Courtesy of our heroes at Café Creative KFT
Archives for Excitement
Everyone Crazy ‘Bout A Sharp Dressed Brand
6 Ways To Make Your Brand A Rock Star
“Clean shirt, new shoes
and I don’t know where I am goin’ to.
Silk suit, black tie,
I don’t need a reason why.
They come runnin’ just as fast as they can
coz every girl crazy ’bout a sharp dressed man.”*
Make your customers crazy about your brand – and be a rockstar in 2012! Take an inventory of your signature line up:
1. MESSAGING
Do you have consistent messaging that differentiates your brand in the industry? Many companies in the building products industry are attempting to differentiate themselves by saying the same things: QUALITY, CUSTOMER SERVICE, SOLUTIONS. If everyone is saying the same thing, is it really a differentiator for you? The answer is NO. Make sure you have captured your “single thread” – the one thing that your brand can own that makes it different from all the rest.
2. PRINT
Is your printed literature up to date, or are you “using up” old stuff? Using outdated or incomplete catalogs, brochures and other sales collateral is like singing the same song over and over again. Not interesting. It signifies that things in your company are stagnant – when that COULD be the farthest thing from the truth. Keep your audience tuned in to just how dynamic your product line is and remind them how it benefits them to buy from you.
3. ONLINE
Are people standing in line to visit your website? Is it easy to use and navigate? Are ALL your products/services completely represented online? Can a user get anywhere in 3 clicks? Do you have an active blog where you are posting company and industry-related content? Your site represents your company 24/7. It’s got to be a hit. It’s like a great agent—representing you, promoting you, consistently and cleverly attracting the right attention.
4. CONTENT
Do you have an effective content strategy? Do you have a dedicated person or team of people that are actively involved in creating, scheduling and delivering content about your products/services online and in print? BtoB magazine recently asked top marketers what they were focusing on next year and all of them said content is a top priority. BtoB’s digital marketer of the year, GE’s Linda Boff, said the opportunities in digital (videos, photos, pure content, apps) are rich, but the single biggest area GE will be focusing on next year is content. How about you?
5. TRADE SHOWS
Do you have a 2012 trade show strategy? (Before/During/After) Are you taking advantage of pre-show connecting? If the answer is “no”, you’re not alone. Driving qualified traffic to your booth takes far more than adding a “visit us at Booth X” graphic to your industry pub ads. There are so many ways to connect pre-show and start the conversation ahead of time. Once at-show, those leads are already warm. Your sales team will thank you. What are you doing to connect post-show? With a trade show strategy in place, you’ll know exactly whose responsible for follow up, how they’ll do it and when. Your targets will be clearly defined. There will be no question whether or not the show was a chart-topper.
6. SOCIAL MEDIA
Are you rockin’ social media marketing? 90% of the building products industry is invested in print; create the unexpected buzz online. Be the 10% that capitalizes on that opportunity. Be active on the big three: Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, Stay abreast of the changes on each network. Did you have a Social Media Strategy in 2011? Do you have one for 2012? Its a must. Many B2B marketers in the building products industry are still questioning whether or not social marketing is something they should engage in. Let me just remind you that ten years ago the same people were questioning whether or not they needed a website…
Rocking center stage doesn’t happen overnight. There’s a lot that happens backstage. Make sure your roadies plug in the strongest brand amplifiers: messaging, print, online, content, trade shows, and social media.
They’ll come runnin’ just as fast as they can, coz everyone’s crazy ’bout a sharp dressed brand.
If your brand was a famous rock band, what would it be called?
*ZZ TOP lyrics are property and copyright of their owners.”Sharp Dressed Man” lyrics provided for educational purposes use only.
Love Is The Drug
I like pens, and I have a plethora of them.
This didn’t just start yesterday.
I covet them, and “save” my favorites. I probably have pens that are older than your children. I have pens with different colored inks, ballpoint, sharpie pens, click pens and pens with caps. I have a pen that looks like a log, and another with sparkly liquid and a blue boa feather on top. (a lovely gift from my niece.)
In recent weeks I have become enamored with my Uniball Gel IMPACT pen with the blue ink. It glides across the paper effortlessly. Its thick enough not to make a hole in the paper or huge indentation when I get excited and push too hard. Let’s face it: what I’m writing about can be very exciting sometimes - if only to me.
Today I realized my pen was out of ink. [scary music queued here. the sound of a woman screaming.]
It took me a while to “get that”. I kept going back and “trying to find my cheese in the same place”. I tried to continue to use it. I shook it. I unscrewed to top and added a couple of drops of water to the ink. I replaced the top and shook it again with renewed vigor and hope. I looked at it curiously. I looked at my creative partner. She didn’t look back. It was a kind of desperate, silent communication. Usually she responds to that. Had a broken pen ruined our level of unspoken communication? I think you can see what kind of strange of madness was happening here.
I was bewildered.
I looked through my vast collection of other pens (read: less important). No Uniball Gel IMPACT pen. I went to my savior, the Utility Cabinet. No Uniball Gel IMPACT pen. I went back to my desk and looked in every drawer. No Uniball Gel IMPACT pen. (I did find those dog bone paper clips I like so much..)
But, there was no pen joy.
Not one to dwell, I picked another pen. It took 10 minutes. For real.
Each pen I have has a personality, a reason, a thing it does better than all my other pens. Whether its for color or thickness, or the best pen to suit the story, each pen has a purpose. Try as I might to substitute another, less qualified pen to do the job of the Uniball Gel IMPACT pen, it was a 44 oz. serving of dissatisfaction. I could barely write at all. Each stroke felt like it was a 50 lb. weight in my hand dragging across an uncooperative page.
