the-marketing-magazine-issue-4 by Abdallah El-Demery

Issue 4 - January / February 2013

3D PROJECTION Mapping

Creating new environments that connect emotionally with your audience.

GETTING THE PEOPLE BEHIND YOUR BRAND MARKETING

TO NICHE AUDIENCES

10 ESSENTIAL

MARKETING TIPS

MESSAGES ARE KEY BY SARAH BROBERG

THE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF MARKETING BY

MUSTAFA SHAMSELDIN

CREATIVE SHOWCASE

Editor-In-Chief

Abdallah El Demery Assistant Editor

Omnia Mohi Eldin Designed and Sponsored by

www.marnomics.com

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aking a difference is a duty lying on our shoulders. Improving people’s lives, inspiring them, educating them, and putting their feet on the first step is what we should do to have a better future. How influential are you in your circle of interest? How many people do you inspire? Are you adding to your society or taking from it? How much time and effort are you willing or you actually devote to make other people’s lives better?

One way to make a difference is sharing knowledge, spreading ways to success, telling your personal recipe on how to do things right. Don’t worry, no one will imitate you, you’ve got the knowhow. For this society to prosper we all have to prosper together, we all have to rise together, starting from the least occupation and taking all the way up to the highest. We need to let go of the idea that for me to succeed, someone else has to fail. So what difference did you make today? Make sure you do one! This issue of The Marketing Magazine is embracing new exciting topics worth reading. Interesting guest writers are enriching the content. This issue is also featuring information about the trending 3D mapping. Finally, New creative designers are featured. Keep coming back for more. Your feedback is highly appreciated, for any tips or ideas, please email me: abdallah@marnomics.com

Table of Content

SODIC MIRROR CONTEST

During the Allegria Home Fair, held on November 9th, SODIC judged their Mirror Contest, which was launched in late September. The contest was part of SODIC’s ongoing effort to support the budding art community in Egypt.

6,7 3D PROJECTION MAPPING 3D Projection is a new age form of advertising that is accomplished by using image mapping and projections on the surface of a building, while incorporating any other form of your additional senses,

8,9 THE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILTY OF MARKETING It is this author’s belief that the influence of marketers on the culture and values of a society is at least as significant as politicians and clergymen, if not more significant.

10 MARKETING TO NICHE AUDIENCES The marketplace is filled with countless niches that could be your potential customers. However, not all niches are made equal and a good marketer will be able differentiate between the niches worth pursuing and those better left alone.

11 GETTING THE PEOPLE BEHIND YOUR BRAND

Reluctance to engage the team, share the company’s vision and values and failure to celebrate the contribution of your people will make the difference between employees being brand ambassadors or detractors.

12,13 10 ESSENTIAL MARKETING TIPS Follow these ten easy wins for an instant marketing boost.

psychology of a purchase decision

Successful marketers try to strike a balance between appealing to the emotional and rational sides to our personality.

PR PERSPECTIVE

MESSAGES ARE KEY BY Sarah Broberg Perhaps it’s because there’s a perception within companies that the key messages are so obvious, they don’t need to be developed. This is exactly why it’s so important to draw on your PR agency for advice and support.

16,17 RESISTENCE TO CHANGE Change is uncomfortable and requires new ways of thinking and doing. People have trouble developing a vision of what life will look like on the other side of a change. So, they tend to cling to the known rather than embrace the unknown.

19-21 CREATIVE SHOWCASE MOHAMED SHERIF AYMAN ANWAR YASMINE EL-SHAWY

SODIC SODIC Mirror Mirror Contest Contest Reflects Reflects Local Local Talent Talent Competition Competition Held Held under under “Reflections “Reflections of of Yourself” Yourself” Theme Theme During Duringthe theAllegria AllegriaHome HomeFair, Fair,held heldononNovember November9th9,th, SODIC SODICjudged judgedtheir theirMirror MirrorContest, Contest,which whichwas waslaunched launchedinin late lateSeptember. September.The Thecontest contestwas waspart partofofSODIC’s SODIC’songoing ongoing effort efforttotosupport supportthe thebudding buddingart artcommunity communityininEgypt. Egypt.The The contest, contest,which whichwas wasopen opentotothe thepublic, public,invited invitedlocal localartists artists totodesign designmirrors mirrorsthat thatreflect reflecttheir theirpersonalities; personalities;the thefinalists finalists ofofthe thecompetition competitionwere werechosen chosenbybythe thepublic publicononthe theSODIC SODIC Facebook Facebookpage. page. During Duringthe theAllegria AllegriaHome HomeFair, Fair,the theMirror MirrorContest Contestfinalists finalists were werejudged judgedbybya apanel panelofofdesign designexperts. experts.The Thewinners winnersofof the thecompetition competitionwere wereGazbeya GazbeyaElElHamamsy, Hamamsy,coming cominginin first firstplace, place,Sandy SandySawiris, Sawiris,coming comingininsecond secondplace, place,Hussein Hussein Mahfouz, Mahfouz,coming comingininthird thirdplace placeand andYara YaraYassin Yassinand andIslam Islam Moustafa, Moustafa,coming comingininfourth fourthand andfifth fifthplace placerespectively. respectively. The Thejudges, judges,which whichincluded includedHassan HassanAbu AbuSeda, Seda,a aleading leading Egyptian EgyptianArchitect, Architect,Mona MonaHussein, Hussein,a arenowned renownedEgyptian Egyptian designer, designer,Markus MarkusElElKatcha, Katcha,SODIC SODICExecutive ExecutiveDirector Directorofof Design, Design,and andShahira ShahiraFahmy, Fahmy,a aleading leadingEgyptian EgyptianArchitect, Architect, were wereextremely extremelyimpressed impressedbybythe thefunctionality functionalityand andaesthetic aesthetic beauty beautyofofthe themirrors mirrorsand anddeemed deemedthe thecontest contesta araving raving success successdue duetotothe thefact factthat thatit itgave gavelocal localaspiring aspiringartists artistsa a chance chancetotopresent presenttheir theirwork worktotothe thepublic. public.

