Speak Softly and Carry a Good Story

Sometimes, speaking softly gets more attention.

I know many of my colleagues like to “shout out” a message, whether it involves advertising or social media marketing. Shouting will certainly get attention, but sometimes it gets the wrong attention. Statistics prove that people believe an honest review or story over an advertisement. So why are people still shouting?

Perhaps it’s because of the hype we hear to push the use of email and social media marketing and shove a message in people’s faces. I can see some opportunities where Social Media Marketing could turn into a junk pile if people aren’t vigilant about their settings and careful about who they “friend” and from whom they “accept invitations.”

Makes Me Want to Shout
I get so much spam now that I cringe when opening my email. I always send them to junk, but there they are again, the very next day. When I’m interested in purchasing an item or service, I carry out my due diligence and research the information online. I have never been positively influenced by spam that would cause me to inquire about the product or services in an obnoxious ad. Obviously, some of these tactics have worked in the past or these little companies wouldn’t spend their time annoying us with spam.

A Good Story Goes a Long Way
The best campaigns we have created for companies have begun with honest information and story-telling. People can empathize with a person’s experience rather than a spokesperson telling them to buy something. For example, if someone returned from a vacation and had a wonderfully, interesting experience with the hotel or car rental, that would be a story worth our listening. It may even prompt us to visit the hotel or use that car rental company.

Least invasive surgery ad for Bristol-Myers Squibb featured a friend of mine.

One of the ads we created for Bristol-Myers Squibb Company had that type of impact. It featured a friend of mine who had recently recovered from endoscopic, ovarian surgery. Just 72 hours after surgery, she took her dog for a walk. This story-telling ad resonated with women that had similar problems and were interested in learning more about the procedure. We didn’t shout about the surgical products that made this possible, we simply told a compelling story.

We recommend that the next time you want to advertise your business, try speaking softly and telling a credible, moving story through advertising, blogging and Facebook. Then Tweet a few interesting facts with a link to your blog. You’ll be surprised at the response you’ll receive. If you need help, we’re very willing. Now, doesn’t that sound better than shouting?

The Growing Change in Charge Card Acceptance

According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 159 million credit cardholders in the United States in 2000, 173 million in 2006, and this was estimated to increase to 181 million Americans in 2010. About 60 percent of consumers have a rewards credit card*. Love them or hate them, credit cards have certainly helped change the way Americans purchase and it seems that credit card companies are still thriving through the recession.

However, the tide is turning on the ability to use those charge cards on the services and items you prefer. More companies, especially insurance companies, are refusing to accept credit card payments due to the fees that are attached to providing that service. You would be surprised at the companies that are getting down right cheap about it.

Companies That Will Not Accept Credit Cards

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has recently sent out a letter warning policy-holders that they will be refusing automatic, monthly credit card payments, beginning May 1, 2011. WellPoint, Inc., the parent company of Anthem, stated that its fourth-quarter net income rose to $2.7 billion in 2010. The President and CEO, Angela Baly, received a 3 percent raise in total compensation. She now receives a total pay package worth $13.4 million, an increase from $13.1 million in 2009. This company is financially capable of providing credit card payment processes for their customers. They appear to be more interested in earning profits than helping their customers in an economically challenging time.

Protective Life Insurance is another company that stopped accepting credit card payments for policy premiums. They accepted credit cards at the time when many new members signed on the dotted line for their policies. Many of these policy-holders did not open their accounts with protective Life, but with Zurich Life and their policies were changed over to Chase Insurance Company. The policies were then changed again to Protective Life Insurance. Unfortunately, the original policy-holders are stuck with Protective Life’s new rules for payment, which does not accept credit card payments. If policy-holders switched over to a company that does accept credit card payments, they would be subjected to a higher premium and a health examination. By the way, Protective Life’s net income for 2010 was $260.2 million and the CEO, John D, Johns, received a total compensation package of $3.18 million last year. On their website, the company claims to care about their customers in this direct quote:

“Our customers come first. We prosper only to the extent that we create long-term relationships with satisfied customers. We do so in discerning their needs and responding to them; in providing high value, distinctive products; in prudent investment of policyholder funds; in systems, information, and counsel which help our customers solve problems; and in prompt, accurate, innovative, and courteous service which is the best in the business.”

However, when we called to inquire about the change in accepting credit card payments, they refused to bend or discuss it any further.

So forget about receiving those mileage points, gift rewards or the convenience of credit card billing when it comes to paying insurance premiums with these companies and several others. They prefer to connect directly to your bank account and suck the cash right out of it.

