Agent for the Arts

Branding Excellence

Q: What do the following name brands have in common?

Hellmanns, Dove, Bertolli, Lipton, Comfort, Axe, Vaseline, Slim-Fast.

A: You probably recognize all of them. They've all been developed by the same company. They're all excellent.

I'm not working for Unilever, but if I was, I'd be set for life based on just one client's portfolio. A valuable lesson in the power of branding excellence.

Six Flags vs. Disney

This summer, I went to Six Flags New England in Springfield, MA - and it was lame. The rides were great, but the staff ruined the experience. From security to maintenance, ride operators to food service, everyone seemed to be having a bad day... and the only thing they all worked hard on was making the day miserable for everyone else.

This winter, I will make a trip to Florida and can't wait to go to Disney World. I know the rides won't be as great as they are at Six Flags, but I can count on a wonderful experience from wake-up call to lights out. Rather than counting on the 3 minutes per ride for excitement, I know it will be fun all day - besides, it's the happiest place on earth.

Your business doesn't necessarily have to be the best, fastest, smartest, biggest, or most convenient. You just have to give your customers a better experience than the competition. From your website to your reception desk, how can you and your employees give your clients a better experience?

Why do you hate marketers?

We're only trying to do our job, which is usually to make yours more successful. So why do marketers get a bad reputation?

Because we constantly battle with businesses that don't think they need professional marketing. Now, don't get me wrong - I'm not trying to be condescending or pretend like there aren't some very devoted business owners who do a great job at selling their products. But too often, we read or hear ads that don't have much thought behind them. As a result, customers end up exposed to the same lines of BS... and ultimately think, "they'll say anything just to get our business."

Case and point: car dealerships.

Well, some of us marketers are trying to win your affection by taking the high road; telling the truth and getting your permission before we give our pitch. Ethical business owners are doing the same; trying to open their brand to real criticism and conversation through social media.

Customers and clients: if you can't get close to the brand (or manager or owner), be skeptical.

Businesses: if you can't get close to your customers or clients, what are you hiding behind? Get it out of the way before it becomes a permanent barrier.

Thumbs up: Fisher C/J Department

I recently sent an email to Dr. Seward and Dr. Vicker who each served as chairs for the Communication / Journalism Department at St. John Fisher College in Rochester while I was there. I'm probably a huge nerd for doing so, but I wanted to thank them for some of the things I didn't realize while I was a student.

We had Facebook and MySpace available to us 5 years ago, but we never used them for marketing or advertising. The media were too new to break down and analyze how they could be helpful for emerging businesses and brands. Linkedin was barely on the horizon and Twitter wasn't even a twinkle in Jack Dorsey's eye.

But we learned enough about ethics, theory, general marketing, and brand development to know how to apply the lessons to new media. At Fisher, that was the whole point: technology will always create new possibilities for spreading our message, but the basics will always apply.

Whether you're placing a full-page ad in the New York Times or developing a fan page through Facebook, your brand has to be positive and clear. Michelle Greer drives this point home in her latest blog post: Marketing Campaigns that Spread Themselves.

Fisher C/J Department, thanks again! Keep up the good work!

Happiness does not equal reality

Whoever says happiness comes from reality... is wrong. For example, If I tell you I'm going to give you $50 and only give you $20, you'll probably be disappointed. But if I promise you $5 and give you $20, you'll be overjoyed. Same reality, different levels of happiness.

The same is true at work. Always under-promise and over-deliver. Whatever the reality, your clients and co-workers will be much happier if they expect less.

So that's probably nothing new, but how does it translate to marketing and graphic design? You can't promise a good website and deliver a great one because it's all subjective. So before you begin a project, think of all the ways to objectify its results. Then over-deliver.

Promise 3 drafts of a website layout, then present 5. Promise to spend no more than 30 hours on a project, then spend 50. Promise to charge no more than $1000, then factor in a reduced price on the invoice. When you objectify the results, it's much easier to over-deliver. And when you over-deliver, you're more likely to get happier clients, which equals more referrals and future work.

