Planning. It seems like everything in life needs to have a plan. It applies to your finances, health, fitness, social life, nutrition, vacation, work day, business and oh yes, your marketing! Franklin Covey seems to have maximized this lifestyle pattern. If you don’t have a plan, chances are that you are not focusing your time, energy and other resources to attain the maximum results.

Now that 2006 is in full swing, it’s a perfect time to discuss your marketing plan (please say that you have one) and provide you with useful tips to strengthen your outline. Let’s kick it off where it all begins.

What is a brand? Is it a logo? Is it a company name? Is it an attitude? Well, actually, it’s all of these and more. Your brand should be an experience. Your brand should communicate what your product or service stands for, effectively and consistently, across all touch points.

The brand process is an internal and external analysis of your company that identifies core ideologies, logical identifiers and emotional connectors. This process includes facilitating internal and external dialogue; internal training; performing competitive and trend analysis; crafting a plan; developing creative and implementing the tactics. The end result of harmonizing internal and external ideals is the creation of communication strategies that inspire action.

A brand is a promise of intangible service and a predictable but exciting tangible experience. According to MediaCenter, a strong brand name provides a means for consumers to identify and differentiate products or services which promise certain benefits and create an emotional impact between the supplier and customer.

Branding provides a security of demand that the brand owner might not otherwise enjoy. In the short-term, companies may enjoy the same level of sales, economies of scale and perhaps premium price. However, over the long-term a non-branded business will not be able to rely on maintaining market share and volume.

There are five elements to building a brand which include the following:

Brand Position

• What does your organization do and for whom?
• What is your unique value?
• How would a customer benefit from working with you and your product or service?
• What differentiates you from your competition?

Brand Promise

• The single most important thing that the organization promises to deliver to its customers – EVERY time. Every business decision should be weighed against this promise to be sure that it a) reflects the promise or b) at the very least, it does not contradict the promise. Now in reality, EVERY time is a bar that requires perfection. Since none of us are perfect, the reality of a brand promise is the intent when 100% is not achieved.

Brand Personality

• Brand traits illustrate what the organization wants its brand to be known for. Consider specific personality traits for: prospects, clients, employees and partners to describe your organization. You should have four to six traits (five is ideal) each being a single term (usually an adjective).

Brand Story

• Illustrates the organization’s history, along with how the history adds value and credibility to the brand.
• Includes a summary of your product and services.

Brand Associations

• Should include the specific physical artifacts that make up the brand across all touch points.

• company name
• logo
• colors
• taglines
• fonts
• imagery
• copy

• Your brand associations must reflect:

• your brand promise
• ALL of your brand traits
• support your brand positioning statement

After you identify the five elements, the real key to longevity is consistency. It is the glue that holds everything together. Without consistency, brand awareness becomes impossible to achieve, regardless of your budget. Top consistency factors include:

Experience
Client interaction should communicate a parallel sensation to the brand experience.

Look-and-Feel
Extends to your logo, colors, typefaces, décor, web site, brochure, public relations, employee clothing and more.

Quality
Every experience must accomplish a certain level of quality.

Distinction
You must stand for something.

Repetition
Restate your premise over and over and over…

In today’s market, it is essential to create a brand plan answering the above with a focus on consistency. Branding is a process so it should be standard to revisit your brand elements and further define or redefine them as your business evolves. In order to establish regularity of deliverables, choose two to three key initiatives and conquer them. Quality is more important than quantity in generating the sustained presence and messaging necessary to build a brand.

Click Marketing Solutions can assist your business with its branding needs. Our process is turn-key for you. Get started. Begin making your impact today.

Making an impact and building a brand both begin with great design and for your company that starts with its logo. Why is a logo so important? Why do so much time, energy, psychology and effort go into it? Why is it such an investment?

A logo is your signature. It immediately communicates your company’s standards. It’s the distinct symbol that makes an indelible impression.

Logos are everywhere and more often than not, most of them are unmemorable. A well designed and planned logo rises above the competition. It sets the position and overall interpretation of your company. The impact of a logo can mean the difference between the success of your business or that of your competitor. So, if your logo were to be placed in a typical American shopping mall, would it stand out among the some 40,000 different logos and identities?

Logo Development
Developing your logo entails much more than the graphic itself. Logo development also includes the printing costs and design of collateral such as business cards, letterhead, brochures, web sites and fax cover sheets, as well as consideration of how each component (i.e. colors, font size and image details) will translate across other mediums.

Here are some of the steps involved in the logo design process:

Identification of Focus
What exactly does your company do? What does your service or product promise? The artistic quality of your logo should reflect the company’s brand elements and stand out in a crowd with a precise message.

Color
Successful designs take into consideration the psychology of color. It’s important to realize that every color conveys a meaning. Make sure that your logo clearly communicates your brand attributes. In addition to a color logo, a black and white version should be created too.

