Move over Millennials, brands are beginning to see the buying power of Gen Z—which is currently upward of $143 billion in the United States. Gen Z makes up 26 percent of the U.S. population and is comprised of those born between 1997 and 2012, the oldest of whom are just beginning to enter post-college adulthood. Like Millennials, Gen Z tends to be more optimistic than not. However, unlike the “follow your dreams” Millennials, Gen Z is looking for a more practical approach to the future—including how they will spend their money.
Let’s take a look at a couple of the DOs and DON’Ts of marketing to Gen Z.
DO: UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR AUDIENCE WANTS
Unlike in the days of yore, a “one-size-fits-all” message will. not. work. for Zs. First, you’ll want to do your homework to understand what they want from brands, in general. More importantly, if you want to make any real impact, you need to get honest about your brand and its offerings. What does/would this generation like about your brand? What do/will they dislike? The most challenging aspect of this is creating nuanced messaging that illustrates that you understand them as individuals. This is only possible if you take an egoless look at your brand and do your research!
DON’T: LIE
This seems obvious, but it’s truly baffling how many marketing and ad campaigns are based on stretched truths or claims that brands can’t back up (Fyre Festival, anyone?). When it comes to marketing to Gen Z, trust is key. In fact, one of the reasons Snapchat is popular with Zs is because they distrust other social media platforms’ privacy policies. According to Ad Age Studio 30 and UNiDAYS, 59 percent of Zs have paid attention to an ad because it was from a brand they trust. In other words, ads can work with Gen Z, but marketers need to focus on brand building in order to establish meaningful, long-term relationships with them. This is done through thoughtful creative content marketing and genuine brand storytelling.
DO: CREATE VALUABLE EXPERIENCES
Gen Zs tend to be more cautious with their money than previous generations. Many of them remember what the Great Recession of 2008 did to their families and, because of this, want to avoid getting into their own financial trouble. And although they’re cautious, they’re not frugal—Gen Zs are willing to spend money for perceived value. They want quality products and unique experiences. They want to have a good time, but not at the expense of going into debt. They’re mindful shoppers who have access to product and pricing information in their hands. However, most still prefer purchasing from brick & mortar establishments and taking part in exclusive or limited events. FOMO is real. And people will do a lotfor the ‘Gram.
DON’T: SPEND EXCESSIVE MONEY FOR NO REASON
things that DO NOT motivate Gen Z shoppers:
Celebrity endorsements
Brand-specific retail apps (they may browse, but they typically won’t convert unless there’s an added incentive; they prefer aggregator shopping apps)
Press or media coverage
things that DO motivate Gen Z shoppers:
Micro-influencers—those with anywhere between 2K and 50K followers on a particular social media platform (they’re seen as more trustworthy than big-name celebrities)
Brands that are informed about political issues (notice I said “informed,” not “outspoken about”)
Their friends—77 percent of Gen Z shoppers turn to their friends for purchasing advice
With more than 5.6 million businesses in the U.S., each fighting for share in the marketplace, every brand must spend money to make money. And some are dead-set on throwing money at strategies and practices that have proven themselves outdated or outright ineffective. This is not to say that traditional media doesn’t work; on the contrary, Gen Z is a sort of “throwback” generation that is partial to things like physical display advertising and TV ads.
Although Gen Z is split on whether or not brands should share their “political” voice publicly, they’re more loyal to brands that “do good.” Zs are often willing to pay a bit more for sustainably sourced products or brands that give back to the community—82 percent say they would be more likely to buy a product if it were environmentally friendly.
When it comes to Gen Z marketing, it’s important to start now. This can open the door to relationships that can last well into their prime spending years. The key word here is “relationships.” Brands must stop talking “at” consumers and start (or continue) talking “to” them. They must encourage dialogue and facilitate participation. The only way to accomplish this is with a mix of traditional media, organic inbound marketing (content, social, etc.) and strategically placed digital. Gen Z’s loyalty is contagious—see the stat above about how friends motivate shopping decisions—so it’s imperative to make them feel like they’re part of your story so they can help you tell it for years to come.
