The Lonely Marketer

I have a feeling this month’s BrandingWire project is going to be popular for many marketing bloggers. I’m hoping it elicits some strong opinions! Our project is to tackle how a small B2B marketing consulting firm should brand and market themselves. I know many bloggers who participate in the marketing blog community and many of them own or work for B2B marketing consulting firms. From branding to search engine marketing, the type of marketing consulting varies but the goals remain the same.

A side note - you’re going to get a different perspective from me. I happen to be on the client side BUT, have some strong opinions on how a marketing consulting firm should go about getting my business.

On occasion over the last few years, I’ve interviewed some local B2B marketing consulting firms to help us with various problems or improvements we’ve wanted to make. Rarely do the engagements go past the first meeting. Maybe it’s me. Maybe I’m expecting too much, but when my small budget is on the line I better have confidence that they can perform the task at hand better than me.

Here is how I believe a marketing firm should market and brand themselves.

Stick With Who You Are: Marketing has evolved so much over the last few years that the amount of marketing functions is hard to track. There is branding, email marketing, SEM/SEO, web design, blogging, paid search, etc. We had considered outsourcing our SEO and had interviewed many consultants. I would ask each firm on the phone if they had SEO professionals in house and each would say yes. When they arrived for a meeting it was obvious the company’s web designer was now an SEO professional or they would say they’re “partnering” with another firm on this project. Well, I know a bit more than your average person about SEO so it was easy to see that they really didn’t understand the trade. I think you need to brand and market to your skills and not pretend you’re something you’re not.

Speak Out: If you’re primarily a local consulting firm, than I think you should be working at getting speaking engagements and local or national industry events. Being seen as a speaker promotes yourself as an expert and therefore shines positively upon your consulting practice.

Be That Company People Have Heard About: Getting involved in local chamber events and doing the networking side of the business is a must. I believe alot of customer engagements start with meeting potential customers or people that can point you towards those customers at local networking events.

Be Heard: I’ll be honest, the top two or three consultants we had in were people who had blogs that I read or podcasts to which I listened. I felt like I had the chance to get to know them and learn that they were experts in their field before we even met.

Be Search-able: Whatever you do online - whether that is a website, blog, podcast, etc. - make sure you’ve optimized for local search. The first thing I did was go to Google and look for Minneapolis consultants. If I couldn’t find you online, I was going to have a tough time finding you.

Be Prepared: As a buyer of consulting services, I can tell you that I need to know about your company and with whom you’ve done business. In our first meeting I’d like to know how big or small you are, what areas of expertise you have in house, and examples of projects you’ve recently done.

How Will We Work Together?: This might not be a popular opinion, but I think alot of branding happens as you present yourself to a prospect. I think companies can set themselves apart by how well they present their processes. Too many companies have walked into my office and left me wondering how we were going to work together. Professional presentations and outlines of how you typically go about working with customers goes a long way.

Price Wisely: I’m not the type of buyer that always jumps at the lowest price. In fact, I think the lowest bidder usually gets tossed out of consideration. How you price your services says alot about how you perceive the work you will do.

If I stepped out today and turned the Lonely Marketer into a marketing consulting firm, these are the elements on which I would focus when developing my branding and marketing strategy. Marketing consultants are in a competitive field and each step in the vendor/customer relationship is crucial.

Get more high-voltage ideas at BrandingWire! Also, stop by and see what others in the group had to say on this topic: Martin Jelsema, Lewis Green, Kevin Dugan, Valeria Maltoni, Steve Woodruff, Drew McLellan, Gavin Heaton, Becky Carroll, Olivier Blanchard.

For this month’s BrandingWire case study, we’re taking on a small, BtoB IT company. The company contacted us and volunteered to be the focus of our next collaborative post. Although the company wishes to remain anonymous, we do have quite a bit of information that sets up a very interesting branding study.

