Infographic :: The Most Powerful Colors in the World

So it would appear that Ideavise is somewhere between LinkedIn, Skype and Twitter on the color scale. That's company I can live with.

via colourlovers.com

 

Think negative comments/reviews online hurt your company? Guess again.

I've had several conversations over the last few months from companies who have been somewhat retisent to enable online reviews on their ecommerce sites. Some excellent points are made in the article below, I've taken the liberty of bolding several sentences that I found exceptionally valuable:

Relationships in Business: Self-Service vs. Customer Service

My business partner Brian sent me a link the other day. The basic premise of the article on this tech site referred to a piece in Harvard Business Review called Why Your Customers Don't Want to Talk to You. Given that this concept flies in the face of what I talk about a lot—the importance of relationships in business—I felt that it was worth mentioning.

It turns out that the staff at Harvard Business Review have researched this topic extensively. They've found that corporations drastically overstate the extent that their customers want to talk with them. To quote the HBR article: "...companies tend to think their customers value live service more than twice as much as they value self service. But our data show that customers today are statistically indifferent about this — they value self-service just as much as using the phone. And guess what? By and large, this indifference holds regardless of their age, demographic, issue type, or urgency."

Ironically, I've recently come face to face with this very issue while shopping for a (somewhat esoteric) part for my car online. I spent about 45 minutes researching the part number, pricing and stock levels all from my laptop rather than driving 1/4 mile to the auto parts store. Why?

The writers in Brian's link proposed that there are three main reasons:

Convenience - Why stand in line to talk to the teller when the ATM is 10 feet away? Why would you wait for the checker when there's a self-service checkout area at the grocery store?

Repeatability & Speed - Let's be honest, if there is a task that you regularly undertake— buying a gallon of milk via the self-service line at the grocery store for example— you get pretty darn proficient at memorizing what comes next. "Enter your Club Car…thank you" "Scan your first ite…" Beep! "$5.99" "Enter your pay…thank you". I can buy a gallon of milk from the self-service line in less than 30 seconds. The checker is easily at least double or triple that.

Error, Embarrassment and the Human Factor - Fact: People don't like making mistakes in front of other people. If I can use a machine to get an answer without having to feel stupid for asking the question, will I use the machine? You'd better believe it. See the previous discussion about the auto parts store. I research parts to buy them online, BUT should I need to visit the auto parts store, I'll know exactly what I'm asking for and can thus (hopefully) avoid looking like I don't know what I'm talking about.

This system, however, is not without flaws. It breaks down when you have a problem. When I have an issue with a company, I want to talk with a live person. I want them to fix the issue and I don't want to fight my way through an automated system. Referring back to the link that Brian sent to me, one sentence stood out;

"If you want to build relationships with your customers, remember why they're there. [Hint:]They're not there to interact with you. They're there to get the service or product you're selling them. If interacting with you isn't helping them in some way, it doesn't matter how friendly you are: it's still a negative experience. Building relationships needs to be largely a byproduct of doing a good job, not the end goal in itself."

A ha! There's the kicker: Relationships ARE important. They're built as a result of setting and fulfilling a customer's expectation—regardless of whether it was accomplished via a machine or human interaction.

What do you think? Given the choice to use a self-service option to accomplish a fairly routine task, are you going to use it? Or do you willingly stand in line to receive "personalized" attention? Is there an instance where the service that you've received from an automated system has improved your overall experience and perception of a company? Drop me a line in the comments area below.

Thanks for reading.

—Jason @ Ideavise

Facebook's Impact on Retailers - Bicycle Retailer & Industry News

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI (BRAIN)—Retailers who are actively involved in marketing their products and/or services using Facebook may have a distinct advantage over their competitors, according to the latest Morpace Omnibus study.

