Trading UP

I am a business book reader. I read them like many people read mysteries or westerns. They are self-help books that don't ask you to look at your relationship with your mother. A great business book consists of biography, inspiration, mystery and astrology. Well maybe not actual astrology, more like the old single scene "what's your sign?" Only what is your business?

I can never read business books before bed. They rev me up too much. I get all excited and want to scurry down to my office and start...typing or something. To keep myself in my chair I keep fancy, very feminine, journals next to me at all times. Sometimes I even use a highlighter, with some guilt attached, as it feels a little like I am soiling the grail. The most, most, mostest exciting book I have read this year is Trading Up by Michael J. Silverstein and Neil Fiske. It was a Businessweek bestseller. Subtitled "Why Consumers want New Luxury Goods-and How Companies Create Them.

My copy is a glow in the dark version it has so much highlighter applied. Each chapter reinforced for me that changing (yep, here it comes-Mugshots) school photography from the "same old commodity product" to a more valuable, consumer friendly product is not only possible it is timely. Redefining School Photography offers 1) Genuine differences and innovations 2) It is aspirational-parents thank us for creating it 3) Mugshots is unique in the marketplace 4) Our core consumers long for a change 5) We contribute strong performance benefits 6) Not only consumers but experts in our field see the potential of the product 7)We have a strong prototype 8)Offering school photography by local portrait professionals expands the ladder of benefits from volume pricing to customized luxury 9) We have a next generation of innovation in progress now and will be ready to launch as soon as volume allows.

These are the factors that Silverstein and Fiske use to determine whether a product is a viable opportunity. The last 2 points are do we have "influencers" are we passionate about the product. Clearly I feel passion...any influencers out there ready to rock and roll????