Brand Building For 2022

Brand Building For 2022

by | Jan 4, 2022 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Sound ADvice, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

When you own and operate a business and you live and breathe it, often, it’s difficult to see when things change.  As they say, sometimes it’s hard to see the forest for the trees.

When is the last time you had a Brand Health Check-Up?

Only politicians can succeed without delivering on their promises, and only weather forecasters can make mistakes every day and still keep their jobs.

Unfortunately, you are neither, so you have to build your business and your brand by delivering on every promise and accurately forecasting how your customers prefer to be served and sold.

Some business owners mistakenly think that a brand is built simply around their business name, location, industry, employees, and their marketing. But your brand is the sum of everything your customers and prospects hear, see, feel, and experience when they do business with you.

Your brand is who you are, what you do, and how you do it!  Reputation management is an ongoing, continual task, and regular check-ups are necessary.

Brands are the sum of the impressions you create at every customer touchpoint; from your advertising to the way you answer your phone, the cleanliness of your buildings, vehicles, and bathrooms, your warranty and return policies, to the way you empower your staff to resolve customer conflicts.

Does your business need a health check? Do you have a clearly defined mission and is it evident at every customer touchpoint?

Click here for our free Brand Health Check to ensure that you are walking the talk.

The Power of Advertising Slogans

The Power of Advertising Slogans

by | Jan 14, 2020 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Sound ADvice, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

The Power of Slogans

“Just Do It!” 

“Melts in your mouth and not in your hands!”

“Nothing runs like a Deere!”

Having a strong slogan with a strong advertising campaign and schedule can propel a business to the top of their category much quicker than without a strong slogan.

Quick, when Hillary Clinton was running against Donald Trump, what was her campaign slogan?

In all likelihood, you either couldn’t name her slogan, or you named one of the following:

“Stronger Together”, “I’m with Her”, or “Love Trumps Hate”.

Now, what was Trump’s slogan? ”Make America Great Again”.  So why was Trump’s slogan better than Clinton’s? It had impact. Regardless of your political preference, at the time, it is what American voters were longing for.

Slogans aren’t just for big national companies.  In fact, because of their size and lack of competition, small and medium-sized businesses that create a strong slogan can have an even greater impact. 

Virtually every successful marketing campaign revolves around the consistent use of a clear benefit statement answering the question, “What’s in it for me?”

Sometimes a slogan is reinforced with music, we call that a jingle.  I’ve got one heating and cooling company that has been using the same memorable jingle for over 50 years.  Another company that I work with uses the slogan, On Time, Done Right, Or it’s Free.

Your slogan is an investment in your brand and your brand is how you are remembered by your customers and future customers.  Don’t try and duplicate your competition but set yourself apart.

Click here to learn how to create a slogan that will work for your marketing campaigns. And contact me to sit down and I’ll work with you to make sure we create a slogan that is unique for your company.

Email Scott@WOWO.com and we’ll set up a time to talk.

This weeks article about business marketing is taken from a recent Sound ADvice media and marketing tips newsletter that I email free to subscribers every Wednesday morning.  Sign up in the box below to get on our mailing list.

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Brand Health Check-Up

Brand Health Check-Up

by | Jan 7, 2020 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Sound ADvice, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

Brand Health Check-Up

When you own and operate a business and you live and breath it, often, it’s difficult to see when things change.  As they say, sometimes it’s hard to see the forest for the trees.

When is the last time you had a Brand Health Check-Up?

Only politicians can succeed without delivering on their promises, and only weather forecasters can make mistakes every day and still keep their jobs.

Unfortunately, you are neither, so you have to build your business and your brand by delivering on every promise and accurately forecasting how your customers prefer to be served and sold.

Some business owners mistakenly think that a brand is built simply around their business name, location, industry, employees and their paid marketing. But your brand is the sum of everything your customers and prospects hear, see, feel, and experience when they do business with you.

Your brand is who you are, what you do, and how you do it!  Reputation management is an on-going, continual task, and regular check-ups are necessary.

Brands are the sum of the impressions you create at every customer touchpoint; from your advertising to the way you answer your phone, the cleanliness of your buildings, vehicles, and bathrooms, your warranty and return policies, to the way you empower your staff to resolve customer conflicts.

