Month: June 2023

Why the Big Idea Is More Important Than Ever for Brand Marketing

Randy Micheletti
VP, Director of Brand Strategy

Why the Big Idea Is More Important Than Ever for Brand Marketing

Branding

In today’s ever-evolving landscape, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for brands to capture consumer attention. With a constant influx of information and countless competing brands, businesses must find a way to break through the clutter and stand out from the crowd.

After recently reading “The ‘Big Idea’: Five Keys to The Future of Brand Marketing,” I came away believing more than ever in the importance of a compelling and impactful idea that can transform the way brands connect with consumers and stay relevant.

What does a big idea look like? Here are five key characteristics:

Connecting to Culture

To truly resonate with consumers, brands must tap into the pulse of culture. Understanding societal trends, values and aspirations enables brands to create messaging that aligns with the needs and desires of their target audience.

By establishing a connection with culture, brands can position themselves as relevant and relatable, increasing the likelihood of consumer engagement and loyalty. According to a recent Twitter study, a brand’s cultural involvement makes up a full 25% of a consumer’s purchase decision. The “big idea” should serve as a bridge between the brand’s values and the cultural landscape it operates within.

Commitment to Doing Good

In an era where consumers are increasingly conscious of the social and environmental impact of their choices, brands need to demonstrate a commitment to doing good. According to a recent IBM study, 71% of U.S. customers believe “corporations have a responsibility to prioritize their employees, the environment, and their community as much as shareholder returns.

Aligning with a cause or incorporating sustainability into business practices can help a brand build trust and establish an emotional connection with consumers. The ‘big idea’ should encompass a purpose-driven approach that not only benefits the brand but also contributes positively to society.

Authenticity

Authenticity has become a buzzword in the marketing world…and for good reason. Consumers can quickly detect inauthentic attempts by brands to capture their attention. The “big idea” must genuinely represent the brand’s identity and values. Authenticity builds trust, strengthens brand reputation and fosters lasting relationships with consumers. By staying true to their essence, brands can establish a distinct voice that resonates with their target audience.

Strong Brand Messaging

In a sea of advertisements, brands must communicate their message effectively and memorably. Their story should encapsulate the essence of the brand, its unique selling proposition and the value it offers to consumers. By crafting a strong brand message, brands can differentiate themselves from competitors and create a lasting impression in the minds of consumers. Consistency in messaging across various touchpoints enhances brand recognition and recall, reinforcing the “big idea.”

Full Integration Across Consumer Channels

To effectively stand out, the “big idea” must be seamlessly integrated across all consumer channels. In today’s interconnected world, brands need to meet consumers wherever they are, whether it’s through traditional media, social platforms or experiential marketing. A consistent and cohesive presence strengthens the brand’s impact and ensures a unified experience. By being omnipresent, brands can maximize their reach and engagement, effectively cutting through the noise of the crowded marketplace.

In an era where consumers are bombarded with a constant stream of information, brands must find innovative ways to break through and capture attention. The “big idea” serves as the driving force behind powerful storytelling and consumer engagement. By connecting to culture, demonstrating a commitment to doing good, being authentic, crafting a strong brand message and integrating seamlessly across consumer channels, brands can break through the noise by engaging consumers and inspire brand loyalty. In this ever-evolving marketing landscape, the “big idea” remains a vital component for brands looking to make a lasting impact.

Reference: Forbes Article dated June 29, 2022 titled The ‘Big Idea’: Five Keys To The Future of Brand Marketing

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PR: The budget-friendly option for driving brand awareness

Terri Waters
Director of Public Relations

PR: The budget-friendly option for driving brand awareness

Communications Agency

When planning budgets, marketing professionals sometimes overlook an important piece of the marketing pie, not realizing that it offers multiple advantages and can often be done for a fraction of the cost of print and digital advertising.

