VERBATIMS |
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Which company or brand stands out as exceptional in terms of product performance or customer experience and why?
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| A couple of years ago Costco came to Kansas City. The first Costco, built in the urban core (a gutsy move in a town that is most suburban) became a market place in the classic sense--it was a place to shop, to meet friends (seemed everyone showed up there (Costco gave away free memberships the first year)), to learn new things and to simply enjoy. Costco refunds your money for any item purchased there: questions asked but never questioned. Their website and monthly magazine keep you informed of specials and occasionally provide interesting bits of information. The staff is well trained and pleasant and the costs are hard to beat. Service, quality, cost, variety and superb execution. Costco gets my vote for best wholesale merchandising. It's a Box that has been well thought out. |
| Adobe! Even when they upgrade the changes are logical and easy to learn. Excellent sources of information on their website. |
| AFLAD INSURANCE |
| Amazon as a retailer. They continually improve their ease of use and the added value offered. The customer experience has been consistently good and they have been smart about what categories they expand into. They have not overextended themselves yet like many other manufacturers & retailers hellbent on growth at all costs. |
| Amazon.com |
| Amazon.com. An ever exapnding product offering, recommendations on similar items and instant information about the status of my product. Never a bad shopping experience. |
| Amazon.com because of the user friendly interface and the way it tracks past behavior to create customized offers. |
| Amazon for the internet. Quick responsiveness and able to affinity market to previous buyers, quick delivery of the product. |
| Amazon - reliability - understanding and meeting my needs - wow |
| Amazon -- they changed the purcahse process and managed to satisfy consumer needs and get other e merchants to follow suit. |
| Amazon -- when people blanched at 100 and 50 requirements for free shipping, Amazon lowered the rewquirement. Constant response to feedback is a good thing. Period. |
| American Express. Because their response to my card being stolen and used went above and beyond my expectations. |
| Ameritrade - the manner in which they saved my business when I requested an account transfer - their customer service people really care |
| Apple |
| apple. best looking and performing computer for creative people. OSX enhances already great performance and ease of use, retail stores are beautifully designed, give buyers a hands-on experience with a knowledgable, enthusiastic staffer. |
| Apple Computer |
| Apple Computer. Continuously recreating itself and its category. Great products - in design and in function. I use Macs so I'm biased, but they have it all over the competition. Their switch ads are in your face focused. |
| Apple Computer: For the apparent reasons that have turned far too little people into Apple Users. |
| Apple computers |
| Apple Computers -- unbelievably beautiful product design combined with the most pleasant user experience of any technology product. Not to mention their ad campaigns, store environments, and web sites which all create a powerful, humanistic approach to technology. They are simply unparalleled in their category -- market share be damned. |
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Apple. They rarely F up on their products, even if they're pricey. iPod, iBook, PowerBook. They all kick ass, frankly. So many "computer" companies make so much geeky crap, Apple brings style to the table. |
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Audi. Every communication gives you a good reason to buy the product featured and a strong positive feeling about the whole range. Visually, all products are clearly related displaying a reserved & stylish solidity. Functionally, the product rewards you every day with the sheer intelligence of its design and operation. I've owned two, and neither has ever confused me, frustrated me or disappointed me. Ultimately I'll buy another, because I know it will feel as good to use and own every day as it does to drive it out of the showroom. I've recommended Audi to my two best friends and several colleagues and I know there's no regret in store for me on that count.
