The Soapbox

10 Branding and marketing Trends for 2010

2009-10-19T08:39:00.000-07:00

As a branding agency, we at Beltrame Leffler follow branding trends and innovations. I've found Branding Strategy Insider to be a great blog for this. Recently, they had an article on branding trends for 2010 that I found very informative and helpful for our agency and our clients. It's titled "10 Branding and Marketing Trends for 2010" and focuses a lot on the "value" and authenticity of your brands and what you bring to your customers, and brand engagement. Here are some highlights.

#1 Value is the new black
Consumer spending will continue to be replaced by a reason-to-buy at all. So, your brand better have an authentic meaning and real value.

#2 Brands increasingly a surrogate for "value"
What makes goods and services valuable will increasingly be what's wrapped up in the brand and what it stands for.

#3 Brand differentiation is Brand Value
The unique meaning of a brand will increase in importance as generic features continue to plague the brand landscape. Differentiation, more than awareness, will be critical for success.

#4 "Because I Said So" is over
Your brand values must believably exist in the mind of the consumer. Consumer will now decide if you stand for something and must see measures of authenticity to support it.

#5 Consumer expectations are growing
Consumer expectations are growing every day with new technologies and innovations. You will need to understand where the strongest expectation exist in order to survive - and prosper.

#6 Old tricks don't work/won't work anymore
Consumers are on to brands trying to play on their emotions for profit. This may be especially true for insincere or doubtful pairings of celebrities and brands.

#7 They won't need to know you to love you
Front-end awareness is becoming less important. In this online-driven and international market, a brand with the right street cred can go viral in days, with awareness following, not leading the conversation.

#8 It's not just buzz
Conversation and community is all. Your brand "community" is very important. If consumers trust the community, they will trust the brand. This indicates a new era of customer care.

#9 They're talking to each other before talking to you
Social Networking and exchange of information outside of the brand space will increase. Look for more companies to set up a Facebook page and use Facebook connect with their websites, and to use LinkedIn and Twitter.

#10 Engagement is not a fad; It's the way today's consumers do business
There are four engagement methods:
- Platform (TV, online)
- Context (Program, web page)
- Message (Ad or Communication)
- Experience (Store/Event)
But there is only one objective for the future: Brand Engagement. To attain real brand engagement, you need to be using new attitudinal models.

Dealing with these trends may require some big changes on your part. But, this is the marketplace you will be competing in, so prepare for it.

Here at Beltrame Leffler, we are utilizing these trends on value, authenticity, differentiation and engagement in our thinking and planning for our clients. You and your agency should too. If not, give us a call and we can show you how they apply to your brand and how you can use them to your advantage in 2010.

Impact of Social Media on Search

2009-10-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

An article today on eMarketer.com, The Synergy of Search and Social Media, talks about the impact of social media, in addition to paid search ads, on users search of the brand or product terms. This research, from comScore, GroupM and M80, looked at the effect of both "relevant" social media and "influenced" (directly by the brand) social media in combination with paid search ads. It basically indicates that "two are better than one."

Previous research has shown that display/banner ad exposure can lift consumer response to paid search. Now, this research indicates searchers are also more likely to keep a brand in mind if they have seen a combination of paid search ads and social media, especially "influenced" social media.

Compared to those who only saw a paid search ad, there was a 19-percentage point lift (64% vs. 45%) in brand term searches among Internet users who saw social media relevant to the brand in addition to the campaign's paid search ads. And, there was a 32-percentage point increase if it was influenced social media.

Additionally, consumers exposed to paid search and influenced social media had a 50% increase in click-through rate on paid search ads.

Graham Mudd, vice president of comScore, says that "This finding provides strong evidence that investing in social media marketing can both increase initial brand consideration and drive higher conversion rates once the consumer has decided to purchase."

So, if you haven't already started using social media, especially "influenced"social media, you need to strongly consider it. This may include a business Facebook page, Twitter, blogging and YouTube video. At Beltrame Leffler Advertising, we have been helping our clients "get in the game" using these various marketing tools and can do the same for you. Give us a call at 317-916-9930 or an email at fbongle@bladv.com to learn more about how social media can grow your business.

New Market for Wal-Mart - Consistent Branding

2009-10-14T12:05:00.000-07:00

Wal-Mart looking to change the way America uses its cell phones.

I just saw an article that Wal-Mart is offering a no-contract cell phone plan, called Straight Talk, for $30 or $45 per month. The $45 plan offers unlimited minutes, texts and mobile web use. The $30 plan offers 1,000 minutes, 1,000 texts and 30MB of web usage. Both plans are way below the average fee of $78 for 1,000 minutes per month. The plan will start being offered at 3,200 Wal-Mart stores on October 18, just in

What will this do to the cell phone market? Would you take advantage of this?

Wal-Mart is known as a low price brand and this sure seems to fit that condition. So, it appears to be a good branding extension. Can Wal-Mart change the cell phone market the way they did the grocery/food market? We shall see.