We’re less than a week away from Christmas and the holiday cheer in St. Pete, Florida isn’t slowing down anytime soon. If you’re looking for Santa-approved things to do, places to go and unique gifts to buy, look no further than #DTSP! Check out some of our favorite picks for St. Pete wintertime wonder and NYE excitement.
Touted as having “The World’s Largest Christmas Light Maze,” Enchant Christmas is a spectacle for all ages. Beautiful illuminated reindeer “sculptures” and installations make it very ‘Grammable. There’s also a market, live entertainment, overly priced but what the hell, it’s the holidays! drinks and—my favorite part—the ice skating loop. Did I bust my knee open trying to do some ice dancing with my nephew? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Just be prepared to say “there are so many people here” a lot.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, “the 43rd annual light display with religious representations includes lit walkways, water fountains, a computerized light show, animated dolls, a three-story snowman and an 18-train model railroad.” Holy Christmas!
Stroll along the waterfront and feast your eyes on thousands of lights, decorations and a giant holiday greeting card display created by local teens and participants from St. Pete recreation centers.
CHRISTMAS BOAT PARTY
THE GETAWAY/ 6 TO 10 P.M. • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2019
Photo credit: The Getaway
If you’re all about that #SaltLife, this is the event for you. (And it’s free admission!) Do Christmas Florida-style while listening to live music, eating fresh seafood, drinking tiki cocktails and admiring docked boats that are decorated with a whole lotta holiday cheer!
CAMERA!
Where to catch holiday movies and snap photos with Santa!
Grab your lawn chairs and blankets to get cozy on the grass for a viewing of 1994’s The Santa Clause starring Tim Allen. This family-friendly event is free and open to the public.
Along with Holiday Movies in the Park, Meet Santa is part of the new Holidays in the Sunshine City event that incorporates all St. Petersburg’s holiday festivities sponsored by the St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation Department and the City of St. Petersburg. Traumatize Surprise your kids and get to know ol’ Saint Nick at this free event—cameras & photos welcome!
PET PHOTOS WITH SANTA
TYRONE SQUARE MALL/ 9 A.M. TO 9 P.M. DEC. 20-23 & 8 A.M. TO 6 P.M. DEC. 24, 2019
Photo credit: Parade.com
Bring your pet to Dillard’s Court at Tyrone Square Mall for an extra-special Christmas photo op! The Jolly One will be there to sit for photos with your fur babies now through Christmas Eve. PRO TIP: Even Santa has to take breaks, so avoid 1:15 – 2:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 2:15 – 3 p.m. Sunday.
ACTION!
Christmas activities, New Year’s nightlife and last-minute holiday shopping destinations.
Live DJ, BBQ, raffles, JELL-O shots and adoptable pets! What more could you want out of a party?! Dress yourself and your pet in the gaudiest garb you can find and enter the contest!
It’s time to get tacky! Enjoy live music from The Spazmatics from 8 to 11 p.m., but feel free to come early for this all-day event. Cold beer. Free admission.
Grandma knitted you that sweater for a reason—to win MacDinton’s Ugliest Sweater Contest! (Sorry, Doris. Although the design is questionable, the garment is exquisitely crafted. Just like you.) (The “exquisite” part, not the “questionable” part.) Contest winners will receive prizes sponsored by Tito’s Vodka. Donate a brand new teddy bear for the Rough Riders Annual Holiday Teddy Bear Drive because a.) it’s a nice thing to do for a child this holiday season; and b.) for each bear you donate, you’ll receive a raffle ticket to win a Tito’s basket o’ holiday cheer(s)!
Photo credit: Duke Energy Center For The Arts — The Mahaffey Theater
Don’t miss the Moscow Ballet’s breathtaking interpretation of this quintessential holiday performance featuring an iconic score by Tchaikovsky. Dancers tell this timeless tale of a little girl’s Christmas Eve dreams through a fantasy of music and movement. Tickets start at $34.50.
We’re big fans of shopping locally—particularly in the Grand Central District—for holiday gifts. Here are our favorite selections for unique, intentional, hand-crafted goodies to fill stockings (or really any container or box you’d like).
Discover one-of-a-kind furniture and accessories for the home. The Bungaleaux carries industrial hand-crafted pieces by local artisans & eclectic home furnishings hand-picked from all over the world.
