The MadAveGroup Blog

Portions of a video we produced for Toledo Public Schools have been incorporated into another video that's part of the Robert F. Kennedy / Discovery Education compilation called "Speak Truth To Power - Master Class Series."

"TPS asked us to create a documentary about the Ohio Teacher of the Year, Mona Al Hayani," said Michael Seay, Director of our branding, advertising and design agency d2i. "Mona is also part of the RFK Human Rights group. She was honored by the organization for her focus on human trafficking after she created a curriculum on the subject to educate both teachers and students."

Click here to access the RFK video. After a quick scroll, look for the title "Speak Truth to Power's Cross-Curricular Ties" and click "View Video."

You can watch our original documentary here. 

It’s the season of gift-giving, but we have a client that gives gifts nearly every day of the year.

Grand Home Furnishings is a 19-store furniture and mattress retailer with locations in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee.

Since 1953, they’ve given a free 8-ounce glass bottle of Coke to everyone who walks through their doors.

It started as a nice gesture; a way to thank people for coming to the opening of their new location. But the gift was so well-received by the thousands of people who stopped in that first weekend that management decided to hand out free Coke every day at every store.

Now, Grand Home Furnishings gives away more than 1,300,000 bottles each year!

You might think that represents a huge expense, but the people at Grand Home Furnishings don’t. To them it’s a worthwhile investment.

• It’s a tangible way to say “welcome.”
• It’s the daily perpetuation of a charming seven-decade tradition.
• It’s an easy way to put a smile on a visitor’s face and maybe even begin a long-term relationship.
• It’s a unique branding tool that helps the company stand out, not just among their direct competitors, but among all stores in the markets they serve.

And if those positives lead to a sale - or many sales over the years - then the modest cost per bottle is a small price to pay for the acquisition of a customer.

Here’s what Grand’s founder George Cartledge, Sr. said about the ongoing giveaway. "Let me emphasize how important it is to give out Cokes with enthusiasm and a smile. Don't ask customers if they want a Coke; greet them and hand them a Coke when they walk in. It puts them at ease. Our image has been created by the Cokes we give away.”

Mr. Cartledge continued, “Remember, when a customer walks in our door, they are doing us a favor and we should treat them special. Of all the things we do, handing out Cokes is one of the most important. It is the best advertising we can get."

“It's no different than when someone comes into your home,” said Grand’s Director of Advertising, Mike Virok. “You offer them something to drink.”

In the spirit of appreciation, what can you give to the people who come to your store or visit you online?

Sure, you could hand out promotional items that relate to your main service. Or you might partner with a neighboring or complementary company to promote their brand by sharing samples of their products with your customers while they do the same for you.

You don’t need to give a physical item, though. Could you provide easy, free access to your new research on every page of your website? Maybe a no-charge review, check-up or audit? Or are you willing to offer a commitment as human and meaningful as eye contact, a handshake, and your undivided attention?

My series of posts featuring answers to questions posed by the Forbes Agency Council continues. The theme of this article: brand. 

Question: A big part of growing your personal brand includes public speaking. In your experience, what’s one important element that all professionals should incorporate into their speech to make it more memorable and impactful?

Answer: If one of your goals is to build your personal brand, you'll want audience members to look for more of your thoughts after your speech, and then follow you online. So, pack your presentations with engaging content, but keep them shorter, so they feel like just a taste of what you have to offer. That can encourage people to actively seek more of your unique perspective.

Question: Just because a brand isn’t involved with a public-facing crisis doesn’t mean times aren’t tough. What’s one way for a brand to seem authentic even when the company isn’t doing particularly well?

Answer: The best way to "seem" authentic is to BE authentic. When you're always truthful and transparent, you never have to worry about coming clean if something goes wrong. If the things your brand "says" and "does" are legitimate representations of who you are as people, you're acknowledging that "we aren't for everyone," but those who identify with your message are likely to stick by you as customers.

Question: Recent grads are beginning to develop their personal brand to differentiate themselves in the competitive workforce. What’s your top tip for personal branding?

Answer: The part about a personal brand that really matters is the "personal" part. There's only one you, so don't squelch whatever passions burn inside of you. Pursue the work that matters to you, while presenting yourself in your own unique way. You may not be right for everybody, but you're going to be perfect for somebody. Maybe a lot of somebodies. And that's likely where you'll find fulfillment.

I have an opportunity each month to answer marketing-related questions for the Forbes Agency Council. Thoughts from council members are then published at Forbes.com. This blog post is the fifth in a series featuring a few of my responses to those Forbes questions. The theme: Content Creation.

Question: It's one of the top goals of any company's marketing campaign - a strong, unique voice that unmistakably belongs to and reflects their brand and puts them top of mind with consumers. What's one way companies can create and cultivate a strong voice for their brand?

