Vision Graphics Inc/Eagle:xm Connect Magazine Nov/Dec 2015

Vision Graphics Inc.

Engaging Marketing Minds

r e v e N w o r g Vol. 5, Issue 6, November/December 2015

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Why companies can never get too set in their ways

INSIDE The Cause Trending with Paul Friederichsen Content gains steam

TM

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publisher ’s letter

Out of sight C

ustomers purchasing from you should not signal the end of the relationship. Too often, it seems that consumers fall into the “out of sight, out of mind” category after they buy something. In reality, that’s when companies should work the hardest at strengthening relationships within their communities.

According to a new survey conducted by Dimensional Research, an overwhelming 90 percent of respondents who read positive online reviews said they influenced the buying decision, while 86 percent said buying decisions were influenced by negative online reviews.

Your customers don’t stop being important once they’ve bought from you. Once they In today’s world, move through your sales funnel – if you’ve been able to keep them happy during the process you need to drop – they will reenter the mix and join those other voices. If they feel like you have slighted them your tunnel vision on in any way, the long-term negative impact to your brand could be significant. short-term profits and The experience must be good or else. It is a buyer’s world, and you must assume that your community of clients and prospects have robust networks of their own. So, a new level relentlessly focus on of sincerity and excellence must permeate every facet of your organization. You may revel being excellent for in gathering a few dollars in the short term, but long-term sustainability is not just built on everyone, regardless taking the pulse of a market, but by being a part of that pulse. of where they are in In today’s world, you need to drop your tunnel vision on short-term profits and relentlessly focus on being excellent for everyone, regardless of where they are in the sales funthe sales funnel. nel. Buy or “goodbye” is no longer effective in a world where purchase decisions are made before human contact takes place.

Our efforts to continually support the market are exemplified in this issue. Our cover story, “Never Grow Up,” is a fun piece that reveals why companies can never get too set in their ways. Change and the shortness of lifecycle curves demand that we never let our organization, products or services get tired and stale.

In the second feature, “The Cause,” we explore how missions and monetary results don’t have to be at odds. Times have changed, and finding the opportunity to enrich your company’s soul is just as critical as enriching your shareholders.

Enjoy the issue and remember to keep everything in sight.

Warmest regards,

Mark Steputis Publisher

CONTENTS

03

Publisher’s Letter

04 The Inbox

Out of sight

10

06

Never grow up How to stay ahead of the aging curve

14

15

The Cause

Trending with...

Content gains steam

Aligning your brand with more than bottom line success

Marketing strategist Paul Friederichsen

Survey shows where marketers are putting their investments

Publisher

Mark Steputis mark.steputis@visiongraphics-inc.com

Managing Editor

Tyson Polzkill tyson.polzkill@eaglexm.com

Art Direction

Brent Cashman l Editorial and Creative Direction: Conduit Inc. - www.Conduit-Inc.com Connect is published bimonthly copyright 2015. All rights reserved For more information contact Scott Nordstrom at Scott.Nordstrom@@visiongraphics-inc.com

Vision Graphics Inc. – connect • November/December 2015

3

The

Inbox

Why content matters I

t looks like the content marketing movement will roll on. According to “The Content Council 2015 Survey,” 76 percent of respondents predict that their “already strong” or “extremely strong” commitment to content marketing will increase 36 percent over the next two years. The report, conducted by The Content Council and Advertising Age, surveyed 448 executives from agencies, marketers and media companies. According to the report, here are some of the biggest challenges they face with content marketing:

63%

Creating quality engaging content

53%

A lack of budget

50%

A lack of time

49%

Proving ROI 4

November/December 2015 • connect – Vision Graphics Inc.

Grit to Great

By Linda Kaplan Thaler & Robin Koval

Guts and courage. For any successful entrepreneur, those are the traits, more than anything else, that are at the heart of the journey.

In Grit to Great, Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval reveal the strategies that helped them and countless others succeed at the highest levels in their careers, professions and personal lives.

