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Actual for You - Brand Equity - Brand Identity Guru
How is branding different than marketing?Branding is not so much different from marketing as it is an element of marketing. We think of marketing as a tree; the brand is the roots, holding the tree in place and providing constant energy. The leaves are the tactics, reaching in various directions and changing with the seasons, the trunk is the marketing strategy, connecting the brand and the tactics. In this way, brand is positioned as the basis for any marketing initiative.Building a BrandCreating a brand involves a process that demands attention to develop and diligence in carrying out to achieve results. While this may seem difficult, the end result of the branding process is the establishment of a system, and a structure that actually simplifies the marketing process.Our process serves to match the work a company does best with an audience willing and able to buy, and proceeds to develop a program of visual and verbal messages that reflect the experience the company wants to deliver. Branding is about developing a pull rather than a push, identifying a core value that resonates with your audience and attracts the business that is desired.Understand the current perception of your company:Effective brand marketing starts by gathering information. What is known and thought now both inside and outside your walls? Do you know who your competitors are and w
Flash by Macromedia
This is an animation software tool well suited for telling conceptual stories where motion is important to express the concept, but actual cinematic media (motion film) is not the answer (for either expressive or budgetary reasons). This might work well in the case of demonstrating the principal of a machine's operation, of which many parts are not visible.
Flash is a vector (as opposed to a raster) digital format. Vector programs like Flash and Adobe Illustrator hold quality as they rescale in size or dimension, take up far smaller amounts of disk space and download faster on the web.
Flash is bu
What is Custom injection molding? The first question that comes to mind on hearing the term Custom injection molding is what is Custom injection molding? Custom injection molding refers to the making of plastic parts for specific applications i.e. customizing the components as per the customer’s requirements.Injection molding of Custom Plastic Parts Injection molding is a process in which plastic pellets are melted and injected under high pressure into a mold cavity. The molded parts are then ejected, and the process repeated. The finished products can then be used as is, or as a component of other products. To do so requires an injection molding machine and tooling (often called a mold or die). The molding machine consists of a clamping unit to open and close the mold automatically, and an injection unit to heat and inject the material into the closed mold. Injection molding utilizes very high pressures and typically the machine is hydraulic or, increasingly, electric. Tooling for production injection molding applications must be able to survive under high pressure and is made from steel or aluminum. The potential high cost of tooling often drives the economics of a plastic molding application. Injection molding is an effective way to make custom parts.The process broken down There are three main components in the injection molding process. The injection apparatus itse
1. Commands premium pricing while retaining loyalty
2. Shortens the sales cycle
3. Deflects competition
4. Resists commoditization
5. Establishes top of mind awareness (mindshare)
6. Generates referral “word of mouth” momentum
7. Meets and exceeds shareholder expectations
If you are lacking some of these qualities read on to learn how you can strengthen your brand!
Putting Your Message In Motion…
" Persuasion is the centerpiece of business activity," writes Robert McKee, Screenwriting Coach, in a June 2003 Harvard Business Review article on storytelling. "…If you can harness imagination and the principles of a well-told story, then you get people rising to their feet amid thunderous applause instead of yawning and ignoring you."
You tend to listen to a guy who has taught people how to spin yarns like The Color Purple, Forrest Gump and Sleepless in Seattle. Though in this article McKee was referring to executives' effective storytelling to inspire their various stakeholders, the same principles resonate through a company's brand communications. First you've got to capture your prospects' imaginations and make them believe your story. Only then are you within reach of branding a customer and opening a new revenue stream. Multimedia makes this goal a lot easier to reach.
The term "multimedia" encompasses any medium that relies on more than one of the human senses to communicate. For example, print ads use only sight (except for "scratch 'n sniff). Radio uses only sound. By contrast, web movies, television and cinema use sight and sound together for a more effective presentation. So though technically multimedia has been around for a long time, today the reference is chiefly reserved for digital presentations with motion, visuals and sound.
Study after study proves that the more senses involved in telling your story (sight, sound, touch, etc.), the more effective it becomes. The greatest advantage of multimedia for B2B marketers isn't really the media itself, but the channels now available to distribute it to niche audiences with surgical precision. DVD and the web, search engines and email provide the perfect mix of vehicles to drive a highly targeted stream of people to hear and see their stories. So in this age of digital information, it's no wonder that marketers are rushing to use this highly targeted storytelling medium.
MicroSoft PowerPoint
This is a simple multimedia-capable tool. The next step up from a photo slide show, PowerPoint has become the most popular multimedia program in distribution today. PowerPoint's elementary animation of typography and images richens the cracker-dry corporate slide presentation of the past and brings the entire presentation process in-house, relegating it to administrative assistants instead of outsourced creative specialists.
