Effective Branding

When marketing to current and potential customers, branding is key. It is important that customers recognize you immediately to prevent the question,“Who sent this to me?.” Potential customers may recognize your image if your brand is conveyed consistently across multiple marketing mediums (eg billboards, newspaper ads, local tv spots).

Some easy ways to establish brand guidelines include;

• Consistent font usage (i.e. use the same font for headlines throughout a season or multi-channel marketing campaign).
• Consistent color combinations (choose Pantone Colors to easily communicate with designers).
• Consistent logo usage & placement.

These guidelines need not be stringent throughout the year. For instance, you can introduce a new color palette based on the current season, as long as the mood (i.e. brights vs. pastels) and store image remains unchanged.

Clean, powerful graphics

No matter how great the offer, if it is hidden in a sea of unnecessary text or busy graphics, your message will not be conveyed effectively. Choose professional looking graphics and keep the copy to a minimum. The chosen graphics should convey the style and personality of your target demographic. It is not necessary to show specific items you carry. The main goal should be to create an image that your customer will want to mirror.

Attention Grabbing Headline

Your headline should be the largest text on the outside of your mailing piece. It is meant to intrigue the reader and encourage them to take action. There should be no other text in similar size or weight on the piece, this will distract from your message. Consider your audience when crafting your headline. Identify your target age group, gender, income and lifestyle. What drives them? How do they see themselves? An effective headline addresses your unique demographic in a meaningful way.

Valuable Offer

Your direct mailer can posses all the aforementioned qualities, but if the offer is not valuable to your customers, your response will be weak. What is your goal for the promotion? This should drive your offer. Are you looking to move inventory of suits to make room for summer merchandise? Offer $75 off a new suit with a $200 minimum. Whatever you decide for the offer, it should be obvious and easy to read. Keep exclusions to a minimum, as this makes the offer seem disingenuous to customers.

Don’t forget to track your results! One of the greatest advantages to direct mail is the ability to easily measure response and ROI. MarketPro is an online application that you can use at the register or in the back office. It only takes a few minutes each day, but can save you thousands annually by identifying which promotions are not worth the investment.

1. Excellent and Consistent Customer Service. It may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many stores simply assume their staff is performing, instead of taking proactive steps to ensure excellence. Regardless of how small or large the store is, it is mandatory to have proper training and a manual set in place. Your employees are the face and voice of your company and each should follow similar guidelines to ensure your image is being portrayed correctly and consistently. A knowledgeable, friendly and helpful staff goes a long way toward retaining customers. Your staff should always make recommendations and suggestions to fit a potential clients needs and wants. Train them to be persuasive without being intrusive.
2. Keep Inventory Current. Retailers need to be aware of customer behaviors and of course, current trends and new products in the market. Changing your inventory on a regular basis, not only during major season shifts, will give them a reason to return. Consistently ask them what they are looking for and are interested in. If your store does not carry a certain product, consider a special order.
3. In-Store Events. Create fun, social and interactive events within your community. Partner with vendors or other local stores that have a similar client demographic. These events will give your customers a reason to visit even if they had not planned on shopping. Think of new ways to entice potential buyers to walk through your door, besides just focusing on price.
4. Loyalty Programs. Don’t underestimate the power of a loyalty program. Whether it is a Rewards,VIP, or Membership program, customers like to feel appreciated and important. If properly set up, these programs will serve as constant reminders that they are appreciated. Aside from thanking your customers, these programs allow you to collect valuable and useful data including e-mails, birthdays, anniversaries, favorite brands, frequent purchases, etc..This data will help you understand your target demographic and the best way to target them.
5. The Comeback Card. How many times has a potential buyer browsed your selections and walked out empty handed? It is essential to make a connection before they leave your store. The best way to do this is a Comeback Card. Have each employee carry a handful of plastic cards – something customers can put into their wallet, with an offer to entice their return. A dollar amount is usually the most effective offer (between $10-$50, depending on your merchandise). The card will serve as constant in-wallet advertising when you include an image, logo and contact information. Plastic Cards have traditionally pulled the highest redemption rates for these initiatives. They serve as a constant reminders to the consumer to walk through your doors the next time they go shopping, because they have a gift.

These simple steps will ensure happy customers, more sales and healthy growth in your business.

At identifiDesign, our clients know that their specific interests are our primary focus. One reason is because we take the time to become familiar with their industry and business. Just as an actor might temporarily put themselves into the life of another in order to truly understand their purpose of being, iD engages in a similar process for new customers. The process is actually the best part of the job for a marketer, as we are inspired by what makes people tick.

My clients have my cell phone number, and call me anytime… nights, weekends, holidays, you name it. I respond to emails within an hour. In fact, I often enjoy a night out to the sushi bar as a friend with clients, as we believe it is critical for us to exist in each other element.

Starbucks has a term for this, and they call it Legendary Service. While the service at Starbucks continues to decline parallel to the starting wage of a barista, they did have it right at one point. Without the customer, the business ceases to be. And what better way to gain new customers than through the viral word of mouth from the happy current customers?

Take care of your people. Your employees, your customers, your vendors, the mailman. These people will refer your services to others, even if they’ve never seen the product you offer, all due to the highest level of customer service.

But is this correct? Was Shepard Fairey’s image of Obama simply infringing upon the original photographer’s work?

I would argue that no, it wasn’t, because the public’s reaction was clearly to Fairey’s art and not Mannie Garcia’s snapshot, with the influence tied to an expressive feeling and Fairey’s ability to connect with viewers on an emotional level.

Consider the public’s perception of Kleenex and Band-Aid. Do we not know that they are actually tissue paper and adhesive strips in disguise? Yes, we do, but people do not connect with objects, they connect subconsciously with a lifestyle, with a brand.

Whenever I have the opportunity to hand one of my business cards to somebody new, a sense of excitement fills me up. 9 times out of 10, people adore this piece of collateral because it is highly stylized and lacks any conventional business protocol (there is only iD’s logo and my email address present). The 1 in 10 is appalled by the presumptuous nature of its design. I have even been told that I ‘cannot’ hand out a business card that omits so much information. Point being, people have a reaction to this branding vehicle. Even a negative reaction lets me know that all people will remember my business card tomorrow among the dozens they collected from the networking event the night before. And so begins the branding process to a new client or alliance.

At identifiDesign, we understand that the poor economic environment has businesses in a pinch for extra cash. There is a high level of competition for a diminishing level of demand, and spending money on a marketing project isn’t always in the budget. Besides, there are 10 online companies out there that can create a logo for under $50, and they can even turn the project around in 48 hours. But do you really want your company’s story, voice,  and emotion to be created in 2 days?

A new company often has but one interaction to influence a potential investor/customer before that business/individual makes a preliminary decision on whether or not they are interested. So if you are in the process of starting a new venture and are considering the $50 logo, remember the first impression that you will be revealing and the control you could have over it. Call a trained designer and take a first step towards success.