Building the character of the creative –

When it comes to ensuring that we create on-target marketing materials, my partner and I have always employed what has been called the Q Strategy.  We build a company backgrounder, craft a communications strategy, and then judge all creative by that strategy before presenting it to the client. We gather most of the information needed for this process by questioning the client’s marketing manager or business development director, and other key personnel or decision makers.

Surprising to some, tone often trumps “features, advantages and benefits” when it comes to manifesting the client’s compelling story from lists of marketing objectives. Yes, preliminary conversations with clients often center around how a product or service increases the good stuff, decreases the bad stuff, and does it all more effectively and efficiently.  This is necessary and informative.  But clients really come to life, and the story begins to take shape, when we start to talk about tone, personality, and the single most important feeling they want their customers to take away from their new messaging.  In fact, it’s during this part of an input meeting when I often sketch concept ideas and write the first lines of rough copy in the margins of my notepad.

Several years ago, an article exploring this process was published in a few industry publications, including “Creative New Jersey” and the “Art Directors Club of NJ” newsletter.  It was written by Joe Napurano, a very well-regarded art director and co-owner of BallottaNapurano & Co., Inc. (established in 1978).  Joe happens to be my father, as well as a personal and professional inspiration.  Here is the original author’s edited excerpt:

Client relations and the process of creating an ad

During a client-agency creative session back in the 90s I listened intently as my client was describing the “type” of advertising he thought would work for his company.  Later, when I examined my notes, I found his list of descriptive words numbered over three dozen.  Many of them contradictory:  something awesome, something soft-sell, something clever, something technical, something humorous, etc.

What occurred to me is that there are many ways to create effective advertising, but very often it is the character of the ads that gets the client’s nod or the wastebasket.

Over the years, for fun, I’ve compiled such a list.  True, most of it can be chronicled in the Cliché Hall of Fame, but for what it’s worth – use it, add to it, be awesome at your next stalled, input session – or slick, or clever, or shocking, or informative, or solemn, or nostalgic, or tough, or humble:

•  Lighthearted

•  Dramatic

•  Conservative

•  Copy-ish

•  Short-copy

•  Long-copy

•  Lotsa White Space

•  Straightforward

•  Beautiful

•  Atmospheric

•  Technical

•  Institutional

•  Entertaining

•  How-to

•  Advertorial

•  Informative

•  Hard-working

•  Educational

•  Testimonial

•  Expensive-looking

•  Product-oriented

•  Brag and Boast

•  Pun-oriented

•  Visually Stunning

•  Deadly Serious

•  Self-effacing

•  Hyperbolic

•  Hokey

•  Image-building

•  The Business Week Ad

•  Corporate

•  Directory-like

•  Show-stopper

•  Comparative

•  Competitive

•  A Puzzle

•  A Toy Analogy

•  Belligerent

•  Little Guy vs. Big Guy

•  The Nice Guy

•  Shocker

•  Co-op

•  Authoritative

•  Cartoony

•  Comic-bookish

•  Futuristic

•  Old School

•  The Industry Standard

•  Nostalgic

•  Tough Talk

•  The Very Big Photo

•  All Copy

•  The Motherly Ad

•  Special Effects

•  Borrowed Interest

•  Very Big Type

•  All Headline

•  Punchline

•  Bottom Line

•  Return On Investment

•  Cliché

•  Capabilities

•  Double Meaning

•  Patriotic

•  State of the Art

•  The Negative Approach

•  Scare Tactic

•  “We Can Help You”

•  “We Exist For You”

•  Play on Words

•  A Series

•  The Reasons-Why List

•  Guarantee

•  Did You Know These Facts?

•  You Shouldn’t Have To Put Up With This!

