A simple 3 step process to a more successful graphic design project.
1 Get Organized.
Waiting until the last minute to get that big project rolling? Figure you can throw together some basic info and work things out after you see a proof? Be prepared for wasted time and money. Working in haste increases the likelihood of mistakes, and pushing things to the last minute will usually result in rush charges. Tight deadlines are to be expected in this business, but if you’re generally prompt and thorough about handling your end, your graphic designer will be much more willing to go the extra mile when you really need it.
2 Follow The Leader.
You’re hiring a graphic designer to perform a very specific task which usually doesn’t have very specific rules. To prevent creative energy from going astray, let them establish a strict schedule and focus on results. In a perfect marketing world it would go something like this:
Meeting-Proof-Revisions-Approval-Results. Yay!
In reality, the point between “revisions” and “approval” tends to get a little crazy. Making revisions in as few steps as possible will save lots of time — and money.
3 You’ve Hired Them. Now, let them do their job.
As the client, you are the decision maker. You must make solid business decisions and then step back. You have to forget about your favorite color or that cool font you saw on the menu at lunch. Tough to swallow? Just consider that micro-managing design projects can create a negative and counterproductive work environment and will often compromise the integrity of the finished marketing piece.
There you have it. A simple process to make your next design project easy as 1-2-3.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
What Makes You So Special?
Unless you operate in a highly specialized industry where there is virtually no competition, you are probably constantly trying to one-up your competitors. Whether you get sucked into price wars or the "why our product is better than their product" game, it's draining and endless — and honestly, not a very good way to expend your energy or your budget.
Let's try something new. First, take a look at your competition. Pay attention to what they do and do not promote. Pay attention to what they do and do not offer. Pay attention to how they operate and how they interact with consumers.
Next, start paying attention to positive consumer reactions to your product or service. Really pay attention. We're not talking about surveys and focus groups here. We want a real world perspective. Keep records of everyday encounters. This could reveal something they are value in you, but not in your competition. Pay attention when someone says they were referred to you or that your product was recommended by a friend. Do they find a specific feature of your product to be an especially nice touch? Do they value the level of courtesy and support they receive from your customer service staff? Do they find your sales people to be particularly helpful and a pleasure to work with? What is that one something that makes people buy from you instead of your competition? It might be something you intentionally designed into your product or your brand strategy, or you might find it to be something unexpected that reveals the true nature of your company. Whatever it is, this is what makes you special. This is what will help you rise above and beyond the reaches of your competition.
But, just knowing is not enough. This special something must be decidedly integrated into all direct customer interactions, all social media efforts, and all paid advertisements. This is nothing short of a complete rebranding.
When you figure out what makes you so special, you raise the bar. You no longer have to view your marketing as a competitive activity. You can simply focus on being the best at being you. Be special and success will come.
Let's try something new. First, take a look at your competition. Pay attention to what they do and do not promote. Pay attention to what they do and do not offer. Pay attention to how they operate and how they interact with consumers.
Next, start paying attention to positive consumer reactions to your product or service. Really pay attention. We're not talking about surveys and focus groups here. We want a real world perspective. Keep records of everyday encounters. This could reveal something they are value in you, but not in your competition. Pay attention when someone says they were referred to you or that your product was recommended by a friend. Do they find a specific feature of your product to be an especially nice touch? Do they value the level of courtesy and support they receive from your customer service staff? Do they find your sales people to be particularly helpful and a pleasure to work with? What is that one something that makes people buy from you instead of your competition? It might be something you intentionally designed into your product or your brand strategy, or you might find it to be something unexpected that reveals the true nature of your company. Whatever it is, this is what makes you special. This is what will help you rise above and beyond the reaches of your competition.
But, just knowing is not enough. This special something must be decidedly integrated into all direct customer interactions, all social media efforts, and all paid advertisements. This is nothing short of a complete rebranding.
When you figure out what makes you so special, you raise the bar. You no longer have to view your marketing as a competitive activity. You can simply focus on being the best at being you. Be special and success will come.
Friday, June 25, 2010
There Is No Box
It happened again. A client came to me about doing a new direct mail campaign and said, "We need to start thinking outside the box." The problem is that most people don't really get what outside the box means and they tend to use this phrase either out of frustration of not having an immediate answer to why their marketing efforts have been sub-par, or as a way of covering the fact that they are simply lost and don't know how to approach their marketing needs.