About AboutSODIC: SODIC: SODIC SODICisisthe theregion’s region’sfastest fastestgrowing growingReal RealEstate Estate Development DevelopmentCompany Companyand andisiscurrently currentlydeveloping developinga anumber number ofoflarge largeand anddiversified diversifiedprojects projectsininEgypt’s Egypt’sexpanding expandingreal real estate estatesectors. sectors.These Thesedevelopments developmentsrange rangefrom fromresidential residential projects projectsofofdifferent differenttypes typestotoretail, retail,commercial commercialand andfullyfullyfledged fledgedcity citycenters centersaimed aimedatatbecoming becomingthe themain mainurban urbanhubs hubs ofofeast eastand andwest westCairo. Cairo.SODIC SODICisislisted listedononthe theCairo CairoStock Stock Exchange Exchange(Ticker (TickerOCDI). OCDI).For Formore moreinformation informationplease pleasevisit visit our ourwebsite websiteatatwww.sodic.com. www.sodic.com.

Marketing Innovation

because each eye receives different visual information. Try closing one eye and opening the other quickly – you will see that each eye gets a different view of the world around you. When both eyes are open our brain processes the two different images and gives us the perception of depth. This is the basis of 3D Projection; each eye must see a different image. And this is how 3D Projection works; by making each eye receive a different image which together makes the brain think it is seeing the projection in 3D.

PROJECTION MAPPING This is most exciting, engaging and fun way of presenting information or a brand message at an event. excitement about the event, Use to better depict technical concepts such as molecular structure, technical drawings, architecture etc. Any other uses at conferences, awards shows, or parties where you want something new and exciting.

ou may be able to see these 3D projection mapping videos on your screen at the moment, but you can only experience Projection by being there. 3D Projection is a new age form of advertising that is accomplished by using image mapping and projections on the surface of a building, while incorporating any other form of your additional senses, such as smell, for example.

THE PROJECTION This is based around the system used in recent films such as Avatar, but with improvements that are not feasible in cinemas. The use of “Circular Polarisation” in cinemas creates a greater level of “ghosting” of the image than our system.

3D projection has taken the experiential, artistic and events world by storm in recent years. Firstly, the “D” in 3D refers to dimension. The dimensions are Length (how long something is), Breadth (how wide something is) and Depth (how deep it is). As such, a drawing that depicts the length, depth and breadth of an object, such as a cube, is 3D as it is showing the three dimensions. Being the clever creatures that we are we will typically only be physically seeing two dimensions (on a computer screen, or piece of paper), but are able to perceive the third dimension of depth. 3D means projecting images in the real world, aligned with its features, merging real and virtual Worlds. But more importantly, it means creating new environments that connect emotionally with your audience.

WHAT DOES IT COST? Each 3D projection project is fully bespoke. We work with you to define what is needed and what outcomes you want. We then provide a fixed quote based on these requirements. To establish a budget, even at the early stages, please give us a call for a chat. Even if you only have limited information on the project we can give you an idea of budget, which is enough for you to decide if you want to proceed with incorporating 3D projection. Likewise, you can indicate a budget to us and we will give you an idea of what is achievable on it.

MARNoMICs Is offeRING You THe AMAzING 3D PRojeCTIoN TeCHNoloGY With the use of two completely independent image sources our system has a much lower level of ghosting which gives a cleaner, crisper image. So why don’t the cinema use this? The reason is because in cinemas the audience is more scattered and Circular Polarisation deals with this better. As an event solution, we have a greater level of control over the audience layout, so we can work around this and use the better system.

This is most exciting, engaging and fun way of presenting information or a brand message at an event. Using the latest polarising technology, sophisticated DLP projection, and some of the most talented 3D content designers we can offer a complete 3D projection solution from inception to completion.

WHeN To use 3D projection is a tool. Like any tool, it is how it is used that really matters. Here are a few ways in which 3D Projection is a great tool for adding value, increasing engagement and exciting an audience

THE CONTENT The production and compilation of your 3D Projection content is a crucial element to the delivery of 3D Projection. We can provide you with fully managed content; we produce and deliver all content for the project.

Make graphical information “jump out” at the audience to highlight key points, such as key elements of a graph, or a graphical element of a slide design, Use as a feature element to an awards show or conference to give guests a key talking point, Tell delegates about the technology in advance to increase

HOW DOES IT WORK? The concept is simple, but the execution has taken many hundreds of man-hours to perfect. In essence we all perceive the world around us to be in 3D

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Do you have an event or an activation coming up? Do you want to impress your audience? Definitely 3D projection mapping is your next big event!

