Monday, August 29, 2011

Good Economic News!
Here are just a few of the positive economic announcements that have come my way in recent weeks:

Online customer review company, Angie’s List, plans to expand its headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, adding 500 new jobs.
Augusta, Georgia-based FPL Food, LLC, plans to expand its beef processing operation in Richmond County and add 100 new jobs.
Core Molding Technologies, a plastic molding company, plans to establish a manufacturing facility in Gallatin County, Kentucky, adding 39 new jobs.
Confluence Watersports, a manufacturer of kayaks, canoes and other water accessories, plans to move to a new facility on Greenville, County, South Carolina, creating 72 new jobs.
In Indianapolis, Indiana, Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc., a freight carrier company, has announced plans to expand its regional hub and create 183 new jobs.
 
C&F Group, a provider of components to the automotive industry, will open a new facility in Kingsport, Tennessee and create 450 new jobs.
In Huntsville, Alabama, Teledyne Engineering has been awarded a defense contract that will create 50 new jobs.
EMC, an information storage company, has announced plans to open a new office in Chicago, Illinois, adding 200 new jobs.
In Carmel, Indiana, Belden, Inc., a maker of wire, has announced plans to expand its operation and add 40 new jobs.
Amedisys Home Health, a provider of home health services, is presently seeking 646 new employees across its operation.
Near Wilmington, North Carolina, GE Aviation plans to expand its jet engine workforce and add 20 new jobs.
Modern Forge, a maker of parts for the aerospace, truck and recreational vehicle industries, has announced plans to open a new facility in Merrillville, Indiana and add 240 new jobs.
Firth Rixson Limited, a provider of components to the aerospace industry, will expand its workforce in Midway, Georgia, adding 100 new jobs.
In Memphis, Tennessee, Kruger Products, LP has announced plans to expand its existing mill and create 100 new jobs.
Delta Airlines is presently seeking 268 new workers, system-wide.
Meritor, Inc., a provider of precision forged products, plans to expand its manufacturing operation in Morristown, Tennessee, adding 29 new jobs.
Quaprotek USA, a maker of metal parts for the automotive industry, will locate a new production facility in Lauderdale County, Tennessee, creating 126 new jobs.
Griffin Thermal Products, LLC, a maker of products for the auto and industrial sectors, will expand its operation in Piedmont, South Carolina, adding 50 new jobs.
Examination Management Services, an insurance industry company, is presently looking for 111 new employees.
In Muncie, Indiana, Indiana stampings, LLC, a maker of metal products for the automotive industry, plans to expand and add 75 new jobs.
In Menomonie, Wisconsin, 3M has announced plans to expand its aluminum transmission line, adding 25 new jobs.
Clopay Plastic Products Company, a maker of specialty films, coatings, printing and laminations, will expand its operation in Bracken County, Kentucky, adding 290 jobs.
Seniorbridge, a healthcare company, is presently seeking 30new employees company-wide.
Phoenix Closures, a maker of plastic packaging, plans to locate a new plant in Greencastle, Indiana, adding 90 new jobs.
TOTAL JOBS ANNOUNCEMENTS: 3,834
We receive numerous announcements each week that announce that several jobs have been “retained or created.” While retention is important, we will not use announcements that fail to define exactly how many jobs were retained and how many were created. We want specifics.
If you have jobs announcements, please send them my way.  

Brand Acceleration is a full-service advertising, brand management and public relations firm operating from Indianapolis, Indiana and Charlotte, North Carolina. The agency’s focus is on economic development, architecture, engineering and construction (aec).
Great Web Sites are Workhorses
Clever gizmos and gadgets may to more harm than good

Web sites are getting more sophisticated with each passing day. Not because of all of the cool apps and gadgets but because their owners are waking up to the immutable fact that they are business tools, not games. And, because owners are realizing that web sites need to be part of a broad and integrated program. Together with direct marketing, e-mail and social media, effective web sites demand an overall strategic plan that drives audiences to them.

In our target industries; economic development, architecture, engineering and construction (aec), web sites are very utilitarian. More than any other purpose, visitors use them as research tools. They come to them looking for information and answers. “Does this builder understand the requirements of my new hospital facility?” “Is the workforce in this area prepared to handle the demands of our new pharmaceutical research center?”

