An advertising
agency in
Albuquerque,
New Mexico.

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Think about the last time you were at a business function (or awkward social gathering of your choosing). Did you enjoy meeting the people who talked incessantly about themselves, or those that wanted to know more about you?

The most interesting people are interested people – those who sincerely want to know you and relate to you based on the person you are. In short, they listen to you – really listen – and not just wait for their turn to talk. The same goes for good agency/client relationships, and even brand communications.

We’ve found that to have a brand “talk” effectively, we first have to listen - to clients’ concerns, perspectives and the inevitable knowledge they have about their company and industry. At the same time, we have to hear what the target audience wants. How do they understand the brand? How do they interact with the client’s products, and how do their wants and needs fit with the benefits we offer? It’s at this intersection between client and target that the real conversation begins.

There is much to learn in consumer anecdotes, the salesforce’s war stories,
a clients’ insider-industry perspectives, in-jokes and even discerning the meaning of what’s not said. These are the areas where you truly learn the insights into a client’s business and the particular forces that make all the pieces fit together, from researching a product or offering and bringing it to
the market, to discerning insights on how a target audience is responding to
an offering.

The obvious insights into a client’s brand or services are easy to talk about, and they make for great starting places. But the most powerful brand insights reveal themselves in the quiet spaces. You just have to listen. (It will make you an unbelievable conversationalist.)

 

There seems to be a lot of focus these days on “new media” – creative ways of reaching consumers that break through ordinary clutter and even gain recognition from our peers. In fact, we often feel compelled to invent new and different tactics in the effort to stay on the edge of what technology offers.

But what we sometimes forget in all this forward thinking, is that consumers still use traditional media - quite enthusiastically. And that the most effective advertising always starts with our target audience - not with the idea of our doing something cool for the sake of coolness.

There will always be new ground to break. However, with many clients, the best answer often starts simply, with a redesigned website, a great print ad or well-executed radio or TV spot. Our thinking goes like this: Make sure your “old” media is working as well as it can before you race into new territory. Are your print ads compelling? Is your website search-engine optimized and content-rich? Are your broadcast efforts working as well as they can, targeting the right group of people? Are your traditional media campaign efforts (print, outdoor, broadcast, website, direct mail) reinforcing one another with a relevant brand message that appeals to your target audience(s)?

Often in the chase for the new, it’s easy to lose sight of making sure your advertising fundamentals are sound. New media opportunities are exciting, but these new channels and technologies will work best for your brand only when the so-called “traditional” aspects of your marketing are working as hard as they can. To your consumer, a brand message is a brand message, whether it’s a billboard, a myspace page, mobile marketing campaign, viral effort or print ad.

Old media is still relevant. It just needs a good makeover every now and then.

 

These days, campaign elements include nearly every touch point a customer can have with your business. Opportunities for advertising and design have long since ventured beyond the traditional media and new media formats. Customers assume, consciously or subconsciously, that their brand experience with your company will be carried through the advertising or design that piqued their interest all the way to the actual use of your product or service
and beyond.

As an example, here's a brief list of elements we've created recently that are all brand touch points, but aren't the typical playing fields of ad agencies and design firms: employee uniforms, product designs, greeting cards, apparel designs, self-directed sales kits, product prototype manufacturing, wayfinding, interior design, and lots more.

In a world that's getting flatter and smaller every day, it's a valuable reminder to recognize that customers want a seamless relationship with your brand, and truly feel rewarded for choosing your offering when their total brand experience is engaging and consistent.

Branding doesn't begin and end with your logo, ads and marketing materials.
In fact, it's only the beginning.

 

© 2010 3 Advertising LLC, a full-service advertising agency in Albuquerque, New Mexico.