Your Brand Is What Your Consumers Think It Is

Building a brand is not simple, but if you dedicate some time to thinking about who you are and who your customers perceive you to be, you will probably discover simple tweaks that can make your brand stand out.

The Pac-10 is in the middle of a complete rebrand. It has a new logo, for one, to illustrate the essence of the Pac-10. It was found that the Pac-10 elicited an awareness of place – the ocean, the mountains majesty, etc… The new logo is built on this awareness – attempting to emphasize West Coast, Innovation, and Championships. The conference has identified its brand and is now trying to reintroduce itself to the sports world, increasing media exposure and hoping to attract the big media dollars. Obviously with a budget like the Pac-10's, the conference can renegotiate with ESPN, extending the brand to Asia, and hire its own Ari Gold by using lead agency CAA to leverage its Hollywood connection. 

But there are also simple modifications that will make a difference – ones that you can utilize immediately. Before now, teams were never required to wear conference patches, displaying the conference logo, on uniforms. What? Doesn't that seem obvious? Free exposure! Brand building! Creating awareness! But even large organization like the Pac-10 can miss the obvious. So what is the lesson? 

You don't need to hire an expensive branding firm who will execute thousands of interviews to establish what your brand is or how it's perceived. Do your own study. Ask your clients what they think of when they think of your business. Offer discounts for those who take the time to provide feedback. Email out surveys – Constant Contact has them at an inexpensive rate. Create a social media plan – it doesn't take long to update Facebook and Twitter with ideas, discounts or general industry comments. Your customers will respond. Read these comments and start assessing what you can do differently, what you are missing, and where you are getting it right. Simple steps and tweaks can help you communicate more clearly with your customer.

If you have a moment, take the time to read more about the Pac-1o's rebranding efforts: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/andy_staples/07/26/pac-10/1.html.

Daily News - Old Spice Ads Win Fans, Not Sales - TAXI: The Global Creative Network

Why isn't the Old Spice Social Media Campaign turning into $$$?

Daily News - Old Spice Ads Win Fans, Not Sales - TAXI: The Global Creative Network

How to Keep Up With Your Blog Roll

If you are like me, you follow a ton of blogs.  My good friend, Donna Romani, shared a great tip with me and I am passing it on to you!

We all read blogs for inspiration, information, or pure enjoyment. Whether for work or play, it sometimes feels like a job in and of itself just to keep up.  Google Reader is a great way to manage all of your blogs, websites (with feed) and online sources of information.  Sign in or create an account with Google Reader to get started. (www.google.com/reader)

This tool offers:

• a personalized front page that shows snippets of headlines from your favorite blogs/sites/etc.
• an easy way to review headlines - either as a list or in expanded view form - where you can read a few lines or a few paragraphs to decide if you want to head over to read the entire post
• ability to search through your blogs/sites/etc (also called subscriptions) to find topic related information
• ex. search "marketing" and entries from Chief Inspiration Officer will come up 

Here is what my front page looks like:

Obviously, there are a lot of other features you can explore with Google Reader.  For easy time management, start with the basics.  I know you will love it. And... don't forget to add Chief Inspiration Officer to your subscription feed.  (Or, simply subscribe so you don't miss anything!)

One last tip, check out Donna Romani's blog for the latest trends and tips in the event planning world. 

Go create.

Your Chief Inspiration Officer

Unconventional Marketing through Contests

I watched Undercover Boss last night. I know, I know… but trust me, it's research. It was a great opportunity to get a glimpse of management styles and learn about various facets of a company's structure. But even more, last night's episode reminded me of a common theme I have noticed in advertising: Companies want YOUR input and are collecting it in unconventional ways. They are reaching out to alternative sources when designing marketing campaigns. Instead of working only with agencies or consultants, I have noticed a trend in which organizations involve peers, consumers, and co-workers in the design or message of a campaign. By the end of last night's episode, a training manager at a 7-11 bakery was hired as a freelance designer after a positive connection with the convenience store chain's CEO.

