While a fully-fledged NFC may not be right for your business, you definitely need to make sure you at least have a mobile site to provide the opportunity for your customers to view your information online correctly, easily navigate from a mobile device and purchase products through their mobiles. It is crucial to understand that for many people, their Smart Phone, iPad or Tablet replaces their desktop computer, so providing them with increased functionality will definitely make you stand out from your competitors.

Do the BrandManager ‘digital media checklist' and see how your brand performs!

 

Digital Media Checklist

With the ever changing digital marketing environment it is important that your brand ‘moves with the times’. Take the BrandManager Digital Media Checklist and see how you rate (10 points for each positive answer).

 

• Mobile friendly website
- Can my website be easily viewed on mobile devices like an iPad, Tablet, or Smart Phone?
- Do I have a specific mobile optimised version of my website, i.e. mobile.yourdomain.com.au?

• E-commerce
- Does my website accept payments for bookings online?

• Video Content
-Does my website feature a photo or gallery?
-Do I have a YouTube channel?

• Social Media
-Do I have links to Twitter, LinkedIn and/or Facebook clearly visible on my site?

• Blog and Electronic News
-Do I have a Blog on my site?
-Do I communicate with customers regularly via an electronic newsletter?

• Search Engine Optimisation
-Am I engaged in effective SEO to improve my Google search rankings?
-Do I conduct or have I tried Google Adwords as a marketing tool?

• Content Management
-Is my website driven by a user friendly Content Management System so I have control over content?

Add up your score, 10 points for each question you answer ‘Yes’ to and ‘0’ points for a ‘No’. If your score is less than 100 then you might like to consider a digital media briefing session with BrandManager and we’ll prepare for you a budget and strategy to achieve maximum performance online. Contact Daniel at BrandManager on 1300 55 30 33 for more details.

Although Your Australian Business can help business all over the world we will be initially assisting  UK based businesses to expand into Australia whilst gaining free trade access to markets such as Asia through a series of ‘turnkey’ packages. Consequently Your Australian Business is conducting a series of free information seminars throughout the UK, Scotland and Ireland from the 22nd of November through to the 1st of December.  Each session will be free and is strictly limited to 50 participants.

 

 

Our 'Business Road Trip' itinerary is as follows: 

Tuesday 22/11:

London - Business After Five
Novotel London City South
5:30pm to 7:30pm

 

Wednesday 23/11:

Southampton - Business After Five
Novotel Southampton
5:30pm to 7:30pm 

 

Friday 25/11:

Dublin - Business Lunch
Dublin Chamber of Commerce
12:30pm to 2:30pm 

 

Monday 28/11:

Edinburgh - Business After Five
Novotel Edinburgh Centre
5:30pm to 7:30pm 

 

Wednesday 30/11:

Manchester - Business After Five
Novotel Manchester Centre
5:30pm to 7:30pm 

 

Thursday 1/12:

Birmingham - Business After Five
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
5:30pm to 7:30pm

To find out more about how Your Australian Business may benefit you or someone you may know please visit www.youraustralianbusiness.com and stay tuned for updates about our upcoming UK trip through Twitter – click here to follow us.

Would you like to…

• See your brand as fresh and tech-savvy?
• Drive more traffic to your website?
• Engage your consumers by giving them instant access to what they want?

Talk to Brand Manager about how to achieve all that and more using this cool, interactive technology called QR codes.




What is a QR code you ask?

Scan your smart phone on the secret code above to find out more (You may need to first download the free reader app.)

A QR code is a specially coded 2D barcode, which is readable by a smart phone (iPhone, Android or Blackberry). All that is needed is to install one of the many free QR reader apps and a whole lot of information becomes instantly accessible with a simple scan of your phone.

We’re all familiar with barcodes and essentially that’s what a QR code is. However the biggest difference with these fancier barcodes is that they can direct your consumers to a world of information. A QR code is a specially coded 2D barcode, which is readable by a smart phone (iPhone, Android or Blackberry). All that is needed is to install one of the many free QR reader apps and a whole lot of information becomes instantly accessible with a simple scan of your phone.

The cool thing about these barcodes is that they can do a lot of different things, they can activate a number of phone functions, link to digital content on the web, send customers to any website or give your customers the option to instantly contact your company via email or phone. A QR code can hold thousands of alphanumeric characters of information and can be coded with your company’s website, your Facebook page, your blog, your twitter account, YouTube Channel etc. The options are endless!



Businesses in Japan, South Korea and the Netherlands have been using QR codes for a while now, with Western countries slowly starting to recognise the usefulness of these strange-looking barcodes. Businesses in Australia are now beginning to acknowledge the benefits of utilising such a tool and QR codes are starting to pop up on window displays, posters and coupons around the country.

QR codes allow you to measure response rates with a high level of accuracy, in turn allowing you to clearly calculate your return on investment, making them ideal for small businesses.

If you would like to offer your customers a innovative and interactive way of connecting with your business, why not let us show you how to best incorporate QR codes into your marketing campaign? Get in touch with Brand Manager today and let us devise a plan to engage your consumers using the technology of QR codes.