•  Emotional

•  We’re Smart

•  Sports Analogy

•  No-Nonsense

•  Handcrafted Quality

•  Our Commitment

•  Slice of Life

•  Executive Biography

•  Artsy

•  Put-up or Shut-up

•  Excellence Unequaled

•  Let Us Show You Why We’re Good

•  We Are on the Job

•  Case History

•  Brand Identity

•  Sell the Sizzle

•  Tongue-in-cheek

•  Don’t Be Fooled

•  Call-outs

•  Coupon

•  Free Stuff

•  Introductory

•  Grainy B&W Photos

•  Journalistic

•  Old World Craftsmanship

•  In the factory photos

•  Everything You Wanted To Know

•  Celebrity Endorsement

•  Animal Analogy

•  Leader of the Industry

•  Industry Pioneer

•  We Invented It

•  We’re Small But Better

•  We’re Big But We Love You

•  Real People

All my best,

Deanne

© Stone’s Throw, Inc. All rights reserved.

That can be especially true for marketing, sales, and communications materials. One project that often slips to the bottom of the to-do pile during prime time is the hardworking case study.

Sales teams love case studies because they help prospective customers visualize the benefits of working together in a real-world example. Case studies serve as testimonials, services run-downs, and, if well-crafted, compelling advertisements that help elevate your reputation. They also provide plenty of opportunity for repurposing: launch them as blog posts; send them as emails; make them available as PDFs; print them and package them with leave-behinds and proposals; and, of course, serialize them across your social media accounts and newsfeeds. Case studies show off what your company does best.

If we’ve inspired you to create a couple new case studies for your team, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Develop a template that reflects your brand and key objectives. Following your own style guidelines will help unify the look and feel of the case studies, fortifying your brand and core messaging.

Focus on the primary customer benefit of working with your company. Don’t shy away from the emotional impact of the project. Help readers understand why saving time was essential to your customers because with more time they could focus on improving service to their customers, for instance.

Decide which is most important: the customer industry or the bundle of services your team delivered. Direct the case study into that lane so you and your sales team can get the most use out of it. If you want to employ it with both audiences, write it two ways and create two different studies. Don’t try to accomplish both with one; you’ll muddy the intention.

Break the story into a few major categories.

Answer the questions:
• What was the problem, challenge, or assignment?
• Why were you brought onto the project?
• What was your unique approach to finding a solution?
• How did the customer benefit?
• How did the customer’s customer benefit?
• What details made a substantial difference?
• Why is this case study of interest to anyone else?

Ask every contributor the same questions. If you’re getting information from different resources from inside your company, provide each with the same short questionnaire. This way, you’ll find it easier to create similarity between content flow and depth of detail.

We can help.

If the timing isn’t right for you to start work on your case studies, we’ve got you covered. In short order, we can get you geared up with shiny new case studies that your team will want to use. Send us an email or give us a call.

Connect your profile to your company’s LinkedIn page

Taking an extra few seconds to connect your profile to your company’s LinkedIn page gives you and your company several advantages. Primarily, it puts you in a position to support company posts and increase your company’s visibility online. It’s an easy fix:

Open LinkedIn and click on the “Me” menu title under your profile pic in the top menu bar (toward the right). From the pull-down menu, select “View profile” in blue. Once your profile opens, scroll down to your Experience section and click on the pencil in the top right corner of your current role at your company. That opens the editor window.  In the editor pop-up window, highlight your current company name as though you’re going to delete it. Then begin typing in your company name again. The search has a smart finder that should help you connect to your company page; if a company page for your company exists on the LinkedIn platform, it will appear in the pull-down menu. Select your company page. Be sure to click SAVE in the bottom right of the window. Now your company name in your LinkedIn profile will be a live link to your LinkedIn company page.

If your company doesn’t have a dedicated LinkedIn page, you could be missing opportunities. In short order, we can help you set up your social media foundation, determine which platforms will serve your needs, and plan for content and posts.

Is your business or product about to reach an important anniversary?

Over the past few months several of our clients have been talking with us about celebrating major anniversaries. Together we talked about options to mark the occasions. It reminded us that a couple of years ago we’d jotted down some general ideas. We thought they might be worth sharing again.

If, like our clients, you are nearing a significant anniversary, congratulations! Experience is a valuable business asset. Businesses that stand the test of time foster trust and confidence.

