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Marketing and media buying strategy and a brand that lasts.
By admin | February 26, 2007
Jackie Huie, president of JohnsonRauhoff Communications Group, based in southwestern Michigan, said that one of the most commonly made mistakes in branding is not finding and using that niche that makes you stand out from the crowd. Huie’s agency serves both small regional and large national accounts, such as Coca-Cola Foods, GE, McDonald’s, Meijer, Pepsi, Whirlpool and many more. JohnsonRauhoff works on everything from branding to advertising, promotions, direct marketing, trade shows and e-commerce. Huie suggests that you start with your logo. “Spend time on that, and assure that everything you do plays to the strengths and uniqueness you claim as your own,” she said. After you have the basics of your logo and niche marketing message, think about visibility and getting out in front of people to make an impression. “Visibility is very important. Your strategy for building visibility should position you perfectly in your target market so that you are top of mind with your ideal clients, ” said Suzanne Bates, prominent executive coach, communications consultant and president and CEO of Bates Communications. Bates helps executives and professionals develop a unique and authentic communication style to become stars in their industries.
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Being in places where you can reach your audience and send them a clear, consistent message is vital to creating a successful marketing and media buying strategy and a brand that lasts. “A brand is really nothing more than an impression people have of you based on their experience, or what they hear by word of mouth,” said Bates.
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In the current market conditions, REALTORS may feel that branding and marketing are not an important place to make an investment with their time or money. Nothing could be further from the truth. When the market is tight, competition for clients is even fiercer. A strong branding and marketing campaign may be just what a REALTOR needs to get ahead of the competition. Making sure you are visible in today?s market could be the reason why you are chosen to list a property over the other numerous REALTORS in your community.
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In response to the economy, there are different approaches REALTORS might want to consider when tackling their brand. “In this economy, targeted marketing is most advantageous,” said Huie. “Approaches in targeted marketing are direct mail and e-commerce working off contact lists. Think about investing some dollars in supplying communication tools for your agents to use directly, including follow-up materials.” Such tools include utilizing the Internet. This is an effective, inexpensive way to let clients browse your inventory and experience your brand at the same time.
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When thinking about Web marketing, you need to make it easy for the consumer.Web pages cannot take too long to load, and the colors used should be Web-friendly (don’t use bright reds, yellows, pinks, etc.) so your message is easy to read. Also, remember that uniqueness is the key to successful branding. You should put some thought behind your Web-marketing strategies. Seek experts to provide advice and feedback. With today’s technology, every computer has design capabilities, but not everyone is a professional designer. These programs are great for building personal Web sites, but your brand needs a more polished, professional touch.
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If you decide that hiring an agency is best for meeting your needs, according to Huie, you should make sure that agency does its homework and knows your market. “The greatest impact will be achieved by matching services with needs and making claims in a proactive way. Our experience has been that impactful communications are clear on the value-added. Gone are the days where businesses have the time or money to advertise for entertainment value.
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