by Miriam Hara | Jun 9, 2023 | Communications, Content, Marketing, Social Media
In the realm of digital communication, the old saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” has never been more pertinent. It’s not about replacing words with visuals, but rather about merging these elements to create compelling visual storytelling that resonates with your audience. And in today’s world, visual storytelling does not only refer to images…but videos! True, this is nothing new. Motion pictures…commercials, they’ve been always been around for decades however, videos are now a media that is available and accessible for all brands, regardless of the budget, and industry!
According to a study by Wyzowl’s 2022 State of Video Marketing Report, 86% of businesses use video as a marketing tool, up from 63% in 2017. This uptake in video use isn’t accidental. The same report indicates that 96% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service, and 84% of people say that they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video.
These figures underscore the power of visual content in influencing consumer behaviour and decision-making.We all consume so many videos on a daily basis I shudder to really think how many videos I watch on my feeds and in my day to day life! We’ve all personally seen how video content has taken over social media platforms. Regardless of how many videos are offered up to us on a daily basis the fact remains that this the preferred form of communications today. And that mean brands need to get on board in the right way.
From a brand’s perspective, it’s crucial to know how to go about creating compelling visual narratives. Here are some insights I’d like to share with you:
Understand Your Audience: Knowing who you’re communicating with is the first step in creating effective visual content. Understand your audience’s preferences, interests, and pain points to create content that resonates with them.
Tell a Story: Us Humans, we love stories!. They evoke emotions and create connections. Make your visual content more than just an image or a video. Use it to tell a story that speaks to your brand values and mission.
Quality Matters: Go high resolution!. High-quality images and videos not only look professional, but they also communicate your brand’s quality. Remember, a brand is the sum of all it’s communications and that includes the production value of the communications.
Keep it Simple: Be focused! Creating engaging and dynamic content, doesn’t mean you can do it all in one … Don’t overcomplicate your visuals. Single focus can and is often be more impactful. Aim for clear, clean, and concise visual narratives.
Embrace Authenticity: Authenticity…even though it’s the most overused word of the decade, it is imperative. Resonating with audiences can only be achieved by being authentic. Don’t be afraid to create genuine connections with audiences by using real-life scenarios, customer testimonials, or behind-the-scenes peeks into your business.
One great example of a brand effectively harnessing the power of visual storytelling is Nike. This world recognized campaign always features high-quality videos telling emotional stories of athletes (professional and not) overcoming obstacles, aligning perfectly with their tagline, “Just Do It.”
Ultimately, visual storytelling needs to be way more than a pretty picture. It’s today’s method to communicate a brand’s identity, values, and message in a way that connects with and engages audience.
So, are you ready to unleash the power of visual storytelling for your brand?
Visual storytelling is a powerful way to connect, engage, and create lasting relationships with audiences especially on social properties (Instagram, Facebook, Tim Tok) The narratives you create reflect your brand’s identity, mission, and values. Invest the time to know and empathize with your audience, create authentic stories, and show them off!
Your brand’s audience is out there, waiting for your brand’s stories to be told. So, what are you waiting for? Start your journey in visual storytelling today. Craft narratives that resonate. Speak volumes without writing a word. As Nike has shown us, ‘Just Do It’. Your audience is ready, are you?
Remember, in the realm of digital communication, a picture could be worth a thousand engagements. So, take the leap and start harnessing the power of visual storytelling now!
by Miriam Hara | Jun 1, 2023 | Agency, Business Success, Marketing
We’ve all shared the collective exhaustion of discussing a post-COVID world ad nauseam, and yet, it remains an unavoidable topic. The pandemic’s sweeping effects have transformed our lives drastically and, indeed, irreversibly. The old marketing playbook was thrown out of the window overnight, and we had to quickly adapt to an unprecedented environment. So what does post-pandemic marketing look like?
We’ve all witnessed and experienced how a global pandemic has reshaped our reality and , we’ve all witnessed how a global pandemic has reshaped our reality. Now as we’re gradually moving towards the tail end of this crisis, a pressing question emerges: What’s next for marketing in the post-pandemic world?
The first thing we all need to realize is that the need for post-pandemic marketing ..is here and now. And the what’s next, is not next month or tomorrow it’s today.
