http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php en saidk@phirebranding.com Copyright 2010 2010-06-07T13:09:44+00:00 http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/when_internal_thinking_drives_external_communications/ http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/when_internal_thinking_drives_external_communications/#When:13:09:44Z It’s a common problem. A company that has been around for decades inevitably creates sophisticated internal processes. Has an increased number of internal meetings. Has more and more layers of internal review. What used to be simple tasks become individuals. And then entire departments. Time moves faster. What used to get solved through customer contact now takes place in conference calls, cross country flights, and the simple need to get things done. People get caught up in their own worlds, their own quotas, their own needs. Mistakes in the past have led to increased internal scrutiny and decreased risk taking. This necessary and natural process affects all of your external communications. Your marketing efforts may have become infected with this internal thinking, and you may not even realize it. Here are five major symptoms to gauge whether this has happened to you: 1.       Your communications are more feature driven than benefit driven.   It’s simple. Features are about you. Benefits are about your audience. Most communications are mistakenly feature driven. Unfortunately, on one cares how the toaster makes toast. They want toast.   2.       Your campaigns feel the need to include the kitchen sink.   There are so many ads with so much copy and so many potential customers with so little time. But internally-influenced copy feels the need to include all the facets of everything that we all collectively deemed important. But your customers will care about one thing said well, not a dozen things said haphazardly.   3.       What used to be conversational “ad-speak” has been replaced by technical “attorney speak”.   I can spot when copy has been either scrubbed or influenced by attorneys a mile away. They make no claims whatsoever – not even mild ones. They are long-winded, mostly with clarifications. And they deliver emotion about as well effectively as a politician on the campaign trail.   4.       You have more than two layers of brand you feel the need to promote.   Brand within a brand within a brand. The classic internally focused issue. Brand the company. Brand the division. Brand the product. Brand the technology. Brand the process. Make nothing connect and nothing sticky, but make all departments feel represented. The most interesting part to me is that these companies can’t even tell you what all this stuff is. “What do we call that technology again?” And you want your customer to give a rat’s hiney?   5.       There is not a single engaging reason for being.   More than anything, this is the issue. No one wants to let go of their message. Sales wants an immediate price/value message. Engineering wants a feature message. Marketing wants a new message altogether. Executives want a “see all we’re doing” message. HR wants a “this is a great place to work” message. By even trying to balance all of these messages, you’re missing it. Your customers don’t care about any of the above.   The cure? It’s simple, but can be difficult. It’s about listening to the needs – the true needs – of your customers. Not just that one big customer, but all of them. Understand from their point of view what makes you different/special/meaningful. Then build on it in a simple, concise way over and over. The brands that are commonly known universally as the ones who “get it” have always understood this. But it must always be seen through the eyes of your customer. Always. 2010-06-07T13:09:44+00:00 http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/phire_branding_wins_19_awards/ http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/phire_branding_wins_19_awards/#When:01:48:38Z We are proud to announce a very successful night at this year's Addy Awards. Nineteen awards in all, we were lucky enough to win in numerous categories and in a variety of vertical markets. The Addy winners will move on to compete at Districts for further consideration. We'd like to thank everyone who helped put together a wonderful awards celebration this year. But most of all, we'd like to thank our clients for allowing us/helping us/working with us to let us do what we do. Results for the 2010 Ann Arbor Ad Club Addy Awards competition include: JUDGES’ CHOICE Phire Branding Company Clancy’s Fancy Brand Relaunch JUDGES’ CHOICE Phire Branding Company Ann Arbor Summer Festival Campaign ADDY Phire Branding Company INTERACTIVE MEDIA: Websites, Consumer Flash, Products Clancy’s Website ADDY Phire Branding Company MIXED/MULTIPLE MEDIA: Consumer, Regional / National Clancy’s Fancy Brand Relaunch ADDY Phire Branding Company SALES PROMOTION: Packaging, Campaign Clancy’s Fancy Packaging ADDY Phire Branding Company INTERACTIVE MEDIA: Websites, B-to-B Flash, Services Pitney Bowes Marketing Solutions ADDY Phire Branding Company ADVERTISING INDUSTRY SELF-PROMOTION: Creative Services and Industry Suppliers, Interactive Phire Branding Company Website ADDY Phire Branding Company OUT-OF-HOME: Campaign, Out-of-Home, Campaign Flint Journal Outdoor ADDY Phire Branding Company ADVERTISING FOR THE ARTS & SCIENCES: Collateral, Brochure / Sales Kit Ann Arbor Summer Festival Brochure ADDY Phire Branding Company ADVERTISING FOR THE ARTS & SCIENCES: Campaign, Mixed / Multiple Media Campaign Ann Arbor Summer Festival Campaign Silver Phire Branding Company SALES PROMOTION: Product or Service Sales Presentation, Catalog Merillat Masterpiece Catalog Silver Phire Branding Company SALES PROMOTION: Product or Service Sales Presentation, Sales Kits or Product Information Sheets Clancy’s Fancy Sales Brochure Silver Phire Branding Company INTERACTIVE MEDIA: Websites, B-to-B HTML/Other, Services Second To None Silver Phire Branding Company INTERACTIVE MEDIA: Websites, Consumer HTML/Other, Products Dale Earnhardt Website Silver Phire Branding Company TELEVISION: Cinema Advertising, In-Theatre Commercials or Slides Clancy’s Fancy Cinema   Silver Phire Branding Company ADVERTISING FOR THE ARTS & SCIENCES: Broadcast/Electronic, Interactive Ann Arbor Summer Festival Website Silver Phire Branding Company ADVERTISING INDUSTRY SELF-PROMOTION: Creative Services and Industry Suppliers, Collateral Phire Branding Company Book Silver Phire Branding Company ADVERTISING INDUSTRY SELF-PROMOTION: Campaign, Single Medium Campaign Phire Branding Company Advertising Silver Phire Branding Company MIXED/MULTIPLE MEDIA: Consumer, Local Be Saline Campaign   Advertising, Awards, B-to-B, B-to-C, Community, Design, Interactive, News 2010-02-24T01:48:38+00:00 http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/new_website_dale_earnhardt_inc/ http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/new_website_dale_earnhardt_inc/#When:22:00:47Z Phire announces the launch of a comprehensive website for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Working closely with the Earnhardt family and licensing partners, we were able to bring the Dale Earnhardt experience forward into a brand new experience. Starting with a survey of DEI employees, a web survey of 60,000+ fans, this site represents the Dale experience. Complete with CMS, a fully-functioning integrated store, videos, and more, we are helping give #3 a home on the web that's truly worthy. www.daleearnhardt.com. The site officially launched on 12.31.09. B-to-C, Design, Interactive, New Work, Website Launch 2010-01-29T22:00:47+00:00 http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/phire_helps_merillat_quality_and_denova_at_ibs/ http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/phire_helps_merillat_quality_and_denova_at_ibs/#When:22:34:26Z At this year's International Builder Show, we helped three brands of the Masco Builder Cabinet Group make a big splash with a clean, interactive, powerful experience that was true to their exciting new offerings. With touch screens everywhere, evolved and cohesive brand messaging throughout, we led the look, feel, messaging, and many of the technical elements within the show. It also included live Social Media, Polls, and analytics throughout. We led collaboration with 3 other agencies and several vendors. The result was one their most successful shows ever - with a dramatic improvement over last year's leads and overall attention.         B-to-B, B-to-C, Design, Interactive, New Work, Sharing 2010-01-22T22:34:26+00:00 http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/website_launch_pitney_bowes/ http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/website_launch_pitney_bowes/#When:23:21:25Z We're proud to announce the launch of a new website for Pitney Bowes Marketing Solutions. The site is complete with a Flash homepage navigation function, and is fully Content Management System driven. We think it does a nice job of showing a corporate B-to-B entity in a clean, fresh light. Click on the image to see the site. B-to-B, Design, Interactive, New Work, Website Launch 2009-12-11T23:21:25+00:00 http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/emergence_and_marketing/ http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/emergence_and_marketing/#When:15:14:25Z Marketing seems simple. But in all reality, it’s an extremely complex system of pushing, pulling, experiences, word of mouth, face-to-face, sights, sounds, feelings. Put on top of this the fact that all of these transactions are highly personal, and are multiplied across a large population. To think that you can control this is futile, but these complex systems generally form fairly straightforward and trackable patterns. In comes the theory of emergence. A simple explanation of emergence is that an emergent behavior or emergent property can appear when a number of simple agents operate in an environment, forming more complex behaviors as a collective. You begin to discern patterns based on the big picture of the complexity. In marketing, human behavior differs greatly individually, but the sum total of activity and movement can become predictable and repeatable. What can be learned from emergence theory when applied to marketing? You need a few key things to help ensure success: You need to learn as much as possible from as large a sampling as possible before you begin. The purpose of truly good surveys is to discern trends and patterns through disparate answers. Therefore, individual answers are meaningless, but the sum total is the true guide.   