Put Your Tools to Work
Maximize the effectiveness of your brochures, web site and other marketing communications tactics.
By Jim Walton
CEO, Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Indianapolis and Charlotte
When I was a child, I had a friend whose Dad was a tool fanatic. He loved to take people to his garage where he could show off his collection of tools. He had a tool for every imaginable project. In fact, it wasn’t uncommon to see him and a buddy hangin’ out in his garage, cold beer in hand, talking about – tools. He had hundreds of them and knew how to use every one. Like Tim, the Tool Man, Taylor of the 90’s sitcom, Home Improvement, he was a tinkerer. He loved to build, fix, replace, improve or overhaul just about anything.
In my business, marketing communications, we use tools, too. Such tactics as brochures, web sites, logos, videos, and presentations are just a few tools that we regularly produce for our clients. However, beautifully produced tools have limited effectiveness if not put to use in powerful ways.
Let’s explore just a few ways to maximize your investment in marketing communications tools:
Ramp up your web site
From the outset, it’s important to understand that web sites are passive. They don’t reach out to an audience, they don’t make calls, and they are only viewed if someone either has the web address or a search leads them to it.
At Brand Acceleration, we consider a web site to be a destination. Our goal, as marketing communications experts, is to counsel our clients about ways to drive visitors to their web site. There are countless ways to do that. Once a well-produced web site is in place, a series of tactics should be considered to grow brand awareness and encourage audiences to visit your web site. Advertising, direct mail, e-mail marketing and other tools, strategically planned, are very effective.
Brochures – Make them work!
Each year, we develop numerous brochures. Beautifully designed and well written, they effectively communicate key messages to highly-targeted audiences. The question we always ask clients is, “How are you going to use them?” Most often, they are to be used as a leave-behind, handed to a prospect at a meeting, or distributed at a trade show.
Consider other options, though. A schedule of direct mailings can successfully grow brand awareness, clarify your position, and drive recipients to your web site.
There’s more!
E-mail marketing is a powerful and very effective tool. In addition to being reasonably inexpensive, it is portable, meaning the recipient can read it on his or her i-Phone or BlackBerry. It can also include links that connect recipients to your web site.
When stocking your tool box with such items as those listed here, you should give serious consideration to your overall communications strategy. How they work together, how they encourage web visits, and how they position your brand are all very serious considerations.
So, go to your garage (supply closet), inventory your tools and ask yourself this very serious question:
“How can I put these to work today?”
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, real estate and motorsports.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
What is the Definition of (Your) Brand?
You might be surprised at what you learn.
By Jim Walton
CEO, Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Indianapolis and Charlotte
A few years ago, I received a call from a nice lady who was inquiring about our economic development marketing communications services. She’d heard that Brand Acceleration was “the best” (her kind words) in the industry. “We don’t need a brand,” she said, “We just got a new one. What we need is someone to help take our message to market.” Huh?
Such comments never cease to amaze me. “We don’t need a brand. We just got a new one.” It was apparent that she had no idea what “brand” is.
Whether a community or company, it’s very important to not only understand the definition of “brand,” but to know what your brand represents. To be clear, “brand” represents the feelings, thoughts and emotions that people experience when they think of your community or company. Simply put, your brand is your reputation.
But, here’s the twist. Your brand is not defined by you! It’s defined by others. How you, as president, mayor, marketing director or economic developer, define your brand is only one small part of the equation.
What does your brand represent?
About ten years ago, I was an account director at another advertising agency. One of my clients was a global manufacturer of industrial parts that were used by the automotive and consumer electronics industries. While the company made great products, the leadership just couldn’t overcome their own huge egos and accept the fact that their brand was defined by the marketplace.
In our early discussions, they told me all about how wonderful they and their products were. Terms like “revolutionary,” next generation,” and “cutting edge” rolled easily off their tongues. But, when I asked how their customers and prospects would define them, they looked at me as if I were speaking another language. I was. Not knowing how to answer this question, the begrudgingly agreed to brand research that, in their minds, would confirm their beliefs.
We launched a team of people to conduct brand interviews with their staff, prospects, customers and industry leaders worldwide. What we discovered shocked them. Their brand was virtually nonexistent. You know that sound you hear when you let the air out of a balloon? I swear I heard that same sound as their massive egos deflated.
How did they respond to this vital information? They denied the validity of the research, of course. The president of the company swore at me, challenged the credibility of the agency and basically said we were incompetent. We settled the debate by offering to conduct a second round or research – a series of telephone interviews to either confirm or discredit the earlier findings. If the finding were the same, the client would pay for the entire research effort. If not, they would owe us nothing. Do you want to guess how it turned out?
What does your brand really represent?
For many, the fact is that they have a very weak or non-existent brand. This is especially true of cities and counties. Even though they may be locally known for their long history in such industries as agriculture, steel making, etc., when you travel more than a hundred miles away, nobody knows them.
Lack of brand is not always bad, though. The good news is that you may have a blank canvas, allowing you to create your own brand position, within reason. You certainly can’t try to position yourself as something you’re not. If your staff, stakeholders or residents won’t buy into the effort, it will never work. It has to be believable. If your city is best known for the dark, dingy, nasty, abandoned factory at the edge of town, it’s kind of hard to convince prospective residents and employers that it is a center of a contemporary lifestyle and high-tech industry.
Where do you start?
For us, we prefer to have a clear understanding of the current brand position. Through brand research or even a few basic interviews, we strive to gather information about a company or community’s brand from its key audiences. Utilizing a well defined set of exercises, we conduct on-line or face-to-face interviews to identify common beliefs. With this information, we can craft a message strategy that we know will be believable, powerful and effective. By the way, we never use focus groups. Want to know why? Send me an e-mail or give me a call.
Live the brand
If you really want to be known as the best, the place to begin is with the daily activities of every person on your team, from the leadership to the person on the factory floor. Everyone must live the brand, striving to be the best. A new logo won’t do it. I don’t care how beautiful your logo is, if the person who answers the phone is rude or unintelligible, that is your brand. You know what they say about first impressions.