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| BMW |
| BMW. Because product quality has always been the priority, not the tangential fact (or, in some cases, the falsehood) beneath the marketing. Because it stayed true to its essence when other car makers ran scared and commoditized themselves. Because they they deftly cut out James Bond as the entertainment middle-man, thereby turning borrowed equity into more brand essence. |
| BMW - I would never own one, but they have worked themselves into a specific niche and continue to reinvent their automobiles superbly. |
| Bose. Bose audio and video equipment cost more, yet are better designed and produce a demonstrably superior listening experience than compeition. |
| Branders.com. Over and above customer service. Do not always get to choose where I buy our promotionals, but when I don't need to use clients, this is where I head. |
| CBS Television, because of the new, intelligently done dramatic series like C.S.I, Robbery Homicide, The Agency, etc. |
| Chipotle restaurants |
| coca-cola |
| Coca Cola simply because it has been able to maintain its branding as THE American soft drink even though many people actually prefer Pepsi. |
| Coke, Crest, IBM, UPS, Dell |
| DELL |
| Dell Computer, a relative start up just a few years ago, has wrested the title of the world's largest personal computer manufacturer from the grasp of much larger and better capitalize companies because of: product perofrmance, user-experience and customer experience. Great marketing has met exceptional logistics and formed an internationally well recognized corporate identity. |
| Dell - Dude, we're all over the airwaves. It seems that 95% of the laptops I see out there are Dells. |
| Dell. Its ads, customer focus, availability and price |
| DeWalt (Black & Decker), in our industry, is best at reaching the consumer providing a consistent meaningful message. Year in and year out, they get to job sites (direct branding and feedback), make big impressions at events where power tool users attend, and provide great products, not always the best, but great, consistent to their brand position. They clearly get it and commit and invest where the competition whimps out. They walk their talk in marketing. Joe Galli (now at Newell) bet big, spent big, and now DeWalt is BIG. And the competition, my own company included, just don't get it. |
| Dodge Ram Trucks. The "Grab life by the Horns" campaign has strong connection to the "Ram" symbol that resonates well with the core consumer. |
| eBAY, Created a brand that is total dominate in the category and delivers consistantly as expected. |
| eBay. These guys have it all figured out and continue to blow away all comers when it comes to understanding e-marketplaces and capitalizing on how to do business over the Web. |
| Evian (water) Barilla (Pasta) great consistency in their product offering and amazing brand appealing. Especially advertising for Evian. Starbucks story and new product offering is also of a great success. It has been able to develop the coffe experience within the US consumers. Developing the taste for specialty coffe vs Mass coffee (P&G Kraft). |
| Continental airlines |
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Fairmont Hotels |
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Fast Company Magazine's readers network, the Company of Friends, is the "utlimate" in user experience. The Company of Friends started out as a grass-roots, self-organized group who read the magazine and believed in it's message. Heath Rowe had the foresight to capture this "fan club" and try to organize, without compromising the integrity of this self-organizing entity, the group. Now, the CoF represents groups of "fans" in cities around the world! Who heard of a magazine with a fan club? Especially when there was no incentive or intention of creating a fan club . . . . especially for a business magazine! While the message that Fast Company put out was truly "fast" and unique, it has (unintentionally) tapped into a cultural movement.
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| FERRARI |
| Fido and Telus for Brand - strong advertising, IBM for trying to change their image. The airline whose owner has ADD - for honesty and success (JetBlue). |
| Fisher Price |
| Gillette for their Mach3 and Venus razors. I was in a Wal-Mart and saw their in-store tv ads and bought the Venus as an impulse buy - now I am hooked and turned my sisters on to the razors and bought a Mach 3 for my husband. |
| Google - using great technology and innovative, user-centred design to provide really 'cool' (this is such an old word!) products and services that are really involving and useful. They achieve that goal to which all marketers aspire - always 'surprise and delight' your customers. Examples ... Google news, Froogle, Zeitgeist ... And it works pretty much all of the time! |
| HBO - they are right on when they claim 'It is not TV, it's HBO'. |
