It's a bag, don't judge... How tote bags become status symbols

Look in your closet, and you are bound to find several styles and types of totes.  From the standard non-woven grocery tote, to old-school canvas, to now custom washable paper grocery bags,  we all use them for some way, shape or form.

Brands have realized that custom bags are fantastic walking billboards that are ideal brand extenders.  Moreover, they have realized that a bag which is unique and aligned with their brand direction can quickly become the "it" status item to have, bringing additional value and exposure. 

Custom Bags and Totes

Retail has leveraged tote bags to promote brand loyalty and define their customer base, thus generating buzz.  For brands looking to create a personality, edgy designs or colors will make you stand out in the crowd.  

Check out this article on how tote bags are becoming status symbols for brands.  And if you are looking to extend and personalize your brand through custom tote bags, check us out at Whiteboard Promotions!

Tale of two Brand Pimps

Giving your brand a personality is an important aspect of your marketing mix.  A brand has to be able to relate on a human level to establish trust and long-term value with your customer base.  Big brands such as Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Budweiser and Disney have excelled in extending their brand to  a personal level.  Whether it's what you ask for in the South when wanting soda, Ronald and Mickey, or the beloved Clydesdales, brands that achieve a personality are winning the game.

However, there are some Brands where it may be better if the stuck to product development than going over the top with brand personalization.  Lately, two individuals have been pimping their brands in colorful - and in one case outrageous - ways.

LaVar Ball and the Big Baller Brand

Let's face it, we all have the ability to be that Soccer Mom or loud Sports Dad - I am well aware of my reputation with both of my boys!  But LaVar Ball makes me look like a saint when it comes to his boys and the Big Baller Brand.

He's brash, loud, obnoxious, completely loyal to his sons, and an outspoken Brand ambassador.  He should be, he created it!  Unfortunately, the Big Baller Brand is basically that, a tagline brand as their products - basketball shoes and sportswear - have been underwhelming and the company has been given an F by the Better Business Bureau.  Don't say that to LaVar though, as he stays true to his brand better than anyone - just that he should have paid more attention to the product line and delivery instead of pimping his company and his sons' basketball skills.

John Legere and T-Mobile

As opposed to the BBB legend LaVar Ball, John Legere is colorful in his own way, literally.  The T-Mobile CEO bleeds his company's Magenta brand color with everything that he has.  He has mastered the ability to blend promo products in to marketing mix, leveraging magenta-colored branded items in his social media posts, using promo products as motivators to employees and gifts to customers for loyalty.  He has created a persona that typifies T-Mobile's mission as a wireless disruptor - and its CEO is the epitome of that personality.  He's brash, exciting, apparently a cook, and all-in on brand extension - fun to watch and follow online

The lesson is that you can be an asset to your Brand's messaging as John Legere continues to do, or with your personality traits, tarnish an aspiring brand with an over-the-top and abrasive style.  Stay true to your message and utilize promo products to extend your reach on a one-to-one basis with your customers, employees and stakeholders. 

For more ideas about how to implement promo items in to your branding programs, go to Whiteboard Promotions.

It's 2018... Now What?

Last year's gone, now we have literally a blank slate for 2018 to be creative, extend our Brand's reach, and grow.  So, what's next?  If you are anything like me, you started this process during the past couple of weeks when the world kind of slowed down a bit.  Now, it's time to get it all together.

For me, it all begins with doing a Brandscape - where are you positioned in the industry?  Be it a small business, mid-level or High Flying Corporation, your Brand is always the starting point for drilling down in to what you want to accomplish for the year.  Did you gain or lose market share, improve or lose your social relevance, expand or shrink your target audience?  How did your marketing fare in relation to your Brand messaging?  Was your digital content a positive or negative asset to your year?

Once you look at these factors along with the ugly mathematical truths,  I typically look to how best to make simple, attainable changes that will have a quick impact to the bottom line.  I then establish goals - both reasonable and stretch - that will motivate me to improve.  Then, I write down a formal plan of attack including the dreaded SWOT analysis - Strenghs, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats - which will define where I go this year.