Call 1300 55 30 33 or email info@thebrandmanager.com.au to talk to us about marketing your brand using QR codes.

We are excited to share with you our latest client brands to launch for this year. Congratulations to Penny Webb, Wayfield Group, Airaway and The College of Nursing's Emerging Nurse Leader Program.

Get in early and let BrandManager help you prepare high quality, personalised Christmas cards for your customers and business contacts.

With a minimum order of only 50 cards, you can select the size, design and finish that suits your requirements and your budget – they will even be delivered free of charge to you within 10 working days! No need to worry about anything!

This offer includes:

• Free design templates for Standard and Blingfoil cards (metalic look for that real Christmas sparkle!)
• DL or Postcard size (tent cards)
• 310gsm Artboard with gloss laminated front
• Matching plain envelopes
• Pre-printed Christmas message with free variable data
• As mentioned above, free delivery anywhere in Australia and completed within 10 working days!

Standard Postcard Size (150mmx 100mm)

Price: $2.35 + GST per card (includes envelope)

Blingfoil Postcard Size (150mmx 100mm)

Price: $2.95 + GST per card (includes envelope)

Standard DL Size (210mmx 99mm)

Price: $3.45 + GST per card (includes envelope)

Blingfoil DL Size (210mmx 99mm)

Price: $3.95 + GST per card (includes envelope)

The Hills Shire Business Achiever Awards has nominated BrandManager as one of the finalists from 30 categories on offer - in the area of Business Services. The highlight of the program is the awards presentation dinner on October 6th at Castle Hills RSL. The presentation dinner is an opportunity for finalists to let their hair down and celebrate with other local businesses, dignitaries, special guests, family and friends. Checkout the Cocktails for Finalists feature from the Hills Shire Times and the full 2010 Business Achiever Awards feature in the Hills Shire Times



We are also excited to be named as finalists in the 2010 Suncorp Western Sydney Awards for Business Excellence - the awards will be announced at a Gala Dinner event at the Grand Pavilion STC Function Centre, Rosehill Gardens on Tuesday September 14th.

To begin we need to first understand what the term ‘marketing’ really means, so let’s look at marketing in simple dating terms:

You see an attractive girl at a function. You go up to 
her and say: “I am very rich. Would you like to have dinner with me?”

That’s Direct Marketing.

Or perhaps you go up to
 the same girl and say: “I am very rich. Would you like to have dinner with me!” She then gives you a nice hard slap on your face.

That’s Customer Feedback.

Or one of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says: “He’s very rich – have dinner with him.”

That’s Advertising.

Or you go up to 
her, get her phone number – then you call the next day and say: “Hi, I’m very rich – will you have dinner with me?
That’s Telemarketing.

Or you get up
and straighten your suit, you walk up to her and pour
her a drink, you open the door and then politely ask her to dinner”

That’s Public Relations.

Finally the girl walks
up to you and says: ”You are very rich – will you have dinner with me?”

Now that’s Brand Recognition.



We should all strive for brand recognition in our businesses but to do this especially during tough economic times we have to stay front of mind with our target market. An interesting statistic is that brands that continued to advertise throughout the second world war eventually became the market leaders in their field when the war was over. In an economic downturn don’t cut or worse still eliminate your marketing budget – instead, just get a little smarter with it. To help, here’s part one outlining “5 creative strategies for marketing your business and retaining your brand recognition during tough economic times”.

First up, how to stand out from your competitors. In tough times we need to first get ‘back to the basics’.  We need to focus on one core product that we do really well and better than any of our competitors and then do it even better!

It is important to always remain true to our brand. In a Readers Digest poll during 2008 of the world’s most trusted brand revealed that: ‘… the most important thing to a customer is a brand being true to its promise’.
Leading global brands like Coca-Cola remain true to their brand – wherever you go in the world the coke generally tastes the same and the branding remains consistent - and that brand is now worth over $60 billion US.

To remain true to your brand you need to remember what business you are in. Sounds simple but it’s probably not what you think – for example if a baker in the bread making business or Bunnings in the hardware business?
The answer is no – in fact we are all in the same business and that’s the ‘problem solving’ business.


Customers today like they always have, buy on ‘emotion’. We need to identity what that emotion is and then become the ‘panadol’ for their headache. You should always strive to continually educate your customers and prospects to understand, appreciate and desire the benefit of the product or service you sell over that of your competitors. Focus on your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and make sure everyone knows about it. Make your USP believable and above all, measurable.  FedEx used to have the USP ‘We own our planes’ and almost went out of business – until they come up with ‘Absolutely. Positively. Overnight’.  Now that’s believable and definitely measurable.

Next time we look at how making small changes to your marketing can bring you big results.

Tony Eades
Creative Director
www.thebrandmanager.com.au

What’s a brand refresh?

As markets change, businesses mature and new business trends develop, it is often necessary to ‘refresh’ a brand.