The problem we've seen with PowerPoint is that it is so easy to use that companies allow people untrained in even basic storytelling, graphics or their specific corporate brand standards to create these presentations. This does more to undermine the integrity of a consistent brand image than anything else we've seen. Everyone wants to add their "creative touches" to the PowerPoint presentation, and before you know it, a conservative-minded company can look like Disneyland at the board of directors meeting.
And since PowerPoint contains libraries of backgrounds, effects and color palettes for all to use, it is easy to develop presentations with a "canned" flavor, defeating the objective of brand differentiation. The use of these common library images and elements also increases the chances of your presentation taking on the same look and feel of one of your competitors.
The solution? A unique, yet standardized template based on corporate brand identity standards should be issued to a select group of managers whose departments regularly create presentations. Each completed presentation should be reviewed for adherence to standards prior to use in the field, or even internally. Creating a brand review committee will help immensely, even if it is an ad hoc, part-time or outsourced function.
Flash by Macromedia
This is an animation software tool well suited for telling conceptual stories where motion is important to express the concept, but actual cinematic media (motion film) is not the answer (for either expressive or budgetary reasons). This might work well in the case of demonstrating the principal of a machine's operation, of which many parts are not visible.
Flash is a vector (as opposed to a raster) digital format. Vector programs like Flash and Adobe Illustrator hold quality as they rescale in size or dimension, take up far smaller amounts of disk space and download faster on the web.
Flash is bu
Millions of people are starting online businesses in hopes of creating additional income for themselves and their families. With many men and women sharing the same names how do you get your name to stand out?The only solution is to create a Unique Personal Brand.What is a personal brand?A unique personal brand is a word or phrase that describes you. It is what sets you apart from every other internet business owner.Some people have been fortunate enough to create a following for their own name, while others are associated with a website, line of business, or marketing strategy.What it represents is your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) on a more personal level.How do I create a unique personal brand?Creating a personal brand does not need to be difficult, but it does require a lot of thought. You will want to create something that will be attached to you for years to come so choose carefully.Start out by writing down all your best qualities. Then write down all the things you like to do. Eliminate all the things that you would not want associated with a business person.Next ask a selection of your family and friends what they think your best qualities are. If they could use only one sentence how would they describe you, as a business person, to others? Your looking for positive suggestions.Take everything you have gath
The term "multimedia" encompasses any medium that relies on more than one of the human senses to communicate. For example, print ads use only sight (except for "scratch 'n sniff). Radio uses only sound. By contrast, web movies, television and cinema use sight and sound together for a more effective presentation. So though technically multimedia has been around for a long time, today the reference is chiefly reserved for digital presentations with motion, visuals and sound.
Study after study proves that the more senses involved in telling your story (sight, sound, touch, etc.), the more effective it becomes. The greatest advantage of multimedia for B2B marketers isn't really the media itself, but the channels now available to distribute it to niche audiences with surgical precision. DVD and the web, search engines and email provide the perfect mix of vehicles to drive a highly targeted stream of people to hear and see their stories. So in this age of digital information, it's no wonder that marketers are rushing to use this highly targeted storytelling medium.
MicroSoft PowerPoint
This is a simple multimedia-capable tool. The next step up from a photo slide show, PowerPoint has become the most popular multimedia program in distribution today. PowerPoint's elementary animation of typography and images richens the cracker-dry corporate slide presentation of the past and brings the entire presentation process in-house, relegating it to administrative assistants instead of outsourced creative specialists.
The problem we've seen with PowerPoint is that it is so easy to use that companies allow people untrained in even basic storytelling, graphics or their specific corporate brand standards to create these presentations. This does more to undermine the integrity of a consistent brand image than anything else we've seen. Everyone wants to add their "creative touches" to the PowerPoint presentation, and before you know it, a conservative-minded company can look like Disneyland at the board of directors meeting.
And since PowerPoint contains libraries of backgrounds, effects and color palettes for all to use, it is easy to develop presentations with a "canned" flavor, defeating the objective of brand differentiation. The use of these common library images and elements also increases the chances of your presentation taking on the same look and feel of one of your competitors.
The solution? A unique, yet standardized template based on corporate brand identity standards should be issued to a select group of managers whose departments regularly create presentations. Each completed presentation should be reviewed for adherence to standards prior to use in the field, or even internally. Creating a brand review committee will help immensely, even if it is an ad hoc, part-time or outsourced function.
Flash by Macromedia
This is an animation software tool well suited for telling conceptual stories where motion is important to express the concept, but actual cinematic media (motion film) is not the answer (for either expressive or budgetary reasons). This might work well in the case of demonstrating the principal of a machine's operation, of which many parts are not visible.
