"Old-School" Branding Techniques Still Have a Place In Today’s Market

Everything is so fast-paced these days: You go to bed thinking you’ve mastered the world of technology and wake up to a brand new invention – the ‘latest craze’ in communication or business development. 

If you think it’s hard for you to keep up with change – think of it from a company’s standpoint.  They have to keep up and stay relevant, they have to adapt their branding, marketing and sales efforts at the same or faster pace than new technology emerges.

The show Mad Men encapsulated the old-school way of advertising – designing billboards and magazine ads relevant to those times.  These jobs still get done, just in a different way and with different tools.  Today, instant publishing is all the rage. Despite the changes that the marketing industry has experienced, some old-school branding and marketing strategies just as effective today as they were decades ago.   

The following are a few branding and marketing strategies that are just as valuable today as yesteryear:

Business cards. Business cards are less common now that texts and apps and email are so prevalent, but they’re still effective. Business cards visually represent you and your brand -- they have your logo and contact information, which should stand out in your prospect’s mind. When designing your business card, make it one that people will remember so that when a prospect needs your type of services, he or she will think of you first.

Snail mail. We all love getting personal mail.  Most of the time, our trips to the mailbox result in bills or advertising disguised as letters.  You don’t have to trick consumers into opening your mail in order to have a successful snail mail campaign. Although impersonal ads are disappointing, coupons and discount notifications are not. There are many card companies that can help you become more personal and relevant to your potential and current customers.

Public Speaking. Speaking at events is a great way to get your company’s name out to people already interested in your industry. Search out events related to your field or let connections know that you are available to speak; then prepare an address that is educational and meaningful and will make a lasting impression.

Think about the last time you attended an event about something you were interested in. Did any of the speakers stand out to you? Why?

Publishing testimonials.  At SK Consulting, we preach the need for testimonials. Customers turn to online reviews and testimonials all the time before making purchasing decisions or deciding which service provider they want to use.

Asking existing clients for testimonials and then publishing their words on your website and printed marketing materials helps establish trust.  Don’t forget to ask your customers to write a review on Facebook and Google – provide them the direct link to where their words can be published.

Sponsorships for community events. Whether a local high school football team or a charity walk to raise cancer awareness, an event that gets you involved in your community – and noticed -  will raise awareness of your company and the things you do. It makes for great PR as well because it shows that you and/or your company care about the community and are dedicated to giving back.

Cold calls. The term “cold calls” has a negative connotation because rejection is tough and some people just aren’t cut out for sales. Assigning one of those people to cold calling won’t result in much success. But, others do their best work when making cold calls.

With cold calls, you need a plan in place that includes a list of potential customers and a ‘non-scripted’ script. Once you feel confident in your pitch, call the prospects on the list. Don’t be afraid to digress a little bit or indulge in a personal conversation.

A branding redesign. If your brand has been around a while, it may be time for a redesign.  Although this can be a difficult undertaking, redesigning your brand, logo and the overall look of your company can get you a lot of attention. This is especially true if your branding is outdated. Old customers will enjoy a fresh new look while potential customers will get curious and pay more attention because, let’s face it, sometimes we do judge books by their covers.

Trade shows.  Whether you attend trade shows in your local area or travel to national and even global events, participating in and presenting at trade shows is a great way to increase brand recognition. Not only can you get your name out there, but you can show potential partners and customers your products, what they do and what else you have been working on.

The above strategies may not be the newest ways to brand and market your business.  But, they have been tried, tested and proven true. If you need help incorporating traditional strategies into your forward-thinking marketing plan, contact the experts at SK Consulting today!

Attention Associations – What’s Your Brand Benefit?

Many times, branding is misunderstood.  Businesses and individuals, alike, use the term interchangeably with marketing or public relations.  But a brand is the identity of a business, organization and helps tell the story and give others an incentive to buy into what you are all about. 

Many business owners and organization leaders don’t put as much thought into it as they probably should.  Take, for instance, associations – member organizations that don’t have a product to sell, but benefits.  Associations need strategic branding more than anything to sell memberships.