The study finds that not only are consumers joining Facebook fan pages that are managed by businesses, but they use Facebook as a means to offer and receive product recommendations. The study concentrates on three key areas: which consumer segments are most likely to use Facebook and how frequently; how often consumers search for or share product/company opinions or information, and which demographics are most likely to use the social media Web site.

"The results show us that Facebook is a tool for retailers to directly communicate with their target market," said Morpace retail vice president Kirsten Denyes. "Retailers can offer consumers product information and exclusive coupons and discounts to create viral product buzz among Facebook consumers."

Among the primary reasons consumers join a Facebook fan page are: "To let my friends know what products I support," (41 percent) and "To receive coupons and discount offers," (37 percent). More than 36 percent of consumers consider Facebook to be a useful tool for researching products.

Nearly 68 percent of consumers say that a "positive referral from a Facebook friend makes them more likely to buy a specific product or visit a certain retailer." The study also reveals that non-Caucasian consumers tend to be more active users of Facebook, and will more likely join retailer fan pages. One-half (50 percent) of Hispanics, 46 percent of Asians, and 44 percent of African Americans consider Facebook to be a useful tool for researching new products. Only 31 percent of Caucasians agreed.

A total of 1,000 respondents were surveyed March 10-17 as part of the March 2010 online panel.

via bicycleretailer.com

As a 15 year veteran of the bicycle industry, it's always interesting to me when external studies are applied to the bike industry—which very often does not follow traditional marketing metrics.

This, however, is good data for all small businesses, not just those in the bicycle industry. It's tough to ignore when 68 percent of consumers say that they were positively influenced toward a purchase because of a relationship on Facebook; or that 36 percent consider Facebook to be a useful tool for researching products.

I know that making decisions on marketing and social media probably aren't high on your agenda as a small business. That's where we come in. If you're ready to start looking at business outreach from a holistic standpoint but don't know where to begin, please give us a call. We can do it more quickly and cost-effectively than you'd probably think.

Thanks for reading.

—Jason@Ideavise - (831) 887.0111

Social Fans More Likely to Buy - eMarketer

via emarketer.com

"...And Now We'll Open the Floor for Questions"

I get a sense from our customers (and people that we talk with around town), that there are still a lot of unanswered questions regarding digital marketing, web strategy, social media and whether or not it's a good time to be spending money on such things. This is normal. At one point or another, we all have questions about our businesses (whether you own it, or just work in it). It's good to have a network of people that you can rely on to bounce questions and ideas off of.

One of the roles that we routinely fill for our clients is one of advisor or consultant. This service costs money, and can range from a one-time meeting to an ongoing monthly retainer-type agreement. But what if you could ask questions about the process and get a straight answer WITHOUT the cost or structured agreement? Would you do it?

Here's what I'm proposing:

If you have a question about business—specifically something related to design, marketing, technology, brand development, websites, social media, etc., post it in the comments section after this post or on our Ideavise Facebook page. Chances are that you're not the only person wondering, and we'd like to help get those questions answered.

Another thing; we're straight shooters. We've been around the block and we've got a lot of experience. But if we don't know the answer to a particular question, we'll tell you that we don't know and we'll make a few phone calls to try and find out. We know people. Smart people.

In a nutshell, our goal is to help you make infomed decisions about how to market your business. That's what we do.

So let's hear it. What questions can we answer for you?

—Jason @ Ideavise

Seven Easy Ways to Boost Your Marketing Copy

Print or web. Catalog copy or corporate blog post. The right words in the wrong order (and visa versa) can have a dramatic impact on your marketing efforts. Here are seven easy ways to improve the effectiveness of your marketing copy:

1. Avoid vague, bloated language. Many times it can obfuscate your point and reduce the efficacy of any value-added synergies (see what I did there?). Instead, speak plainly—drawing on words that you'd use when talking with a friend or co-worker.
2. Speak to people, not at people. Try phrasing sentences in a way that invites the customer to open up a dialogue about your company, product or service.
3. Educate your reader. Penning a list of product features only tells half of the story (and sometimes much less). Make sure that your copy communicates the value of the product or service, as well as how the customer's life will be positively impacted by their purchase.
4. Be consistent. If you're telling the company story through a first-person account, the chances are good that you'll want to use the same voice in your descriptive copy as well. There are some exceptions to this, but largely it's considered to be a good rule-of-thumb.
5. Make yourself available. Unfortunately, due to spam emails a lot of companies have chosen to hide their email addresses behind contact forms. But email isn't the only way to reach out. Post your phone number conspicuously on your site (and blog), and invite your viewing audience to use it. Encourage comments and responses to your blog posts. Budget a little bit of time each day to answer questions and respond to customer concerns.
6. Be Authentic. By addressing customer comments in a public forum, you're projecting an image that says, "I have nothing to hide." Yes, there may be issues that you end up resolving offline, but by keeping most things out in the open—even complaints—you're giving every customer (and potential customers) a glimpse of your standards and how you operate. Provided that you manage it well, this is probably the single most effective way to create trust for you and your brand.
7. Invite the Customer to Take Action. A simple call-to-action is one of the most basic, yet underutilized tools in small-business marketing copy. Once you've armed your customer with the information that they need to make an informed decision, invite them to take action. It can be as simple as "Learn More" or "Contact Us", or as detailed as "Call 831-887-0111 to set up a free consultation."

Thanks for reading! I hope that these simple tips will help you to improve the impact of your marketing copy. If you have questions about this post or want to talk about improving your company's direct marketing efforts, I invite you to leave a comment below or call us at 831.887.0111.

—Jason @ Ideavise

Branding Basics: What is a Brand, and How Do I Strategize It?

What is a brand? Expert Marty Neumeier classifies a brand as, "A person's gut feeling about a product, service or company." Almost all companies use visual identifiers (logos) as a component of their brand strategy to help them differentiate themselves in the marketplace. But it shouldn't stop there. In fact, when I hear a company mention branding, most often they're referring to their logo. Unfortunately, that's selling the concept and process of brand strategy short.

So what is brand strategy? I 'd propose that it's a planned effort by a product, service or company to use consistent practices, interactions and design language in order to build a sense of value and trust in the eyes of current and potential customers. Yes, that includes the logo (right there in that design language part).

You might be thinking, "Value and trust— Got it." But there is a third component which could be the most important aspect of brand strategy, and that's consistency. To demonstrate why consistency is important, allow me to use an example: Suppose that you stopped at the corner coffee shop each morning on your way to work  (which isn't much of a stretch for some of us). For the first four days of the week, the coffee is amazing. Perfect roast, great flavor, etc. Then, on Friday, you swing by the same coffee shop for your daily cup of joe only to get to work and find that the coffee is awful. Not just questionable, but absolutely unpalatable. Are you going to go back to this same coffee shop week after week? After all, 80% of the time, their coffee is great. My guess is that you probably won't. There are plenty of other options in the coffee marketplace, and you're not going to waste your time and money on an inconsistent experience. Consistency is the difference on whether you continue to patronize that business. They've diminished their value by violating your trust that they'd provide a consistent product, day after day.

And the thing is, the story above only mentions the product aspect of the company/customer relationship. That same analogy, however, can be applied to virtually all facets of the business including; customer service, marketing, advertising, etc. You can start to see how the concept of a brand is so all-encompassing. It's difficult to think of a single element within a company that's unable to be tied to the brand in some way.

To recap, brands are important because they allow you to differentiate your product, service or company. When solid brand strategy is implemented consistently, a brand builds value in the eyes of its customers and creates a trust relationship. It's not difficult to imagine that people are much more comfortable buying things that they value from companies (or individuals) that they trust. Every interaction affects the perception of the brand, and it's virtually impossible to find an aspect of a business that doesn't have an impact on the brand in some way.

Thanks for reading.