Brought to you by:

Address: 3 Ibrahim Khattab St., Off Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road, Cairo, Egypt Mobile: 01001161218 Email: info@marnomics.com Website: www.marnomics.com

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Featured Professional

The social responsibility of marketing by:

MUSTAFA SHAMSELDIN M arketing is the practice of influencing human behaviour. Every consumer goods brand manager, corporate communications director, or human resources team spend a good amount of their time and effort influencing the behaviour of consumers, investors, existing and would-be employees through different marketing techniques. It is this author’s belief that the influence of marketers on the culture and values of a society is at least as significant as politicians and clergymen, if not more significant. There are a couple of reasons for this.

First, human beings tend to have more long lasting relationships with their brands. I would argue that any person’s relationship with his favourite brands defines his other behaviours that go beyond the decision to just buy the brand. Research has proven over and over again that the best definition of a brand’s target, and its most loyal consumers, tends to be psychographic rather than demographic. In plain terms, this means that big brands create almost cult-like followings, of people who share the same beliefs and values, resulting in them thinking, behaving and ultimately acting in the same manner. For example, some might perceive that it is quite easy to tell Apple consumers from those who buy Blackberry or Samsung devices for instance, just by observing their attitude towards design, technology, and their social networks. Second, human beings are now exposed to marketing messages more frequently than any other type of message. On average, people living in the Middle East are exposed to tens of hours of advertising every month. A typical TV media campaign is seen by more than 60% of the population at least two to three times per month, and that is just TV. Marketing messages now exist on every single human touchpoint, on the morning radio, outdoors, social networking sites, the back of electricity bills, and delivered to mobile phones by SMS or MMS. Putting all that together, consumers interact with brands and marketing messages at a frequency which

is high enough to impact their brains in profound ways. Remember, Ivan Pavlov made the dog salivate when it hears the bell by exposing it to that stimulus multiple times in conjunction with food. Marketers ‘ring the bell’ many more times and to a much broader audience. What caused hundreds of millions of mothers to switch from cloth nappies to disposable diapers for their babies? What makes a person feel he is more confident or better prepared for a date or an interview only if he is wearing his favourite fashion brand? Both are examples of marketing impacting consumer behaviour but more importantly shaping human perception

g re de finin is n io o reg A s the itically, it is als l o itsel f p g its values re de finin re. Winning tu and cul al ba ttles and rn e the in t ut s tronger o com ing nd mos tly on e e will dep es and cultur lu a v c tive these the colle f the p os t n o d n a usness o conscio ing so cieties. r A rab sp about being a good mother and the psychology of self-confidence.

So what?

So we as marketers need to start developing a level of consciousness about how we can and should influence the societies we operate in, even more so in this time of significant change sweeping across the Middle East region. The Arab spring and the revolution of expression have the potential to set up our part of the world for greatness, or send it spiralling into a series of setbacks. It is my belief that the difference lies in one thing only, the collective consciousness of the society and the will to move forward. Our societies have been plagued with leaders who only allowed their point of view to be heard. Now every person wants to exercise his God granted right to express his point of view, and to demand what

he believes is the right thing for him, and demand it now. That includes everything from immediate pay raises to contributing to developing the wording of the constitution, to the ability to decide whether national football leagues should be allowed to kick off. Every person has the right to express herself, and no one should be able to take that away, but it is how to express that right and how to channel those tremendous energies, especially of the great young people of our countries that needs to, and will evolve over time. As the region is redefining itself politically, it is also redefining its values and culture. Winning the internal battles and coming out stronger will depend mostly on these values and culture and on the collective consciousness of the post Arab spring societies. Are we going to learn to cherish our differences or amplify them? Is the good of the society more important or is it every individual’s personal interest that defines his actions? Will I celebrate and elect politicians that listen and compromise for the greater good or others that only share my point of view? What matters more: personal pride or respecting others? These are very important questions that the society will need to answer over the coming years with its collective consciousness. It is my belief that marketers and brands have a major role to play in defining this consciousness. In the same way marketers changed human behaviour when it comes to washing hair (by explaining the benefits of shampoo over soap), calling cousins (by allowing mobile customers to select a few numbers which they call at a discount), or driving a car (by marketing the drive as a multimedia experience), I believe marketers have a responsibility to direct human behaviour in the region in a positive manner. I believe most human aspirations from being cool to looking good to being successful are defined primarily by marketing and advertising. More importantly, brands and their marketing campaigns define how to achieve those aspirations, not just by asking consumers to purchase these brands, but also by advocating a

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certain behaviour and attitude towards achieving them. These aspirations, and the behaviour and attitude towards achieving them shape the values and beliefs of the consumers and customers which make up our societies. Now the people that have control over these important human values need to step up and do their part.

How?

