Business Communications Indianapolis

 A few months back I wrote a post Keep It Personal and the value of personalization and how it can improve the impact of electronic or direct mail marketing. In addition to creating stronger brand identity in the market, it brings life and emotion to your people and your brand message.

I encountered an example of how powerful personalization can be in my personal life this week.

I have sponsored a child through World Vision for about 8 years. When I was single and most of my money was discretionary, it made me feel good about myself that $30/ month was being sent to a small country in Africa to help a young boy named Omar get food, clean water and access to medical care.

I was literally talking to my husband a few weeks back questioning whether Omar was actually receiving the stuff I was sending him when I received this in the mail:



If you look closely, the picture in Omar's left hand is a Christmas picture of my husband and me about 3 years ago and the picture in his right hand is a picture of our family from last year.





This is a picture of the full piece I received from World Vision on Omar. The part on the left is a brief bio of what is going on in his life and the picture of him in the center holding the pictures of us.

This had such a profound impact on me. Never will I meet Omar face-to-face, but the fact that he knows what I look like, that he's kept pictures of me, my husband and daughter for years - made me realize how important my $30/mo was in his life. This experience made me feel like I had a relationship with Omar even though we will never communicate electronically or in person.

How can you bring your brand to life and make a human, emotional connection with your clients or prospects? I'm thinking about the same things for my business. 

I can tell you that it starts with being clear about your brand. Who you are and what you stand for. If you're looking for ways to clarify your brand or ideas on how to personalize your marketing tactics - visit Element Three's website to learn more.

 The New York Times Sunday Magazine this past week featured an article about the 20 somethings of today. It said that they are:

• marrying later (late in their 20's instead of their early 20's)
• rooming with mom and dad well into their 20'
• going to college longer
• putting off starting their careers so that they can travel or have other life experiences

In fact, the article referred to this generation as the Transitional 20's. It seems the right of passage for these 20-year-olds includes slowing down the process of being on their own. That's understandable given the difficulty of finding a way to support themselves due to our rough economy. Yet I think their "Baby on Board" parents tended to coddle them a bit more than previous generations, nurturing the belief that mom and dad would continue to take care of them until....whenever. This is the same generation that needs constant praise and constant audio/visual stimulation. Coming on the heels of Generation X and Generation Y, this must be Generation Z. If you are creating brand communications for them, keep in mind their lack of need to hurry to achieve as my generation (Baby Boomers) did. To their credit, they enjoy stopping to smell the roses and doing some good for the world.

Our brand consulting group is ready to help you engage with this generation or any other. Just contact Tiffany Sauder at tiffany@discoverelementthree.com to learn more.

 Reading the New York Times this morning, I noticed an article about continually changing media. It mentioned that even the web will eventually be passe: a new mode of communication will come along to eclipse it. It also mentioned that at each new media discovery (radio, television, web), fears that other forms of media would 'go away' surfaced. In fact, the truth is that each new media form caused more people to become engaged with communications (including your brand communication). The proliferation of magazines, web sites, cable television channels, etc. are all testaments to this truth. As creators of brand communications, the best thing we can do to insure that we reach our brands' constituents is to link to a variety of media so that we have the best possible chance of multiple engagements with those who have allegiance to our brand.

Yesterday was a bittersweet day. We said goodbye to four summer interns; students studying visual communications at the Herron School of Art and Design.  This was Element Three's first foray into hiring a larger group of interns, and I have to say it was a very positive experience.

Each student brought a unique skill set. To enhance the internship experience, our goal was to provide each with a project that would develop a personal area of interest in the design and communications realm. We fully immersed them in the day-to-day life of a marketing communications firm. Whether it was brand identity development, brand research, new package design, or developing an iPad video, this group rose to the challenge.

Three months blew by, and I think we all grew from the experience. The opportunity to bring fresh energy and talent to the mix made our office buzz.  We know several of our clients had the opportunity to interact with some of our interns. A double bonus for all involved.

