marketing strategy

Recent Branding News

This year we’re going to make Branding News a regular part of our blog. Our goal in doing so is to: bring you up to speed on what some major, well-known companies are doing, highlight the latest trends in branding, and inspire you with stories of creative, unique branding moves.

Here are three of the most interesting branding stories to come out recently:

Nissan debuts brand scent.  In a bid to woo car-lovers at the North American Auto Show, Nissan is appealing to consumer’s olfactory senses by testing a ‘brand scent’ that they may roll out to dealers if successful.  Nissan describes its brand scent as “quite a modern smell — a bit Oriental”.  The brand scent is part of the automaker’s new multisensory brand experience. According to Nissan, “The new Nissan exhibit is designed to interact not only with the senses of sight and sound, but also touch and smell.”

The goal is to make people feel “at home” and of course, spend more. Nissan is certainly not the first to use brand scents, but we haven’t heard of it in the auto industry in many years. Brand scenting is common in the luxury hotel and retail industries; Victoria’s Secret, Abercrombie and Fitch, and Singapore Airlines all use it.  Overall, this trend is more than just brand scents; it’s actually the multi-sensory brand experience that we see emerging.

MAC puts female bodybuilder in cosmetic ad.  MAC cosmetics is well-known for their unconventional choices to advertise their brand. They typically are a cutting edge brand who has used Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj in their advertising campaigns. They’ve gone a completely different route this time, though, to advertise their makeup line called “Strength”.

Instead of using waifish models as the rest of the fashion and cosmetics industry usually does, in this new ad they feature bodybuilder and fitness model Jenna Abbou.  And she is ripped!  We’re talking well-defined muscles here, not just toned.  The tag line for the new line is “Flex your femininity with a color collection that’s fearless, elegant and strong. Strike a powerful pose, stand out, redefine the notion of beauty – and do it with strength too irresistible to ignore.”

It’s a beautiful ad, and frankly we love the fact that they’re embracing a new standard of beauty!

Lipton launches “Drink Positive” tagline in the U.S.  We were intrigued by this story because, well, Lipton is not really a very exciting brand. It’s been around forever, but they have been overshadowed by specialty tea brands with exotic flavors, as well as their own newer lines like green tea, tea in pyramid-shaped bags, herbal tea, and iced tea.  Now, however, they’re focusing on the flagship black tea product that comes in the highly recognizable yellow box.

Interestingly enough, the Unilever execs (Unilever owns the Lipton brand) are saying this new campaign is the first extensive effort to be devoted to Lipton black tea in the U.S since 1989! The new campaign targets Millennials, whom the executives describe as “life embracers”.  The branding efforts also include making the yellow box even brighter; maybe even to a ‘lively’ shade of yellow?

With this campaign, Lipton’s carving out their unique benefit by focusing on the feeling you will get from drinking the tea, rather than their expertise or origin of the tea, like many other companies do.  All in all, we think this is a very smart move by Lipton and will be following this campaign to see the results!

That’s our branding news roundup for this issue. For more interesting and relevant marketing news, please Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter!

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To Change or Not to Change, That is the Question

The New Year is almost here!   This is important, because the New Year represents a change where we leave the old year behind and swiftly move into a new year with new challenges.  It would be easy enough to declare “What’s behind us doesn’t matter!”  However, such change deserves reflection on what the passing year means to our business and what the New Year holds. Here are some questions to ponder when considering a new direction for the New Year:

 

  • What was our biggest accomplishment for 2012?
  • Did we meet our overall goals?
  • What mistakes did we make?
  • Did we track our progress regularly?
  • Were our customers satisfied?
  • What do our employees say we did well?

One of the biggest questions for the New Year will be, “Is it time to make a change”.    For the visionary in us, such a thought is invigorating!  Why, then, would we be reluctant?  For any experienced entrepreneur or executive, we know making a conscious effort to change takes time, energy, resources, and commitment.  It will reach into every component of the business, and may forever alter the course of the organization.

