Category: Identity

Post date March 18, 2014

3 Questions to Ask Yourself When Creating Brand Preference in Moms copy 1200x600 c default

For marketers who are aimed at creating brand preference in moms, it is useful to take a look at the brand itself. You want to attract the right types of moms for the brand, as attracting the wrong type can lead to dilution of brand value. Look at what your brand has to offer the mom market, and then embellish those qualities that allow it to stand out amongst competitors by asking a few key questions:

1. Is our brand memorable?

Though the brand doesn’t necessarily need to be in a mom’s face at all times, she does need exposure to the brand and needs ways to be able to find it when needed. In this era, being able to find the brand means that she can find it in the store, using Google, on Amazon, or social media sites.[quote]The harder it is to instill the brand into one’s memory, the harder it will be for brands to generate loyalty in their targets.[/quote] In order to help make the brand memorable, it’s essential to go to the platforms where moms are sharing information with one another in order to leave a lasting impression.

2. Is our brand meaningful?

Whether it’s enjoying a meal together at Olive Garden or walking through the mall in attention-getting Gucci shades, the brands that have positive impacts on the target’s lives are the ones that will succeed in creating preference. Without meaning, there’s no difference between buying Huggies and buying store brand diapers; but many moms are more apt to go for the Huggies because of their variety of facets, such as age-appropriate diapers, that help ease the frustrations of changing diapers. Huggies have made a connection point not only in their marketing, but also in their appeal to make the lives of women easier.

3. Is our brand likable?

Brand marketers should work to ensure that their brands are in line with the desires of mothers. A brand with a tough edge can open up it’s market to the modern mom by softening up, portraying the brand as likeable and fun. The brand marketer should embellish the aspects of their products that make moms’ lives easier, more exciting and more fulfilled. A company that sells necessities for children can better reach moms by bundling items such as diapers and baby wipes. Also, with new developments in big data, it’s easy to monitor what your users are saying about your products on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social media outlets. Make sure that you are listening to the conversation, engaging your audience and taking quick action to resolving any problems that may arise.

To learn more about how you can market to moms in order to create brand preference and instill brand loyalty, contact our team today! We’ll share strategies for segmentation, creating appeals and assessing your own brand to determine the right moms for your business.

Branding Environments Identity Naming & Architecture

Post date February 20, 2014

It hits all of us at some point – the latent feeling that we’re missing something, lacking inspiration in the work that we’re doing. Maybe it’s because we spent all night up with our sick children, or it might be because we’re burned out on the day-to-day minutia of running a successful business. Even though these moments are unavoidable, there are numerous things people can do to help boost inspiration in moments when it might not seem so easy.

The ideas I’m about to share not only apply to finding inspiration in business, but also to finding inspiration in everyday life. The goal should be to put your mind at ease, because as you will learn, the most creative, logical solutions often come when we’re relaxed, at ease and inspired. If you’re feeling a bit bogged down in your work or life, follow these personal branding tips from our Orlando marketing agency to help add a bit of extra positivity and inspiration to your world.

1. Create a Mood Board

A mood board is your own personal art project, and it’s really easy to create one. I typically use corkboard, but some people may find that using tape and a piece of cardboard works better. Use this as a guide, and post only things that speak to you and inspire you. If you’re designing one for your business, use it to add images, textures and articles that speak to the brand you aspire your business to become. If you’re designing it for yourself, find things you love and add them to the mood board to help develop a sense of who you are as a person.[quote]There’s no right way to create a mood board — it’s all about how you feel in the moment.[/quote]

Creating a mood board can be cathartic, and going forward, it can offer you a moment of zen when hurrying through an otherwise busy world. Keep it by your desk, and look at it each time you find yourself drifting off. Simply adding an image of a beautiful sunset can remind you of your inspiration to work long hours so you can enjoy that upcoming vacation you’ve planned.

2. Explore Your Surroundings

You’ve probably heard this advice before, but it’s always worth repeating. By taking a stroll to explore your surroundings, ideally though a setting in which you are in touch with nature, you have time to clear your mind and focus on the present, a practice called mindfulness. Rather than thinking about that next deadline or project, instead take time to focus on your breathing and enjoy the aromas of the world around you. This type of relaxation can be a great way to stimulate creative thinking.

