Posts Tagged ‘raleigh advertising agencies’
Wednesday, September 15th, 2010
One of our recent SnoopBlog posts begins: It’s hard to tell exactly how many air miles Anoroc has clocked over the past several months. We’ve been jetting around the sunny West Coast to Bean Town and onward to the Cape. We’ve learned to travel light, light with suitcases but relentless packed with landscape altering ideas.
We’ve been fortunate to be invited into several organizations; all of who are working in one way or another toward the common good. I am constantly moved by my clients. I am not sure how rare it is for an advertising agency/branding company to say that. But at Anoroc we know how good that feels. Recently two of our clients shared their journeys to Africa with us. One just back, one leaving in two weeks. Another has been emailing from Columbia and Haiti.
This morning at our Wednesday Round Chair Meeting, after the current projects were discussed, time tables reviewed, deadlines set. After Cindy share outcomes of her recent trip, the studio share concepting on a new brand, and we laughed at someone’s story about going to the wrong room in the hotel they were staying at, we talked about how much we loved what we do. We do that a lot here.
I think it is a combination of a couple of things. One we simply have a blast working together. We have an amazing team at Anoroc. It is also the nature of our business, one that takes us from intense focused strategy to sheer boundless creative. But at the end of the day it comes down to our clients. Our clients have a rare combination of vision. They welcome us really pushing ideas. They harbor the ability to think beyond what has been done before. They combine almost a renegade out look with keen business sense. And they care about the world outside their boardroom. They devote time and energy to proactively trying to change things for the better. For us, it’s the icing on an already quite luscious cake.
Tags: Anoroc, anoroc agency, anoroc health, raleigh advertising agencies, Raleigh design firms, raleigh social media
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Saturday, August 14th, 2010
We are in the midst of creating a brand reinvention for a client. As you know, there are almost endless hours of research involved. This particular client occupies a very emotional healthcare segment. Amongst them and their competitors services are close to being the same, mainly that is due to regulations. So the brand strategy becomes somewhat more intense because we’re fighting to differentiate. But that’s great, we like to fight hard, at Anoroc. But beginning this project with the goal to build a brand essence that allows my client to ‘own’ a compelling belief, must start with an in depth clarity about the intended target.
Though my client has several mid-size competitors they also face growing competition from national companies (one that recently sold for several billion dollars). During the competitive analysis I expected to see pretty great branding from these ‘big boys’. But what began with an expectation to see great work, incredible consumer engagement strategies, in-tune social influence marketing, emotional branding, ended with me banging my head on my desk and moaning. OK, so I am sounding a little mean here, but it was that bad.
They forgot to listen to Bill. “You can say the right thing about a product and nobody will listen. You’ve got to say it in such a way that people will feel it in their gut. Because if they don’t feel it, nothing will happen,” William Bernbach. The websites, collateral, every brand touch point was completely void of any indication these national companies had any understanding of who they were speaking to, what their best prospects believe, or how to motivate engagement.
Copy was written as if the reader was a test subject. For instance, an article on how to cope with the passing of our loved one during the holidays called the reader “the bereaved person”. Brand imagery focused on the ‘service’ rather than outcome. Think of an oil change ad where the gloved mechanic is smiling over the open hood of the car. Now put him in a nurse’s uniform add harsh lighting, and throw his arm around grandpa who looks like he just ate road kill. Get the picture. And I’m not exaggerating. Believe me, Forrest would run.
What do we buy as healthcare consumers? We don’t buy the oil change. We buy the car speeding down the open road, in tune, running well and on it’s way to Willoughby.
Tags: anorac, Anoroc, healthcare and social media, hospice and social media, hospice marketing, raleigh advertising agencies, raleigh marketing agencies, raleigh social media, raleigh social media agencies
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Thursday, August 12th, 2010
Depending of course on numerous client dynamics, we often, very often choose emotional branding over conventional branding when creating or re-inventing brands. I just personally believe in the power of storytelling to inspire and captivate. My opinion is not solely based on the fact that I am an admitted sap. It’s also based on close to two decades of calculating ROI ‘til my hair hurts. We’ve seen how impactful story telling has increased our client’s market share by 300%. In any book that is a home run. And we’ve hit those balls out of the park most of the time. Emotional branding’s strategic objective is to forge unshakable and meaningful bonds with consumers. Through these bonds brands become a significant part of a consumer’s life story, aspirations, self view and an important link in their social network. Do you know anyone who owns a Harley?
