Dorset based strategic branding and digital agency, RT Media, has completed the acquisition of two Bournemouth based companies – social media training and consultancy business, SocialTech, and creative agency, Ozone Creative Solutions.

Ross Thornley. founder of RT Media, explains: “We recently carried out a strategic review within the business with a view to increasing resources, skills and generating growth. Both SocialTech (http://www.socialtech.biz/) and Ozone complement our existing capabilities and will further enhance our offering, expanding our branding expertise into all online communications and leading to a wider solution for our international, national and regional clients.”

Ross Thornley with Tony Ridgway and Luke Williams

Founded in 2008, SocialTech has built a reputation as a leader of social media training and consultancy. Its clients include Channel 4, E.ON, Condé Nast and Dorset Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI).

Luke Williams, Director and founder of SocialTech, comments: “I’ve always held the team at RT Media and the outstanding quality of their design work in the highest regard. When the opportunity to merge our businesses became available it was an obvious fit, in terms of culture and approach, and as a logical extension of their brand communication to offer an extended range of services.”

As a total creative resource, Ozone Creative Solutions brings expertise from its impressive folio of advertising, direct mail, sales literature, Point of Sale, interactive CD and online design work to RT Media. Its ‘straight talking’ and ‘clear creative thinking’ approach is also a natural fit for RT Media, as Tony Ridgway founder of Ozone, comments:

“Our view has always been to get the job done, and get it done well. The team at RT Media has a similar approach; they like to get under the skin of a client’s and challenge them to really know what is actually required to achieve the objectives. We have already started collaborating on several campaigns and new business wins, which has shown us just how much potential we have, working together.”

Steve Mills, Business Development Manager at Nutrichef said “As a long standing customer of RT we were asked to be one of the test clients they worked with pre-merger to support the re-launch of our new web site. Adding the social media knowledge from SocialTech to the branding expertise of RT worked very well, dramatically extending our reach online.”

Ross adds: “This is a coming of age for RT Media. Integrating the three very like-minded, skilled and professional teams has given us a very strong platform for growth. It is a new era, both for us and for our clients, who will most certainly benefit from having this level of resource for their campaigns.”

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Believe it or not, us human beings are programmed to respond to emotion and we often make many important decisions based on how easily we are influenced by feelings and emotive language around us. For example, making purchases in a shop or from a website based on emotion is quite normal. Just like the age old head over heart argument, we know what we should do; the logical, sensible and often safe option, but the most successful marketers understand that successful products appeal to the heart, not the mind. Going by our emotions is usually what creates the action, and this is where the magic happens!

The RT Media Brand Love Mix and effect

If we take this philosophy and apply it to marketing, it could translate as: be inspiring, be adventurous and bold, or why bother? It’s entirely possible that if you are not inspiring or causing people to feel emotions, then your brand is just ‘existing’. Emotive branding is about taking everything you do today and creating a focus. These intentions can only be realised when everyone working for the brand is reading from the same page and embrace the brand’s emotive center.

However, there is a difference between using emotion in advertising and having an emotive brand that builds meaningful connections from the foundations of everything that you do. While using emotion in advertising can help consumers buy into your concept you will need to keep this ‘promise’ as it were so that it runs seamlessly into all aspects of the customer experience from creation all the way through to implementation.

Emotive brands engage their entire organisations so that every message induces a similar set of thoughts and feelings – consumer’s thoughts about brands are made up of groups of associations: feelings, sounds, memories and images as well as facts. Studies on how the brain processes and stores everyday messages and associations suggest that knowledge, experience and emotions are the three things called upon first to make up our representation of a brand.

If these are positive connotations, the recalls should bond the customer (and the employees) to the brand. Think of the infamous Coco-cola, ‘Holidays are coming’ adverts shown on the run up to Christmas- the resulting brand harmony means brand loyalty. The idea is to genuinely bond with your target audience through  shared values, attitudes and behaviour which needs to be a long term creation not just a 30 second fling.

However, don’t lose sight of your realistic and rational benefits and values, the backbone for a ‘right decision’ is based on reason and marketing should highlight both the rational and emotional components of the brand promise to create a balance.