The experience fueled our drive to provide opportunities for design talent to grow and develop. This year's group, Andrea, Alice, Joel, and Ceverly head back to the classroom on August 23rd. We wish them every success. And, we look forward to repeating the experience with a new group next summer.

 I just spent a week on vacation in Montreal and Quebec City. Both are mainly French speaking, with English as a second language as well as any number of other European, Asian and African languages. Upon our return in the U.S., I was relieved to be back in a place where English was the default. But I also missed a few things.

In Canada, everything you buy seems to get about 25% added to the price in taxes. Knowing that Canadians get free government health care, though, made this more palatable for me. I left wishing we would be willing to do the same here in the states.

Another difference: infinitely clean streets, with constant sweeping by public servants and use of trash containers by all. I could only imagine there must have been a huge fine for littering...or else Canadians are just very compliant. (The same goes for jaywalking, by the way...it just doesn't happen. And NOBODY crosses the street unless the light is green, even if no one is coming.)

More enthusiastically interesting design, both in architecture and graphics. The advertising, product design, brochures, posters, interiors and buildings we experienced and saw seemed to have a pervasive sense of clarity, fun, colorfulness and simplicity. Overall, the brand communications didn't seem to take themselves as seriously, making for more brand likability. In other words, these Canuck brands made me smile. So I guess I tended to like them more.

After visiting Montreal's ultra modern convention hall with colored glass walls and a forest of pink plastic tree trunks in the lobby, you just can't help but smile. How can you make your brand communications, your brand identity, and the experience of your brand just a bit friendlier?

 I recently viewed a two-way e-mail exchange between two business colleagues (not Element Three colleagues!) in which both parties obviously were in conflict with each other. Hot words were exchanged, though sometimes cloaked in politically correct phrases. As a result of the exchange, one of the parties quit their job.

As a communicator, I often lament with my students this kind of misuse of e-mail communication. Because it is so easy for many people to write things they wouldn't be comfortable saying out loud, written responses in tough situations can quickly be blasted off into the ether of the internet never to be taken back. In fact, sometimes e-mails written in the heat of the moment even get sent to the wrong person by mistake, further complicating an already difficult situation.

Here are some recommendations about using e-mail wisely:

Don't write an e-mail in a moment of anger, fear or humiliation. Wait until you've had some time to process what is going on and get clear on what you actually want to have happen short and long term with the person you are considering e-mailing.

Write every e-mail as if it might be saved, printed and shared with others because it very well might be. Don't say anything you wouldn't say to the person's face.


Remember that in e-mail communications, you don't get to share the nuances of your tone of voice, facial expressions or body language. So phrases that are open to interpretation may mean one thing when spoken and other when written. Also try to stay away from slang or vernacular phrases in e-mail communications because they may be interpreted differently by the receiver than your intention.

Keep your e-mails brief and to the point. Use them to share detailed information, directives, key information that colleagues need to have in writing.

If you need to have a critical conversation, do not do it via e-mail. Take the time to speak to the person one on one. Being in the room is best. If that is not possible, using a Web cam two way communication is second best. Phone calls are third best. And texting or writing online comments are equal to e-mailing.

And most importantly, E-mail communication, when done via your company's e-mail server, IS brand communication. Brand communication affects your brand. Writer beware.

 OK, this has nothing to do with marketing communications. But if you have a chance, go and see Toy Story 3. It's an animated film with real heart. It's beautifully produced. And you definitely don't have to be a kid to love it. (though it helps if you go with one!)

 As someone who writes and comes up with brand communication ideas for a living, I sometimes need to use insider language for a specific audience. My preference is to use conversational language that the audience will both understand. My intention is to build a relationship with them. As part of that effort, sometimes slang and jargon is helpful. To see some of the most common American English slang, go to this link.

