Branding + empowered staff can’t be beat

Owner Liz Cezat welcomes you to explore
the potential for branding your company.

If a company’s graphic brand – logo, brochures, website, banners – is sterling yet the customer service is lagging, guess what? That business isn’t going to make it.

In real estate, it may be “location, location, location,” but in company branding, “it’s the people.” Yes, the people. It’s the company’s executives, employees, contractors and consultants who bring the brand to life by offering the customer the best experience when dealing with that company.

Is it rocket science? No. Is it professionalism, kindness and empathy? Yes.

Here’s an example. I recently attended two concerts at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, better known as the DSO. It’s been an institution in Detroit since 1887 or is it 1914? You decide. 

At Saturday night’s performance of the Pops series, the ushers were friendly and helpful. Could we bring our drinks to our seats? Absolutely. “But only during the Pops, not during the Classical series,” they told us. Good information.

I should mention too that on the way to Orchestra Hall from the parking lot right across the street, managed by my good friends the Aubreys, a parking attendant escorted my daughter and me across Woodward Ave. He also made some small talk, but it was really big talk. He asked if we were mother and daughter. We responded, “Yes.” Then he said, “That’s good that you are having a night out together. Your daughter is keeping you young and you can impart wisdom to her.” Wow! So true.

The concert, conducted by a spirited Steven Reineke with songs by Mike Eldred and Rachel York was so entertaining that when I saw an ad (branding) in Sunday’s Detroit Free Press/Detroit News for an upcoming concert, I thought, “I want to go.”

I went online and discovered that I could pick my seats. Cool. Plus, the cost was very reasonable. I wasn’t sure if my online order went through so I called the box office. There was an annoying long wait, but once I got through, the ticket meister was exceedingly helpful and personable.

Fast forward to Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012. That morning, I received an email from the DSO with an e-newsletter and a link to their program. That same program, in print, was handed to me at the concert that evening.

I attended with my boyfriend, who would much rather be watching football than attending a classical concert. When we arrived at Orchestra Hall, the door was opened by a doorman who smiled and said, “Welcome.”

The tickets from Will Call were delivered promptly by a smiling employee. When we reached the top of the stairs to the mezzanine, another smiling employee greeted us. Hey, I could get used to this.

The concert was excellent. I truly enjoyed myself. And a large part of that experience was that the DSO was so well managed and the people employed there cared so much. That’s the beauty of excellent customer service being part of one’s brand.

How does this tie into my business? We can help you create a definitive brand – through graphics, key messages, engaging content and advice on how to get your staff on board. It’s an extension of what we are already doing with websites, brochures, logos and social media. Let’s start a conversation, call or e-mail today.

When to hire a consultant ... hint: before the candy runs out.

Four clues that reveal when a company's workload is at the breaking point:

Clue #1: Your employees have a startled “deer in the headlights” look when you walk by.

Clue #2: A smattering of “urgent” sticky notes on your computer makes it hard to see the screen.

Clue #3: You are starting to dread Fridays almost as much as Mondays because important projects haven’t been accomplished.

Clue #4: Instead of a candy dish, your office has one filled with aspirin and antacids.

These clues often point to the need for a consultant to keep the work flow manageable and your company's momentum strong. Now let’s delve into some definitive guidelines about when to outsource communication and marketing projects.

• Do you have self-contained projects that aren’t getting done on time?

• Do you produce a quarterly newsletter that only gets out twice a year? (Easy solutions: Outsource every other issue or the entire production, or get assistance with the articles or layout.)

• Did you plan to produce an e-newsletter for customers, prospects or donors, only to find your original content ideas are looking like yesterday’s news and you still haven’t put out an issue?

• Do you have a major presentation coming up? You know you can easily do a portion of the presentation but would really like a seasoned pro to conduct the interviews, obtain new information and package it in a way that informs and inspires the audience to take action. (We excel at creating content for scripts; graphics for presentations; and handouts that reinforce action items. Plus, If we produce your presentation, we can videotape it for YouTube or your company intranet.)

• Fear or uncertainty keeps you from ramping up your presence in social media. (Did you know that YouTube, Linked-In, Twitter, Facebook and other sites as well as blogs rank high in search engines? It’s a powerful way to brand your firm, boost your SEO and make new connections.)

• If you are a professional group without a marketing director, it’s hard for the principals to do all the rainmaking and branding for the firm. While your firm may be super at retaining clients, do you truly have the extra time and marketing expertise that it takes to keep a perpetual pipeline of new business?

If you are unsure what can or should be outsourced, we’re only a phone call or a click away. When contracted for a project, you can expect timely follow-up, excellence in communication materials, cost-effective rates, integrity and adherence to your deadline. And, once again, your staff will be able to eat the candy in your office dish.

Image: Nutdanai Apikhomboonwaroot / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Can color make you happy?

Photo by Liz Cezat, Utah.

How important is color in your life? If you live in a world of beige or black & white, you might not notice how much vibrant colors or a subtle hue can stimulate your senses: not only your eyes, but also your imagination. People living in a beige world may not be fully cognizant of their surroundings while those who live in a black & white world may view the landscape simply as a backdrop to the business of life.

For the left-brain readers, I will correlate these colors to my PMS book. In this reference, PMS does not refer to Pre Menstrual Syndrome, rather it’s a book of color swatches with numbers known as the Pantone® Color Formula Guide. It is an indispensible tool for graphic designers and art directors.

Today, when I stepped out of the shower, I reached for my towel. It was poppy-pink (PMS 1787). Not the usual beige. I felt uplifted with this new color. Then, I realized that poppy-pink is such a cheerful color, how can you not be happy when you see it?

Yesterday, while watering the flowers in my garden, I noticed that the marigolds were not just yellow, some were golden yellow (PMS 116) yet others were a vibrant orange (PMS 21) and others were burnt red (PMS 186) – all stemming from the same stalk. These intense colors made me appreciate the true beauty of a marigold.

While planting in a friend’s cottage garden the other week, my boyfriend instructed me to put a pot of geraniums into a bed of deep green groundcover. I asked, “Why? It’s all green there.” He replied, “It could use a pop of color.” He was absolutely right. That flash of red was the perfect foil to a mass of green leaves.

When creating materials for print (newsletters, annual reports) or the web (websites, e-newsletters), my graphic designers always play off colors. If someone is wearing green in a photo, they create a green element elsewhere on the page or use a complementary color – such as red. I appreciate color as an art form. I see how it stands out, makes you take notice and might even change your perspective.

Picture this: You're walking in the rain on a city street in the bad part of town and you've sunk into a dark mood. Then you see a yellow car. It's the brightest spot on the dreary, rain-soaked street. All of a sudden you think of the sun and you involuntarily smile. That spot of color makes a connection that lifts your mood.

Just for a day, observe the colors that strike you. How does color affect your mood? I don't think it's a stretch to say that color connects us to the world and has some sway in increasing our happiness.