Branding is not just about the graphic representation of an association in the form of a logo. The visual representation of a logo as part of a brand becomes more meaningful and valuable if it encapsulates and communicates effectively the association’s core identity: its brand voice, mission, vision, values, goals and brand story.

Too often the foundation of an association marketing strategy, an organization brand, is ignored when developing association marketing strategy and tactics. How do you build an organization’s brand? The temporary victory that comes from developing an association’s marketing strategy without redeveloping or redeploying a brand strategy is anything but traditional.

Branding As Marketing

Your organization’s brand needs to steer your marketing strategy if it’s going to grow market share and increase your association’s preference. Branding an association or an organization means it must blend with the marketing organically.

An association’s brand is dependent on the organization members and prospective members – they help identify passion points and benefits of services offered and services that should be offered. Most association marketing strategies lack this thought process because they have confused their association’s brand with their corporate proposition or product (association) attributes. As a result, the marketing efforts fail.

When branding an association look closely at the aspirations of the prospective members

The reason most marketing strategies fail is not because the organization’s strategy was wrong, rather because internal decision makers are unable to observe the association’s brand dispassionately. To put it into perspective – do you really know how you appear to others? For example, how many bald men think the “comb over” is an effective disguise? People cannot see themselves as others do, and organization marketing departments quickly reinforce this fundamental truth when they step into the “corporate body” — unable to see itself dispassionately.

More often than not, the corporate body reacts in terms of its own needs and wants. Such blindness presents an opportunity for other organizations or associations that are willing to see association brand development as central to its marketing development and not simply as something to be managed.

How Marketing Has Changed

Brand is about persuasion because it is all about the beliefs that drive your target audience. It is not static.  It is a fluid idea that continually changes with the wants and desires of prospective members.  

Branding an association without a concrete marketing strategy as part of its deliverables is like going to the finest restaurants in the world, deciding what you want to eat, and then eating the laminated menu rather than what you ordered.

Surrounding and supporting core identity are the brand components and applications that capture the identity of the association. Brand components, such as the logo, tagline, imagery, colors, shapes, tone of voice, layout, style and font type are ingredients in creating the unique identity of an association’s brand. They include corporate stationery, web site, videos, office environment, brochure, social media, etc. All these are relevant in designing and building a brand.

Again, branding is a process and brands should be nurtured. The design process from research, brand strategy formation to the creative expression of the logo are all essential parts to a brand. To create an effective brand, an organization must incorporate the following components:

• People—the association’s main asset. Whether a volunteer or an employee, they provide time, expertise and contacts.
• Belief—reflects the association’s core values, which drive its people to achieve positive and progressive outcomes.
• Cause—describes the organization’s mission and is a fundamental part of the brand story.
• Stories—represent the many “voices” of the association and its members.
• Advocacy—is about the association’s purpose, which is the core and reason for being.

Finally, brand management is a critical part in nurturing brands and requires the commitment of the organization’s leadership, involvement of the staff and identification of those who will be champions.

How does an association start to brand itself?

• Discover who you really are, what you want to be known for.
• Understand prospects’ pain points.
• Know what solutions you provide.
• Develop and share your story in a clear, consistent manner.

Is branding for associations? A resounding YES! Countries do branding (for tourism, etc.), companies do it, too (to sell their products) as do people (for personal equity).  Why not associations? Associations touch lives, provide benefits and can make a positive difference to an individual or business – so, why WOULDN’T an association invest in branding?  

Planning for a Prosperous New Year: Create an Effective Marketing Budget

Don’t look now, but you have already started the first quarter of a new year. A new year means new customers, new sales goals, and new opportunities to grow your business. It’s an exciting way to start the year, but it won’t last long if your marketing budget isn’t right from the start.

Many companies plan their marketing budget based on the previous year and how much they’re willing to spend on marketing. This is a great way to hold yourself back from achieving your sales goals, or to spend too much on wasted efforts.

