Our Blog: Think Personality
- RSS Feeds
- Atom
- RSS 1.0
- 2.0
- RSD
- (What's RSS?)
April 2005 Archives
April 29, 2005
Marketing: Just Do It
Posted by Mark Abare | Filed under: Marketing
While pondering the topic for my very first blog entry, I keep coming back to the fact that I don’t feel like I have anything worthwhile to say.
Then it hits me: As a business there will be times when you don’t feel creative, or don't think you have much to say. But the fact of the matter is, it’s all about continuing on and pushing through. Marketing is all about getting in front of your audience and being noticed. You can't let a lack of ideas hold you back.
You need to come up with something worthwhile to say or do and make people pay attention. Here's where it might help if your organization had a defined personality. You also might need to give up on the idea of a brilliant postcard campaign and just send a personal note. But you have to come up with something.
Of course you don't want to do something just to do it and get yourself in front of people. That's annoying. Sometimes it works: some of the cheesiest mailings have come across my desk, but those pieces stand out. But often they stand out for the wrong reasons.
The bottom line is you need to keep at it. Sometimes it's a simple idea done consistently that will pay off when the brilliant idea done expensively won't.
Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink
April 27, 2005
Tiger Unleashed.
Posted by Shawn Stewart | Filed under: Brand & Identity
It's no secret that most creatives are sold out Apple fans, at least the smart ones (wink, wink). Something dawned on me this morning about the brilliance of how they position themselves and project their brand agenda. Ken, one of our designers made a comment this morning in reference to Apple's new, and soon to be released, OS X Tiger. He said, "Tiger is unleashed this week." Ken was the second or third person I've heard this week to use the same term, "unleashed".
It makes sense, Apple has been pumping this kind of language for weeks leading up to the release of Tiger. With smart design and expectation Apple has people like Ken, myself and others talking about their product to other people in their own language... a language that has everything they want to say about the product built in: it's powerful, dynamic, big, smart and dominant. Brilliant! Is your business doing that? Do you know how to do that? Think Personality™
Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink
April 26, 2005
Speak Up: Word of Mouth Marketing
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Marketing
Word of mouth marketing gets a boost of respectability with the founding of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association. Using legitimate forms of word of mouth marketing is becoming more common, more traceable and more successful.
Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink
April 25, 2005
The Toyota, Texas and Trucks Marketing Strategy
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Marketing
It's nice to see the Japanese are proud to be American too. Say hello to Toyota, the great American car company. At least that's what they want you to think. Ford and GM are trembling because of Toyota's increasing market share which spells disaster for Ford and GM's already pitiful bottom line. The big American car companies think they have the market dominated when it comes to trucks because, as Daren Fonda in his April 25, 2005 Time article (subscription required) points out, "Pickup country is perhaps the last auto segment in which patriotic shopping habits prevail."
Not so fast you slowpoke, quality-challenged American car companies. Watch Toyota as they creep further and further into the American psyche. Talk about working on their personality, Toyota already has its name slapped on the Houston Rockets basketball arena,
they're courting Texans by building an assembly plant in Texas, and teaming with cowboy-boot maker Lucchese. Plus they are the first foreign car maker to be a sponsor of the all-American racing league, NASCAR. Now if the Toto toilets would just hurry up and get affordable over here...
Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink
April 23, 2005
Office Distractions Drop IQ
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Productivity
The distraction of office communications like e-mail, phone calls, and text messages can drop a person's IQ by 10 points. That's equivalent to missing an entire night's sleep and almost double the 4-point drop caused by marijuana. According to the study the mental gymnastics required to constantly jump to the next interruption takes its toll on a person's ability to be productive.
Managing those interruptions is probably the best way to cope. Force yourself to only check and answer e-mail during certain times of the day. Phone and text messages are a little harder to avoid, but there is a reason for voice mail. Use it and save your sanity. Literally.
Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink
April 22, 2005
Everyone Needs a Web Site
Posted by Lisa Pileggi | Filed under: Technology
I have a favorite, fairly large, European style bakery and cafe that opened up a few miles from my house over six months ago. There are many positive aspects about this spot, including free wireless Internet access and my favorite Italian coffee (Illy). Now being a part of a fast-growing city located in a metropolitan area, one would think that Wheatberry would have a web site—but no! I was so shocked when I did a Google search and a web site didn't show up. I then called. Yep: no web site! I guess I'm so shocked because my dry cleaner, service salon, local boutique shop, library and even my friends have their own web sites!
Little note: My friends and I love to go out to eat and we spread the word from one to another by sending links of favorite dining locations. For that purpose alone, this place is truly missing out when it comes to filling their dark-stained wood chairs each day.
Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink
April 21, 2005
Bottom Line Design Awards
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Creativity
Business 2.0 gives their nod to some of the best designs, often matched with clever marketing, including the Lance Armstrong wrist bands, the new iMac, and Gmail.
Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink
April 20, 2005
What Color is Your Personality?
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Brand & Identity
Color matters. It says a lot about who you are, how you think, what you feel. Many companies use a specific color consistently, to the point that you automatically associate that color with that particular company. Give it a try:
Red?
McDonald's. Coke. Target.
Blue?
Pepsi. IBM. Jetblue. Wal-Mart.
Brown?
UPS.
Each color evokes a specific sense and feeling. Red is powerful, fast and decisive. Green is natural. Blue is relaxing.
Continue reading "What Color is Your Personality?"
Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink
April 19, 2005
Car Comics
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Brand & Identity
BMW is starring in their very own comic book series. They've moved beyond their much-talked about online film series and are exploring the popular world of comics. It's not your typical marketing route, but it's served BMW well and reinforces their fun to drive brand.
Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink
April 18, 2005
Un-Marketing
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Marketing
Instead of playing the field and pitching your company at every turn, perhaps you should play hard to get. Avoid the attention, and suddenly you're cool. If it fits your company's style it could be a winning marketing plan—or un-marketing plan.
Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink
April 15, 2005
Brand Loyalty
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Brand & Identity
Diluting a brand is a sure way to drive customers away. To keep customers loyal, the company has to be loyal as well.
Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink