Word Marketing Blog

Brand Credibility

One of the things I talk to my clients and prospects about when building a brand is "who are you"?

Just as in a human's DNA structure, inside a brand's double helix lies complicated strands of pieces and parts, and one of those is credibility.

Credibility is made up of two parts.

Part 1-Trustworthiness

• When I do business with your brand, will I get what you promised?
• When I do business with your brand, will I get what I expected?
• Will your brand deliver it within the price quoted or budget discussed?

Part 2-Expertise

• When I do business with your brand, do it possess the skill required to deliver the results?
• When I do business with your brand, will you deliver the value I expect?
• When I do business with your brand, will the results you deliver be the best possible?

These are just a very few of the questions to pose when analyzing the credibility portion of brand building potential.

Building Brand Problems for Small & Large Organizations

The benefits of long-term brand building are very similar for both small and large organizations, however some of the most common problems related to brand building are very different.

Most likely brand problems in small organizations:

• No background or skill level in developing a plan for the brand
• Lack of time
• No or little understanding of who is buying their products and services and for what reasons
• Lack of funds
• Little or no marketplace awareness of the brand

Most likely brand problems in large organizations:

• Market/Advertising position is no longer relevant, distinctive or compelling
• Marketing (and other dept) functions are not integrated
• The brand structure (if present) has become too complicated and unclear
• Current leadership doesn't have a clear and accurate view of what the brand position should be
• The brand identity standards and systems have fallen in use or are not measured and inspected anymore
• Organizational structure and bureaucracy work against an invigorated new brand position

Although these are the most common brand building problems, they are certainly not insurmountable. Building brand is an ingredient to staying in the balanced and predictable growth mode for organizations and business.

Christmas Cards

One of my favorite Christmas memories revolves around Christmas cards.

Both of my Grandmothers had houses which contained large ornate wood door facings when entering what we called the "living room". Each year, all of the door facings were decorated from top to bottom all around the large opening scotch-taped with Christmas cards they had received from friends and family.

It was a definite tradition each year.

The first Christmas card was made by Sir Henry Cole in 1843 in London and President Dwight Eisenhower issued the first official White House Christmas card in in 1953.

During the Great Depression, many families sent homemade cards and I can remember family members doing this in my lifetime as well.

Some people forgo the Christmas card and instead send a Christmas letter, which details all the happenings in their family over the previous year and to relay messages of thanks and blessing.

Either way, Christmas cards and letters not only convey a message of appreciation, but also reflect your brand, whether business or personal. Besides being an intimate and effective branding tool, I, for one would like to see this tradition continued and if possible, increased this year. Convey a message of positivity and hope. Sometimes, just the encouragement of such a note could make a huge difference in someone's holiday and could launch them into en entirely different and more productive mindset for 2010.

Make your Christmas card/letter list, check it twice, maybe send to more that have been naughty than nice? Naughty people need love too. Love conquers all.

Do What You Say

We live in a world of disappointments, broken promises and under delivery.

Okay, so I don't really think it's that bleak. I do, however, think that when it comes to doing what you say you will do, most people fall short. What a great place to excel with your customers and make a powerfully positive impression.

How many times have you been frustrated because you've asked for a bid you never received, left a message that was never returned, or scheduled a meeting that was not attended? And we all know that disappointments, more than satisfactions, are what people tend to tell others about.

If you promise to follow up, do so. If you set a deadline, hit it. If you make a promise, keep it. Each and every time you do what you say you will do, you build a positive reputation for your business. Customers will not only choose you over your competition, but they will also recommend you to others.

Marketing Sense

I don't really like popcorn. So why do I always want it at the theater?

Ever hear that if you are trying to sell a house, you should bake some chocolate chip cookies right before the showing?

I know someone who hates this visually beautiful commercial, simply because he can't stand the music that's used.

Good marketing considers all five of our senses, because your perception can be affected by all five senses. It's important not only to avoid any sensory discord that might work against your marketing, but to also take great care to exploit all sensory opportunities that could heighten the power of your marketing.

Consider all the sights, sounds, smells, textures and visual cues that influence your own perception, and go the extra step to incorporate positive sensory experiences into your marketing. You may be surprised at the difference it can make to your bottom line.

Marketing Alignment

You're throwing a summer BBQ. You've sent out the invitations and are excitedly awaiting the arrival of your guests. Your invitations say burgers and dogs will be provided, as well as some sides. You say there will be outdoor games to play and plenty of chairs, so bring a friend. It's going to be a great time.

So when your guests arrive, will you be scrambling to come up with a few more seats? Will you have forgotten to purchase the hot dogs or prepare the sides? Have you forgotten that the volleyball net was loaned to a neighbor (who is currently on vacation) and the washer game is missing set?

