Yes - We're Alive! It's True!

Big News at Tractor Beam Marketing!

Business is like a box of chocolates. You buy it, put it on the counter, and someone comes along and picks out all the good ones before you get a chance. (We love the square caramel ones...and the nuts...Mmm!)

Well okay, maybe it's not quite like that (unless that somehow made sense?). But one thing is for sure; things have a way of unpredictably changing. As most business people would know, the trick is adapting, adjusting and learning to bend the change so it works to your advantage.

You may have noticed we've been a little silent lately. It's actually been WAYYYYY too long, and for that we apologize. And yes - as you may have suspected, change is in the air (someone's been picking out the chocolates). After spending more than a year doing public speaking, online training and marketing consultation, we made some major adjustments in the past several months which introduced a part of our business which we had previously suspended. 

We re-introduced our web development & full branding design services, which has kept us very busy. And early in 2011, our biggest change occurred when Jake Bergen, our Marketing Director (he was a chocolate covered nut, we're quite certain), took on a reduced role in stepping away from Tractor Beam. Currently, Jake periodically resumes his role to act on a consulting basis for various clients.

Microtek Corporation Meets the Tractor Beam


James Rozak, the Creative Director at Tractor Beam has carried on with the program, and recently, a new alliance has been established. Tractor Beam has joined it's creative services with another local web development business, Microtek Corporation! The new alliance lends the marketing & branding talents of Tractor Beam Marketing with the incredibly gifted programmers of Microtek Corporation. Microtek Corporation is a well established business with a long successful track record of web services, with the capability to develop virtually anything imaginable for the internet.

James has long been associated with Microtek Corporation throughout the past 10 years, and the decision to act as the Creative Manager for Microtek was an easy fit. So standby for further updates as we bring further announcements regarding Microtek and Tractor Beam. James is currently working with the Microtek team to revamp their website and branding presence. We're looking forward to showing off the new website soon!

We have some more exciting news coming soon!

Video Quality... In Case You Were Wondering

I recently received an email from my friend and videographer Michel Gravel of Onstar Videobox Studios regarding the atrocious audio and video quality of my recent video blogs... he is right, the quality kinda sucked and I knew that before I posted them. But in case you are picky about video quality and were wondering, I posted the videos for content and entertainment sake and not as a display of quality video.

Based on the feedback I have received, I think that I succeeded in that.

On the internet, the generally accepted vlogging (video blogging) style is typically not very professional, but a more 'capture what you can' style. I have seen more closet doors than Home Depot carries as I watch lot of video blogs out there. However, to borrow the expression, "the best camera is the one you have with you". I did note on some of the descriptions of the videos that I was doing the best I could with what I had, something I say frequently and thought I'd put into practice.

Basically I am just playing around with vlogging, and someday the quality might even get OK thanks to 1) experience, 2) better gear, and 3) tips like the ones Michel gave me.

I generally take the road of striving for perfection, as I think is evident in the quality of web work we do, but my resources were limited. I just wanted to try and do... something... anything really. Again, I had some good feedback; crummy audio and video aside. I threw caution to the wind, and I hope people take the vlogs for what they are and not for what they could have been had I possessed better resources. Maybe someday I can go back and do it again with better equipment.

So those are my excuses for what they are worth. If you hate the videos, sorry. If you didn't mind them, I hope they at least made you smile and you got some good information from the lovely people I interviewed!

Rob, Tara and Roxanne were awesome; and if you are in Hawaii, you are fortunate to have such excellent folks on your islands. If you are in the Vancouver area, Onstar Videobox is a good option if you need professional video.

And that's about all I have to say about that.

-Jake

Tractor Beam TV Episode #5 - Aloha w/ Roxanne Darling

http://www.thetractorbeam.com - Tractor Beam Marketing's Jake Bergen is once again on location at Kaka'ako Park in Honolulu, Hawaii! In this episode we interview social media and internet video powerhouse Roxanne Darling, of Bare Feet Studios http://www.barefeetstudios.com and 'Beach Walks with Rox', an online TV show with over 750 episodes http://www.beachwalks.tv!

Roxanne is also an early and founding member of Social Media Club (#SMC) http://socialmediaclub.org, a worldwide organization promoting the use and best practices of Social Media globally. She is also the founder of Social Media Club Hawaii http://smchawaii.org, a mover and shaker in all forms Social Media, an all-round awesome lady and someone we can all learn from!

Special thanks to Tara Coomans, Rob Bertholf, Roxanne and #SMCHI (Social Media Club Hawaii), as well as Aaron Buchholz for letting us use the song 'Beautiful Thing'! Buy his music on iTunes at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/aaron-buchholz/id367332103

© Tractor Beam Marketing Inc.

Social Media: The Next Wave, Part 1

While many companies are still trying to figure out their place in the technological world with issues like getting a website; there are those that have established that it is not enough to just be online, but because of the sheer volume of information, their business must be easy to find. This has led to a new and rather large ‘cottage industry’ called SEO, or Search Engine Optimization.