Now, this isn't the first time we have seen this (remember, my what's old is new again post?). In 2004, Dove launched the Real Beauty Campaign and in 2006 MasterCard launched a contest for the best Priceless ad. What I have noticed more recently is that companies are launching contests through unconventional methods to get consumers involved, whether it is through reality TV, Facebook or Twitter. These contests are always very powerful because they generate buzz (media loves to promote these "out of box" approaches to advertising), contests can go viral quickly and usually mini-sites are created which inevitably generate more traffic to your main website. Doritos had success with this through their crashthesuperbowl.com contest. 

If you are a small business owner, take this approach and modify it to fit your needs. Why not have an in-store contest asking consumers to develop a summer tag or a short series of print ads? Incorporate PR into this tactic and contact your local media informing them of the contest, how many entries you have received and, of course, the outcome. Not only will you expose your business, but media loves stories about local personalities. It is a great combo! 

If you want to dream big and take a stab at creating your own national ad, Go Daddy is giving away $100K, $50K, or $25K to groups who come up with the best new, creative spots. Go Daddy is also reaching out to the online social community to award winners in the Community Favorites and Most Shared categories. These winners will receive various computer and camera equipment. Click on the link to learn more and good luck!

 

Click to Enter the Go Daddy Contest

 

Go create!
Your Chief Inspiration Officer

Why Blog?

15 thoughts on the benefits of Blogging:

1. Blogs offer greater visibility in search engines. There are more keyword opportunities and your business/blogs can take up a majority of the top spots in search engines if optimized correctly.
   
2. Blogs help you build credibility as an expert. Media like companies that have blogs because of the perceived credibility they offer. The more you link up with other blogs and resources, the more credibility you are given.
   
3. Blogs can drive more traffic to your website and ultimately, educate readers about your business offering.
   
4. Blogs are a brand asset – remember that your blog is an extension of your business so treat it just like you would treat any other part of your marketing plan. Be consistent in your message but don't be blatantly sales-y.
   
5. Offer posts via email and optimize your blog by securing repeat visitors – Wordpress does this automatically. Blogger requires a third party gadget like feedburner.com
   
6. Write with care: use a large enough font for people to read your post easily, use paragraph spacing freely, include photos, bolded words, bullets, numerical lists, anything to break up a big chunk of copy (something I need to work on)
   
7. Appreciate the English (or Spanish, or French, etc.) language. Be careful to use the proper grammar and spelling. Typos happen but take the time to catch them if you can. Little annoyances like misspelled words over and over again can lose a reader.
   
8. The more you post, the more search engines will find your blog. Be consistent. Not only will you optimize your search results but you will legitimize your blog. If you don't spend the time to post, it will seem like you don't care about your readers. Be loyal to them and they will be loyal to you.
   
9. Submit press releases about your blog to relevant media who regularly look for subject matter experts… remember to keep in touch with reporters and inform them of posts that apply to current trends, industry, news topics…
   
10. Link your blog in relevant forums or discussion threads. Make people aware and drive traffic to your blog
    
11. Monitor statistics – Google Analytics is easy and will help you understand what posts are informative and where traffic is coming from.
    
12. Set up Google Alerts so you know when your blog, your business, or you are getting mentioned.
    
13. If you are mentioned on another blog – send a quick thank you to the author. Keep up relations, just like you do in traditional PR.
    
14. Twitter and Facebook are great marketing tools – and an easy way to share your blog with a group of your peers.
    
15. Put your blog address in your email signature, on your business card, anywhere you would put your website – use it as a marketing tool. 

Go create. 

Your Chief Inspiration Officer

Who Wants to Tell a Story?

In this economy, the last thing you want to do is stop marketing. I am sure you have heard this, but it is easier said than done, right? How do you go about spending more money on advertising and marketing when sales are slower? There are a lot of solutions, but one of the best is to take advantage of PR. PR is an excellent way to strengthen your brand, and it doesn't take a lot of money. 

PR is about telling a story. One that is newsworthy and compelling. Does your story relate to current news or trends in your industry or region? Contacting media outlets with a pitch that is relevant is the best way to expose your brand. A skillfully worded press release can bring your business publicity. This may be the only area that you spend money to launch your PR campaign because you might consider hiring a PR expert to help you craft a release that grabs the attention of reporters. It is ok to write your own as well. Google a press release template to get you started and think about the PR basics: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How. 

Once you have written your release, send it to the right people. If you have own a spa and are offering Valentine's Day specials, contact the Lifestyle editor. If you have a restaurant opening in a historic building, your Local News or Food Magazine may be interested.

