Companies with innovative, energetic cultures often have brands with a similar experience. A motivated, professionally-run organization might provide a smart, on-the-ball brand experience. On the flip side, when we see companies where the atmosphere is mundane, the workplace is over-structured, the employees aren’t engaged, – or worse, if there is discord amongst the troops – we find that there are no marketing messages strong enough to overcome a brand experience that is dull and/or conflicted. So, sometimes an organizational shift needs to happen before new branding work should be done.

And then, the first place you need to start marketing your brand? To your internal audience! Get the troops on board, and your brand experience will soon come to life.

I ran across an interesting article called “Culture Eats Strategy For Lunch” last month from Fast Company. The blogger, Shawn Parr, talks about how culture is not manufactured, it has to be genuinely nurtured by everyone from the top down.

How do we cultivate our “marketing of a different color” culture at smith&jones so that we are truly living our idea agency brand? Here are a few colorful ways:

-on-hold music of 70s TV shows
-purple elephant yankee swap at the holidays
-halloween costume day (last year – Mad Men, next year – disco!)
-superbowl tailgate and table-top football
-valentine’s day sugar fest
-sketch-a-thons (not to be confused with CreateAthon, which is also pretty colorful)
-summer fridays
-apps and lunch (that’s where we share our favorite apps over lunch)
-creative blackboard

How does your culture reflect your brand experience? We want to know! Discuss with us on our LinkedIn group.

Are you a stone cold terminator or the avoider, one who steers away from face to face confrontation?  When it comes to breaking up, perhaps you’re the doormat type, someone who doesn’t mind getting stepped all over; Do you typically have a third party do your dirty work – then you must be the classic wingman.  Maybe you’re the blame taker or are you the soft touch? Share your thoughts and break-up style on Twitter with the hashtag #bigbankbreakup.  smith&jones (@snjagency) will track the input they receive (and tweet the results!).

Christine Tieri, President and Creative Director comments, “we all know that not everyone is love struck at this time of year, or for that matter necessarily enamored with larger, more traditional financial institutions.  So, what better time to decry Valentine’s tradition, have some fun and participate in the big bank breakup movement instead!”  According to a January 26, 2012 study released by Javelin Research & Strategy, an estimated “5.6 million U.S. adults with a banking relationship changed providers in the past 90 days. Of those switchers, 610,000 US adults (or 11% of the 5.6 million) … actually moved their accounts from a large to a small institution.”

The multi-faceted campaign created by smith&jones includes radio, transit boards, print and online advertising and a Workers Credit Union’s microsite www.bigbankbreakup.com which in addition to highlighting the various break up styles, includes a downloadable Big Bank Breakup Kit as well as access to a breakup counselor and 800#, and in-branch support including a chapstick that encourages users to “kiss your bank goodbye.”

One of the most important things your company needs to succeed is to carve out a distinct space in your industry. Focusing on characteristics and abilities that are unique – that you do better than anyone else – will help you gain a competitive advantage and allow you to stand out from the crowd. We describe these items as ownable.

There are all kinds of marketing terms for highlighting a company’s differentiators, uniqueness, or exclusivity. You may recognize some of the following acronyms:

• USP (Unique Selling Proposition or Point): Invented by Rosser Reeves of Ted Bates and Co., this term originally referred to advertising campaigns that succeeded in getting consumers to switch brands by giving them a unique proposition.
• POD (Point of Difference): Describes individual factors that go into differentiating one product or service from another.
• UPB (Unique Perceived Benefit): Unlike a USP which is more feature oriented, a UPB looks at the need of the product or service from the customers’ perspective.

Here at smith&jones we simply ask – what can you own more than anyone else?

Is your product unique, or is it exactly the same as the guy down the street? If so, why should your customers use your service over your competition? What extra something do you have that they don’t? Identify these qualities and use them to position your brand. Demonstrate to your audience how they will benefit by trusting you with their business. Let these qualities permeate through your business internally and externally, and watch how your brand experience stands up, stands out and gets noticed.