A review of the passing year should reveal whether change is needed.  Because we generally improve the things we measure, we need to have the pulse on our key metrics.  We should know, for instance whether or not we exceeded our customer’s expectations.  We should know if our team members and partners are happy, and if we did a good job with cost control, production, sales, and warranty.  Through our metrics, we’ll be able to determine if we have achieved what we set out to accomplish.  If we can’t readily assess the state of our business, then we know what the first “change” should be.  We need a dashboard that gives us a quick read on the key metrics in our business so that we can see at a glance where we are succeeding and where we are coming up short.  This is an important driver for success!

Let’s presume that we have such a dashboard.  Some of the metrics will be based on feedback from our customers that will help us gauge the effectiveness of our processes including customer service, product design, sales processes, pricing and warranty.  Interviews with our customers should give us information on how they perceive we performed in comparison to our competition and how well our team is performing at each level.   By having this important feedback from our customers, we can often see what is working and what is broken.  If we pay attention to our customer surveys, we can obtain some valuable feedback on what we need to do to move the needle in a positive direction.

Our customers are obviously key stake holders, and they are the ones we are all accountable to.  Team members are also key stakeholders because sound execution depends on them.  If we properly support and incentivize our teams and empower them to always do the right thing for our customers without delay, our customers will reward us for it.  At the same time, if our employees fully understand our value proposition and believe in the service and products we offer, they will become ‘walking billboards’ for our organization.   By measuring performance, we can identify the strengths and weaknesses in our culture and our team, and may also find weaknesses in our processes that need to be shored up. Ultimately, the feedback from our key stakeholders will lead us to answering the big question “To Change or not to Change!”

Let’s face it, some companies operate their business without reflecting on previous year’s accomplishments and mistakes, and some business leaders operate “by the seat of their pants” when it comes to processes.  Great companies have a defined mission and purpose, a clearly articulated set of core values and a firm commitment to excellence.   In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins writes this about the Culture of Discipline: “When you combine a culture of discipline with an ethic of entrepreneurship, you get the magical alchemy of great results.”

The New Year presents a fresh opportunity to change the direction of your organization and infuse momentum into your company.   An objective review, assessment, and diagnosis will get the ball rolling.     It will involve a transition plan that is well orchestrated, and buy-in from everyone on your team.    In the end, your enterprise will be moving forward on a solid footing, prepared for sustainable success with the appropriate tools and the right team to get the job done.

If you are considering a new direction for your business in 2013 and are struggling to map it out, please feel free to contact us at 877.609.3840 or email us  – we would love to help!

Cheers to a Happy New Year!

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Last Minute Holiday Marketing Tips for Your Small Business

The National Retail Federation predicts a 4.1 percent increase in holiday sales over 2011, and overall small businesses anticipate a strong holiday season this year.  Hopefully you are seeing these sales translate to your small business!  Though it’s mid-December, there are still plenty of shopping days left this holiday season, so we are here to help your small business make the most of your marketing efforts over the next week or so.

Here are our top 6 tips for easy, effective marketing techniques that you execute in your small business over the next few weeks:

1.  Make your website easy to navigate.  Consider making a few easy changes to your website, by highlighting great gift ideas by category.  On your home page, feature “Gifts under $50”, or “Gifts for Him/Her” or possibly “Popular Gifts”.  Additionally, you can also send these ideas out by email, or highlight on your social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

2.  Offer gift suggestions.  To continue with the idea of making it easy for people to find and choose the perfect gift, you might want to offer specific gift suggestions.  One way to do this is to create and highlight specials for the month of December – the key here is that you are determining which of your products you are trying to drive sales for.  People are always looking for the perfect gift, especially for those hard-to-buy-for people in their lives, so this is your opportunity to get in from of them  with some great gift ideas.

3.  Use Your Creativity.  It doesn’t have to be elaborate, but the holidays are a great time to implement a campaign such as “The 12 Days of Christmas”, “Reindeer Games” or “Santa’s Elves Suggest” where you highlight a ‘deal of the day’ via email or social media.  You can easily do this in conjunction with tip #2 above (Offer gift suggestions) or make it a stand-alone campaign.  Do what works best for your small business!