For one, we can’t expect to go back to the way things were. The pandemic has undeniably accelerated certain trends and created new ones. It has transformed consumer behaviour, purchasing habits, and engagement preferences. We’ve seen a greater reliance on digital platforms, an increased demand for authenticity and value, and a heightened focus on social responsibility. These are not just temporary shifts; they’re here to stay.
The digital revolution has taken centre stage during the pandemic, fast-forwarding us into the future. As we embrace the post-pandemic world, we can expect even more digital disruptions. From virtual reality shopping experiences to AI-powered customer service, technology will continue to reshape the marketing landscape. This is what post-pandemic marketing looks like and will will continue to gain traction, ex·po·nen·tial·ly!
Simultaneously, the demand for authenticity and value has never been higher. Consumers, having faced a crisis of global proportions, are now more discerning about where they spend their money. They seek brands that not only provide high-quality products or services but also align with their values and contribute positively to society.
In this scenario, brand storytelling will play a pivotal role. It’s no longer about selling a product; it’s about conveying your brand’s purpose, the ‘why’ behind what you do. How does your brand make a difference in the world? How do you add value to your customers’ lives? Answering these questions authentically will be key to resonating with the post-pandemic consumer.
Furthermore, the concept of community has been redefined during the pandemic. Now, it’s not just about geographical proximity but shared experiences, values, and interests. Marketers will need to tap into these digital communities, fostering relationships and engaging in meaningful conversations.
Finally, let’s not forget the increased focus on social responsibility. The post-pandemic consumer is socially conscious, seeking brands that not only do no harm but actively work towards creating a positive impact. Sustainability, ethical practices, and social justice will be front and center in the consumers’ minds, and brands will need to step up.
So, what’s the next step for marketers in the post-pandemic world? It’s time to revisit your marketing strategy, align it with these new trends, and prepare for a future that’s already here. Remember, it’s not just about surviving; it’s about thriving and leading the way forward.
Now, I turn the conversation over to you. How have you prepared for the post-pandemic world? What strategies are you implementing to stay ahead of the curve? I look forward to hearing your insights and experiences.
by Miriam Hara | May 26, 2023 | Agency, Branding, Communications, Marketing
In my 35-years at 3H, I’ve grown quite fond of an expression I use quite frequently in strategy sessions and yes, even in brainstorming sessions. The expression: – “we are talking to ourselves.” It’s an amusing acknowledgment of a trap we marketers often fall into. We’re so involved with our brand’s world that we sometimes forget our audience isn’t. This awareness has consistently guided my commitment to audience-centric marketing, reminding me to always consider the creative, communication, and positioning from the viewpoint of our target audience
The Impact of Self-Talk.
It creates an echo chamber, amplifying our own assumptions and drowning out the voice of our consumers. We believe that they’re as familiar with our brand as we are. The result? A communication gap. We’re talking, but not necessarily to our audience.
That’s what I refer to as the Self-Talk Syndrome. This self-talk results in a marketing echo chamber. We assume our consumers have the same brand intimacy as we do, creating a detrimental communication gap. We’re in conversation, but are our consumers truly part of it? Our clever taglines and plays on words or even how to express the need and use of our brand to consumers , so clear to us, may not resonate with those unfamiliar with our brand’s intimate details.
Remember this, our target markets, and by default, our consumers are not part of our internal dialogues. They see our brand quite differently from how we see it.
The Antidote to Self-Talk….Audience-centric Marketing!
So, what’s the solution? A perspective shift. We need to step outside our self-talk bubble and see through our consumers’ eyes. The goal isn’t brand familiarity, but effective, engaging communication.
Keep is simple. Keep it Clear.
The heart of audience-centric messaging is simplicity and clarity. It’s not about diluting our message, but making it more accessible – a counter to the complexity often bred in self-talk. Consumers care about benefits, value, and practicality – these should be the focus, not intricate product details.
Let’s Open Dialogue!
It’s also time to turn our self-talk into an open dialogue. Embrace feedback. Listening to our consumers lets us adapt our approach to align with their needs and expectations, ensuring that our self-talk doesn’t drown out their voices.
Bridge the gap.