Another way to tell your story is through social networking sites – they're totally free and totally addictive! 

Tweet it. Facebook with friends. Get LinkedIn. These 3 resources are important components of a great PR Strategy and long term platforms for your product or service. However, use them correctly: Be consistent, give valuable information, and assess the audience. 

Twitter is, in essence, an organic search engine or Wikipedia of information. Followers will search you out if you consistently tweet messages with a common theme. If you are in the restaurant industry, tweet about a great recipe you discovered, a link to a write up about your chef, wine pairings with food. It doesn't have to be blatant promotion of your business, but rather information that will keep them interested and wanting to know more.

Facebook is a great resource to reconnect and keep up with friends but it is also a great platform for business. You can set up Groups, Fan Pages, Public Profiles, Personal Profiles, etc. – but that is an entire post in and of itself. For now, recognize that this is a place where you can reach personal friends and have the opportunity to tell your business story. Remember, people like doing business with who they know and trust – and referrals are the backbone of most businesses. Think of this as one big referral where you give your business presence a personality – your own!

The best description I have read about LinkedIn is that it is "your business suit." This is the most formal, official networking option. But don't overlook it. It is an excellent resource for referrals and connections. Even more, it can showcase your resume and experience while balancing out your online PR outreach.

Using these basic tools will help you build a strong PR campaign. It takes dedication and persistence, but if you believe yours is a story worth telling, all the effort will pay off.

Go create.

Your Chief Inspiration Officer

It’s Super Bowl Time & That Means Commercials!

Can you really have a marketing blog without having an analysis of Super Bowl commercials?  No, of course not!  Overall, I think the ads were all funny enough. Some had elements that made them work (Jim Nantz, T-Pain, an astronaut chicken, Awesomer) but only one had it all, and that is the first on my list:

Google ad: Parisian Love. I am going to just say it – one of the best ads of the game. Did anyone NOT love this ad? Search on. (by the way, this was Google's first US TV spot)

Letterman: While not the funniest spot, it is already getting a lot of buzz and was pretty comedic. You have to appreciate the sentiment with all three "stars'" issues over the years. The best part was this wasn't a paid spot, rather a network plug.

Audi: Green Police –funny... but are they making fun of the exact market they are targeting? I thought the ad was pretty creative, which it needed to be since it was one of the "anticipated" ads this Super Bowl.

Dodge Charger: Give it up for the car spot! Men will relate, women will relate. The spot is creatively written because even as a woman, I could laugh at the truth to the copy – plus those actors were spot on. So defeated. 

Bridgestone: Whale of a Tale – if you like the movie "The Hangover" you will probably like this spot.

Doritos: The only one I like was the "House Rules" spot with the little kid smacking around the jerk who checked out mommy. The others tried a bit too hard to be funny. But it was speaking to a younger audience and they will like it.

Focus on the Family/Tim Tebow controversial ad: only thing to say is GREAT PR STRATEGY.

FloTV: Jim Nantz is great. His appearance on How I Met Your Mother last week was a prelude to his appearances in these spots. His sarcasm and perception of the emasculated man are hilarious. Oh, and the product looks cool too.

Budweiser: I didn't get the Bud Light house but got lots of comments from men who did. And "Voice Box" with T-Pain was pretty funny. I did like the horse and cow relationship. I had lunch with an astute business man in his 70s today and he related best to this ad. There will be an eternal market for the Budweiser Clydesdales who, as the Budweiser website says, embody the brand heritage.

Denny's: funny enough. The best part was when the astronaut chicken screamed but couldn't be heard.

E-trade: my opinion may be controversial but don't you think the funny babies have been done now? Do you remember what they are trying to sell or do you just kind of laugh and move on?

HomeAway: cool idea but the Griswold's didn't bring the funny

Dove MenCare: It was a delightful jingle with the right sense of humor. Also, "be comfortable in your own skin" is good copywriting.  Will it make men buy the product, though?