4.  Highlight shipping deadlines.  Make sure your shipping deadlines are very clear on your website and on your social media sites and emails.  Nothing is worse than an angry customer who ordered a gift and it didn’t make it in time for Christmas day.  Another thing you can do is offer special expedited shipping, or highlight upgraded shipping services.  The intent behind this tactic is to instill urgency, and motivate people to buy now, instead of waiting.

5.  Drive customers offline and into your store.  If you don’t offer shipping services, or online purchases, you can still use many of the above ideas, and simply drive them into the store to make their purchase.  Consider offering your customers the ability to call and purchase over the phone, as well the option for gift wrap, and they can simply drop by to pick up their beautifully wrapped gift purchase!  Use email, as well as Facebook and Twitter to remind people how many shopping days are left, and continue offering gift suggestions and specials right through Christmas Eve day.

6.  Plan for Super Saturday.  Super Saturday, as it is called, is the last Saturday before Christmas, and it accounts for a significant portion of holiday sales for retail stores – to the tune of $15 billion dollars!  Surprisingly, some businesses do as much as 60% of their sales on this one day, so make sure you plan ahead for Super Saturday! This year, Super Saturday lands on December 22nd, which is great timing for retailers.  Plan to offer your best targeted promotions, incentives and specials on this day, and consider offering some freebies to entice shoppers.  Some ideas here include fueling customers with free Christmas cookies and snacks, free hand or shoulder massages, coffee and hot cider, or even an appearance by Santa.  By all means, spread the word via email and social media and make sure you are staffed to support the additional traffic on this crazy shopping day!

It might take a bit of extra effort and planning, but this holiday season can be your best ever, in terms of revenue, if you implement a few of the above strategies. They are low-cost and relatively simple to implement, which make them perfect for busy small business owners like you!  Happy Holidays!

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Your Brand Isn’t Just External

When it comes to leading brands, small and medium size businesses often look to replicate the success of companies like Apple, Google, or Zappos. They might wonder how to achieve that same level of brand fanaticism. Yes, these companies spend millions of dollars to build their brands. However, the truth is companies like Apple could not have achieved the level of success and brand loyalty they have without starting with internal branding.

Many people are not familiar with internal branding, or at least not with the specific terminology. Internal branding in the simplest terms is when a company uses the power of their organization’s culture to build a strong brand. It is aligning and engaging the employees to consistently deliver increased value to your customers.  It is also connecting employees with the company’s vision for delivering distinctive value to customers.

Your employees will express their perception of your brand by the way they do their jobs, the way they treat your customers, the way they interact with each other, and the way they embody the brand on their own accord.  You will always have a few people that just want to clock in (so to speak), do their job, and go home.  But, the majority of employees truly want to be a part of something bigger than them and are ready to get emotionally involved in their work.

As with your external brand, your internal brand will develop whether you deliberately define and shape it or not.  In fact, your internal brand is influencing your success, or lack of success, right now.  That’s why it we think it’s important that you put just as much effort into developing your internal brand as you do developing your external brand.  This is why at SunUp Group, we have built internal brand discovery into our core brand development methodology.  Interviewing employees and garnering their input as to the perceived strengths, weaknesses and daily performance of their organization can be an enlightening part of the brand development process.  We call this “brand truth”!

Customers are more likely to connect with your brand if they have a good understanding of what your company is about, what you value, and the experience delivered by your employees.  Companies like Starbucks, The Ritz-Carlton, Zappos and Southwest Airlines have dedicated time, resources, and attention to developing their internal brand so that their employees reflect the brand to the customer every day.

A side benefit, albeit a very important benefit of developing your internal brand, is that it can create a continuous cycle of improvement within your company. When your employees clearly understand your company’s orientation and intentions, they can address specific aspects of their jobs that are inconsistent or in conflict with those intentions.  This in turn will improve your product or service and create a better customer experience.

As you purposely set out to develop your internal brand, it is critical not to leave anyone out – everyone in your company plays an important role and can benefit from understanding and embodying your internal brand. Obviously it is probably most important for your employees that interface directly with customers, but the employees on the production line, in the warehouse, and in the shipping department will be able to do their job better and make the right decisions if they truly understand your internal brand.  Your employees should be a walking billboard for your brand – clearly demonstrating the ‘why’ behind your organization and the ‘what’ that makes you different.