Ultimately, it’s the difference between indulging in meaningless marketing activity and striving for meaningful connections.

It’s a choice every brand can make.

If you would like help with creating brand love then please do get in touch. ross@rtmedia.com

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We had a moment last week in auditing our own brand and found that our website error pages were the standard ones setup on our server… Of course we set the team to rectify this terrible situation and create some ‘in-brand’ ones.

This means they got our brand treatment, that’s our language, tone, style and everything that is important to us here at RT. We feel they help to convey more about us, which all helps to build the context of what makes us as people and a team tick.

If you have also missed ‘branding’ your error pages perhaps we can help create them in your brand style? Here to help as always. The RT Team.

Take a look at our error page designs here:

See RT Brand Communications Agency – error pages image

If you want to see more of our error pages follow these links!

ErrorDocument 400 http://www.rtmedia.com/errors/error_400.htm
ErrorDocument 401 http://www.rtmedia.com/errors/error_401.htm
ErrorDocument 403 http://www.rtmedia.com/errors/error_403.htm
ErrorDocument 404 http://www.rtmedia.com/errors/error_404.htm
ErrorDocument 408 http://www.rtmedia.com/errors/error_408.htm
ErrorDocument 500 http://www.rtmedia.com/errors/error_500.htm
ErrorDocument 501 http://www.rtmedia.com/errors/error_501.htm
ErrorDocument 502 http://www.rtmedia.com/errors/error_502.htm
ErrorDocument 503 http://www.rtmedia.com/errors/error_503.htm

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Company founder and Creative Director, Ross Thornley talks about building a successful – and balanced – creative business, and his predictions for the future.

This month, RT Media celebrates a decade of creative campaigns, branding and web marketing for a client base spanning international, national and regional clients of all shapes and sizes.

Company founder and Creative Director, Ross Thornley, attributes the company’s success to a clear vision, a clear definition of success, a focussed drive to achieve it, and good timing – launching a creative agency at the start of the new media revolution.

Ross explains: “When I started the company I was 21, I worked from a bedroom armed with an Apple Mac, support from my family and a desire to prove myself.  Ten years on, RT Media has grown organically to a 10 strong team with all the skills required to fully service 21^st century campaigns.  All this has happened against perhaps the biggest ever change for marketeers; the advent of broadband into our homes.”

Ross continues:  “As a result we have grown up with the Internet, which has given us a very holistic approach to our clients’ work. To facilitate the increasing demands from clients for digital and social media campaigns, we recently launched GetShaking to maximise how social media can be monetised, and a return on investment can be tracked.  But while we know that the web can never be underestimated or ignored, we still believe every business plan and set of objectives requires a mix of communication channels.”

Today, RT Media can be aptly described as a ‘small, but well-heeled creative agency’, due to its deliberately contained growth, which centres on seeking the ‘right fit’ within the team, as well as its clients.  It also takes its impact as a business very seriously, applying for, and achieving Energy Efficiency in Business (EEIB) 2020 accreditation earlier this year.

Ross explains:  “It may sound like we are aiming to achieve some kind of Nirvana, but for me, creating the right balance between what our team needs in order to provide the highest level of service, is what business in the 21^st century is all about.  Every member of staff has input into the type of company we are on the inside, which means that we perform better for our clients on the outside.”

Ross adds: “I have worked very hard to reach a point where my vision of how a business can be balanced for the good of the whole, can be realised.  By working smartly, and with those people we actually enjoy working with, we can, and do, achieve so much more.  Over 40% of our current client base has been with us for over 5 years.”

Client retention is certainly a priority at RT Media and its high rate can be attributed to the company’s ‘client filter’, which gives the team clear criteria for doing business, and ensures that while they actively seek clients who fit, they also decline those who don’t.

So, what’s next in marketing?  Looking to the future, Ross predicts:  “Video and YouTube are effective and exciting communication channels, but their application for businesses is really very new, and will reach impact we have not seen to date.  I can also see that community delivery, through managed crowd sourcing, will also change marketing boundaries of scope and timescales.”