Patti, Pieces of a Dream’s owner, describes her store as “your destination to Celebrate Your Senses and find unique and distinctive ‘Gifts You’ll Love to Give and Receive’.”
Creative Clay‘s vision is to “make the arts accessible to all” by providing expressive, educational and vocational experiences for people with disabilities. The gifts you’ll find at their brick & mortar and online store are individually created by Creative Clay artists. From clothing to home decor to greeting cards, Creative Clay is sure to have something for everyone on your list.
With more than 300 craft beer offerings and 75 distinct wines, Hawthorne Bottle Shoppe is your resource for buying rare & craft libations like a local. Grab some lunch before you shop—they also have at least 10 beers on tap and 8 deli selections.
My last reason to spend your holidays in St. Pete goes out to my northern friends: IT DOESN’T SNOW HERE. I think I’ve proven my point.
There you have it! If you have other suggestions or recommendations for this holiday list, let us know in the comments or on our Facebook Page!
It’s almost here. The day to see your extended family one of two times per year, stuff yourself silly with green bean casserole, pretend you know what a “cornerback” does, and think about what you’re grateful for. Just like the pilgrims and American indigenous peoples did!
You know what they didn’t do? Take advantage of a holiday to create some of the best small business marketing content this side of the Mississippi. I mean, who would even do that?! Who would even say that?! The nerve of some people.
On an unrelated note, in recent years, gratitude has proven to be increasingly responsible for one’s overall happiness and well-being. From simple things like thanking someone for holding an elevator, to intense week-long meditation retreats focused on the issue, gratitude allows us to heighten our frequency and change our perspective.
Let’s take a deeper look at the role of gratitude in business.
4 WAYS PRACTICING GRATITUDE IN BUSINESS PAYS OFF
BECAUSE SCIENCE
According to a 2017 Forbes article, we need three positives to outweigh the impact of one negative. In other words, we feel and hear negativity with three times the power that we experience positivity. The issue in our current culture, however, is that we tend to give 10 times more negative feedback than positive feedback. Essentially, we need a 3:1 ratio, but we get 1:10, which leaves us unfulfilled, anxious and depressed. This is why gratitude matters.
Regularly expressing gratitude (the quality of being thankful and readiness to show appreciation) literally changes the molecular structure of the brain, keeps the gray matter functioning, and makes us healthier and happier.
Practicing and experiencing gratitude literally has the power to rewire your brain. (And, yes, I know how literally works.) Gratitude serves as a sort of natural antidepressant. During the practice of gratitude—say, thinking about or writing down three to five things you’re grateful for—specific neural circuits are activated. Production of serotonin and dopamine increases, and neurotransmitters, or “chemical messengers,” travel neural pathways to the brain’s “pleasure” center. The more we practice, the stronger these neural pathways become—a phenomenon known as “Hebb’s Law,” which states: “Neurons that fire together, wire together.” “The more times a certain neural pathway is activated (neurons firing together), the less effort it takes to stimulate the pathway the next time (neurons wiring together).
In a whitepaper published by the Dale Carnegie Institute, researchers found that “showing appreciation” was the number one blind spot for most leaders. Which, in turn, makes it the greatest opportunity for improving employee engagement and company performance.
Gratitude is a social emotion—and moral emotion—that has the power to strengthen relationships because it requires us to take stock of how we are supported and affirmed by those around us. Additionally, gratitude puts us in a position to recognize how positive things in our lives, like a success at work, are often due to outside forces—particularly the efforts of others.
Of course there are (and will be more) business leaders who believe that this type of attitude toward gratitude doesn’t belong in the workplace. Some believe it shows weakness or lacks professionalism. To those people I say …
Let’s take a look at a few benefits of gratitude in the form of workplace recognition:
Keep in mind that in order for gratitude to work, it has to come from a genuine place. If done correctly, gratitude has the power to make your business more profitable because your employees will be more engaged and effective. However, if your team gets even a *whiff* of insincerity, you’re going to get the opposite effect—your employees will know you’re using them. You must honestly want what’s best for your team. And if you don’t want that, you may want to consider a new personality career.
