Perception IS everything – or is it? December 22, 2008

Humans are simple.  We absorb information into our brain and it is stored there – subconsciously. We are quick to judge and often make rash decisions.  Not so great for human kind – but great for business.  Did you ever wonder why infomercials that air at 3am are so damn successful.  They make you believe that if you don’t buy the doo-dad that will hang 250 pounds on your wall that your picture of Aunt Matilda is going to fall and break – forcing Aunt Matilda to haunt you for years to come. 

Perception is everything.  I consider myself a fairly smart individual.  I also understand the psyche behind marketing and I’m not a label hound.  I’m the queen of a bargain. Yet, ask me why I only drink Grey Goose vodka when having martinis.  I don’t know – beyond the fact I saw a ton of ads saying it was the best damn vodka.  I caved. Don’t get me wrong – I love Grey Goose – but there are probably other vodkas out there just as good if not better – I just haven’t seen their ad or no one in my peer group has told me that I should without a doubt switch.  Perception and a hefty marketing budget won me over.

If you tell enough people that you are the best and you have a “good” product AND you get the “in crowd” to buy in - you will soon be known as the best.  Does Mercedes have the best car?  No. But millions drive a Mercedes because of its status. Perception.

So…how does one achieve Mercedes and Grey Goose status.  You work hard.  You become cocky without being arrogant.  You get your product  or service into the right peoples hands. You woo that “in crowd” – you want them to tell the rest of the world that your product or service is what they “have” to have. 

You see, although we don’t like to admit it  – we as humans like to be part of the “in-crowd”. It starts at around age 5 and doesn’t end. Before you raise an eyebrow at me – listen….

I consider myself, beyond the traits listed above, to be a leader not a follower. I’ve created my own style – I’m pretty eclectic blah blah blah – yet – there are certain things I simply join the masses on:  Good vodka, good food, a good gym and I treat myself to expensive (yet great!) facial products.  I’m 99% sure I caved to peer pressure – subconsciously of course – to many a thing in my life.  Vodka was only the beginning.

Cocky, confident, the ‘In Crowd” = Being the Goose of your brand.

Now go get em!  Oh…and send me your ad, I’ll probably buy in.

Cindy

Print collateral – remember your brand! December 16, 2008

I sold printing for quite a few years prior to owning an advertising firm – I loved it and was good at it. What I learned is that the power of the printed word IS powerful AND there is a right way to do it and a definite wrong way.

Brochures – it is imperative that a client or prospect be able to identify YOU as a company immediately from the cover of yourbrochure.  It needs to be unique and identifyable.  For intance, if you are a private elementary school and you put a child reading a book on the cover of the brochure that looks like any child from any school – what makes that unique?  What screams YOUR COMPANY?  nothing.  Remember your brand.  Your printed material needs to have something that identifies you and more importantly separates you from the competition.  What should go on the cover of that brochure is something within your private school that no one else has – a landmark, a famed program something that isn’t run of the mill AND and identifiable UNIQUE logo.

Not always easy and not always easy for clients to understand.

Albeit, I do lose the battle sometimes – but I do try to make clients understand the value of “Brand Recognition”.  When you see a “Swoosh” – you think Nike.  It doesn’t matter if there is a sneaker  or a sweatshirt on the front of the  brochure- you see the swoosh and you identify with the brand.  Geico has done it with the cavemen – those ads often don’t convey any image of insurance – BUT they have “Brand Recognition”. You see cavemen in a commercial – you think Geico Insurance.

To wrap this up – when designing a brochure or any print collateral you should make it to tie into your brand AND make it memorable.  Cavemen and insurance – no connection, but Geico created brand recognition outside their genre- whether you like them or not, its marketing genius.

Don’t have a strong brand identity?  Now is the time to start working on it.  When you reach that magical place where  you have  THE “Swoosh” Nirvana  then you don’t need me anymore!

 Until then – start branding!

What does Brookhollow have?  A cow and a tag line “Brand your Name…Build your Company”  Enough said.

At left is Raisin the Cow ( in holiday attire)  She appears in the majority of my ads and says it all – she’s branded with my logo for Brookhollow Marketing.  And yes, she is a real cow from Hautboy Hill Farm in Corwall Connecticut.  Cheers!

Learn when to tell a client “no” December 12, 2008

Once you’ve been around the block – especially in the marketing industry – you will come across a client or two that try to snowball you, push you to write copy that you know isn’t in their best interest, or the worse yet – fill a damn display ad with paragraph upon paragraph of useless verbiage that no one will ever read.

For the first few years of my company I subscribed to the saying “The customer is always right”.  Eventually that damn light bulb went off in my brain again  – if the customer knew what he or she was doing than why they hell are they paying me?  Yes.  Big Light Bulb Moment.