What is this secret bullet that deserves your attention? Drumroll, please…it’s public relations, or PR for short. However you want to label it, it’s about getting your brand in front of your target audiences, whether through trade and business publications or consumer outlets like TV, radio, newspapers and magazines. It’s truly an awareness medium when budget doesn’t allow for paid print and digital media campaigns.

If you’re looking to elevate your brand but not sure you can afford a full-blown advertising campaign, a public relations program can achieve many of the same goals with less impact on your budget. And it’s an effective way to strengthen your thought leadership in a particular category.

Case Study #1: Revving up an electric motor brand

A client of ours that manufactures electric motors had limited dollars to reach the 10-plus industries they target. It’s challenging to narrow down publications in which to advertise, and equally challenging to divvy up an already lean budget to go to various media outlets.

To stretch their budget dollars, the client invests in a PR program that reaches five or six industries, with targeted messages to each. Whether technical articles, “how-to” pieces, or key employee announcements, the company is in the news every month in multiple publications, giving them high visibility to potential customers. This exposure positions the company as active, on the move and innovative. The repetition of the brand through story-telling and a focus on the people behind the brand has led to new customers and helped retain existing customers in this highly competitive space.

From a budget standpoint, if the client had to purchase ad space that is equivalent in size to the stories that we pitched and secured, they would be spending triple the amount of their annual PR budget.

During the last year, our agency generated for this client a total of 49 stories, with 2.3 million impressions among highly relevant audiences.

Not only is the PR cost-effective, but it’s also reaching the right people with the right messages.

Case Study #2: Attracting visitors and revenue with PR

A family attraction venue struggled to draw the number of visitors they had prior to the pandemic. They needed to boost awareness, letting people know that the venue was fully open and ready to welcome the public.

With limited client resources for ad spends, we focused heavily on PR, pitching stories on the new special events and offerings families could enjoy together. We took advantage of every story angle possible, whether related to a season, a holiday, food and beverage pairings, or a musical act.

Providing TV producers and print/digital editors with a relentless stream of story ideas, we drummed up an average of 12 stories every month, reaching millions of viewers, listeners and readers. In the end, the venue achieved attendance and budget goals.

And as a bonus: our PR stories that focused on hiring helped the client recruit more than 200 seasonal workers over several weeks at a time when finding talent is not easy.

Key Takeaway
Not every client can afford a paid media campaign to cover multiple industries or multiple media markets. When that is the case, PR is a great tool for exposure at a fraction of the cost, reaching numerous media outlets that matter to your audience.

Got questions about how it works? Just give us a call or shoot an email to [email protected].

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Video Content Trend: An Interactive Cinematographic Encyclopedia

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Video Content Trend: An Interactive Cinematographic Encyclopedia

Creative

Each week at G/L, we get together to discuss trends in the marketing industry. They can include campaigns that we like, love, hate or think missed the mark (newsworthy or otherwise) as well as up-and-coming tools or strategies that we could possibly adopt to help us do better work. It often gets our creative juices flowing and excited to finish the week strong.

In one of these meetings, a website tool called Eyecandy got our creative juices flowing like the Mississippi River.

Eyecandy is a website that demonstrates different video technique shots with examples from both modern and classic television and movies that use exemplary cinematography. As soon as I pulled up the website in my browser, I pulled an Alice in Wonderland and fell into a rabbit hole of stunning and captivating visuals.

And of course I couldn’t help thinking about how we can use it here at Geile/Leon.

When they say a picture is worth a thousand words, a tool like this could be worth even more when explaining an idea we’re working on at G/L Content Studios, especially during pre-production work. Eyecandy will help us create dynamic storyboards that highlight the techniques we would employ and aid us in effectively communicating what the video will look like shot-by-shot to our clients.

And you can only imagine how it would kick start brainstorming sessions for videos no matter what the medium.

Yeah, you could say we have a sweet tooth for Eyecandy. There’s nothing that gets us more excited then imaging what we can create for our clients. So if you’d like to get in on the excitement, get in touch and let’s talk about how we can inject a little bit of eye candy into your video content.

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