BECAUSE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
Establishing relationships is at the core of any business venture. Incorporating gratitude into this process will enable you to better connect with customers, attract new clients and foster beneficial rapport with manufacturers and suppliers.
According to Betsy Bugg Holloway, a marketing professor Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, gratitude is an effective tool largely because “it is a precursor to develop trust.” And trust, itself, is an extremely powerful driver of loyalty, no matter the type of relationship.
Gratitude motivates positive reciprocal behavior. If a customer believes that a business has his [sic] best interests at heart, that customer is more inclined to develop a long-term relationship with the business.
— Randy Raggio, marketing professor at the University of Richmond
Let’s go over a few DOs and DON’Ts of gratitude with regard to current and potential customers.
DOs
DON’Ts
Build memorable bonds that transcend “business relationships”
Be afraid to show [rational] emotion; consider emotion a “weakness”
Know your client well enough to add a unique, personal touch when sending a gift
Send a faceless, generic gift to an important client
Look people in the eye; give genuine compliments when they’re due; engage in active listening
Look at your phone during client meetings; dole out insincere “compliments” to further personal agenda
When your customers believe you sincerely care about their well-being, they’re more likely to refer a friend, write a positive online review or pay a little more for your products and/or services in the future.
I hope it is becoming clear how important gratitude in business is. It’s one of those things that often gets overlooked in the day-to-day, but plays such a crucial role in a business’s ability to thrive.
Still, many business leaders view gratitude as a social nicety rather than a tool to improve company performance. Perhaps some hard facts & figures from the Harvard Business Review will do the trick.
Depending on industry, acquiring a new customer is 5 to 25 times more expensive than retaining an existing one.
Increasing customer retention rates by 5% increases profits by 25% to 95%.
Take, for example, Reston Limousine. In 2009, its President & CEO, Kristina Bouweiri, began holding fancy customer appreciation lunches for a friend’s lagging business. Those lunches provided Bouweiri with the opportunity to meet 900 clients, which gave her own business a healthy boost. She knew that her unexpected success was a testament to the power of appreciation and gratitude in business and immediately pivoted her strategy.
From that point on, rather than going after new business, she and her team decided to go back to old clients and thank them—to develop relationships with them. For nearly 20 years, the Reston Limousine team had done little to nothing to show gratitude for its nearly 20,000 clients. “Now,” says Bouweiri, “I consider it the most important initiative that I have.”
Similarly, Dr. Justin Wood, Th.d., CJME, who was given the task of reviving a dying restaurant, decided to put the practice of gratitude into place and had employees focus on making customers feel appreciated. Not only did this double business in a month, but continued to set quarterly financial records.
I retain a high percentage of customers. This costs me less in marketing and those customers tell others of my services; in turn, gratitude saves me money, while making me money and costing me nothing.
— Dr. Justin Wood, Th.d., CJME
These examples only tout the benefits of gratitude toward clients. What about your internal team?
Continuing on the idea that gratitude is a business tool rather than a “social nicety,” let’s take a look at employee turnover. Most employees leave a position because they feel disengaged. The root cause of this disengagement? A lack or total absence of gratitude in the workplace. They feel like they’re neither being seen nor appreciated at work.
71% of American employees report feeling not fully engaged at work
26% of American employees report feeling actively disengaged at work
Fear not—there’s an easy solution. A study reported by Harvard Medical School and conducted by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania found that employees who heard expressions of gratitude before doing work made 50% more progress on their goals. All because of something as simple as a sincere “thank you” or “great job.”
As technology continues to develop at lightning speeds and we become increasingly isolated from one another, it’s imperative that we all make an effort to reach out, listen carefully, speak intentionally and strengthen the bond that binds us all: love for our tribe. Whether it’s a familial tribe, professional tribe, or chosen tribe, if we don’t support one another—on any scale—the whole system collapses.
We hold the power. We have the ability to not only reinforce our relationships, but to forge new ground and create bonds that we never imagined creating. Gratitude is the answer. This Thanksgiving, and every other day of the year, gratitude is the answer.
Halloween is one of those holidays people either go all out for or couldn’t care less about. Luckily for brands, economic trends support the former notion. According to financial website, The Balance, Halloween retail spending was estimated at $9 billion in 2018. Halloween celebrants spent a record $86.79 per person last year.
