by Miriam Hara | Feb 21, 2014 | Latest, Marketing
Canada the good. Canada the polite. Canada the humble. Well, since the last winter Olympics… a subtle change has occurred in the Canadian persona. Since the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Canada has been evolving its persona…still really nice, but a little more edgy. It took the Vancouver Winter Olympics for the world to stop and take notice that Canada does contribute a lot to the world and not only with its steady supply of Canadian comedians! Dare I call it patriotism… that word that has for many Canadians negative associations?
It wasn’t so long ago Canada was the quiet country, the large gentle giant… ever so apologetic and well… nice.
Somehow, somewhere, it has become cool to be a Canadian. It has to become hip to carry the icon Maple Leaf…so perfect for a brand signature. And it all began with hosting the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. That forum gave Canada an opportunity to present itself authentically. What most didn’t realize was that Canada would take world by surprise… and yes that includes Canadians! The only difference between us Canadians and the rest of the world is that we always knew that we didn’t live in igloos!
Canadians were astonished that we could all feel as one. This “showy” display of solidarity – where did this type of patriotism come from? This visible pride of being Canadian? All of a sudden Canadians along with the rest of the world realized that we actually do have a lot to be proud of and not because of our cool fashionable Olympic outfits.
Many Canadians felt that after the Vancouver Olympics ended, we would once again go back to being, well, quiet… That the feeling of pride and solidarity wouldn’t last. But the Vancouver Olympics was just the beginning. In between 2010 and the 2014 Winter Olympics, Canada has increasingly become a strong visual brand. The Canada brand logo is the iconic Maple Leaf (can you get a more single iconic brand visual?), and has become coveted by all.
In Europe and through Asia, a Maple Leaf on backpacks, luggage tags, hats, t-shirts and pins have for the most part guaranteed a friendly smile, a warm reception. Canada now has admittedly a cool factor – something we even acknowledge amongst ourselves… quite unapologetic, I might add.
Today we watch our Olympic Athletes in Sochi and we have awesome brand awareness (oops… country awareness). Canadians more then ever have become vocal… we have become proud without losing our sense of being Canadian. Case in point, Canadian speed skater Gilmore Junio gave up his Winter Olympic spot to his more experienced teammate Denny Morrison in the men’s 1,000-meter race. This was an act of kindness that ended with Morrison winning a silver medal in the event. Listen to the amazing interviews from all of our Canadian athletes. We are winter. Humble. Grateful. Confident. Authentic. We are Canada. Not a bad brand character for a country, when all is said and done.
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?
by Belinda Lui | Jan 30, 2014 | Business Success, Latest
We’ve discussed in previous posts the importance of strong and lasting client relationship building: regardless of what your marketing strategy is or how ambitious your goals are, the bottom line is that it is all done in vain if the client relationship building is not present. I had a conversation the other day about ways to win new business; and while this may vary from industry to industry (and person to person), the traditional form of winning business through a proposal did not deem successful in this person’s case. Instead, he found that by simply hosting dinners at his home and inviting prospective clients over, he could obtain more leads than couriering a 15-page document to them. A personal touch, if you will.
Where else is client relationship building important?
In social media, many businesses think that it is good enough to generate content that is attractive to the end user — and even though we stress the importance of content managed posts, we also encourage community and client relationship building. The purpose should not only be impressions and reach, but also the relationships you create and maintain in the process. This means replying to comments and messages in a timely manner or addressing concerns appropriately. The person (or people) managing your social media accounts should add a personal touch to everything they do (as long as it is consistent with brand standards).
As for day-to-day operations, it doesn’t hurt to think of ways in which you can attract or retain clients by sending them little reminders of why they’ve chosen to do business with you. This can be by way of holiday cards, branded merchandise, or a hand-written note expressing gratitude for their patronage.
At the end of the day, there are probably several other businesses competing for the business you’ve won. Capabilities will only get you so far — building a strong and lasting client relationship is what will keep them coming back.
What are some of the ways in which you attract or retain client relationship building?
by Lisa Wedmann | Dec 19, 2013 | Latest, Social Media
According to Socialnomics, 40% of Canadians were using Facebook or Twitter by 2010. By 2012, almost half of the population had joined social media sites. In 2013, it is established 2/3 of Canadians now use social media. These are facts to be considered when strategizing for a brand launch.
These are numbers that brands just can’t ignore. They realize that they need to be on social media. So, without a lot of thought or planning, they decide to go all in. Next thing you know, they join Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn and Google+.