“With the stroke of a pen”, the pleasure of writing had all but disappeared.
Thankfully, an office supply fairy made a bulk purchase of 4 new Uniball Gel IMPACT pens at lunchtime, and my descent into writing hell was derailed.
Sometimes its the little things, like the tragedy of losing your favorite pen, to bring home how important your brand can be to it’s customers.
Moreover, my pen-tragedy-behavior nicely illustrates the cycle of brand love. But for those of you who don’t think in pictures like me, here it is (start at the top, and move clockwise):
When a person is connected to a brand, no other will do. That commitment is immune to similar products, similar features and/or benefits, price and/or availability. The brand experience (gliding effortlessly, no unnecessary holes or indentations) and ensuing brand trust and loyalty, prevents people from going to the dark side: the competitor.
Even in the face of diminishing brand experience (out of ink), people are catapulted to action in order to feel the brand love again. (buying the bulk pack of Uniball Gel IMPACT pens) Brand love – almost like a drug for some. No one I know, but for some…
Love Is The Drug. Hmm. Wasn’t that a Bryan Ferry Song in the 80’s?
According to a study on peak achievement article entitled, “UNDERSTANDING AND ACTIVATING YOUR BRAIN’S PLEASURE CENTERS” by Jonathan Cowan, Ph.D. and John Starman, MA,
“Having our full measure of happiness powerfully changes our view of life, our reactions to events and situations. It is amazing how different things appear when we are in a state of fear, rage, dire emergency or struggle compared to our experience when in a state of harmony, fulfillment and love. We are all looking for ways to be happy more of the time…and the possibility of influencing the system…”
In reviewing our illustration, you can see that brand love is indeed, a continuous cycle: experience-connection-trust-loyalty-[re]experience. Shower, rinse, repeat. The drive to reconnect with a brand experience inspires your audience to actively reconnect with your brand. After my pen-tragedy-behavior this morning, I can assure you that brand love is like a drug. Come hell or high water, nothing was going to keep me from my Uniball Gel IMPACT pens.
Does your brand inspire that kind of love, loyalty, connection and action in your customers?
I’ve heard that if its not “hell yes!”, its “no”. What are your thoughts?
10 Ways to Create a Sensation Around Your Brand – Part 3
CREATE EXCITEMENT -
Make your brand
the life of the party!
“It’s just moulding,” a client once said to us. “How can you depict moulding in a way that’s exciting?” We get those questions a lot, and my first thought is this: at some point, 20 or 30 years ago, one could have said it’s just coffee. Or, it’s just a phone. Think of the exciting brands built around those simple, everyday things we once took for granted—and now can’t live without.
Do your customers feel a sense of enthusiasm and assurance every time they read about, hear about or engage with your brand? You can create excitement around your brand and make it the life of the industry party—but you’ve got to do more than just “show up.”
Here’s how:
Dress to kill.
You wouldn’t arrive at a festive party wearing your blandest outfit. Your brand shouldn’t either. Think of your brand’s identity as the first thing people see. Well-tailored implies class. Bold is hard to forget. Make sure your logo and identity system are making the right impression.
Make a grand entrance.
Announce your arrival with the brand equivalent of trumpets sounding. Prior to a tradeshow or industry event, generate some buzz via email blasts or social media channels like Facebook® and Twitter®. Offer incentives such as a cool t-shirt or water bottle (branded with your dressed-to-kill logo) or give away something fabulous like an iPad. Once at the show, they’ll be looking for you instead of the other way around.
Strike up conversations.
People are most interested in themselves. Get to know your customers well by creating an online community like Festool’s Owners Group Forum. This forum not only gives Festool owners a place to share ideas and experiences, it gives the company firsthand access to opinions and customer profiles they might not otherwise get. Concurrently, they’re conversing on Facebook® and Twitter®. Festool also keeps their audience informed each month through eNews.
Mingle.
Don’t linger with the same people for the entire party. Talk to different customer segments uniquely. They each speak their own language, and response can be far greater when you talk to them one-on-one. WindsorOne™ is doing this right. Their sponsorship of the Katz Roadshow is an example of a national manufacturer gaining targeted exposure at both the dealer and consumer levels. They have different messaging in place to converse with architects and homeowners too, using multiple mediums effectively to create brand excitement.
Be confident.
Confidence is inviting and exciting! You’re an industry expert; don’t hesitate to hand out knowledge and know-how for free. Consider regularly publishing white papers about current issues and trends, and post them on your website. Share product knowledge and effective selling techniques. Arm your audience with your tools and enthusiasm. And don’t worry if writing isn’t your forte. That’s what copywriters are for, and good ones are worth every penny.
Wear a lampshade.
While “wearing a lampshade” at a party traditionally signals that someone has been over-served, it does make for a memorable moment. You can create your own moments at trade shows and in-store demos and events. A memorable theme, giveaway or presentation generates excitement around your brand and gets people talking.
Change it up.
Remember to take note of how your party experience went. Tweaking and repeating is essential for maximum impact. By consistently “changing it up” from quarter to quarter, year to year, you create excitement. Customers will perceive that something’s always happening at your company and with your product lines. You’ll be the happenin’ brand they expect to see at every party.
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Here’s to creating a sensation! Let’s get started.
Allison DeFord, Trailblazer
allison@felteverywhere.com
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