There are a lot of self-professed SEO experts out there, and it is a bit of a black art. Care should be taken to hire someone who can prove that their Search Engine Optimization skills are legitimate. 

For example, I recently had the opportunity to interview SEO and Social Media expert Rob Bertholf (click here to watch the interview), who shows up in the top of the organic search results for ‘Search Engine Optimization Expert’ on Google. He has spoken at DrupalCon in San Fransisco, and regularly lectures at the University of Hawaii on SEO and Social Media. To borrow the colloquialism, the proof is in the pudding. I’d hire someone like him because he obviously knows his stuff.

Then there are people like me. I know what needs to be accomplished from a strategic standpoint; but if you asked me to sit at a computer and write lines of code, you would definitely be getting the wrong guy.

However, this is not an article on SEO. I wanted to drop in a morsel about it, but don’t have the room in this column to go into things like organic search results. So we will move on, but it is something we can come back to on another day if you so desire.

Next, there are companies who have realized that there are other tools beyond the website. Social Media networks provide avenues that are inexpensive and can provide powerful exposure. These companies have taken the next step and are using platforms like blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube to accomplish heightened awareness of their brand and promote their products and services.

Beyond that, they are building more solid relationships with consumers and have entirely new avenues of market research and word-of-mouth advertising available to them. Social Media has often been called “word-of-mouth on speed”, and that is a pretty accurate description.

At each end of the technology spectrum, there are those who are cutting-edge early adopters; and there are those who are forever playing catch-up, or avoiding new technology altogether until the world has so bypassed them that it is almost impossible to catch up.

Chances are that the person who is getting left behind will never be the sort to figure out these new tools on their own, or may not have much interest in technology at all. If you are in this category, you ought to be interested in the benefits that increased word-of-mouth and consumer advocacy can bring to your business.

I encourage you to hire someone fluent in the business aspects of Social Media to help you. It may just save you from sitting in the dust.

As is common with my articles, I have spent a little time giving a bit of background on the topic; and am running out of space. Next week we will pick up where we left off, and will dive into the next wave of Social Media tools. These are tools that you ought to be aware of because they may impact your business whether you like it or not.

Stay tuned...

Jake Bergen is the Marketing Director at Tractor Beam Marketing, newspaper columnist, the author of the eBook ‘Social Skills: Facebook Basics for Business’, and the founder of Social Media Club Edmonton. All articles on this blog are © Tractor Beam Marketing Inc; but if you enjoyed this article please share it!

Re-Branding? Fear Not!

Based on some immediate feedback, I’ll follow up my last blog with some help in the rebranding category. Rebranding can be a really daunting thought. After years of building up a business, an owner most often feels that his company name and corporate logo are irrevocably linked to their venture. Rebranding can almost feel like you’re starting over and undoing years of effort and investment. The barriers to rebranding are obvious: cost, fear of change, history, uncertainty of customer confusion and backlash, and plain lack of understanding of the benefit. 

In most cases, re-branding isn’t something a company would think to do unless they are finding their business is struggling, their business model has shifted, or they are proactively adapting to changing marketing trends to stay relevant.

The key phrase in this is “staying relevant”. That really is the main reason you would rebrand. Why is staying relevant important? Because over the course of time, markets change. And so does your business.  

This is where some basic initial steps need to be taken. 

1. Why are you Rebranding?
   This is important. Rebranding just because you’re tired of your corporate colors is not a good reason. This must be a strategic manoeuvre and you need a plan. It will affect positioning in the marketplace. The goal is to IMPROVE your branding, but based on what failure and/or shortcoming? Are you starting to feel "old school" and outdated? Did you never really develop a branding and marketing strategy in the first place? Are you just not getting the business results you anticipated? Are you getting swallowed up by competition? Do you feel invisible? 
   
   If you have a strong brand, you may just want to do like you would to an already good house; you might just apply some new paint and do some renovations. It may not mean sweeping changes, but instead just making sure you are not neglecting basic branding principles, such as brand consistency. It may mean re-assessing your marketing direction and tweaking your visual brand to appeal to your true target market. But you do need to know why you are wanting to redevelop your brand. 
2. Do Your Homework
   If you are going to rebrand, this is an important time to rediscover your personal company vision, your goals, dreams, values and how it bleeds through every aspect of your business. After all, you are in adjustment mode. The essence of your brand is not isolated to your logo; it encompasses everything which you present to the public market. That includes everything from your logo and marketing materials, to the way you and your staff smile and greet your customers.
   
   To rebrand is to understand your target market. And to understand your target market is to understand your products and services. You need information to effectively brand your company. If you are rebranding – do this. You must do this.  
   
   
3. Brand Equity
   If you’ve been in business for a period of time, there is obviously a degree of name brand recognition you would have developed. That is brand equity – ground which you have gained through brand recognition. If you’ve gained enormous brand equity, you’ll need to be more careful and strategic because your brand is worth more. However, if your reach is limited to a smaller market, you really don’t have as much to risk.
   
