Kelsey Advertising and Design

4 Holes in Your Digital Marketing Strategy and How to Plug Them

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:00 GMT

You may be new to the digital marketing space, or you may be a seasoned veteran. Either way, you’re going to have a digital campaign that will under-perform your expectations. If your strategy and creative are on point, you might be overlooking some easy fixes.

Here are four easy things to look for in repairing your ailing digital marketing strategy:

1. Lack of Tracking

“You can’t manage what you can’t measure.”

Same is true in digital. With Google Analytics, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be tracking every aspect of your digital campaign. Where they came from, how long they stayed, what page they landed on, what page they exited from. The data is there for the taking and it’s information that can help you make fast decisions about your campaign and turn it on a dime.

2. Lack of Traffic

“If you build it, they will come.”

Hope you saved some money for marketing, cause you’re gonna need it. I make it a point to ask every client I work with if they have a marketing budget for when their webpage/microsite/e-commerce project is complete. You’d be surprised at how many are shocked by that question, or think I am trying to pry more fees out of them. Remember, your project is one of tens of thousands that will hit the Internet everyday, and it’s not going to marketing itself - and it probably won’t go viral either.

3. A Weak Offer

“All cruelty springs from weakness.”

And what’s more cruel than wasting money on bad marketing? The whole purpose of your marketing is to elicit a desired response from the person viewing it, like a phone call or purchase. Be clear and direct in what you want the customer to do. Look through your local newspaper. Most of the ads don’t even have a call to action in them!

4. An Overly Complicated Process

“R.T.F.M.”

If I have to read a manual to interact with your ad or take advantage of your offer, you lose. I’m clicking on something else. Most users aren’t at the same level as the web developer or marketer who put the piece together. While it's fine to want to use new technology and techniques, keep in mind your target audience and plan accordingly. Every additional, unnecessary click results in lost opportunity.

Plug these gaps when putting your next digital marketing strategy together, and you’ll be ahead of most of your competitors.

Making a Business Case for Mobile

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:22 GMT

For years, marketers have been saying “next year will be the year of mobile” and ever year, we have gotten closer and closer to that point. But despite the massive increases in mobile adoption, decision makers (especially small business owners) have been hesitant to embrace mobile. No, next year will not be the year of mobile. The reign of mobile has already begun, we are now in the decade of mobile.

According to a study by Gartner’s, mobile phones will overtake PCs as the most common Web access device worldwide by 2013. It makes perfect sense - we have our internet-connected mobile devices with us all the time, and spend far more time with them than we do with our desktop, or even laptop, computers.

But the fact that people are accessing the Internet from mobile devices still doesn’t make a business case for marketing using mobile channels. After all, new smartphones have few problems loading most standard websites, and as data networks keep getting faster, do you still need a dedicated mobile website?

The data overwhelmingly says yes. A recent study from eConsultancy found that mobile accounts for 10% of e-commerce visits, but that traffic had half the conversion rate. This was an e-commerce store without a mobile-optimized website. I decided to run some numbers on my own e-commerce business. For all of 2011 (so far), 12% of our overall traffic came from mobile devices. And sure enough, it converted at less than half the conversion rate of non-mobile visitors.

What could doubling the conversion rate on 12% of your traffic do to your sales? I ran some numbers using the average e-commerce conversion rate of 2% and 100,000 visitors per month with a $100 average order. The results were staggering. Revenues increased 6.38%, or an additional $144,000 per year. If that’s not a business case for a dedicated mobile website, I don’t know what is.

Mobile adoption is increasing at an exponential rate, yet Google recently found that 79% of large online advertisers still do not have a mobile-optimized website. I’d bet money that number is much higher for small businesses. So, what are you waiting for?

Is Your Local Advertising Strategy Stalling?

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:18 GMT

You’ve spent thousands of dollars on newspaper ads, your radio ads are in heaving rotation across the dial, and you even wrote a big check to redesign your website.

So where are all the customers? Why isn’t the cash register ringing?

Your advertising may not be the problem. It might be the result of a much more fundamental problem - a weak brand message.

It’s fair to say that most of the ads I see for local businesses tout “exceptional service”, “the best selection,” or “prices that can’t be beat”.

The problem with this type of marketing strategy is the fact there is always somebody with better service, better selection, and lower prices. There’s nothing original about these selling points. And there lies the problem. Even Walmart has given that up, and they really do have the lowest prices.

A “brand” by definition is the deliverable proof of your distinction. Take a moment to think about what makes your brand really unique. Ask yourself if anyone will or should care about what you are selling.

Here are two fun (and sobering) brand exercises:

Take your ad(s) and put your competitor’s logo on it - and vice versa.
Do all the selling points in both ads still hold true? They shouldn’t. Every company has a distinction that will attract a certain segment of customers. Find your distinction “sweet spot,” and you’ve found the recipe for success.
Use the word “Only”, then prove it.
Look at the claims you are making in your ads, and use the word “only” in the copy. If you’re not the only one doing something, you’re not unique. Passed that test? “Prove it.” Can you absolutely prove without a shadow of doubt that you are the only company who can deliver that claim, or is it just a pipe dream?

Instead of declaring you have “the best selection of BBQ grills in Toledo”, try the distinctive claim, “the exclusive dealer for Big Green Eggs in Toledo.” Instead of having “the best service in the HVAC business”, try something unique like “every installation is personally inspected for quality by our owner.”

Remember, the buying public now has choices. The Internet, social media, and increases in all forms of media have given customers options they have never had before, and they’re talking to each other too. There is no reason to buy local anymore if you’re simply talking about price, service and selection. Stop wasting money on your bad advertising and concentrate on your brand distinction. Your brand will stand out if it is unique and memorable, and brands that stand out are winners at the cash register.

What to Consider When Integrating Mobile Into Your Marketing Mix

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:36 GMT

Back in the 90's, when it became apparent you needed a website, businesses started throwing a little money at online marketing to test the waters. They bought some banner ads, and maybe put their web address on business cards. Some even had an “online marketing” strategy. But they soon realized that a website and online strategy as a silo can’t be nearly as effective as a holistic strategy. As a standalone marketing channel, a website can bring in some traffic and even conversions, but its real power lies in how it integrates into all the other marketing channels companies are already using.

Mobile is much the same – by itself it can bring in some visitors, convert a few into paying customers. But mobile marketing’s true power lies in how well it integrates with other forms of marketing to drive brand awareness, support the overall marketing plan, and even build brand ambassadors.

What’s better, mobile can easily be integrated into almost any existing marketing campaign, giving it a call to action with detailed analytics to help drive future marketing decisions.

Where Are You Currently Advertising?

Instead of looking at mobile marketing techniques or mediums, the first step is to look at where you are currently spending your advertising dollars. Are you running print, television or radio ads? Do you have billboards? Do you do a lot of OOH (out of home) advertising?

Look at where you are currently spending your advertising dollars and ask yourself how mobile can fit into your current marketing plans. Especially consider media such as billboards or radio that lack the ability to easily track success.

Ways to Integrate Mobile

Think of how you can integrate mobile into your existing marketing strategy much in the way we wondered how we could integrate our website years ago.

1. Mobile-Optimized Website

The most obvious way to integrate mobile is to have a mobile-optimized website. You probably already have your web address on hundreds, if not thousands of items ranging from business cards to billboards. A mobile-optimized website will allow mobile users to quickly learn about your company and products or services.

It’s imperative if you invest in mobile marketing, including any of the strategies below, you direct customers to a mobile-optimized landing page. Sending mobile users to a regular website only frustrates them, and will be much less effective at converting visitors.

2. SMS Marketing

SMS (text message) usage is skyrocketing in the United States. SMS messages are available on virtually every mobile phone made today, and sending a text is often easier and quicker than opening a browser and typing a web address.

Adding an SMS call to action on an ad can drive consumers to act on an offer or promotion immediately. They work extremely well with contests and sweepstakes, but are also a great way to get more information to the consumer about your product or service. They also offer customers a way to “subscribe” to regular updates and promotions from your company.
You simply line on your marketing message like “Text ‘mobile’ to 12345 to learn more about _____”, and the mobile user receives a reply with a clickable link to more detailed information.

3. QR Codes

QR codes (quick response barcodes) are multi-dimensional barcodes that can be scanned by most smartphones using a free application. The codes can contain all kinds of information, but typically include a web address or auto-populate an SMS message.

QR codes are still relatively new, but are gaining in popularity exponentially every month. Many advertisers are using codes customized with their logomark to drive consumers to a more emmersive and interactive brand experience.

Get Started Today

By 2013 mobile users will access the Web more than traditional desktop users. The majority of new phones sold today are smartphones, capable of scanning, browsing and texting. People will be looking at your advertising with a computer in their pocket, how you engage with them is up to you.

Take a look at your current marketing strategy today, and look for ways to incorporate mobile into your marketing mix in the near future. For more information on how to implement any of the strategies above, call 706-298-2738.

Give ’em What They Want. Add a Blog.

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 17:32 GMT

As you have already heard a hundred times, a blog is an essential part of your online strategy. Not only does the blog let your customers know what your company does, it highlights your insights and expertise. It also serves a more important purpose.

Your blog provides valuable keywords that visitors surfing the Internet are searching for on Google and other search engines.

Imagine this scenario: You’ve built a new website for your business. It’s user-friendly. It looks great. Your mom says she loves the colors. You show it to clients and they praise you for your hard work.

You say “Mission Accomplished” and move on to the next fire. 3 or 4 months later, you log into Google analytics and discover that after your initial launch and self-generated “buzz”, you are getting about 10 unique visitors a day. Bummer.

What happened?

First, check the number of pages on your site. Do you have enough pages to attract the number of visitors you think you should be getting? Take in consideration the amount of content on all of your pages as well. Every page on your site should be valuable to the visitor reading it, and optimized for the same reason. No “under construction” pages allowed! Any pages less than 250 words long should be re-evaluated.

Next look at the number of keyword searches that your site generated. You can do this by logging into Google Analytics and looking at the keywords report. What this tells you is the number of unique keywords that visitors used to find your site at the search engine (Google). As with most things in life, the bigger the number, the better.

And lastly, ask yourself, “Do I have content that people want to read and share with their friends, family, and business contacts?”

So what do you do if you determine you don’t have the quantity and type of content that will attract the number of visitors to your site that you seek?

Determine specific people (customers) who are relevant to your business. In other words, who is searching for your company’s services? Are you targeting CEOs? Are you targeting purchasing agents? Are you targeting CPAs? Are you targeting stay-at-home mothers?

Next, you need to determine the types of content this audience will be interested in. Do your research. Immerse yourself on sites where your target audience lurks. Find successful sites already catering to your target audience. What are the articles about? How are the article titles worded? Familiarize yourself with the things that make your audience tick.

Once you determine who you are going to write for, and what you’re going to write about, you need to create a keyword list for your content. This keyword list will act as a reminder of the topics, phrases, and buzzwords that you were audience is searching for in reading about. Keep this list handy and refer to it often when writing. Scrutinize your posts. Ask yourself, “Will my audience be interested in this article?” “Does my article utilize the subjects and keywords on my target list?” If not, you should consider editing your post, or throwing it out altogether.

Lastly, keep your momentum moving forward by creating an editorial calendar. Your blog post schedule should have a certain cadence to it. Decide if you are going to write once a month, once a week, or daily. Whatever intervals you decide on, stick to it. Your visitors will pick up on this schedule, and begin looking for your content on a regular basis.

Google analytics can tell you if your blogging efforts are making a difference.

After you have been on this regimen for a few months, log back into Google analytics and check your keyword report. You should begin to see an increase in the number of active keyword searches on your site! This means your hard work is starting to pay off, and your visitors are getting what they want!

QR Codes: Don’t Be Surprised When You Start Seeing These Little Beauties!

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 07:47 GMT

You’ve probably seen or at least heard about Quick Response (QR) codes on print advertisements, billboards, and business cards. Using your smartphone to scan a QR print ad, you’re typically directed to a web page containing detailed information on the product. Some individuals place QR codes on their business cards – scan the code and you land at a LinkedIn profile, personal blog, or a contact page.

In the not-so-distant future, you’ll be able to stop by your local grocery store and scan information on nearly every product in the store.

For instance, if you’re curious about when and where a gallon of milk was processed, just scan a QR code on the carton to find out.

Is a coupon available for a particular brand of cereal? Are the tomatoes locally grown and harvested? The QR code will tell you.

QR codes are rapidly changing the method by which we receive and process information. Advertisers and manufacturers are quickly adopting this technology for everyday use.

In terms of wide acceptance, it’s still relatively early in the game. Greater usage of QR codes is contingent on cellphone users transitioning to smartphones. And smartphone users must grow accustomed to recognizing the codes on advertising and packaging.

Here at Kelsey Advertising & Design, we have started placing QRs on print advertisements where we anticipate our target audience having increased smartphone usage. As QR adoption rates increase, we intend to use them more often and in more creative fashion.

For those just learning about this technology, here are some quick bits on QR codes. Enjoy.

What exactly is a QR code?

It’s most similar to a barcode, except it stores a wider array of information. QR codes contain embedded information such as text or a web address (ex: www.kelseyads.com). The technology has been around since the 1990s, but adoption of QR codes has only increased with the advent of smartphones with bar scanning abilities.

How do I scan a QR on my phone?

If you own a smartphone (Droid, iPhone, Blackberry), you must install an app on your phone to scan QR images. There are dozens of apps available and most are free.

What’s the breakdown of QR code usage by smartphone?

Approximately *63% of individuals scanning a QR codes use an iPhone, while a quarter use an Android-powered phone. Other devices like Blackberry and Windows-based phones comprise the remaining 12%.

Why should I consider using them?

By using QR codes, you can enhance the brand experience. Instead of your customer viewing an advertisement and then forgetting about you seconds later, you provide the chance to learn more about a product – and perhaps prompt them to make a purchase.

Another enormous advantage of QR codes is the ability to track the number of scans. For example, when linking to web address, use a URL-shortener service. You’re then able to precisely ascertain the number of scans (or page views). This can be incredibly useful information in determining ROI.

What does the future behold for QR codes?

The potential applications of QR codes are endlessly creative. For instance, a grocery store in South Korea has created virtual storefronts in subway stations where consumers can shop for products via QR codes while they wait for their train.

Some individuals have even had QR codes tattooed on their bodies! Use your imagination to guess where these codes direct “interested parties.”

*statistics via http://www.beqrious.com

Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail. Right?

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:00 GMT

How much research do you do before you run an ad? Before you post on Facebook? Before you plan your biggest fundraising event of the year?

Many times as business owners and marketers we work in a vacuum. We concentrate hard on the task at hand, and are driven to get "the next big thing" out the door. We fail to recognize the great big world out there that we will have to eventually get our product and ads into. In our haste, we become oblivious to what is happening around us and fail to consider the "context" in which we will pitch our idea/product to the public.

Timing is Everything

It's not always about what's convenient to you, your artificial deadlines, or the fact that this needs to go out before you go on vacation. You need to consider your audience and what's happening with them when you decide to "ship".