Drawing on the latest research in positive psychology, Thaler and Koval remind us that every day is an opportunity to set new goals and challenge ourselves in different ways. They write that those who adopt that mindset do better in school, work and on the playing field.

Grit to Great will offer the insight, knowledge and life lessons that can help propel you to the next level.

12.2 The percent increase that marketers say they are earmarking for digital marketing over the next year, according to the “CMO Survey.” The report, conducted by Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, surveyed 288 senior U.S. marketing executives. Among the other findings is that social media spending now makes up an average 10.7 percent of their marketing budgets, and will grow to 14 percent over the next 12 months.

We keep stretching ourselves creatively, and stretching our teammates creatively so that we can continue to distinguish ourselves in this competitive landscape. Our employees are passionate about delivering better experiences to our customers and we as a company back that up.”

– Vinoo Vijay, CMO of TD Bank, on how to keep your brand above the competitive fray

Vision Graphics Inc. – connect • November/December 2015

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Never grow u p

6

November/December 2015 • connect – Vision Graphics Inc.

L

egendary and iconic Beatle Paul McCartney is still rocking and rolling at 73. In fact, he recently launched a new world tour. Tom Selleck (aka Magnum P.I.), now 70, is the star of CBS’ hit TV drama “Blue Bloods,” where he still is pretending to chase the bad guys. And the greatest golfer ever, Jack Nicklaus, 75, who mostly designs courses these days, still has it. In fact, the Golden Bear recently nailed a holein-one during the Par 3 Contest prior to the 2015 Masters golf

By Lorrie Bryan tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Are you getting the theme here? Today, one of the biggest secrets to never growing old is to think and act young. Channel that robust childlike exuberance and imagination.

Why companies can never get too set in their ways.

Vision Graphics Inc. – connect • November/December 2015

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Never grow up Brands wary of the shortening business lifecycle and challenged to stay ahead of the curve could probably take a page from these ageless celebrities’ staying power. Here are five business lessons that will help you stay forever young:

1. Stay fit and agile As a small business or entrepreneur, your agility is a primary competitive advantage,” says executive coach and best-selling business author, Lee J. Colan, Ph.D. “Being agile means being quick – responding to things quickly and acting quickly. Agility is a trait of a successful leader, and it becomes particularly valuable in times of change and uncertainty.”

2. C ontinually strive to build meaningful relationships

“ When we get too comfortable, we no longer challenge ourselves, and by ceasing to strive toward goals or push ourselves to accomplish, we stop growing.

When we do not grow, we begin to die.”

– Liza Horvath, President, Monterey Trust Management

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November/December 2015 • connect – Vision Graphics Inc.

Eric Holtzclaw, an entrepreneurial coach and strategist, says that companies often gather some transactional data initially, and then assume they know and understand their customers. They make decisions accordingly, when in fact, the data they are using is outdated or skewed.

“They think they know their customers, but they don’t,” Holtzclaw says.

“Feedback needs to be built into the product itself – a regular practice.

Businesses rely too heavily on transactional data, and that can give a skewed picture of what’s really happening. The best way to really get to know your customers is to talk with them, visit your best customers at their places of business, and see firsthand what they do and what their challenges are.”

3. Get outside your comfort zone “When we get too comfortable, we no longer challenge ourselves, and by ceasing to strive toward goals or push ourselves to accomplish, we stop growing,” says senior advocate Liza Horvath, president of Monterey Trust Management, a financial and trust management company. “When we do not grow, we begin to die.”

Colan, co-founder of The L Group Inc., a consulting firm specializing in growing organizations, says that seeking discomfort is essential to keeping your momentum and staying ahead of the curve. Most growth and learning occurs when you are uncomfortable.

“This does not mean you are never satisfied with yourself or others,” Colan says.

“Rather, it provides a healthy alertness of

where you can improve. By delighting in this state of discomfort, you will be more relaxed and more likely to see creative ways to improve. If you can achieve your goals doing business as usual, then your goals are not big enough and you won’t get to the next level.