   Don’t build a false picture of yourself. If you are rebranding because you feel you aren’t reaching your target market, don’t focus on the risk of losing customers through rebranding. Focus on how many you will gain.
   
   
4. Seek Good (Professional) Advice.
   Often a rebrand is the result of poor branding in the first place. In fact, some people don’t even know what branding is. So they may know enough to recognize what they have isn’t good, but if they don’t know what branding really is…how are they going to improve it? If you aren’t improving yourself, don’t rebrand.
   
   Finding a good, solid marketing firm is a good idea when you are rebranding. (if you are looking for a marketing expert to help, we may be able to help refer you – or – if you are a marketing professional and want to be part of our referral network, please contact us!)
   
   
5. Should You Rename Your Company Brand?
   This can be scary, but it can be necessary. Remember, you are trying to (a) strengthen your brand and (b) become more relevant to your identified target market. Sometimes we miss reaching our target by having the wrong name.
   
   As an example, have you heard of the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company? No? How about 3M? The company started with that long name which probably made sense in its beginning. Located in Minnesota, they were a mining and manufacturing company. But as they evolved, the items which they manufactured no longer reflected their business or their products. They are known now for everything from scotch tape to post-it sticky notes.
   
   So notice how they rebranded their name. It makes sense. They maintained some heritage by taking the letter “M” from the three descriptive words in their company name and condensed it to 3M. So simple, and yet meaningful to them. No more confusion about what they did; they were now able to employ a branding strategy to give definition to an otherwise meaningless company name. What is a “3M”? Well, that is the benefit of rebranding. They could create your impression of what they did.
   
   Imagine if they didn’t rebrand their name. They would now be constantly trying to explain what they did. It would probably cost them loads of advertising expenditures trying to work with a name that totally mislead their customers. Not only that, but how many people would automatically overlook their business thinking “they don’t have what I want”.
   
   It is often beneficial to remove any inference to a specific product or service from your name, unless you intend to specifically focus your business on one area. If your business is a plumbing business and nothing else…then it’s okay. But if you have any intention or distant thoughts of expanding into electrical work, then why tie your brand specifically to plumbing?
   
   
6. Taglines or Slogans are Helpful!
   Often a company will develop a tagline to their company name. Taglines are little phrases which often accompany a logo that help position or describe what a company does. Bigger brands which have substantial brand equity don’t need to be too specific with their taglines. Nike says “Just Do It”. Kentucky Fried Chicken says “Finger Lickin’ Good”. Those taglines don’t say much.
   
   But let’s take a janitorial and cleaning business called “Cleaning Extraordinaire”. They make it clear in their tagline that they aren’t cleaning cars. The company’s tagline is simply “Exceptional Janitorial Services”. Or what about a little company that sells toothpaste, “Crest: Healthy Looking, Beautiful Smiles for Life”. Crest means nothing, but the tagline fills in some gaps.
   
   One of the beautiful things about taglines: they can easily be changed without having to do a major rebrand. So if you find the right name and logo brand, the tagline can be modified without much cost or confusion. Your tagline could contain the descriptive text which explains what you do. Even so, you still need to be smart about it so you aren't constantly changing it. Consistency is strength.
   
   
7. If Your Going to Do it, DO IT!
   Making a decision to rebrand cannot be half-hearted. If you decide to rebrand, but have one foot in and one foot out through the process…I say don’t bother. You’ll end up doing damage by confusing people about who you are and what you’re doing. If you're going to rebrand, throw out the old business cards, strip the old decals off the trucks, get rid of the old brochures. Don’t leave a mixed message; step into the new.
   
   That means you will need to be prepared to budget and plan. Rebranding will cost time and money. But this is a core business strategy which, if understood and invested in, can take your business in a new, exciting and profitable direction.
   
   
8. When You Rebrand…Make a BIG DEAL ABOUT IT.
   Don’t be afraid to go all out from the gate. You need to go into “education” mode through the transition. Especially if you do a major brand change, you need to help people know what happened to your brand, and make it an exciting, progressive sounding change for your business. We often refer to these as “Launches” to imply it being an exciting “take off”.

In the end, you need to decide what will help your business. But one of the more prevalent complaints from business owners revolves around marketing issues. Your product may be good and fine. But if your marketing is failing, perhaps you need to take a deeper look. It might be a simple as understanding the difference that a smile or a scowl can make to a persons face.

by JAMES ROZAK, Creative Director @ Tractor Beam Marketing

  

Norma Jean or Marilyn Monroe: What's in a Name?

I’m the kind of guy who struggles to remember names. It’s something I’m working on, but I find that sometimes when I’m in the midst of introductions, my mind is already working on what I’m going to say next and I miss the whole “name exchange” thing. It's lame. I'm working on it. 

But hey, you quickly realize that names are kind of important. "Hey you!" only goes so far. And so far as branding goes, I think often the selection of a strong business name is often completely overlooked for the impact it has. After all, all you need is a good logo and the name doesn’t really matter. Right? And hey, it’s all about your products and services in the end anyways. Right? Hmm.