Mechanics
An ideal logo is unique yet simple. Elements such as line have meaning and should be considered in the process. For instance, curved lines suggest a caring and supportive specialty or business. Straight, sharp lines impart boldness, strength of character and security. Combining straight and curved lines conveys a supportive yet ambitious business.

Target Demographic
Geographic and psychographic considerations are critical. These include the cultures, lifestyles, interests, attitudes, gender and ages in a specific region. These elements directly correlate to and define your target audience. Once you identify the key hooks for each audience, develop a plan to translate them into your logo.

Longevity
What’s in today may not be in tomorrow. Therefore, a well designed logo is contemporary in style and can "stand the test of time" without requiring constant revisions. Line, shape, color and style are all critical components of a timeless design.

In your brand and marketing plan, once you identify the who, what, when, where, how and why of your business, your logo options should directly reflect those definitions.

Click Marketing Solutions is able to guide you through every step of the branding process, whether your company is just starting out or whether you’re ready to take your present business to the next level.

Like a logo, a web site can make an immediate and indelible impression. Establishing an online presence for your company provides instant access to a global audience, streamlines marketing expenses, decreases some traditional marketing collateral costs and provides an enriched user experience that can be communicated 24/7, usually without additional personnel. The internet continues to grow as the most popular source for personal and business information.

In fact, it is the fastest growing communications medium in the world. Over 972 million people worldwide have internet access. In North America alone, nearly 69% of the population is using the internet on a daily basis. In Europe, over 290 Million people are on the web, in Latin America and the Caribbean, over 79 Million people are on the web and there are nearly 365 Million people using the internet in Asia. During the 2005 holiday season (November-December), American internet spending rose 22%, to reach a total of $143.2 billion dollars. Additionally, Phoenix is one of the nation’s top cities for online connections.

In order to capture the local, national and global marketplace, web site development and other online tools should be factored into your marketing plan. While planning a web site, you must address questions such as: What is your goal? Is your purpose to deliver information, sell products, serve your customers, or to establish a presence?

Once you answer these questions, the framework for your web site will take shape. Your content quantity should be evaluated for categories and pages. The extent of content will determine the architecture of the site including pull down menus, forms, graphics, links, etc. Consumer behavior illustrates a preference for concise, yet thorough content, easy to navigate pages and clear page headers. Function outweighs fun and frills. So, as you evaluate your competitors’ and other fresh and interesting sites, make sure that you identify what is best for your brand, business and target audience to deliver a memorable and credible online experience.

Working with Click Marketing Solutions to establish your online identity will instantly advance you ahead of the competition. Click will assist you in maneuvering the murky waters of the complicated online legal field.

*Statistics retrieved from Internet World Stats, on January 30, 2006.

Speaking of murky waters, let’s chat about public relations. What is this anomaly? Is PR the same as advertising?


Public relations is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and understanding between an organization and its audience. In short, public relations utilizes the power of the media to communicate a message to a select or mass audience. Public relations is NOT advertising even though it is commonly and inappropriately referred to as such. In public relations, you cannot control the outcome. If that is your desire, advertising is your answer. However, if you have the patience and acumen to engage in public relations activities, then this marketing tactic is a sensational way to utilize mass or niche media to advance your business objectives. Before you start, understand that media coverage through public relations is a privilege and not a right.

Public relations initiatives involve many details and require a plan. The plan should include focused activities within your society’s calendar, your business objectives and your budget. PR ideally works in conjunction with your advertising and marketing/sales support programs to create a long-term cohesive initiative.

Let’s start with just one campaign. The first step in conceiving your campaign plan is determining whether your product or service is newsworthy, unique or useful. If you pass this step, then you need to develop media friendly tools to create a media kit. A media kit ideally gives the media everything necessary to determine if your story is legitimate for their outlet. Media kits are typically comprised of a press release, bio(s), a company fact sheet, a FAQ’s sheet, photographs, product samples and other pertinent details. Do not scrimp on the details or their quality. If your facts are not in order, then your story probably will not be told. If your supporting materials, such as photographs, are substandard, your story will not be visually represented. Remember, your job is to provide the media with what THEY want. If it is all about what you want – advertise.

Next you need a list of entities with whom to share your story. These lists can be found in the general domain but frankly require an excess amount of time to collect. Depending on the scope of your campaign and the complication of your message, now is probably a good time to team up with a media relations firm. Most firms subscribe to media lists that can provide the details your campaign needs. Please note that these lists are quite expensive and therefore you should not expect a firm to disclose the details of them.

Now it comes time to accommodate your story to your list. You must identify what angles are the most appropriate for each media outlet to coincide with their editorial calendars. Once you do so, you need to implement your plan within a timeframe that provides you the most possible coverage and meets the editorial calendar guidelines (it doesn’t always necessarily need to).

