Branding Archives - Page 11 of 42 - McLellan Marketing Group

They were so close!

June 19, 2009

I believe that most businesses have absolutely no desire to be ordinary. They want to be…and probably many believe that they are….extraordinary.

And for many of them….they are so close. But somewhere along the line, they missed it. Maybe by just a sliver. One question unasked. One pillow unplumped.

Let me give you a few examples that I've stumbled on over the past couple weeks.

As I mentioned earlier, I had a quick in/out trip to DC a few weeks ago. So I called the vet to make boarding reservations for Maggie, the mostly lab.

The tech who answered the phone asked all the usual questions.

Did I want her to have a bath (Good god, yes!)
Did I want her to have a fecal check (Sounds ugly, but what the heck. This is how a dog owner exacts revenge for the chewed shoe.)
Did I want her to have the luxury boarding package (For $2 more, she gets extra walks, extra treats, extra love….why not?)

I hung up, feeling good about the care she was going to get.

So when I got to the vet's office with Maggie, guess what. A different tech asked me all the same questions.

Now, I am not feeling so good. They missed their extraordinary moment. Imagine if I'd walked in and she'd said…"great, Maggie is all set for the luxury package and a bath. And don't worry, we'll have the fecal check results for you when you pick her up."

What would it have taken? A sticky note on her chart? A new process/procedure that makes sure that information gets passed along? The tech taking 3 seconds to check the file when we first walked in?

It wouldn't have cost them a dime. And it's probably not a big enough deal to ever cost them a customer. But it does cost them having to settle for being ordinary.

Let me give you another example.

I almost always fly United. For lots of reasons but one of the biggies for me is that they have Red Carpet Clubs at most of the airports where I have layovers. (And O'Hare has 3 or 4) I can go into a Red Carpet Club, grab a drink and a desk…and get lots of work done. I hop on their free wi-fi, snack on their complimentary fruit and I am a happy camper for a couple hours.

Overall, Red Carpet Clubs get s big thumbs up from me. Except for their desk chairs.

Picture this. In most of the clubs, they have rows of desks, two by two. So if you are sitting at a desk, you have your back to someone else's back…as they are also sitting at a desk. The desks are usually fixed so there's no moving them around.

The chairs are very nice and very comfortable. But…they do not (with the arm rests) fit under the desks. So if you want to get up, you almost always have to ask the other person to also get up, because your chairs bang into each other. They missed their extraordinary moment. All it would have taken was someone to either measure the desks or test drive the chairs.

It wouldn't have cost them a dime. And it's probably not a big enough deal to ever cost them a customer. But it does cost them having to settle for being ordinary.

Here's my question to you. What is happening or not happening at your place of business that isn't costing or making you a dime and probably won't ever cost you a customer….but it is making you ordinary?

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Word of mouth: What will they talk about?

June 6, 2009

A few weeks ago, I introduced you to Andy Sernovitz's Word of Mouth marketing book and his five T's.

The first T = Talkers
The second T = Topics

You've got to give your customers something to talk about. And guess what…doing a good job is not enough. Customers don't even notice when you meet their expectations. You've got to grab their attention.

This isn't about force-feeding them your tagline. This is about doing something they don't expect or going far beyond their expectations.

We serve warm, homemade cookies at every client meeting. At the first meeting — our guests are floored and delighted. And then, when they become clients…they love the smell of those cookies baking as they walk into our space.

On average, about the third time they're dining on our cookies, they realize that the M&M colors match our logo colors. Purple, green and orange. And that's it. Now…they can't stop talking. And they begin to understand that building a brand is filled with little details that take it to a new level. (It's fun to watch them realize we special order the M&Ms just for their cookies.)

Another excellent topic is anything that lets your customer look like they're connected or the big man/woman. How about a "give your buddy twenty bucks" coupon (make it easy to pass along..maybe they just enter in e-mail addresses)? Or a special invitation that allows them to bring a friend to an exclusive event.

Make your customer look like a star…and they'll take you right along with them.

What do you think your clients are saying about you? What about your business or product gets them talking?

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What’s your defining sentence?

May 29, 2009

We hosted (along with Jeff Garrison) a very laid back networking event last night. Basically, we opened the doors from 5 – 7 pm, people showed up with a couple bottles of their favorite beverage (we provided ice and coolers) and everyone hung out, met new people and chatted.

