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Archive for the ‘Brand Development’ Category
What’s Your Voice?
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011 by Jason StrattonWe have all done it, you see a cute puppy or kitten or any kind of baby animal. Your voice changes to that of a 4 year old as you try to talk and make this adorable creature smile – “hello little puppy”, “Your soooo cute”, you get the idea. You’re probably saying it out loud right now as you read this – I did every time I proofed this post. This honest voice is to be pleasant, soothing, trusting or to just share a smile. Usually the response is great, you get a purr or a wagging tail or even some polite slobber if you’re lucky.
So how in the world does this relate to marketing? Ask yourself this – “What is our company’s “customer” voice?” I’m not saying to talk to your customer like a puppy, unless that’s your customer, but to force yourself into that state of being the most honest and polite voice you can. By honest, I mean that your voice, or the voice of your employee is the voice of the brand, and your staff are the ambassadors of that brand. The way we speak to a customer, the way we “handle” them are reflections of the brand. We’ve seen it time and time again—we approach a sales counter—no eye contact, no hello, just “what can I do for you” in a monotone. That is your first impression of the brand. On the other hand, the glad-handing, high energy sales rep with a commission gleam in his eye is also a reflection of the brand. So if the brand experience, not to mention the product, falls short of your expectation, are you going to purchase from that company again? Not likely. That’s because those companies don’t care, or are talking to you in the voice they think you want to hear. But when the voice and the product live up to or exceeds your expectation, you become a repeat customer.
When you get to your true voice, your honest voice, then you are showing your brand, your identity, who you are and why it matters. Those who take the risk of being out there for the world to understand receive the largest gains. It doesn’t matter if you are trying to build more likes on your Facebook page or selling million dollar yachts’, your voice needs to say who you are in the most honest way possible.
Here is a portion of the definition for “human voice” provided by Wikipedia:
“The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds, a body part, for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc.”
So you see, we are born with the ability to change our voice, but can you speak to your customer, your staff and/or your investors in your best brand voice? Do you need help with your Brand Voice? – Force 5 can help. Oh, we can help with the puppy voice too. Our staff members, Brady and Sophie can be ready at a moment’s notice!
A Missed Opportunity
Monday, July 25th, 2011 by Deb DeFreeuwI was at one of my favorite weekend spots on Saturday having breakfast. I was waiting to pay my bill and heard a rather loud conversation in front of me between the cashier and a customer. The conversation went something like this; “Why is the bill so much?” “Well, you ordered everything a la carte, you really should have ordered from our specials or regular menu.” “It would have been nice if the waitress had told me this, it is our first time here and now it will be our last time here.” Then dead silence as the cashier finished the transaction. It would have been so easy for the cashier to remedy this situation by charging the customer a regular meal price. Did she? No. Now they have lost a potential return customer and you can be sure that this disgruntled person is sharing her story with all her friends.
I had to wonder, does this employee not feel empowered to make this kind of decision? Maybe they have not had training on handling these types of situations? At any rate, the opportunity to make and keep a new customer was missed. I felt bad for the cashier who was not prepared to “make the save.”
If you own or manage a business, this is a good reminder to be aware of those brand touchpoints, anything that touches your customer has an impact on their experience. In this case some simple training would likely have prevented a poor customer experience.
Pricing That Shapes Reality
Wednesday, July 13th, 2011 by Butch WhitmireI read a great article yesterday, Why it Can Feel Good to Overspend, and it challenged my thinking. Several months ago I wrote a post on the Force 5 blog saying that marketing promises set customer expectations; and that unless the customer’s experience meets or exceeds those expectations, customers are not satisfied.
However, according to a study conducted in 2008, when it comes to setting high expectations based on price, customers can actually experience more satisfaction. Researchers placed the same wine in two different bottles. One bottle was a $90.00 label, the other a $10 label. When the volunteers were told the prices of the wine they were drinking, they ranked wine from the $90.00 bottle as twice as good.
