Design Greater Than

You're not a company silly; you're a vending machine

noreply@blogger.com (Brant) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 02:32:00 +0000

I was talking with a client about branding this afternoon. After the conversation ended, I started thinking about ways to convince this client more effectively that integrating the brand to the corporate mission is critical. End then it came to me:

From a marketing-centric POV, good companies are nothing more than brand vending machines. I'm sure some people would hear this and be up in arms. "But we offer highly customized solutions. You can't compare us to a commodity." Only - I can; here's how...

What do you offer your customers? What keeps them coming back, and entices new customers? A positive experience that meets their needs and expectations. You commoditize that experience. Let's go back to that weird title I am using.

There are three main parts to a vending machine. One - the front panel. Two - the coin slot. And three - the little basket where the soda gets delivered to the customer.

Item one - the front panel. That tells everybody that its a vending machine, and what kind of soda is being sold. It promises an experience. It tells you what its not (If it's Pepsi, it's letting you know it's not Coke). It's preparing the buyer and setting expectations. That's your brand, and your messaging, and your delivery.

Item two - the coin/dollar slot. Well - that's easy enough. That's the closing; when the expectations and messaging motivate the consumer to the point of no return - commitment to purchase. (It also helps pay to keep the front panel lit and the soda cold).

Item three - the basket dispensing soda. The customer punches the "diet pepsi" button, inserts money, and BAM - a diet pespi comes out. Just what the customer wanted. That's your commoditized product. Even if it's custom consulting - you are delivering what the customer expects. You complete the brand experience with the customer drinking your diet pepsi (and knowing where to go the next time you want one).

Think about overlooking a brand, or not fully building it into your message. An overlooked brand is like a soda machine that's been vandalized. Expectations are low, and the customer may move on to something more appealing and safe. You don't get that money into the coin slot.

Now think about not integrating it into your offering. Think about winging it, and not trying to make your company a brand delivery mechanism. Think about just using your brand as a pretty face, but not really committing to it. You might fulfill the customer experience sometimes - but not always, and not as often as you should. That's like a vending machine on the fritz. The customer punched in "diet pepsi" and you got Dr. Pepper instead. Your brand lied. It's not that the Dr. Pepper is bad, it's that it's not what the consumer wanted when they put money in the slot, and it wasn't what they were expecting. The customer walks away, feeling cheated and suspicious. That's not the way to build repeat customers.

What's the moral - understand your brand identity. Shape it - once you establish it, it should fit you, and you should keep the brand front and center - making sure you pop out one satisfying and expected customer experience after another. Be the vending machine.

Marketing in a Recession

noreply@blogger.com (Brant) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:38:00 +0000

This morning I heard the phrase "mini-depression". Here's hoping that doesn't make into the 2009 list of pop-culture vernacular.

I've spent some time thinking about marketing during this economic cliff we've jumped off of. Obviously, DGT have seen clients scale back their activities. But we've also had clients who are stepping on the gas. Rather than make flimsy "you should be marketing" post, I'll qualify who probably should or shouldn't, and the best ways to take advantage of it.

Who should be marketing right now?
If your business is not imperiled by the current recession, the choice to continue or expand marketing is a no-brainer. But what if your company is taking a hit. Marketing is an investment, and like all investments, it's a calculated risk. What do you stand to lose? What do you stand to gain? Are your competitors similarly affected by the slump? Does that mean you could expand market share to offset reduced current profits?

I'd break it down like this: if there is the possibility of expanding your market share, and you have any funds available - it's probably a good idea. If you funds are very tight, or you've essentially maxed out your audience already - it's time to circle the wagons.

Marketing for Recessed Customers
Most people are feeling the pinch. Consumers and businesses alike. It's important to understand that the traditional rules don't apply. First - market the value competitively. If you can point to a competitive vendor or choice, and establish you've got a better value - that carriers weight. If you can go one step further, and market lower prices, that's even more compelling. I traditionally advise customers against this last course of action - it puts you in a brand box that can get uncomfortable over time. However, these are not ordinary times - and being what they are - marketing lower cost and value is important. Wal-mart's cost-saving marketing blitz originated from the last recession when the internet boom went bust.

