Once a Day Marketing: April 2014

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Best Practices for Regional Branding (Strategy)

Listen to our featured Those Branding Guys radio show podcast: Ken Rogers and Automation Alley

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. On our radio show Ask Those Branding Guys, we discussed branding of a major metropolitan area.

Joining us on air was Ken Rogers, Executive Director of Automation Alley. Automation Alley is an organization that brings numerous partners together to focus on economic development and promoting growth for Detroit and Southeast Michigan.

Prior to forming the organization, Rogers conducted research which indicated that Southeast Michigan had a significant numbers of jobs in the technology area. This data lead to the formation of Automation Alley. The name and brand were developed to promote awareness of Southeast Michigan as a technology hub. To ensure a cohesive brand, individual members endorse Automation Alley through the material they distribute.

Rogers indicated that, to be successful, any organization must be willing to change and continuously evolve. Automation Alley is striving to streamline their messaging and is also moving toward increasing the use of video in their marketing material.

Rogers makes these final recommendations for successfully creating a cohesive workgroup of partners with individual interests:

- Understand the goals and objectives of the team

- Document the business plan

- Include action-oriented people

- Bring in a partner from the education sector

- Create and follow a strategic plan

Enjoy the show.

Once a Day Marketing™ positions brands to become #1 in the minds of target customers. Visit our website at www.onceadaymarketing.com. Contact James Glover at (505) 501-1330 or email glover@onceadaymarketing.com. Listen to Those Branding Guys™ every Monday at 11:00am (MDT) streaming live on SantaFe.com KVSF 101.5 FM.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Differentiating Through Customer Service (Strategy)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. Today we are looking at how great customer service can differentiate a brand.

Recently I read a blog by Tricia Morris at Parature, a Microsoft company, that highlighted 5 key words of advice from Sir Richard Branson about customer service and how it can be a great differentiator for a brand. There is no rocket science here; just good common sense. To keep my blog short, I've paraphrased Branson's remarks.

1) Set realistic customer expectations then don’t just meet them, exceed them.

2) Hire wonderful people who believe in your company goals, let their ideas be heard and respected, and give them freedom to help solve problems for your customers.

3) Managers and executives must be on their guard and respond quickly to problems. When issues turn up, a company's response can have a big impact on its reputation and long-term success.

4) Creating a favorable impression at the first point of contact is an absolute imperative. But what isn't widely understood is that the 2nd impression can be even more important than the first.

5) For a brand, customer service is everything in the end.

Thanks to Sir Richard Branson and Tricia Morris for sharing these pearls of wisdom regarding customer service. Keep in mind that customer service doesn't have to be an expensive proposition for a brand. It just has to be a major component in the culture of the company.

Once a Day Marketing™ positions brands to become #1 in the minds of target customers. Visit our website at www.onceadaymarketing.com. Contact James Glover at (505) 501-1330 or email glover@onceadaymarketing.com. Listen to Ask Those Branding Guys™ every Monday at 11:00am (MDT) streaming live on SantaFe.com KVSF 101.5 FM.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Fifty Podcasts of Branding Tips (Strategy)

Listen to our featured Those Branding Guys radio show podcast: 50th Show Celebration and Best Branding Tips

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. On our radio show Ask Those Branding Guys, we celebrated 50 shows worth of Branding and Marketing advice. Guests and co-hosts called and texted to share highlights from the past year.

Branding insights included:

· Patrick Torres of Santa Fe Capitol Grill is using radio advertising to reach his target customers

· Ed Burghard of Strengthening Brand America continues to challenge the status quo in the Economic Development arena by promoting a paradigm shift toward municipalities assisting people to achieve the American Dream and job growth will follow

· The Boston Marathon responded to tragedy and the brand has come back strong this year for the 118^th race.

· Those Branding Guys reviewed cause marketing and reminded businesses of the favorable impact to a brand that results when you are aligned to a cause favored by your customers.

· Remember the value proposition: Unique, Compelling and Believable

· The ever increasing number of marketing channels challenge small businesses and their limited resources. Focus attention where you obtain the best return

· Dave Garner of Shebang Creative reminded listeners how important it is to have great images to represent your brand (physical evidence)

· Bishops Lodge ensures that their employees are brand ambassadors and focus on meeting customer needs

· NM Tech Council is working to get the message out and position NM as a center of technology and innovation

· Businesses frequently accomplish good things; they should remember to tell customer and potential customers about them. PR, especially via social media, is a great mechanism to do this

· Be clever with the ways you generate interest in your business

· Those Branding Guys reminded business owners to update their SWOT analysis to ensure they are aware of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats in the current environment

Review the podcasts from the past year to find the nuggets of advice that will make a difference for your business.

Enjoy the show.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Starbucks: Enhancing the Customer Experience (Strategy)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. Today we are looking at how Starbucks is doing a fantastic job of enhancing their customer experience.

Starbucks is a brand that understands the importance of taking care of each and every customer. They know their brand means a lot more than just coffee. Their brand reflects great customer service, a wide selection product offerings, a cozy place to chat with people and convenient locations.

Further demonstrating their understanding of catering to the needs of their brand lovers, Starbucks recently introduced a new Twitter campaign called "Tweet-a-Coffee." The idea is simple and brilliant. Using the power and reach of Twitter, Starbucks has made it easy for customers to buy a cup of coffee for someone else via Twitter.

The results have been tremendous for Starbucks because the idea is unique and makes it easy for fans to share their brand appreciation with others. The strategic question for you to answer is what can you do to get your brand lovers to tell their friends about your product or service?