Does your business need a health check? Do you have a clearly defined mission and is it evident at every customer touchpoint?

Click here for a free Brand Health Check to ensure that you are walking the talk. And reach out to me to set up a time for a more in-depth evaluation.  We’ll go through the checklist as a starter and dig deeper into the specifics that pertain to your business operation.  It’s one of my favorite things to do to help people and their businesses become more successful. 

Send me an email to Scott@WOWO.com and you can also subscribe to my weekly Sound ADvice Marketing Tips newsletter that is free to you and will arrive in your email inbox every Wednesday morning.  Just fill out the box below.

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Brand Building For 2022

The Mystery of Branding

by | May 7, 2019 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

The POWER of Brand Identity…Still the Most Important Thing!

Running a business 15 years ago was difficult enough.  With the advent of a New Media World, it became even more difficult and more competitive. First, it was the internet disrupting the Yellow Pages and print mediums.  Then Google overtaking Yahoo, Twitter yielded to Facebook, and now Facebook is taking a backseat to Instagram and Snapchat.  Mobile phones, blogs, podcasts, smart TV’s, Roku, Netflix, Amazon, and on and on and on it goes, where it’ll stop nobody knows! 

Do you realize that the what is currently the largest Social Media Network, wasn’t even open to the public 15 years ago?  September 2006, is when Facebook went from a student only social network to one that anyone 13 and older with a valid email address could join.

No wonder so many business owners are wondering what is next and how do they survive?  The old idea of building a name for yourself and promoting it seems to be forgotten.

Or is it?

This is the so-called Mystery of Branding that we’re going to talk about.

When it comes to running a business, a few things remain steadfast.  The businesses that run a clean business inside and out, offer an exemplary level of service, and are well known to the general public will not only survive, but they will thrive. 

The world’s largest advertisers, Proctor and Gamble, did the research for you.  Several years ago, they jumped into the digital/social world with both feet.  It didn’t take them long to learn they were losing “Brand Identity”.  Understanding that their “Brand” (e.g.  Tide, Crest, Bounty) was everything, caused them to re-think their marketing strategy, and as recently as last year, moved back to the traditional electronic media and in one year grew their sales and grew their brand awareness.  Without Brand Identity or Top of Mind Awareness, you have nothing!

Strategically, most online and mobile marketing kicks in after consumers have identified a need for your products and have begun to search for, or accept ads for, what you sell. Only 10% of adults will click on a paid internet ad and only 26% of the population even has Snapchat, compared to over 90% of adults being influenced by radio every week.

To hedge your bet as you stick your toes into new digital waters, you’ll want to build a strong awareness and preference for your brand BEFORE consumers begin their search or BEFORE they have a need and begin accepting your mobile or online ads.

While the internet has disrupted all media, the intrusive power of audio media and the emotional power of music and the human voice on radio remains the strong backbone of any successful digital campaign today.

Do you have Top of Mind Awareness?

Over the weekend, I saw a message from a friend who needed a plumber, asking for a recommendation. 

Now a plumber is not usually on your mind as you go through out your everyday activities, however when you need one, you really need one that you trust and that is why my friend was looking for recommendations.

I happen to have a client who does Heating and Plumbing so they were top of mind with me and got my recommendation.

This company advertises daily on my radio station, WOWO radio in Fort Wayne, Indiana and had branded themselves so that when I was asked, they came to mind without hesitation.  (My friend is also a WOWO listener, but in his frustration with his kitchen sink, not only was his drain clogged, his mind was clogged too!)

After I told him who to contact, he then went online to get their number.  That’s how the combination of branding on WOWO Radio and the convenience of the internet can work hand in hand.

If you would like to visit about how a strategic mix of broadcast to inspire and internet to inform can help grow your business, contact me.

Email Scott@ WOWO.com and we’ll set up a time to discuss how to take the mystery out of branding your business.

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The People Process

The People Process

by | Sep 9, 2018 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, ScLoHo's Fort Wayne, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

Ready to get rid of your staff and replace them with robots, apps, or some other form of technology? Hang on a second and let’s consider The People Process.