Incentivize contact
You want your prospects to become available and remain easily addressable. By incentivizing opt-ins with discounts, and other promotions - you are increasing your potential market. Don't think of the challenge as your customers can't afford enough of your offering. Change that challenge to become reaching more potential customers who can.

Get Darwinian
There are ethical guideline about competition. But it exists. In a downturn, there are going to be failures and weakening companies. It's the law of business, and is the only way for other companies to survive and thrive. If you have a competitor who seems to be ailing - speak to his addressable market. Particularly if you are not ailing as well - customers will want to switch from a hungry sick vendor to a hungry healthy one. You'll have to let them know you are hungry (and are keeping it a buyers market). There doesn't need to be negative campaining - simply co-opt a new audience, and give them a quality message.

Superbowl Ad spots

noreply@blogger.com (Brant) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 16:38:00 +0000

Of course the superbowl ad spots are at the forefront of the American viewing public's mind last night. Design Greater Than, along with other leading marketing and ad agencies, watch these spots with two types of anticipation. First, as stand-up citizens, we want to be entertained and instructed as how to go forth and spend our hard earned dollars in this recession. Second, as marketing gurus - the industry looks to see what trends to take away, and understand where positioning is going.

It's interesting to see how the ads have progressed over the last 15 years or so - not merely the ads themselves, but their relationship to the game. It's become the ultimate opt-in direct broadcast campaign. As the superbowl became a larger and larger cultural phenomenon, the advertising aspect of the event took on more weight. It reached a tipping point - and the ads are now the draw - and non-football fans simply tolerate the game (which was one of the best in recent years).

As always, comedy seems to dominate. That aside - there are some interesting trends to note, all based around a singular, dominating theme...

The Recession. The recession has hit America full force. Entertainment events are meant to disctract, but savvy marketeers were wise to try to capitalize. Monster and Careerbuilder seemed to ignore the real reason why people are going to their sites, but ponying up for 30 second spots says a lot. Career builder had the better ad, by the way - and indicates that they may take advantage of the current situation to close the gap between category leader Monster.

The Cash4Gold.com ad with MC Hammer and Ed McMahon was an even greater acknowledgement of the crisis. Two C-list celebrities who are known best for their fall from the top - hawking their gold. What was once symbols of excess (gold hip replacement, LOL) are now needed to bail themselves out. If that's not a love letter to the American people, I don't know what is. The fact that this company has the capital to run a superbowl ad, and thinks there is an ROI on 3 million dollars also says a lot. Priceline and overstock were others who were capitalizing on people's desire to get thrifty.

Motor vehicles. There was a lot of talk about who wasn't there, and it's important. None of the Big 3 were there. None. Not even Ford, who is doing slightly better. That was a shock. Toyota's Ad was for a small car, and the ad felt small. It seemed as if it was trying to sell people on compromising. Audi had a fun ad - I guess there's always a space for luxury cars. Who was the big dog on four wheels? Hyundai. They won the big awards Detroit - and these guys came out swinging. They've got a more impressive line-up, and they are letting people know they are now a threat to the big auto makers. It's also an acknowledgment that people are ready to compromise - but not on a sub-compact. Rather people are questioning things like the prestige value of owning a premium brand like Honda and Toyota.

Visio ran a pretty lackluster ad for electronics - but it was a similar assault on the premium brands like Sony and Samsung. This is important to note, because it signals that the underdogs feel there is an addressable market they can capture, and that marketeers feel that in fact, people are in the process of questioning the nature of how they consume. Is it really necessary to have the brand that will impress the Joneses, when the Joneses are fighting foreclosure.

Beer, beer and beer. Recession-proof (or maybe even recession beneficiaries) Budweiser stole the show with a massive blitz of ads. Not much new there, the mix of Clydesdale and humor ads. The sheer number may indicate some of InBev's colossal capital at work, and a desire to help American's remember that their favorite American beer is technically European now. Snack foods and soda, the mainstay of party time, also put up a strong showing. I have to say that SoBe's ad was an epic failure - they did nothing to tie their drink into the ad, and it was muddled and confusing. Leveraging the "3-D" gimmic didn't help, which brings me to...