The State of Social Marketing

2009-10-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

At our agency, Beltrame Leffler, we are always looking for new ways to help our clients build their brands and communicate their messages to their target consumers. This includes using both traditional and new media tools. Part of the new media are the rapidly growing social media tools, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogging, etc. But how are marketers using these tools to take their messages online and into web communities? Such insights could help you in preparing your plans.

I recently ran across an article that could help. Chief Marketer just published the results of a survey on The 2009-10 State of Social Marketing that sheds some light on this and that you may find helpful.

Most (61%) of the marketers in the survey are currently integrating their online and offline campaigns, with another 19% planning to within the next year. They are doing it to reach their target audience at multiple points of their choosing and because of lower costs.

Efforts are measured for success mainly by tracking sales and leads, with the primary focuses being to drive customers or prospects to their website or to be able to identify and speak directly with a company's "fans."

Given that Web traffic is important, how are they generating it? The top method is organic search, as generated through search engine optimization, followed by links within e-mails and URLs in offline media (direct mail, catalogs, print ads, etc.). Smaller firms (revenue below $10 million) are more likely to use social media sites, such as blogs and social communities, to pull in Web traffic than are larger firms, again probably due to budget factors.

If you are not yet integrating your marketing campaign, you are not alone, but you need to be thinking about doing that. At Beltrame Leffler Advertising, we can help. We have developed integrated campaigns for several clients and can do the same for you. Give us a call and see how social marketing can help your company build its brand and achieve your goals.

It's Not Easy Being an Ad Agency...Stand Proud!

2009-10-07T20:53:00.000-07:00

As I sit here, reviewing research, considering our target's mindset, and our client's product, I realize that a blank piece of paper or two, or three, or... is waiting for the words, the visuals; the flow of a message that will not only catch the attention of an unsuspecting but predetermined subject and potential 'buyer', it might, or perhaps it better, elicit an emotion that drives a need, and in the end, "closes the deal".

Take a BLANK PIECE OF PAPER, develop a concept, design a site, an ad, a label, a billboard a video, a ???. Write the headline, write the copy, write/produce/direct the music, design and develop the site AND HURRY...but before we get too far, let's lay our necks on the conference table while trying to stand behind our ideas and present them. IF all goes well, and it better, finish the effort in half as much time. In other words, HURRY!

Where the days of open-bar-offices, and nicotene-addicted ad execs schlepping around a high-pressure agency are long gone - MADMEN - the demands of our profession aren't.

Advertising is a tough business. It's definitely not for everybody. For those of us who are in this demanding, unpredictable, and often times unforgiving profession, hats off!

Be proud of your stamina...NOW GET BACK TO WORK!

Twitter and New Marketing Possibilities

2009-05-26T11:18:00.000-07:00

Twitter is getting a lot of publicity, but can it or should it be used as a part of your marketing mix? At Beltrame Leffler, we say the answer depends on what you want to accomplish and your target audience.

How big is Twitter? In a recent Harris Poll, only 5% of adult Americans are currently using Twitter. However, that is expected to grow and even double by 2010.

But, how can your company use Twitter, if you'd like to test it? In an article titled, Five Ways to Use Twitter to Improve your Marketing, the author, Heidi Cohen, proposes some possibilities. Five possible ways are for:

Content distribution - Twitter is useful for time-sensitive information such as: Announcing breaking news, transmitting time-sensitive information, positioning your company as a thought leader and providing an alternative forum for comments
Commerce support - Twitter can aid sales through: last-minute deals, sales support like chat lines or toll-free numbers and offering customer service
Advocacy forum - Twitter can aid brand building, provide useful information to your followers
Public relations support - enhance PR communications by enabling reputation monitoring of conversations, providing another channel for crisis management and timely PR outreach to journalists.
Research enabler - Leverage Twitter's search functionality and ability to query and respond to an audience. Track new trends on Twitter and ask prospects questions.

These are some ways to use Twitter in your marketing. But, it's also critical to have hard metrics to measure the impact and ROI of Twitter to your business. Four useful metrics are:

Followers - how many people are following you or your brand?
Conversations - What's the content been and how engaged are your followers?
Brand improvement - Has public perceptions of your brand changed since you started using Twitter?
Lead generation/sales retention - track sales leads, purchases or reduced customer complaints. Have these measures become more positive with a larger following?

If these metrics can be positive, then Twitter is working for you, and you have another potential marketing tool to complement your other marketing elements. But, before you start up with Twitter, you may want to review and evaluate your other marketing elements in order to see what you can do to optimize them.

If you have questions about the impact and effectiveness of your current marketing and advertising strategies, give us a call at 317-916-9930 or an email at fbingle@bladv.com and we'll see how we can help to improve your brand image, market share and sales.

Marketing Trends for Online Media in 2009

2009-05-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

As far as online marketing tools, what are you currently using and what do you plan to increase in 2009? I attended a webinar that talked about such things recently.

In the webinar, they talked about the results of a survey of 400 companies on online media usage. From this study, the two biggest current uses are for websites and email. These were followed by search marketing and webinars. The third tier included online display ads, online video, discussion forums and blogs. Some (10%) were even using virtual trade shows. Interesting to me was the already relatively high use of webinars, online videos and discussion forums.

