Business First

Welcome to The In-Town Expert

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 by Marcia Stone

The Out-Of-Town Expert. When they swoop in on the latest flight from the big city, everyone seems to swoon in respect and a sense of wonder. But when you pull away the thin veneer of importance due to newness, outsideness, the elements of what is offered are often the same as what is available in our own back yard.

I'd like to coin a new phrase. The In-Town Expert. The person who has had all the experiences (and possibly more) as the Out-Of-Town Expert but chooses to live here, in this town. Do you know one?

My eye surgeon, Anthony Lombardo, went to M.I.T. and has practiced at Mayo and Johns Hopkins. He chooses to practice in Indianapolis. My friend, Bruce Hetrick, recipient of numerous awards and a PRSA Fellow, worked on the East coast and has connections to all the national media sources. He chooses to practice public relations right here.

With a J.D. from Boston University, an LL.M. degree from Columbia and his M.St. from Oxford, Eric Dannemaier is an Associate Professor of Law and Dean's Fellow right here at the Indiana University School of Law. No slouch, Eric served as Legal Advisor for the Environment and Director of the Environmental Law Program of the US Agency for International Development in Washington during the Clinton administration. Yet he teaches here in Indianapolis.

Do you know an In-Town Expert worthy of recognition? As a Brand Strategy and Business Marketing firm here in Indiana, we are proud to be In-Town Experts. We sometimes find ourselves being called out of town, too. But being appreciated for our expertise by others who are In-Town Experts in their fields feels pretty good.

Rain = Going Inward

Monday, November 14, 2011 by Marcia Stone

THIS ENTRY WAS WRITTEN BY GUEST BLOGGER REBECCA GLEASON, an Element Three design intern and student at Herron School of Art and Design

It was only about forty degrees and raining this morning as I left my apartment. I could tell it would be chilly when I had to turn my heat on for the first time in months last night. I’m not quite ready for the cold weather, but I do enjoy a nice rainy day. I remember growing up in the forest at the foothills of the Cascades, listening to the rain dropping from limb to limb of the giant pines surrounding our house for miles. It sounds a bit different out here, but the feeling remains the same. It’s a feeling of reflection and a cozy sort of excitement.

Growing up, my mom would often create indoor games and activities to keep us busy. We would build wire trees with stone leaves, draw one another, and make apple fritters while the rain came down. I really enjoyed designing workbooks for some reason, so I would create a big book of learning activities and have my younger sisters complete them. There would often be classical music or an Al Stewart album playing softly in the background. Some of my fondest memories of growing up come from days like these, where calm creativity is fostered and personal growth is experienced in a more reflective sense.

In my adult life, it is important to me to take days like today to go inward - not to necessarily reflect on big things, but to appreciate the calm moments and the feeling of timelessness that comes with it. In a hectic world, this is one of the best ways to prevent stress. Hopefully everyone has a rainy day feeling they can come back to and experience, even if it’s not necessarily on a rainy day.

The Magic of Magical Thinking

Thursday, November 10, 2011 by Marcia Stone

Yes, this is another blog entry about the passing of Steve Jobs. He lived an amazing life. He built an incredible brand. But more than that, he changed how we live (those of us who are lucky enough to obtain and have access to iPads, iPods, iPhones, iBooks, etc.)

He accomplished so much because he believed in his gut that there were simpler, more human-centered solutions to everyday needs that could be addressed through technology. He wasn't always kind. In fact, according to media sources, he was often quite difficult to be around. But he did believe in his vision and because of this one thing, he made truly new things happen in the world.

I've heard this called Magical Thinking. On a smaller scale, we at Element Three help our clients access the Magical Thinking behind their brands. We have developed a unique process called Brand Chemistry to accomplish this. By going deep into the hearts and minds of those served by our clients' brands, we uncover the emotional and rational connections they feel to our clients' brands. This gives us the core information we need to create focused Magical Thinking for our clients. Directed by it, they can make clearer decisions and operationalize their brand, from brand identity development through strategic marketing planning to brand communication.

