MyPunchblog

This post written by Sean Conta, Founder & CXO

It happens to everyone at some point - you need to cancel an event that you’ve already invited people to.

With our latest release, we make it a little easier on you and your guests. If you need to cancel your event, just choose Cancel Event from the Event Options menu on your Dashboard:

We’ll take you through it step by step and we even include an option to send your guests a message:

But wait, there’s more! If you need to reschedule your event we’ll give you the option to copy to get you started:

We hope your event goes off without a hitch, but now if you do need to cancel you can do so with confidence.

This post was written by Matt Douglas, Founder & CEO

A few weeks ago, we launched the latest personalized party product on MyPunchbowl — personalized soda. We partnered with our new friends at Jones Soda to provide a new area of our site called MyPunchbowl Personalized Soda.

Here are some of the great things you can do with MyPunchbowl Personalized Soda:

• Choose your flavor: try Root Beer, Creme Soda, Orange & Cream, Strawberry Lime, Pure Cane Cola, and many more
• Upload a photo: add some personality to your soda by uploading any photo on your computer or provide the URL of a high-res photo available on a web site
• Choose a 6 pack or 12 pack
• Add a customized saying on the back of your soda.

Add Personalized Soda to your party and your guests will be very impressed. They also make a great favors for your next get together or company event.

I didn’t want to wait for my next party to make some personalized soda, so I ordered some a few weeks ago. They came in and they look great. The root beer is pretty good too! So what are you waiting for? Go order some MyPunchbowl Personalized Soda today!

This post written by Sean Conta, Founder & CXO

Our most recent release includes a feature we’ve all been anxious to have on the site: fun RSVP styles! Now when you send an invitation you can choose or customize your own phrases and sayings for your guest RSVP responses. For example, let’s say you’re throwing your annual Talk Like a Pirate Day party (coming up on Sept 19th). You might want to use our Pirate RSVP style for your guest responses.

Here’s how it works:

1 - Create your event and design your Invitation

2 - When you get to the Invitation Options page, choose Yes under “Show the guest list and the responses on the invitation?“

3 - Click the RSVP Styles button

4 - Choose one of our preset RSVP Styles or write your own!

The interface includes a preview of what it looks like on your invitation:

Enjoy!

This post written by Stephanie Fader, Marketing & PR Manager

We’re really excited today to announce our partnership with Excitations, the nation’s premier provider of unique experience gifts. Through this partnership, we now provide MyPunchbowl Experiences on our site.

Experience gifts, which range from hot air balloon rides to gourmet cooking classes, create memories for the recipient that will last a lifetime. They are exciting and unique, so it’s easy to see why these gifts are the newest way to celebrate milestone birthdays—including sweet sixteen, 21, 30, 40, and even 100.

MyPunchbowl Experiences offers an extraordinary selection of experiences that will engage the recipient’s personality and passions—ranging from skydiving, first flight lesson, helicopter tour, and stock car driving to model for a day, create your own wine, glass blowing and a private safari. The possibilities, like the memories they create, are endless—and there is something for every budget and age to enjoy.

MyPunchbowl Experiences is the latest addition to the start to finish party planning capabilities that are available on MyPunchbowl. Unlike other party planning sites that start and stop with the invitation, MyPunchbowl brings your party to life with ideas, invitations, party favors, gift registries, and even photo and video sharing, and more. With the addition of MyPunchbowl Experiences, you can now make your next party an unforgettable experience party.

Check out the official announcement and share it with your friends!

This post written by Sean Conta, Founder & CXO

Our latest site update includes a welcome new feature for all the eCard senders out there. We’ve taken the “Dashboard” concept from our Party Planning site and applied it to our eCards site.

What does this mean? Sign in to your account to view all your past, present and scheduled ecards on your eCard Dashboard page! Here are the highlights:

• Save - Want to create an eCard but save it for later? Just sign in, design the card then save it. It will be saved and waiting on your Dashboard until you want to send.
• Add Recipients - Already sent an eCard but want to sent it to more recipients? Just click “Add Recipients” next to the card on your Dashboard and you’re on your way.
• Edit - Sent an eCard with an embarrassing mistake? Just click “edit” on the Dashboard to change the card. It will be updated for all future viewers.
• Share - Want to share your card on Twitter or Facebook? Click “Share” from the Dashboard.
• View - Just want to bask in the glory of past eCards? You can view them all on the new eCards Dashboard.

