CreativeMornings is being brought to Vancouver, by our very own Mark Busse.

CreativeMornings is a breakfast lecture series started in New York by Tina Roth Eisenberg (@SwissMiss) for creative types happening the first Friday of each month. Each event is FREE of charge (thanks to sponsor support), and includes a 20 minute talk, with the added bonus of a proper hot breakfast and coffee.

Events in mornings don’t normally work for me as they tend to run from 8–9am (I’m a busy guy and mornings are normally crazy taking my daughter to daycare) but CreativeMornings/Vancouver is from 8:30–10am, so not even the parents among us have an excuse to miss this inaugural event (September 2, at W2 Media Café).

Logistics aside, Stewart Butterfield (the co-founder of Flickr and named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world) will be talking and telling his story, followed by a  20 minute group discussion. This is going to be a very engaged and rare opportunity to see such a speaker in Vancouver and in such an intimate setting (and remember it’s FREE). The tickets will be released on August 29th and are limited to 150 seats (register at: http://vancouvercreativemornings.eventbrite.com on Monday, August 29th).

It’s awesome that Vancouver’s creative community is getting the credit it deserves and thanks to Mark for bringing this event to our city.

For more information read the article in Design Edge or visit www.creative mornings.com

UPDATE: At precisely 11am on Monday, August 29th 150 tickets for CreativeMornings/Vancouver’s first event became available to the public. By 11:02:50, less than three minutes later, they were completely sold out, with 130 disappointed people on the waiting list. The lesson? Vancouver’s creative community is hungry for this sort of event, and if you want tickets for the next one, set a reminder alarm and be ready!

Have you ever hung out with people who all belong to a different professional circle than you and they crack ‘industry specific’ jokes? You can feel clueless and a total ‘div head’ (English slang for a rather slow stupid person) for not getting the joke. In the same way I am also sure we have all been involved in conversations even within our own companies where people are talking about something that we don’t understand. Even though we may never admit it, we have probably played along with the conversation pretending to be in the know, nodding with a sense of confidence backed with extreme fear that we may get caught out.

This is one reason I decided to take the ‘Introduction to Web Development and Design’ course at BCIT. As a designer in my 30′s I was trained and bottle-fed on print design and not web design (the web will never smell as good as a freshly printed ink drenched brochure). My lack of knowledge and understanding for coding and web standards was starting to be a hindrance. Sure I may have nodded my head with understanding as our web guys talked about divs, WC3 and some guy called Zeldman, and as Art Director in a company that focusses on web and print design my knowledge was lacking, so it was time to go back to school.

I have a successful career, am married with a kid and I can afford more than just plain pasta for dinner and here I am at 37 being a student again. I know this is all in my head but it was for sure a little bizarre going off to class once a week. I was also concerned before the first class  that I would be the ‘old fart’ in the corner trying to keep up with all the young ‘whipper snappers’. In fact there was a great diversity of people there, from younger people who were just starting their careers; people who were hired by their companies to maintain their corporate website (and needed training) and people like myself.

The course was hard work. It was like learning a new language, something that doesn’t come easily to me. Remembering when to use absolute, float or relative positioning sometimes ‘mashed’ my brain but at the same time the problem solving part of my brain enjoyed figuring-out solutions to why the code I just wrote didn’t do what I had expected (damn those closing tags).

I procrastinated (well actually avoided) taking this course as I had to admit to myself that I was not perfect, or that times had changed and that I needed to ‘catch up’ a little. But I am glad I did. I can now participate fully in conversations, give better strategic direction to my entire team and am able to challenge my web guys and know what I am talking about. I don’t pretend to know everything about web and programming, but investing in this new knowledge has given me new tools and confidence.

One unexpected bonus of being in college for me was receiving a student membership card where I got a killer discount for trendy clothing shops selling 80′s style clothes (that I unfortunately remember wearing the first time I went to college).

In conclusion, I would invite you to ask yourself if there is room for you to improve or to be better in your job. It’s OK to go back to college or seek private one-on-one training when the opportunity arises. Don’t be a ‘div head’ and let your ego or some other reason prevent you from growing in your profession.