Y'all, it's a blank slate, set a plan and attack the new year!  Best of luck!

Bags as a Brand booster!

Let's face it, we all love a good bag!  Be it a grocery tote, backpack, laptop case, or good ole fashioned duffle, we have a bag for every event in our day.

So, do you have a favorite bag, I am 100% sure that you do.  And, according to a recent survey, 31% of you have one with a logo on it.  Be it your favorite team, grocery store, or a recent outing at a trade show, the chances are high you got a bag with a Brand on it! 

You marketers out there, note that a promotional bag generates 5983 impressions, much more than any other promo item out there - so get your Brand on a bag y'all!  And for you California folks - paper or plastic ain't gonna cut it in the supermarkets, so look at Non-woven totes as your new favorite brand vehicle.

Can Facebook be your Customer Service answer?

The numbers say yes!  In a Q2 2014 survey, 67% of brands that had questions posted to their Facebook wall, responded to them.  That's a pretty strong figure for customer interaction, which shows the true power of social media and how successful Brands leverage it for full customer interaction.

There is always a "but" in this equation, and in this case during that same period, 87% of the Brands examined did not have their Facebook walls open for comments.  In other words, these Brands failed to recognize the word SOCIAL in its overall strategy.  We're now in an interactive world folks, transparency in your Brand is necessary in order to create trust - open up man!

So what industries excel at Customer Service interaction on social media platforms...the Airlines!  Yes, those lovely companies that now charge you for that man-purse or laptop case, are the best at social response.

So what does this mean to you?  Open up the lines, answer those questions and create a relationship with your customers!

For more on this article Read Here

Hello? I can't hear you! Four ways to get closer to your Customer's Voice

Listening... in business it's vital to understanding your customer's needs and pains.  As a salesperson, it is the key ingredient to a successful close of a sale.  In negotiation, the "he who speaks first loses" mantra deeply involves understanding your adversary's voice.

So, with all the chatter going on in this social media world, how do you get your customer to be honest with you?  As marketers, we thrive on data and feedback, but making sure the data is accurate and honest is a problem.  The noise of Facebook, Twitter, blogs, Pinterest, etc act as massive filters to your Customer's true voice.

What works these days?  Simplicity folks:  listen, be transparent in your open-ended questioning, ask permission, and by all means don't use today's latest and greatest buzzword.  The social media outlets are your tools, and can be utilized to get your customer's true voice.

Read More here

Custom Promo Products: How swag can affect customer loyalty

Customer loyalty - it's the holy Grail of marketing y'all.  The customer who is loyal to your brand essentially becomes your Ambassador to the world.  It's why we spend so much money on social media, community outreach, etc.

But... are you thinking about a promotional product as well?  Fact of the matter is, a well placed, branded thank-you gift goes a long way in establishing repeat performances.

 

So... are branded items in your arsenal in creating loyalty?  If not, then you better load your gun... quickly!

Brand Positioning: Getting your startup's name out there

So you have this great product, a slick website, and an ad budget with plans for global domination.  Your logo is spectacular and inventory is in the warehouse - you are ready to make a name for your Brand.  The social media is up and running, and you are pinning that fantastic product to various boards.  You are ready to go, and then...poof.

That's what happened to me, and is still a constant struggle, getting the brand out there for more traffic - and more sales.

How do you get your brand discovered by the mainstream - one word is needed... Articles.  Posting articles to media outlets - both online and hard copy - is an effective method of brand discovery, followed closely by the tried and true method of referrals.

Check out this article to see what the stats say on effective brand discovery.  Read More

Ditch the Pitch? Why the Elevator spiel falls short

It used to be an old adage - can you make an impression on someone in the time it takes to go up a floor in an elevator?  Well, unfortunately with the need-it-now mentality of today's instant access crowd, an elevator ride is pretty much a yawn-fest.

So, how do you get your point across quickly to the millennial crowd?  Try throwing a Memory Dart - a phrase that will be short, sweet and to the point - pun intended!  You want to get your point across in under 10 seconds with something that won't come across like a poot in church.