This kind of Magical Thinking isn't easy. And it doesn't always come as automatically as Steve Jobs' seemed to come to him. But with this process, magic happens. For Magical Thinking for your brand, contact Tiffany Sauder at tiffany@discoverelementthree.com or 317.879.9592.

Waze - The Power of Content

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 by Mark McCullough

Recently I have become more involved in my local driving community by offering content to a traffic & navigation app called Waze. Waze enhances the local commuting experience by providing a more purposeful use of a navigation device that otherwise might live in the glove-box until the next road trip or client meeting. The power of this navigation tool is the content generated by its users (Wazers). For example, when I’m ready to make my commute I use Waze to select a better route home avoiding potential traffic jams or the pitfall of a speed trap. This blog entry isn’t a review of the app itself but of the power of how a simple idea of empowering an everyday piece of technology with user generated content can create a rich “community-based product” which enhances user experience beyond any standalone product.

QR Codes - A Push for Authenticity

Friday, November 4, 2011 by Mark McCullough

Quick Response (QR) Codes are all the rage. I can’t dispute their novelty or potential. We see them on billboards, real-estate signs, ads, packaging, and any other surface we can apply them to. We see them so much that we don’t think twice when pointing our smart phones at them. We understand the power of their use but, can we put trust in their anonymity.

The problem with QR codes, in their current state is that they lack an “official” identity leaving only the inherent relationship to the object they’re attached to. The fact that the user needs to reveal the content from their generic form creates opportunities for a QR code to be tampered with. With reports of malicious cases already circling the web, it won’t take long for the trust we do have in them to begin to dilute. A few articles have been written on the subject and a full list of their risks can be found on wikipedia and various sources. Until this medium evolves both users and the organization embracing them should use them with caution.

Mind Games

Thursday, November 3, 2011 by Marcia Stone

THIS POST WAS WRITTEN BY GUEST BLOGGER REBECCA GLEASON, an Element Three design intern and Herron School of Art and Design student

I came across a book called Gamestorming a couple months ago and I absolutely had to have it. It provides a variety of group activities designed to break the ice, uncover hidden issues and generate heaps of ideas. Collaboration is powerful and so having access to tools and methods that are known to bring out the best in any collaborative effort is important to me. While many activities can be considered collaborative, it is the activities that get people out of their shells and inspire creative mind explosions that tend to be the most productive.

Gamestorming and other creative activity books offer a lot of great ideas that can be adapted to any collaborative effort. And, that’s the key here – adapting tried and true methods to your own unique situation for maximum creativity. I’ve found that in doing this; I have come up with entirely new activities. Perhaps someday I’ll write my own book!

Uniqueness is key

Wednesday, October 26, 2011 by Marcia Stone

Think of the 500 choices facing you in the cereal aisle. That’s just one example of brand proliferation. With commonly available technology and communications, real rational differences between products and services are becoming increasingly rare. With thousands of brand messages confronting your audience every day, you really can’t afford to be bland or expected if you want to be remembered or even heard. The safest thing to do is zig when others are zagging.

What’s involved in an email campaign?

Monday, October 24, 2011 by Ceverly Strand

Designing and preparing an email campaign can be daunting. It seems like it should be as easy as writing an email, but instead it’s this really complicated process. Here are a few best practices to keep in mind when developing an email campaign.

THE TEXT (COPY)

Why should I care? Figure out your message.
Keep it simple. That means taking your message and fine-tuning it so that your audience can scan it in under five seconds and understand what you’re trying to say. This is a lot harder than you think so be prepared to put your noodle to work. Remember: People scan emails first and read them second only after the scan has grabbed their interest.
You've got me interested. Make a subject line interesting. It’s what people see first after all.
What do I do next? Make sure you have a call to action, and hopefully it's not to end up in their junk folder.

