It would only stand to reason that a marketing & branding agency would be pretty good at branding and marketing itself.
So I thought it might be fun to explore some branding & marketing concepts using our own agency, McLellan Marketing Group, as the guinea pig.
Be disruptive
Marketing isn’t always about the big campaign. Sometimes it is taking something simple or expected and turning it on its ear. Earlier in this series, we talked about how we approach business cards. Being disruptive seems to be an MMG given. It’s certainly what we do with our voice mail. If you call our office, while we’re transferring your call — you’re going to be asked a question.
So, let’s say you hit my extension (17 by the way) and you expect elevator music, silence or a sales pitch. Instead you’re going to hear me asking…"while we transfer your call, ponder this. What tagline best describes your personal brand? Be ready to tell us why…"
Not only do we learn quite a bit about our callers, but the Q&A helps define our brand. We ask a lot of questions, so we might as well set the expectation now.
But the biggest value in our voicemail tactic — it’s disruptive. It surprises people and it’s something they talk about. It says, "these people do things differently."
Now maybe you can’t mess with your company’s voice mail system but come on, you can be disruptive some place, some how.
So you need to update your website. Or, build one for the first time. It’s easy to get blinded by some of the cool, visually spectacular things that can be done on the web. But let’s remember that first and foremost — your website is a marketing tool.
Before you hire a web partner, make sure you ask some smart questions and do your homework. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it’s a good start.
Seeing is believing:
Ask to see samples of their work within the last 6 months. Get references.
Ask to see the user interface so you understand what is required to make changes.
There are many ways to view a website:
Ask which browsers (and versions) they test for compatibility
Ask how your site will appear on hand-held devices like Blackberries and Palm Pilots.
You will keep your content fresh if it’s easy to do:
Do they use a WYSIWYG software to build sites?
If you want to update text, photos, add pages etc. – can you do that yourself without knowing any code?
If the web firm has to make the changes, how much do you charge and what is the turnaround time?
Will you be easy to find?
How does their construction natively help your site’s search engine rankings?
Your audiences:
Will the site be handicap accessible? (If you receive federal funding, you should find out about Section 508 requirements.)
What help, if any, do you give you to attract an audience?
Nuts and bolts:
Who owns the site? Can you move it to a different server if you want?
What kind of support are you given after the site goes live? Is there an additional cost for this?
Keep in mind that you need three different kinds of thinkers to help you design a site:
A strategic thinker who helps create the user experience
A smart designer who understands graphic design, your brand and how to design specifically for the web
A savvy, up-to-speed web developer who can actually construct the site
Don’t get boxed in to thinking that you have to buy all of those services from one firm. For almost 15 years, we’ve fulfilled the first two roles for our clients — but always hire out the final component.
Come on marketing pros — what questions did I miss that you know should be added to the list?
As you know, I seem to be drawn to group collaborations. I love the greater than the whole concept. And we’ve proven it to be true already. Together, you and I…and some other smart marketers have created the Advice for College Grads PDF, the Age of Conversation, The Blogger Social ’08 and now…
BrandingWire is the brainchild of Steve Woodruff. He wanted to create “a collaboration of high-profile branding and marketing pundits, who band together to tackle branding challenges and topics on a regular basis.” I was fortunate enough to be invited to join the merry band.
Here’s how it will work: The team will mutually decide on a branding topic or focus for the month. Then, on a specified day (for June it is a week from today – June 11th. Each blogger will post his/her take on the topic on their own blog. It will be very interesting to compare and learn from everyone’s differing perspective. My guess is that you’ll see some who will dive deep and others who will take a broader view. But there will be something to learn from each. And if you want to view/read all the BrandingWire takes in one fell swoop, you can check out the PageFlakes compilation.
It’s unscripted, it’s unedited…so it’s sure to be worth the read.
Shama Hyder asked the question…if you could share a dinner with five people, who would you choose?
So, I decided to narrow the options and choose people who have had an impact on marketing and branding.
David Ogilvy: I doubt anyone in the business doesn’t respect the work and brilliance of Ogilvy. He was the master of memorable positioning and headlines that became battle cries.
Steve Jobs: Love him or hate him, love Apple or be a fool (sorry couldn’t resist) — Jobs has proven to get branding. I’d love to talk to him about how he was able to stay the course with Apple’s brand when the world was telling him to conform or hang it up.
P.T. Barnum: While he didn’t ever work at an advertising agency, he knew all about selling the steak by emphasizing the sizzle. But he despised dishonesty and exposed those who he felt were being fraudulent.
Leo Burnett: Burnett proved that you didn’t have to be in NYC to build a powerful agency. Burnett built his agency in the heart of the Chicago loop and argued that visuals appealed to the "basic emotions and primitive instincts" of consumers.