I'm reminded of April 20th, 2011. Lexus bought a sponsored tweet placement on Twitter's "Trends" list. These go for well over $100,000 a day. What Lexus failed to consider when they bought this ad space was that April 20th is Hitler's birthday, the anniversary of the Columbine massacre, and the celebrated pot head day, "4/20" - all of which were trending heavily on the same day.

Do yourself a favor and research. Google. Ask your customers. Insert yourself into their world and live life as the customer sees it.

If you don't, you may be in for a big surprise. You could be throwing away money trying to compete with people or events that overshadow your efforts. As the title says, "Fail to plan, plan to fail."

If you know of (or have personal experience of) other failures like the one Lexus had, share them with us!

Your Mission Statement Is Lame

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:52 GMT

I recently had a customer who insisted on putting a mission statement on the website homepage. To them, they believed it was an important step in the customer's pre-purchase decision process.

No. Your mission statement is lame. Customers don't care about a mission statement, or a vision statement. Chances are they work at a company with a fancy mission statement and they know what that's all about. Don't believe that customers buy because of a well-crafted mission statement. Your vision/mission was probably crafted at a "leadership retreat" by committee, and is probably chock full of corporate lingo like "synergy," "excellence," and "customer service" (see above).

Let's get real. They buy because you do what you do better, easier, cheaper, or more consistently than your competitor. It's your brand's promise. You've made this promise either consciously or unconsciously through your actions since the day you opened your doors.

A mission statement should simply describe the purpose of your company.

"To combine aggressive strategic marketing with quality products and services at competitive prices to provide the best insurance value for consumers." - Aflac

Your vision should be aspirational and describe what your company wants to become.

"Be the world's beer company." - Anheuser-Busch

These statements generally have no place on any of your marketing materials. At most, even if done correctly, they shouldn't make it out of the annual report. Your brand promise is where your energy should be focused. It's what your customer cares about.

So what is a brand promise, and how do I get one?

A brand promise simply lets customers know what to expect from your company when they come in contact with it.

Here are a couple of examples:

"Don't be evil." - Google

"When it absolutely, positively has to get there overnight." - FedEx

"Ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen." - Ritz-Carlton

Some might argue these are slogans, mottos, or tag lines, but ultimately what they do is promise what the customer experience with that company will be like.
It sets the bar for current and future employees, and is a guiding light for marketing, operations, and management. The brand promise is part of the larger brand development foundation you should be striving to build.
Your brand promise should be bold and project confidence. Chances are your competition is scared to be that forward.

When crafting your promise, use your vision and mission, then create a statement that describes "how" you will behave, operate, appear, communicate or interact while performing [insert your mission here] en route to [insert your vision here].

Take the time to determine how you're going to deliver your brand, and plant that flag. It's a benefit to your operations, staff, and customers.

Brand Judge and Jury

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 19:21 GMT

From a young age, my mother and father taught me not to judge others -- judge not how others look. Judge not by what others say. This is a good policy and I commend my parents for instilling this in me.

However, I now realize that in the big bad world of branding and advertising, it's impractical to believe that customers WON'T judge your company and your brand. Judge your brand by the messages you convey. Judge your brand by the design and layout of your website, lobby, brochure, or email campaign. And perhaps most harshly, judge your brand by the way you treat others.

Ultimately customers are judging your brand purely on an emotional level. Their emotional perception is your reality. It should be noted this doesn't make your customers bad people, it makes them human.

What's most disturbing about this whole notion of judging your brand, is how customers will speak to others about you. You see, your customers don't have the luxury of a well-scripted advertisement which they rehearse. Or a fancy ad slick. All they have is their intestinal impression (gut reaction) to your brand. Typically this impression is verbalized in unadulterated and brutally honest language. Ouch!

This makes perfect sense. Only your customers' opinions matter in the end, because they've had an up close and personal experience with your brand -- an experience you'll never be able to fully understand. And when your customers speak with others, it's their reputation on the line. There's no way they are going to embellish on your brand unless they are convinced you can back up your brand promise.

If your brand has experienced deterioration, it's reassuring to know that most customers are willing to forgive. In other words, it's never too late to change. Yes, damage has been done -- in some cases irreparable -- but that's no reason not to immediately "right the ship." Get back on track with full understanding that the next brand experience with a customer can be a positive one. Or even better, a brand experience that is immeasurably extraordinary.

The Importance of Integrating Online and Offline Marketing

Tue, 31 May 2011 13:00 GMT

Over the last decade, the way we communicate with each other has changed. Some think the digital world around us has made advertising more complicated, but the fundamentals remain the same. Integrating newer online techniques with more traditional offline methods can help your business grow and allow you to communicate with customers in more ways.

Let's say you spend 3 months running a great outdoor campaign, with well-designed billboards featuring your newest offer “Summer Celebration – 30% Off all Outdoor Items”. After seeing this, a customer goes home and visits your website to shop online. Upon selecting their items and beginning checkout, they notice their outdoor items are still regular price. Most likely, they are gone, and you've created an unhappy customer. Your offline billboard message was not reflected in your online presence.

Whether your business is small or large, your marketing efforts should be consistent everywhere you create a connection with potential customers – online and offline. The idea is to have all these efforts support each other and work together to promote your business. If a customer sees a current promotion in a direct mail piece and walks into your store to find the promotion doesn't start for two more weeks, again, you've created a huge disconnect. Likewise, if the mail piece prompts them to visit your website and they don't see anything about a promotion, you've lost them. Planning your online and offline marketing messages to run within the same time frame is equally important as keeping a consistent message across all mediums.

Easy Steps to Integrating Online and Offline Marketing:

1. Create Customer Referral incentives and promote them on your website, social media accounts, and print ads simultaneously.

2. Offer a discount/certificate that can be accessed only from your website, but can be redeemed in-store or online.

3. Promote an online sale with a direct mail piece.

4. Include your website and social media networks on magazine ads, newspaper ads and in other printed publications.

5. Encourage customer feedback through phone calls and in-store surveys, and post these reviews on your website, social media outlets, and in printed collateral.

6. Promote your electronic newsletter in-store allowing customers to receive product updates and promo news.

There are countless ways to tie your online and offline marketing messages together. The important part to remember is planning out ideas in advance so that your messages can be well-executed across the board.

Destination, Destination, Destination.

The destination from both your online and offline marketing efforts is, most likely, your website. Be sure to include your web address or campaign tracking URL on all communication pieces. Furthermore, if your website is your destination, make sure it looks professional and has the capabilities to deliver on any promises you've made. If you've told your customers they can redeem a voucher online, make sure that functionality actually works. If customers visit your website and can't easily find what they need, they are likely to leave and never return. All of your information should be accurate, easy to find, and match what is being done with your offline advertising efforts. This consistency between your materials is very important and creates a sense of trust in your customers' minds.

Integrating online and offline marketing allows you to get the most out of all your advertising campaigns, large or small. By using these methods together, you're able to increase the performance of both.

Make Your Brand Bold, Clear, and Direct

Thu, 26 May 2011 14:51 GMT

Larret Wright, principal of Roundtable, once told me, "Be B.C.D. with your marketing.. Bold, clear and direct." It's something that has stuck with me, and those words come rushing back when I see bold, clear, and direct messages from smart advertisers.

In this instance, I'm talking about Hyundai. They're at it again.

In 2008, at the bleakest point in our recession, Hyundai's "Assurance" campaign was bold enough to guarantee that if you bought one of their cars and lost your job, they would buy your car back from you. No penalties. No blemishes on your credit.

Pretty bold. Unmistakably direct.

What was their strategy?

In a market where most car companies brag about where the cars are made, luxury for less, or superior craftsmanship, Hyundai kept it real. They understood consumers, and what was important to their buying decision. Hyundai realized at the time people were in self-preservation mode and scared to make major purchases because of uncertainty. What did they do? They gave people a little bit of "Assurance."

No doubt it worked, being named 2009 Marketer of the Year by AdAge.com.

Now they are back for more, with an even bolder offer. Hyundai's new campaign: Guaranteed trade-in value. When you buy a Hyundai, they will guarantee, in writing, the amount you will receive at trade-in for that car (assuming you decide to buy another Hyundai).

In an era when getting maximum value for your dollar is paramount, Hyundai has proved to be bold once again, projecting the confidence in their product to the extent they believe the cars will hold a certain level of value at trade-in. They are "direct" in the fact that they are taking the questions and haggle out of determining the value of your car years from now.

What can we learn from Hyundai?

Be Bold.
Use creativity and a new approach to selling your product or service in a way your customers may not be used to. Doing so immediately makes you stand out from the crowd. Offering a way to get out of a major purchase free and clear was a unique selling point that no other company could match.
Be Clear.
"Assure" people what you are offering and how it benefits them. Don't beat around the bush with a bunch of fine print. Shelf the trickery. Tell your customer exactly what you promise, then follow through. Hyundai is going to tell you up-front what your car is worth in four years. Guaranteed.
Be Direct.
Understand your client, what makes them tick, and then move fast. Hyundai understood people weren't necessarily looking for German engineering or the ultimate driving machine. They were simply worried about the uncertainty in the market and their jobs. Find out the pain points of your customers, and address it head on.

Sometimes you need to stick your neck out there and be bold, clear and direct. Your customers will take notice...and so will your competition.

4 Steps on Your Journey to an Enlightened Brand

Fri, 20 May 2011 03:29 GMT

Customers, partners, and prospects come in contact with your brand on daily basis in dozens of different ways. These areas of contact are called 'brand touchpoints' and should be managed as aggressively as you would manage any other marketing tactic - this is the process of brand development.

Because there are literally dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of points of interaction for your business (both internally and externally), capturing them all on paper can be a dauting task. However, it is paramount to the success of your brand that you take special care in analyzing both current and potential touchpoints. It's not a quick journey by any means, but you can get through it by following these four steps.

1. Internal Touchpoint Review
The internal review of your brand touchpoints should involve employees from every department of your company - sales, accounting, customer service, management, HR, etc. By including these individuals from the beginning, you'll get better understanding, "buy-in", and assistance when it comes time to implement your plan.

Sit down with the department representatives and ask about their processes and how they come in contact with other people on the job, keeping in mind to consider both internal and external transactions. For instance, if you are sitting down with a person from the accounting department, you may ask questions like:

How do we bill our clients?
How long does it take?
How do we accept payments?
What do our invoices look like?
How do we handle billing discrepancies?
How do we handle vendor relationships?
How do we work with the sales department?

At first glance these may seem to be purely operational in nature and bear no affect on your overall brand, but each one of these processes lends to the perception of your company, and may help/hinder your ability to deliver your brand promise. By reviewing every touchpoint, department by department, we can become acutely aware of these interactions and make educated decisions regarding their importance and priority in our brand development plan.

2. External Touchpoint Review
In this step, ask your prospects, loyal customers and lost customers what is important to them. Finding out what matters to each of these groups helps you further refine your touchpoint plan.

From loyal customers, you can find out what won them over and keeps them coming back.
From future customers, you find out what factors they are considering while choosing a brand - this includes things that your competition is doing.
From lost prospects, you gain insight into the things you are doing wrong that made them choose against your brand.

3. Touchpoint Priority Chart
Once the touchpoints have been collected from the first two steps, you should begin the prioritization process. Rank each of the touchpoints in four main areas - your ability to improve, cost, amount of improvement needed, and level of importance to the overall business objectives.

4. Plan & Execution
By now you know what touchpoints your company has, and what level of importance they hold in your current and future business goals. The key now is to determine a plan of action.

Don't try to act on every touchpoint at once; It's an impossible task. Pick a few that you can easily manage, measuring your progress before, during and after your work.
Delegate the appropriate parts of the plan to the members of your cross-functional team you assembled during the internal review. These people understand what you are doing, and can help you sell and implement your changes to their co-workers.

If you follow this process diligently and thoughtfully, your customers will notice significant differences in your efforts to better serve them before, during and after the sale...and that may just result in more ringing of the cash register!

5 Secrets to a Successful Mobile Marketing Campaign

Tue, 17 May 2011 22:01 GMT

Mobile marketing has grown rapidly in the last three years, primarily due to the staggering growth in smartphone adoption in the United States. According to ComScore, at the end of 2010 almost half of all mobile users were mobile media users (they browsed the web, downloaded applications, downloaded content, etc). Four of the top 5 devices in 2010 were smartphones, and as smartphone and data plan prices continue to drop, even more mobile users will have access to the mobile web, applications and other advanced features.

With this rapid adoption, mobile marketing growth is exploding as well–the mobile marketing industry will reach $1 billion globally in 2012. How can you leverage mobile marketing to drive customer engagement, increase revenues, and extend your existing marketing campaigns?

1. Research Your Target Market

While mobile marketing isn’t restricted to only smartphone users, some methods (such as search, display, and app advertising) are primarily targeted to smartphone users, while tactics such as SMS marketing can be targeted to all mobile users. Before selecting the advertising medium for your mobile campaign, it is important to research your target demographic.

Even the most brilliant location-based marketing campaign using Foursquare or Facebook Places would be lost on the majority of age groups. Location based social networks are still very new, and are used by less than 1% of the general population. The users also seem to be predominantly young adults — over 65% of Foursquare users are 25-44 years old.

Similarly, although QR codes are gaining in popularity, they require a smartphone with a camera and a specialized application to read and decode the two-dimensional barcode. A marketing message utilizing QR codes would completely miss the mark with anyone using a feature phone.

This is not to discourage you from utilizing mobile marketing in your campaigns, but it is important to match the medium with your target demographic. There are numerous sources for industry data on mobile phone and app usage including Forrester, Google and ComScore. Use this data in the early planning stages of your campaign to ensure you are reaching your intended audience with your marketing message.

2. Clearly Identify Goals & Success Metrics

Defining key performance indicators (KPI's) is standard practice for any marketing campaign. The old saying “I know half of my marketing works, I just don’t know which half” doesn’t apply anymore. Traditional forms of marketing may have been difficult to adequately measure, especially for smaller campaigns, but many different metrics of online and mobile marketing campaigns can be tracked.

What is the overall goal of the campaign? Brand awareness? Leads? Purchases of a product or service? Traffic to a landing page or website? These are all very different goals. Before you can measure success (or failure), you have to be on the same page. Determine what the KPIs are for your campaign first, then determine the metrics that represent success or failure for those (there can be more than one).

3. Utilize Traditional Marketing

A mobile marketing campaign can be successful on its own, but its real power is in how well it pairs with traditional marketing to leverage the many advantages of online marketing with traditional mediums such as print, out-of-home (OOH), and television. Mobile marketing gives advertisers the ability to add an interactive experience to a print advertisement, poster, park bench or television ad. Users can request more information, join your list, or enter a contest simply by scanning a QR code or sending an SMS message.

Traditional marketing gives you access to mobile users while they are mobile. Print and OOH advertising can put your brand, product or promotion in front of users while they are on the bus, waiting for an appointment at the doctor's office, or walking through the mall.

4. Make Data Collection a Priority

One of the biggest advantages of online marketing (including mobile marketing) is the available metrics you can track. Once you've determined your key performance indicators, be sure to track them so you can report on the effectiveness of the campaign. You can track text messages sent and received, unsubscribes, QR codes scanned, landing page views and unique visitors, online leads, phone calls, and more.

