Randy Micheletti, Author at Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Randy Micheletti

VP, Director of Brand Strategy

Apr. 20, 2018

Industry Spotlight: Equine Web Design

Branding

With approximately 9.2 million horses in the U.S. coinciding with approximately 2 million horse owners, the equine care market size has grown to a substantial $900+ million dollar business. That’s nothing to shake a stick at.

The good news is there are many opportunities to communicate with consumers about your equine products; the hurdle though, is that the category is extremely crowded. As a brand, it’s more important than ever to stand out. One way to do that is through your website. It’s vital that equine brands keep up with technology to converse with their consumers…but how can your site stand out from others? Here are a few tips to follow that will ensure your site stands out:

Consistency

I’m sure your brand has created a corporate identity. It’s crucial that you use that guide to ensure your brand and message are communicated consistently online and offline. Continuity within your site is also important – actually, it’s a major factor in conversion. When a consumer moves throughout your site each page must deliver a consistent design and message.

Aesthetically pleasing

Part of being aesthetically pleasing is keeping the overall design as clean and simple as possible. White space is a big part of that. It will allow your visitors to focus on what’s important and help get your key messages across.

Colors and images

This is extremely important, especially with horse owners. The use of warm and inviting colors resonates well with horse owners and it can complement the tone of the copy. The use of imagery is vital in this category. Horse owners love to see photography of horses. Showing a variety of different horses is effective as it broadens your opportunity to reach many horse owners. One thing to keep in mind – as you select an image, be sure it’s relevant and adds value to the message you’re communicating.

Relevant content

Equine sites have to be populated with relevant, keyword-rich content. You might ask, how do I determine if my content is relevant? Well according to Angie Schottmuller of Interactive Artisan, using the “Triangle of Relevance” can help. The triangle strategy incorporates three angles – business interest, user interest and time significance to maximize relevance and content, creating user action.

These are just a few helpers to get you started. One last thing to think about equine web design: always consider who you’re talking to and talk to them in an authentic voice. Horse owners appreciate honesty and a straight forward messaging that helps them understand what is best for their horse(s). Keeping this in mind will keep your brand top of mind with consumers and help solidify the conversion.

Download our Digital Marketing Audit to learn more about successful internet marketing.

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We have experience with equine; we know the brands, consumers and the products. Let’s talk about what your equine brand is doing to grow through digital marketing and your equine web design. Fill out this form with your information and we will reach out to you!

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Randy Micheletti

VP, Director of Brand Strategy

Dec. 29, 2016

Trending from G/L: Ads in Colombia Sell Peace

Advertising

So let’s face it. When you think of advertising, you usually think of highly egotistical, Mad Men-style executives, or a bunch of overconfident hipsters sitting around their offices thinking of ways to push products on people. And yes, some of that is true. But in Colombia, advertising’s being used to save a country and its people.

It’s the power of changing minds that’s being used to try and put an end to a 50+ year war that’s killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions of others. Yes, advertising is being used to help stop a revolutionary army hell-bent on overthrowing the government.

“This gives us the ohance to apply our skills to something that is fundamentally important to us, to our kids, to our country. We created campaigns and TV commercials that were all build to convince guerillas to surrender and, as important, to help the Colombian people accept them back,” Jose Miguel Sokoloff, Co-Chairman and Chief Creative Officers at MullenLowe SSP3 said in a statement.

Here are several campaign videos that show the amazing work that Sokoloff and his team are doing – and talk about results that truly count:

Over eight years, 18,000 guerilla fighters have put down their weapons and came home.
Negotiations between the fighters and Colombian government have started
The overall energy and spirit in Colombia is back again. Per Sokoloff, “If you had been there 10 years ago and you go today, you would say, this is a completely different planet.”

This quote really sums it up nicely:

“You have to find a truth in what you’re saying,” Sokoloff says. “And when you get there, when you find something, that’s something that you can actually hold onto and you can actually communicate, that’s the salvation.”

Pretty cool, right? Let us know if you have anything awesome you’d share with our team!

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Randy Micheletti

VP, Director of Brand Strategy

May. 26, 2016

Top G/L Tips: Randy Micheletti on New Product Launches

Branding

New products launches are so exciting. But as the saying goes, you only have one chance to get it right!