Answer: A brand's message can get watered down with marketing-speak or when trying to appeal to everyone or offend no one. If there's a leader in your company who talks in a bold, no-nonsense way about your mission and your customers, pattern your marketing content after his or her communication style. It'll likely be perceived as unique because it's so personal. It'll also ring true with your audience.

Question: Whether it's topic, venue, voice or other factors, what's your best tip for writing content that will have a long shelf life?

Answer: Yes, hot topics can attract lots of eyeballs immediately, but they can also quickly fade in relevance. If you've been doing what you do for many years, you've likely learned many valuable lessons along the way. They may be simple, foundational truths that we all need to be reminded of from time to time. As blog posts, those truths can serve both your current audience and future readers.

Question: User-generated content in the form of reviews can be one of the most powerful and effective marketing tools, but it can be hard to get happy customers to take the time to write it. What's one clever method a business can use to persuade customers to post a review?

Answer: We've worked with clients who seem almost embarrassed to ask for reviews. But when consumers are excited about a buying experience, they often want to share their opinions. So, encourage that. When someone is happy at the point of sale, ask them to share their feelings on social, a review site or with an email. Everyone wants to feel like their thoughts matter. Let your customers know theirs do.

Question: A blog can position a company or brand as an industry leader and attractive potential business partner. What's one piece of advice your client should adhere to when launching a blog to highlight their brand?

Answer: Your blog doesn't have to be about your brand directly in order to benefit your brand. If your posts are just thinly veiled ads for your company, no one will read them. So, tell stories about your customers and industry, your personal experiences, even odd topics that support your brand story. The goal of your blog should be to provide your readers with valuable insight and a unique perspective. 

I’m not a runner. Never have been. But for the hour that I watched last weekend’s 2019 Chicago Marathon from the streets of my daughter’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, I was completely drawn into the event.

I’d never seen anything like it: an endless stream of determined people running through a chilly Sunday morning. And most seemed in remarkably good spirits at mile 10. (I'm drained and cranky after driving ten miles.)

Later, I learned that more than 45,000 people ran the race and that 1.7 million spectators lined the route to cheer them on.

It was truly inspiring. The marathoners. Their friends and family who turned out in support. The planning and cooperation and logistics of it all. I was in awe.

And yet, I had to laugh when I saw several young women holding signs that ran counter to the many messages of encouragement. One of the signs simply asked, “Why?”

“Why?” is a funny question when posed to long-distance runners, but it also made me wonder: why would a person - let alone 45,000 people - put themselves through the tremendous struggle of running a marathon?

As a non-runner, I may be going out on a limb, but I’ll suggest the “why” is at least partly about a story. Or maybe several stories.

It might be a story about other people: I’m running for my sick mom. I do it to feel closer to my late friend who was a lifelong runner. I run to raise money for people who can’t run.

It might be the story the runners tell themselves: I can do this. I can beat this. I am strong enough.

Or running marathons may be one way they define themselves: I am an athlete. I conquer obstacles. I don’t stop until the race - literal or figurative - is won.

Whether you run or not, you can likely identify with some of those feelings. Your career or your business has had to endure challenges and uphill battles, or times when you wanted to quit or thought you couldn’t make it. Maybe you even wondered “why am I doing this?”

How did you get through?

The answer to that question is a story you can tell.

In your marketing content, share what you learned about yourself or your company during those tough times. How did adversity make you lean or hone your team’s skills or help you evolve into a better partner?

In what ways did pushing through the pain give you unique insight or change your perspective?

And how can you present your story in a way that inspires your audience and allows them to appreciate you and your efforts on an entirely different level?

(Photo Credit: Top image from ChicagoMarathon.com)

RELATED POSTS: The Value of a Good Story
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The list of the 2019 MarCom Award winners includes national brands like Nationwide, AARP, Cisco, Dell, Fender and Morgan Stanley. And once again, MadAveGroup is on that list, too.

Our Caller Experience agency BusinessVoice earned four awards for their Humor On Hold.

Platinum Award: Lakeland Auto & Marine - “Previously”
Platinum Award: Binkelman - “Time Stands Still”
Gold Award: Binkelman - “All Roads”
Honorable Mention: Med-Line - HIPPA-tastic”

On its website, the MarCom Awards is described as “an international creative competition that recognizes outstanding achievement by marketing and communication professionals. Entries come from corporate marketing and communication departments, advertising agencies, public relations firms, design shops, production companies and freelancers.”

Entrants range from individual communicators to media conglomerates and Fortune 500 companies, and come from throughout the United States, Canada and dozens of other countries.

MarCom Award judges reward those entries that “exceed a high standard of excellence and serve as a benchmark for the industry.”

BusinessVoice is the world’s most-awarded provider of On Hold Marketing. Listen to the winning work in the videos below. 

In April 2019, our CEO Jerry Brown proposed five challenges to our staff. They were encouragements on how to approach not only our work, but our lives.

Jerry urged us to be:

Curious - Inquisitive and eager to learn.

Dauntless - Fearless, bold and not easily intimidated.