Gotta admit, Yahoo! is a pretty good idea for a name. Google too. Why do we put so much consideration into naming our children? Because we know some names sound better than others, and it will stick with them a lifetime. Now, consider the big stage of Hollywood. Somehow, the headline act of "Wilbur Stinkleweed" doesn't really fit the bill. Why do so many stars take on "stage names"? Well, "Reginald Dwight" singing "Candle in the Wind" doesn't have the same ring as "Elton John". "Norma Jean" sounds more like a small town, farm girl than a movie star. But "Marilyn Monroe"? Different appeal. Hollywood is built on imagery. Everything from the names of the actors and actresses to the names of the films; the name can make or break a career. 

 

I realize some people would be reading this thinking, “I’ve already named my business!”, or “I’ve had this business name for 10 years already!”. Well, that would bring up the issue re-branding. Let’s call that a topic for another day. But what it can come down to is: how does a name strengthen or weaken the effectiveness of a brand? If you are starting a new business or if your brand isn’t working anyways, then maybe this will be good and timely advice for you.

What’s in a name? Well, here are just a few points that you might consider.

1. The Generic Name: Oh, for the companies who go the generic route. Sometime companies feel the need to sound “broad” because they don’t want to pigeon hole themselves by their brand name. After all, what if you expand? So they use names like “National”, “General”, “Standard”, etc. A name like “General Foods” says nothing about the company, nor is it memorable. 

   You might think of some companies with names with ‘General’ in it, and they may have done pretty good (General Electric, General Motors, etc). But you won’t find very many new brands (like, in the last 25 years) that built up with names like that.  

   Kraft Foods is a great example. They’ve endured numerous mergers and brandname adjustments. But through all of it, they keep simplifying their brand. At one time, they were “National Dairy”. Pretty descriptive, hey? They figured out they needed something more distinctive. They changed to “Kraftco Corporation”, only to simplify years later to “Kraft,Inc”. Through another series of mergers and changes (Dart & Kraft), they ended up as “Kraft General Foods”. Still, the power of their brand is not in the generic, but in a identifiable name. Hence, they further reduced to Kraft Foods.  The power of their brand is in the name “Kraft”, not "General". Which is stronger: “Kraft Foods” or “General Foods”? 

   Which is more memorable: “Video Rental Station” or “Blockbuster”? How about a “Photo Copying Machine” or a “Xerox”?  "Search Engine" or "Google"?

2. Creativity Helps: What exactly is a Pepsi? Names don’t have to mean anything. What is a Google? What is a Starbuck? What is a Kleenex? Business owners are often worried about choosing a company name that clearly describes their business or product. When you do that, you often default to the standard, generic terms which are neither unique or memorable.

   “Joe’s Mechanic & Small Damage Repair Shop”. Hmm. Clever. People will definitely know what Joe does. But can you be more creative? I’m just throwing this off the top of my head while making this, so this might be lame. But, I’d sooner name it “Jiffy Joes”. It’s short and sweet. You might even just make up a word "GASP!". Sure! Why not? (don't be afraid to do some research and get feedback from people you know; market research is cool).

   Now if you are really good and creative, you might find a way to build a brand name which creates a new category. Tissue paper isn’t just tissue paper anymore; the Kleenex brand made sure of it. So did Xerox for photo copying.
   
   

3. Domain Friendly: At one time, people thought it was brilliant to jump all over generic, all encompassing domain names. I mean, surely if someone wanted a car, they would look up www.cars.com, right? But don’t you suppose that, if someone wanted a car, their thoughts might be brand oriented? Think about it: if you were searching for a car online, would you be more likely to visit cars.com or Toyota.com? The brand name rules. Be creative. We are brand oriented.
   
   So a generic, poorly named brand does not translate well into a domain name. When choosing a business name, consider the domain name.  You might also do some searching for domain name availability before you settle on a name. It can be that important, depending on your business.
   
   

4. Marketing & Branding Give Definition: Once you have your name, don't worry if it's not completely descriptive. That is what marketing and branding bring to your name. Afterall, the name is just a name. Just like a person's name; what is a James? What is a Sarah? What is a Bob? Well, it's a person. But you add the definition through the your personality, experiences, tastes, character, etc. That's branding. 

   
   

   
   So what about your business name? You define that by your marketing strategy. A name becomes a logo, becomes a business card, becomes a website and suddenly the memorable name begins to stick and stand for something. It's by design. So what is your company name? Is it memorable? What does it represent? 

   Welcome to the world of branding. 

   
   

by JAMES ROZAK, Creative Director @ Tractor Beam Marketing

Enter the Blogosphere - Getting a blog online.

Continued from yesterday... if you would like to read the previous post click here.

If you don’t yet have a blog, some good blogging platforms to check out are:

WordPress: The darling of the blogosphere, WordPress features two versions; WordPress.com and WordPress.org. Though built on the same platform; WordPress.com offers free and ready-made templates, while WordPress.org supplies a great deal of customization features and website integration. If you are going to go the .ORG route, you better know how to do a little programming, or hire someone who does. Both versions offer good SEO (Search Engine Optimization) options.