Based in Canada, this company positions themselves as a full service IT shop focused on small to medium sized business in their city and the surrounding areas. Some areas of focus for them include:

• Proactive network maintenance
• Monitoring of critical systems
• 24/7 emergency IT support
• New user set-up
• Procurement of hardware and software
• Consulting work

They’ve also entered a new and interesting sector of IT called Green IT which focuses on cutting energy use and waste through environmentally responsible IT practices.

Some challenges the company faces are:

• Helping customers understand value of their services (helping them justify the price tag)
• Land better customers who understand the importance of IT services.
• A desire to position themselves as a partner in customer’s business rather than just a quick repair service.

I was actually pretty excited to receive this study this month. I have experience working in marketing for an IT services company and I currently work for a data hardware manufacturer that targets IT managers in both large and small businesses. One aspect of the IT business I’ve come to realize over the years is that there seem to be three levels of IT consulting companies seen through the eyes of the IT buyer:

• “Company A” - The Large Worldwide IT Consulting Company: This firm has national or worldwide advertising and brand name, thousands of employees, charges a premium and gets that premium. The buyer has complete faith that the massive amount of money they’re spending on that company is worth it because of brand’s appeal and recognition.
• “Company B” - The Smaller - More Regional - IT Consulting Company: This group does not have national advertising and their brand is not first on the minds of buyers. They have a smaller number of employees but stretch to offer a portfolio of products similar to the large company above. Their business is driven by a small sales team and/or word of mouth. Oftentimes their proposals are under scrutiny and their prices are debated because they don’t have that large brand name behind them. They have great service but have to work three times as hard to prove it.
• “Company C” - The One or Two Person Shop: These are the folks that have a small network of customers who call them for the small projects. They have plenty of business but don’t aspire to grow beyond their home office. They also wouldn’t be relied upon for large-scale projects.

I believe that our client for this study is that middle tier. So how does that level of company compete for big business? IT buyers are complex - they are relied upon to be experts within their company. They’ll always be attracted to Company A first because If the network fails due to something they purchased from Company A, they can relax, because - after all - it’s Company A. So what can a Company B to do compete:

• Go Vertical: I’ve found in multiple cases that when you position yourself as an IT expert in a vertical such as enterprise, banking, legal, etc. you’ll gain extra credibility from the buyer. This company should select major verticals in their area and make it a point to understand the IT challenges faced by those industries.
• Customize: Create vertically focused proposal and presentation formats that when read and listened to by the buyer instill in them the confidence that they are dealing with someone that understands their pain.
• White Papers: There is nothing in the IT world that spells quality and knowledge more than well-written white papers. A white paper on the IT issues and recommended fixes for each vertical is needed. To compete with Company A, they’ll need to demonstrate they understand the buyer and his/her needs better.
• Presentation: IT Buyers are proven to start many searches on Google which lead to websites of companies they’ll consider as vendors. I’ve seen way to many Company B website that brand them instantly as low-budget because the cheap site is cluttered and information is not easily found. A well organized, clean website is a must. If you go with a vertical focus, make sure you dedicate an area to demonstrate your industry knowledge.
• Be There When They Want You: As long as we’re talking website, make sure it is optimized for local search. If an IT buyer searches on “IT Consultant”, he or she may be looking for Company A or Company B. But if that buyer searches on “Vancouver IT Consultant” they’re more than likely looking for Company B or Company C. Company B needs to be positioned to win that battle every time. A well-optimized website should be on the first page of search results for that localized search and also should be running paid search ads to further solidify themselves as the expert in that area. Don’t let the buyer keep searching until they come across Company A!
• Simplify: IT buyers have egos. They want everyone to know they know everything about the network and technology. In reality, it’s impossible to know everything with the rate technology advances these days. If they receive a proposal or collateral with jargon they don’t understand, they won’t want to put themselves in a position - in front of their peers - where they may look like a vendor knows more. Walk the line between presenting your company as knowledgeable yet don’t try to overstate your capabilities with too much industry lingo.