 I spent most of my career working as an art director in advertising agencies. I have to admit that very little of my current clients' budgets are going toward paid advertising these days. But the same way of thinking conceptually still holds value. I am constantly impressed by how many great brand communications are mainly visual, with very few words. Check out this link to see some excellent examples. Inspiring, aren't they?

 Retail music consultants match just the right kind of music for a store's retail concept so that, for instance, when you're visiting a fast food restaurant, the music urges you to eat quickly instead of hanging around. When you visit a store that features slightly quirky, somewhat retro fashion, the music might be a similar mixture. Perhaps because retail business measures its success by the hourly intake at the cash register, anything that might help encourage purchase through any of the senses is fair game.

Whether your brand is a retail one or not, you may want to consider sound as part of your brand positioning strategy. Is your brand loud or soft? Will your brand communication include music, sound design, or atmosphere perceived aurally? Anyone who has gone to a movie theater and experienced the power of music and sound as part of the movie experience knows how much the mood is heightened with the addition of either silence, a whisper or a loud bang. Just the right music can either counter or underscore a mood or message.

As part of managing your brand, use all the senses. They can not only bring life to your brand communication, they can create a higher level of engagement for your customer.

The web site, Urban Dictionary, defines "hype" as "a fad, a clever marketing strategy which a product is advertized as the thing everyone must have, to the point where people begin to feel they need to consume it."  A "hype man" is "the person who helps gets the crowd hyped/amped/pumped before/during a show." And a "hype machine" is "a video game or movie that may or may not be good, but generates a very large amount of hype before it's release." As you look at your brand positioning strategy, be careful not to fall in love with your own 'story' too quickly. Often, at Element Three, we advise our clients to do thoughtful competitive research before we establish their brand's visual and messaging elements. This insure that we're not creating unworthy hype that the brand's product or service cannot match. Hype is its own enemy. It can create long term credibility issues for your brand...so that future brand communication falls into question. Let us develop a Message Matrix that keeps your team on message for each of your audience constituencies so that your brand has a long and healthy life.

I was doing some research for a client presentation tomorrow and ran across these two charts that demonstrates how dynamic the social media landscape really is.



In 2008 MySpace led the pack with receiving 41% of the visits in the United States to social networking sites. Facebook and YouTube were far behind with 8% and 7% respectively. Today, in 2010, the graph for social media traffic looks much, much different. Facebook is leading by commanding nearly 50% of the traffic with MySpace losing market share and YouTube continuing to maintain and grow their presence in the social networking space. 

If you are looking for ways to enter into the social marketing realm, create a fan page on Facebook. While there are countless other tools you could engage with - Facebook has emerged as the clear leader.

Another meaningful graph - Facebook surpassed Google for Weekly Market Share of Visits in March of this year. No small accomplishment.



Before you enter into the social marketing arena, be certain you are clear about your brand message and how you intend to communicate your Unique Selling Points as benefits to your core audience(s). A strong brand positioning strategy and message matrix is an meaningful exercise for companies moving into the social space.

At Element Three we help clients in Indianapolis and throughout the Midwest manage their brands both online and offline. An integrated plan will reap the strongest return on marketing investment.

 Yesterday, along with thousands of others in Indianapolis, I went to Conseco Fieldhouse to hear the Dalai Lama speak. His main message was one of tolerance, mutual respect and trust, especially in this age of multiple ideological (and real) battles. I was impressed with his humility and sense of humor. In fact, the Dalai Lama was voted the second most popular leader (second to Barack Obama) in a global internet survey by Harris Interactive this spring. The pope scored #7. What can we learn from this? It's true that interest in Buddhism and eastern philosophy is on the rise. However, I wonder if the humbleness with which the Dalai Lama carries himself has anything to do with it...especially when you consider the pope's response to recent child abuse scandals, in contrast.

Staying on the same level with your customers and meeting them where they are may be one of the most important messages to take from all of this. Recognizing our own humbleness and imperfection (as individuals and as brand entities) can only serve to boost our brand chemistry with others. And in each brand communication, if we seek to both understand and be understood, we will no doubt form strong and lasting bonds with those we serve and with those with whom we relate.