What Can We Do?

Although it may not get the results you would favor, I still recommend writing to the president of the company and to your U.S. Congress representative. The more people that write, the more our voices can be heard and perhaps some of those greedy companies just might listen – if they are pushed. It’s the little things that can make a big difference.

*Source: “The Survey of Consumer Payment Choice,” Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, January 2010

Would You Rather Ask for Permission or Forgiveness?

I’ve heard many people say that asking forgiveness is much easier than asking permission but sometimes the ramifications of such actions are not worth the trouble. For instance, when it comes to copyright infringement, the penalties of such actions can be far worse than you realize.

Due to the fact that it’s easy to find whatever you need online, whether it’s information, photography or artwork, it could be viewed as freeware and can be tempting to use without permission – especially for those who are looking to save time or money. Unfortunately, copying, grabbing and using online property, for your own advertising needs, could cost you more in the long run.

Ignorance May Not Be So Bliss

Sometimes this “borrowing” of intellectual property can be done quite innocently. A marketing executive for a large company once approved an ad with a concept that he believed was a part of the public domain. The ad depicted a sketch, not a photograph, of a star on a sidewalk, which mimicked the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Immediately after the ad ran in a newspaper, a representative from the company that owned the license to the Hollywood Walk of Fame contacted the executive. Since he no longer was in a position to negotiate usage and rates, he had to pay the high penalty that the licensor requested.

Students and experienced designers have asked me how they can know if the property has restricted rights and usage attached to it. My answer, “If you’re not certain, always ask permission from the origin of the property.” If you purchased the photograph from a stock photography company, they will inform you of any additional rights, usage and restrictions. If you would like to use a poem or a quote that you read in a blog, it’s a good idea to ask permission from the author before you use it on any public material. If you like a certain illustrator’s style, they may be willing to negotiate with you for services or a special price, especially for work that has not been published.

One of my past clients insisted on using photographs of employees from the US Postal Service in one of his direct mail brochures. I explained to him that the employees depicted in the photographs had not signed any agreement or release with his company allowing him to use their image. For all we knew, the person who designed the brochure could have used stock photography or taken the photographs, using models. I warned him of the ramifications of using property of unknown origin. Unfortunately, you cannot force a person to follow your advise, but it’s a good idea to put your objection in writing, just in case you need proof that you were not the cause of the infringement.

Most celebrities, cartoon characters and comic book heroes are considered intellectual property and their usage needs to be negotiated and contracted. However, other icons that aren’t as obvious, such as the Hollywood sign and Walk of Fame, are considered licensed property. Aside from licensed or rights-managed property, you’ll be surprised how many people will allow you to use their creative property for free, asking only for a credit line for the author, artist or photographer. We all like and deserve credit for the work we produce.

When Cyber Harassment Becomes Libel or Slander, It Can Get Ugly

No one should put up with cyber harassment. Our 1st and 14th Amendment rights grant us freedom of speech, but nobody has the right to make false statements about a person that is detrimental to their reputation. That is considered slander or libel and they are crimes.

The Difference Between Cyber Harassment, Slander and Libel
Cyber harassment is the use of the Internet or other electronic means to harass an individual, a group of individuals, or an organization. Libel is a published false statement that is damaging to a person’s reputation. It is malicious intent to discredit a person by misrepresentation. Slander is an action or crime of making a false, spoken statement that is damaging to a person’s reputation.

If It Happened To Me, It Can Happen To You
I have recently been a victim of this type of malicious and vindictive behavior. I was recently involved in a small claims court case regarding a website my company designed for a small company that forms corporations in Reno. The CEO of the company wanted the website to merge with Infusionsoft, a software program that helps companies with their email marketing. She wanted to be able to control her website, internet and email marketing herself. She had licensed the program months before she interviewed design companies to create her company’s website. Once hired, we did exactly what was outlined in the agreement and we even provided more pages and additional work that they requested and didn’t pay for (the extras totaling $5800). When the site went live, they informed us that they were incapable of learning Infusionsoft, changed their mind, and wanted their money back. I had to take them to small claims court to get the $2500 that they still owed us for the programming and design. I won the judgment and the judge dismissed the CEO’s counter suit. The CEO then decided to send me a threatening email and began a smear campaign through her blog.

This type of behavior is not only unprofessional, it is extremely destructive. If I had respect for the person and viewed her as highly educated and informed, I may have been insulted, but I have considered the source. However, I still need to be vigilant and continue a search for any other inflammatory actions regarding me, or my company’s reputation. As a graduate of Parson’s School of Design, I view design as a creative solution to help increase business and always strive to exceed my client’s expectations. I have built a very reputable business and have won 18 prestigious awards in the past 13 years. Out of over a hundred clients I have serviced, this is the first complaint I have received. It is not right for one vindictive person to harass a person online merely because they lost a small claims judgment.