We hope this brief introduction to internal branding helps you understand the need for an internal branding program. If you have questions or want to learn more about internal branding, please feel free to contact us or check out our webpage on brand development!

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On Raising Prices: Lessons from Successful Small Business Owners

For many small business owners, the thought of raising prices also raises their blood pressure and stress levels! After all, the decision to raise prices is a tough one, and can have many ramifications for your small business.  The main fear of most small business owners who need to raise their prices is that their customers will flee.  That definitely can happen, but most small business owners who’ve successfully raised their prices have learned that it’s not all about the numbers.  And that’s the first lesson:

1. Don’t assume price is the only factor customers consider. There is a common misconception in today’s economy that customers shop on lowest prices. That is true for some industries, but there are typically many customers who shop on quality, not just price.  Companies who try to compete on price alone often find themselves winning that race to the bottom, but don’t have any profit to show for it.

2. Compete on something other than price.  We’ve already talked about how competing on price can be a losing battle for many. Competing on something other than price allows you to charge more for a product or service because you’re offering your customers something that is better than what your competitors are providing. For example, better customer service, money-back guarantees, a better return policy, or support are all factors that give your business value and support higher prices.

3. Clearly communicate your unique differentiation and the value of your products and services.  Most small businesses who charge more for their products and services can do so because they have created an experience, a story, or a perception that allows them to charge more. Focusing on the value you deliver and communicating that consistently through your marketing mediums is key.

4.  Cover your costs.  Surprisingly, many small business owners don’t really understand what they need to charge to cover their costs and make a profit.  As a result, they work extremely hard to stay in business yet don’t make any money. So many find themselves in a position where they need to raise prices soon after they have started their business. Small or incremental price increases are what works for most small business owners. Some find that even a few dollars price increase can make margins much less precarious, and not affect sales at all.

5. Add value.  Many small business owners find they get the best results from increasing price and value.  Take a look at what you are offering, and see where you can add some value. Often-times small business owners can cross-sell or create packages that allow a price increase and give the customer more value.  Pricing tiers are also popular and typically successful. Bring the cost down for a basic product or service and add an higher value product or service can boost revenues and give the customer a choice. You might be surprised at how often the customers pick the higher value product or service!

If you’ve been struggling with whether to raise prices for your small business, we hope these lessons on pricing from successful small business owners gives you inspiration!

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5 in-Store event ideas to boost your small business

In our last blog, we talked about planning in-store events, and how to use them as part of your small business marketing strategy.  This time, we thought we would give you 5 in-store event ideas to get your creative juices flowing.  These types of in-store events can boost your small business by generating additional sales, bringing in new customers, and bringing back repeat customers.

The great thing about these types of events is that they don’t have to be elaborate, costly affairs. We have budget-friendly, creative ideas to help you decide what type of in-store event is appropriate for your small business.  Many small businesses host tasteful, creative, fun events on a shoestring budget.

Sidewalk sale. Sidewalk sales generate a lot of attention because of their venue – the sidewalk! People who may not have intended to shop in your store are often compelled to stop and browse, so it’s important to think about how you are displaying your sidewalk sale tables. Items in a sidewalk sale are usually compellingly priced, and the ultimate goal is to pique the customer’s interest enough with the items on sale, so they are drawn into the store, where they can shop your fabulous selection of merchandise!  One important note is to check with your local city authorities to see if a permit or license is required. Each city’s requirements are different and you want to make sure you have the proper approval in place!

Client appreciation event.  Client appreciation events are a little different, depending on the type of industry and/or the type of business.  For retail stores, client appreciation events can often revolve around the store’s anniversary, the unveiling of a new product/product line, or the celebration of a holiday.  One of the reasons client appreciation events can be so successful is the exclusivity of the event.  These types of in-store events are often held after normal business hours, and are invitation only events for current customers.  One of the secrets to retaining customers is to make them feel important; people like to be recognized. A special customer-only event will do just that!