Think of your Memory dart as a verbal business card y'all, and make that impression!

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Brand Consistency: Did the new Apple iOS7 hurt?

Well folks, it's here - love it or not, we'll have to get used to it if we want to keep up with Apple.  iOS 7 is a complete change in brand consistency for Apple - the fonts, color schemes, motion and graphics, etc all have changed - so much so that our phones can be classified as brand new!  Apple has even enlisted its chief designer Jony Ives to describe how these design changes are a good thing - another departure from the Steve Jobs past.

These changes may or may not hurt Apple's brand loyalty - I am a die-hard Apple-ite myself, however, and it's a BIG however, drastic changes to your Brand WILL affect your business.

Consistent branding is not just a buzzword, it is the cornerstone of your overall business strategy.  All of the innovation in social media, advertising, and experiential marketing puts more ammo in our marketing arsenal, however staying true to our branding message is more important than ever.

Check out this infographic that Jessica Brandenburg created to visualize the importance of Brand consistency:

Breast Cancer Awareness: October awareness products!

Breast Cancer is a serious disease that affects 1 in 8 women over the course of their lifetime.  That's not a pretty number for anyone to see, and although the death rates have been decreasing, finding a treatment is no closer to reality.

Organizations such as the American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen have done a lot to help raise money and awareness for Breast Cancer, and branded products have been a focal point in raising money.  In that regards, there is an opportunity for brands to show their support for continued research and awareness, plus show that their employees' health is an important issue.

Check out some of the items we have for your Breast Cancer Awareness efforts:

What do Walter White and Steve Jobs have in common?

Hmmm, now that's an intriguing question to ask on a Wednesday.  How can a science teacher turned meth kingpin have anything in common with the Apple guru?

In actuality - quite a bit!  You think about how Apple came on to the computer scene in the 70's, how it's design techniques and customer-driven laser focus created several industries, and then apply that to the drug business, and well you have synergies that can be applied to basic branding principles.

1. Market recognition:  Steve Jobs saw the future of personal computing very early, and recognized the vastness of the emerging market.  Jobs also was able to hone in on what the end user wanted, and simplified it so that it applied to everyday life - i.e. creating the MacIntosh desktop graphical interfaces that, well mimic someone's desktop.  Very simple, yet applicable to everybody's life!  Walter White saw that Methamphetamine was rapidly becoming huge, and took his expertise in chemistry to a new level by developing a better product which his market truly wanted.
2. Product Integrity:  Walter's formula in the show is a 99% pure product - well above anything in the marketplace, and its distinctive blue coloring made it easily identifiable.  To the consumer, it was a mark of drug excellence and created a huge demand for the Blue.  Jobs created a closed product, so that anyone who wanted to create an application or software had to utilize Apple's parameters, thereby ensuring that any software or hardware component worked seamlessly with Apple products.
3. Distinctive Design:  From the branding to the packaging, everything that Apple creates has a distinctively clean and intuitive design.  The iPod/iPad/iPhone have limited product directions as earch are easily implemented - kids can operate them without any real instructions.  Walter White's Blue meth is completely different than anything in the fictitious marketplace, and it's brand name of Heisenberg appeals to the end user, and strikes fear into the competition.
4. Market Dominance:  Apple has revolutionized 4 industries, and in each has been an industry leader, leaving competitors, particularly in the cellphone industry lagging behind.  Walter White's ruthless attention to his marketplace has placed his product as the standard, and his competition has not been able to copy and/or destroy it's way back.

Yes, we're talking fiction vs. reality, but these four principles can be put in to your own branding culture.

Brand Messaging: Common mistakes that deflate your Message

Any fighter will tell you, if you want to win - you have to come out swinging and make a solid connection quickly.

This is the same with any product or service - you want to make a solid connection quickly with your audience - and that is done with a powerful brand message that empowers action.  Yet, this is a constant struggle with today's marketers.