Escaping the echo chamber of self-talk brings immense benefits. Clear, relatable messages. A bridge between brand and audience. An engaged consumer who appreciates our brand. By focusing on the audience, we foster stronger, deeper connections.
Break free from the cycle of self-talk and embrace audience-centric communication. Examine your marketing strategy. Is it a product of self-talk, or is it truly resonating with your audience?
Always keep in mind, the conversation we need to have isn’t with ourselves, but with our audience. It’s about making our brand not just known, but understood and valued. We don’t just want to talk – we want to engage, resonate, and build relationships. The most meaningful conversations are those we share with others, not the ones we have in our self-talk echo chamber. For that, let’s step out and tune into the frequency of our audience. Ready to sing along?
by Miriam Hara | Jan 10, 2017 | Advertising, Communications, Content, Marketing, Social Media
[Guest Post from Skilled.co]
The proliferation of smartphones has brought about a new trend in consumer buying behavior called mobile commerce. According to recent research the mobile commerce trend is expected to continue to grow globally in the years to come. Business owners who have developed a viable long-term mobile commerce strategy will profit from this trend the most. Mapping out an effective strategy can be challenging if it is unclear what the target audience expects from an m-commerce service. The best way to overcome this is to talk to the the customers directly.
![10 Must Do Steps to Improve Your Mobile Commerce Strategy [Infographic]](https://skilled.co/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/FINAL_Improve-Your-Mobile-commerce-strategy.png)
Presented by Skilled.co
Below are 10 easy-to-follow tips for devising a successful mobile commerce strategy. The tips are based on data obtained from 2016 Smartphone User Behavior Report and a survey which polled 2000 US millennials. This is the demographic group with the highest rate of smartphone ownership and usage. The millennials who took part in the survey were asked to answer a series of questions regarding their mobile commerce habits.
1. Target Millennials
Millennials and their smartphones are rarely separated, this is supported by the data collected that reported that 28% of Millennials in the US prefer to shop on their smartphones. According to the survey results millennials are invested in mobile commerce and they consider the prospect of online shopping to be one of the top three advantages to being a smartphone owner. Mobile shopping is also huge with high school students and millennials on maternity and paternity leave. Owners of online retail business should keep in mind that women in this age group are twice as likely to spend money on clothes via their smartphone compared to men.
2. Don’t Waste Any Time
Mobile commerce is yet to become the number one shopping method for US millennials. It was reported that 72% of US millennials currently prefer shopping on their desktop. There is room for growth within mobile commerce for businesses targeting millennials.The highest potential for mobile commerce expansion is within services like hotel booking, flight tickets and fashion stores. These were ranked as the three lowest priorities in terms of spending money via smartphones according to the 2016 Smartphone User Behavior Report.
3. Focus on Social Advertising
Millennials and social media are inseparable. It was reported that approximately 82% of young adults in the US check their smartphones within an hour of getting up and 73% go to sleep with their smartphones by their bed. To keep up to date with current events in the world Millennials prefer to use social media. The data collected showed that 68% of millennials choose to use Facebook as the social media network of choice for news consumption. Twitter is the second most popular source of news for this demographic group with 21% reporting use the microblogging site to find out about current events. It has been reported that 41% of millennials check and update their social media as soon as they wake up in the morning therefore, targeting young adults through social media marketing should be an integral part of every great mobile commerce strategy.
4.Know Your Target Audience
In order to come up with a unique and effective strategy to implement mobile commerce, there must first be a complete understanding of the needs and preferences of the target audience. For example business owners looking to target millennial consumers might be interested to know that, 40% of those polled in the survey spend more on flowers when shopping via mobile than on any other product. Millennials also use their smartphones to order a taxi and book various services. Young entrepreneurs are fond of ordering transport services like Uber via their smartphones while high school students are more likely to use their devices to order food. Young parents and full-time employees normally use their phones for online banking and bill-paying services.
5.Encourage Sharing
1 out 4 millennials reported suffering from the ‘fear of missing out’. This is where millennials develop anxiety that someone is having a great time without them. This phenomenon is particularly common among 18 to 22-year-olds who suffer from the fear of missing out marginally more than other millennials. For millennials sharing is one of the most popular features on social media platforms. The survey highlighted that 1 out of 2 millennials ranks sharing life moments with friends and family as the key advantage to owning a smartphone.For business owners who wish to develop an innovative approach to m-commerce they should encourage their millennial customers to share online content.