Volunteers were not simply tricking themselves. Brain scans of the drinkers showed the areas of the brain that detected pleasantness being activated while consuming the $90 bottle. This meant that the drinkers we actually experiencing a better-tasting wine from the $90 bottle even though the two wines were identical.
So, what do you think? Does setting high expectations for customers have greater potential to increase their experience with your business or diminish it?
Here a brand touchpoint, there a brand touchpoint
Monday, June 27th, 2011 by Deb DeFreeuwThis weekend was not unlike many others. Running errands, working in the yard and the garden. Also common, was a trip to the store for supplies. On one such trip to Lowe’s, I was impressed by the customer service. While wandering the many aisles, looking lost, I was asked if I needed help, I certainly did. After being taken to the appropriate place for window well covers I went looking for tomato stakes. On my way across the store carrying cumbersome window well covers I was asked if I needed a cart. At this point I felt really good about my shopping experience. After all, I have a number of shopping options for these same items, but I came here. Finding what I needed in the nursery, I ordered mulch. While waiting for help getting the mulch, I notice a group of employees standing around by the registers – waiting to help customers, but also very involved in their own conversation. Part of the conversation went something like this, “hey, you know that lady that comes in here all the time, the one with the accent, really skinny?” “Yeah.” “Well, you won’t believe what she did…” I am thinking to myself, wow, I wonder if they talk about all their customers? Aside from that uncomfortable conversation, this group was more concerned with their own conversation than really taking care of the customer. Up to this point, I was very impressed with the great service (a brand touchpoint) I had received and that was quickly damaged by this experience. This experience just underscores the importance of brand touchpoints, how one “miss” can damage the brand.
Pent Up
Thursday, June 23rd, 2011 by Butch Whitmire
I read in a brief from Ad-ology that nearly 35% of U.S. adults said they intend to buy a new or used car in the next 12 months. One explanation is pent up demand. This means consumers have been holding back on their spending like a corralled stallion and now they are finally going to let that stud burst out of its pen in a money-spending whirlwind of hooves and mane.
I am hopeful this is the reason that people will be buying cars this year. Pent up demand suggests that consumers who were once caution-filled about the economy are now optimistic enough to let go of their cash or comfortable enough to take on debt. This type of demand reflects consumer confidence.
Another explanation as to why consumers will purchase cars this year is simply because they have to. That is, they are neither confident nor do they have any greater belief they will remain employed long tern or have more disposable income; they must buy a car. Their current car is just too old and worn out and to get to work, or to the unemployment office, they need a car. This type of demand, a replacement demand, reflects consumer fear.
Now don’t get me wrong, regardless of the reason, people buying cars or any product or service will be good for our economy. Demand creates production, which creates jobs, which encourages spending which creates more demand. Wonderful!
The challenge for marketers will be determining the latent, emotional cause for their customer’s demand: do customers want to buy or do they have to buy? The marketing message you send to someone who is afraid should be much different than to someone buying eagerly. Helping our clients determine their audience and the message they should send them is part of our Soul Searching™ process here at Force 5 and we’d welcome the opportunity to talk with you about our methodology. Feel free to contact us.
So, will your customers be buying from you like an unleashed stallion this year, or like some other creature? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
South Bend needs Rebranding
Monday, June 20th, 2011 by Deb DeFreeuwSo much has been said about South Bend since it showed up on the “List of Dying Cities.” A city much like ours in many ways, Grand Rapids, (also on the list…) put together an incredible video in response. I have lived in South Bend most of my life and I spent 4 years in Grand Rapids attending art school, so I know both cities well. Grand Rapids and South Bend are similar in many ways. They both have a river running through it, a downtown area that has struggled (they tried some things that worked, some that haven’t) the arts, beautiful and troubled neighborhoods, great restaurants, theaters, shopping, colleges, etc. Grand Rapids had a great response. They didn’t whine, they didn’t roll over, they didn’t agree. So they developed a rebuttal- a video from people who believe in where they live. It came down to attitude, that positive, “bloom where you are planted” mentality.