Crafting a communications plan must cover enough venues to create multiple paths to the same conclusion. Since people act individually, you cannot assume that even a successful campaign worked to engage enough people for a sustained effect. Instead, there have to be enough points of contact to create a tapestry of communications in order to connect this complex world of individuals.   There needs to be some heavy-duty analytics available to take in all the information. With so much happening so quickly, emergent systems are hard to predict. But through today’s technology, they can be relatively simple to track. There will be no two success stories that will happen in exactly the same way. However, there will arise patterns that appear as trends, and therefore can be replicated and expanded. Many organizations fall prey to the “one resounding success” syndrome, where they try to replicate lightning in a bottle by looking at a success sampling of one. This may prove to be disastrous because the overall pattern may differ greatly from the one experience. The next potential success may be out there, ready to capture. But it may look entirely different from the previous. And there may be several in between, somewhere in the complexity of how people live, decide, and purchase. Advertising, Opinion 2009-10-28T15:14:25+00:00 http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/new_website_launched_for_second_to_none/ http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/new_website_launched_for_second_to_none/#When:21:30:36Z We proudly announce the launch of a new website for Second To None, a leading mystery shopping organization. The website has some very cool new features, including a robust situational analysis with many opportunities to capture data. The site is now available at www.second-to-none.com. B-to-B, Design, Interactive, New Work, Website Launch 2009-10-08T21:30:36+00:00 http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/the_ultimate_marketing_trend/ http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/the_ultimate_marketing_trend/#When:19:44:15Z There is a single word that describes where marketing has been going for decades. Personalization. Advertising, at its peak, was all about mass. Buy a spot on one of the three networks, and you’re talking to everyone – for better or worse. You had a captive audience. People would even have to stand up to change the channel, so they didn’t bother. Then along came cable. Then more channels. And more channels. Each more specific than the last. A channel for home improvement. A channel for arts. A channel for pets. An arts channel for pets. Etc. Then Tivo. And on demand. Etc. Each more fragmenting then the last. Print has gone the same way. There is a magazine about literally anything. Don’t believe me? Check this list out. Then came the internet, 1.0. A way to instantly break down interests into specific pages. There were hundreds of thousands. It got as specific as you needed it to get. Whenever and wherever. Then came the internet, 2.0. A way to claim your own homes and requests on the web, allowing advertisers to speak to you directly by interests. You can contact the advertisers and request things directly and ignore everything else. Now, comes mobile. The ability to communicate with you based on your interests, your preferences, and your exact location. It all comes to you, as you wish to receive it. Advertising is moving from mass to groups to sub-groups to the ultimate sub-group: you. Who wins? Both consumer and advertiser. You are sharing the information without putting up with the noise or the extra costs. If you’ve seen Minority Report, you've more or less seen where we’re ultimately headed. Your environment literally changing and speaking to you directly. You’ll still be inundated with everything, but now it will be things specific to your likes, taste level, and selected preferences. It was an average movie, but that part was spot on. Personally, I’m excited about the shift. I’ve always been uncomfortable with the idea of “bothering” people. “Interrupting” their life. “Getting in the way” of what they enjoy. In the future, we can have real, meaningful conversations with only the people who may actually care. Creating the ultimate in advertising accountability and efficiency.   2009-09-24T19:44:15+00:00 http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/marketing_paralysis/ http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/marketing_paralysis/#When:13:53:06Z There’s too much. As a part of several marketing groups, both in real life and online, I feel for anyone out there who is trying to understand what is going on out here. Just today, I’ve been invited to an AdWord optimization presentation, a website strategy presentation, a how-to on video on the web, a how-to successfully use Twitter seminar. And oh, by the way, I’m writing this at 10am. On a Sunday. It’s enough to overwhelm and confuse me, and I’ve been doing this for quite some time and consider myself pretty darn savvy on this stuff. I occasionally go to some of these presentations, mostly to make sure I’m not missing out on the next big thing. Guess what? 99% of the time, I end up wasting my time. Why? Although things are moving and changing quickly, the basics have always remained the same. The means and the reporting tools are vastly improved, but there are always too many people out there who are trying to say that the means is the message. That has not, is not, and will never be the case. Some of it is helpful. The vast majority is snake oil. I’ve spoken with several prospects