AJRoss Blog

When we talk about building brands today, we have plenty of history to reference. From the members of the century club led by Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble to the relative youngsters like Microsoft, each successful brand story provides us with a richness of learning we would be foolish to ignore.
Imagine if the founders of Arm & Hammer nearly 150 years ago had the knowledge of advertising, marketing, merchandising and public relations we have now. Talk about an unfair advantage!
So why is it that despite everything we know, regardless of all the history we can call upon for advice and guidance, creating and introducing a new brand remains the single most difficult thing to do in modern business. In fact, only out of every 1,000 brands that come to the marketplace in 2003 will still be around in 2004.
They say knowledge is power. That’s true, unless, of course, you’re attempting to bring down an established brand. We are speaking of those brands customers depend on as if they were old friends. These are the brands with a personality. Successful brands that forge a bond with customers so strong, the power of knowledge alone cannot break it.
Needless to say, if you have a brand that’s 5 years old, 50 years old, or 500 years old, and you have customers who know it and rely on it, who pay to use it and will recommend it to others, it would be best to keep an eye on it. Please, never take it for granted. It is the most important business asset you will ever own. Consider this: in the R.J. Reynolds buy out back the 80’s, the brand name “Oreo,” just those four letters, was calculated as being worth five times more than the capitalized value of all the bakeries that produced the cookies..
So how do you hang on to this invaluable asset? How do you protect it? How do you build on a brand and make it an even more frequent choice? Well, it would be a good idea to have people around you who understand it’s value, conscientious, dedicated people, relentless in their pursuit of success. These people, in simpler times, were often called “brand champions.” Today, we have another name for them: brand stewards, or. more specifically, 360 degree Brand Stewards.
This is an idea that, literally and figuratively, looks at the concept of brand management from every possible perspective. The Stewardship process begins with careful analysis to define precisely what makes your brand different–what it stands for now, its customer appeal, it’s personality, and potential. Then, with this data in hand, you and your can move on to identifying new opportunities, possible threats and effective responses as well as business building ideas that encompass every touch point with customers, the full 360. Wherever the brand meets the customer, at the point of sale or in the media, a Brand Steward will be there to help you the deliver the right message .
Sometimes, your brand may need totally new creative work that enriches it’s image, or gives it a bold new look. Other times, the solution may require staying the course but with a new twist. In either case, the right result will require people working together, all on the same page, with clear goals and objectives; stewards who never take there eyes off the brand.
Knowledge. History, Learning. Experience. And stewardship. They are very powerful tools, indeed, and today you can never have enough of them. Visit A.J. Ross Creative Media at ajross.com for more thoughts and examples that will get you thinking and, hopefully, working to protect the brand that keeps you in business.

When times are tough the first things businesses cut are their advertising and marketing budgets thinking they are saving money; what they’re really doing is cutting off their lifeline to profits in our current hard economy. If anything, advertising should be increased, and here are some of the reasons why:

The Competitive Advantage
Advertising during a bad economy clearly creates a competitive advantage by creating Brand Assurance. Brand Assurance establishes confidence in your demographic when you are consistently in the public eye. Most importantly, you’re at the top of buyers’ minds when purchase decisions are made. People don’t stay loyal to products or companies based on the memory of a strong campaign in rosier times. Memories are short and advertisements that bombard them today and every day are what will stick in their heads and make you a household name when they make a purchasing decision.

There are certain cost effective ways to market your company that you should pay strict attention to. Some of these include:

Website Content
Keep your website fresh and current. Your website has become one of your most important marketing tools. It’s the voice of your company 24 hours a day. It can offer customers your latest promotions or house an entire catalog of information.  It allows you to deliver countless amounts of new information without printing or mailing expenses. You have the potential to connect with millions of people. Now it’s up to you to hook them and keep them interested with new information.

Email Campaigns – The New Way to Send Direct Mail
One of the best ways to reach your existing clients and new prospects is by sending out email campaigns.   It could be an article, newsletter, or just new information of what‘s going on with your company. Your presentation of your email marketing campaign needs to be professional and well thought out. It might be a good idea to hire a professional like AJ Ross to design your initial template. As the old sayings go, “first impressions”and“you get what you pay for.”

You’ve established your brand, built and maintained a strong website, and sent out an email campaign …… so what’s next?

