Against the Grain: Trilix

Most manufacturing companies operate using some sort of distributed sales force and dealer/distributor network — a situation that creates as many problems as it solves. One issue that arrives all too often is when customer data exists solely on the laptops and BlackBerry smartphones of the sales team. Dozens of individuals with dozens of databases… not a single one of them complete.

And if a sales person leaves or their laptop crashes… that data is gone.

By storing all your sales and marketing contacts in a single, web-accessible database, you ensure that this most valuable of resources can’t go missing. You also allow for sharing of ideas, tracking of company-wide initiatives, measurement of marketing efforts and more accurate sales projections. It’s amazing what a little sharing can do.

Trilix is a full-service advertising agency headquartered in the Midwest with expertise in helping manufacturers market effectively and drive sales success. Learn more at www.trilixgroup.com or email Todd Senne at tsenne@trilixgroup.com.

Every year, local advertising agencies compete in the OUTY Awards for a chance to showcase some fun, creative outdoor advertising. This year, our own Interactive Design Director Paul Burger brought home the win with this board for our new division, Trilix Research. http://www.outyawards.com/

They’re talking about you. You may not know it, but your company, its products and employees are being talked about every day online. Blogs, Twitter, Facebook… all are dotted with mentions that can affect how your company, brand and industry are perceived.

They’re talking about your competitors too.

The question is, are you listening? Are you monitoring those sites to gain insight into customer wants and needs? Are you using it to gain a competitive advantage? Are you using the same services to participate in, and drive, the conversation? It’s not conventional marketing. But then, these are conventional times.

Trilix is a full-service advertising agency headquartered in the Midwest with expertise in helping manufacturers market effectively and drive sales success. Learn more at www.trilixgroup.com or email Todd Senne at tsenne@trilixgroup.com.

Ah, it’s a beautiful morning and you’re jonesing for a caffeine fix. You need a cup of coffee STAT. You have two options: brew a pot at home or head down to Starbucks for a cup of joe. Before you know it, you’re half way out the door and eagerly anticipating a venti café latte.

A few decades ago, a cup of coffee cost about 50 cents and research indicated that sales were rapidly declining. Today, Starbucks beverages average $3.00 each and their annual report says they have more than 16,000 stores in more than 50 countries. So, how did the Seattle-based coffee retailer successfully launch a premium product in a declining industry? They identified a vacant niche in the coffee market, then branded and positioned their product to satisfy it.

Branding is more than a name, it's an experience. It's the emotional response, ambiance and point-of-sale interaction that influences brand perception and earns customer loyalty. Successful branding is what keeps coffee drinkers flocking to Starbucks day after day — well that, and the pesky caffeine addiction. Is it more economical to brew a pot at home? Yes. But Starbucks mouth-watering aroma, soothing ambiance and social interactions generate brand loyalty that makes the premium price seem worthwhile.

Branding and market positioning go hand-in-hand and are essential elements of your integrated marketing campaign. A strong brand name allows companies to charge a premium, while bad branding leads to commoditization. This is generally thought of in terms of B2C industries, but the same principles apply to B2B. To successfully position your product in the market, you must understand how consumers perceive your brand so you can shape their attitudes and distinguish your product from your competitors'.

The best way to evaluate your branding and positioning is to conduct market research. Qualitative and quantitative data gives you vital statistics about the consumers you want to buy your products and use your services. Market research will help you identify your niche, classify your target audience and position your brand.

Researchers use multi-phase, qualitative and quantitative survey methods to ensure statistical reliability. The first stage uses a face-to-face delivery method, (e.g. an in-store intercept or focus group) to collect qualitative data about your brand. Personal interactions and first-hand conversations help researchers interpret consumers' emotional responses to your brand.

The second phase polls a larger audience using direct mail, online or phone surveys to collect quantitative data. This is statistically reliable, verifiable data that reveals the median age, gender, income level, marital status and geographical location of the people buying your product or using your services.

The qualitative survey results will help you understand a consumer's emotional response to your brand. Are consumers responding favorably? If not, how can you re-brand your product to improve public perception? The quantitative results will help you determine how to package, price and promote the product in the marketplace. Are you selling your product in the right stores? Is it priced competitively?

This information enables your marketing team to strategically plan an integrated campaign to reach your target audience within your advertising budget. Translation: getting your product in front of the “right people” will raise awareness about your brand, boost sales and increase your profitability.  

The next time you make a purchase, ask yourself why you chose that product instead of its competitor. Did the packaging influence your decision? Was it a “good deal?” How are consumers answering those same questions about your product?

Brand positioning influences thousands of subconscious decisions we make every day. If you correctly position your brand, you can build a loyal customer base that rivals Starbucks' – without that pesky caffeine addiction.  

Your dealers and distributors are one of the most valuable sales and marketing resources you have. They are on the front line of customer interaction and can absolutely make or break a new initiative or product line. Having a dealer/distributor network that is jazzed about your products and enthusiastically recommends them to customers is a huge competitive advantage.

But if left unchecked, it can get out of hand.

A dealer’s main motivation is closing the deal and moving product. And if that means sacrificing your brand and positioning to do it, it will happen. And that’s a recipe for long-term disaster. Keep your dealers on message and operating within appropriate boundaries not only by providing them with marketing and sales tools, but by incentivizing them to use them (and punishing them when they don’t.) Because if left to their own devices, they’re bound to come up with something that misses the mark.

Trilix is a full-service advertising agency headquartered in the Midwest with expertise in helping manufacturers market effectively and drive sales success. Learn more at www.trilixgroup.com or email Todd Senne at tsenne@trilixgroup.com.