The Next “You Don’t Need Us” Award
April 7th, 2008
They’re back. And after good ol’ USAA winning the first one, I’m going to go from big-and-worthy to small-and-worthy with this one.
Who could it be? None other than Arborwear.
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of this company. And here’s why:
1) A stellar product. Arborwear is specifically made for the tree-climber niche. These are the guys that trim trees, are tree doctors or just generally like to get their Tarzan on and climb. I try and do none of the above, but needed a good pair of durable pants to do some heavy, dirty yard word in a wooded area, so I bought a pair. And WOW. Not only are they comfortable and you can easily move around in them (they were GREAT for paintball), but I’m pretty sure they’ll be here long after I’m gone. Now I own a pair of their shorts, a hat, a belt and a t-shirt.
2) Their brand is consistent, personable and well, funny. Go to their website. See the floating head? That’s Paul. He’s the “Head Monkey.” I’ve talked to Paul on the phone before and the personality that runs throughout all of their materials – even the tag on the shorts I
received (Sanitized for your protection. Nah, just kidding.) is seamless and IS Paul. That’s remarkable. To touch any one point of the brand is to know the whole company. They even have taken the simple step of featuring some of their fan’s stories on the site.
3) Their story. How could you not like a company that was conceived while the owner was lying on his broken back after falling out of a 35-foot maple tree? It’s Newton-esque!
4) Customer service is phenomenal. Period. It’s not even customer “service.” It’s customer hugging you. Or customer “we’re gonna treat you like the rockstar you are.” Whatever you want to call it, they get it.
Are there things that they could improve on? Sure. That rings true for every company.
But they don’t need us, that’s for sure.
Keep on keepin’ on, Mr. Taylor. And congrats on your very well deserved success.
Other posts by Spike.
BIG Kahuna says:
I’ll take your word for it on this one. Once again I’m not familiar with them but I’m WAAAAYYYY off their radar. Now Reef sandals (with bottle openers) and cargo shorts, well that’s a different story.
Did you check out what the Ritz Carlton did? If not check it out and give me your thoughts. Apparently they have a “corporate policy” not to allow 3rd party links to their website.
http://www.brandidentityguru.com/wordpress/?p=597
How do you feel about a company like the Ritz slamming word of mouth?
April 7th, 2008 at 3:17 pm