3. Have a Healthy Snack

If you haven’t been eating right, then you’re certain to crash at some point. [quote]This can lead to a lack of inspiration or, even worse, severe headaches or crankiness.[/quote] Rather than going for the candy bar, coffee or energy drink, instead try munching on nuts or fresh fruit. It’s all the good stuff with a lot less of the bad, which can help you feel better, have more energy, and help you sort out your thoughts as well. Try to make this a daily, lifelong habit, as people who eat and live healthy tend to be more relaxed, calm and focused, which can do wonders for your both your personal life and your business life.

Following these tips from our Florida ad agency can help you relax, allowing you to unleash maximum potential for your business and your life. Contact us today for more personal branding expertise!

Branding Identity Naming & Architecture Strategy & Positioning

Post date February 5, 2014

How To Make An Awesome Impression

If you have any sort of introverted qualities, you probably understand that it can take quite a bit of work to muster up the courage and energy to take that first meeting or introduce yourself to someone new. According to the team at our Florida advertising agency, the first impression you make on a person is the first impression they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. So, if you want to make it anywhere in the business world, that first impression has to be a good one.
Luckily, I’ve learned to beat that introversion, and you can too. All it takes is a little bit of practice and as much confidence as you can muster, using a few of our recommended branding strategy tips that make an awesome impression:

Tip 1: Address Your Appearance

You might be the best tech entrepreneur in the world, but no one is going to know that if you don’t look the part. Get a haircut, trim that beard and wear your nicest jacket if you want to leave a strong impression. While there are exceptions to this rule (think of Mark Zuckerburg and his infamous hoodie), wait until you’re already at that level until you decide you can start dressing down. Looking like a million bucks will also help you feel like a million bucks, so don’t be afraid to splurge just a little in the name of good style.

Tip 2: Stand Up Straight

Years of sitting in front of a computer may have left you with an awkward slouch. Make a conscious effort to stand up straight. Doing this will not only make you look more confident, but will psychologically make you feel more confident as well. Along the same lines, be conscious of your actions and try to avoid fidgeting, as this comes across as anxious and excitable.

Tip 3: Get a Good Night’s Sleep

You ever have any of those days where you’re sitting in a meeting and you started dozing off because you’d been working until 2 a.m. the night before? In our culture, we’re taught to value hard work, but that doesn’t mean you can’t sleep and can expect to get through the day on coffee and M&Ms. Getting a good night’s sleep will give you a clear head, which will keep you bright eyed for your important meeting with the person who might just hold the key to your future.

Tip 4: Smile and Make Eye Contact

Smiling is another one of those psychological tricks a person can pull to make himself or herself and those around him or her feel better.[quote]Even if you have to force it at first, the act of a smile can help trick the mind into establishing feeling of happiness.[/quote] Also, making eye contact establishes rapport, and excellent rapport is ultimately the key to leaving a great first impression.

Tip 5: To Leave a Lasting Impression, Always Follow Up

This is by far the easiest thing a person can do. You had a great meeting, so within less than 24-hours, make sure you’re still on the person’s radar by shooting a quick note to thank the person for their time. It’s as easy as pie, right? But you’d be surprised how many people neglect to take this vital step.

For more ideas on how to impress those around you, contact us today to be wow’d!

Branding Identity Strategy & Positioning

Post date January 9, 2014

6 Ways to revamp your personal brand in 2014 1200x600 c default

Here at BIGEYE’s Florida ad agency, we spend a lot of time working with brands to help them define their voice and vision. We strategize every day, with the goal of implementing ideas and technologies that help connect brands with their audiences. But as the year begins, we think it’s important to remind our readers that there’s one brand that also takes time to cultivate and grow: your personal brand.

As we resolve to improve ourselves in 2014, it will make sense for many of us to reevaluate our personal brand: the message we put out there in the world about ourselves. Every day, through each of our interactions, we tell stories of who we are as people, and through these interactions, our audiences – everyone from family members to casual acquaintances – decide how and why they should want to work with us.

Here are a few tips to help you revamp and grow your personal brand in 2014:

1. Do a Brand Brief – For Yourself

BIGEYE consistently develops brand briefs for our clients, but did you know that you can also use this idea to help brand yourself? Doing a brand brief for yourself helps you to think critically about your own vision and mission: who you are, what you represent and what that means as part of the bigger picture.

2. Get Social

People who aren’t using social media are at a distinct disadvantage behind competitors. Social media offers an easy way to stay connected with people, and to share content that friends, business associates and acquaintances may find interesting. People who don’t feel comfortable posting personal information online can use social media in a purely professional context. Those considering taking that route might start with LinkedIn, which also allows users to connect through networking groups and by sharing interesting content.