Aligning your external and internal marketing is a key component to your businesses' success. If your advertising says that you treat each customer as an individual, you must be sure that all associates are trained how to go the extra step to do so. If you dress in a suit and tie in your ad, customers should not come in to find you in khakis and button-down shirt. You may think people won't notice, but they will. And these inconsistencies damage your trust value with them.

Take special note to think about what image you are portraying to your customers externally, and make sure you are walking the walk internally. Your customers will reward you with loyalty for doing what you say.

GM Brands To Save

After reading about a recent study yesterday which tried to determine which of the General Motors brands that are on the block should be saved, I decided to take a random poll myself. I asked my Facebook friends and Twitter followers simultaneously the question just out of curiosity.

GM is looking to sell three brands and kill off one. The four brands are Pontiac, Hummer, Saab and Saturn.

In my informal social media survey, Hummer received the most support (which has already been sold off) followed by Saturn, Saab and then Pontiac.

In the worldwide CarGurus survey, Pontiac received the most support with 44%, 27% said Hummer, 20% picked Saab and only 9% named Saturn. 1700 participated in that survey and about 35 people in mine, with several people choosing to email or IM me their response. There are about 11 responses published on my Facebook profile page.

Pontiac has quite a heritage, the GTO was a most beloved car when I was growing up and I have a client that has a picture of her beautiful one sitting on her credenza. Another of my friends which participated in my survey told me last night "God save the Hummer"! after also revealing she had hit a large animal in the road on the way home from vacation. Neither the vehicle, family or animal were hurt in the producing of my poll.

Media Merge

With all the talk about new forms of media, it's important to remember that traditional forms of media can still be effective. The key is to modernize them.

Make traditional media available on the customers' terms

• Use TV, radio and print ads to drive customers to your website, where they can find the information they want, when they want it
• Place your TV ads on You Tube, so viewers can watch them on their own schedule, as many times as they like
• Use radio ads to tease podcasts - a great way to give customers more information when they are most receptive

Make traditional media interactive

• Provide, in traditional media, a way for customers to respond with feedback (typically a website)
• Consider OnDemand TV as an addition to traditional commercials
• Revise traditional coupons in print to serve as opt-in forms, allowing customers to join e-mail databases and receive ongoing deals as well as industry news, etc.

With awareness of how marketing is evolving, and acknowledgment of how customers want to receive your messages, you will inevitably find ways to merge traditional media with new media to provide profitable results.

Good Concept - Bad Planning

by Anna Lawrence:

KFC recently launched their new grilled chicken, and this week Oprah Winfrey issued a coupon for a free 2-piece meal. Seemingly a great technique to get people to try the new grilled chicken; but after going to a local KFC last night to redeem the meal, I'm not sure this won't hurt them more than it will help.

Personally, I have lost favor with KFC over the years. I have fond childhood memories of family picnics with buckets of KFC. Every now and then I get a hankering for that reminiscent yummy-ness and make a visit. Every time I am disappointed.

The restaurants, no matter which location I visit, always seem less than clean. The buffet always looks half-tended to, and the food - which has always been a guilty pleasure for me, always seems even less healthy due to the atmosphere of the restaurant. I am not a health-nut and enjoy fast food from many establishments, but I never leave KFC feeling good.

The coupons, in my opinion, only compounded an already poor assessment. Obviously, the employees were not prepared. The line for the free meals was long and slow, as only so many meals could be prepared at a time. The employees were scrambling to get orders filled, and henceforth did not have time to attend to the dining room or the buffet. Paying customers who showed up for the buffet complained that it was bare. Finding a clean table was close to impossible.The entire atmosphere tainted the experience of actually eating the food. And finally, the employees had instructions about what sides would be available with the offer that did not match up with the customers' understanding of the coupon, which caused additional strife.

So what can be learned?

First, when strategizing about marketing it's important to thoroughly think through all possible scenarios, especially what could go wrong. Second, don't devise a marketing event without first considering what the real impairment to the business might be, and then determine if this event will help or hinder the original impairment. And finally, make sure all employees are prepared for and confident in how the event will run.

Free samples have been a winning strategy for many restaurants in the past and likely will be again - for those businesses that properly prepare. Good marketing means thorough planning. Bad planning can make even a good concept ineffective.

Email Marketing

by Anna Lawrence:

With comparatively low costs, high ROI and a focus on customer retention, e-mail marketing is a growing and effective solution for marketing when marketing budgets are thin. But in order to be effective, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

Email marketing is NOT:

• SPAM - don't purchase an email list
• Forced sales
• A quick sale medium

Email marketing IS:

• Permission based, Opt-in
• Positively received by customers
• Effective when providing valuable information and feedback formats
• An interactive forum
• A long-term, relationship builder

Done correctly, it can be an integral piece of our marketing arsenal. If you'd like to know more, let us know!