In my view, every single brand or communication message can play a role, obviously at differing levels. Depending on the size, and ability of a brand, it should reflect, adopt or advocate positive human values such as respect, diversity and the sense of belonging that we need to rebuild our nations. At the most basic level, brands, of any industry, need to reflect these human values in their tone of voice. In advertising messages, the measure of cool should be doing something good for your country, society or community, rather than simply being better or different than those around you. Success should be defined as working hard and contributing to something bigger than oneself, and diversity should be a mandatory element in any campaign brief. Even the most trivial executional elements like the type of people shown in ads or the locations depicted are all very important messages to the society as a whole. Facial creams advertising should show consumers enjoying its benefit for their complexion, regardless of their skin color. A pasta brand can show the well-off family inviting their conservatively religious neighbours to a family lunch, and sending a food tray to the doorman and security guards as a treat. These are all very relevant and true insights in the Middle East that marketers can both exploit and reflect in their messages. There is also a significant opportunity for brands to start adopting these values in their marketing campaigns. All brands stand for something, as seen by the consumer, which is what we define as brand equity. Apple stands for innovation; Pepsi stands for living in the now moment, BMW stands for the ultimate driving experience. I believe there is huge opportunity today for brands to succeed by adopting these human values as a core element of their strategy. We need, and will, see brands succeed as standing for respect and for diversity. The emergence of these brands will not only create value for their companies, but my belief is that it would create an impact on the society as a whole. The value of ‘caring for our planet’ has risen in importance among consumers in more developed nations, but it was the way brands exploited it in

their marketing that made it part of pop culture. Dove redefined how we appreciate beauty. BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Lufthansa, Siemens, etc. define the German culture in their marketing as much as they borrow from it. The French reputation for fine taste is as much a function of the French brands as it is an attribute of the French people. For example, an Egyptian juice brand can launch with an advertising campaign highlighting how its cycle touches every single segment of society. The Nile water passes through the Nubian villages, reaches the fruit farmer in the diverse lands of Upper Egypt, after which the fruit is sent to the factory worker on the outskirts of Cairo. The juice product which is delivered by a sales rep who boasts a beard, to a wholesaler in Alexandria who has been in business since his Greek orthodox great grandfather, is then picked up by a Bedouin retailer in Marsa Matrouh and ends up in the hands of a young girl attending an international school. The campaign idea of ‘All of Egypt’s diversity and beauty bottled for you’ could be a powerful advertising idea, and a strong cultural message at the same time. A third level is for the more courageous, bigger brands. That level is to

nd keters a s r a m e We, th ica tion team n commu he Middle t r all ove y, have a a Eas t to d ility, a so cial ib s resp on ility. We nee d ib resp ons ur pa r t in o to play g the p os t in develop ing world we r A rab sp ee and live in. s wish to start advocating and rewarding the right human and societal values. The society needs the mega brands, the consumer lovemarks, and big spenders, to work together to educate and reward consumers on how to build the society we all dream of. Pepsi encouraged its consumers to do a ‘generous’ deed in Ramadan and share it, in return for which it donated big sums of money to charitable causes. A telecom company can run a promotion giving free minutes to customers if they send an anonymous positive message to someone they don’t know. A clothes company should launch a line with messages such as ‘I love you if you are Egyptian’ or motivations like ‘Let’s build Egypt together’. A TV station can run a campaign encouraging people to shoot videos, using mobile phones

for example, of positive and negative behaviours they see on the streets in their everyday lives. This could be edited into an entertaining collage with funny commentary showing positive behaviours such as helping others in the street or respecting the rules while criticizing the behaviour of someone who decided to disregard others and park in the wrong place or lacked respect for a female passer-by. A similar campaign was launched in Lebanon successfully recently and won many awards, as well as recognition from the audience. One fast food outlet in Giza in Egypt became quite famous by hiring only workers with hearing and speech impairments. Can a fast food restaurant adopt a principle of diversity in its stores, where every single store is a showcase of the great diversity that makes up the Egyptian society? For the creative marketing minds out there, the ideas and opportunities are endless. We, the marketers and communication teams all over the Middle East today, have a responsibility, a social responsibility. We need to play our part in developing the post Arab spring world we wish to see and live in. My favourite quote of all time is what Ghandi said ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’. I ask every single marketing head, brand manager or communication consultant to think long and hard about how they are going to impact their society and their country positively. That is not a nice to have; it is our Marketing Social Responsibility. I would love to hear different thoughts and suggestions from all the marketers who share my belief that we have a responsibility to our societies. Please share with me your ideas and thoughts and I will try to compile it and put it into more specific actions in a follow up article. Mustafa Shamseldin is currently Senior Marketing Director for PepsiCo Beverages business in GCC. He has more than 16 years of marketing experience across different companies including Procter & Gamble, Schwarzkopf and Henkel and Americana Foods. He held responsibilities across the Middle East, Turkey and A frica region. He is Egyptian and is currently based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. @mustafashams For comments or questions: mustafashams@hotmail.com “The views and statements expressed by the author are his own personally and are not in any way endorsed or sponsored by PepsiCo”

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Communication Strategy

Branding

Marketing to niche audiences T

Whether you are working on a large campaign with multiple target audiences or a campaign with one target market you can create the right strategy by applying the principles of niche marketing.

he best marketing campaigns have very defined customers and tactics to reach those customers. Even campaigns aimed at the mass market are broken down into segments to create more focused marketing approaches. Niche marketing therefore forms the basis of marketing strategy since it involves identifying and targeting very specific groups of consumers – something that marketers do regularly. Whether you are working on a large campaign with multiple target audiences or a campaign with one target market you can create the right strategy by applying the principles of niche marketing.

step to discovering useful insights about your customer and can involve both formal and informal methods. The most cost-effective research method is browsing the web to discover blogs, websites and publications read and frequented by your niche. Once you have gathered enough information, focus on organising it in a meaningful way to create a clear representation of your customer. Define their habits and behaviours rather than limiting your results to superficial demographical characterisation. Some other useful metrics include

Deciding which niches to target The marketplace is filled with countless niches that could be your potential customers. However, not all niches are made equal and a good marketer will be able differentiate between the niches worth pursuing and those better left alone. To ensure that you’ve chosen the right niche to market to, ask yourself: Is this market big enough to warrant our attention? Will this market grow in future? Does it fit with the client’s values and resources? What does the competitive landscape look like? Is there a competitor targeting the same niche whom you cannot beat? and Are there niches you haven’t thought about to tap into?

