Business Branding Archive

One great thing about my wife still working at Microsoft, is the odd invite we get to a sumptuous party.

Just before Christmas, we went to her team’s holiday soiree at the Bellevue Art Museum where there were a number of funtivities going on as people mingled with wine and started winding down for the year.

We made a beeline for the crew from Paint By a Girl who do all sorts of airbrush art and even create custom Ugg boots!

I handed over my business card with the Delightful logo on it, and this is what happened!

We had the best Saturday morning this past weekend. My father-in-law suggested we take our daughter, Maggie, to the Home Depot Kids Workshop in West Seattle and we had a blast.

Maggie is actually smiling in this photo!

The idea is that, for a few hours on a Saturday once a month, parents can take their children to their local Home Depot DIY store and make something cool using wood, real hammer and nails, glue and even get to paint their creation.

On Saturday they made a little desk calendar which used wooden blocks, and next month it’ll be a little racing car.

One of my new year resolutions is to really enjoy the small things in life, and this little outing was first on my appreciation list.

Not only did we have a fun morning, but it struck me what a genius marketing initiative this was to use creativity to get families into the store at no expense to them, have children start understanding the importance of woodwork, craft and DIY, and have them start seeing having a good time making things they can be proud of synonymous with the Home Depot brand. What was also apparent was the amount of families that then wandered off into the store to buy stuff, so they must make a few additional sales of the back of the program.

My only tiny grumble from a social point of view, was the lack of social activation. There was no hashtag on any of the collateral and I would have thought, given the rise in “sharenting”, that the store is missing a trick by not nudging proud parents to share their little ones’ creations on social channels.

Do you know of any initiatives like Home Depot’s that resonate like this? Let us know in the comments below.

Following on from their hilarious “Ship My Pants” video that has generated over 20 million views this year, US retailer Kmart has released a Christmas version using characters from Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” who talk about shipping their trousers!

As you can see from the link map from Majestic SEO below, the original ad was very popular in the UK and Europe, and I expect this version will see a similar pattern!

Majestic SEO Heat Map – Click to Enlarge

Great stuff from a store I have always associated with Dustin Hoffman’s underwear!

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Played this stunning video in a presentation I did last week for AXA Wealth at a gathering of their partner independent financial advisors last week.

When trying to explain the power of digital and the necessity of businesses to really start infusing into every nook and cranny of their organisation, I often use extreme examples to provide an audience with inspiration.

I’m obviously not saying that the relationship between the IFA and consumer is as strained as that of India and Pakistan, but if you listen to some of the voice overs in the final minute, there are a number of keywords that mirror what consumers want from brands in this increasingly social and mobile age.

Take a look and let me know what the video says to you in the comments below.

Next week is my birthday and I’ll be spending 4 nights in Las Vegas at Pubcon too!

This must be about the 6th Pubcon conference I have attended and I’ll be there with Dixon Jones and the guys from MajesticSEO.

Brett Tabke, who founded the conference way back when, has kindly asked me to speak at a session on Thursday about online brand management. I’ll be focusing on digital PR and social media tactics and weaving a little bit about search too!.

They’re also letting me sign some of books with Barnes and Noble as well, so I’ll have an action-packed week.

If you’re going to be in sin city, drop by and say hello.

I’m looking forward to catching up with you all again!

On my way to Las Vegas next week for the fabulous conference that is Pubcon run by the equally fabulous Brett Tabke and co.

I’ll be there with Dixon Jones representing Majestic SEO (see my latest post for them on removing Google penalties)  and I’ll be speaking on back to back panels on Thursday on Online Brand Management Studies and Twitter Customer Service Strategies.

I’ve not been for a few years, so really looking forward to getting back into that scene and catching up with old friends and colleagues!

If you’re going, come and visit the Majestic SEO stand and see our new fancy video!

Apple’s marketing machine kicked in this morning with an email blast to subscribers prompting them to pre-order the new iPhone 5 we’ve all been hearing so much about.

Now as a former Microsoft guy, my love for the Windows Phone has not gone unsaid, and I’m glad my wife’s still at Microsoft after yesterday’s news about Windows 8 Phone and Surface, but there has to be something said about what we can all learn from Apple marketing.

• The email arrives and the subject line is “Pre-order your iPhone 5.” It’s a simple call-to-action but they say YOUR iPhone 5. They imply there’s one waiting for just for me. I just have to click the button and its awesome deliciousness is all mine.
• They also end the subject line with a full stop. Who ends subject lines of emails with full stops (or periods if you’re reading this in the US)? Who? Take a look at your inbox now and other than the odd ? or !, where are the .’s? It says to me “order you new phone full stop, period. That’s all you need to do and your world will be more complete.”
• The image within the email is gorgeous too. They tilt it slightly to show off the new thinness and the silky black curves. But it’s also tilted because it’s not quite yours yet. You have to click through to the video and eventually order it to get the full-frontal experience.
• The standout call-to-action is to simply pre-order it. But remember, Apple will get lots of publicity from the queues that will no-doubt snake around the blocks of every Apple Store in the world from September 21st, so they give you the option to be a part of that experience too.
• Then there’s the video. You’ll watch this whether you order it or not, because it’s a visual feast that talks about the design and features and takes you into Jony Ives’ world as he describes the blow by blow of how your device is made.
• I’m not a fan of the tagline, “The biggest thing…” etc. Why bother with that? It might have been stronger to not have a tagline and say “iPhone 5” and imply “enough said!”

The reason I wanted to write about the iPhone 5 pre-order email, is that too often marketers feel the need to cram in too much information, too many calls to action and too few smart teasers.

The Apple example is a perfect email marketing campaign execution by keeping things simple, having a desired outcome, and providing the receiver with little option but to take action or explore further.

Will I be ordering an iPhone 5 as a result?

No.

But I’ve spent enough time thinking and writing about them today, and you’re reading this, so they’ve got their ROI from us have they not?

Cheers,

Mel

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