by Miriam Hara | Feb 9, 2015 | Branding, Business Success, Latest, Marketing
What type of marketer are you really? Are you a brand maker or a brand keeper? Is there a difference? Before going any further, I would like to point out that there is no shame in being one or the other – Brand and business need both.
In the era of personal branding, it is becoming vastly important to define yourself within your profession so that you and your brand can achieve success. At the same time, there is no gain in not being truthful about the qualities you have.
Defining these two types of marketers is probably the best way to distinguish their differences. A brand maker is involved with key decisions that involve the destiny of a brand or business. Whereas, a brand keeper holds to the path of the brand as it has been determined by others. Also, a brand maker takes risks, albeit calculated and educated risks, but risks all the same. A brand keeper is ofter risk adverse. A brand maker relies on intuition coupled with the information they have through all other channels. They can “see” the next curve and aren’t unafraid to go up to bat and fight for the direction that the brand needs to go in.
In reality, a brand existence needs both to grow and flourish. In my view, whether you’re a brand maker or brand keeper is subject to the market environment. Due to globalization, it’s a market reality many marketers are faced with today. However, regardless of why, the truth of it still applies.
I read a statement from Beloved Brands, taken from a slide presentation about Personal Branding for Leaders. The author, Graham Robertson, eloquently and succinctly stated, “With less control over the pure direction of a business or brand, marketing becomes a bit more of a do-er support function who explains what has already been done by the brand, rather than a strategic marketer who leads the business.”
As markets are merging, and the world is getting smaller, so is the business world. The advent of technology has facilitated the ease of viewing information and content internationally. Like all situations in business, it’s a matter of opportunity. There does still exist opportunities to shape business and brands wherever you are. So essentially it’s a matter of if you are willing to take that opportunity and run with it. You decide.
by Miriam Hara | Nov 13, 2014 | Business Success, Communications, Latest, Social Media
Social Media isn’t single and it isn’t a couple either. It isn’t accurate to describe the Social Media space as one thing. Yet we are all guilty of doing so. Many of us, when speaking about Social Media, refer to it as if it were a singular item – even though all of us know that isn’t the case. There are many different Social Media platforms that make up what we all call “Social Media“.
The Social Media platforms that make up the space are as diverse as radio stations or TV channels in any given market.
There’s a tendency to generalize and paint all these channels with the same brush – no matter how broad it is – and that’s not a valid way of thinking about the channel. Every platform on Social Media, from those that started the momentum like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube to those that have followed are all unique and deliver very different experiences to their audiences. That’s a beautiful thing. These Social Media platforms that “make up” this exciting channel are not the same. They also don’t deliver on the same set of objectives, and any business entrepreneur and marketer needs to keep this in mind.
The Social Media platforms are beautiful things.
The individual qualities, audiences and engagement experiences enable each platform to be viewed as a unique marketing channel, able to deliver on specific objectives and on niche target markets. Each platform has its specific “state of being”, offering its audience a unique type of experience. That is why Social Media platforms should not be lumped together. It would be like saying all TV shows speak to the same audience and in the same way. You wouldn’t air a TV ad for a women’s product on a channel that only targets men. But that’s where the comparison to TV and radio ends.
Social Media platforms make up a very complex marketing channel and that’s a good thing.
It provides marketers with the ability to really dig deep and speak intimately to their niche segments. It allows marketers to propel brand tone and persona visually with movement and words. Social Media is a very diverse space. Here are just a few of the many platforms and what they each deliver:
Facebook: Well what can I say that hasn’t been already said. It was the beginning and now it is still a staple. Facebook evolved from a youth cult channel to now a parent and grandparent channel. You can find any target segment on Facebook. It’s social at its best. It’s fun. It’s personal. It’s connective. And, it’s relationship forming.
Pinterest: Originally designed for brides to organize their weddings, Pinterest can’t help but be a very visual and organized platform. Yet, it’s playful. It’s also full of appetite appeal, high fashion, design and decor. It’s the visual expression of anything on the planet. It transcends language, culture and borders.
Twitter: How can you achieve critical mass? Just tweet. It’s fast. It’s short and sweet. It’s consensus. It’s voyeurism. It’s immediate. It’s visual. And it’s especially powerful when coupled with traditional media and star power. It was during the 2014 Academy Awards, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, that the most popular tweet in the History of Twitter was shared.
LinkedIn: It’s professional. It’s networking. It’s engaging. It’s helpful. And it’s a soapbox. How professionals use it varies depending on whether they’re a job seeker, a head hunter or just trying to connect with like-minded professionals. LinkedIn allows for everything from sharing opinions and asking questions to hearing new points of view. It’s an amazing platform for professionals.