And the future for RT Media?  Ross adds: “We have now reached a point where we have the firm foundation, staff and resource to continue to build a strong and progressive business. Meanwhile, I plan to construct and build our own office environment, which will be ethically and ecologically sound.  It will give the business a breath-taking environment to cultivate creativity and become the hub of innovation I envisage.”

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We have launched a new division to support companies who are serious about unlocking digital marketing and social media channels within their marketing mix.

GetShaking was brought about via the concept of people shaking hands by way of an introduction. This is, in essence, what social media allows people to do far more effectively than real-world, cross-globe travels to meet and introduce yourself.

We have a dedicated team of passionate, motivated and highly experienced marketing professionals who care about getting the right result for you! From email and internet marketing, to design and copywriting, through web development and strategic consultancy, GetShaking are the people that will help you fulfil your social media management and email marketing, ensuring success. We’d rather you went away with too many ideas and action points than not enough, because we know that communication coupled with an understanding of your business requirements are vital in getting the right marketing mix for you. We believe in marketing that builds relationships. Our focus is on your strategy and the ongoing support of that, because we know that short-term activity might get the quick sale or result, but it won’t maintain the result or lead to sustainable success or business growth.

In keeping with our unique and effective offering, E-Bob, GetShaking’s purple-faced character was developed by our in-house illustrators.

We currently have a diverse cross section of clients who are enjoying full success from our work on their internet presence. From established solicitors to experienced car body maintenance companies, all our GetShaking clients have committed to ongoing contracts as they have seen rapid results from the work we have undertaken for them.

Are you engaged in online marketing but don’t know if you have reached your maximum potential? For a limited time only, we are offering a free audit. We will look at your current online activity and evaluate the positives and highlight where there is room for improvement. The audit comes with no obligation – but will ultimately help you making the right decisions for your future activity.

Visit www.GetShaking.co.uk for more information and to arrange your free audit.

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When C4L gave us the challenge of creating a new brand in 7 days we said “let’s go”.

With Bournemouth set to have super fast internet via fibre optic cables, our client C4L, (the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 company) were keen to make their mark. The brief to create a new brand for this new super fast broadband service was not only tight in deadline but it also has an increadibly competitive landscape. Entering into the market where big fish like BT, Virgin Media and SKY are fighting for customers, we needed to box clever.
With the in-house teams shortlist of names; BEAR, BULLET and JUCIE broadband we first knew a name could make or break this brave new business launch.

Following an evening workshop with Ross Thornley, the South’s branding expert innovator led them through a process and into a market changing name. It was his plan to create a whole new category for the internet connection. Enter FIBREBAND, no longer will users be looking for broadband providers if they wish to experience the unimaginable speeds fibre optic cables offer, they will be asking for FIBREBAND.
This ticked so many boxes from protectability, multi lingual understanding, domain name availability and word defining opportunities.

We are proud to show the value of expert innovation coupled with great design principles will ensure the best possible chances of success.

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The day at the CONFEX exhibition (http://www.international-confex.com/) at the end of February was quite a shock for a Wimborne girl! It was a huge hive of activity, ideas and experience. The exhibition was all about creatively engaging with clients/prospective clients. That was the crux of it – creative engagement.

We are bombarded by so many messages each day, most of which are blotted out by our tired brains or just ignored. That is why it is so important to forge meaningful connections, relevant to the target and encouraging participation. The flexibility to respond when you sense that the market is moving in a different way is essential, instead of bobbing along with the flotsam.

A very interesting speaker, Phil Crowther, explained that events (be it a concert, a public show or a party), which are high risk, were also high opportunity. Why? Because they creatively engaged with the target audience, encouraged participation and were voluntary. That does not mean there is no strategic direction, on the contrary it is as structured as all the other marketing routes. A good event is designed with objectives and evaluation in mind, however, that is often where the problems arise.

An event needs to be integrated into an existing marketing and branding strategy, not isolated, but included in the strategic direction. When that is successfully accomplished the risk is reduced, without reducing the opportunity.

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Brand and customer loyalty has been a hot topic for the past few decades. Since American Airlines started its first “Frequent Flyer Miles” program in the 80s, companies and brands all over the world have been coming up with new and interesting ways to capture attention and reward their faithful consumers for buying their products or using their services.