Here are 6 key steps for successful product launches. Randy Micheletti, VP at Geile/Leon, shares his process to ensure every launch is successful:

Are you working on a product launch? Randy is happy to discuss your goals and make a few recommendations. Contact him by phone at 314-727-5850, ext 110, email at [email protected] or use the form below.

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Randy Micheletti

VP, Director of Brand Strategy

Feb. 22, 2016

Marketing Accountable Care Organizations – A New Approach

Advertising

As Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) continue toward mainstream adoption, they are positioned well to compete against fee-for-service organizations. Accountable Care Organizations are seeing historical growth across the country (see charts below), and with that an innovative marketing approach to a new healthcare model is definitely needed.

Accountable Care Organizations ACO Covered Lives

Source: Leavitt Partners Center for Accountable Care Intelligence

It’s been well established that the goal of Accountable Care Organizations is to make healthcare more affordable for patients by offering coordinated, effective and efficient patient-centered care. With that shift, developing a new marketing strategy that speaks to better overall health, emphasizing preventive medicine and incentivizing quality over quantity will help patients experience improved outcomes and greater long-term benefits is vital (For additional information on healthcare marketing strategies being considered by providers, check out our new Healthcare Whitepaper).

This transition will not be easy, as patients have been trained to react to healthcare issues when needed, instead of taking a proactive approach to overall wellness.

As you move forward with these thoughts in mind, here are a couple ideas that can help with the development of your plan:

Promote Market Wellness – move away from promoting specialties and technology and showcase wellness and preventive measures to encourage better overall health.
Communicate the benefits of Accountable Care Organizations – don’t assume consumers understand what an ACO is or how it benefits them. Communicating the benefits of coordinated care is key.
Get Physicians Involved – Physicians and nurses are the best advocates for Accountable Care Organizations because they have direct contact with patients. Provide them with communications materials to share during and after visits that explain the benefits and answer questions about the ACO.

Good luck in developing your new Accountable Care Organizations marketing plan. We’d love to partner with you to answer any questions you might have or to even help you with your plan. Or if you’re looking for additional healthcare insights, check out our brand new white paper here or by filling out the form below:

Healthcare Trends

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References:

Franklin Street – “Tips on Successfully Marketing Accountable Care Organizations” by Stephen Moegling

Smith & Jones – “Transitioning Marketing Efforts to the ACO Model”

Health Affairs Blog – “Growth and Dispersion of Accountable Care Organizations in 2015” by David Muhlestein

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Randy Micheletti

VP, Director of Brand Strategy

Jul. 29, 2015

Find Your Why: No One Rallies Around Mission Statements, So Discover Your Purpose

B2B

Think about your liquor cabinet. Now think about that tired, dusty bottle of “Old Crow” that’s sitting on the bottom shelf. Something you glance over every once in a while but never dream of opening it or bringing it out of the shadows and into the light of day.

Pretty similar to your company’s mission statement? You felt like you had to put one together but haven’t looked at it for years. You probably can’t even quote the first sentence of it.

Well, you’re not alone. Many companies feel the need to deliver a mission statement and most do. The problem is they lose focus, make the statement way too long for any of their employees to remember, and once it’s done, house it on their web site or in a company document without ever referring to it.

If it’s not part of your daily routine and clear to your employees, then what good is it? That’s why we believe in Simon Sinek’s model – we believe that people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. Your why should be concise, simple and straight to the point. It has to answer several questions, most importantly, why do you get out of bed every morning and do what you do and why does your company exist? With all the competition in many categories you have to make your brand stand out. Your why can help do just that.

So, find your why, communicate it both internally and externally and see how your culture and your business changes.

I know our why – “We believe every company has a deeper purpose, and it’s our job to find out what that is.” If you’d like us to help you figure out your why, just reach out. It’s what we do – and we’re good at it.

WIN A FREE WHY BOOK

Plus, if you fill out the form below, you’ll be entered to win a copy of Simon Sinek’s book Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action.

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Randy Micheletti

VP, Director of Brand Strategy

Jun. 11, 2015

Trending from G/L: Social Impact Cruises

Advertising

So you say you want to help others. You say you would if it was easy. You say you would if someone would figure it out for you. Well, now it’s time to lose the excuses and do your part to make the world a better place. And, starting in 2016 you can do this on a vacation – a social impact vacation.

With all the negative things going on in the world, Carnival Corp. will launch Adonia; a 710-passenger ship focused solely on social impact vacations. Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald says, “we will cater to an underserved market of consumers who want to make have a positive impact on peoples lives and aren’t always sure where to begin.” He goes on to say, “We believe travel is a meaningful way to allow for personal growth while making purposeful and engaging contributions in the world.”