Marketing Tool	% Using
Website	90+%
email	90+%
Search marketing	69%
Webinars	50%
Online display ads	43%
Online video	42%
Discussion forums	35%
Blogs	34%
Other web 2.0 media	20%
Virtual trade shows	10%

These were tools that are already being used. For 2009, these companies saw more increases planned for search marketing, online video, discussion forums, webinars and even more email.

Increases in 2009
Search marketing	+46%
Online video	+40%
Discussion forums	+38%
Webinars	+38%
email	+37%

You may want to seriously look at what you and your company are doing now, and how you can possibly implement some of these online media to help you reach your audience and 2009 goals.

Another interesting point was that there is a new way to reach your audience and for lead generation. The Old Way was for the "sellers" to be in charge and to be presenting information and appeals to their prospects in a one-way exchange. The "sellers" were trying to qualify the buyers. That Way can be represented by marketing and advertising on TV, radio, print, newspapers and outdoor. But that has changed. The New Way, due to the Internet and search, is for the "buyer" to be in charge, and the "buyer" is qualifying the seller before they make their purchase decision.

Therefore, you and your company need to be out in front of "buyers" and giving them opportunities to see and read about you and to "qualify" your company and products. If they are able to "qualify" and interact with your company, then they will be visiting your website and calling you, rather than you trying to find and persuade them.

Beltrame Leffler Advertising has helped our clients to take advantage of this New Way, and can do the same for your company. To find out how, please visit our website at www.bladv.com or call us at 317-916-9930.

A Brand under Assult: Starbucks - Sometimes, you may just have to re-explain your brand

2009-05-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

I just read an article in MediaPost News' MarketingDaily titled: Starbucks Fights Back with Major Campaign.

Starbucks has launched a new marketing campaign to counter the coffee competition from McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts. Starbucks claims that the campaign focuses on the quality and value of Starbucks coffee, the unique experience, and the values (such as sustainability and fair trade practices) that have "built the brand from the beginning." The print ads are nearly all-text and bear the advertising tagline: "It's not just coffee. It's Starbucks," and an image of a Starbucks cup. They are also conducting market tests on some lower priced items.

Why is Starbucks being forced to do this? It looks like price competition and the economy has eroded some of their customers' loyalty. That can happen, as McDonald"s and Dunkin' Donuts saw an opportunity for a higher quality cup of coffee at a lower price. Or did Starbucks get lazy when things were good?

Regardless, Starbucks needed to respond to protect and build its brand, and this campaign is a first step. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few months. Can Starbucks convince some customers to "come back home?" Will the Starbucks lower priced test products be successful and will Starbucks maybe need to expand those options? Only time will tell, but it does point out that competition can be good and usually helps to provide consumers with more and better choices. It also points out how important it is to establish and maintain a strong brand, and not let it be degraded or "chipped away at."

Indianapolis branding agency helps launch Apex HEALTHeTrac: a new, innovative way to change employee health plans and help control healthcare costs

2009-04-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

It's been an exciting and busy 8 weeks here at Beltrame Leffler, for us and our client, Apex Benefits Group. We've worked with Apex for awhile and recently designed and developed their new website. Additionally, last fall we began a rebranding and repositioning initiative for Apex using our Brand Machine process. Armed with this new branding focus, Apex was ready for a new marketing campaign in 2009.

In mid-February, we met with Apex and they outlined the concept for a new, innovative approach for employers and their employee health benefits plan. They wanted to launch the new program by April for a key selling season, so we went to work. The program launched on April 18 with an ad in the IBJ.

However, prior to that happening, there were numerous things that needed to be done. We developed a name (HEALTHeTrac), logo and themeline for the new program. We worked on all key messaging and several other marketing tools. This is a fully integrated launch campaign that utilizes both traditional and new media.

We and the client, Apex Benefits Group, are excited about this campaign and its possibilities. As an agency, we look forward to having the opportunity to do this for other clients looking to make a big impact with proactive branding and a creative integrated campaign. If you are looking for such a big impact, please call us at 317-916-9930 or email us at fbingle@bladv.com.

Social Media Growing in Use and Benefits

2009-04-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

Social media has received a lot of attention lately and does it deserve it?
Well, according to a social media study by Michael Stelzner for the Social Media Success Summit 2009, the answer is YES!

In this study, most marketers say they are now using some form of social media to market their business, with Twitter leading the way.
In this study, 88% reported using some form of social media with 86% saying they are using Twitter. The other top three are: Blogs (79%), LinkedIn (78%) and Facebook (77%). YouTube was a distant fifth at 41% usage. What this also indicates is that many marketers are using multiple (3-4) forms of social media.

Although social media use is high, it is relatively new. Most (72%) of the marketers in the study said they had been using social media only a few months or were just getting started.

Usage is high, but what's been the results?
Well, the results appear to be positive also. Again, most (81%) said that social media had generated exposure for their business, with a majority reporting increased traffic, new business and increased position in search rankings.

Going forward, these marketers had the most interest in learning more about social bookmarking and Twitter.

This survey reinforces that there is a lot going on with social media: more are using them and the are getting results.
So, what do you think of this? Is this what you are doing or plan on doing?

