Drew McLellan, Author at McLellan Marketing Group

Questions to ask before you design a new logo

April 8, 2009

Call it a creative brief. Call it a discovery process. Call it what you will…but be sure to do it, before you either hire a designer or try to design your own logo.

If you remember, a few weeks ago I did a call for companies who wanted to win a free logo design from LogoInn.com. The catch was….you had to let your logo evolve right here on the blog, so everyone could learn as we went. Scads of entries came in and I want to thank everyone who entered.

The final winner was actually not a for profit company but an organization — Colfax Main Street. We'll learn more as we go. We'll take a look at their answers to these questions as the first step in the process.

Okay….back to the creative brief. No matter how small or large your organization….you need to be as objective as possible about your logo design. This isn't about whether you like the color orange or think trapezoids are cool shapes.

This is about trying to capture the spirit of your organization in a mark…to give people a clue as to what you do and what you're all about.

That's where the creative brief comes in. This series of questions will guide you and the designer. It will both illuminate and eliminate.

You will see LogoInn.com's creative brief and then I've added some additional questions that I think are critical. You'll also note that I've customized some of the questions specifically for Colfax Main Street. You'll want to do the same for your business.

Logo Inn’s creative brief

Your company name
Describe your business (your product or service)
Website address
Who's your target audience
What colors do you require in the logo?
Do you have any preference for you logo regarding image and text style?
Language you require in logo?
Any additional thoughts?

My additional questions

What, if anything, are you using for a logo now?
If you have a current logo, why are you looking to change it?
What word/words need to be included in your logo?
Who is your competition? How are you different from them?
What is your brand promise/tagline? How do you bring that to life?
What are your organization's values/mission?
What words would people use to describe your organization/city BEFORE their first visit (in other words-what do they think/believe before they visit)
What words would people use to describe your organization/city AFTER their first visit (in other words-what do they think/believe after they visit)
Are there any iconic places, elements of architecture, design elements, landmarks that make Colfax unique?
Which of these words is a better fit for your brand? Techno or Active
Which of these words is a better fit for your brand? Warm or Progressive
Which of these words is a better fit for your brand? Old Fashioned or Modern
Which of these words is a better fit for your brand? High End or Cost Effective
Which of these words is a better fit for your brand? Night Life or Early Morning
Who would have no interest in your city/brand?
Are there any color no no's? Image no no's?
Competitors' marks (colors, shapes, concepts, ideas are already being used in the marketplace)
Where will the logo appear/primary usage — how will you use it?
Any other production considerations (must work extremely small, or will be usually be reproduced in single color etc.)

What do you think? What else could or should we have asked?

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Are you managing your personal brand or it is managing you?

April 7, 2009

Here's the truth. We all have a personal brand. Some of them are more visible or more aligned with our goals and others just limp along…giving off a lot of misinformation because no one is paying attention to it.

We all have a brand. Are you managing it or is yours managing you?

There's a lot of buzz about personal branding these days, especially in terms of building your career and making sure that you're perceived as the "must have" employee if your employer is considering layoffs.

That's what makes Dan Schawbel's new book, Me 2.0 so perfectly timed. Dan has become synonymous with personal branding, having appeared in every publication from BusinessWeek to Forbes and Fast Company.

Dan's book outlines his four-step process for building a powerful brand and his case studies and research reports back up every recommendation he makes.

This is the first book about personal branding written for the millennial generation by a millennial.

But don't think that's all there is to it. Whether you are 25 or 52 — Me 2.0 will teach you how to bridge the gap between the current business environment and the progressive best practices of today…and tomorrow.

Don't take my word for it…here are some of the early reviews:

"Me 2.0 is an easy, thought-provoking read and recommended for anyone who may find themselves back on the job market with only a paper resume as a calling card." —Entrepreneur

"Only 25, Dan Schawbel has branded himself as the expert in personal branding. Even more, he's found a competitive edge: He's the expert in Gen-Y personal branding. Schawbel writes an online personal branding magazine. He has a personal branding website. He says personal branding will help college students land jobs, entrepreneurs get financing, even managers earn promotions." —Miami Herald

"The Business world is changing and what Dan Schawbel has captured in this book is the pulse of the changing branding market." —Gary Vaynerchuk, host and founder of Wine Library TV

Buy the book today and give your personal brand the boost it deserves!

