Using Storytelling & Branding to Establish a Compelling Identity for an Emerging Company

Using Storytelling & Branding to Establish a Compelling Identity for an Emerging Company

by | Aug 3, 2020 | Case Studies

Using Storytelling & Branding to Establish a Compelling Identity for an Emerging Company

&Marketing recently helped an established company craft the logo and brand identity for a new, separate endeavor using Storytelling & Branding.

Business Challenge Summary

&Marketing’s client, Freya Systems, is developing a new brand called Allvaldi as a launching pad for a product strategy separate from their base business. Allvaldi will commercialize web and mobile applications initially focused on the inspection and maintenance space for pipelines, infrastructure, and aviation, with the eventual aim to broaden the platform.

Allvaldi’s name is based on a giant from Norse mythology, commonly known as Ivaldi or Alvaldi. The sons of Ivaldi were master craftsmen who created tools for the gods, and the client saw this new company as a digital smith forging powerful tools for their customers. They came to us with a desire to develop a brand that communicated this narrative, while also conveying a sense of modernity and fun.

&Marketing’s Approach

Before any design work began, we scheduled a working session with Allvaldi where we could understand their background, their audience, and their goals for the company. During this working session we utilized a unique combination of Donald Miller’s Storybrand Framework, along with a Brand Archetypes exercise. This allowed us to uncover who their customer is, what problem(s) they face, how Allvaldi is uniquely positioned to guide them to a solution, and how they can help their clients find their ‘happily ever after.’

Once we established that narrative, it was important for Allvaldi to know their place in the story. We shared the twelve Brand Archetypes (applied to marketing by Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson) with Allvaldi, and through a combination of a Narrative Marketing Outline and supplemental questions, were able to determine the Archetypal Guide their customers need.

In this case, their customer is seeking to minimize human error in inspections and reporting in order to focus on the things AI and programming can’t do. The guide they are looking for is one who understands the need to control the mundane (Ruler) in order to have the freedom to create the magnificent (Creator). Once the story (and their place in it) was established, the work of creating their visual identity could begin.

Here is our typical process for crafting a brand’s visual identity:

  • Develop 8-10 concepts of a logo based on the Narrative Marketing Outline and Brand Archetypes
  • Share with the client and narrow down to one design
  • Refine the chosen design based on client feedback
  • Share with the client, receive final feedback, and finish logo

Once the logo was approved, we moved on to create their brand guide. Here is our typical process for developing a brand guide:

  • Select 3-5 color palette and font pairing options, and provide samples for the client using the finalized logo and lorem ipsum text
  • Share with the client and narrow down to one color palette and font pairing
  • Take the selected color palette, font pairing, and logo to create the brand guide
  • Share the brand guide with the client
  • Package and deliver the guide, logo, and font files

Results

Allvaldi received a visual identity that was congruent to their audience and what they are looking for in a guide. With their brand identity firmly in place, Allvaldi can now confidently launch into the marketplace with an engaging and consistent look and feel.

Additionally, the client is also confidently equipped with a strong sense of their own brand personality and can move forward with additional marketing strategies with clarity and consistency.

&Marketing’s straightforward and clear process allowed us to bring our vision to life. We can’t wait to launch our new brand!

Ben

Download the Allvaldi brand guide here

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Clarification and alignment of Allvaldi’s unique value proposition

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New logo that reflects the essence of their identity

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Brand guide that serves as a compass for brand aesthetic and communication

Are you facing challenges of your own in generating leads and meeting your business’ growth goals?

We’d love to learn more about your challenges and how a coordinated marketing approach might help take your organization to the next level.

About &Marketing:

&Marketing provides the robust outsourced marketing department growing companies need without the high overhead costs of big agencies or full-time employees. Our variable model empowers businesses to reach their growth goals through access to the guidance and expertise of senior level strategists and a flexible execution team.