What I recently found interesting is the history of emotional branding and how to a very real degree a history that is repeating itself. Though the term “emotional branding” officially arrived in the 1990s, it has its roots in public relations campaigns of decades ago. Who can forget Edward L. Bernays’ 1923 Torches of Freedom march.
In the 1920’s, working for the American Tobacco Company, Bernays sent a group of young models to march in the New York City parade. He then told the press that a group of women’s rights marchers would light “Torches of Freedom”. On his signal, the models lit Lucky Strike cigarettes in front of the eager photographers. The New York Times (1 April 1929) printed: “Group of Girls Puff at Cigarettes as a Gesture of ‘Freedom’”. This helped to break the taboo against women smoking in public. Bernays actually sponsored my application into PRSA. That was a great day.
Jump forward to the 1930’s and the Great Depression. Job loss, savings loss, bankruptcy and displacement made citizens feel that corporations could not be trusted, were greed driven and needed supervision – sound familiar? Almost overnight they needed to find ways to regain trust and bring consumers back. Companies like Standard Oil (now Exxon) hired PR strategists to help them reposition themselves as “identifying with the average American vs Wall Street”. Standard Oil continued their foray into emotional branding when they hired Roy Stryker to work on their public relations documentary project from 1943 to 1950. In selecting photographers for the project Stryker looked for those who possessed an “insatiable curiosity, the kind that can get to the core of an assignment, the kind that can comprehend what a truck driver, or a farmer, or a driller or a housewife thinks and feels and translate those thoughts and feelings into pictures that can be similarly comprehended by anyone.” Emotional branding at its best.
Jump to today. Once again companies are shuffling to gain trust and position themselves as ‘one of us’. Here’s one of my favorite examples – Chrysler Group’s campaign for the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee (http://www.jeep.com/en/2011/grand_cherokee/sitelet/). The ad focuses on the spirit and craftsmanship that once made the United States the country it was. The campaign, created by the advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy, also introduces a new tagline for the brand—“The things we make, make us.” How’s that for generating warm feelings of community? It even has cowboys for God’s sake.
I am going to end now as I need to go to Lowes so we can build something together. Think I’ll take the Audi instead of the BMW cause I prefer winning to loosing.
Tags: Anoroc, anoroc agency, branding agencies, emotional branding, Greart Depression, Public Relations, raleigh advertising agencies, Raleigh design firms, raleigh social media, The History of branding
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Thursday, May 6th, 2010
Just finished reading a great article by Tim Bradshaw of Financial Times, Who Wants To Friend A Brand (http://bit.ly/8YxE5V). In his article he points out how social media has fundamentally transformed marketing from a monologue to a dialogue. If you’ve read many of my blogs you’ll know this is what Anoroc refers to as moving away from ‘Sham Wowing’ and onto real communication.
I love what he says here: “When first faced with the prospect of marketing on social networks, many people ask a reasonable question: how many people want to be friends with a brand? The answer – surprisingly, perhaps – is: millions do, on a daily basis.”
And as experienced brand managers at Anoroc we know this is true.
Much of our brand research begins with focus groups that ask: “How do you want this brand/company to communicate with you?” And unsurprisingly enough we hear social media as a chosen platform most every time.
Bradshaw points out that more than 10m people each day become a “fan” of a brand on Facebook. The world’s largest social network – with well in excess of 400m members globally – plays host to more than 1.4m branded fan pages on Facebook. BrandZ Top 100 brands such as Coca-Cola and Starbucks, along with other smaller brands outside the Top 100 such as Adidas (brand value or BV of $3.3bn in the latest MBO list), have each “befriended” millions of people.
“A lot of our best brand builders are also some of the best companies using social media,” says Joanna Seddon, chief executive of Millward Brown Optimor, which compiles the BrandZ ranking. “A lot of the leadership in social media is really centered in the top 100 brands.”
When Anoroc reviews ROI studies from our campaigns we’ve learned that Bradshaw is speaking Gospel here: “Social media has matured rapidly in recent years. Sites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter offer scale and reach to rival Google – still the most dominant single site for online advertising – and many television channels. The best advertisers use social media alongside these traditional channels for a combination of brand-building, direct sales, customer service and PR. The worst simply ignore them, blissful only until they realise the complaints and accusations that disgruntled customers are telling other would-be consumers.”