Walt Disney: No list of marketers would be complete, in my opinion, without Walt. He has some of the traits that I believe are essential to be a good marketer. He was curious, wanted to create the ultimate customer experience, tenacious, and had a vivid imagination. All of that was wrapped in a passion that could not denied.
There you have it. Can you imagine sitting around a table with these men? Wow…what a conversation that would be.
So how about you — rather than tagging anyone specifically, I invite all of you to play along. Just link back to this post and to Shama’s.
It would only stand to reason that a marketing & branding agency would be pretty good at branding and marketing itself.
So I thought it might be fun to explore some branding & marketing concepts using our own agency, McLellan Marketing Group, as the guinea pig.
Make a Good First Impression
Retail brands like Apple and Barnes & Noble get this. Just by walking into their space — you are enveloped into an experience. They begin their brand story at the front door. But B2B companies and service providers have been much slower at recognizing the power of maximizing that first impression.
At MMG, we don’t even let them get into the front door before we begin our brand story. I’ve enhanced this night time shot, so you can get a sense of what our building looks like — day or night. The upper panel shows our tagline (where strategy and passion collide) and logo in a can’t be missed size. Then, the display window below is filled with our work. Often times, people show up late to meetings at our place, because they’ve stood and perused our display and lost track of time.
And clients love to see their work in the display case.
Using your exterior or lobby to create a brand impression can really set your company apart. It’s not uncommon for prospects to scout a few companies before they choose a new partner.
John Roberson the president of LobbyMakeover.com, a division of Advent based in Nashville offers these 7 elements to consider for your lobby makeover.
A high-impact logo—Reflect your brand with a tastefully fabricated logo that is appropriate to the space.
A clear key message—Differentiate your company with a positioning statement that lets folks know what you do and how you do it differently.
An effective color palette—Use colors that are evocative of the brand and show contrast, but are not a literal application of your brochure.
An engaging group of images—Choose images that reflect your company and the way you do business.
Success stories and awards—Artistically include customer testimonials and accomplishments.
Mission/value statement—Share where you are going and what you value because it is meaningful to customers, employees and vendors.
A user-friendly information and media center—Offer presentations, information, brochures and business cards to guests in a purposeful and attractive manner.
Be honest — what does your exterior/lobby say to your visitors? What do you suppose that first impression costs or earns you?
Because it’s graduation month for so many…I’d like to tip my mortar board to these three marketing student bloggers. I only wish I was half as smart as they are when I was their age. Who am I kidding..I’d still like to be as smart as they are.
Student PR Blog is Chris Clarke’s way of reaching out to PR and Communications students and graduates with news they need to know.
Things I love:
The depth of information.
That you don’t stop at just giving us the facts, you also give us your insight.
You update your posts to keep them current.
Suggestion:
It would be nice if you broke up some of the long posts with some visuals, when you can.
A Student’s Guide to Connecting is just that. Andy Drish just finished his junior year at Drake University and has already made more connections than I have!
Things I love:
The diversity of your posts.
That you’re so hungry to learn and you share that learning with us.
Your natural, engaging style of writing.
Suggestion:
How about some visuals to illustrate your points?
The trio would not be complete without Ryan Karpeles and his blog Living Light Bulbs. Ryan’s done a remarkable job of reaching out to the marketing bloggers world-wide.
Things I love:
Your insights are refreshing and thought-provoking.
Great, conversational style.
You interject a lot of your personality into your posts.
Suggestion:
It would be very interesting to track your job hunt, once you get started on it.
There you have it discerning readers…until next month’s blogtipping adventure!
You know me…I love to play, so here we go. Terry says…here’s a chance to let your creativity flow…answer the following:
How full is your glass?
What kind of glass is it?
What’s in the glass?
Reasons for #1, #2, and #3
My glass is a respectable two-thirds full.
The glass is a crystal traditional “bucket” glass.
The glass is filled with a very good single malt scotch on the rocks.
Scotch takes a long time to be ready to be consumed. It’s an acquired taste — you learn to take it in slowly and savor the warmth.
I think life is like that. It takes us awhile to figure it out. And when we do, we realize it’s all about sharing and savoring. (the liquid) The glass is only 2/3 full, because my life has been filled with some amazing people and experiences but it isn’t topped off yet. There are more remarkable discoveries ahead. (how full) And along the way, you learn that the best things in life are simple and that traditions are the threads that weave generations and families together. (the glass)
Okay…time for me to tag a few friends to play along. If I didn’t tag you, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t jump in and play along. Be sure to link back to this post and Terry’s post, so he can compile all the answers.
Here’s how it seems to work. I’m talking with one of my smart blogging buddies and they say "we could or we should…." And I reply, "great idea…let’s do it!"
Over lunch, we were talking about how there is no substitute for face time. And when old friends finally meet for the first time it’s remarkable how quickly you ease into a natural and easy rhythm of conversation. Both of us agree – every blogger we’ve met has been just what we expected. You can’t fake it when you hang it all out there every day.
