You Can Learn a Lot from a Cheeseburger. Branding Concepts Easily Understood.

Ahhhh Branding..We hear about it all the time in marketing but what is it exactly?  Much like the Golden Arches, the second we see them what happens to us psychologically?  When the famous bitten apple logo is seen on a new product does it make us curious? Do we know that a band-aid bandage will  not only stop the bleeding, but won't stick and pull the hairs off our arms?  Branding is many things.  If you own a company and you aren't aware of what branding is, I guarantee you are losing business on a  daily basis.  In this blog you will learn a few things about what it takes to build a brand, what branding is, and what branding isn't.

Due to the importance and critical nature of branding for a company, I'll make this simple. Branding takes three things to be effective:

1. Time
2. Hard Work 
3. Money

Branding takes time to develop.  There is no quick fix on this one people.  There is no such thing as
"Get it and Go" marketing in this arena.  Branding takes a lot of hard work.  You need to know your audience, Know what they need and want, know how to fix their problems.  It takes hard work determining what type of benefits your products offer and how you will differentiate and be unique to the consumer. Branding also takes money.  Face it, whether we want to or not, marketing and advertising costs money. However, that money is an investment and in order to see your R.O.I.  A small investment can turn into large dollars as long as the right communication gets out there creating a clear image.

Creating a clear image is a mind boggling experience.  Mind boggling is right, due to the fact that branding is part of a psychological response.  Do your clients remember you? Do they get a warm feeling when they think about your company? Do they trust you? A person should be able to make a decision about a business in 3 seconds or less and they should remember it. Branding not only should be memorable, but it should be motivating and create loyalty.

According to an article from Forbes Branding is your companies promise, you know what you're going to get, and you know what the attributes  the company has.  It's the companies path.

When we think about branding We can think that we aren't taking a road well traveled.  We are taking the client down OUR road and it's the only road in the whole wide world that has our lanscape,  it's unique.  The client can only get what we offer, in our way, with our stuff!

To make it easy here are some elements of branding:

• Branding is your Look
• How they will remember you
• What type of character your business has
• What type of service your business offers
• Branding is your personality
• Branding is your voice
• Most of all Branding is what you promise

One thing that we should be aware of is that branding never changes.  In an article by CBS they reported in June of 2011 that Jack in the box sales were down 62%.  A lot of the blame was on the economy along with other multiple factors,  but Jack in the Box's marketing plan changed.  Besides the egg rolls and tacos on the menu, they changed the face of the Jack in the Box with their new motto "Just Jack".   With their almost risky, sexual innuendo's commercials (a Carl's Jr. Theme), they seem to be all over the map with their marketing strategies.  We aren't even sure they sell cheeseburgers any longer.

Carl's Junior however, utilizes the sexual innuendo marketing ploy very well when it comes to their target audience.  Clearly when watching their commercials we are aware that they are geared up for Men between the ages 18-35. (video below) Carl's Jr. promotes almost entirely to that crowd.  But the question is do they sell burgers?

In QSR's 50 ranking special report they announced McDonald's as being the top seller, while Carl's Jr ranked at #23 and Krystal's ranked #50.  Krystal's is trying to brand themselves as the Sports or halftime fast food joint. With Krystal's coming in at #50 and Carl's Jr at #23,  one can only assume that when it comes to branding,  if it doesn't sell it isn't creative.  Marketing is meant to take you to the next level.  It should bring you higher up the food chain even if you aren't selling food.  A well thought out branding strategy is imperative for any business to thrive.  If you aren't sure what your brand is or don't have a crystal clear (sorry Krystal's, whoever you are) image to your audience, you will be sure to fail.

A full branding business plan is the only way to ensure that you will be successful.  Calling on a professional to assist is often a great way to invest your marketing dollars.
Be sure to take time to plan, and invest time as well as money.  Going the cheap route, not having realistic expectations and marketing goals will only cost you more in the end. A successful marketing plan will put more dollars in your pocket later on and will enable your business to grow to that next level.

EveGreyProductions is a video marketing and branding firm.  We offer many services other than video production and can really help you define your branding needs.  We do full 1 hour analysis of your market, your viewers and your branding design. Call today for consultation 619-288-9350.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-48541027/has-jack-in-the-box-lost-brand-focus/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/loisgeller/2012/05/23/a-brand-is-a-specialized/
http://www.qsrmagazine.com/reports/2011-qsr-50?page=10

Eve Grey's Journal: Holiday Video Served Fresh!

Eve Grey's Journal: Holiday Video Served Fresh!:    During the holidays, I've gotten excited about getting greeting cards from family and friends. On the other hand,  the corporate greet...

Holiday Video Served Fresh!

