Adweek recently featured several high-profile brands that are constantly trying to find new ways to reach their customers. According to the article, Westfield launched “Westfield Labs” in an effort to continue improving its customers’ experience at its malls and with its retailers. The idea behind its lab is simple: Create and test new experiences for customers in real-time. The ideas that stick will be translated to a larger scale, and made available to Westfield shoppers globally.

Innovation labs are sprouting up all over the country. From high-tech to retail, industries across the map are consistently finding new ways to engage consumers and connect with audiences of all types. It’s truly marketing at its finest – and it’s working. Westfield is a great example of a company that is on the forefront of innovation. It brings its ideas to life by testing them first in a safe environment before translating it to a real location.

As the article notes, these labs also connect the digital world with the physical. They allow consumers to connect with and access the retailer from anywhere, at anytime. This is increasingly important as more and more technologies are integrated with consumer brands.

Last holiday season, Westfield partnered with ecommerce giant eBay to connect online retail with mall shoppers. Three large screens were placed in the mall with options for shoppers to swipe through more than 100 products and then buy them from a mobile phone. This combination of the digital and physical world is just one example of the many types of retail conveniences developed in the innovation lab.

Is your business doing anything new to connect with your consumers? We can help. Connect with us to get started.

 

 

If you’re ever invited to a VIP Tasting event, just say yes. Especially if it’s part of a major rebranding effort, and double-especially (I used it, so now it’s a real word.) if it involves pizza. Actually, the only pizza included in this one was the new Sunny Side Up Bacon + Potato pizza. You’re correct:  two eggs on top. Now that’s what I call planning ahead if you want cold pizza for breakfast!

It’s mid-afternoon at the California Pizza Kitchen in Tampa, and the staff feels energized. This tasting is a show within a show, surrounded by actual paying customers. One reason they’re pumped up: they’re pioneers. For now, this “Taste the Next Chapter” rebranding movement only includes about a dozen of the more than 250 CPK locations. So, the general manager and the servers—all top notch and double-extremely well prepared for this matinée show—are already insiders, the advance team, the elite culinary forces sent to the front of the front to ensure all-out success for all the rest of the locations that will follow.

Ideally, the staff at all the other locations will catch this excitement, when it’s their time, because that’s actually one of the most powerful benefits of a major rebrand of this nature:  the enthusiasm and pride of the new translates into a more engaging, positive, and memorable experience for the customers. And so the business grows. Keep in mind that this large-scale rebranding effort is going on without a single tweak to the company’s logo. This is a personality change, not a logo facelift. It’s all about expectations. The experience.

The CPK rebranding project goes way beyond the menu, too. The restaurants are all going sustainable, with as many elements as possible being repurposed from elsewhere. In Tampa, they’ve created one wall entirely from a patchwork of wine crate sides. It has “Let me take a selfie”  written all over it. Not literally. I’m just saying. I’m pretty sure the old CPKs don’t have real bars where you can hang out; this one definitely does. You can twist around at the bar to watch the action in the kitchen—pizza tossing included—if the game on the flatscreen is not going your way.

Back to the new menu: The non-pizza entrées are getting the spotlight, along with the drinks. You know you’re going upscale when the menu includes suggestions for wine pairings. The Fire-Grilled Ribeye topped with creamy bleu cheese butter likes to hang out with Rodney Strong, a Cabernet Sauvignon. If you like drinking Clos Du Bois Unoaked Chardonnay, then you might want to pair that with the Hearth-Roasted Halibut. Or vice versa. (Full disclosure:  I didn’t actually see a hearth.) Being more of a beer guy myself, I love that the suggested pairing for the Mahi Mahi Tacos is Corona Extra. I didn’t make that up. Go see for yourself.

The staff continues the barrage of new dishes and sides, actions that are not lost on a table of “regular” patrons nearby. Perhaps the staff has shifted a bit too much service to our side of the house and neglected others by mistake. If anyone from CPK is reading this, you might want to bring around some samples to everyone and tip them off as to what’s going on.

Anyway, as we’re doing our best to put a dent in the desserts—this is, after all, about the tenth course of all the new items—the regional marketing guy asks us if anyone feels adventurous enough to go back to the kitchen and throw some pizza dough. And that’s when I remembered:  This is a pizza place.

Building a brand that resonates with consumers on a high level is no small task and is only becoming increasingly difficult. Despite having the benefit of learning from past successes and failures, the world we live in now has never been more fast paced, connected and over-saturated with companies claiming to be the next Apple, Nike or Google.

Many of these brands, however, fail to create value and establish the necessary presence they need to attract and retain loyal customers.  So how do you navigate this ever -volving landscape? Branding Magazine claims there are three essential P’s you must focus on to create and maintain a successful brand.