The non-existent box as explained in The Matrix…
Boy: Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead only try to realize the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Boy: There is no spoon.
Neo: There is no spoon?
Boy: Then you'll see that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself.
Thinking outside the box requires a willingness to take new perspectives and to create value in new ways. The problem is that people tend to approach this without looking inside first. The results are generally off-the-wall ideas that get everyone excited but miss the mark and are really little more than a gimmick. So instead, let's try focusing on who we are, where we fit in, and how we relate to our intended audience…
* What is our key opportunity?
* Who is our target audience?
* Where do we want to be?
* How do we get there?
* What is our primary consumer benefit?
* What should the consumer's net impression be?
* What support do we have?
* What are the mandatory facts that we must communicate?
* How do we want the consumer to respond?
Thinking outside the box creates a separation between our brand and our audience. Just as Neo must become one with the spoon, you must become one with your brand. Once you've done that, you begin to realize that there is no box and that your brand can interact freely with your audience. You will development more creative — and more effective — ideas to bend your marketing in the right direction.
Catch Light Productions
http://www.catchlight.com
Download our free Creative Work Plan and become one with your brand today.
The non-existent box as explained in The Matrix…
Boy: Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead only try to realize the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Boy: There is no spoon.
Neo: There is no spoon?
Boy: Then you'll see that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself.
Thinking outside the box requires a willingness to take new perspectives and to create value in new ways. The problem is that people tend to approach this without looking inside first. The results are generally off-the-wall ideas that get everyone excited but miss the mark and are really little more than a gimmick. So instead, let's try focusing on who we are, where we fit in, and how we relate to our intended audience…
* What is our key opportunity?
* Who is our target audience?
* Where do we want to be?
* How do we get there?
* What is our primary consumer benefit?
* What should the consumer's net impression be?
* What support do we have?
* What are the mandatory facts that we must communicate?
* How do we want the consumer to respond?
Thinking outside the box creates a separation between our brand and our audience. Just as Neo must become one with the spoon, you must become one with your brand. Once you've done that, you begin to realize that there is no box and that your brand can interact freely with your audience. You will development more creative — and more effective — ideas to bend your marketing in the right direction.
Catch Light Productions
http://www.catchlight.com
Download our free Creative Work Plan and become one with your brand today.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The Worst Advertising
It never fails, every time I hit the highway I see a billboard that boldly states…
"Does advertising work? It just did!"
I bet you've seen a similar billboard on your daily commute — proudly displaying it's pointless message in a horrible combination of fonts and colors. It is designed to serve one purpose and that purpose is simply to get everyone's attention. This, my friend, is advertising at it's worst. Why would I suggest that getting attention is bad advertising? Because it congratulates itself on having produced a result, but the result was nothing more than me reading the message. The advertising was in no way relevant to me as a consumer. Getting my attention acheived nothing. The simple fact is that the billboard company would be doing itself a huge favor if they would simply state, "Your message here." with their phone number prominently displayed. This would have addressed a potential prospect's need while providing a call-to-action. Their message does neither.
Just Be Relevant
You can impress your audience with a bold, cutting edge style. You can even wow your audience with a really creative concept. Your ad could show off every incredible feature your product offers and you can have the lowest price in town. But, if your message is not relevant to your target audience, no amount of persuasion is going make it sell.
The first thing you must do is make sure you are talking to the right audience. The second things is to make sure you show them how your product is going to meet their needs or fulfill their desires. For example, help them make or save more money, save them time, allow them to avoid doing stuff they don’t like, help them feel better about themselves. Whatever the case may be, make sure your message is relevant — and your product lives up to your pitch — and you'll be on your way to producing the best advertising ever!
Howard L. Theriot
Catch Light Productions
http://www.catchlight.com
"Does advertising work? It just did!"
I bet you've seen a similar billboard on your daily commute — proudly displaying it's pointless message in a horrible combination of fonts and colors. It is designed to serve one purpose and that purpose is simply to get everyone's attention. This, my friend, is advertising at it's worst. Why would I suggest that getting attention is bad advertising? Because it congratulates itself on having produced a result, but the result was nothing more than me reading the message. The advertising was in no way relevant to me as a consumer. Getting my attention acheived nothing. The simple fact is that the billboard company would be doing itself a huge favor if they would simply state, "Your message here." with their phone number prominently displayed. This would have addressed a potential prospect's need while providing a call-to-action. Their message does neither.