YouTube: It’s film. It’s humour. It’s emotional. It’s trendy. It’s video and it’s viral. It doesn’t require high production value, but it does need high impact messaging. It’s a free channel. And it’s up to marketers to leverage it.
Instagram: It’s visual. It’s a showcase. It’s artistic. It’s popular. It’s cool. It’s shareable on other social platforms. It’s power lies in it’s ability to integrate with other platforms, making it very viable for marketers to combine photos or videos into their promotional context.
So now when you think about Social Media, don’t refer to it as singular, think of it as plural. When it comes to business or branding, it’s important for marketers not to lump all the varied Social Media platforms together. A brand doesn’t have to be a hit on all Social Media platforms especially if it doesn’t make sense for the brand. Instead, a brand needs to define it’s objectives and simply be a hit on the Social Media platforms or platform that will assist it in achieving it’s objective.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that blogs are a significant part of the Social Media space. As such, my business objective is to drive people to the 3H hoopla blog and have them register, comment and subscribe. I hope you’ll do all three, but I would be happy with just two!
by Miriam Hara | Nov 5, 2014 | Business Success, Latest, Social Media
The Social Media evolution has enabled people to think differently and perhaps quicker! We at 3H, spend a great deal of our time and energy in the Social Media Channel. It is an exciting channel that is evolving beyond our wildest dreams.
Social Media shouldn’t be intimidating to any business and should be leveraged in marketing and business initiatives. It’s been our experience that with client initiatives the Social Media Channel plays an active role in propelling brand. It’s my hope that by the end of this post, the use of the Social Media Channel will become a clearer and more viable option for you and your business.
In step with the Social Media evolution, Canadians are evolving too.
Consider this: Gen Y is now coming up to bat as they are at the helm of senior roles in business. What they bring with them are very compelling attitudes towards Social Media.
So what does that mean? Both Gen Y and Gen Z are largely responsible for changing the marketing landscape – not only about how to communicate with them but also who is best suited to provide relevant information.
But it’s not just Gen Y and Z who are responsible for this shift. Baby boomers and Gen X are also taking part in this Social Media evolution. How? Think about it, how many of us say “Google it” in one day?
The internet as a platform has enabled us to find answers, to offer solutions and give advice – instantly. The Social Media evolution has propelled content creation and the sharing of content.
Facebook was designed on the premise of building relationships through sharing content via thoughts, photos, comments, links, etc. Now with blogging, Social Media’s cornerstone is content creation. Social Media is the product of this way of thinking – for this social way of thinking. There are so many opportunities for any business to provide information and create a continuous dialogue with Canadians – when and how they want it.
For Canadians the traditional valued sources of information are changing due to the Social Media evolution. The evolution of Social Media has occurred and is now a part of everyday life. It will continue to change, but the evolution of communications now has a new order or a different channel. Social Media is now being fine tuned and we will probably see added bells and whistles. All this to say, in business we must face this new channel openly and strategically. What opportunity! Business needs to get ready for the future now.
Social Media is perfectly poised for companies to start speaking socially to their consumers about their products; while providing value by informing and educating them on their product benefits. Ultimately, to assist them in their “purchasing” journey. Its a marketing media channel that can successfully assist in achieving a number of objectives, one of them is developing relationships with current and future customers. This is the upside and the ROI of developing a social media footprint for business and brands.
It’s time to get out there and be a part of the conversation, today!
by Miriam Hara | Oct 14, 2014 | Business Success, Latest
Over the last three decades there has been a big shift in how business networking is perceived. Believe it or not, there use to be a time when “business networking” was a taboo. It was actually considered shameful to admit that you received access to a meeting or even information through a networking relationship. That meant that you couldn’t find a job on your own merits. Okay, so maybe I am dating myself!
Enter the late 80s to the early 90s – amongst all the right-sizing and downsizing, the term “business networking” became an acceptable practice and a powerful buzz term. What it meant was to get out and develop a business network. It became important to know the right people and to have business connections. It was an invaluable asset to developing business and finding jobs.
Now business networking includes another angle. It is no longer just about who you know, although that certainly remains helpful, it’s also about who knows you. And here’s the real difference – you don’t even have to know who they are.
Business networking in this decade is about getting found.
Social media is largely responsible for this shift in perspective towards business networking – the large and now mighty business platforms such as LinkedIn and Mosaic Hub come to mind. I can personally attest that LinkedIn has provided the forum for 3H Communications to receive referrals from not only our direct business connections but also from people we have never met.
