How to Choose an Agency -Part 2

Another way to choose a design agency is to be intrigued by their design. Honestly, do you like the designs the agency is creating? Do they all look alike or do they look as though their specific to the industry to which the client is a part?

HINT If all the logos the firm generates look the same, this should tell you they're not 'into' your business plan.

My mother once told me, "Be careful where you shop for clothes; you don't want to see yourself coming and going."

This goes for agencies, too.

I've seen too many companies with the same logo and now, after seeing this particular design firm's stuff promoted in industry magazine time and again, I don't have to wonder who designing these identities. Frankly, that is a disgrace. This also alludes to the fact that they don't give a damn about your individuality.

As Andrew and I look for licensing partners for our illustrations and designs, we're told that we should be thinking about the partnership as a marriage: adding a second spouse, so to speak.

Design Thought Strategy
Have you had a long discussion about your company's mission with your design/marketing firm? How about your position? How are you to count on their expertise when it comes to your business when most of what you see in their portfolio is 'the same?'

Forming Partnerships Should Be Long Lasting
If you're feeling like your future design/marketing firm doesn't really know you -like a spouse- then it's probably time to look elsewhere.

To dally with an extramarital affair only hurts your business. Cutting your relationship clean will allow both parties to close their accounting books and look forward with a fresh perspective.

How to Choose an Agency -Part 1

I'm befuddled. As your design firm, I've unearthed that there are agencies whose focus is all but focused. I've just discovered one company with whom I've been in discussion has decided to go with another firm for their Web site redesign. All's fair in love and business, right?

Not necessarily.

How do you choose an agency for design expertise?
Primarily, make sure you can hold a conversation, a meaningful conversation about your business. After all, a Web site is an extension of your advertising avenue, thus, a strategic part of your business.

When you begin your search for that 'oh so perfect design/marketing firm,' do yourself a favor and actually go through their entire Web site. Yes, entirely.

Why? Well, I've just discovered that the agency the company decided to partner with sells American Girl dolls on their site. Puh-leeze. This says volumes about where their focus is -and isn't. Selling one's household goods belongs on a secondary site, or eBay, not on the site where one sells services to convince others they're professional.

Design Thought Strategy
Before you call on this agency for design/marketing work, do your homework; you may have just saved yourself thousands of dollars.

SAVANTMantra You always get what you pay for. Always.

Sometimes You Have To Break the Rules

People who know me know I'm a huge fan of Formula 1 auto racing. It's the most exciting, technically advanced and challenging racing anywhere in the world. Leading teams spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year just to try and win one of the 19 races that are run around the world from March through October and sponsors use races as a major way of wooing customers. Arguably, Formula 1 has one of the most widely known brands in the world.

Which is why the United States Grand Prix run last weekend (06/19) was such a stunning example of how to damage a global brand. Due to a problem with tires supplied to seven of the teams they all pulled out of the race at the last minute. The fans had no idea that this was even a possibility. As a result the six cars running on Bridgestone tires ran the race, but it was essentially a joke and may have done irreparable damage to the F1 brand in the United States and probably elsewhere in the world as well.

How did this happen? After two of the cars from the Toyota team had accidents in Friday's practice due to tire failure, Michelin, the supplier of tires to seven of the ten F1 teams said it could not guarantee that anyone else’s tires were safe to race at the track. The teams met to discuss a compromise that would allow the race to take place but at a slower pace, for no points or for the possibility of taking a penalty for changing tires mid race (F1 cars are not normally allowed to change tires from qualifying through the end of the race).

All of these options would have required breaking long standing rules set forth by the FIA, motor racings governing body and the FIA said NO! This simple refusal to accept some form of compromise, to make an exception and break a few rules in the name of competition and safety has probably cost Formula 1 a significant amount of its brand equity and may kill the series all together. (there are a lot more nuances to this story, but that would probably require writing a book)

For months there have been rumblings that 7 or 8 of the teams in F1 are tired of dealing with the politics and financial stipulations of the FIA and F1 management and are threatening to start their own competing series to F1 in 2008, if not sooner. The fiasco at Indianapolis was just one more nail in the F1 coffin and may ultimately be the tipping point that leads to its demise.

If you ever want to see a great example of how to kill a global brand in a very short period of time (or even with a single event for that matter) you need look no further than Formula 1.

Just Because you Have A Logo Doesn't mean You Have A Brand

I read a story in the Wall Street Journal last week about a company that offers customers access to designers who will design them a logo for a comparitively minimal fee. For a little more money they'll even design stationery, business cards and some internal signage. Poof! Instant identity. It all sounds great, and I'm sure some of their customers get a relatively nice logo. BUT, a logo does not a brand make.

Remember that today your corporate imagery is generally only a small component of your overall brand presentation. Customer service, professionalism, product quality, clarity of message, delivery on your promises are all components that make up the definition of your brand in your customers mind. With the abundance of new technologies, communications tools and competition out there it is more important than ever for businesses of any size to understand the power of a holistic brand approach.

