I am not heavily into politics.
But, like the rest of America, I couldn’t help watching the whole health care debate and vote this weekend.
At least casually, from the treadmill at my gym/tennis club.
And I overheard some interesting conversations among the members there.
Some of the dynamics I observed seem relevant to me as a more general lesson in good vs. bad branding…
Recently a BrandTwist reader sent me this interesting article from Ad Age on how Texting Trumps Talking in the US.
Apparently people of all age groups love to text, but are opposed to receiving advertising messages this way. Texting is still seen as an intimate, friendly communication and getting impersonal messages from an advertiser seems like an improper use of this channel. I guess I buy that. It may be, as some in the article suggest, that the advertisers need to find a way to make the offer more of a dialogue and less of a “pushed” out message.
Nevertheless, it got me to thinking about all the choices we have to communicate these days and how confusing it can all be.
For example, let’s say I want to get in touch with a friend, not just to say hi, but if I actually need a response, like “are we still on for lunch tomorrow?”.
Do I email, call or text?
If I call, do I call their cell or their office number?
As part of my New Year’s clean-up I went through piles of business cards, chucked those I didn’t think I’d ever need and filed the rest (semi) alphabetically in a big black binder.
The problem was a lot of them didn’t fit in the neat plastic folders that I’d bought at Staples.
Some were too big, others weird shapes and sizes. Others did fit, but when I tried to figure out where to file them it was so difficult to find the actual name. The cards were so cleverly designed that the basic information was getting lost.
It got me to thinking about what makes a good business card. I mentioned this to a BrandTwist reader and they sent me this video.
Ti’s the season to send tidings of comfort and joy.
Many companies are still engaging in the practice of sending holiday greetings (print or increasingly emails) to colleagues, clients, partners and prospects.
But what does your holiday card say about your brand?
After all, it’s not just a card it’s a communication vehicle.
And whether you intend it to or not, chances are the greeting you send and even how you send it are communicating more about your brand than you originally intended.
This year at Virgin management we’ve decided to do electronic cards (in line with our desire to do right by the planet when we can) and to re-direct the saved postage to a donation to the Branson School of Economics in South Africa.
We’re including a bit of a cheeky message on the front of the card (again on brand) but overall we feel the best way to celebrate the real spirit of the holidays during this particularly difficult year is to help others.
I am not saying this is the right solution for everyone. I’m just illustrating that we’ve spent some time thinking about our messaging and have treated the card as a piece of branded communication- which ultimately it is.
Here are two other examples of cards that I received that really made a brand impression on me.
The first was from a friend of mine a few years back who runs a PR and Communications company called Fraiche.
Her brand is all about fresh ideas and approaches. Her primary color on her website and marketing materials is a bright and vibrant green- a color which supports her can-do personality and that of her company.
Her holiday card really supported her brand point of view.
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Who Says B2B Has to Be Boring?“It’s easier for Virgin to be innovative, because you’ve got a sexy consumer facing brand.”
I hear this all the time.
Well guess what? That’s not 100% true.
We do a lot of marketing directly to the trade (e.g. travel professionals, financial advisers, HR and benefits executives etc).
And in all this Business to Business communications we don’t check our “Virginity” at the door.
I believe people are people.
Whether they are at home, at work, or at play.
They don’t change their personalities, lose their senses of humor or abandon the brands they admire as soon as they walk into their offices.
Certainly not all of our B2B efforts are successful. We’ve had our fair share of failures. But usually this is driven by specific market pressures rather than any mistakes we make in communicating to these audiences.
In Business to Business branding, just like consumer branding, you’ve got to go in with a point of differentiation, connect with your audience, and deliver superior value and experiences.
Here’s 5 Quick Tips for Helping B2B Brands Break Through
#1. Say it with Style
I think a lot of brands think they have to speak in a “corporate” tone of voice when communicating to trade targets. I don’t get this. I don’t know anyone who likes to be spoken to like a robot.
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Let’s abandon all those annoying “marketing jargon” words and start saying what we mean and meaning what we say.
You know what I’m talking about….
Alignment
Utilization
Win-Win
Socialization
And so on…
I don’t know about you, but I actually find these words creeping into my home life.
I am a brand enthusiast, passionate futurist and lateral thinker. I am currently working at Virgin Management helping to build the brand in the US by launching new Virgin businesses.*
Learn more » Email Julie »* Though I work at Virgin Management USA, everything here is my personal opinion and is not read or approved before it is posted. The views expressed on this blog are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.
