How fresh are you?

Let’s talk about sass!  No matter what you do, whether for yourself your family or your business give it some color!   I work with businesses in all industries and what becomes evident is give your business some personality.  Even when you think of law and accounting firms it is difficult to see them as more than just a serious location.  While it is true that in those industries you want someone who is knowledgeable and serious you still want someone that you can connect with.

How do you do this?

With one of our most recent clients, RAM Law located in New Brunswick we are working on refreshing their brand by  focusing on new ways to use photography in their website.  The focus of the piece is to show their audience that they are accessible, down to earth, ” people just like them” and therefore are relatable.

One of the quickest ways you can put a little spring cleaning is through video and photography.  Our client, I Can Kids Childcare & Learning Center in Edison, NJ (www.icankidschildcare.com)   Just added a great reel to their site.  What an amazing way for prospects to see what the childcare can offer.

SO… What have you been doing with video and photography lately?

Add lemons to melt away all this snow

So as always, mother nature continues to teach us lessons — constantly proving to us that our schedules and plans are not something we have 100% control over.  I was thinking about the continuous shoveling that I have been doing this month and I started thinking about surfing. I remember being in Mal Pais, Costa Rica surfing the outside breaks that would bring the these wonderful sets.  But getting out there felt next to impossible!  Every time you would get a little further out another wave would break pushing  you back.  But the trick wad to not give up.  You weren’t going to get out there in the first, second, third or even 20th wave.  Yet if you kept focusing on going farther, you eventually got beyond the the break.

Surfing the outside waves were incredible!  Super long, clean, and gave an amazing rush.  So back to discussing shoveling another 12 inches of snow — perhaps what is most frustrating about this snow is that it stops everything.  Our business has had to reschedule multiple meetings, employees have been more sick than not, and speed of work has slowed down.

Well, as always we had to put our spin on things to keep moving and and lighten this winter’s wrath.  We’ve set up all our systems so that we can work virtually.  By bringing on an account executive we have been able to be more hands on with our clients.  We have used more online marketing to drive customers sales, especially when customers cannot get to locations.

Don’t let the snow down.  Instead use this as an opportunity to find processes that can work when you have snow days, and processes to push the business when working from home. Putting constant effort to push through the season will ultimately deliver better results.

Stay warm.

Loving our newest clients!

We have been very busy this fall season! Looks likes tons of businesses are really ramping up to put their best foot forward.  We helped out in several marketing projects and campaigns over the last few weeks.  Take a look at some of these amazing local companies!

Vangelis Construction, located inHighland Park, breaks into the residential market of the Princeton area, serving customers who need help with cracks in their Lateral/Main Sewer lines.  www.vangelisconstruction.com.  Whether you think you need something as simple as a plumber or as intense as a trenchless later/main sewer replacement.  Angelo has proven to a phenomenally talented contractor in his field. Which is critical to older homes.

One of the newest companies we are working is I Can Kids Childcare and Learning Center in Edison!  Check out their new website: http://www.icankidschildcare.com/.  This group of individuals are focusing on teaching children how to be leaders.  How to be “i can” kids!  What a great thing to learn as a young age.  The achieve this type of behavior through action-based learning techniques.  Currently I Can Kids is proud to partner with several car dealerships in the areas, giving great promotions to the employees and customers alike!

Finally we are proud to promote the launching of the Alternative Construction Solution’s website: http://www.altconstructionsolutions.com/.  This Rahway based company is incredible!  They really are a one stop shop delivering extraordinary results to both commercial and residential projects.  So if you are ready to see what they can do for you, or if you just want to keep track of the projects they are working on — be sure to follow them on facebook.

It is an inspiration to work with such innovative, and passionate companies! Keep up the good work you  are an inspiration to the people around you!

