It will be interesting to see where Facebook goes next. With its fairly recent “check-in” feature which seems to be making Foursquare obsolete and now its much talked about “comments” feature, Facebook’s reach is ever expanding. With more than 500 million users, social media continues to be a power player for business – especially Facebook.
See detailed article at CNet News.
I don’t know if you saw, but Starbucks unveiled a new logo yesterday. I heard it first from my own local Starbucks 
baristas just this morning when I stopped in for my normal Grande cup of Pike blend. The baristas had been huddled in the back and as they returned to the floor they informed me that they had been admiring the newly unveiled logo. That’s right, in keeping with the spirit of strategic marketing, the Starbucks siren will no longer be sharing her space with the “Starbucks Coffee” text. What a feat that a brand continues to evolve to a point of almost total ubiquity and to a point that the logo no longer requires words as a means of identification with the consumer. In fact, the strategy behind the transformation, according to CEO Howard Schultz, is in essence to avoid limiting Starbucks to just coffee as the logo has always portrayed and to open up even more opportunity for diversification in the marketplace. How is it that a move like this works for some companies and not others? Is it simply a matter of creative design? Perhaps you heard about the recent change that G.A.P. made to their logo. Within a week they were back to their traditional logo due to the outrage among consumers over the seemingly unnecessary and thoughtless design change. That situation definitely seemed to lend itself to the old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Will Starbucks be any different? Will their strategy prove to be sound or will they be following suit with G.A.P. in another week? The opinions of the consumer can sometimes be unpredictable, but whether you are for, against, or indifferent to the evolution of the Starbucks brand and the new and improved logo, hopefully you are able to appreciate the depth of the strategic thinking behind this recent move.
For more follow the link:
http://www.starbucks.com/preview
Posted by: Stephanie
Friday, October 1, 2010
Biz Savvy
Focus should be on messaging, usability, personality, then design
Sacramento Business Journal - by Debi Hammond Contributing writer
Ah, the wonderful world of website design. A place where everyone you talk to is either an expert or knows someone who is. And a place where everyone wants to share the great deal they got on the design and development. And why not? I mean, it’s just one of the most important parts of your brand. The place where most of your customers and prospects will visit to learn more about you and your business.
The fact is many business owners are frustrated with their websites because they’ve put their brand in the hands of these so called “experts,” usually a graphic designer, or a website churn mill, where templates are applied to something that should be treated with the utmost care and attention to detail.
After all, your website is an extension of your brand. It should reflect who you are today and what kind of company you want to be five years from now.
I’m not here to belittle or begrudge graphic designers or their craft, as they are absolutely an integral part of the process. But a website is so much more than aesthetics. A website is visual and it should be visually appealing, but the design should be the last phase of your website, not the first.
So, whether you’re getting ready to build a website from scratch or redesigning an existing one, follow these five steps to make it successful. (more…)
Friday, August 6, 2010
Social media allows businesses to create a customer connection
Sacramento Business Journal – by Debi Hammond Contributing writer
Many companies tout their customer service, but few deliver. Deliver and they will come. I hear so many business owners and CEOs talk about how they want to be the Nordstrom of their business sector. In fact, one of the best-selling books on customer service is titled “The Nordstrom Way.” Yet so few companies actually deliver.
Great customer service is all about the experience people have with your brand. And that experience takes place at every point of brand interaction: From the quality of your product or service to the way the receptionist answers the phone (that is if you even have a live person answering your phone — which you should!). Here’s a quick tip: When it comes to “pressing 1,” people hate it. No, really. They actually hate it and do not consider that good customer service.
There have been many articles and books (like the one mentioned above) that talk about great customer service in the traditional sense. But what about online? Can you even have a truly great online customer >service experience? The answer is absolutely!
MODEL SERVICE
Here’s a personal story to illustrate the point. My husband and I went on a leisurely bike ride a few weeks ago and as we were riding my eyes were drawn to movement near his feet. When I looked closer I saw strings, lots of them, dangling from his Chuck Taylors, and flapping in the breeze as he peddled. I was thinking I should really buy him another pair. Now in defense of his tattered “Chucks,” he does wear them as if they are his only pair of shoes. By the time we got home from our ride, I had long forgotten about my thoughts of replacing his favorite shoes. Later that evening, I went online to check my e-mails and this is the message I received: (more…)
Social media should without a doubt be a part of your overall marketing strategy. Key word here is STRATEGY. Time and time again, we see companies letting interns or “a young person with a facebook account” manage their brands online. “Manage their brand…?” Fortune 500 companies pay good money to very talented marketing professionals to manage their brands, yet smaller companies who need to build their brands put their brands into the hands of someone with a myspace account. Managing your brand in the social media space is just as important (if not more important) as managing it via a national or international public relations or multi-million dollar advertising campaign.
Yes, social media is free, but to incorporate it into your branding strategy successfully requires skilled human capital!