“Social media have given consumers a voice to respond, as well as hundreds of channels through which to do so,” says Debbie Klein, joint chief executive of Engine, a UK-based agency group. “These websites have fundamentally transformed marketing from a monologue to a dialogue. Brands cannot hide.”
And brands that hide, may never be found.
Tags: Financial Times, hospice and social media, NC advertising agencies, raleigh advertising agencies, Raleigh advertising companies, raleigh design, Raleigh design firms, raleigh social media, raleigh social media agencies, raleigh social media companies
Posted in Anoroc, Brand Value, Customer Loyalty, Decision Cycle, Marketing, Purchase Intent, SEO, Social Media Influence, Social Networking | View Comments
Friday, April 16th, 2010
Just finished reading these two Special Reports via iHealthBeat (http://bit.ly/bKqv2S) on consumers increasingly turning to social media for healthcare information. Reports claim social media’s influence on consumer healthcare behavior is outpacing traditional channels.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Consumers Increasingly Turning to Internet, Social Media for Health Care Information
Recent studies have found that consumers increasingly are turning to the Internet for health information.
In addition to health care Web sites, such as WebMD, consumers are turning to user-generated health content, such as physician and hospital rankings, blogs and chat groups.
While the Internet’s influence on consumers’ health care decisions is outpacing traditional channels, such as television, radio and print media, physicians still are the biggest influence on consumer health behavior, according to Monique Levy, senior director of research at Manhattan Research.
Google and Microsoft’s Bing recently refined their search engines to provide consumers with more credible and relevant information. (Kim, iHealthBeat, 4/15).
Friday, April 09, 2010
VA Taps Social Media Tools To Promote Health Benefits, Other Services
The Department of Veterans Affairs is turning to social media tools to improve communication with veterans and help them access health care and other benefits, the Washington Post reports.
Brandon Friedman — who previously served in the Army in Afghanistan and Iraq — is leading the department’s push to establish a presence on Web sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Friedman said veterans are interested in “a two-way conversation” with VA and platforms that allow them to offer feedback on the department’s services. He said that he has facilitated discussions on the agency’s Facebook page and that the department will launch a blog by the year’s end.
Friedman added that VA aims to promote transparency in its social media platforms to align with the Obama administration’s “open government” initiative (Erickson, Washington Post, 4/9).
Tags: healthcare social media, hospice and social media, hospice marketing, raleigh advertising agencies, Raleigh design firms, raleigh social media agencies, Social Media Influence
Posted in Decision Cycle, Healthcare, Purchase Intent, Social Media Influence, Social Networking | View Comments
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
Again I am up on my soapbox. I know no one is surprised. Forgive me in advance. But I just read a blog post by a company who claims to be ‘experts’ in social media. The post was reviewing a Web site with what they claim is “an impressive amount of social media integration and with social media connectivity built into every page.” The site they were touting had the ‘now usual’ links to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the compulsory blog. Sorry – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and simply having a blog does not qualify as an impressive amount of social media interaction. Especially when these tools are one-way conversations mainly about the company, mainly a sales pitch, and void of strategy to meet end user’s needs, wants, desires, or concerns. In fact, it is difficult to tell whom the site is speaking to. This is not interaction. Let’s look deeper: the company’s Facebook page is full of typos, Discussions (tab) has no discussions but spends the real estate telling you how great the company is. There is no link to resources, no interaction and the posts are mostly again about the company. In addition, page set up is one Facebook offers for stores, not for brands or service providers. Their Twitter page attempts to give advice but there are no links for more in depth information and the posts are condescending. Nor does it ask: What are you concerned about? How can we help you? The Tweets are directed as one way communication. Blog topics are not centered around providing useful information and the blog is faceless offering no level of affinity between author and reader, who is writing this? Not to mention poor site design, unbalanced page layout, poor typography for the target, confusing copy, grammar and spelling mistakes… What put me up on the soapbox is not so much these common missteps in social media (companies sometimes are simply doing the best they can with limited resources, time and budgets). What made this SBM (soapbox moment) is a ‘social media’ company blogging the world that this is how it should be done while trying to sell you a one size fits all social media package for $2999.99
So world, let me tell you about a company who is doing it right. And it did not come in a shiny branded online community $2999.99 package but most assuredly was developed from strategy, end user research and knowledge. Check out Caregiver’s Corner, San Diego Hospice blog (http://sandiegocaregiversblog.com/). This is a lovely example of a resource strategy. The design is clean, the end user is directed immediately where to go by their self interest/need. The posts are personal and informative. The end of each post carries a short description of its author. Note the Twitter feed on the bottom right. Though some Tweets are about their organization (and a limited number should be) many lead the reader to more in depth info. They share useful information from other hospices, communicate with followers, and seek input on topics (what do you think about this). This is interaction.