The truth of the matter is we are all experts at something.  I don’t ask my gynecologist about my sore knee.  I wouldn’t go to a cardiologist for a mammogram, I’m not going to ask my accountant about what paint color would look best with my new couch. 

I’ve talked about being an expert before. When you reach “expert” stage you are no longer a vendor but an adviser. You don’t get asked to quote things, you are trusted and price isn’t an issue.  If you have worked with a client for awhile and they are still telling you how to do your job it is time for the talk. So how do you tell a client “no”?  Carefully.

Remember that confidence sells.  Don’t be pushy – be confident and simply explain that this is what you do and they need to trust your advise as that is what they are paying for.  It also helps to show examples of other clients that had similar situations and how you created solutions for their problems.

If you don’t exert your “Expert-ness” you are doing your client a disservice – as they will not get the results they are looking for and expecting. You will get a lower than “great” approval rating at the end of the project.  Trust me – I’ve been there a few times and it never ever worked in my favor to go with the “customer is right” theory. Eventually they believe you are ineffective and will hire someone else who will be the expert.

Believe to Achieve – that’s all it takes. Be the expert, be firm and you will get the results and the referral for the next big client.

Enjoy the day!

Cindy

Happy Thanksgiving November 26, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  Eat the mounds of turkey, the pounds of potatoes and don’t even bother lying about eating just one piece of pie.  Everyone knows you can’t eat just one piece of pie – or do I just make that up so I don’t feel like a complete glutton?  Pies are my favorite when it comes to dessert. (sigh)

Please take the time to truly enjoy the day, the food, the festivities and even the football is that’s your thing!

Don’t forget those that are less fortunate and remember to be grateful for what you have – including that 2nd piece of pie.

I’m leaving work for the day – and going home to bake pies!! (I told you I’m serious about the pie thing)

Talk soon – Cindy

What makes a community? May 13, 2008

Did you ever wonder why some communities thrive while others don’t?  Did you ever stop and think what truly makes a vibrant community? 

It’s not the developers who spend millions and billions of dollars.  It’s not the landlords who either are great or the not so great.  It’s not the merchants who own the big box stores or even the little mom & pops.

It’s the people that live there – the people that make their neighborhood, their city, their town a community.

A vibrant community needs people who care living there. People that will watch out for their neighbors, pick up the garbage on their street corner even though they didn’t put it there, people who will become activists.

Success for a community is some what like success for a company.  It takes passion, dedication and effort.  Yes, money does help – but it surely isn’t the answer. Well in my book – money never is the “end-all”, and it surely doesn’t measure happiness or success.

Do me a favor – get involved.  Join a committee, plant some flowers, say hello to a neighbor. Grass roots efforts exist because they DO make a difference.  If someone tells you that one person can’t make a difference…simply smile and say “Watch me”.  Works for me all the time.

Enough of my soap box….

I’ve hopped on the Blog-wagon! August 7, 2007

 

Here we go! I’ve hopped on the Blog-wagon. It’s been on my proverbial list forever and since its birthday week I thought – what they hey I might as well just do it!

Birthday week – well for those of you that know me, I tend to celebrate my birthday for days and sometimes weeks. I’ll be 45 on Friday – wow that sounds so old, but in fact I still feel like i’m 20 something.  My life has been a true adventure, I’m one of those risk takers who tends to jump first and think later. Sure it has cost me a few times, well in fact it has cost me dearly a few times – but absolutely no regrets.

I really don’t think of mistakes in life as awful things – they are simply bumps in the road that should teach you a few things.  I guess at the age of 45  – well almost – I’ve learned a few things.

I’ve learned that material pocessions are just that pocessions and really don’t have any intrinsic value. You can’t take them with you and truly they can be lost in a heart beat – so why fret over having them or not having them. Who really are the Jone’s anyway? And why do we continuely try to compete with that proverbial family down the street? 

I’ve learned that the people who truly care about you are the ones that are there for you no matter what the circumstance is. They don’t ask questions – they just “do”. Now that is friendship.

I’ve learned that you only get one shot at something. That this second in time is now gone forever, so you better make the most of it.

I’ve learned that when you wake up in the morning you have the choice to be either happy or sad…..choose the happy. It makes the day so much nicer.

I’ve learned that it is important to give back to your community – that one person can make a difference.

I’ve learned that it is ok to love someone unconditionally.

I’ve learned that your children are an extension of you, and to always say “I love you”. 

I’ve learned that you can’t change someone…people can only change themselves.

 You would think at my age I would have it all figured out, but I learn stuff on a daily basis, I guess that’s what life is all about.

 Well, Happy Birthday Week everyone! It’s going to be a great year!