Flash is a vector (as opposed to a raster) digital format. Vector programs like Flash and Adobe Illustrator hold quality as they rescale in size or dimension, take up far smaller amounts of disk space and download faster on the web.
Flash is bu
In this maze of medical billing and the countless number of forms, specifications and red tape, the GU0 record ranks up near the top of the list of things that drive billers crazy. The number of fields alone that need to be filled are enough to make you pull your hair out of your head. Add to that the convoluting mapping of these forms and you're in for a two aspirin night after you've come home from work. Hopefully, this series of articles on the GU0 record will help make the biller's life a little easier. In this installment, we cover the GU0 record picking up with field number 54.GU0 field 54, positions 159 - 166, is Reply ALN L08 N02. This is the response to the second question on any DMERC certification requiring an eight position response. This is another date field, similar to field number 53. This field is filled in under the following conditions: For form number 06, the date is filled in to show the start of a TENS trial. For form number 08, the date is filled in to show the date the patient was discharged from the hospital after transplant surgery. This date is ONLY filled in if the surgery was for a transplant of any kind, including heart, liver, etc.GU0 field 55, positions 167 - 174, is Reply ALN L08 N03. This is the response to the third question on any DMERC certification requiring an eight position response. This is another date field, similar to field number
MicroSoft PowerPoint
This is a simple multimedia-capable tool. The next step up from a photo slide show, PowerPoint has become the most popular multimedia program in distribution today. PowerPoint's elementary animation of typography and images richens the cracker-dry corporate slide presentation of the past and brings the entire presentation process in-house, relegating it to administrative assistants instead of outsourced creative specialists.
The problem we've seen with PowerPoint is that it is so easy to use that companies allow people untrained in even basic storytelling, graphics or their specific corporate brand standards to create these presentations. This does more to undermine the integrity of a consistent brand image than anything else we've seen. Everyone wants to add their "creative touches" to the PowerPoint presentation, and before you know it, a conservative-minded company can look like Disneyland at the board of directors meeting.
And since PowerPoint contains libraries of backgrounds, effects and color palettes for all to use, it is easy to develop presentations with a "canned" flavor, defeating the objective of brand differentiation. The use of these common library images and elements also increases the chances of your presentation taking on the same look and feel of one of your competitors.
The solution? A unique, yet standardized template based on corporate brand identity standards should be issued to a select group of managers whose departments regularly create presentations. Each completed presentation should be reviewed for adherence to standards prior to use in the field, or even internally. Creating a brand review committee will help immensely, even if it is an ad hoc, part-time or outsourced function.
Flash by Macromedia
This is an animation software tool well suited for telling conceptual stories where motion is important to express the concept, but actual cinematic media (motion film) is not the answer (for either expressive or budgetary reasons). This might work well in the case of demonstrating the principal of a machine's operation, of which many parts are not visible.
Flash is a vector (as opposed to a raster) digital format. Vector programs like Flash and Adobe Illustrator hold quality as they rescale in size or dimension, take up far smaller amounts of disk space and download faster on the web.
Flash is bu
Procurement refers to the acquisition of goods or commodities by an individual, organization, company, or institution. Most companies have a procurement process in place on a contractual basis. The majority of these contracts specify the lease and time for which these companies will work for a particular client. They are a great assistance to associations that cannot set up their own e-procurement services without delay.A procurement contract is suitable when the primary intention of the transaction is the acquisition of goods or services for the direct benefit or use of the federal government or any buyer. A procurement contract is a joint obligatory legal relationship where the seller is under obligation to provide supplies or services that the buyer pays for. In contrast, an assistance agreement can be either a cooperative agreement or a grant. FHWA Order 4410.1 provides further details and examples that explain the differences between a procurement contract and an assistance agreement.A procurement contract is an instrument used when the government or the buyer and a private party set up an accord. The main purpose of the instrument is for the government to acquire (by purchase, lease, or barter) property or services for the direct benefit or use of the United States.Procurement contracts are commonly for the government's or buyers' direct benefit. The government demands wid
And since PowerPoint contains libraries of backgrounds, effects and color palettes for all to use, it is easy to develop presentations with a "canned" flavor, defeating the objective of brand differentiation. The use of these common library images and elements also increases the chances of your presentation taking on the same look and feel of one of your competitors.
The solution? A unique, yet standardized template based on corporate brand identity standards should be issued to a select group of managers whose departments regularly create presentations. Each completed presentation should be reviewed for adherence to standards prior to use in the field, or even internally. Creating a brand review committee will help immensely, even if it is an ad hoc, part-time or outsourced function.
Flash by Macromedia
This is an animation software tool well suited for telling conceptual stories where motion is important to express the concept, but actual cinematic media (motion film) is not the answer (for either expressive or budgetary reasons). This might work well in the case of demonstrating the principal of a machine's operation, of which many parts are not visible.