My challenge to you is to grow a powerful brand by committing to brand excellence. From clean, beautiful entryways at the edge of town to the cheerleading company owner, always strive to be the best. If you’ll do that, you’ll make my job a lot easier.
As a marketing communications and public relations firm, we’ll proudly take that message to market.
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, real estate and motorsports.
You might be surprised at what you learn.
By Jim Walton
CEO, Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Indianapolis and Charlotte
A few years ago, I received a call from a nice lady who was inquiring about our economic development marketing communications services. She’d heard that Brand Acceleration was “the best” (her kind words) in the industry. “We don’t need a brand,” she said, “We just got a new one. What we need is someone to help take our message to market.” Huh?
Such comments never cease to amaze me. “We don’t need a brand. We just got a new one.” It was apparent that she had no idea what “brand” is.
Whether a community or company, it’s very important to not only understand the definition of “brand,” but to know what your brand represents. To be clear, “brand” represents the feelings, thoughts and emotions that people experience when they think of your community or company. Simply put, your brand is your reputation.
But, here’s the twist. Your brand is not defined by you! It’s defined by others. How you, as president, mayor, marketing director or economic developer, define your brand is only one small part of the equation.
What does your brand represent?
About ten years ago, I was an account director at another advertising agency. One of my clients was a global manufacturer of industrial parts that were used by the automotive and consumer electronics industries. While the company made great products, the leadership just couldn’t overcome their own huge egos and accept the fact that their brand was defined by the marketplace.
In our early discussions, they told me all about how wonderful they and their products were. Terms like “revolutionary,” next generation,” and “cutting edge” rolled easily off their tongues. But, when I asked how their customers and prospects would define them, they looked at me as if I were speaking another language. I was. Not knowing how to answer this question, the begrudgingly agreed to brand research that, in their minds, would confirm their beliefs.
We launched a team of people to conduct brand interviews with their staff, prospects, customers and industry leaders worldwide. What we discovered shocked them. Their brand was virtually nonexistent. You know that sound you hear when you let the air out of a balloon? I swear I heard that same sound as their massive egos deflated.
How did they respond to this vital information? They denied the validity of the research, of course. The president of the company swore at me, challenged the credibility of the agency and basically said we were incompetent. We settled the debate by offering to conduct a second round or research – a series of telephone interviews to either confirm or discredit the earlier findings. If the finding were the same, the client would pay for the entire research effort. If not, they would owe us nothing. Do you want to guess how it turned out?
What does your brand really represent?
For many, the fact is that they have a very weak or non-existent brand. This is especially true of cities and counties. Even though they may be locally known for their long history in such industries as agriculture, steel making, etc., when you travel more than a hundred miles away, nobody knows them.
Lack of brand is not always bad, though. The good news is that you may have a blank canvas, allowing you to create your own brand position, within reason. You certainly can’t try to position yourself as something you’re not. If your staff, stakeholders or residents won’t buy into the effort, it will never work. It has to be believable. If your city is best known for the dark, dingy, nasty, abandoned factory at the edge of town, it’s kind of hard to convince prospective residents and employers that it is a center of a contemporary lifestyle and high-tech industry.
Where do you start?
For us, we prefer to have a clear understanding of the current brand position. Through brand research or even a few basic interviews, we strive to gather information about a company or community’s brand from its key audiences. Utilizing a well defined set of exercises, we conduct on-line or face-to-face interviews to identify common beliefs. With this information, we can craft a message strategy that we know will be believable, powerful and effective. By the way, we never use focus groups. Want to know why? Send me an e-mail or give me a call.
Live the brand
If you really want to be known as the best, the place to begin is with the daily activities of every person on your team, from the leadership to the person on the factory floor. Everyone must live the brand, striving to be the best. A new logo won’t do it. I don’t care how beautiful your logo is, if the person who answers the phone is rude or unintelligible, that is your brand. You know what they say about first impressions.
My challenge to you is to grow a powerful brand by committing to brand excellence. From clean, beautiful entryways at the edge of town to the cheerleading company owner, always strive to be the best. If you’ll do that, you’ll make my job a lot easier.
As a marketing communications and public relations firm, we’ll proudly take that message to market.
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, real estate and motorsports.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Recommit to a Successful 2010
It’s almost autumn – resolution time
By Jim Walton
CEO, Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Indianapolis and Charlotte
The other day, I was meeting with a gentleman who told me of his concern that his sales team was disheartened and feeling beat up. After a couple of tough years, some sales people are becoming dazed and confused about what to do next. Having been through several recessions, I’ve seen the symptoms before. There are no easy answers. There are, however, a few things you can do to improve your sales and your mental attitude.
It’s resolution time
Each year, many of us begin the New Year by establishing a set of resolutions (goals) to clarify our mission and to motivate ourselves. At Brand Acceleration, we go through this process and find it to be valuable. It helps us to understand what we want to accomplish and provides us fresh and exciting motivation to get even better.
Each fall, most companies begin the process of developing plans and budgets for the upcoming year. It’s also a great time to set personal goals. While developing your plans, be sure to remain focused on your desired sales and marketing numbers, establishing a monthly set of activities that will help you get there. Don’t wait for January 1. Do it now!
Crank up your sales efforts
Something that often happens during challenging economic times is that sales people lose hope and their efforts taper off. Their sales calls diminish, they set and attend fewer meetings, work fewer hours, and their overall attitude turns negative. As a result, sales numbers decline and jobs are at risk.
I remember a time when the economy was in a very significant recession and I was working for a company that published several statewide newspapers. At a companywide meeting, several sales people were going on and on about how tough things had gotten. We heard the usual litany of reasons; “My territory stinks,” “Our prices are too high,” “The competition is kicking our butt.” You name it, we heard it.