There is no one approach that will work. Starbucks used the ease of social media to empower their customers to promote their brand. Think simple, think unique and remember your campaign is targeting your brand lovers.

Once a Day Marketing™ positions brands to become #1 in the minds of target customers. Visit our website at www.onceadaymarketing.com. Contact James Glover at (505) 501-1330 or email glover@onceadaymarketing.com. Listen to Ask Those Branding Guys™ every Monday at 11:00am (MDT) streaming live on SantaFe.com KVSF 101.5 FM.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Branding the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum (Strategy)

Listen to our featured Those Branding Guys radio show podcast: Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and Marketing Manager Mara Christian Harris

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. On our radio show Ask Those Branding Guys, we discussed the branding and marketing of a legendary artist.

Joining us on air was Mara Christian Harris, Marketing Manager of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe. The modernist artist Georgia O’Keeffe spent time in New Mexico early in her life and was completely taken with it. She moved here permanently and painted for the remainder of her life in the Ghost Ranch / Abiquiu area.

Images such as O’Keeffe on a motor cycle demonstrate the artist’s independent nature and adventurous spirit. She managed her own image and brand very carefully throughout her career.

The Georgia O’Keeffe museum opened in 1997 and is one of the few dedicated to a woman artist. They own approximately 3,000 works of art along with O’Keeffe’s homes and personal effects. The museum creates rotating exhibitions telling the various aspects of the O’Keeffe story.

Competition for the museum includes other nearby museums and galleries. To attract tourists and locals alike, they mount two to three exhibits a year keeping them fresh and relevant. Harris indicated the museum is updating their market research in the near future to determine who their customer is and how and where marketing should be focused. The majority of visitors are from out of town and Harris’ goal is to reach both locals and the tourist base.

Glover reminded the audience that market research is relevant to all businesses and should be refreshed periodically to assess the current state of customer attitudes. Feedback can be gathered formally or by more causal means such as customer surveys.

The museum was able to move the needle on their Trip Advisor score through enhancing the visitor experience to make it more friendly and engaging to the customer. Emphasis on things not to do has been relaxed in some areas and the environment is not as strict. Security guards are transforming into brand ambassadors and are interacting more with customers.

According to Harris, the job of marketing is to get visitors across the threshold. From there they can become members and later supporters of the museum.

Enjoy the podcast.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Enhancing Your Brand Through Transparency (Strategy)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. Today we are looking at the trend to enhance brands through transparency.

Given the advent of the Internet and social media, it's difficult today for a brand, even when desired, to stay below the radar of its customers and critics. Stories, good or bad about the company, are shared, liked, retweeted or commented on instantly around the world.

Rather than sidestepping or avoiding this information-sharing capability, some brands are actively engaging such transparency. One company in particular, Everlane, is taking market openness to a whole new level.

Everlane is an online apparel retailer that believes consumers have the right to know what their products cost to make. At Everlane, they reveal their true costs, and then show customers their markup. They call this approach "radical transparency" and it positively reflects on Everlane’s desire to keep customers informed.

I firmly believe that Everlane's openness will transform pricing in the future, adding another strategy to the 7Ps of Marketing. Keep your eyes open for more companies sharing their manufacturing process and pricing with their customers. As you develop branding strategy, ask yourself how your brand can be more transparent to customers. Openness is "in" and embracing this trend may increase the strength and stature of your brand.

Once a Day Marketing™ positions brands to become #1 in the minds of target customers. Visit our website at www.onceadaymarketing.com. Contact James Glover at (505) 501-1330 or email glover@onceadaymarketing.com. Listen to Ask Those Branding Guys™ every Monday at 11:00am (MDT) streaming live on SantaFe.com KVSF 101.5 FM.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Branding a Boutique Chocolate Maker (Strategy)

Listen to our featured Those Branding Guys radio show podcast: CG Higgins Confections

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. On our radio show Ask Those Branding Guys, we discussed the branding and marketing of an artisan chocolate maker.

Joining us on air was Chuck Higgins, owner of C.G. Higgins Confections, a popular Santa Fe chocolatier. Chuck’s interest in hand crafted candy was piqued when he first encountered a superior product and he began his chocolate making career selling only peanut rolls at a Minnesota Renaissance Festival.

Higgins later focused his business on state fairs and his experience in New Mexico influenced his decision to eventually move his business to Santa Fe. Chuck commented that selling at various venues helped him determine what time of the day his product sold best. This is a good exercise for every business to identify.

C.G Higgins Confections has two locations. One is a destination location on a main thoroughfare and the other is a downtown location which has substantial walk in traffic. Chuck opened the downtown location to bring his product to the customers rather than have customer seek out his store as a destination. He also tailors product to the different sites; downtown he offers cinnamon rolls to go with coffee. All recipes are proprietary and Chuck is passionate about delivering the best product possible.

As far as branding is concerned, Higgins chose the current name for his store because the old name was not applicable to his product line. Glover commented that Chuck has an opportunity to have fun with various names if he is interested in a sub-brand. His previous brand name Chuck's Nuts would lend itself to a "crazy" line of alternative chocolates.

With respect to creating awareness for his brand, Higgins feels that high quality of his product is very important. The customer experience is also foundational to his brand image. Higgins biggest branding challenge is a website and face book page that are not updated consistently. Glover commented that images on Instagram would be an ideal mechanism for chocolates. Watch for C.G. Higgins social media marketing coming soon.

Enjoy the podcast.