People 

In order to understand what exactly will resonate with your consumers, you not only need to have a fundamental understanding of people as a whole, but you need to understand your target audience on a comprehensive level. What drives them? What makes them tick? Conducting research and gathering data is quintessential to the branding process as this data will allow you to not only better reach your target audience, but also allows you to personalize consumer experiences. Take Facebook, Amazon, Netflix or Google, for example; these leading brands have taken personalization to a whole new level using people’s personal preferences to make the consumer experience much more intimate.

Purpose

Returning to the question of what drives people, we know many are looking for a sense of purpose in life, something that gives their lives meaning and direction. Consumers look for the same thing in a brand. They want a brand with a clear purpose and one that is invested in an important cause. Your brand needs to go beyond the simple purpose of making a profit and creating wealth. In order to retain consumers, your brand should be socially, environmentally, and economically conscious. It needs to clearly define the higher social purpose it serves and make sure it’s an authentic, credible and proven part of its brand story. It is the emotional tie people can identify with.

Participation

Once you understand your consumers and define a clear purpose, you must get people to experience and participate with your brand. People are no longer satisfied with only being on the receiving end of a brand’s cause — they want to influence it, be influenced BY it and make it their own. Participation is ultimate and most effective way to interact with people. The relationship a brand builds with people needs to be less transaction-focused and more interaction-based.

And there you have it, the three P’s of branding. Brands must focus on these concepts in order to stay relevant in this crazy world we live in.

Here a Next-Mark we believe a brand is everything, and know having a clear defined brand message is vital for your organization’s survival. If you we can assist you in any way please feel free to give us a call at 941.893.3140.

It’s no secret that advertisers are constantly looking for new ways to share content and engage consumers. In addition to creating valuable content for their readers, advertisers are trying to find ways to incorporate content into platforms and sites their consumers are already visiting regularly, but not in the form of a banner ad.

Imagine yourself scrolling through your Facebook feed. Have you ever noticed posts by brands that look exactly like your friend’s posts?

If you answered yes, then you’ve been exposed to native advertising. These types of ads are shared as posts rather than banner ads or commercials, which allows advertisers to seamlessly integrate their content into the feeds their consumers already subscribed to.

Although native advertising strays away from traditional mass media messaging, it leverages your brand as a thought leader and provides your consumers with relevant content they actually care to read.

Social platforms are a great place to integrate native advertising, but partnerships with leading news sites are another interesting option. One example of this was the Game of Thrones quiz created by Buzzfeed and HBO. Although it doesn’t scream “advertising,” the strategic campaign engaged consumers while promoting the show.

Whether your brand shares interesting content on social media or creates quirky quizzes on popular websites, one thing is key: relevancy. Your consumers are actively searching for content that not only appeals to their interests, but also matters to them at that particular moment in time. Now we’re not saying you need to be a mind reader here, but stay ahead of your audience by crafting content that appeals to current news, culture and entertainment.

What’s your go-to marketing strategy? Have you dabbled in native advertising?

 

 

 

As early proponents of content marketing, we have been pleased to see it take its place not only among other required tactics but actually replacing some, as more and more organizations are sharing their knowledge to build reputation, business and loyalty.

Think about it on a personal level: Do you blitz past TV ads? Do you remember what that last pop-up was selling? Are you internally wired to be turned off by the hard sell? Do you just love to talk to telemarketers?

If you answered yes, no, yes and no, join the crowd.

This phenomenon has led both B-to-B and B-to-C marketers to look for new ways to cut through the noise. Enter content marketing.

As defined by the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), this marketing technique involves the creation and distribution of “valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and acquire a clearly defined audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.”

This content can be white papers, how-to videos, case studies, technical reports, etc., in which companies show and share their expertise.

Content marketing’s strength is that it is non-interruptive. Rather than being assaulted with sales pitches, prospects and customers are given access to useful information. The more times they find or receive that information under your name, the more likely they are to remember you.

As noted by CMI, quality content is part of all forms of marketing, shaping social media, Pay Per Click and SEO strategies; driving inbound traffic and leads; and serving as the foundation of successful public relations efforts based on issues of interest to potential buyers.

If you’re not a believer as yet, consider these survey results from Roper Public Affairs, which reports that:

– 80 percent of business decision makers prefer to get company information in a series of articles versus an advertisement.

– 70 percent say content marketing makes them feel closer to the sponsoring company.

– 60 percent say that company content helps them make better product decisions.

We firmly believe that content marketing is the wave of the future (and present, for that matter).