Can you be found on Google?
Another important factor in marketing your company is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to your website. When SEO is done properly, it will place you high on search engine result pages with certain key phrases and terms (i.e. real estate, law firms, doctor, etc.).  You should also hire a professional like AJRoss to help you with your SEO. With millions of people online daily, it is worth the investment.

The economy may be bad, but people are still spending money on products and services. Now is a great time to keep your market share and prove Brand Assurance particularly in these bad economic times. Consumers and companies alike will feel comfortable spending their money on the services your company provides. Make sure they know your name, increase their confidence in your staying power, and assure them you will be there tomorrow and in the years to come.

What is the right idea? That is the big question weighing on business owners everywhere. Where can I make cuts? What is going to see us through? But is surviving enough? Who is going to still be around and more importantly who is going to be on top of the game when we do see the economic light of day?

It’s no secret we are in and economic downturn, but that is no excuse to let your business fall with the economy.  The strongest business leaders know how to take a crisis and make it work in their favor.

According to an article published in the Harvard Business Review earlier this year:
It is well documented that brands that increase (marketing) during a recession, when competitors are cutting back, can improve market share and return on investment at lower cost than during good economic times.

Your competition is moving itself out of our way by slowing/stopping their marketing efforts. Media is being forced to lower rates due to a large decrease in advertising revenue. And your consumers still need your services. It is that simple.

But…and there is always a but. You need to be smart about your marketing. The right message, the right placement and consistency with your brand are essential. Not just anyone can do that for you and this is not the time to do it yourself.

We understand the market and continue to have success with businesses that take advantage of our services. When the real estate market first fell and developers were sitting on empty lots we helped a client sell out of quality homes in record time. How? Well that is a conversation we reserve for our clients.

The right idea cannot only help your business survive but more importantly thrive. We are proven time and time again and ready to add you to our list of success stories.

I always hear the same thing.

People don’t hate advertising. They hate bad advertising. What’s more: they decide in three seconds, studies show if they are going to be interested in your message.

We’ve all seen bad ads: so cluttered and confusing you don’t know where to look, or so poorly designed the ad has little impact.

When I follow up on these ads I often find the business owner’s son, sibling, or secretary has taken a design course or two in college, or knows Microsoft Publisher, and has thus been delegated the obviously underrated task of ad-building.

Advertising is simply too important – and too expensive – an aspect of your business to leave it in the hands of a wanna be designer or copywriter. It needs professional service. Don’t trust it to someone who has another whole job to do; it’s too essential a factor in a successful marketing campaign. It’s your first impression to your customers, and serves to reinforce your message to existing customers.

The goals of any print ad are: to stand out from the others next to it on a page, to grab the attention of the target audience, to let the reader know who you are and what you offer, and – most importantly, for the reader to take action.

Here are some suggestions:

Brand your ad. Most important – but too often left to the end – is to ensure your logo is situated properly and visibly, yet unobtrusively. It’s your mark, your Nike swoosh. It’s who you are.

Have a single message. The more information you throw in, the less likely your customer will act. Ads compete; so does too much information. Your message is simple. To get your potential customer to buy or to hire your services.

Write for the eye. Don’t clog your ad. White space is good. Think catchy headline first, to grab the reader’s attention. Omit all needless words. You can tell them everything else they need to know when they call you.

Copy writing: It’s an ad, not an autobiography. What are you offering? What’s in it for the customer? Focus on them. What need of theirs do you solve? Less copy is better. The more direct your message, the more they will remember.

Skin-deep sells. Use a well-considered, attractive image to support the headline. It may be beloved Uncle Ernie behind the cash register, but nevertheless, unattractive or poor quality images just for the sake of having images will ruin your ad. Never settle for a quick snap shot on the family or a co-workers camera to represent the quality of your work. Words and visuals should work together, and as shallow as it seems? Looks matter.

Call to action: It’s the entire reason for the ad, the payoff. Direct readers how to buy, how to get in touch, how to get more information. It turns readers into prospects, and prospects into customers.

While sons, siblings and secretaries often have talent, they lack the years of training in marketing, branding, and a wealth of other experience and expertise a design firm or advertising marketing agency brings to your business.

If you’re not satisfied with your advertising results, consider an agency, and if you are satisfied – consider an agency anyway. You might just be delighted at how much better the results can be.