Armed with stats like those, it’s clear that Halloween is a treat for retailers. (I’m sorry.) And even if your brand doesn’t necessarily sell products or services that can be traditionally linked to the holiday, you can still take advantage of this time of increased search and increased spending via creative content development. According to the National Retail Federation, 35 percent of consumers surveyed cite online search as the top source of Halloween inspiration. And as many of us know, inspiration can ultimately come from anywhere — even local marketing.
Let’s look at a few ways to “Halloween-ify” your brand and take advantage of holiday marketing trends.
SPOOK YOUR DIGITAL LOOK
LOGO & SOCIAL AVATAR
Simple tweaks to your logo and/or social media avatar can attract more of the eyeballs you’re trying to eat after. You could use a monochromatic version of your brand mark and go all black or all orange. You could include a slight embellishment to your standard mark by adding a tiny bat or crescent moon. If you have a designer or developer on hand, you could even use an animated GIF to show a “transformation” of your standard brand mark to something more sinister.
Google is the master of logo transformations with its “Google Doodles.”
WEBSITE
Design tweaks to your website should complement the changes you’ve made to your logo/avatar. Consistency is key with things like this — mismatched colors, images or tones can be overwhelming to users, so keep it simple. If you add a black background to your social media image and profile headers, you could change the background of your site in the same way. Even a simple reversal of colors (i.e., white type on black background) can be enough to attract more engagement.
If you have the resources, you could add a Halloween-inspired landing page to your site and tie in a spooky lead generation element. Author Barry Bolway did this well with his free poem download squeeze page.
PRODUCTS
If you’re a retail vendor — especially one with a brick & mortar store — it may be outwardly easier for you to curate a Halloween “experience” with your products. For physical locations, storefronts and endcaps can provide perfect canvases for themed displays. Be sure to keep your target audience and overall brand personality in mind — you wouldn’t necessarily create a bloody crime scene for a “coastal casual” clothing store. Check out some inspirational displays below (and find more with the #HalloweenDisplay hashtag).
For those with service or web-based offerings, you can create special product “bundles” with a Halloween twist or offer a Halloween discount on a product. Business verticals that could implement this idea include:
Hotels & vacation rentals
Online service providers (e.g., new media marketing agencies, website hosting platforms, etc.)
Home improvement or repair (e.g., HVAC, plumbing, landscapers, etc.)
This concept, particularly in a digital environment, is designed to get and keep users clicking through on your website or social media profiles. It boosts engagement in a clever and fun way. New York jewelry designer Kendra Scott did this well by adding pumpkin “Easter eggs” throughout her website. The pumpkins contained discount codes that visitors could use in select categories.
You could also provide clues to lead users to specific social media posts where they could perform an action of your choosing (e.g., comment with a specific hashtag, post a photo and tag your brand, etc.). Creativity is key, but don’t forget to incorporate a Halloween-ie twist.
TRICK OR TREAT
This concept works particularly well in both direct mail and email campaigns (or simultaneously!). Gamify your audience’s experience by providing them with a “choose your own adventure” of sorts. For email campaigns, create an email that is consistent with the design of your newly “spooky” logo/avatar and web graphics and prompt users to choose between two options: a “trick” or a “treat.” A “trick” should be something that is still beneficial to the consumer, but perhaps not as beneficial as the “treat.” For example, one option could be 10 percent off of a product/service, and the other could be 20 percent off. You still want to provide customers with a benefit that would encourage them to convert in some way. Email has a 66% conversion rate for online consumers when it comes to purchases made as a result of receiving a marketing message.
For direct mail campaigns, you could use a scratch-off element that requires users to choose between two options. You could take this a step further by integrating the direct mail into the digital or email campaign for a 360º experience.
CONTESTS
Contests are a fun way to engage your target audience. They can certainly work in real-life scenarios by hosting a costume contest for employees and/or community members, pumpkin-carving contests, pumpkin pie baking contests and the like. However, even if you choose to hold your contest in a physical space, there needs to be a digital element included to encourage more engagement: a “wrap-up” blog post, social posts with photos or a video of the contest. Other digital contest ideas include:
A “photo-a-day” contest with Halloween prompts
A call-to-action for consumers to post a photo/video of them using your product in a creative way — make sure to have them tag you and use your Halloween-themed hashtag
A call-to-action for users to complete a series of steps: follow you, tag a specific number of users, include a hashtag — choose winners who have followed all steps for a “Halloween” prize
Reach out to influencers in your local market or business vertical to team up for a Halloween promotion (PRO TIP: Make sure the influencers’ target audience matches yours!)