For those of you who tuned in to Super Bowl XLVI last night and watched some of the highly anticipated television spots, I hope you had a chance to see the Bud Light “Rescue Dog” commercial featuring Weego, an incredible mutt who not only fetches, but handpaw-delivers Bud Light whenever he hears the phrase “here we go” (which just happens to be Bud Light’s advertising tagline for the past year.)

With a $3.5 million price tag for a 30-second commercial, the ads last night ranged from the ridiculous to the sublime, but in my mind, Bud Light definitely maximized their $166,667 per second spot with Rescue Dog on several fronts:

1. Breaking through the clutter: Bud Light found a great way of promoting beer with something other than scantily clad females
2. The brand as hero: Mongrel looks aside, Weego is an endearing character… and why? Because he delivers none other than Bud Light!
3. Consistent messaging: Bud Light gains even greater recognition and ownership of their tagline “Here We Go” with an execution that plays on the words “Here Weego!”
4. The advertising’s got legs: This isn’t just a 30-second one time ad – Bud Light’s creating some social media buzz around Weego as well  and I don’t think this is the last you’ll see of him.
5. Tying in to a worthy cause with a believable story: Yes, Weego is a real life dog that was rescued off of the streets. Before crossing paths with an incredible new owner who just happened to be a dog trainer, Weego had some tough times. Bud Light isn’t forgetting where Weego came from – they’re using his notoriety to raise monies for the Animal Rescue Foundation. What a great way to score some corporate philanthropy points!
6. Left a lasting impression: The fact that I can recall specifics about this ad 12 hours after the fact, speaks for itself!

Over 110 million+ Americans tuned in to the Super Bowl not just for the football, but to watch the ads as well (it’s not just us marketing folks who like to critique these things!) And, for me, Rescue Dog is a winner. Not only because I woke up thinking about it, but because Bud Light clearly delivered on criteria key to the successful promotion of a brand.

I’m not a beer drinker, but I’m thinking that the next time I decide to crack one open, it may just be a Bud Light. In the meantime, do you think Weego could get me a cup of coffee?

When you have the chance to be in front of throngs of your target audience, it is most important to do something out of the ordinary. Whether it’s hyping a new product, dazzling with a show-stopping display, or engaging the audience in a challenge or contest – there are many creative ways that companies can set themselves up to be the big cheese.

This year, one booth that caught my eye was that of Cypress Grove Chevre (for those of you who are lovers of goat cheeses – these guys know how to do it right!) Here are three examples of how they stood out from the rest of the pack.

1. Flashy new product line

A collection of fresh cheeses, The Flashback Family, was created as a nod to the natural attitude of Humboldt County – what some say is like a throwback to the 60s. Featuring cheeses such as Sgt. Pepper (pepper threads and spices), Purple Haze (lavender and wild fennel pollen), and PsycheDillic (dill pollen), this product line showcases Cypress Grove’s quality with a unique twist.

2. My kinda birthday cake

Not only is Humboldt Fog one of my favorites, but its display was as unexpected as it was gorgeous. To celebrate this delectable cheese’s 20th birthday, a birthday cake of cheese was the centerpiece of the Cypress Grove booth. What a way to tell a story AND attract traffic to your booth.

3. Confessions of a chevraholic

The biggest draw to Cypress Grove at the show was their brightly designed confessional booth. As part of the 20th celebration of Humboldt Fog, Cypress Grove invited fans to take part in a contest where they can enter the booth and privately recount their first time experience…with Humboldt Fog, that is. Confessions will be collected over the next year through the confessional booth at the Fancy Food Shows and via social media sites like Facebook. The winner will win a trip to Northern CA, home of Cypress Grove Chevre.

Next time you’re planning to market your product or service in a trade show environment, try bringing a product with a unique twist, creating a show-stopping presentation, or developing an interactive program. And, if you really want to create marketing of a different color, do all three!

