Ross loves twittering. You can see that he is in “Twitter” mood when his eyes light up and he has a smile on his face like a child on Christmas day. And everybody knows, he is going to enchant the world and his faithful followers with some wisdom about his passion-  branding -  or just something interesting that happened in his life. Personally, I already feel over challenged keeping my private Facebook account up to date and I don’t even want to talk about my LinkedIn profile. However.  (you could see it coming, this “however”…) As responsible for e-marketing I have become a bit of an evangelist for social as well as business networks as a fantastic marketing tool. “Viral Marketing” is the magic word, which means nothing more than “word-of-mouth”. Basically, let others do your marketing for you. Spread the word, pass it on to your followers who pass it on to theirs who pass it on to theirs… and before you know, your audience has gone from 20 to 8000. No costs involved. How much better can it get?

What does this have to do with email marketing? An e-newsletter can be the ideal place to drive people to your networks and to get the ball rolling. You add a little icon to your newsletter (can be Twitter, can be Facebook or LinkedIn or all of them – whichever suits your business best) and place it strategically so that people can easily find and click on it. If only 5 people click on your profile and decide to follow you (I keep to the Twitter example) and each of them have 20 followers themselves – imagine how easily you’ve enhanced your potential target audience. Or why not create a group, start a discussion and kick it off in your newsletter? The options are endless…

Whenever we start a new email marketing strategy for a new client we strongly recommend to set up a company (not your private!) profile on at least the most commonly known networks and to promote them in the actual newsletter. It doesn’t hurt but does increase your chances of being heard and builds a deeper more engaging relationship with your audience. And if you are like me a bit scared of regular updates, here’s a nice tip: http://ping.fm/ Sign up for free, send your update to them – and it gets automatically published on all networks you have registered with them.

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Following years of working together on a variety of digital projects Sony have been working with RT in the management of their European e-marketing activities.

Over the last 18 months we have been tailoring a bespoke workflow which includes the setup, build, distribution and reporting for their European email marketing campaigns.

Now as an integral part of the Sony process we are very excited to be growing this department as a world class resource for other leading brands to unlock the potential of effective, well planned email strategies.

We offer design, build, distribution and complete strategic campaign management to companies who are serious about developing truly engaging relationships with their customers.

Sony Digital Marketing: “We have now been working with RT Media for over seven years – longer than any other agency – and we enjoy a close relationship with them. RT have been responsible for many of the banners and microsites on Sonybiz.net and played a key part in ensuring we were able to launch our new site to schedule in January 2007. RT have also been responsible for some of our most successful eCommunication campaigns, driving forward both awareness and sales of our products. More recently, we have entered into a new partnership with RT for them to take on management for a big part of our eCommunication activities, including the set-up, distribution and reporting of the more than five million EDMs and eNewsletters we send out every year. We look forward to working closely with RT for a long time to come.”

We will be putting together a Case Study later next month so we will keep you informed.

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Last year we gave away a FREE brand audit to one lucky entry at the BowShot e-Den.2 series. The winners were New Driver, the South’s most prolific driving school with some 280+ franchise instructors across the south.

We are now delighted to announce that we will be supporting New Driver through a new phase of positioning and market share growth. The work has involved strategic planning and forecast modeling for the next 5 years, along with the development of completely ground breaking suite of package offerings to the driving instructors market.

The new brand and communications program will roll-out over the next 2 years and form the platform for stability and increased visibility.

Working with such a passionate team has been great fun, there is so much we can do to build on the success New Driver have had over the last 20 years.

New Driver - Re-Brand Outcome

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The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding

1. The Law of Expansion: The power of a brand is inversely proportional to its scope. Trying to be all things to all people undermines the power of the brand. The strength of brands lies in becoming synony-mous with a single category. Brands that spread themselves across categories lose brand focus, identity, and ultimately market share.
2. The Law of Contraction: A brand becomes stronger when you narrow its focus. By narrowing the focus to a single category, a brand can achieve extraordinary success. Starbucks, Subway and Dominos Pizza became category killers when they narrowed their focus.
3. The Law of Publicity: The birth of a brand is achieved with publicity, not advertising. A new brand must be capable of generating favorable public-ity in the media or it won’t have a chance in the marketplace. Anita Roddick built the Body Shop into a global brand with no advertising, but with massive amounts of publicity. On the other hand, Miller Brewing spent $50 million in advertising to launch a brand called Miller Regular. The brand generated no publicity and very little sales. (more…)

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Your name matters!