To collect all available data, you may need to use multiple tools. When tracking mobile landing pages, be sure to include server-side tracking scripts if possible, as many mobile phones (even some smartphones) ship with JavaScript disabled by default. Google Analytics offers mobile-specific tracking code that can be used instead of or in addition to their JavaScript tracking code.

Your data may be spread out across multiple tools such as a web analytics package, SMS marketing platform, and a mobile display advertising platform, consider exporting the raw data from these sources and combining in Microsoft Excel or Google Docs spreadsheets to show an overall picture of how your campaign performed.

5. Follow-up to Build Relationships

Whether your campaign's primary goal was to drive sales, build brand awareness, or generate leads, the campaign is only the beginning. Use the opportunity to start (or continue to build) a relationship. Ask for permission to contact participants in the future, and by other communication methods. Someone may have found you by scanning a QR code, but may also be interested in receiving emails from you. Make it simple to sign up to receive additional information.

3 More Reasons Small Business Owners Should Blog

Thu, 12 May 2011 17:42 GMT

I've had more than my fair share of discussions with business owners who don't have time to blog. They believe it to be an extravagance that doesn't lead to direct sales, or worse yet, they have better things to do with their time. Pamplets and business cards still carry more importance. I guess because you can actually pick these items up and hold them.

Just as you wouldn't walk into a meeting without business cards, you shouldn't go in without a blog either.

Blogging is an essential business development tool. Beyond the obvious reasons you've been told a hundred times before - SEO, "pull" marketing, etc - here are three other reasons why you need to start your business blog today.

Blogging plants a flag, creates a voice for your business, and lets customers and prospects know where you stand on a topic relevant to them. The blog allows you to prove to prospects that you know your stuff, and that there is depth beyond your keyword-stuffed, buzzword-saturated website. 94% of customers research the company or brand on the Internet before they make a purchase. It's better to display the breadth of your knowledge on your website with regular and timely updates.

Business blogs allow customers to get to know you before the first meeting. Cold calls don't work very well anymore, and many owners (even myself) won't take them. A blog allows you to put your message and expertise in front of prospects, allow them to find out what kind of company you are, and virtually "warm-up" to you.

Blogs don't interfere with your offline marketing, they support it. A blog makes sense for your business if you do any of the following:

Public speaking.
Buy traditional media (TV, radio, newspaper, or OOH).
Have a Facebook fan page or Twitter account.
Send press releases or other PR-related activities

If you spoke at a conference in front of a hundred prospects, bought $30,000 in media, or sent out 200 press-packets, and the recipients/viewers immediately visited your website, what kind of information would they find? Would they find a site containing only a list of services and business locations, or would they find one with a blog containing hundreds of posts relevant to your expertise and their needs? Which kind of website do you think is more powerful? Which do you think is more likely to be shared or acted upon?

Yes, a blog is a lot of work, but it can validate everything else you do in your marketing plan. Get started today!

Is the Los Angeles Lakers brand dead?

Mon, 09 May 2011 13:29 GMT

A truly extraordinary brand begins to decline into mediocrity once a mindset of ‘good enough’ is accepted in its company culture. Truly exceptional brands never stop getting better and continually look for ways to improve.

‘Good enough’ is just another way of saying, ‘I am content with meeting expectations.’ Typically, meeting expectations makes great business sense. Why should a company (or franchise) pour more money into products, employees, or customers than what’s absolutely necessary? Here’s why: once employees (or players) know that ‘good enough’ satisfies the company’s expectations, apathy eventually sets in.

And that’s when your brand begins a slow and painful death.

Just look at the 2011 Los Angeles Lakers for a great example of how quickly a brand can deteriorate.

According to Forbes, the value of the Lakers franchise has more than doubled since 1998. The magazine estimated it at a league-leading $607 million in 2009. How much of this $607 million is brand equity? A lot.

In 2010, the Lakers were crowned world champions of the NBA in a seven-game series with the Boston Celtics. The Lakers reached this pinnacle of their sport for the 16th time in team history, second only, ironically, to the Celtics.

Fast forward to 2011: the Lakers were swept in four straight games to the Dallas Mavericks in the second round of the NBA playoffs. Poor defense (lack of effort), poor shot selection (bad strategy), and team apathy (no leadership / content with ‘good enough’) were all pinpointed as systemic issues for the Lakers in this series.

As if losing four straight to the Mavericks wasn’t bad enough, the Lakers further tarnished their brand by the way they lost game 4 – with flagrant fouls and a complete lack of sportsmanship. The sports world took notice as fans and media lit up the Internet with harsh criticism and condemnation of the Lakers players and coaches.

What a difference a single year makes in the history of brand!

So, is the Lakers brand dead? Doubtful.

Has the Lakers brand deteriorated? Most certainly.

Will the Lakers recover? Maybe. Vice president Magic Johnson calls for a complete overhaul of the roster and a new coach is taking over next season. It’s a start.

Regardless of the Lakers tactics, a complete turnaround will only take place with great leadership to re-ignite the franchise. A franchise that previously had a passion for dreaming big, working hard, and improving themselves every single day.

4 Ways To Put Facebook To Work For Your Business

Thu, 05 May 2011 22:12 GMT

Facebook is undeniably the most successful networking site ever. However, despite social media experts saying “you should have a Facebook page,” if you have no objective, what’s the point? Facebook is NOT pointless. If you have a plan with set goals - as you would with any marketing strategy - your chance of running a successful campaign is much greater.

There are many ways to approach Facebook, and only you can determine what will work for your business.

For example, if you are looking to gain a modest level of brand exposure by having a presence on Facebook, I would recommend implementing a plan that keeps your momentum going, even on your busiest days. This plan should include:

Creating a six month editorial calendar. An editorial calendar is literally a calendar where you strategically map out every post you are going to make during a pre-defined period - whether pre-written, or merely a note of the subject matter you will post about. Keeping an editorial calendar reduces impulse posts, and ensures that the posts you do make have been thought out and are on point with your brand message and business objectives.

Keeping your fan page clean and easy to navigate. Only use tabs that are functional and be sure to keep your information section up-to-date. While a Facebook page is not a replacement for your flagship website, it should get plenty of attention in regards to content, pages and navigation as your regular website does.
Experimenting with the post types to see which posts engage the most users. For example, ask your fans open ended questions, or make a statement and ask your fans to “Like” the comment if they agree or comment if they are indifferent. Not getting interaction? Perhaps stop "selling" and start "sharing." Always look at the post from your audience's perspective and ask, "What's in it for me if I read this post?"
Regularly adding photos and videos to your page. This allows fans to feel connected to you, and gives them more content to possibly share with their friends. Again, just make sure it is relevant and consistent with your other brand messaging and business objectives.

A strategy using these techniques is easy and cost efficient.

Prior to creating “out of the box” type posts, fill in your calendar with all known celebratory days, such as upcoming holidays, employee birthdays and anniversaries and your company’s anniversary. Then, fill in most - not all - of the remaining days on your calendar with a combination of informative and educational posts (related to your field of expertise), along with a handful of creative and fun posts.

It’s also essential to regularly find new ways to engage with your fans. For example, always respond to your fans posts. Interaction is more important than the number of fans you have. Interaction offers your fans something tangible and it falls in line with the social spirit of Facebook. Additional ways to connect with your fans is by setting up a discussion page or by running a contest. These techniques do come with a larger price tag, mainly because it requires more labor. Still, it will definitely boast your ability to reach the Facebook audience of 500 million active users.

These are just a few suggestions to help you get started. Keep in mind, Facebook profiles should reflect your brand personality and what “works” for one business, may not be right for yours. It’s just that simple.

How Internal Brand Development Helps Your Business

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:00 GMT

Aside from advertising, employees are the first contact customers have with your brand. Making sure employees deliver a consistent brand experience goes beyond well-documented processes and checklists. Consistent brand delivery is a product of an intentional internal brand development process which helps employees to hear the brand, see the brand and ultimately live the brand.

So what exactly is Internal Brand Development?

Internal Brand Development is the process of training and educating your employees to properly deliver your brand values, products, and procedures. In other words, you are aligning your employees' actions to that of the brand and what the brand uniquely offers your customers.

Why care about internal brand development?

When your entire staff (top to bottom) is pulling in the same direction, it yields several desirable outcomes, such as:

- Consistent delivery.

Visit any Chick-Fil-A restaurant and every "Thank You" is followed by a "My pleasure." It's a small token, but this memorable reply is distinctive - and consistent.

- Employees are more energized and it shows through a better brand experience.

When Bernie Marcus was CEO of Home Depot, employees were constantly reminded of the Home Depot difference, and associates were passionate about helping the "DIY" customer. This spirit revolutionized the category.

- Customers are willing to pay more to get "more".

Starbucks charges more than anyone else for a cup of coffee because of the way the baristas make customers feel. Staff is engaging, welcoming and always willing to "make it right."

So how do you get started?

First, a strongly defined brand promise and core brand values must be discovered and settled upon. What differentiates your business, and what promise are you willing and able to make to your customers?

The "brand" starts at the top. If the CEO of the company doesn't find value in this initiative, it will be D.O.A. The brand development process (both internal and external) will only succeed if the CEO consistently verbalizes the importance of the brand and its values to all constituents - shareholders, employees, and customers.

Once leadership is on board and communicates the initiatives, hire people who get it - fire the ones that don't. Employees come in contact with the customer on a daily basis, not management. If they "buy-in", the customer will notice. The employee must understand the "why" behind what you do - what your company stands for, what makes you different, and why the customer needs the brand.

Once the employee understands the "why", they need to be taught the "how." This is when the processes of the business are installed. Keep in mind that every process you have should support and reinforce the brand promise and values. How do you handle returns? How long does it take to checkout? How do you greet customers? Every customer touchpoint should be examined. Once again, consistency is the name of the game.

After leadership and employees are performing in unison and processes are in place, reinforcement and recognition need to commence. This helps buttress the long-term success of brand adoption and remind employees how important consistent brand delivery is. How will you recognize and reinforce positive brand delivery? Words of encouragement, company awards, and employee perks are just a few of the many ways you can reward employees. Reinforcement reminds employees the importance of good habits.

Internal brand development is a long-term strategy. Done correctly, it can take your business to unparalleled heights (as in Starbucks' case). Done poorly, it provides lackluster returns and opens the door for focused competitors (think Home Depot).

How will you begin your path to better brand delivery?

UPDATE: Our good friend Patrick O'Keefe wrote a great article supporting this concept. Too bad he had to have a bad experience to make the point.

“Marketing Doesn’t Work” or So They Say

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:00 GMT

"Marketing Doesn't Work" or So They Say

Business owners are always looking for new ways to build brand awareness. Whether they're providing the best goods and services in hopes of increasing word-of-mouth marketing or running a multi-dimensional marketing plan, most owners are doing something. The question is, are they doing it consistently? Some have larger marketing budgets than others, but regardless of the budget, it's important to stay committed to your efforts, particularly if you're a small business.

When talking with new prospects about marketing, we always start with a discovery session: learning about who they are, determining their goals, etc. One of the most interesting facts to learn is their past marketing efforts and how those worked in promoting their brand. Quite often, small business owners will say something like this, “Well, I ran a few newspaper ads last year, and that didn't work” or “I sent a few emails over the holidays, but didn't have much success” or maybe “When we first opened, I ran several radio ads and sponsored the local high school's homecoming parade.” These people believe they've tried advertising and it failed. They feel marketing doesn't work. All they've really done is given a small donation to the local newspaper, radio station or high school.

It's not a question of whether marketing helps build your brand or not, because we know it does. It's a question of how you approach it. There are many things that should be taken into account before any marketing efforts begin.

Do you know your target audience?
Have you researched the best mediums to communicate with this audience?
What is your message going to be?
Does your message appeal to the right people?
How is your timing in relation to the type of media you've chosen?

The list goes on and on. When building or promoting your brand, it's imperative to have a strategy and develop a plan. Maybe your target audience isn't attending the local high school's homecoming parade. Research will tell you this, and your decisions won't be based on a whim.

Your plan should include multiple efforts that run in sequence with each other so your audience is exposed to your message many times in different ways. The most important part is consistency. If your audience sees one newspaper ad, they'll easily forget about you. However, if they're exposed to your brand on several occasions in different ways over a period of time, you are more likely to become credible in their mind, and you're more likely to be remembered.

So, the next time you talk with a business owner who is unhappy with the outcome of running their magazine or radio ad, don't immediately assume you'll have the same outcome. If you have a well-planned strategy that includes one of these mediums for the right reason, it will play a role in building your brand. Marketing is an ongoing effort, not a one-time fix. Businesses who understand this have already won half the battle.

5 Easy Steps to Better Social Media Marketing

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 14:14 GMT

Are you new to social media marketing? Do you need a refresher of best practices?

I recently attended the Marketing Professionals Digital Marketing Forum in Austin, TX, and I wrote down some points that stood out for me on the topic of social media best practices. Whether you’re developing a social media strategy for your business or establishing guidelines and tactics to integrate social media into your existing marketing programs, these are important points to keep in mind. It’s also important to use them across the board, not just on Facebook and Twitter, but on your company blog, your LinkedIn account and other platforms.

1. Content needs to be easy to find and share. It’s simple enough to make it easy to find (as long as you make that a priority), but is it easy to share? Users don’t want to jump through hoops to share your content. Use icons and make them prominent.

2. Industry jargon is the number one killer of content! Customers don’t understand it and don’t search for it. It’s okay for the office, but develop your content so that it makes sense to your customer. The problem is, many of us aren’t aware how often we actually use industry jargon. If you’re not sure about it, have family and friends proofread for you; even ask a local business owner.

3. Companies that blog get 55% more visitors. Simple as that.

4. It’s important to express personality in blog posts, Facebook posts, tweets, and everywhere else you have a presence. Here’s an example:

“Hey folks!” or “Dear Customers,”

Which has more personality? Fun companies write upbeat posts, stale companies write stale posts. Even if the subject has a serious tone, you should still speak to the reader as a friend, not as a stranger. Let your bright and shiny personality show!

5. Give your customers the option to fill out surveys. Did they like their experience/interaction with your company? Did they hate it? If it’s negative feedback, you can use that knowledge to fix a problem. If it’s positive, you can use these as blog posts. They provide great publicity about your company from a customers’ perspective.

These are just a few small, but beneficial, things you can do to increase the effectiveness of your communication. Sometimes the smallest changes can add up to make a big difference.

Building (and Delivering) a Memorable Brand. It’s Not Just for the Big Boys.

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 13:48 GMT

No doubt you've heard the famous stories of “over the top” customer service a select few brands are famous for. Ritz-Carlton allows up to $2000 in discretionary spending by any employee to make a guest’s concern better. Zappos employees are empowered to assist customers, no matter what, even if they buy from another company. Nordstrom. Starbucks. This list goes on.

Few small business owners I talk with can afford to offer the same level of service. Their pockets just aren't deep enough or their staff isn't large enough.

However, when you begin to think about what happens when the customer walks in the door, calls the main line, or emails an associate you can start coming up with ideas on how to become more customer-centric. Start brainstorming about what happens the moment after they’ve seen your ad, made their decision, and are ready to buy.

