Administrator 01.20.2014
Wow, this is a great article that really speaks to many organizations who want to connect with this largest most influential group of today. I love the reference to mobile and social as this technology is something we cannot ignore. I also like the objectives that are posted. This helps to understand the purpose of how and why, I hope these points from Scott Schwertly will be helpful to you in moving forward in your presentations and promotional materials that would be effected by the same motivators.
How to Present to Millennials -article by Scott Schwertly (The Official Slideshare Blog)
If you find yourself giving a presentation anytime soon, there is a large probability that a significant part of your audience will be comprised of millennials. These are individuals who were born between 1980-2000, and this group recently surpassed Boomers as the largest and likely most-influential generation in America.
If your audience is going to be made up of these young professionals, you need to be mindful of how to appeal to this demographic. Here are a few suggestions to make sure your message resonates with them.
Be Mobile
A majority of millennials are married to their mobile devices. It’s with them at all times of the day, being utilized not only as their primary vehicle for email and text, but also as their alarm clock, productivity manager, entertainment and news source and more. If you can find a way to get their attention on this device, you’ll win some brownie points. But be sure to utilize apps that will keep them plugged into your presentation and subject matter. Check out mobile apps like SlideKlowd, which allows audience members to view your slides and respond to what you’re saying in real time.
Objective: Keep your presentations interactive.
Be Transparent
Anyone can spot a poser or faker and you don’t want to become that guy or gal. Millennials in particular are looking for a sense of depth, transparency and vulnerability from those who are in their lives — which means they want to see it from you as well on stage.
Objective: Be yourself and find your own authentic voice.
Be Social
We live in a world where apps like Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and Facebook are integrated fully into the millennial lifestyle. You need to acknowledge and embrace this reality. Request conversation and interaction online, after your talk.
Objective: Continue the conversation on social media channels after your presentation.
Be Purposeful
The millennial generation has often been branded as the “entitled” generation. However, most millennials are willing to work hard — very hard — as long as they believe in the organization and its purpose. Make sure you define a higher message in your speech that will resonate with your audience.
Objective: Share how your brand, product or service impacts the greater good.
Be International
Millennials perceive international experience as a critical attribute. If a presenter can demonstrate her understanding of a globalized economy, she can tear down some walls and build credibility.
Objective: Speak from a global lens by utilizing international case studies or stories.
This generation is only going to continue to grow and expand into the workforce. You need to discover the best techniques that are going to appeal to them today so you can continue to grow your own career and brand tomorrow.
About the Author
Scott Schwertly is the author of How to Be a Presentation God and CEO of Ethos3, a Nashville, TN-based presentation boutique providing professional presentation design and training for national and international clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to branded individuals like Guy Kawasaki. If Scott is not working with his team building presentations, you will find him in the pool, on the bike, or on a long run. Scott lives in Nashville, TN with his wife and three dogs. He has a B.A. and M.B.A. from Harding University.
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Marsha Field 10.13.2013
This weekend I attended The Breaking Ground Conference; enacting change through OISE University with educators who are looking for new ways of teaching and using their field to create more sustainable classrooms, schools and communities through holistic and spiritual practices.
I love creating awareness. Most small businesses and start ups have a difficult time getting their ideas off the ground. Creating an awareness requires clarity, planning and thought on “who are you”,”what are you”, “why are you wanting to do this now?”. It allows us to look at “the why” and evaluate whether their is a need for that “why” in the chosen community. If there is one or more reasons than a strategic marketing person can identify and create branded campaigns/materials that will create engagement, identify with users and excite and energize momentum to organically grow and share. A good business person will ask you the right questions to really look into your business, discovering your uniqueness, your core offerings and maximizing those offerings, instilling them into simple form. Creativity is the solution to sustainability and problem solving is the work that needs to take place before implementing branding and building marketing and communication tools.
At PRM the process is intuitive and organic. Like a delicious desert, taking the raw healthy ingredients, distilled in simple form, adding love, compassion, time and creativity, forms a sweet masterpiece attracting the desired being to experience its essence.
We help you find where you need to focus and how you can plan and build sustainable success.
If you have any questions please send them to me. I would be happy to listen.
Marsha Field
Account Director
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Administrator 09.11.2013
It's incredible where technology is going. Years ago the choices were few. Today time frames on jobs have decreased because of the available technology. Do you know the difference? Does your industry demand it?