If you have any questions about social media and how it could work for you, please contact me at Beltrame Leffler Advertising at 317-916-9930 or fbingle@bladv.com.

Branding and Social Media - 5 New Rules for Marketing

2009-04-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

How are social media changing brands and how brands are defined?

Well, Ad Age magazine has an article titled "Lever's CMO Throws Down the Social-Media Gauntlet" by Simon Clift, the CMO of Unilever that talks about that situation and provides 5 new rules for marketing.

Mr. Clift states that "brands aren't simply brands anymore." They are the center of a maelstrom of social and political dialogue made possible by digital media. And he warned that marketers who don't recognize that - and adapt their marketing - are in peril.

His main point is that marketers no longer define their brands, brands are now being defined by consumers on the Internet. And, consumers are interested in brands doing what they're designed to do but also be aware of and address social concerns. When a company becomes involved in a social concern, Clift says "It's not about philanthropy. It's a sort of enlightened self interest. It's a marketing program with social benefits." Because of the increase in these concerns, he sees an increasing role for public relations.

To help in addressing the changes instigated by social media and social concerns, Ad Age has some "New Rules":

1. Listening to consumers is more important than talking at them. The consumer is the person defining your brand, and what you stand for.

2. You can't hide the corporation behind the brand anymore - or even fully separate the two. Welcome to radical transparency, where bad corporate behavior will damage your brands, and vice versa.

3. PR is a primary concern for every CMO and brand manager. If "marketing" and "PR" are not in the same department, tear down the wall. Spend time deciding whether PR is underleveraged in your organization.

4. Cause marketing isn't about philanthropy, it's about "enlightened self-interest." That doesn't mean it doesn't count. Don't be ashamed of your profit motive, because great branding and doing good are increasingly one and the same.

5. Social media is not a strategy. You need to understand it, and you'll need to deploy it as a tactic. But remember that the social graph just makes it even more important that you have a good product. Put another way: The volume and quality of your earned media will be directly proportional to the impact and quality of your product and ideas.

As you plan your marketing and advertising for 2009 and 2010, keep these "New Rules" in mind and look for ways to utilize social media and social concerns to help your brands. If you're unsure how to do that, give us a call or an email at Beltrame Leffler Advertising.

Beltrame Leffler Advertising is an independent brand focused Indianapolis advertising agency specializing in strategic planning, positioning, and quality creative execution.

What makes for successful brand advertising?

2009-04-09T12:37:00.000-07:00

In these current economic times, marketing budgets are being challenged or even cut, and now, more than ever, it is vital that your advertising be effective. At Beltrame Leffler Advertising, we know this and are working on that for our clients.

I ran into an article from Millward Brown in their ePersepectives newsletter that talked about the two main factors identified with successful advertising. Their analysis was based on over 55,000 ads in 90 countries. The two most important factors are impact and persuasion.

Ads with the greatest impact
It's known that impactful, memorable advertising helps sales, and that creativity drives impact. There findings indicate that the most impactful ads:

stimulate the emotions - they communicate in an emotional way, contain humor and use prominent music
link the generated associations to the brand - using established branding devices, existing slogans or distinctive creative styles
include celebrities

Most persuasive ads
Ads that generate immediate interest or persuasion tend to have strong product news.
The most persuasive ads tended to:

communicate rational news
feature new brands or variants
focus on brand news
use voice-overs, show the product or demonstrations of the product in use
include children

Do your ads tend to include some elements of these two key factors? If not, they maybe should.
However, you probably already noticed that things that can aid impact could hinder persuasion (and vice versa). So, the challenge is to clearly define the ad's objectives and use a mix of both to produce an ad that is both memorable and also highly persuasive.

That sounds easy, but it's not. And we know it. It takes hard thinking and hard work to create impactful and persuasive ads. So, if you're looking to improve the effectiveness of your marketing and advertising, give Beltrame Leffler a call.

Recession Marketing

2009-03-31T07:12:00.000-07:00

Economic times are tough. So how do you sell stuff to people when nobody's buying?

More and more advertisers and marketers are turning to "recession marketing." A recent article, The Secret of Selling When Nobody's Buying, on npr.org talked about this and Mike Beltrame, the President of Beltrame Leffler Advertising, was recognized in this article due to his expertise in branding and marketing in both good and tough times.

The article says that consumer marketers are focusing their marketing not just on the bargains they offer, but also on the "economic value" they can deliver. This is important, along with the opportunity for companies to reframe or redefine their "value proposition" to their consumer target. Companies need to think about redefining what their brand stands for in this tight economy.

The article stated that many companies are addressing this as a marketing opportunity. They include Kraft Foods, Allstate Insurance, Hyundai, Kellogg's, Wal-Mart and the dairy industry.

In the article, Mike states that "A recession is always a good time to cut the waste out of marketing budgets. An economic slowdown forces a company to evaluate the most efficient target audiences and the most effective marketing tools. However, the keys to staying strong during and after recessionary periods include maintaining brand awareness levels and brand image."