I think Company B has an excellent position in the localized marketplace. Understanding a region and vertical industry issues will go a long way to positioning themselves ahead of Company A. Be that brand that gets noticed because you’re in tune with local business and display that brand at every step in the IT buyers buying cycle.

Get more high-voltage ideas at BrandingWire! Also, stop by and see what others in the group had to say on this topic: Martin Jelsema, Lewis Green, Kevin Dugan, Valeria Maltoni, Steve Woodruff, Drew McLellan, Gavin Heaton, Becky Carroll, Olivier Blanchard, Matt Dickman, Chris Brown, Cam Beck

I haven’t been to a car dealership in three years nor have I paid any attention whatsoever to any dealership advertising. I’m also not that excited at the prospect of having to return one day to buy a car. But, I don’t think I’m alone in feeling that way which begs the question - is the car dealership dying? I’m not trying to spread gloom and doom, but it seems like most industries improve and innovate as time goes on. I haven’t seen that with your average corner dealership. That’s why our topic for this month’s BrandWire study left me wondering if there is even an answer - How would you re-brand and re-image a car dealership?

Here is my process when buying a car:

1. Spend a few months narrowing down which car brands, types, and models I’d like to test drive. I do this through paying more attention to ads and other cars and trucks on the road.
2. Take one excruciating weekend and go to dealerships to test drive the cars and listen to bad sales pitches.
3. Hit the web searching for the best deal, comparing offers, and negotiating with people I don’t believe are giving me a fair shake.
4. Sign papers and pick up car at selected dealership (while sitting through countless attempts at up-selling)

Maybe it’s the stigma or reputation of the dealership that makes me cringe when having to go. I’m not trying to type cast all dealers - some dealerships are better than others. My point is that car dealerships are what they are. I don’t think any catchy dealership tagline, logo, or branding campaign is going to make me think the way a dealership goes about their business has changed. It’s the process of buying a car that has to be redefined and re-branded.

If the average car buyer could rebrand the process, what would it look like? Well, I’m that average buyer so here is what I would like to see.

1. I know pretty much the car I want. I’ve narrowed it down to two or three brands and models and now I’m ready to try them out.
2. Next, I contact a new service which specializes in getting me cars to test drive. I sign-up online and then set up when and where I’d like to do my test drives. The service also offers no sales pitches - just informed people that tell you about the car, answer your questions and have no hidden agendas.
3. I’ve decided which car I want and am now ready to contact an online service that will find me the best offer. I work with a non-commissioned rep who gets me offers and helps me work out the best deal. Through the process, I’ve also worked out a trade-in, license fees, any additional insurance, etc.
4. I step into a dealership, pick up my car, and drive away.

Essentially what I’m suggesting is that the stale experience of the car dealership be minimized, the Internet play a bigger role, and new services be developed that help me decide what I want without the pressure.

Is all this possible? To be honest, I’m not sure. I don’t know enough about the auto industry to make exact suggestions. But, I do know enough about being on the buying end that I’d like the process to change.

Perhaps there are dealers out there offering what I’ve suggested above? What are you thoughts on the process of buying cars?

Get more high-voltage ideas at BrandingWire! Also, stop by and see what others in the group had to say on this topic: Olivier Blanchard, Becky Carroll, Derrick Daye, Lewis Green, Ann Handley, Gavin Heaton, Martin Jelsema, Valeria Maltoni, Drew McLellan, Patrick Schaber, and Steve Woodruff.

I’m taking a little different approach to this BrandingWire project. Martin Jelsema (a member of our team), with his close ties to the town - has put together a comprehensive brief on Estes Park, Colorado outlining their brand and what they want to accomplish. I’m not going to read it yet (but you can on the BrandingWire site). I’m stepping into the role of consumer and am going to try to experience the Estes Park brand from the perspective of a potential customer. My wife and I have small children and we’ve often talked about visiting Colorado and showing the children the mountains and all the natural beauty. Coming from Minneapolis, the trip is not too long and would be a great experience for our family. Two caveats - we’re not campers and we don’t ski. Is Colorado the right place for us?