Want the most bang for your buck? Plan and implement a marketing budget that gets results.

1) Start With A Marketing Strategy

Before you calculate your marketing budget, align your marketing goals with your company's strategic goals and vision for growth. If you plan to grow by 20%, but only want to invest enough in marketing to get new business cards for everyone in your company, you're probably going to be disappointed with the results of your investment!

It's important to develop a written marketing strategy that your executive team, sales team, and marketing team are on board with. You need everyone to be driving their activities in the same direction.

2) Set Your Marketing Budget

Once you've aligned your company goals with your marketing goals, you'll need to identify your marketing budget so you can develop a detailed marketing plan that supports your strategy.

Lean: 1 - 2% of your top-line revenue. Basically, you’re committing to engaging and retaining current customers with simple tools and strategies. This is ideal for companies that are looking to maintain their market position and don't have ambitious growth goals.

Target: 3 - 4% of your top-line revenue. The goal is to attract new prospects and retain current customers with advanced tools and strategies. This plan is best for companies that are looking to increase their market share and have moderate growth goals

Stretch: 5% or more of your top-line revenue. Your target is to accelerate your results by applying more resources that are focused on driving leads, conversion, and sales. To do this, you’ll need more complex marketing strategies and cutting-edge tools. Go with this plan if you have ambitious plans to grow and increase your market share.

3) Allocate Your Marketing Budget Dollars

Armed with your goals and a budget, you can now get into the nitty-gritty of developing a tactical plan to transform your marketing dreams into reality! The complexity of your plan will depend on the marketing budget you’ve identified, but you should also consider including tactical plans related to:

•         Web design and maintenance
•         SEO and paid advertising
•          Social media
•         Blogs, newsletters and email marketing
•          Networking and outreach
•         Traditional advertising
•          Misc.

Determine how much of your marketing budget should be allocated to each aspect of your plan.

4) Implement A Marketing Budget Plan

Once you've developed a plan that supports your company's goals, you need to implement it. And to guarantee a successful implementation, you need a team of qualified marketers, designers, and technical experts. You’ve got a few options for creating such a team:

•           Hire an FTE.  A full-time marketing professional who can delegate and outsource.  This will cost a salary, plus benefits and potential contracting fees for services they cannot provide.
•           Contract with a marketing company.  When choosing the marketing contractors, ask questions.  How many clients do they serve at a time, what are their costs, how many people will be devoted to your goals.  The larger the agency, the more clients’ goals they have to focus on.  Ask if they will go on a monthly retainer fee.  This saves you on having to pay benefits
•          Mix it up.  A hybrid team gives you the best of both worlds.  It consists of a small in-house marketing team that's dedicated to one or two key tasks, supplemented by an outside marketing team that can round out your marketing efforts. Be sure that everyone is clear on their roles and responsibilities, agrees on metrics, and is committed to a shared vision for success. This can be a very effective approach to implementing a solid marketing plan!

If you need help developing and implementing a marketing strategy, contact SK Consulting today!  From concept to creation to implementation, we’re there with you every step of the way.

Why Do You Need a Personal Brand?

Do you truly know how you are presenting yourself to others?  Do you know how you want to be perceived by others?  If you don’t know who you are or what you want to represent, nobody else will either.  Whether or not you realize it, you’re a walking personal brand – a persona that defines you and illustrates to the wider public who you are, where you have been and where you are going.

When you do an online search for someone (or yourself), the information you find is the backbone of a personal brand. It is your personal best and worst, all open for public view. Depending on your role, your personal brand also reflects on your company’s brand—after all, you are a window into what your company values and cares about.

You can either take charge in shaping your image and identity, or you can let your brand be construed as others see you - their impressions or misconceptions of who you are. If there are negative things online, people might have a distorted view of who you are. If a search turns up well-written and insightful blogs, spunky social media accounts or bold professional networking pages, their curiosity may be piqued. However, your personal brand should authentically express who you are—and you must own it.