Case Study: Lab Distributor

Case Study: Lab Distributor

by | Jun 4, 2020 | Case Studies

Case Study: Lab Distributor

Our client partner is a distributor of industrial equipment with over 15 years of experience. Just prior to engaging &Marketing, they had rebranded and launched a new website. As a smaller company swimming in a sea of dominant, larger distributors, their differentiation was based on exceptional service and going above and beyond for their clients.

Business Challenge Summary

The primary problem this partner faced was a result of the company’s decision to change its name during rebranding. The client partner knew they needed marketing help, but they weren’t sure what specific mix of marketing assistance would be most appropriate. We worked with them to help them identify what they needed at a high level: a coordinated marketing program to target specific industry users to promote brand recognition and adoption.

&Marketing’s Solution

Here’s what we did to address their needs:

  • Our web development team got to work rebuilding industry and product pages on their website, which would be used to drive engagement for their specialty areas.
  • Next, we created a blog with compelling content that helped share their personality and uniqueness. This client’s ‘human-ness’ and service-oriented approach were the business traits that would set them apart from everyone else in their industry. The blog was the perfect way to give them a unique voice and set them apart.
  • We implemented a Google AdWords campaign that began with broad strokes, then narrowed our scope to focus on more meaningful traffic.
  • We helped them create an eCommerce platform using Shopify, so customers could interact directly with their site.
  • We supported an industry trade show with planning assistance prior to the event, demo facilitation during, and follow-up after the conclusion of the show.

&Marketing Pro-Tip

Don’t forget the “after!” after a trade show. So often, the relief of getting througha trade show can overshadowthe need to check backin at the conclusion of the event, but the follow-up is just as important as the prep work. For example, doing simple things after a show can have a huge impact. Recap the trade show on your blog, share through social media, and send those you met a personal email with a link to your blog.

Ongoing Support and Execution

Lead generation drives our support, which includes consistent follow through and nurturing contacts with consistent email campaigns. So far, we’ve been able to increase our partner’s site traffic and pipeline by 2x using these methods. We also offer continual analytics and reporting, which allows us to enhance and change tactics as needed. Monitoring site traffic, engagement, bounce rate and that pathway of potential customers can help us improve in real time, as we go.

We at &Marketing offer something bigger firms can’t: Flexibility. We are limber and can pivot as needed while keeping an eye on your budget throughout. The support tactics we use vary based on each client’s individual needs shift. Let’s face it: Things are always changing in a fast-paced world, is your marketing team keeping pace?

After nearly 15 years in my industry, I recently went out on my own. With a limited budget, lack of time, and a lack of marketing expertise, I needed a solution fast. The &Marketing team came in, understood my challenges, and provided sound strategic advice. Then, their team of functional experts got to work. In the first 3 months, they implemented a coordinated digital plan to prepare us for a major trade show: Updating our website, creating a compelling blog, implementing an AdWords campaign, and designing an email marketing program–all targeted at my prospects!

Since then we’ve developed reliable marketing calendar featuring a blog, newsletter, and social media program to continually update our customers with new, relevant, information. Most importantly, &Marketing’s flexibility and sound advice have been the keys to our partnership.

- D. Burke, Managing Director

Web Development

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Lead Generation (2x Sales Pipeline Growth)

Full Trade Show Support (Planning Assistance, Demo Facilitation & Lead Follow-Up

Are you facing challenges of your own in generating leads and meeting your business’ growth goals?

We’d love to learn more about your challenges and how a coordinated marketing approach might help take your organization to the next level.

About &Marketing:

&Marketing provides the robust outsourced marketing department growing companies need without the high overhead costs of big agencies or full-time employees. Our variable model empowers businesses to reach their growth goals through access to the guidance and expertise of senior level strategists and a flexible execution team.