   During the holidays, I've gotten excited about getting greeting cards from family and friends. On the other hand,  the corporate greeting card seems a little less cheerful.  Many times the corporate greeting card gets neglected by tossing it to the side and possibly not even getting read.  Somehow,  knowing everyone in the company has received the same hum drum card takes away the festivity.    The fake signature, flimsy stock paper, and the cheesy graphics loses it's luster when consideration goes into how much was spent on postage to a regularly scheduled piece of impersonal mail. It's like getting a cheeseburger wrapper and no burger.   In other words, the greeting card that comes from a company may just end up in the garbage along with the cheeseburger wrappers! There are more unique solutions for sending your companies best wishes.

  The video greeting card has special uses for directly touching a customer,  and showing employee appreciation.  Creating this type of video may be less expensive than purchasing the cards and  postage.   In most cases,  it is a more effective and unique approach to letting everyone know they are important and thought about this season.   The message in a holiday video can touch someone through emotion, happiness, and joy. The best part of creating this type of product is that the message is entirely up to you.  Once you understand how to use this powerful tool, you can see it's impact.  First let's talk about what a video greeting card is.

  A video greeting card is a video that is created with the intention of sending your holiday cheer and or gratitude.  The message expresses your grace toward your clients or your staff's success.  A video greeting card can be a festive production or a simple interview.  The message should not be more than :10 to :30 seconds in length and should show elements of the season so that viewers are aware that this is special.  A video greeting card can be found in many places and not just in your mail box.

  Most holiday video are sent by email, mobile banners and ipads.     It can be displayed with a QR code and placed on packaging, posted on social medial websites seen as banner ads. It's a great way to wish everyone joy and happiness in a quick message.  The video can be both promotional as well as testimonial.  Video marketing can be thought of as part of the celebration of the season.   The possibilities are endless.

  Video greeting cards can be done in many creative ways such as through CEO announcements,  Staff Celebrated Messages, or creative full video production like the link placed down below with a family having fun creating faux,yule tide cheer.  As part of the years end activities a video booth can be set up at your next holiday party.  This is usually done with a backdrop or in front of green screen.  Staff and their guests can say a few quick words and then a montage of seasonal spirit can be created.

  Who are your targeted viewers?   Whether you do a lot of B2B or B2C marketing, Holiday video can be creative and memorable.  If it's possible that you deserve a break today, send it to your client databases, post on Twitter, Linkedin, FB etc.  No matter what avenue you decide on, this type of marketing is valuable.  Why? Because people will watch a :30 second spot and will remember the message.  The alternative is opening an envelope and tossing it in the trash because it was not personal.

  If you're worrying about getting the greeting cards sent out on time remember video is almost instantaneous once the product is complete.  You can control when the viewers see it.  People may not always have time to check their mail but most people will watch a 30 second video. 

  Ecommerce and mcommerce continue to rapidly grow so it only makes sense to use video tools to drive more traffic to websites and get more cash registers ringing.  The use of electronic media to drive sales is inevitable.  Video marketing is a tool that can help increase sales, it can also retain customers.   Remember marketing is put in place to create more revenue not waste it.

  In an article by Mass Transmit there are 7 B2B marketing ideas listed that have some real validity.  They say the holidays are a time to reestablish those connections and say “thank you” for everything they do for your brand.
Faster than ordering at the drive-thru and heeding more results video marketing is very valuable no matter what the season is.

Call today for a free estimate!  We travel everywhere!
619-288-9350


 http://masstransmit.com/broadcast_blog/7-b2b-holiday-email-marketing-ideas/

 http://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/how-to/2012-holiday-trending-tactics# Holiday Marketing

http://player.vimeo.com/video/32954901?portrait=0

Eve Grey's Journal: Super Sized Advertising through Digital Signage

Eve Grey's Journal: Super Sized Advertising through Digital Signage:   This is part of the Video for Cheeseburgers Blog and will enhance your hunger for utilizing this great device.  You will be super sizing...

Super Sized Advertising through Digital Signage

 

This is part of the Video for Cheeseburgers Blog and will enhance your hunger for utilizing this great device.  You will be super sizing your message and maximizing your advertising dollars if you plot out your goal for using Digital Signs.   Like introducing a new item to our menu,  I'm introducing Digital signage to you. 

The last time you filled up at your local gas station,  did you notice a television blasting at the pump?  Or perhaps when you were in line at the bank,  you noticed that they had a flat screen t.v. blaring benefits the bank has to offer.  Who can forget the giant electronic billboards that captivate your attention on the side of the road next to the biggest dealership in town?  This is not a mistake by any stretch.   In this blog you will learn more about this type of  media and how it can influence your clients.  If a picture is worth a thousand words, can you imagine what the value of a digital sign would be? What's so beneficial is the client gets your message in a super fast dose.  However, unlike print ads, they will retain the message and you have almost complete control. They can't throw it in the trash or turn the channel. Digital signage is becoming trendier than fast food and almost as convenient so to use this as an eye catching tool makes good sense but what is a digital sign?