Your goals should force changes, require tough decisions and inspire bold actions.”

4. Broaden your horizons Today, businesses need to continually push their boundaries, explore new territories and look at the markets beyond their own industries. “You have to look beyond your competitive set,” Colan says. “Explore and discover best practices beyond your immediate industry. Find out who is doing what you aspire to do – whether it’s customer service, innovation or cost management – better than you are doing it.”

5. Listen and learn Colan says that reverse mentoring is an effective way to pass on experience and knowledge within an organization. Companies in all industries have formal and informal programs designed to hone their talent and sharpen their competitive edge.

“However, the technology revolution has created an ironic twist to traditional mentoring,” Colan says. “Today, it’s common for a young, entry-level worker to have a better understanding of technology or some aspect of the operation than his or her manager.

As a result, many organizations are shifting into reverse. Senior leaders are soliciting input from younger employees – especially when they need to better understand operations, customer preferences or new technologies.”

Colan emphasizes that it’s im-

“You have to look beyond your competitive set.

Explore and discover best practices beyond your immediate industry. Find out who is doing what you aspire to do.”

– Lee J. Colan, Ph.D., Co-founder, The L Group, Inc. portant for leaders to make a personal commitment to staying fresh and continually breathing new life into their organizations by encouraging small ideas, and that means listening to the younger members of the workforce. “Put some new minds on old problems. Even if you don’t have a formal program, try hanging out with your younger team members, even those who might be younger than your own children – a guaranteed eye-opener. You might discover that you are so far out of the loop you can’t even see the loop.”

6. Have a positive outlook

his book, “Orchestrating Attitude.” The book helps translate the incomprehensible into the actionable, providing a roadmap of inspiration and application that can help create a new attitude for success.

“You are the conductor of your own attitude,” Colan says. “Nobody else can compose your thoughts for you. Once you develop a habit of choosing a positive or negative attitude – that is exactly what you will send to and receive from the world. Our attitudes are our personal boomerangs to the world. Whatever we throw out comes back to us. A life filled with positive attitude is also filled with positive impact.”

Suzanne Segerstrom, a professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky, says that research shows that a positive attitude correlates with better physical and mental health and a longer lifespan, and likely slows the aging process.

Likewise, having a positive attitude is essential for ongoing business success, as Colan emphasizes in

Vision Graphics Inc. – connect • November/December 2015

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November/December 2015 • connect – Vision Graphics Inc.

H

e painted. It made him feel better. He thought it would help others. That’s the simple part of Jeff Sparr’s story. It’s the everything-in-the-middle part that can and will move you. In his battle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – a disorder of the brain and behavior defined by persistent thoughts and ritualistic behaviors that can interfere with daily activities and relationships – Sparr had good days and bad, until his days mostly became bad.

Thinking he had lost his mind, Sparr

By Michael J. Pallerino sought help at Butler Hospital, a leading psychiatric facility in Providence, R.I., which eventually diagnosed him with OCD. After a friend recommended painting as a way to deal with his anxiety, Sparr stopped by a local art supply store and bought some paints, brushes and canvases. He started painting.

When an impromptu art show featuring his works and thrown together by his cousin, Matt Kaplan, sold more than $16,000 worth of paintings, Sparr was motivated into action.

Aligning your brand with more than bottom line success

Vision Graphics Inc. – connect • November/December 2015

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The Cause Two weeks later, Kaplan and Sparr showed up at a Children’s Intensive Treatment Unit at Butler Hospital, where Sparr was both a patient and board member, with a huge bag of paints, brushes and canvases. After spending the ensuing hours – and weeks – motivating people with his therapeutic form of relief, Sparr started PeaceLove, a movement of hope and support for communities impacted by mental health disorders. Through the sale of merchandise and support of its growing list of partners, it continues to change lives impacted by mental health disorders.

Today, PeaceLove is driven by the help it receives from corporate partners such as CVS Health, Michaels, Zappos, Jockey Scrubs, Life is Good, and more. Each of these organizations continue to make incredible investments in time, energy and resources to grow and transform opportunities to support mental health and PeaceLove’s expressive arts programs.