Understanding your niche’s needs After deciding on the right niche it’s important to develop the customer profile and understand their exact needs. Market research is the obvious first

and must be understood by your audience. The best way to build rapport and establish an emotional connection is to speak the same language as the receiver – so when addressing your niche think and talk like them. Visual communication: if you plan on doing creative as part of marketing to a niche make sure that creative also resonates with the customers. Create branding and graphic elements based on what you have learnt about your customers during your research. Are they visual? Do they care about aesthetics? Or are they more functional and focus on value as opposed to appearance?

Focused marketing strategies

customer traits, the media they consume, how they prefer to be contacted, their behaviour and specific buying behaviour.

Create specific marketing messages Once you know exactly who your customer is you can begin crafting the marketing messages best suited to reach them. Focus: make sure your marketing message is as tailored to your niche as possible and communicate that same message consistently, regardless of the means of the medium or channel you use. Language: the language you use to create the message is also important

If you’ve decided to go after more than one niche, you will have to create a strategy that applies directly to each one. There can be no one-size-fitsall approach and the tactics used to reach out to one target audience may be completely different from the tactics used to connect with another one. While you don’t need a fully-fledged marketing plan for each niche, you do need to make sure that your marketing strategy includes goals, timeframes, marketing channels and budgeting for each market. A marketer who is able to use niche marketing principles in campaigns is more likely to create messages that resonate strongly with the customers and create long lasting trust. The most important elements of niche marketing involve a clear and insightful understanding of the target audience and the ability to connect with that audience through marketing messages that relate to them.

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Getting THE people behind YOUR brand R

eluctance to engage the team, share the company’s vision and values and failure to celebrate the contribution of your people will make the difference between employees being brand ambassadors or detractors.

A team focus It’s not the management, but the team that realises success in any organisation. The same creativity you apply to campaigns needs to be applied to bringing out the best in your team. Think more widely than the ‘tick the box’ stuff here. Ask yourself, are you really creating a workplace that fosters creativity and innovation amongst your team? And more importantly, can you afford to lose quality and rare talent because of potential disengagement? Think about it. You’re so busy managing your own brands or planning campaigns for clients that you believe will change the world, you risk overlooking the workforce that can bring those great ideas to life. Put your own ego aside. Step back and think about how important everyone’s purpose is in the business and what role they play in achieving those goals.

Living the brand In an industry where reputation is everything, the top tier candidates are becoming increasingly selective about the brands, people and management styles they will and will not be associated with. It’s crucial to ensure brand values are meaningful and relevant to those who work within them to achieve a shared purpose.

In a fast-moving world where information is readily spread and boundaries between personal and business are continually blurred, it pays to ensure your staff are aware of what the business stands for as they, knowingly or not, act as ambassadors for the brand you’ve fought so hard to build and manage. When bringing in new talent, recruit according to the brand values. If new

There’s more to people than just doing their jobs. People need to encourage and motivate one another. Including colleagues in the decision-making process, encouraging brand champions to inspire others and leading by example can all make the difference between engagement and disengagement. Making staff more engaged and involved in management solutions ensure they feel there is a higher purpose and that they’re a key part of your success. Asking for feedback is another big one, overlooked too often. Taking the time to hear the thoughts and perspectives from others within the organisation, particularly those far removed from your own role, sends a strong message about the value these individuals contribute to the wellbeing of the organisation.

recruits are on board to achieve these it creates more believers in the organisation and increases the likelihood of achieving a shared vision. Having a clear set of values consistently communicated throughout the business will instill faith in staff that you genuinely want them to achieve their very best.

A higher purpose Some would argue that marketing professionals aren’t saving lives. But believing you are making a difference can make a heck of a difference between ticking the box and really going above and beyond for a client.

Hard won, easily lost These days, brands have to work smarter at staying relevant and top of mind. The same can be said for an evolving workplace. It can take years to build an environment that champions team successes and just one action to send the wrong message. The art of reputation management is a delicate thing, hard won and easily lost. Don’t lose sight of the bigger picture. A brand needs to stay honest, genuine and stay grounded. If they are, everything else will follow suit

Consider whether you are providing workplace that provides a higher purpose. Not literally, but on a day-to-day, ‘I feel I am making a difference’ kind of way.

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Communication Strategy

10 ESSENTIAL

MARKETING TIPS Follow these ten easy wins for an instant marketing boost...

Getting to know your customers is the most important stage of marketing process. The more accurate your information and knowledge, the more effective you will be at selling. Use all the information at your disposal to understand customer’s behavior, demographics, and requirements. This information should steer your major business decisions and allow you to write a marketing plan.

