A “BRAND” NEW YEARWelcome to 2018.

So 2018 … A “Brand” New Year - Coming off a steady year of growth for much of the region you might think “SAFE”, my company’s brand is just fine… But for those of you that have been in business for more than 10 years I challenge you to take a broader look:

• How does your business stack up against your competitors?• How do your clients feel about your service and/or product?• Is your company culture inspiring?• Does your brand reflect your company’s vision? • Is your messaging current, selective, and focused?• How efficient is your brand?

If these questions give you pause, it might be a sign that with a new year should emerge a better brand.

Regardless of the medium, consistent collateral material has been, and always will be, an important element in building brand recognition and securing a firms position in the market place. On average, it takes 3 to 5 impressions for your brand message to resonate with a potential client. If your brand (mark, color, font, design style, messaging, and yes, culture) is NOT consistently and strategically developed it will take more time (and money) to leave a lasting impression. Making a good first impression is KEY, making a lasting one is KING… But doing this quickly is MONEY.

As an X-gen’er, I find myself in a unique position to help companies that have been historically successful yet are struggling to keep pace in today’s market. My mission is to creatively bridge the technology gap between these companies and their younger, leaner competitors — I call this Bridge-Branding and this is the why:

Over the past decade our business landscape has shifted dramatically as a result of new media’s ease of use and the instant connectivity it provides. With over half of the buyers’ journey now realized over online channels and an overwhelming number of top executives being influenced by social media on an everyday basis, it is the ‘who’ that provides the ‘aha moment’ not the ‘what’. With some of our top grossing companies now either owned or operated by executives under the tender age of 35, it is no wonder that these new decision makers are at the forefront of these staggering statistics. Knowing the ‘who’ (today’s decision makers), makes it easy to understand the ‘what’ (new and online media), and in turn, take action on the ‘why’ (it’s how we communicate)… Online marketing is no longer a good idea, its use is real and rising, and something you must do in order to keep up with today’s Joneses.

On-trend companies have multi-faceted standardization initiatives in place that maximize visibility, very often without the need to increase impressions (they have made a shift in the marketing tools used, not necessarily a shift in budget). What these companies are creating are sophisticated brands that invite a warm market. They are meeting the buyer on the buyer’s turf and engaging before the sales cycle even begins, holding their hand the whole way through. By incorporating new media channels within their overall brand strategy they allow for faster connections that foster better knowledge and perception of their brand messaging (service or product).

TAKE AWAY: In 2018 your competitors are employing sophisticated brand strategies. They are leveraging the power of online marketing in combination with traditional media to make one-on-one connections, earlier and often. They are doing a good job telling their story and an even better job in delivering it to their clients at the right time. So back to the questions:• How does your business stack up against your competitors?• How do your clients feel about your service and/or product?• Is your company culture inspiring?• Does your brand reflect your company’s vision? • Is your messaging current, selective, and focused?• How efficient is your brand?

Steps to bring your brand back online:

• DIFFERENTIATE YOURSELF —Gutsy and consistent branding, NOT me-too marketing. Tell your story. • INCREASE YOUR VISIBILITY —strategically expand your presence over online and traditional channels. • GO WHERE YOUR BUYERS GO —Join them: Who…, What…, Why… are they talking, looking, buying

Odd Graphic Company’s expertise lie in creating corporate identity systems for companies that have a need to skew, refine, and/or grow their brand and marketing efforts. By partnering with our Clients we help bridge print collateral, websites, and social media outlets to create impactful brands, identify strategic touch points, and integrate present-day delivery systems. Our concentration is to create branding programs that add Value. Our goal is to make a lasting impression.

Written by: Shannon Creamer-Franke. I am the owner and Agency Creative Director of Odd Graphic Company. For 26 years we have been helping businesses like yours, build, prop-up, resurrect, and grow by developing strategic branding programs and impactful creative.

Statistical Sources:

http://www.themarketingblender.com/statistics-every-b2b-company-know-boost-sales/

https://group.bnpparibas/en/news/bnp-paribas-global-entrepreneurs-report-2016