Unlike energy drinks or computer games, where “cool” is everything; these sites must make it very easy to find answers to these and other very important business questions. Their purpose is not to dazzle the prospect, they need to inform and differentiate in order to stay “on the list.”

But Jim, what about this really cool app?
I’m often asked this question and I fully understand the allure of a web site that does really cool stuff. However, if the cool app does little or nothing to assist the visitor accomplish his or her mission; it could very well become a hindrance, causing frustration and an early departure. They may leave and take you off their list. Nobody is going to keep you on the consideration list just because your web site has the coolest app they’ve ever seen.

Does a workhorse web site have to be boring?
Absolutely not! That’s not what I’m saying. What I am saying is that a great business site should be developed primarily with the goal of understanding what visitors are looking for and helping them find it. If a clever app can enhance the process and help visitors accomplish their mission, by all means, you should go for it.

Ask the audience!
Because of our highly-targeted industry approach, we make it a point to go to our audiences and asking them what they like or dislike about web sites. We regularly talk with higher education and health care facilities administrators, site selection consultants and C-Suite real estate executives. Here’s what they tell us:

Beauty had better be more than skin deep
A beautiful web site is, well, beautiful, but there had better be substance behind that beauty or you’re at risk of elimination. On the other hand, an ugly site can do serious damage to your chances of winning a project. I recently met an architect who was convinced that her firm lost a $4 million project because the prospect was turned off by her company’s ugly web site.

Effective business web sites must be beautiful, easily navigable and very informative.

Don’t just say it, prove it!
It’s one thing to say your community has a skilled workforce, you’d better be prepared to back it up. If your workers are especially adept at running CNC machines, prove it by explaining how that happened and by listing other demanding area employers.

If your company is an engineering firm with tons of experience working with heart hospitals, make sure your portfolio reflects it and be sure to include a testimonial from a heart hospital representative.

Be sure your web team knows your business
When the time comes to develop your new web site, you need a team of players who thoroughly understand what you do. Does the designer know anything about site selection consultants and how they use web sites? Has the copywriter heard of or met a building administrator from a university or school system? Has the programmer had any experience with or understanding of how a real estate broker navigates a web site? These are very important questions. If your web team doesn’t thoroughly understand your customers, how are they supposed to develop a web site that will accomplish your business objectives?

What about mobile devices?
With the advent of such tools as the i-phone, i-pad, BlackBerry and other devices, there is a big push to make sure web sites are mobile-friendly, but it’s important to understand how they’re being used by your customers. Right now, they’re considered quick-glance and navigation tools. A site selection consultant might take a quick glance at your community just to form a cursory opinion about whether to keep it on the list or eliminate it because of missing information or because the site is hideously ugly. Don’t laugh, it happens. They might also use their navigation tool to find their way to your office or industrial park.

At Brand Acceleration, we track the analytics of numerous web sites and can tell you how many visitors hit a web site from their mobile device and can tell you that when the real research begins, they’ll do it from their computer, not from their mobile device.

It’s not about you!
The most common mistake, in my opinion, is when a company of community believes their web site is all about them. They load the copy with “we,” “our” and “us.” The problem is that they forget about the audience. The design, writing and development should be for the customers and should serve their needs and expectations.

As I mentioned, the team at Brand Acceleration is passionately focused on our clients’ target audiences. Our goal is to effectively connect the two sides in order to get our clients onto the consideration list and keep them there.


Jim Walton
CEO

Brand Acceleration is a full-service advertising, brand management and public relations firm operating from Indianapolis, Indiana and Charlotte, North Carolina. The agency’s focus is on economic development, architecture, engineering and construction (aec).

