Archive for ‘BRANDING’

Do you need a little more stimulation . . . in your marketing? Then you will want to make a video. And no, not the type of video that you may be thinking! But one that will titillate your audience to want to learn more about your company’s goods and services. In the comedy movie, Sex Tape, a couple decides to make a risqué movie to spice up their marriage and winds up accidentally saving it publicly where it is vulnerable to be seen by their friends and family. Of course, comedy ensues when they try to prevent the video from being seen. However, unlike this couple that wants to prevent others from seeing their production, you will not be embarrassed to share your brand video with everyone! In fact, it will allow you to get the type of recognition you desire that will arouse your audience’s attention.

Years ago, when you filmed a commercial there was really only one way to view it and that was on television. Not only was this costly to produce, but it was even more expensive to purchase media on the various networks or cable channels to air it. While many brands have certainly gained success from traditional television commercials, today marketers have an advantage because they can create, produce and share video relatively inexpensively with their customers in a variety of ways.

Video is a fun, easy, and engaging way to get consumers to gain trust in your brand. It grabs people’s attention. In fact, 80% of online visitors will watch a video, while only 20% will actually read all of your content. It is no wonder why more companies are producing either motion graphics or live action videos to tell their story. And while you’ll want to keep the video short, if you place it on your website or YouTube channel, you are not limited to the traditional thirty second television media buy.

Still not convinced that a video should be incorporated as part of your marketing efforts? Then read more about the benefits of using video below.

IT’S EASY TO UNDERSTAND

Let’s face it, people have a million things going on in their lives and they want information as soon as possible. Creating a video allows you to quickly tell an engaging story about your product and how it will benefit your consumers in a way that is easy to comprehend. Additionally, studies have shown that 80% of people stated they are more likely to buy a product after watching a video about it.

See example below from Turbo Tax. This video simply shows how the software can benefit its audience by giving them some of the main reasons for using it.

IT’S INFORMATIONAL

What better way to get your clients to want to use your product or service than by allowing them to watch a short video either about it’s benefits or how to use it. And if your customers come to your company’s website on a consistent basis to learn something new, they are going to perceive you as a thought leader and trust your products and services.

See example below from Callaway Golf. They show a variety of short videos on their website that highlights different lessons on how to improve your game.

IT’S ENTERTAINING

The human brain requires an emotional input to make decisions and the best way to convey emotion is through video. If you produce a short video and post it on your website highlighting the benefits of your brand in an emotional, humorous, or engaging way, you are more likely to gain interest from your audience.

Here is an example of a project that I edited from Cisco Services. It takes a topic that can be difficult to explain and makes it easy to understand and entertaining.

IT INCREASES VISIBILITY

According to Forrester research, you are 53 times more likely to appear on the first page of Google when you include video on your site. There are a number of reasons why a video helps your visibility. It engages your visitors to stay on the site longer (usually double the time), it attracts more than three times the natural inbound links and it increases your monthly views by unique visitors, or users with different IP addresses, by 200-300%. And if you use YouTube to upload and embed videos on your site, it makes it that much easier for people to find you (as YouTube is the second largest search engine behind Google). This also makes it easy for others to comment and share your videos. Search engines love all of these factors and it will help increase your SEO rankings and visibility.

Your video does not need to be X-Rated to arouse the attention of your audience. But it does need to be easy to understand, informational and entertaining. And if you create a high quality video with these factors, then you will increase SEO rankings and visibility. So, create an exciting video that will stimulate your audience’s attention with the desire to satisfy your customers’ needs. And please . . . do not be embarrassed to share it with everyone!

What do you think? What are some other benefits of using video?

If you enjoyed this post, I encourage you to write a comment, like it, or share it with your network. You can also select one of these hyperlinks to follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.

Want to learn more about finding the benefits of video? Check out the following resources, where I obtained some of the above information: 25 Amazing Video Marketing Statistics, Benefits of Video Marketing, 19 Reasons You Should Include Visual Content In Your Marketing, and 10 Benefits of Video Marketing.

This message will self-destruct in five seconds. No, not really, but in the Mission Impossible movie series, this was the phrase used to explain to the viewers that what they are about to hear is exclusively for the intended listener. The same way that this message is for a particular person, marketers tailor their messaging to a specific group of listeners, known as the target audience. But unlike this movie franchise that prides itself on making challenges impossible, finding the right audience for your product or service is very possible if you take the right steps. Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to find the most relevant audience to effectively promote your brand.

