Recently I had a unique opportunity to go to an event at the Portland, Oregon headquarters of Wieden+Kennedy.  It was a whirlwind there-and-back type of trip, but was definitely worth it.

I’ve written more detail about the trip, some observations, and a few takeaway thoughts over on the Idaho Ad Agencies blog.

Here in Boise, Idaho, the news came out this week that Mortimer’s, a fine-dining restaurant in downtown Boise, will be closing on June 21st.  That, in and of itself, is not really news - restaurants open and close all the time.

What sets this news apart is the reason that they’re closing.

The media has been quick to note that the reason that Mortimer’s is closing after eight years is because of a bad review in The Idaho Statesman.  But that’s not really the case, and the folks from Mortimer’s will be the first to say that.

The reason they’re closing, in their own words, is because “Last month Jon received the worst review of his career by The Idaho Statesman’s restaurant critic Guy Hand.  The review made it obvious that Jon is spread too thin and needs to concentrate on one restaurant.  Although we were devastated by the review we both agreed with most of the criticism and decided neither of us could commit the time needed to make Mortimer’s what it should be.”

The review in question made note of several inconsistencies in recent visits to the restaurant, mainly those centered around the preparation of the dishes.  The comments that have followed, both on the original review, and the news of the closing, seem to echo similar sentiments — namely that the food is not prepared consistently, the service was below expectation, or other areas of dissatisfaction.

My point here is not to belabor the details about why the restaurant is closing, but rather to use this example to point out some very critical points that are essential to the success of any business.

Whether you’re in the restaurant, retail, service or any other business, the smallest details can make the difference between a bad experience, a good experience or a great experience.  Losing sight of that fact, and failing to focus on those details, can, and has been, the downfall of many a company - definitely not something that is unique to the restaurant industry.

The moral of the story?  In business, as in life, you can either learn from the lesson or you can be the next lesson.  Put another way, you can either set the example or be the example.  Which would you prefer?

It’s no big secret that search engines have an affinity for blogs, websites that incorporate blogs, etc.

Case in point:
A Google search conducted for the name “John” yields some interesting results.

The first position belongs not to John McCain, John Lennon, or even the Gospel of John.  No, the first position is currently held by John Battelle, founder of Federated Media and author of Searchblog.

More proof of the weight that Google’s search algorithms place on the frequently updated content that a blog can provide.

“If you don’t have a blog, you’re dead meat.” - Christopher S. Penn.

The Marketing Over Coffee podcast is an great show, hosted by John Wall and Christopher S. Penn.

This particular quote came from the episode titled Increase Email Results Up to 4X, and was in reference to how Google has improved their indexing of blogs, and consequently the impact that a blog can have on your search ranking.

Give it a listen, and if you like the show, subscribe.  I have.

No doubt you’ve heard the maxim “Content is King.”  This holds true today just as much as it ever has.

Using that same analogy, let’s look at it another way.  Content is King, yes, but Search is Queen.  And, as is the case more often than any man ever wants to admit, it is the woman in the relationship that holds the power - be it time, money, access, you name it.  If you want to get to the King, you have to go through the Queen.

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