A recent University of South Florida study determined that millennials are not “friending” or “tweeting” about companies and brands like marketers thought they were.  This is going to sound strange coming from marketers, but we’re not surprised. 

More and more, people are using social media to promote their products or services.  Think about it: Do you use Twitter to post about your business or area of expertise?  Does your business have a Facebook page – or do you wish it did?

But let's face it, college kids don’t interact with social media this way.  Their lives involve sleeping, going to class, and having fun.  And they like social networks because they help them with the ladder.

So naturally “interacting” with brands is a big part of that, right?  Wrong.  Do you yearn to spend your free time that way?  Sure, some people do, but not most.  We have lives full of things to do and people to see.

The point is that “social media” has its applications, but it’s not the Holy Grail of marketing.  It’s a tool you can use in your marketing program, which must be based first and foremost on identifying your target market and reaching out to them.

Thanks to Megan Hendricks for bringing this article to our attention.

With our new, stronger focus on brand strategy we’re combing the Internet for brand resources and have found some great sites, like ReBrand.com. It’s a forum for rebranding case studies and programs, and they have “the first and only global awards program to recognize the world’s most effective brand transformations.” If you’re at all interested in rebranding you should check it out.

Among the many useful tidbits on their website is the article “The Top 20 Mistakes Marketers Make When Rebranding – And How to Avoid Them.” It’s available here.

The most relevant take-away from this article for us is how much the potential mistakes you can make in a rebranding project are applicable to all creative services work. Here are a few.

Don’t work via strategy by committee. In our experience this always slows things to a snail’s pace and often causes the project to never end. To address this we include a Project Team section in our Creative Brief, which gives clients a chance to decide at the beginning who will work on the project.

Navigating without a plan. This ties in directly with the Creative Brief, which they say is essential to keep everyone focused as the project progresses.

Clinging to history. ReBrand says don’t hold on to assumptions made when the original brand was established, as they may no longer be relevant in today’s marketplace. This is true not just for rebranding, but any business actions you take. And in truth, to all of life – assumptions are killers!

For us, the benefit of this piece was how it reminded us that best practices are just that – the best way to approach for many of the services we offer. It’s good to know we’re on track with many things, remember which areas we need to work on, and be reminded to adhere to smart practices at all times.

I was pouring the Pepsi, looking at the bottle and reading the packaging (like I always do), and I saw an announcement that said something like, “Sharp new bottle, same great taste!”  And I thought to myself, “Is it ever good to have to tell your customers that you’re still you?”  Sometimes I marvel at how many instances I see where people – marketers, mostly – contradict one of my favorite rules, If It Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix It.

The next day I noticed a wonderful application of that same rule: The Mickey Mouse Club.  Since the show’s inception in 1955, each episode ends with Mickey or a cast member saying, “See ya real soon!”  My mom heard it as a child, I heard it as a child, and now my daughter hears it.  It’s a modern tradition, and endears Disney to us.

At the end of the day, isn’t business all about endearing yourself to your customers so they keep coming back and recommend you to others?

Here at the Studios we are, like any business, inundated with direct mail on a daily basis. Most of it goes in the trash. But from time to time, we’ll hold on to a piece if it seems particularly effective or memorable. We have quite a collection, and it serves as a good source of ideas and inspiration...