Brand messaging doesn't have to be all about the Pro's of your product or service - rather it must embody your target audience's core values.  That old adage, sell the "WHY" remains somewhat true in this respect - if you don't zero in on what your audience cares most about in relation to your Brand, then you risk inauthenticity, or basically pissing off your key demo.

Read more to avoid the 5 common pitfalls of brand messaging so that your Brand scores a knockout in its next campaign!

Promo products: Do they really drive brand recognition?

It's time to drive new revenue to your company, so you've put together a fantabulous marketing plan that will bring your company to the next level.  You have your T.V. spots, your advertising placements, billboards and your website is all SEO'd with amazing online ads dialed in.  You are ready for some explosive growth - or are you?

Did you forget an important marketing medium in your mix?  What, you don't think a promotional product is worth it?  Not so fast my friend...

Those trinkets and trash work man!  Surveys show that 70% of consumers remember receiving a promo item, and 88% of them REMEMBER who gave it to them!  How's that for brand recognition or ROI?  So that little lip balm, promo sunglasses, or custom t-shirt might not be a bad investment after all.

Read More of the power of Promo products in you marketing mix!

So... Does Swag really work?

Look around your desk - I'm quite positive you will find a branded item somewhere near you.  Be it a pen, coaster, mousepad, USB drive, Coffee Mug, water bottle, sticky note - these dern things are everywhere!

So what!  I have some company's logo on my stuff, that doesn't mean anything to me!  I just like the thing they gave me.  I hear that all the time in what I do - it's just trinkets and trash/Swag/Tchotchkies/junk...

Au contraire my friend!  A recent study shows that branded items do in fact impact a targeted audience in a tangible way!  More importantly, it left favorable, long-lasting impressions upon recipients.  Here's the figures:

PPAI research shows:

• 88 percent recall the advertiser on promotional products
• 85 percent have done business with the advertiser after receiving a promotional item
• 83 percent like promotional products
• 81 percent keep them because they are useful
• 53 percent use promotional products once a week
• 47 percent keep them for more than a year

For you Marketeers - that's good stats!  Promo items may not be glitzy, but they work.  for more info on the study, read here

What are the Top Brands in Non-Profits?

We all know that the non-profit world is very competitive, and to get your name out there, well is challenging to say the least. Here's a list of brands that really got their names out there in 2012. Some of these are household brands, and some are a bit surprising in their rankings and trajectory to the top.

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Is your Brand Human?

A peculiar question, considering most of our brands are inanimate objects.  However, when it comes to promotion, personifying your brand does equate to increased sales, and in terms of the non-profit world - donations.

Take, for example, one of my favorite Brands - Apple.  Now, their products do rock, but you would think that an average consumer would be hard-pressed to drop $500+ on an iPad or iPhone.  However, with the way the Apple retail outlets are laid out, to the utilization of the late Steve Jobs, etc., Apple has been able to create a brand that has a humanistic appeal.

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What is Agile Marketing - and Why do I care?

Since communication has now jumped into hyperspace in terms of the speed information travels, marketers must now move just as quickly in order to stay ahead of the game.  So how does a savvy marketeer become a quick-on-the-feet mover and shaker?  By becoming best buds with your development IT teams!

Here are several key ways to implement and sustain an Agility marketing program:

Read More:

Marketing - The Classical approach

Sometimes, as marketers we get too gimmicky or enthralled with the latest technological trends.  But, just like in fashion, you can never go wrong with the classics!  Here are four tried and true marketing approaches for your next campaign!

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Do you + ?

So Google is launching a re-designed Google+ to compete with some of Facebook's Timeline features.  So my question is this - is Google+ a useful tool for you, or is it just another site to keep track of?

I admit, we're not on Google+ yet, but as far as SEO goes, I think it's a must, especially when building a brand following or marketing a new product.  However, Google is re-designing merely months after launching this platform, so are they just putting lipstick on a pig or what?  I'd like your opinions on if Google+ is a relevant medium for marketing and branding.  Here's the article on the re-design:


http://mashable.com/2012/04/11/google-plus-redesign/