“There are a ton of great causes in the world, all of them important,” says Kaplan, the co-founder and CEO of PeaceLove. “We provide our partners opportunities to do well by doing good. We collaborate with them to create merchandise that carry a message of hope in support of mental health. Proceeds from the sales provide life-changing expressive arts programs to communities in need. It’s a win, win, win.”

Each brand is not only helping create awareness for PeaceLove and mental health, but some are even creating corporate level wellness initiatives for their employees. They also are providing volunteer opportunities within the communities they support to expand the PeaceLove brand and its mission.

One of PeaceLove’s biggest partnership success stories involves ALEX AND ANI. In May 2014, PeaceLove began to work with its Charity By Design division to create the “Peace of Mind” bangle, with the hope that consumers would connect with its message and signature paint splatter design. Together, they worked to share the PeaceLove story. To date, more than 60,000 bangles have been sold, with 20 percent of the profit going directly to support PeaceLove programs.

“More and more companies are investing in mental health,” Kaplan says. “The bottom line is that it’s good for business. We have met some brilliant people and organizations that are sincerely interested and passionate about bringing this challenge and opportunity to the forefront of their organizations and customers.”

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Passion Projects are the new Passion Projects More and more companies are helping brand their commitment into the communities and consumer groups they serve by taking on passion projects. For example, American Express recently launched a six-month competition that’s similar to a monthly Kickstarter for funding passion project ideas.

Under the program’s guidelines, anyone can submit an idea for a project by answering two questions: “What is your passion project?” and “Why is it important to you?”

The Twitter-friendly – 140 characters each – competition will award 10 winners through December and give them $2,000 in gift cards to spend.

Marketing executives like Chris Sizemore say that these types of efforts are proving that a company’s main barometer of success is transcending what the bottom line reads. “Many customers notice when a business or brand is involved in philanthropic efforts or is giving back to the community, which in turn creates a bottom line impact because they want to do business with you,” says Sizemore, co-founder and CEO of Creative Mischief, a national interactive design agency.

The real bottom line is that a successful company is a socially conscious one. “The stronger your brand connects with the community, the stronger your brand becomes,” Sizemore says. “Without a strong connection to philanthropy and the community, a brand is disconnected to its customer base.”

November/December 2015 • connect – Vision Graphics Inc.

More than anything else, it shows integrity. Giving back makes a difference, which should be equally as important as anything else. Sizemore says that the “making a difference” part speaks more for a brand than the bottom line.

“Philanthropy and giving back can be a brand’s largest area of growth,” Sizemore says. “If a company focuses on cultivating new generations of philanthropists and getting involved in the community, they connect with their customers. Corporate clients see the benefit of working with a socially conscious company. If clients or consumers like a company’s product and like what the company stands for, they will want to do business with that company. Consumers will

often feel a connection with a brand if they share the same values.”

Finding a cause that fits your mission Carlos Moreno loves to talk about the kids.

And when the conversation hits the part about the role that education plays in shaping their futures, the impassioned inflection in his voice moves a couple of octaves higher.

The former teacher and principal believes wholeheartedly that education is the path to a greater good. It’s the “how” that shifts him into another direction.

When Moreno, the co-executive director of Big Picture Learning, starts talking to potential allies of the non-profit organization dedicated to a fundamental redesign of today’s education system, his passion can be mesmerizing. In the schools that Big Picture Learning envisions, students take responsibility for their own education. Testing for competencies in core subjects is not enough – educators have to pay attention to the whole child. His interests. His talents. His family connections.

Founded by Dennis Littky and Elliot Washor in 1995, Big Picture Learning’s sole mission has been to encourage, incite and effect change in the U.S. educational system. Part of their educational redesign called for its students to spend considerable time doing real work in the community under the tutelage of volunteer mentors. They would not be evaluated solely on the basis of standardized tests. Instead, they would be assessed on their performance, on exhibitions and demonstrations of achievement, on motivation, and on the habits of mind, hand, heart and behavior that they display.