Your positioning in the marketplace has already been established so a totally new look could impact on your
existing brand awareness. What is needed at this time and indeed every three to five years for most brands is a BrandManager ‘Brand Refresh’.

Why change?

Some of the reasons that trigger the need for a ‘Brand Refresh’ include but are not limited to ...

• New directions and reframing of your business directions as your brand grows and matures
• Market trends and consumer demand changes - just look at fashion for example, how much of your current ‘fashionable’ wardrobe of clothes do you wear today that are more than five years old. Like the fashion industry, the business marketplace changes in design, colour and style every few years.
• New competitors enter your ‘space’ creating a need to better differentiate yourself.
• Business growth has reached a plateau and your business image is looking a little tired.
• The time has come to refocus and tailor to a specific market demographic so there is a requirement to bring the brand inline with this new target market.

What’s included?

The ‘Brand Refresh’ process includes ...

• Review of your current positioning and competitors
• Development and/or refinement of your positioning statement
• Graphic upgrade of your current logo in line with market themes and trends
• Design, production and printing of a new corporate stationery package
• Redesign and mockup of your website
• Brand Style Guide including fonts, colours and management of the new brand
• Six month Brand Marketing Strategy

Normally $3,900 ex GST
Subscriber Special for August only
Save $1000  Now $2,900 ex GST

It’s a fresh new financial year so to give your business a much needed facelift let’s start on the surface with your logo and branding.  Do some research and source your main competitors – online and offline – and print out their logos, take note of their marketing message, their Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and their positioning.  Now compare your logo, brand and USP to that of your competitors – does it clearly stand out, does it feel fresh and modern or old and tired and if you were a potential customer would it be inviting to you?

Now let’s go deeper into your organisation.  If your USP says that you are more ‘innovative’ or ‘reliable’ than your competitors then you need to back this up throughout your business.  Test the effectiveness of your USP across all areas from point of sale to customer service, your brochure copy to the way you answer the phone and down to your ‘elevator pitch' – the 30 second ad that sums up what your business is all about.

Finally you need to be realistic about your makeover budget – how much will you invest in your new look?  An upgrade of your existing branding can cost between five and twenty thousand dollars depending on the size of your company whilst new brand development can cost in excess of thirty thousand dollars and involve market research, new signage across your operation and a re-design of your website.

A business makeover allows you to freshen up your position in the marketplace, re-energise your sales team and shake up the competition.  It strengthens your brand by aligning everything together with a common theme and message together with re-focussing your marketing strategies to achieve better returns and support long term growth.

Have you noticed your sales declining, fewer prospects or even more competitors moving into your space?

Your brand is the most important asset in your business – it’s the reason why people buy from you and not your competitors. So, how effective is your brand in today’s marketplace – is it really as powerful as it could be? Compare your logo, brand and USP (your unique selling proposition) to that of your competitors – does it clearly stand out, does it feel fresh and modern or old and tired? If you were a potential customer would you be excited and motivated to buy from your business?

We’ve worked with literally hundreds of businesses like yours, large and small organisations from all over Australia and we have found that when it comes to marketing the same common mistakes are made time and time again.

Working with BrandManager means you will …

• Unlock your true business potential, grow your brand and increase sales by avoiding common marketing mistakes
  
• Tap in to a pool of creative talent to make your marketing more exciting and above all, far more effective
• Save time by working with one company that has the experience you need in print, web, digital media and mainstream advertising
• Save money with discounts of up to 30 percent on Australia’s best wholesale print pricing
• Manage and grow your business with print marketing software, sales training and marketing workshops 

I'm Tony Eades, BrandManager's Creative Director - invest just 30 minutes in a meeting with me and I’ll show you where you are probably going wrong with your marketing and what you should be doing right now to grow your business brand. 

Phone us on 1300 55 30 33, email info@thebrandmanager.com.au or call in for a coffee at level 5, Nexus Building, 4 Columbia Court, Baulkham Hills.

60 seconds with Damian Knight

Look who’s talking ...

Ashleigh Sheehan, Business Development Manager, DesignShop

Your time starts now...

The best night of television is ... Wednesday! I love The Gruen Transfer and The Kathryn Tate Show. Plus I’ve been enjoying Risking It All on SBS. I can’t believe I collect ... paper. I have pads and pads of paper, and exercise books (with the Japanese and Korean covers from Morning Glory) and cute little note books – hundreds of leather bound and sari covered notebooks from India (well, maybe not hundreds but definitely slightly obsessive...)   An artist on my ipod I’m slightly embarrassed about (but I really love) is ... Justin Timberlake. He’s actually cool, right? Oh and Eminem, his lyrics assault my feminist leanings but his beats get under my skin ...

My best chance of representing Australia in the Beijing Olympics would be ... in Basketball. Sport is not my strong suit at all, but I played basketball when I was a kid and I’m pretty tall ...

Before I die I’d love to visit ... Iran. Such incredible history and culture. Maybe they would pretend to be impressed by my smattering of Farsi?