Guest blogger: Nicole Huston
Usually I am not the one to watch commercials, however, in the past month I have come across an awesome PR campaign, advertisement that blows my mind every time I see it. Shivers creep up my spine each time I run across this commercial, and I think to myself…”Self, this is fantastic PR and an awesome marketing strategy in an effort to change the value of their brand!”
If you are still in the dark of which I’m speaking of, it’s Dominos Pizza!
The company has released a series of commercials showing the truth of what people actually think of the pizza company and how Dominos Pizza has changed in an effort to win back lost customers. Changing the consumer perception is one of the hardest things to do, especially with the ease of communication and word of mouth these days. However, the company used this tactic to their advantage by using social media and commercials to alter brand perceptions.
In my high spirits for Dominos, a friend and I ordered one of their new recipe pizzas. We were completely disappointed with the whole event.
First, the employees were not supporting the “turnaround”, the deliverer actually admitted he hates Dominos Pizza and that the new recipe didn’t change much. So there is much needed brand training for all employees.
Second, they did not deliver on their promise of great cheese, actual sauce, and flavorful crust. What was seen in the commercial was not shown at this location by any means.
So, they had a great idea and campaign in place; however, the implementation was just not there. Dominos Pizza communicated the message effectively through the use of media today, the company even changed packaging, but they did not successfully implement the “Pizza Turnaround”.
See the documentary for yourself “Pizza Turnaround”
For those of you who DVR over the commercials and have not had a chance to see the commercial, watch it on YouTube. At the Door of Our Harshest Critics.
With 2010 knocking on your door it'll be here before you know it. Hope you are all well into your planning, but in case you're not, couple things to think about.
- What worked in 2009? What didn't? Why?
- How does your brand stand? Do your brand assets clearly identify with who you are and where you're going?
- What does your strategy look like? Have you outlined your markets, target audiences, operating plan, market trends and communications strategy/tactics?
- How does that strategy tie into your sales strategy? Are you helping sales accomplish their goals by your marketing programs? Are you communicating through the entire sales cycle your brand and clear messaging, along with the customer buying patterns considered?
All of these things are critical for a successful marketing communications plan and should not be taken lightly. If you've started planning or are nearly complete, excellent. If not, you're a bit behind on things so it's time to get going.
A great post talking specifically about GM and their branding (or lack thereof). Take a look and then give your own company a second look. How are you positioning your branding?
If GM Has a Brand, It's General Misery
Just took a trip from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Portland, Maine. Along the way, as you can imagine, just a few company identities. Trucks, busses, billboards, building signage, etc. I took notice on how inconsistent things really are out there. Truck trailers with different logo/messaging than the cab. Building signage that is hard to read. Billboards same thing - why do people cram so much information on them? I have 1.8 seconds to read it.
Also, took note of logos everywhere. Good logos, bad logos and logos that you just gotta say wtf? Take note next time you are out and about. What stands out to you? What doesn't? Why? Good messaging, bad messaging?
It's interesting.
Below is a link to a great summary of what branding is all about. Good for marketing, branding and communications personnel as well as all senior leadership. The trick is to first define your brand and then develop a plan to communicate it. And this is more than logos, ads and brochures, it's about communicating your brand through each and every customer touchpoint. This will re-inforce it as well as strengthen it over time. Branding is a long-term investment and results in sales won't be seen overnight. But keep with it. Develop a strong plan and stick to it. This marketing and branding thing really does works.
What You Need To Know About Branding
Great quote I ran across from Lester Wunderman.
"Advertising becomes a dialogue that becomes an invitation to a relationship."
So true. Advertising is the first step to any product-customer relationship. Through your advertising and throughout the relationship building process, Starbucks has some great principle's to keep in mind.
- Be Genuine - Customers aren't looking for best friends; they just want a positive connection and their needs to matter.
- Expectations and Service: Connect - Beyond the formulaic greeting is what customers look for.
- Discover - Seek to understand the customer's needs and your audience's situations and challenges. How then can you help them alleviate the pain?
- Respond - Don't just act like customer's needs are important, act on them. And do so in a genuine fashion.
Take these into account, and interject your brand through this entire process. Your brand is your foundation for all communications and touchpoints to your customers.
Recently, I ran across a great article that really outlines the insight into customers, how they take in information and how to tailor your campaigns towards them. In addition, the author's (Jane Paolucci) listing of "Create a Compelling Experience", must also include this experience being driven throughout the life of the campaign through generating conversations and keeping influencers engaged, but also a means to hold the customer's attention, build additional dialogs and continue to assist "virally" in getting the word out. Looking at every possible customer touchpoint can help with enhancing this experience. Interjecting the company or product brand should also be included to continue to strengthen the experience and brand.
Article link: http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/consumer%20strategies-social%20media-10-steps-to-capture-the-cool-crowd-_20099.html