There are a lot of great things about South Bend and plenty to do, if you look for them. There is the Morris Performing Arts Center, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, South Bend Regional Museum of Art, LangLab, football (high school and college), Silver Hawks, Notre Dame, the Farmers Market, the Potawatomi Zoo, Sunburst, the East Race, Meet Me On The Island, Greekfest, Leeper Park Art Fair, Art Beat, etc. etc. We also have amazing restaurants, from fancy to local favorites; LaSalle Grill, Carriage House, Barnaby’s, CJ’s, The Vine, Trio’s – the list goes on.
Do we have some things to work on? Sure, we could be so much more!
Are some of the problems significant? You bet.
So, South Bend needs rebranding! That’s the process of looking at yourself, finding what makes us unique, then look for the “brand gaps” and fill them. Rebranding isn’t about slapping a shiny new tagline on the city and expecting things to get better. It’s about promoting what’s good about the city to our own residents and fixing the problems that need fixing.
Is it really an innovative city with a thriving business environment? If not, then how do we get there? When we can prove it , we can say it! In brand development, we tell our clients that we can’t make statements that aren’t true. What we can do is take all the points of distinction and create the brand essence-the statement (with facts) about who we are, and what makes us unique a brand franchise-what we tell others, the “outward” facing statment and perhaps a positioning statement.
All this would be a great start. But we teach our clients that the really important – critical actually, element is brand enculturation. We need to communicate to our residents about our city, and allow them to believe in it as much as many of us do. Everyone needs to believe in the brand promise and become evangelists for the brand. Think Harley or Google—that’s what we mean by brand enculturation.
We need to change our attitude about where we live, I have heard so many people complain about living here. Let’s hear some solutions. What do you think is missing? What are the problems that are making the city undesirable? Granted there are certain things we can’t change, like the weather, but we have to look at the donut, not the hole.
These days when I take a random poll of people I come across in my daily ventures, I ask them “What do you think of South Bend?” I get answers like, “I can’t wait to leave it, there is nothing to do,” “The public schools are crap,” “It’s boring.” If I was from out of town and asked these questions, and got these kind of responses – what would I think?? These people live here and they aren’t proud of their city.
After the city, and it’s people, do the heaving lifting and fill the brand gaps, we turn our community around to a place people are proud to live -THEN we tell the world.
So, let’s quit bellyaching and make some positive changes. At Force 5 we’re all about brand and community, we live here and have our business here – we’re in it to win it, are you with us?
If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.
Henry Ford.Be careful delivering that brand!
Friday, June 17th, 2011 by Deb DeFreeuwI have to say I have a love-hate relationship with Jimmy John’s. I love the sandwiches, they are good and freaky fast. The thing I am not so enamored with is walking into the restaurant and having the majority of the folks working behind the counter yell “HELLO” at me. Most don’t even look up, it feels more like a pavlovian response to someone walking in the door rather than anyone really caring that I am there or not. The girl at the counter today didn’t even look at me when she was taking my order. My sense is that they are trying to create a hustle-bustle, friendly atmosphere, and for me this misses the mark. Then, when I leave everyone yells “GOODBYE” to me – truthfully it makes me more uncomfortable than anything. I do my best to leave unnoticed if possible.
The lesson here is, if your business has a brand that is centered around a particular feeling or personality – make sure when it is delivered, it is genuine. People see right through it when it’s not!
Friend us on Facebook!
Wednesday, June 8th, 2011 by David Morgan
We see this phrase all the time. But as we dive deeper into the motivations of social network users, we see folks connect with Brands for many different reasons. I have a facebook friend that raves about a particular women’s clothing line. In my opinion, she’s a huge brand ambassador. So much so, that if I needed to purchase a woman’s clothing item for a gift, I’d check out their site. Before seeing my friend’s posts, I have never heard of this brand before. Her posts aren’t about deals or promotions, they’re about quality and style.
I thought about this from a brand perspective.
According to a Feb, 2011 Affluence Collaborative survey, wealthy internet users connect with brands on social networks for different reasons than the general population.