Social Media Teamwork

Question: Who should be in charge of social media in my office?  Answer: EVERYONE!

Hiring a social media consultant or putting one person in charge is a great way to help organize your message and connect each channel, but delivering the message and getting people interested is a group effort. Here are some simple ways to involve everyone you work with:

1. Write an update that everyone can use.
   Instead of sending your business updates through one account, email it to all your co-workers so they can copy and paste it easily into their own profiles.
   
2. Tag your business friends in professional photos.
   If you've just had a company picnic or business after hours reception, pick out the photos that look best and tag your co-workers. It will show all their friends how your office can be professional AND fun!
   
3. Encourage everyone to add to business profile pages.
   If you develop a Facebook page specifically for your business or have a separate Twitter feed for work updates, encourage your employees to interact with those accounts. That way, the information will be exposed to more people.
   
4. Link to social media from your "Bio" page.
   If everyone has a picture, short description, and contact information on your company website, add links to their social media accounts, as well. (If you don't have a Bio page, consider adding it ASAP - people relate best with people!) Visitors may not have a reason to get in touch with them right away, but by seeing their updates, they'll continue to think about your business and might strike up a conversation down the road.

More blue, please

As a website designer, I always love to hear my friend's story about a client who wanted their website and logo "more blue."

First of all, my friend is a web developer (not a designer). Don't know the difference? Secondly, and hopefully more obvious, is that making something "more blue" is entirely subjective.

I have gotten requests for redesign to make things "more elegant," "deeper," or "more modern" (although never "more blue"). Those are difficult requests to answer, though, because they're so subjective.

As a client on any project, it's important to know the capacity of the consultant you're working with. It's also important to try to be descriptive and elaborate. You might think you're being a pain by making specific requests, but it's the best way for a designer, developer, or any consultant to deliver a product that truly makes you smile!

Use your passion

It's easy to be passionate about wine or fishing or baseball or music or.... you get the point. But sometimes it's difficult to be passionate about work. In those times, it might help to turn to your hobbies. I'm not talking about vacation time - instead, I'm suggesting you write down the things you love about the things you love and apply them to work.

For example, if your first love is acting, what skills can you hone to be better at your job? Improvisation? Public speaking?

Maybe you can think of a thousand ways your favorite sports team can be even better. Well, what moves can your company make to be the best it can be? Is there someone who will listen to your suggestions?

Are you into gardening? If so, you know that certain plants require special care at strategic times and others grow better if you leave them alone for a while. Which tasks should you set aside and which need your immediate and full attention?

What else are you passionate about?

It's Not That Bad

One of the difficult things for marketers is that people are usually skeptical about something being "too good." We've been burned too many times by company promises that aren't backed up. And our vocabulary has been numbed to words like "best," "most," and "highest." I'm reminded of the scene from Elf when Will Ferrell's naive character is overjoyed for the New York City diner that displays a sign claiming they have the "World's Best Cup of Coffee."

However, the interesting thing is, while we don't get too excited about great news, we still get really worked up about "bad" news. Michelle Obama wearing shorts on Air First One is terribly disrespectful. The new health care plan is going to kill grandma. Brett Favre wearing purple turns thousands of cheese-heads into ravenous lunatics. (I'm paraphrasing the news, but you get the idea.)

The "world's greatest" anything isn't so great. But an ounce of bad news spreads like wild fire. In this type of culture, how does your business handle its marketing and public relations?

Quality or Nothing

Fads still exist within social media (think Mafia Wars), but the sites themselves are here to stay. So it's important to learn how to use them. And the best way is to take the "quality" route.

Think about traditional media - tv, radio, newspaper, magazines - and the ads that stand out. We encounter thousands of promotional messages every day, but the ones that make it into our real life thoughts and conversations are most effective.

The same is true for social media. You don't have to send an update every day or boost your member count over 100 (or 1,000 or 10,000). Instead, send an update when it's really meaningful and go after those people who are your true fans.

While everyone else is "playing" with social media, spend more time honing your message - so when it's your turn, people will remember what you said.