Search results for brand

11 Mar 2010
Marketing Plan

Ideas to Define Your Brand

We have posted a few articles about branding and why it is so important in marketing. We thought it might be helpful to suggest some ideas to help you refine and define your brand.

What is a brand?

  • the outside view of the company, product or service.
  • the sum of all relationships between buyer and seller.
  • the most important asset that the organization owns.
  • the symbolic embodiment of all the information connected with a product or service.
  • the set of expectations associated with a product or service.
  • what leads customers to choose you over the competition.

Questions to get your thinking started

  1. What do your employees think sets your company apart?
  2. What is your company best at?
  3. What are your core strengths?
  4. What do you offer that one else offers?
  5. What do you love about your business?
  6. What makes your employees proud?
  7. Why has your company been able to stay in business when others have failed?
  8. If your company were to close, how would you want to be remembered?

Every contact or interaction with your customers and prospects is an opportunity for you to communicate your brand

  • Sign
  • Building
  • Letterhead and business cards
  • Packaging
  • Company vehicles
  • Staff attire
  • Advertising
  • Direct Mail
  • Web site

What do people (customers, prospects, audience) experience with your:

  • Product or service
  • Pricing
  • Customer service
  • Employee attitudes and actions
  • Atmosphere of your place of business
  • Role in the community

Now that you have a clearer idea of who you are and what you are all about, how can we help you share it? Direct Mail is a great way to reach the people who most want to hear from you.

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10 Mar 2010
Marketing Plan

Help Your Brand Stand Out

Andrea Syverson suggested some ideas in Target Marketing Magazine to get you started in your thinking about how to differentiate your brand.

We like to cheer for the underdogs, they try harder. These “underdogs” seem more comfortable in their own brand skins. They are original. They are daring. They are independent thinkers.

What about your brand? I bet your customers know the answer.

Stand Out from the Crowd

What are the differences between the many companies jockeying for customers’ minds and market share these days? Is there a difference between OfficeMax, Office Depot or Staples? What differentiates Barnes & Noble from Borders?

What is different between your offering and your top two competitors? If your brand is sandwiched blandly between others, it’s time to rethink both your brand positioning and your merchandising concept. Don’t bore your customers with this sea of sameness. They deserve better.

There is no formula for authenticity. Either you are authentic or you’re not. Unfortunately, we have become accustomed to living in a faux society, where entertainment is disguised as news, celebrities are disguised as heroes and Internet connections are disguised as relationships. And, yes, there are faux brands and transaction-based companies focused on themselves and short-term profits.

In “Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want,” authors Joseph Pine and James Gilmore propose that authenticity is a completely new management discipline, and they outline three axioms for authenticity:

  1. If you are authentic, then you don’t have to say you’re authentic.
  2. If you say you’re authentic, then you’d better be authentic.
  3. It’s easier to be authentic if you don’t say you’re authentic.

This may seem simple, but it isn’t. Many brands fall back to being faux. It’s easier.

Authenticity in Action

Consumers crave the real deal. They desire companies that deliver on their promises and brands that listen and do what their taglines say they do. They seek independent thinkers, product creativity and originality in solving their problems. They want brands that respect their time.

Authentic companies have one thing in common: They are true to themselves. They beat their own drums. And, most importantly, their customers thank them for it.

Steven Covey, best known as the author of “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” writes:

The more authentic you become, the more genuine in your expression, the more people can relate to your expression and the safer it makes them feel to express themselves. That expression in turn feeds back on the other person’s spirit, and genuine creative empathy takes place, producing new insights and learnings.

We believe the same is true of brands. Authentic brands are infectious. They draw people in. Authentic brands stand out. Authentic brands feed people’s spirits. They give customers what they crave today: realness.

So, how can we help you communicate your authentic brand message?

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03 Mar 2010
Marketing Strategy

Strengthen Your Brand

Andrea Syverson recently asked some great questions for readers of Target Marketing Magazine.

Questioning is the precursor to innovation. Alfred North Whitehead, a British mathematician and philosopher, said, “The ‘silly question’ is the first intimation of some totally new development.” After years of questioning, there really are no silly questions.

Even Jerry Greenfield’s (of Ben & Jerry’s fame) lighthearted question, “If it’s not fun, why do it?” is one of utmost importance to its brand. Fun is an attribute at the top of Ben & Jerry’s brand and product fit charts. It is even a tab on the Web site.