Check it out and let us know what you think!

This post written by Stephanie Fader, Marketing & PR Manager

A few weeks ago we launched a fun new section of our site called Reasons to Celebrate. In the few weeks since our launch we’ve already gotten some great feedback about the site. Bloggers have written about some of the quirky reasons to celebrate in July, including the math holiday, Yellow Pig Day (7/17).

People are also talking on Twitter and Facebook about some of these crazy days. Last Friday there was a great conversation on our Facebook page in response to Mutt’s Day (8/31). Check it out:

And there are plenty of great reasons to celebrate to look forward to in August: National Root Beer Float Day (8/6), S’mores Day (8/10), National Creamsicle Day (8/14), and National Banana Split Day (8/25). Good luck getting through August without gaining a few pounds!

Want in on the fun? Get daily updates on the day’s Reason to Celebrate by becoming a fan of MyPunchbowl on Facebook or following us on Twitter.

This post was written by Matt Douglas, Founder & CEO

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Jim McCann, the founder and CEO of 1-800-Flowers. When Jim first came into the room he greeted me warmly and proceeded to ask about my background and family. I was struck by how much time he spent asking questions about me as a person. He wanted to know about my upbringing, where I went to high school, jobs I’d held since college, and some of my hobbies. In about ten minutes, Jim learned a lot about me.

I was reminded of this experience today when I had an introductory call with a MyPunchbowl partner. I had never spoken with this person before, and we didn’t have much on the agenda. So I borrowed a line from Jim McCann’s biography called Stop and Sell the Roses: Lessons from Business and Life — first make a relationship, then do business.

In just a few short minutes, I learned that this person had grown up in Indiana, spent the last 20 years living the Washington D.C. area, had one daughter who was currently in college for enviornmental science, had a dog that died last winter, and now has a 5 month old puppy. My questions led to her asking me questions, and she learned about where I live and some other personal details.

An outsider may have heard the conversation and asked “Why did Matt just spend ten minutes of his day learning esoteric details about this woman’s life?” And to that I would answer: “In just a quick ten minutes, I’ve formed a solid foundation and relationship that will spill over into every business transaction we do together.” Indeed, I learned a valuable lesson from Jim McCann a few years ago, and it’s something that I practice often. Business is about relationships first, then about numbers, statistics, logistics, goals, and money.

Ask yourself next time you meet someone new in a business setting: “Did I take the time to form a relationship first or did I just get right down to business?” Try to spend more time getting to know the person on the phone or sitting across from the conference room table. Perhaps you’ll find out that she’s expecting a baby or buying a new house. The more you learn about the person, the more effective you’ll be when it is time to get down to business.

Remind yourself: first make a relationship, then do business. And watch as your business relationships grow.

By the way, if you haven’t read Jim McCann’s book, I would recommend it. You can buy it here: Stop and Sell the Roses: Lessons from Business and Life

This post was written by Matt Douglas, Founder & CEO

As a consumer internet site, we do a lot of customer service and technical support. We have a few people on the team that spend a part of their day answering emails from customers. From a business point of view, providing excellent customer service is part of our DNA — but is also very costly.

I’m continually surprised at how poorly some of our customers communicate over email. Consider this recent (unedited) feedback:

“My 1st time to use punch bowl.Please call me asap some of my guest have not rcvd. invite, as the host I am unsure how to respond I am coming help 512-xxx-xxxx I am for 2 1/2 more hours.”

It’s worth re-iterating that I did not edit that feedback (other than removing the phone number). With that as an example, I present to you my Top 5 wishlist for customers needing support.

1. Please write in complete sentences, and use spell-check. We can’t possibly read your mind. If you spend a few more minutes writing in complete sentences, then we’ll be able to help you faster and better. Also, please use punctuation in your emails. It sounds simple, but it’s equally important in order for us to understand your customer service issue.
2. We know that your time is important, but everything can’t always be urgent. If you have an an issue that needs immediate attention, please explain why it’s urgent and we’ll do our best to get back to you as quickly as possible. (Note: writing “HELP!” or using exclamation points does not get us to pay attention faster).
3. Please search the MyPunchbowl FAQ’s before sending an email to our support team. In many cases, your question has already been answered.
4. We’re an internet company, and we don’t offer phone support — so don’t bother asking us to call you. That being said, our crazy CEO still takes inbound customer service calls once in a while. Feel free to call him (me) if you’ve exhausted all other avenues (you can find my cell phone number on the FAQ page).
5. If you have not upgraded your MyPunchbowl account to a paid membership, then there is only so much free customer support we can offer. If you want unlimited tech support, please upgrade your account. Thanks!