recently who are literally doing nothing to market because they don’t know what to do. They believe they should be doing so many things that they don’t know where to begin. They are trapped by paralysis of choice and too many people moving around telling them what to do. My advice? First figure out who you are and who you’re trying to reach. Then create a magnetic brand that will resonate with that specific market. Understand their world and how they (and only they) consume media. Then formulate a plan around what’s best for them. This focused simplicity is counter to what many are saying, but it is in line with the way things have always been. You will be inundated with hundreds of new ways to reach your audience. Over the next many years, there will be new tools and new specialists and industries created. These are just distractions, not strategies. It is just sound, not clear, concise brand resonance. In my opinion, groups talking about the next big thing aren’t really doing much except running around yelling trying to exploit a moment in time. And brands that react to all of the things they could be doing are missing out on the few focused things they should be doing very well. My favorite question in any one of these seminars? “Tell me a success story that you’ve been involved with personally”. Usually its crickets, followed by stuttering, followed by how they increased sales in a local vacuum store (or the equivalent) by 3%. Hey, good stuff. Beware of the empty promise(s) of the next big thing(s). Keep focused on a comprehensive strategy, and stay true to it. And don’t let anyone with a soapbox interrupt that path.   2009-09-14T13:53:06+00:00 http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/newspapers_advertising/ http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/newspapers_advertising/#When:16:08:18Z It's no secret that newspapers are having a tough time. But smaller, more focused local papers are finding that their readership loyalty is stronger than ever. We helped Booth Mid-Michigan create an outdoor campaign for each of their cities: Flint, Bay City, and Saginaw. These will help assuage fears and rumors in the community that the papers are disappearing. In fact, they are becoming stronger than ever.             Advertising, B-to-B, B-to-C, New Work, Sharing 2009-08-24T16:08:18+00:00 http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/the_answer_is_simple/ http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/the_answer_is_simple/#When:14:29:29Z Nearly every situation and organization we walk into shares a common theme: communications have become more complex, more layered, and the sales process has gotten murky and difficult to manage. The common problem? The company is way too close to the products and services, and the day-to-day operation and politics. More often than not, we are there to simplify. Easier said than done? Absolutely. Stakeholders talk about the reasons why they cannot change using similar language and patterns. Generally, it is people who are so passionate about their one piece of the pie that they fail to see the other pieces and their own individual passions. Our biggest early challenge is getting people to see the big picture and understand the greater purpose of the organization. First, we strip away the years of cobwebs: the politics, the outdated reasoning, turn over of people – all the things that lead to an inward-looking organization. Then we talk with customers: the current ones, some prospects, and a few that left. We find out the true pain points vs. the ones that seem to be prevalent from the inside looking out. A common thing that we find is that the company is no longer capable of seeing past the day-to-day tasks. Even mission and vision sessions have diminishing returns almost immediately because of their lack of implementation and tangible results. Unless the outside world sees your reason for being, it really doesn’t matter at all. Too many companies also just go through a cosmetic rebrand. That is, they paint over the cracked paint and think they have made a difference. A true rebrand goes deep: scrapes the old paint off, sands thoroughly, cleans up, and then starts to repaint once again It takes a lot more work, but the result is always cleaner, simpler, more evident to the outside world, and far more sustainable. And it begins to pay dividends right away.   B-to-B, B-to-C, Design, Opinion, Sharing 2009-08-13T14:29:29+00:00 http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/stop_marketing._start_marking/ http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/stop_marketing._start_marking/#When:15:32:51Z In the traditional world, marketing has been all about push. Just send out as many things to an audience as possible and hit them until they start paying attention. But people have changed. Now, it’s about creating a brand that makes a mark in someone’s mind so that a customer is drawn to you. You must create a gravitational pull toward your brand – and leaving a solid mark in a potential customer’s mind is the only way to do it. How can this be accomplished? It’s a change of mindset. You must think of your brand as a living entity, capable of conversation and engagement instead of just standing on a soapbox and yelling. It must have the ability to respond, react, answer, and build a relationship. Where do you begin? Make certain you have something important