I believe there is always room for every person to grow, personally and professionally. But as an Art Director (and father of a two year old) my ‘spare’ time for a conference is very limited. I have been in this industry for 15 years and without sounding arrogant, I know a lot about this industry. If I am going to take five days to attend a conference it better be something significant that will make a positive difference for my career. I also want to see speakers who are funny, intelligent and poignant. I have no interest seeing presentations that are nothing more than monotone portfolio overviews with little or no relevance to the conference theme.

So, why should I get excited about Icograda’s Design Week Vancouver being hosted by GDC in April of this year?

Well, there is the fact that it is hosted in the convention centre in my beautiful hometown of Vancouver. An international conference on my doorstep of this calibre (which would normally involve air-flight and hotels adding extra expense) is a wonderful opportunity, I would be a fool not to attend for this reason alone.

I enjoyed watching this presentation recently given by GDC President, Rod Roodenburg, where he said “we don’t have the answers but we have ideas, and so do you. Lets create the value of design together”. That one statement alone inspires me to want to attend this conference. Going to a conference to truly participate and contribute on a global level sounds refreshing.

I am hooked by the theme ‘Design Currency: Defining the Value of Design’. Working in a service-based industry we often bump up against the value of design. How do you put a dollar value to a service for a client? What impact will the completed design work have on your clients business? What parameters does the client use to judge that impact and how does that translate into value for them or their clientele? Also, in a world where you can buy a logo for next to nothing on certain ‘generic logo’ sites, or use a myriad of crowd sourcing sites, how do we educate a client on the value of strategic design and the process behind it?

The conference is an international event organized by Icograda (International Council of Graphic Design Associations), the world body for professional communication design. The conference will host speakers who are all world-class design experts from countries around the globe (Canada, US, France, Denmark, Hong Kong, and India to mention just a few).

I believe many creative designers are multi-disciplined in their thinking but lack the skills to implement these ideas. Personally I am a wanna be architect, interior designer and car designer but unfortunately my buildings would probably collapse and my cars would never start. That being said, I am excited that the speakers at the conference will be from varying disciplines of design with experts from the fields of architecture, industrial design, branding, strategy, and interactive design.

At the same time as the conference there will also be a trade fair where you will get to meet lots of industry suppliers and network with top management from leading design agencies, design media, design students and design educators. Additionally, there will be lots of wonderful printed samples for our greedy design fingers to flip through, admire, critique (“I can’t believe they used that typeface” or “look at that leading”), and to smell the wonders of printed ink (slight personal obsession).

On the Friday the day will be divided into workshops and an education symposium. Thursday night the conference will host the Graphex 2010 awards gala, celebrating and acknowledging the best of Canadian design over the past two years. I attended the 2008 awards gala and was impressed by the whole night (the MC Ze Frank was a hoot, this year it is Debbie Millman). It was an opportunity to connect with my design colleagues and meet admired designers from studios across Canada. Did I mention the cocktail reception and three course plated dinner?

The world has many currencies but the GDC and Icograda felt there was one missing—a ‘design currency’. One that could transcend different economies but could still represent monetary value on a balance sheet. Hence the ‘Design Dollar’ icon used as the conference logo mark. I am intrigued by the logo for the conference. There is a logo for the conference, how cool is that? It has me instantly ask questions. What is this currency? Where is it used? How is it used? What is the value? What is the Canadian Dollar and Design Dollar exchange rate? It acts as a vehicle to start asking questions drawing you in and enrolling you into the topic of the conference. Rather than the conference title set in just Helvetica (as many conference often do), strategy and thought have been put into not just the logo but into other promotional materials and brand elements. I am excited to see the full extent of which this graphic theme will be incorporated throughout the conference and trade fair. I have seen people at local design events recently wearing Design Currency promotional t-shirts that states ‘This shirt is worth 150 Design Dollars’. Inviting people to engage in dialogue about the value of design, actively promoting the conference but more so the topic of the conference. It is truly a great PR campaign.

One of the conference events that I am most keen to attend is the ‘Dinner With a Side of Design”, April 25, 26 & 28. A long table series at Irish Heather (great beer and food) combining local leaders and designers in collaborative conversations focused around the complex themes of sustainability, culture and economics. i have never heard of such an opportunity where my thoughts and ideas would have an actual impact on our city.