Traditionally these would come in the form of a barcode card, key fob or printed coupons. These schemes offer a combination of rewards and recognition, in order to drive up sales and customer retention rates. Credit card companies are notorious for their offers, with the majority now handing out flight miles, cash back, credit points and prizes if someone makes a purchase on the card. Through this, the idea is that they are helping the customer to stretch their budget that little bit further and keep them coming back for more.

Despite this, almost half of people still do not participate in these loyalty programs. And only half of those again are actively using them. So why is that? Could it be that most reward schemes come down to only one thing: freebies? As the concept has gained popularity over the last couple of decades it’s easy to see how it can be a double edged sword.

The problem is that it’s possible to get it wrong. While offering free stuff to customers the more they buy, an aggressive campaign could feel almost like a bribe, whereas a complicated system with different tiers and structures can only serve to confuse and confound the customer. Take Starbucks as an example:

My Starbucks Rewards

Last year, Starbucks introduced a Gold membership card. A customer could pay $25 dollars for a year membership, and in return they would get 10% off their purchases every time they went into Starbucks. For hardcore coffee drinkers this could equal some serious savings. The card would pay for itself in a matter of a month or two (or even a few weeks if you were a serious caffeine addict).

Now though the current economic climate, coupled with poor sales and stock drops down to over-expansion, Starbucks has had to reassess it’s approach. As of December 26th of last year the Gold card is being retired and replaced with My Starbucks Rewards.

Under this new scheme, customers can acquire a card and “activate” by loading currency of any denomination on to it in store or online and begin using  it immediately to purchase their hot cup of joe in the morning. For every purchase that is made, “stars” are accrued on the card. The more stars, the better the rewards. Rewards can range from a free birthday drink, free in-store wi-fi (2 hours per day), free beverage customization and free brewed coffee refills up to a free tall beverage and a personalized card.

There is even a limited test run for customers to use the “My Starbucks Rewards” iPhone app to pay for their drinks.

In some ways this is a brilliant tactical move. By using pre-paid cards or an app on a mobile, it helps customers to feel like they are not buying the drink, but rather they are owed it when they walk into the store. Like they are getting it for free. Instead of handing over money or fumbling with the pin for a debit or credit card, customers can breeze through the purchase process and be on their way. This ease of purchase should keep the flock coming back again, and shunning other competitor brands. Effectively cementing “The Starbucks Run” as part of the daily routine.

On the other hand, getting customers to part with their money online or in the store without taking away a tangible product could prove difficult. And with the various reward levels and perks it may be too much information for most customers to digest in the short space of time they in are in store. Buying coffee is an express transaction with most people in a rush to wake themselves up and get back to the office, so convincing them to take the time, listen, understand and ultimately decide on it may prove to be the thorn in Starbucks’ side.

And if it falls to the baristas to make the pitch and case to the customer. Will it end up being a case of sacrificing customer experience in return for a chance at dedication?

It could go either way for Starbucks as only time will tell if their gamble will pay off. That said they have taken an interesting approach with the iPhone app as a medium for delivering rewards and express payment. This is still a relatively new concept, still unexplored by most companies but with a world of infinite possibility.

Motorola recently launched their “Mobile Loyalty Solution” which allows retailers to digitize their subscription and membership services, which is then saved onto a mobile phone. Through this platform a consumer can carry around all their membership details with them 24/7, and can receive updates and notifications of special offers, deals and newly released products. No information as to what platforms it will function on yet, except that they say it will be available on “the majority of mobile phones in the U.S. market today”.

Yowza!! have taken a similar approach, but purely with coupons wrapped up in an iPhone app. Yowza!! uses the GPS and 3G (and to a lesser extent the Wi-Fi on the iPod Touch) functionality  of the iPhone to pin point your location, then presents on a map nearby stores that have offers or coupons available. All the customer needs to do then is take their phone in, show the cashier the coupon and receive their reward.