3. Create Cohesion Across Channels

This is a simple marketing idea that also applies to individuals.[quote]People recognize brands because they recognize the brand voice and imagery, be it logos or other elements of design.[/quote] By making sure your personal letterhead matches your email signature and Twitter handle, you’re effectively branding yourself across channels in much the way a big brand like Nike or Pepsi does on a continuous basis.

4. Keep In Contact

The major reason brands send promotional emails at regular intervals is because they are extremely effective in helping them to retain customers. Therefore, sending out a monthly email newsletter with updates about various projects may help keep your personal brand in the forefront of peoples’ minds. However, if the newsletter email route doesn’t seem to work for you, try instead setting aside time each week to send out personal emails to old friends and colleagues.

5. Make Time For Others

With only so much time in the day, it can be compelling to spend more time working and less time meeting in person for lunch or coffee. However, taking the time to meet with old colleagues and acquaintances is a great way to keep up the networking mojo – and consequently, to help improve your brand.

6. Improve Your Business Mind

Investing some time and money into career improvement is a great way to help strengthen your personal brand. Taking online or in-person courses through companies like Coursera, Skillshare and General Assembly is an excellent way to help improve your personal brand.

With these personal branding tips, you can be sure that 2014 will be your best career year yet.

Branding Identity

Post date August 1, 2013

Following Blindly Why Follow for Follow Creates an Inauthentic Brand Experience 1200x600 c default

Outside of social media marketing, I hear it everywhere. “Follow me, and I’ll follow you back!” and advice suggesting that a Twitter user follow every one of their own followers. Usually, this is the type of thing said by motivational speakers, life coaches and other types of people who don’t truly understand marketing.

To some people, a Twitter follow-for-follow seems like an even exchange. Or, perhaps it just seems like “the nice thing to do” in order to help please your customers and loyal fans. But unfortunately, a follow-for-follow pattern can also result in tarnishing your brand’s image and brand experience.

First of all, it’s important to remember that your followers can see who you follow. If you end up being followed by a spam or ghost account, and you follow them blindly, you are, at the very least, subjecting yourself to spam. But, you’re also providing incentives for your own followers – the people you influence – to follow spam or fake accounts, which doesn’t seem good for anyone.

Much in the way that it doesn’t make sense for Pepsi to follow Coke, or for Mercedes Benz to follow Kia, it doesn’t make sense for your brand to follow the things that aren’t on-brand. Sure, you may love the tweets from your friend Albert who constantly tweets funny comments about celebrity gossip, but if your company doesn’t align itself with celebrity culture, then it’s better to keep that follow to your own personal account.

A good brand influences behavior, and if you don’t want to dilute the value of your brand, it’s important to realize that the brand’s Twitter page (and Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram pages) are extensions of the brand identity. In many ways, it’s like aligning yourself with the people you believe you are aligned with – and just because a million people may identify with your brand, it doesn’t necessarily mean your brand needs to cater to them.

Perhaps when the Twitterverse was smaller, it may have made more sense to follow each person who followed you or your brand. But, with more than 200 million active users as of this month, it’s easy for bigger brands to get lost in the haze. Imagine being Lady Gaga and trying to follow each of your 39 million followers. Even she follows some 136,000 people, which seems to me like it would make it hard to sift through the noise.

Another trend that we’ve seen marketers attempt in order to be more successful on Twitter is the practice of buying followers. All over the internet, people are eager to help businesses raise their Twitter fan bases by purchasing followers at an agreed-upon sum. However, our team of genuine marketing experts frowns upon this practice because ultimately it doesn’t matter who your followers are if they’re not quality, and are not actively engaging with you. Additionally, while some people assume that buying followers will help bolster their credibility, in actuality there are now a variety of social media tools that help shed light on fake followers.

If you are looking for more ideas and ways to establish a strong brand presence on Twitter, follow our Florida advertising agency at @BIGEYEagency.

Audience Audience Analysis Branding Campaign Creation & Development Creative & Production Identity

Post date January 15, 2013

Up Close and Personal Creating a Campaign Around Your Brand Identity

Once you’ve figured out your brand identity, it is essential to determine how to move forward with a campaign that strategically addresses your target consumer. While the types of campaigns you can run are as varied as the types of businesses themselves, you can use some of our tips to help you design something that works efficiently and effectively to help target your ideal consumer.