Just Be Relevant
You can impress your audience with a bold, cutting edge style. You can even wow your audience with a really creative concept. Your ad could show off every incredible feature your product offers and you can have the lowest price in town. But, if your message is not relevant to your target audience, no amount of persuasion is going make it sell.
The first thing you must do is make sure you are talking to the right audience. The second things is to make sure you show them how your product is going to meet their needs or fulfill their desires. For example, help them make or save more money, save them time, allow them to avoid doing stuff they don’t like, help them feel better about themselves. Whatever the case may be, make sure your message is relevant — and your product lives up to your pitch — and you'll be on your way to producing the best advertising ever!
Howard L. Theriot
Catch Light Productions
http://www.catchlight.com
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Managing The Marketing Mix
Problem. Many organizations approach marketing by writing a marketing plan and then putting a lot of energy into producing the projects to fulfill that plan. And all to often, the plan goes astray and the budget gets blown on unplanned incidentals, leaving the company at a loss or dipping into next year's budget in order to keep things moving. The results are inefficient and generally ineffective marketing tactics.
Solution. Complete the circle. A marketing plan is only as good as a well developed strategy. While your Individual campaigns and projects may make up the bulk of your budget, establishing and maintaining the right corporate and brand identity will ensure consistency and effectiveness. And targeting your audience by demographics is only half the process in lead generation — you must also qualify these prospects in order to produce the best ROI. Finally, the often overlooked areas of public relations and customer service, which rely more on effort than on dollars, can quite possibly create the make-or-break situation. In other words, plan your strategy and tactics rather than just listing projects and goals.
Vendors vs Partners. Will managing a marketing plan internally on an as needed basis and distributing individual projects to multiple vendors will save money and allow more projects to be produced for greater results? No necessarily. The average cost for a client to take on a new vendors is approximately 12.5% of the budget. This is due to the following problems:
* Short-rated contracts
* Transfer of artwork and other files and information
* Out-of-pocket and time lost to conduct a new vendor search
* Time needed to get the new client/vendor up to speed
* Start-up inefficiencies for the new vendor as they learn the client’s business and procedures
By forming a relationship with your agency as a strategic partner, you will be following the lead of successful companies who understand the benefits of of such an alliance. With the right partner at your side, you will benefit from greater market intelligence, a viewpoint not affected by internal politics, and greater efficiency as all involved remain focused on well developed strategies.
Solution. Complete the circle. A marketing plan is only as good as a well developed strategy. While your Individual campaigns and projects may make up the bulk of your budget, establishing and maintaining the right corporate and brand identity will ensure consistency and effectiveness. And targeting your audience by demographics is only half the process in lead generation — you must also qualify these prospects in order to produce the best ROI. Finally, the often overlooked areas of public relations and customer service, which rely more on effort than on dollars, can quite possibly create the make-or-break situation. In other words, plan your strategy and tactics rather than just listing projects and goals.
Vendors vs Partners. Will managing a marketing plan internally on an as needed basis and distributing individual projects to multiple vendors will save money and allow more projects to be produced for greater results? No necessarily. The average cost for a client to take on a new vendors is approximately 12.5% of the budget. This is due to the following problems:
* Short-rated contracts
* Transfer of artwork and other files and information
* Out-of-pocket and time lost to conduct a new vendor search
* Time needed to get the new client/vendor up to speed
* Start-up inefficiencies for the new vendor as they learn the client’s business and procedures
By forming a relationship with your agency as a strategic partner, you will be following the lead of successful companies who understand the benefits of of such an alliance. With the right partner at your side, you will benefit from greater market intelligence, a viewpoint not affected by internal politics, and greater efficiency as all involved remain focused on well developed strategies.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Something Unexpected
In today's highly competitive marketplace, consumers can choose from any number of competing sellers in order to get what they want. When you and your competitors offer the same quality product and rely on low prices, loss leaders, and special incentives to make the sale, the product becomes a mere commodity and price is all that matters. But, when you shift your focus away from the sale and toward the consumer experience, you change the playing field.