Will you ride it to success or be left behind?

 

At Next-Mark, our work is all about our clients. We focus on four key characteristics (the four C’s) to give our clients the best possible experience:

1. Collaboration. We don’t just see you as a client, we see you as a partner. We want work with you to do what’s best for your brand and we value your participation every step of the way. According to an article I read on PR Daily recently, active participation from both ends creates a collaborative and positive working relationship.

2. Communication. On that note, we believe in keeping an open line of communication with our clients. We strive to create great work for you and your brand, but we also know this takes time, feedback and a strong work relationship.

3. Creativity. It can be hard to stand out in today’s content and graphic-driven world. At Next-Mark, we work with you to create unique and interesting content so your brand really shines. Whether your brand is in need of a new look and feel or a quick update, we’re happy to help you along the way.

4. Commitment. We value our clients and our work more than anything. As Next-Mark’s Director of Client Experience, I am committed to providing you with a great experience from day one.

Are you looking for a brand strategy partner? Give us a call anytime or read more about our approach here.

 

Ask any PR junkie, and they’ll tell you that public relations is the umbrella that oversees marketing, strategic communications, social media and brand. Ask that same question to a marketing pro and you’ll find yourself with an inconsistent idea of who’s at the “top” of the chain.

Regardless of which field reigns as king, PR and marketing need to work hand-in-hand. Whether you’re an in-house marketer, an agency strategist or a businessman, understanding strategic communication is critical to your company’s success. Get a step ahead of the game by reviewing these three core principles:

1. Identify your audience. Remember the old 80/20 rule from business 101? 80% of your business comes from 20% of consumers. This trick remains the same when it comes to strategic PR and marketing, so stay ahead of the curve by identifying your target audience and tailoring your message to fit their interests.

2. Go digital. The digital age has arrived. With it comes websites, SEO, likes, followers, digital ads…the list goes on. With so many outlets to showcase your brand, it’s important that you go digital, but stay strategic. Start by identifying your audience and craft your digital strategy from there. You might think you need a presence on every social media platform, but that can be difficult to manage. So if your target consumers are mostly using Twitter and LinkedIn, then focus your digital marketing efforts on those sites.

3. Share relevant content. One of the biggest challenges for businesses in the digital era is staying relevant in a constantly changing sea of content. Start by researching the type of content that your audience is interested in, and begin to incorporate these themes into your blogs, posts and updates. Another rule of thumb is to share industry content two-thirds of the time, and company updates one-third of the time.

Whether you’re developing your brand or launching a new campaign, these three marketing principles will help solidify your position as an industry leader. Does your digital marketing strategy need a boost? Contact us today to discuss how Next-Mark can help your business.

 

 

Where is your brand in today’s highly digital-driven world? It is becoming increasingly difficult to find new and creative ways to keep your social audience engaged while simultaneously attracting new followers. So how do you consistently move the needle on social media in both engagement and following? Here are a few learnings on “moving the social needle” based on our experiences here at Next-Mark.

1. If possible, take a localized approach.

This is especially important with large brands that serve a local audience. When a business caters to a specific community, it’s imperative to share content that is relevant to that location. This targeted approach will both increase followers and grow engagement.

2. Visuals are key.

In managing and developing social media campaigns for clients, we strive to be consistent with content and include visuals with every post. Let’s be honest, the average person has a relatively short attention span so it’s important to hook them with something visually stimulating. Custom graphics, for example, are a great way to grab your reader’s attention.

3. Enhance the customer service experience.

It’s no surprise that people are turning to social channels with customer service questions. There is no reason your brand should not be addressing customer service concerns on your social networks. Not only does it drive to purchase, it also increases loyalty: 70% of those helped through social customer service return as future customers.

4. Find, follow and build relationships with colleagues in your industry.

It’s important to create and maintain a presence within your industry. You can do this by following related pages, participating in online discussions, engaging in social conversation, and sharing and re-tweeting relevant content.

5. Give your followers a reason to come back.

Consider offering promotions and offers available only to your social media followers. Offer fun and interactive contests and require users to “like” your page in order to be eligible. If you consistently give them fresh, new content to view, your readers will keep coming back for more!

Need help building your social media presence? Maybe we can help! Feel free to contact us directly with any questions or inquiries.

 

 

At Next-Mark, we believe in engagement. To us, that means to get the attention of viable prospects, start meaningful conversations and, ultimately, create mutually beneficial, ongoing relationships. For trade shows, this engagement is a process that should begin well before anyone steps up to your booth.

As we prepare for the fall trade show season, we thought we’d give you an inside look at what is an extremely front-loaded endeavor.