The Benefits of a Well-Crafted Personal Brand

·       Separates You From the Competition

You’re willing do whatever it takes to elevate your company so it stands out in a crowded marketplace, but the truth is people relate to other people, not impersonal companies. You may also wield the power of being a recognizable face behind your business. Your personal brand can help set the tone for your whole company and help it stand apart from the rest, so make it count.

Think of your personal brand as a way of taking control of your reputation and creating a statement that summarizes who you are. Honing your own brand also separates your company brand as unique and distinctive, and it gives customers a “real person” to identify with the brand.

·     Establishes You as an Expert in Your Field

Those who are perceived or identified as industry experts have a leg up in the business world. They are more recognizable, they command higher fees, and doors open more easily for them.

Create a catchy tagline for yourself that explains what you do. It’s important to let people know what you have to offer, and this messaging should be consistent across your website, social media profiles, business cards, and any other marketing.

·      Define What You Stand For

Defining your personal brand is about revealing to the world who you are, what you believe in, and what you stand for. It should be liberating, because your brand is ultimately who YOU have chosen to become.

What is in your heart and soul? What do you really care about? What are your passions? Though it may seem morbid – if you died tomorrow, how would you want to be remembered?  Turn those thoughts into content.  Write a blog. Start building an online community of followers. Become a professional speaker. Just remember your brand can’t be something manufactured—people will smell fake in an instant. It must honestly reflect your beliefs.

·       Attract New Clients, Employers, and Employees

Your personal brand should be a selling point to new clients, potential employers, and even future employees. Have you cultivated a reputation as someone they would want to do business with or work with?  Do you show how you can create value for those around you? If people believe in you, if they trust what you stand for and see that you have integrity, they will want to work with you, work for you, or buy your products.

·       Explain How Your Past Fits Into Your Present

Over time, your career will change course and you will grow in different ways. The great thing about a personal brand is being able to pull all of the pieces together and explain your evolution by developing your narrative. This is your chance to tell your story.

Your branding narrative helps explain your overall progression in your career, interests and life. The key is to focus on how your prior experience brings value to who you are now. Think of this as your WHY.  Why do you do what you do?  Why should people choose to do business with you?  Your why is just like you, it shouldn’t be static – it should grow and evolve over time. 

If you are struggling to define your personal brand, contact the experts at SK Consulting.  From concept to creation to implementation, we’re there with you every step of the way.

If You Build Trust, They Will Come

There’s no denying consumers crave a deeper connection with the companies they do business with. That’s why having a fancy website and logo isn’t enough to define your brand anymore. So, it’s very important to thoughtfully create a personal brand that truly shares who you are and what you stand for.

If a brand isn’t appealing to your audience or not genuine, it can repel customers. But the process of creating a brand can be intimidating for some.  Let’s break down some tips on how you can avoid branding blunders when it comes to helping instead of harming your business.

1. Have a Personal Brand

Whether you intentionally create a brand or not, every communication and experience you have with customers and potential customers is shaping your brand.

That’s why it’s critical to create a positive brand communication. If you don’t take time to define your brand, your message can get wishy washy. That lack of clarity will hurt your marketing efforts.

2. Be Original

Often when people start out in business they think that imitating their top competitors is a good idea. Don’t imitate, instead innovate.

Accentuate what makes you unique. Differentiate yourself. Show why your differences make you a better choice. Do this by creating signature systems, products and messaging that sets you apart.

3. Be Authentic

Some people take a dress-up approach to branding. They feel like they must be something they are not in order to attract customers. Authenticity in marketing matters more than anything. Being honest and transparent builds trust.

A brand should be genuine and always maintain consistent messaging that is in alignment with your personality and brand.

4. Be Consistent

Your personal brand promise and message should be clear with every communication.

The more consistent your brand is, the stronger it will attract followers. As you write blog posts, eBooks and social media posts etc., make sure the thoughts, opinions and information shared is consistent with your personal brand.

Every communication should reflect your brand personality and values.