Just Keep Putting One Step in Front of the Other

I was very excited today when I saw that publisher, Karen Hodges Miller, had a new article out in US1 about both the launch of her new book, “Unlocking Your Ideas.” While her book is actually a workbook  , she helps to walk aspiring authors through all the necessary steps of how to get your ideas on paper. Check out her article here: http://bit.ly/blS2y4

What I like most about what Karen has done with her book, is that she is launching it in conjunction with a workshop, which is happening at the end of June. This limited ticket event will allow for writers to start the writing process and receive insight from Karen who just finished publishing two additional books under Open Door Publications label. Find out more about this event at www.unlockingyourideas.eventbrite.com

Hope to see you there!

It’s all about Targeting!

The question of “how” we want to reach a market never seems to be a problem for my clients.  In conversation, they begin to rattle off a million different ways that they want to approach and get in front of the masses: car wraps, TV commercials, direct mail pieces, email, social media, etc.  But this are a few things that they are forgetting — this all takes time and money.  Last time I checked, it appeared to me that clients have a cap on both.

Therefore, when developing your marketing plan, the number one thing that you should remember and focus on is: who is your target market!  What is the reason that you want to put yourself in front of someone?  if you understand the objectives for reaching out to group it changes the vehicles that you would decide to use, as well as the messages that you are putting out for your audience .

Often, I suggest that you segment your market into several (between 3-5) categories.  This will give you smaller and more manageable groups to work with and understand.  Let’s look at an example:

If I was working with a restaurant that has been in the marketplace for a while, and they are trying to figure out how they want to position themselves considering the fact that they perhaps have a new menu and wine offerings, who is the market?

One recommendation for defining your targets would be: current customers who drink wine, current customers who do not drink wine, and customers at large.  Here are some assumptions we could make moving forward on this.  Customers who drink wine would be interested in perhaps “tasting” the new selections or pairing with dishes. Customers who do not drink wine might drink something else, in which case we can persuade them to try new wines as a substitute for their current beverage selections.  In terms of customers at large we want to let them know that we have new wine at our location.

So here is what a campaign for our Restaurant X would look like:   1. Offer a sample of wine with dinner.  For this scenario it is critical that your staff has been training properly.  This introduces the wine to guest in your restaurant, if they have been unaware of the offerings.  2. Promote special wine events highlighting different wines. Utilize pairing such as several courses, or simply cheese or chocolate.  3.  Release press on the changes and events to inform the customers at large.

In conclusion when you see certain concerns in your business, step back and ask yourself, “who is my target, what am I saying to them ad how am I saying it.”

Your Brand Has a Life All It’s Own

There is a saying that goes, ” You are either a part of someone else’s plan of they are a part of yours.” When I first heard that statement it was like a lightbulb that went off.  Within an instant I understood that there is a constant pressure that either you to exert to hold or gain ground and if you didn’t someone else will exert theirs on you.

You tend to hear a lot in marketing and graphic design the need to brand, brand, brand.  But what does branding really mean?  What does it mean to make and develop a brand and what happens when a brand is not tended to.

Very brand has a personality, an identity just like a person.  Furthermore every brand is unique and has it’s own story.  The same way that a person is influenced, talked about or has rumors spread so do brands.  What is most important for a the people within a company to do is to know that their brand has multiple audiences.  In the very fast and changing world of social media it’s very easy to that people tend to vocalize their opinion about a brand in ways other than “writing a letter”.  While comments tend to be both negative and positive it’s important to have someone following what is being said.

Brands can go through phrases, where as Oxy used to be thought of a smart young man who makes sensible choices without the nourishment of the company is a short period of time the same brand was thought of as a bully.

So what are some methods of monitoring your brand and listening to the different audiences out there?  Try these few tips.

1.  Develop a Social Media presence on multiple platforms to increase brand awareness and to allow for multiple platforms to gain insight from customers

2. Make sure your brand, image stays fresh.  While a logo might not change make sure that your supporting elements don’t feel stale.

3. When developing your branding, think about the personality you want your business to convey: smart, serious, playful, chatty, attentive

4. Focusing on nurturing your brand, this is not a “one and done” deal, this is a daily one going process.

Good luck!