Then, after listening to the concerns of every person, our President and Publisher asked a very tough question, “What are you doing to turn things around?” Silence! Like deer caught in headlights, they each sat there and said nothing. They hadn’t considered their own responsibility to the company’s success.
Here’s what he suggested:
Change your hours: Come to work a bit earlier and stay a bit later each day. By adding thirty minutes to an hour to the beginning and end of each day, you can boost your selling time by as much as 25%. Naturally, if you make effective use of your hours, your sales will go up accordingly.
Make more calls: If you’re currently making twenty calls a day, set (and keep) a goal to increase that number to twenty five. Again, a significant increase.
Attend more meetings: “How many face-to-face meetings are you doing?” he asked. It’s not enough! Commit to yourself to pump up the number and enjoy the benefits.
Educate and motivate yourself: Whether you take classes, listen to educational and motivational audio programs; work to improve your skills and effectiveness.
Avoid naysayers: If you’re busy making calls and attending meetings, you won’t have time to hang out with co-workers whose negative attitudes only poison your own. Stay focused and positive.
The company’s commitment
He knew he couldn’t simply demand that sales people step up their efforts. He made a promise to support them along the way. Here’s how he did it:
More marketing communications: He committed that day to boost the company’s marketing communications support. He increased industry advertising, trade show participation, and association support, a move which clients, prospects and industry insiders noticed and appreciated.
More meeting budgets: Any sales reps wishing to attend more meetings in their territories were supported with added budget. The increased participation was noticed and rewarded.
More memberships: Anyone wanting to join a trade association or group that would place them in front of clients or prospects was immediately given the green light to do so. Attend and get involved.
More travel budget: If a sales person wanted to travel more, whether to his or her territory or to a conference attended by clients and/or prospects, the answer was almost always “Yes – do it!”
With 2011 just a few months away, I think my former boss’s suggestions are more appropriate than ever. Any manager, marketer or sales person wondering how to get things going should review his suggestions and set some goals for the rest of the year. For company owners and managers; don’t get so caught up in cutting expenses that you cut the very support that your team so desperately needs.
As with a new year’s resolution, now is the time to recommit, refocus and recharge.
Good selling!
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, real estate and motorsports.
It’s almost autumn – resolution time
By Jim Walton
CEO, Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Indianapolis and Charlotte
The other day, I was meeting with a gentleman who told me of his concern that his sales team was disheartened and feeling beat up. After a couple of tough years, some sales people are becoming dazed and confused about what to do next. Having been through several recessions, I’ve seen the symptoms before. There are no easy answers. There are, however, a few things you can do to improve your sales and your mental attitude.
It’s resolution time
Each year, many of us begin the New Year by establishing a set of resolutions (goals) to clarify our mission and to motivate ourselves. At Brand Acceleration, we go through this process and find it to be valuable. It helps us to understand what we want to accomplish and provides us fresh and exciting motivation to get even better.
Each fall, most companies begin the process of developing plans and budgets for the upcoming year. It’s also a great time to set personal goals. While developing your plans, be sure to remain focused on your desired sales and marketing numbers, establishing a monthly set of activities that will help you get there. Don’t wait for January 1. Do it now!
Crank up your sales efforts
Something that often happens during challenging economic times is that sales people lose hope and their efforts taper off. Their sales calls diminish, they set and attend fewer meetings, work fewer hours, and their overall attitude turns negative. As a result, sales numbers decline and jobs are at risk.
I remember a time when the economy was in a very significant recession and I was working for a company that published several statewide newspapers. At a companywide meeting, several sales people were going on and on about how tough things had gotten. We heard the usual litany of reasons; “My territory stinks,” “Our prices are too high,” “The competition is kicking our butt.” You name it, we heard it.
Then, after listening to the concerns of every person, our President and Publisher asked a very tough question, “What are you doing to turn things around?” Silence! Like deer caught in headlights, they each sat there and said nothing. They hadn’t considered their own responsibility to the company’s success.
Here’s what he suggested:
Change your hours: Come to work a bit earlier and stay a bit later each day. By adding thirty minutes to an hour to the beginning and end of each day, you can boost your selling time by as much as 25%. Naturally, if you make effective use of your hours, your sales will go up accordingly.
Make more calls: If you’re currently making twenty calls a day, set (and keep) a goal to increase that number to twenty five. Again, a significant increase.
Attend more meetings: “How many face-to-face meetings are you doing?” he asked. It’s not enough! Commit to yourself to pump up the number and enjoy the benefits.
Educate and motivate yourself: Whether you take classes, listen to educational and motivational audio programs; work to improve your skills and effectiveness.
Avoid naysayers: If you’re busy making calls and attending meetings, you won’t have time to hang out with co-workers whose negative attitudes only poison your own. Stay focused and positive.
The company’s commitment
He knew he couldn’t simply demand that sales people step up their efforts. He made a promise to support them along the way. Here’s how he did it:
More marketing communications: He committed that day to boost the company’s marketing communications support. He increased industry advertising, trade show participation, and association support, a move which clients, prospects and industry insiders noticed and appreciated.
More meeting budgets: Any sales reps wishing to attend more meetings in their territories were supported with added budget. The increased participation was noticed and rewarded.
More memberships: Anyone wanting to join a trade association or group that would place them in front of clients or prospects was immediately given the green light to do so. Attend and get involved.
More travel budget: If a sales person wanted to travel more, whether to his or her territory or to a conference attended by clients and/or prospects, the answer was almost always “Yes – do it!”
With 2011 just a few months away, I think my former boss’s suggestions are more appropriate than ever. Any manager, marketer or sales person wondering how to get things going should review his suggestions and set some goals for the rest of the year. For company owners and managers; don’t get so caught up in cutting expenses that you cut the very support that your team so desperately needs.
As with a new year’s resolution, now is the time to recommit, refocus and recharge.
Good selling!
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, real estate and motorsports.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Are You Going Out of Business?
Or, are you going out for business?