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What’s really up with small business marketing?

April 6, 2009

That was the question that Jay Ehret posed on his most recent podcast.

As Jay says in his intro…"We are marketing in a great period of transition: a digital divide. The abandonment of traditional media and the adoption of new media in small business marketing is in. Or is it?

So what should you do? Jump wholeheartedly into social media and online marketing? Are traditional media like newspaper, TV and radio dead? Is Facebook and Twitter the magic marketing answer?"

He then interviewed four business marketing practitioners to get their take. Where should entrepreneurs do? What's working right now? What does the future hold?

It's a good listen and I think you'll walk away with some things to ponder.

You can listen off Jay's site or download the podcast to listen on the treadmill. Either way, grab it here.

And yes…that is me.

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Does your bank want to check your indent?

April 4, 2009

I laughed out loud when I saw this sign outside a bank's drive-up window. And, they're so worried about your indents, they had an identical sign in the adjacent window.

Let this be a reminder to all of us — for the love of all that is holy — PROOFREAD!

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Four Buzz Tips from Startups (Emanuel Rosen)

April 3, 2009

Drew's Note: As I try to do every Friday, I'm pleased to bring you a guest post. Meet another thought leader who shares his insights via the blogosphere. So without further ado…Emanual Rosen. Again. Enjoy!

In researching my books on word-of-mouth marketing, I’ve interviewed several entrepreneurs who have been successful in creating buzz for their business. Here are four lessons I have learned from them:

The most important buzz technology is your ear. When Brian Maxwell was developing an energy bar for athletes, he started by listening to what these folks had to say. The late co-founder of PowerBar estimated that he and his team talked with about 1,200 athletes during the development stage. When the product was ready, these people got some bars (and a follow up survey) and were the first to buzz about the product.

The right channel can create initial buzz. When Margot Fraser decided to market Birkenstock in the U.S., she went to the most natural channel: shoe stores. But shoe store owners didn’t believe anyone would buy these strange looking sandals. Fraser found that owners of health food stores were more receptive to the unconventional sandals. Many of them bought the product for their own use and buzzed to their customers about it. (A similar thing happened with PowerBar that spread through bicycle shops.)

People don’t buzz for money, but… everyone likes a little thank you note. Here’s an example: When you bring in a new member to Angie’s List, you get a one-pound bag of M&M’s. “From the very early days, we have put a big emphasis on rewarding our members when they get other people to join,” says Angie Hicks, co-founder of Angie’s List. The company used to send a blank check for seven dollars that you could make out to yourself or your favorite charity, but they discontinued this promotion. The M&M’s are still very popular…

People love to tell a good story. Consider this one: A few years ago, Blake Mycoskie visited Argentina where he found these cool canvas slip-on shoes called alpargatas. A few days later, he came across some impoverished kids who were running around barefoot and he had an idea: He would redesign the alpargatas and for every pair that he’d sell, he would give away another pair to a child in need. His company, Toms Shoes, has given away tens of thousands of shoes and is getting tons of buzz. “I wish I could give you some great topical or tactical way we’re doing this,” Mycoskie told me “but the truth is it’s just a great story and people feel good telling it.”

Emanuel Rosen is the author of the national bestseller The Anatomy of Buzz (Doubleday, 2000). His new book The Anatomy of Buzz Revisited: Real-Life Lessons in Word-of-Mouth Marketing, was published in February 2009. You can follow him on Twitter @EmanuelRosen, visit his web site or email emanuel@emanuel-rosen.com

Purchase his new book The Anatomy of Buzz Revisited (which is fascinating…you'll find yourself quoting it all week!).