SCARY-GOOD CONTENT
CURATED EXPERIENCES
This concept is a great way for local businesses to get noticed. If you do the leg-work to curate all the awesome Halloween events happening in your community (or even just the events that correspond to your brand’s personality), you’ll not only receive recognition for providing an important “service,” you’ll receive a boost in your website and social traffic. Further, if you link and tag the people and venues included in your curated post, there’s a good chance that they’ll show their gratitude by reposting or sharing your content.
BEHIND-THE-SCENES
Who doesn’t want to peek behind the curtain? Show your audience that there are real people behind the faceless logo they’ve become accustomed to. Holding an office costume contest? Show it off on social media! Take it a step further with a video tutorial detailing the creation of one of the more interesting or complex costumes.
In 2017, Disney posted a time-lapse video showing the transformation of the park into a Halloween kingdom. And, sure, none of us have the reach or power that Disney does; however, this post outperformed every other post of theirs for the entire year, generating more than 240,000 total interactions.
https://youtu.be/cXM5P0SUQSU
USER-GENERATED (UGC)
If all else fails, let your audience do the work for you! User-generated content is an excellent way to engage your audience while providing your brand with content that you could repurpose in a number of ways (i.e., featuring user photos on product pages). Implement one of the contest ideas listed above or create something new that encourages consumers to develop content on your behalf. For example, if you have a brick & mortar, create in-store Halloween signage featuring social icons and a hashtag — once the hashtag’s content starts populating, you can curate your favorite images and posts to share on your brand’s social profiles or blog. Hey, everyone wants their 15 minutes, right? And these 15 minutes could easily translate to the creation of a brand advocate.
Halloween is all about fun and fantasy. It’s a time where we can unleash our inner Spider-Man or “sexy” [insert literally any noun here] or zombie or vampire (or, in my case, Johnny Rose from Schitt’s Creek). It’s also a time when brands can explore the edgier side of their brand messaging. Try one (or a few) of these Halloween creative content development ideas and let us know if you scare up any new business! (Again, I’m very sorry.)
Before we dive into brand audit basics for small businesses, we must first define what we mean by “brand.”Neil Patel may have summarized it best when he wrote, “The only way you can survive and stand out from your competitors is through ‘differentiation.’ And what is it that differentiates your business from others? Brand!”
Your business “brand” is its face, personality, fingerprint/footprint, tone of voice, relationship to others, USP (unique selling proposition; or, unique selling point), color, design, employee culture, history, ethics & values, position in the market — your business “brand” is greater than the sum of its parts.
At our St Pete ad agency, we always encourage clients (and prospective clients) to think about their brand as if it were a person. We encourage them to define, in detail, who their brand is.
If your brand were a person:
Is it more female/feminine or male/masculine? Or androgynous/both? What percentage of each?
What “generation” does it belong to? What is its age range?
What is its socioeconomic status/income?
How does it spend money (e.g., entertainment, travel, on specific material goods, etc.)?
What is its “voice” (e.g., serious and fact-oriented, youthful, energetic, dry wit, etc.)?
What are three words (adjectives) that describe your brand?
What color(s) is your brand?
What kind of clothes does your brand wear?
What are your brand’s political views?
What are three activities that your brand likes to do (e.g., bicycling, shopping, painting, etc.)?
By considering these questions, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of your brand’s nuances. The answers to these questions can also help you build out “buyer personas.” By implementing buyer personas, you can target your advertising & marketing messages more effectively.
Okay, now that we’re all on the same virtual page, let’s get into three brand audit basics for small businesses.
KNOW YOUR ROLE.
If you don’t understand your brand, how can you expect customers to? This understanding spans beyond mere comprehension of the goods and/or services your business offers; it’s a holistic understanding. It’s understanding the individual parts, themselves, but also understanding the whole brand and what it represents. Self-awareness is key.