6.Include Health Information
Millennials are often accused of being overly confident about their lifestyle choices and irresponsible in regard to their health. This does not mean that young adults are not interested in learning about different ways to lead a healthier lifestyle. Out of the millennials polled in the 2016 Smartphone User Behavior survey, 46% ranked the opportunity to find health information online as the key advantage to owning a smartphone. One good example of mobile commerce done well is the app called ShopWell. This app offers nutrition facts and healthy eating tips based on the supermarket receipt scans, courtesy of a team of diet experts.
7.Make Security Your Top Priority
Online business owners who want to plan out an effective m-commerce strategy should always keep customer safety at the top of their priority. The survey results show that 25 to 30-year-olds feel the safest paying for products and services with their smartphones. Approximately half of the surveyed millennials reported that they feel unsafe paying with their smartphones. This is the same for high school students. The data collected reported that 1 out of 3 feel unsafe shopping on smartphones. The popularity of mobile wallets is slowly increasing, with 12% opting to use a mobile wallet.
8.Make Use of Notifications & Alerts
Millennials are not just the largest group of smartphone owners but they are also the most obsessive checkers. One in every three millennial checks their phone at least twice an hour while 2 out of 10 confess that they check their devices up to 10 times an hour. It was reported that 43% of millennials admit that they do not go to the toilet without their smartphone. The assumption can be made that the chances of a millennial missing a notification on their phone are small to none. This is why every great mobile commerce strategy should include an app that sends regular notifications and alerts to millennial customers.
9.Help Your Customers Find You
Recent research of mobile shopping trends shows that millennials often use smartphones to find the location of a store. This indicates that millennials are increasingly reliant on their smartphones and even ranked the location feature as one of the top 3 advantages of owning a mobile device. College students and full-time employees are most likely to use their smartphones to find information about their location. For Business owners adding a location feature to their m-commerce will assist in their targeted millennial audience to find their store.
10.Use Games & Giveaways
Mobile games and free giveaways are popular with millennials. Almost 7 out of 10 millennials say that playing games is one of their favorite thing to do on their smartphones. An easy for for business owners planning on mobile commerce expansions is to include millennial-focused games and product or service giveaways. Heinz, one of the most recognizable condiment brands recently upgraded its e-commerce strategy by including game features, QR codes and other engagement methods.
The collected data indicates that the mobile commerce trend is not only here to stay but is going to increase steadily in popularity.It was reported that many young adults are still a little hesitant to switch from desktop to mobile shopping due to safety concerns. This means that there is room for growth for business owners looking to expand their e-commerce. The infographic below highlights the top 10 tips for successful mobile commerce strategy. The data used in the infographic is up-to-date and obtained from trusted sources to support business in implementing these tips into their m-commerce plan.
by Joyce Turner-Gionet | Dec 9, 2015 | Branding, Creative, Design, Latest, Marketing
The building of a brand icon
“When Andy Warhol wanted a shape to represent mass culture, he drew the [Coca Cola] bottle and when Volkswagen wanted to celebrate the shape of the Beatle, they compared the car to the bottle.” Excerpt from the Coca Cola Journey™: Celebrating 100 years of the Coca-Cola bottle.
How has the little glass Coke bottle transcended continents, cultures, languages and timelines to remain as firmly rooted in our experience today as when it first appeared 100 years ago? How did it get to be a brand icon? Which begs the question …
How does your packaging stack up to that kind of history? Are you a brand icon in the making?
When you check the retail shelf are you already blowing the dust off that packaging redesign you did last year? Every day we’re exposed to great brands with clever packaging. Some of it is truly inspired, but brand icon? That’s the kind of drawing power only a handful of brands command.
This blog was inspired by 3H Senior Designer Lindsay Sleightholm: “I love Coca-Cola branding. I was drawn to it even before I studied to become a graphic designer. Actually, it might have had a little bit to do with my career decision.”
That’s a big statement, but I’d hazard a guess that like Lindsay, each of us has been touched in some way by the allure of the little glass bottle.
