Posted by John McTigue on Sat, Oct 31, 2009 @ 09:52 AM
When to refresh your brand. That is the question.
Ideally, you want customers to come to you with a clear understanding of what you do. Taking on work that is not in your specialty area can be time-consuming, distracting or simply not possible. On the other hand, losing out on potential customers that are an ideal fit for your work and expertise can be frustrating.
Is your Brand Lost in Translation?
There are many steps along the road from brand development to brand promotion. They include brainstorming, considering your value proposition and examining competitors. As brand marketing begins, there are many areas of execution where your message can be either enhanced or distorted as it is translated into brochures, graphics, copy, designs, etc.
By simply reviewing each of these materials and seeing if they comply with a checklist of brand promotion goals, inconsistencies may pop out. If it’s still unclear why your brand might have gone stale, bring in a third party. Use a brief survey or questionnaire through SurveyMonkey.com or SurveyPool.com.
Ask respondents previously unfamiliar with your brand what they think your organization does. Tell them about your recent brand marketing and ask them their initial gut reactions. Love it? Hate it? Confused or indifferent?
First Impressions
Consider each piece of brand marketing collateral the opportunity to establish a first impression, but determine where the first first impression will be. Is it an image? Is it the title or, for an email, the subject line?
What makes for a compelling first impression? It could be a special offer or unique insight. This should be a real special offer and not the same as that of an obvious competitor or the same offer you made last month. Something your audience doesn’t know but should. Or perhaps it’s some other shocking or obscure, yet relevant, statistic that will make them appreciate your counsel.
Remember, people will often see only the beginning and end of your message so make both count. In sum: Grab the reader’s attention from the beginning and remind them of your call to action at the end.
How clear and strong is your brand? What works for you?
Posted by Chris Knipper on Sat, Oct 17, 2009 @ 07:00 AM
In a previous post on the subject of improving your marketing campaigns and branding, graphic examples were requested. We try to respond to all requests, so here is a follow up to the original post that includes a few references and examples that have inspired our creative team...
Examples of some great campaigns and branding:
- Here are the best ads from the MetaCafe from June 2009
One of my recent favorites is the
TV commercial for the new iPod Nano, which features a built-in video camera.
From Apple's website, the color palette and simplicity of the web banner ad shown above is a good example of a modern approach, and complements the TV Commercial. And, even though the dancing, music and colors in the TV commercial may seem targeted toward a younger demographic, they are consistent with the product's core brand that resonates with fast, fun, and easy.
If you are looking for Print Ads, check out:
These examples of effective branding from other industries might be exactly what’s missing in your own.
It's OK to reevaluate your message and mix in promotions that are fun and entertaining. Here is a financial ad that most audiences would define as conservative and right to the point. It is important to stay consistent with the brand's defined colors, messages, and core brand proposition.
But how can you differentiate your campaign? In the next example, the same client is inspired to promote something fun for their members. With their core brand characteristics being built around providingquality financial services to working families in the local area, they chose to promote a new local baseball team - the Lake Erie Crushers, with a ticket give-away campaign. 
They randomly placed coupons for free game tickets in all of their ATMs. Photos of the winners were then added and shared with Fans on the credit union Facebook Fan Page. Photos don't haveto be perfect or edited to add to Facebook Fan Pages - just sincere. It makes your campaign "real" and gains trust from your customers.You can be transparent and remain consistentwith your brand, while also adding some fun and interactivity between your brand and your customers.
Improving Your Branding with Social Media
While the latest media or technological trend is tempting to attack on your own, experienced branding experts should help guide you and offer suggestions that are consistent with your overall marketing strategy.
Graphic design, social media, outbound marketing and inbound marketing should all reinforce your core message - not distract from it.
I hope you found these examples to be interesting and inspirational!
Posted by Chris Knipper on Thu, Oct 15, 2009 @ 06:01 AM
It’s a lot like writer’s block. Your company provides a needed product or service, your team is sharp and motivated, but you’ve hit a wall. It’s a frustrating time, but there are a few simple steps you can take to begin regaining your marketing edge and finding new ideas.
Get Inspired
. Do some exploring. Find examples of logos, graphics or design and how they are executed in marketing materials. These don’t necessarily have to be from your own industry. In fact, characteristics of effective branding from other industries might be exactly what’s missing in your own.
Reevaluate your message. Brand marketing agencies can be particularly helpful in this arena since you might not have drilled down to your core brand proposition until you begin designing your brochure or mailer. Experienced branding agencies can also serve as a sounding board or test market for your new ideas.
Show Your Relevance.
Has your reason for reaching out to your audience always been clear and relevant? “To get new business” is not a reason for you to reach out any more than “To provide someone with business” is a reason for someone to read your brochure. Specificity and relevance then will be key.
Show why you’re different from other campaigns or companies. Then determine why your target audience is interested in what you have to say. If necessary, send out preliminary feelers or surveys to satisfied clients to determine where interests and needs lie. Brand marketing agencies can provide these services for you, as well as more involved market research such as paneling.
Expect Effective Multimedia from Branding Agencies.
Remember that some people are more visual learners, while others need words to understand you. Strong brand marketing agencies understand the different ways that people learn and retain information. Using a well-thought-out combination of communication forms will help you to reach as many potential audiences as possible.
While the latest media or technological trend is a tempting lure for branding agencies and clients alike, multimedia shouldn’t be utilized for its own sake. Graphic design, animation, sound and other communication forms should reinforce the core message—your core message—rather than distract from it.
Any one of these steps has the potential to open up a whole new set of possibilities for your brand, your marketing and your company. They can help you break through the wall.