to say. This happens just like any other conversation you have in life – you’d better understand your audience inside and out. Don’t assume they just care about “value” or “quality”. Maybe they care more about intelligence and consistency. Once you begin the conversation, you need to give people a place to respond and engage. This type of communication will help imprint you in their minds, building trust, and gaining entry into your psyche in powerful ways. Once you have this trust with customers, the sale has already been made, and you only have to be available instead of needing to inundate. We call it marking. Which is much more complex and nuanced than marketing. In many ways it’s much more complicated to execute. But once it’s underway, it feels far more natural and empowering to both you and your prospects.   B-to-B, B-to-C, Opinion, Sharing 2009-08-04T15:32:51+00:00 http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/does_your_brand_need_work/ http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/does_your_brand_need_work/#When:18:03:21Z When a brand let’s itself go, there isn’t a defining moment. It’s a series of almost unseen, unremarkable moments. The best brands in the world can head down a slippery slope quickly if they aren’t cared for on a daily, weekly, monthly, annual basis. Here are some tell-tale signs your brand needs work.   You have no idea what’s on your own company’s website. You haven’t been there in months. You don’t really want to go there right now. You currently present using a 7th generation PowerPoint. You click to see the original author. You don’t recognize the name. You always frame what your company does by first saying “we used to”. You search for your company on Google News and the most recent item is a press release from 2003 announcing that your company hired someone who hasn’t worked there since 2005. You have lost more than 5 consecutive pitches. In at least one of them, you were asked the question, “what makes you different?” You then inadvertently explain why you’re exactly the same, just a little less dynamic or interesting. Your business card was once a proud hand out – 2 sided, thick, uncoated, and well designed. Now, it’s a fourth generation card on a flimsy stock that is glossy and has basic information listed in a font that simply doesn’t belong. You used to get tons of calls to the HR department with people excited to work at your company. Now, those calls are all outbound. Your trade show booth was once a Mecca of activity and excitement. Now, it’s a heavy, overproduced, out-dated monument to the late 90’s. You cut your prices recently. And then again. If you can’t beat ‘em, undersell them. You dreaded waking up and going into work today. And every day. Not due to lack of interest. Just lack of vision and direction. Think this is far-fetched? Maybe a bit. But we’ve been in organizations just like these. It demonstrates the importance of brand creation and stewardship for the bottom line of a company. But even more importantly, what it does for an organization’s Mojo – that intangible ingredient that draws others to you. That indescribable something that gives your company the “it” factor. But it takes work. Commitment. And everyday movement.   Is it worth it? Look through the list, and imagine this is your company. Then you tell us. B-to-B, B-to-C, Opinion 2009-07-23T18:03:21+00:00 http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/a_plea_to_other_agencies/ http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/a_plea_to_other_agencies/#When:16:16:44Z The recent Zappos pitch debacle shows serious issues with our industry that have always been there. Issues that make agencies who are trying to sell a successful process rather than a successful pitch insane. Issues that always have us defending the last agency that screwed things up. Our plea is simple: Stop it. The Zappos pitch had 104 agencies involved. 104. (We were not one of them, mind you.) That means outside of the incumbent and a few hand chosen agencies, the other 100 or so didn't have a snowball’s chance to begin with. Yet more than 100 agencies threw in their hats, their ideas, their time, their resources, and their puppy-dog-like enthusiasm. All to be a part of - get this - an already successful brand. I can think of 5 things wrong with the agencies involved and the process itself (I’ve reduced my list from over a hundred, just to make it fair and palatable). You don’t know anything about Zappos. You’ve done no research. You haven’t talked to them. You don’t know their long term goals. You don’t know their needs. All you know is what they know and put on an RFP. Stop going in there and showing them that you have the answer. You don’t even know the question yet.   In our industry, our time is valuable. Our thinking is even more valuable. Instead of showing the value, you are quick to fly to Vegas (appropriately) and invest the time, energy and thought it takes to affect a brand. They don't value your time because you don't.   We’re change agents when we’re working at our very best. Instead of trying to help the best brands in the world get 2% better, why aren’t more agencies jacked about the prospect of actually creating those brands out of far more challenging circumstances? Zappos doesn’t need you as much as you need them.   