At this point, your coverage expectations must be realistic. Public relations initiatives can happen overnight, but in reality, the sustained series of efforts generates results over time, generally over several months. The key is to have accurate information, a well spoken representative(s) and to be prepared! Therefore, please expect last-minute requests. If you are not willing to work with the media or you treat their request as a nuisance, then, you guessed it – advertise.

Remember, PR is a privilege and not a right. There are no guarantees that your story will print or air. Editors and producers have the right to modify schedules. Remain prepared, patient and persistent and your efforts should pay off- and can do so on a grand scale.

Click has secured over $2.5 million in local and national public relations value for its clients. Contact us about promoting your business through the consumer’s choice for credible company information.

As a subset of public relations, events are viable vehicles to tell your story. Even the grandest project depends on the success of the smallest components, or more colloquially speaking; the Devil is in the details. Many individuals take the do-it-yourself approach to event planning without realizing the considerable amounts of time, communication and infinite minutiae behind a successful event. The most successful, not to mention the least stressful, events are planned and managed by a professional.

The following are some basic, yet fundamental questions that will need consideration:

• What is the event purpose?
• What is the theme?
• What date and time should the event take place? When selecting a date and time, be sure to consider other conflicting events (i.e.: popular vacation times, high profile cultural happenings and religious holidays) that may hinder participation.
• What mood do you want to convey?
• What impressions do you want to make?
• What will it spotlight?
• Where will you host it?
• Who will you invite and how?
• When will it be held?
• What is your budget?
• What type of decorations will you have?
• What food and beverage will you provide?

With your pen poised to lay the foundation, the next series of questions delve into areas that create the most memorable highlights:

Entertainment and Venue

• Will you have a speaker or entertainer? Identify and book that entity as soon as you can.
• Consider creating a calendar with deadlines leading up to the event and the names of people responsible for each part of each phase.
• Define your audience. Make a list of people/organizations you would like to invite to the event.
• What venue best reflects your brand on an aesthetic and customer service level?
• Does the location have adequate space to host your event, including parking?

Food and Beverage

• Will your event be catered by the venue or will you need to bring in a caterer?
• Are there any health department issues that need to be taken into consideration?
• Check if outside food is allowed (if you are providing food from outside the venue).
• Is it possible to bring in donated food and beverages?

A/V and Lighting Needs

• Check to see if the facility is equipped with everything you need if you have a speaker or entertainer, including A/V.
• Make sure the area is lit enough for the speaker as well as the guests.

Of course there are other elements involved in a great event, but then again, that is where Click is essential to your event planning needs. We maintain a schedule of local events in which to incorporate our clients and to reference when planning events. Contact us about how to make your next event a success.

Are you community oriented? Please check out these events:

The 2006 American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure sponsored by Gold’s Gym. The Tour de Cure is a series of cycling events held in more than 80 cities nationwide to benefit the American Diabetes Association. The Tour is a ride, not a race, with routes designed for everyone from the occasional rider to the experienced cyclist.

Join the Gold’s Gym AZ Team for this year’s ride on March 25th. Gold’s Gym members who register as riders will receive free spinning classes for the length of their membership or one month’s free dues. Non-members will receive a free pass, valid until the day of the ride.

Even if you don’t ride, you can support the fundraising efforts by purchasing a jersey for $1 and/or an actual ride jersey for only $39.99. Both are available at all five Valley Gold’s Gyms. More information is available by calling 1-888-GOLDS-15, http://tour.diabetes.org or by calling the Tour de Cure hotline at 602.861.4731.

Are you ready for your 15 minutes of fame? Mark your calendars for the May 6th 2006 SMoCA Benefit: “Everything Warhol.” This fundraiser will take place at the hip Hotel Valley Ho. Details online at http://www.smoca.org/special_events_getsmart.php.

As the nation’s fifth largest city, Phoenix is one of the fastest growing metropolises in the country. According to Nielsen Media Research, the Phoenix/Prescott area reaches nearly 4.3 million people in the Phoenix Designated Market Area (DMA). A DMA is used to quantify and identify the area/reach in which local broadcast networks reach viewers (this does not include cable or satellite). To put our growth in perspective, the Phoenix DMA was ranked #17 in 2000 and in less then six years it has moved up to #14 in the rankings – and we’re still growing.

Why is this important?

Media outlets use their DMA to set local and national advertising rates. In Phoenix, the closer we move to the #1 DMA ranking, the higher the advertising rates. The bottom line is the more households a media outlet reaches, the more they can charge for advertising rates. But, with growth also comes change.