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Good Economic News
Here are just a few of the positive economic announcements that have come my way in recent weeks.                          
In Garysburg, North Carolina, Enriva, a maker of wood pallets, will construct a new manufacturing plant and hire 62 people.
Franklin Electric Company, Inc., a manufacturer of systems nd components for water and automotive fuels, has announced plans to locate its headquarters and create 35 new jobs.
Verizon Wireless plans to hire 4,250 new college graduates this year.
Adams Scrap Recycling, LLC, a metal recycler, plans to expand its operation in Greenville County, South Carolina, creating 50 new jobs.
Schaeffler Gtoup, USA, a maker of automotive components, plans to expand its operation in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, adding 100 new jobs.
Osmotica Pharmaceutical Corporation has announced plans to open a research and development and manufacturing operation in Marietta< Georgia, creating 156 new jobs.
In Christian County, Kentucky, FP International, a packaging company, plans to expand its operation and add 60 new jobs.
CAP Technologies, a metal coatings company, will open a new coatings facility in Denham Springs, Louisiana, creating 43 new jobs.
In Gary, Indiana, CN Railroad plans to expand its facility and add 251 new jobs.
HITSG, a developer of software, plans to expand its business in Durham, North Carolina, creating 45 new jobs.
In Spartanburg County, South Carolina, Fehrer Automotive North America has announced plans to expand its production operation and add 130 new jobs.
Monaco RV, LLC, a manufacturer of recreational vehicles, has announced plans to expand in Wakarusa, Indiana and hire 400 people.
In Spartanburg, South Carolina, BMW has announced plans to increase its workforce and add 100 new employees.
Enterprise Rent-a-Car plans to retain the services of 8,500 college graduates throughout the organization.
In Atlanta, Georgia, Proximus Mobility, a provider of location-based marketing services, will open its headquarters and create 100 new jobs.
In Cloverport, Kentucky, Breckinridge Forest Products Company will resume a log yard and sawmill operation, creating 12 new jobs.
RockTenn, a manufacturer of corrugated and consumer packaging and recycling solutions, plans to expand its headquarters in Norcross, Georgia and create 500 new jobs.
CSN Stores, an online retailer, plans to open a new distribution center in Hebron, Kentucky and create 105 new jobs.
In Jackson County, North Carolina, HomeTex, Inc., a textile company, plans to expand and create 200 new jobs.
DPG Intelsius, LLC, a maker and distributor of temperature-controlled packaging, has announced plans to expand its operation in Indianapolis, Indiana and hire 80 people.
TOTAL JOBS ANNOUNCEMENTS: 15,179

We receive numerous announcements each week that announce that several jobs have been “retained or created.” While retention is important, we cannot use announcements that fail to define exactly how many jobs were retained and how many were created. We want specifics.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Customer Perception – Your Reality
What others believe can hurt you

Beginning in the 1970’s, when the nation was dealing with a major shortage of fuel and high gas prices, American car buyers were flocking to smaller, lighter, and more fuel efficient foreign brands. In a mad dash to protect market share, American companies were making their cars smaller and smaller with each model year. As a result of poor planning, brands like Cadillac began looking much like sister brands such as Oldsmobile, Buick, and Chevrolet.

Unfortunately for Cadillac, customer perceptions didn’t fit the new products. In the minds of Cadillac buyers, the brand was a larger and more comfortable luxury car. Buyers left in droves. They flocked instead to luxury brands such as Mercedes Benz, Lexus, and Acura. Cadillac was in trouble.

Marketing in the twenty-first century is much the same. At Brand Acceleration, we are often contacted by company or community leaders who have no clear idea what their brand represents. They assume that what their staff or citizens believe is what their prospective buyers and employers believe. Much of the time, they’re wrong. If your ads, brochures, web site, and other marketing materials attempt to sell a message that is out of sync with audience perceptions, they won’t believe it, and sales results will be very disappointing.

The Las Vegas Experiment

From the 1930’s, Las Vegas had a reputation for gambling, showgirls, prostitution, and entertainment meant to attract the thousands of workers on the Boulder (Hoover) Dam project. The city and its brand were edgy, gritty, and not meant for children. It was a no-holds-barred adult entertainment capital.

In the 1990’s, Las Vegas attempted to broaden its appeal by promoting itself as a family-friendly destination. Sadly, consumers would have no part of it. The message was out of sync with their perceived reality. The effort bombed. So, in 2004, the “What happens here, stays here” campaign was launched, clearly going back to the reality of customer perceptions. One study showed that for every dollar spent on the campaign, twenty-six dollars were returned.

Understand audience perceptions

It’s very important to have a clear understanding of audience perceptions and there’s only one way to do it. Go to the source. Our preferred approach is to conduct benchmark brand research as a way to discover the true opinions of each of the key audiences, and there are always at least three. Through a series of exercises and carefully crafted questions, we discover the feelings, thoughts, and emotions that are common among all audiences. With this newfound information, we can craft a message strategy that is believable and effective.