What is digital signage and how can it help my business?  Digital signage is similar to Television only the public doesn't have control.  You do!  With digital signage the viewer doesn't have the ability to put on Dr Phil.  The only thing being displayed are your messages along with your company's image.   You can create the experience that the viewers will receive.  Because it is generally placed in the three most viewed areas.  Point of Sale, Point of wait, and Point of transit.  The population is exposed to what you the owner; wants them to see.  They are usefully positioned here for obvious reasons.  YOU can't help but notice them!
 Some  Examples of digital signs are Digital Menu's or retail mall displays,  for Point of Sale distribution. Lobbies and waiting areas are Point of Wait,   The even bigger displays such as Auto Dealers big exhibits outside  are considered Point of Transit.  The point is,  if you look around you will notice that the three places are very strategic.  They serve a purpose.  To get the viewers attention and to help them retain the message.  So now you understand what they are; let's explore what they consist of.

Digital signs consist of a display such as a monitor or several monitors together, a media player and management software.  The TV Screen usually includes content such as Still Photos, Text and/or audio and video.  They can be used to display Menu's, or footage of your last event for a trade show.  They may even be used to inform employees about updates such as safety information.  If there is a certain product line that you want to introduce to the general public this can be one of the most effective tools.  The possibilities are endless to the uses of this technology.   Because the cost can be expensive it is good to have a solid game plan in mind for your digital sign.   Keep in mind that there are no real industry standards.   Be wise,  do your research before making a commitment to this type of marketing.
Research is key to determine the cost of utilizing digital signage as part of your marketing and advertising.  Good companies like Cisco are well known but you need to determine what your main goals and objectives are then shop around.  Several companies offer digital signage however you need to take into consideration the scope of the project.  Working with an expert in this area is helpful.   Monitors or Displays (flat screen tv)  depend on the amount of units needed to fulfill your goal.  If you are a salon owner wanting to do some in house advertising you may only need one monitor and a minimum of maintenence.  This can often times be done for under $1000.  However if you really want to impress someone you can create video walls out of several screens.  This is usually something that is seen in large areas and these displays can have huge budgets attached to them.  The next item to consider is your media player.
The media player is the hardware device that plays your content.  This could require something that is capable of holding your media as well as accessible for making adjustments.  These units will run approximately $200 and up depending on the hardware's functions.   Not every project requires just the basics.  The third item is the Management Software.
Management Software is the actual software that the files for your display are created and used to control the messages that you want the client to see.  If you are someone who wants to have a way to display new messages often,  then software that is easy to manage will save you time.  You may only require one simple video that plays on a loop or you may include varying types of media from Static Text to interactive screens.  Whatever the case maybe,  Speaking to representatives that have the highest knowledge for meeting your goals is key to seeing results for your investment.
Don't forget that content is the most important aspect of utilizing these visual instruments.
The content can include animations, static text, still shot photos, videos, and audio.  Whatever the content is,  it should help with customer relationship management.  This type of mechanism should be used to find, attract, and win new clients; while it nurtures the existing customer and maintains objectives.  Those objectives should be to reduce costs in marketing and client services.
Reducing costs may be an objective, but spending your advertising/marketing budget is not the most important aspect of using digital signage.  Consideration of who will see your sign and how will it improve their lives if they take action after seeing the sign?  What type of experience are they having?  Where will the sign be seen?  An airport may use a digital sign that shows plane schedules a restaurant down the street maybe showing their menu,  while a beauty salon maybe showing a new product or service.  Whatever it's use these signs are most effective if they are informative.
Because we are naturally visual learners,  Digital Signage is one of the most effective forms of advertisement.  Clients not only respond to visual and audio because it's a part of the senses but we also retain more of what we see and hear. 

In a study done by OSHA (Occupational Safety Health Administration) research to train their employees "Presenting Effective Presentations with Visual Aids"  the following statistics were disclosed.

• Studies by educational researchers suggest that approximately 83% of human learning occurs visually, and the remaining 17% through the other senses - 11% through hearing, 3.5% through smell, 1% through taste, and 1.5% through touch.
• The studies suggest that three days after an event, people retain 10% of what they heard from an oral presentation, 35% from a visual presentation, and 65% from a visual and oral presentation.

Videos along with moving graphics not only catches someone's attention they retain the information that is being viewed.   One could assume that using this type of tool,  maybe invaluable for your business.  Contacting a professional to stay within your budget and scope will help make your Digital Sign a success.    This type of advertising super sizes your companies messages and communication.  This is not only a great gadget;  it's uses are variable and the client remembers what they have seen.
If you have more questions regarding this blog or the use of digital signage feel free to visit us at www.evegrey.com



By far the better explanation of Digital Signage was Done by the folks at Black Box:
Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx4Xe6aABe4







http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_signage
http://www.osha.gov/doc/outreachtraining/htmlfiles/traintec.html

Eve Grey's Journal: If the cheeseburger could talk, what would it say?...

