Marketing | Paul Werth - Columbus Ohio

When I Grow Up, I Want to Win an Addy

November 16th, 2009

It’s that time of year again. Time to look back at the work we’ve done over the past year and see what has Addy award potential. The questions start to swirl:

• “Do we have enough to enter?”
• “What should I have done differently?”
• “What have I seen that might be up for an award?”
• “What are my friends at other agencies entering?”
• “Can I quickly think of a cool idea and produce it for someone, before the entry deadline?”

The last question is interesting. We creatives love to imagine, and sometimes our ideas aren’t right for our current clients. This is a terrific stretch opportunity. I see nothing wrong with developing a great idea and selling it to a prospect — when it’s the right fit. Sometimes, off-the-wall, in-the-moment creativity leads to long-lasting, profitable relationships.

A former boss of mine once came up with an idea, called a potential client and said, “I have a great idea that you must hear.” He met the prospect for drink, wrote a tagline on a cocktail napkin, slid it across the table….and a 10-year relationship was born.

On the flip side of the coin… there’s nothing better than winning an Addy for an existing client, especially if it’s a concept that resulted in increased sales. Years ago there was an award called “Documented Success.” To me, this was the most important Addy of all. This award recognized great creative, great marketing and the work that created the biggest return on investment. What client wouldn’t want to be part of that award?

And then there are the awards won for really good creative, but with little return on investment. Bottom line, these ads failed. Remember: the ultimate goal for advertising is to sell products. If we create something that is a work of art that never sells, we’ll end up being starving artists with a sad reel of unsuccessful work.

I’m proud that Werth has a reel of advertising successes with clear return on investment. Want to join me over coffee or drinks to inspire that next great Addy idea that will drive your sales? Give me a call at 614.224.8114, send me an e-mail at kwaldron@paulwerth.com or leave me a comment on this blog post.

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On Recycled Brands

August 14th, 2009

As a student in my beginning years of college, my fine art professor told me, “You must have a unique style.” Which I didn’t.

As I gravitated toward design, my new professor told me, “Whatever you do, don’t have a unique style. You must adapt and design to your clients’ needs, not yours. An agency whose work all looks the same will be temporary.”

That really stuck with me. It wasn’t just one of those things that I learned in school and applied it because someone told me that was the right answer. It was, and is, one of those things that just makes sense. Her lesson is something that I truly believe and will always think about before approaching any branding project.

But, there are trends, and sometimes those trends tend to grow into styles, and once that happens, it’s all over.

The other day I walked through our break room and saw an annual report lying on the table, designed by another agency. The cover caught my eye because it was smartly designed. But once I opened it, I knew the agency that designed it.

Later in the day, I received a direct mail piece from a company. I investigated further and found that it was created by the agency that designed the annual report. Again, I saw the same trendy look. These work samples were created for two different clients, in different industries—but the designers executed almost the exact same brand guidelines. It seems that the agency is using the same brand for its book of business. That’s just not right. Clients deserve better than recycled brands.

Here’s my approach—and what you will see in the work of Paul Werth’s creative:

The brand represents the one-of-a-kind soul of an organization and should shine through in every work of design. Our work reflects each company’s unique soul, not our own.

Ask yourself this question:

Does your agency interview you before each project, as a continuing opportunity to know what you and your projects are all about? Are they seeing your brand through their company’s lens or the lens of your company’s soul?

I’m interested in hearing your thoughts on authentic and unique, company-specific branding. Please drop me a line, as a comment on this blog or personally, at kwaldron@paulwerth.com.

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Research: Recession and the Internet Drive Permanent Changes in Customer Behavior

July 24th, 2009

Increasingly skeptical about brands and resistant to marketing, many consumers are using the Web to research products and brands – turning to blogs, review sites and social networks for advice on how to find the best values as they seek to stretch their budgets.

Smart marketers are engaging their customers online, but it’s important to do some testing before you dive in to the digital ocean. Research provides the crucial difference between an online campaign that merely agitates the water and one that creates an ongoing current of measurable results. And the same technology that enables customer-to-customer conversations also makes it easier to conduct research in real time.

Here are some tools the Werth research team uses to help clients get to know their customers:

Search engine and keyword research – Because the majority of consumers start any quest for information with Google or another search engine, it’s important to know what keywords your customers are most likely to use.

Online reputation audit – A 360-degree view of your online presence uncovers who is talking about your company, your products and your competitors, where and when these conversations are taking place, what is the tone and content of these conversations and how conversations begin and unfold. Werth has developed an online reputation audit that is helping clients determine which online platforms and strategies are worthy of investment and sets a benchmark prior to campaign launch.

Social media monitoring – Ongoing monitoring of blogs, Web sites and social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Digg, etc. provides real-time insight into how your campaigns are working, highlights new opportunities and signals early warning of any negative trends.

Other digital research methods include e-mail and online surveys, online focus groups and proprietary online panels. I’ll explore the uses and benefits of these in an upcoming post. Whatever the method, market research remains the best way to understand consumer behavior and to make smart investments during a time of economic challenge.

Interested in learning more about consumer trends? Research presented in the July 2009 issue of Harvard Business Review shows that the recession is having a far greater impact on consumer spending habits than previous downturns, and that some behavior patterns, as well as brand perceptions, may be dramatically altered. Paul Flatters and Michael Willmott of Trajectory, a consumer trends forecasting consultancy, document massive shifts in consumers’ purchasing behavior and attitudes toward brands.

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What I Learned About Social Media from Tony the Tiger

July 17th, 2009

Inexperienced “experts” in the social media world don’t understand that it needs to serve a clear purpose and be measured. The social media frenzy is now at the stage where companies aren’t taking so-called experts at their word. Companies are seeking substance—and experience. But are they getting it?

Werth has noticed that rising above the frenzy are some well-positioned strategic thoughts, like Peter Shankman’s recent blog post. But some are focused more on the purely social aspects of social media and represent themselves from an overly casual point-of-view, possible juvenile and often not aligned with corporate culture that seeks results (translation: not all fun and games) for the investment.

Here’s the rub:

Companies that put inexperienced professionals (admittedly power users of social media, but not communications or marketing experts) in the driver’s seat with their social media run the risk of damaging their reputations.

People are panicked to get a social media presence because it’s seen as the next silver bullet. As professional marketers and communicators, we all need to recognize one important and timeless fact:

Social media is—with deference to Tony the Tiger—simply “an important part of a balanced marketing breakfast.” I’m probably dating myself, but readers out there who get the reference are the fastest adopters of social media. According to Nielsen, FaceBook alone has more than 200 million active users with the fastest growing age group adults 35 and over.

Thinking like Tony, social media should be used as an important part of a total program to help achieve marketing goals. On its own, social media can be just like breakfast cereal–an addictive snack easily gobbled down by the handful throughout the day, or something served once daily or weekly with milk, OJ and some banana slices on top.

How can you tell if you are really getting expertise or just meaningless chatter behind your social media effort? Nothing beats a plan that is executed within corporate norms with respect for social media authenticity—while demonstrating results. As you are looking for experts, ask about experience, the strategy behind the program and most importantly, what business results it will generate.

Join us for an informed and results-oriented conversation on social media. Over the next few weeks my colleagues and I will be posting on successes we’re seeing with social media and sharing some amazing results, starting with a Werth client that reached more than 50 percent of its campaign goal in one day with a social media campaign.

If I were asking Tony the Tiger, I’m sure he’d say it’s “Grrrrrrrreat!”

Future posting: Using social media to rise above industry reputation challenges.

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