Despite the recent popularity of email marketing and social networking, old-fashioned snail mail marketing is proving to be the key to boosting business. Instead of eliminating or slashing budgets for direct mail, companies should use it to complement other aspects of their marketing approach.
This just in from Marketing Sherpa:
In reporting on this consumer study of social media use by consumers, we make reference to a group we’re calling “Max Connectors” — those people with more than 500 social connections. They exemplify the new social consumer, and they’re especially valuable targets for marketing, at least in theory, because they can spread a positive brand or product experience so widely.
The motivations for consumers to track brands and companies through social media are generally predictable. However, there are exceptional aspects. Unlike our motivations for email or catalogs, getting a first or early look at features and products is at least as strong a motivation as beneficial pricing (that’s especially true of Max Connectors).
Another unique driver of social connectedness with companies is to “get to know” the company. Although other aspects of the Internet have already opened this arena up to scrutiny, social media accelerated the ability of individual consumers to monitor, communicate and comment on companies as citizens.
In today’s environment of protecting the bottom line, some companies are making the decision to outsource work overseas. And for some, offshoring and outsourcing overseas has proved beneficial. But, before you decide to move your graphic design or web development work overseas, carefully consider the risks and challenges this may present.
2. Time zone.
Most communication with an overseas contractor will need to be done outside of normal business hours. When you are in the office, the contractor will be in bed. For example, India is 13.5 hours ahead of California, so if you need to talk with the contractor, calls must be made between 8pm and 3am. Urgent requests may take longer for a response.
3. Risk of stealing intellectual property.
Companies will continue to trade off the benefits of low-cost labor for the risks of intellectual property theft without fully understanding the implications. Product knowledge gained by a contractor can be passed on to a competitor and also retained by the contractor. Source code developed by the contractor at the client’s request is kept by the contractor. This leads to serious issues with regards to licensing and copyright. India has recently taken steps to tighten laws around data protection for foreign work handled by Indian companies and for instilling harsher penalties for data breaches. However, there are far more countries that do not regard intellectual property protection as a priority.
4. Differing work ethics and quality standards.
Because of communication and cultural issues, often the finished product does not meet with existing quality standards. Outsourcing a project requires a great deal of trust and the quality of work varies considerably. Errors can range from simple spelling/grammar issues to major programming problems. Since the contractor will be working for a fixed price, motivation will be to decrease their expenses and time spent on the project in order to turn a profit.
5. Differing business policies and terms.
When working with overseas contractors, it may be difficult or impossible to have your contract terms honored. If a contract is signed, there may not be any recourse for delivering a poor product. Each country has their own business policies and terms, so it may be beneficial to do research before engaging in any contract work overseas. Also, if the outsourcing company requires you to sign their contract, be aware that anything not covered in the contract will be the basis for you to pay additional charges. In this case, it may be in your best interest to hire a lawyer to review their contract before signing.
Though it’s tempting to take advantage of lower overseas labor costs, it may be a good idea to rethink your strategy. Depending upon your needs and expectations, hiring overseas contractors for graphic design or development work might end up costing more in the end, and could add new challenges to your plate.
Feel free to share any experiences you’ve had in working with overseas contractors and/or companies.
© Copyright 2009. Banana Creative. All rights reserved. Would you like to reproduce portions of this article? Please contact
We’ve always put the environment first in every aspect of our business, but now it’s official! On November 3, 2009 Banana Creative was recognized as a Bay Area Green Business. The Green Business Program verifies that businesses meet higher standards of environmental performance.
This includes general actions like:
And more specific, business-related actions like:
Even though a lot of the requirements had already been implemented, this certification was no small feat. In fact, to qualify, Banana Creative was required to implement over 89 initiatives. But, what’s good for the environment, is good for business! And, we are excited to incorporate and share our greener way of doing business with you.
For more information about becoming a green business, and a complete listing of Green Businesses visit www.greenbiz.ca.gov
© Copyright 2009. Banana Creative. All rights reserved. Would you like to reproduce portions of this article? Please contact
As we discussed in my last posting, strong brands don’t only belong to companies with big budgets. A brand is built upon the knowledge of who you are, the key value you provide, and communicating this clearly all of the time. For a company, talking the talk AND walking the walk, is what makes a strong and successful brand. Fortunately, this does not always involve a lot of money.
Use these secrets that I’ve learned over the past 19 years from helping companies build their brand from the ground up.
Be believable. A strong brand only makes promises that can be kept. Try to avoid overpromising or making claims that your customer knows are too good to be true. People today are savvy and naturally skeptical when it comes to marketing. So, be real when you are communicating your brand.
Be unique and interesting. Sometimes this takes courage, but allows your brand to stand out amongst your competitors. Your differentiation factor must also make a difference to your customers. Don’t harp on expected attributes like quality or service, but focus on what gives your company flavor and personality.