THE DESIGN

Branding. Always make it consistent with your brand. Your audience should be able to quickly identify your brand. It builds credibility.
Structure. Use tables. These help your design look the way it’s supposed to look across different email programs. Without them, your email might just look a jumbled mess which makes it hard to scan quickly.
The Skinny on Width. Keep it narrow. Email programs don’t allow a lot of space in their preview windows so try to keep it around 600 pixels wide.
Images? What Images? Beware of using background images. These can be tricky. Some browsers just won’t show them at all and will make your emails look a bit wonky. You can get around this by including a background color when images aren’t used. Remember: Never save your text as images.
Ditch the Pizazz. Don’t include rich media such as videos or Flash. Most email programs will send your email directly to the spam folder which is never a good thing.
Hmm...I Wonder.... Always allow your audience to open your email in a browser. This helps make sure it can be seen how it was designed no matter how it looks in their email program.

TESTING THEN SENDING

Who Is This Anyway? Make sure your customer list has opted in to receiving emails from you and not just transaction emails such as confirmation emails. If people don’t know who you are or aren’t interested in your emails, they’ll send your email to the junk mail folder quicker than you can say fiddlesticks. In turn, their ISP will register this and mark your emails as spam.
Test. Finally, test…test…test. Then, test some more. Check your email in multiple email programs to see how it looks. After all, it’s the face of your company being represented. It’s never a good thing when it’s blank or missing a few pieces.

This may not be a completely comprehensive list of best practices, but it should get you started. Don’t let an email campaign get you nervous. It can provide great measurable results if you do it right. To learn more or for assistance on your next email campaign, call 317-879-9592 or email Joe@DiscoverElementThree.com.

Who is my target audience?

Friday, October 21, 2011 by Ceverly Strand

According to Dictionary.com, they are “the intended group for which something is performed or marketed; the specific group to which advertising is directed.” That may explain what it is, but it doesn’t necessarily explain who they are. Knowing the who is the magical ingredient needed for all good marketing communication, but it’s by no means easy. Let’s start with a few common assumptions that can seriously impact your brand communication.

Your target audience is not (necessarily) you. As hard as that may be to accept, the majority of times you are not your target audience. By seeing yourself as your audience, you’re really limiting your objectivity and most likely alienating the right audience.

Your target audience is not a stereotype. It’s easy to jump to stereotyping, but it’s limiting as well. It doesn’t allow for wiggle room and that can be dangerous especially when you’re dealing with people. After all, who wants to be defined so easily? People are constantly changing and growing. Plus, your messaging could be based solely on a bias and then misinterpreted. For more information on understanding audiences, read “Who is your audience?”.

Your target audience is not a demographic. There are great uses for demographics, but defining your target audience is not one of them. Using demographics to define your target audience removes all personality and individuality from a person and goes straight to the bare minimum. Just remember they are statistics not people.

By knowing who they are not, it’s a lot easier to start asking the right questions to find out who they really are. If your target audience is not you, maybe talking to your customers directly will give you a better perspective. Finding out how they spend their time outside of work, what their interests are, what makes them laugh, cry, etc. Basically, all the questions you’d want to know about a potential date. After all, isn’t that what marketing really is? You’re trying to woo your audience with all the great things you can offer and how they can benefit from them. However before you move on, you need to develop a relationship. Tiffany wrote a blog called “News Flash: It’s Not All About You” awhile back about how companies make their communications all about themselves. How boring would that be? Your date talking on and on about him/herself? It’s pretty much guaranteed that a second date would not be in the future. But, that’s what it’s like when you make your target audience you. You start alienating them which is not something most companies want to do.

Stereotyping is just bad practice. According to the Collins English Dictionary, it’s “a set of inaccurate, simplistic generalizations about a group that allows others to categorize them and treat them accordingly.” I’ll say that again…inaccurate, simplistic generalizations. That’s how you treat your audience when you stereotype. You’re reducing them to something less than a unique individual. There’s no relationship that can be built on that philosophy.

Your target audience is out there. You just have to start asking the right questions and throw out all your preconceived notions. Sometimes it’s easier to do when you have someone who can provide objectivity. So, if you’re looking for an outside firm to help you ask the right questions and find out if what you’re saying is the right thing your target audience wants to hear, email Tiffany@DiscoverElementThree.com! We love building relationships that foster better brand communication. It's what we do.