We love helping you — so please help us help you. Use the above list as a guide and it will go a long way to getting the help you need.

This post written by Jill, MyPunchbowl Marketing & PR Intern

Product differentiation is an essential element for any company to gain a competitive advantage and be successful. It is a way for your company to showcase your individuality and uniqueness in a way that makes consumers want to purchase your product or service over your competitors. But not only should your company distinguish your product from competitors’ products, but also among other products that your company might offer as well. One way to do this is through the packaging of your different products.

Using this knowledge, I was in shock to discover that Miguel’s Stowe Away Tortilla Chips had nearly identical packaging on their white corn and blue corn tortilla chips (see picture below). As an angry consumer, I was encouraged to write a letter to Miguel’s to express my disbelief at their marketing problem. Below is the letter that I wrote to Bruce in their marketing and sales department.

Dear Bruce:

Yesterday, in a haste to complete a large lunch order for my co-workers, I mistakenly picked up a bag of Miguel’s white corn tortilla chips, instead of Miguel’s blue corn tortilla chips. At first glance, the packaging on these two bags of chips look eerily similar. From the color schemes to the fonts to the pictures on the bags, it is easy to see how any customer could mix them up.

As a marketing student, I have always been taught about the importance of product differentiation. It is not only important to distinguish your  product from your competitors’, but among your own products as well. Given this knowledge, it perplexes me as to why any company would choose to make the packaging on two of their different products practically the same. The only thing that distinguishes one bag from the other are the inverted colors. If there is a blue border on the bag of blue tortilla chips, it is counterintuitive to have the same blue border around the bag of white corn tortilla chips.

If you do not want to have more unhappy customers than you have already gotten from the carelessly thought out packaging of these two products, I recommend that Miguel fix it immediately. An inverted color scheme is not enough to distinguish one product from another, there needs to be more distinctions that actually make the packaging look different. By simply putting a white border around the bag of white corn tortilla chips, your packaging issues would be solved and you would have more repeat customers who were pleased with your product.

Sincerely,
Jill

I have not yet heard back from Miguel’s, but I hope that they do take my suggestions into consideration. If a company wants to build brand loyalty around their products it doesn’t help to mislead customers and cause them to make the wrong purchase. And if you don’t distinguish your product, you may just have to hear from an angry intern.

This post was written by Matt Douglas, Founder & CEO. Follow Matt Douglas on Twitter.

I had a lunch meeting today that was supposed to be like any other meeting that I might have on a regular Monday. Today’s meeting was with the CEO of a marketing/media company in Boston. On my drive into Boston (about 30 minutes) I reflected on how much I value these kinds of meetings. In this case, it had taken a few months for us to find a date that would work for both of our schedules. I looked forward to meeting this fellow CEO.

When I walked into the company’s offices, I was immediately impressed. It was the kind of office that I’d love to have someday: modern conference rooms, open-style workstations, colorful walls, and a whole lot of smart-looking people that looked genuinely happy to be at work. The CEO took me for a tour of the facilities — which included a design firm that worked within the company (not affiliated, they just shared space), and an artist-in-residence (you know, the kind that actually paints art). Very cool.

The CEO and I spent about an hour talking about our respective businesses, and there were more than a few tidbits of information that I filed away for future use. The CEO was amiable, personable, and genuinely interested. He struck me as the kind of person who doesn’t just listen, but can also empathize with what you might be going through. It was great to have lunch with someone who really understood me.

On the way out, I told him how impressed I was with the company he had built, and I expressed my hopes and fears for my own company. And in a moment that may not have meant that much to him he said to me: “Matt, just remember that there thousands of people and companies that would give anything to be in the position that you and your company are in today.”

Hours later, as I sit here writing, his words are still ringing in my ears. Why? Because the greatest praise an entrepreneur can get is from another (successful) entrepreneur. So today’s meeting was not just another Monday lunch meeting. Yes, we ate. But I also got a full serving of food for my entrepreneurial soul. And it felt good.

I believe in good karma and paying it forward. I can only hope that I’ve helped feed another hungry entrepreneur along the way. Today’s meeting was a good reminder of just how important it can be to help feed an fellow entrepreneur’s soul.