Pixels with Purpose: High-resolution branding in the social media age

Arts & Business Council

High-resolution branding in the social media age

Sametz Blackstone Associates2 September 2009

Pixels with Purpose

2© Sametz Blackstone Associates

Brandon & Tamsen

Brandon C. Walsh—Director, Strategy—[email protected]

Tamsen S. McMahon—Director of Digital and Strategic Initiatives—[email protected]—@tamadear

Sametz Blackstone Associates—www.sametz.com—www.sametz.com/roundthesquare—@sametz

Brandon Walsh

I think the rule would actually be nice to have... and maybe a better margin on the left..


Social networking is more popular than email.

Mashable.com


Social networking is more popular than email. And porn.

TIME Magazine


People are talking. (Are you listening?)


Their conversations matter more.


Only 10% of people trust advertisers.

Gallup


Only 10% of people trust advertisers.90% of people trust recommendations from people they know.

Nielsen


What they’re saying affects your brand.


4 out of 5 bloggers post reviews and blog about brands they love or hate.

Technorati.com


36% think more positively about organizations that have blogs.

Universal McCann


Your brand is more important than ever.


Branding…

Is not about your logo, it never was… Brand is the carrier of what you stand for, your:

—promises, expectations, experiences;—capabilities, strengths, attributes;—position in the competitive environment.

Helps attract and retain, staff, board, donors, partners, artists, and more.

Creates value that extends beyond one-off campaigns. Builds resonance and connection that helps keep

diverse revenue streams healthy. Is critical to cutting through the din…

Brandon Walsh

I recommend the universe 45 light for regular text slides.. the bold is TOOO heavy!


Branding…

Is not about your logo, it never was… Brand is the carrier of what you stand for, your:

—promises, expectations, experiences;—capabilities, strengths, attributes;—position in the competitive environment.

Helps attract and retain, staff, board, donors, partners, artists, and more.

Creates value that extends beyond one-off campaigns. Builds resonance and connection that helps keep

diverse revenue streams healthy. Is critical to cutting through the din… And ultimately influencing thinking and behavior.

Brandon Walsh

I recommend the universe 45 light for regular text slides.. the bold is TOOO heavy!


So, do your pixels have purpose?


Or are they adding to the noise?

5 principles of branding

1 Know who you are, and who you can be.


A brand foundation to build on

What you communicate about the excitement and value of your work, and about your organization’s “personality,” must grow organically from who your organization really is.

Brand foundation combines ideas that can be defined and communicated—and the beliefs you seek to engender about your organization.



What you communicate about the excitement and value of your work, and about your organization’s “personality,” must grow organically from who your organization really is.

Brand foundation combines ideas that can be defined and communicated—and the beliefs you seek to engender about your organization.

No smoke, no mirrors.



Departure points

Vision

Mission / Model

Areas of endeavor

Attributes

Desired

Position Personality / Image


Transparency

Know who you serve, and why they care2


Constituents who care

More than just your “audience,” your constituents are all the people for whom your work is––and could be–– meaningful.

The internal and external groups / populations whose interest, participation, and support are important for your vibrant present––and for stability and growth going forward.

Different ways to cut the deck…


Distance…

Group 1

Group 2

Group 4

Funders and supportersoften cut across all

Group 3


Values…

For the BSO, for instance…

Innovation

Education

Outreach

Performance

Capital projects


Resonance

Use your messages, in their words3


Messages that motivate

Externally focused, strategic messages express and connect what an organization wants to be known for and what key constituents need, value, and will support.



Externally focused, strategic messages express and connect what an organization wants to be known for and what key constituents need, value, and will support.

A palette of ideas that can be easily delivered to key constituencies,—a mix of aspiration and expectation;—support consistent, compelling perception;— inform written and spoken communications;— influence how people think / act.



What your constituents care about, will participate in, and value

That

wh

ich

you s

tand f

or

and s

eek t

o a

dvance


What your constituents care about, will participate in, and value

That

wh

ich

you s

tand f

or

and s

eek t

o a

dvance


Where you can win! Start the conversation here.