| home depot |
| Honda - just bought a new one this year. Cars are always reliable and can be driven forever. |
| Hyatt |
| I'm a big Nike fan, especially for running. This year I have used Nike products in the tropics, in sub-freezing weather in Wisconsin, in torrential rain, on concrete and on mud. Their shoes and apparel just keep getting better and better; their customer service is excellent and they consinue to sustain a great brand. |
| I have to say Amazon. I use them to shop for ridiculous last minute gifts at the same time I'm researching book editorials for an article. And as I try to amass my pile of expense receipts, I can look up what I ordered and when to make sure I didn't forget to expense that last client gift. And on top of it all (if that's not enough) I receive a lovely email from Jeff Bezos (or his convincing clone) inviting me to take a look at their Beta shopping site. While I've had one fulfillment fiasco, they still rate highest on customer service. |
| I recently bought a new Mini Cooper, and their marketing borders on genius. I have received three mailings from them, with gifts since I purchased the car. their web site is awesome. Best of all, the car is the coolest, hippest thing on the street! |
| It's amazing that I am naming the (faceless) online retailer Amazon.com. It easily covers the mentioned criteria, and possibly more. I think over the years that I've shopped with them, the experience has evolved to becoming more user-friendly, and the product has gotten better in terms of choice/variety. |
| It was a lackluster season in Product Pamplona - The running of the brands was more like a walk down mediocre lane. I do give BMW credit for picking up on the US Market's facination with The Mini. They brought the Mini under there wing with the expected fanfare without smothering its own very unique personality. The real test will be how well they fend off Smart. I imagine that both will excel in the new year. Crash tests aside - (that's why the call them accidents not on-purposes!), they both actually have redeeming value especially in NYC; MPG, Size etc. |
| I would have to say that USAA is one of the best companies to do business with and represents some of the best brand attributes around today. The reasons why are numerous, but ultimately, I think its success comes from the fact that it knows it customer base, and adheres to a strict criteria in determining its customer base. For those who are not familiar with the company, it is a financial services company that services military personnel, veterans, and their dependents exclusively; its products are not available to the general public and USAA customers are referred to as "members." This obviously changes the nature of the customer relationship - it becomes much more personalized and in turn, I believe creates a high level of loyalty for the company. Coupled with excellent customer service, excellent performance in terms of insurance coverages, a complete array of personal financial services and buying partnerships,-- including discounts for long distance, internet services, and other consumer goods -- one always gets a good deal for the money with USAA. Additionally, the company has excellent customer communications programs, and good direct marketing tactics. Overall, the experience of being a USAA member is outstanding, and I believe that is because the company does not try to be all things to all people. |
| Jet Blue |
| JetBlue. After a tough year in the travel industry, it's amazing how a basically new product choice in airlines has blown away other major airlines in terms of profit and customer satisfaction. |
| Jet Blue. I've have not had the occasion to fly JB, but have read much about it before they launched and they have lived up to their objectives providing quality and value priced airfare. Ironically, they seem to be offering a more desirable product (delivering what they promise, having a bit of coolness to them, etc.) than their full priced competitors if the people I know who fly them reguarly are any indicator. |
| JetBlue. In a category of bad news all around, this airline figured it out and managed to grown market share |
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Jet Blue. They have a very clear value proposition and they stick with it from the Chips to the names on each of the planes. It's a company that you wouldn't mind being a part of. |
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Kohl's and CVS. I ALWAYS pick retailers. Each has used CRM behind the scenes to treat ME specially and uniquely based on what I buy. At Kohl's you always KNOW that you'll be pleasantly surprised at the cash register. And they have incredible restraint in send just the right amount of promotional offers and materials. The CVS ExtraCare Card has SO MUCH potential to move marketing to another level of personalization through injformation collection and sortation that it's frightening. Bravo to both.