I’ve heard that speakers have been encouraged to avoid portfolio presentations in favour of theme-focussed dialogue and that there will be panel discussions and break-out groups. Collectively (speakers and the attendees) will come to conclusions together to include the following: What is the true value of design? How can graphic designers contribute to positive change in the world? What is the impact and value that your design has on the bottom line socially, environmentally, economically and culturally?

By attending this conference I believe the global perspectives learned, relationships made, practical lessons learned will benefit my career (and yours) not only for the next short while but continuously long term.

I encourage you to join me and register online by visiting the design week website www.designweekvancouver.ca.

Being involved in the development of District was a great experience.

Working closely with our clients Amacon and Mac Marketing I truly feel that we have all contributed to the South Main district by creating not just a great building but also a brand and lifestyle and an expectation for the type of people who will soon belong to the local community.

The response to District has been very positive. Building one sold out in the first three weeks. Building two has just a couple of suites left. In fact, every element of the development not only worked well but exceeded expectations.

The buzz in the media was great! The PR Campaign that Mac Marketing created with Rock 101 was a huge success. They gave away a $350,000 Condo, Harley-Davidson, home entertainment system, BBQ and iMac—apparently the biggest giveaway contest in the history of Western Canadian Radio history. It drew a lot of traffic to the development and presentation center.

The design that Industrial Brand created was very distinctive. Susan M Boyce wrote in the New Home Buyers Guide article, the following “Located in Vancouver’s South Main neighbourhood, even District’s brochure stands out from the rest… honest, I’m not kidding. It has attitude, and how often can you say that about a brochure?” Download the whole article.

I am looking forward to walking by the buildings when completed and observing the new residents, seeing the intended vision for the neighborhood realized.

As the title of this article suggests, if you have a home business then you are still running a business and therefore it should still be treated as a business.

This is essential for your brand image.

Many people look less favourably towards home business rather than one that has become successful and grown out of its infancy stage and moved into a professional office.

The truth is that this is not always the case, many home businesses can and do flourish and operate as very professional businesses. However, it requires the owner to treat it like a professional business for their customers to follow suit and do the same.

‘Inward facing’ do what you like,– wear your PJ’s all day, answer the phone stark naked if this works for you. But as soon as your business becomes ‘outward facing’ it’s time to put on your ‘business hat’.  Be professional on the phone. If someone comes over, put some clothes on, clothing that is appropriate for the type of client.

This article was inspired by a personal experience I had the other week.

My wife and I were looking for a new day-care for our child. We made a list of the type of things we wanted in our day care. There were the ‘touchables’ like being close to our home; had to be licensed; the drop off and collection hours had to work with our schedule, to mention just a few.

There was also the ‘emotional’ list. Did the person instil trust that they would be a great teacher and provider for our daughter and did they seem passionate about their job and the possibility of being our daughter’s day -care provider.

The service I received from the day-cares that were ‘not’ home run was as I expected. They were professional, passionate and had time to answer my questions. The service I got from the home run daycares was astonishingly poor and often shocking.

There were three instances that shocked me the most. On one occasion I called someone and their young child  (probably about eight years old) answered. He loosely took a message as he didn’t know if his Mom was around. I was left with no confidence that the Mom would actually get the message. They were instantly crossed off our list of potential options.

Many of the home day-cares I called answered the phone by simply saying ‘hello’. Whatever happened to “Hello, ACME daycare, Joyce speaking, how can I help you?” This is the bare minimum I would expect from a company that is being run professionally. If you have other people answering the phone, train them to answer the phone in a similar way. Or even better, get a private line with an answering service that is just for the business and not for Joyce, Bob, Charlie and little Peter.

We visited one home run day-care after the lady was great on the phone. The problem came when the lady started showing us around. She said things like “this is where the kids put their coats and belongings, it’s a little messy right now, I should really tidy that up”. We thought if it was messy now, it will probably always be messy.

Before a client or potential client comes over to your home business, tidy up. Wash the dishes (even if you have to hide them in the oven, get them out of sight), vacuum, dress up, and whatever it is that you are selling make sure it is spectacular.