All of these are geared purely to drive sales under the guise of saving money, and in today’s technology-centric world it’s surely the way forward. But with a bigger and bigger push on maintaining customer dedication the question has to be asked:

Is your loyalty up for sale?

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When we began 2009 we were prepared for a tough year, as a management team we sat down for two days to prepare our strategic direction and survival plan. We have taken the time every month to monitor and review performance and client feedback and success.
I am delighted to end the year feeling exhausted for all the right reasons. As a team we have grown, as a company had our most successful to date in the last 10 years and as a person I have begun to feel free again. Running your own business is a roller coaster of emotions and challenges so it is critical to maintain a self belief so strong it can withstand any cross fire.

Our talented team of 10 superstars has made sure we retained our clients whilst acquiring new ones that fit our strategic model. We’ve branded and launched 16 companies, re-branded 8 businesses, built 35 websites, produced 8 promotional videos including filming across Europe, we have continued to be the strategic marketing department and partner for 6 growing businesses, run a brilliant public vintage fayre, worked over 16,000 hours, drunk over 5,900 mugs of coffee & green tea, sent over 16,200 emails (not campaigns just day-to-day messages) ran 29 workshops for about 150 people, presented to more than 100 young entrepreneurs, shot over 13,000 photographs, and spent more than 2,000 hours on Facebook! And had a lot of fun doing it all!

We do what we do because we love it and we’re damn good at it! We like to be challenged and valued. We get stuck in and deliver results; we like freedom and learning and strive to be the best in our world.

But do you know what made my year? Reading this…

“I would just like to thank you and your whole team for the level of service, commitment, attention to detail and timely actions that you have all taken to give ooops.net limited that paradigm shift required of a business entering its eighth year of trading. As you know we are a five strong team at this moment in time and with your continued help I am sure within the year we will be an eight strong team! I am impressed with RT Media’s integrity; each and every member of your team are free to say what they think, to express themselves with a zealous passion for putting us first. This ensures we know we are getting the whole truth and nothing but the truth – important to winning! You are like an honest “coach” and “mentor” to us. I am impressed with RT Media’s creativity, I know it is your pre-requisite but there are a great many of your competitors out there that are not! I am impressed with RT Media’s strategic vision, able to see beyond the horizon, helping us let go of the shore! Ensuring we don’t waste money now, saving for the opportunities that will give the greatest return on investment in future. An example of this is our stopping of our Press advertising and moving into Social Media that is FREE! All in all – I’m as chuffed as nuts with you all!”
Paul Booker – Founder of ooops.net limited

Well done to the whole team for a year to remember. I am looking forward to making 2010 even better.

Thanks to all who take the time to think of us, work with us and recommend us.
Ross.
Founder & Creative Director.

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This is a really important realization for many clients and indeed agencies. Having designed countless websites, logos, brands and custom software it is important to know what exactly you are buying.
The following is an exert we obtained from one of the South’s leading law firms who specialise in these matters…

“If you have paid someone to design your website, logo, or brochure or create software for you, it is not unreasonable to assume that the copyright in the end product belongs to you. However, this will not be the case unless you obtained the designer’s express agreement to this when you commissioned the work.

If you haven’t obtained the designer’s agreement to the copyright passing to you, all you have is a licence to use the website, logo, brochure or software.

This may be all that you need, but it might become a problem if you want to sell the business or authorise someone else to use your “property” or get someone else to develop or change what you already have. The original designer can stop you unless you have his agreement, which will normally comes at a price.

Action Points
It is essential to ensure that you get the designer to agree that you will own the copyright at the time you negotiate the terms of the engagement.”

Add this to the T&C’s of an agency and you can easily become confused as to who owns what and where you stand. Reading the T&C’s of any supplier is essential however this is often overlooked as business is regularly done on trust. However lack of understanding from a client or the reluctance of an agency to explain exactly what is being bought and sold is not a valid excuse.

Website source code also remains the copyright of the agency unless written agreement has been agreed. Also this licence to use the source code like any goods remain the sellers property until full payment has been received as is the same with any designed product from a logo to a brochure.

So please be careful that you are aware of what you are purchasing when commissioning a design agency to build you logo, website and materials, that if you require more than a licence and wish to own the copyright then make sure you have the agreement and costing outlined at stage one.