Blogger: After Google acquired Blogspot, the name was shortened to Blogger. The great thing about Blogger is that it is very highly searchable and Google-friendly. It is also very easy to get started and easy to monetize (make money) with Google AdSense features built in (if you want Google ads on your blog). The less appealing part is that Blogger’s templates are very generic and limited. Both Wordpress.com and Blogger are great options for beginning bloggers.

TypePad or Movable Type: Solid blogging platforms from parent company Six Apart, and like WordPress, both versions are built on the same platform. TypePad is targeted at a less technical market, and does not allow the customization that Movable Type does. Movable Type requires some technical skills.

Tumblr: A relative newcomer compared to the other blog services; Tumblr is easy to use, progressive, the hippest and best looking of the free platforms. Tumblr is also optimized for mobile phone use, is designed to be part of the newer social media experience and has some good customizability. It is is designed more for the social aspect of the web and has yet to truly target businesses.

Each of these services provide templates that you can use and somewhat personalize. But if you want a customized look consistent with your website or have your blog integrated into your site, hire a web developer who can take care of that for you. You have a business to run, and any project you take on should compliment your business and not take you away from it.

Check them out, you will likely discover the one that is right for you.

Today's post by Jake Bergen. All posts on this blog © Tractor Beam Marketing Inc. You can share our stuff all you like, just give us the credit! Thanks.

Enter the Blogosphere

If you are thinking of becoming a blogger or are frustrated with your blogging efforts; here are a few blogging basics that may help you decide whether blogging is really for you, or how you can improve your presence in the blogosphere.

Before you get started; do you like writing? Do you have something valuable to say? Can you get an employee or colleague to help you with your blogging efforts? Can you be consistent? These are all questions you should answer before diving in, because it is a time commitment; but can be a very rewarding one if executed correctly.

Engaging your readers by providing valuable content related to your industry will build trust, as well as your reputation as an expert in your field. Write not only about what you do, but add information relevant to the needs in the lives of you target audience. For example, if you sell beachwear, you might want to include things like travel tips and sunscreen reviews in your blog posts. Don’t make an endless sales pitch.

Just because you avoid the endless sales pitch doesn’t mean that you can’t sell your company a little bit. I have read a number of blogging ‘experts’ who say “don’t sell” period. But this is your company, your livelihood, and the people who follow you know that. It is perfectly acceptable for you to communicate current events in your company, product launches or concerns that need to be addressed to the general public. But sprinkle it in amongst your other valuable content.

Comments are a valuable tool. It is nice to have a commenter like what you do and stroke your ego, but critical comments can be a big opportunity for others to see how well you handle yourself in a less-than-ideal situation. If you manage the objection well, you have the opportunity to win them over. Even if they don’t agree with you, they will undoubtedly respect you for the way you handled their input; and others will respect you as well. Respond personally to comments.

Be regular! And no, that is not a laxative promotion. Regularly updated blogs rank well in search engines and give your clients and prospects a reason to keep coming back. Months between posts make a blog feel like it is abandoned, and abandoned is a feeling that you don’t want your customers to get from you.

Tomorrow’s post will cover a few of the best blogging platforms...

Today's post by Jake Bergen. All posts on this blog © Tractor Beam Marketing Inc. You can share our stuff all you like, just give us the credit! Thanks.

Positive Branding : Consistency

A key dynamic in branding is consistency. Creating an expected experience which you strategically define.  

Marketing is identifying, engaging and connecting with people who either have the “ability” or “desire” to purchase your product or service.

Branding is the act of how you present yourself to your identified market.

........................................................................................................................

In my last blog, I used “you” as an example of a brand. You are the CEO of your life, responsible for looking inwardly to choose and create your personal approach, attitude, character, mood and personality in the way you intend to approach people around you (or, your market). You create the “atmosphere” which will condition the inside operation of your company. This is the foundation of your “brand”, for essentially, your brand becomes your reputation. People will know you by your reputation. Try separating your reputation from your brand. It doesn’t work.  

When speaking of “branding”, one of the terms often used is “consistency”. In the traditional perspective of ‘Brand = Logo’, consistency is very important. It is a shame to see a company with no continuity between color, typography, and style when comparing business cards, letterhead, brochures, and all other marketing materials. It is completely self-defeating to a visual brand.

But the subject of consistency really starts long before the logo is designed. It is something that is cultivated into the entire fabric of a company. People might see you outwardly wearing whatever style of clothing you choose; but the outside is merely indicative of what is happening internally. I don't care how nice your clothes are; if your attitude stinks, your brand fails. If YOU are a brand, do people consistently see you as “kind” and “responsible”? Are you one of those moody, unpredictable people? If you polled a group of people, what would the common reaction to your personal “brand” be? Arrogant or humble? Shy or outgoing? Negative or positive? Confrontational or approachable? What defines you is what you are consistent in presenting to people around you. 