Finally and most shocking was the lady that my wife visited. The information she had sent was amazing, it read really well and sounded very professional. The price was also a great fit for what we were seeking. I was very hopeful. One of the first things that the lady told my wife was how hard the previous year had been with the kids that she had in her care, in fact, she said that she was close to a nervous break down and really hoped this year would be better. Seriously. Then, when questioned on her first-aid qualifications (something that was high on our essential list) she said that she use to have it, but it may now have expired and that she should ‘probably’ look into this.

It is a great example that it is easy to say great things about your company but actually the ‘proof is in the pudding’, so to speak.

If people believe your sales pitch and try out your product or service and they have a poor experience, they will NOT be coming back for more.

More than that, they will probably share their poor experience and tarnish your name and any positive brand image that you may have created to date.

As a branding specialist and communication designer this would be like me trying to sell you  a logo design but letting you know “that the last client I had was very disappointed with my work–In fact it was really stressful and I don’t like dealing with people much. And by the way, you should hire me.”–Not going to happen, right?

We all have bad experiences running a business, whether it’s a home business or a multi- million dollar corporation. But put simply, ‘keep your mouth shut’ about them, especially when talking to staff and even more so, to potential new clients.

As I mentioned earlier, as a home business you may be perceived as not quite having made it yet. This adds even more importance that you pull out all the stops and treat each customer as if you are the best in your business and in that moment they are the most important person in your world.

Any home-run business is still a business. Operate one that is professional and leaves its clients with a positive experience.

If it’s not obvious how to do this then ask other successful companies for help and mentor you as a fellow business owner. On the most basic level look at shops and companies you like to do business with, what is it about them that has been an enjoyable experience and has you going back for more. Once you identify these successful elements, incorporate them into your business.

From there, keep on learning and keep on enjoying the benefits that come with owning a home-run business.

As a branding designer I have strong opinions about companies ‘cutting corners’ to try and save money at the cost of their brand image.

That being said when I saw that this local dollar store had increased its prices from $1 to $1.25 and had slapped a ‘.25’ sticker on top of their existing signage (see photo above), I thought it was classic. Why? Because it’s aligned with their brand message. People shop there to save money and they followed this to the letter when it came time to update their signage. Classic.

Brand, customer retention, business development, profit, sustainability, these long-term, big-picture elements of a company can each be built or toppled by day-to-day customer service. Designers can develop a brilliant look for you, marketing strategists can launch brilliant campaigns, and really really smart people can develop fantastically impressive business models, products and service offerings, but if the person on the front line – the person who deals with your customers – drops the ball, he or she can turn a loyal customer into a business-busting, bad-mouthing machine in no time at all. Allow me to illustrate with some stories that I think we can all relate to.

The other day I was at Costco. Eager for my requisite Costco pizza slice, I withdrew $40 from the ATM and lined up at the food court. As I approached the cash register, I put a $20 on the counter and put the other $20 in my wallet. The cashier didn’t seem to notice me. She was busy counting the previous customer’s change. As she scooped up the pile coins and put them into the till, she also scooped up my $20 bill. A moment later, when she asked me for $3 for my order, I explained how she had already taken my money. That’s when she called the supervisor .

Her inclination to report the “incident” made me slightly uncomfortable, but since I was in the right I really just had to stand there and wait to be vindicated by the supervisor. Then I heard the cashier say, “If what the customer is saying is true…”  I quickly interjected, “What I am saying is true.” I’m no thief!

Then the supervisor asked for my Costco ID, “For the record.”

By that point I was frustrated, and a little paranoid about the whole Costco ID thing. Was I going to be black listed? I started to flash back to the last time I had to talk to the police. I sounded so guilty, I hadn’t done anything wrong then either but I might as well have. I even started to doubt my self. Was I going crazy? Did I really give her the $20 bill? I had to check my wallet to make sure there was only one $20 bill in there and not two. Of course there weren’t two. I watched her scoop up the $20. It was right there in her till.

Even though I got my order and finally my change from the $20, I was frustrated.

Had I left right then, I would have been angry and I probably would have complained to anyone who would  listen for the rest of the day. Instead, I decided to change the direction of things. I decided to talk to their manager.

I explained that I’d had a negative interaction with two of the customer service staff. On some level, I sincerely hoped they could learn and grow from our experience, and on another level I really just wanted him to know I was… unhappy with the service I received.

