Category :Recognition
We wanted to quickly share some exciting news with everyone: Brand Iron has received the Art Directors Club of Denver Gold award for its advertising campaign developed for The Denver Athletic Club. The Gold award is for the best campaign and was presented recently at the 2009 ADCD Annual Show.
We are, of course, very proud and honored to be chosen for this award. It is a testament to the quality work of our team and we want to thank CEO Andre van Hall and The DAC for the opportunity to be involved in creating this campaign.
The Art Directors Club of Denver is a local non-profit, multi-disciplinary creative organization focused on strengthening the creative community through education, workshops, informative events and an annual design competition. Utilizing a national panel of judges, the ADCD annually recognizes top work from a variety of categories including graphic design, video and sound, print advertising, new media web and photography. More than 425 entries were submitted for this year’s competition.
The advertising campaign Brand Iron developed for The Denver Athletic Club was designed to convey a new and exciting club atmosphere. By focusing on and demonstrating the benefits of a holistic club – one that offers athletic, business and social activities – the campaign’s goal was to draw attention to the club and attract new membership. It is well on its way to strengthening The DAC’s presence and position in the marketplace.
The ad campaign for The Denver Athletic Club can be found at www.brandiron.net.
- Jim Miller, Public Relations
Similar to meeting someone new, a business has a short amount of time to make a good first impression. And once that perception is created, it is difficult to reverse.
When a potential client sees your website, ad or collateral piece, you have about five seconds (maybe less) to help your target audience form an opinion about your company based on what they see.
Even before a prospective client begins to read about what makes you better than the competition, they have already formed an idea about your company. Consistency of imagery, color usage and font choice can make a big difference in whether or not a possible client feels compelled to find out more about your business.
Some of the first impressions an individual may have after looking at your brand for the first time are: whether or not your brand seems relevant; whether the company appears competent in your industry or not and if it shares the same values as the potential client.
After a first impression is made, your brand could fall into a few categories for prospective clients:
• Your brand doesn’t match the relevancy or their values they were hoping to find and is therefore not considered.
• Your brand connects with the potential customer on some level and makes it to the short list of possible brands to reach out to.
• Your brand connects with the client on a deep level, making it the ideal candidate. (Sometimes a brand can be too expensive or represents an ideal the company aspires to, but is not yet ready to implement. This can put the brand on a pedestal- but it may not be the right timing.)
Does this mean your brand only gets one shot to make a connection to potential clients and customers? Of course not, but the first impression is an important one, and if done right, you may create a curiosity that drives them to learn more about your company.
So what do you do after you’ve created a great first impression?
Keep reaching out– keep talking so that when the time comes, your brand is top of mind. Research tells us it takes 7-12 “touches” for your brand to become recognizable and to be one that your target market will think of.
While a first impression is incredibly important, the thing that can make a bigger impact is the lasting impression. Here are some things to think about when trying to create a solid lasting impression for your brand:
• Do you deliver on your promises?
• Do you have superior customer service?
• Do you exceed the expectations of your clients?
• Are you consistent? Does your brand and all the supporting materials match what your company is really about?
• Are the client-facing individuals in your company “champions” of your brand?
The ultimate goal is to give the impression you want. Hook your potential customers by being relevant and offering something that no one else in your space does, give them a great experience and make sure you’re consistently reinforcing the story of your business’ brand. If you’re going to make an impression, take control and make a good one.
by Lauren Brenkle
Brand Iron has been selected as one of the finalists for Small Business of the Year by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. The Business Awards luncheon to announce the winner will be held on Tuesday, April 28th at the Hyatt.
The award criteria includes:
- A for-profit venture
- Locally owned and privately held
- Profitable and/or demonstrating fiscal responsibility and adequate capitalization in the last fiscal year
- A company employing fewer than 100 employees
- In the business for a minimum of five successive years by current ownership
Despite the economic conditions, Brand Iron continues to grow and is coming off one of its most profitable years in 2008. We have addressed this challenge by practicing what we preach: Rather than cut back on marketing efforts during tough conditions, now is the best time of all to market your business. The opportunity to separate your business from the competition is now. Brand Iron continues to be aggressive in its business development and marketing efforts.
Small businesses are the foundation of a successful economy and make up more than 80 percent of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce membership base. We are truly honored to be one of three finalists. Please check back April 29th for the results.
Written by Meghan Herlehy, Design and Marketing Wrangler
I love reviewing Interbrand’s yearly list of the best global brands. I think it paints an accurate picture of what’s going on in the economy, how certain industries are affected, and how and why some companies have continued to thrive despite harsh conditions.
First off, the top 10 brands of 2008 were also the top 10 brands of 2007, with the exception of Google (who jumped from the 20th position to replace Mercedes Benz).
1. Coca-Cola
2. IBM
3. Microsoft
4. GE
5. Nokia
6. Toyota
7. intel
8. McDonald’s
9. Disney
10. Google
The complete list of the top 100 brands can be found here.
http://www.interbrand.com/best_global_brands.aspx
The credit market affects financial institutions differently
Citi and Merrill Lynch both fell significantly from 2007 to 2008 (22nd position to 34th position and 11th position to 19th position, respectively). However, Visa’s and American Express’ brand values rose due to their trusted brands. I believe this has a lot to do with how consumers see these companies. For the most part, consumers saw the credit market debacle as a fault of the lending institutions. Credit card companies were able to maintain brand value, not only through continued brand communication, but because of the physical relationship consumers have with their credit cards. What’s in your wallet right now? – Mastercard, Visa or American Express? We love to use credit cards and the convenience they give us.