Their Facebook page is equally well done. Here’s how they describe the page: We made this page to connect with all the families who have been a part of San Diego Hospice, to honor the people who support us & to talk with anyone who wants to know more about what we have to offer. And they’re right. Boxes house a long list of Useful Resources from caregiver resources, legal advice to networking opportunities. The posts are interactive and contain droves of useful information.
It took many words to get to my point but I am finally there. Impressive social media is not about the tools you have but how you use them. If you are in a service industry that provides healthcare, eldercare or personal care services your social media strategy should be focused on being a true resource, connecting with the gatekeeper, building affinity and establishing trust. Forget about ‘selling’ your services and instead start with these simple words: “If I was my target what would I want.” And if some vendor wants to sell you a package complete with a ‘strategy session’ – RUN FORREST RUN!
Tags: Anoroc, anoroc agency, eldercare providers and social media, healthcare and social media, healthcare social media, Hospice, hospice and social media, hospice marketing, hospice social media, raleigh advertising agencies, Raleigh design firms, raleigh social media, raleigh social media agencies, San Diego Hospice
Posted in Anoroc, Brand Value, Customer Loyalty, Healthcare, Hospice, Marketing, Purchase Intent, Social Media Influence, Social Networking | View Comments
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
I just read a piece on ‘Why Positioning Fails’ that I basically agree with. But it fell a bit short. As I read it I was coining a piece along similar lines about internal communications. And I thought about it just a bit, and decided that my piece was right… and so was theirs, but not all companies can be as ours. Our brand, and many we serve, are about one simple thing. The truth.
And by that I mean your external positioning must be the truth. If you’re the good guys – then be the good guys. Be good to your customers and your own people. If you’re supposed to be about equality and partnership – then practice it with your people and your vendors. If your brand is about compassion – then be compassionate to your clients and your employees.
While the ‘Why Positioning Fails’ piece urged you to take a few basic steps regarding positioning that are certainly not incorrect – Involve staff in process, Give your team direction, Promote the positioning internally, Help your team become evangelists for your firm – I submit, that there is an easier way. And hence, I present my take.
‘How Internal Positioning Works – considerations for internal communications.’ We’ve positioned numerous companies – externally – but only you can position your company internally. And if you don’t, it won’t take long for the truth to come out.
Involve your staff in the process: That’s not good enough. Make it known throughout your entire company what is important about what your company does… what is the end result? This needs to be a ‘why do we come to work at all’ level, a basic understanding of standards and principles. We can all earn a paycheck doing a variety of other things. Why do we choose to do it this way?
Give your team direction: That’s not really adequate either. All of our roles combine to generate whatever you’ve directed your company to generate. Is that something as good as the next? Something passable? Or are you in pursuit of excellence? Those are not funny questions by the way. Some companies strive to be the cheapest – some to maintain a short term profit and quit –some strive to be the best. Decide which it is, I have a hard time with not reaching to be the best. I’m striving for a level of personal satisfaction, and I believe every one of us knows when we achieve a bar that makes us proud.
Promote the positioning internally: You might do this by accident, and if you don’t do it at all you need to close up shop right now. Encourage and support passionate work. Tell someone they did a great job – say THANK YOU – point out why their bar of excellence made a difference. (I remember the first time I called a particular designer and mentioned the project they had just mounted for presentation – I could feel her tense up on the other end expecting a problem. I told her that I was proud to be able to present work of that level at our meeting – thank you. She didn’t know how to respond – no one had ever treated her decently in the workplace before.)
Help your team become evangelists for your firm: This step is not necessary if your company has heart and you’ve accomplished the previous three steps. And if it doesn’t have heart it’s an enormous challenge to fake it.
So the moral of the story is you have to care and have heart if you expect your company’s “truth” to support positive external positioning.