What happens next?

No matter what, the experience should deliver your brand promise, and it should be memorable. In a good way.

How can small businesses do what the big boys do? Look no further for inspiration than our local hotdog stand here in LaGrange, Georgia.

Charlie Joseph’s has been in business since 19-twenty-something, has about 20 seats, and if you go anytime between 11:00am and 1:30pm, plan on waiting for a seat. That’s six days a week!

What’s their secret? Is it the food?

Not really. I can get a bigger, better cheeseburger elsewhere.

Is it the location? No. It’s on a one-way street downtown - parking out front is hit or miss.

No matter what it is, the ownership and employees understand that one of the biggest draws to this famous hotdog stand is the experience of eating there. Consider these parallels in the Charlie Joseph's brand experience to those of the larger companies:

- The moment you walk in, you are greeted (often by name) and within seconds, someone is with you taking your order - think Zappos.

- Charlie Joseph's employees aren’t assigned tables. You don’t have a personal waiter. Every employee at CJ’s is there to serve you. If any employee walks by and notices you are low on Coke, you get a refill - think Nordstrom.

- If you walk in with a child, they get their food served to them with some sort of unique presentation. I've seen anything from drawings on napkins and paper plates, to ketchup smiley faces and octopus hotdogs. Anything to make your child's lunch special - think Ritz-Carlton.

How can you deliver your brand and capitalize on that same opportunity, everyday? Try these ideas for creating a better brand experience:

A smiling face can make a big difference, so be happy. So many employees who interact with customers are hum-drum. If you’re in a bad mood, or even just a mediocre mood, people notice. Customers become agitated or uncomfortable and want their interaction with the employee (and your company) to be as short as possible. It’s much more pleasant to interact with employees who make them feel comfortable and appreciated as a customer.

Make it personal. Try a simple “Thank You” for stopping by and look your customer in the eyes (this shows interest on your part and is much more personal). How many times has a cashier totaled your ticket, taken your money, and given your change all without even looking up? It happens more than you think.

Whatever you choose to do, don’t be “hit or miss.” Stay consistent. This is what separates the memorable from the unmemorable, and it's how Charlie Joseph’s has created a customer-focused culture enabling them to generate enormous word-of-mouth advertising while creating generations of loyal fans.

How can your brand deliver a memorable experience?

Location-Based Ads: What’s All The Hype About?

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 19:53 GMT

As the mobile web continues to evolve, the door of opportunity remains open for interactive marketers. Analysts are already proposing companies will spend $1.8 billion dollars on strategies like location-based advertising by 2015; and with so many new ways of connecting consumers with their peers and places of interest, it is no surprise everyone is wondering what all the hype is about.

Research shows adoption levels for location-based services like Loopt, Foursquare and Gowalla, to be fairly low. However, the opportunity for growth is very promising thanks to the increasing number of smartphone users worldwide. According to the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, total smartphone sales for 2010 were close to 302.6 million, up 74% from 2009. With such an increase in smartphone sales, it makes sense location-based service users are projected to reach 486 million by 2012; A huge jump from 61.3 million in 2008.

In terms of location-based engagement, a survey done by the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) says nearly half of those who were surveyed responded favorably to location-based ads. Additional findings concluded that survey respondents use these services to frequently locate nearby points of interests, shops or services. In addition, 53% of mobile Wi-Fi users are interested in sharing their location automatically in exchange for perks, such as free use of mobile applications and mobile coupons.

So, how can location-based advertising work for you? Consider the following scenarios.

On any given night, a nearby Bar & Grill - within a 25 mile radius - could be featured in a mobile ad. Using these location-based ads, if you are the Bar & Grill owner, you could inform your patrons of that night’s drink specials, or offer them a free appetizer or even a discount on their meal. If you owned a car wash you could advertise weekly discounts, whether it be $2 off on Tuesdays, or a free car freshener with the purchase of your “deluxe car wash package.” To go even further, if you owned a nail salon you could offer your customers a free eyebrow wax with their purchase of a mani/pedi between 2:00 and 5:00 pm.

Whether it’s enjoy the “$1 beer on draft between 5 and 7” at the nearby Oceanside Bar & Grill, or getting pampered at the nail salon around the corner, one thing is for certain; if your customers are influenced by your mobile ad, and their experience is great, they’ll likely share their experience with their family and friends, maybe even via Facebook and Twitter.

What is more influential than “word of mouth” advertising? Not a thing. People will believe what their family and friends say, no questions asked, and they’ll remember it for a long, long time!

Kelsey Wins 1st Runner-up in Better Business Bureau 2011 Torch Awards

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:19 GMT

Kelsey Wins 1st Runner-up in the Better Business Bureau 2011 Torch Awards. The BBB of East Alabama, West and Southwest Georgia's Torch Award is designed to promote not only the importance of ethical business practices, but also the willingness and efforts made by outstanding businesses to ensure that our country's marketplace remains fair and honorable for all Americans. All for-profit businesses located in this BBB's 42 county service area of West GA, East AL & SW GA were eligible for the award.

Official judging was directed by the Columbus State University Abbott Turner College of Business. Kelsey is honored to have been recognized by this great organization and thankful for their diligent employees who strive everyday to make Kelsey a great company.

Kelsey wins 6 ADDY Awards Including “Best of Show”

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:26 GMT

Kelsey Advertising & Design, a local advertising firm, entered the world’s largest and oldest advertising competition – the 2010 Addy Awards – and earned “Best of Show,” the top honor in media broadcast from the Chattahoochee Valley Chapter of the AAF. This is the fifth consecutive year they have received the “Best of Show” award.

The coveted J. Tom Morgan "Best of Show" award was given to Kelsey Advertising & Design for the Houze.org website for Houze & Associates, Inc.

Kelsey also received three prestigious “Gold” awards. The first award was for their creative work on the Houze.org website. The SomethingEdible.com website and the Kelseyads.com Mobile Site also received gold awards. Two “Silver” awards were awarded the group for the LaGrange Banking Company “Text Local Campaign” and the Spinks Brown Durand Realtors “A Night Out Campaign”.

“2010 was a busy year for us. As our company continues to work hard and grow in this challenging business environment, it’s an honor to be recognized by our peers,” said Brant Kelsey, Principal of Kelsey Advertising & Design.

The Addy Awards represent a global search for advertising excellence in all types of media. The contest, sponsored by the American Advertising Federation, a national advertising trade association in operation for over one hundred years, represents fifty thousand advertising professionals. The competition is fierce and considered the toughest contest of its kind.

Kelsey Advertising & Design is a "Small Smart" traditional & digital advertising firm located at 133 Main Street, LaGrange, Georgia. This talented group of brand development specialists produces interactive media solutions and brand strategies to secure the success of their clients in the global marketplace. The team at Kelsey is widely recognized as industry thought leaders and are truly “results addicts”. For more information, contact Kelsey at 706.298.2738 or visit online at www.kelseyads.com.

The Mobile Disconnect: 4 Things Small Businesses Can Do to Create Big Opportunities!

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:31 GMT

Many large companies are taking advantage of the great opportunities the mobile web provides. They are optimizing their existing sites for mobile, they’re tapping into mobile advertising, mobile landing pages, mobile applications, and so much more. Conversely, smaller businesses are on the exact opposite end of the spectrum; they are not adopting this technology as readily as their larger counterparts.

With 5 billion mobile subscribers, no one can any longer deny the power of the mobile web! Compare that to only 1.7 billion PC’s in use. 87% of mobile users access the mobile web more than once a day, and more than half access at least 5 times per day. There is an 85% year over year increase in overall smartphone ownership. The statistics are astounding.

Mobile Users to Exceed Desktop Internet Users by 2014
source: Morgan Stanley Research

It’s time small businesses STOP missing out on big opportunities!

People are constantly ‘on the go’, but they always have their cell phones. Whether they’re looking for a place to eat, searching for the nearest towing service, or even their nearest ATM location, they are using their mobile phones to do it. It shouldn’t just be the big businesses that get ahead. Small businesses need to take advantage of this opportunity – it’s not going away, it’s only getting bigger.

Here are 4 things you can do to start taking advantage of the Mobile Web:

1. Coupons - Upload a coupon to your mobile site. Visitors can show the cashier their mobile phone at check-out to redeem discount. Coupons are easy to create and they can be rotated out as new offers become available.

2. Gift Card Balance – If you offer gift cards, your mobile website can have a feature allowing customers to check their balance via their mobile phone. This is a convenient feature for your customers and also gives them another reason to frequent your website to find out what’s new.

3. Menu’s/Services – Do you have a menu or list of services provided? Users can view your menu or services quickly no matter where they are.

4. Appointments/Reservations – Customers can schedule an appointment with you via your mobile website, even after business hours. Customer’s like to know you’re easily within reach, and with a mobile appointment or reservation calendar, they have access any time, any day.

It’s time to make your presence known on the mobile web. Chances are, you’ll be the first to take advantage of this space before your competitors. Millions of potential customers are waiting on the other end. Even if you start with a small mobile landing page, that’s better than not being visible at all. To begin, ask yourself these questions:
1. What are the top reasons people would search for your business? Your contact information is the most obvious piece of information you’d want to include, but what are some others?
2. What do people often do on your existing site they could also do via the mobile web? Do they purchase products? Access accounts for online transactions? Book online? Maybe they check recent news and updates. Think of your unique capabilities.

In summary, your customers and potential customers are mobile whether you are or not. If you are not interacting with them on the mobile web, then someone else is. The good news is that you can take control of your brand and make a splash in the mobile space. Your customers will notice.

Kelsey Launches New Troup County Archives website

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 03:00 GMT

Kelsey has launched the new website for Troup County Archives. The Troup County Archives provides a central location for the permanent preservation of historical papers and assists in the management of local government records for Troup County, Georgia. Their facilities are located at 136 Main Street in LaGrange. The Troup County Historical Society is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to promoting a greater appreciation of Troup County's heritage. Kelsey had a great time working on the Archives website. To view the new website, visit trouparchives.org.

Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way!

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 14:25 GMT

Great brands continue to thrive for years after their introductions. Others don't. The great ones control categories and set examples for others to try and mimic. Brands like McDonald's, Ralph Lauren and Apple are emblematic of great brands.

Why do these enduring brands continue to exist? I believe it is in their brand leadership.

There are certainly other factors like brand management, operational efficiencies and market gyrations that affect long term performance, but the starting point for nearly every great brand is the leadership position taken at inception or assumed at some later point of enlightenment. The instant an advertiser begins the brand development process, they inherit the leadership position in their category or industry - guaranteed.

How you ask?

Review the definition of a brand: A brand is your claim of distinction.

Once successfully differentiated through brand development and branding, they've separated themselves from their competitors and thus, assumed a leadership role. That same differentiation helps to determine the most deliverable role and the underpinnings of long-term success are almost immediately put into place. When Maytag proclaimed quality and reliability as their brand differentiation over 30 years ago (think Maytag Repairman), it was not because all their competitors were claiming the low quality slot; everyone said they were high quality. Maytag assumed the quality leadership position by suggesting that their quality was so high that their washing machines didn't break down! What a leadership spot to claim. Then, they created the loneliest repairman to communicate their leadership and internalized the brand position with delivery mechanisms like better quality control and manufacturing processes to ensure the endurance of their leadership.

Brand leadership tends to land in one of four major categories:

Price. The price leader is that brand that owns the position. Two obvious leaders here are Walmart at the low price end of the spectrum and Rolls-Royce at the high end.

Innovation. Lots of folks like to stake this claim. Apple in technology and GE in home products are perfect examples.

Cultural Connection. Harley-Davidson is king of this category. There could be an argument made for Starbucks here, maybe even Ben and Jerry's.

Quality. Ford. For them, it's Job One.

From these four, we can drill down further and find leadership in sub or smaller leadership positions like safety = we think Volvo. Convenience = Amazon.com. Courageous = (When it absolutely, positively has to be there) FedEx, and Irreverence = Virgin tops the list. We could continue to go deeper and deeper. Today, Kevin Roberts, Worldwide CEO at Saatchi & Saatchi has created a category called "Lovemarks." These brands are adored or loved brands. They include Southwest Airlines, Nike, Levi's and a long list of other brands. But for our tastes, Ben and Jerry's could cross over here too. Volkswagen and certainly Mini Cooper fit here as well.

What's the importance of brand leadership? It's the added value good brand positioning offers. It also allows consumers to adopt the brand as their own. It also allows for better brand management, internal brand adoption and crystal clear communication.

What's the downside of brand leadership? Well, living up to your claim is one. Having the guts to advertise like a leader, not a follower is another. Having the vision of the future is mandatory. But, the benefits far outweigh the downside.

How do we go about claiming a leadership position? Start with a good discovery session. It's magic how well it works. The reason? We're simply looking inside and finding the essence of the advertiser's brand. It's always there. Or, at least the seeds are there. Here's how it works:

The process starts with listing facts by examining the company, its history, origins of business, markets served, the founders, traditions, legacies, innovations, values, ethics, customers, the people, and culture. In this first stage, we uncover literally hundreds of facts.

Through a series if three other stages, we eliminate the non-unique characteristics, extrapolate potential truths, and finally, distill the remaining information until we have a prioritized list of three to five absolutely unique and deliverable selling points about our client's company.

From this, we can establish the foundation for a proprietary brand franchise, unique branding concept and a leadership position they are capable of controlling.

We know we've simplified this process for the sake of space but don't underestimate the power of brand discovery - the deeper you dig and the more thorough the analysis the more obvious the essence of the brand and its leadership capabilities will become. And the easier it will be to assume a long-term brand leadership position.

Top 5 Location-Based Services (#mobile)

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 15:53 GMT

It's no secret that location-based social networks are growing in popularity and usage. While planning your mobile web strategy and assessing mobile marketing opportunities, don't forget about these services. People are interacting with your company on Foursquare, Gowalla, Yelp and more. If you're not there to monitor reviews and provide feedback, you're missing the chance to connect with a growing number of potential customers. In addition, these services are gateways to your mobile website, where visitors can learn even more about your brand. Read more about the Top 5 Location-Based Services.

3 Reasons Long-Term Domain Registrations Make Sense

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 19:14 GMT

If you have ever marketed your business online, chances are you’ve bought more than one domain name over the years. It’s important to periodically review all of your domains, even the old ones pointing to a micro-site promotion you ran eons ago. If you don’t, you may be losing out on traffic, money, or even worse, facilitating a brand catastrophe.

What’s the worst that could happen?

Reason #1. Simply put, your website could go “down.”
It is blatantly obvious that visitors won’t be able to access your website, except most people don’t consider the “collateral damage” of letting a domain name registration lapse. When your domain expires, not only is the website unreachable, but you stop receiving email. This means all business critical email communication has been severed, and your customers can’t communicate with you.

Not only does your email stop coming in, but customers can’t find the phone number prominently displayed on your website either. Chances are your phone has stopped ringing too.

If you have an e-commerce site, you’ll have zero orders coming in. Imagine if your domain expired on a Friday, or even worse, while you were on an extended vacation! Failure to spend ten minutes and few bucks on a domain registration could result in hundreds, or even thousands of dollars in lost revenue and productivity. Not to mention you and your company look sloppy due your lack of attention to detail.