How does this happen? Well for the large part, we have been active on these social media platforms. Business networking today no longer requires wearing a suit with a wine glass in your hand. Sites geared towards professionals provide the ability to reach out to possible business connections on a global scale and develop digital relationships that can be equally as significant as the ones developed face to face.
So how do you work your online business network? Well for starters you need to develop a personal brand, or your business’ voice. Once you have accomplished this, you need to do the following:
1) Join groups that are relevant to your objectives – whether it’s getting a job in a certain industry or developing contacts or potential clients. Join multiple groups, not just one or two. Reach is important to creating awareness and gaining traction.
2) Be part of the conversation. Don’t just listen and observe. Jump in. Offer opinions or advise based on your experience. Start a dialogue based your own knowledge.
3) Create content about what is relevant and important to your audience. You need to make some noise in order to be heard. Pretend you’re at a business event or a cocktail party for the sole purpose of networking. How would you start a conversation at either of those places? How would you present yourself and your knowledge? The same rules apply to creating content online.
4) Share your content. This action is equivalent to visiting multiple networking events in the same day. If you think about what that would mean in the the physical world, it just makes sense to share your content online.
Today’s business networking opportunities within the social realm are very diverse with few limitations. They are also much more efficient than ever before. Share with us some of your success stories networking within the digital space. We’d like to hear about them!
by Miriam Hara | Oct 9, 2014 | Business Success, Creative, Latest
I believe that creativity is inherent in an individual and that it can’t be taught. But by the same token I strongly believe that creativity can be nurtured and that everyone, in some way, is creative. Creativity isn’t limited to “design” or “painting” or “crafts”. Anyone from a mathematician, a web programmer to a janitor can be creative.
That being said, I recently started wondering if creativity has a “peak”? Just as a person matures, do the creative juices start ebbing with time? I have to say the answer, in my opinion is a resounding NO.
Creativity doesn’t have an age, but it does have characteristics that must be nurtured in order for it to thrive. Keeping these three “I” words in mind will aid in nurturing your creativity, allowing it to flourish and for you to remain young at heart.
Be Interested.
Practice the art of listening to those who speak to you. Be engaged in conversations – in real time. Get into social media and read about topics that are interesting to you or that have some bearing in your life.
Be Inquisitive.
Take a lesson from a two year old. Ask, “Why?”. It can be that simple. Don’t take things at face value. The key to being creative is to always be curious.
Be Informed.
What’s new? What’s exciting? What’s happening? Be it on the planet, in your industry or at your office.
Ultimately, creativity is a muscle and it needs to be exercised continuously. It needs new input and new challenges all the time. The ability to turn on the mind set of being in the “now” and being engaged is necessary. Age doesn’t have any bearing on creativity, it’s our attitude towards aging that dictates the effect it will have on our performance.
I’d like to hear your thoughts on this subject. Do you agree? Does the creative spark dim with age? Do we become complacent and don’t exercise our creative well? Or is it that with age, we become wiser in the ways to tap into our creativity?
by Belinda Lui | Feb 3, 2014 | Advertising, Branding, Business Success, Communications, Creative, Design, Latest, Marketing, Social Media
We’ve been noticing a trend recently that lends a hand to the celebrities and shows that a lot of us grew up watching. What is the purpose of using these particular stars or shows to appeal to viewers? We think it has something to do with nostalgic value. Retro advertising has been done before but ever since Oikos used the stars from Full House to market their products during the Super Bowl, we’ve seen other brands follow suit. Before we share some of these ads with you, let’s discuss why nostalgic value has any value when it comes to retro advertising:
Much like emotive advertising, retro advertising is successful because we associate certain memories and feelings with that time period in our lives. I don’t know about you, but I associate only good things with the TV shows that I grew up watching. I remember coming home from (what seemed like) a never-ending day at school, plopping myself down on the couch with a tall glass of milk, and watching after-school specials until my mother came home. That small window of alone time never went unappreciated. It was an adolescent’s time to reflect on the lessons being taught through these programs. So, when a legacy brand uses a legacy show to simulate certain emotive associations — it’s actually quite a brilliant strategy; especially if that brand is formerly associated with negative feelings.
Retro Advertising at its finest:
This is Delta’s ’80s-themed safety video: a fun and light-hearted take on a video that so many of us choose to ignore before taking off on a flight. Bet you won’t be able to ignore it now!
This is some of the cast from Full House appearing on Jimmy Fallon — this may not be directly advertising a product or service, but it was the top trending viral video on Facebook on January 20, 2014.
What examples of retro advertising can you share with us?