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| Krispy Kreme |
| Lacoste,. This french brand has it all. Genuine values that they live up to year after year without an agressive marketing campaign and without becoming outdated. It sticks to its roots and delivers quality. that is all there is to it. and a rich brand story offcourse. And since Lacoste himself was one of the French musqeteers who ruled the tennis world during the '30s there is a lot to tell. |
| Land Rover. In 50+ years of business, they have never once taken their eye off the ball - making (in the words of a former ad campaign) "the best 4x4 by far." In these days of every car company shoving any old SUV in front of size-hungry consumers, Land Rover continues to deliver uncompromised off-road performance and undeniable luxury. They speak of not just vehicle sales, but the "Land Rover Lifestyle" -- and, they deliver it. Kudos for a company that actually knows and acts what a brand is! |
| Lexus. Beautiful design, high quality, prestige image, fighting those with petigree.Wonderful total customer experience from promotion to service in the back shop. |
| Lexus. The brand experience delivers on the advertising performance promise and the customer service experience is exceptional. |
| Like all good marketers, I will give you two for the price of one. Toys-R-us and Apple. First the socially acceptable choice: Apple did a great job of brining their adopters out into the open to reveal that they were not just school pc and the domain of ad agency people. Toys-R-us is more of a comeback story. Once a leader in the "more toys than you could imagine" category, they dropped the ball for a while as they built hundreds of maze-like totally un-kid friendly stores, but are now getting back to an understanding that toys are fun and shopping for them should be as well. |
| Listerine Strips for product performance, Dr. Pepper for strategy redevelopment, and American Airlines for customer serivice! |
| Listerine strips. They've completely changed how consumers keep their breath fresh -- from mints to a completely new delivery system. |
| Listerine - took an antiquated brand and made it new again with pocket strips. $170MM 1st year sales. |
| LL Bean, Okemo Ski Resort |
| Lowe's - In my area, there's usually a Lowe's and a Home Depot within blocks of each other. When doing major home improvement, I like many consumers, visit both stores to get ideas. Lowe's wins hands down on knowledgable, trained people, eager to help .... cleaner, much cleaner stores that are better/consumer friendly organized .... and their follow-up after making several thousand dollars of charges at the store with a non Lowe's card, was appreciated and tasteful. Home Depot is truly "Home Desperate" and Lowe's with their customer-orientation and their better organized stores and cleanliness wins hands down. I predict that over time Lowes will gain market share and Home Depot will drop. |
| Lowes |
| Lund Cadillac, Phoenix, Arizona-actually a dealership that looks at itself as a brand. The customer service is fantastic.The salespeople work at getting you what you want. And, they really know how to feed a customer. That's right -feed them! They have the best snack food bar,complete with a full time attendant. There'e barbecue at lunchtime and from time to time catered gourmet meals. Every year at new car announcement time they throw a gala dinner that's attended by five thousand people.The dealership is owned by former Chevrolet and Cadillac General Manager Bob Lund and his son John.Did I forget to mention that there is bingo on friday mornings. Customers actually look forward to bringing there car in for service. |
| MailDog Manager . . . I found them through your newsletter, started using them for something I was working on and have had nothing but good experiences. They've got a great product, excellent customer service and they know how to sell themselves. |
| Microsoft -- their plan to take over the world is proceeding nicely. |
| Mini Cooper cars. Took what was arguably a non-category (in the US) and made a popular fun desirable toy. Designed and marketed well. |
| Mini USA is doing a great job...great relationship building via email. I'm in Chicago, so I'm going to give my vote to two locals as well...UR Magazine (I believe they were started in NY and LA as well) but the level of interaction this org has with it's target via event promotions, sales promotions, tie-in advertising and the magazine itself is outstanding and they don't let up - they invite you to experience their brand on a daily basis with a fresh, hip approach. Redmoon Theater of Chicago...a spectacle theater group. This group is stellar at bringing together people from all walks of life, all income brackets, all races, all ages and performing in outdoor or out of the way places with such a beautiful, sincere, truthful approach to whatever story they choose to tell that each spectator walks away with an understanding that we're all part of humanity and we do share some things in common. They always leave me speechless and wanting to reach out. |
| my dry cleaner |
| My old Mercedes - when I had a terrible accident, this car really saved my life. In my mind this car really means a whole lot of safety - even though I dont drive one right now. |
| National Geographic. Here's a tried & true brand not resting on its (considerable) laurels! Rather its aggressively expanding its horizon of coverage and channels of distribution. It continues to move beyond the environmental angle to offer high-quality coverage of today's social challenges. At the same time, it's aggressively building its cable penetration, website and quality of offerings. Informative, entertaining, accessible, reliable. Wow. And, how many brands can show only their logo graphic and get brand recognition... Nike (swoosh), McDonalds (golden arches), National Geographic (yellow box) and a few others. |
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Neiman Marcus. Excellent customer service. Unparalled TASTEFUL, HIGH QUALITY direct marketing (I get a catalogue or a postcard from them literally EVERY DAY. The customer is always RIGHT at N/M and they are very willing to help with anything (I once got a piece of Christian Dior lingerie at a bridal shower that did not fit, but I had no idea where it came from. I returned it to N/M - who at the time didn't even have any Christian Dior lingerie in stock - but still credited my AmEx account for what a similar item cost. Merchandising is good selection, yet not department-store "overkill" (which I believe consumers find overwhelming and confusing). Lighting is good, Stores usually include two types of dining on-site. Sales are noteable without being notorious. Loyalists follow them like clockwork. |
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Netflix. I am an avid user of their service. It's great to get their DVDs in the mail, and they come like clockwork.