I jump to my Google browser and type in “rocky mountain national park” (cheating a bit because I know it’s close to Estes Park) - what a great place to see the mountains. Please note that we don’t know much about the area or even for what we’re looking, but we know we want a mountain experience. Here’s what I find:

Ahh…this is starting out interesting. Check out the only paid result - it’s from www.EstesParkCVB.com. Well, I’m not going to cheat and go right to their site so I peruse some of the organic results for starting information on RMNP. Estes Park shows up on page one of these the organic results as well. Very impressed so far…an ad and an organic result on page one for this major attraction. As a researcher, I’m getting the idea that the Estes Park brand is closely tied to RMNP.

I click on the top six or seven results to learn more about RMNP. There is alot of information but not one definitive source - lots of bits and pieces. I get the idea that this is primarily a summer location where you can hike, fish, sightsee, etc. That’s what we need - now a place to stay. Like any good vacationer not familiar with the area, we’d like a central location from which we can branch out and return with ease. Remember, we’re not campers so we’re looking for lodging. Interestingly, most links for lodging lead me to an Estes Park page of some sort. They’re all different, but it seems like that’s the place to stay.

So, I go back to my search results and click on their PPC ad as it tells me they have lodging, dining, shopping and more. I liked the ad because it instantly conjures up images in my mind of a town atmosphere that has the amenities my family needs. Here’s how I’m greeted at their site:

I’ve seen alot of these pictures on other sites - I was really hoping to see the quaint mountain town greeting me with a combination of nature partnering with small town hospitality. We like nature and its beauty, but we also like to return at night to some quality dining and comfortable cabin lodging. I’m guessing that is what they offer, but my first reaction is that this is more rustic than we need. I do like the fact they have summer pictures showing - I was expecting to see alot of skiers when I first started this research mission.

I’m scrambling to find confirmation that this is indeed the place for our vacation. My eyes catch the light text on the site - here is what I read:

The majestic scenery of Rocky Mountain National Park combined with the home town hospitality of Estes Park transforms trips to the Colorado Rockies into dream vacations in paradise. Come for a day, a week, or more to visit this eastern gateway community to Rocky Mountain National Park.

The first sentence confirms that this is indeed the small town atmosphere we need coupled with the incredible scenery of the mountains. I do get confused over the “gateway community” term though. Are they just a place to sleep and eat and then drive into the national park each day for all the activities? The next paragraph says they have all the hiking, fishing, etc. but now I’m unclear as to whether the town has that or RMNP has it.

Next I look for family activities, but don’t see anything obvious on the front page.. I search around and find under “Things to Do” tab a link to Family Activities. Again, I’m hoping to see more family related images and information.

Okay…let’s take a break from my consumer point of view and read Martin’s brief….You can too on the BrandingWire site.

So, it looks like Estes Park is alot of what I thought it was which means they’re doing a good job of representing their brand online. It looks like their main challenge is increasing their tax base via increases in tourism while not ruffling the feathers of its residents who prefer little or no development. Being mostly a summer destination, they’re even looking to extend their season into Fall and Spring.

I read some more from their town site and from a marketing perspective, I was impressed with the plan and methods being used to reach their customer base. They’ve segmented their audience into three markets based on geographical location, income, family status, and age. With that data, they’ve put together a comprehensive marketing plan that includes paid search, banner advertising, print advertising, 30-second television spots, direct marketing, radio spots, and public relations. They haven’t missed much!

But something was nagging me about their brand image so I decided to sleep on it…the next day it hit me. I didn’t feel like the town stood on its own. Obviously, the activities surrounding the Rocky Mountain National Park are a huge draw and they need to be highlighted, but Estes Park has a very rustic, small town feel that is unique to the area. Yes, I have limited knowledge of Colorado, but as far as I can tell there aren’t other towns like that close to the RMNP. Why not hit me with that message?
I decided to search on “Estes park” in my Google search engine to see if there was other information I missed. The first result is, of course, Estes Park, but the url is different than their paid search ad??? I click on it and am greeting with more of what I needed to see.