Consistently communicate your brand. There are many different business marketing channels that can potentially fuel your business—print, web, social media. But, your brand must remain consistent across all of these channels. A strong brand also communicates the same promise at every touchpoint, both internally and externally. Being consistent in how you communicate and visually present your brand, establishes recognition and eventually response in your marketplace.
Stay who you are both inside and out. If your brand promise is what makes you believable, unique and relevant to customers, then it makes sense to use your brand as the key part of your business strategy. This doesn’t mean you cannot refresh the design and look and feel of your marketing communications (in fact, you should!), but just make sure you keep the heart of your promise.
Instead of focusing on shrinking marketing budgets and skyrocketing costs, use these secrets to make an honest assessment of your brand. You will discover that it really comes down to one big secret: A strong brand means living it.
Would you like to share something that has helped build your brand?
© Copyright 2009. Banana Creative. All rights reserved. Would you like to reproduce portions of this article? Please contact
Strong brands don’t only belong to companies with the largest advertising budget, most celebrity endorsements, and snappiest jingles. All companies with strong brands have one thing in common: They know who they are and what they stand for. And, they use this knowledge at every internal and external touchpoint. A successful brand has a lot of research and thinking behind it. And, I will let you in on one big secret: it doesn’t always involve a lot of money.
During the past 19 years, I’ve helped hundreds of companies, both small and large, build their brand from the ground up. I’ve learned some secrets that I’d like to share with you. Use them to beef up your brand.
Be yourself both inside and out. Figure out who your company is, how it is perceived by others, and what it stands for. Online questionnaires, focus groups, and phone conversations with your customers and stakeholders can help gather this information. Get answers to these questions and align your organization with the value it brings to them. That means keeping this promise and personality whether you are training employees, answering the phone or communicating with your customer. For instance, if your organization is all about speedy service, then your website better load quickly.
Clearly communicate who you are. Narrow down one primary promise your organization can make to customers, and articulate it well. Having multiple promises that are vague will only confuse the situation. When you clarify this in a way that employees, stakeholders, and customers can use as a compass for making decisions, then you have the core for a strong brand.
Be relevant. A strong brand means something to its customers. If your customers care about what you’re offering, and you are solving a problem for them, your brand will deliver. Look beyond the expected promises such as quality, service or integrity, and focus on your organization’s unique value.
Would you like to share something that has helped build your brand? Check out my next posting for more secrets to building a strong brand on a budget.
© Copyright 2009. Banana Creative. All rights reserved. Would you like to reproduce portions of this article? Please contact Banana Creative for permission.
Is it more environmentally-friendly to market your business on the web or in print? The answer may surprise you! International Paper just released a new brochure detailing some eye-opening facts about communicating electronically versus on paper. Read on for more:
NEWS RELEASE
——————————————-
International Place
6400 Poplar Ave.
Memphis, TN 38197
“Are pixels greener than paper?”
Down to Earth Brochure, “Pixels vs. Paper,” Myths and Misconceptions
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - June 24, 2009 — More and more people are communicating with electronic media. But are electronic devices more environmentally friendly than paper? To address this important question, International Paper (NYSE: IP) has launched a new brochure in its Down to Earth environmental series, “Pixels vs. Paper: Are pixels greener than paper?”
Every decision to communicate has some impact on the environment and the brochure reveals some important facts about communicating on paper vs. electronically. Also, the new Down to Earth brochure includes some facts that may surprise you. For example, did you know . . . Paper comes from a renewable resource – Trees.
• Every day the paper and forest products industry plants more than three times the number of trees than are harvested — paper is truly renewable and sustainable.
• Electronic devices are typically made of plastics and other non-renewable resources and often contain chemicals and metals.
• Paper is biodegradable and nearly 60 percent of all paper in the U.S. is recycled.
“International Paper’s Down to Earth series has received outstanding responses, so we are continuing the series this year,” said David Struhs, International Paper’s vice president, Sustainability. “With the Down to Earth series, we hope to clear up some of the myths and misconceptions about our paper and the forest products industry and provide thought-provoking educational pieces that help our customers better understand important environmental topics.”
Struhs added, “International Paper believes pixels and paper both have a place in our communications future. By linking paper with the efficiency of electronics, we can streamline our communications and help maintain the best environmental balance possible.”
For more info and a copy of this brochure go to: http://www.ipsustainability.com
Are you curious about what other companies are doing to market themselves and what strategies have worked for them? Would you like statistics to back up these marketing tactics? Interested in learning more about social networking? Look no further. Here are my favorite top 10 websites that provide a wealth of marketing information at no cost to you:
Marketing Sherpa
Sirius Decisions
Marketing Profs
Small Business Marketing
Entrepreneur
Raintoday
Tactical Execution
Your Marketing Lab
Marcomm Wise
Small Business Administration
Any others you’d like to add?
Choosing a domain name is tougher than it sounds. Luckily, there are quite a few tools out there to help you search for available domain names and suggest similar ones. Here are twelve resources that you may find helpful:
12 Tools For Choosing A Domain Name
Happy domain hunting!
~Danielle