Flash is a vector (as opposed to a raster) digital format. Vector programs like Flash and Adobe Illustrator hold quality as they rescale in size or dimension, take up far smaller amounts of disk space and download faster on the web.
Flash is bu
I recently spoke with a retail merchant who told me that she was not too concerned about the fees that we assess. While I was detailing all relevant rates, she asked me a very interesting question: “How much do you think that I should charge my customers to make up for my credit card processing costs?” She added, “I would like to charge a surcharge.”I had an instant flashback to the time I placed a food order with a pizzeria. When I walked into the restaurant, the aroma whetted my appetite. Immersed in the beckoning scent, I barely heard the cashier when he told me that the bill was “$24.95.” Upon seeing my credit card, however, the cashier rang up “$26.50.” At the risk of appearing frugal, I did not question this action – only taking notice that it was blatantly unfair. Apparently, the restaurant owner decided to charge a surcharge when customers presented credit cards although I’m not certain how the cashier came up with a surcharge of $1.55. (What would have been the surcharge if my bill were $100 or more?)Sharing this experience with the retail merchant, I explained that charging a surcharge is against Visa / MasterCard rules and violates the stipulations in merchant account contracts. Indeed, if a retail merchant decided to add a credit card payment surcharge, this business owner can lose the right to process credit cards and be placed on the infamous MATCH / Terminated Merchant F
Flash by Macromedia
This is an animation software tool well suited for telling conceptual stories where motion is important to express the concept, but actual cinematic media (motion film) is not the answer (for either expressive or budgetary reasons). This might work well in the case of demonstrating the principal of a machine's operation, of which many parts are not visible.
Flash is a vector (as opposed to a raster) digital format. Vector programs like Flash and Adobe Illustrator hold quality as they rescale in size or dimension, take up far smaller amounts of disk space and download faster on the web.
Flash is built for flexibility in resolution and aspect ratios. The same presentation can be used on a laptop computer for a sales presentation as well as a 60" letterbox plasma screen at a trade show with the same high quality results requiring only minor adjustments in display settings.
Though actual photos and even motion film or video clips can be embedded in Flash, its true capabilities shine in the animation mode. With a capable and creative designer, Flash can be a very entertaining and effective tool. It can instantly be embed in the mind of the viewer, a core concept that would otherwise take far more time and explanation.
The key is to tell an engaging story with your Flash animation. Start by identifying with your audience and encountering the problem in the way they would. Instead of simply showing a demonstration, try creating a unique character with a personality that is consistent with your brand promise or typifies your customer. Or personify inanimate objects. Build the storyline with a problem/solution orientation. Like any other marketing project, do your homework so your presentation is credible.
Here are a few tips for Flash use:
A 90-second Flash introduction to a sales presentation can standardize the way your story is told (solution story versus product features) and allow your sales reps to get to the negotiation stage faster. It is a good idea to build control buttons into the sales and web versions of the presentation to allow reps and visitors to pause at key points, fast forward through less relevant segments and rewind for those "let's see that again" requests.
On the web, don't use Flash for an introduction to your web site. People can grow impatient when forced to view your show before your home page. Instead, put voluntary links to your Flash movies on your home page and promote them throughout the site.
Use Flash movies for
– Positioning
– Demonstration
– Comparison
– Concept Illustration
Raster Web (“Director”) Movies
B2B marketers have long been envious of consumer marketers' effective use of television. TV commercials are one of the most powerful mass positioning tools of all time. But for most B2B marketers, the television medium doesn't efficiently target niche B2B segments. And though cable television has provided more specialized programming where more B2B corporate positioning commercials are finding success, for the vast majority of the middle market, it's still a bit rich for the budget. But movies on the web…now there's a combo with some B2B traction.
In contrast to Flash vector movies, raster web movies are simply actual videos or motion film productions that are available on the web. These movies are created no differently than cinema or television commercials. They're simply digitized, edited and optimized for use on a DVD, CD or the web. They are quite a bit larger in file size than vector movies, so many times streaming technology is used for playback rather than downloading the entire movie before playing.
With the web growing fast as the number-one resource for business marketers, it is beginning to make sense to make special "infomercials" and short positioning movies for the web. In essence, this is simply a more engaging reincarnation of the obligatory, dust-collecting "corporate video" but with some new twists and exciting, new distribution options. Rather than make one corporate video that comes packaged with caffeine supplements, produce exciting, new, shorter, more to-the-point flicks that aim for high marks in immediacy and relevancy with web-savvy buyers.
BMW has become a leader in this area. You may have seen promotions for their web movies over the past couple of years. I received a great email last week from BMW promoting their new 3-Series cars. In the well-designed html email was a still photo of the car with a li
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