5. Write Your Own Stuff

Content marketing helps you develop leadership in your industry. Your fans want to hear from you – not the same old thing that everyone else is writing.

Every time you write it’s a communication that builds a relationship with your followers. They experience your personality and voice. Every time you write a blog, article or tips, you are establishing yourself as a subject matter expert.

Writing unique articles also boosts your website SEO.

6. Define Your Niche

No business can be all things to all people. It’s really important to define your target market. Period.

The more you can narrow down your target market the better; otherwise, you risk confusing your customers and you’ll have a harder time attracting your ideal client.

7. Be Gracious

Everyone has a tribe, the group of people with whom you have a reciprocal unconditional love and connection. Raving fans will tell the world how amazing you are. That’s why it’s important to give special treatment to your tribe.

Find your tribe. Reward them.  Give them special offers. Allow them behind-the-scene peaks. Share advanced notice about things in the pipeline.

8. Be Professional

The Internet knows all.  So, if you make a mistake, someone’s going to catch it.  For example, when you send a newsletter with typos or broken links it reflects poorly on your brand. When your customer has a problem and calls customer service, they want their issue resolved.

It may seem petty, but pay attention to your appearance. Watch the language you share on social media. Your demeanor should be humble not arrogant. Display ethical behavior when attending public events. Answer the phone professionally.

All of the above components don’t necessarily make up your brand, but they do back it up.  Take a look at how you want people to view you, your business, the experience they have when doing business with you.  If you are consistent, professional and genuine, you will be sure to get repeat customers and best of all – referrals!

If you need help developing and maintaining your personal or business branding, contact the experts at SK Consulting.  From Concept.  To Creation.  To Implementation, we’re there with you every step of the way!  

The Marketing Psychology Behind Your Brand’s Color

Many times, when people are starting a business, they ask for help with a marketing plan.  More often than not, the first thing they want is a logo.  And a lot of times, they come to us with one already sketched out or done themselves.  While we applaud the initiative, sometimes what they have designed could actually be a hindrance to their business.  You see, there is a marketing psychology behind every great brand.  The color, font, look and feel of your logo, website and promotional materials should be derived from research that explains the consumer’s brain pattern.

Color psychology is important to understand and utilize in your marketing efforts, especially because neuroscience says humans may be hardwired for certain shades.

As strategic marketing professionals, we like to understand what compels people to buy, so that we can help our customers maximize their marketing efforts.  The number one goal of branding and marketing is to get noticed.  The second is to get people engaged.  The final is to get people to buy.  Doing it ‘right’ the first time will help expedite the process from point A to point B.

Research shows that colors, branding, and tying them together create an opportunity for consumers to recognize your business or brand quickly. After all, the goal of your branding attempts and marketing efforts is to create a company reputation easily remembered with a quick glance at a logo.

Colors should be chosen to represent your brand very carefully.  After all, many researchers took a lot of time to study and spell out what color schemes, etc. work best for your industry.  Companies use this branding research to target particular markets and give a certain impression to their consumers.

Why color?

This is a question that’s not as easily answered as asked. Color relates to persuasion, because it evokes an emotional response. Persuasion is a marketer’s friend.

Color theory represents a unique opportunity to research the consumer’s decision-making process, as well as what marketing professionals can do to sway those decisions in their favor. In essence, it’s a sort of manipulation you want to be able to get away with. Research shows there are a lot of ways color theory affects consumer habits, and how marketing professionals can use it.

Utilizing color is an effective way to play on someone’s personal experiences.

Did you know that 90% of snap judgments made about products, brands, or businesses can be based on color alone? There are a variety of things that factor into the perception of color from a consumer’s point of view. Their age, culture, socioeconomic status, location, job, experience, family status, and the landscape of their industry all factor into the way they view color, or what color evokes in them.

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Companies use color to elicit emotional responses like increased appetite or an enhanced mood. Some take it a step further, using color theory to soothe customers, reduce the perception of a lengthy wait, and other various situations where an emotional response may occur.