The process of conducting your business is almost as important as the product itself - make sure delivery is quick, returns are dealt with courteously, and your staff greets customers with a smile and a cup of coffee. Surprise and delight your customers by going above and beyond the call of duty for them. Word of mouth is a powerful selling tool and this is exactly the way to generate it.

Understand your customers

Observe the marketing environment Knowing your customer is vital, but there may also be business opportunities which emerge as a result of changing global circumstances. For example, in recession budget brands such as camp sites or cheap food stores tend to flourish as people dial down their annual spending. Emerging technologies may make new products possible, and new legislation may shift consumers’ behaviors - a good example is the reduction in road tax for low polluting cars. Make sure you regularly ‘scan’ the external environment for opportunities (and threats).

Ensure you are smooth and efficient

Design targeting advertising & customer communications Placing a few ads just isn’t enough to get noticed any more. Consumers are bombarded with hundreds of marketing messages every day of their lives and take less and less notice. You need to do something pretty special to stand out, so make sure your messages are clear and appeal to exactly the people you are trying to sell to. Use both emotional and rational arguments to demonstrate what you are selling and why they need it.

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Design your product or service around the customer Once you have a marketing plan in place, you need to make sure your product or service is tailored to your customers from the packaging to the way it is promoted. Entrepreneurs often fall into the trap of making the product they want to sell, rather than designing and presenting things in the way the customer wants.

invest in your people

have a pricing strategy Don’t just set a price based on production costs plus a margin. Pricing is a powerful tool to achieve your goals decide what you are trying to achieve and what message you’re giving out by setting your price at a certain level. High prices mean you’re likely to sell less, but can give the impression of a premium product. Low prices can allow you to break into or dominate a particular market, although this may mean low profitability in the short term. Ensure pricing is part of a greater strategy, and include this in your marketing plan.

respond to complaints well

Your staff is your most precious asset - look after them and give them the training they need to do their jobs well. From your receptionist to your salesmen, make sure they are motivated, have the tools they need and understand their role in the business plan. If everyone works together, your business will look after itself.

Every complaint is an opportunity to turn around a dissatisfied customer - respond quickly and positively. Remember your brand is easily damaged, and the last thing you want is for people to be actively spreading bad stories about your business. A complaint that is dealt with well can often result in a loyal customer, they will have refreshed trust in your brand and the confidence to buy again knowing that if things do go wrong they will be sorted out quickly.

make sure your shop front is immaculate Good presentation is a huge influencing tool; it generates trust, motivates your staff and makes customers comfortable with their decision. If your front of house is messy, what does that say about your warehouse or filing systems? Even if things are chaotic behind the scenes, never lower the standards of your customer facing areas

write a marketing plan Develop your strategy in the form of a written marketing plan, as this will ensure all members of your business understand the company direction. The plan is a comprehensive and well researched document which covers all essential aspects of taking your products to the customer, including the points listed above.

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PR Perspective

Consumer Behaviour Communication Strategy

PSYCHOLOGY OF A PURCHASE DECISION

You don’t need to be a psychologist to successfully market a product, but you do need to understand the decision making process and the emotional and rational factors involved.

uman psychology is a fascinating science, not least because of the frightening discoveries about just how predictable our behaviour can be. Customers make decisions based on a large number of factors and although it is impossible to influence them all, successful marketers try to strike a balance between appealing to the emotional and rational sides to our personality. Humans are not completely practical, nor do they make decisions based solely on feelings. The amount of emotional desire varies according to the product, but rational decisions vary according to circumstances. Nobody gets too excited about beans; however there are people all over the world right now dreaming about owning a yacht. Beans and yachts are both successful products, so clearly different processes are at work.

circumstances. Maslow realised that as people’s situations improve, their motivational focus and rational requirements shift.

HOW CONSUMERS MAKE UP THEIR MIND TO PURCHASE

MARKETING MESSAGE AUTHORITY

Now your customer has made up their mind that they’re in the market for, say, a premium watch, there are still plenty

RATIONAL DECISIONS Abraham Maslow published his theory of the hierarchy of needs in 1943, which describes how people’s behaviour varies according to their

e need to talk. Don’t freak out; I don’t mean we need to talk in that angst-y, relationship-on-the-rocks kind of way, but rather in the do-youunderstand-the-message-I’m-tryingto-deliver kind of way. We need to talk about messages, key messages to be precise. As a PR practitioner, I find it fascinating (and hugely telling about the local corporate communication culture) that an alarming number of C-level managers (i.e., CEO, CFO, COO) I meet with do not have a firm grip on their key messages, whether for a specific product, service or even for the company as a whole. Sure they can rattle off business rhetoric and industry statistics, which is great, but what is the message they’re trying to deliver? Why is it important in the first place? Why don’t these managers “get” their key messages?

Message to marketing

EMOTIONAL DECISIONS Ferrari doesn’t have to try very hard to sell their products – these cars are almost entirely emotional purchases which appeal due to the power of their brand, the technical brilliance of the cars and an intangible value which varies from person to person. If the nature of your product is not particularly aspirational – you can increase this emotional appeal by carefully managing your brand, but remember - when times are tough, it’s the emotional products that get hit hardest.