It shows your desperation. Publicly. The fact that Zappos employees were Tweeting how much food, fun, and booze they were getting from the gaggle of pitching agencies. It’s pathetic. Have some self respect, people.   Spec work is very dangerous - for the brand. Putting all the creative energy into the pitch will diminish the thought – all you are trying to do is impress the people in the room, not achieve the brand goals. Congratulations, you got some executives in a room to laugh or say "wow". But are you now a good steward of the brand? Have you done your work for the real audience: consumers? So to the winner, I say congratulations. To the other 99.1% of respondents I ask: was it worth it?   Addendum to this blog post: OK, I admit. It has a more negative tone than I originally intended. I'm really looking to help clients choose an agency in a more rational manner. I don't just want to defend agencies and their practices. I want to help companies go through more rational processes to serve the greater brand purpose. It does little good to throw 104 or agencies and countless ideas against a wall to see what sticks. Narrow down an inital search to 3-5 companies who have a legitimate shot. And then listen closely to how they want to serve your company/brand. The rest is diminishing returns. 2009-07-15T16:16:44+00:00 http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/advertising_through_social_networking/ http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/advertising_through_social_networking/#When:19:56:30Z “Paid advertising on online social networks in the US is expected to fall 3% in 2009.” (eMarketer, 2009) With all of the attention and buzz social networking has received, that may come as a shock to many, and as an “I told you so” to those inherently skeptical of the medium. Many companies are clearly still trying to find their way with social networking. It appears that some have a presence on Facebook or Twitter for no other reason than that they feel they should. However, other companies have seen great success in targeting and reaching both niche audiences and in more broad consumer based initiatives. We feel that the pull back is temporary as companies refine and integrate their efforts, and that social networking will have a major role in the advertising mix going forward. 2009 may be considered the year that companies worked to develop their presence within social networking sites, establishing content and fleshing out their environments. To us, this is a logical first step, which must be taken before more proactively advertising and working to draw new people. Because it is such a new and emerging medium, we believe many companies are waiting to see which will take the lead (Facebook? Twitter?), and which will fall off the map (MySpace)? This will allow them to better focus their efforts, and not feel they need to be redundant with ad dollars spent and information/content they generate and share. Once companies become more comfortable with social networking, it’s natural that they may circle back and work to see how to best integrate with their advertising/marketing efforts. When they do, they will find that they have a wealth of information at their fingertips, including deep data to target users (friend networks, likes, dislikes, and much much more). Companies will learn to harness this data to deliver custom advertising that works on a more conversational, one-on-one manner. This is not your traditional mass communication, rather, it’s a more nuanced, information based approach that will allow companies to micro target and communicate like never before.   Advertising, B-to-B, B-to-C, Community, Interactive, Opinion 2009-07-13T19:56:30+00:00 http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/rebranding_internal_v._external/ http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/rebranding_internal_v._external/#When:13:50:04Z In the dozens upon dozens of major rebranding engagements and efforts we've been involved with, one thing has become exceedingly clear: rebranding an organization is equally important within the walls as it is to the outside world. There is nothing quite like cutting through the clutter and showing a company what it looks, sounds, and acts like at its finest. It gets people re-energized. It gets them on the same page. It makes them want to become the company they see in front of them. It is motivational. It builds aspiration. And, more than anything, it gets people excited to go to work again. In order to see why organizations crave a strong brand internally, let us quickly break down the lifecycle of an organization that leads down the path to status quo. This is the case of several companies we’ve worked with. The company is formed with an entrepreneurial spirit and a clear vision and passion, generally created by one individual. The company grows, and this individual shares his contagious spirit and wills the company to success. The owner sells to a larger organization, leaves the organization, stops day-to-day activity, etc. The company is left with a series of systems but no real soul or driving force. The brand reflects a “good enough” mentality but does not reflect any passion or sense of exceptionality. This goes on for some time. The brand becomes more and more internally focused on “what we do” vs. “why we exist for our customers”. Major difference. The company gets more and more layered, with more services/products, new departments, new technologies, etc. There are