Consistency builds your brand

Thursday, October 20, 2011 by Marcia Stone

Chances are you’ll be tired of your brand, your look, and your messages long before your audience has even noticed it. Think of these household names: Coke, Nike, Starbucks, Levis. Over decades, through product changes, through different cultural revolutions, great brands don’t stray from their brand’s core personality or reason for being. They stay with the program. That’s how mega brands build up incredible equity while others struggle to maintain.

How important is your brand position?

Wednesday, October 19, 2011 by Tiffany Sauder

Element Three's Marketing Intern, Paige Sauder is my guest blogger for today. Paige is a Junior at Butler University studying Business and Marketing.

In my Intro to Marketing class, we have been learning about positioning.  I had never heard of the term before the class, and now I know it is possibly the most important aspect to a business.  I learned that everything a company does should support its position.

Now that I know this, I have been noticing how true it is in my daily life. When I am out driving and I want a diet coke, I go to McDonalds.  I do this because McDonalds is positioned in my mind as the best place to go for a diet coke, probably because they are $1.  When I am out driving and I want a sandwich, I go to Jimmy Johns, because it is ‘so fast you’ll freak’.  When I want to order a pizza, I order Hot Box, because that is what all college kids do.  The list goes on and on.

I now know that I think this way because of the way those companies are positioned in my mind. Some other companies fail because they do not support their position.

It is crazy how true it is!

Keep it simple, stupid!

Monday, October 17, 2011 by Marcia Stone

Think about how you watch TV commercials. How you flip through a magazine. How you read e-mails trying to sell you something. Are you intently concentrating, hoping to retain every detail? Probably not. That’s why focusing on one key benefit that’s relevant to your audience is so important. Don’t’ try to say everything. Only say one thing, and say it powerfully. Especially if you want to be noticed or remembered.

Breaking Bland

Friday, October 14, 2011 by Mark McCullough

Bells ring when a new brief comes in. Yet when you begin to read it those bells begin to drone into a daunting melody. The joy and anticipation this new brief is about to reveal dies before the last paragraph of what was suppose to be a single minded message.

Most commonly briefs can suffer in two ways. Lack of information or overload. The ambiguous brief suffering from lack of information, whether strategic or not, misses out on an opportunity to tell a story. It fails to paint a unique picture of an organization causing the brief to be a (insert organization here) brief. This kind of brief could be called “Copy and Paste” or just suffer from it. A bloated brief is an information wonderland. Pages of info with too little focus. This kind of brief leaves the gate open and will generate too many questions for the creative team. This type of brief needs to be filtered in order to be effective.

A good brief should be focused enough to capture something unique or reveal an insight yet broad enough to not constrain or hinder a creative solution. The brief doesn’t need to solve the problem it should inspire an answer. Briefs are not set in stone and a little push back from the receiving end can have a positive impact for everyone involved.

We're Hiring: Production/ Traffic Manager

Wednesday, October 12, 2011 by Tiffany Sauder

Interested in joining our fast-paced, growing company? We are actively seeking applicants for a Production Manager at our Indianapolis Strategic Marketing Firm, Element Three. Please submit resumes and cover letters to careers@discoverelementthree(dot)com.

Applicants should be detail oriented, comfortable managing competing priorities and directing work-flow. Applicants should be comfortable in situations where they are responsible, accountable and must engage a team of people to accomplish a common goal. Experience completing projects on-time and on-budget is a must. Experience in the agency environment is a plus, but not required.

Position Description

This position has the primary responsibility of ensuring projects are completed on-time and on-budget and that the resources at Element Three are properly utilized. Gaining support and buy-in from the team will be critical to the success of this role.

Support Operations (85%):

Manage daily production schedule and priorities
Lead weekly production meetings: Report on project status, compare actual project completion to plan.
Manage capacity planning, resource allocation, project priorities
Become a power-user of Workamajig
Work with production team to allocate work and define appropriate time for completion
Enforce policies and procedures implemented by management
Make recommendations for continued process improvement
Work with the Operations Director to analyze projects, find ways to streamline processes
Internal meeting scheduling and use of conference room
Support vendor management, effective utilization of vendors and key partners
Select event coordination
Office management: supplies, equipment, coordinate lunches, IT needs

Culture (15%):

Uphold a culture of collaboration, fun and excellence
Contribute to making it fun to work at Element Three
Capture best practices and industry examples to evolve operationally
Reward, motivate and recognize where appropriate

Please submit your resume and cover letter via email.

