National
Clothesline
Lessons learned from the master
The passing of Stan Caplan is a loss for
the industry and the thousands of people who benefited from his
knowledge and instruction over the years. He began learning
about drycleaning back in the 1930s while working in his
parents’ plant and never stopped. Nor did he ever stop
sharing the knowledge he had gained with anyone who asked. It
was always impressive to walk a trade show floor with Stan.
Even after decades in the business, he remained as fascinated
with the equipment and technologies as a child in a toy store.
But even more impressive were the legions of former students
and past clients who would come up to shake his hand. Sometimes
the conversation started with “You probably don’t
remember me, but…” Of course, Stan never forgot,
not only remembering the person, but also recalling details of
the time they worked together.
His knowledge of the industry was
encyclopedic. Ask him a question and he didn’t have to go
look up the answer. It would just spill out in great detail and
precision. In the days before e-mail, he would send in his
National Clothesline columns handwritten on lined yellow
legal-size paper. He would start a topic and 2,000 words just
seemed to flow from his pen in sentences crafted in a manner
that would satisfy even the fussiest English composition
teacher. When the Internet became the new mode of
communication, Stan jumped right in. His columns arrived as
precisely typed e-mails, and he joined the industry’s
e-mail list, the Fabricare Forum, where he could do what he
liked best — talking to other cleaners, solving problems,
giving advice.
While there may be no statues or
buildings with his name on them, Stan’s legacy will live
on through the many people he taught and inspired. He taught so
many so much that it is beyond counting, but the two great
lessons he leaves are these: Never stop learning and never stop
helping.
Old rules apply to new tools
When it comes to marketing, you have to
spend money to make it. Then again, some people might not
agree, like 19-year-old college student Keiko Groves from
Florida. She runs an Internet-based clothing business in her
spare time and doesn’t pay a dime for marketing. Instead,
she has generated $800 a month in sales simply by keeping a web
blog — an online journal where people can post diary
entries about their personal experiences and hobbies. Perhaps
$800 in monthly sales does not sound like much, but it’s
an impressive feat for somebody with no previous business
experience. Groves has used the blog to discuss things of
interest to her, including her small operation that sells less
than a dozen pieces of handmade clothing weekly. Readers chime
in with comments, making for a loyal, close-knit customer base.
They do not come to read ads. They come for free, authentic
advice told from a unique point of view — the ingredients
of a successful blog.
Blogging is catching on with larger
companies, too. Boeing uses one to keep people updated on the
test flight status of its new series of long-range 777
airplanes. Sprint utilizes one that appeals to wireless users.
One Microsoft employee often criticizes the company’s own
products on his blog. Microsoft allows him to because they
recognize that customers want unabashed honesty, not
propaganda. Taking it a step further, however, is a marketing
company named Marqui. They actually pay bloggers each month to
write about their company. So, why are blogs becoming a new
source of marketing?
As John Graham points out on Page 44,
people now use the Yellow Pages less. They “TiVo”
through commercials and listen to commercial-free satellite
radio. The world moves much faster these days. Companies
can’t reach their customers through the media as
effectively as they used to, hence the need for new approaches.
Blogs, if fun, informative, and interesting, may help to fill
that void. Who knows, perhaps a blog detailing the daily
experiences in a cleaning plant would generate interest.
While the landscape of marketing is
changing a bit, keep in mind that old-fashioned marketing rules
still apply. The reason blogs work is because people who read
them invest a trust in the blogger himself. As Dennis McCrory
points out on page 50 in his column (you know, the thing people
wrote before blogs):“Reputations are built by customer
advocacy, and advocates are created one customer at a
time.” Sounds like good advice, and it didn’t cost
you a dime.