acquisitions, partnerships, business changes. All adding new personalities, layers, and needs. The business goes on cruise control on every level. Mission, vision, and values are created, but they are generally clichéd and empty. The outside world starts to lose touch. The brand starts to reflect a certain “say nothing” mentality. The internal staff, while still committed and passionate about their individual positions, has an increasingly difficult time when asked “what does your company do?” Internally, correction is attempted. Through meetings, retreats, and other common methods, a “reason for being” is attempted to be recaptured. Unfortunately, it is through people who are too close to it, have seen too many of these steps, and who have a vested interest in their own “piece” of the puzzle rather than the big picture.   That is why companies like ours exist. We are able to get to the deep issues, connect dots, and see the company from a 30,000 foot perspective. We can then start to rebuild the energy and thought that went into #1, no matter how big or diffused the company has become. This is done in order to communicate to the outside world. But every single time, our effect within the walls of the organization is just as great. This, in turn, leads to an organization that lives up to its new, re-energized brand promise.   Advertising, B-to-B, B-to-C, Opinion 2009-06-25T13:50:04+00:00 http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/opening_the_door_making_the_connection_with_your_audience/ http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/opening_the_door_making_the_connection_with_your_audience/#When:15:29:02Z Connection with your audience. The key to any good piece of marketing communications. Everyone says that, but does anyone truly know what that means? Is anyone willing to go to the lengths necessary to know their audience as well as they have to? Just how well do you need to know someone? First, you must start with the premise that people are cynical. More than cynical. They’re downright annoyed by you. You’re the idiot in their doorway trying to sell them something they probably don’t need and they’ve got dinner on the stove with two screaming kids. Cynical people will ignore you. Cynical people roll their eyes when you try to sell them something. Cynical people might just hate you. Most will glaze right over you. So how do you win them over? This is where the whole art/commerce thing collides, and most advertising fails. This is when you must become half “creative magician” and half “the-best-damn-salesman-there’s-ever-been”. You need to know your audience in a way that’s scary to them. In a way that will make them pause and listen. How do you cut through? By being observant. By listening less like ad people and more like psychologists. It’s knowing that we’re all subject to the human condition, and we’re all looking for help, sympathy, empathy, gratitude, or, when all else fails, diversion. People want to be appreciated and helped. “I know exactly what’s wrong. And I can help.” If you’re dead on, they might just open the door. There are brands that are great at this, but the vast majority just don’t get it. In this day and age of increased cynicism, people (believe it or not) are more receptive than ever to hope and optimism. The Detroit auto companies, for example, need to do more than a soft reintroduction. They need to create a movement around the premise of rebuilding America. One that makes people fall back in love with the American spirit - not necessarily just the car or the bargain du jour. The key is knowing the specific audience and understanding the one thing that will have them open the door. Every brand has the power to do so. Every brand.   2009-06-03T15:29:02+00:00 http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/11_thoughts_for_11_years/ http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/11_thoughts_for_11_years/#When:17:42:25Z As I celebrate 11 years of being in business, I look back on some of the things I’ve learned.   We get better every day. Back in 1998, I thought I knew everything there was to know about advertising. All I really knew was how to win awards. That is not the same thing as helping our clients prosper by any stretch. Every day, I learn something that we can apply across our client spectrum to improve their business. The client knows more than we do. We used to walk into a room and try to out-passion people about their own businesses. This is not our job. Our job is to take their passion, help take it to the next level, and help it spread in the marketplace. Technology should be wrapped around fundamentals. I’ve seen web firms come and go. I’ve seen online ad agencies come and go. I’ve seen SEO companies come and go. Hell, I even recall a couple of Second Life agencies. Technology has grown so much in the last 11 years, and even in the last 11 minutes. But technology is a means to deliver proven marketing fundamentals. It is not a fundamental on its own. The good days are good. Getting new business. Launching a campaign after months of work. Presenting a client with a plan and a vision and a brand that gets them re-excited about why they come to work every day. Those are good days, and they make it well worth it. Heck, they even make up for the…. The bad days are really bad. Getting a budget cut. Not getting paid for our work. Winning a pitch and then finding out it