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| Netflix. Their additional DCs made a huge difference in turnaround times -- which has huge impact on the experience. |
| Neutrogena |
| Nickelodeon tv in USA. It combines strong innovative languages with a unique capabilities of attracting kids. Sometimes choosing very innovative languages is very risky in terms of market results,but Nickelodeon seems to have a special virtue in taking right decisions. |
| Nintendo. I'm amazaed how my kids, aged 3 to 9, can turn game cube as easy play for them in few hours, and remain hook with so many applications as any other "toy" that they have. |
| none |
| Nordstoms, they are the epitome of doing most (99%) of things right, from the people they hire to work there, how you feel as a shopper in their stores and the environment. In the shoe dept, they have a foot massager for you while they are getting your shoes!! |
| officemax.com - I ordered a cd burner after seeing an ad for it in USA today. Not only was the price incredible, but I got an email the next day saying it had been delivered, prompting me to belive their delivery system was messed up. Upon returning home, I found the drive delivered, cheaply and wonderfully!!! |
| opex long distance carrier - emails confirming payments, prompt answers to questions, incrediable rates .045/ mim 24/7. Their bills are easy to read - and logical. What a treat from every other carrier I have tried. |
| OXO Good Grips because its a complete paradigm shift from the P&G method which sells no value. OXO adds value to areas that the large consumer product companies of the US have ruined. |
| P&G's Pampers, both diapers and wipes |
| P&G...because as big as they are...they are both consumer and customer (Wal*Mart, Mass Merch, Grocery) FOCUSED! |
| Pepsi's acknowledgement that the uban market influences pop culture - trends in beverage market, music listened to, and fashion |
| Procter & Gamble. Consistently focussed on consumer - innovates around grounded consumer insights. |
| Procter & Gamble, Pampers, Bounty, etc. |
| Procter & Gamble. They really know how to market, cover all brand categories and be tops in their categories. |
| Product performance-Banana Republic. User Experience-Amazon.com. Customer Experience-Kohl's. |
| Product Performance. Harry Potter, It is incredible how this little boy has captured not only children but also young and old "non-muggle" people |
| User-experience. Nokia. Customer experience. Zara, where ever you are, there is a Zara in which you can find the same cloths around the world. |
| Puma ... for the great maketing job the yare doing. They have sucessfully completed against some global brand giants and have extended the power of their brand from athletic shoes into fashion. |
| PUMA. They re-created a practically dead brand and made it "cool" again. Making something "cool" is hard enough, but making something cool after it has become "uncool" is really an accomplishment. |
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Regal Cinema. - order tickets online - comfy stadium seating - "real" food. |
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Relect.com
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| Ritz Carlton (specifically referring to San Francisco location) |
| Rolling Stones, Inc. |
| Roots Clothing. Two guys from detroit come up to Canada because their force out of New York and make a killing selling seat pants with Canadian Iconography that the slow Canadians missed. Sad but true. They understand the Country better as outsiders looking in than anyone that grows up there. So in short, they get it. |
| Saab - the find your own road campaign - yes, it's last year's, but it still stands out. |
| S.C. Johnson has launched a number of new, innovative products this year. Products from Saran disposable cutting boards to Scrubbing Bubbles flushable bathroom cleaning wipes are making consumers lives more convenient. |
| Sketchers I was never brand loyal to shoes until very recently. From my 7-yr old son's shoes to my own work casual and weekend (non-sneaker) footware, Sketchers has fit the bill in terms of quality and price as well as selection. And their boxes double as useful storage devices. |
| Snapfish.com -Great job of awareness at launch -Ability to understand the target and design their site and their purchase dynamic accordingly -Responsive customer service -A quality product - Rewards its loyal users to keep them entangles |
| Southwest Airlines. In a time when airlines are struggling just to survive, Southwest has managed to prevail. And they';ve done so without their service or the friendliness and enthusiasm of their employees suffering. They've continued to offer great prices and innovative business practices. |
| Southwest Airlines - weathered the worst storm in the airline industry, and came through with flying colors. |
| Spot Shot Carpet Stain Remover |
| This is a great product that is easy to use. It is an aerosol product that you just spray on the stain and blot it away with a paper towel. The company provides a knowledgable customer service staff to walk you through the use of the product. I found the product a local grocery store demonstration. I was amazed a the demo and thought that the product could not be that good but it was all the demo promised and more. |
| Sprite -- It truely captures the nature of teens! |
| Starbucks |
| Starbucks - great product, great atmosphere, getting bigger but also getting better |
| Starbucks. Never lets me down. Consistent excellent product. Great customer service. |
| Starbucks -- the cool music, the great flavors, the smell, and the caffeine -- need I say more? |
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Stew Leonards (USA) and Super Quinn (UK). Because of their excelent knowledge or their frequent customers. |
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Target. Ability to market a discount retail store with a point of difference. They have not competed with Walmart on price but used designers etc to set them apart even though they are priced based.
