Category Archives: Branding

posted by Kevin

Jan 08, 2013 @ 7:00am

Hurrying is so last year.

My New Year’s resolution is to remain calm. I’ve decided to expand this a bit and have calm include not rushing. I’m tired of being in a hurry, and I’m ever mindful that nothing of any value comes from it.

I’m reminded of this in my studio, where I consistently see paintings—both mine and those of my studio-mates—improve when painted over, sometimes over and over again.

Layers work. Just ask Columbia artist Chappy Manning.

 

The same logic holds true in marketing. Success is in the details, and details take time and attention.

a valid complaint from a frustrated Moe's customer

By taking time to respond, we might turn frustration into loyalty. If we take the time to go beyond a simple Facebook reply, we may inform some word-of-mouth endorsement.

Technology isn’t making business any easier. There are fewer shortcuts to success than ever. I, for one, intend to slow it all down, minding the details that matter.

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posted by Cathy

Nov 21, 2012 @ 6:55am

What I Learned About Branding from Katie Couric

After a million meetings about a thousand brands over a whole lot of  years, I can virtually guarantee one truth.

A great brand cannot be created from the outside in.

That is to say, even the greatest minds in marketing cannot manufacture a brand when there is not the product, service or corporate culture to back it up. Instead, great brands are born of distinct points of difference, packaged in a way that demonstrates relevance.

Central to this process is authenticity. The external brand absolutely, positively must reflect a genuine truth. It’s the only way a brand can stand the test of time.

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This is what I thought about as I eagerly awaited the launch of Katie Couric’s new television talk show, Katie. A fan for many years, I believed—if done well—this show could prove to be the perfect spot for the reporter/host.

I mourned the loss when she left The Today Show all those years ago. And I have to say I cheered her on as she took the reins at CBS Evening News. I believed it a great statement for Womankind, even as I knew it was not the right forum for her. The over-considered hair, the more severe makeup, the dark suit never seemed right, seeming to illustrate the fact she didn’t fit the box into which she had been crammed.

Katie’s new show is different because it makes the most of all things Brand Katie. A more effortless style. The ability to be light and playful, or deep and serious, or some combination, depending on the topic/guest. Most of all, the show is the perfect forum for Katie’s brand of nice.

(It’s interesting to see how she has blossomed in other media, including Twitter, Instagram, etc.)

Every time I watch it, Katie serves as a great reminder to me of the importance of knowing, and celebrating, Just Who You Are in this World, whether as an individual or a corporation or a nonprofit.

It’s a good lesson for all of us.

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posted by Julie

Oct 16, 2012 @ 2:39pm

The Power of Music and Casting

Last week I was working on a quick video project with our pals at Mad Monkey — who as usual — just blew the ball through the stadium and out of the parking lot. This project wasn’t huge by any means but it reminded me of two things I adore about video and TV production.

First, music. The right music ratchets up the quality of any project. It doesn’t have to be scored or go through sound design although that’s always delightful to have in your budget. In fact, the music chosen for my project was stock, but it was ideal for the feelings it radiated: light and youth. The first time I heard it I liked it. The third time, I loved it. When I laughed to the editor that I couldn’t get it out of my head, he said that was actually a good very sign the music was right.

Even better was the handful of times this stock music fit our onscreen graphics like a glove. That synchronicity is gift you rarely achieve without the work of a highly talented sound designer. A highly impactful phrase of onscreen text that’s punctuated by music easily carries twice the power. In the edit suite and on consumers’ TVs and computer screens that togetherness is pure magic.

The second thing I love about TV work is great casting. One of the finest examples of ideal casting we’re currently enjoying is Allstate’s Mayhem — Liz Lemon’s pager wearing, scumbag of an ex-boyfriend, Dennis (Dean Winters). It’s casting so perfect I practically purr when a spot comes on.

You can have stellar casting in local spots, too. Those folks at Mad Monkey have an uncanny knack — dare I say talent — for finding THE talent that fits your concept even better than you imagined. Around the time of my edit, they’d just released a new campaign of lottery spots that have awesome casting. The office worker is my hero all the way down to his beige socks.

Working last week I was reminded that even a smaller-scope project can feel bigger when you sweat the details. When you work with smart, highly attuned professionals like Mad Monkey, they key in on even the smallest points.

Music and casting aren’t just steps in the production cycle. They should be wielded to their full effect. They are as important as the words and images that accompany them. They are light and shadows that can turn a good concept into something far better: a TV spot that’s actually worth remembering.

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posted by Cathy

Oct 10, 2012 @ 9:55am

How a Starbucks Salted Caramel Mocha Turned Me Into A Marketer

It was one of those perfect Charleston weekends, the sort that makes you wonder why you don’t getaway more often. Two glorious days filled with time to relax and recharge, a new locale, a changed perspective. Then Sunday morning, just before hopping back on I-26 toward Columbia, we stopped at Starbucks for Indulgence Coffee.

I knew what that magic cup would hold for me long before I made my way through the front door.

Nonfat Pumpkin Spice Latte Grande, No Whipped

It was finally October, after all.

We approached the counter, and right there in the form of Free Sample was this:

 

 

That sounds good, he said, and I nodded in agreement. Wanna give it a taste?

Oh. My. Goodness. And just like that my Nonfat Pumpkin Spice Latte Grande, No Whipped became a Salted Caramel Mocha Grande, and I loved every sip.

Why do I share this story here on this marketing blog? The Free Sample strategy is nothing new, after all. I share it because of what I did next.

 

 

With hardly a second thought I snapped a photo, then posted it to my Facebook page. With that simple act I personally endorsed a new seasonal Starbucks flavor to my more than 600 Facebook friends—and 14 people reinforced my commentary.

That, my friends, is social media pay dirt for a brand.

What a thrilling time  this is to be a marketer.  What a remarkable time to be a consumer!

And how incredibly powerful it is when the consumer becomes both.

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posted by Julie

Sep 17, 2012 @ 8:59am

A power-packed website for a powerhouse brand.

I’ve written websites before. Plenty of websites. Never, however, have I written one quite on par with one recently launched by design-build powerhouse Haskell, www.haskell.com.

The site was planned, designed and implemented by truematter — my fellow WECO mates and all-around usability hotshots. All of their Interweb magic spun off of some great brand platform development work done by the fine folks at Riggs Partners. Me? I threw in a handful or a thousand of words and followed those truematterian character counts to a tee.

Haskell’s new website was a labor of love so big it crossed weeks, months and a couple of seasons. One of the big constants throughout the massive project? A fantastic client. Throughout the project, Haskell folks researched, listened, debated, trusted, edited and, in the end, grew their brand on a level where too few companies have the chutzpah to tread.

We were thrilled to launch the website to great success a few weeks ago. But last week we were called down to Jacksonville for something brand teams don’t get to do a lot of any more: celebrate.

During the trip, our client team shared a few highlights that have come to pass since the site went live. As a whole, the company was proud. The new website was the talk of the elevators, cafeteria, jobsites and countless inboxes. We also learned it had already been a very effective lead development tool. Within hours of the launch, a new business lead. Within days, yet another.

The launch of a useful website carries a great feeling of pride. Doing it on a level that’s this polished and usable, just ratchets up the awesome factor. What’s best, though, is that the entire project was a best-practice lesson in teamwork.

We believed what we were doing mattered. And sometimes that’s the best sauce of all.

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