I explained what happened and said that in my opinion the cashier who served me need not have rushed so much, though I understood that it was busy,. I said that her comment about “if what the customer is saying is true…” was way out of line and that it made it seem as though Costco’s policy was “the customer is guilty until proven otherwise”. I also suggested it would have made a difference if the supervisor had explained in detail why he wanted my Costco ID.

The manager was great. He listened. He didn’t make any excuses. He thanked me for the feedback and genuinely apologized . As a result, he sent me on my way feeling I had been heard and feeling a lot less frustrated.

The moral of the story is that you can spend years building a strong brand for your company and it can be demolished within seconds if your customers experience bad service from your staff. On the flip side, an apologetic and authentic manager can do wonders to restore brand loyalty (if a customer gives them the opportunity).

Ultimately, it is up to you to hire well and to train your staff to provide the kind of customer service your brand, your business and your customers demand. Inspire your team to want to deliver good customer service (even if they are having a bad day) and manage people to ensure that they deliver the required customer experience consistently.

Train your managers to listen, to be genuine about the customer’s concerns and to always work to relieve their concerns. Managers should NEVER make excuses for their staff. Frustrated customers don’t want or need to hear excuses and ultimately managers should know that they are there to defend and maintain the brand, not the poorly performing customer service staff.

Often, people don’t need to hear much more than “I’m sorry that you had that experience, we will rectify that situation immediately, and thank you for taking the time to give us the feedback. It takes commitment on your part and we appreciate that”.  The old phrase ‘A little goes a long way’ is very appropriate when it comes to customer service, and brand integrity.

Of course, if the situation deserves it, managers could offer a gift card or some other type of compensation to a customer who has received poor service. It is amazing how quickly a small gesture can rebuild a customer’s loyalty. And if you are able to obtain the customer’s address, send them a follow up letter thanking them for their time, and update them on any changes you have made based on their feedback.

Customer service has never been more important than in today’s tight economic times. Businesses are fighting to keep customers loyal. At the same time, the amount of people looking for jobs has increased substantially. Teens are competing with 50-somethings, so take the opportunity to hire the people who are going to best represent your brand to your customers. Manage them well. And train your managers to respond appropriately when your customers tell them what they think you are doing right, and what you could do better.

Now, allow me to tell you a little story about exceptional customer service to highlight the role you can play as a customer to build better businesses. A few months ago I was shopping at Save On Foods and was served by a delightful lady who was probably in her early 50’s. I had my bicycle with me and she enquired into my day and my ride. It was not the usual generic “how are you” that we tend to revert to in Northern America. It was a genuine conversation. We joked, laughed and connected. It was refreshing.

My personal commitment is to  ‘report’ great customer service to managers too. I enjoy seeing the manager’s face when they realize that you are there about a compliment, not a complaint.

In this case, I happily reported that I had received great service from Maggie and that the customer service initiatives they have in place for their staff were clearly working well. As customers, one of the most effective ways that we can demand excellent service, and get more of what we want from a company, is to praise them when they get things right.

As business people and as customers, I believe it is time we take a stand and demand better customer service. Let’s report poor service and let’s celebrate  great service. Let’s tell our friends and colleagues what we are doing and encourage them to do the same. If we want exceptional or even good customer service it is in our hands as customers, as managers, as business owners and as employees to demand this and to be proactive in making it happen.

At the end of the day, customer service is relatively simple, be genuine, be polite, and go beyond the expectation of the customer.

Let’s strive for a community where a $20 bill never disappears again, and where brands everywhere are safe from the destructive forces of disgruntled ex-customers and ex-employees.

As humans we need consistency, we crave it, our lives would spin out of control without it.

Imagine going to work and all your files on your computer are not in the same folders that they were yesterday. You would probably freeze, panic, freak out some more, then call I.T with a look of desperation and hope on your face.

Or, what if suddenly your favourite friendly coffee barista is suddenly rude and short with you, it could leave you confused and probably frustrated or angry.

Imagine looking at your wage stub and suddenly there is 50% less than last month, It would be very off putting and disturbing – to say the least.

This is why businesses strive and add great importance to delivering a consistent experience for their customers.

