What Cities Can Teach Us About Branding
13 May 2014 Leave a Comment
in Marketing, Marketing TIPS Tags: Advertising, branding, uniqueness
Washington, D.C., and New York are only about five hours apart, yet the two cities are remarkably different. Those visiting New York for the first time might be interested in trying their first New York bagel, visiting the Empire State Building, or seeing Times Square. Those venturing to Washington, D.C., will be more interested in seeing the major buildings of the U.S. government and visiting the monuments found around the city.
No one ventures to New York and then says, “There’s no point in going to see Washington, D.C. It’s going to be just like New York.” Why? Branding.
In many ways, cities have done a great job of branding themselves to potential visitors. They’ve created an atmosphere and a ‘product’ or experience that is so unique visitors know they won’t receive it anywhere else. When people hear certain cities’ names, they already have perceptions about what they can see and do there and an idea about whether or not they should bother with such a trip.
That’s what branding is all about.
What’s distinct about a well-branded company?
A well-branded company has a strong customer presence. Potential customers know and recognize the brand name and logo. They have ideas about what the company offers and if the product is worth the investment. Advertising focuses around reinforcing that brand and helping customers create positive associations with it.
What your company can learn from the world’s major cities
Today’s major cities strive to offer visitors something no one else can. Washington, D.C., for example, is the only city in the world that can offer visitors the chance to visit the seat of the U.S. government, and they have capitalized on this appeal. In addition to government buildings, the city boasts a number of war memorials, presidential memorials, and museums. Even if these additional sites were not planned solely to market the city, they’ve created a unique and desirable environment for visitors. This is similar to what you should look to accomplish for your company.
How your company can offer a similar appeal and uniqueness
No matter how over saturated your industry might be, your company must be able to demonstrate its own unique strengths. Just as each major city manages to create its own culture and attractions, your company must determine what makes it unique compared to the rest of the competition. Perhaps you offer unique guarantees or better prices. Maybe you provide a superior buying experience or higher-quality products. Whatever your strengths, you should work to determine where your customers are still left wanting and then fill that niche. Use that niche to create a unique experience that customers can expect when they come to you. Work to brand your company, so customers know to expect this type of product or experience when they use your company.
Just as cities around the world have created unique markets for themselves by offering experiences that only they can produce, your company can brand itself to offer something special. When customers know what they can expect from you and how your experience or product is unlike anything else, they’ll be far more likely to keep coming back. Let us know if you’re ready to start exploring what makes your brand completely unique!
Branding on a Budget: Four Steps for Brand Consistency
03 Jan 2014 Leave a Comment
in Marketing, Marketing TIPS Tags: branding, logo
In the long run, it pays to have a professionally created company or brand logo as the centerpiece of your company’s identity. A custom logo doesn’t have to be expensive, but it should be simple, eye-catching, and unique.
Unless you’re a graphic artist or you already have a great one on staff, work with a designer for logo creation. While there are libraries of standard logos you can choose from, it’s worth it to have a logo custom designed by an experienced graphic artist who can capture the essence of your business. Try to resist the temptation to design your own logo using PowerPoint or a similar program because it will probably always look amateurish. You also won’t be able to generate all the different file types you need for various media.
2. Pick a color scheme.
Once you’ve found a graphic designer to work with, ask him or her to create a corporate color scheme for you while they’re working on the logo. The color scheme should include two or three colors that coordinate well together, and it should include light and dark shade variations of the chosen colors.
The experienced eye of a graphic artist will come up with fresh designs and color schemes that you’ll love, even though you might not have considered them on your own. When you settle on your colors, you can ask the designer to provide the Pantone color code values and the CMYK equivalents to prevent inconsistencies that occasionally occur if people try to “eyeball” the correct shade on future documents.
3. Create a style set and templates.
If you use page layout or word processing applications, you’ll want to create a custom style set that includes fonts, heading styles, margins, and spacing defaults so your documents always have a consistent look and feel. A graphic artist’s expertise will come in handy here, too, by giving your documents an appealing look.
Consider installing the style set for new employees when they join your company, or have IT set them up for you, so employees automatically create consistently formatted documents and presentations. It’s a huge time saver when you don’t have to reformat every document before publishing it.
