Who is Going to Notice Inconsistencies in Your Branding?

The place eLynxx Solutions calls home, like many small cities, has been re-envisioned several times in its existence. Booming industry and the bustling downtown that supported it have given way to new things like technology, historical tourism and a renewed focus on local agriculture, craftsmanship and art. Today, besides being home to a wonderfully innovative software company, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania is also home to an award-winning microbrewery and a newly-opened artists’ collective. Hipsters have even been spotted downtown. I suppose that’s par for the course.

I’m pretty passionate about the place I live and work. So when new things like the artists’ collective open downtown I take notice. I’m also pretty passionate about branding and marketing communications. So when I see quality, consistency and continuity, as well as a lack thereof, I take notice.

Walking downtown from my house a few weekends ago I noticed the artists’ collective was taking up residence on a busy Main Street corner in what is possibly one of the most interesting Victorian-era storefronts in town. I stopped to look at the display windows which were still being setup. There were some truly nice creations, which isn’t surprising considering the talent around these parts. They also had very well-done posters that revealed something that is so often lacking in community-based efforts – branding – actual, honest-to-goodness branding.

These posters featured an attractive, modern logo along with clean photography and a sleek layout. They were very contemporary and high-end looking. The printing of the posters and the stock they were on looked to be of high quality making a nod to traditional methods and quality. They were carefully mounted on boards and placed on wooden easels conveying a sense of handmade craftsmanship. Overall, the posters in the display windows communicated a clear brand message: handmade art that is contemporary but of traditional quality. It seemed to fit well and appeared to be a sign of good things to come.

With the passing of a few weeks I found myself stopped at the traffic light where the collective sits and I noticed something different. The signs from the long-departed business that were on the building had been replaced with new ones for the collective. Unfortunately they just didn’t send me the same message as the window posters. Don’t get me wrong, they’re not horrible. They told me the name of the shop and what it does and they certainly caught my eye because I noticed them. But they did not convey that same sense of contemporary style and quality as the posters.

The intent of this story isn’t to put down a local group that’s no doubt going to do great things in our community. On the contrary, I’m very impressed with everything else I’ve seen and I am excited about it. Rather, the intent is to put into perspective an issue that eLynxx has helped organizations deal with for years. Consistency and quality in the presentation of a brand is crucial regardless of the medium or communication channel. When there’s a bit of a breakdown in consistency or quality between the rather well-done posters and the DIY sign of a local art gallery, a local marketing nerd like me may notice. When the breakdown happens with a major organization, the world notices.

Who is Going to Notice Inconsistencies in Your Branding?

Print - The Unsung Touchpoint of Selling

Selling is not a simple process. It takes a complex skill set that includes the ability to:

• Understand and connect with different personalities


• Identify problems and present solutions


• Use persuasion to form opinions and drive decisions


• Uncover and process detailed prospect and client information


• Manage and track actions and time with precision

Sellers must be great researchers, information processors, producers and also great communicators. Yet there seems to be a lot of emphasis on helping sellers on the first three and not so much on being great communicators. For example, there is much discussion about resources that provide access to data for research and tools for customer relationship management (CRM). However, the tool that helps sellers communicate ideas that impact buying decisions is rarely given emphasis. Sellers can be research pros, information processing dynamos and Johnny-on-the-spot when it comes to taking actions. However, without materials to help them connect, solve, persuade and drive decisions – in other words communicate – success can be hard to come by. As a marketing communications professional who has worked closely with sales teams for a good portion of my career, I find myself asking why communication materials are not managed with the same emphasis as other sales tools?

Perhaps it’s because in many organizations there is a division of power? Marketers are the creators – they make the communication aids. Sellers are the executors – they deliver the communication aids that are available to them. Therefore emphasis in the sales process is placed on execution. Maybe it’s that while research, time and progress are fairly universal commodities, communication aids are highly specific and custom-made? Providing access to data and information can be done on a nearly global scale. The same goes for building solutions to help with time, contact and productivity management. But the organization itself has to make communication aids to fit its own needs and purposes.

Regardless of the reason, an organization’s printed collateral material is an important sales tool to persuade and impact the buying decision. Because of the physical nature of graphic communication materials, they’re often the only chance a prospect has to get their hands on the brand. They are the true touchpoint in the sales process. Print is the junction where sales, marketing, branding and the target audience come together physically as one. For this reason printed communications are deserving of the spotlight that they never seem to get.

Organizations readily invest in specialty CRM and research tools for their sales teams. But they manage, source and execute materials that directly impact buying decisions with improvised spreadsheets, notes, email and phone calls. At best, sales collateral purchases are shoehorned into general-purpose procurement and enterprise resource planning solutions. None of these tools are built for the procurement of custom-specified and produced printed materials. Now is the time to start using the right tool for the job of producing printed communication materials that are critical to sales success.

Print - The Unsung Touchpoint of Selling

Five Reasons Why Printed Marketing Materials are Still Important

Despite the fact that we seem to live so much of our lives online, we are still physical beings living in a physical world. Regardless of how attached are to social media we still crave physical communication. For that reason alone, printed marketing materials are still important in today’s digitally saturated environment. Let’s take a look at some of the many reasons that even the simplest of printed marketing communications like direct mail are highly effective in an organization’s outreach strategy.

Exposure

Printed marketing communications offer a great magnitude of exposure and create lasting impact. Their physical form has staying power that allows the audience to interact with them anytime. A publication or even a brochure left on a table has reach well beyond the individual to whom it was sent. This kind of pass-along can be very effective as it occurs in a natural and casual manner driven by genuine interest on the part of the individual.

Targeting

Because of its maturity as a strategy and the vast amount of data that is collected on people and organizations in their physical environments, printed marketing communications can be directed to highly targeted audiences. Variable printing, personalization and mail automation technologies enable even massive direct mail campaigns to be customized and targeted with pinpoint accuracy. This allows outreach and engagement with an audience at a highly effective, personal level without the often creepy feeling that highly personal social media outreach can have.

Branding

Printed marketing communications strengthen a brand by bringing a unified image used across other channels into direct physical contact with the audience. Because print is physical and able to be placed into the hands of prospects and customers it allows for outside of the box creativity such as the inclusion of samples and even multimedia. Printed marketing communication’s physical nature lend it a premium characteristic that can be used to convey quality and luxury. This physical nature can be used to appeal to the senses, like touch, smell, and with some creativity, taste that can not be accessed via other channels. For brands that exist strictly online, print is the perfect way to gain local presence without the need for brick and mortar facilities.

Measurability

Everyone knows that, thanks to tracking codes, online marketing communication is easy to measure. Print communication is the granddaddy of measurability. Coupons, redemption vouchers and other forms of tracking have proven the effectiveness of printed marketing for generations. Tracking and measurability of print campaigns can be done with automated technology or it can be as simple and low-tech as counting coupons or the number of enquiries made.The effectiveness of a print marketing campaign can be easily measured using simple techniques.

Flexibility

The best thing about print marketing is that it can easily be used in a combination with online tools. Not only is it perfect for reaching audiences not engaged with social media, it can be used to connect the physical and online worlds. Scanning technologies and augmented reality make a direct connection between print and digital. Even simple codes can be used to drive customers and prospects to a website. Print can actually be one of the most effective ways to convert offline customers to online and drive repeat or increased online engagement. Believe it or not, printed marketing communication is used frequently and very effectively by online giants like Google, eBay and Amazon.

While advances in media and marketing technology get all of the glory, classic approaches like print are still going strong. It gives access to audience segments, creates impact and builds awareness that will bring new life into any marketing strategy.

Five Reasons Why Printed Marketing Materials are Still Important