Sustainability leads and valued brands
Companies that are on the forefront of sustainable initiatives held strong on Interbrand’s list. Honda was the only car manufacture to report better sales in June 2008, than it did last year. GE and BP increased their brand value over 2007 by investing in sustainable business practices. BP has invested heavily both in internal processes and direct consumer communication.
Companies that are delivering green products and sustainable business practices will continue to increase brand value in the future because that is what the market demands.
These are the two aspects that caught my eye when reviewing Interbrand’s Top 100 Global Brands. A couple points small and medium-size businesses we can learn from this are:
- Perception is reality. If people have an inaccurate perception of you – you must work to change your brand. For example, financial institutions like Merrill Lynch need to transcend the “financial lending” market and position themselves to better relate to consumers and to expand their value. Pro-active marketing to address head-on the brand challenges is a great way to fend off negative brand perceptions.
- What is good for the environment is good for your business. Innovative products and citizenship holds great value with consumers.
Now is the time to re-position your company so that your customers see the value in choosing you. Brand Iron can help you with brand positioning and communicating what you do. You have the power to influence the decisions your customers make. Make sure your brand is putting you in the best light possible and is creating a good and memorable customer experience.
Written by Josh Barker
Who better to recruit future students to an entrepreneurship and leadership-focused charter high school situated in the heart of Denver than the school’s students themselves?
Brand Iron has teamed up with Denver Venture School, a first-year public charter school that embraces entrepreneurship and leadership. They have challenged its current student body to design and execute a recruiting plan to attract students for the 2009-10 school year. Teams, or what they call “crews,” made up of 12-15 students will compete against one another in an attempt to bring in the largest number of new student applications.
“We want to have our current scholars be the voice of recruitment,” said DVS Head of School, Ami Desai. “We have a bright and energetic group of scholars who are best suited to encourage other scholars to attend our school.”
The cool part is that the students must take the very entrepreneurial and (business-like) approach of submitting a written recruitment/marketing plan outlining various strategies and tactics, then work together to execute the plan and sign up students. The crews producing the most applications will win an assortment of prizes including Colorado Rockies baseball tickets, iPods and gift certificates. Michael Doyle is currently working with the DVS students and faculty to implement this challenge.
The school’s mission statement is “to enable a diverse group of students to achieve academic, social, and career success by offering a relevant, project-based, entrepreneurship and leadership focused curriculum in a small public school environment.”
They hope to generate at least 160 applications for next year’s freshman class of 120 and at least 80 applications for the 40 available spots for next year’s sophomore class.
Denver Venture School is public charter school that opened in August 2008 and is free to attend and open to all students in the metro Denver area. By 2011 DVS expects to serve approximately 400 students in grades 9 through 12.
Brand Iron is working with Denver Venture School on a pro bono basis.
Written by Jim Miller
A popular theme song goes, “Sometimes you want to go, where everybody knows your name.” This is the precise recognition that all companies are trying to accomplish through their marketing and advertising efforts. Companies like Brand Iron are here to make sure those efforts are well-focused and drive results. I just got off the phone with a client who now understands the effort it took to get his brand over the “everyone-knows-our-name” hurdle. Every brand has a different hurdle to clear, but here are some simple ideas on what it might take to get your brand over the hurdle, and start producing tangible results:
1. Understand what really separates you from your competition. Figure out what space you own and make the message as simple to understand as possible. Package your message in a tangible fashion that is clear and concise.
2. Identify who the right targets are for your product or service and discuss the most effective ways to get your message out.
3. Take a look at your company and see what the “barriers to growth” may be. Be sure to look at your:
Marketing- Do you have enough contact points with your target audience for them to know who you are and will they be receptive when you call? Do they know who and what your brand is all about? Does your brand leave them with a positive feeling that will compel them to make that purchase?
Sales – Can your sales staff close the leads the marketing department is generating? Can they close the customers that walk through your doors?
Operations – Is your customer service approach and database up to snuff? Can your company deliver on the promises that your sales team is making?
4. Address your internal brand and make sure that your company’s brand is represented from the inside out. Look at everything from how you answer the phone to delivering your service, or even how you receive payment and send out a bill. These little things matter a great deal and will leave a lasting impression.
5. Develop a holistic branding plan that integrates your company’s marketing, sales and operations. Map out the tactical items necessary for you and your company to fill up your sales funnel.
6. Execute your branding plan flawlessly, ensuring that you are going to execute on a regular basis, no matter how busy you become. You want to do this to avoid the sales rollercoaster.
As a close friend says, “Go the extra mile; it’s the final 5%
that makes what you do either great or mediocre.”
7. Monitor how you are doing against your goals and objectives and modify those things that aren’t working. Once the failing areas are identified, determine how you can rectify the situation and do it quickly.
8. Execute and get your entire organization to commit to succeed.
Follow these steps, and someday you might walk into a place and realize that everybody knows your name.