4. Post a branding “book” or style guide.
A style guide doesn’t have to be complex, but it does need to make the guidelines for logo usage and other branding elements clear. To help ensure consistency, include the standards for color values, official product and company names, and links to corporate templates. It only makes sense to have a style guide if employees will use it, so try to keep it simple if you can.
Creating a recognizable brand requires consistency to avoid muddying brand identity. By following a few guidelines, you can help ensure that prospective customers will instantly recognize your brand.
Times They are a Changin’
15 Nov 2013 Leave a Comment
in Marketing, Marketing TIPS Tags: branding, rebranding
If your business is planning to rebrand itself (whether through a name change, a new logo, a business merger, or some other means), remember the name and/or logo is not the only thing that changes. Rebranding can be a large-scale operation that involves effort from multiple departments. While your to-do list may seem endless, here are a few of the top items to consider to ensure your rebranding process runs smoothly:
- Create a list of all printed collateral that needs to be updated (such as letterhead, envelopes, business cards, flyers, brochures, labels, forms, notepads, and packaging). Give us a call anytime if you have questions about turnaround times, company colors, logo changes, quantity purchase discounts, or anything else related to your printing needs.
- Update your trade show booth, banners, posters, giveaways, company pens, name-tags, and other trade show related materials.
- Keep customers in the loop by mailing “we’re changing our name” postcards, including a blurb in your newsletter, and providing social media mentions (among other things).
- Update employee bios. Add your new name to each employee’s company bio to show the transition. For example, “Mark Davis has worked at XYZ Company since it was founded in 1989, when it was called ABC Company.”
- Change your name and logo on invoices, accounting templates, quote preparation software, and other types of reporting software.
- If you’re considering a web domain name change, make sure the new domain name is available before switching, and then set up your old web address to forward automatically to your new website to ensure a smooth transition.
- Update email addresses and consider using an auto-responder to remind people to update their email address books. Also update email signatures and inform readers your address will be changing so they can update their spam blockers — especially if you send email newsletters.
- Ensure your phone service provider has the correct company name, so it shows up correctly on caller ID.
- Inform all professional organizations, business groups, subscription services, and other interested parties of your name change.
- Update on-hold marketing messages and voice mail messages. Consider using both names with a greeting such as: “Thanks for calling XYZ Company, formerly known as ABC Company.”
We know that rebranding can be a daunting task, but you don’t need to go it alone. Our team of printing professionals can help you every step of the way. When it comes to updating your print collateral, we’re here to help, from developing creative new ideas to carrying the finished products to your document storage area. Give us a call today.
Connecting Your Brand With Your Customers
26 Aug 2013 Leave a Comment
in Marketing, Marketing TIPS Tags: branding, inspiration, relationship building, selling
Connecting Your Brand With Your Customers
No business starts with the mission of becoming run of the mill and ordinary. But somewhere along the way, after the excitement wears off and the daily routines take over, some businesses seem to lose their way.
Running and managing a business isn’t for the faint of heart.
The daily tasks of keeping the operation flowing smoothly and bringing in enough revenue to keep the lights on while managing customer demands has a way of making one forget about the dream of creating an extraordinary business.
But the reality is that the customers of today want more than just a product or service. They want an experience. Simple delivery of goods and services may bring a customer in, but it takes more effort to turn that buyer into a steady client who will come back often.
Businesses that provide a way for the customer to feel like they’re part of something special (and maybe even a little extraordinary) attract the kind of clients who not only return themselves but also refer others to enjoy the same level of service they loved.
People have a way of flocking to businesses that give them this type of unexpected experience.
Who wants to go somewhere ordinary when they can experience a business that makes them feel wanted and special? Most people expect average, so when they find a business that goes above and beyond, they don’t need prompting to refer others.
Being different and offering an experience in addition to products and services doesn’t have to be difficult. It only requires that you stand apart from your competitors. Sometimes all that takes are some simple tweaks.
Going above and beyond might be as simple as the presentation you make when you deliver your products and services. The Apple iPhone is just a smartphone. However, from the product announcement down to the packaging, the stage is set that you’re about to experience something extraordinary.
How can you package what you sell in a way that sets you apart?
When you give your customers the expectation that they’re part of something special (a fun company that makes them feel exclusive), then you’ve gone from an ordinary company with a logo to a brand that connects with its clients.