Go Where Your Audience Is: Think you know your audience, and that they’re all on Facebook? You may be mistaken. These days, Pinterest is extremely popular with adult women, while male geek-types may use Reddit more than Twitter. Some children even view Facebook as something that only their parents use – certainly, no 12-year-old wants to hang out where his mom hangs out. If you don’t know where to find your target consumer, it’s imperative to find out before you develop a social media campaign.

Keep Your Expectations Realistic: If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my years as a strategist, it’s that no one can make a video go viral. This is particularly true if it doesn’t reach a person on an emotional level, such as through humor or heart. If you think simply telling someone about your product or service in a video will garner millions of views, it’s important to review your strategy. Instead, consider what will appeal to your audience, and market toward their emotions.

Remember the Brand Power of a Comprehensive Campaign: Your Twitter strategy is getting tons of interaction, and your Instagram account gets hundreds of “likes” every time. But something still seems amiss in terms of success. What’s going on?

Perhaps it’s first important to address whether there is a clear call to action established within the context of the campaign. If the goal is to get new followers, then reaching out to the people on Twitter who already follow your company doesn’t do much good. In order to create the best interactive campaign you can create, our Orlando ad agency advises you to find ways to efficiently integrate several multimedia platforms if possible. You can talk about your Instagram photo contest on Twitter and sync it with Facebook, or you can create a TV ad with a clear call to action to ask people to follow you on your various social media accounts. Carefully consider the medium, the message and the desired goal.

Keep It Agile: Even amazing ideas may fail sometimes (remember Friendster, the precursor to MySpace [which was the precursor to Facebook]?). But, if you’ve formulated a strategy that you can pivot as it takes shape, you’re far ahead of your competition and, in some cases, can prevent major PR disasters should your plan go awry.

Learn From Mistakes: Every single company in the world makes mistakes from time to time, and often these mistakes involve failed marketing strategies. Examine what went wrong, and what you could do differently. Even in the case of a successful campaign, it is important to examine the results in order to help duplicate success in the future.

Follow these brand identity tips, and our Florida advertising agency assures that you’ll hit the target consumer with the target strategy at the right time.

Take a second to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We’re witty and we know it!

Branding Identity Implementation Naming & Architecture

Post date October 5, 2012

Building brands by storm the real mad man 1200x600 c default

The real Mad Men are long gone, but they’ve planted fertile seeds in the ever-evolving processes of advertising. Famed founder and former CEO of world-renowned BBDO, Alex Osborn, brought brainstorming to the ad world as the building block from which great ideas were born. Initially phrased “to think up,” Osborn employed this creative thought cauldron as a way of generating bigger, better and more brilliant ideas for BBDO clients. His philosophy followed that if two heads are better than one, then 20 heads would lead to gold mines.
Orlando advertising agencies, and creative shops worldwide, still utilize brainstorming techniques to generate winning campaigns today. In addition to bringing otherwise untapped objectives to the table, brainstorming sessions strengthen teams within the workplace. They foster camaraderie and a true sense of belonging amongst coworkers. Encouraging your group to develop big ideas from inklings promotes a fearless well of inspiration to fill the air. People stop holding back and the notion that “there are no bad ideas” begins to take over.

A look back in advertising will show us that bad ideas do exist, however. We’ve seen them launch and we’ve watched them crumble, as we’ve quietly said to ourselves, “what were they thinking?” Chances are they were thinking… together, but not thinking together. They may have all been in the room, but they all weren’t on the same page. Concepts that start without direction can lead a team to the endzone with a well-developed campaign. But if a plan is not in place before the team hits the table, your chances for success decrease dramatically.

Define specific objectives.
Do your research.
Set a time limit – and don’t go a minute over schedule.
Keep an open mind and listen to everything that is said.
Give everyone a chance to chime in.
Encourage participation
Narrow it down and walk away with a few agreed upon concepts to build upon.

Most importantly, bring your pad and paper and be ready to write down anything that comes to mind. The most successful ideas have come from the strangest places, so don’t be shy and enjoy the ride. Depriving yourself of other people’s ideas will only limit your brand’s potential. It may be your baby, but sometimes it truly does take a village to raise a child.