A part of the success behind Big Picture Learning is the companies that have committed both financial and volunteer efforts. For example, after the director of educational programs at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation discovered the school, the foundation became a continual financial contributor, pledging several grants that helped take the program national.

“There’s a ‘feel good’ element to large corporations helping low income kids to get lifetrajectory-transforming opportunities,” Moreno says. “It makes them seem more human and compassionate. I think there is an alignment to passion projects for some companies.”

Take a good hard look at the new Corporate America, and you might be pleasantly surprised by some of what you see, Sizemore says. “There has definitely been a shift in business and commitment to social responsibility. Companies are finding ways to cut costs and be more sustainable, and are repurposing the money they’re saving toward philanthropy and community work.”

Sizemore says today’s businesses are helping their employees and clients make a difference. “Employees have begun to look at this as a factor in where they want to work, and customers and clients have begun to view this as a factor in how they do business with or where they spend their money. Businesses are helping their employees and clients make a difference.”

Vision Graphics Inc. – connect • November/December 2015

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Q&A:

Interview with Paul Friederichsen

Trending with ...

Marketing strategist Paul Friederichsen

S

trategic creative results. These are three words Paul Friederichsen takes very seriously. For more than 30 years, Friederichsen has worked in the branding world as a creative director and strategic planner with an impressive client list that includes the likes of The Home Depot, RCA and GE consumer electronics, just to name a few. Today, the founder of BrandBiz specializes in creating marketing strategies, and award-winning creative direction and television campaigns for the development and launching of brands. Here are his thoughts on making your brand’s voice heard in today’s competitive landscape.

Is there a perfect brand strategy out there today?

No. Every branding situation is different. Given the shift toward digital media, the perfect brand strategy should have a liberal dose of digital media – if not near total digital media – thrown into the plan.

What is the best way to elevate your brand above the noise?

There are really two ways to do this. First, you have to have break-through creative. You need big ideas that power-through

Given the shift toward digital media, the perfect brand strategy should have a liberal dose of digital media – if not near total digital media – thrown into the plan.

all the mediocrity that’s out there today. Second, you need to have a media focus. It’s better to focus your media strategy to dominate a few mediums or media outlets than to spread yourself too thin over several.

With creative, it’s the power of the idea. With media focus, it’s the power of the dollar.

What are the three things that every marketer should have in his toolbox?

A cogent understanding of social media, because there are still, surprisingly, many doubters as to its role in marketing. He should also have an appreciation for what it takes to build and steward a brand. Perhaps the most important thing to have in that toolbox is a thick hide. There will be failures along the way.

What’s the most important question marketers should ask every day?

What can I do today to advance my brand – or my client’s brand – in the marketplace? He must understand that much of the battle is won one step at a time, inch by inch, through tenacity and consistency.

What branding trends do you see coming to the forefront?

Mobility. More people access the web via mobile today than ever before. Certain demographics (such as Hispanics) are almost unreachable otherwise. And the car companies are basically turning their vehicles into mobile communication and entertainment platforms. This trend is just getting going. Also Programmatic Media — the ability to microtarget at street level on the fly. Both are only capable via digital technology, of course.

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November/December 2015 • connect – Vision Graphics Inc.

Before You

Go

Content gains steam Survey shows where marketers are putting their investments

T

he content marketing train keeps rolling on.

According to the “Marketing is a (Buyer) Journey, Not a Destination” survey, 57 percent of CMOs plan to boost their marketing budgets over the next two to three years, with content development topping the list. The report, an online survey of 100 CMOs conducted by IBM and the CMO Club, shows how marketers are shifting their budgets toward customer retention and advocacy. Here’s a look at where their money is going:

13.3

%

Content development

11.5 11.1

%

%

Traditional advertising

Online advertising

10.5

%

Website development

9.6

%

Public relations

Vision Graphics Inc. – connect • November/December 2015

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