Customers connect with brands that make them feel special. The revenue and profits flow naturally when you can achieve that level of branding.
Here at Print & Copy Factory, we go a long way to help you keep your brand consistent with all of your marketing materials. We may not be the cheapest printer in town, but – the care it takes to help you build your business with consistent marketing materials, marketing messages and strategies is priceless. If you would like to know more about how we can help you with your branding, come to our marketing classes. Contact us at work, 360-738-4931 and talk to Becky.
How to Make Marketing and Sales Work Together Like Peanut Butter and Jelly
20 Mar 2013 Leave a Comment
in Marketing, Marketing TIPS Tags: branding, DNA
Marketing is about telling your story. Sales is about having conversations.
From the point of view of marketing, every single business is unique. No two are exactly alike. The mistake occurs when everyone in the industry looks at what others are doing and copies it. The story is no longer unique.
To sell more and to make the job of sales easier, you need to position your marketing message in a unique way that resonates with and attracts the types of customers you’re looking for.
When you do this right, you will end up having conversations. Conversations that will ultimately lead to sales.
If you don’t tell your story, you can be sure that your competitors will tell the story for you. And that is not the story you want prospects to hear.
Stories and the Caveman
From the beginning of time, when early human beings drew paintings on cave walls, people have been telling stories. Stories are in our DNA. Stories connect one generation to the next. The human brain has a special soft spot for stories.
That’s why the most successful brands have a story wrapped up in everything they do. We’re bombarded with marketing messages every day. Why do we remember some brand messages and not others? Because those brands have planted a seed in our brains with their unique and interesting story.
No one forgets Coke and their story of a top secret recipe kept in a vault. Apple, Starbucks, and Virgin are among other brands that tell their story very well.
Why Do We Do It?
Your story should be not just about what you do or even how you do it. The story really should be about why you do it. That part of the story is what connects people with you and your business. That’s what becomes the story of your brand and business.
How Do We Do It?
This doesn’t have to be difficult to do. All you need is a pad of paper, a pen, and a quiet space to think. All you have to do is answer the question: “Why are we doing what we do?”
That’s a big, hairy topic, I know. But you have to tackle it and get it down on paper. If you can manage to answer it in an authentic way that captures the imagination of your prospects, you’ll make your marketing messages focused and much more effective. People may not remember you or your logo very well, but they will always remember your story.
In turn, that makes the job of sales much easier. It opens the door to conversations. Those conversations will lead to real sales. Your story will make it easier to reach prospects looking for what you do.
A unique marketing story told in an authentic way will make the job of selling much easier. That’s what successful marketing is all about.
The two go together like peanut butter and jelly.
Is Your Company Tagline Boring Your Customers?
28 Oct 2011 Leave a Comment
in Design, Marketing Tags: branding, image, logo, Taglines
Are your customers board of your Tag-line?
A tagline is a short, descriptive phrase used alongside a company logo to drive home the message and promise of a brand. If your tagline is getting long in the tooth or does not resonate any longer, it may be time to take a look at upgrading it. Even big brands like Coca-Cola change their tagline when it needs reinvigorating. It’s never too late to change a tired tagline.
Eric Swartz of the Byline Group suggests sitting down and asking yourself some core questions about your company:
Who are you?
What are your values?
What is your vision?
How would you describe your corporate culture?
What nouns and adjectives would you use to convey your brand’s promise and its solution?
What words might your customers use to describe your company?
Are there any misconceptions about your company that need to be cleared up?
(More information here: Slogans That Are the Real Thing)
To get your creative juices flowing, here is a list of the top 10 taglines since 1948:
“Got milk?” (1993, California Milk Processor Board)
“Don’t leave home without it.” (1975, American Express)
“Just do it.” (1988, Nike)
“Where’s the beef?” (1984, Wendy’s)
“You’re in good hands with Allstate.” (1956, Allstate Insurance)
“Think different.” (1998, Apple Computer)
“We try harder.” (1962, Avis)
“Tastes great, less filling.” (1974, Miller Light)
“Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.” (1954, M&M Candies)
“Takes a licking and keeps on ticking.” (1956, Timex)
(Source: The 100 Most Influential Taglines Since 1948)
Not having a great tagline (or one at all) may not doom a business, but having a memorable tagline can certainly help a business stand out from the clutter of a crowded marketplace.