Then, reality sets in. Social media is not easy. Before jumping in, with both feet, brands need to take a step back and set up a clear brand launch social media plan.
Here are just a few of the steps that companies need to look at before jumping into the social media world in their brand launch!
Research
Who is your audience? What platforms do they use? When do they use them? Why do they use them? The more informed you are, the better the decisions you will make about platforms and content.
Objectives
Just as important as the research, you need objectives. What are your goals, short-term and long-term. Where do you want to go, and how does social media fit into your overall plan.
Create an Editorial Calendar
Plan out the year, then month and eventually the week. Include blogger campaigns, contests and posts. Then layer in all marketing plans since social media give you a chance to amplify promotions, from coupons, to charity campaigns to in-store promotions.
Be Social
Unlike traditional advertising, social media is not simply about putting a message out there. It’s all about the relationships! This means you need to engage, share and respond in a timely fashion. Being present will build the basis for strong relationship. It’s not just about the number of followers, it’s about the level of engagement!
Listen
And if we want to grow those engagement numbers, we can’t just keep talking. It’s important to listen, and really hear what your audience sharing and asking about. What are they concerned about.
Tell a Compelling Story
Social media allows you to tell a story that will create interest, engage your audience and build brand loyalty. Stories are compelling, and will draw in followers and allow consumers to connect with your brand.
Last, but not least, you need Patience! The followers and engagement, will come. But it will take time. And content. Lots of it! What is the one thing that you have found to be most important when launching a brand on social media platforms?
by Belinda Lui | Dec 13, 2013 | Latest, Marketing
In today’s society of instant gratification, people have short attention spans: They want the news in 140-character snippets, they want to shop with the click of a button — and they want infinite information accessible at their fingertips via smartphones and tablets. It’s easy for businesses to lose potential customers with a complicated, slow or inefficient mobile website. After all, if your business doesn’t have a viable mobile marketing strategy, chances are that one of your competitors does, and that stiletto-hunting customer will go to them.
In an increasingly mobile world, there’s more than one reason why it’s crucial to keep an eye on your website’s mobile traffic. Below, we take a look at some of the most common reasons why this metric is an important piece of your overall analytics efforts — and
What you can do to optimize your mobile marketing strategy with this knowledge.
There’s a Reason “Responsive” Is the Buzzword of 2013
Responsive design is increasingly becoming the go-to solution for businesses seeking site optimization across the mobile board without entering the daunting world of developing a full-fledged app for each device.
The need for a responsive site depends upon your specific business or website, as well as budget. It may well be worth it to “go responsive” if your site is heavy on visuals, videos, products or “m-commerce” — and mobile traffic analysis can help you make these tough decisions. On which devices are users accessing your site? Which operating systems are the most common among your site traffic? Are more users visiting your site on smartphones, or on tablets? What is the overall ratio of mobile to desktop traffic? You can glean much of this information through analytics software or programs.
“Understanding devices and associated technology features is necessary for design purposes. We determine what our sites and our emails need to be designed for from a size, browser and operating perspective. [Mobile reports] allow us to provide the right experience for our consumers,” says Cathy Gribble, associate director of digital analytics for Team One.
That being said, responsive isn’t always the end all, be all of mobile strategy. In-depth analysis and understanding of customer behavior is another factor to consider.
Consumers behave differently on smartphones and tablets, which have differing functionalities and capabilities. Marketers need to analyze behavior and experiences across the entire purchase funnel to understand the best move for web or app design.”Responsive design doesn’t allow for such deep testing of every single experience within a brand’s website or mobile site,” says Blumenfeld. “That means marketers must be cognizant of the different layouts and circumstances surrounding consumers’ use of websites and mobile sites.”
In summary: Take a multi-faceted approach to responsive design. Perhaps not all businesses need to invest in a site that flawlessly translates across every device on the market — but with 17.4% of all global web traffic coming through mobile (a 6%+ increase since 2012), it’s surely a major consideration.
(information from: Mashable)
What other benefits can you think of in executing an effective mobile marketing strategy?
Somehow, somewhere, it has become cool to be a Canadian. It has to become hip to carry the icon Maple Leaf…so perfect for a brand signature. And it all began with hosting the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. That forum gave Canada an opportunity to present itself authentically. What most didn’t realize was that Canada would take world by surprise… and yes that includes Canadians! The only difference between us Canadians and the rest of the world is that we always knew that we didn’t live in igloos!