothing 'wishy washy' about it.

We continually agitate to improve. I committed to all those at the event – that they can count on me to continue to run an outstanding business – that others will look to as an example of 'it can be done'. Innovation pays off and people can have a great time at work and be truly effective and productive.

I know as the ultimate winner of the Nokia Innovation award I represent a group of very talented women who participated in this program. This award has given us greater authority that we are up to something special. As said at the event 'what we say today and what we say tomorrow (after becoming a Winner) will be the same – except tomorrow they will believe you.'

Thanks again to Nokia for supporting innovation. Innovation is needed more than ever in tough times. Also to Telstra who have taken such a long term approach to improving the voice for all business women in Australia. I loved the experience – and sharing it with my family (my children came to the event). It will be one of my 27610 days that I will always cherish.

This experience has put us on a National stage and I urge women who are up to things – to let others know by entering these awards. Then we get a chance to learn from them too.

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Advertising has its place…

By Naomi Simson | Published: November 29, 2008

If you've heard me speak - you know I am quite open about why I believe our business continues to grow rapidly... even though advertising has not been part of the marketing mix. We just completed some brand research with Nielsen and found that there is a 32% unprompted brand recall for RedBalloon... which is pretty amazing given that when I ask audiences what advertising they have seen - very few hands go up. (My marketing manager hates me asking that question - she says 'One day we will do some advertising and then you will have to eat your words').

The time has come - I am very clear about why we are doing this now. Advertising doesn't create brands - people do. It is the relationships that we create, the promise that is held in the hearts of our customers. Our customers own our brand. But for those who know us - it is upto us to remind them of what we stand for - it is up to us to give them something worth talking about.

I remember 15 years ago when I worked at Apple - it was very clear if you are going to do advertising - look very impressive. In the early days of Apple this was always Steve Jobs thing - you might have a tiny budget - but make it look massive by taking double page spreads - but only a few. Do a few things really well. One of the greatest marketing stunts of all time was Apple sponsoring the cushions at the American Super Bowl.

Okay so here it is. The new RedBalloon TVC.... now of course we all love being in marketing at RedBalloon and the second one is an absolute delight too. Our developers have got into TVC mode to challenge the marketers creativity... very funny. Enjoy...

On an overcast day... In Port Macquarie...

One man has a dream........A dream to fly. A dream to be KING of the sky.

On an overcast day... In Pyrmont...

One development team had a dream........A dream to be movie stars. A dream to be KING of the internet.

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Charmed I’m sure…

By Naomi Simson | Published: September 18, 2008

I attended the Smart Company awards last week. I always find it interesting with a room full of people who know almost no one how people interact. Some people stay as hidden as possible in the back of the room, but this was a room of entrepreneurs.... and we are by nature 'sales people'. Always selling our ideas or concepts. Earlier this week I was also asked to present to 150 people about the art of networking - now I had never considered myself a 'networker' but I do know that if I see a room full of people who I have never met... somewhere inside me I think..'Goody a whole room of potential new friends' many people are exactly the reverse. First impressions are very important in the networking process - as they are in sales.

My mother is very big on etiquette. Doing, saying and acting appropriately in company. Whilst she is considered old school – some of the lessons are exactly perfect for first impressions...'you have 2 ears and 1 mouth dear, and that is the proportion you should use them.'

It's all about them.

First impressions are important. It takes but the blink of an eye to 'judge and assess' a person we meet for the first time. As Malcolm Gladwell told us is Blink we are determined to hang on to that opinion, because we want to make sure that we were 'right' about our first impression.

Apparently a first impression takes 2 seconds and is related to our primitive instincts of fight or flight. Is this person friend or foe? The first impression is based primarily on physical attributes: gender, size, smile and facial expression and the eyes. What people wear is also important in the first impression it signifies 'who we hang out with'. I heard it recently referred to as 'tribal wear'.

The greeting is part of it too. We all know about sloppy hand shakes. But did the person look you in the eye - was there a connection of some sort. Did you have the impression that they were interested in you as a person.

If the person has the knack of making others feel intelligent and fascinating "the most important person in the room" - if so you are likely to really like that person. People love being the centre of attention so if you are really interested in them, they will know. Keep the spotlight on them for as long as possible. Questions should be open ended to encourage conversation. Talk 20% of the time and listen 80% of the time. People associate you with whatever feeling you evoke in them on a regular basis. Therefore stay away from depressing, negative topics. 50% of the messages you send out are non-verbal. People feel more comfortable when you mimic their body language (perhaps in a modified or delayed fashion).

People like happy people who remember their name. The most beautiful sound to us is our name. So I use memory tricks to associate a name to someone, so that if I meet them in the future I have a chance of remembering them. I meet many people...and of course there are some that I just don't remember, but they know me. I now say 'Good to see you.' which could imply that I have met them before - but also covers me if I have not.

I have had several people say to me - 'Oh you might not remember me but I applied for a job with RedBalloon'. Hence they may only ever have been introduced to me through a CV. Of course I think to myself, 'Did they have a good experience? Did we live up to our brand commitment?' But still in that instant it is my job to make sure that they are appreciated for the efforts they made in applying for a position at RedBalloon Days.

I do this by nature because I'm naturally a curious person. Others need to work at it – but it is worth the effort.

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RedBallooners celebrate

By Naomi Simson | Published: August 7, 2008

Each trimester (quarter with an extra month) we create a theme. Last trimester our theme was BlackDiamond. If we got the game (business result) we announced that we would take the whole team skiing.

This is the RedBallooners at Thredbo. What a fantastic weekend. Such an experience, some had never seen snow before, others had been instructors in previous lives. This is one experience we will all remember.

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Painting the picture

By Naomi Simson | Published: May 6, 2008

I remembered a very long time ago when I was just a new employee of Apple, the video that we looked at to inspire us for where Apple was headed. Now remember this video was made more than 20 years ago... before we had email and internet.

Between Google and Apple this has pretty much been achieved. Only goes to show - that the future is the one that we imagine. I only wrote my painted picture in words.... but this is great.

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What do I get up to…

By Naomi Simson | Published: April 29, 2008

People often ask, 'As Chief Experience Officer' do you spend most of your time experiencing experiences? Being CEO for me is about being accountable for how people experience this business. Whether they are customers, suppliers, affiliates, associates or team members. But of course we must practice what we preach. Here are a few recent pictures of what I get up to as CEO.. One thing I learned along time ago from Ike Bain (right hand man to Dick Smith) is it is ok to have fun in business.