How to Build a Powerful Brand
28 Oct 2011 Leave a Comment
in Inspirational, Marketing Tags: branding
The word branding began simply as a way to tell one person’s cattle from another by means of a hot iron stamp. Unless you are selling cattle, the branding we are referring to here is a little different. Wikipedia defines it this way: A brand can take many forms, including a name, sign, symbol, color combination, or slogan. The word brand has continued to evolve to encompass identity — it affects the personality of a product, company or service.
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a “name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s goods or services as distinct from those of other sellers.”
What is your Brand?
If you ask someone to give an example of a brand, the most likely answers will be: Coca-Cola, Disney, Starbucks, Google, and Apple, among a few select others. While most companies don’t have the budgets and resources to build brand awareness like these large corporations do, it is still important to understand why building a brand is important for companies of every size.
What are the advantages of building a brand name?
Let’s take a look at a few examples. People willingly and gladly pay four dollars for a cup of coffee at Starbucks, when they could pay a lot less at many other places. Coke products have been imitated by many companies, yet they can still charge a healthy premium over the other brands. Apple has built legions of loyal customers who stay in line overnight to be the first ones to purchase their latest products. That is the power of having a brand name.
Still think this only applies to big companies? Think again. Every company has a brand of some sort. Your brand is your reputation in the marketplace, and it is being defined every day by your customers, your prospects, and even your competitors.
How do you build your brand?
Fulfill the promises that your company makes. Every time. Each time you do this successfully, you are building your brand. When you do this consistently over time, you build trust. Trust leads to word of mouth. Word of mouth leads to more customers and longevity. Do that long enough, and your company will be the next overnight sensation with a powerful brand name everyone can remember.
10 Ways to Create the Wrong Brochure
17 Jun 2011 Leave a Comment
in Design, Marketing, Print, Products, Services Tags: branding, brochures, Color, Design
Marketing Tip #8
Every product, service or idea you sell needs a brochure or rack card. Through the years we’ve probably printed several million brochures, and while that doesn’t automatically make us an expert, it sure doesn’t hurt. We came up with a list of things to not do…
- Being concerned with the looks, but forgetting the sales objective.
- Giving the printer poor artwork but expecting excellent results.
- Forgetting to emphasize the unique selling proposition of your business.
- Omitting (or hiding) prices if they are critical to the reader’s decision-making.
- Printing too many brochures with details that date too quickly.
- Giving insufficient thought to how the brochure should best be distributed.
- Using text on the brochure that is too small to read easily.
- Including poor-quality or inappropriate illustrations.
- Allowing a fussy or complex design to distract from the key selling message.
- Forgetting to monitor the response (as with any other type of advertising).
Deciding on Your Purpose
To be successful, a brochure needs to be produced with a precise objective and a target reader in mind. Brochures fall into two broad categories — those that introduce a new product or service to a likely customer and those that turn an already interested customer into a buyer. What is it that you want to accomplish?
Choosing the Right Color, Photos & Graphics
Use color, such as full color photographs and eye catching graphics to focus attention on your main selling features and to improve the perception of quality. Two colors are better than one, and full-color printing is better yet. Color gets noticed. Use high quality photos, rather than a bad photo of a particular family member. Be
choosy and realistic on the subject matter.
Choosing Paper & Design
Using a glossy paper will often make your full color brochure look more vibrant and professional. If you plan on mailing your brochure, we can recommend a paper that will stand up to the potential damage done during the mailing process and to fit their strict specifications for bulk mailing. We have a huge selection of recycled papers in all price ranges with fun textures that really help put the “feel” of what your selling together. Avoid the temptation to try to jam too much information into a small space. In
good brochure design, less is more. Don’t overlook the value of white space to bring a clean look to your design and to help accentuate key selli
Fonts Matter!
31 Aug 2009 Leave a Comment
in Print Tags: branding, Design, fonts, typography, websites
Find more great information at designingwithtype.com
Choosing the right fonts can make a huge impact on your design and branding. Typography is more that being legible and looking good, it manages to achieve two important objectives, a) to create an appropriate atmosphere, that says who you are, and with the correct alignment it instills trust. B). it also ensures that the reader gets the main message and becomes enrolled.
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