Today, there are many possibilities on how to convey your message to your consumer and with the list of mediums increasing regularly, finding the right audience is more important than ever. So important that this step should be determined before you write the creative brief, concept the creative, design the ad, or build the website. Communicating to the right audience allows you to be very effective in your advertising. It is also more cost effective because instead of spending money on every possible channel, you can target only the mediums that are relevant to the person you want to reach. Here are some tips to find the person or group who will be the most receptive to your message.

STEP 1: BRAINSTORM

First, create a list of the type of people who you feel would benefit from what you have to offer and determine the demographics, the geographics and the psychographics. Use the following questions as a guide to help you determine your audience. You will want to include as much detail as you possible. Once you’ve brainstormed the following, the next step is to do research and update what you think is correct with the actual data.

Demographics:

1. What is their gender? How old are they?

2. Are they married? Do they have kids? What is their family size?

3. What is their education level? What is their occupation? Their income?

Geographics:

1. Where do they live? What is the size or population of the area?

2. Are there any other factors about location that will help or hinder them from getting your product or service?

Psychographics:

1. What do they value? What are their goals? What are their interests?

2. Where do they go for information? What are their buying patterns?

3. What are their pain points? Or how can you solve their problems?

STEP 2: RESEARCH

The next step is to do your research. There are many primary and secondary research options and it is best to gather both types and compare all data to find the most relevant audience. Primary research includes information that you collect on your own, such as through a survey that you create. There are many services available online, such as Survey Monkey, that allows you to create a custom questionnaire that can be sent via email to gather feedback from people who are most likely to use your product or service. This survey can be sent to your existing client contact list, or if that is not available, you can purchase a list. Secondary research includes market research data that you obtain or buy from a third party, such as the US Census, Mediamark Research and Intelligence (GfK MRI Data) or Pew Research. And if you have a website, Google Analytics can also provide you with some very beneficial information on who is visiting your site and how they are learning about it, such as through various social media channels or search engines.

STEP 3: BUILD A PERSONA

Once you’ve acquired the information and data from the bullets above, it is time to paint a picture of your target by giving them a story and background. This fictional representation of your ideal customer is known as a persona. Start by giving them a name and include everything you have learned about them from the above steps. Developing a snapshot for your customer type will help you speak their language and truly see them as people vs. an anonymous audience. Once this is completed, you will use this persona as a guide in which to base all future marketing, including your positioning, concepting and final creative.

For instance, if you are targeting a 62 year-old male who is looking for a company to install some new insulation, he may look like the following example.

After reviewing these steps, I am sure that you recognize the importance of finding the right target audience. If you spend money advertising online, when your target only reads the newspaper, that money will be wasted. In the age of technology, it is hard to believe that people still read a traditional newspaper, but people do. So, before you try to attract your audience with what you have to offer, you need to understand everything you can about your target, including how they consume their media.

Not all tasks or missions have to be impossible. In fact, if you follow the above steps, your efforts will be easy, which will make your messaging more effective and increase your sales. So take the necessary time to determine your correct target audience, because if you fail to accept this mission, your brand may self-destruct.

What do you think? What steps do you take to find your target audience?

If you enjoyed this post, I encourage you to write a comment, like it, or share it with your network. You can also select one of these hyperlinks to follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.

Want to learn more about finding the right target audience? Check out the following resources, where I obtained some of the above information: What Is Target Marketing?, What Is MRI In Advertising?, A Template For Writing Great Personas, 9 Questions You Need To Ask When Developing Buyer Personas andTarget Marketing 101 (Infographic).

In marketing, a company’s brand is the association or feeling you get when you think of that company’s name. How do you feel when you think of Coca-Cola? Or Apple? Or Marlboro? Whether it is good or bad, your brand says something about your experience. But have you ever looked at a certain company’s marketing campaign and said to yourself: Why would they do that? Unfortunately, branding mistakes happen. Do you remember when the sandwich company Quiznos had a campaign that featured a disfigured, annoying, singing rodent? Sure, maybe they were trying to be funny, but associating food with a pest that normally indicates that you have an unsanitary establishment is not a great idea. Would this attract you to eating there? In this case, Quiznos made a poor judgment and was caught “Branding Bad.” This blog will share the attributes associated with creating a strong brand and highlight those who broke the laws of branding.

