Against the Grain: Branding

Now that we’re a week into the New Year, it’s time to take a look at your 2012 goals. We’re not talking fitness, eating better or getting more sleep (although, I think we can all say those are on our list) –– we’re talking business. Here are three resolutions to get your year off to the right start.

1. Freshen your website. Interactive Director Yancy DeLathouder says, “With the current pace of web innovations, if your site is more than three years old, you’ll want to consider upgrading your site to keep pace with changing technology. In addition to having a wealth of features available from newer technologies like HTML5, older technologies like JavaScript have also been causing quite a stir, replacing Flash implementations with equally functional and attractive, yet mobile-friendly applications. Additionally, new browsers and new browser versions, including mobile devices, may cause websites built for older standards to not function as expected. Upgrading a website to current standards will ensure proper operation for all potential audiences on all potential platforms.”

2. Create a social media policy. Public Relations Specialist Gabby Bladdick thinks every business, agency and nonprofit –– large and small –– should create a social media policy. Why, we ask? “With the way businesses are relying on social media to be a major part of their marketing campaigns, it’s imperative to establish a company-wide social media policy so every employee is on the same page. It should include everything from what they can/cannot say to repercussions for violating the policy. Trust us, you don’t want to end up like this company.”

3. Review your crisis communications plan. If you don’t have one, create one. Public Relations Director Kristin Sunde says, “We recommend clients review and update their crisis communications plans at least once a year, if not more. As staff, stakeholders, and services and products change, it’s likely your plan needs updating. And if you don’t have a crisis communications plan, resolve to put one in place this quarter. Its value will far outweigh the investment if disaster strikes.

2012 is the year to improve –– so let’s do it together! Give us a call if we can help!

Google+ is a topic that’s been buzzing around the water coolers for the last couple months, but has anyone really grabbed the latest social media platform by the horns? Although it doesn’t have 800 million users like Facebook, it has caused much media attention, and a few early adopters are trying it out. Not sure if you’re ready to jump onboard? Let us take you on the Google+ grand tour:

• Google+’s Stream is just like Facebook’s timeline and Twitter’s feed. Here, you can see updates, pictures, videos and links.
• If you think Facebook’s chat feature is great, you’ll love Google+’s Hangouts. Perhaps the most technologically advanced feature (“it changes who’s on camera based on who’s talking,” according to Mashable), Hangouts allows you to video chat with multiple people from your Circles.
• People are reporting they love Google+ Circles. A creative way to group friends, Circles allows you to designate who sees your posts. Want to share an article related to your industry? Share that link to your “professionals” Circle. Want to post something, but you don’t want your mom to see it? Post to your “friends” Circle.

Most recently, Google+ launched brand pages that have encouraged companies like Pepsi, Toyota, Amazon, Starbucks, McDonald’s and Wells Fargo to share their company messages with their Circles.

Google+ boasts many features that we think will create and engage a large group of users. What do you think about Google+? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

I like to consider myself an early adopter; someone who jumps on the latest social media platform to test it out for myself. I’ve been a long-time fan of Facebook and Twitter and I can’t wait to see where newcomers like Google+ and Get Glue go. Social media is a powerful communications tool for people, companies, non-profits…you name it. Here are a few examples and statistics to demonstrate social media’s importance in today’s society.

Mind-blowing statistics of a couple poplar social media platforms’ reach:

• Facebook has more than 800 million active users (source). That’s the population of New York City multiplied by 100.

• 100 million people joined Twitter in 2011 (source).

• 48 hours of video are uploaded each minute on YouTube. That is eight years of content uploaded each day. Additionally, three billion videos are viewed each day (source).

Remarkable real-life examples of social media’s power:

• Most recently, The Collegiate Time –– the Virginia Tech school newspaper ­­–– utilized its Facebook page to keep the campus alert as to where the shooter was. Students and faculty were giving updates minute-by-minute to ensure campus-wide safety.

• The Wall Street Journal or USA Today did not break the news of the Hudson plane crash. Instead, a man who witnessed the crash simply tweeted a photo.  

• Of 20,000 people polled on Mashable, more than half reported they heard about Osama Bin Laden’s death from either Facebook or Twitter (source).

It’s hard to remember what life was like before social media – how would people have reacted to the news of 9/11 or John Lennon’s death. Social media allows you to have a voice. You don’t need to land a front-page story on The New York Times for your organization’s story to be told – you can do it yourself using these amazing social media platforms.

Take time to think about this important question: if you aren’t utilizing social media, who is telling your story?

What other powerful social media examples do you have? Share them with us on our Facebook page.

Are you considering hiring an advertising agency? Before you send out an RFP or start shopping around, determine what kind of relationship you’re pursuing. Do you need a vendor to fulfill orders or a partner to generate new ideas and help guide your strategic marketing efforts?

Vendors help you meet your marketing goals; partners help you set and exceed them. Vendors cut ties during economic challenges and leadership changes; partners weather the storm together. Vendors complete your projects on time. Partners fill a need you never knew existed because they understand your customers and industry.

To maintain a competitive-edge in today’s ever-changing market, you should move beyond the project-vendor relationship and explore an agency partnership. An experienced account team can help you set achievable goals and create a strategic plan to turn an idea into an award-winning solution.

Successful client-agency partnerships are built on trust, and it must be earned. Your agency should demonstrate an unwavering commitment to help you succeed. They should invest the time to get to know you, your company and industry. In turn, you should notify them about internal and external changes and challenges affecting your business. They can analyze the situation objectively and may be able to spot an opportunity.

In any relationship, partners run the risk of growing complacent. Don’t let your marketing efforts get stagnant. Your brand, company and products evolve over time and so should your marketing campaigns. Challenge your agency to bring you creative solutions. Be willing to take risks. Trust your agency to guide you through the rebranding process.

Do you still want a vendor? Consult Google. If you’re looking for a partner, give Trilix a call. We combine innovative ideas with marketing expertise. Together, we can form the sweetest partnership since Ben and Jerry—without the ice cream headache.

If we’ve learned anything from our celebrity-obsessed, reality-TV-addicted and perpetually young culture, it’s that maintaining your image is critical to remaining relevant. A fresh look can be just what a company needs to attract a new audience or keep an existing one. Here are some things to think about when considering updating your brand identity.

• Only refresh the identity because of actual changes in the business, not just because you feel like it.
• Be sure the changes you make don’t affect existing customers’ brand loyalties.
• Get an idea of what customers want and what they have come to expect from your brand. Measure their perceptions of your business and incorporate what they like about your company into the new identity.
• Approach the refresh realistically.
  • You may not have the budget for an entire revamp.
  • You can do small tweaks overtime.
  • Make sure you do what works best for your company.
• Accordingly, your refresh may have to work with the old identity, meaning it will have to fit with your current look without alarming the customer.
• Involve and educate the whole company in the refresh process. This way, employees will understand the reasons behind the change, which helps to create consistency and recognition.

There are a lot of factors to think about when considering your brand identity. Trilix’s creative and account teams can help you figure out what is best for your company.