By Jim Walton
CEO, Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Indianapolis and Charlotte
Just like you, I attend a lot of meetings and as you can imagine, I hear countless opinions about the state of the economy. The question, “How’s business?” draws widely varying responses. Some say business is showing signs of life, some say they’re busier than ever and a few tell me how awful things are.
What puzzles me is the “why” behind their comments. I usually ask what they’re doing that results in their success or lack thereof. Why does one company or community survive and thrive while others languish? The answers probably wouldn’t surprise you.
Action breeds momentum
Have you ever noticed that the companies that are already busy are the ones that seem to attract even more business? What’s with that? Maybe one of the reasons is that they are enjoying positive results because they are very actively marketing? Maybe they’re winning more business because they’re going after more business? They also reap the benefits of a talented and aggressive sales team which fights hard for every piece of business. They’re relentless winners!
You’ve probably heard the old saying, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.” It’s true! I’m always amazed at how much work some people take on. It seems it’s inevitably the busiest person who steps up and says “yes” when something needs to get done.
This is especially true with marketing and sales people. They’re always working, always hustling, and always on. They’re the first to arrive and the last to leave. They work hard, play hard and almost always win. I’m in awe of how the folks on the Brand Acceleration team step up and make incredible things happen when the pressure’s on.
Stagnation breeds stagnation
Unfortunately, some communities and companies struggle. My heart goes out to them and the people who depend on them. Maybe they just don’t have the skills or assets required to thrive and survive in today’s world, but some struggle because they either lack the ability or the commitment to go get the business. One man recently told me how bad things are and then said that whenever business improves he’d like to start advertising. Huh?
One of my former employers, a man who was tough as nails marketer and manager, would tell sales people to either “get with the program or get out!” His expectations of himself and every employee were very high. He had no patience for slackers. As a result, the company was an enormous success and the envy of the industry.
Attitude breeds attitude
One of the best meeting experiences is when you’re face to face with an eternal optimist. They attract other people like honey attracts flies and their smile and positive attitude gives hope to everyone around them. Their customers are prospects are much more likely to take their call or accept their meeting request and would prefer doing business with them for the very same reason. They like them!
Unfortunately, there are also pessimists out there. They’re always down, always gloomy and always expecting the worst. For whatever reason, they just can’t find happiness. Their choices are limited and they can easily get caught in a downward spiral. Most of them just need help and encouragement. They need a hand up. Like each of us, they need a good dose of optimism. If you know someone who is in a tough situation, either employed or unemployed, give them a call and explore how you might help.
Remember Rudy
If you’re a regular Rants reader, you know I love movies that have a positive message of encouragement. One of my favorites is Rudy, the true story of Rudy Ruettiger, a young man who grew up in a steel mill town where most people ended up working, but he wanted to play football at Notre Dame instead. There were only a couple of problems. His grades were a little low, his athletic skills were poor, and he was only half the size of the other players. But he had the drive and the spirit of five people and had set his sights upon joining the team. When he finally made it into the school and onto the team, he was never given the chance to suit up and play until the final game of his senior year. You’ll have to see the movie to find out what happened, but I will share with you the words of Coach Dan Devine as the team was just about to pass through the tunnel that leads onto the football field.
“No excuses. Now go do the work.”
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, real estate and motorsports.
Or, are you going out for business?
By Jim Walton
CEO, Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Indianapolis and Charlotte
Just like you, I attend a lot of meetings and as you can imagine, I hear countless opinions about the state of the economy. The question, “How’s business?” draws widely varying responses. Some say business is showing signs of life, some say they’re busier than ever and a few tell me how awful things are.
What puzzles me is the “why” behind their comments. I usually ask what they’re doing that results in their success or lack thereof. Why does one company or community survive and thrive while others languish? The answers probably wouldn’t surprise you.
Action breeds momentum
Have you ever noticed that the companies that are already busy are the ones that seem to attract even more business? What’s with that? Maybe one of the reasons is that they are enjoying positive results because they are very actively marketing? Maybe they’re winning more business because they’re going after more business? They also reap the benefits of a talented and aggressive sales team which fights hard for every piece of business. They’re relentless winners!
You’ve probably heard the old saying, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.” It’s true! I’m always amazed at how much work some people take on. It seems it’s inevitably the busiest person who steps up and says “yes” when something needs to get done.
This is especially true with marketing and sales people. They’re always working, always hustling, and always on. They’re the first to arrive and the last to leave. They work hard, play hard and almost always win. I’m in awe of how the folks on the Brand Acceleration team step up and make incredible things happen when the pressure’s on.
Stagnation breeds stagnation
Unfortunately, some communities and companies struggle. My heart goes out to them and the people who depend on them. Maybe they just don’t have the skills or assets required to thrive and survive in today’s world, but some struggle because they either lack the ability or the commitment to go get the business. One man recently told me how bad things are and then said that whenever business improves he’d like to start advertising. Huh?
One of my former employers, a man who was tough as nails marketer and manager, would tell sales people to either “get with the program or get out!” His expectations of himself and every employee were very high. He had no patience for slackers. As a result, the company was an enormous success and the envy of the industry.
Attitude breeds attitude
One of the best meeting experiences is when you’re face to face with an eternal optimist. They attract other people like honey attracts flies and their smile and positive attitude gives hope to everyone around them. Their customers are prospects are much more likely to take their call or accept their meeting request and would prefer doing business with them for the very same reason. They like them!
Unfortunately, there are also pessimists out there. They’re always down, always gloomy and always expecting the worst. For whatever reason, they just can’t find happiness. Their choices are limited and they can easily get caught in a downward spiral. Most of them just need help and encouragement. They need a hand up. Like each of us, they need a good dose of optimism. If you know someone who is in a tough situation, either employed or unemployed, give them a call and explore how you might help.