At Beltrame Leffler Advertising, we work with clients to help them turn the recession into an "opportunity" and to maintain and even grow their brand awareness and image. These tough economic times are one of the reasons we developed the Brand Machine, which is a cost effective branding process for small to mid-size companies that want to jump start a new brand or re-energize their current brand.

These tougher economic times won't last forever, so do the right things now to be prepared to gain market share and business when things turn around. We can help, give us a call.

Beltrame Leffler Advertising is an independent brand focused Indianapolis advertising agency specializing in strategic planning, positioning, and quality creative execution.

Designing for Errors

2009-03-26T12:15:00.000-07:00

As I was browsing through my usual barrage of RSS feeds the other day, I came across a link to a very cool little website: MotorMouths.com.

As an interaction designer, graphic designer and overall car buff, I was impressed with not only the visual design, but the quality of user experience. Finding cars is simple, yet not simplistic, you can search using a variety of terms using their well-designed search function. You are rewarded with a clear, well designed list of results, decent sized photographs of what you asked the system for and drilling down through a manufacturer's line even feels easy, quick and fun. The interaction is flexibly designed to support both standard hierarchical access structure as well as more serendipitous discoveries. This makes sense in the context of car shopping, and finding the most appropriate vehicle to suit your needs. Cleverly, the site aggregates content from other review-oriented sources.

The user experience was pretty good so I thought I would test out their search algorithm and error messages by entering a query for a specialty Russian-made supercar that I knew probably didn't exist in their database, a TVR Tuscan (I couldn't find any sales figures, but I can't imagine they are over a few hundred per year and maybe zero in the USA, here's a Wikipedia entry about the car). I got a slightly off-putting error message: "That doesn't sound like a car. Try entering a model or make."

Not awful, but what bugs me is that it assumes that the error was my fault. As the user, I entered something that doesn't sound like a car, even though it most certainly is. Next, I tried something a little more mainstream, that actually will eventually be sold in the US, a Ford Fiesta. Entering "Ford Fiesta" returned a list of other Ford vehicles, and just searching "Fiesta", not surprising, resulted in the same error message as before.

While this error doesn't fully violate one of Nielsen's well-worn Heuristics "Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors", it does offer a suggestion: "Try entering a model or make," albeit an unhelpful one. It seems that a little softer approach to error messaging would greatly enhance an otherwise very good user experience. Maybe something more like:

"I'm sorry, I've never heard of that car. Please try a new search" or
"I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with that car. Please try a new search."

This is a good example that designing the user experience in regards to what you expect the user to do is just as important as designing for interactions that you don't expect. Error messages are often considered in afterthought, when often they are more prevalent then we like to admit.

Beltrame Leffler Advertising is an independent brand focused Indianapolis advertising agency specializing in strategic planning, positioning, and quality creative execution.

LEGO Castle Adventure As Seen on TV

2009-02-19T15:05:00.000-08:00

The latest for The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, Indianapolis' and the nation's largest children's museum.

A small group of local families, talents and skilled creative folks assisted us in producing a broadcast campaign including television and radio. Thanks to the pipes of Scott Fischer, the ears of Jason Rowland at Ripple FX, and the camera of David Yosha of Magnet Films, we were able to finish this small campaign without breaking the bank...or a leg...or even the magnificent friendly dragon.

We adressed the publics with a so-appropriate "Hear Ye, Hear Ye" to thematically set the tone for this exciting exhibit which continues to strike the interest of children and their predecessors alike...

Beltrame Leffler as Seen in NPR Online

2009-01-21T05:30:00.000-08:00

Beltrame Leffler Advertising is proud to have been included in the article "The Secret to Selling When Nobody's Buying" in the January 21 edition of NPR online...

Beltrame Leffler Advertising is an independent brand focused Indianapolis advertising agency specializing in strategic planning, positioning, and quality creative execution.

Toyota Scion Invites High School Marketing Ideas

2008-12-11T08:19:00.001-08:00

Here's something that I think is cool and a good example of branding to a target market. Toyota's Scion Division is running a high-school marketing program in rural Midwest and Northwest regions. The effort, "High School Marketing Competition," has high school students from eight cities vying for $5,000 worth of school supplies by putting together a marketing campaign.

Competing teams have to create proposals outlining ideas they think will appeal to young customers in their local areas.

This seems like a great idea for Scion. It gets their name out and lets them explore new target markets and reach young buyers who are creative and have an entrepreneur streak. It's kind of like "The Apprentice" where they had contestants handle various tasks and create campaigns. Scion has mainly focused on urban areas, but this gives them a chance to evaluate marketing ideas in smaller markets. This is a great example of "consumer-generated content or media", as the teenagers will be supplying the thinking, ideas and messages. Scion won't use the entrants' work directly, but will use them to better understand the high school and smaller city lifestyles and influences in order to develop and execute from a more targeted point of view.

This is some new thinking on branding-building. What can you think of for your brand and company? What would be new or "out of the box?" If you need help with ideas, we, at Beltrame Leffler Advertising, can help.

Online Spending Now at Half of Business Marketers Budgets

2008-12-10T13:25:00.000-08:00

The other day in our blog, we talked about 2009 media spending and the planned increase for evolving media. Well, another article now says that the migration of communication and media spending from traditional media to online has accelerated to where now nearly half (47%) is spent on online marketing tools today.