So what happens if (heaven forbid!) you try being consistently NICE to people? *GASP!* What if you are always friendly, generous, approachable, and reliable? Do you think that you might find you have more influence, more friends, and stronger relationships? Now - how do you suppose this might play out in a business?

You can see how consistency is important because your reputation is at stake. If you want to know what makes a major food restaurant chain (like McDonalds) so powerful, look no further than consistency in their brand. One of the principle purposes of creating a franchise is to nail down a brand through consistency. It cultures an expectation in the paying customer because he/she is able to reasonably predict what their experience will be, from the service to the product. Do you even have to guess what your next experience at McDonald’s will be? Will their burgers suddenly be revolutionary? Will the service suddenly involve a waitress tending to your every need at your table?  

By this approach, you will be able to more effectively measure the effect of your efforts. If you were random and inconsistent, you wouldn’t be able to identify what was going wrong – because there were no control variables or consistent factors to compare against.

That again will strengthen your brand, and will begin to cultivate the most coveted form of marketing; “Word of Mouth”. If at the same time, you’ve paid due attention to the visual aspect of your brand (your logo, your colors, your taglines and slogans, your business cards and brochures, your website, your employee uniforms, the décor at your place of business, and everything else you do) and you’ve plugged it into your whole vein of consistency – it will all speak the same thing.

What it speaks will be by your design. You choose what it says. Together it should harmonize into a beautiful, musical chorus. From the leadership vantage, if you really believe in your company’s vision and you have clearly established the kind of core values of your business that define you, then it is imperative that you protect it with consistency. 

TO BE CONTINUED...(Next Monday!)...

by JAMES ROZAK, Creative Director @ Tractor Beam Marketing

Positive Branding: Understanding the Dynamics

So there sits the little blond haired boy, perched behind his brown cardboard box lemonade stand. It’s a beautiful, clear skied morning, and he woke up early with anticipation for a day of booming business. So far, he hasn’t seen any action besides the neighbour’s territorial terrier chasing the unassuming postman from its front lawn.

He’s put a lot of thought into his business. He’s secured a stellar venue: an old discarded brown cardboard box stabilized by several strips of packing tape. He’s got a deliciously enticing product for any hot day: two pitchers of ice cooled lemonade, freshly squeezed that morning and lightly sweetened with several carefully measured tablespoons of white sugar.  Next to his box, still neatly packaged and unopened, rests his stockpile of necessary plastic cups, with an accompanying bag for collecting recycling. Underneath his toddler sized lawn chair, he’s carefully placed a little glass jar for collecting money from his prospective customers, and a tube of sunscreen. Yep, he’s ready to do some big business.

These are the “mechanics” of his business. In this simplified example, he’s got everything he needs to open his doors business. In a grander scale of business, there are obviously more complexities involved in daily operations. This would also involve the systems of management, workflow, financial structures and all the “in and out” boxes, valves and pistons which make the engine mechanically function.

Yet, it’s from the point of opening the doors to the business which come the questions of “dynamics”, or the injecting of energy and life into the business operations to make it work. It’s the gasoline in the engine, and the spark in the ignition. It’s the grease and oil, and the heat and air conditioning. It’s the atmosphere and the culture, the approachability of management and manner of communication between staff. It’s the feeling that customers get when they walk in the door, which has been CREATED by the people in the business.

.......................................................................................................... 

Mechanics + Dynamics = Reputation.

It all trickles down to one thing: leadership and vision. As the leader, you need to invest value and understanding into both the mechanic and dynamic. I’ve seen many companies that operate like a nuts and bolts machine without a healthy dynamic. Eventually the company brand begins to suffer when disgruntled employees and mishandled customers begin to formulize your reputation. Really, every aspect of your business has a mechanical part, and a dynamic part. You need both. And in marketing, this is exactly the case.

One of the best ways to fortify this concept is to take a look at yourself. You are a brand. You are your own brand. Inside your head you have ideas, concepts, opinions, motives, desires, ambitions and so on. You project yourself to people around you in the way you choose. Now, if you were a “brand” and you were marketing yourself – what opinion would people have of you? Would they want to buy what you are offering? Consider your relationships: what is your relationship with people around you? With your spouse? With your children? With your family? Co-workers? Employees? Customers? What about the kid working the McDonald's drive-thru who messed up your order? Relationships tell the story, in whatever fashion. 

Have you ever met someone who is infectiously wonderful to be around? They just have “it” (whatever “it” is). You just love spending time around them, listening to them, laughing with them. You always look forward to the next time you meet. What is it based on? It is your experience in the atmosphere which they have created around them!

Conversely, have you ever been around someone who is toxic? You don’t trust them and you wouldn’t invest much in their opinions. You find yourself trying to avoid them, and you certainly wouldn't choose to be around them except that circumstances force it to happen. What is it? Again, it is their atmosphere! 