Remember Rudy
If you’re a regular Rants reader, you know I love movies that have a positive message of encouragement. One of my favorites is Rudy, the true story of Rudy Ruettiger, a young man who grew up in a steel mill town where most people ended up working, but he wanted to play football at Notre Dame instead. There were only a couple of problems. His grades were a little low, his athletic skills were poor, and he was only half the size of the other players. But he had the drive and the spirit of five people and had set his sights upon joining the team. When he finally made it into the school and onto the team, he was never given the chance to suit up and play until the final game of his senior year. You’ll have to see the movie to find out what happened, but I will share with you the words of Coach Dan Devine as the team was just about to pass through the tunnel that leads onto the football field.
“No excuses. Now go do the work.”
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, real estate and motorsports.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Tend Your Brand Garden
Powerful brands require planning, care and nurturing
By Jim Walton
CEO, Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Indianapolis and Charlotte
Several years ago, my wife and I lived in a rural home where we had a few animals and a massive vegetable garden. We grew everything from tomatoes, corn and peas to squash, carrots, beans, and just about anything else we could freeze or can for the coming year. It was a lot of work but the benefits were huge. The quality and flavor were much better than what we could buy at the grocery store.
The lessons learned from our gardening experience were great as well. A successful veggie garden requires much more than simply sticking a seed in the ground and wishful thinking. As with many life lessons, our gardening experiences are easily transferrable to what we now do every day – marketing communications and public relations.
Walton family lessons in successful gardening and marketing communications
Research
Once you develop a list of the veggies you wish to grow, you need to do a little research and planning to understand the best growing environment for each plant. Which veggies do you like? Will they grow in your location? What is their growing season? What are their specific needs?
Likewise with marketing communications, it’s very important to fully identify your target audiences, their needs and expectations, and how best to reach them in a memorable way. Notice I didn’t mention what you want to say to them. I’ll get to that next.
Preparation
A successful vegetable garden requires careful preparation. Some plants require very deep soil tillage while others will do quite well in a shallow seed bed. Plus, soil fertility needs vary from one plant to another. Preparing the soil is crucial to a successful crop year.
Similarly, successful marketing messages are prepared in order to assure that it appeals to the audience. What you want to say must be in balance with what the audience wants to hear.
Planting
Veggie gardens are designed in to take advantage of sun, shade, water and fertility. For most plants to thrive and produce, their placement in relation to one another must be well thought out. You can’t just plant anywhere. There is an art and science to gardening. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you can mess up the entire garden.
At Brand Acceleration, our brand strategists and media experts, like master gardeners, very diligently consider the best places to plant our client’s message in order to successfully grow their brand in the minds of the target audience. Similarly, our public relations team works closely with writers, editors and news directors to plant a message within their stories.
Care and Nutrition
When we were tending our garden, we knew that regular feeding and watering resulted in healthier plants and more abundant yields. Too little nutrition and water resulted in poor yield and too much could harm or kill the plant.
Healthy brands require careful attention, too. If you do little or no outbound marketing communications, your brand could produce very poor results or even die. And, random efforts such as ads placed only in “special editions,” are often a waste of money. Like the tortoise and hare story, savvy marketers enjoy great success with a well thought out plan intended to grow brand awareness over time.
Harvesting
We sometimes found that we had an abundance of vegetables to pick. Even in the summer heat, we had to get out to the garden and work our back sides off in order to harvest, can and freeze everything before it rotted.
It’s also important for sales teams to capitalize on the benefits of the hard work put in by the marketing folks and the advertising and public relations agency. I’m always amazed when someone says, “we didn’t get any calls from that ad.” My response is always the same, “how many calls did you make?” You can’t place an ad and then just sit and wait for the phone to ring. It doesn’t that way. Our goal is to grow brand awareness so that when your sales people call a prospect, they find an open, aware and interested audience. That, my friend, is the harvest.
Enjoy the Bounty
Each fall and winter, we would get great enjoyment from the literal fruits of our efforts. We fully understood that the fruit and veggies that lined our pantry and filled our freezer were the direct result of our research, planning, and hard work. None of it came from procrastination, overcautious inaction or wishful thinking.
Marketing communications is exactly the same. You can research, plan, execute and enjoy, or you can wait, ponder, wish and hope. Only one approach will generate positive results.
Starting Over
At the end of the growing season, we would enjoy a piece of cherry pie (yes, we had a cherry tree) and discuss what worked well and what should be changed. We would then till the garden, fertilize and make plans for the following year.
An effective marketing communications plan needs to be reviewed, adjusted and carefully planned for the coming year. As we move toward autumn, it’s time to get the sales, marketing and executive team together to make plans and set goals for 2011. If we can ever be of service in this process, I hope you’ll give me a call. We’d love to be part of your gardening team.
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, real estate and motorsports.
Powerful brands require planning, care and nurturing
By Jim Walton
CEO, Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Indianapolis and Charlotte
Several years ago, my wife and I lived in a rural home where we had a few animals and a massive vegetable garden. We grew everything from tomatoes, corn and peas to squash, carrots, beans, and just about anything else we could freeze or can for the coming year. It was a lot of work but the benefits were huge. The quality and flavor were much better than what we could buy at the grocery store.
The lessons learned from our gardening experience were great as well. A successful veggie garden requires much more than simply sticking a seed in the ground and wishful thinking. As with many life lessons, our gardening experiences are easily transferrable to what we now do every day – marketing communications and public relations.
Walton family lessons in successful gardening and marketing communications
Research
Once you develop a list of the veggies you wish to grow, you need to do a little research and planning to understand the best growing environment for each plant. Which veggies do you like? Will they grow in your location? What is their growing season? What are their specific needs?
Likewise with marketing communications, it’s very important to fully identify your target audiences, their needs and expectations, and how best to reach them in a memorable way. Notice I didn’t mention what you want to say to them. I’ll get to that next.
Preparation
A successful vegetable garden requires careful preparation. Some plants require very deep soil tillage while others will do quite well in a shallow seed bed. Plus, soil fertility needs vary from one plant to another. Preparing the soil is crucial to a successful crop year.