The survey, conducted jointly by Hearst Electronics Group and Goldstein Group Communications (GGC), was done in August-September 2008 with 99 b-to-b marketing executives throughout North America. Given the small sample size, we need to be a little careful with the findings. But,
they can provide some directional market intelligence.

The findings indicate that while traditional media still play a key role in marketing and brand-building, online spending for webcasts, search engine marketing and generating online content are now seen as primary drivers of branding and lead generation for many companies.

Some key findings are:
- Online tactics account for 47% of spending - this includes web development, search engine marketing (organic and pay-per-click), webcasts, email marketing, online video and social media. The last two are expected to grow rapidly in the next couple of years.

- In b-to-b, print advertising is still the single largest program in the budget.

- Lead quality may be driving the switch to online. Web sites and search engines are considered the best source of leads. And online and trade shows appear to be the most important sources of quality leads.

Joel Goldstein, President of GGC, said, "In this environment, many budget choices in 2009 will be based on what's 'nice to have' versus what we 'have to have.' Programs that are proven to generate the highest quality leads, and that are easiest to track to a lead or sales conversion, will end up as the winners."

Some of the more popular traditional media were trade shows at 17%, print at 11% and direct mail at 6% of budgets. So, these will continue to be used, but may have to undergo tougher scrutiny in these economic times and compared to the performance of some online tools.

These findings indicate the importance of brand-building and strong brand recognition on the Internet as well as in more traditional media. They also point to the importance of learning, for your company, what online marketing tools are available and how they can help you grow your businessand grow your brand.

It's an exciting time in marketing and branding, but there will be change. You just have to know how to take advantage of it.

Importance of Branding and Media in 2009, CEOs see Brand-building as necessary and an investment

2008-12-09T13:40:00.000-08:00

Beltrame Leffler Advertising’s Brand Machine can help.

Everyone is wondering what effect the economy will have on marketing plans and budgets for 2009, and how important is brand-building in the mix. Well, now some information is available. At the recent “Masters of Marketing” Conference by the Association of National Advertisers, 1,200 client-side marketers, media and creative agencies and others gave thoughts on their marketing mix, budgets, plans and tactics. The findings, as reported by the Center for Media Research in their November 10, 2008 Research Brief give you some insight and indicate that even in tough times, you should continue to “invest” in your brand.

First off, there will be changes in spending levels and the marketing mix, with more going to online media. However, there are almost as many who plan to spend more as there are who plan to reduce their spending. One-third (33%) say spending will be reduced and 27% expect to spend more. Interestingly, another 33% say their spending will stay the same, but the marketing mix will be reallocated. This is probably due to an increase in online marketing including web advertising and social media. Only 8% plan on keeping everything the same.

If you’re thinking of reallocating your marketing mix, here’s what others are doing: In new or evolving media spending, the biggest opportunities for growth for brands are seen in social media integration and web advertising. So, you may want to study how the internet can be used and how it might best apply to your company.

Other media considered offering brand growth were grassroots, viral PR campaigns and traditional 30-second TV spots. So, TV is not dead, contrary to many media reports.

The key finding concerning brand-building and its importance to the company was that three-fourths (77%) believe that their CEOs see brand-building as necessary and a majority (56%) believe they see brand-building not only as necessary, but as an investment.

* 56% think of brand-building as an investment
* 21% think it’s an unaccountable but necessary expense
* 15% are not sure
* 8% consider it an unnecessary expense

At Beltrame Leffler, we also believe strongly that brand-building is necessary and very much an investment in the success of your product, service and/or company. That is why we developed and have recently introduced the “Brand Machine.” The Brand Machine is an affordable and impactful branding process that is great for small to medium-size companies who are looking to develop a new brand or enhance or recharge a current brand. It can give you a head-start on competition for a new brand or a jump-start for your existing brand. We’ll be talking more about the Brand Machine in future blogs.

If you would like to find out more about the Brand Machine and improving your brand and what marketing mix would work best for you, give us a call at 317-916-9930 or send us an email: fbingle@bladv.com.

Successful Brand Positioning

2008-07-21T11:16:00.000-07:00

Three Keys to Successful Brand Positioning

Successful brand positioning or repositioning. Everybody wants to do it, but how?
The other day at work, I was reading through a white paper (Successful Brand Positioning) from McKinsey & Company that was from 2001, but still seems relevant today. The main point was that companies and marketers should focus on “achievable” rather than “aspirational” positioning. And I’m familiar with that situation. When working on branding initiatives for our clients, we are always looking for the best positioning, the one that is unique to our client and can really differentiate them from competition. But, sometimes, a big difference may be tough to identify.

McKinsey’s paper suggests three key factors in a good, achievable positioning:
- Relevance
- Believability
- Deliverability

You need to have all three to be successful. Too often companies focus on an aspirational brand positioning rather than an achievable one, and this ambitious goal outstrips the actual ability of the brand to deliver on what it has promised to customers. Or the goal is too far from customers’ current brand perception to be a realistic brand objective.