Advantages of Digital
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Lower cost per unit for shorter runs (no money tied up in plates or make-ready)
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Faster turn-around times (no drying time required.)
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Variable Data printing so each page can be unique
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Instant Proofing, since each proof IS a print
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Less waste since there's virtually ZERO make-ready
Advantages of Offset
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Lower cost per unit for longer runs (Unit cost goes down as print quantity goes up)
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Better Quality with higher image resolution (especially when combined with CTP, like we do!)
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More paper options (Most digital devices require special papers and smooth finishes, which makes linen and laid finishes challenging or not possible)
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Pantone Spot Color and Metallic Ink options (Not all colors can be built from CMYK, no matter how hard you try!)
Making a decision...
Once you've weighed all your options, it comes down to the needs and requirements of each unique project. Digital is clearly the best option for small runs needed in a hurry, as long as you don't need special papers or spot colors. If you have time, need a bunch, and have special corporate colors to match, you can't beat traditional offset.
Fortunately, while the choice is clearly yours, you never have to figure it out all alone. I am happy to assist you in your decision.
Credit to It's about CHOICE! Digital Printing vs. Offset Printing
Posted by Universal Printing on Fri, Apr 08, 2011 @ 11:03 AM
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Administrator 08.08.2013
Being a follower of Jamie Turner, Chief Content Officer at the 60 Second Marketer and having read Simon Sinek’s most recent book titled “Start with Why”, how great leaders inspire everyone to take action, it is clear to me that to be successful in creating brand awareness company leaders need to differentiate their brand and act in accordance to those beliefs. Here is a list of valuable questions needed to gain your own clarity.
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Why have we chosen to do what we do? (What is your companies inspired story?)
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What do we do better than anybody else?
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How does our customer benefit from what we sell?
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When we win, why do we win?
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What are the top three reasons customers have bought our products or services?
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What is our typical sales cycle?
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What type of work do we most enjoy?
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What values, personality, and attitude do we want to project?
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Going forward, what are the essential attributes of our target customer?(Industry segment, size of organization/corporation, demographics, job position, motivators, internal and external influencers, buying habits, key message points, factors in buying decisions, association, publications, trade shows
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What percentage of next year’s revenue is expected from new vs existing customers?
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What is our greatest opportunity in the next 2 years? Why is it such a great opportunity?
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What would we need beyond our company’s current strengths/positioning/products to seize the opportunity described above?
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What is our greatest threat? Are these threats within our control? If so, what should we do to control them?
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Who are our key competitors?
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Who is our competition targeting?
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How do we wish to be viewed, in relation to our competition?
Would you add anything to this list? Let me know in the comments section below.
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Administrator 07.23.2013
To grow your brand, know what people find meaningful, connect with them thoughtfully, create joy they can’t live without, and believe in your employees.
Every day, we see signs that doing business today is more complex than ever.
That means in order to retain market share and keep up profitability, business leaders must continually look for new and innovative ways to engage their consumers. These are real, rational concerns for any organization. They are indicators of how your business is performing, but they are not why you’re in business.
People are why you’re in business.
Whether you’re in a B2B or B2C business, without people, you wouldn’t have any indicators to monitor at all. The only way to get to know the people who, in the end, are the genuine drivers of your business decisions, is to spend time with them. That means all of them--the mainstreams, the extremes, the buyers, the influencers, the trendsetters. Knowing these people will help reveal a vision for your brand that new customers will also want to be a part of. How that vision comes to life is where the magic happens.
The best and most strategic companies today care deeply about people’s needs and desires. They display it honestly and overtly in their brand’s behavior. They design experiences that consider how consumers may feel at every moment with their brand. They also recognize that feelings run deeper than emotions. It’s what drives people to choose, buy, use, and share.
To grow in a sustainable way, it’s critical that you clarify and understand all the nuances of what your brand stands for. We’ve identified four best practices to help you transform your business into a brand that people will fall head-over-heels in love with.
1. Be personal: Why does your product matter to users?
Your business mission and brand vision should be rooted in deep insights about the people you’re trying to reach, established by learning firsthand about who they are and what they desire.
Many companies assume that if they have a great product or service idea, they can find a market segment that might benefit--and then they start pushing their product to those people.