From a physical, mechanical perspective, they are a human being just like you. The thing which differs is the dynamic that surrounds that person. Just as you are, they are selling a brand. They have a brand name. My brand name is James Rozak. And when my name is spoken in a group of people who know me, it evokes an emotional response. My brand name is known by my reputation.  

As with everyone, I’ve had my share of successes and failures, both personally and in business. In whichever fashion, I am known by an acquired reputation. Based on some of my past failures, some people simply and justly would not hire me or trust me. Yet, some people know me by a different reputation; perhaps one of generosity, kindness, and integrity. It depends on me, and how I've presented myself.

The strength in understanding this is simple; you can be a creator of your reputation! Can you control your personal atmosphere? Do you want a cloud of gloom and doom to hang over your head? Can you change the way people perceive you? Absolutely. Want friends? Be friendly! Want to be trusted? Be honest. If you've done someone wrong, there should be a desire to reconcile and make it right. You have the choice to exhibit unconditional kindness. You can be honorable, trustworthy, accountable and open to correction. It's all an opportunity to learn and grow. It really amounts to your personal vision you have as the CEO of your life.  

What is at stake? Your name and reputation. How do you begin changing it? Adjust! Change! Grow! Some people refuse to accept or acknowledge shortcomings, and they will forever have a toxic reputation and their relationships around them will perpetually suffer and fail. And at the same time, some people are forever seeking to grow, to improve their relationships.  

So what about a business? Can you adjust the way in which a business perceived? This is branding at it's deepest core. Start your branding from an inward, visionary perspective. Start with the leadership. And then when you start bringing the inner branding to the surface, the "logo" will represent something worth bragging about. 

Remember - you aren't depending on your brand, your brand is depending on you. 

Next blog, we will continue digging down a little deeper as we look at marketing and branding.

TO BE CONTINUED...(Tomorrow!)...

by JAMES ROZAK, Creative Director @ Tractor Beam Marketing

Positive Branding: Mechanics & Dynamics

Well, here goes. First blog post. No pressure. 

 My name is James, and I am the Creative Director at Tractor Beam – the guy who makes the visual candy. I often tell people that my brain works a little different than most so-called “adults”. You see, crayons rock. Fruit Loops are the best way to start the day.  Girls are still kind of icky. LEGO is way better than video games.

As I am writing this article, I’m laying in bed with my laptop. And looking over to my bedside table, I have my collection of books which I keep near for inspirational reading. So what books do I keep handy? Well – permanently (or until my toddling children decide to risk their lives by attempting to stake their claim on them), I have the entire collection of Calvin and Hobbes. Yep.

And – well, I can go on, but that kind of paints the picture. 

.....................................................................................................................................................................

The Simple Reality

Now, if you’ll indulge me, I’d like you to let your mind drift for a minute – and I’d like you to picture a simple, small town residential street. It has everything you might expect. Imperfect, well-weathered pavement lined with boulevard styled trees overgrowing the side walks. Every other house has a little driveway, with a mailbox and a trash can or two pushed against the picket fences or lush green hedges that run the length of the yards. An upside-down cardboard box is placed just to the side of one such driveway, unevenly covered with a thin and dust spotted white cloth sheet.

A little blond hair boy sits tucked into his toddler sized lawn chair behind the box, his bright blue eyes peeking over the top and his neck occasionally strained to see if any of the passing cars are slowing. On the front side of the box, taped with an excessive amount of scotch tape, is a standard letter sized paper marked with crooked and faded red felt pen lettering. “Lemonade. 25 cents”, it modestly announces.

Young as he is, this little boy is trying to accomplish what every business owner is attempting to achieve. His little blue eyes shimmer and glow with hope and anticipation, as though they are saying, very simply…”Choose me”.

It is, to me, a most innocent of beginnings – but also, a most simple and honest depiction of the reality of the business owner. While the heart of the entrepreneur is outwardly attempting to demonstrate a confidence and optimism, the sobering truth is deeply felt. Without someone to dial your number, or to darken the door to your business and ultimately to “choose you”…the shimmer and glow in your eyes, or in the eyes of this little boy, will become as a discarded cardboard box on the side of the road.

.....................................................................................................................................................................

Do You Depend on the Brand?

I have made my living working in and with marketing firms for the past 12 years, as well as running my own freelancing business for the past four years. I’m paid to make people look good. For many of those 12 years, I was encouraged and taught to believe that all I needed to do was make beautiful designs for inquiring clients and companies, and that would make those companies suddenly flourish. Throw in a catchy heading, a catch phrase and a clever tagline and “VOILA!”, the customers will instantly start calling (right?).

I observed on many occasions how excited the client was when they were presented their new logo design, business card, website and whatever else may have been provided them. And to be clear, I do staunchly believe that a company requires a strong visual (logo) brand; it is a vital cornerstone. But I have since come to believe – to a degree, we were selling false hope with the new logo and “branding” if we suggest to the client that their logo equals their “brand”. 

