by Rachel Fisher
In the production department we see lots of promotions, LOTS! And why wouldn’t we? We’re constantly building campaigns to help our clients advertise new inventory, push out old inventory, highlight their customer services, financing options, their favorite colors, what they had for lunch, EVERYTHING! But! Sometimes promotional advertising isn’t always the answer. A sale is great, a grand opening, even better. But if we don’t know WHO the client is, why would the consumer trust what they are selling?
It’s important to develop the client for WHO THEY ARE. Yes, sales and promotions are essential, but building trust, loyalty and a following is priceless. So how do we do this? Consistent messaging and branding in all mediums: jingles, tv commercials, radio spots, newspaper ads, mailers, emails, website banners, SEM/SEO campaigns, OTT, retargeting, mobile display, social media, blogging SO MUCH MORE! If we understand who a client is and what they stand behind, we have something solid off which to sell.
When the graphics team begins working with a new client, first things first is to develop their brand guidelines. And if they’ve been our client for years, we update their guidelines yearly (slightly, just enough to be new, but not too drastic to be unrecognizable, unless needed!) Once we have a core background in colors, fonts, messaging, audience, tagline, logo, we apply it through all the advertising channels.
We continue to enforce the brand’s identity through any sale, or non sale. Same colors, look, sound, fonts, and tagline. Chris Brooks, the founder of Bottom Line Marketing, once told me when we go to sleep at night, we forget a little, like a nail coming out of a wooden board. So, we hammer it in again the next day, we fall asleep, and that nail comes out a little less, hammer it in again until it sticks, and that’s the bottom line. That tune stuck in your head, that tagline you can’t shake, that’s how we create brand consistency and a true loyal following for our clients.