www.aimfiremarketing.com Branding & Cost-Effective Marketing Presented by: Susan Young, President AimFire Marketing Hendricks County Excelerate 2011
May 18, 2015
www.aimfiremarketing.com
Branding & Cost-Effective Marketing
Presented by:Susan Young, President
AimFire Marketing
Hendricks County Excelerate 2011
www.aimfiremarketing.com
An Introduction
• Brownsburg resident• Wife and mom of two girls• Advertising graduate –
University of Illinois• Owner of AimFire
Marketing since 2005• Outsourced marketing, PR,
web, SEO and social media help for small businesses
Hendricks County Excelerate 2011
www.aimfiremarketing.com
Overview of Discussion:
• What is Branding?• Examples of National & Local Brands• Branding – The Name, Image & Message• Branding Across All Marketing Mediums• Evaluating & Protecting Your Brand• Setting a Marketing Budget• Cost-Effective Marketing• Examples of Cost-Effective Marketing• Tracking Your Marketing ROI
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What is a Brand?
• Identity of a product, service or business• Various forms:
o Nameo Signo Symbol (logo)o Slogan (tagline)
• Can be protected via Trademark• Affects and reflects the personality of the
product, company or service
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• Longevity• Communicates consistent message to
target audience• Gives your company a personality• Connotes the qualities, value and benefits
of your product or service
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Why is Having a Good Brand Important?
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World’s Most Recognizable Brands
1. Coca Cola2. IBM 3. Microsoft4. GE5. Nokia6. McDonald’s7. Google8. Toyota9. Intel10.Disney
Source: 2009 Interbrand & Business Week Annual Survey
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Components of a Brand
• The Name (business name, domain name)
• The Image (logo/graphic/icon)• The Message (tagline, description)
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Branding: The Name
• Identifies company product/service• Unique • Memorable• Easy to pronounce or spell• Evokes feeling or meaning• Can be trademarked• Domain name is available
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The Business Name
“A good name is more desirable than great riches.”
– Proverbs 22:1
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Branding: The Logo
Three Elements: • Graphic image / icon / picture• Color• Font
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Big Ten Logo
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New Big Ten Logo
• Symbolize future, heritage, tradition of competition, academic leadership & passionate alumni• Contemporary collegiate lettering • Embedded numeral "10" in the word "BIG," which allows fans to see "BIG" and "10" in a single word• No reference to the number of member institutions• Flexibility of multiple versions which can be used horizontally, vertically and within new media
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Things to Consider: Logo
• Make a good first impression• Visual representation of what you offer• Resonate with your target audience• Professional• Unique from competitors• Translate well to all forms of media• Timeless & memorable
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Logo: The Icon
• Don’t necessarily need an icon (font-only logos such as Microsoft)
• Could have icon only (Nike)• Symbolizes what you want to
communicate• Avoid clip art and “logo design factories”
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Color Choice
• Cool Colors: Calming, Nurturing Effecto Blue, green, turquoise, gray, silver
• Warm Colors: Exciting, Optimism, Angero Red, pink, yellow, gold, orange
• Neutral: Unifying, Subtleo Brown, beige, ivory, gray, black, white
• Color combinations: harmonizing, contrasting, complementary
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Choosing a Font
• Legible• Scalable• Enhances the Business• Matches with the
Icon/Graphic• Translates to Web, Print• Consider font size, font
type, bold, italicoSerif, sans-serif,
script, decorative
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Branding: The Message
• Determine your target audience• What reasons will make them want to
buy?• How are you truly different than
competitors?• What is your brand’s personality?• Includes vision, mission, tagline,
marketing messages, ad headlines, copy, Web, etc.
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Branding & Your USP
• Unique Selling Proposition• Unique “Selling Point”• Reason you are different from or better
than the competition• Needed to target and market yourself
successfully• Incorporate USP into your brand• Worksheet exercise
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The Tagline
• Definition: A reiterated slogan or phrase that conveys the most important product attribute or benefit that the company wishes to convey
• Often used as a theme in advertising (each can have own tagline)
• Clever, catchy, serious, memorable• Appeal to humor, reasoning, emotions, etc.