Online Marketing is Here to Stay, it’s Time to get in on the Action
Sacramento Business Journal – by Debi Hammond, Contributing writer, Marketing
Albert Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Still, so many companies continue to market their businesses the same way — traditionally. That’s not to say traditional marketing is dead, though according to Joseph Jaffe, author of “Life After the 30-Second Spot” and “Join the Conversation,” marketers must adapt to the brave new world of the Internet, social media and social networking, consumer-generated content, blogs, videocasts and podcasts by joining in the meaningful conversations that are happening online.
The point is that you can no longer rely on traditional media alone to tell your story. Marketing has to be truly integrated. And quite frankly, marketing has changed. People no longer want to be sold to by companies; they want to be connected and compelled to buy in a more personal and meaningful way.
In “Join the Conversation,” Jaffe writes that today’s consumers are active participants in the advertising process. They are no longer simply silent targets and sitting ducks for one-way communication.
The advertising industry is changing rapidly, yet so many companies seem to have their heads in the sand — especially when it comes to incorporating social media into their marketing mix. They seem to think that if they stick their head in the sand, no one will notice them.
Well, my philosophy is that if you stick your head in the sand, everyone will notice you because you’re sharing your most undesirable end.
Not sure if your customers are really online? Let me share a few statistics with you. (more…)
Friday, February 05, 2010
Start with a marketing strategy to ensure branding success
Sacramento Business Journal – by Debi Hammond, Contributing writer, Marketing
“Any damn fool can put on a deal, but it takes genius, faith and perseverance to create a brand.”
This quote by David Ogilvy is quite pithy and poignant and perfectly sums up the importance and value of a brand. For those who are not familiar with Ogilvy, he is an advertising industry icon who wrote the book “Ogilvy on Advertising.”
So, why should we care about what some ad executive says about a brand? What is it about a brand that is so important?
Well, first, a brand is a company’s greatest asset. I know what you’re thinking; my assets include equipment, products and intellectual property. To a certain extent that is correct, but your greatest asset is indeed your brand. Just look at The Coca-Cola Co., Microsoft Corp., McDonald’s and The Walt Disney Co. Their brands are valued in the billions. Yet, in some cases, their products or services are basically no different than their competitors’. What did Amazon buy when it bought Zappos.com for $800 million? It was definitely more than the company’s assets. It was the Zappos brand and everything for which that brand stood.
Want to build your brand? First you must start with strategy. Too often companies rely on marketing tactics in an effort to build their brand, but starting with tactics is like taking the “ready, fire, aim” approach. To borrow from Ogilvy, any damn fool can do that. (more…)
The marketing and business landscape is changing, are you? Social Media Revolution
If you attended today’s Entrepreneur’s Edge, NAWBO’s premier educational symposium for Business Owners and potential Business Owners, I hope you enjoyed my presentation on social media.
My breakout session topic was:
* Social Media 101: What is it and What Does it Mean to My Business
-presented by Debi Hammond, Founder/CEO, Merlot Marketing, Inc.
As promised, here is a link to Merlot Marketing’s Delicious page which includes informative articles on social media that will help you gain a better understanding of the tools available, the power of those tools, and the strategic approach you should take in engaging in this medium. There are 32 bookmarks with the NAWBO tag.
Additionally, there is a great series of videos that put social media in Plain English. The videos are incredibly informative and quite entertaining to watch. Click here or visit YouTube and search using the following search term to pull up information on everything social media… Search Term: common craft
I hope you find this information helpful and I certainly enjoyed the opportunity to present to you!
Get the Entrepreneur’s Edge at NAWBO’s premier educational symposium for Business Owners and potential Business Owners scheduled for Wednesday, February 10, 2010 from 3 – 7:30 pm at IKEA in West Sacramento. Afternoon includes hors d’oeuvres, beverages, and networking (3 pm), two sets of break-out sessions, and interview panel during dinner buffet with wine 6 – 7:30 pm.
Scheduled Breakout Sessions
* Social Media 101: What is it and What Does it Mean to My Business
-presentation by Debi Hammond, Founder/CEO, Merlot Marketing, Inc.
* Social Media 201 Learn how to Use LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter effectively for Business
* Redesign Your Life to Step into Balance, Power, and Success
* Online Security Savvy — Protecting Your Business Assets
* Preparing and Interpreting your Financial Reports from a Banker’s Perspective
* Texting to Twitter — Understanding and Effectively Relating to Generation X and Y
* Channeling: Establish Your Business Future Through Pre-Sold Referrals
Plus “Women Who Built Their Business from the Ground Up”
Introducing NAWBO’s Expert Speakers
Date: Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Time: 3:00-7:30 pm
Place: IKEA West Sacramento, 700 IKEA Court (I-80 & Reed Ave)
Price: $39/member, $49/non-members by February 6, 2010; $10 more at the door.
For more info, click here