&Marketing’s Official “Work From Home” Survival Guide

&Marketing’s Official “Work From Home” Survival Guide

by | Apr 1, 2020 | Business & Marketing Strategy, COVID Marketing, Insights

&Marketing’s Official “Work From Home” Survival Guide

Written By Tracey Colla

On

I was 25 years old on 9/11/2001, living in the Outer Sunset of San Francisco with my then boyfriend (now husband) and our roommates.  I remember going to bed on September 10th and our roommates— another couple, both from NYC— were on the couch watching the news. When I got up the next morning, they were on the couch again, and I was confused. Had they stayed up all night watching TV?  No, they hadn’t, but they had heard about the first attack and were glued to the coverage. I remember how surreal that day was.  

In many ways, what’s going on with the COVID-19 pandemic reminds me of that eerie time. However, 9/11 was so much different, because the one thing we had during that time was each other. We were shaken, saddened and scared, but we still had the ability to be with our friends and loved ones, to mourn and talk through all of our feelings. Not to mention the shortage of essentials like toilet paper and soap. Instead, the COVID-19 pandemic finds us all isolated in our homes, with a “survival of the fittest” mentality,

The &Marketing team works remotely almost all the time, so working from home is normal for most of us. I work from home and love the flexibility it allows me. I can take my son to and from school, occasionally volunteer to lend a hand in his classroom, squeeze in a workout mid-day, and take my dog (my actual SHADOW) on walks where he bullies bigger dogs and single men. 

Perfecting the art of working from home has been a journey. So I’ll save you some time and share my best tips for productivity, connection, and sanity.

Use Slack

It’s a great tool to communicate both one on one with folks or in groups and can really help maintain a sense of community and solidarity right now. Create channels to direct specific conversations based on topic, so all of your collaborative work can stay organized. Our team even has a dedicated channel for “water cooler talk” like silly kids pictures, movie trailers, and memes.  GIFs abound on the &Marketing Slack channel.

Don’t Hesitate to Pick up the Phone

I know I just recommended Slack, but beware of using it as a crutch for all conversation when you aren’t just a cubicle away from your coworkers. Things get lost and misinterpreted sometimes via Slack, email, or text. If you’re confused, feeling frustrated, or potentially misunderstanding someone’s tone, just make a call and talk it through.  You’ll most likely come to a solution quicker than you would if you kept going back and forth on Slack. 

Hold Virtual Happy Hours 

When you’re working remotely, you can sometimes miss out on the team building or bonding activities that can happen in the office. Pot luck lunches and after-hours drinks are few and far between with social isolation. Our team always works remotely and is spread out across several states, so we hold a virtual happy hour once a month. 

Bring a beer or cup of tea and hop on a Zoom call to chat and debrief after a long day. Turn those cameras on so everyone can see each other and get some social time in.

Have as Many Meetings as Possible on Video

Speaking of Zoom, video calls are valuable for more than just happy hours. Body language is important, and so is focus. People pay attention to the call they’re on more when they’re on camera, because it limits the amount of multitasking behind the scenes.  Meet people where they are, though. Avoid making them sit still in front of the computer— some of us need to stand or walk around a bit, and maybe even refill our coffee if it’s a long meeting. And of course, no judgment on appearance, unless it’s a client call.

Encourage Introverts to Chime In

Our team meets on video each Monday morning to kick off a new work week together.  We always start with an icebreaker to get the conversation going, and we take turns coming up with it each week. Lots of introverts (or even just shy team members) feel more comfortable giving input when they feel prepared, so sending out agenda and ice breaker questions in advance sometimes helps those folks feel more inclined to participate.

Being Productive With Kids

Many of us are also now finding ourselves both working remotely  and juggling kids who are at home with us. I asked the rest of the seasoned pros on our team to provide their best tips and tricks for surviving working remotely and keeping the kids occupied. Here’s what they said:

  • Our Marketing Director, Amanda Cook, has two kiddos joining her at home right now. She says her best tip for having kids home during this time is to provide them with a schedule. Her kids have eLearning from 9-12, lunch/freetime from 12-1 and quiet time in the afternoon from 1-3. 