Tell the truth

Wednesday, October 12, 2011 by Marcia Stone

Sometimes, the truth is hard. But consumers are savvy enough to check out your story. Through the web or word of mouth. Think like Tylenol during the tampering scare. They pulled their product till they knew it was safe to go back to market. They warned consumers of danger. And they came out OK. So admit your mistakes. Offer to make them right. It’ll pay off in long-term brand equity.

Advertising Has Changed

Monday, October 10, 2011 by Marcia Stone

I just read Kendra Gaine's blog post," Advertising as we know it is DEAD." In the article, Gaines says that the reasons for advertising's death are that technology is changing and that all advertising is the same (funny). She says that she is tired of advertisers trying to humor her into buying. She says that 'Branding is the dagger.'

Kendra, you are right about some of the things you mentioned. But I don't believe that advertising is dead. But it's definitely changed.

I worked in ad agencies for 30+ years and no longer do I create many classic one-way communication ads. The web has changed things. Now, communication is two-way and advertisers must think of themselves as experience creators, not just message senders. Much of advertising uses dry humor to get attention and build rapport with the audience. But I'm guessing that Ms. Gaines is part of Gen Y. She doesn't respond well to classic advertising. In fact, this is something smart marketers know well. That's why they use social media, experiential marketing and other word of mouth brand communication that doesn't feel like advertising to reach her. However, her baby boomer mom is probably fine with more traditional advertising.

Do you know who your audience is? Do you know how they like to communicate with your brand and receive information? We are (yes, these are words we use) an Indianapolis ad agency and we can help you develop strategic marketing planning that is right for your audience, not for everyone. Contact Tiffany Sauder to learn more about how we do it. E-mail tiffany@discoverelementthree.com.

Partnering in the True Sense of the Word

Thursday, October 6, 2011 by Ceverly Strand

Element Three is a great midwest marketing partner because we really focus on the last of those three words. We believe in partnering with companies to create strategic marketing planning that involves listening to the concerns of our clients as well as their customer base and then developing strategies that help address those concerns. We don't just serve our clients because we're people pleasers. We work together to come up with really smart solutions that come out of really great times working in the trenches with our clients.

Partnering in the design and strategic process is always fun. (Of course there are some exceptions, but who's counting? Plus, it makes life at an Indianapolis ad agency more interesting right?) In the end, we all benefit from the relationship because we're helping each other create an amazingly powerful brand community. So, contact us to find out how we can partner with you to develop or even enhance your brand strategy.

Brand = Trust

Wednesday, October 5, 2011 by Tiffany Sauder

All companies; big, small, new and old have one. Some organizations have many while others have only one. Few companies have a version recognizable by the masses. Most of the time I am relatively unknown. I am Brand.

What is Brand? We talk about it as if it is a person. Brands have attributes, benefits, personalities, and values. Brands are visually recognizable yet they also have a ‘thump’ or a heart beat. At their core, Brands are a Claim of Distinction: that which is uniquely true about you and your organization.

It is important to spend special attention on the word “true” in the sentence above. Your organization’s Brand is not who you think you are, who you wish you were or who you want to be. It is what is true about you today.

As your audience interacts with Brand and the promise it makes as they come into contact with it throughout the sales and marketing process, they will look for evidence of that Claim. They will want proof of the Claim. If you are able to deliver on that Brand promise time and time again – you will gain trust with your audience. Gain trust, and you will have a customer for life.

Brand is not something we create out of thin air. It is something that already exists in the hearts and minds of your customers. Formal Brand development only helps provide parameters, focus and consistency. Deliberate planning of Brand will allow you to identify the elements you want to highlight.

To begin the process of thinking about the importance of Brand within your company, gather the key stakeholders and use these steps as a guide:

Step 1: Values

Identify your top 3 to 5 company values. Values are those enduring traits that guide the way you do business.