Another truth is that communities and companies may actually have no brand. It’s possible that your key target audiences may know little or nothing about you, resulting in no brand position at all. The good news is that your marketing communications effort may be starting with a clean slate. The bad news is that people may be free to make dangerous assumptions about you. Any marcom effort though, would have to resonate in the minds of insiders, otherwise the effort will fail.

Does every effort require brand research? No! But it sure makes a huge difference when asking the key question, which is, “Who are we?”

Jim Walton
CEO

Brand Acceleration is a full-service advertising, brand management and public relations firm operating from Indianapolis, Indiana and Charlotte, North Carolina. The agency’s focus is on economic development, architecture/engineering/construction and real estate.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Good Economic News!

Here are just a few of the positive economic announcements that have come my way in recent weeks:

In Dinwiddie County, Virginia, Spiniello Company, a specialist in underground infrastructure construction, will establish a new operation and hire 35 new employees.
Data center and consulting services provider SIS has announced plans to expand its facility in Lexington, Kentucky, adding 15 new jobs.
In Greensburg, Indiana, One Solution Logistics of Indiana, Inc., a logistics supply company, will expand its operation and create 191 new jobs.
Accounting network operator PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), plans to expand and hire 45,000 people globally in 2011, including 10,000 in the U.S.
In Henderson, North Carolina, solar equipment maker Semprius will locate a production facility and create 256 new jobs.
In Beaver Dam, Kentucky, steel fabrication company Dynamic Fabrication will expand and create 22 new jobs.
Winova PVD Coatings, LLC, a provider of coatings to the auto industry, will expand its operation in Warsaw, Indiana and hire 70 people.

Insurance company Cigna Corporation has announced plans to expand its operation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and hire 164 new employees.

In Blackford County, Indiana, pet food maker Naturally Recycled Proteins, will open a new manufacturing facility and create 68 new jobs. Congratulations to Brand Acceleration friend Rob Cleveland, with the Blackford County Economic Development Corporation.
ITT Defense and Information Solutions will establish its corporate headquarters in Fairfax County, Virginia, creating 100 new jobs.
Music Mountain Water has announced plans to invest in its facility in Shreveport, Louisiana, creating 25 new jobs.
In Allen County, Indiana, R3 Composites Corporation, a maker of metal and plastic molded components, will establish a new manufacturing facility and hire 400 people.
Masonite International, a maker of residential and commercial doors, plans to expand in Bamberg County, South Carolina, adding 159 new jobs.
Ford Motor Company recently announced ambitious global expansion plans to grow by 50%, adding 7,000 jobs in the U.S.
MVP Group, a manufacturer of fragrance products, will expand its operation in Surry County, North Carolina and add 67 new jobs.
Allegient LLC, an information technology company, will expand its operation in Carmel, Indiana, adding 42 new jobs.
In Dorchester County, South Carolina, Coastal Corrugated, Inc., a packaging maker, will expand and add 26 new jobs.
BASS LLC, a publisher and fishing industry company, will move its headquarters to Birmingham, Alabama, creating 50 new jobs.
Online retailer Amazon plans to build a fulfillment center in Phoenix, Arizona and expand another in the same city, adding over 4,000 jobs.
CertainTeed Roofing, a maker of asphalt roofing products, will expand its facility in Granville County, North Carolina, adding 10 new jobs.
Special Metals Corporation, a producer of engineering alloys, will move its operation to Elkhart, Indiana, creating 100 new jobs.
Bridgestone Americas Tire, will expand its passenger and light truck tire operation in Aiken, South Carolina, creating 122 new jobs. Congratulations to Brand Acceleration friend Will Williams, Director of the Economic Development Partnership.
In Lafayette, Louisiana, emergency medicine staffing and management company Schumacher Group plans to expand and hire 600 people.
Retailer Target Corporation has announced plans to add stores and hire roughly 2,200 employees.
In Hamilton, Indiana, Solar Usage Now, an assembler and distributor of solar water and space heating systems, will expand and add 35 new jobs.
In Catawba County, North Carolina, Lee Industries, an upholstery manufacturer, will expand by purchasing and renovating an existing facility and create 75 new jobs.
Car rental company Hertz plans to expand its worldwide franchise network and hire 4,000 people.
In Decatur, Alabama, Polyplex, a maker of plastic films, will open a new plant and create 150 new jobs.
TOTAL JOBS ANNOUNCEMENTS: 29,994
We receive numerous announcements each week that announce that several jobs have been “retained or created.” While retention is important, we will not use announcements that fail to define exactly how many jobs were retained and how many were created. We want specifics.
If you have jobs announcements, please send them my way.  jim@brandaccel.com
A Business Model That Works
Our choice to be the best at what we do
 