3-D ad spots. Wow - this was a bust, and it does not bode well for the 3D technology that is again trying to get a foothold in cinemas. I took my son to see Bolt in 3D, and it was amazing. The new technology creates a real illusion of depth, and if you haven't seen it, it impossible to understand how amazing it is. But these glasses they gave out at home is the same old technology, and all it did was remind people what they don't like about conventional 3-D. Aliens versus Monsters, which is going to get the good 3-D treatment, used the gimmicky 3-D ads. If I hadn't seen Bolt, I would be expecting MvA to look like the ad, which is not good. They should have had a disclaimer at the end: Movie will look much better than this mess.

So that's the Design Greater Than superbowl roundup. An breathtaking 4th quarter, and some pretty interesting ads - in content, underlying message, and the players who chose to put skin in the game.

Client Case Study

noreply@blogger.com (Brant) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:13:00 +0000

We recently completed a case study for our clients at Stratum Consulting Partners. Specifically we documented the successful implementation of an EAM system for the Littletown/Englewood Wastewater Treatment Plant.

It's always a fun experience putting together case studies - I get to hear from my client's clients how my clients are actually providing real value. It's also a good opportunity to collect some ground truth data points from people who have a different perspective.

Enterprise Asset Management - Stratum's area of expertise - is a practice and set of software tools based on managing equipment and processes for companies with a lot of operating "stuff". For the treatment plant, it's valves and pumps and systems for treating the water. Stratum helped setup the system to do some pretty neat stuff.

The client told me that even though the plant doubled in size, that it's easier to manage and monitor systems now, thanks to EAM. I have the experience to say that Enterprise Software often is viewed through a skeptical eye, so it's always good to hear from the user that a solution is working.

Case Study can be found here.

Starbucks and effective branding

noreply@blogger.com (Brant) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 22:10:00 +0000

I have this conversation all the time, so I thought I'd take a few minutes to document it. When I meet new clients with branding issues, they often bring me some mixed up ideas about how they want to create a logo and brand. I point to Starbucks as an example of impeccable big budget branding, and hold it up to learn some lessons about what what branding should and should not be trying to do.

It's important that your customers understand what you offer. That should permeate almost every aspect of your communications to your customer. But it shouldn't dominate the brand.

The brand's job is not to identify your offering. Then you are wasting brand equity by establishing what you don't do, and competing against every company that doesn't offer what you do. That's why contractors often have the worst brands - they focus on clip art of electrical wiring or a house. You don't need to convince people you are an electrician; you need to convince them you are the best choice for them.

So getting onto what Brands should do - brands are a promise. They are a commitment to your customers that you are going to give them a satisfying experience. And then it is your responsibility to fulfill that commitment. That's how brands grow. Branding is guiding your reputation, and setting the right expectations.

I point to Starbucks for two main reasons:

First - they understand that the brand doesn't stop at the logo. Their brand is an enjoyable experience buying coffee and spending time at the coffee shop. Their brand promises to confer some quality upon people who shop there. That can be viewed as condescending and disingenuous, and I believe many people who repudiate the brand. But overall, they fulfill on their commitment. They provide good tasting (and expensive) drinks. Their staff is usually very congenial, and the real estate is always impeccably designed. They also invite customers to be engaged in the music they purvey (offering cultural benefits) and explain their fair trade efforts and recycling (creating moral self-satisfaction for customers).

Second - they have an impeccable corporate logo. It fits their space, features flawless execution, and points to an important question? What the heck does a mermaid and the a character from Moby Dick have to do coffee? Nothing at all. But the imagery of the siren is iconic. It goes to show that sometimes at the logo level, the brand imagery is arbitrary, and it's much more important how well a logo is executed, than what the logo depicts. The prevalence of meaningless but easy to remember internet companies and offerings underscores this.

I recommend business owners to consider the importance of effective branding. If you set your expectations or credibility too low - your brand is inflicting and opportunity cost by sending potential customers down the road to a competitor who makes a more believable and satisfying promise.

Design Debacles - Pepsi

noreply@blogger.com (Brant) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:39:00 +0000

I'm part of that rare breed that prefers Pepsi to Coke, and I'm a full blown diet cola addict.

