Once a Day Marketing: December 2015

Monday, December 28, 2015

Brands That May Sunset in 2016 (Strategy)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. Today we are looking at brands that may not survive in the year ahead.

We have discussed numerous times that to remain successful a brand has to be unique, relevant and resonate with their customers and potential customers. Another key element to brand success is being top of mind with consumers when it is time to make a purchase.

Below is the list of brands 24/7 Wall Street is predicting will disappear in the coming year along with a brief description of key reasons for their demise:

Smart Cars – Sales plummeting amid stiff competition from other automakers
Office Max – Ripe for takeover as online retailers eat into sales; will fade away if merger with Office Depot is approved
American Apparel – Not keeping pace with customer preferences
PacSun – Revenue per locations is not strong and still on the decline
A&P – Not keeping up with trends and in bankruptcy as they face strong competition
Volkswagen’s TDI brand – decimated by the gas mileage scandal
US Airways – Fading away as American Airlines continues to absorb the airline after 2013 merger
Ashley Madison – Their brand promise of privacy was destroyed overnight by a data breech, the company will face an uphill battle to entice new customers into trusting the site
RadioShack – Bankruptcy forced the sales of assets; the electronics chain is not likely to survive new ownership and branding changes
Sears – Along with subsidiary Kmart, has lost $1 billion annually for the last several years and sales continue double-digit declines for Sears

All of these have been very strong brands; some for a short time others for over 100 years. The lesson to be learned for looking at these businesses reinforces the keys elements of a successful brand described above. Stay fresh and continuously reinvent your brand to keep up with consumer preferences and trends. Stay top of mind by Branding Bold in 2016.

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Locally Branding a Nationwide Business (Strategy)

Listen to our featured Ask Those Branding Guys™ radio show podcast: Legal Shield Independent Agent Zia Cross

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

Joining us on the show was Zia Cross, independent agent for Legal Shield, an international company offering a wide variety of legal services to individuals and businesses. Zia competes locally with other Legal Shield representatives as well as other providers of legal services.

To differentiate herself in the market, Zia focuses on small businesses in Santa Fe. She has been a small business owner and identifies with their needs. To promote her brand, Zia strongly believes in networking and building relationships founded on trust; she generates a large portion of her business through referrals. Zia thinks of herself of being in the "peace of mind" business.

Zia has informational material that she shares in face to face meetings. Legal shield also has an iPhone app, available to everyone, which provides answers to simple legal questions. Glover encouraged Zia to assist potential clients to add the app to their phones; this may keep Zia top of mind when they need additional legal advice.

To support her business Zia has a website, Facebook page and has also claimed her Yelp page. She is expanding her usage of LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter. Glover suggested leveraging the Legal Shield FAQ as outbound content. Zia loved the idea and recognizes the importance of sharing relevant content and engaging customers.

Zia’s biggest challenge is standing out as a local independent agent while working within corporate marketing guidelines. Those Branding Guys suggested that Zia be visible is as many places as practical since you don’t know where customer will hear about you.

Enjoy the podcast.

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 (MT) streaming live on SantaFe.com KVSF 101.5 FM.

Monday, December 21, 2015

Tips to Improve Your Pricing (Strategy)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy for Once a Day Marketing™. Today we are reviewing tips that may improve your pricing structure.

Pricing your product is much more complex than it appears. There are numerous strategies for setting prices that include discounting, dynamic pricing and newer models featuring no tips. Once you settle on a strategy, you then have to determine exactly how the price should appear on the sticker, sign or menu to appeal to the customer.

Here are a few tips centered on the psychology of pricing to start you in the right direction. I recently read these in a blog by Kissmetrics and think that all have merit.

Round numbers – an amount with .99 after it is commonly used to give consumers the feeling of a lower price. Research shows that most customers prefer the simplicity of a whole dollar amount.
Anchoring Effect – Consumers tend to fix on (or anchor to) the first pricing they see. Reading from left to right, when the lowest price is displayed first it is more difficult for the customer to move up to a higher price point. Consider showing your higher priced items/offers on the left.
Product value vs. Price – When customers complain about the price, they are really concerned about the value proposition. Increase your value proposition rather than lowering the price.
Raise the price – Consumerism is based on perceived value and pricey items are associated with higher quality or craftsmanship and are more desirable. A higher price tag may create the feeling that the product has more value even when it had not changed.
Stop using $ - Using the dollar sign in your pricing can hurt sales. The symbol reminders consumers that they are spending and they may become shy about purchasing.