When looking at these three factors, McKinsey said it was important to:
1. Ensure relevance to a customer’s frame of reference
Be fully aware of the brand’s “frame of reference” so that a repositioning strategy will resonate with consumers. It’s essential to capture not just the emotional and physical needs of the customer, but the dynamics of the situation in which those needs occur. Repositioning too far from this frame of reference creates consumer confusion that can make a positioning unsuccessful.

2. Secure the customer’s “permission” for the positioning
Recognize that permission amounts to a reasonable and logical extension of the brand in the customer’s eyes. It has to be believable to claim any new ground and you need a “bridge” to help carry customers from where you are today to where you want to take it in the future. Sometimes you can leverage the unique emotional benefits of the brand to provide this “bridge”.

3. Deliver on the brand’s new promise
Now you need to ensure that the brand performance is able to live up to its new promise. This can be easier said than done. Four steps can help in this:
- Identify certain performance “signals” or “hot buttons” that will convince customers of the new brand positioning
- Develop product/service programs to ensure consistent performance on these “signals.”
- Track and assess performance against customer signals using research

These are some good ideas and suggestions. We use them when we are working on branding or positioning work for our clients. So, next time, when you feel a need to reposition your product or service brand, think relevance, believability and deliverability and go for the achievable, you’ll be happy you did.

Beltrame Leffler Advertising is an independent brand focused Indianapolis advertising agency specializing in strategic planning, positioning, and quality creative execution.

I left my ----- at NeoCon 2008

2008-07-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

Once again, thanks to our client Mayer Fabrics, the Beltrame Leffler creative team had a great excuse to hang out at the NeoCon World's Trade Fair in Chicago - it's Metropolis, Dwell, Interior Design, Abitare, etc. etc. wrapped into one huge show at Merchandise Mart in Chicago. Between the likes of Herman Miller, Haworth, Steelcase, and of course Mayer Fabrics, NeoCon is a gathering place for the latest in architectural furniture and interior design. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday/Monday even if I did lose my wallet, and my credit cards, and my pictures of the kids, and...

Beltrame Leffler Advertising is an independent brand focused Indianapolis advertising agency specializing in strategic planning, positioning, and quality creative execution.

Crispin Porter Bogusky and Microsoft?

2008-03-07T13:46:00.000-08:00

Hot off the press, Crispin Porter + Bogusky landed the Microsoft account; a mere $300 million piece of business. This could be construed as an attempt by the left side of the brain to enhance its right side.

ON THE LEFT SIDE!...THE BEHEMOTH – often viewed as somewhat intelligent but awkward and bumbling (as exemplified in Apple's latest Mac guy/PC guy campaign). It's Microsoft, with a market share as high as 90% in the desktop computer market.

AND ON THE RIGHT SIDE!...ONCE A SMALL, and still a creative advertising agency that broke through the clutter with work like the TRUTH (anti-tobacco) campaigns, the Mini Cooper campaigns, and of course Burger King's King...It's Crispin Porter + Bogusky.

So...any guesses on what Microsoft's new image will portray? Perhaps a suave, debonair and incredibly buff Bill Gates?... Tell us what you think...

Beltrame Leffler Advertising is an independent brand focused Indianapolis advertising agency specializing in strategic planning, positioning, and quality creative execution.

Bob Vila Would Be Proud!

2008-02-07T15:03:00.000-08:00

We're finished, for the most part. We painted, installed wood flooring, had the carpet replaced, installed shelving, and added new furniture. We did most of the work in one week's time. The place is looking pretty good.

The One-Week Office Overhaul

2007-12-12T18:47:00.000-08:00

There we sat, last Friday, adding another last minute deadline to our ad agency plates. Not an ad concept, layout or script but something a bit more ambitious. Oh, and by the way, we do have families. We have more than our fair share of children to shop for (just ask), and none of us have even begun to make bad last minute Christmas decisions at the malls. Anyway, back to why we're writing this blog in the first place.

We're doing it. We have begun painting over our sunflower yellow walls AND painting c.1800 masonry (that unfortunately was already painted), and tearing-out carpet to re-carpet plus add cherry flooring. Just another deadline, we started Monday and will be finished for the following Monday. Unfortunately, we can't sit at our Macs and hit 'edit-undo' if we screw up a miter joint. If we don't like the color of paint we bought, we won't be able to 'adjust image-hue, saturation, brightness and contrast.' All we have going for us is a bit of creativity, a touch of craftsmanship, and a whole lot of passion...

Beltrame Leffler Advertising is an independent brand focused Indianapolis advertising agency specializing in strategic planning, positioning, and quality creative execution.

The Irrelevance of the "Relevant" Buzz

2007-12-06T19:07:00.000-08:00

There seems to be an influx of overnight advertising gurus who insist on hard-selling "relevant" advertising solutions. I want to give credit to the clever soul who loaded this springboard for the multitudes.

If one with a little experience reads between the lines, "relevant" advertising is defined as that which doesn't embellish a brand, product or service. On the contrary, "relevant" advertising presents reality-based, factual information from real users to those who seek it. So, let's have a look at the following "relevant" advertising scenario.