In 2003, Frederick F. Reichheld wrote an article for the Harvard Business Review called “The One Number You Need to Grow.” His research showed if brands concentrated on improving just one measure, it should be the answer to this question asked of their customers: “How likely is it that you would recommend our company to a friend or colleague?”

Author James Thurber wrote, “It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.” What other questions is your brand grappling with, or perhaps should be grappling with, these days?

Try these steps to get things going:

Create an Environment for Questions. First, do you cultivate a question-asking environment? Without the freedom to raise questions or question decisions appropriately, your brand may have a blind spot.

Question to Build Loyalty. Secondly, can you handle the answers to tough questions? Many brands have solid customer loyalty programs in place. These are indeed important parts of retention strategies. But take a moment to turn that question around for your brand—just how loyal is your brand to your customers? What have you done for them lately?

Listen Up. Thirdly, what are your customers’ pain points? What makes them mad, frustrated or just plain tired in relation to your product, service, category or overall brand experience? If you spend time uncovering these issues and then creatively addressing them, both your customers and your competitors will take note.

There are many examples of product/service/experience rage out there. Are companies listening? Do they care?

So, take some time to question your culture, your customers and your results.

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02 Mar 2010
Buying Behavior

Brand Experience Matters to Consumers More Than Loyalty Clubs

In a recent message from the Harvard Business Review’s Daily Stat, some 52% of people in a survey said their memberships in loyalty clubs (from credit cards, banks, and other companies) influence their buying decisions; but 54% said they’d give up their memberships if they had a negative product or service experience with a brand, according to the Chief Marketing Officer Council. The average U.S. household is enrolled in 14 loyalty and rewards programs.

Can we help you strengthen your ties with your customers? Is there a way that we can help you strengthen your brand?

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18 Mar 2010
Advertising • Direct Mail

Copywriting Checklist

Pat Friesen put together a checklist for Target Marketing Magazine to help business owners, product managers or marketing/advertising directors provide direction and input to writers who have the important assignment of crafting messages that generate response—whether it’s a click, call or car trip to a store or event.

Even if you are not a writer, you play a key role in the success or failure of the copy and content copywriters develop because of one or all of the following:

  • You know the product inside and out—its strengths, weaknesses and unique benefits.
  • You understand the major motivators and buying objections that influence buyers and nonbuyers. You know the competition, its strengths and vulnerabilities.
  • You have access to customer complaints, testimonials and much more.
  • You have insights, ideas and detailed information your copywriter wants and needs to craft a compelling sales message.

This copy checklist is designed to help you give direction and input to your writers. While every project may not require everything outlined, use this as a guide.