In the November 2005 Neilsen ratings period, local television viewing habits shifted. PUTs (people using television) are at the lowest points they have been at in years. This means that fewer people are watching television. In the Phoenix DMA, the once dominating KTVK (News Channel 3) saw dramatic losses in viewership, whereas ABC (Channel 15) has seen huge increases. In fact, in the November 2005 ratings sweeps, ABC had its best ratings since the year 2000. “Desperate Housewives” on ABC, was the highest rated program by women ages 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54. The NFL on CBS was the top rated program by men, ages 18-34, 18-49, and 25-54.

So, logically you have to ask, where have all the viewers gone?

Internet Trends
For many, the morning paper and the evening news have been replaced by the internet. Readily available and easily accessible, the internet appeals to a wide demographic.

• As of June 2005, 1,829,500 Valley residents own a home computer.
• Phoenicians spend an average of 9.1 hours on the internet per week.

As we enter the wireless age, information and entertainment are easy to access, regardless of location, via Wi-fi, mobile media players, cell phones and PDA’s.

Radio Trends
Radio usage is up 2.9 % with 2,938,500 listeners in the Valley; the highest it has been in the past three years according to the Fall 2005 Arbitron Survey, which covers Maricopa County.

Current trending shifts in the Fall 2005 Arbitron Survey:

• In the 18-34 age group, Spanish language KHOT 105.9 ranks #1 with adult men and women for the first time in over a year. Rock based stations with this group are losing shares.
• For the 18-49 age group, Spanish stations place two of the top three stations, with KHOT 105.9 being #1. Country had two top seven stations in this age group, a first since the summer of 2003.
• The 25-54 age groups, has seen four of the top five stations losing shares from the summer survey. KEZ 99.9 grabs the top spot for the fourth time in the last six years due to a gain in female listeners.

What are we watching for in the Winter 2006 Arbitron Survey? Here’s a snapshot:

• Status of the new morning shows on KISS 104.7, Power 92.3 and the Zone 101.5
• Listener’s response to the Zone’s format change
• KHOT’s ability to retain its #1 ranking

Direct Mail
In 2005, direct mail marketing grew almost 6% last year, resulting in 100 billion pieces mailed. In 2006, where will this medium stand? January 8th marked a two cent postal increase which correlates nicely with the approximate 8% increase in paper costs. Needless to say, the dynamics of this tactic are changing. One shining star in the direct mail family is the use of variable data printing (VDP). Variable data printing utilizes templates that reside on a digital press that link to a database. During the printing process, each piece comes off the press with personalized information from the database. Campaigns implementing accurate and extensive variable data have shown increases up to 38%.

In order to embrace the power of variable data, you must have a database system that captures your client’s information including lifestyle preferences. For instance, if you know that Client X likes Product A, then appeal to that preference in your message. Consumers tend to do business with people who take the time to know them. Research also shows that consumers are 55% more likely to pick up a piece of full-color material vs. B&W, and have an 80% better retention rate in regard to full-color material.

As an online alternative to direct mail, direct e-mail campaigns (sent only to individuals who provide written opt-in permission) are on the rise. Again, the internet is ruffling its feathers in this medium to benefit client relationships and dramatically drive advertising ROI.

If you would like to learn more about variable data and creating an e-mail campaign that is CANSPAM compliant, give Click Marketing Solutions a call.

Media Trends
Here are the latest updates and questions that deserve consideration:

• What impact will the COX buy out of Cable America’s 35,000 subscription-based customers in the Phoenix area have on the market?
• What impact will the SBC/AT&T merger mean to Valley residents and businesses?
• What surprises will the February sweeps bring?
• How will increased postage and paper costs impact direct mail marketing?
• What cross-over media will Hispanics engage in?

As always if you would like to learn more about local and national advertising, and where to best utilize those dollars, contact Click Marketing Solutions.

Even with the decline in PUT’s, the most commanding media vehicle remains television advertising. The :30 commercial captures a viewer’s emotions and senses like no other. In order to implement an advertising campaign, product support services must be factored into the budget and overall delivery. Here are some tips for writing a :30 spot:

• Keep it simple; short, sweet, and concise
• Don’t expect champagne style on a beer budget
• People relate to other people, so use people that represent your product or image
• Include your call to action Stick to your :30 second time frame or it will not air
• Make sure your audio and video match
• Aim for consistency, i.e. jingle, fonts, announcer, colors, etc.
• With lists or complicated details, use graphics to save you precious seconds
• Include your contact information, such as address, phone numbers and websites
• Include information about production timelines. When producing a commercial, it can easily take up to 2-3 weeks for conceptualizing, script writing, rewrites, filming, editing, voiceovers, reshoots if needed, and the addition of logos and graphics. Do not short-change the process
• Hire professionals, from production staff to talent

Click Marketing Solutions has written, produced and cast numerous TV and radio commercials for companies like Qwest, Wendy’s, etc. Contact us for assistance on your next campaign.