Diagnostic - Willing to analyze the cause of a problem, then provide a solution.

Persistent - Capable of carrying on, especially in the face of opposition and obstacles.

Resilient - Able to recover from adversity.

To reinforce those challenges for our team, we produced a series of 20 posters featuring quotes that support the five ideas. We hang a new set of posters every couple of weeks. You can see a few of them below.

What are some of the ways you communicate important philosophies or strategies to your employees? How do you promote teamwork or new ideas? Read a few thoughts in our article “Internal Communication: Your Team is an Audience.”

I ordered the bottomless salad.

“That comes with soup,” Mike the waiter reminded me. “Which kind would you like?”

"No soup, thanks," I said.

But even though I was having only one course, Mike took it upon himself to make my lunch more convenient.

“I’ll bring you a large bowl of salad now, rather than smaller bowls one at a time.”

He also brought three cups of dressing right away, so I wouldn't need to ask for more later. Then, as I was finishing up, he asked if he could bring me an iced tea refill in a to-go cup.

Those may seem like small gestures, but I can’t recall a restaurant server offering them before.

Oh, and he was friendly and energetic, too.

Mike’s primary job was to take my order and bring food to the table, but within that limited scope of opportunity, he got creative. He anticipated my needs, applied some empathy, used the tools he had - salad, bowls and a disposable cup - and created a memorable encounter.

Perfect.

When I complimented him on his great work, Mike thanked me and told me he believes in the Golden Rule and the power of Karma. But I already knew that about him.

Now, try to tell yourself you can’t make the same type of effort for the people who keep your company in business.

Try to buy into the idea you don’t have the time to make a better impression or add value, that you don’t have the resources, or the job title, or any good ideas.

Try to swallow the notion that extra effort and care don't matter, that they're not a defining difference between the brands people love and those that disappear.

Go ahead. Try.

One of the newer traditions at our agency is the MadAveGroup Olympics.

We close the office to spend a summer day at our CEO's home. Along with enjoying good food and plenty of cold beverages, we compete in fun games like Can Jam, bocce ball, cornhole, and even a giant version of Connect 4. There's also swimming, Frisbee and fishing. Then, we all get together for a big kickball tournament. 

The pictures below are from our 2nd annual Olympics, held in August 2019.

As you browse online content, read ads, and listen to TV and radio commercials, you’ll see or hear lots of worthless words - advertising phrases and clichés that add no value, provide no clarity and, sometimes, don’t even make sense.

It’s fluff that steals the audience’s time and weakens the brand’s message.

Those worthless words are there for at least one of three reasons:

1) An inexperienced copywriter

2) The company’s lack of vision for their advertising, and/or

3) Laziness

Your audience’s perception of your brand is too important to squander any opportunities to promote it. So, if you write or contribute ideas to your company’s advertising content, keep these basic ideas in mind.

Your audience’s time is valuable. When you waste it, they’ll be less likely to give it to you in the future. Say as much as you can in as few words as possible.

Use advertising content to guide your audience. People want help with making good buying decisions. Ideally, your ad copy will show them a logical, legitimate path from their need or problem to your solution.

Give your audience something in return for their attention. It might be useful facts or a serious question to ponder. Or maybe it’s just a good laugh. The bottom line: leave them glad they invested their time in your message.

Examples of Content to Avoid

I once heard a used car dealer wrap up his on-camera pitch by saying, “We accept cash.” Are there businesses that refuse cash? In other words, that line isn’t necessary. The following phrases aren’t either.

“We’re conveniently located.” Convenience is relative. A store that’s convenient for one audience member may be completely out of the way for others.

The takeaway: Don’t make blanket statements.

“Your call is important to us.” That’s a set-up to a now-common joke. The punchline: “If my call is so important, pick up the damn phone.”

The takeaway: Delete clichés and other “expected” phrases that only serve as filler. Replace them with information your audience can apply.

“Summer’s here, so it’s time to…” I promise that everyone who reads or hears your copy knows which season it is, or that Christmas is near, or that it’s back-to-school time.

The takeaway: Don’t waste time stating the obvious. It can be insulting to your audience and it draws focus away from your main points.

“We’re dedicated to your satisfaction.” At best, baseless platitudes do nothing to separate you from other brands that rely on the same tactic. At worst, you’ll be perceived as a company that exaggerates or even lies.

The takeaway: Unless you can prove your dedication or somehow guarantee you offer the best service, avoid those types of lofty claims.

Those are just a few examples of specific phrases that weaken advertising copy, but there are others. So, be diligent in your copy editing, filtering your content through these questions:

• Is this copy honest and accurate?
• Which words can I delete without watering down the message?
• Does this copy address a need my potential customers have or is it all self-serving?
• Is this writing clear enough to convey the unique value our company provides?

It takes time and effort to write and re-write impactful advertising copy that’s also a pleasure to read or hear, but the trust and interest that quality content creates is worth the work; it will serve as the foundation of a powerful voice for your brand.