Reason #2. Someone “steals” your customers.
Those old domains you used in the past have traffic, and value. They’ve more than likely been spidered by search engines, have old links from websites pointed to them, and I guarantee you there are folks out there who haven’t updated their bookmarks. These domain names might even contain one of your trademarks - your name, a product name, or a proprietary process term. Call me paranoid, but your competition could swoop in and grab that old domain, and in the process, all of the incoming traffic. Imagine the damage that might be caused by an unscrupulous competitor - they could re-establish old email addresses, damage relationships with existing clients, or even intercept new business leads meant for you.

I found a recent article talking about TIAA-CREF allowing an old micro-site domain registration to expire. They obviously didn’t
need it anymore, right? Wrong. A pornographer who happened to be paying attention picked up the domain. Suddenly anyone who “thought” they were going to a TIAA-CREF site was now presented with online sex chat. Wow. At this point, TIAA-CREF is looking at a whole new set of brand management challenges they never could have imagined. And it should have been avoided for a small price.

Reason #3. You may have less “trust” with the search engines.
It’s been debated for a while now whether or not search providers such as Yahoo! and Google look at the length of your domain registration when calculating your search ranking. A one year domain registration may save you a few bucks, but consider a search engine’s perspective; Does this domain (your company) appear to be a long-term viable website (your business), or just a spammer with a keyword-crammed landing page? Aside from not worrying about the issues I described above, a long-term registration demonstrates you are in business for the long haul. And if it is definitively revealed later that there is an advantage with the Yahoo! and Google algorithms, you’ve got it covered. Check one more thing off your SEO checklist.

So, what can you do to protect yourself?

Get Audited
Normally this is a bad thing, but in this case, it’s perfectly fine. Keep a spreadsheet of all the domains and sub-domains that you use, and what you used them for. Review your list periodically and make sure the domains are still in your control. If you keep your domains registered, you can re-use them later. If you aren’t going to re-use them, properly redirect them to other domains or create landing pages to inform your visitors on where they should go next.

You can check your domain’s expiration date by using a "Who-Is" tool, or by logging in to your registrar’s website.

Pencil Me In
Online services like Google Calendar, and offline programs like iCal and Outlook, make it easy to track your domain registrations. First, create a separate calendar just for domains, and put all of your domain name expiration dates in the calendar. Set alarms to notify you before your domain expires. For instance, set an alarm one month before your domain expires, and you’ll be reminded to go extend your registration. Creating a separate calendar allows you to hide the calendar from view, but still get alerted when your alarms go off.

Long Term Relationship
It’s a bit more expensive, but if you register all of your domains for multiple years, you then set one day a year to extend the registrations for all of your domains. This way you can extend each domain name by just one year, always staying ahead of the curve. For instance, a domain originally registered for three years and then extended every year for a single year, would always have an expiration date at least two years in the future.

With all of the negative things that can happen to your brand’s reputation, it makes good sense to go ahead and pull the trigger on that long-term domain name registration. We advise all of our clients to renew their domain for at least three years. It costs a few dollars more, but it saves everyone involved a lot of heartache down the road.

Exercise Good Judgement, Then Stretch!

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 15:00 GMT

The desire to stretch a brand outside of core offerings seems to be a temptation that big companies struggle with at one point or another. Instead of capitalizing on what the business does best by innovating the core product and delivery, they try to use a high level of name recognition and brand equity in an attempt to print more money. It’s this loss of focus that causes these companies to lose more money than they make.

There was a great example of this in a recent Wired Magazine article. Mini, the company that brought you the Cooper, debuted a new Mini E-Scooter at the Paris Motor Show. The E-Scooter is a electric-powered moped that is recharged by the average wall outlet. Great idea, right?

Wrong.

At least for Mini, anyway. Here’s why.

When people think “Mini”. People already think “Mini Cooper”. They’ve drilled this into our minds for years by innovative and creative advertising campaigns. Mini has tens of millions of dollars invested in the positioning of their brand in our minds. Heck, who didn’t want to run out and buy a Mini Cooper after watching The Italian Job?

Mini = Small, fast, and fun cars.

Now the fine folks at Mini want us to think “and scooters.” Electric scooters, at that.

Scooters are slow, the Mini Cooper isn’t. Mini Coopers are quick, nimble, and a heck of a lot of fun to drive - according to them, a street legal go-cart!

However, Mini saw an opportunity to leverage the brand and make some money. All this is going to accomplish is to muddy the water and extend the brand into an area that doesn’t align with their core offering. Mini is not trucks, not sedans, not electric, and certainly not scooters. Mini is small, fast and fun.

Who got it right? Smart.

An electric scooter fits perfectly in Smart’s mission to be the leader in electric urban transportation. It’s not a stretch to think that an electric scooter would be a great addition to the Smart stable of products. People who buy Smart products believe in green, sustainable transportation, and a Smart Moped fits that bill.

When considering a new product offering, consider your existing brand. Failing to do so can not only doom the product launch, but can also damage the existing brand portfolio and lessen existing brand equity.

Does the product improve or enhance your current line of products or services?
Putting your brand on a new product is going to make a splash. When extending the brand into areas that run parallel to existing products and services, it’s more likely to make sense to customers and they are able to see the connection. The splash is a good one!

Consumers everywhere know Arm & Hammer baking soda is a great cleaning agent. Arm & Hammer extended their brand into toothpaste and laundry detergent. People trusted the new product and the new products were (and still are) a huge success.

Will the new product or service make sense to your current customers?
This is something to consider when expanding its offerings into new territory. Will customers make the connection between your brand and the “itch” you are trying to scratch? If the new brand diverges from what it stands for, it won’t be authentic and your customers can smell a phoney money grab a mile away.

Leveraging a brand is a good thing, but there is a limit. Keep your brand focused on what you do best, and only expand when it makes good sense.

McDonald’s MeEncanta.com Goes Mobile

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 13:54 GMT

McDonald’s now reaches Hispanic consumers on smartphone devices through mobile-optimized advertising on MeEncanta.com (a sister site of McDonalds.com).

Through digital media buys and redirected mobile traffic from MeEncanta.com, mobile Hispanic consumers are directed to targeted, landing pages optimized for smartphones. These mobile landing pages feature full-length video playback of national advertising messaging and are offered entirely in Spanish.

Made possible through a collaboration between Kelsey Advertising & Design, McState.com, McDonald’s Corporation, and Alma DDB, these mobile sites are enhancing digital Spanish messaging in the U.S.

All MeEncanta.com mobile landing pages feature a single concept -- the McDonald’s monopoly game or the return of McRib -- with limited copy and controlled graphics. All graphics render in appropriate size and resolution depending on the smartphone platform such as iPhone, Droid, or Blackberry.

Videos are also rendered appropriately depending on the smartphone platform. With the multitude of mobile video protocols in place worldwide and the diverse video and audio compression techniques available, serving a correctly rendered video is important to consumer messaging.

Next time you’re browsing the Internet on your smartphone, be sure to check out our handiwork at meencanta.com. Disfrute! Enjoy!

Got Good Customer Service? Me Too.

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 04:40 GMT

Adology recently posted a blog entry entitled Marketers Promote Customer Service as a Competitive Edge. In it, an Empathica study suggested companies should begin promoting exceptional customer service as a way to separate themselves from their competition in the marketplace.

Indeed, customer service is an important component of the entire brand experience. But should we be promoting this as a core offering?

No.

A self-proclamation of “great customer service” falls on deaf ears. Unless you happen to be the CMO for a huge multi-national company and winner of multiple J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Awards, all a potential customer has to say is “prove it.” The only way to “prove it” is to do it day after day after day.

Your patrons expect good service. It’s a necessity of running a viable business in America.

Make improving customer service an internal program. Train employees how to handle these precious customer relationships. Make sure staff understands the power of word-of-mouth, and the positive and negative returns that flow from it. Identify and verbalize the value of your customers, and what it costs you to gain trust and profits from those customers. Millions of dollars are spent on award-winning advertising campaigns, only to be wasted when a prospect phones a call-center employee who’s having a bad day.

Concentrate on marketing what makes your company unique. If “awesome service” is the only thing that makes your company great, what happens when the competition begins providing the same level of service? They'll be claiming "me too" and you'll be stuck looking for something else to separate you from the pack.

If the food at the restaurant stinks, it doesn’t matter how great the waiter is.

Promote your brand’s differentiation. If customers have a great experience, they’ll tell their friends.

Define your Brand Advocate

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:07 GMT

Have you ever sat down and defined your brand advocate? Not just a broad description of your brand’s target audience, but a rich definition of the perfect individual that reflects your brand?

Many clients we work with find this very unnatural: they are absorbed in age bands, income ranges, and socioeconomics tags. If you feel the same, then take a break from this ‘marketing-speak.’ Defining your brand advocate as an individual may seem limiting, but we promise it will create all sorts of ideas and opportunities.

A few examples of the dangers of using age ranges:

Marketing plans typically define the brand’s target audience in age ranges. The range may be 25-30 years old, or it may be 30-40 years old. We’re all familiar with this type of scenario, and all too comfortable with it. The risks of using age ranges become even clearer as the target audience gets younger. A target audience of 8-12 year-old's for a children’s brand may seem reasonable in a marketing plan, but anyone with kids will tell you that the wants and needs of a 12 year old are very different from those of an 8 year old.

As the “Baby Boomers” age, it has become abundantly clear that for the 50+ segment, their ages are just a number. Remember this is the group who invented “going against the grain.” The last thing they want is for some company to ignore them just because they are no longer between the ages of 18 and 34. In addition, they are the group with the largest spending power. What a shame to overlook this market…simply because they may be classified as “too old.” Using age ranges as the starting point for building a strong brand create all kinds of confusion and fuzzy thinking. And if that isn’t confusing enough, remember that Baby Boomers span the birth years from 1946 to 1964. Imagine trying to market to a group with an eighteen-year span. A 60 year old certainly has different wants and needs than a 42 year old. Or maybe not!

And the risks are the same with all the other ranges, bands and tags we use in marketing plans.

So, get specific. Create an individual.

Write the profile of an individual, write their daily diary, and even role-play their life. We give our target audiences a face and a name, and learn to love them. You can use research to guide you, but use your insight and intuition, too. And build up a rich picture of not just words, but of music, images, and sounds.

Don’t limit yourself to this individual’s relationship with your brand, or even just your category. Explore their life in totality – for example:

Their daily habits

Where they shop

Which brands they buy (in every category not just yours)

Where and when they socialize

The clothes they wear; the music they love

The political party they support

The current ‘issues’ they are passionate about (or not!)

Their motivations and attitudes to career, life and love

The list is endless…

If you’re not sure if your brand advocate is male or female, then create a couple, or colleagues, and do the same for both - then explore the differences and similarities between them.
Finally, explore the opportunities.

As you are doing this work you’ll start to see opportunities. These opportunities might be communications-related: new media you could test, an unidentified new brand touch point, a new promotional idea, or a new moment to reach into the life of your brand advocate.

Or the opportunity may be more strategic – it may have an impact on how you define your desired brand. Or it may be that you see a potential brand partnership or a product innovation you could explore.

Whatever the immediate payback, you’ll find defining your brand advocate as an individual to be a worthwhile investment…because a brand advocate is a human brand asset. Defining and focusing on your next best customer by giving them life allows you to create experiences and build the all-important emotional connection with them. It doesn’t matter what you are selling: soft drinks to teens, cosmetics to women, or a software infrastructure to senior IT executives... it’s always about the people.

Once customers become your brand advocates and go off steadfastly in support of your mission, their credibility is enormous, their power tremendous, and their value – immense.?

Kelsey Launches New Houze & Associates Website

Fri, 21 May 2010 19:54 GMT

Kelsey has worked with Houze & Associates - a company specializing in the evaluation, design, and administration of employee benefit plans for employees throughout the Southeastern United States - since 1999. As part of an effort to broaden visibility and increase awareness of their offerings, Houze asked Kelsey to assist in developing a brand development strategy for the company. With a new design, a complete re-organization of information, and re-tooled content and images, the Houze & Associates website is the hub for all external brand development efforts. To view the new website, visit www.houze.org.

Why is Branding so Important?

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:59 GMT

In today's world of advertising, business owners should be focused on the most effective method for creating brand 'awareness' without breaking the bank. The resounding answer seems to lie in establishing a powerful and consistent brand image. So why is brand development so important, and why now? And how exactly is more expenditure on the brand supposed to help your business if all you want is a website, a few print pieces, or even 'just a little more exposure?' Truth is, brand development is an investment - a proven investment. In my professional opinion, every business owner should budget for a brand discovery session, mainly so you can uncover your business' core truths - those qualities which you are not even aware exist yet - so you are able to put you and your business in a much better position for success. For those of you who still need some convincing, perhaps it's best you take an objective approach while I point out a few enlightening facts about brand development.

By definition, branding is the use of a name, term, sign, symbol, or design - or a combination of these - intended to identify the goods and/or services of one seller or groups of sellers. In other words, your brand gives you a distinction to claim, an identity to own - it has the potential to single handedly set you apart from your competition. Regardless of which business you're in, branding will always bear a significant importance. It's that simple, and that hard - and that inescapable!

According to Interbrand, “regardless of your view of the world, in good times and bad, your brand is your company’s most valuable asset. Understanding how your brand creates value for you is key to maintaining market leadership or establishing it in the first place.” Perhaps the most compelling evidence that supports the power of brand development can be found within the Coca-Cola brand. They are ranked number one on Interbrand's top 100 global brands of 2009, a spot they've held for nine consecutive years, and their brand alone accounts for 51% of the company's stock market value. The reason the Coca-Cola brand has survived since 1886 is largely because Coca-Cola has always known the importance of their brand. Coke has been very successful at integrating current, relevant and consistent branding strategies. It is this methodology that has gained them "brand of preference" status, along with an enormous amount of support from their many loyal consumers.

While a strong identity has always played an integral role in the world of advertising, it is true that your brand differentiation carries more weight today than ever before. The reason being, there are simply more businesses competing in each market today than there were 100 years ago. As consumers, we are exposed to thousands of messages a day. Fortunately, with the help of a brand discovery session, you will be able to uncover your unique selling points - "core truths" - which, in turn, will help as you begin the process of distinguishing your brand from your competitors. Next, you should begin the process honing in on the values that you believe truly represent your business, even though you may never reveal them to the public. They should become visible in every aspect of your business' routine, from customer service, to your website, to phone calls and emails, right down to the treatment of your employees - past and present. Once you have completed a brand discovery session, your brand essence will be revealed and your marketing firm will be able to use this as the cornerstone for developing your brand's image.

Fortunately, no matter how young or old your business is, you can still bring your brand to life. For starters, you can help an existing brand evolve or you can develop strategies to reinvent your brand. Either way, one hurdle that stands between you and the future success of your company is having a well developed strategy to grow your brand. Honestly, you shouldn't be asking yourself, "why is branding so important or why now?" What you should be asking yourself is, "can I really afford not to jump on the brand wagon?"