You may be able to get a corporate identity for a few hundred bucks, but don't expect that the company providing it is delivering anything close to a true brand.

One of the most frustrating situations I have ever faced was when executives at a company wanted to spend a fortune to promote their logo and in order to do it were willing to cut their training, product design, competitive intelligence and customer support programs. Afterall the logo was their brand and it was the most important thing for stakeholders (customers and investors) to be aware of. Needless to say it failed miserably. In the end customers were confronted by sales people who could not articulate the company mission, products that were sub-par for their industry and inconsistent customer service. The fact that the customers knew what the logo looked like was irrelevant to their actual brand experience.

Is your logo your brand or is your entire business your brand. Ask yourself this question then ask your customers. If the only thing distinguishing about you is your logo you have a lot of work to do.

Clarifying Options

To clarify your menu options on your Web site, take care to replace unneeded phrases like "click here" and "learn more" with specific trigger words that are hyperlinked.

Your Web site is a place and we understand the essence of what it means to surf through the Internet. One can jump from page to page via hyperlinks, watch movies by clicking, and more. Repeating these redundancies can, in effect, insult your customer. Keep in mind that your customer already knows what she wants when she enters your Web site, the key is to allow her to walk through the doors with efficiency and ease.

Wow! It's been a while

I didn't realize how long it's been since I've posted on the SAVANTblog, but it's all good. We've been very busy of late working with new clients, learning about new marketing opportunities and discovering the joys and pitfalls of the art licensing marketplace. In the process we have learned a few things that I think are great to pass along.

1.) Remember that every opportunity to get in front of clients and potential customers is a performance and how well you perform matters.

2.) Never underestimate the power of being different. Admittedly there are levels of difference, but done well it can be a very powerful way of announcing your presence or making a statement.

3.) There are a lot of very helpful people in the world, who want nothing more than to help you succeed. When you become one of them it is like a giant support group for your business and everyone benefits.

4.) New York is a GREAT city to explore and enjoy!

We'll do our best to elaborate on all of these in the coming weeks and months.

What’s the difference between a corporate culture and a work environment?

I was recently attending a Jackie Frieberg web seminar that focused on the aspects of culture that affect brand, namely employee engagement and leadership. As I listened to her presentation I considered several of the business environments I have been exposed to and asked one simple question: What’s the difference between a corporate culture and a work environment?

OK, maybe it’s not so simple. Corporate culture tends to be one of those things, like “brand,” for which everyone seems to have a different definition. My definition of corporate culture is still forming, but is essentially a combination of the interpersonal, business and work environments as they relate to a company’s stakeholders (employees, customers, shareholders, suppliers, etc.). A significant component of what makes a corporate culture strong is the level of emotional attachment it engenders in employees and customers.

A work environment is the combination of working conditions, benefits and compensation, co-workers and facilities within which an employee works. Generally there is little emotional attachment to a work environment when a strong culture is present.

So my question is: Is it possible for a corporate culture to lose its definition and still maintain a strong and healthful work environment? Unfortunately, from what I’ve seen, in some cases the answer is yes. Though this question only occurred to me recently, it wasn’t hard to start putting together some of the conditions under which this kind of thing can happen.

From what I’ve been able to gather, highly successful companies who have very nurturing environments, little or no direct competition over a long period (or who compete in an oligopoly where all are highly successful) and who have stagnant management structures are most susceptible. Other symptoms that I have seen include explosive growth; cultures built without significant business focus, highly fragmented organizational structures and weak senior leadership.

Some examples of this are companies such as IBM in the late 1980’s; most major airlines prior to September 11, 2001 and the US steel industry in the 1970’s. More recently, there are a number of technology companies that could probably be put in this category, though the long term effects have yet to significantly affect their bottom lines.

What is the difference between the two in business terms? A strong corporate culture drives the business. It motivates employees and assures customers. A strong culture can help a company successfully navigate rough periods and make breakthrough discoveries because everyone in the organization is aligned and focused on a common set of goals.

Often a company with a strong corporate culture also has a very positive and strong work environment.

A company that only has a work environment generally has employees whose motivations are personal and who focus on their own goals and activities to the exclusion of any broader company goals or objectives. Employees in a work environment tend to find motivation in their own income and the benefits they receive and try to avoid being noticed rather than taking initiative. This can be very destructive since the emphasis is off the success of the business and on the individuals within the organization.

Knowing where you stand on the health of your corporate culture can mean the difference between continued success and a long, slow decline that usually is difficult to find reason for. Often it takes years for the decline of a corporate culture to manifest itself in business results, but once it starts to show it can very rapidly accelerate.

Ask yourself: Does my company have a strong culture, has it devolved into simply a work environment, or is it somewhere in between? If the answer is one of the latter two the next question is: How do I fix it? I’ll cover that in the coming weeks and months.