Review these tips, then consider how to use them in your pricing structure and also develop your own methods for creating a sense of value and eliminating barriers customers may have to making that purchase.

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Branding a Historic New Mexico Inn (Strategy)

Listen to our featured Ask Those Branding Guys™ radio show podcast: Historic Mabel Dodge Luhan House

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. On our radio show Ask Those Branding Guys™, we discussed branding and marketing of a Historic Inn in Northern New Mexico.

Joining us on the show was Liz Cunningham, Community Liaison for the Mabel Dodge Luhan House Historic Inn and Retreat Center in Taos, New Mexico. Set on 5 acres, the Mabel Dodge Luhan House offers a serene setting with wonderful views of the Taos Mountains and a short walk to the Taos Plaza.

Mabel Dodge Luhan herself was a salon hostess in New York and Italy. When she arrived in Taos in 1918, Mabel fell in love with the area and brought her salon to Northern NM where she hosted Georgia O’Keeffe, DH Lawrence, Martha Graham and Karl Jung to name just a few.

Mabel envisioned her home as a retreat for guests to recover their energy and subsequent owners have maintained that vision. Today, the Mable Dodge Luhan House holds true to these values and continues to be an artistic salon of the southwest and a center for creativity. They have rooms in the historic Luhan home as well as in other buildings on the property. Guest enjoy a wonderful daily breakfast!

Liz shared their biggest branding challenge is that people are not aware of who Mabel Dodge Luhan was. Her story is unique, compelling and believable and Those Branding Guys suggested that Liz may have great success telling their story via PR.

Glover also suggested that referrals are a great way to share the message of the Mable Dodge Luhan Historic Inn. Liz indicated that they have recently updated their website, added a blog and are now on Facebook. Repeat business is encouraged through providing guests with a discount for their next visit which they may pass on to someone else. Those Branding Guys recommended that Liz consider creating a hashtag and encourage visitors to share their experiences.

Mabel Dodge Luhan House staff is ever mindful of the customer experience. They attend to guest needs and ensure visitors are comfortable and receive as much, or as little, attention as they desire.

Enjoy the podcast.

Monday, December 14, 2015

How Bold Is Your B2B Marketing? (Strategy)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy for Once a Day Marketing™. Today we are discussing the importance of being bold with your business to business (B2B) marketing.

There is a commonly-held misconception that B2B marketing doesn't need to be glitzy or bold; that brave, brash and bold marketing is reserved only for business to consumer (B2C) campaigns. We strongly disagree. At Once a Day Marketing™ we think that to achieve success with B2B marketing you should be Branding Bold.

Our reasoning is simple. Individuals are constantly exposed to clever, entertaining and informative consumer advertising and messaging. In essence, as consumers we know a good ad from a bad or boring one. Consumer brands produce high quality advertising because they know what it takes to attract attention and drive purchase behavior.

B2B marketers should not abandon this successful approach when marketing to other businesses. The customer evaluating a B2B offer is still a consumer who wants to feel good about the product or service, just as they do with any consumer purchase.

Boring advertising is just that...boring. It doesn't excite and might even turn a prospect away who is wondering why the advertising isn’t more appealing. As you develop your next round of B2B marketing, keep this important point in mind.

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Ski New Mexico - A Branding & Marketing Discussion (Strategy)

Listen to our featured Ask Those Branding Guys™ radio show podcast: George Brooks Ski New Mexico

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

Joining us on the show was George Brooks, Director of Ski New Mexico, a non-profit trade organization founded in 1979. Their mission is to promote the ski industry both in New Mexico and outside the state to increase year-round visitation of the ski and mountain areas of New Mexico through marketing and promotional strategies. Ski New Mexico members include resorts, lodging, transportation, retail, restaurants and other snow or mountain sport services.