Branding Environments Identity Implementation Marketing/Business

Post date July 20, 2012

Attire in the Workplace To Suit or Not to Suit 1200x600 c default

One of the many benefits of employment in the Florida advertising industry (post “Mad Men” era) is that “casual Fridays” apply to nearly every day of the week—as long as clients aren’t scheduled for meetings or visiting the office. Coming from a previous work environment where suits were the norm, this was an adjustment for me, but one that didn’t take very long to settle into. I found that being comfortable in your work environment actually does wonders for productivity. I actually feel that we work harder and better in less “stuffy” clothing.
Just look at other successful companies out there today, like Facebook and Google. These Fortune 500 companies embrace comfortable, casual attire. When you’re comfortable, you’re more relaxed and more open to new ideas, creativity, and innovation. It’s a win-win for employer and employee.

However, there is a time and a place for business attire. I was once told by one of my mentors in the industry that when dressing for meetings, one should dress in attire that embodies the “feel” of the client or their industry. For example, if you’re meeting with an upscale law office, professional dress would be expected. But if meeting with an artist, jeans and a blouse are appropriate.

Either way, my advice would always be to put your best foot forward when meeting clients and business associates. Just think about it—You wouldn’t show up to a wedding in jeans and a t-shirt (well – most weddings), or a graduation ceremony in board shorts and a tank. So why risk showing up to a business meeting in a sundress and sandals only to learn you’re the most casual one in the room? There goes your credibility… and your confidence!

Ultimately you’ll only look as good as you feel. No matter what you’re wearing, there’s nothing worse than constantly tugging or messing with your clothes while in a meeting, whether it’s casual or not. Make sure your attire fits and is comfortable. Self-confidence is more visible to others than you might think!

I truly appreciate the casual dress code in the advertising industry, but I firmly believe, regardless of your trade, that if you want to make the best impression and represent your company in the highest of lights, business attire is a sure bet. Save the jeans and t-shirts for those days when you know you’ll only be seen by your coworkers or when pulling an all-nighter at the office.

What do you think about casual office attire in the advertising industry? Share your thoughts below.

Written by, Sandra Wilson –Account Manager at BIGEYE Creative

Branding Campaign Creation & Development Creative & Production Identity Video Production Website Development

Post date August 2, 2011

Ideas Process Umbrella Drinks

A lot of people are enjoying a well-deserved summer vacation. The vacation you are enjoying probably started with the simple question: Where to go? Do you want an adventure experience or a more relaxing getaway? After a little location research, most of us dust off the calculator to match our budget to a location. Then we start to plan our vacation experience, making tour arrangements or restaurant reservations.
The bigger the vacation, the more planning it requires.

While we all want to get to the fun part (really, who doesn’t love an umbrella drink poolside?), it’s all the work you’ve done before departure that makes the vacation so much fun.

Much like a summer vacation, the creative process is a whole lot of fun. But behind every logo, video, website or marketing campaign is a thoughtful creative process. This process digs into the weeds of your marketing needs, and it is what turns a great design into a powerful marketing tool.

For example, a logo advances your company by supporting desired perceptions. Brand identity expresses itself in every touch point of the brand, and becomes intrinsic to your company’s culture and a constant symbol.

Wow! That brings into perspective why branding requires a disciplined process. Admittedly, it does take some patience to complete a logo design questionnaire (yes, every question) and spend time in conversation about the nuances of your product/company. Clarifying brand strategy through a full discovery makes it possible to design a logo that frequently appears in a space of about 1 ½” x ½” to represent your brand.

Sometimes the excitement of the creative process can overwhelm one’s patience for the process. It really is important for you to compile all your logo design feedback into one document. This step brings your focus away from the individual elements and back to the big picture. Your feedback written down into one document also gives your team a chance to make sure everyone is on the same page. Our designers will use your specific direction to move your logo through several rounds of revisions until the final concept is achieved.

With this perspective, you can see this outcome, your company logo, is worthy of a thoughtful and intentional creative journey.

We love bringing our clients into the artistic world to explore colors, style, fonts, etc. But just like the roadmap to your summer vacation destination, it is our creative process that gets us to our destination — the right idea and design to meet your marketing needs.

Thanks to all our clients for the awesome road trips we have experienced together to market your brand.

Branding Identity Messaging Naming & Architecture

Post date May 26, 2011

Whats in a Name

I don’t know about you, but here at BIGEYE we’re pretty glad the rapture didn’t happen. For the past few months we’ve been immersed in the rebranding process, and it’s finally paid off. We’d like at least a few months to enjoy the fruits of our labor. October should be just fine.

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