Evolving a message systemHigh-levelmessage

Customized for a specific constituency

Initiatives,programs,opportunities

Supportingstories

Fact sheets, giving oppts

Areas of focus


Clarity

Look the part, be the part.4


Design that delivers

Brochures, postcards, websites, and newsletters each have unique communication responsibilities—but building communications informed by a common set of focused approaches generates communications that:—are effective and creative;—work across all media to build a consistent image

across different opportunities;— increase understanding + connection + participation

+ loyalty;—speak to their audiences;—meet their tactical objectives;



Brochures, postcards, websites, and newsletters each have unique communication responsibilities—but building communications informed by a common set of focused approaches generates communications that:—are effective and creative;—work across all media to build a consistent image

across different opportunities;— increase understanding + connection + participation

+ loyalty;—speak to their audiences;—meet their tactical objectives;—and build brand.



A mix of…

That which you can own

Name(s)

Logo(s) / logotype(s)

Taglines / modifiers

Service marks

Focused approaches

Color

Typography

Imagery

Composition


Every communication is an opportunity to build brand

Tactical communications– by program, function, audience, initiative

20-90% reinforces brand (depending on strategy)

PromisesExpectationsPositionAttributesPersonality

Your organization


(Compelling) Consistency

Put it together, dot by dot.5


Architecture for action

Communications are ultimately about influencing thinking and behavior.

An architecture of communications should consider:—Who is it for?—Who is it from?—What is the desired outcome?—As well as timing, shelf-life, media, and production

values (cost) as appropriate.



Group 1

Awareness Comprehension Participation Loyalty Support

Desired OutcomeAudience

Pro

du

cti

on

va

lue

www

Season kit

Postcards / mailers Membership

materials

Development kit


Group 2




Pro

du

cti

on

va

lue

www

Season kit


materials

Development kit



Group 3



Pro

du

cti

on

va

lue

www

Season kit


materials

Development kit


Relevance

© Sametz Blackstone Associates 47

This is a process, not an event.

Roger Sametz


Effective communications deliver value over time

Brand foundationWho you are, and who you can be.

Constituents who careThose for whom your work is––and could be––meaningful. They are vital to your success, and they are not monolithic!

Messages that motivateExternally focused, the intersection of what audiences value, and that which you stand for and seek to advance.

Design that deliversCompelling consistency; a mix of elements you can own and focused approaches to elements you can control.

A plan for actionA communications architecture; for whom, from whom, outcome, frequency, production values, and more.

Evaluate and adjustAre people getting it? Are people perceiving you as you want to be perceived? Is something out of tune?

Now what?


1 Observe2 Investigate3 Hypothesize4 Experiment5 Analyze6 Retest

Observe1


Grow bigger ears – and eyes.

Paraphrase of Chris Brogan


Alerts

Google Technorati, google blogs socialmention Twitter search


RSS readers

Investigate2


Audiences


Who are they?

Where are they?

What are they saying?

What do they see?


Resonance and dissonance


Who are they?

Where are they?

What are they saying?

What do they see?


Who are they?Who are you?Where are they?Where are you?What are they saying?What are you?What do they see?What do you show?


Content


Who and what are the best sources of content?

What already exists?

What do you need togenerate what doesn’t?


Outcomes


What do you want to achieve?

What do you want to have happen?


Move people closer:

People Awareness Comprehension Loyalty Support / AdvocacyParticipation


Measurement

Hypothesize3


Match platform to purpose

Awareness

Comprehension

Participation

Loyalty

Advocacy

Social Networks

Blogs

Twitter

Multimedia


Will {content}, from {sources}, used across {tools} produce {results}?

How will I {measure}?

Experiment4


Observation ≠ participation.

You have to do it.


practice first

Analyze

74

5


Numbers Sentiment Actions

Retest

76

6

77© Sametz Blackstone Associates, Cher image courtesyhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/23664669@N08/3070993793/

Which one are you?

Questions?


Brandon & Tamsen

Brandon C. Walsh—Director, Strategy—[email protected]

Tamsen S. McMahon—Director of Digital and Strategic Initiatives—[email protected]—@tamadear

Sametz Blackstone Associates—www.sametz.com—www.sametz.com/roundthesquare—@sametz

Brandon Walsh

I think the rule would actually be nice to have... and maybe a better margin on the left..

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Pixels with Purpose: High-resolution branding in the social media age

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Transcript of Pixels with Purpose: High-resolution branding in the social media age