Online Holiday Shopping Tips

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:48 GMT

With the holidays fast approaching, Christmas shopping is on the minds of everyone. It’s great if you can support your local merchants, but some gifts are easier to find and purchase online. I love online shopping! You have an increased selection, lower prices, convenience, and you can shop in your pajamas. There are, however, a few concerns some people have with shopping online.

The first is being asked to ‘create a profile’ or ‘register’ before you’re able to pay for items. This seems like an unnecessary step, but it’s often quite simple and can save you time in the future. Once your account is created, all your information is saved for future purchases. Some merchants send regular emails offering coupon codes and various discounts; this is another advantage of registering your profile.

Another concern for online shoppers is landing on a poorly designed website. Let’s say you find exactly what you’ve been searching for online, but the website looks a little primitive. Before handing over your personal and credit information, you want to know this merchant is legitimate. On these, and all other, websites, look for the SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate. This certificate means the merchant has taken the appropriate steps to keep your personal information safe, while also ensuring a secure transaction. You can also visit the Better Business Bureau’s website (bbb.org) and find out if they are an accredited business.

Lastly, some online shoppers get frustrated when they can’t immediately find what they need. If this happens, try using different search engines such as Yahoo, Google, Bing and Ask.com. More than likely, you will get different results from each search engine and have a higher chance of finding your item.

If you ever have a question or concern while online, try asking a friend or relative for advice. Here’s a little hint, before making a purchase online, try searching for coupon codes. Go to your favorite search engine and type ‘coupon code + your favorite merchant here.’ Merchants and consumers often post discounts for items, especially during the holidays. Now, sit back and enjoy the comfort of doing your holiday shopping online in the comfort of your own home.

Make the Switch From IE6

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:26 GMT

If you're one of the many people who are still using Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, you may not be getting the best experience that the Web has to offer. There was a time when IE6 was considered the holy grail of web browsing, offering advanced features and better security than other browsers. Unfortunately, that was 10 years ago. Today, viewing a website in IE6 can be a confusing and sometimes frustrating experience. Display problems and bugs are very common with IE6 and have become all too familiar for web developers.

Not only will IE6 often render web pages poorly, there are also many security problems that can lead to visitors' computers being compromised. Even with the latest security patches installed, hackers continue to find and exploit security holes found in IE6 that would otherwise not be an issue using an up-to-date browser. Many hackers take advantage of IE's ActiveX system, which allows websites to download and install software onto users computers, sometimes without them knowing. USA Today said in a recent article, "Using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer Web browser to surf the Internet has become a marked risk — even with the latest security patches installed." Other sources such as The New York Times, The Inquirer, and eWeek also warn against security flaws found in Internet Explorer 6.

Some websites such as Digg.com disable important features for IE6 users due to all the extra time and money spent modifying and testing to make sure users are getting the same experience. Many web development companies have stopped supporting IE6 completely.

Updating your browser to Internet Explorer 8 is easy and only takes a few simple clicks. IE8 offers many new features, better security, and supports the latest web standards. There are also alternative browsers that are available for free including Firefox, Safari, Opera, and Google Chrome. All of these browsers offer better security, better support for web standards and actually render web pages the way they were meant to be seen. With all of the problems with Internet Explorer 6 and the benefits of newer versions, it may be time to think about upgrading your browser.

Diverse Power Mobile Website

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:49 GMT

On what was a gorgeous, sunny day, you now notice dark storm clouds fast approaching. The sun disappears behind overcast skies and swift gusts of wind begin to blow. Pouring rain, thunder and lightning commence. The storm is violent, but fortunately short-lived. The clouds, wind, and rain leave as quickly as they arrived, but not without knocking out power to you and your neighbors.

You pick up your phone to call your local EMC, Diverse Power, to inform them of the outage. Uh oh – the storm didn't spare your phone lines either. You grab your cell phone to check if you have a signal – yes! Remembering something about reporting an outage on your cell phone, you go to diversepower.com on your phone's internet browser. You click on 'report an outage' and complete the short form directly on your phone. Wow, that was easy and convenient. And in minutes, power is restored.

Developed by Kelsey Advertising & Design, Diverse Power now has a mobile-optimized website specifically programmed for mobile devices including iPhones, Blackberry's, PDAs, smart phones, and many others. When you browse to diversepower.com from these devices, you are automatically directed to Diverse Power Mobile (m.diversepower.com). From here you see a specialized version of the normal website with essential information to contact Diverse Power.

As described in the storm scenario, a most useful function of Diverse Power Mobile is reporting an outage from your mobile device. Since most home internet services (cable, DSL) rely on a router, a power interruption eliminates the internet as an option for reporting outages. Furthermore, many cordless telephones need power to operate. Thankfully for consumers, Diverse Power and Kelsey Advertising & Design have considered these factors while giving consumers a nifty tool to notify officials of power interruption.

But don't take our word for it. Grab your smart phone and browse to diversepower.com to see for yourself. See how our proprietary browser scripting forwards you to Diverse Power's mobile website automatically. It's a wonderful, smart process consumers will appreciate, especially when they really need it.

Small Design, Big Ideas

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:05 GMT

As a business owner, you have spent alot of time and consideration on your current website. What you may be wondering now is, is it possible to translate the big ideas of your current site into a smaller space such as the mobile web. This article will aid you and your team so you can make smart design decisions for your mobile website.

Let's start with a little background knowledge. The difference in viewing a site on a 20 inch monitor verses a 128 x 160 pixel cellular screen is huge and may plant doubt and skepticism in the mind of many. However, web browsing on mobile devices is on the rise and if a mobile site is well strategized, your mobile site can have a huge impact on your business. With so many devices and screen sizes it will be critical to identify your targeted users, their devices, and their needs and then tailor the design of the site to compliment the functionality. Now to the nitty gritty. Try asking yourself, "why should a user come to your site and what is it they need to be able to do?" Once this is done, the functionality and design of your mobile site can begin to take shape.

When designing a mobile site, there are three main ideals that should be kept in mind. First, you should keep your design simple. Second, always keep your design concise. Lastly, target your users needs. For a current web designer, keeping the design simple may be a bit of a challenge. The easiest way of doing this is to take a hard look at the mobile site design and ask the question, "is this graphic/image needed to make this site successful?" Once all the excess is stripped away, the core of the mobile design will be revealed. In this instance, less really is more.

Next, try deciphering what content is needed for the mobile site to be successful, but remember to make the content concise. This allows the user to concentrate on the core purpose of the mobile site and design. Having detailed graphics and wordy copy on buttons and backgrounds may seem appealing, but the truth is, many phones will be bogged down with screen-load time and cost the user time and money. Instead, try sticking to solids and web safe type with only necessary content. Color has a huge impact on the look and feel of a mobile site and can drive a users focus and fuel their interest. Also consider clear and concise buttons for your audience to select, limiting images to those necessary to deliver your message.

Lastly, target the users needs immediately. Use color and web safe type to drive the users directly to the call to action(s) or important content when they first arrive. The two previous steps will help you get to this point, but it's going to take some serious analysis to pinpoint the users exact and specific needs. For each function of the site, ask the following questions: why does the visitor need your mobile site, what action or information does the visitor need to take away from the site, and will this function make the users interaction with your company better and/or easier? Once you can answer these questions, you can then tailor the design to have maximum impact that will compliment the functionality of the mobile site. Just remember, mobile devices are not equipped with a mouse, so jumping around through a site is not a realistic option.

So, can the big ideas of a pc website translate to a small space like a mobile website? Absolutely! In fact, a mobile site may reach clients in a way that your current site does not. Mobile users are on the rise. Cell phones just may be what your business needs to offer clients a new way to access your services.

For detailed information on mobile web statistics and other information, please refer to The Mobile Web for the CEO by Brandon Eley.

Social Networking

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:47 GMT

It is an indisputable fact that there is success in advertising. With the right ad campaign, your start- up business has the potential to become a Fortune 500 company; you can even lure the most brand loyal consumer away from his favorite brand. However, your business's current budget may not be flexible enough to roll out an ideal ad campaign. Given the importance of advertising, the one question you should be asking yourself is, "How can we deliver our message to our consumers faster, better and more affordable?"

The answer is simple: through social media. More than likely, if you haven't dabbled with one already you have at least heard or read about social media. According to Wikipedia, there are close to 250 major social networking sites worldwide. What is even more impressive, it is very common to find people who are members of more than one site. While the reasons for becoming a member of any networking site vary from person to person, the reasons why businesses should join the bandwagon are undeniable. To name a few, they allow you to connect realtime with consumers, as well as, with people from your local community. They also provide you with the opportunity to promote brand awareness, and the best part, it's free.

Facebook, for starters – one of our personal favorites at Kelsey - is a network-based website organized by city, workplace, school, and region. According to their statistics, Facebook currently has more than 300 million active users. Of those users, more than 10 million become “fans” of “pages” each day. Just imagine how much exposure your business could receive if you had a page on Facebook. They are simple to set-up and do not have to be time consuming. Your greatest challenge, as is often the case with advertising, will be making sure you communicate the right message to consumers given the medium. You want your page to be inviting but it is equally important that you keep your message relevant, thereby promoting brand awareness.

There are many ways you can setup your Facebook page. You could take a proactive approach and use your page to promote your latest sales, offer coupons, even provide rules on how to enter contests. Or you could use your page as an information guide for your business, as we do here at Kelsey. For example, you can include your business hours, address and location, your essence statement, which “groups” you are affiliated with, etc. We have also found it beneficial to keep our page updated with photos and videos. We believe this gives our page more of a personal feel. However, your creativity does not have to be limited. Considering that Facebook is full of bells and whistles you are almost guaranteed to find a great way to showcase your business.

Another Kelsey favorite is Twitter. It too is an incredibly popular social networking service. Like Facebook, Twitter has the ability to reach a wide variety of diverse users. Twitter, however, is more commonly recognized for their micro-blogging service. In 140 characters or less you can send any message or “tweet” to all of your peers or “followers” real-time. If you want to share an interesting website, article or book, Twitter is the perfect place. By doing so, your “followers” stay interested and are just one click away from your website at all times. Another way to keep your followers active is by posting questions or surveys. Simple business reminders are also effective tweets. They can be as often as you would like and if you do not want to be bothered with the daunting task of logging on everyday to post new information, you do not have to be. There are RSS features in place to automate your posts for you.

While each social networking site offers something a little different, they are each great advertising tools in their own right. To say the least, they are among the latest innovations attributing to the success of advertising and they allow you the opportunity to connect with consumers like never before. Simply put, social networking is cutting edge advertising, efficient and extremely affordable. With it being such an integral part of how people choose to connect with one another instinctively, if your business can use social networking to its advantage, why wouldn't you?

Brant Kelsey Receives Brand Strategist Certification

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:26 GMT

Lagrange, GA – August 28, 2009 – A well-known and respected ad agency principal from this area has received the prestigious designation of Certified Brand Strategist (CBS) today, having completed the demanding graduate-level course run by The Brand Establishment, the only national organization that certifies brand development experts.

“Brands are the international currency of the 21st century and strategy is what makes companies successful,” says Tom Traynor, Managing Partner of The Brand Establishment. “Our Brand Establishment agency principals will be able to wisely steer their clients through good times and bad. They’ll provide the best possible service to their clients, and set the bar for their competition.”

Brant Kelsey, founder of Kelsey, the area’s leading marketing communications firm, joins 29 other Certified Brand Strategists across the country.

Kelsey was certified by the The Brand Establishment partners, faculty and Board of Advisors, a group of respected brand experts, industry professionals and agency leaders nationwide. On the 2008-2009 Certification Advisory Board was Tony Mikes, Executive Director of Second Wind, the largest training network of advertising agencies in the world. Alongside him was Alan Brew, Partner and Senior Vice President of Brand Strategy Development for RiechesBaird in Irvine, CA , William MacElroy, President of Socratic Technologies in San Francisco, CA. and Mike Hanley, Professor of Marketing, the Department of Journalism, Ball State University, Muncie, IN.

“Developing the curriculum for this one-of-a-kind certification program was a task that we took great pleasure in,” said Jim Hughes, founder of the Brand Establishment. “The Brand Establishment has accomplished its goal of defining brand development and this program ensures that brand strategists across the nation have the opportunity to expand and hone their expertise.”

About The Brand Establishment

The Brand Establishment is the only national brand certification organization that trains and designates brand strategy consultants with a proven methodology using the proprietary brand discovery process, “Turning the Telescope™”. Advertising, marketing and public relations firm principals complete a graduate-school-level course and lab work to achieve a Certified Brand Strategist designation. Founded and managed by industry veterans who have developed better brands for more than 200 companies and organizations. For more information about The Brand Establishment and Brand Strategist Certification, visit www.BrandEstablishment.com.

Kelsey Launches Website for Local Non-Profit Literacy Organization

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:34 GMT

Kelsey Advertising & Design is proud to announce the launch of a new website for the Troup County Certified Literate Community Program (CLCP), www.troupclcp.org. The website is dedicated to promoting the mission and good works of the Troup County CLCP organization.

Debbie Burdette, Executive Director of Troup County Certified Literate Community Program, discussed the features of the site and thanked the site developers saying, “With pages devoted to ongoing initiatives, fund raising events and volunteer opportunities, among others, the site is the source for information about Troup CLCP. We’re especially grateful to Kelsey Advertising & Design for their contribution of time, effort and creativity in the development of the site.” “The Troup County community is very supportive of our efforts,’ said Burdette, ‘but I encourage everyone to visit Troup County CLCP to learn more about Troup County CLCP and how you can participate in the fight against illiteracy in Troup County.”

Troup County CLCP is a collaborative between local business, education, government and community. To accomplish the goal of a certified literate community, the CLCP encourages a love of reading as a foundation for lifelong learning and supports those programs with similar goals. CLCP promotes literacy awareness and programs to assist students in need of basic literacy education.

Online Marketing Inside Out… It’s out.

Sat, 30 May 2009 15:58 GMT

Our very own Brandon Eley (@beley) co-authored "Online Marketing Inside Out" with Sitepoint.com's Shayne Tilley (@ShayneT). It's a great primer for those of you out there considering promoting your business on the Internet. Brandon and Shayne were recently interviewed about the book and you can hear the podcast here.

Kelsey Develops Mobile Application for McDonald’s

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:57 GMT

Kelsey recently developed and launched a mobile employment application for McDonald's, allowing visitors to apply online via their mobile phone. Applicants are able to submit a full job application containing all the fields found within the online version via their mobile phones. They can choose between submitting an application via their mobile device or having a link emailed to them for completion at a later time. From your mobile device, visit mcstate.com.

Getting a Feel for Paper: Smarter Choices for Your Business & the Environment

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:21 GMT

Many of you may be thinking, "what could my company possibly do to help the environment?" This article will help you understand that becoming good environment stewards doesn't have to be painstaking. There are small steps you and your company can take to help out the environment starting with your company printing.