Good Design Takes Things Personally
Lindsay: “For me, it started with a Coca-Cola pub mirror that my parents had hanging on a wall in our house when I was young. The copy read: “5¢, Delicious, Coca-Cola Relieves Fatigue, The Most Refreshing Drink in The World,” with a vintage photo of a young girl from the Edwardian era holding a glass of fountain Coke. No one could get away with those claims anymore (let alone the imagery). But back then I was sold. Not in the messaging so much, but in the feelings it evoked.
Today, I have a collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia: bottles, cans, signs, print ads, even an old cooler, and I still have that mirror. As far as antiques go, I don’t think the mirror holds much monetary value. For me, the value is sentimental.”
A brand moves from great to iconic by tapping into feelings and sentiments that are universal. Coca Cola’s advertising holds up a world mirror, reflecting the good times we’ve experienced with a bottle of Coke in hand, and it promises more good times to come, with a Coke in hand.
Good Design Shakes Things Up
Lindsay: “As with anything in branding and package design, it boils down to being unique. Coca-Cola learned this early on. It wasn’t enough to have a great tasting product because competitors could mimic the formula. What they needed was a way to stand apart from their competition. They accomplished this in 1915 with the contour bottle design — an abrupt departure from every other bottle design at the time. The mandate was for a bottle ‘that could be recognized when broken on the ground or by touch in the dark.‘ The design was originally patented and later trademarked. It’s a design that is ergonomic, iconic and as synonymous with the brand as the logo. You only need to see a silhouette of the bottle to know what the product is.”
Timeline: The Evolution of the Coca-Cola bottle.
See what the competition’s doing and then do it differently. Shake things up.
Good Design Walks the Talk Over Time
Lindsay: “The design of the Coke bottle is timeless because essentially it’s remained the same for 100 years and yet it’s still 100% relevant. There have been modifications over the years to allow the bottle to adapt to changing styles and trends in packaging – not so much the shape of the bottle, although that has evolved — but in the materials used to manufacture it. It was originally glass, then plastic, then aluminum, and now with certain skus there’s a return to glass. The bottle design is a perfect example of adapting to changing market demands while remaining true to a clear vision for the brand. Not to mention, ‘everything old is new again.’ Which in the case of the Coke bottle took 100 years.
Coca-Cola hasn’t drifted too far from the original design, so in essence we’ve all grown up with it. The bottle brings a sense of familiarity and nostalgia to people when they see it. Even if you don’t like the product you can’t help relating to it on some level.”
So what’s the message in the bottle?
So what’s the message in the bottle? Clarify your vision and remain true to it. When you find a design that works don’t mess (too much) with it. Coke says it best, recalling the universal backlash to a formula change in 1985: “The fabled secret formula for Coca-Cola was changed, adopting a formula preferred in taste tests of nearly 200,000 consumers. What these tests didn’t show, of course, was the bond consumers felt with their Coca-Cola — something they didn’t want anyone, including The Coca-Cola Company, tampering with.”
The coke bottle is a beautiful design and it remains relevant. But that’s not always the case. As Miriam, Chief Creative Officer at 3H, blogged, “you have to design within the framework of the culture. Even though it hurts to let a beautiful design go, if it doesn’t perform it will be let go eventually and the costs associated will be significant.”
Thank you Coca-Cola for 100 years of keeping it real and building a true brand icon. You’re an inspiration to all of us. If you haven’t seen Coca-Cola’s Celebrating 100 years of the Coca-Cola bottle, check it out, it’s a fascinating look at the life of a fascinating brand.
Want a few tips on how to get your brand’s message in a bottle, bag, box, or whatever shape you think your packaging will take? Download our free re:design e-book.
by Joyce Turner-Gionet | Sep 30, 2015 | Business Success, Interactive, Latest, Marketing
“On the Journey of Learning.”
I saw this tagline (above) on a big yellow school bus passing me on the highway through Toronto. It’s a beautiful line.
Learning is a journey. If we’re open to it and up for the adventure, it can be a tremendously satisfying lifelong learning journey, with plenty of personal benefits, besides the knowledge we gain.
… when’s the last time you went out of your way to learn something?
The kids have been back in school almost a month now, but what about the rest of us? Are we still on the journey of lifelong learning or did we hop off the bus somewhere en route? When’s the last time you learned something new? More precisely, when’s the last time you went out of your way to learn something?