—Jason @ Ideavise

Questions about brand strategy or positioning? Drop us a note in the comments section below.

Recession Strategy: Invest in Your Brand Now!

What's your business strategy been during the economic downturn? Have you been looking for ways to leverage the market, or backing off and trying to play it safe and weather the storm? What are your key competitors doing? Do you know? If so, how confident are you that you know their full strategy?

This is the time to invest in your business. Not in spite of the slow down, but because of it. But where to invest? When times are tight, you want to put your money where it will have the most impact, right? We think so, and we would suggest taking a look at your brand.

Have you invested in your brand recently? No, not your logo. Not your tag line. Not your advertising strategy or your jingle. Your brand. Those other things are important, and may hold strategic or tactical importance for your business—but in and of themselves, they're not the brand. Your brand is an overarching representation of your company's values, qualities and beliefs, and should be a major differentiator between you and your competitors.

Through the development of your brand, you create the impression of consistency for your customers. Consistency engenders trust, and people buy from companies that they trust.

Next week, we'll talk more about branding and a few simple aspects of the brand that are critically important to every business. Thanks for reading.

—Jason@Ideavise

Questions about brand strategy or positioning? Drop us a note in the comments section below.

Ideavise Press Release

Long Time Cycling Industry Professionals
Launch Professional Services Firm
Focused on the Needs of Small Businesses

November 10, 2009, Colorado Springs, CO — Industry professionals Jason Lombard and Brian DeLong are proud to announce Ideavise, a professional services firm. Their new venture is focused on bringing cost effective design, marketing, brand positioning and technology solutions to the small business market.

Capitalizing on their in-depth knowledge of the bicycle and outdoor industries, the Ideavise team offers stand-alone services such as; print and electronic design, broad-based marketing, brand identity consulting, as well as integrated business technology solutions. Ideavise also specializes in mobile web app development, website design, ecommerce implementations, email marketing and more.

Ideavise clients also enjoy the benefit of communicating through a single point of contact— even across projects that would normally involve several different companies. “One of the ways that we add value for our clients, is by saving them time and money through streamlined communication,” says DeLong, Ideavise Partner and Project Director. “Instead of trying to manage a vendor for design work, a vendor for marketing and a vendor for website implementations, we’ve established a company with the resources to accomplish each of these tasks. This saves our clients time and energy, and allows them to focus on running their business.”

In an ongoing effort to improve the level of service that their customers receive, Ideavise recently hired key positions to increase the depth and bandwidth of the team. Lending her unparalleled interpersonal skills as well as an extensive Mar/Comm background, Jackie Petro has joined Ideavise in a Marketing and Public Relations capacity, and Del Kahre brings his extensive programming expertise spanning multiple platforms, languages and operating systems.

Now entering its second year, Ideavise is proud of the strong relationships that they’ve built with top-tier industry companies, as well as their commitment to giving back through work with several industry associated non-profit agencies. “We’ve been excited and highly motivated by the response that we’ve received,” says Jason Lombard, Ideavise Partner and Creative Director. “It’s incredibly rewarding to have the opportunity to work with such an exceptional group of clients and more importantly, be able to build long term relationships—which is always important with brand strategy and technology.”

About the Company

Drawing on over 20 years of collective experience at cutting-edge companies, Jason Lombard and Brian DeLong noticed a void in the market. During their tenure at brands like Santa Cruz Bicycles, Light & Motion, Carmichael Training Systems and Fox Racing it became obvious that large-scale agencies existed to satisfy the needs of sizable companies, while smaller companies went largely unserved. Additionally, they noted that this void spanned multiple channels including that of the retailer, the distributor and the manufacturer. In response to this need, Ideavise was born in 2008 as a full-service identity agency specializing in design, marketing, brand positioning and technology solutions. With offices in Colorado and California, the Ideavise team works with clients all over the United States.

Ideavise can be contacted at (719) 355-3579 or via their website at http://www.ideavise.com.

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