Weekly Idea: All Marketing Is Brand Building

Posted on August 3rd, 2010 at 2:38 pm in Blog, Suggested, The Weekly Idea, brand development, ideas, thought provoking by brody

This quote drives what Blue Ocean Ideas does for clients:

“The art of marketing is largely brand building. If not a brand, it will be viewed as a commodity.” – Philip Kotler, Kellogg Graduate School of Management

We counsel clients to not spend another dollar on advertising or marketing until that money becomes an investment that builds their brand. Everything you do matters when you are building your brand.

Brand development means telling the truth about who you are, faster. It’s about telling your story and making a promise, and then living it out.

Story. How are you saving the world (or your customer’s world, at least)? What do you do better than everyone else?

Promise. What do you deliver on over and over again? What is your customers’ unique experience?

Your brand is communicated in all sorts of ways: logos and identity packages, events, advertising, websites, email, etc. The most significant way your brand is communicated is through the direct interaction between your customer and your staff. Can your staff tell your story?

Do you have a story to tell?

Brody

P.S. The holy grail of advertising is word-of-mouth. When your story is told well, other people will start telling it too.

The principle of “shareableness” is the core of social media marketing. This Friday, we will show you the meaning behind Web 2.0, social media, mobile devices, in-bound marketing. Once you have the vocabulary down, you’ll be able to strategize about how social media is relevant to your brand. Join us for Social Media 101 & 102.

Ah, Coincidence

Posted on July 22nd, 2010 at 9:29 pm in Blog, Blue Ocean Ideas, somewhat arbitrary by brody

One of my favorite musicians is releasing a new album:

Great art concept, I’ll say.

Just so you don’t have to scroll to the top of the page:

Weekly Idea: Why We Are Blue Ocean Ideas

Posted on May 25th, 2010 at 2:44 pm in Blog, Blue Ocean Ideas, The Weekly Idea, brand development by brody

Most businesses and organizations exist “competing within the confines of [their] existing industry or trying to steal customers from rivals,” according to Mike Metzger. Those organizations exist in “red oceans.”

It’s tough to fish where there are a lot of boats. The water turns red from the mêlée of competition.

What does it take to get out of there? Great ideas. Using new language and new metaphors will help, too. The businesses that do this are the ones sailing in “blue oceans.”

Getting to a blue ocean requires innovation and courage. You can’t execute on a blue ocean idea unless you ask tough questions, find new solutions, and face the precariousness of going somewhere new. The businesses stuck in red oceans are the ones without a great idea or the guts to act on a great idea.

Positioning yourself for success in a blue ocean is the reason for developing your brand. The best brand development uses innovation and courage to tell the truth about who you are, faster and more compellingly.

Why are we Blue Ocean Ideas? Because this is what we do for our clients: bring out the best ideas and then implement them.

Most of you are going to do the same kind of marketing you have always done, using the same language, the same media, and the same bait. Good luck.

For the courageous few that want to build their brands, you have to become a sailor. More on that next week.

Hoist the sails,

brody

P.S. This weekend is Blood:Water Baltimore’s 2010 Running Water 5K race (& 1 Mile Walk). We hope to see you there!

Weekly Idea: Why We Are Blue Ocean Ideas

Posted on May 25th, 2010 at 2:44 pm in Blog, Blue Ocean Ideas, The Weekly Idea, brand development by brody

Most businesses and organizations exist “competing within the confines of [their] existing industry or trying to steal customers from rivals,” according to Mike Metzger. Those organizations exist in “red oceans.”

It’s tough to fish where there are a lot of boats. The water turns red from the mêlée of competition.

What does it take to get out of there? Great ideas. Using new language and new metaphors will help, too. The businesses that do this are the ones sailing in “blue oceans.”

Getting to a blue ocean requires innovation and courage. You can’t execute on a blue ocean idea unless you ask tough questions, find new solutions, and face the precariousness of going somewhere new. The businesses stuck in red oceans are the ones without a great idea or the guts to act on a great idea.

Positioning yourself for success in a blue ocean is the reason for developing your brand. The best brand development uses innovation and courage to tell the truth about who you are, faster and more compellingly.

Why are we Blue Ocean Ideas? Because this is what we do for our clients: bring out the best ideas and then implement them.

Most of you are going to do the same kind of marketing you have always done, using the same language, the same media, and the same bait. Good luck.

For the courageous few that want to build their brands, you have to become a sailor. More on that next week.

Hoist the sails,

brody

P.S. This weekend is Blood:Water Baltimore’s 2010 Running Water 5K race (& 1 Mile Walk). We hope to see you there!

Wordswell is now Blue Ocean Ideas

Posted on May 12th, 2010 at 12:56 pm in Blog by brody

Dear clients and friends,

Wordswell is now Blue Ocean Ideas.

We are constantly innovating. It’s what we do for clients. It’s what we do in our own shop. So we’ve spent the last 6 weeks re-branding Wordswell to more accurately represent who we are: ideas people. We love ideas and we love to implement them.

We still define brand development as “telling the truth about who you are, faster.” That’s what we are doing for ourselves with this change.

What’s your role? It doesn’t have to be anything in particular. Business will carry on as usual. But, this could be a good opportunity to have a conversation with us about how else we can help you. Or, it could be an opportunity to tell your friends about this awesome team you know. Or, come to one of our several training or discussion events coming up over the next several months.

We are here for you.

Looking forward to the future,

Brody and Greg for the Blue Ocean Team

www.blueoceanideas.net

Wordswell is now Blue Ocean Ideas

Posted on May 12th, 2010 at 12:56 pm in Blog by brody

Dear clients and friends,

Wordswell is now Blue Ocean Ideas.

We are constantly innovating. It’s what we do for clients. It’s what we do in our own shop. So we’ve spent the last 6 weeks re-branding Wordswell to more accurately represent who we are: ideas people. We love ideas and we love to implement them.

We still define brand development as “telling the truth about who you are, faster.” That’s what we are doing for ourselves with this change.

What’s your role? It doesn’t have to be anything in particular. Business will carry on as usual. But, this could be a good opportunity to have a conversation with us about how else we can help you. Or, it could be an opportunity to tell your friends about this awesome team you know. Or, come to one of our several training or discussion events coming up over the next several months.

We are here for you.

Looking forward to the future,

Brody and Greg for the Blue Ocean Team

www.blueoceanideas.net