My 5 yr old Hooper has been extremely excited this year about Santa's arrival. For the past four days, he's been like a broken record of badly butchered Christmas songs. The excitement at my house is like a balloon about to pop! Nearly every story and comment from the boys is about taking care of the Reindeer or what to leave for Santa.
This got me thinking what a great brand Santa is! From a branding standpoint it's perfection in action. You can see him, associate him with colors, associate him with a feeling (cold, snowy, but he is warm and kind hearted through it all). His brand has taken different forms reflective of the audience and rather than fight to normalize the changes, his brand has been allowed to manifest itself to meet the needs and most importantly the desires of different regions of the world. As branding experts, we could take simple lessons from Santa:
1) Don't fight your audience's perception of you and what you should be - listen to your customers and BECOME that company for them!
2) A great brand take dedication and consistency over decades, not months. If you are changing your brand presentation (not design, but BRAND), every year or two, you do not have a brand. It's that simple.
3) A great brand is something that you can see, experience, get to know and rely on over time. Can your customer rely on you? Where do they see you? At industry events? Speaking on the latest industry trends? Do you have an audio brand (like Intel, Verizon and many others) that extends your brand to another sensory point?
In short, be like Santa - friendly, consistent, reflective of customer needs, and reliable and your customers will praise your brand too!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Aidan - My 7 Year Old
I'm hanging out today with my son, Aidan! He's a great friend and a good person to run business ideas by. Very honest, just like his Dad!
Hope everyone's having a great holiday season!
- Aidan & Jonathan Ward
Hope everyone's having a great holiday season!
- Aidan & Jonathan Ward
What the heck is Web-to-Print and/or POD
I just finished establishing international print on demand and print and distribute solution for two major technology players and have learned so much the hard way! Here's a chance to share knowledge and help others minimize the challenges of supporting and international marketing channel.To start, here are a list of terms used to describe an electronic, eCommerce enabled print on demand, and/or "service on demand" solutions with definitions of what they normally include:
- Private Commerce Network or Private Marketing Network (not necessarily Intranet, but it could be). This just means that the marketing support materialsare only available to those given access (partners, sales, independent representatives, etc.)
- PartnerWeb Site - digital asset management (allow people to download imagery/logos/brand materials, as well as order and pay for marketing collateral). Some sites allow partners to run email, direct mail, and other campaigns with Peraonalize URL forms (built on the fly).Marketing Mall - Shirts, Marketing materials, logoed merchandise, etc with or without commerce.
- Print On Demand (POD) System - the ability to access a web site, order brochures, personalize each piece to a local office or branch or partner using variable text, or use a database/list (variable data) to drive personalization on each piece. Pieces are ordered paid for with credit card/PO or Marketing Development Funds (credits earmed by achieveing sales goals, usually) printed and delivered anywhere in the world within 3-5 business days. Some companies allow brochures pulled from inventory to be ordered for free for approved partners.
- Web to Print - The printing industry's name for POD.The common goals of an online ordering or POD or Partner Web or....system for a channel include the following:
1) Allow your marketing channel or channel partners to access marketing marterials and digital assets in one managed location in order ot reduce the burden on marketing by making requests "self service".
2) Allow 100% control over all branded materials - from PowerPoint presentations to brochures, to emails
3) Offset the cost of printed materials by allowing
4) Decrease printing cost by eliminatinng inventrory spoilage, carrying costs, pick & pack, etc.
5) Recover marketing material development/printing cost by charge (at some level) for printed material production - rather than absorbing it 100%. Often printing is subsidized the manufacturer to make it a good value for channel partners.
6) Significantly increase speed to market of new product marketing support materials to a company's entire channel.
7) Increase channel satisfaction by offering templated direct mail, email, posters/banners, brochures & sell sheets with the ability to enter the local contact information (partner address, branch address, etc.) This is it for now. Off to the OnDemand show in Boston! I can be reached at jward@nugraphics.com
- Private Commerce Network or Private Marketing Network (not necessarily Intranet, but it could be). This just means that the marketing support materialsare only available to those given access (partners, sales, independent representatives, etc.)
- PartnerWeb Site - digital asset management (allow people to download imagery/logos/brand materials, as well as order and pay for marketing collateral). Some sites allow partners to run email, direct mail, and other campaigns with Peraonalize URL forms (built on the fly).Marketing Mall - Shirts, Marketing materials, logoed merchandise, etc with or without commerce.
- Print On Demand (POD) System - the ability to access a web site, order brochures, personalize each piece to a local office or branch or partner using variable text, or use a database/list (variable data) to drive personalization on each piece. Pieces are ordered paid for with credit card/PO or Marketing Development Funds (credits earmed by achieveing sales goals, usually) printed and delivered anywhere in the world within 3-5 business days. Some companies allow brochures pulled from inventory to be ordered for free for approved partners.
- Web to Print - The printing industry's name for POD.The common goals of an online ordering or POD or Partner Web or....system for a channel include the following:
1) Allow your marketing channel or channel partners to access marketing marterials and digital assets in one managed location in order ot reduce the burden on marketing by making requests "self service".
2) Allow 100% control over all branded materials - from PowerPoint presentations to brochures, to emails
3) Offset the cost of printed materials by allowing
4) Decrease printing cost by eliminatinng inventrory spoilage, carrying costs, pick & pack, etc.
5) Recover marketing material development/printing cost by charge (at some level) for printed material production - rather than absorbing it 100%. Often printing is subsidized the manufacturer to make it a good value for channel partners.
6) Significantly increase speed to market of new product marketing support materials to a company's entire channel.
7) Increase channel satisfaction by offering templated direct mail, email, posters/banners, brochures & sell sheets with the ability to enter the local contact information (partner address, branch address, etc.) This is it for now. Off to the OnDemand show in Boston! I can be reached at jward@nugraphics.com
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