But if you begin instead by thinking about why people need your product and why your product will--or should--matter in their lives, you have a much better chance of connecting with people at the right moments.
"Begin by thinking about why people need your product."
2. Be smart: Develop loyalty
Connecting with people is not just about understanding people’s needs and having a product that satisfies those needs. Businesses must still consider how consumers engage with their brand across all touchpoints. If you think like a service business and envision the entire experience, it’s easier to figure out where you can have the biggest impact with your customers while still furthering your business objectives.
3. Be exciting: Never stop evolving
Create experiences with simple and joyful moments that people can’t live without. And don’t stop there--do continue to wow people. The visceral nature of feelings means that people might not realize when or why they’re falling out of love. They just will. To prevent that from happening, you must consistently innovate and find new ways to connect with people.
4. Be yourself: Don’t overlook your employees
Your brand vision doesn’t stop after you define it--you have to bring it to life. How many times have you read, on a company’s About Us page, that they’re focused on people? Yet in reality, as a company grows, the way the company behaves in its value chain often gives the impression that they’re taking people for granted and focusing primarily on increasing financial performance--they seemingly lose sight of what they stand for.
Regardless of external complexities happening in the global economy, you must stay true to the vision you have for your brand. By following these best practices, you will create a smarter business: one that stands apart from the rest through little interactions that, when added together over time, will make people utterly committed to your brand.
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By: Smart Design (click here for full article)
Written by Paulette Bluhm and Kristi Elliot-Heitman
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Backup Administrator 07.08.2013
So you have a project that will involve photography. Do you hire a photographer to take pictures without creative direction? Creative eliminates any of the guesswork and makes the project sing. The client will be able to approve the idea before even booking photography. This allows the photographer to get very specific on his/her pricing because everyone in the process will know the expectations and be able to truly understand what needs to happen in order to achieve the end results.
An Art Director will be worth the money to help direct the photographer. Usually this person understands the creative and will work with the photographer to create a library of images that will help in the promotional or institutional product’s brand.
Most photographers prefer to work with an Art Director. The photographer can focus on the skills he brings to the table, composition and lighting and allow the Art Director to focus on the creative intention so that the photographer captures the true essence of the moment.
PRM advises our clients to create a bank of images that you can draw from, that you own. Your visuals must speak to your desired audiences. Feel free to contact me for any assistance in this area.
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Marsha Field 10.17.2012
Strategy is a military term that is a game changer. It is a plan to a well thought out solution to a critical problem. In the military it is about life or death. In advertising it is about creating consumer loyalty and building brand recognition. Without strategy you are throwing your money to a wall hoping it will stick. With strategy, the facts are known, the obstacles are apparent and the road to success is mapped and easy to achieve.
As an owner, marketing/sales person, which direction makes most sense to you? Thought and solution always out weigh and out perform, reactive tactics.
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Tom Alexander 05.15.2012
Is traditional media dead? No. Like any new technology, everyone jumps onto the bandwagon and becomes obsessed with the potential to create leads, contacts, increase revenue and brand exposure. But like any form of promotion it takes time to develop and tweak it to get it right.
But what happened to the marketing mix? All of these technologies become another tool in the toolbox for possible use in the right scenario.
How do you know what the right scenario is? That is where an expert who understands when and where to apply certain media tools can help. To generate more customers, a good marketing manager will understand your sales model, the number of leads you need, and the budget you are working with, to create the right promotional mix.
There are many inexpensive technology driven approaches. But can you be an expert on all of them? How will this serve you? Lets face it, you need to have a good strategy to build on. That truly is the first step. Perhaps your company needs a directional change and believe me, all the technology in the world won’t help with that.
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Administrator 04.15.2012
Cherrywood studio approached us with a request to help them make an impression on prospective clients. The first order of business was to meet and have Cherrywood walk us through their business philosophy, product, and vision. This process provided PRM with valuable insight into our clients marketplace and how they felt their company should be positioned.
Our solution involved the clients "hands on" participation. To work within the budget, we developed an elegant presentation package that showcased the impeccable quality of the clients craftsmanship. Our poetic approach to the copy, the art gallery style photography and the custom wood panel that was fastened by hand on each piece, showcased the passion of Cherrywood Studio for their wood tables.
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