Similarly, successful marketing messages are prepared in order to assure that it appeals to the audience. What you want to say must be in balance with what the audience wants to hear.
Planting
Veggie gardens are designed in to take advantage of sun, shade, water and fertility. For most plants to thrive and produce, their placement in relation to one another must be well thought out. You can’t just plant anywhere. There is an art and science to gardening. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you can mess up the entire garden.
At Brand Acceleration, our brand strategists and media experts, like master gardeners, very diligently consider the best places to plant our client’s message in order to successfully grow their brand in the minds of the target audience. Similarly, our public relations team works closely with writers, editors and news directors to plant a message within their stories.
Care and Nutrition
When we were tending our garden, we knew that regular feeding and watering resulted in healthier plants and more abundant yields. Too little nutrition and water resulted in poor yield and too much could harm or kill the plant.
Healthy brands require careful attention, too. If you do little or no outbound marketing communications, your brand could produce very poor results or even die. And, random efforts such as ads placed only in “special editions,” are often a waste of money. Like the tortoise and hare story, savvy marketers enjoy great success with a well thought out plan intended to grow brand awareness over time.
Harvesting
We sometimes found that we had an abundance of vegetables to pick. Even in the summer heat, we had to get out to the garden and work our back sides off in order to harvest, can and freeze everything before it rotted.
It’s also important for sales teams to capitalize on the benefits of the hard work put in by the marketing folks and the advertising and public relations agency. I’m always amazed when someone says, “we didn’t get any calls from that ad.” My response is always the same, “how many calls did you make?” You can’t place an ad and then just sit and wait for the phone to ring. It doesn’t that way. Our goal is to grow brand awareness so that when your sales people call a prospect, they find an open, aware and interested audience. That, my friend, is the harvest.
Enjoy the Bounty
Each fall and winter, we would get great enjoyment from the literal fruits of our efforts. We fully understood that the fruit and veggies that lined our pantry and filled our freezer were the direct result of our research, planning, and hard work. None of it came from procrastination, overcautious inaction or wishful thinking.
Marketing communications is exactly the same. You can research, plan, execute and enjoy, or you can wait, ponder, wish and hope. Only one approach will generate positive results.
Starting Over
At the end of the growing season, we would enjoy a piece of cherry pie (yes, we had a cherry tree) and discuss what worked well and what should be changed. We would then till the garden, fertilize and make plans for the following year.
An effective marketing communications plan needs to be reviewed, adjusted and carefully planned for the coming year. As we move toward autumn, it’s time to get the sales, marketing and executive team together to make plans and set goals for 2011. If we can ever be of service in this process, I hope you’ll give me a call. We’d love to be part of your gardening team.
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, real estate and motorsports.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
What’s it Going to Take to Jump Start the Economy?
Businesses hold the answer
By Jim Walton
CEO, Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Indianapolis and Charlotte
In a week when the social media, radio and television are full of well wishes and remembrances of what made America great, we are prone to discuss the brilliance of our founders and the bravery of the armed forces. I certainly agree that these are important, but I also believe that it’s important to remember the brave entrepreneurs who fuel our economy and create jobs for millions. Risk takers all, these individuals put their reputations and often meager life savings on the line to prove the potential of an idea.
Sometimes entrepreneurs have well written business plans while most bravely fly by the proverbial seat of their pants. Some have visions of wealth and fame while others simply work to create a living for their families. No matter their motivation, America’s business visionaries have fueled what is the greatest economic model the world has ever known.
In the early 1900’s, Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company and father of the modern assembly line, revolutionized the fledgling auto industry by mass producing vehicles, making them affordable to the average person. Through hard work, smart thinking and above-average pay for his workers, Ford made his Model T and his company an instant hit. Today, the company operates under the guidance of William Ford, Jr., great grandson of the founder. It employs over 87,000 workers and has sales of over $118 billion. Faced with a struggling global economy, the company refused assistance from the federal government, contributing to its positive image and a dramatic spike in market share.
At the age of 18, Bruton Smith began promoting stock car racing in Midland, North Carolina. With very shaky financing and a troubled relationship with contractors, he built the Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1959. Today, Speedway Motorsports owns multiple race tracks around the country, resulting in countless jobs and many communities. His activities and bold risk taking have established Charlotte as the defacto home of NASCAR.
In California, Meg Whitman grew eBay from a modest 30 employee online auction company to a global institution with 15,000 employees and $8 billion in annual revenue. Now a candidate for Governor of California, she is running on a platform of fiscal restraint and job creation.
Texas native Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, wrote the company’s business plan while on a road trip from New York to Seattle where he launched the company in his garage in 1994. Started as an online book seller, the company now sells everything from software and video games to home improvement items and car engines. It enjoys revenues of over $25 billion and employs over 24,000 workers.
As a child, Tony Hulman was destined to take over the family baking soda business in Terre Haute, Indiana. His goal was to make Clabber Girl a household name in kitchens across America. After reaching this goal, he turned bought the dilapidated Indianapolis Motor Speedway from World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker. Rickenbacker, famous for his many quotes, once said, “The four cornerstones of character on which the structure of this nation was built are: Initiative, Imagination, Individuality and Independence.” Hulman epitomized these characteristics. One hundred years later, the legendary track is known worldwide as the home of the Indianapolis 500, the Brickyard 400 and the Red Bull Indianapolis GP motorcycle race.
At a time when the economy is struggling to restart and approval ratings for politicians are at an all time low, the American business person is saying, “Enough already! Get out of our way and we’ll get this thing going. We always have and we’ll do it again!” In the 1920’s, after a war and a very difficult economic period, the federal government finally woke up and cut federal spending and taxes, resulting in what was to be known as “the roaring twenties,” one of our nation’s most prosperous economic booms. Unemployment dropped to one of the lowest levels in history and new businesses were started at an astonishing pace. But a few politicians couldn’t stand the success and raised taxes and government spending, resulting in a financial collapse that was “The Great Depression.”