Far too often, consumer experiences are delivered short of expectations. With the heavy presence of social media in our lives today, there's big buzz about "engaging" the consumer. But, I don't think too many of us understand what that really means. Doc Searls in writing about “the intention economy”, suggests that buyers find sellers, as opposed to sellers capturing buyers. He also shows us that the seller must earn respect and trust, and that branding is only useful if it is based on truth. Sellers must focus first and foremost on building relationships with buyers. The sale is a by-product of this relationship.
Building successful relationships with consumers means becoming transparent and giving them more than they expect. Now, more than ever, we must be focused on the quality of the consumer experience in addition to the quality of our product and service. Relationship building goes much deeper than simply putting your best face forward. It goes deep into that all important courtship, and it takes a whole lot more than giving flowers and holding hands to grow a beautiful relationship. It takes trust. It takes passion. It takes creativity. It takes honesty.
The average consumer prefers recommendations from family and friends over advertising. And, according to a Forrester research study examining consumer trust with various forms of advertising, consumer opinions posted online scored higher than traditional marketing tactics. Social media has permeated our daily lives to the degree that buying decisions are often based on the recommendations from around the globe instead of merely across the dinner table. This is an opportunity to capitalize on the marketing holy grail: word-of-mouth. Unfortunately, many marketers go wrong by trying to manage word of mouth. You cannot manage word of mouth. You can create the right circumstances to encourage good word of mouth. That's all you can do.
The fact is that consumers can no longer be sold to. Whether you like it or not, they are in control of when and how they buy. They know what's going on in the marketplace and they come to you armed with product reviews and competitive offers. As a marketer, now is the time to reinvent your approach in order to win consumers and meet business goals.
The opportunity is right in front of you and the choice is yours… simply do your job and deliver what you're supposed to deliver, or rise above and beyond the call of duty by delivering something great. Something unexpected.
Far too often, consumer experiences are delivered short of expectations. With the heavy presence of social media in our lives today, there's big buzz about "engaging" the consumer. But, I don't think too many of us understand what that really means. Doc Searls in writing about “the intention economy”, suggests that buyers find sellers, as opposed to sellers capturing buyers. He also shows us that the seller must earn respect and trust, and that branding is only useful if it is based on truth. Sellers must focus first and foremost on building relationships with buyers. The sale is a by-product of this relationship.
Building successful relationships with consumers means becoming transparent and giving them more than they expect. Now, more than ever, we must be focused on the quality of the consumer experience in addition to the quality of our product and service. Relationship building goes much deeper than simply putting your best face forward. It goes deep into that all important courtship, and it takes a whole lot more than giving flowers and holding hands to grow a beautiful relationship. It takes trust. It takes passion. It takes creativity. It takes honesty.
The average consumer prefers recommendations from family and friends over advertising. And, according to a Forrester research study examining consumer trust with various forms of advertising, consumer opinions posted online scored higher than traditional marketing tactics. Social media has permeated our daily lives to the degree that buying decisions are often based on the recommendations from around the globe instead of merely across the dinner table. This is an opportunity to capitalize on the marketing holy grail: word-of-mouth. Unfortunately, many marketers go wrong by trying to manage word of mouth. You cannot manage word of mouth. You can create the right circumstances to encourage good word of mouth. That's all you can do.
The fact is that consumers can no longer be sold to. Whether you like it or not, they are in control of when and how they buy. They know what's going on in the marketplace and they come to you armed with product reviews and competitive offers. As a marketer, now is the time to reinvent your approach in order to win consumers and meet business goals.
The opportunity is right in front of you and the choice is yours… simply do your job and deliver what you're supposed to deliver, or rise above and beyond the call of duty by delivering something great. Something unexpected.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
The Right Answer
Effective annual marketing plans have always relied on a combination of real data and intelligent assumptions. Recent years have brought us a great deal of change at a very fast pace, which has created new challenges as well as new opportunities for preparing an effective 2010 marketing strategy.
I believe it is very safe to say that when it comes to marketing tactics, there is no common "right answer". When asked by clients if a particular tactic will produce the desired results, I can only honestly say that it all depends on the product, target, message and — more importantly in today's changing landscape — how the consumer wants to be approached.