It was excellent — 100+ people showed up and mingled. A good time was had by all and I'm hoping some new connections were made.

But, as I watched the room I got to thinking. If each of these people only had one sentence they could utter…what would they say? Would they fall into the rut of describing their job. "Hi, I'm Bob and I'm a financial planner." Or would they have a sentence at the ready to tell us how they're different from all the others in the crowd?

The goal is to pique someone's interest. To get them to say "tell me more" or to ask a question.

As you might know — my self-intro would be: "Hi, I'm Drew. We help businesses create authentic love affairs with their customers."

What would your sentence be?

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Logo contest – first drafts of logo submissions

May 18, 2009

As you will recall, thanks to an offer from LogoInn, I was able to offer one lucky reader/company a free logo. After accepting entries for about a week, we eventually selected Colfax Main Street as our winner.

We're going to go through the entire process here on the blog, so everyone can learn along. Here's what's happened so far.

So today, we're going to take a look at LogoInn's first round of logo options. I'm going to reserve my comments for a day or so, to see what you think.

A reminder — critiquing and asking questions is perfectly fine. Being rude and getting personal…not so much. Please be honest, objective and share your opinion. But be respectful.

Okay….remembering that the entire town was built around their history of supplying mineral water to many bottling companies and visitors — let's see what LogoInn has done.

You can click on the images to see them a little larger.

What do you think? Remember, these need to reduce down to business cards, lapel pins and who knows what else. They also need to blow up to outdoor signage, vehicle designs and work in all media from the web to traditional print.

Once we get the final logo design done/selected — we'll delve into color.

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Are you evolving with your marketplace?

May 13, 2009

One of the challenges for any mature business to to balance the two ideals — staying true to your brand's core and yet still being nimble enough to evolve with your marketplace.

As you may know, I am a bonafide Disneyophile. I have been to Walt Disney World at least once a year since it opened in 1971. Back in the late 70's and 80's, the only real competition to Disney was SeaWorld in Orlando and if you wanted to make the drive, Busch Gardens in Tampa.

I can remember leaving Disney property to head to SeaWorld as a kid. It was a great day — Shamu the whale, feeding the dolphins the dead fish and watching a water skiing show. There were many things to see and watch, but there wasn't a lot to do. As a pre-teen boy, I was full of energy and loved thrill rides, like roller coasters. So after our initial SeaWorld visit, my parents couldn't convince me that going back was worth losing a day of Disney's rides.

In the late 90's, Universal Studios added to the market by building two theme parks, packed with thrill rides. Which I'm sure added even more pressure to Sea World. They had two choices. Stick with just Shamu & gang or branch out and add a thrill ride or two. They opted for #2 and just last week opened The Manta.

Want to see how it might feel to ride the Manta? Check out this POV animation of what the ride will be like.

What do you think? I'm a little torn. They did a good job of keeping the ride tied to their brand. And I'm sure it will help them attract more young families, whose kids want thrill rides.

But on the flip side, their brand is about learning more about sea life and getting up close and personal. Did Orlando really need another roller coaster?

If you were on the planning team at Sea World, would you have recommended the thrill ride or something different to keep up with the marketplace?

Check out Sea World's new Manta roller coaster!

P.S. The logo below tells you that I heard about the Manta from IZEA and because I'm using their link, I'll get paid a whopping 50 cents per click. I use that sort of money to pay for mailing out the free books etc. that we do here on the blog. Pretty sure I'll never break even but you never know! ;-}

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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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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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5 tips on creating a good logo

March 3, 2009

Image via Wikipedia

It's hard to over-estimate the importance of a good logo. When they're done well — they can become shorthand for your entire brand or company. Sadly, most logos never achieve that status because they're not well executed.

If you're in the market for a new logo or want to evaluate the one you're currently using, here are 5 golden rules to follow.

Your logo should be very simple — remember it has to work in very small and very large sizes.

Many logos are designed by committee. And everyone wants to add one more element, thinking that the logo has to tell the company's whole story. In truth, your logo should clean and simple. It doesn't have to tell your story — it has to become a symbol for your story.

Your logo needs to work in just black and white.