Holiday Party. Most people are in a festive mood around  a holiday – it doesn’t have to be Christmas – the 4th of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day and Halloween are all holidays that people love to celebrate.  A holiday gives people an excuse to celebrate a little bit more!  When hosting a holiday party in your retail store, there are a few key things to remember:

  1. Create a festive atmosphere – show your holiday spirit!
  2. Give people a reason to linger: food, drinks, and/or entertainment will do the trick
  3. Display your products prominently: make sure you have specific items on sale and make beautiful displays with them. You might also consider a raffle to generate excitement.

Gallery event.  Contact local artists to see if they are interested in contributing artwork for the event. Most artists will jump at the chance to get more publicity!  You can use the empty wall space in your store or rent/borrow some easels to place around your store.  Make sure you invite the artists to attend as well, and host refreshments, which will help people linger longer.

Demonstration/Fashion Show.  New product demonstrations are useful to customers, and can be a great incentive to get them into your store.  For retail clothing stores, a season-inspired fashion show can be a HUGE draw for both your repeat customers and new customers as well.  Also, don’t feel you have to go the literal route. For example, a store that sells cooking products could host a wine tasting. Partnering with a local wine merchant gives you the opportunity to cross-promote and gain new customers who may not have shopped your store before!

Hopefully these ideas will get your creative juices flowing. Don’t wait – start planning an in-store event for your small business now and boost your sales!

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4 Tips for Using In-Store Events as Part of Your Small Business Marketing Strategy

Many small business owners seem to shy away from event marketing, thinking it is too costly or takes too much time. However, when executed properly, event marketing for small businesses can be a very effective way to generate new customers, leads, and even strategic partners.

There are basically three types of event marketing: organizing your own event, sponsoring an event, or attending an existing event.  Today we are going to talk about organizing your own event, specifically an in-store event.

An in-store event can be used by retailers, or anyone with a storefront location, to drive traffic, sell old inventory, and build your customer database.  An event doesn’t have to be an overwhelmingly elaborate affair.  Many local business owners have found success planning simple, yet enticing events that don’t cost a lot of money. Here are our secrets to planning a successful in-store event:

Be creative.  Everyone, it seems, has a full calendar these days. So, capturing the attention of people and getting them to make time to come to your store or business, is probably the most important key to a successful in-store event. A “sale” these days, is normally not enough to generate a large amount of traffic. Try to think outside the box, and be creative. For example, a pet grooming business or a self-service dog wash could hold a “dirtiest pet contest”. The person who brings the dirtiest pet gets their dog washed and groomed for free while everyone else gets a special discount and goodie bags just for showing up.

Create a buzz. Your goal is to plan an event that people will not want to miss. The best attended events typically communicate a sense of prestige and/or excitement. If you can get a local celebrity or media person to attend your event, this can be a very effective way to create a buzz around your event.  An A-list celebrity will cost an arm and a leg, but a boutique, for example, could bring in a local stylist who dresses famous people. It is free publicity for them and will bring people into your store.

Spread the word! An event is probably not much fun for anyone if nobody shows up. One of the keys to getting people to your event is getting the word out early and frequently. Tell everyone you know, and use social media. Start creating teasers on Facebook and Twitter, and consider creating fun videos to post on YouTube. Using social media is the best way to spread the news of your event, along with a special invitation to your mailing list. Speaking of invitations, we recommend that you don’t skimp on your invitation, as it is a critical piece of creating a buzz around your event! On-line event invitations are cheap, fun, and an easy way to track registration and who is attending. Lastly, don’t forget to publicize the event to the local media such as community newspapers, websites and bloggers.

Follow-up.  Post-event follow-up is an often overlooked area by small business owners, yet is an area that can generate even further business if executed correctly! We happen to think that Thank you notes are a nice touch, and can be a very personal way of following up. Another idea is to set up a postcard program to invite attendees to the next event. Which reminds us; don’t forget to have people sign in at the event! You’ll want to capture their names, email addresses, along with mailing address and phone number if they’re willing to give it. This is a goldmine of information for your customer database! And, once you’ve gathered the customer’s contact information at the event, follow up within the next two weeks with a special offer or discount coupon, which is exclusive for the attendees of the event.