When your business or product reaches a milestone anniversary, let your clients and colleagues know about it. Whether you decide to create a celebratory badge for your website header and a single press release, or plan to celebrate with several activities culminating in an event, let’s call your anniversary activities a “program.”

No matter the details, whatever you do will and should serve as a marketing communications opportunity. If at all possible up front, determine the length of time you’d like to dedicate to your anniversary program, determine a budget for the program, create a timeline for program events and activities, and assign responsibilities for each project or task. At the risk of sounding crass, like other communications programs, an anniversary program easily falls under the category of business building in all its forms and departmental labels: business development, public relations, marketing, lead generation, corporate communications, sales and promotion, etc.

As upbeat and celebratory as some of the events to mark them may be, make no mistake, anniversaries mean serious business. Whatever you plan to do, try to focus on and involve your clients, employees, community and any other groups that influence your company. This will also help you determine the anniversary themes and events that will resonate most.

We’ve put together a list of ideas for helping to mark the occasion, and perhaps create a little buzz and good will with your clients, employees, and other business colleagues. The list begins with the most practical and least expensive. It’s certainly not all-inclusive, but it should help to get your creative wheels turning.

Do a bit of digging.

Browse through your company archives and scrapbooks with the aim of rediscovering your company, recording a company history timeline, and collecting photos and news items that may help tell your anniversary story. This research may also help set the tone for your anniversary and spark ideas to commemorate it. For example, you might use the material to create a reception-area display or a web page of your company’s history. Be sure to get your team involved in the digging. Encourage employees to send in photos from their time with the company, too.

Establish a theme.

An anniversary theme could include a special logo and tagline – Clients first for fifty years, Celebrating a million widgets, etc. – or full-on strategically minded concepts integrated into your marketing campaign.

Tell your story.

Write a press release that isn’t simply an announcement of your anniversary, but shows how relevant your anniversary is in 2021. Talk about the economic climate changes your business has weathered. Mention other events that parallel your history. Showcase employees that have been with the company over its history. Has your business contributed to forming – or has it responded to – historical events? Allow readers to see some of what so many years of successful experience looks like. Perhaps provide helpful information about your area of business expertise. Be sure to tailor your news release to each particular media outlet you contact. Submit content or press releases to appropriate trade and business journals and other outlets. Don’t forget to post anniversary content on your blog and social media accounts.

Let people see (and hear) your success. Include your anniversary logo and tagline on all communications materials. Teach employees how to use the logo in email signatures. Provide your employees with document headers or anniversary watermarks to use on electronic proposals and invoices or integrate the anniversary logo into specially printed letterhead, invitations, and other materials. Make sure all of your trade dress includes reference to your anniversary (employee recruitment postings, billboards, print and online advertisements, brochures, etc.).

If you’re doing business in person, you may want to create a few posters to use internally – a thank you to your clients in the reception area and thank-yous to employees in common areas. Consider adding an anniversary or thank-you message to the recorded greeting on your company’s phone answering system and/or integrate it into reception greetings and phone answering.

Show you care.

You and your team are likely already engaged in lots of good will projects. The possibilities are endless. Here are a few ideas that don’t have to be exorbitantly expensive in order to be effective, worthwhile, and appreciated:

Sponsor a fundraising team for a cause that’s meaningful to you and your staff. Provide T-shirts or incentive prizes.

Offer clients an anniversary package deal. Are there a few services you might bundle together at ‘anniversary’ pricing?

Plan and sponsor a community event. Contact the town in which you operate your business to see if there are opportunities for you to plant a tree or a garden in one of its parks – or donate a piece of sculpture or playground equipment. Provide a free professional services workshop in concert with one of the area colleges. Institute a scholarship. Create a time capsule. Invite the media to the event by sending out a news release prior and contacting editors personally (especially the community news). Tie the event into your company mission.

Throw a party.

As we emerge from tight safety restrictions, is it time to plan an online or outdoor party? Consider inviting clients and employees to something more celebratory in a special location. Consider recognizing anniversaries within your anniversary; recognize employee and client loyalty with awards. Show a slide show of your scrapbook. Schedule the party to coincide with your actual anniversary date. Be sure to photograph the event and share the photos (website, newsletter, press releases, etc.).

