Ohio marketer praises ‘Kentucky Unbridled Spirit’ brand
It’s one thing to toot your own horn. It’s another to get a ringing endorsement from a peer.
We checked our Google alerts recently and discovered that Jean Gianfagna, founder and president of a marketing consulting firm in Cleveland, had nice things to say about the Unbridled Spirit brand New West created for the state of Kentucky in 2004.
More on that in a minute. First, though, Ms. Gianfagna wanted to talk about her home state’s new “Beautiful Ohio” plate. The plate, Ms. Gianfagna said, “makes a classic branding and marketing mistake: Obscuring the name of the product through ‘creative’ graphic design. In fact, it’s hard to imagine what else the designers could have done to bury the brand.” She complained about typeface that’s too hard to read, “clumsy” visual elements, an overly busy design, and positioning of the word “Ohio” in such a way that plate frame holders will cover up at least part of it.
Many other states have made similar mistakes, Gianfagna said. Kentucky, on the other hand, “designed a clean, attractive license plate whose main visual element is its ‘Kentucky Unbridled Spirit’ branding, the official logo of the brand strategy that applies to all of Kentucky’s tourism marketing and promotion – including its license plates.” This strategy has paid off, she said, noting that public perceptions of Kentucky have improved as a result.
“Imagine the impact,” Gianfagna concluded, “if Ohio officials had followed Kentucky’s lead and recognized the state’s license plate as a branding opportunity. Suppose they created a visually striking graphic design that showcased the brand in a readable, engaging, and memorable way and linked to the state’s tourism marketing campaign. Ohio would be making millions of powerful, positive impressions on people everywhere, every day. And that would be a smart branding strategy.”
Thanks, Jean. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
For the full text of Ms. Gianfagna’s remarks, see http://www.gianfagnamarketing.com/blog/2010/03/01/a-branding-blunder-averted-ohio-almost-makes-a-classic-marketing-mistake/
Build market share
We’ve been preaching about how this is an excellent time to pick up market share, and NOT the time to cut back on marketing efforts.
Here is another example, in the form of an excellent article in “Media Daily News” on Procter and Gamble’s aggressive advertising strategy. This is from that article:
“CEO A.G. Lafley said marketing outlays have remained at their traditional levels, and P&G is looking to take advantage of the turmoil in the ad market to build share of voice.
In a call with investors, Lafley said the marketer of Tide and Crest is “absolutely not” trimming ad dollars. In fact, what’s really going on is that “the advertising markets are softening–and for the same dollars, we’re buying more delivery.” That, in turn, has led to “improving our shares of voice” in multiple categories, he said. “
Careful with that axe, Eugene!
The economy has taken a beating lately, that’s for sure. Amid the constant refrain of bad news, businesses have cut spending. For many of those businesses, the first expense to face the axe is marketing.
Bad idea.
While it might be tempting to trim an expense that doesn’t immediately add to the bottom line, fading into the background is never the path to success. Think about it: Does hunkering down increase your sales? Do you honestly think you’ll succeed in these hard times when fewer people are reminded of your goods or services?
Marketing now, while others are following the mob into the void, will allow your company to stand out and, most important, remain viable. And when the larger economy does reawaken, you’re well positioned for serious growth.
Marketing is not merely an expense, it’s an investment. The issue is how to invest shrewdly.
For example, this might be a good time to finally jump into the social media swimming pool. A well-designed, well-executed, frequently updated blog, Facebook page or Twitter account will help you accomplish two things – you can not only speak to your customers, you get to hear directly and immediately from them what they like and don’t like. In other words, you learn how to better meet their needs, so you can sell more of whatever you’re trying to sell.
Your most important sales staff. What your employees say can make or break your company.
(This was originally published in The Lane Report in November 2008.)
While at the checkout counter the other day, I heard an interesting conversation between two cashiers.
“I hate this place. They scheduled me an extra shift without even asking.”
“They did that to me last week. Plus I haven’t gotten a raise in two years. I’m looking for another job and I’ll be out of here as soon as I can.”
Two thoughts immediately came to mind.
- I don’t want to hear these people complain. I just want them to finish my order.
- If this company treats its own people this way, I’m not shopping here again.
And after overhearing that brief conversation, that company has lost my business forever.
Your employees are your most important marketers. They can attract customers to you or they can drive them away. They can make or break your image in the community.
So what do you do to help them market your company? “I pay them, and that should be enough!” may be your most common response. However, that’s not enough.
Here are four action steps you should implement with your “most important sales staff”:
- Treat your employees as a niche market. Communicate with them in a regular manner. Make them feel special. Why? Not only are they the face of your business, but their families also are extensions of your business. The good and bad things that happen at your company will be discussed at family gatherings, parties, church functions and throughout the community. What do you want them telling other people about you?
- Train your employees on good customer service. Let them know that they represent you and educate them on how to treat your customers. Let them know how important they are to the future of your company. Give them specific ideas on ways to make your customers have a great experience and want to come back.
- Empower your employees to “market” for you. Give them coupons, special offers or other incentives to hand out to customers, friends, neighbors and perfect strangers. This gives them a stake in your success and enables them to showcase your business to people.
- Reward your employees for bringing in new customers or for exemplary customer service. They’ve just helped you make more money. Shouldn’t they get a piece of the pie? Incentives will encourage that.
Every employee you have is a potential marketer for your company. Keep them informed. Talk to them. Give them the tools that will help them – and you – succeed.
I will say it again. Your employees are your most important marketers. Help them succeed. Your bottom line will thank you.
