Posted on April 14, 2022
Your Brand Is NOT What You Think It Is.
Your internal communications team executes to brand standards consistently. You are vigilant about the correct use of your logo and theme. Your company principles and standards are ingrained throughout the organization. You know operations inside out, and have a robust employee feedback/monitoring system in place so you have the pulse of team players at every level. You might even have a specific company “voice” that you use to communicate with the public.
But…it doesn’t matter what you or your employees WANT your brand to be, or THINK it is.
Your brand exists in the heart and mind of the customer (including potential customers), and is based on their total experience/interaction with your product, people and promotional efforts.
You may think of your brand as a high-end, technologically advanced luxury automobile. But if you have a clunky, hard-to-navigate website, your desired brand image may be undermined from the very start.
If employees are told that a key metric is to handle calls within 3 minutes or less, are your customers appreciating the efficiency – or feel unduly rushed by a company that cares more about selling and less about service?
The key to understanding your brand is researching and understanding exactly what your company stands for in the mind of the person who either has bought, or is considering buying your product or service.
Your brand is what THEY think it is.
Once you have a solid grip on both the customer experience and how it mirrors customer expectations, you’ll have a roadmap that tells you exactly what to improve and what to tackle first to bring them in synch and maximize your brand identity.
Posted on September 3, 2021
Writing This Article Was Not A Waste Of Energy. Just The Opposite.
Translating technological topics into words that everyone can understand and relate to is a challenge. But when the subject is an important topic that has implications for global warming — and the recapturing and selling of a valuable energy product that would otherwise be wasted in a landfill — it’s immensely rewarding. Check out this blog written for Cummins:
Methane Gas Well in Landfilll
Posted on July 7, 2020
A Copywriter’s Lament
After 40 years in the ad industry as a copywriter and creative director, I have just witnessed something I never dreamed would occur. The B2B ad agency I worked for over two decades just released all of its writers, and will work with them only as freelancers if and when the need arises. Management says it’s because the writers were too expensive and there wasn’t enough work in this COVID19 world. Truth is, they have gone from having a roster of Fortune 500 clients doing huge branding initiatives to a project-based, locally-based website and social media workshop. In a world that pays lip service to “disruptive innovation”, they don’t want big thinking that challenges the status quo. By letting all their writers go, they are writing their own epitaph. One that fittingly uses a simple three-letter acronym: R.I.P.
Posted on June 12, 2020
Righting A Wrong.
It was 1987/1988. I was working at DMB&B/Bloomfield Hills where we had just initiated a great new campaign for General Motors Parts called “Lonely Roads.” Then, someone within GM did a video interviewing a line worker in Flint – questioning whether advertising the need for service was undermining GM’s message of quality. Suddenly, the multi-million dollar Mr. Goodwrench advertising campaign was in jeopardy. The executive creative director at DMB&B pulled in every resource, with concepts from the entire creative staff. Several concepts were presented, and three were chosen to be developed for presentation. As the senior writer on the account, I took the concept/themeline “It’s not just a car, it’s your freedom” and created an upbeat, positive anthem. The “Freedom” campaign saved the account – and the lyrics were awarded an honorary CLIO. I never knew who came up with the themeline. But this past week, it came to my attention that Clifford Simmons Jr. – who was doing a summer internship with DMB&B – was the writer who originated the line and deserves proper credit, which he never received. I can’t change what happened some 38 years ago…but this I’m giving him credit now.
Posted on April 13, 2020
Rocking The Rebound
10 Steps To Bounce Back Faster:
1. Workers First. Before you do anything with external communications – start speaking personally with each employee at least once every week. Offer any assistance you can, keep them updated, show you care. Your employees will be your most valuable resource when America is open for business again.
2. Good Works + Good Will = Good Business. Still open? Remind people of how your workers are striving to keep vital goods and services available. Consider channeling a share of profits to a local charity or first responders. If you already have a loyalty points program, double all numbers for the duration. Customers get something tangible but it won’t be redeemed right away!
3. Shine A Spotlight. Consider adding an intro page on your website, spotlighting employees who are helping others cope and get through this crisis – whether it’s making masks or delivering dinners.
4. Check Your Mail. Closed down and complying? Use this downtime to clean and update your business e-mail list. Plus – if you haven’t tried direct mail in a while, what better time to do it than when everyone is stuck at home.