As the South’s leading branding agency we are committed to helping consumers understand what they are buying from agencies and not only to be aware of this but work in partnership with them to build brands with value, success and integrity.

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After reading a study of more than 150 taglines that debuted in 2009 this morning from an agency who solely focus on the development of taglines I felt I should share some of the insights found. What we can learn and what I think.
According to Eric Swartz, president of Tagline Guru, “The goal of the survey was to discover the most frequently used words in this year’s taglines, and whether they reveal how companies are strategically recasting their brand message to forge a closer connection with their customers.”

The most commonly used words or concepts (alphabetically):
1. believe
2. far/further
3. future
4. imagine/see
5. innovate/innovation
6. more
7. new
8. save/savings
9. together
10. you

Are these 10 words that matter most to consumers?

“Whereas one tagline offers telling insights into a company’s brand strategy, a whole bushel of taglines reveals a brand lexicon that speaks volumes about what’s important in the minds of consumers,” says Swartz.
“This year’s tagline harvest is all about working harder and smarter, communicating greater value, and creating lasting brand affinity, which, in today’s tough economy, is crucial for cementing relationships and building customer loyalty,” Swartz notes.

Some of the taglines that echo this include:

• Airbus New standards. Together.
• Baker & Taylor The future delivered.
• Buick The new class of world class.
• Chrysler Come and see what we are building.
• Dentsu Good innovation.
• Home Depot More saving. More doing.
• NBC More colorful.
• Sony Make. Believe.
• Syfy Imagine greater.
• Wells Fargo Together, we’ll go far.
• Yahoo It’s you!

Although the impact of “innovation” has been diminished from overuse, and words like “new” and “more” are typical sales jargon, concepts such as “together,” “you,” “imagine,” and “future” paint a picture that is decidedly more intimate, inclusive, and optimistic.

“Money is tight, consumers are worried, and corporations aren’t content to rest on their laurels,” says Swartz. “The overall message is that we’re all in this together so we need to set the bar higher, do more, and deliver greater value.”

Swartz continues: “Essentially, this tagline-generated brand lexicon tells us that big business wants to be perceived as a neighborly partner that is industrious, accountable, and forward-thinking. Consumers are tired of being talked at and misled. They’re looking for better ideas, better results, and, ultimately, a better relationship.”
Knowing this is really important as it indicates shifts in the market, and highlights what to avoid. To me these examples show not just a shift in the market but how easy it is to get lost and diluted in the nose as we follow like sheep: for example,

• Target’s “Expect More. Pay Less.”
• Wal-Mart’s “Save Money. Live Better”
• Home Depot’s “More Saving. More Doing.”

Sure, consumers are looking for ways to save, but what in these taglines truly drives differentiation? And is that important? I think it is. I think this lack of distinctiveness show lack of creativity and becomes background noise.

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E-newsletters are a great place to present your company and to show off what you have achieved. And it is only natural that you want to tell your readers all about the amazing things going on like new products, new clients, new technologies, new contracts or just a great service.

On the one hand, a regular newsletter is the ideal place for this type of information; after all, you want to remind people why they should come to you and / or stick with you. On the other hand, like with so many things in life, you should be careful not to overdo it. When gathering ideas for a newsletter you should always put yourself in the position of the reader and ask yourself the famous WIIFM? “What’s in it for me?” In other words, what’s the benefit for people who have agreed to be emailed by you on a regular basis? (yes, they should agree in some way to receive your marketing communications!).

Treat the contacts in your database as people that are special; because they are. They are the people who want to engage with you. So, give them something special from time to time; invite them to an event and offer reduced (free?) tickets; give them access to materials (e.g. white papers) which others can’t get their hands on; let them have something – e.g. a special offer – which others can’t buy or before others can buy it. These are only examples but I’m sure that if you look at your business and your client base you will find a lot more little treats for your faithful newsletter recipients. Exclusive is the word. So – what’s in it for them?

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Last year we worked on the UK launch of a new profiling tool called the Hartman Index. After initial research showed little extra benefit of the founder’s name in the UK market, we recognised that this challenger brand needed as much penetration as possible. It therefore required a re-think of the name and a new brand strategy for the UK launch.