Every Friday is "grab the mic" day. Want to grab the mic and be a guest blogger on Drew's Marketing Minute? Shoot me an e-mail.

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Twitter transparency & tweet formulas

April 1, 2009

I fear that the word transparency may go the way of empowered, engaged and conversation — words that once meant something but have now been turned into business jargon. I think one of the downsides of social media is that we are wearing out words at a rapid rate.

But….having said all that — one of the most important factors to remember about social media tools like Twitter is in fact….transparency.

As businesses and marketing folks wrestle with how to participate on Twitter but do it without any facades…lots of people are trying lots of different things. One of the constant complaints about Twitter is that if a company is the Twitter ID….who are you really talking to?

The digital agency Modea has handled their Twitter account in a very smart and "look behind the curtain" way. As you can see on this screen shot….although they are tweeting under the company name, they've identified who is the man (and woman) behind the curtain.

They're building equity in their brand but we don't feel like we're talking to an anonymous IT or marketing person. Instead, we know it's David or Julianne.

We're all still trying to figure this stuff out…but this sure seems like a smart way to approach handling a company account.

Next step for Modea…I hope they'll start sharing more resources and knowledge. It's great to learn more about what's happening at their agency — but I also want them to help be (and all of their followers) stay current and smart.

Everyone should decide how they want to use Twitter and connect with their community. But…for me and MMG, the formula we've informally created is 85% of the time — provide value/resources. 10% of the time — chat and connect with other Tweeters and 5% of the time — promote our own agency and blog posts.

How about you — how are you staying transparent and what's your Tweet formula?

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Shame on you advertisers!

March 31, 2009

We've talked before about how the media hype is actually making the recession worse. How our fear is paralyzing us from spending a buck or making a business decision that involves any sort of an investment.

As you'll recall, I said I thought it was up to the businesses of this country to ignore the doomsday talk and get out there and behave our way out of the recession. We need to be smart but we need to grow our businesses just like we've always done. By investing in good people, good products and good services.

So that's why I find some of the recent ads I've seen so alarming.

An All State Insurance ad I just saw the other night started out like this (my paraphrasing): "Today, the longest walk of the day is the walk to the mailbox…where all those bills are just waiting for you."

A local ad here from a company that sells pool tables and accessories has the owner on camera, talking about he's taken a beating during the recession…so he is being forced to sell his wares practically at cost, just to pay the wholesaler's note.

Come on!

For a very small group of people, that's a true statement. But when the media…and now the advertising constantly tells all of us that we should be dismal and dread our mail — we are just adding to the malaise of this country. We're making it worse.

Does that mean you shouldn't talk about how your product or service is a good value? Of course not. But stop wrapping it up in the recession flag. You should always be a good value, right? Did your potential customers not care about that when the economy was booming?

If you don't care so much about how your marketing is impacting the economy…ponder this. How many ads have you seen/heard/read in the last 30 days that referenced the recession or these tough economic times? Just about all of them! It's become the theme du jour, which means that your efforts sound a whole lot like everyone else's.

So whether you want to stand out or you want to be a part of the solution — for the love of Pete, stop or if you're one of the few who hasn't jumped on the bandwagon yet — don't start.

How can you (or are you already) marketing your product without using the recession as a crutch?

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Time to listen up

March 28, 2009

We've all heard the quote from the Greek philosopher Epictetus, "we were born with two ears and one mouth, so we can listen twice as much as we speak."

I doubt Epictetus was a marketing consultant, but it is not a stretch to apply his wisdom to our efforts. Marketers have a tendency to "talk" a lot. After all, we have a lot to say. We have features to point out. Benefits to reference. Special pricing to announce. Nothing wrong with any of that.

But we also need to listen.

How do we listen to our marketplace? Try some of these on for size:

Client satisfaction survey
Client needs assessments
Attend industry trade shows
Monitor blogs for mentions of your company and your competitors
Read trade publications
The old-fashioned suggestion box
Google yourself/company

Along with those effective methods, there are also more direct and immediate ways to actively listen. After you've completed a project or delivered your product, why not just pick up the phone and call? Ask for their impressions. Find out if you surprised them in any way (good or bad) and what they expected the experience or product usage to be like.