While I’m confident that the Vassar rejects will eventually recover from their heartbreak, get accepted elsewhere, and be perfectly happy and ridiculously successful, one does have to wonder how one of the most “highly selective” colleges in the country (ranked #14 nationally) could possibly have made such an embarrassing mistake, prompting not only the wrath of the 76 students (or at least their parents) but generating widespread negative media coverage (albeit not the likes of Penn State these days, but none-the-less unwelcomed.)

Could it have been lack of funds available to get the technology right? Not being privy to their operating budget I can’t say for sure; but I’d have to presume that with Vassar just having been named one of the country’s most expensive private colleges in the country with 2011-2012 tuition coming in at $44,705 (not including room & board, books or miscellaneous costs), money is not the issue.

More likely than not, it was Vassar’s failure to adequately test their back-end site before going live that was the real culprit. And, therein may lie the learning lesson for all … whether dealing with dynamic or hand-written content, don’t just check it or double-check it. Rather, triple and quadruple check it and most importantly, make sure that you have the right people in place doing the checking. Nothing beats a “filter of excellence” to help ensure that any and all information goes out correctly and that much better.

Technology is a beautiful thing … it allows us to communicate effectively and efficiently to the masses. When executed properly, technology can make all of our lives much easier. But, as is evidenced by this recent Vassar brouhaha, a simple click of the button with the wrong information can make your life miserable. So, invest the time and the human touch, and get it right the first time around.

Sometimes creating marketing of a different color starts by looking in the mirror. Whenever you communicate, consider it as part of your brand experience and always be prepared to practice what you preach.  Don’t set a standard or ask customers, employees, or anyone to do something that you’re not willing to live up to or do yourself.  If it is clearly stated on the Vassar website that “Early Decision candidates are making a binding commitment to attend Vassar if admitted,” perhaps they the College should abide by this statement and accept these 76 students.  Just imagine all of the negative publicity and, more than likely, number of lawsuits they could have avoided.

• why it’s important to start with a strategy
• the top 5 rules of interactive engagement
• why it’s not all about you
• the various types of social media

Bring your notebook and an open mind and we’ll teach you how social media can be integrated into your marketing plan!

This seminar is FREE for Chamber members ($20 for non-members). Space is limited to 20 participants. RSVP by phone (508-347-2761) or email pjh@cmschamber.org to save your space.

We’ll see you at Rehabilitative Resources, 1 Picker Road, Sturbridge from 8am to 9am on February 16th. (Coffee and pastries will be provided.)

Do you have sports fanatics at work? Use their competitive spirit to help out at the local boys and girls club, set up a golf or basketball tournament to benefit your favorite charity, or devote a day to cleaning or painting a local park.

Perhaps your office has a large open space. You could offer to run a blood drive, have folks pitch in to carve out a community space for meetings and events, or host local fundraisers at your place of business.

Every year we participate in CreateAthon and, as an idea agency, commit to doing what we do best – creating ideas – specifically for our community. For one 24-hour period, we offer our thinking, problem solving and creative executions to bring local non-profits marketing they couldn’t otherwise afford. Check out the results of our September CreateAthon featuring five extreme brand makeovers. And read the CreateAthon blog about “One Decision That Will Change Your Agency for the Better in 2012.” What contribution will your company make this year?

The first attribute is based on a simple rule: your brand experience must be truthful. Messaging must be credible, authentic and not over-promise. To ensure your brand experience is truthful, nothing says it better than a recent blogpost from Seth Godin, “Keep your promises.” Say what you deliver, and mean it. If you say, “service with a smile,” is that in fact how your service is delivered? Do you have scripts and reward employees for keeping a smile in their service? Think about what your saying and what you’re doing – they should match.

By making promises – and keeping them – you will create a brand experience that will connect you with your audience on a deeper level than a marketing campaign ever will.

It takes a lot of guts for an organization to put a stake in the ground and commit to one message. Using the umbrella approach will streamline your marketing process in the long run, saving time and money and protecting your brand from fragmented messaging.