What You Can Do To Fight Back
If you have been a victim of either of libel or slander, there are steps you can take. It is vital that you provide proof of the crime if you plan to proceed with a lawsuit. You need to make a hard copy of the statements. If it was made in a blog, take a screen shot of the blog showing the false statement and any responses made to the statement. If the statement was made in a verbal conversation, get a written statement from a witness that heard the slander and have it notarized. It is important to document any responses prior to initiating a lawsuit.

Then you need to file a complaint, which is a legal document filed with the court to begin a lawsuit. A good resource for filing a complaint is: http://www.ehow.com/how_2040840_sue-someone-internet-libel.html
If possible, hire an attorney to help you draft the complaint. You will also need to pay a filing fee and it varies depending on the amount you seek in damages and where you are filing the complaint. The court may provide a form for you to send to the defendant along with a copy of the complaint and a request for their response. After the defendant files and answer, there is a discovery phase, which is the time where both parties make requests for documents and evidence. At this time you can send the defendant a list of questions asking why they made the statements and how many people they told or how many blog responses they received. Since the questions are asked under oath, if you can prove that their answers are false, that would be considered perjury.

If you prefer to handle the problem using online resources, there is an Arbitration Committee through Wikipedia.org. The URL is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Arbitration/Guide_to_arbitration and you would need to complete a RFAR, Request for Arbitration, and the Committee would vote on whether to open the case.

I’d Like To Hear Your Opinion
If you have comments, have experienced a similar situation, or have additional advise, please let me know.

FREE Design Courses – No Strings Attached!

If you haven’t already heard of CreativeTechs, you are missing a good opportunity to update your skills for free. CreativeTechs offers webinar classes such as: InDesign CS4, Photoshop, Flash for Designers and Developing Android Applications with Java to name a few. They even send you reminder emails to let you know when the course will start.

Adobe is launching CS5 on April 12th and the CreativeTechs’ courses are loaded with valuable information and short cuts that will apply to the new apps. It is easy to register at http://creativetechs.com/training/ and check out their calendar for more courses that interest you.

Jason Hoppe is the instructor and he demonstrates “how-to” techniques in a simple and effective way. I hope you’re not a vegetarian because his love of bacon is evident throughout the examples he uses. I’m usually starving before the class is over. You can ask questions through the chat link or through Go To Webinar. If you live in Seattle, you can actually go to the classes. You also can purchase the courses and watch them when you please. The cost for the Flash course is $99 after the course is over or $55 if you purchase it during the live training.

I have used InDesign for years but I still found this course valuable and I picked up some time-saving short cuts. Check it out and let me know what you think.

If you don’t brand yourself, someone else will

Did you ever overhear someone describe what you do for a living and think, “Where did they get that idea?” That’s when you know you need to give some serious thought to branding. You may even need some personal branding as well. A good way to find out what people really think about you and your business is simply to ask. I realize that it is not easy to get constructive criticism from people that have turned you down, but asking questions, the right way, will give you the information you need to turn your business around. You can even have someone else do it for you – in the form of a quick survey.

The Quick Phone Survey

Have a designated person call up the clients that have turned you down and ask them a few questions as to why they chose another company or chose not to use the service at all. This will give you insight into how your prospects perceive you, which will give you the necessary information to address their objections. Branding is important for any business, large or small. If you are perceived as too expensive and you cannot afford to lower your prices, then offering more value or services than your competition would be a solution. Letting your prospects know about the difference you offer is key in getting more business in a tough economy.

Personal Branding

Having the right image for your profession is important too. I knew an accountant that used to wear a suit and tie to all his prospective appointments and was disappointed when he didn’t close a large percentage of the sales. As it turned out, the impression he gave was that he was too expensive, even though price was never discussed. When he began to dress more casually, he saw a big increase in his business because he changed the comfort level of the customer. They perceived him to be reasonably priced even though his prices never changed!

The reverse can happen too. I know a woman that worked for a corporation and dressed too causally and provocatively at work. She complained that nobody took her seriously, especially her boss. When it was pointed out to her that she needed to dress for success and display a more positive attitude, she decided to take the advice. She began to dress and act as if she were interviewing for her job every day. This caught the attention of her boss, who really did value her work, and she was taken seriously when she requested more responsibility. Her change in image and attitude led to a promotion.