Think of all the places a logo appears in black/white or just one color. It must be designed to work in those situations. In fact, you should view all of your logo design options in black and white and not add color until the final logo is chosen. If color is introduced too soon, it can influence your decision for the wrong reasons. If it doesn't work in black and white, color won't help it.

Your logo should not include elements that would be considered trite.

Have a business in Colorado? Do not have mountains in your logo. Run a business in Texas? Do not use the outline of your state in your logo. Other trite images? Globes, a for sale sign and scales of justice. If several other people in your industry already use a certain image — then you should not. Does Claire's Hair Salon really need to show me a pair of scissors? I don't think so. Trite = forgettable.

Do not use ordinary colors. Unless your company is ordinary.

There are literally thousands of colors to choose from. Go to an art store and ask to see a Pantone Book. You want the color/colors that convey the essence/emotions of your brand. Color can be incredibly subtle and connotative. Use that to your advantage.

Don't get too trendy. A logo should be relatively evergreen.

When you design a logo — it's for the long haul. So avoid trendy fonts and colors. Think long-term. You want to avoid the standard fonts but you also want something that is going to stand the test of time.

All of this logo talk making you wish you had a new one? Or had one? Well, stay tuned. On Saturday, I'm going to announce how one lucky reader will win a new logo design for their company.

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Your actions always trump your words

February 23, 2009

One of the most important aspects of branding, in my opinion, is consistency. Inconsistency makes us nervous. It feels like something is off or wrong. Inconsistency begs us to keep digging, to see what the "real" truth is. Inconsistency suggests we're being played or lied to.

And…when faced with an inconsistency — actions always speak louder than words. Ever have someone promise you something…and then not deliver? Do you think of them as reliable or unreliable?

The actions always win.

I spent this past weekend at the Iowa High School Speech Association's All State Festival, where the best of Iowa's drama students get to showcase their talents. It was a remarkable display of talent and celebration for these high school kids.

At the opening ceremony, we were told in no uncertain terms that this was not a contest. Each of the 1,000+ students who would perform that day had already won the highest honor — they'd been invited to perform at All State. This was a celebration — a festival where we could and should put aside our school rivalries and enjoy each other's gifts.

But….in each category of performance (mimes, one act plays, etc.) there would be a critic present. That critic is a professional with a great depth of experience and expertise in the specific genre of performance and at the end of the day, they would select one performance as the "Critic's Choice."

Guess what — their actions (having the critics and giving out an award for Critic's Choice) made it a contest. No words or flowery speeches about collaboration and appreciation was going to change the fact that every kid (and coach) in the place now wanted to win the coveted Critic's Choice award. Who can blame them?

I'm not saying that having it be a contest was wrong. It was a fun part of the day. But, what I am saying is…when you say one thing and do another….your actions will always trump your words.

So….how does this impact us? Do you have a tagline that your employees don't really live up to? Does your brochure or website make a promise that you rarely keep? Do you promise to deliver on a specific deadline and then usually run a day or two later?

Words are dandy. But they are quickly dissolved by actions that do not match up. When protecting and building your brand…do not make promises you can't keep.

That sort of brand damage can be incredibly costly, if not downright impossible, to repair.

How do you guard against this in your business?

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The true Barry Bonds legacy and the message for us all

February 4, 2009

I know he's not the only one who juiced. I know part of why people came down on him so hard wasn't the steroids….but his attitude.

But, when I think about Barry Bonds and his impact on baseball, I think asterisk.

A while back, I wrote about Bonds and the danger we all face — if we're not authentic. The fact that the idea of "being an asterisk" is already become part of our culture's vernacular (as evidenced by the TV spot below — e-mail and feed readers click on the headline to view) is incredibly telling of how fast a reputation can be destroyed.

While it's a different aspect of authenticity — we all run the risk of falling into the same trap. And the damage that we can do to our company, to our online reputation, to how our employees view us, to how our customers perceive us — is all very real.

Branding, when done in a meaningful way, isn't about selling more stuff. It's about identity. It's about values. It's about who you are when no one is looking. It's about decisions made in the heat of the moment when you don't have time to spin it.

Sure…when you get it all right and you exude your brand's promise — you will sell more stuff. But it's much more important than that.

It's about never being an asterisk.

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