Carnival

And you know what, I agree with him whole-heartedly. And believe me, I’m not easy to convince when it comes to vacations. I’m one who loves my resort, relaxing in the sun, sand between my toes and a cold drink in my hand. But even I can give a week of my time to help improve the quality of life for others. And if you think you still can’t help, think about a country where the average household income is $6,000 a year and more than two million Dominicans don’t have access to piped water.

With the cruise time to and from the Dominican, each person will get three days on the ground to help make a difference before returning to Miami. Transit time includes great activities such as orientation to the country, conversational Spanish lessons and creative workshops. Once you’re in the Dominican, you have several choices of volunteer activities ranging from teaching English in schools, helping to cultivate cacao plants and building water filtration systems.

For all you naysayers out there (and you know who you are) that say this can’t make a big difference, think about this: with 700 passengers arriving each week – week after week – in the first year alone, that means 18,000 travelers will spend more than 55,000 days volunteering. That’s more than making a small difference. We really can help make a difference in the region.

So give it some thought. Get off your beach chair, put down your umbrella drink and help do your part. It’ll help others and maybe even put a smile on your face too. Price point starts at just over $1,500 per person. To find out more visit www.fathom.org or call 855-932-8466.

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Randy Micheletti

VP, Director of Brand Strategy

May. 26, 2015

Brand Relevance: Innovation and Renovation

Branding

We all know that creating consumer demand grows your brands. Product managers live and breathe this every day…but what do you have to do to create this demand? How do you keep your brand relevance and awareness high in the marketplace?

For many years, product managers have relied on innovation and/or renovation…but which one? How do you decide how to proceed, and what’s right for your brand? Innovation can be a major capital investment that might not always provide the ROI you’re looking for. On the other hand, renovation can be seen as the “poor persons” brand refresh.

Here are a few important things to think about as you decide how to move your brand forward – either innovating or renovating:

Innovation

Relative Advantage

Measures how improved an innovation is over a competing option or the previous generation of a product. Show potential customers how an innovation improves their current situation.

Compatibility

Show how your innovation will be compatible with their life and lifestyle. If an innovation requires a huge lifestyle change, or if the user must acquire additional products to make your innovation work, then it is more likely to fail. Innovations meet the greatest success when users are able to seamlessly adopt them — when they replace an existing product or idea, for the better.

Complexity vs. Simplicity

Complexity or simplicity refers to how difficult it is for adopters to learn to use an innovation. The more complex an innovation, the more difficult it will be for potential adopters to incorporate it into their lives. As we all know, potential adopters do not usually budget much time for learning

Trialability

Trialability describes how easily potential adopters can explore your innovation. Trialability is critical to facilitating the adoption of an innovation. Potential users want to see what your innovation can do and give it a test run before committing.

Renovation

Alienating Current Customers

Often changing packaging or the product’s formulation can lead to alienation. Ensure whatever you do is well tested and does not cause a loss in your current customer base.

Gaining New Customers

A refresh can often boost the relevancy of your brand and can make you a category leader. If you go down the path of re-positioning your brand you have the chance of creating a new and excited customer base.

Limit Confusion During Switchover

As you update your product in market, especially at shelf, ensure there’s thought behind how you’ll roll the product out. It can take only one missed opportunity with a current customer for them to switch to another product. Remember, consumers aren’t always loyal, and if you give them a reason to switch – they will.

So when you’re faced with a choice – we say pick both. As reported in Nielson, Innovation can help attract new customers and new usage occasions, and renovation can periodically help you protect your core and build platforms for future renovation and growth. Be sure to look at both options upfront in an unbiased fashion rather than repeating what you’ve done in the past. These decisions will likely be some of the most important decisions you make.

Do you need help deciding which is right for you? Do you know which is right for you but you aren’t sure how to plan and execute? Let’s chat. Fill out the form below and we will contact you to talk about what’s best for your brand.

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Randy Micheletti

VP, Director of Brand Strategy

Oct. 16, 2014

Why Target Audiences Don’t Work

Advertising

As marketers, the common vernacular we use in marketing and advertising to designate the customer/prospect is “target audience.” It’s not a bad term and is well entrenched in marketing and media circles when defining who we are targeting with our advertising message.