Recently, I was searching online for visual inspiration and I came across this amazing collection of advertising concepts. As an Indianapolis ad agency, we often have opportunities to work with our clients to develop brand identity and other brand communications. But nothing comes close to the hilarity of these sorts of purely visual images. 

Pure inspiration! Enjoy.

 In business, we call it budget. In academia, we call it funding. And it is the key to being able to do what you want, need or dream. A recently graduated student of mine at Herron School of Art and Design has an idea to do a guide for potential students about our design program–from the student's point of view. He's an excellent designer, very witty and most importantly, passionate about the project. The only thing standing between him and doing what he wants is financial backing...so that he can pay the rent while he's working on the project. After a short search, it became obvious that there are an innumerable number of funding sources and grants available. He only has to decide which ones seem to be the best fit, write proposals and then wait to see which backers say yes.

Is there a budgetary issue standing in the way of your most important project or initiative? If it really is important to you and the success of your business, consider where the money is going instead. Are there creative solutions to getting the job done? Are there creative solutions to financing its completion? Sometimes the most creative part of brand communications is funding it, not necessarily its creation! As your brand consulting group, we can also help you to brainstorm and plan ways to enable your most important projects.

I recently researched the new Apple iPad's capabilities against other e-Book readers and, not in keeping with my usual Apple mania, I didn't end up buying an iPad. It looks beautiful. The color screen is enticing. I wanted to love it. But what started to make my Brand Chemistry for Apple crumble just a tiny bit?

It's insular book purchasing platform. I ended up going with a competitive e-Book reader that allows me to buy books from their e-Book store (with a free wireless hookup compared to Apple's hookup that comes with a monthly fee). But here's the kicker. I can also borrow books FREE online from my local public library and read them on my reader or go go the GoogleBooks site and download any of a million public access books online, also FREE. Plus, the store where I buy e-Books offers package deals on book groupings and far better prices on recently published books.

Cost is a consideration. Open access is even more of a consideration. Why is this little story important to you as a strategic marketer? Because you live in the age of the empowered consumer. We have access to more information and more means (via the internet) than ever before. We demand choice. We don't like to be ripped off, either. So as you put together your next marketing launch strategy or brand communications program, please don't forget us. We're out here. And we're probably your best potential customer. The empowered, informed consumer.

I teach young designers at my local art school. As many of you know, I also practice as a designer here at Element Three. Today in class, I had a brief chat with one of my students. She said that the fact that I am a practicing designer who teaches is invaluable to her and that the verbal cues I give help to clarify her process and her ideas. Of course, I was glad to hear all of this. And whether or not you believe she was just being nice because I'm the professor or she really feels that way, I do agree that practicing what you teach is an important thing to do. Because I work with clients ongoing, I am able to relate the principles I teach to real life stories and projects. Students always seem to be very interested in learning more as soon as I show up in the classroom with project sketches to share because it makes what they are learning real.

On the other hand, I also believe that the fact that I teach makes me a better designer. Teaching has taught me that not everyone knows what I know or shares my view of the visual world. So when I'm talking with a client about brand communications or revieiwng a brand positioning strategy, for instance, I might more readily step back, take a breath and ask myself, "What do I need to know about this person's viewpoint before I share with them what I have to show?" This tiny moment may not seem like much. But it can mean the world. Part of selling my best work is actually teaching. Not as a way to condescend to a client, but to share new information. Helping others to become more aware of new levels of visual and conceptual literacy is, I believe, part of a professional designer's role.

Most importantly, I have learned through my dual roles as a teacher and a designer that it is key to my success in both that I am a lifelong learner. Often, I find that what I am teaching helps me be a better practitioner. Some of the information I already know and some of it is brand new. But my curiosity gets the better of me and each year I teach, I want to share something new and different. This helps me stay fresh and allows me to bring new ideas to my design work, too.