  1. What is your objective? Do you want to beat the control by X percent? Generate one-step sales or qualified leads? Strengthen relationships? Introduce a new product? Increase average order size? Initiate Web site involvement? Test media, offers or other direct marketing elements? Transform a one-time trier into a second-time buyer? Generate referrals or measurable forward-to-a-friend activity? Your writer needs to understand what you want to achieve and how success will be measured.
  2. What is the brand personality? Is the brand upbeat and innovative or classic and conservative? Does the brand have a spokesperson? Is there an established copy voice, tone and vocabulary? Provide examples so these can be sustained.
  3. Who is the audience? Is the message directed to a customer or prospect? Multibuyer or first-time trier? Decision maker or decision influencer? What is the average age, household income, educational background of the targeted reader? What is the comfort level with the media selected to deliver the message (e.g., postal mail, TV, etc.)? The customer/prospect profile you provide helps your writer envision the individual person to whom he or she is writing instead of a sea of nameless, faceless people.
  4. What is the product/service? Provide features and corresponding benefits. Identify the top three features/benefits of interest to the targeted audience. What are the truly unique features/benefits? Price? Ordering specifications (size, color, etc.)? Is it new? Improved? A best-seller? Back by popular demand? Also provide competitive advantages and disadvantages.
  5. What is the offer? Because the offer is what generates response, make sure to provide your writer with all elements of your offer and why they are included (e.g., discounts, deadlines, guarantees, premiums, other incentives, delivery options, payment options, etc.). Remember your offer is more than just a product or service, discount, or free shipping; it’s a package of elements bundled together to address key buying objections and push fence-sitters over the edge of indecision.
  6. What are the top three buying objections? Provide prioritized information about why people don’t buy your product or service. Your writer needs to address these objections—either directly or indirectly.
  7. What is the call to action? Do you want people to respond by phone, mail, e-mail, online ordering, clickthrough to a Web site, in-store or at an event? Is a unique landing page required? If the objective is generating leads, provide a sample of the fulfillment package, and/or tell the writer what will happen after a prospect raises his or her hand as a qualified lead.
  8. What is the format? For direct mail, is it a postcard, solo package, self-mailer, box, tube or some other format? For space advertising, is it a full- or half-page ad? Back page, back cover? All of these details provide your writer with additional ammunition for crafting a control-beating message.
  9. What media is being used? Direct mail lists, e-mail lists, TV, radio, space advertising, etc. Tip: If you’re testing e-mail vs. postal mail, be careful about directly picking up traditional letter copy and testing it in e-mail.
  10. What is the test plan? Are you testing copy? Creative? Formats? Lists? List segments? Offers? Timing? Other direct marketing elements?
  11. Will the copy be translated into languages other than English? While this may not directly affect the copy your writer develops, it may influence the overall creative approach.
  12. What other copy resources are available to the writer? Interviews with customers? Sales people? Customer service staff? Product managers? Product developers? (Tip: Product developers know valuable details about the quality of the ingredients or other details no one else knows or thinks to mention. Customers also have a way of revealing benefits often overlooked by or unknown to marketing staff.)
  13. Provide a product sample. Writers like to try what they are writing about because it provides firsthand experience with product benefits.
  14. Offer a sample of the control. Some writers prefer not to see the control e-mail, mailing package or space ad they are trying to beat. At least offer it to your writer.
  15. Provide Web links, when appropriate. Provide specific links you want included in direct mail, space ad, e-mail, e-newsletter, landing page and Web site copy.
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16 Mar 2010
Design • Direct Mail • Marketing Plan

Creative Planning To Strengthen Your Marketing

Target Marketing Magazine included some great tips and considerations for creative planning as a part of suggestions for campaign planning meetings. We want to help you think about these as you plan your Direct Marketing.

The Offer

Remember, an offer can be a full-price product with special value.

  • Why was it created?
  • What problem will it solve for your customer?
  • What are we asking the customer to do?
  • What is the overall strategy?
  • What are the goals in terms of response rate or overall sales, and how is the offer going to help reach those goals?

The Audience

  • Who is getting this piece, and what is his relationship to your company? The message that you send to a customer should be drastically different from the message you send to a prospect, who may not even know who you are.
  • Think about the individual person behind the demographics. What will motivate him? What is his attitude toward what you are selling?
  • What key words can you use to speak directly to his needs?

The Brand

  • Your brand isn’t your logo; it’s the consumer’s perception of your company. How can you remind—or for a prospect, introduce—the recipient of your unique point of differentiation?
  • How can you prove that you are delivering on your brand promise?
  • What words and visual cues can you use to reiterate your brand?

The Format

  • What is the format, and why was it chosen? This is especially important to explore when using a solo package including multiple components. Explore each component, discussing the hierarchy of each piece.
  • Can the format be improved? Your production manager may be able to explain important options and opportunities as ideas are generated.

The Creative

  • What visuals will help grab attention and quickly explain your offer?
  • Where are the hot spots in your format, and how will you use them to your advantage?
  • How will you exploit an offer and make sure it is seen?
  • How many times will the offer be repeated and where?
  • How will the recipient process the piece—what will he look at first? If it’s a mailing, how will the envelope entice him to open it? If it’s a postcard or e-mail, how will you identify or introduce yourself at a glance and answer for the consumer, “What’s in it for me?”
  • What copy will intrigue the reader the most?
  • How much copy will be required and at what ratio to images?
  • How can you show value in every product? Is it necessary to include additional insets or callouts to showcase benefits?
  • Review the creative and production schedules: Who will work on the piece first; who will work on it second?
  • What is the proofing and editing process?
  • Together, create a list of must-haves: phone number, URL, fax and registered trademarks.
  • Are multiple versions necessary to accommodate different 
customer segments?

There is no guarantee that your project will run smoothly from beginning to end, but with the right planning—an understanding of the offer, audience, brand position, format and creative strategy —you have a head start. Take the time to talk through all of these points before the design process begins, and your program will generate better results.

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