However, most target audience profiles just scratch the surface. For example targeting women age 25-54, with children in the household, and a household income of $100,000 is a good start, but have we really painted a picture of what they look like, how they live, their responsibilities at work, likes/dislikes, etc.? Traditional demographics are usually clearly covered but when it comes to psychographics, not so much. And, the typical target market info doesn’t closely address information like industry, job function, geography, etc. which is all extremely important when reaching out to someone with your brand message.

These are people you’re talking to – not just numbers – they have personal lives that you’re trying to interrupt and they make decisions based on their lifestyle. So, get to know them as people – not innocuous age groups or genders. It’ll really make you understand them better – and your messaging/creative will be clearer, concise, targeted and, most importantly, well received.

Are you interested in finding out more about creating buyer personas to help with your strategic marketing messages? Download our Persona Whitepaper to understand why they are critical to your marketing efforts and how to create them. You will also find examples of Personas we have created for our clients.

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Randy Micheletti

VP, Director of Brand Strategy

Aug. 21, 2014

USO of Missouri

#GLSTL25

As a proud veteran of the United States Navy, I’ve always had a special place in my heart for the men and women of the United States military that dedicate their lives to serving their country. It’s something many people don’t think a lot about – but the one’s that do will truly have their lives changed forever. And, I also find myself supporting agencies/businesses that appreciate all that’s being done by our military personnel and their families. That’s why I’m thrilled with the work that’s being done by the USO of Missouri.

The USO, or United Service Organization of Missouri is a private, non-profit organization, whose mission is to support the troops by providing morale, welfare and recreation-type services to our military personnel and their families. It was founded nationally in 1941 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and during WWII, was best known as a place for coffee and donuts or relaxing at a dance. Today the USO is a multi-program, full-service agency, responding to the morale, welfare and recreational needs of the military community.

In Missouri, we’re honored to have several USO locations supporting our troops and families. There are currently 2 locations at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, one mobile USO that travels throughout Missouri and Illinois and in mid-2006, a USO was opened at the Ft. Leonard Wood location. Since 1981, over 5 million brave young men and women travel through their facilities. Whether it’s a young Sailor en route to boot camp or an Army Colonel heading overseas to protect our freedom, with the help of volunteers, these facilities provide a place to unwind from the everyday stresses of being in the military.

A full spectrum of services is offered to military personnel and their dependents and is FREE. Things like recliners for relaxing or reading, beverages and snacks, a large media room with TV and BluRay player, Wi-Fi, a gaming area and even a fully equipped nursery/playroom.

More than 700 dedicated volunteers work to keep the doors open and serve those who are serving us. And, as you can imagine, they’re always looking for help. So I ask you to please honor your military men and women and just give them a few hours of your time to show your appreciation for everything they do. Check out the “volunteer info” for additional information and to volunteer your time.

As I set out on my #GLSTL25 effort I will be committing at least 25 hours of service at the Lambert-St. Louis Airport USO and I can’t wait to get started. It’s the least I can do.

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Randy Micheletti

VP, Director of Brand Strategy

Jul. 10, 2014

Minimize Medicare Penalties with Internal Communications

Branding

Are you doing all you can to reduce patient safety risk? The government doesn’t think so. And even with patient infections and injuries on the decline nationally, the St. Louis Post Dispatch reports over 750 hospitals in the US are at risk of Medicare sanctions – that’s a quarter of our nation’s hospitals.

How does that affect you? Medicare, under the Affordable Care Act, is implementing a 1% sanction on at-risk hospitals that will take place starting in October 2014 and will go through September 30, 2015. This 1% could total over $300 million a year in penalties.

So start planning ahead to avoid any penalties. Here are a few things to consider that will ensure you stay on top of this evolving industry issue:

Create internal communications programs that educate and motivate employees to embrace best practices and implement the desired patient safety measures required
Ensure the importance of patient safety is delivered through your brand messaging/positioning
Review your hospital’s patient safety culture and develop internal patient safety materials designed to improve your safety culture

As you can see, there’s more focus on patient safety from the government than ever before. In 2012, the government estimated that 1 out of 8 patients nationally suffered a potentially avoidable complication during a hospital stay. Administrators insist systems are being put into place – but obviously it’s not enough.

As you are facing times of trying to do more with less, keep patient safety in the forefront. Ensure it’s embedded in your brand. For additional information, please reach out. We’d be happy to discuss.

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Author: Randy Micheletti