As usual, I get my ideas for the articles I write and podcast episodes I produce, from a number of sources.  Recently I read about an upcoming event I may attend, that will feature a discussion on The Robots After Your Job. This is part of a larger discussion group that will have future events.  In Fort Wayne it is hosted by a friend of mine, John Richards.

John and his wife Kim once owned a successful chain of local coffee shops, called Higher Grounds.  Among the most memorable conversations I had with John during his coffee shop days was his commitment to his craft.  Higher Grounds grew to multiple locations in Fort Wayne and dominated the local coffee shop scene for quite a while before Starbucks came to town.  They dominated simply due to the number of Higher Ground coffee shops they had along with their own roastery.  More than anyone else and yet here we are and the only sign of the Higher Grounds Coffee brand is in a few gas stations.

John’s commitment to his craft was an anti-Starbucks commitment.  Most people are unaware of how automated the process is at a Starbucks.  At Higher Grounds, John insisted that his barista’s learn how to “pull a shot”.  That is the process of brewing a shot of espresso that is used in most coffee shop drinks. John insisted that it was a skill worth learning instead of letting a machine do it by pushing a button.

While I appreciated John’s insistence and dedication, I recall challenging him to visit his different Higher Ground Coffee Shops and order a White Mocha, or what ever his favorite coffee drink was, and compare the taste.  I knew from experience that even though the Higher Grounds name was on my White Mocha coffee cup, the taste was different at each of his stores because of the slight differences that each barista would do in making my drink.

The commitment to individuals learning a skill was far from a standardize, automated process that could churn out the same beverage every single time.

As I mentioned, Higher Grounds Coffee Shops are no longer around, and it is for other reasons besides the story I just shared with you.  Businesses change for numerous reasons.  Starbucks did come to Fort Wayne and while they opened more stores than any other coffee shop in town, we still have a few fantastic local coffee shops I visit regularly.

Starbucks has learned one of the lessons of Ray Kroc when he was building the McDonald’s hamburger empire. Brand Consistency. Last year when I visited my son in South Carolina and my daughter in Colorado, Starbucks got my White Mocha Coffee money, because no matter which Starbucks I visited, my White Mocha tasted the same.

Let’s circle back to the topic I started this conversation with… The People Process.  While it’s true that automation and technology will continue to replace people’s jobs, it doesn’t mean people are not needed.  We just need people to help us differently than a few years ago.

Here’s a quote from the article I was reading:

Among jobs identified … as high risk for automation are cashiers, wait staff, office clerks, restaurant cooks, bus drivers, receptionists, construction labor, bookkeepers, accountants and auditors.

and here’s more:

Among the jobs at the least risk for automation are nursing assistants, home health aides, elementary school teachers, secondary school teachers, human resources specialists, registered nurses, management analysts, software developers, physicians and surgeons.

Even in those professions I just mentioned, there have been tremendous technology advances, so even if the job title sticks around, the actual work is changing.

When I look at the business world from my advertising and marketing perspective, I see how we as humans crave the ability to interact with other people at times. Some companies are doing a decent job of transitioning their staff from one task to a new one.  I visited one of the McDonald’s in my city where I placed my order from a kiosk instead of talking to someone behind her computer screen.  I can punch in my order as well as a paid order taker.  But here’s how the kept the People Process alive.  Instead of standing around waiting for them to call my number, I got to take a seat and the former order taker was now delivering my food to me with a smile.

When you incorporate technology advances in your business, keep in mind that there are somethings that will create a difference and make a lasting impression on your customers and the most valuable ones involve this People Process.

It’s part of your overall marketing.  Want help on sorting out what could be a good step forward versus a disastrous step into oblivion?   It’s part of the services I provide.  Let’s connect and talk.

PS:  After I wrote this, I discovered something else about the coffee business you can read here: https://medium.com/s/story/the-real-reason-coffee-at-starbucks-tastes-bitter-and-burned-b4ab8ab81919

PSS: And here’s a cool story on how some companies are successfully using apps: https://medium.com/marketing-and-entrepreneurship/10-examples-of-how-brands-are-using-chatbots-to-delight-customers-31ff9066b650