PR PERSPECTIVE: MESSAGES ARE KEY

FINAL WORDS

Now before I get into the reasons it’s important for top management to fully embrace their key messages, I’d like to take a slight detour and explain why it’s important for marketing professionals to do the same. This is a marketing magazine after all. You are the image-makers, the master craftsmen and women who take the unique selling propositions (USPs) of a product/service/company and develop strategies to turn them into enticing, eye-catching campaigns that trigger the “I-need-that-now” impulse in your target audience. Typically you have tons of money (as the PR teams rub their eyes in disbelief at your budgets), but very little space to drive those USPs. As such, relying on additional support (pssst: PR) to maximize the impact and ROI of your campaign is a great way to push those USPs even further. What does this have to do with key messages? Key messages are USPs; they’re just painstakingly honed with all the thematic relevance and proof points possible in order to ensure that whatever the medium, there’s a wellcrafted key message ready for delivery. As marketers, key messages may help you look at the USPs in a new light which could, in turn, provide added insight to your strategy, helping boost sales and market share.

of decisions to be made and this is where marketing is especially important. There are plenty of premium watch brands, each of which tell the time equally well – this is where competition is fierce and differentiation is key. At this point, potential customers are most susceptible to marketing messages, the value of which varies according to the

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Understand and deliver Slight detour and we’re back on track because this is where senior management comes in. Knowing your key messages is crucial to helping raise awareness of the product/service/ company. But simply knowing them isn’t enough; you have to understand your key messages as well (and live and breathe them…just kidding, sort of). What’s the difference between knowing and understanding? Let me break it down: We all know that we should exercise regularly. But why? When we understand that we should exercise regularly in order to help improve our health, well-being and quality of life – we’re much more likely to do it than if we’re just told we should exercise. The same goes for key messages (aka USPs): once you understand them you’re much better able to convince others of your message. To be fair, it’s not quite that easy. The effective delivery of key messages and reaching your target audience are important pieces of the puzzle as well. I’ll delve into these topics in the next article. This leads to the bigger issue of why C-level managers aren’t fully aware of their key messages; since they tend to be corporate spokespeople responsible for speaking to the public and media, key messages are imperative to this aspect of their job.

Focus please In my opinion, the reasons for the issue are multifaceted. As discussed in my previous article, the lack of a local corporate culture that understands communications and PR plays a significant role in the dearth of key messages. If the corporate team lacks this area of expertise then they aren’t able to bring it to the boardroom. Even companies with some form of communications support - whether it’s one person that sits in the corner of the marketing department or companies with entire corporate comms teams there seems to be a limited focus on key message development within the local corporate communication arena. Perhaps it’s because everyone thinks that top management should already know the key messages, but guess what? They have a million other things

to do than refine key messages for target audiences – that’s PR’s job.

It’s not that obvious Perhaps it’s because there’s a perception within companies that the key messages are so obvious, they don’t need to be developed. This is exactly why it’s so important to draw on your PR agency for advice and support. Understandably, it’s challenging for companies to look at themselves objectively from an outsider’s point of view. As a PR agency, we’re outside enough to provide valuable observations about how the company and its messages are perceived and inside enough to be able to work to shift those perceptions if needed. We do this using a number of tactics that include developing key messages specifically tailored for each audience with a set of proof points to offer deeper understanding of those messages, which ideally translate into greater recognition and awareness that can lead to an increase in sales and support other business development objectives.

Power of the word Finally, I believe the lack of effective key messages is rooted in the limited understanding of their power. Who’s your favorite spokesperson: corporate, political, celebrity or otherwise? Why are they your favorite? Chances are it’s because, among other things, you relate to what (s)he is saying. You understand what is being said and why. This doesn’t happen by accident. They have teams of people working behind the scenes to ensure every message is perfected and that it serves a purpose. You won’t often see them talking for the sake of it. Each message has a distinct raison d’être that serves a larger objective – and, if done well, its powerful stuff. Feel like sending me a message of your own? I’d love your feedback! Please contact me at sarah.broberg@traccs.net Sarah Broberg Deputy Managing Director

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Controversial

RESISTENCE TO CHANGE

If the innovation requires marginal rather than major changes in their views, If they have a demonstrated need for the innovation, and If the innovation is introduced gradually so that people can adjust to the resulting change.

Change is uncomfortable and requires new ways of thinking and doing. People have trouble developing a vision of what life will look like on the other side of a change.

ow many times you tried to present a new idea or initiative? How many times was it rejected and you had to put it in your office drawer until further notice? Did you ask yourself why was it rejected or resisted? Did you communicate the ‘why’ part of the idea? Why should it be implemented? What will the results be? If you want someone to change a habit, tell them why they should do that. Tell them what’s in it for them, why should they do extra effort or spend an extra pound. Let them visualize the benefits they’ll incur. The adoption of new ideas and techniques does not occur naturally but results from hard work, trial and error. It is important to recognize this fact and to make an effort to develop information that is concise, readable and to the point and to make sure the information reaches people who can use it. A broad spectrum of skills is needed to lead to effective management of innovation and change. There is no magic formula for success- no such formulas exist. Multiple channels of communication should be used to promote the adoption of an innovation. Never expect one report, one presentation, one telephone call or one conference to accomplish everything. Successful programs need to be carefully conceived and carried out. Human contacts are critical ingredients, and need to be used along

with good written and visual materials. These materials are useless without an understanding of the needs, limitations and problems of the user. Resistance to change results from unclarity; Change produces anxiety and uncertainty. People may lose their sense

