Respect The Brand

2461_Carolina_Blue_lifeThe way that you dress can earn you, and your brand, respect.  At corporate events like trade shows and industry conferences – or even in the office on a Friday afternoon – it’s important to dress professionally so others know you mean business.

Business casual attire is well-accepted but it can be tempting to take the idea of “casual” too far.  It should be less formal than traditional business-wear, but still provide a professional appearance.  Keeping that in mind, disheveled t-shirts, cargo shorts and flip-flops should be left at home for the weekend hang-time.

Depending on the industry and age of the employees, appropriate business attire can mean polos or button-downs, paired with pants for men, and pants or skirts for women.  On occasion well-constructed jeans are acceptable, but not the ones with holes and fraying hems.  Even though in today’s fashion world consumers pay a premium for a pair of designer ripped jeans, it’s still not the right image for someone representing most corporate brands.

Consistent brand identity, which in turn increases brand loyalty, relies on maintaining a dependable dress code for every corporate event.  Consumers come to depend on a recognizable corporate image that commands their respect.  That respect becomes trust – and trust grows into loyalty.

If you respect your brand with appropriate attire, so will your customers.

We All Just Wanna Have Sun

sunglassesSpring and summer weather brings sunshine (finally!), and as we greet the warm rays, everyone will be reaching for their sunglasses.  That inevitable need for stylish eye protection gives every company the opportunity to showcase their brand in a subtle, but effective way.

When appealing to the customer demographics that are unique to your products or services, you have the advantage of many different styles of sunglasses that will resonate with that target market.  Aviator, wayfarer, clubman – even heart shape – are all styles that can be customized in a way that reflects your exclusive corporate spirit.  With a minimum of 500 pieces and production time of 30 days, the frame colors can be Pantone color-matched and the logo decoration can be added to multiple locations on the glasses, including the lens, frame and arms.

Even for smaller quantities and shorter lead times, there are multiple fashion color choices and fun decorating options.  The logo imprint can go on the arms, or for a unique, amusing effect, a see-through, full-color sticker can be applied to the lens.

As the weather gets warmer and the sun gets brighter, advertise a bright idea, sun safety message, or company outing with custom sunglasses.  If the glasses are of a reasonable quality and the design is not clownish, your customers will wear them and your brand message will be delivered.  It’s a great way to get on board with the season!

 

 

Brands Are Rolling With Bicycle Events

BicycleJersey_BJ01-2-1The history of bicycling has left many believing that it’s a sport limited to the very young or the super-fit.  But, in reality, the times are changing. More than 100 million Americans rode a bike in 2014, and bicycles have out-sold cars most years in the US since 2003.

For companies looking for an opportunity to reach the tech-savvy millennials who want to participate in, rather than just watch a sporting event, sponsoring a bicycle event is an increasingly wise choice.  Biking is a sport that combines social, environmental, and competitive aspects, which provides huge potential for promoting your brand.

Sponsoring a pro cycling team is one way to get involved.  According to a recent article in Business Insider, “… in terms of per dollar spent, pro cycling teams produce better quantitative global marketing metrics (impressions, views, audience size) and qualitative metrics (fan-to-brand loyalty) than any other single form of advertisement available, inside or outside of sports.”

However, absent of the marketing budget available to the corporate giants, a more budget-friendly way to reach this exploding market audience would be to sponsor a local charity bike ride.  T-shirts, jerseys or any of the many bike tools decorated with the company logo increases the brand exposure and hits home with the bikers as well as the spectators.

Spring has arrived – can bicycling be far behind?  Be ready and start planning for a corporate sponsorship that will keep your brand rolling!

Be A Brand Fan

brandWith few exceptions, every company has many competitors for the product or service they want to sell.   Each one feels their product is different, better.  Unlike all the others.  But with  so many other companies saying the same thing, no one is paying attention.

How do you cut through all the noise?  The answer is branding.  But having a successful brand is easier said than done.  One good place to start is by studying the six essential traits shared by the world’s top brands.

  1. PASSIONATE:  64% of consumers who said they had a strong brand relationship with a company cited “shared values” as the primary reason. (Corporate Executive Board)
  2. DEPENDABLE:  Marketing consistency pays off; 87% of consumers who interact with a company daily feel loyal to that company (Strativity)
  3. RECOGNIZED:  89% of B2B marketers say brand awareness is their most important goal, followed by sales and lead generation. (Content Marketing Institute)
  4. CONSISTENT:  45% of a brand’s image can be attributed to what it says, and how it says it. (Landor Associates)
  5. AUTHENTIC:  80% of consumers said “authenticity of content” is the most influential factor in their decision to become a follower of a brand.  (Pardot)
  6. CUSTOMER-CENTRIC:  48% of Americans expect brands to know them and help them discover new products or services that fit their needs.  (Microsoft) 

Other valuable branding habits include audience engagement, company storytelling and pinpointing a target audience.  But using the above six traits as a springboard for your corporate branding policy will enable you to start 2018 with a renewed focus on increased brand visibility and improved customer loyalty.

Cruising With Your Favorite Brand

coke bikeIncentive programs that promote wellness are always in style.  These programs exist because healthy employees mean greater productivity, lower absenteeism and reduced healthcare costs.  Biking, with its growing popularity, would be a perfect addition to any wellness program.

The number of cyclists saw a big increase between 2012 and 2017, increasing from around 51 million riders to slightly more than 66 million riders in 2017.   More than double the number of bikes are sold each year than passenger cars, and where passenger car sales are on the decline, bicycle sales have been steady or slightly increasing since the 1990s.

However, does it make sense to plan for a spring/summer wellness program initiative in December?   Of course it does!  It especially makes sense if you want to incorporate a custom-designed bike, with longer lead times, as part of your program.  Customizing that bike can be as simple as adding a logo to a stock unit, or you can get creative with a full blown custom bike, using any colors and graphics package you desire

In either case, giving a bike as a door prize at a wellness event, or offering branded bike accessories as incentives for meeting targeted health goals, will serve to build excitement and participation for the program.  If you consider the evidence that 30 minutes of daily cycling saves $544 per person in annual medical costs, it’s easy to understand the return on investment is real.  So start now, and be ready for the 2018 cycling season!