Say Cheese

I don’t take good pictures. Let me rephrase that. I’m okay taking the picture just not so good at being in it. But pictures are powerful. They allow us to share an idea, convey a message, and feel the moment in an instantaneous way.                                                                                                                                          

So to my fellow marketers I say, “Talk less. Show more.” And if you’ve got the will, let your customers show too.

Let my customers show what? Let them show their experience with activities that relate to your brand. The big guys do it. Consider American Airlines social campaign that allowed passengers to share pictures from their vacation and business trips. You can do this too.

It plays out by engaging already smartphone savvy, camera happy consumers on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. And it happens at relatively no cost to you. Here’s how:

If you’re in healthcare, invite pictures of healthy lifestyles. For example, “show us your walking path”

If you’re in real estate, ask for pictures from the community. For example, “show us your favorite coffee shop, eatery or night spot”

If you’re in lawn care, how about inviting followers to share pictures of their favorite outdoor activity?

Inviting picture driven interaction lets consumers help create content for your brand, it drives more attention to their personal news feeds, and thus leverages their social reach to create additional consideration for you.

People will have fun. You’ll reach their friends. And brand connections will multiply. All without a single word except maybe, “Cheeeese!”

Small Biz Brand in Transition

Today I met with a business owner whose company is solidly positioned – in the past. She knows it and wants to do something about it. That puts her a step ahead of most business leaders. And, a step ahead is a good place to start.

Her challenge is to transform the business from a surviving “Mom and Pop shop” to a thriving professional services company. She is in business transition. An OBGYN friend of mine once said, “Transition (the time the baby spends in the birth canal) is the hardest part of childbirth for infant and mother.” From what I’ve seen as a witness in the delivery room, he’s probably right but he’s there to help.

The challenge of transitioning a company is found in knowing where you’re headed and having a plan that connects you to the target. Mom and the baby instinctively know which direction things are going. But Mom has thoughts about the future long before delivery. She dreams of what the child might become. She names the baby and sets her mind and heart on loving and caring for it. Soon Mom and child, begin to live the plan.

Likewise, the business owner casts a vision for the business she has created; the brand that she has developed. Her transition challenge is found in knowing where today’s version of the brand ends and where the brand of the future begins. Her instincts are good. Change is inevitable so she sets out to take charge of the change.

Perhaps our business owner can think a little like Mom. Consider the business brand, imagine what it might be in the future and make plans to realize the goal. She can start with communicating that message to all affected parties. Today, while there are more venues than ever to convey a message – to connect people to the vision you have for your business – it still requires a strategy.

Mom and baby get a little support from men and women like the OBGYN friend of mine. The business owner we met today will get a little support from Bigfish. Call us the brand doctors.

Whose Face is This?

It's the newest Facebook feature but there is more to it than meets the eye. This holiday weekend found me near the pool but never far away from my iPad. It's one of those things most people don't know about me. But should they? They would likely recognize my face but would they recognize my habits and trends? You know, the things that make me - me?

Here's the deal. While surfing Facebook this morning I saw a familiar face in the right hand margin. Above it the headline, "whose face is this?" and a field in which to write a response. On this occasion the pretty face belonged to my wife. So of course I recognized it. As she already knows, I'm a face guy. Still I'd like to think that if the feature had listed attributes like, "loves old movies, broke her arm as a little girl, has an authentic joyful laugh, is a great hostess, listens to Sinatra, doesn't know her own beauty, graduated summa cum laude, likes brunch at the Beauty Shop, and enjoys summer watermelon", instead of her picture -- I still would have recognized her.

The same should be true for your brand. Sure, any person familiar with your logo will know who it belongs to but what about the essence of your brand? Does the marketplace know your brand personality, its voice, how it interacts with its constituents, and the value it proposes to bring absent the "mark"?

I know of a recent instance when a small segment of a brand's audience attributed certain unflattering characteristics to the brand. It happened largely because the organization wasn’t teaching the market about itself and so the market chose to create its own definition. A couple of years later the brand owners are still working through it.

The non-visual part of your brand is what resonates beyond the first glimpse. It’s the result of reflection, planning, teaching, marketing and market dialogue. It takes time to develop and years to establish. For those who read this blog looking for speed consider this: if you subscribe to the same “farmer’s approach” to social media that I do, you can begin getting the non-visual messages about your brand into play quickly and at a lower cost than ever before. You’ll even find members of your brand audience who are already in step with you and willing to advocate your brand message right away via platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

So, whose face is this: original, consultative, loves ideas, tech savvy, creative, and treats customers like the big fish?

Let’s get to know each other. I’m www.twitter.com/timbigfish or on Facebook www.facebook.com/timcnicholson.

ToyStory and Your Brand

An anxious Woody says, “Look I just need to get out of here.” Buttercup responds, “There is no way out!” Woody stares back at him in horror. Buttercup (laughing) says, “Just kidding. Door’s right over there.” That’s when it hit me. It’s not the CGI that makes the ToyStory franchise work. It’s the credible story telling, compelling characters, and great audience experience. And, that’s the essence of any great brand.

When the ToyStory franchise launched the buzz (sorry Mr. Lightyear) was all about the technology. The computer animation that brought the characters to life on the big screen was the first of its kind. But we’ve seen all of that now. CGI is everywhere. The franchise has been sustained by entertaining plots and endearing characters. And, there are some lessons in their success that serve all brand owners. Here’s a few:

The Characters – how does your organization connect with a diverse audience? At Bigfish, we strive to develop personal messages (some call them key messages) that support the brand idea but connect with individuals. I for example am a Woody fan. He’s more nerdy than cool and can at times be impulsive but his core values are never in doubt – be a friend.

The Story -- your prospects and customers don’t engage a logo they embrace an idea. That idea evolves into an experience. The experience is the manner by which your brand connects with its audience. It’s the way your story becomes their story. And when your story is their story, you have a brand advocate (see my Advocates v. Followers blog).

The Plot – in the movie ToyStory3, Andy has grown up and is moving to college. He is about to determine the fate of the toys. They decide to take matters into their own hands. Can they? Likewise, your customer wants to participate. They have a stake in how their experience with you “turns out”. So, you have to ask yourself, “Where is my brand headed and is that a journey that my customer will take with me?”

Visual Effects – lest I be misunderstood, the visuals do matter. They have to align with the story. But be careful not to patronize your real audience in developing your visual identity. Case in point: Bigfish is developing a new brand and marketing communications strategy for a group of pediatric physicians. Great folks. During the discovery process our competitive research found countless websites featuring primary colors, building blocks, and stick figure kids on playgrounds. Time-out. The kids aren’t using the websites. The parents are. My point, don’t confuse story illustrations with your brand.

You get the idea. Effects are a platform. Stories create context. Plots relate your message content. Characters are the manifestation of your ideas. Each helps connect your brand with its audience.

You’ve got a friend in me, @timbigfish on Twitter or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/timcnicholson