The advertising industry has changed….dramatically. From the 1950’s and 1960’s, when the business hinged on cute creative (Think Mad Men), it evolved into a handful of large agencies that were specialists in very specific industries. These people were experts, not only in the art and science of communications, but also in their client’s industries. There were auto industry agencies, industrial agencies, agricultural agencies, and on and on and on. Each was staffed by knowledgeable people who knew the industry inside out. They didn’t just design pretty or clever ads, they provided a very high level of counsel and industry insight that clients counted on. They knew how audiences thought, what they liked, and what made them buy.
 
Computers changed the (ad) world
During the 1980’s, computers found their way into nearly every business and the advertising world. Graphic designers were now able to develop multiple concepts in a fraction of the time and making changes was very easy. For many businesses, especially small ones, they now had the ability to design their own ads and brochures, in-house. The design work wasn’t very good, but it was cheap.
 
Commoditization
By the time the 1990’s rolled around, many ad agencies had become nothing more than design firms, offering no industry insight or strategic counsel. If agencies wanted to survive, they had to offer a very low price. “Cheap” was the name of the game and it showed. Many agencies went out of business and the advertising agency industry went into a long and agonizing decline. It was all about price….low price. If agencies did offer marketing counsel, they often did a terrible job selling its value. They were caught in the price trap and didn’t know how to get out, other than to lower their prices even more.
 
Specialization rises again
In 2005, after working at and managing other ad agencies, I had become weary of the price wars. Low price was what drove business. I hated it. I was better that that!
 
So I decided to go back to the old model…specialization! Brand Acceleration was born and, since it’s my business, I chose to focus on three industries; construction (AEC), economic development, and real estate. The pledge I made to myself, and to my clients, was to dig in, be involved and become a solid and knowledgeable resource. I wanted my company to be seen as an extension of my clients, not just a vendor.
 
We’re deeply involved in these industries. We attend numerous association meetings, trade shows, and conferences, constantly seeking and gathering information that will bring value to our clients. If we want them to see us as the best, we’d better earn that distinction.
 
In the economic development industry, we regularly meet with site selection consultants, real estate professionals, and employers in order to grow our knowledge of them, how they think, and how they interact with the communications services we provide.
 
For our construction industry clients, we not only work to deepen our understanding of architects, engineers, and builders, we want to understand their industries. Because of that desire, we often meet with facilities managers, educators, health care professionals and leaders in other target segments.
 
Real estate is unique, too. Just like the industries mentioned above, real estate has a special set of challenges. We work to not only understand seller needs; we labor to fully comprehend buyers and what motivates them to action.
 
We’re not the low-cost leader
When I started Brand Acceleration, I promised myself that the company would not get caught up in the price wars that resulted in the demise of many other agencies. Are we expensive? Certainly not! Are we cheap? No! My business plan was simple and hasn’t changed since the very first day: Become experts in our chosen industries, provide excellent counsel to our clients (friends), and do great work at a fair price. Sure, we occasionally face competitors who offer cheap design of web sites, brochures, or other tactics. And, we don’t always win the business. That’s okay! If that’s what a client wants, that may be the best fit for them. Our focus is always…always…always on one mission; to help our clients discover what makes them unique, and establish and keep a brand position that is powerful and defendable. Period!
 
Are you ready?
At a time when budgets are tighter than ever and the competitive arena is brutal, companies and communities must work harder than ever to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Cheap, shallow, and cookie-cutter marketing just won’t cut it.

If you’re ready to kick things up a few notches and make great things happen, then we should talk. I’ll gladly explain out four-step strategic process and provide references and client testimonials. That way, you can judge us by the work we’ve done and the clients we keep.
 
Fair enough?

Jim Walton
317-536-6255
704-230-0394
 
Brand Acceleration is a full-service advertising, brand management and public relations firm operating from Indianapolis, Indiana and Charlotte, North Carolina. The agency’s focus is on economic development, architecture/engineering/construction and real estate.