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| Target because their advertising created initial interest and the store lived up to the promise - clean, well organized, interesting "fun" merchandise, reasonable prices. When I asked an employee if they carried Pur filter cartridges, he walked with me to the display and even asked me if I had any questions before he went back to whatever he was doing. I loved it! They are now my first stop - and I've avoided the K-Marts, WalMarts, etc. all my life so this is a fairly radical conversion. |
| Target continues to be one of my constant "stand by" businesses. It has found an identity among all others, with good quality at fair prices--all with a little flair. I know the ads are a little more "hip"; than the actual experiene, but practically every major marketer has that issue (the average age among buyers of the automotive Big Three is still in the 60s, but has that stopped any of them from trying to tap into a younger buyer?) All in all, I enjoy the shopping experience and find that Target's marketing reinforces my decision to shop there. |
| Target Corporation because I appreciate its three tiered approach with Target, Target Greatland and Super Targets. They also have valuable conveniences such as rain checks issued from the cashier and online services. |
| Target distancing it from the "Don't let me be seen in Walmart or Kmart, I'd be so embarrassed..." to Target as a brand with the nerve to sell New Yorkers holiday gifts off a boat docked at Chelsea Piers. |
| Target. It' as simple as the Target Boat docked in Manhattan. It doesn't get any more brilliant than that! |
| Target - they continue to reinvent the general merchandiser category - I would never admit to shopping at WalMart or K-Mart, but I proudly show off my Target merchandise. It's hip, clean, and their ads are terrific. |
| Target - they started slowly and built their customer awareness....and the quality for value of their goods is outstanding |
| Target - Well-designed stores, adding grocery stores within the stores, advertising, and more. |
| The new Heinz "upside down" ketchup bottle is awesome!!!! It allows you to get the ketchup out while your food is still hot. |
| Toyota - No flash, no dazzle just TERRIFIC performance and reliability w/o the 'Like a Rock' nonsense from one of their competitors. |
| Trader Joe's grocery store |
| Unfortunately none |
| Verizon Wireless--first cell phone company I've used that has compentant--and, gasp--friendly customer service reps |
| Verizon Wireless. I love their ads (who can resist a monkey with a cold?) and am a very satisfied customer. They got me into a better plan when I visited the store to replace my phone, and the servcice is quite reliable. |
| Volvo |
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walmart.........presence, size, force |
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Whole Foods' '365' brand is achieving what people talk about but never do: infusing a store brand with meaning (superior quality pure & natural food products) that exceeds the promise by national brands.
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| Whole Foods Markets. Consistancy - Quality - Innovation - Value |
| Williams Sonoma is a company and brand that just keeps getting stronger over time. Their product offering is strong and keeps getting more interesting. Thier online and offline experience gets even more integrated. Functionality of their website is great |
| Wolford products |
| www.schoolpop.com - they've added merchants and the consumer interface is simple to use while helping our schools |
| Yahoo! |