I read an eye-opening book a few years ago when I was on holiday in Egypt. It’s part of a series of two: Brand failures and Brand Royalty. Brand failures tells the truth about the 100 biggest branding mistakes of all time. What can we learn from other people’s mistakes?

As the economic outlook is dismal, even with the media reporting retail sales are better than this time last year, as we rush to buy Christmas gifts which will mostly end up on ebay by February, I am thinking how can companies make sure they survive in difficult times.

When things are hard, when we are under pressure, when we sense loss, we revert to type. Old habits, basic strategies and remove over complication. A fighter will look for the punch that saved him last time he was in the corner, companies look to cut costs, adapt to become more flexible and consolidate.

I think when times are tough it is even more essential to FOCUS on strengths to survive. It’s not the time to work on the weak aspects, during the time you spend working on improving your poor right jab you will have been knocked out.

How do we a) know what we’re good at, and b) use it to survive? That can be tricky as what you were good at 5 years ago or even last year may not be right for today and tomorrow. But what stays the same are the basic rules of the game.

What I want to help people to understand is that by removing complications, by focusing and keeping it at the most basic level you will have a fighting chance.

(more…)

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As the south’s branding agency we often have people visit us who are confused about logos and ‘a brand’. Do we just need a “simple logo”… we then ask about the way they win business, how they answer the phone, who they are in competition with, how they talk, dress, treat their customers. What the staff think and feel. Do people buy from them because of price, function or service…Do they care, do they measure and if so by what? Sales, satisfaction, number of staff, customer referrals, market share or by gut?

Smart people understand that a new logo can’t possibly increase your market share, and they know that an expensive logo is not necessarily better than a cheap logo.This is the difference between understanding a logo and a brand.

A logo is an identifier, it gives people something to remember and apply to an experience or thought, like someone’s name. A brand is everything someone experiences and what they think of you.

How do you test if a logo is any good…

You can’t test a logo any more than you can test a first name. Sure, you can eliminate messy, difficult and long names, but what you should be looking to do is create the complete experience.

The visual language, service approach and every last communication from your emails to your ‘on-hold’ music is part of the ingredients to your brand success. What paper your business card is printed on to the car you drive.

It truly is everything you do, however it is important not to get overwhelmed by the enormity of this. Take it one step at a time. Prioritise which points your customers touch first and most often, which are key in winning new customers, which in retaining old ones. Work out effective methods of connecting with people in your own way and style.

Make it memorable and consistent. We love working with people who understand that a ‘brand is not just a logo’ they are half way to a stable, successful and fulfilling business. If this sounds like you then get in touch and I am sure we can create a memorable magic brand together.

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A long term client came to the office today and remarked ‘wow, what’s changed?’ I was a bit taken back as I was not sure what he was getting at. But he said it just feels different here… the energy is visible. It’s nice to get good feedback as we all know we work better when in a positive environment. We moved into Allen House just over a year ago and did the same thing we always do – focus on getting good work done for clients. A year on and the building still looked like it did when we moved in.

Surprising what a lick of blue paint and some music can do! Now it’s got our touch… nothing over the top or flashy just some of our work around the place. And I have to say it feels good. People can now see what we have been doing for others. I have never bought into the big flash London office which so many agencies feel they need. We have always built on our reputation for great work that gets results, done without pain or fuss.

So little things can make a big impression, how are you developing your relationships? Telling the stories you want? Involving, communicating and valuing your customers? My saying of the week is ‘perception is reality’ so make sure your brand is clear, your communications are consistent and your persona matches.

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It was the famous American, circus showman and empressario, P T Barnum, who said, “without promotion, something terrible happens, nothing!” Yet in the 21st century, I can’t help thinking that even he would wonder at the thousands of sales messages that we are all exposed to daily.

With all the noise we each have to find a way to promote our business, product or service. Despite what many would have you believe there is no secret formula. But just remember you never know who your sitting next to at the traffic lights or who is crossing the road in front of you!

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Every touch point you have with your audience influences their view of how easy you are:

1. Give them what they want-Find out what it is, ask them, listen and respond with products and services they want.

2. Know what’s coming-If you can address concerns and questions before they happen you will win over your audience.

3. More of the same-In a world of ever-growing choice, consistency builds familiarity. Look, feel and communications; find something that works and stick to it.

