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CREATIVE: BRANDING |
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Here's an insider secret: If you take a second look at our logo, you will realize that we still have an affinity for gold stars. Yep, ever since 1st grade art class, we do. It's true.
As a seasoned team of innovators working in a "grown-up" world, we know that delivering high-caliber creative work consists of not only understanding the essence of who your company is today, and what your company aspires to become, but also:
- Determining what will delight your current customer and what will generate traffic
- Knowing that a "budget" is not an irrelevant buzzword
- A healthy ROI
- Dynamic, fresh design
- High-caliber functionality
- Applying the appropriate solutions (new media or otherwise)
The average consumer is exposed to several hundred ads per day, paying little attention to the marketing world's innovative work. We know that in order to turn a potential customer's head, he or she must perceive that there is "value" related to finding out more about the product or service you are offering.
After the customer decides to check you out, what will motivate further action? How can you improve your ROI so that you gain a sale, a referral and/or a return visit? What will it take to build a relationship with the customer? What does it take to be truly customer-centric? What must your company do to earn the loyalty of a customer, so that a competitor offering cheaper options doesn't woo your customer away?
First introduced in 1908, Model T's were constructed on the newly invented assembly line. This new-fangled manufacturing process required the use of a single paint color in order to speed production.
Henry Ford wrote, "Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black"1.
This mandate, superseding customer preferences in favor of faster production and profitability sounds like a recipe for disaster. The Ford brand was effectively built; however, in that time and marketplace without the benefit of customer color selection. In fact, by 1918 one-half of all the cars in the US were (you guessed it) a Model T.
One hundred years later and in today's marketplace: We wouldn't advise adopting a position that is at odds with customer preferences and desired experiences. You say you wouldn't dream of such a thing.
Okay. Fair enough. Sometimes though, we can be surprised at how differently customers perceive standard operating procedures that seem like "good business". Customer preferences related to how an organization markets or communicates with them are often quite different from models and platforms that a business might typically use.
For example, when was the last time you took a hard look at your guarantees and return policies-from the customer's viewpoint? How do your customers rate the quality and level of your responsiveness when your "guarantees" fail? Are you sure that your front-line team is consistently delivering on the values that are prominently framed at every site? Are you ready for mobile media? Chances are your customers (especially those 35 and under) are immersed within this medium. What social networks are you actively using to build your brand? That's truly where you and need to be.
Our team is not interested in just handing off a new brand image, (as in taking the money and run).
We will (for the sake of serving your ultimate goals better), go much further down the road with you than the average agency. We will help you ascertain what needs to be done to both gain and retain customers who in turn, become your advocates.
When working with a firm to create or build a brand, there are three Discover True North branding precepts that we consistently use:
- DESIGN: Satisfying the customer is not enough, the brand must be referral-worthy
- METRICS & REMEDY: Value is built through research and responsiveness
- DELIVERY & MAINTENANCE: Company-wide systems and mindset must be shaped or altered to consistently sustain your brand promise within the marketplace
The most successful brands offer their customers a positive experience time and again. For it is through an experience that a customer's perception of the brand is shaped for better or worse.The strategies related to building an effective brand are numerous; however in today's marketplace, the strategy must be customer-centric in nature and yield a healthy ROI.
In a world where impressions matter, Discover True North will make sure that your beauty is more than just skin deep.
(1 Ford, "My Life and Work", 1922, pg. 72)
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