When the reason for the change is unclear. Ambiguity-whether it is about costs, equipment, jobs-can trigger negative reactions among users. When the proposed users have not been consulted about the change, and it is offered to them as an accomplished fact. People like to know what’s going on, especially if their jobs may be affected. Informed workers tend to have higher levels of job satisfaction than uninformed workers. When the change threatens to modify established patterns of working relationships between people.

of security. They may prefer the status quo. The range of reactions, when change is introduced, is immense and unpredictable. Change is uncomfortable and requires new ways of thinking and doing. People have trouble developing a vision of what life will look like on the other side of a change. So, they tend to cling to the known rather than embrace the unknown. The adoption of innovations involves altering human behavior and the acceptance of change. There is a natural resistance to change for several reasons.

When the benefits and rewards for making the change are not seen as adequate for the trouble involved. When the change threatens jobs, power or status in an organization. An unwilling user can always make an idea fail, no matter how good it is. Decision makers will be more responsive to change: If the information presented coincides with their current values, beliefs, and attitudes, If they perceive that the change will benefit them more than it will cost them,

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Manage Resistance to Change These tips will help you minimize, reduce, and make less painful, the resistance to change that you create as you introduce changes. This is not the definitive guide to managing resistance to change - but implementing these suggestions, will give you a head start. Own the changes No matter where the change originated - and change can show up at any point in your organization, even originating with you - you must own the change yourself. It’s your responsibility to implement the change. You can only do that effectively, if you step back, take a deep breath, and plan how you will implement the change with the people you influence in your organization. Recognize that resistance to change is minimized if you have created a trusting, employee-oriented, supportive work environment prior to the change If you are considered to be honest, and your employees trust you and feel loyal to you, employees are much more likely to get onboard for the change quickly. So, the efforts you have expended in building this type of relationship will serve you well during change. (They will serve you well at work, in general, but especially during times of stress and change.) Communicate the change You undoubtedly have reporting staff, departmental colleagues, and employees to whom you must communicate the change. How you communicate the change to the people you influence has the single most important impact on how much resistance to change will occur. If you wholeheartedly communicate the change, you will win the hearts and minds of the employees. One of the key factors in reducing resistance to change is to implement change

in an environment in which there is wide-spread belief that a change is needed. So, one of your first tasks in effective communication is to build the case for why the change was needed. (If the rationale was not communicated to you, and if you are not clear about it yourself, you will have difficulty convincing others, so consult with your manager, first.) Specifically inform the employees about what your group can and cannot affect. Spend time discussing how to implement the change and make it work. Answer questions; honestly share your earlier reservations, but state that you are onboard and going to make the change work. Ask the employees to join you in that endeavor because only the team can make the change happen. Stress that you have knowledge, skills, and strengths that will help move the team forward, and so does each of the team members. All are critical. Help the employees identify what’s in it for them to make the change A good portion of the normal resistance to change disappears when employees are clear about the benefits the change brings to them as individuals. Benefits to the group, the department, and the organization should be stressed, too. But, nothing is more important to an individual employee than to know the positive impact on their own career or job. Additionally, employees must feel that the time, energy, commitment, and focus necessary to implement the change are compensated equally by the benefits they will attain from making the change. Happier customers, increased sales, a pay raise, saved time and steps, positive notoriety, recognition from the boss, more effective, productive employees, and an exciting new role or project are examples of ways in which you can help employees feel compensated for the time, energy, focus, change, and challenge that any change requires. Listen deeply and empathetically to the employees You can expect that the employees will experience the same range of emotions, thoughts, agreement, and disagreement that you experienced when the change was introduced to you or when you participated in creating the change.

Never minimize an employee’s response to even the simplest change. You can’t know the impact from an individual employee’s point of view. Maybe the change seems insignificant to many employees, but the change will seriously impact another employee’s favorite task. Hearing the employees out and letting them express their point of view in a non-judgmental environment will reduce resistance to change. Empower employees to contribute Control of their own jobs is one of the five key factors in what employees want from work. So, too, this control aspect follows when you seek to minimize resistance to change. Give the employees control over any aspect of the change that they can manage. If you have communicated transparently, you have provided the direction, the rationale, the goals, and the parameters that have been set by your organization. Within that framework, your job is to empower the employees to make the change work. Practice effective delegation and set the critical path points at which you need feedback for the change effort - and get out of the way. Create an organization-wide feedback and improvement loop Do these steps mean that the change that was made is the right or optimal change? Not necessarily. You must maintain an open line of communication throughout your organization to make sure that feedback reaches the ears of the employees leading the charge. Changing course or details, continuous improvement, and tweaking is a natural, and expected, part of any organizational change. Most changes are not poured in concrete but there must be a willingness to examine the improvement (plan - do - study - act). If you implement your change in an organizational environment that is employee-oriented, with transparent communication and a high level of trust, you have a huge advantage. But, even in the most supportive environment, you must understand and respond to the range of human emotions and responses that are elicited during times of intense change.

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Mohamed Sherif http://medok.deviantart.com

CREATIVE SHOWCASE Creative Showcase is a section for featuring Egypt’s ﬁnest designers. 19

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Ayman Anwar

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