If you aren't familiar with the Four P's of marketing [see footnote], it's a tried and true concept that I believe is as relevant today as when it was first introduced a half a century ago. However, the fourth P, "Promotion", requires some special attention these days. It isn't all about print vs broadcast media, public relations, and your sales force anymore. Today we are faced with — and perhaps blessed with — the possibility of building personal relationships with the masses. Today's buzz phrase is "Social Media" and it really can work if you are smart in your approach.
Before jumping onto FaceBook or Twitter, it's important to understand that social media can work with you or against you in two significant ways:
1. Social media allows you to hold a conversation with your audience
2. Social media allows your audience to hold a conversation with others about you
It is also important to understand that social media isn't just about FaceBook and Twitter. It's also about blogs, media sharing, widgets, mobile apps, podcasting, rss, email, and good ol' word-of-mouth. According to the MarketingSavant, a social media campaign by Ben & Jerry's yielded a 42% increase in time spent engaged with their website, strengthened existing relationships, and introduced younger audiences. This is an excellent example of how you can utilize social media through your own website without relying on trends like FaceBook.
But, don't let assumptions about social media overpower your focus on traditional media. Broadcast, outdoor, and print media are still the right choices in many cases. With the array of marketing channels available to us today through social and traditional media comes much uncertainty. For this reason, it may be wise to include experiments in your marketing strategy to isolate the effects of each option. If you have real data on your target demographics and psychographics — and you really should — you can start with assumptions about how they may want to be approached. Perform short market tests through seemingly appropriate channels and cut the loser at each stage. It will take time to isolate the winners, but solid experiments will ultimately reveal them.
As you begin working on next year's marketing plan, take a fresh look at the marketing mix. Determine which uncertainties require the most attention, and why. Work through the potential impact of reducing these uncertainties and you will be on your way to finding the right answer for attracting new customers and retaining existing ones.
Until next time,
Howard Theriot
Catch Light Productions
Four P's Of Marketing
http://www.netmba.com/marketing/mix/
I believe it is very safe to say that when it comes to marketing tactics, there is no common "right answer". When asked by clients if a particular tactic will produce the desired results, I can only honestly say that it all depends on the product, target, message and — more importantly in today's changing landscape — how the consumer wants to be approached.
If you aren't familiar with the Four P's of marketing [see footnote], it's a tried and true concept that I believe is as relevant today as when it was first introduced a half a century ago. However, the fourth P, "Promotion", requires some special attention these days. It isn't all about print vs broadcast media, public relations, and your sales force anymore. Today we are faced with — and perhaps blessed with — the possibility of building personal relationships with the masses. Today's buzz phrase is "Social Media" and it really can work if you are smart in your approach.
Before jumping onto FaceBook or Twitter, it's important to understand that social media can work with you or against you in two significant ways:
1. Social media allows you to hold a conversation with your audience
2. Social media allows your audience to hold a conversation with others about you
It is also important to understand that social media isn't just about FaceBook and Twitter. It's also about blogs, media sharing, widgets, mobile apps, podcasting, rss, email, and good ol' word-of-mouth. According to the MarketingSavant, a social media campaign by Ben & Jerry's yielded a 42% increase in time spent engaged with their website, strengthened existing relationships, and introduced younger audiences. This is an excellent example of how you can utilize social media through your own website without relying on trends like FaceBook.
But, don't let assumptions about social media overpower your focus on traditional media. Broadcast, outdoor, and print media are still the right choices in many cases. With the array of marketing channels available to us today through social and traditional media comes much uncertainty. For this reason, it may be wise to include experiments in your marketing strategy to isolate the effects of each option. If you have real data on your target demographics and psychographics — and you really should — you can start with assumptions about how they may want to be approached. Perform short market tests through seemingly appropriate channels and cut the loser at each stage. It will take time to isolate the winners, but solid experiments will ultimately reveal them.
As you begin working on next year's marketing plan, take a fresh look at the marketing mix. Determine which uncertainties require the most attention, and why. Work through the potential impact of reducing these uncertainties and you will be on your way to finding the right answer for attracting new customers and retaining existing ones.
Until next time,
Howard Theriot
Catch Light Productions
Four P's Of Marketing
http://www.netmba.com/marketing/mix/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)