If you have questions about your image, I would be happy to speak with you and discover new solutions for your business. You can also respond to this blog and let me know any concerns you have about your company.

Designing Your Business to Create Customer Loyalty

During a tough economy, marketing your business the same way you did when the economy was prosperous will not work. Consumers still love to buy and hate to be sold. The difference in this current market is that more consumers are using their money wisely, comparing products and services online before making a decision. Whether it’s health insurance, financial advise, pharmaceutical or beauty products, a company’s website is key to gaining new customers.

Attracting Customers Online

More people use websites to research information on products and services than ever before. Company image and functionality is very important when marketing online. That’s why I’m amazed at some of the websites I visit. I still see page links that go nowhere and the notice, “URL Not Found” appears. That’s a real turn-off to any prospect. Some clients don’t test their own website to see how the customer views it. Websites should be designed to communicate clearly what the company does. Every page needs to have an easy-to-navigate link and a way to get back to the Home page. There shouldn’t be any dead ends or confusion as to whether or not you are still on the same site. There should also be an offer of some type that would interest your target market. This could be tips, discount offers or relevant information. A site, which is poorly designed and developed, gives the appearance that the company is “here today, gone tomorrow” and the level of trust quickly deteriorates. A potential customer will then move on to another site – one belonging to your competition.

What Problem Can You Fix?

Competition is fierce with online marketing so it is important to have competitive pricing and value-added service. If you can’t afford to provide a discounted price, then offer some type of additional service or product that won’t break your budget. Having a different type of product or service than your competitors can make you stand out from the crowd. Find out what problems exist with your present product or service. It could be that people hate waiting for your service, so improved timing would be key. Discovering any problems and making major changes to solve the problem is the first step in giving you the competitive advantage. The next step is letting consumers know about it. If you make improvements or a major change in the way your industry does business – that could launch your business to a whole new level.

If your business involves products, the packaging plays a vital role in attracting consumers. I have purchased several bottles of wine based upon the look and description on the label. Once wine is opened, people rarely return it, so packaging is extremely important in making the initial decision. Keeping the customer depends on how much the customer enjoyed consuming the product and by continuing top-of-mind awareness. Advertising, promotions and offers can keep customers coming back for more. CVS does this well by tracking the customer’s purchases, through a customer care card, and providing new savings coupons based upon cutomer’s purchasing history.

Let Your Customer Work for You

When I design packaging, labels and corresponding promotions I target them to the right market to create loyal customers. It’s easy to get a one-time customer with the right product launch, but it’s more important to develop customer loyalty. These types of customers can become your best sales force, simply by recommending the product to their friends on Twitter and Facebook. The same can work wonders for service industries. A referral from a happy customer is stronger than one from a salesperson. Unfortunately, one bad experience with a customer can adversely affect your business, exponentially, once the customer tells their friends. That’s why a program that gets everyone in your company to understand the values and mission of your company is so vital to its longevity and growth. If everyone in the company is informed and empowered, when it involves customer service, complaints would be minimized. We create our customer loyalty programs with the help of an experienced consultant to obtain measurable results.

Replace Cloudy Confusions with Concrete Conclusions

We have helped businesses prosper by developing programs and designs that attract customers. In the present economy, branding your product or service is more important than ever. If your product or service is easily confused with another, you could be losing an important segment of business. If your product or service in not easily remembered or easily associated with your industry, you need to change it by rebranding and relaunching it. No matter how complicated your message is, there is a way to communicate it in a clear, concise and consistent style that is also memorable. Why blend when you can stand out from the crowd?

I skied more when I lived in NY

It’s interesting how some plans turn out differently than you anticipated. When I lived in New York, I got a chance to ski about 6 to 10 times a year. Now that I live close to a ski resort, I hardly find the time. Staring up a new business in a new state is a little like being in a witness protection program, not that I’ve had that experience. The good news is that you can now brand yourself all over again. The bad new is, you have to brand yourself all over again. I have to say that if you want to start a new business, the Reno Tahoe area of Nevada is a good place to begin. The business networking opportunities here are very impressive. The area has received a bad rap in years, mostly due to the old reputation of being known as Las Vegas’ poorer cousin. It couldn’t be farther from the truth now. Reno and the Lake Tahoe area offers so much more in entertainment, cultural experiences and outdoor sports than ever before. It also attract a lot of artists – two of my neighbors are fine artists and they joke that I’m the only one making money from it. That’s why I have no time for skiing. I guess you give up something to be able to fit another. Now if I could only clone myself…