Pre-Show

It all starts with a powerful idea, something that will help you stand out and encourage interest. That involves knowing what you’re going to do and the products and services you’re going to introduce/highlight as far in advance as possible. Your plan should be cohesive, with all pieces fitting together to tell a complete story.

Everyone knows there’s an art to effective use of pre-show ads, public relations, email and social media to create awareness and fill your show appointment schedule. What many companies forget, however, is that that art should be grounded in the sciences of persuasive communication and strategic messaging. No matter how inventive your concept, there’s always a way to tell/remind the audience why they need your product, not just where they can pick up a t-shirt.

Okay, picking up a t-shirt can be a draw. People love swag, so having something for them to toss in their show bag can be a plus. That said, the point is to have it go home with them, making the cut when they decide what to pack.

Another hot draw is “gamification,” in which game thinking and mechanics are used to create competitive activities, or “spin-to-wins” that incorporate industry language and market characteristics.

Though not new, video and digital communications can also be powerful at trade shows. When concise and well produced, these visuals can create a pause that opens the door to engagement. In this same vein, value-added materials such as topical white papers and case studies made available at shows can be the “keeper” you’re looking for while establishing your company as an expert.

Starting early also gives you time to volunteer that expertise with participation in panels and sessions, partnering with clients to present case studies, introducing ways to solve common problems or giving your organization’s take on industry issues.

And while these active participants are getting ready for the spotlight, take the time to build a strong show team with a diverse group of people who can address a wide variety of questions and issues. Make sure every member of that team knows your goals and is trained in your messaging.

Finally, this is also the time to create your post-show follow-up plan – that is, just what exactly you’re going to do with all those names you’ve collected, leads you’ve identified and promises you’ve made.

At the Show

It’s easy to get caught up in the energy (or lack of same) at an exposition and forget some key concepts of engagement. Remember to:

• Build on demonstrations, giveaways and games with a good conversation about your products. You (and/or your agency) came up with all those good ideas to attract participants; don’t forget why you did it.

• Keep in mind that this is just the beginning of what could become a long-term relationship. Strive to establish your expertise and attentiveness to needs with each and every person you engage.

• Unless you might be called to perform brain surgery at any moment, turn off your phone and forget your email. The most important thing you have to do that day could be walking past you.

Trade shows can be physically exhausting and being “on” all the time can be emotionally draining. Still, it all will be over with soon enough, and the rewards can be significant. Keeping your eye on the prize (prospects) and your mind on your task (engagement) can make the hours fly – and dollars flow.

Post-Show

After taking a quick look at your post-show plan and tweaking it, if necessary, execute it immediately, while the show and conversations are still top of mind.

Once that’s done, as we’ve advised before, catalog your lessons learned and use them to create an even stronger plan for next time.

We Know Trade Shows

At Next-Mark, we have extensive experience developing, designing and managing trade shows in a broad range of industries.

Here are few:

Health Information Management Society

International Association of Chiefs of Police

Radiology Society of North America

American Health Information Association

Miami International Boat Show

American Pediatrics Association

Fort Lauderdale Boat Show

American Health Insurance Plans

 

I lost a friend to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). As she wrote in a blog about her diagnosis: “You know you’re in trouble when you go to the doctor hoping you have MS.”

A young mother of three, she eventually succumbed to pneumonia brought on by the symptoms of this horrible disease.

A talented writer, she also had a wry wit and strong sense of irony, and I’m sure she would have been greatly amused by a fundraising campaign that has people dumping ice water on their heads for the honor of donating to a charity.

Yeah, I know that’s not how it’s supposed to work. Theoretically, what most of us know as “The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge” is an either/or proposition – get iced down or pony up cash. But it has captured the public’s minds and hearts and increased the ALS Association’s coffers by nearly $16 million at last report, for a 767 percent hike over the same period last year.

Let’s face it, from a social media and PR point of view: It’s brilliant.

Naysayers (hereinafter referred to as “party poopers” for the purposes of this document) are calling it a sterling example of how to appeal to the vanity of the Facebook/YouTube-obsessed. Others point to the relatively few people who suffer from this particular disease or the unlikelihood of the fundraising’s sustainability. Still more like to point out that it wasn’t an original idea or, at its nascence, had anything to do with ALS.

Our reply is: So what?

Can’t we just take it for what it is – a viral phenomenon that shows the power of social media to do good and spread the word? And, for our purposes, its place as a necessary component in almost any public outreach effort?

People with ALS eventually lose their ability to speak. This campaign speaks for them in an inclusive way that creates community. Okay, so it may be a flash in the pan, but it shone bright and long enough to raise needed research dollars.

May we all be so successful.