Pepsi has always had an image problem as the outcast transient to Coke's Norman Rockwell brand of classic American values.

Recently Pepsi did a redress of their bottle wraps, and I have to say, things did not go well. Here's Diet Pepsi's previous incarnation:

Truth be told; I don't love the old look. But it falls into Pepsico's lexicon. Some weird neo-industrial hoo-haa with the ~~cliche~~ classic use of simulated water condensation beading. It's a little loud and tactless - but that fits right in on a coffee table, surrounded by bag of Doritos and the latest issue of TV Guide.

Here's the new look:

Where do I start? It's clearly an attempt to go urban chic. How is diet cola chic? I understand that changing the bottle form factor is cost prohibitive, but the same old dumbell shape doesn't help the new look.

And let's talk about the new look. It's hard to tell in the photo, but the silver fades into black at the top and bottom edges. Something about it reminds me of oxidizing pewter - not really the mental image I want when I am ready to tear into a bottle of sparkling phenylalanine.

The new logo is not growing on me - the "wave" is too thin. The product name is lost due to it's size and awkward orientation. It's actually competing with the "health benefits". I'm kind of aghast that some ad agency probably earned millions of dollars for this work.

It's an ambitious change - but one I don't see sticking around. Who focus grouped this? If anything, I recommend Pepsi adopt some of it's simpler design aesthetics from the 70's and 80's. The brand is venerable enough that is can draw from its history:

I'm thinking the fourth from the right has a great blend of simple lines and has a retro aesthetic. The one to the right of it works, but that is the first step in Pepsi getting more "industrial". A classic Pepsi campaign could work well.

Marketing Benefits of Blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Brant) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 19:22:00 +0000

It seems only appropriate to kick things off, by speaking to the marketing benefits of blogging. Corporate blogs have become prevalent in recent years, and they offer some specific advantages.

1. Visibility. Blogging allows the author and the site to reach a new channel of search devices - both engine and user-driven. Blogs are a responsibility however - to get the best results, bloggers must be prolific, and offer valuable information. Bloggers who put in the effort to regularly create useful, original content, will be rewarded with visitor loyalty and recommendations. It's viral marketing at its most simple - the essence of professional social networking.

2. Credibility By offering up your professional opinion and expertise, you are creating a new channel to establish your credibility. In fact, it's I'm attempting that right now with this blog post. As you accumulate quality posts, you have a body of content to point to that will help establish your credibility. Obviously, visibility is no good, if the perception of what's seen isn't top-notch.

3. Flexibility. On a static web site, there's a limitation with what you can discuss. You are tasked with communicating a crisp, concise message - so brevity is king. The blog offers you a limitless range of topics to discuss. Additionally, the expectation for blogs is that a more casual tone will be used. This frees up the blogger to loosen his collar and speak freely. There's value in being able to depart from the confines of formal marketing jargon. You'll also find that visitors find this "live content" more engaging that pre-scripted soundbites.

4. Interactivity. A static web site is largely a bubble. Even with contact forms solicting feedback, most visitors are hesitant to submit feedback (I don't want to wind up on DGT's %&*#ing email list!). Blogs provide a layer of anonymity, allowing comments and feedback to flow freely in a dialog. Hearing from customers and prospects can give you a fresh perspective, and allow for specific questions to be answered. Often the good-will of an answered question or solved problem will translate in follow-up business. Commenting on posts provides visitors to "kick the tires" by testing and questioning your opinions. You don't always have to be the answer-man (or woman). A blog offers you a platform to submit a question to your regular audience, drawing on their expertise. In a sense, a blog can become your own personal focus group. Finally, knowing that you are getting feedback is a good way to measure that your blog is compelling to an audience.

Welcome to Blog Greater Than

noreply@blogger.com (Brant) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:40:00 +0000

Welcome to Blog Greater Than - the official blog for Design Greater Than. I'll use this blog as a platform to discuss all things marketing and design. From strategic marketing discussions, to frank critiques of consumer packaging, we'll discuss it all.

I'll be happy to answer questions and discuss requested topics.