Tags: anorac, Anoroc, anoroc agency, engagement marketing, raleigh advertising agencies, raleigh marketing agencies, raleigh social marketing, raleigh social media agencies
Posted in Anoroc, Brand Value, Customer Loyalty, Decision Cycle, Marketing, Purchase Intent, Social Media Influence | View Comments
Monday, February 8th, 2010
It was a high-five kinda week last week. We had two refreshing meetings, both with new clients. They’re the kind of clients we know will make great partners. The kind of clients that make our job easier.
We begin a lot of relationships at Anoroc with this sentence: “You’re not paying us to tell you what you want to hear.” We mean no disrespect. We simply mean to build a brand that has a chance, you got to get out of your own head. So when clients do this naturally (this is a tough one for many) when our relationship is only a nanosecond old, it’s exciting in our world.
Marketing Soap Box Moment (MSBM): After 20 years in branding, I can quickly narrow down failure to one major cause (obviously they’re others, but this is a big one): assuming others will behave the way you do. Don’t do it, not ever. You are not your customer. I grant you that you may be right when you tell us you know more about your product than any customer could possibly know. Or that you have strong opinions about what you think your customers should do, or want. But if that’s how you develop your marketing strategy, then you have a strategy based on what customers should do instead of what they actually do. And that’s a strategy that will fail.
So back to our refreshing meetings. Here is what ranked the first high-five:
Client: “So we had our logo for a while.”
Us: “Great, what do you think about it.”
Client: “Well I like it, but that’s not what matters. I want to know what you think, how it works in the market. Same with everything else, I’m not paying you to be nice, tell us how it really is, can you do that?”
And the second high-five:
Us: “So we tested your site and people seemed a little confused as to what you were asking them to do. They did’nt really understand the action that needed to happen.”
Client: “Wow, that’s incredible. It makes sense to us, but we’re too close to it and we’re not the client. So we’re ready to re-think all of it, to any degree your research determines.”
Yep, we’re a little expressive. So if you seen any of the Anoroc team running around high-fiving you can bet your Play Doh, a ‘brand’ is about to happen.
Tags: anaroc, anarok, anoroc agency, branding, branding agencies, north carolina social media agencies, raleigh advertising agencies, raleigh marketing, raleigh social marketing companies, raleigh social media, social marketing, social marketing companies, social media
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Friday, January 8th, 2010
In iWorld, there are apps, and there are apps. You can find an app for nearly everything for your iPhone. Literally. We have seen apps that are totally functional–from balancing checkbooks, to keeping to-do lists, to diabetes monitoring. As well we have seen apps that serve no purpose whatsoever—from an app that turns your iPhone into a virtual light saber, to virtual beer, to a virtual abacus.
It makes one think that for all the brilliant apps that developers have come up with, some of them may have just a little too much time on their hands. So without further ado……..
APPS THAT MAKE US WONDER……….
SmackTalk alters the users voice in such a way that you can get high-pitched squeaky voices from your baritone-voiced Uncle Vinnie, as well as low-pitched freaky voices from your five year old. I tried it with my five year old, and now he is hooked on what he will sound like when “mede are a big man”. Too cute. SmackTalk works in real-time and in every language.
Here is an interesting one: Mugshots. Impress your friends with an app that creates an instant mugshot, thereby upping your ‘street cred’ in an instant! This app uses an image that you take with your phone, scales it, flips and rotates, if necessary, and then uses ingenious color un-correction, and adds a black eye or busted lip. Voila! You’re a criminal!
DirtyMouth offers a collection of dirty phrases and can even translate from one language to another. But really? How much profanity can you really use in other languages?
Ever heard of cow-tipping? Well, Cow Toss takes it a step further. You guessed it! You get to virtually drag and toss a cow. Now maybe it’s just me, but this is the ultimate in wasted time, unless you actually live somewhere where you spend your time cow-tipping.
Finally, the mother of all time-wasting, brain-melting, you-have-way-too-much-time-on-your-hands apps: Zombie Survival Guide. Apparently, top scientists have predicted a zombie onslaught in the near very near future, and this app will help you ward off these vile creatures. The app offers tips on gathering supplies, preparing travel kits, life-saving combat skill, and a whole plethora of other skills you will need to save your life.
Seriously??
Tags: apps, iPhone, iPhone apps, north carolina social media agencies, raleigh, raleigh advertising agencies, raleigh marketing agencies, raleigh social marketing, raleigh social marketing companies, raleigh social media, raleigh social media agencies, Triangle Social Media, Triangle Social Media companies
Posted in Anoroc, Application Development | View Comments