Imagine how you would feel if you received that kind of call. Appreciated? Special? Is that the kind of call you're likely to talk about? You bet.

A word of caution. Do not try to sell anything during this call. This is about listening, remember?

If you commit to listening more, you will glean insights that change the way you do business and you'll see a spike in sales as a result. Guaranteed.

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The marketing magic bullet does not exist

March 25, 2009

We get seduced sometimes.

In the day, TV spots were sexy and everyone had to have one. Websites were the rage. Now it's social media. Are they good marketing tactics. You bet. And..equally so, good God no.

Marketing is not a one size fits all gig. Lots of agencies might love to sell you their cookie cutter solution but the fact of the matter is…. there's no marketing magic bullet.

It's a custom-designed suit sort of effort. Because no two organizations are built the same.

Every business wants to generate new business. That’s the commonality. But that’s just about all that’s the same.

Some sell high-ticket or very specialized items and services. They only need a handful of new clients to meet their goals. If you sell software for $200,000, you probably don't need too many sales to have a good year. Or, if your commission on a $75,000 sale is $35,000 — again, you don't need to make a sale a day.

Others are all about volume. When you sell Coke, you need to sell lots of bottles every day. They have a large ability to deliver quantities of their offerings and they want the pipeline full.

This is where the “one size fits all” marketing theories fall apart.

The high-ticket/specialty client can and should spend more money per client acquisition. Their efforts need to be about honing in on exactly the right prospects. They are likely to spend more money on profiling prospects to make sure they don’t waste a lot of time talking to buyers who have no interest or no ability to buy their wares.

Once they’ve identified “the who” they can get down to telling their story. Because the numbers are small, the marketing tactics that most often make sense for them are ones that allow them to speak directly to those potential buyers and no one else. Direct mail, opt-in e-zines, topic specific blogs, niche newspapers or TV shows and peer-to-peer referrals may all be effective options. Think GPS guided missile. Very focused. Little chance of waste.

On the flip side, the volume-focused business wants to reach a much wider audience. They’re willing to catch a few undesirables in their net, as long as they can harvest a lot of prospects all at once. Because a wider group of people fit their target parameters, they don’t need to invest in a lot of prospect profiling.

They’re looking for a wide reach and frequency to encourage that initial trial. Tactics that might fit the bill for these marketers include couponing, mass media (newspaper, radio, TV, outdoor) advertising, product placement and sampling. Think shotgun. Lots of pellets, so the odds of hitting several somethings is pretty good.

So here are a few questions to ask yourself as you think about how to design your custom suit:

Assuming we maintain our current base of business (or assume 15% loss, etc) — how many new sales would we need to generate to hit our gross sales goals for the year?
Out of 100 people/businesses (depending on what you sell) — how many would be a good fit for us?
What's our sales cycle? Do people think about it for months or a minute?
How many new customers could we handle/service/support?
Can a marketing tool (blog, website, brochure, ad) sell our offering without much human intervention or do we require lots of explanation, demo, Q&A, etc.?

Don't get seduced by today's hottest trend. And don't get caught up in the print is dead, TV is dead, XYZ is dead movement. The truth is…the magic bullet is knowing who you are, who your best customers are and how to best talk to them. Even if that solution isn't the shiny new thing.

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Can bad be good?

March 23, 2009

As you are looking at your product or service and identifying those elements that make it unique (you are doing that, right?) remember that sometimes what makes it unique is not an inherently good thing.

Which isn't a bad thing.

Confused?

Take original flavored Listerine.

One of the things that made it completely unique was its disgusting taste. Instead of explaining it away or ignoring it – they took the bad and made it good.

It tasted bad because it was powerful enough to kill the germs. Their bad became their point of distinction. Their bad became what made it so good.

Look at your product or service a bit differently. What's bad about it? Are you slow? Expensive? Complicated? How can you use that attribute to your advantage?

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