Give a few gifts.

Giving a small, quality token of appreciation can go a long way. Depending on the ‘theme’ for your anniversary, select gifts that will bear your logo and tagline. Match the item with your mission and the theme of the anniversary. Personally, I would choose and recommend recycled, repurposed, and green giveaways over cheap and mass-produced plastic bits. ‘Honor’ charitable contributions, a healthy plant, flowers, good food, and well-made chocolates top my list – all green and all customizable. Gift cards and recognition awards can be quite meaningful, especially for your staff.

Tap into your creative team.

If you’re at a loss for where to begin, or simply don’t have enough time to get things started, why not use your trusty creative resources to help develop your anniversary concept and bring it all together? Like your favorite writer or designer? (That’s my shameless promotional plug.)

No matter how you celebrate and share your story, happy anniversary!

All my best,

Deanne

© Stone’s Throw, Inc. All rights reserved.

This year Stone’s Throw Creative Communications will be celebrating 30 years in business. Headquartered in Historic Cranbury, NJ, we’ve experienced so much. From the current pandemic to 9/11 to Superstorm Sandy, we all persevere with a lot of help from each other.

Heritage Park

The engraved stone pictured above can be found in Heritage Park. The park features a fountain with granite pavers commemorating Cranbury’s tercentennial anniversary – yes, that’s 300 years! Dedicated in 1997, the fountain is laid with pavers sponsored by area businesses and families who contributed to the fountain’s construction through a ‘buy a brick’ fundraising campaign. Literally etched in stone, Stone’s Throw is proud to be a small part of the community’s history.

Photography copyright © Deanne Napurano. All rights reserved.

Whether you’ve re-engineered your workforce to meet the changing demands of working during the COVID-19 pandemic or find yourself needing new or different communications than you did pre-coronavirus, where do you begin to determine if it makes greater financial sense to tackle marketing communications projects internally or to tap the services of an outside consultant? Evaluating the cost of a product may be straightforward – adding up the expenses of research, development, raw materials, manufacture, and packaging, for example. Evaluating the cost of services takes a more roundabout route requiring qualitative, rather than quantitative, assessment. If you’re considering hiring creative support from outside your organization, the following ideas may help you determine whether the move will represent true value.

Contract with specialists.

As marketing options simultaneously expand with today’s technological advances and narrow with new safety concerns, it’s challenging for all but the largest organizations to employ a full team of talented specialists in design, copywriting, photography, programming, illustration, and animation. One approach to curbing costs while keeping your competitive edge is through utilizing staff managers who are free to engage supplemental outside creative or contract marketing consultants who pull in team members as needed. In that way, your organization can leverage high-quality resources while staying lean and nimble.

Consider the actual money spent.

Contracting with outside creative talent can actually be less expensive than handling the same work internally when considering the actual cost of internal labor. According to Creative Business: “Most commonly, internal department cross-charges only accommodate actual payroll expenses with a small factor thrown in for overhead expenses. When all costs—salaries, benefits, and overhead—are included, studies have shown that charges for outside creative vendors actually average about 5% less than the same work done internally.” What’s more, creative fees often account for only a fraction of total costs of any marketing effort. Consider, for example, the cost of copywriting and design for an advertising campaign compared with the costs of the media space buy (paying for placement in online and print publications).

Do you have the in-house talent?

Some marketing communications projects require special know-how, some don’t. When it’s important to your business, the scales may tip in favor of engaging an outside resource. Many can attest to the experience of using available, well-meaning internal staff that winds up being an expensive choice in terms of failing to meet marketing objectives and missing opportunities. It also deflects internal staff from the jobs they’ve been hired to perform. “When effectiveness is critically important, hiring an outside specialist is always the least expensive and most productive alternative,” according to Creative Business.

Can in-house staff perform well under the extra strain?