4. Do what you say-If you don’t you’re disappointing somebody.

5. Be clear-Clarity enables your audience to find what they are looking for; give it to them ‘Clear Loud And Precise’.

6. Excite & inspire-If you can do this, making difficult decisions or taking complex actions seems a whole lot easier.

7. Be intentional in your actions-Your focussed planning and direction will make it easy for your audience.

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Designers design, writers write, planners plan, salesmen sell… the list goes on. Do we strive to do to many things just to save costs. I think the true value of experts in their chosen fields should not be underestimated. The costs caused by mistakes can all to often shadow the small saving you make. By doing too many things can we really be specialists in everything. And should we expect that?

It is important to recognise skills and weaknesses in all of us and then put processes and people in place to make sure your whole is more than the parts.

Don’t rely on your spell-checker!

Read the following to see why using a spell-checker alone is not enough – everything in this poem is spelled perfectly!

I have a spelling chequer,
It came with my pea sea,
It plainly marks four my revue,
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

Eye strike a key an type a word,
And weight four it two say,
Weather eye am wrong oar write,
It shows me strait a weigh.

As soon as a mist ache is maid,
It nose bee fore to long,
And eye can put the error rite,
Its rare lea ever wrong.

Eye have run this poem threw it,
I am shore your pleased two no,
Its letter perfect awl the weigh,
My chequer tolled me sew.

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Too many people I meet think a brand is a logo… it’s not! A brand is term which covers everything someone uses to make a judgment on you or your company. Yes the identity is part of this from the colour you choose, to the name, the language in your copy. But opinions are formed from the personality of your staff, the messages and communications you send out, your prices, who else uses you and so many more.

However be careful, because if you are saying one thing and doing another then you are damaging your brand. That gut feeling your prospects and customers have about you.

Building a successful brand requires Integrated Brand Communication:

This is about effectively using the the marketing mix to convey a specific message to a desired audience. It’s both a process and a plan that looks at the needs and desires of the audience, the key messages to be imparted and then the most appropriate channels to communicate them. These channels can include sales, promotion, public relations, advertising and loads more.

This will lead to your best chance of influencing that gut feeling someone has about you. Their memory of what and how you do what you do. Then after awareness, understanding comes interaction and ultimately if you get it right recommendation.

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Creating an enviroment that is considered a great place to do work is a win win situation. We all know that we do our best work when we are happy. If we feel miserable, only firing on 2 cylinders chances are we will under perform. Finding a balance between meeting deadlines and having fun is notoriously hard in a creative company. It has been proven that happy staff work better, take less time off for stress and sickness and, as a result, benefit the company they work for.

So what makes a great company? A top payer? One that gives staff plenty of time off? Or is a great company one that incentivises staff with regular Friday night drinks?

While all those help, they’re not, perhaps surprisingly enough, the key factors that make one company great and another one not so great. The true signs of a great company are, on the whole, much more subjective.

Experts say we need to look again at how we work and learn to work smarter.

Five tips to find the right one…

(more…)

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“if you wish in this world to advance
And your merits you’re bound to enhance.
You must stir it and sump it,
And blow your trumpet,
Or trust me, you haven’t a chance.”
Gilbert & Sullivan.

I read this quote today that made me think… and although I have always found it crass to blow your own trumpet, why not get others to blow it for you! Now that is something I am more comfortable with.

I see the fine line between confidence and arrogance, between a show off and a reserved professional. I have always believed in the quiet soft approach to business. I have never sold, never gone for the deal… never pushed an opportunity. I guess that’s because I love doing what I do and measuring success for me is not just about pound notes. Is this the best way to build a business though? I was comfortable with sitting back and empowering the customer to buy.

Should we be more aggressive in a competitive market?

In the last 6 months I have recognised the power of others talking for you, on your behalf, a good testimonial positions the trumpet – great stuff. So I will stay who I am and surround myself with good people who are damn good trumpeters and prepare for advance…

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Have you become addicted to email, does it manage your time in the office?

Some organisations have banned email internally to encourage better communication between their people.

True, bad things can happen because of email, but good things also happen because of email, what’s in no doubt in the 21st century is that just about everything happens by email. But should it? There are still many instances when it’s better to telephone, fax, text or even meet!

It is doubtful that any email ever added to a relationship, but I bet it’s spoiled a few! Think before you click!

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Having reached 20 years of marriage I certainly understand that Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus, and in particular there’s something about being shut out that drives women crazy…Business/ client realtionships are like a marriage and clients are no different when they feel shut out. If you want your clients to communicate differently with you then you must become someone they want to communicate with, show them that you want to listen. Don’t interupt them with solutions, criticisms & opinions or too many questions just listen!

The way to fix any communication problem is to start with yourself; whether it’s a silent friend, a critical boss or a forgotten client – change what you do and they’ll change what they do – not easy sometimes but simple!

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