I’m not talking strictly about job-related learning here, although that’s a wise pursuit that can pay off in spades. I’m also talking about lifelong learning for the sheer joy of it.
Some of us embrace learning? For others, it’s a chore! As kids we naturally love to learn. Think of the number of times you’ve heard a child ask the question: “Why?” Why are there no more dinosaurs? How big is the tooth fairy, why can’t I see her and what does she do with all the teeth? Why are the neighbours’ kids allowed to stay up later than me? Why? Why? Why? Somewhere along the way, many of us lose this ravenous curiosity. Obviously, it’s not because we know everything. Mostly it’s because we get busy. Other, equally important things take up our time: our families, our friends, our jobs, our outside commitments, keeping up with the demands of the day-to-day, our health, even our worries. In our quiet times, learning something new is not often high on the priority list.
Many creative types embrace lifelong learning; it’s part of their nature …
If you’re from a family of learners, it helps. If, as a child, your curiosity was encouraged and your questions respected and answered, it sets you up to be eternally curious and lifelong learning follows naturally. Many creative types embrace lifelong learning; it’s part of their nature — they’re open to new experiences, they think outside of the box, they ask questions, they’re naturally curious.
18 things highly creative people do differently
If you work in the marketing field, you will fully appreciate just how critical it is for you to be open to lifelong learning. Take a year, 6 months or even a few weeks off and something changes, updates, evolves or a completely new social media platform arrives on the scene! Blink and you miss it! Look at the rapid evolution that has taken place in digital marketing alone. Once upon a time, in the olden days (ooh, maybe 5 years ago) digital marketing and social media were considered specialist areas. Now ‘digital’ is a key element in any marketing and communications strategy. It’s our professional responsibility to keep ourselves up to date and relevant as much as we can in order to provide informed, educated guidance to our clients.
We’re never too old to learn and it’s never too late.
My father never touched a computer, but he read the paper, front to back, daily, until just before he died at 89. A world traveller as a young man, he continued to scour the atlas, look up facts in his beloved Pears’ Cyclopaedia and was always up for the challenge of a cryptic crossword. A few years ago, a good friend of mine was in the late stages of cancer. She too was a seasoned traveller and the most committed and eclectic lifelong learner I’ve ever met. She researched constantly for pleasure, taught herself a number of languages and like my dad, could hold an intelligent, thoughtful conversation on a great many subjects. She called me late one night from the palliative care ward in Sunnybrook Hospital: “I feel out of touch with the world. I need to research. Can you bring me a laptop.” That conversation has stayed with me; it remains inspirational. We’re never too old to learn and it’s never too late.
It’s not important what we learn. It’s not important how we learn, because we all learn differently.
The 7 styles of learning: Which works for you?
What’s important is that we continue to learn. It helps to surround yourself with people who like to learn. Lifelong learning is intensely, personally satisfying. It increases our confidence. It makes us more interesting as people; we become better conversationalists. It keeps us in touch with what’s going on in the world. It helps sharpen our thought process. Studies reveal that learning can keep us healthier; it can elevate our mood and make us happier and help stave off illness, particularly age-related illness like Altzheimer’s. 10 benefits of lifelong learning.
The greatest thinkers, people whose ideas change the world, embrace lifelong learning.
A little ‘lifelong learning’ inspiration:
“In times of change learners inherit the earth; while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”
– Eric Hoffer (American moral and social philosopher)
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
– Mahatma Gandhi (Leader of the Indian Independence movement)
“The best way of learning about anything is by doing.”
– Richard Branson (Humanitarian and founder of the Virgin Group. Interesting fact: Battled with dyslexia, a reading disability.)
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
– Benjamin Franklin (A founding father of The United States of America; helped draft the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.)
This one is a particularly interesting comment on learning: “It is what we know already that often prevents us from learning.”
– Claude Bernard (French physiologist, responsible for the concept of homeostasis.)
It’s the start of a new school year for the kids. What about the rest of us? What are we going to learn this year? I’m a foodie. On a personal level, I’ve promised myself I’ll learn more about herbs and spices and which ones work best with which foods!
Tell me what you’re learning. #SharedWisdom