Look what is right in plain view on the main page - “Great Family Getaways” plus a banner talking about Spring which fits with their goals of expanding their seasons. The text leads me to believe that this town is its own destination with options to take in the surrounding national parks. I feel better about this interaction with this brand.

Why the two experiences and messages? Now, in all fairness to Estes Park, I have not seen other marketing efforts such as collateral, TV ads, etc. But if they’re going to market to other Midwestern states outside of Colorado, the web presence should be more consistent and unified. We’re not the only family that uses the Internet to search for vacation destinations.

I’d also recommend something close to what ExploreMinnesota.com did with My Favorite Minnesota. They used user generated content to promote every angle of the state. This doesn’t break the bank to produce and allows people not familiar with the area to see, hear and understand what is so wonderful about visiting.

Estes Park, Colorado looks incredible and I want to visit…soon. I hope they unify their branding message and keep focusing on family tourism. We stay longer than a day, we eat out, we shop and we spend money to give our kids an experience. We also look for off-season deals which could lend towards them having success with extending their brand to other seasons.

Get more high-voltage ideas at BrandingWire! Also, stop by and see what others in the group had to say on this topic: Olivier Blanchard, Becky Carroll, Derrick Daye, Lewis Green, Ann Handley, Gavin Heaton, Martin Jelsema, Valeria Maltoni, Drew McLellan, Patrick Schaber, and Steve Woodruff.

Welcome to the inaugural BrandingWire post on the Lonely Marketer. For our first case study we’re focusing on a fictitious company and situation. Please contact one of the BrandingWire members if you’d like your company brand and story to be the focus of an upcoming post.

The Case Study: The coffee industry is large, competitive and full of unique tastes and styles. With that premise put in place, imagine a small coffee company in mid-America. Operating for 8 years, they have a few retail stores, no debt and are moderately successful and profitable. Their operations are funded out of steady cash flow and all their beans are roasted on-site. Their retails stores have an open, relaxed feel to them - sort of country-funky. Although there is a very strong local attachment to the company, there is little recognition outside of the area, but the owner is committed to doing whatever it takes to create a thriving business. Their brand name is decent, but nothing memorable and they have a poor tagline - Great Coffee at Great Prices. There is nothing setting their identity apart and their logo needs help.

So, this coffee business has the money and the desire to grow, but they’re unsure of where to start or how to do it. Let’s toss around a few ideas for our imaginary bean counter.

The Image
We’ve said there is a strong local attachment to the coffee brand - it’s time to capitalize on that. Start by tapping that local attachment for insight as to why the brand is so strong with area residents. Why do they prefer this coffee over Starbucks, Caribou and other larger chains? What characteristics of this coffee shop resonate most with locals? What needs improvement? Through surveys and discussions with customers, the coffee shop can formulate their list of top selling points that separate them from competitors.

With the brand information gleaned from local customers, a new logo and tagline should be developed that infuses local charm and promotes a coffee drinking experience. Grocery store shelves are stocked full of generic coffee brands - why compete there? Promote an experience for the coffee drinker who wants something more from their cup.

The Placement
This BrandingWire pundit thinks it would be unwise to beef up coffee operations to the point of attempting to push out mainstream brands from every grocery store shelf in the U.S. Let’s start by pushing mainstream brands off their local grocery shelves and create a web experience to push the brand outside of the area.

First they must examine their local, physical branding. Their stores should be redesigned to incorporate the new, fresh, locally-infused brand elements (logo, tagline, URL, etc.). Store employee clothing, coffee cups and “for-sale” drinkware, and bags of coffee for home brewing should be redone to incorporate the new brand elements and give local coffee drinkers additional reasons to feel attached to the local brand and experience. The newly designed coffee packaging should be pushed at every local grocery store, coffee shop, and restaurant - the brand should dominate anywhere locally that sells coffee.