Time after time, history has shown that if left alone, American businesses will lead the way out of economic turmoil and create prosperity and jobs in abundance. I believe that the same thing could (will) happen this time. I regularly speak to business owners and not one has ever said to me that the answer to our economic problems is more government spending and regulation. Why are businesses not hiring? My business friends tell me they’re not going to do a thing until they figure out what the federal government is going to do next. There’s a pent up demand that is not going to emerge until politicians get out of the way and let businesses do what they do best – build things and create jobs.
Two reasons why Brand Acceleration works in the economic development and construction industries are because of our passion for creating jobs and building business. Our clients are cities, counties, regional groups and entrepreneurs who are ready, right now, to get started.
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, real estate and motorsports.
Businesses hold the answer
By Jim Walton
CEO, Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Indianapolis and Charlotte
In a week when the social media, radio and television are full of well wishes and remembrances of what made America great, we are prone to discuss the brilliance of our founders and the bravery of the armed forces. I certainly agree that these are important, but I also believe that it’s important to remember the brave entrepreneurs who fuel our economy and create jobs for millions. Risk takers all, these individuals put their reputations and often meager life savings on the line to prove the potential of an idea.
Sometimes entrepreneurs have well written business plans while most bravely fly by the proverbial seat of their pants. Some have visions of wealth and fame while others simply work to create a living for their families. No matter their motivation, America’s business visionaries have fueled what is the greatest economic model the world has ever known.
In the early 1900’s, Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company and father of the modern assembly line, revolutionized the fledgling auto industry by mass producing vehicles, making them affordable to the average person. Through hard work, smart thinking and above-average pay for his workers, Ford made his Model T and his company an instant hit. Today, the company operates under the guidance of William Ford, Jr., great grandson of the founder. It employs over 87,000 workers and has sales of over $118 billion. Faced with a struggling global economy, the company refused assistance from the federal government, contributing to its positive image and a dramatic spike in market share.
At the age of 18, Bruton Smith began promoting stock car racing in Midland, North Carolina. With very shaky financing and a troubled relationship with contractors, he built the Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1959. Today, Speedway Motorsports owns multiple race tracks around the country, resulting in countless jobs and many communities. His activities and bold risk taking have established Charlotte as the defacto home of NASCAR.
In California, Meg Whitman grew eBay from a modest 30 employee online auction company to a global institution with 15,000 employees and $8 billion in annual revenue. Now a candidate for Governor of California, she is running on a platform of fiscal restraint and job creation.
Texas native Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, wrote the company’s business plan while on a road trip from New York to Seattle where he launched the company in his garage in 1994. Started as an online book seller, the company now sells everything from software and video games to home improvement items and car engines. It enjoys revenues of over $25 billion and employs over 24,000 workers.
As a child, Tony Hulman was destined to take over the family baking soda business in Terre Haute, Indiana. His goal was to make Clabber Girl a household name in kitchens across America. After reaching this goal, he turned bought the dilapidated Indianapolis Motor Speedway from World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker. Rickenbacker, famous for his many quotes, once said, “The four cornerstones of character on which the structure of this nation was built are: Initiative, Imagination, Individuality and Independence.” Hulman epitomized these characteristics. One hundred years later, the legendary track is known worldwide as the home of the Indianapolis 500, the Brickyard 400 and the Red Bull Indianapolis GP motorcycle race.
At a time when the economy is struggling to restart and approval ratings for politicians are at an all time low, the American business person is saying, “Enough already! Get out of our way and we’ll get this thing going. We always have and we’ll do it again!” In the 1920’s, after a war and a very difficult economic period, the federal government finally woke up and cut federal spending and taxes, resulting in what was to be known as “the roaring twenties,” one of our nation’s most prosperous economic booms. Unemployment dropped to one of the lowest levels in history and new businesses were started at an astonishing pace. But a few politicians couldn’t stand the success and raised taxes and government spending, resulting in a financial collapse that was “The Great Depression.”
Time after time, history has shown that if left alone, American businesses will lead the way out of economic turmoil and create prosperity and jobs in abundance. I believe that the same thing could (will) happen this time. I regularly speak to business owners and not one has ever said to me that the answer to our economic problems is more government spending and regulation. Why are businesses not hiring? My business friends tell me they’re not going to do a thing until they figure out what the federal government is going to do next. There’s a pent up demand that is not going to emerge until politicians get out of the way and let businesses do what they do best – build things and create jobs.
Two reasons why Brand Acceleration works in the economic development and construction industries are because of our passion for creating jobs and building business. Our clients are cities, counties, regional groups and entrepreneurs who are ready, right now, to get started.
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, real estate and motorsports.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
What Ever Happened to Pride in Workmanship?
It’s alive and well but you have to look for it.
By Jim Walton
CEO, Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Indianapolis and Charlotte
The other day I was watching the popular HGTV program, “Holmes on Homes.” It’s the one where frustrated homeowners ask host Mike Holmes to rescue them from disasters caused by building or remodeling contractors. Of course, Mr. Holmes quickly points out the shoddy workmanship, corrects the problems and walks away the hero. I don’t believe the contractors in the show are all bad people, although some are. I do believe many are just ignorant of the correct way to perform the work.
With a little research, most customers could easily find very skilled contractors with stellar reputations for exemplary workmanship. I know many of them. Such organizations as the Better Business Bureau and Angie’s List provide an opportunity to check the reputations of just about any business. Additionally, a simple Google search will often uncover reams of information.
As I watched the program, I couldn’t help but consider my own industry, making a mental note of the sometimes poor workmanship and ignorance that exists in the marketing communications business, just as in contracting, remodeling and others.
Over the many years I’ve been in this business, I’ve seen numerous examples of individuals or firms representing themselves as advertising professionals when their background is limited to graphic design, web development or another very narrow niche. Now, don’t get me wrong. I have huge respect for trained and talented graphic designers. Some of the best are part of the Brand Acceleration team. We believe that great designers are really at their best when they’re part of a strategically focused team. A true marketing communications agency brings an entire team of professionals to an effort.
