How to Make Your Company Cool
When 34-year-old entrepreneur Coltrane Curtis enters the room, people think, "he’s cool." This isn’t an assumption. When Curtis showed up for the in-studio interview at the News Corp building in New York City last week, the make-up artist whispered (without knowing what he was being interviewed about): “Wow, he is so cool.”
And when the FOX photographer came back from shooting office footage of Curtis' marketing firm, he had a similar reaction-- commenting on what an impressive guy Curtis is and “what a cool company that was….”
But neither could quite pinpoint exactly what gave him that je ne sais quoi. Their detailed responses were along the lines of: “I don’t know, he just is.”
Alas. He just is. Not so helpful in finding out what makes Coltrane Curtis’s cool barometer so sky-high, but it does reaffirm the fact that the guy seems to impart a certain knowingness of what people want. (And if you’re wondering, Curtis says the cool-sounding moniker is his real name.)
Curtis is the founder and CEO of Team Epiphany, a boutique marketing firm in New York City that’s valued around $6 million and counts big-names like Pepsi and Diageo as clients.
The former MTV veejay says when he gives companies advice on how to get hip to their potential customers this one tops the list: surround yourself with stylish, young people.
That way, “I stay young, I stay fresh and up on the newest trends,” explains Curtis. And then, he says, so does the company. And while that might seem ageist, it might also be smart for his business.
He admits it’s the younger crowd that updates the company’s Facebook page, which he says is pivotal to keeping your company relevant. “The biggest mistake is people create these [social media] platforms and don’t drive people there.” He suggests instead of just having a Facebook page for your company, stare at that screen and use it for all that it’s worth, posting as many articles and videos relevant to your given business as you can find-- and helping to build your “story.”
Curtis believes it’s that story behind your business that interests consumers—and big-name celebrities, so have a good tale to tell and know how to sell it. Curtis, clad in a bowtie and Yankees hat, says selling exclusivity is also key to making people want more from you, even when you’re trying to reel in new customers. He suggests making one of your products limited edition.
“It will create a groundswell, “explains Curtis, “And all the buzz that goes around about it will get attention to other products in your line.”