We created a new, more functional focused name to aid the initial awareness campaign which bred success. We re-branded the service to ‘The Judgement Index’ as the primary indicator and measure is on an individual’s judgement and values.

This has proven to be so well received that the American company behind the unique set of algorithms and interpretation manuals requested that we apply the same brand image, language and style across the world.
We are delighted to say that this has now been rolled out across the US with the small Americanism to remove the ‘e’ from the spelling of Judgement!
We have produced training packs, folders, online videos and many kinds of marketing support materials. Take a look at the UK site here http://www.judgementindex.co.uk and the American one here: http://www.judgmentindex.com

The Judgement Index Branding

If you need help launching a new service, product or brand get in touch and we’ll see if we can help.

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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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Masterbrand
A single brand spans a set of offerings that operate only with descriptive offerings; continual product innovation, new releases, and so on.

Overbrand
Individual business unit or product brands operate under a strong family brand. Dual level of communications: individual offering establishes a unique position while leveraging credibility of the source.

Endorsed Brand
“Source” brand provides the business or product with an aura of credibility. Like Nestlé’s KitKat, Nescafé or Smarties. Special ‘K’, Coco Pops and Frosties from Kellogg’s or Polo by Ralph Lauren. The parent brand lends credibility to the endorsed brand in the customers view. Enables different tone, activities and behavior in different markets for each specific brand .

Freestanding Brand
An organisation consists of independent stand-alone brands, each maximising its impact on the market with little or no connection to its parent. There is a competitive need to develop distinct equities for line of business brands. Source brand does not fit or carry negative baggage.