In my opinion, the most successful programs are the result of a group that includes a skilled marketing strategist, a writer who has mastered the science of marketing communications, a designer trained in the art of communicating a defined message, and a production person who knows how to make the end product really go to work.
The production person, in our case, is an expert who has many years experience in the printing and direct marketing industry. She knows more about paper, ink, printing and post office procedures than anyone I know. When it comes to web programming and search engine optimization, our guy can run circles around even the best in the industry. He understands Google, Bing!, Yahoo and the other gate keepers as well as they understand themselves. He never ceases to amaze me or our clients.
Like Mike Holmes, I occasionally hear people express disappointment when describing work done for them by people or companies that overpromised and grossly under delivered. In almost every case, it is because one or more of the skills just described was missing. Maybe it’s a web designer who knew how to use the web software but really wasn’t trained in the art of design. Or, maybe no writer was brought to the effort, leaving the client to handle the very important task of writing the copy. I’m often told of brochure projects where the files were simply handed off to a printer with no further supervision of the production process. For us, the project is not complete until it is delivered to the client.
Another thing that our clients like about us is that we won’t work for just anyone. We specialize! That’s right, we only work with clients in industries where we can bring valuable experience and counsel to our clients. Our niche industries are economic development, construction, including architecture and engineering, real estate and motorsports. Why these? Because when I started the company, I pledged to myself that I would only work in industries that I like and where I have knowledge. I also promised myself that I would only work with people I like. By following this plan, we have become experts in these fields and valued marketing partners and friends to our clients. You won’t find us working in other industries where we lack expertise and bring nothing to the client.
A few months ago, I received a call from a very nice lady who had contracted a “web designer” to create a new web site for her economic development organization. After several months and many thousands of dollars, she was delivered a beautiful web site template with no copy and no photographs. When she questioned the company representative, she was told that they are a web “design” firm, not writers or programmers. I think Mike Holms would be seriously ticked.
Just like Mr. Holmes always demonstrates, a successful project that satisfies the client is always the result of a team of skilled and experienced professionals who are passionate about producing great work that meets or exceeds client expectations. His show also shows what happens when people cut corners and do things on the cheap. Companies like mine and other skilled and honorable agencies eventually get to do the work over and do it right.
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, real estate and motorsports.
It’s alive and well but you have to look for it.
By Jim Walton
CEO, Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Indianapolis and Charlotte
The other day I was watching the popular HGTV program, “Holmes on Homes.” It’s the one where frustrated homeowners ask host Mike Holmes to rescue them from disasters caused by building or remodeling contractors. Of course, Mr. Holmes quickly points out the shoddy workmanship, corrects the problems and walks away the hero. I don’t believe the contractors in the show are all bad people, although some are. I do believe many are just ignorant of the correct way to perform the work.
With a little research, most customers could easily find very skilled contractors with stellar reputations for exemplary workmanship. I know many of them. Such organizations as the Better Business Bureau and Angie’s List provide an opportunity to check the reputations of just about any business. Additionally, a simple Google search will often uncover reams of information.
As I watched the program, I couldn’t help but consider my own industry, making a mental note of the sometimes poor workmanship and ignorance that exists in the marketing communications business, just as in contracting, remodeling and others.
Over the many years I’ve been in this business, I’ve seen numerous examples of individuals or firms representing themselves as advertising professionals when their background is limited to graphic design, web development or another very narrow niche. Now, don’t get me wrong. I have huge respect for trained and talented graphic designers. Some of the best are part of the Brand Acceleration team. We believe that great designers are really at their best when they’re part of a strategically focused team. A true marketing communications agency brings an entire team of professionals to an effort.
In my opinion, the most successful programs are the result of a group that includes a skilled marketing strategist, a writer who has mastered the science of marketing communications, a designer trained in the art of communicating a defined message, and a production person who knows how to make the end product really go to work.
The production person, in our case, is an expert who has many years experience in the printing and direct marketing industry. She knows more about paper, ink, printing and post office procedures than anyone I know. When it comes to web programming and search engine optimization, our guy can run circles around even the best in the industry. He understands Google, Bing!, Yahoo and the other gate keepers as well as they understand themselves. He never ceases to amaze me or our clients.
Like Mike Holmes, I occasionally hear people express disappointment when describing work done for them by people or companies that overpromised and grossly under delivered. In almost every case, it is because one or more of the skills just described was missing. Maybe it’s a web designer who knew how to use the web software but really wasn’t trained in the art of design. Or, maybe no writer was brought to the effort, leaving the client to handle the very important task of writing the copy. I’m often told of brochure projects where the files were simply handed off to a printer with no further supervision of the production process. For us, the project is not complete until it is delivered to the client.
Another thing that our clients like about us is that we won’t work for just anyone. We specialize! That’s right, we only work with clients in industries where we can bring valuable experience and counsel to our clients. Our niche industries are economic development, construction, including architecture and engineering, real estate and motorsports. Why these? Because when I started the company, I pledged to myself that I would only work in industries that I like and where I have knowledge. I also promised myself that I would only work with people I like. By following this plan, we have become experts in these fields and valued marketing partners and friends to our clients. You won’t find us working in other industries where we lack expertise and bring nothing to the client.
A few months ago, I received a call from a very nice lady who had contracted a “web designer” to create a new web site for her economic development organization. After several months and many thousands of dollars, she was delivered a beautiful web site template with no copy and no photographs. When she questioned the company representative, she was told that they are a web “design” firm, not writers or programmers. I think Mike Holms would be seriously ticked.
Just like Mr. Holmes always demonstrates, a successful project that satisfies the client is always the result of a team of skilled and experienced professionals who are passionate about producing great work that meets or exceeds client expectations. His show also shows what happens when people cut corners and do things on the cheap. Companies like mine and other skilled and honorable agencies eventually get to do the work over and do it right.
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, real estate and motorsports.
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