TheManeFocus.

Marketing wisdom for the business jungle.

February 7, 2012 | By: Rebekah Piazza

Whether you realize it or not, the colors of your brand influence people. From the ever recognizable red of Coca-Cola, to the bright blue of Ford, the way we perceive and react to color affects us in a multitude of ways.

Color theory is a science in itself. There's a lot involved. Perception of color is subjective upon our own personal experiences and our broader cultural experiences. Colors not only affect the mind but also the body. Studies have shown that actual physiological changes occur when people are exposed to certain colors. Color can stimulate, depress, increase appetite, create emotional responses and feelings of warmth or coolness. For example, red has been shown to stimulate the senses and raise the blood pressure while blue has a calming effect. Red has cultural associations of importance (think red carpet), danger (stop signs) and anger. Sometimes, adjusting the brilliance, darkness or lightness of a color can alter the psychological response. The rules of color harmony and context may also be followed to make sure that the color combinations do not put stress on the viewer's eyes or make your message difficult to read.

Color says much without ever using words and can add vibrancy and life to a business image.

November 29, 2011 | By: Craig Piazza

Last time, we considered "what" your brand is, and decided on a simplified answer — what you stand for, how you are perceived by the public, and what ideas are held in an individual's mind about your business. Now let's consider "why" your brand matters and "who" it matters to.

If the simple definition we have settled on is true, then your brand is the deciding factor on if you will attracted new clients, how much business your current clients will continue to throw your way, how readily people refer your company to others, and will even influence how much effort and care your employees will put forth while on the payroll (Ask an Apple employee what they think about their company). Businesses need happy clients to survive and we are all looking for referrals. The better the brand, the easier this becomes. But a great brand affects other important folks that will have an impact on business productivity.

In short, the wrong brand can be a real party popper for your business. CREVIN wants to help your party last long into the night with the kind of energy and excitement that rock stars wish they had. Let's consider who those party goers are and consider if your brand creates buy-in with them:

The Public
Clients
Potential Clients
Partners
Employees
Those who give referrals
Recruiters
Suppliers
Lenders
The Media
Competition
Peers

July 27, 2011 | By: Craig Piazza

In the world of brand marketing, things are so simple that they often become hard. CREVIN is always here to help, and in the spirit of helping, we would like to offer a quick way to understand your brand.

A clear definition always serves to get the conversation going in the right direction:

YOUR BRAND: What you stand for; how you are perceived by the public; what ideas are held in an individual's mind about your business.

You can influence your brand perception through three core areas:

What you do: (Hard Characteristics) Strategy, services, fees, reputation, market position, size, turnover.
How you do it: (Soft Characteristics) Service philosophy or managing the client experience, personality of partners, personality of staff.
What you say: (Overall Character) Tone and style of communication, corporate Identity and image, marketing and collateral, public relations, physical environment / offices.

February 7, 2011 | By: Craig Piazza

Running a business in today’s marketplace is far more demanding than it was 10 or 20 years ago with all the new technology and different forms of competition springing up. Thankfully, some things are still the same, like your commitment to customer satisfaction, client relationships, and the four "P"s of marketing. If you've forgotten the four "P"s from your marketing 101 class, here's a refresher course:

PRODUCT. What is the main thing that justifies your businesses existence?
PRICE. How much do you need to charge and how much more can you charge to increase revenue?
PLACEMENT. Where will your product be sold? Also thought of as distribution.
PROMOTION. How will people find your product? Contact us today to find out how Crevin AMD can help.

These four "P"s are all equally critical to your business’s success. Most companies think hard about the product, how much they can charge for the product and if that price point will make them profit, and where they want to sell their product. However, many businesses stop at this point and leave the fourth "P" up to chance. Sure, you can throw some money at an advertisement here, or a brochure there, but throwing money at promotion is not nearly enough to address the fourth “P.” No, if a business wants to be healthy, they should invest in the development of their brand strategy. That is why Crevin AMD exists. Contact us now to find out how we can develop consistent creative promotion that will help build brand loyalty and long term effectiveness.