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Tagline Examples: Worldwide Brands
• GE: Imagination at Work• Coca-Cola: Open Happiness• Nokia: Connecting People• McDonald’s: I’m Lovin’ It• Toyota: Moving Forward
Worldwide brands tend to be more emotional and less logical/descriptive
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Tagline Examples: Local Brands
• Benjamin Franklin Plumbing: “The Punctual Plumber”o Highlights key benefit (on time)o Translates into USP (we’ll pay if we’re late)
• Indiana Department of Tourism: “Restart Your Engines”o Double entendreo Highlights excitement, but relaxation &
rejuvenationo What Indiana is known for o Previous tagline “Enjoy Indiana” - not unique
anymoreHendricks County Excelerate 2011
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When to Re-brand
• Brand no longer reflects company, products, services or mission
• Needs updating / modernizing• Entering new markets• Brand extension – new product lines• Logo uses clip art• Brand is too similar to competitors• Doesn’t translate to other mediums
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Branding Across all Mediums
• Business Cards • Letterhead • Envelopes• Brochures • Sales Sheets • Packaging• Website• Blog• Social Media
• PowerPoint Presentations
• Trade Show Booths • Banners / Posters • eMail Newsletters • Advertising • Direct Mail • Promo Products• Vehicle Graphics
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Recent Re-Brands:
• Apply for a trademark at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO.gov)
• Can trademark a company name, logo, tagline, slogan or jingle
• A registered trademark protects from competitors or 3rd party usage
• Costs range from $275 - $375• May not be necessary for small business
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Protecting Your Brand
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• Many businesses set as a % of sales• Varies from 2-20% of revenue (gross or net)• Doesn’t factor in sales goals• Not accurate
• “As much as we can afford”• Risk overspending
• No budget • Plan on spending a lot of time
• Working backwards from sales goals• Preferred method• Determine close rate, # leads, # impressions, cost
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Setting a Marketing Budget
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• What are your sales goals?• How long is your sales cycle?• What is your close rate?• How many competitors do you have?• How much brand awareness do you have vs.
your competitors?• Do you have a commodity or a high-ticket item?• Do you need to fill the pipeline for your sales
team?
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Marketing Budget – Things to Consider
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• Marketing doesn’t always have to be expensive
• Every dollar counts!• Find innovative ways to promote your
business on a shoestring• Use it to offset more expensive marketing
costs• Ultimate cost = your time (or your team’s
time)
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Cost-Effective Marketing
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• Great for ongoing communication• Advertise deals / coupons• Drive to website from email• Showcase expertise (share information)• Balance promotional vs. educational• Costs: Free (MailChimp); $15/mo
(Constant Contact); plus time to develop• Built into some CRM systems
(AddressTwo)
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Cost-Effective Tactic #1: Email Marketing
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Email Marketing - Example
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• Search Engine Optimization• Drive ongoing traffic to your site using
targeted keywords• Optimize new site or existing site• Use as lead generation tool• Cost: Time to research/implement and
track; or paid SEO consultant ($500+)
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Cost-Effective Tactic #2: SEO
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Search Engine Optimization - Example
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Client: Batesville Tool & Die
Keyword phrase: appliance metal manufacturing
Search results: 1.09 million
Rank: #1
Other terms: Mig welding #7, metal stamping #6
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Search Engine Optimization - Example
Hendricks County Excelerate 2011
Client: Wow Clothing Club
Keyword phrase: designer kid’s clothes sale
Search Results: 7.3 million
Rank: Page 1, #9
(not actively optimizing)
Other terms: kids clothing rental #3, children’s clothing rental: #2
• Why to use: Objective endorsement; positions as authority; keeps you top-of-mind
• Write and send out press releases to media• Online wire services (boosts SEO)• Article writing/submission (local or online)• Promote news, special events, community
involvement, showcase customers• Place release or coverage in online newsroom• Re-purpose for marketing/sales kit• Cost: Time; hiring PR firm ($500+ per campaign)
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Cost-Effective Tactic #3: Public Relations
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• Client: Wow Clothing Club• Coverage included:
• Inside Indiana Business• Current in Carmel• Chicago Tribune – Sunday feature (syndicated)• Fox Morning Show with Mike & Juliet – segment
“How to live like a celebrity for less”• ABC news – 30-second segment –major markets• Wall Street Journal “Get Decked Out by the
Week”• Dollar value of coverage: ?
• ½ page, B&W WSJ ad: $96,900• Chicago Tribune: $755 per column inch• Ave. 30-second TV spot on national TV:
$350,000• My Cost: Time
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Public Relations - Example
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• Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube• Post news• Share stories• Find, connect, communicate with others• Follow or become thought leader/expert• Drive traffic to your blog/website• Cost: your time (or your team’s/agencies);
custom background template ($50+); outsourced: $400/mo+
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Cost-Effective Tactic #4: Social Media
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Social Media - Examples
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• Team up with other businesses who sell to the same or similar markets
• Conduct events/seminars together• Exchange brochures/business cards for
use at point-of-sale (Example: Great Clips/Old Navy – back to school)
• Exchange website links• Promote in email marketing or direct mail
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Cost-Effective Tactic #5: Joint Ventures
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Example - Joint Ventures
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SEO Tele-Seminar 4/20:
•Joint marketing efforts:
•eNewsletter
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Example - Joint Ventures
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• Your brand will get you far – Take the time to invest in a good one
• Be consistent in your brand and message• Weigh the cost of your time when
factoring in cost-effective marketing tactics (do you really have the time? What is your time worth? – vs. outsourcing)
• Marketing is only costly if you don’t implement it!
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Summary
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Hendricks County Excelerate 2011 www.aimfiremarketing.com
Thanks!
Susan Young, PresidentAimFire Marketing
(317) 858-7669 office (317) 414-3623 cell
Twitter: @aimfiremktgFacebook.com/aimfiremarketing
LinkedIn: Susan Young / AimFire Marketing