Snickers: "When you're hungry you're not yourself" is not as good as "Snickers Really Satisfies." People will like this because tackling old people, especially Betty White, brings the LOLs. I think this has been done. HOWEVER, this spot got a lot of votes in my focus group. (see below)

Emerald Nuts and PopSecret: Awesome + Awesome = Awesomer = great tag. Now, the creative group needs to make a spot that supports it. They missed an opportunity to really develop the line. Maybe there can be a series and the team can revisit it.

GoDaddy: It wasn't provocative enough to be funny. It was hot girls in tank tops and no one wanted to go check the "Too Hot for TV" spots. Did any of you feel compelled to go online and see more (or less)?

Movie Trailer: The best was Russell Crowe's Robin Hood – that is going to be awesome!

A final note: did you notice that Pepsi was not among the spots? That is because they launched the refresh campaign – reinvesting what would have been spent on Super Bowl ads into an online campaign asking how to dole out grant money. It will be interesting to see how they fared – and one to research in many marketing classes, I think.

The ranked favorites from my social media focus groups:

Snickers

Brett Fauvre

Dodge Charger

Bud Light (T-Pain, House of BL, Stranded on an island)

Dove 4 Men

Intel

Go create!
Your Chief Inspiration Officer

Emotional Econ Marketing 101

Economically speaking, 2009 sucked.  While the experts see the light at the end of the tunnel, I bet you are still asking, "In today's economy, how do I get consumers to buy what I am selling?"

Well, think about what you are selling and how you are selling it.  It isn't just about a product or service and a graphically appealing ad campaign. You need to connect with your consumers through a message - a valuable, emotion filled, message.  

Right now, consumers are cost-conscious.  They want a deal - and they pretty much expect one.  They want to see that the product or service is valuable and walk away proudly thinking, "I got this for a steal."

Consumers are also looking for emotional connections.  In order to communicate your brand effectively, you will need to mix part economics with part emotion.  Give consumers a good price - the deal - and give them a good feeling - the value.  As our economy changes, we look at our pricing model and determine the most competitive price that can still generate a profit.  You can't afford to not also evaluate the emotional model of your brand, so you can determine how best to convey the economics and emotions in your marketing message.  

Here are some of the latest messages coming from international, national and local companies that have embraced Emotional Econ Marketing in their marketing campaigns.  Some are taglines, others are part of the ad message:

Cici's Pizza: The Real Value Meal

Home Depot: More Savings. More Doing. 

Santa Barbara Axxess: Recession Proof.

Taco Bell: Drive-Through Diet

Target: A new day.  New ways to save. 

Target: Expect More. Pay Less. 

Virgin Mobil Canada: Screw You Recession.

Volkswagon: 60 Years of Value. 

Wal-Mart: Certainty in Uncertain Times. 

Whole Foods Market: No wallets were harmed in the buying of our 365 Everyday Value products.

As we come out of the recession, remember to redefine the value and communicate the message in all your marketing efforts.  

Go create!

Your Chief Inspiration Officer

What's Old is New Again

I read recently that lipstick is the latest makeup must-have and that gloss will be taking a backseat for awhile. Fear not, we will see it again.

No matter what the industry, trends are not really trends. They are recycled ideas with a makeover.Gloss will soon return to the make-up counter in a new shade, sheen or shimmer, and it will undoubtedly be more popular than ever. 

What a perfect way to give your marketing campaign a little color. Think about successful campaigns you have executed in the past. Was there something that worked well, that customers responded to, commented on, or helped put your product and service on the map?

Why not recycle the idea… with a little makeover. This isn’t the first introduction to lipstick, but I bet there won’t be a lot of coral colors sold this season. That was so 1980s!

With that being said, use this same concept to refresh a recycled marketing idea. Here are a few tips to make the old new:

1. Think about the reason the message was successful the first time around and keep that element when making it new again.
2. What elements are dated? If it was a print ad, will it be successful as an online ad?
3. Design aesthetics… can you reinterpret the look without forsaking your brand?

There are many ways you can look at this: A direct mail piece could now be an email marketing message. A giveaway coupon on your website could use a new offer. Can a referral program be a part of a Facebook fan page?

There are so many new options for marketing a business these days, but don’t be afraid to look back to the past for an idea that will bring you success into the future.  Methods like this are sure to give an extra sparkle to the face of your marketing campaign. 

My goal is to inspire great ideas so please share any that came from this post.

Go create!
Your Chief Inspiration Officer