5. Early Refund Season. Those $1200 checks will be arriving soon for many people. Some of that money will go directly to mortgage payments or rent and utilities. But for others, it will be just like getting an unexpected tax refund – and it will be their patriotic duty to spend it, to bolster the economy!
6. Site Visit. Re-evaluate your website to make sure it’s doing everything your customers and employees need – then, do a quick competitive comparison to see what they are doing differently – better or worse!
7. Prep Race. Start working on your post-virus re-opening plan ahead of time, so you’re ready at when the starting gate flies open. If you are a restaurant, should you have a soft opening or a big gala event? Retail stores, is this to BOGO for more? It may not feel like it, but you are in a race to prepare.
8. Hone Your Competitive Edge. When the “stay at home” orders are lifted, everyone will be rushing to take advantage of the pent-up demand and cabin fever. Look at creative executions (both traditional and digital media) making sure the communication is clear, concise and compelling.
9. Money Talks. Louder Than Ever. Everyone with a 401K has taken a big hit and it might take months (or much longer) for the nation’s economy and the stock market to recover. Consider ways to improve the value proposition for your goods/services, or how your communications can reposition your offerings.
10. Reach For The Remote. Everyone has learned a lot about working remotely during this crisis – many Americans will be working from home from now on. The time to leverage digital and traditional media strategies to reach them in their new work environment will be critical moving forward
If you want additional suggestions or simply to bounce ideas off a communications professional, call Doug Powers at 502-641-8065 and leave a message – or send an e-mail to dougpowers@dougpowers.net.
Updated on February 19, 2020
How Polio Made Me A Better Ad Writer
I’ve got a bad shoulder/arm. Had it since birth. Actually, both of them are in rough shape now thanks to post-polio syndrome.
So how did having a disability make me a better ad writer, employee and father?
- I never had a chance at being a great athlete – but it didn’t stop me from trying. And trying. And trying. Everything from fencing to wrestling. At age 30 I found out that I could play golf even without deltoids. In my 40’s, I took up skiing. Standup paddleboarding is next on my list. You want someone with perseverance?
- Putting plates away in the cupboard is getting to be a challenge. So do I want them put down where I can reach them easier? Hell, no! Post-polio is definitely a “use it or lose it” proposition. I’ll use one hand supporting under the elbow to get the other arm up there. You want a creative problem-solver?
- My daughter was diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic at age 4. She also has a health issue with the growth plates and has one leg shorter than the other. Having a physical disability gave me an understanding of the self-image issues, so I could relate better to her. You want empathy?
- After being bullied and feeling like an outcast, I wanted nothing more than to prove my worth to the world. I became a fighter, a competitor in my workplace – striving to come up with a better idea, better words, better concepts than the guy in the cubicle next door. You want competitive spirit?
The thing about this is, I’m not alone. People with disabilities (seen and unseen) tend to be Type A personalities. They are strivers, driven by a quiet determination. If you are reading this, and if you are ever in the position to hire someone like myself – do it. Not out of pity, but for three purely selfish reasons: you’ll never get anyone more willing to give more of themselves, you’ll never find a person more likely to be loyal and you’ll never find someone more disciplined for success.
Updated on January 31, 2019
Geeking Out
For a car guy like me, the opportunity to work with street rods, classic ’60s muscle cars and top fuel dragsters is a dream come true. This is one of two brochures created by myself with art direction from John Hynes of Little Ant Studios.
Posted on June 28, 2018
New Thoroughbreds Logo
Designing a new logo for a 70-year old organization with a tremendous legacy of success (7 International Championships) and getting agreement from all parties isn’t easy – but working together with John Hynes of Little Ant Design, we were able to come up with a solution that is both elegant and expressive:
Posted on April 10, 2018
Powering Up
Had the opportunity for the first time to fire up an emergency generator and do an electrical transfer this past week. Amazingly simple — provided you have good written directions. Would have been totally lost at the circuit breaker without them. A new life skill/experience that may come in handy.
Updated on March 14, 2018
A Phrase To Banish Forever
You may think the phrase, “to be honest,” is fairly innocuous. But what is the underlying message?
That, in ordinary conversation, your norm is to fib, exaggerate or outright lie when it is convenient. The listener should take everything you say with a grain of salt and a pound of skepticism.
In a world where trust builds relationships, “to be honest” is a phrase that needs to be banished from your vocabulary. Forever.