That quickly led to "wouldn’t it be great if we could all just get together for a weekend?" And uh oh…you can feel it. Suddenly I found my hand waving in the air and heard myself saying, "let’s do it."
So we are.
Calling all bloggers across the world. You are hereby invited to the Blogger Social ’08. (We want to give everyone time to save their pennies!)
Here’s what we know:
It will be a Friday evening to Sunday event in the continental US. (Next year – Europe?)
There’ll be Friday night cocktail party – casual but cool. Saturday will be an afternoon event of some kind (big BBQ or some sort of group outing) and Saturday night it’s time to put on the Ritz, get glammed up and party until the wee hours of the morning.
Everyone foots the bill for their own hotel, airfare and incidentals. There will be a per person fee that covers the 3 parties/events and other group expenses. This isn’t about making money; this is about connecting with friends. So this is a net/net deal for CK and me.
This is all about being social. In between the three scheduled events, there will be plenty of down time for talking, tanning (depending on where we go) and tapping into those hugs and grins that just aren’t the same when you have to type them out.
Here’s what we don’t know:
Where. Exactly when. And who.
We need your help with that part. We’ve put together a short survey that we really want you to take. We want to know if you like the idea, if you want to come and where the collective wisdom wants to go. All entries are due by July 1 so we can give you the full scoop by August 1. No exceptions so go today. Why get caught in that last minute rush?
After you answer the survey – please share this with other bloggers. Talk it up, point it out and hold it up high enough that everyone can see it.
What do you say…want to get social? Come on, get that hand in the air!
P.S. If we determine that there’s enough interest – we’re going to be coming back and asking for committee volunteers. This is a community event, so we’re going to pull together to pull it off.
P.P.S. Special thanks to Cam Beck for preparing the survey and Luc Debaisieux (Mindblob) for creating our event’s official graphic. And of course…kudos and hugs to my co-hostess with the absolute mostest — CK.
We seem to live in what I call a USA Today society. "Give it to me short, sweet and if possible, in a colorful graph. Otherwise, I’m going to ignore you."
Do you get that same sense? Dr. Taly Weissdid some research on her blog TrendsSpotting that shows that of the top 100 blogs — most of them routinely have posts of less than 500 words.
As communicators, we often have complex issues to discuss or complicated products/services to explain. How do we accurately and adequately get the message across in this short and sweet world?
Here are a few ideas I had but I’d love to hear yours.
Chunk it. Break up your content into bite-sized pieces. If the reader is willing to invest in the first paragraph…and it’s relevant, they’ll keep reading.
Visually trick the reader’s eye. Use lots of white space and color to break up copy and to create the illusion that the copy is shorter than it is.
Divert them. Use your initial pieces (direct mail, blog post etc.) to give your potential customer the highlights and then provide them with repositories of information. Point them to your website, blog archives, more detailed collateral, etc.
Here’s the reality of working with clients, no matter what your business does.
Your client wants it good, fast and cheap.
Guess what — long term, there is no such thing. Can you pull an all-nighter or scramble your entire team into overtime? Sure. Once in awhile. But in general, our clients get to pick two of the three.
Michael Libbie, an Iowa advertising guy, tells a similar story over at his blog. And sadly, the option clients most often want to scrimp on — good.
Fortunately, in the end, most good clients get it. A microwaved dinner now and then is okay. But after awhile, you realize you’re not really being nourished. You want real food. Food with substance. And you’re willing to let it cook in the oven for 30 minutes and pay a little extra for the good cut of meat.
But how do you as a business person combat this challenge?
Respect your value. This is the toughest one of all. Your work , product and service is worth what you charge. Don’t apologize for it. Don’t be bashful about asking for it. And don’t be guilted into compromising it.
Have options for your clients. Be reasonable. Maybe they don’t need to Lexus version. Suggest ways they can still accomplish their goals but perhaps in a different way.
Be okay with walking away. I know it’s hard to walk away from business. And scruples don’t feed the kids. But, if you and a client (or prospect) can’t come to an agreement on the money, I assure you — it is not going to be the only thing you disagree on. You are not the right fit for every client. Say it with me….you are not the right fit for every client.
This isn’t about gouging your clients or over-charging. Try that a few times and watch it bite you in the rear end! This is about being fairly compensated for your work. This is about doing good work that yields results for the client and this is also about being nimble enough to turn things around quickly when your client is really in a jam.
Ultimately, it is about balance. For you and the client.
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Marketing isn’t always about the big campaign. Sometimes it is taking something simple or expected and turning it on its ear. Earlier in this series, we talked about how we approach business cards. Being disruptive seems to be an MMG given. It’s certainly what we do with our voice mail. If you call our office, while we’re transferring your call — you’re going to be asked a question.![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=d8a68508-7543-4840-98e7-b3610f2f4633)
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