Go into any popular high street coffee shop and then visit the same store elsewhere in the country or even the world and you will more likely than not have a very similar (if not identical) branded experience. Before you enter you will recognize the logo and exterior design of the coffee shop, it signifies that this is the right place. You are going to get what you are seeking the way you have come to expect it at the price you are use to paying. As you walk through the door you are welcomed by a familiar looking, and smelling interior and are greeted by a barista wearing a familiar looking uniform. The drink names are the same, the pastries are the same, the merchandise they sell is the same. You know what you want and you get it, time and time again. It is easy, stress free and it leaves you feeling satisfied and fulfilled.

You get the point, consistency is important. In fact, when executed well, it is the critical foundation for a successful and profitable brand.

Customers who have a consistent positive experience of your company will return for more. In fact, they will return time and time again. They will become loyal customers and will bring others with them to purchase your product or service, enrolling them to be part of your ‘brand tribe’. Sounds great, and it is, but there is a downside. Customers today can probably purchase your service or product from your competition (especially with the ease of the Internet). Customers are very loyal until something interrupts their experience and then are very willing to jump ship and give their business to your competition. This adds extreme importance and often pressure for your company to ensure that a positive experience is being delivered consistently time and time again, without fail.

And don’t forget about your staff. Brands are built as well as destroyed at the employee level. It pays to keep them, and to keep them happy. Staff retention is very important. A company can spend a lot of money rehiring and retraining a consistent flow of new employees – which can also effect workflow and company moral. Staff, appreciate consistency for all the same reasons as your clients do. Ask your staff what the company can do to enhance their experience as an employee. When people are included they feel like they matter, like they are making a contribution, both will lead to increased loyalty and a happier workforce – which in the end will benefit the bottom line.

Every member of your staff from the janitor to the CEO are equal in the eyes of a successful brand. You could spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a successful advertising campaign but if someone experiences poor service from the receptionist or agent over the phone, it can cost you the business and erode your brand equity and reputation.
Where in your business are you not delivering the same branded experience?

Consider how and when a customer comes into contact with your company. These ‘contact’ points are called ‘touchpoints’. Are your customers receiving the same branded experience via every touchpoint. If not, question what needs to change, is it a retraining of a staff member, or maybe ensuring that your logo is used exactly the same on all your corporate and marketing materials.

As your business grows or the business environment around you changes certain touchpoints will no longer deliver the required corporate message and branded experience. Simply re-align it. If you are unsure of what needs to change and how, try asking your customers or staff what would work for them, or hire a communication and design company to assist you in the process.

Below is a list of just a few touchpoint categories that you can to look at (in no particular order). As each company or industry has it’s own unique set of touchpoints, you may want to add to this list.

As an example, how does a ‘speech’ deliver your brand message? It could be a public speech, a business presentation or even a speech to university students. Question every detail of that speech, what different elements could leave people with an experience or a judgment of you and your company. For example, the following will leave people with a certain impression: your clothing (could be too casual or too corporate), how you speak (interesting, boring, or even inappropriate), your PowerPoint presentation (is it designed well or is it consistent with your handouts and other corporate materials) to mention just a few. Put on your detective hat and really inspect every touchpoint.

Once you have obtained consistency across every touchpoint your clients will become loyal brand ambassadors, returning for more and more.

At the end of the day, being consistent is an ongoing endeavor and it takes repetition to get a brand message to stick. Often at the point that you are becoming tired of a campaign or message is when it’s starting to have a real effect with its intended audience. Be patient, loyalty takes time to build.

In summary, be consistent, consistent, consistent. Then be consistent some more.

Some touchpoints for you to explore:
SPEECHES
LOGO
EMPLOYEES
PRESENTATIONS
NETWORKING
WORD OF MOUTH
PUBLIC RELATIONS
CIVIC MARKETING
TRADE SHOWS
DIRECT MAIL
SALES PROMOTION
DIGITAL
NEWSLETTERS
BUSINESS FORMS
SIGNAGE
PACKAGING
EXHIBITS
PROPOSALS
EMAILS
VOICE MAILS / ANSWERING MACHINE / TELEPHONE
PUBLICATIONS
WEB BANNERS
PRODUCTS
ADVERTISING
ENVIRONMENTS / OFFICE SPACE
EXPERIENCES
PHOTOGRAPHY
EVENTS
BIZ OWNERS
LETTERHEADS
BUSINESS CARD
VEHICLES
PHYSICAL WORKING SPACE OF HEAD OFFICE

Your corporate message consists of who you are, what you are selling and what differentiates you from your competitors. It is communicated to your target audience, the people who are going to purchase your product or service via many different avenues. They include your company name, your tagline, website, verbally in person, advertising and signage – to mention just a few.