Things to consider:
Have you established brand guidelines? These are rules which allow/prohibit specific brand/logo usage.
How consistent is your brand’s communication? Do you use the same “tone” throughout all messaging?
What is your target audience’s demographics? Is your brand “speaking” to these people effectively?
What is your brand’s mission statement? Do your strategic business objectives support this mission?
What are the current strategies you use to accomplish these objectives/goals?
BE CONSISTENT. B-E- CONSISTENT.
Picture this: You’re at a very cool networking event and you meet a very cool person who hands you her very cool business card. I’m talking extra-thick on premium stock, with the perfect color and font selections, tastefully embossed. Emphasis on boss. At work the next day, you remember the card. You pull it out of your wallet, where you put it for safe-keeping, and navigate to the business URL. Suddenly your laptop starts blasting “Uptown Funk” for no apparent reason. What is happening?! OH NO, SHE HAS AUTO-PLAY MUSIC ON HER BUSINESS WEBSITE. AND … WAIT A MINUTE … IS THAT “PAPYRUS“?! THERE’S A VISITOR HIT COUNTER IN THE FOOTER?! I’M NUMBER 112. I GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE.
It was a bait & switch. Your heart sinks. You’ll never trust again.
—SCENE—
Okay, so maybe it won’t be that traumatic. Either way, inconsistency can kill a relationship before it has even begun. Your brand needs to tell a consistent story, no matter the medium. Consistency encompasses everything from the formatting of your business address, to the font size of sales sheet copy, to the bios in your social media profiles. How can potential clients or partners expect you to put your best foot forward for them if you’re not doing it for yourself?
DON’T DISS DATA.
Numbers don’t lie — so if you’re not collecting and reviewing data regularly, you’re omitting an important factor of brand perception. You should be analyzing both qualitative and quantitative data in order to paint a well-rounded picture of what you’re doing right, potential opportunities for growth and what you could be doing better.
Qualitative data includes:
Product/service surveys
Via email
Embedded in blog post on your site
In-house “comment cards,” etc.
Word of mouth & customer service feedback
Interviews & testimonials
Reader/user comments
On website
On social media
Focus groups
Quantitative data includes:
Google Analytics for business website
Bounce rate
Traffic sources
Conversions, etc.
Social media analytics
Fans/follower count
Engagement rate
Click-through rate, etc.
Sales reports
If this seems daunting to you, it’s because it is. Conducting an effective brand audit is typically a sizable undertaking that many small business owners aren’t equipped to do. Further, many of these small business owners become paralyzed by the fear and anxiety of not knowing what to do, not knowing what they’re going to discover and/or discovering something unfavorable. Because of this, brand audits often get placed on the back burner … indefinitely.
Brands are shaped by their audiences’ perceptions and experiences, and so a deep dive into the mindset of your key brand stakeholders is critical in identifying any gaps that exist between your current and desired brand perception. — Substance151
Enter the pros. It’s time to take the brand audit off of your stove and put it into capable hands. Using your audit results, branding professionals like Media Garage Group can create a plan of action that targets specific facets of your business. Perhaps your brand audit data suggests that your local social media strategy isn’t engaging your target audience enough; or your billboards are attracting the wrong type of client — whatever the issue, we can get to the bottom of it. Even if it’s a Papyrus situation.
Picture this: You’re at a very cool networking event and you meet a very cool person who hands you her very cool business card. I’m talking extra-thick on premium stock, with the perfect color and font selections, tastefully embossed. Emphasis on boss. At work the next day, you remember the card. You pull it out of your wallet, where you put it for safe-keeping, and navigate to the business URL. Suddenly your laptop starts blasting “Uptown Funk” for no apparent reason. What is happening?! OH NO, SHE HAS AUTO-PLAY MUSIC ON HER BUSINESS WEBSITE. AND … WAIT A MINUTE … IS THAT “
Numbers don’t lie — so if you’re not collecting and reviewing data regularly, you’re omitting an important factor of brand perception. You should be analyzing both qualitative and quantitative data in order to paint a well-rounded picture of what you’re doing right, potential opportunities for growth and what you could be doing better.