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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.
4. The Law of Advertising: Once born, a brand needs advertising to stay healthy. Sooner or later, a brand leader has to shift its branding strategy from publicity to advertising. By raising the price of admission, advertising makes it difficult for a competitor to carve out a substantial share of the market.
5. The Law of the Word: A brand should strive to own a word in the mind of the consumer. If you want to build a brand, you must focus your branding efforts on owning a word in the prospect’s mind. A word that nobody else owns. Kleenex owns “tissue,” Federal Express owns “overnight,” Volvo owns “safety.”
6. The Law of Credentials: The crucial ingredient in the success of any brand is its claim to authenticity. Coke is the real thing in the minds of many, even though the last “real thing” advertisement ran almost thirty years ago. A brand’s credentials in a category as authentic, real, original, or the leader are very powerful indeed.
7. The Law of Quality: Quality is important, but brands are not built by quality alone. Does a Rolex keep better time than a Timex? Does Hertz have better service than Alamo? Does a Montblanc pen write better than a Cross? Are you sure? The perception of quality, more than quality itself, is what builds a brand. And the best way to build a quality perception in the mind of consumers is by following the laws of branding.
8. The Law of the Category: A leading brand should promote the category, not the brand. The most efficient, most productive, most useful aspect of branding is creating a new category. Customers don’t really care about new brands, they care about new categories. What was the market for cheap cars before Volkswagen? What was the market for home pizza delivery before Dominos? What was the market for in-line skates before Rollerblade?
9. The Law of the Name: In the long run, a brand is nothing more than a name. In the short term, a brand needs a unique idea or concept to survive. But in the long term, all that is left is the difference between your brand name and the brand names of your competitors. Shorter names that are unique and memorable are far stronger than longer, vague or generic names.
10. The Law of Extensions: The easiest way to destroy a brand is to put its name on everything. More than 90% of all new product introductions in the U.S. are line extensions. Line extensions destroy brand value by weakening the brand. The effects can be felt in diminished market share of the core brand, a loss of brand identity, and a cannibalization of the one’s own sales. Often, the brand extension directly attacks the strength of the core brand. Does Extra Strength Tylenol imply that regular Tylenol isn’t strong enough?
11. The Law of Fellowship: In order to build the category, a brand should welcome other brands. Consumers want to have choices. Choice stimulates demand. Healthy competition helps to build the category. The competi-tion between Coke and Pepsi makes customers more cola conscious. Per capita consumption goes up.
12. The Law of the Generic: One of the fastest routes to failure is giving a brand a generic name. The problem with a generic brand name is its inability to differentiate the brand from the competition. At your local health food store, you’ll find Nature’s Resource, Nature’s Answer, Nature’s Bounty, Nature’s Secret, Nature’s Way, Nature’s Best, Nature’s Plus, etc. Will any of these generic brands break into the mind and become a major brand? Unlikely.
13. The Law of the Company: Brands are brands. Companies are companies. There is a difference. Customer’s think of brands, not companies. Procter and Gamble isn’t Tide. General Motors isn’t Cadillac. The brand itself should be the focus of your attention. Use the company name, if necessary, in a decidedly secondary way.
14. The Law of Subbrands: What branding builds, subbranding can destroy. Subbranding erodes the power of the core brand. Waterford is the leading Irish crystal maker. Introducing “cheap” Waterford as “Marquis by Waterford” only dilutes the Waterford brand. Subbranding attacks a brand’s place in he mind of the prospect.
15. The Law of Siblings: There is a time and place to launch a second brand. A second brand can be launched to focus on a new subcategory within the same product family. Toyota launched Lexus because the Toyota brand couldn’t fill the luxury ar category. The focus is on the brand, not the company. Customers buy a Lexus not because it’s made by Toyota, but in spite of it.
16. The Law of Shape: A brand’s logotype should be designed to fit the eyes. Both eyes. A customer sees the world through two horizontal-ly mounted eyes peering out of the head. For maximum visual impact, a logotype should have a horizontal shape. The ideal shape is 2 1 /4 units wide by 1 unit high.
17. The Law of Color: A brand should use a color that is the opposite of its major competitor. Coke is red, and Pepsi is Blue. Hertz is yellow, and Avis is Red. Color consistency over the long term can help a brand burn its way into the mind.
18. The Law of Borders: There are no barriers to global branding. A brand should know no borders. The perfect solution to growth in a competitive market is not line extensions, but building a global brand. A brand should have a consistent message globally, but must take into account the perceptions of its country of origin.
19. The Law of Consistency: A brand is not built overnight.
    Success is measured in decades, not years.This is the law which is violated most frequently. Once a brand occupies a position in the mind, the manufacturer often thinks of reasons to change. Markets may change, but brands shouldn’t. They may be bent slightly, or given a new slant, but their essential characteristics should never be changed. Long-term, consistent programs might be boring, but they are also immensely powerful.
20. The Law of Change: Brands can be changed, but only infrequently and only very carefully. Nothing is absolute and there are exceptions to every rule. There are three situations where changing your brand is feasible: When your brand is weak or non-existent in the mind, when you want to move your brand down the food chain to a lower price and perception point, or when your brand is in a slow-moving field and the change is going to take place over an extended period of time. Remember, changing your brand is a long and difficult process. Change at your own risk!
21. The Law of Mortality: No brand will live forever. Euthanasia is often thebest solution. While the laws of branding are immutable, brands themselves are not. They are born, grow up, mature, and eventually will die. Yet companies that are willing to spend millions to save a dying brand, won’t spend pennies to launch a new one. Opportunities for new brands and threats to old ones are constantly being created by the invention of new categories. The rise of personal computers created opportunities for Compaq, Dell and Gateway, but put pressure on Digital, Data General and Wang.
22. The Law of Singularity: The most important aspect of a brand is its single-mindedness. What is a brand? A singular idea or concept that you own inside the mind of the prospect. It’s as simple or as difficult as that.Taken from “The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding”

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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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Don’t want a brand, you don’t have a choice! Your brand is the personality of your business, your only choice is whether you value it or not. Branding is about making money it’s that simple; what attracts companies to buy your product? Its about consistently communicating and delivering what you stand for in a profitable way, so that customers do business with you, not once, but again and again.

If you run a legitimate business, brand matters, it matters as a relationship, as a story, as an emotional reaction. Love it, nurture it and be proud of it. If you do, others will, they’ll tell your story and want to be associated with your brand.

Brand communications, emotion + logic…

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