Consider disruption, deflection, and squirrel chasing. When staff is already working at or near capacity, even a small assignment can clog the machine. We’ve seen situations in which the overworked employee simply gives the project her least attention and effort; she resents the imposition. We’ve also seen more enthusiastic responses in which the overworked employee drops her routine duties in favor of the special project, gumming up the works of the department. Unless your staff has excess capacity, think about bringing in an outside resource.

Do you want to retain more control?

Years of reports from many clients reveal that it’s just tougher to control marketing projects internally because management faces obstacles assigning tough deadlines or giving critical feedback to team members who have taken on special projects outside of their usual duties – forget navigating through office politics and disagreement around ultimate responsibility. “When you absolutely, positively have to have it done, your way, and on schedule, hire an outside vendor.”

Do you need a little objectivity?

If you’re looking for someone to stroll into the middle of your challenges and throw open the window to let in the sunshine, it may be hard to find that kind of perspective within your team. Working very closely with a product or organization over time may create blinders that you and your team no longer sense. An outside creative partner can help bring much-needed objectivity to your marketing communications and create fresh brand language that resonates with your target audiences.

It’s a scary time right now. A lot of people are suffering. Our focus, like yours, is on keeping ourselves and the people we care about – our communities – healthy and safe. A lot of our clients are suffering. As they pivot to set up efficient and remote workspaces for employees, they are making hard decisions about laying off or cutting back employees and employee time. They are cancelling all kinds of contracts from building maintenance to marketing communications, which is the business we’re in. Some businesses are moving forward with their communications as though it’s business as usual.  Others are taking a good look at what their gifts are, what their strengths are, and framing their communications so people can hear that they understand that we are all in this together…so people can hear that they plan on responding appropriately to support their clients, customers, and community. They are working hard to be here for the long run even though we don’t know what our state of commerce will be after this pandemic.

If we can give any support or advice to the clients who have turned to us for marketing execution (writing and design) or marketing strategy (consultation) over the past three decades, it is that you be extra careful not to appear tone deaf (we know no one is), but look carefully at your language. People are making decisions now based on how their partners, vendors, and colleagues are responding. They are making decisions based on the experiences they’re having right now with, and the pandemic response narratives emerging from, the people who provide services to them and their businesses. So we say, if you haven’t reached out to the people you do business with, do that. Do that. It’s not the time for marketing as usual…or worse, radio silence. And, as you reach out there’s every reason to think about how your bundle of services or products can support folks, if not now, then for where we are going to be a few months down the road or next year. I wish you all well and I hope you stay safe.  I’ll see you on the other side.

Listen to Deanne’s message

We hope that you are doing well. These are extraordinary times and we’re all doing our best to take care of each other while keeping our spirits up. As we all adjust to stay-at-home status and try to ensure that we’re keeping ourselves, our families, and our communities safe and healthy, we’re all also being hit hard logistically and financially.

In case you’re in need, we continue to provide communications support to our clients and have added some extras that may be helpful at this time:

• Writing and editing for public-facing COVID-19 messaging
• Complimentary consultations via GoToMeeting/computer video
• Free project planning and estimating
• Preferred pricing
• Curbside pickup for copy and design (it’s actually delivered via email or secure online portal)

Please stay safe. We look forward to seeing you soon.

We’re already seeing communications needs being dramatically affected in response to COVID-19. Some of our clients are rethinking investment in tradeshow materials, for example, but are reinforcing public-facing messaging about their commitment to employees, clients, and community. We know that even if the vehicle for the conversation is changing, the importance of your voice remains vital to your business relationships.

We remain here to help. As the focus of homebound employees narrows to essential client, customer, and patient work, outside resources may be more useful than ever. We value your trust in us. Below, we’ve listed a few areas in which we can provide support, but if you’d just like to strategize a bit over the phone or via video conference call, we’d be more than happy to talk with you.

Consultation, writing, design for:

• Website messaging/content
• Social media planning and content
• Email messaging and development
• Blog planning and content
• Online advertisement/announcement
• Press release writing and submission
• White papers and thought-leadership materials
• Employee and member communications
• Questionnaires and surveys
• Staff training course creation via learning
  management platform