Choosing where to use color, aside from logos, is also important. There are a variety of locations to choose from, including merchandise, web design, and calls-to-action.

Fortune 500 companies know a little something about effective branding, especially when it comes to the utilization of color theory.

Most people prefer color patterns with similar hues, which explains why more than 80% of Fortune 500 companies have two or fewer colors incorporated into their logo.

Plenty of notable, popular logos belong to these big companies, because they know the value of a strong brand identity. Which, often times, they base off color theory. For example, red is an appetite enhancer and it is present in the golden arches of McDonald’s logo.  

There are three steps to figuring out what colors to use in your branding attempts. You have to start by understanding your brand personality in order to choose the right colors. If you’re a green, eco-friendly company, you won’t want to create a logo with red, a color associated with boldness, fire, and excitability. The next point of business is to take your brand personality, and match it with certain hues using color theory. As a third and final step to utilizing color theory in your company branding, learn which colors convey what to readers.

THEN develop your story.

Your logo, as well as the rest of your marketing materials, is the first impression on a customer. Because of this, you need to hone the message you’re trying to tell your customers about your brand through your logo. Your brand message matters, and it has an effect on the opinions of your customers - past, present, and future.

If you need help developing your brand and choosing your color scheme, contact the experts at SK Consulting.  From Concept.  To Creation. To Implementation.  We’re there with you every step of the way!

Give Back. Get Noticed.

Every business, no matter how big or small, should have a marketing plan. And if you don’t have one, or are not even sure how to start one, contact an expert in the field.  It’s a competitive world out there, especially for small businesses and generating local revenue can be exceptionally important. Word-of-mouth can be an important source of business referrals, but sometimes your business marketing plan needs to go the extra mile.

That’s where community involvement comes into play.  But, don’t just say you’re going to get involved.  TRULY get involved.  People will notice when you make a promise and don’t follow through.

Becoming involved in your local community, or in causes that impact your potential customer base can be a good way to generate “impressions” on members of your community. For years, small businesses have partnered with other organizations to both meet a need and promote their business.  When you are truly engaged in the community organization you support, prospective customers will remember you and your business as the caring one that supported XYZ.

For example, sponsoring a local youth sports team or a local animal shelter are time-honored ways for small business professionals to make a name in their communities. Similarly, sponsoring local events and making charitable donations are also good opportunities to put your business name out there and help you gain advantage over your competitors.

In any given year, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to support local charities and events, but how can you be sure that you’re getting the most bang for your philanthropic buck? The secret to successful business marketing through community involvement is choosing your involvement carefully.

The most natural community involvement choices are those that reflect your target market. An orthodontist sponsoring a youth soccer team or the local recreation department is one example of a “natural fit.” The youth participants in the activity are part of the practitioner’s target market, and when they need orthodontic work, they might have to look no farther than the patch on their favorite soccer jersey to find someone they can trust.

Another natural fit may be sponsorship of a charitable event hosted by a major client. In this case, your business may be donating products or services that fill a need of the event, but you can gain valuable exposure to other businesses that are affiliated with the client-host. Along with that, you may also receive some very positive recommendations.

When deciding what organizations or philanthropic event to support or sponsor, assess the benefit.  How many people are expected to attend?  Are there media partners?  Do they have a social media following?  How will they promote you?  Your goal is to not only give back to the community but to raise awareness of your products and/or services.

If the above types of community involvement don’t suit your business, consider other ways to give. Donating a portion of your proceeds to a particular charity or cause may be the way to go for businesses like restaurants. This allows you to draw in new customers who may want to support the charity, but have never done business with you in the past. By supporting their favorite cause, you give them a reason to check out your business!

If you’re not sure how to start becoming more involved in your community, consider joining your local Chamber of Commerce or Rotary Club. You’ll meet many other business owners who are actively involved in both their communities and their businesses. You may also find many new opportunities to meet the needs of your community while promoting your business at the same time. 

If you want to get involved but are unsure how to get started, contact the experts at SK Consulting!