Next, a web presence that embodies a lively and fresh coffee shop atmosphere must be created. Although it will incorporate local characteristics, the web site should be built to reach out to the rest of the world and whet the appetite for a taste of your local brand. The site will combine:

• All of the new branding elements.
• A social conversation room for consumers to read about and converse with others who enjoy coffee. By correctly reaching out to the demographic that engages social media, the coffee shop will be able to tap viral marketing that will proliferate their messages for them.
• Videos of local stores, local landmarks and profiles of local customers who have become part of the brand.
• Recipe book of coffee-related foods and beverages offered up by the new community of contributors.
• If possible, local musicians will be featured with music recordings for download.

A full social media blitz will take this small coffee shop well beyond its local ties.

Engage. Converse. Convert.
Branding also happens on the search engine results pages, and that’s exactly where this coffee shop should aim when expanding out of their local area. Sites such as CoffeeGeek.com and CoffeeUniverse.com prove there is a “thirst” for communicating and socializing your coffee preferences. Do multiple searches and some quick surfing, and you definitely see brands start to present themselves online. Companies such as Storyville Coffee Company (saving the world one cup at a time), Timothy’s and Cafe Britt take different approaches but are consistently present in search results.

• A well optimized website can yield positive organic results and keep the company in the mind of coffee drinkers who look for their next coffee experience online.
• A related paid search campaign can solidify the brand among search engine users.

An approach such as this capitalizes on searchers looking for gifts or new coffee drinking experiences.Participation in industry online forums can also play a role in developing the online presence. Positioning themselves as a participant and expert in the world of coffee can lead people to want to check out their brand and even give it a try. Other methods of online advertising such as strategic banner placement and text links can also be used to draw in the coffee drinker. The idea behind this online rebranding is to engage the coffee drinker, give them the option to converse and share their preferences, and then convert them to their brand.

The sky is the limit for this coffee maker if they can infuse their new brand with the opinions and characteristics of their local following, reflect that brand with a strong local presence in stores and on shelves, and create greater awareness of their brand and products with an online brand building campaign.

For a view of all the posts from participating BrandingWire members, either visit the website or our new portal where you can see all member sites in one place.

Get more high-voltage ideas at BrandingWire.com. The contributing members are:

Olivier Blanchard
Becky Carroll
Derrick Daye
Kevin Dugan
Lewis Green
Ann Handley
Gavin Heaton
Martin Jelsema
Valeria Maltoni
Drew McLellan
Patrick Schaber
Steve Woodruff

Drum roll please….Mark your calendars for the launch of BrandingWire on Monday, June 11th! BrandingWire is a revolutionary new website discussing current branding challenges on a monthly basis. Steve Woodruff has organized 12 marketing pundits, including the Lonely Marketer, who will be featured on the website and will tackle branding and marketing related issues and opportunities.

Hats off to Steve who reigned in 12 people with many ideas and strong opinions. The end result is a fantastic opportunity to read about branding and marketing being put to the test. A new topic will be tossed out each month and analyzed by the team. Each with our own posts, the site will be a culmination of differing experiences, points-of-view, and solutions. Speaking of the team, here is the lineup:

Becky Carroll, Customers Rock
Steve Woodruff, StickyFigure blog
Derrick Daye, Branding Strategy Insider
Drew McLellan, Drew’s Marketing Minute
Gavin Heaton, Servant of Chaos
Kevin Dugan, Strategic Public Relations
Martin Jelsema, The Branding Blog
Olivier Blanchard, thebrandbuilder
Patrick Schaber, The Lonely Marketer
Ann Handley, Marketing Profs Daily Fix
Valeria Maltoni, Conversation Agent
Lewis Green, bizsolutionsplus

Check out the new site and learn more about the effort and the contributors. Be sure to check back in on Monday, June 11th for our first project!