Step 2: Unique Selling Points

Identify 3 to 5 characteristics that make your company unique in comparison to your competition. These need to be areas that you own or take leadership in. You must provide proof points for your Unique Selling Point’s as these are not aspirations but facts.

Step 3: Brainstorm

Create a list of ways in which your company and/or your product helps customers. Think about a problem it solves or a difference it makes. Don’t think features or processes. Think deeper. Why does your product work for those who use it? Does it deliver its promise?

Step 4: Ask Questions

Contact your customers. Ask about their experiences with you - and your competition.

Step 5: Audit

Be sure your product honors its promise. Audit yourself. Honesty is key here.

The final step in the brand process takes you back to the beginning. Brand starts with understanding your company’s core values and then expresses them through your product, service and marketing message. When you take time to understand the power of your brand, you can clearly authenticate its message. Brand stays true to who you really are and what you truly and uniquely provide.

To learn more about our Indianapolis Ad Agency's brand development process and brand development case studies, visit our website.

The Truth Can Hurt. But It's The Truth

Tuesday, October 4, 2011 by Marcia Stone

When was the last time you let yourself hear the truth about what your customers think of your brand? When was the last time you dug down into the real reasons potential customers walked away and chose your competition?

It's always hard to hear the things that aren't working. At Element Three, we have developed a gentle way to hear the truth. We call it the Brand Chemistry Process. It begins with you. A team representing your internal departments gets together in a session in which we facilitate discussions to get to what you believe is true and unique about your brand. Then we'll facilitate a session with your customers (or non-customers) to uncover what's true for them (rationally and emotionally) about your brand. We'll have them experience your brand to help them remember their responses. Then we'll capture those responses and share them with you. As part of the Brand Chemistry Process, we'll also do a competitive and marketplace audit to add context to our findings. We'll present a complete set of materials to you outlining our findings, including operational tools like Audience Dossiers, a Message Matrix and a Brand Wheel. We'll even outline what your brand IS and what it ISN'T. This document creates the foundation for our creative team to develop words and imagery for your brand communications, if you choose.

Are you ready to learn the truth? Contact Joe Heimann at joe@discoverelementthree.com.

Production Designer - Job Opening

Monday, October 3, 2011 by Mark McCullough

Element Three is seeking out a Production Designer. If you or someone you know is interested please pass on the information below.

Thanks,
Mark McCullough

Position Title: Production Designer
Element Three is a marketing communications firm that specializes in brand development,
marketing strategy, and creative execution to measurably advance our clients' business
objectives. To learn more about our firm, visit www.DiscoverElementThree.com or http://
blog.discoverelementthree.com.

The Production Designer’s core responsibility is supporting client work by executing creative
deliverables. Candidates should be comfortable with layout and print production as well as small
scale HTML projects. Candidates should demonstrate strong design skills and have an eye for
detail. We are looking for an individual who takes an active role in a collaborative environment
by offering feedback and ideas on ongoing projects. We expect this person to take an active role
in keeping up with relevant new design production trends and practices. This position requires a
self motivated individual who is well organized and can manage workflows.

Qualifications & Specific Skills
• Bachelorʼs degree in graphic design or equivalent work experience.
• Innovative and creative layout and design skills.
• Strong typography skills.
• Expert ability in Adobe Illustrator and InDesign, along with intermediate ability in Photoshop.
• Knowledge of HTML and CSS.
• Good understanding of current web standards and best practices.
• Experience with pre-press and vendor file preparation.
• Intermediate knowledge of four-color printing processes, and print production.
• Strong oral and written communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to work in a collaborative environment.
• Superior attention to detail.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

How To Apply
Submissions will be accepted from September 30th – October 23rd.

Please send resumes and/or website with examples of work.
Applicants selected for an interview will be required to submit a portfolio.

Email: careers@discoverelementthree.com

Other Ways To Apply
SEND RESUME AND LETTER OF INTEREST TO:
Element Three
attn: Mark McCullough
3500 Depauw Blvd. Suite 3110