Paper and its technical terminology have long been a mystery to many but we are here to help you set the record straight. Knowing and understanding paper jargon can help you and your company make smarter choices when it comes to selecting paper stock for day-to-day in-office operations as well as your advertising and marketing efforts. While switching paper stock is a seemingly small effort, the manufacturing of and processing of paper is resource intensive and its consumption has exhaustive effects on the environment. Making small informed decisions about your company's printing can help give the environment a boost, as well as give your company a boost, for all their hard work of trying to be more environmentally conscious.

Here are just a few basic terms of environmental attributes you will need to be aware of to make an informed decision. Granted, this is just the tip of the iceberg, but knowing some basics will help guide you in the right direction. Let's begin with the term "recycled." While used intermittently and loosely, the term recycled simply means to be made from old de-inked paper which has been processed chemically. Paper that is recycled generally appears with or has the recycled logo printed on it. The term recycled is also commonly used with the acronym PCW. PCW stands for Post-Consumer Waste. This means that particular product contains materials recovered after being used by a consumer. The percent of PCW the products contains is denoted inside or to the right of the recycled logo and indicated as a percentage. There is also PCF or processed chlorine free paper. This paper is made from recycled PCW but is processed unbleached or is bleached without Chlorine compounds. This type of paper is the most environmentally friendly.

Now, down to the nitty gritty. The following terms are a little more detailed and specific in where and how the paper products are harvested. If you believe strongly in protecting against deterioration of the world’s forests, then an FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or SFI (the Sustainable Forestry Initiative) certified paper is what you are looking for. Both companies are independent nonprofit organizations who promote responsible management of the worlds forests and both hold stringent guidelines when it comes to their certification programs. However, if you're looking to identify a leader of the two, the FSC's standards are clearer on the issue and are more strict of their environmental standards.

Lastly, there are several processes that can be evaluated where the actual manufacturing of the product is concerned. We all know about renewable energy but did you know that some paper companies use renewable energy to produce their paper products? Some papers are manufactured with carbon neutral processes while others are manufactured with energy generated by windpower alone. You can look for most companies using these processes to be Green-e certified. This seal ensures that the renewable measures a company is taking to produce their products meets strict environmental and consumer protection standards.

Understanding environmental paper terminology is the first step in helping your company improve our environment. With this knowledge, you can now make informed decisions about your paper selections.

Brandon Eley Selected to Co-author New Book

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:34 GMT

LaGrange, GA, Mar. 10,2008 -- Local web developer and digital marketing expert selected to co-author book on the art of online marketing. Kelsey Advertising & Design’s Brandon Eley Selected by SitePoint.com and O’Reilly Media to write “The Art and Science of Online Marketing.”

Brandon Eley, Interactive Director for Kelsey Advertising & Design of LaGrange, has been tapped by one of the world’s most popular professional online communities to co-author a new book. The working title is “The Art and Science of Online Marketing,” and it’s scheduled to hit book shelves and Amazon.com in May, offering an extensive introduction to the world of online marketing.

Eley, who was named “E-Commerce Guru of the Year” for 2008 by SitePoint.com, a website for professional web designers and developers with more than 300,000 members, is working with SitePoint’s Director of Marketing, Shayne Tilley, to write what the authors say will be the first complete overview of the full landscape of online marketing.

“Marketing has changed dramatically since the advent of the internet, and there are many books on the market that address specific aspects of it, but no one has written the definitive introduction to the broad-based scope of marketing online. We are filling that niche with this book,” said Eley.

According to Eley, the book is being written for small business owners, online retailers, and traditional marketing experts who want to understand all aspects of a successful digital advertising and marketing program. SitePoint.com approached Eley to assist in writing the book based on his more than eight years as a contributor to the website’s community and newsletters, as well as his experience creating integrated online marketing campaigns for major clients such as McDonalds.

“Brandon is an excellent choice to write this book, because he has spent his entire career on the leading edge of digital marketing. Our clients benefit from Brandon’s expertise on a daily basis, and by compiling this book he is sharing his years of experience and insight about topics that will benefit both business owners and marketing professionals,” said Brant Kelsey, principal of Kelsey Advertising & Design.

Eley, whose internet technology firm EleyTech was acquired by Kelsey Advertising & Design in 2006, has been on the leading edge of online marketing and e-commerce for more than a decade. His personal online shoe retailer 2BigFeet.com, is a success story in its own right. It is considered to be the premier online source for large-sized shoes and has been in business for almost ten years.

In his role as Interactive Director for Kelsey Advertising & Design, Eley is responsible for architecting traditional websites, mobile websites, and web applications and creating integrated marketing programs for local, regional and national clients. He recently led the development of the mobile website for McDonalds. He is certified as a Qualified Google Advertising Professional.

The Art and Science of Online Marketing is being published by SitePoint and O’Reilly Media. The book will be available in major book store chains and through Amazon.com, O’Reilly.com, and SitePoint.com.
Kelsey says his firm will host a book signing and reception for Eley in May at the agency, located at 133 Main Street in LaGrange. To pre-order a copy of the book, contact Eley at 706 298 2738, or email info@kelseyads.com

About Kelsey Advertising & Design

Kelsey Advertising & Design offers traditional and digital advertising and marketing services to clients both small and large. Expert staff and the only Certified Brand Strategists in Georgia focus on creating results-oriented marketing that helps businesses grow. Brant Kelsey and his team of experts mesh insightful research and a proprietary discovery process with traditional advertising and leading edge digital techniques to help businesses succeed in today’s complex marketplace. Visit www.kelseyads.com for more information.

3 Ways Brand Development Benefits Your Business

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:15 GMT

During slow times, a business' first instinct is to cut costs. I came across a recent statistic showing how increasing brand loyalty by just 2% is equivalent to a cost reduction program of 10%. Wow! This just underscores the importance of driving your company through the use of an effective brand strategy, a strategy which highlights your claim of distinction.

Losing focus on your brand is an easy thing to do. The phone is ringing, payroll is constantly around the next corner, and business owners are always looking for that next bit of income. It's easy to "fall off the wagon" and forget about the importance of sticking to the plan.

A properly designed brand strategy is executed day after day and pays back in different ways.

1. A strong brand allows you to charge a higher price for your goods or services. This could be because your customers recognize you, they've heard their friends talk about you in a positive way, your customer service is second to none, or your packaging is more attractive. There are countless other reasons, but the point here is you are able to charge higher prices which means higher margins. By losing focus of the plan and going after the easy money, you have removed your claim of distinction, thus enabling customer's to make a decision based solely on price. Now you are a commodity.

2. Businesses with good brand strategies have higher customer loyalty. This loyalty means more success when you launch new products or services. I alluded to this earlier, but customer loyalty plays a huge factor in your success. Statistics show 50% of customers would rather pay a premium price to use your product than switch to a competitive brand¹. Let me repeat that. 50 percent of people are not concerned with price, they want you! On top of that, when you roll out a new service or product, they are more likely to try it because of the goodwill you have grown with that customer. You have credibility and trust.

On June 29, 2007, Apple released the iPhone. The device revolutionized what people thought of a cell phone -- being the first to play video, music, and boast a touchscreen interface. In the first week, Apple sold over 700,000 iPhones. Fast forward one year to the eve of the iPhone 3G release, loyal Apple customers once again camped out on sidewalks across the U.S. in anticipation. Why? Apple continued to deliver on their promise of stylish and revolutionary devices by releasing the iPhone in 2007, and the slightest hint of an even "better" device was irresistible. By the end of 2008, Apple had sold 13.7 million 3G iPhones. Loyalty and trust like this is not bought, nor is it created over night. Apple is executing a long term vision and brand strategy that has been going on for over 2 decades.

3. Strong brands are also talent magnets. Potential employees want to work for a winner. When your brand is strong you will see an increase in applicants and quality of applicants. This pays off in two ways. One, recruitment costs are much lower because applicants are coming directly to you. The money saved by not using a recruiter service or temp agency is substantial. Second, more talent at your company means you have more experts. More expertise results in better processes and better products. This translates to higher margins, higher prices, and higher profits.

Starting to see a pattern? A properly crafted brand strategy prevents brand decay and keeps profits and net worth high. Concentrate on your brand and begin to take control of how people view it. Over time, with discipline, it will pay dividends in higher sales. Ultimately, your business and it's reputation will be worth significantly more.

At Kelsey Advertising & Design, we handcraft custom brand strategies for every single client on our roster using our holistic approach, benefiting companies of all sizes. As the only Certified Brand Strategists in Georgia, and one of only a few credentialed brand strategists in the country, I mesh insightful research and a proprietary discovery process with traditional advertising and fast-moving digital techniques. This unique combination gives life to complete plans addressing each client's brand development and marketing needs.

Remember, your brand is a claim of distinction, and the "results addicts" at Kelsey won't sleep until we deliver your distinction in the most effective and creative way possible.

¹ Davis. Prophet's Brand Asset Management for the 21st Century Study.

How does Graphic Design Impact You?

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:57 GMT

You may be surprised to find examples of design surrounding you almost anywhere you are. Understanding exactly what graphic design is may change your interpretation of how design can benefit you or your company.

Graphic design is the most pervasive art in our world today. It is spread throughout the branches of almost every entity of our lives. Simply put, designer and columnist Jessica Helfand said, "graphic design touches everything we do... it is the art of visualizing ideas." In order to fully understand this statement, you must stray from the normal realm of what you feel is art.

Take a look at the book sitting beside you, the empty beverage can on your desk, the website you are browsing or the billboard you drive past every morning. All of these items have been carefully and thoughtfully executed by a graphic designer. Designers of all forms are collaborators and problem solvers charged with choosing and executing the best solution possible and with that, achieving progress. Sometimes that progress is a boost in sales or sometimes it is just to make an idea or concept understood. If consumers react to the solution (ie. an intriguing book cover, a tempting soda can, an easily navigated and aesthetically appealing website, or a enticing billboard), then the designer has made a step in the right direction towards achieving progress.

One very recognizable example of a graphic solution taking a step in the right direction is Coke Zero. Coke had the need to re-launch their Coca-Cola Classic as well as launch a new product which had "zero" sugar. This no-calorie drink was designed to appeal to men with a range in age of early 20's and up. With it's sleek masculine black and silver design and the concept of "it's not a 'diet' drink, it's the real thing with zero calories", Coke Zero was a huge success slamming into the market and quickly becoming the 3rd biggest-selling cola product in it's category. This success can be attributed to a gap in the market that was identified, targeted and effectively marketed to with well-done package design by Turner Duckworth and followed up by an extensive online campaign by Crispin Porter Bogusky. This was Coca-Cola's largest product launch in 22 years.

Immediately noticed or not, graphic design touches everything we do. Realizing how design can impact you as a reader, consumer, user, or customer, may not only change how you interpret a product but also how you utilize design in your everyday life or business. Next time you have a moment, take a look around and reflect how graphic design touches you and your business. Ask yourself: How could you better utilize the power of a solution?

Advertising in a Recession?

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:24 GMT

Money is tight and confidence is low, but every cloud has a silver lining, even if it’s hard to find.

Advertising budgets are always the first to be cut during an economic downturn, and if you listen to the magazine and newspaper sectors, this time is no different. However, there is one big exception. Unlike the recessions of the 70’s, 80’s & early 90’s, there is now a thriving internet segment. Businesses have always concentrated on traditional forms of advertising (TV, radio, print, direct mail). That may be easy when the economy is booming, but when it’s not, there is a greater need to spend wisely. A new advertising arena was born with the Internet and has really evolved over the past ten years. Many companies haven’t taken advantage of online advertising, but for those who are looking for a more targeted and measurable method to advertise, this is it. When compared to other traditional advertising channels, it’s becoming the preferred route in a gridlocked market.

There are many forms of online advertising: banner ads, rich media ads, contextual ads on search engine results pages, video, online classified ads, email marketing, social network advertising and more. Unlike traditional media, where you are bound by publication dates, air times, and regional boundaries, you get an immediate broadcast of content and information that is not limited by time or geography. And, you can begin tracking results instantaneously. If you see an area with low response, you can change it in real time, without having to wait for the next print date. You have control over your budget and your results. Spending at its wisest.

All predictions today show that online advertising will continue to grow as we fall further into recession. The World Advertising Research Centre (WARC) has just released a report that suggests that online advertising will grow by 17% in 2009 and a further 12% in 2010. Here’s why: Online advertising can be tracked, measured, adjusted and tightly targeted. During times when every dollar counts, this is just what the doctor ordered.

The graph below represents spending in online advertising and how quickly it’s predicted to grow in the future.

Kelsey manages online advertising for several clients, and each campaign has created a significant increase in online conversions and sales.

Also consider these ways to thrive during a recession:

• Focus on your existing customer base instead of spending more to attract new customers.
• Concentrate on advertising that provides a clear return on investment, such as Internet and specific promotion-based advertising.
• Be ready to cut projects that have a harder time proving ROI, like tradeshows and print ads.
• Use this time to build your brand. Flaunt your company’s stability during rough times, and come out ahead of those who chose to lay dormant.

Staying in the game can be challenging when everyone around you is cutting back. Yet those who continue to show strength by making smarter advertising decisions and keeping their brand in front of consumers will bounce back much faster when the market turns. Here’s to wishing everyone success in 2009.

Collaboration with Google Apps

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:28 GMT

Gmail has made a name for itself as a great email system largely because of it's accurate spam filtering, and since it's launch in 2004 has become the 3rd largest free email provider. Google recently released Google Apps for Business, a suite of software-as-a-service business tools including email (Gmail), calendar, documents and intranet websites customized to your domain.

Kelsey recently switched our email to Google Apps primarily because of Spam and email deliverability issues. What we gained was much more than outsourced email.

Collaboration and Increased Productivity
We used to keep important documents on our file server, but they weren't available outside the office. By moving those documents to Google Docs, we can access them from anywhere. It allows us to have spreadsheets, documents and presentations (even uploaded Microsoft Office files) ready at a moment's notice. Google Docs offers real-time collaboration, meaning several people can edit a document simultaneously and previous versions are archived.

We also moved to Google Calendar for shared calendars. With 10 people, it was difficult to plan meetings around all employees' schedules. With the new shared calendars, we can see everyone's agenda and plan accordingly.

Groups (committees, departments) can be created which allow you to email multiple people at once, invite multiple people to a meeting, or even share a document with an entire department without typing everyone's name.

Spam & Virus Prevention
Google's spam filter is one of the best in the industry. Where we used to fight with dozens (sometimes hundreds) of spam emails a day, we now get 1 or 2 (if any). Because Gmail is the 3rd largest email provider, they have access to millions of users' spam complaints and they use that knowledge to correctly identify and filter spam messages. The system also automatically scans attachments for viruses.

Cost Savings
Google Apps has two versions: Standard and Premium. Standard edition is free for up to 100 users, includes approximately 7 GB of storage for email and is supported with ads. Premium edition is $50 per user per year, includes 25 GB storage and ads can be disabled.

It's worth noting that if you use an email and calendar client to access Google Apps, you will not see the ads. They only appear on the Google Apps websites.

Compared with similar intranet and outsourced email solutions, the savings that come with using Google Apps can be substantial.