The New Mexico ski experience is unique because it provides enthusiasts with dry snow and it is one of the few places to ski in the winter sun. New Mexico also offers numerous other activities to complement the slopes, in some areas you can ski in the morning and golf in the afternoon or enjoy wonderful dining and cultural experiences which differentiate the state from our Colorado and Utah neighbors.

George shared that 40% of skiers visiting NM resorts are from New Mexico with Texas and Oklahoma following with the second and third largest groups. Target visitors vary based on a resorts offerings; family oriented, rugged, on-mountain accommodations or cultural communities. The current goal of Ski New Mexico is to target more families with messaging that focuses on the affordable aspects of New Mexico.

To get their message out, Ski New Mexico relies heavily on print media and their website, which features webcams for potential visitors to view current conditions. They also manage social media sites and generate substantial earned media, especially through television.

George’s branding tip is to know who you are, be who you are, tell people who you are and own that space. He is enjoying the snow we’ve had to date and is predicting a strong ski season.

Enjoy the podcast.

Monday, December 7, 2015

Marketing Strategy: A Focus On Millennials (Strategy)

Hello, I’m Marianne Tenenbaum, Branding Strategist, for Once a Day Marketing™. Today we are discussing characteristics of the Millennial’s market segment.

The market place is made up of numerous types of consumers. These markets are segmented by demographics (who they are) and psychographics (what they are all about). Among the many ways to describe the various market segments is by generation: Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y or Millennials. We have written in previous blogs about how to appeal to Millennials, here we are taking a look at who they are as a group.

The Washington Post recently published a wonderful infographic regarding the Millennial Generation. Here are some facts and figures that should provide insight into how to tailor your marketing to this group which is larger than the Baby Boomers in size and has $200B in annual spending power:

First digital natives
Communicate with others about products/services via online platforms
Encumbered with debt
Have less money to spend
Greater numbers than ever live at home; many ready to buy their own
Waiting longer to marry and start families
Interested in access rather than ownership (think Zipcar)

Just as with other market segments, when you consider crafting a marketing message to reach Millennials, consider how your product or service relates to the characteristics above. Also, review opportunities to create products or services that fill a need based on these factors and will appeal to Millennials.

Once a Day Marketing™ positions brands to become #1 in the minds of target customers. Visit our website at www.onceadaymarketing.com. Contact Marianne Tenenbaum at (505) 699-7849 or email mten@onceadaymarketing.com. Listen to Ask Those Branding Guys™ every Monday at 11:00am (MDT) streaming live on SantaFe.com KVSF 101.5 FM.

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Re-Branding a Noted Cookbook Author (Strategy)

Listen to our featured Ask Those Branding Guys™ radio show podcast: James Beard Award-Winning Cookbook Author Cheryl Alters Jamison

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. On our radio show Ask Those Branding Guys™, we discussed rebranding with a well-known cookbook author.

Joining us on the show was Cheryl Alters Jamison, a 4-time James Beard Award-winning cookbook author and food editor for New Mexico Magazine who has been featured on national television shows, & radio and has appearances with celebrity chefs.

For her new book, Cheryl is currently developing recipes for the slow cooker and is testing everything from entrees to desserts.

Cheryl and her husband/business partner Bill Jamison have been sharing the kitchen for over 25 years creating successful cookbooks focused on spicy, BBQ and southwestern foods. Bill Jamison passed away earlier this year and Cheryl is now in the process of updating her brand to reflect herself as an individual with a bold new positioning that encompasses their vibrant body of work while holding true to the original essence of her brand with Bill.

Cheryl’s new brand is focused on creating fun and excitement with good food. Her goal is to provide meal-makers with recipes that add pizzazz to meals and encourage people to share the joy of those meals with their families around the dinner table.

“Heatin it up” is Cheryl’s new tagline. She loves the exciting and fun possibilities that tagline has and is looking forward to new adventures in the kitchen and around the world. The tip Cheryl has for other businesses: know who you are and who your audience is, seek professional advice to clarify your positioning and message.

Enjoy the podcast.