Sam rolls lazily out of bed after a long night of hard sleep. He liberally foams his hand and slaps the mound of shaving cream on his face. With a BrandX SuperSafe Razor, Sam shockingly nicks his chin. He rushes to his video camera, sets it on the table and pushes 'record'. He quickly runs to the other side of the table, wipes the shaving cream from around his mouth and expresses his dissatisfaction with the product. Finally, Sam, the computer-savvy individual that he is, proudly posts his presentation on YouTube.

There you have it, Sam has produced what could be considered "relevant" advertising.

Correct me if I'm wrong but if you are paying any company to plan, produce, add-graphics-to or even edit a video of any sort, it might not truly be "relevant". Besides that, depending on the method of delivery, there is no guarantee that your irrelevant "relevant" video will reach a relevant audience.

Be careful. "Relevant" may just be another term worth throwing into the buzz bin. Perhaps, well executed testimonial advertising that supports your brand strategy should be considered. The aggressive sell, from an outside supplier, to bring "relevant" advertising into the mix might just need to be shelved, next to the snakeskin oil.

Beltrame Leffler Advertising is an independent brand focused Indianapolis advertising agency specializing in strategic planning, positioning, and quality creative execution.

Buckley’s Cough Syrup - An Awful Brand Promise.

2007-12-04T13:15:00.000-08:00

Not since the infamous 2005 Head On TV spot (which applied the old adage - repeat something three times and people will remember) have I seen a commercial that made me stare at the television with my mouth wide open in disbelief. I'm talking about the new campaign for Buckley’s Cough Syrup. It was so superficially bad that I couldn't believe the client would approve such a wild idea.

For those of you who haven't seen them – the setup is a blind taste test. Oblivious "tasters" are placed in front of and asked to distinguish the difference between samples of Buckley's Cough Syrup and other vile substances (such as a public restroom puddle or used mouthwash.) The punch line being that the taster can't tell the difference. They then deliver the message: Buckley's: It tastes awful. It works.

My initial thought was "that is either dumbest thing I have ever seen OR incredibly brilliant." I struggled to understand how this product would appeal to anyone, but then I realized that some people probably don't care about the taste of their cough syrup as long as it really, truly, really works. Amazingly these ads were by Publicis Groupe’s Saatchi & Saatchi in New York, probably utilizing a much smaller budget than an agency like that usually works with. And in case you've lived under a rock for the past few months, Buckley's has been getting a lot of press lately, much like the Head On commercials did a few years back. And after all, isn't that the point of advertising? These commercials are so effective because they are brutally honest. There is no doubt in my mind that Buckley's will taste awful, and if they aren't lying about that, then they might be truthful about their product's benefit too. It's a simple message, no claims of a better life, no smiling people drinking cough syrup like it's manna, no complex metaphors. It is what it is.

Here are a few to whet your appetite:

Beltrame Leffler Advertising is an independent brand focused Indianapolis advertising agency specializing in strategic planning, positioning, and quality creative execution.

Nov. 30, Beltrame Leffler Day

2007-11-30T05:16:00.000-08:00

Known by some as one of the most celebrated days in the United States. November 30th is Beltrame Leffler Day. No, it is not Beltrame Leffler Advertising's (the business) special day but Beltrame and Leffler's personal birthdays.

It is a great and glorious day as dancing troupes, marching bands and an amazingly flexible group of contortionists will serve birthday cake to shopowners and unsuspecting visitors along Massachusetts Avenue OR maybe not. One thing's for sure, it is a great and glorious day.

How Political is Political Advertising?

2007-11-21T13:54:00.000-08:00

So, how political is political advertising? In the end, how effective is it? These questions come to mind after watching an "upsetting" victory in the Indianapolis mayoral race. By the way, this entry is an unbiased, strictly objective view of the PR, advertising, and promotional efforts leading up to a race.

I guess you could say that political advertising might be considered a science not too unsimilar to that of Dr. Jeckyll's...Initially, reveal your "warm and fuzzy" demeanor. Then, as the big day approaches, rear your ugly head to become a viscious mudslinging beast.

Is this an effective approach? Take an incumbent for example, is there not a long-term communications strategy that includes PR as well as paid advertising to dispel rumors, to change perceptions, to educate and, in the end, influence supporters to cast their votes? OR do we just sit and wait to see if all of the negativity will fester into an upsetting defeat?

And back to the first question, how political is political advertising. If it is hired out, planned, and executed politically, perhaps THIS is why it is such a 'weird' science.

Advertising's Jacks of All Trades, Masters of None

2007-11-05T21:41:00.000-08:00

What does the future hold for creative advertising professionals? Will we be writers, illustrators, typographers, photographers, videographers, musicians, animators, editors, sound engineers, producers, directors and more? Perhaps we are falling into a 'digital trap.' This happens when our software developers make us believe that by adding more features, filters and 'stock' solutions, we too have what it takes to be an "in-house" everything to everybody.
Let's get our pencils and sketchbooks out to brainstorm this theory. Naaah, before we rely on our own ability, let's 'google' the challenge to see if somebody has already done the thinking for us.