wasn’t funded. Losing business for all the wrong reasons. Internal issues. These are the bad days. And they can really wear on you in this business. We get to meet some of the coolest people on the planet. Celebrities. Industry movers and shakers. People with little more than an incredible idea. Their stories are so different, but remarkably inspiring. There is no other business I can think of that allows such access to unique stories, goals, visions, and dreams within deep, meaningful relationships. You’ve got to have fun. As a small office, we tend to drive each other insane. So we have office games (including this one called Mickless that is so perfect, I believe I could sell the concept). We joke. We rib. And we get an incredible amount of good work done on behalf of dozens of clients. Take a long view of successes. When I think of client engagements, 11 years gives you the ability to see not only what worked immediately, but also what is sustainable from a marketing perspective. Every agency shows you their success stories. I’m not afraid to show failures as well. After all, are you going to trust someone who claims to have never failed? How then, have they ever learned to succeed? Times will always be tough. The last 11 years in the State of Michigan have been challenging. It’s also easy to blame things on the external. I’ve seen the dot com boom and bust, I’ve seen 9/11 and the aftermath, I’ve seen a state where the economy has been in recession for 8 years. But I’ve seen successes throughout, almost always by those who refuse to see the outside situation as a hindrance on their own situation. Share more. I used to be afraid of letting go. Letting go of industry secrets. Of the special sauce. Of our client list. Of relationships with other partners. It took me a while to see the light, but the more you give, the more you get back. So now I share freely, ask frequently, and open my business to anyone who wants to look. If you can replicate it, go for it. But you can’t. Eleven things on a list? Unnecessary. Brevity is still king. If you can’t sum up things quickly, you’re doing it wrong. This blog post has gone on way too long, and if I’m being honest, there was diminishing returns after about 4. B-to-B, B-to-C, Community, Design, Opinion, Sharing 2009-05-28T17:42:25+00:00 http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/viral_marketing_catching_lightning_in_a_bottle/ http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/viral_marketing_catching_lightning_in_a_bottle/#When:17:03:36Z In meetings, seminars, and even the occasional new business presentation, we get asked the following questions more than a few times: How can we get seen on YouTube? Can’t we just create something viral? Both questions are pointing to the same underlying questions. How can one create something viral and ensure that it is seen everywhere? And furthermore, without a budget to back it up? Answer: can’t be done. Consider the following stats: Every minute, ten hours of video is uploaded to YouTube (YouTube.com) Some 53% of YouTube's videos have fewer than 500 views (TubeMogul) About 30% have less than 100 views (TubeMogul) Just 0.33% have more than 1 million views (TubeMogul) In other words, you can’t ever count on anything becoming viral. It happens more organically, and in a less controlled manner than you can possibly image. Plus, without the benefit of sending people there via a more traditional media buy, it may never be seen. If a video gets posted on YouTube and no one watches it, is it still a video? YouTube is a perfectly good tool. But again, it is not a plan. Your odds of having something take off on YouTube are about the same as winning the lottery. Is that how you’d like to conduct business?   Advertising, B-to-B, B-to-C, Interactive, Opinion 2009-05-26T17:03:36+00:00 http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/ann_arbor_graphic_design_firms_interactive_agencies_advertising_agencies_un/ http://www.phirebranding.com/index.php/blog/ann_arbor_graphic_design_firms_interactive_agencies_advertising_agencies_un/#When:14:07:20Z Ann Arbor is a small, but extremely talented hotbed of interactive agencies, integrated marketing companies, graphic designers, strategic marketing firms, creative boutiques, SEO companies, and marketing consultants. But we don’t do a good job of helping one another. Actually, we’re terrible at it. It is a very competitive business, for certain. But those cities that have had national success have been able to accomplish a great deal through collaboration. Portland. Minneapolis. These are cities that have built creative Meccas around companies competing – but sharing along the way. When an entire region becomes known for something, it helps everyone – the big companies and the boutiques. Several companies (ours included) have been fortunate enough to create great work for high-profile clientele. Put us all together, and Ann Arbor has one heckuva stellar national resume. But it would be difficult for any major brand to add Ann Arbor or even the Detroit area into the conversation. First, I intend to look in the mirror. For too long, Phire has been fairly silent in the local advertising, design, and interactive communities. Frankly, we’ve been busy. But the only way for the entire area to rise up to national status of “must go” places for major pitches, we must all get along. Starting…now.   2009-05-20T14:07:20+00:00