Eve Grey's Journal: If the cheeseburger could talk, what would it say?...: If the cheeseburger could talk what would it say?  Would it have a special message?  Would you trust the cheeseburger?  The truth is cheese...

If the cheeseburger could talk, what would it say?

If the cheeseburger could talk what would it say?  Would it have a special message?  Would you trust the cheeseburger?  The truth is cheeseburgers don't talk but product focused video can be an invaluable instrument to driving more traffic to your website.  Product focused videos can help to  introduce new products and most importantly sell more product than any other media.  If product videos are done right they can turn your website into a selling machine and you don't even have to pay the salesperson's commission.  In this blog I will be getting you more familiar with using product focused video and explain to you the importance of taking this prime opportunity to super size your online consumer data base by utilizing video.
The eTailing Group found that 73% of online retailers used video on product pages in 2010, up from 55% in 2009 and only 20% in 2005. 74% of the top 50 retailers used product videos, 40% used category videos, and 38% used other types of informational videos. (eMarketer, February 2011).  So rather than reading about your product, your clients can now experience the product.  This is a much more affective way to build trust,  gain confidence, and drive sales than all those darn words.   If done right, video will leave them salivating for your goods.  Now let's look at some guidelines for creating the perfect product focused video.
Whether you are working with a production company or creating your own video's yourself; these simple guidelines will help you in the conception process.  First you will want to set a product strategy and vision.  It's best to make sure that everyone in the creative process is on the same page and has the same goal in mind.  Everyone involved needs to be a creative problem solver and should be ready to do some solid planning.  This will not only save you time and money putting a video together it will also show in the final product.  Next you will want to prepare a simple solution to a complex problem.  If it's selling more product, how will you do that?  Will you demonstrate how it works, will you ask your favorite customer to testify about the results using this product?   Either way it's not a quick trip to the drive-thru.  Take your time with your team and really plan it out.  Use story boards, when in doubt sketch it out.  Even stick figures are better than explaining to the camera person what angles you want to see rather than telling him.  Use a 10/3/1 rule to innovate your ideas.  Write about 10 ideas,  take a week or two to think about it and narrow it down to 3 ideas, then select the one that would be the most appealing in solving your problem.  Carefully create copy with your main goal and audience in mind.  Humor and Sex sell,  but it may not always appeal to your clients.  It might be a little inappropriate to use humor and sex to sell wheelchairs...I'm just saying. Whether you are selling widgets or Stealth Aircraft, planning is essential to success.  The more prepared you are before warming up the video camera the more impressive your project will be.  
In order to develop a video that will have lots of sizzle focus on areas that show off the product.  Use professional lighting for the beauty shots, Demonstrate how the product works, ask for a testimonial.
Your goal should be to optimize by showing off the product.  The video should be 2-3 minutes long and no longer.  Any longer it will be like old bread...Stale.  Engaging and interactive content can make a piece of tape appear miraculous.  Remember if the client feels emotionally drawn in somehow they will be more likely to pick up that phone to place their order.
In order to draw a client in emotionally remember that video is using two of the most important senses,  seeing and hearing.  Choose audio that is interesting and compliments the visual images not only aids the clients experience will also connect with their feelings.    Audio such as music or spokesperson's voices can really create mood.  Think of how James Earl Jones would sound if he were talking about the product while someone demonstrates it versus the Guido juice heads at your local garage.  Audio is just as important as the images caught on tape.  Quality sound is a must if you're focused on creating something that has the potential to go viral.
If you are focused on attempting to make your project go viral seek humor and sex appeal.  All markets don't require this,  however, if you are planning for a large amount of hits to your site why not make something that people are entertained by.  Remember the "I've fallen and I can't get up" line on the commercial.  Do you remember the product that was being sold?  Chances are you remember the line delivered more than the product that they were selling.  With close to 600,000 hits on the original commercial posted on YouTube, the idea wasn't meant to be funny but certainly got some laughs.
Laughing or not; consumers that view product videos are over 85% more likely to purchase than those who don't.  These statistics can be found at Internet Retailer in the 2010 postings.
So if you want to sell more cheeseburgers and get more cheese into your bank account, try creating a product focused videos that will help brand your product,  and give your clients direct connections to the benefits.
Join me next time when I talk to you about Digital Signage and it's various uses.  Thanks for reading!

For more information on use of video as a business tool please visit my website to set up a free consultation www.evegrey.com or you can schedule a Skype Appointment at evegreyproductions.

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