Shaking hands with these clients and sending them on their way to business success based on a “logo brand” is like telling the little boy selling lemonade that all he needed was a better cardboard box. Branding goes far beyond the “visual” (logo, website, etc). If a client is not educated to this fact, they will falsely depend on their brand when, in reality, their brand is depending on them.

Marketing as a whole really is one of several key aspects of a business operation. You need to ensure your business model contains all the mechanics for success, including the vital processes and systems which, although conceptually mundane, keep the integrity of a business in place. There is little point focusing and building a marketing machine when the company that is being "touted" is hardly capable of living up to what is being promoted. We all can likely name some big corporate businesses which mechanically built a marketing machine to promote what essentially was a sour lemon in the waiting. 
.....................................................................................................................................................................

Injecting the Dynamics

The concept of "Marketing & Branding" can be depicted in many ways through creative analogy, so for this blog, I'll describe a business as being somewhat like a hot air balloon. Obviously you need the physical balloon (the business model, structure, practices and systems, products, etc), and yes, it is designed to inflate. But is it “flight worthy”? Does it have the capacity and integrity to hold air? You have to make sure the "mechanics" of the balloon will sufficiently sustain what you, the entrepreneur, must ultimately bring; the "dynamics". It is you that injects the vision for the purpose of the balloon. The balloon already has it's purpose; if it is well made, it will do exactly what it is made to do. But now, what about you? 

You bring the creativity and passion, the attitude and the energy, the sweat and tears, the direction and the objective and everything that will make your business attractive to both customers and employees. Your "brand" is really everything encompassed in the attitude and style of the company. Absolutely, it does need to become "visual", yes. That is only a part of it, because what does your visual brand, or logo, stand for anyways? A brand speaks of representation, and you need to decide what it is your company is all about. That is the dynamic which you create. It's the "dynamic" which puts the "mechanics" into action. 

How do you do that? Well, if you have confidence that your "balloon" will fly, this is where the whole purpose of marketing comes into play.  That's what I'm going to try and bring in my following blog posts. Developing the “dynamics” to put your “mechanics” into purposed, driven and infectious action. It’ll weave between the practical, rubber meets the road stuff that I love, and the inspirational.

So, where are you now? Still on the ground? Drifting aimlessly? Losing altitude? Blowing holes? Shining like a glowing, colorful beacon? Soaring higher and stronger? How you fly is closely determined by how your approach your marketing. The goal is to build what can be called "Brand Equity", where your brand doing exactly what it should: working. 

I know what it is to be the little boy sitting on the curb with his cardboard box. Now let’s help that little boy turn his lemonade stand into something big.  

TO BE CONTINUED...(Next Tuesday)...

by JAMES ROZAK, Creative Director @ Tractor Beam Marketing

 

 

Viral Marketing is Spreading!

by Jake Bergen (with guest contributor James Rozak) as published in his column Venture Hype

With the recent panic and fear over the spread of the H1N1 flu virus, I felt that this week it would be nice to concentrate on a viral contagion of a more positive nature. Viral Marketing.

Viral marketing is the equivalent of word-of-mouth advertising in the information age. This kind of word-of-mouth can spread like wildfire!

And this is good. Very good if you make your customers happy! And very bad if you are not fulfilling the promises you are making through your advertising.

A company I do business with recently sent me a statistic concerning the power of their viral marketing via Twitter. And I quote, “This morning I posted a link to our new blog article (as I do every week) to our 1500+ followers. That tweet was “retweeted” (or shared) by just 5 people but their combined following was 22,910. One of those retweets alone resulted in 149 people reading the article.”

As you can see, the exposure can be exponential. People will find out about the experience of your clients in relation to your business… positive or negative.

To give you another simple example, I am a member of Facebook. The people whom I am connected to through Facebook are people who are in my ‘circle of influence'. Not surprisingly, the majority of people who I am connected to have similar interests. Therefore, anytime I broadcast a comment, an inspirational quote, or even a photo; people respond. They take an active interest and share in my life’s experiences. Any time they give feedback, it opens the possibility that their other connections will also see and investigate for themselves.

This maximizes the opportunity to penetrate the ‘six degrees of separation’; the theory that we as human beings are separated from each other by a maximum of five intermediate acquaintances.

For that same reason, when you begin attracting followers who are in your target demographic, these people are likely to be in a certain social circle where they are connected with similar individuals. Lawyers will be connected with lawyers, oil workers with oil workers, successful business people with other successful business people.

Once you obtain a certain following, you will immediately have the capability to reach your customers and potential clients with "hot off the press" news. You will be able to announce major events, seminars, new projects, completed projects, new photo galleries and website updates, contests, thank-yous, and more! It gives life and personality to your brand that otherwise is just a logo on a business card, an advertisement in a magazine or a link on a website. 

That is the benefit. You are being invited into people's workplaces, homes and lives via an accepted and embraced social networking tool. From my experience, it is powerful.

If you can successfully harness the exponential power of social networking... just watch, you will begin to create some exciting buzz around your business, and the viral value of your communications will begin to spread!

© Tractor Beam Marketing Inc.