Is your company communicating the right message, to the right audience in the right way that will assist in closing the sale? You may be asking your self “is what I am saying too much, too little or even the right kind of language for my audience to understand”?

To best answer these questions I am going to show a few examples that will hopefully help in answering your questions or may spark new questions that will lead to a clearer and more effective corporate message for your company.

There is nothing wrong on first look at this following sign for a wholesaler of fresh and frozen poultry, meat and seafood.

When I first saw this sign I was excited, it was local to where I lived and the thought of buying wholesale appealed to me. Then I read the rest of the sign. Suddenly I was not too enthused.

The fact they also make dog food put the quality of the meat into question and was an instant turn off (although I was excited about photographing it for this article).

Joking aside, there is nothing wrong with this sign if it communicates effectively to their target audience. I am obviously not their target audience.

It is unrealistic to think that your corporate message will resonate with everyone, it will not. Focus your time and efforts on having it communicate effectively with your target audience.

Once you have defined who your audience is, create a user profile of them. Are they male or female, age, sexual preference, nationality, income bracket, education, what do they do in their spare time, what do they wear, what vehicle do they drive, are they married, have kids or have pets. The best way to understand your target audience is to talk with them. Find out what type of language (verbal and pictorial) communicates effectively to them.

Unless you are a very skilled communicator and writer, hire a professional to help you sculpt the right messaging. I believe the person who created the ‘Ass Fruit’ sign at the top of this article could have used some professional assistance. I am quite confident that they are not actually selling Ass Fruit (even though it seems like a good bargain at only a dollar per bag) and that even the clientele of this Asian grocery store wouldn’t buy this product… although I may be wrong.

This following sign successfully communicates it’s message effectively. It is for an electricity company, and they are warning you not to enter the designated area.

It doesn’t get much clearer than that. But, what if you don’t read English? The company accompanied the wording with an image that clearly communicates the message to all non-English readers and even accentuates the message to those who understood the written message.

In summary, they are saying – Don’t. It will hurt. A lot.

As we live in a fast paced society you only have a few seconds to impress someone. As your company name is often the first point of contact you want it to impress right off the start.

It is similar to being in a book shop and looking at all the book covers, wondering which one to purchase. Does the title grab you, does the image entice you and is the author someone you have previously heard of? These are all hooks to have the ‘potential’ buyer turn the book over to read more about the book, before committing to buy or to move onto the next book.

This is why it is critical to have a company name that is aligned with your corporate message. If you are going to open a restaurant you wouldn’t want a name that is off putting. Like this one:

Would you like your food to have a lingering flavor in your mouth (I wonder if they charge a premium for this)?

Your message has to be truthful and honest. If you are claiming that you have the best, fastest, cheapest widget in the world you better deliver. Because if you don’t people are unlikely to be a return customer. Additionally, they are likely to communicate their disappointment with friends, family and colleges, spreading a negative brand association with your company. This alone can cripple a company.

The following company is promising in it’s name that it sells the ‘best’ pizza. Firstly, would you eat there and secondly, do you really think it would be the best pizza of your life?

There is a lot of work that has to be undertaken in creating the right corporate message. Also, once you have perfected it, the market may shift and you may have to adapt your message and your whole communication platform. But where do you start?

My suggestion is to consider the following questions:

• Who are you and what is your story?
• What are you selling?
• Who are you selling it to?
• Why should they care?
• Who is your competition?
• How do they communicate about their product or services?
• What differentiates you from your competition?

From your research and answers start to think about your corporate messaging. Hire a professional branding and communication company to help you get it right. There will obviously be an expense for this. But, if it can prevent your ass fruit from having a lingering flavour, then it may be the best investment your business will ever make.

A great little ‘medical’ company, using compostable packaging and simple design to deliver a user friendly series of products.

Visit the site. Make sure you click on the ‘bored‘ link, as it is fantastic.