So, what is branding? Similar to the way that livestock gets “branded”, it is the “label” for which your company is recognized. Brands represent themselves in various ways, including through advertising, packaging and public relations. But does it really matter what people think of your brand? It definitely does. If a company does not take pride in what they do, or if their website is poorly structured or lacks creativity; for me, the company loses its appeal. Sure, everyone has different tastes, but I would like to think that marketers know the difference between something that is branded-well vs. something that is “Branded Bad.”

The following are characteristics that you need in order to create a strong brand as well as examples of companies that broke the following four laws of branding.

AUDIENCE

The best companies do the proper research and know their target audience. They understand their demographics, what their interests are, and the best way to communicate to them. But not every company takes the time or the effort to do this and in some cases, misreads their own findings. What is probably the most famous example of a company that did not properly understand their target audience is the story of “New Coke.”

Situation: In the early 1980s, Coca-Cola was losing market share to the sweeter tasting Pepsi-Cola. So, the company decided to compete by creating a new formula that was sweeter and named it New Coke. In taste tests, research showed that most people preferred the new formula over both Pepsi and the original Coke. And when the tasters were asked if they would buy and drink it, most said yes. However, it is believed that many of these participants failed to understand that it would replace the existing formula vs. being an additional offering. The company also greatly underestimated the loyalty that people had with the original Coke formula.

Outcome: Research showed that many of the consumers preferred the sweeter taste when drinking the soda in a smaller amount, but didn’t enjoy the flavor as much when consumed in larger quantities. If the Coca-Cola Company had done more research and understood its audience better, they would have discovered replacing the formula was a major branding mistake. In only a few months after the introduction of New Coke, the company brought back the original formula and re-branded it “Coca-Cola Classic.”

UNIQUENESS

If you sell the exact same product as someone else, what incentive does anyone have to want to try your product? The identity for your brand does not need to be revolutionary, but it has to be different enough with features that your audience cares about. One product that failed to show the audience its uniqueness was the Zune music player.

Situation: In 2006, Microsoft attempted to compete against Apple’s popular iPod by introducing its own music player called Zune. But Microsoft never gave its audience a valid reason to purchase Zune vs. the iPod. To the target, it was just another music player and the features that it claimed were different, were relatively minor and not very important to its audience.

Outcome: Microsoft never created a unique selling proposition that clearly identified Zune as a better choice. With its lack of differentiation, Zune never made much traction and after 5 years of trying to compete, the product was discontinued.

CONSISTENCY

When you eat or drink a product from a company you enjoy, such as Mountain Dew or Ritz Crackers, you expect it to consistently taste the same. The same thing holds true when marketing your brand. Your brand should visually represent who you are and show how you differentiate yourself from the competition. Your logo, colors, and tagline should always be the same regardless of the medium because this reinforces your identity. And the same holds true for brand extensions. One company that failed to be consistent to its core brand was the story of Colgate and its desire to enter the food category.

Situation: In 1982, the toothpaste company Colgate decided to extend their brand and launch a line of frozen dinners. While brand extensions can be successful, it is very important that they be relatable to your main business and that they are representative of your brand. Therefore a company known for dental care is a disconnect when it is associated with a food product from a brand perspective.

Outcome: Since people recognized Colgate as a product that cleans their teeth, they could not relate to the fact that they were now selling food. When it hit the shelves, its no surprise that consumers were not attracted to the frozen dinner with the Colgate label. Not only was the product discontinued and pulled from the shelves shortly after being introduced, but it also lowered their toothpaste sales.

ADAPTABILITY

Industries change all the time so you need to be aware of your competition. And if your brand is not able to be adaptable to an ever-changing landscape, another brand will certainly try to take over. This proved to be the case for Blockbuster Video when they did not adapt quick enough to the changing environment.

Situation: At a time before streaming, Blockbuster Video was a successful business that rented movies from brick and mortar locations across the nation. But when a small upstart by the name of Netflix came along, they gave Blockbuster some serious competition. Instead of having to go to a store, Netflix allowed its customers a convenient and easy way to rent movies from home through an online subscription plan where they received DVD’s by mail. While Netflix was gaining momentum with this model, Blockbuster kept their same confusing price model and restrictions for the duration of time that customers could keep their videos. In comparison, Netflix allowed its customers the freedom to keep the movies they rented as long as they wanted. All they had to do was return the movie they currently had in order to get the next one in their online queue.

Outcome: After six years of Netflix being in operation, Blockbuster eventually tried to offer a mail subscription service, but it was too late and they did not differentiate themselves over what Netflix offered. Netflix made it easy for consumers to rent movies online from home, while Blockbuster was stuck in their ways. In the end, Blockbuster’s resistance to adapt quickly to the changing landscape caused them to fail.