Among the general population, the main reason cited for connecting with brands on social networks was to receive deals and discounts. But this is a much lower priority for the wealthy. Their top reasons for following brands were due to a preexisting affinity for and a desire to be kept informed about the brand. (As a side note, the least-cited reason mentioned by all groups surveyed was to be entertained, suggesting that social media marketers still need to provide fans with value, even if it isn’t directly in the form of a coupon or sale.)
These findings coincide with earlier research from ExactTarget, which showed that a huge component of liking a brand on Facebook was due not just to an affinity, but as a means of self-expression for others to see. This promotional desire was more pronounced in Facebook users than Twitter followers or email subscribers. “Affluents” then, in their “love of the brands” they connect with, are largely acting as brand ambassadors.
Data from the study also reveals that the affluent aren’t using the same social networks as the general population. Facebook was the No. 1 social network used by all groups surveyed, but LinkedIn and Twitter attracted affluent internet users at nearly double the rate of the general population.
Our take away from the study?…. Any marketer targeting affluent consumers needs to know not only where to reach that audience, but what appeals to them. For wealthy internet users, connecting with a brand is largely about the brand itself, not gimmicks and offers. Affluents need to see a consistent message that makes following a brand meaningful for self-expression, just like when buying a brand in real life.
But I don’t think this idea just applies to the affluent—It’s the Brand ambassador we all want to be our friend. The person who “likes” us because of our brand-our quality, our customer service, our distinction in the marketplace.Keep your brand consistent throughout all of your social media efforts. Your ambassadors, wealthy or not, expect it.
A Fresh, New Look
Wednesday, May 25th, 2011 by Butch Whitmire
The Twykenham Bridge is located just a half a block away from our offices at Force 5. We’ve been watching this old bridge being renovated with great anticipation. (Details can be found here in the South Bend Tribune.) It’s amazing to see what a remodel can do. With it’s new look, the bridge again inspires confidence in those who transverse it and a sense of wonder in those who view it from a distance. It’s simply beautiful.
“In this economy, now just isn’t a good time to redo my … (fill in the marketing tactic)”
I disagree. Now is exactly the time.
How long has it been since you’ve looked at your business? At your brand support materials? Is it time for a web site renovation? A fresh coat of paint on that tired brochure? Does your customer service need reinforcement so that people feel confident when they rely on you?
Are you ready to polish up your business, your dream, and give it the fresh, new look it needs to weather today and tomorrow? If so, what will be the first thing you renovate?
Web of One
Tuesday, May 17th, 2011 by David MorganI was listening to a TED talk yesterday from Eli Pariser, who just wrote the book “The Filter Bubble”.In his talk, he tells of the personalization taking place on the web. Everything is filtered before it gets to us. I have an interest in sailing, and listed that on my facebook. And lo and behold, I see ads and articles on Sailing. Google Ad words looks at blogs, and then show ads linked to key words found in the article.
The Filter bubble by Eli Pariser
In fact, Google uses 57 different criteria to filter content to you. This might include your location, you age, gender, and whatever else they know about you.
Is personalization a good thing? In most cases, sure. I don’t mind seeing ads on sailing, but what am I missing? Eli’s premise is that you start to see only your filter—a filter that’s not necessarily controlled by you. So if I’m conservative, I may not see liberal points of view. If I like dogs, I might not see cats…Get the picture?
Some argue that most people lack the time, motivation and self-knowledge to customize their filter, if they are given the chance. But others think that automatic personalization severely limits the power of the net to stretch our minds.
Do you want to see opposing views on a subject? Do you want to see challenging and contrary viewpoints? Is your filter relevant, important, uncomfortable, challenging, other points of view? Again, as we’ve noted in previous blogs, its all about data mining.
As a brand development and marketing communications firm, Force 5 is always interested in metrics. We want to know if our target audience for any given product or service is seeing (and responding to) our message. But has data mining and filtering gone too far—limiting our selections, making a “web of one”—instead of a “web of many”? What do you think?