Next time, we’ll talk about some specific in-store event ideas to boost your small business, so stay tuned for more great ideas in our next blog post!

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The New Era of Branding: Building Relationships

There’s no question that successful branding has changed dramatically within the past 5 years. Why? The rapid advancement of technology and the rise of the digital age have shifted the power from the marketer to the consumer. Consumers have the ability to opt-out of receiving marketing messages, and they have the option to consume only the content they enjoy and want to receive.  Because consumers have changed, the old method of marketing no longer works…there is no more “making the sale”.

So, let’s talk about what successful marketers know and do in today’s world. Today, successful marketing is accomplished by creating meaningful consumer experiences that attract, build and retain brand loyalty. Conversion is not as much about hammering more frequent messages, but rather the quality of the engagement with consumers. Building relationships with consumers is similar to building a long term friendship in your personal life. Trust, loyalty, authenticity, and consistency are all important qualities in building relationships with consumers – these are all similar qualities we look for in friendships, too!

Consumers are hit with over 3,000 marketing messages a day, so it’s no surprise that consumers are looking for something a bit more when making buying decisions. Consumers want to buy from companies and people whom they like, and whom they believe can fulfill their needs. They want to connect with a brand. Establishing relationships of trust with consumers is critical and is accomplished by creating marketing that has intrinsic value to the consumer.

A great way to create meaningful experiences for consumers is to add something of value to the quality of people’s lives through listening to their needs, knowledge sharing, entertainment, or problem solving.  In other words, provide engaging experiences, richer connections, and a way to help them make a positive impact on the world at large.  A key point to this strategy is that it does not involve trying to sell something. Consumers will see through this right away and move on, likely never to return.

Most consumers’ basic needs are already satisfied with products and services they currently buy. Converting these consumers requires you to not only create meaningful experiences for these consumers, but also to transcend the competition’s, and “go the extra mile”.  One key way to do this is through unique differentiation.  What you don’t want to do is sound like all the rest of your competitors. Consumers want to know why they should buy from you and not your competitors. Competing on price is tough, and not very successful in today’s world, so a better strategy is to uncover your core competencies and the ‘why’ behind why you do what you do and how that is a direct benefit to the buyer.  You may offer similar products and services as your competition, but the reason behind your business may change the ‘how’ you deliver and this will likely be the main benefit your customer remembers about your company.

The methods and mediums marketers use today have changed drastically in a relatively short time, and as such the rules of marketing have changed. Brand recognition, trust and loyalty are more important for companies today than it has been in a long while.  Many marketers are being left behind, which creates an opportunity for you and your company to stand out!

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Branding a Professional Services Company can be Tricky

Many of our clients are professional services companies (doctors, CPAs, law firms, real estate, financial advisors), and as such we regularly answer questions about how to brand a parent company and their subsidiary brands.  This week we were approached by a real estate company with some frustration over the difficult task of how they could develop their company brand, the agent brands and the relationship between their independent agents and the parent real estate company (with over 50 agents).   Understanding brand architecture and the hierarchy of brands within a single company can be confusing and should be carefully considered in any brand or marketing strategy.

Companies need to understand that the need for clear brand architecture is not limited to large companies; this is equally important for small companies that have multiple brands.  Any time you have an interrelationship of the parent company, subsidiary company (i.e. an agent), and products and services, it is important to bring visual and verbal order to the brands to help a company grow and market more effectively.

Here are a few key questions to start determining your brand architecture:

1.)     What are the benefits of leveraging the name of the parent company?

2.)     Is there any reason we should distance or dis-associate the two brands?

3.)    Will co-branding confuse customers?

4.)    What is the most compelling message of the parent brand and the subsidiary brand?

5.)    How can we leverage this message to attract more clients?

6.)    Should the parent brand always be visible in a secondary position?

As you think through some of the questions regarding brand relationships within your organization, consider visually how the brands appear related, verbally how the story of the brands are connected and technically how seamlessly you can find the brand relationships online.  Internal and external brand alignment, and intentionally developing perceptions of your business is critical to establish a presence and capture market share. A cohesive and consistent brand is not an option – it is a must for any business!

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