All of these examples have one thing in common. They all break at least one law of branding. So, do your research, learn about your audience, and put together a unique strategy that will resonate with your target audience. Then, make sure your branding is consistent across all mediums, brand extensions and watch what your competition is doing. Be progressive and adapt to the ever-changing environment. If you follow these rules, not only will you have a strong brand, but you will also avoid suffering from the perils of “Branding Bad.”

What are your thoughts? Do you agree with the examples above? What other brands do you feel broke these laws and were caught “Branding Bad”?

If you enjoyed this post, I encourage you to write a comment, like it, or share it with your network. You can also select one of these hyperlinks to follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.

Want to learn more about branding? Check out the following resources, where I obtained some of the above information: Top 7 Characteristics Of Successful Brands, Top 9 Brand Blunders of All Time, and The 20 Worst Product Failures.

Do you cringe when asked to provide an email address from a company where you make a purchase? I do, because I know it means that the company is going to fill my inbox with hundreds of promotional offers. And email is just one of the forms of digital media that advertisers are using to try and reach us with every day. There are social media ads that target us based on our “likes” and targeted banner ads that follow us based on a previous search inquiry. These methods can be effective in finding a relevant audience, but often consumers become so inundated with these digital messages that they tune it all out. So, how can a marketer find a new way to “stand out” among all of the digital clutter? The answer is “print.”

Years ago, media companies would provide digital banners and other digital efforts as “added value” to get you to be familiar with using that format. But now, it is the other way around with companies purchasing digital advertising and providing the print as “added value.” It’s amazing to think that this has reversed in such a short amount of time. But because of this, now “print” advertising stands out among the clutter and it becomes the latest trend, or the “new black.” Here are some benefits of print:

ATTENTION GRABBING

With junk mail now cluttering our email inbox, getting a magazine or a catalog in the mail becomes “unique”. Print still excites people. How many people can say they still enjoy reading a real book vs. a book on Kindle or iPad? I often hear people say that something printed feels more substantial. The printed word is perceived to be more credible to many people than anything on the web. Don’t believe me? Ask yourself which is more impressive: Someone who is the author of a printed book? Or someone who wrote an eBook?

MORE ENGAGEMENT

If you are reading something in print, such as a newspaper or magazine, you are focused on just that. Reading on an iPad, you have a million distractions with your reminders or emails popping up or you deciding you need to look something up. With print, you have a single-focus on reading the content and information. Historically, the reason that magazines and newsletters were developed by brands was for customer retention purposes. And believe it or not, ad campaigns achieve up to a 25% higher response rate when they use print efforts in conjunction with online advertising.

BETTER TOGETHER

Who says print has to work alone. When it works in conjunction with the web, it can be extremely effective. The whole point of having a media mix is to have a mix of mediums. Print in magazines, direct mail, collateral, and outdoor often times use QR codes to drive consumers to the web. While in recent years, marketers have minimized the use of QR codes, all advertisers still include a unique URL at the bottom of an ad to drive you to a website.

I mentioned in another blog post about how essential it is that marketers reach the right target using the right medium. If you are trying to reach an older audience, print is a must. Another trend that has become popular is creating a printed custom magazine. If you are a member of either AAA Auto Club or Toastmasters International, which is a public speaking organization, you receive their custom magazine in the mail. Both of these organizations reach an older audience and both have taken advantage of creating a custom print magazine. Recent research indicates that 82% of readers spent up to 45 minutes reading a custom magazine, and 64% of readers returned to it more than once. Just think about the potential impact that this level of engagement could have on your brand.

They say “what is old is new again” and while “print” is perceived to be traditional media, it has become the “new black.” Am I saying to only purchase print? No, but in a world where digital is becoming more and more cluttered, print is a way to break through. Digital marketing is definitely here to stay, so continue creating digital ads, building websites, mobile apps, email campaigns, running Pay-Per-Click, optimizing your websites, creating content, and utilizing social media, but don’t forget that print can play an important role in your overall marketing mix.

What are your thoughts? What are some other benefits of print?

If you enjoyed this post, I encourage you to write a comment, like it, or share it with your network. You can also select one of these hyperlinks to follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.

Want to learn more about adding print to your marketing mix? Check out the following resources, where I obtained some of the above information: Launching a Printed Custom Magazine: What You Need to Do Before the First Issue, 5 Advantages of Print Advertising, and 7 Reasons to Consider Print for Your ‘Non-Traditional’ Content Strategy.