Solution	Intranet Software	Hosted Email
Google Apps	Free	Free
GroupOffice	$180 / user annually	n/a
WebEx WebOffice	$144 / user annually	n/a
HyperOffice	$110 / user annually	n/a
Noteworty Hosted Exchange	n/a	$150 / user annually
Intermedia Hosted Exchange	n/a	$150 / user annually

With other hosted services, you need two services: outsourced email and intranet software. Both are included with Google Apps, and are integrated together seamlessly.

Permissions
Sharing isn't always allowed. Certain documents may contain trade secrets or simply be for viewing only. With Google Apps, you can control users' sharing in two ways:

Global preferences - you can determine whether users can share documents with anyone, inside the company only, or not at all.

Per document - when sharing a document with people, you can choose whether than can only view or whether they can also edit.

Go Mobile
You can configure Gmail to work with most smartphones, and Gmail is also accessible as a web service from any web-enabled cell phone. Google Calendar and Gmail can also sync with the Blackberry and iPhone.

Get Google Apps
Visit http://www.google.com/a or watch the introduction video to get more information about Google Apps or compare the premier and standard editions here.

Kelsey has implemented Google Apps for our own company and for clients. Give us a call if you need help setting up and configuring Google Apps for Businesses.

Finders, Keepers… or Not

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:02 GMT

Have you ever heard the saying, “A buyer is not your customer until they buy again.”? There is much truth in this statement.

The number one goal of most every organization is to increase revenue. Likewise, most companies allocate large amounts of time and money toward acquiring new customers who will enable them to achieve this goal. However, the number of companies who allot an equal or greater amount of time toward retaining current customers is much less, but arguably just as important. So, why is a buyer not a customer until the second time they buy your product/service? The first time, they are simply “trying” your product. If they are not pleased with the product or any other aspect of their experience with your company, they are unlikely to do business with you again. But when a buyer purchases your product/service for the second time, they become your customer. This second purchase could have happened for one OR several reasons: your product performed well or met their expectations, your customer service was good, your sales staff was friendly, and so on. The key is to give your customers as many reasons as possible to stay loyal to your brand.

The race isn’t over yet. Now that you have your customer, you must keep them. The next step is earning their loyalty. Understand and anticipate what their needs are going to be and develop your products to fulfill those needs. You must also know why they are doing business with you. Is it because you are the most convenient? The cheapest? The newest trend? Or because they truly love your product and trust your brand to meet their needs? Hopefully it’s the latter. Yes, the other reasons will bring you business, but they will not create lasting, loyal customers. The best way to build this trust is to consistently deliver a quality product/service that satisfies their need. Every business has competitors, but not every business produces quality products. Defining your brand based on quality will always set you apart and be recognized and appreciated by customers.

Quality = Satisfied Customers = Continued Business = Customer Loyalty

Another great thing about earning loyal customers is that a large portion of new business will come from referrals made by this group of customers. Seems like a win-win situation to me.

Just as product quality is important, it is equally important that quality is portrayed throughout all contact points your company has with consumers. Especially in your marketing efforts. Aside from past experience and word-of-mouth, the only information consumers will know about your brand is through the advertising and messaging you create. You want this message to represent the same quality they expect from your company; anything less will be detrimental.

Finally, reward your customers for being loyal. Yes, you are already anticipating your customers’ needs and providing quality products/services to fulfill those needs, but it never hurts to give them another reason to remain loyal to your brand. Before you can reward them, you must first identify the buying characteristics of your best customers. What do they most like about your product? Do they buy often or infrequently? What do they buy most often? Once you know these answers, you can customize the reward. For example, if you are a car dealer, your buyer is much more infrequent than a grocery store, and your reward would be tailored differently. When thinking about your reward, you don’t have to start big. Promotional coupons and discount offers are nice, but so are the small things, such as a personalized ‘thank you’ note or a birthday e-card.

Now, take a moment to look at your customer/client list. Eliminate anyone who was only a one-time buyer. Are your customers loyal?

Big Mistakes in Advertising

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:43 GMT

I read more than my share of billboards. I also flip through magazines skipping the articles and turning straight to the advertisements. Many times I browse websites just to click on the web banners. The search for great advertising is never-ending and is what I enjoy.

When I see terrific advertising, I feel inspired and I think to myself, “Here is a company who is implementing a plan to sell great ideas and products.”

On the flip side, I see an assortment of bad advertising. It’s not that the ads look unprofessional or don’t have good layouts – it’s just that they lack some of the elements that make advertising successful. Let’s call it what it is… I see mistakes in advertising.

The first mistake I see time and time again is called ‘lack of focus.’ I find that many advertisements fail to communicate any specific message to their customers. Consumers yearn for information – don’t disappoint them with generic promises and a list of services.

One company ran an extensive ad campaign and neglected to pinpoint any concept their customers could comprehend. The ads were nicely designed with great photography and layout, but neglected to give any lasting impression of the company or their products. Don’t pass off such poor advertising as a ‘brand campaign.’ Too many poorly executed campaigns will put your company’s brand on life support.

The opposite mistake is trying to sell everything under the sun to your customers. One large retail company offers to sell you anything from here or there, near or far, large or small. Consumers know what they want and they’re actively pursuing these wants and desires everyday. Reach your customer in a targeted, specific manner and they will reward you – with business.

And by reading this article, you are avoiding another mistake of advertising – not doing your homework. There’s a lot of hard work that goes into terrific advertising, but often overlooked is the research and investigation that predicates any creative work. Facts and data will usually win over blind assumptions, half-truths, and opinions. Find the facts and your customers will be nearby.

Terrific advertising takes time, resources, and commitment. Terrific advertising makes you proud of who you are and what you’re selling. What’s really special is when you see the fruits of your labor – when customers respond to ideas and products featured in your ads.

Commit yourself to terrific advertising. Your customers will respond.

Andy Fritchley is an advertising account executive with Kelsey Advertising & Design.

How Do You Measure Success?

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:39 GMT

In this day and age, virtually every business has a website. It’s a great low-cost marketing tool, but with any marketing, you want to be able to measure its success. With an e-commerce website it’s simple... sales. But it’s not so easy with others.

How do you measure the success of your website?
First, determine what success is. You should have built your website with some goals in mind. An e-commerce website is obviously looking for online orders, but there are many other reasons to have a website, such as: increasing brand awareness, increasing marketing and public awareness, disseminating information about your products or services, disseminating information to your employees or vendors, providing support to customers, generating requests for information, driving retail or business traffic, supporting other marketing efforts and Hiring/Recruiting.

As you can see, there are many different uses for a company website, and determining your primary goal (or goals) is important in being able to measure “success”. Your website can have more than one goal, but be careful of having too many. In the majority of instances, a “does everything” website does nothing well.

Quantify Success
You can’t simply say “We want resumes” or “We want to drive retail traffic.” You have to quantify your goals. “We want to receive 10 resumes per week” or “We want to increase retail traffic 15%.” Quantifying your goals will make you think about what you define as “success” and will often require more planning and thought than simply saying “We want to increase X.”

You also want to make sure your goals are both attainable and realistic for your marketing strategy. If your goal is to double your walk-in traffic with your website, what is the marketing plan for getting visitors to your website?

Get Analytical
The first step to measuring anything is having a tool with which to measure. It’s hard to know the width of a board without a tape measure. Websites have statistics, and though there are many different programs and websites, they all give you the same information.

Visitors
Unique visitors are the number of different people that came to your website. This shows you, over time, the growth (or decline) of your website’s traffic. More sophisticated analytic software programs can show you where geographically these visitors are coming from, what type of computers they are using, and more.

Page Views
Page views show you how many pages on your website the visitors viewed. Some software can even show you the exact progression of visitors through your site. For example: Home Page > Product Page > Shopping Cart > EXIT. This is useful because it can show you where people are leaving your website.

Goals
Goals are the most important metric you can track with analytic software. Defined by you, they can be any action a user completes, such as filling out a form, visiting a specific page, or ordering a product.

With both number of visitors and goals, we can track the “success” of your website by measuring your conversion rate, or the percentage of visitors that completed a goal. For example, if you had 1000 visitors to your website in a month, and 20 of them filled out your contact form, your conversion rate for that form was 2% (20/1000 = 0.02).

What next?
Now that you can measure the success of a website, how do you make sure your website is successful? Just looking at your numbers every week or month doesn’t do anything to help them improve. There are processes and tools available to test changes to your website and show you, in a scientific way, their success or failure. Some of these are A/B Split Tests and Multivariate Tests. If you’d like more information about these kinds of test or website analytics in general, please call us today at 706-298-2738.

How Mobile Is Your Website?

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:13 GMT

Your customers are on the go.
You're out with friends, and it's almost time for dinner. None of you can decide "what sounds good", until your someone mentions that new place somewhere downtown. What's on the menu? How much is it? WHERE is it? Your friend pulls out his trusty mobile phone and "Googles" it. Voila! She reads off the menu and even makes a reservation!

Can your customers find you this easily? If you don't have a mobile optimized website, chances are, "no". Even if they did, most websites are not optimized for mobile devices. Having a mobile optimized website can give you a distinct advantage in the marketplace by providing valuable information to users on the go, at the moment they want it. Most sales are impulse buys, so being there when the urge hits the consumer could translate into big money for your business.

It's worth the effort.
iPhones. Blackberries. Razr's. iPods. PlayStation Portable. Smart phones and mobile devices are everywhere. An estimated 95% of Americans have some kind of mobile phone and has become one of the most personal items a person owns. Everyday we go to work, grabbing for our keys, wallet, and mobile phone. A mobile phone is instantly accessible anywhere. In the car, waiting at the doctor's office, on the train. By making your website "mobile", you could potentially reach 2.7 billion mobile phones worldwide. David Ogilvy once said, “If you’re trying to persuade people to do something or buy something, it seems to me you should use their language.” Last year, 1.3 billion of those phones accessed the Internet. Even if mobile traffic only counted for 10% of your Internet traffic, just "speaking the mobile language" gives you an advantage with 10% more customers and the business they could potentially bring you.

What can you do?
Everyday, you think about what your customer needs, and you give it to them. That's what keeps you in business. Do the same with mobile content. Consider what your mobile website could be. Imagine how your customers use your services when they are not at their computer. The obvious answers immediately come to mind. Maps, directions and phone numbers. But what about your pricing or rates? Could your customers log in and check their orders? Maybe they are having a bad experience and want to tell you about it right then and there on your mobile contact form. How about coupons or specials? Imagine how many more widgets you could sell with a mobile coupon. It saves you money, it's environmentally friendly, and it creates a "buzz" because your competitors probably aren't doing it. Most new phones are GPS ready, just having a mobile site could help customers find you and allow you to sell your service to customers on vacation or just passing through.

Make it sticky.
No matter what you do on your mobile site, give your customers something useful, and they will come back. Mobile visitors can bookmark websites on their phones just like they can on their PCs. It only makes sense that if you have a mobile site that is useful, your customers will come back to you when they need your service again.

Next, give your users something to talk about and more will follow. Mobile websites are relatively new, and people like to talk about the latest and greatest thing. If they hear someone talking about your service or mobile site, chances are they will pull the phone out of their pocket and check the site. Try it. It's an interesting phenomenon I've noticed.

Also, don't forget to tell your existing customers about your mobile website! If they don't know about it, they can't check it out or tell their friends about it. Put a story about it in your company newsletter, send an email out to your customer list, put it in the Sunday paper, or just tell them about it in a place where they are likely to need your service. Do something your competitors aren't doing, then and then let your customers know about it! Tooting your own horn just a little will jump start your mobile site and the hits will start coming in.

If you're not mobile, you're missing out.
Be ahead of the curve. More and more devices are able to connect to the Internet. Game systems, iPods, even refrigerators. Be ready, engage a new segment of potential customers. Maybe ones you haven't considered in the past. Your customers are on the go more and more everyday. Keep pace with them and retain your competitive advantage.

Brant Kelsey to Serve AAF Board

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:46 GMT

Brant Kelsey has been chosen as Creative Services Chair on the AAF (American Advertising Federation) Board of Directors for the Chattahoochee Valley chapter. "I am excited about this new opportunity and look forward to helping advance our AAF chapter," said Brant Kelsey. He will be overseeing the club's website and other related marketing tasks. The AAF is the oldest national advertising trade association and has been in operation for over one hundred years. Their mission is to protect and promote the well-being of advertising.

New & improved Coldwell Banker website

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:58 GMT

As one of the first real estate companies to have a website, Coldwell Banker Spinks Brown Durand Realtors has continually been on the forefront as the industry changed. When faced with rising advertising costs and a declining real estate market, Kelsey helped them reposition their website as the leading resource for real estate in West Georgia.

Several new features were introduced, such as a rotating slideshow of featured listings, and a new featured homes section which shows featured listings, new listings and upcoming open houses. The search feature was simplified and the overall design was updated to be more usable. Finally, a targeted banner was created to showcase upcoming open houses. The banner only displays on certain days prior to an open house. The upgrades give customers even more information about new and featured listings and the new website makes it easier than ever to find homes or properties for sale.

The Spinks Brown Durand website features online listings for the entire area, and a search function that will search listings anywhere in Georgia. Visitors can view detailed information about listings online, or print out a brochure with all the listing information and photo. The website also showcases their agents, who each have a customizable web page with biography and featured listings.

Visit the Coldwell Banker Spinks Brown Durand website.

New Mobile App for McDonald’s

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 00:07 GMT

Kelsey launches the first mobile site providing content at a local level for every McDonald's restaurant nationwide. Users can visit the interactive website via their mobile device to find lots of restaurant information such as: store locations, directions, nutrition information, employment opportunities and more. From your mobile device, visit mcstate.com.

Hills & Dales - A Living Legacy

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:24 GMT

Kelsey Advertising & Design has just completed the package design for "Hills & Dales - A Living Legacy" DVD. This DVD chronicles the history of the majestic Callaway home in LaGrange. The 26 minute film is now on sale in the Hills & Dales gift shop.

BKD and EleyTech, LLC Combine Forces

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 10:51 GMT

Brant Kelsey Design, an international-award winning design firm in LaGrange, Georgia, is proud to announce the acquisition of EleyTech, LLC, a web design company owned by Brandon Eley. Now known as Brant Kelsey Design, the acquisition combines the two companies' strengths and offers their national client base new and innovative web and print solutions. Brant Kelsey, owner of Brant Kelsey Design, says EleyTech offers a "high-level of web application development." Online shopping, or E-commerce, has been EleyTech's specialty since 2001. "Eley's knowledge of online marketing and promotions will be a huge asset to our clients," says Kelsey.

Brandon Eley, founder of EleyTech added, "Nothing has changed but the name. I'm looking forward to adding my expertise to this this talented group."

EleyTech, LLC is a web design company that has specialized in E-commerce web development. E-commerce development combines both online ordering and offline processing, shipping, and customer maintenance. Eley has also built several successful online businesses. Brant Kelsey Design recently received three 2006 Davey Awards by the International Academy of the Visual Arts. One of only six 'Best of Show' awards went to the firm in the "Print and Collateral" division for a booklet by the DASH Neighborhood Revitalization Incorporated of LaGrange - entitled "DASH for Greater Mobile."

Brant Kelsey Design is located at 133 Main Street, Lagrange, GA. For further information, please call Andy Fritchley at 706.298.2738.