  • Our Client Experience DIrector, Tina DePrisco says to get up earlier than others in your house and either do a work out or get work done with no interruptions. Getting some quiet productivity time is a great way to start the day feeling accomplished and ahead of the game.

In some ways, not a lot has changed for me during this pandemic. But in other ways so much has changed. My 11-year old son Ollie is home, so I frequently get text messages or handwritten notes during meetings asking me, “How much homework do I have left to do?” or “Can I play video games with so-and-so?”  My husband is home, too, and two days in, I’m loving having him here. He works in his studio, and I’m in our guestroom/office hybrid, while Ollie wanders between the living room, his room and running laps around the block.

With a moratorium on leaving the house in order to slow the spread of COVID-19, there are tons of pieces coming out about remote working. Recently, I read the article Sorry, But Working from Home is Overrated, in the New York Times. The author, Kevin Roose, writes that he thinks people are able to establish better work life balance and be more creative in an office setting.

I totally disagree.

Whether you’re like Tina on our team and have been working from home for almost 25 years, or more like my husband, who is doing this for the first time in over a decade, there is plenty of joy and fulfillment you can gain from this adjustment. Hopefully these tips will help you and your team find it together!

About the Author

Marketing Director Tracey Colla focuses on ensuring each client’s needs are being met in a timely, productive, and creative way. She is a well-rounded marketer, with a talent for identifying opportunity, product strategy and positioning, go-to-market strategies and launches.

About &Marketing

In today’s fast paced world, many growing businesses are struggling to modernize their marketing approaches because either they don’t have the expertise or the bandwidth to do it themselves.

&Marketing provides seasoned marketing strategy professionals and a nimble execution team to help our clients achieve their goals. Our unique partnership model allows us to augment our client’s existing teams or outsource the entire marketing function in an affordable, flexible, and transparent way.

Are We Meant To Be (Your Outsourced Marketing Department Match)?

Are We Meant To Be (Your Outsourced Marketing Department Match)?

by | Mar 5, 2020 | Business & Marketing Strategy, Insights

Are We Meant To Be (Your Outsourced Marketing Department Match)?

Written By Tracey Colla

On

Do you ever wish there was an OK Cupid or eharmony to help you find the right partnerships for your business? Just like you might or might not be a personal match for everyone on a dating app, some businesses are destined to be a perfect professional fit, and others aren’t. At &Marketing, we are proud to be different than your typical marketing agency. In fact, we prefer not to even call ourselves an agency. As an outsourced marketing department, we consider ourselves an extension of our client teams. It’s us & you.

The successful partnerships we’ve built with our clients would be impossible without first establishing some common ground. This happens before we even sign on a new client. We take the time to understand your business, your goals, your team, and your culture. In doing this, we’ve learned that we’re not a perfect fit for everyone. Based on our experiences with a variety of clients of all shapes, sizes, and industries, there are certain commonalities that we and prospective clients must share in order for us to have a successful relationship.

Goal-Setting

First thing’s first: can you articulate your business goals? Do you know what you’re hoping to accomplish? If not, we can help you figure that out. However, if you can’t arrive at a clear definition of goals, it likely won’t work out between us.

Why? There are two reasons. First, your goals lay the foundation for everything we do with you. Without them, we can’t develop a strategic marketing plan. And without a strategic marketing plan, we can’t put together an execution plan.  We’re headed nowhere fast. Second, we measure our success by whether we’re driving results for our clients, and results are dictated by goals. Yes, we can sit and check boxes and complete tasks, but what is the actual return? We like to win, but we can’t win without knowing how to calculate the score.

Transparency 

Partnerships aren’t always pretty. Sometimes hard, uncomfortable conversations need to happen (your palms sweat, your heart beats fast…you know what I’m talking about). But this doesn’t intimidate us. We say let’s go ahead and have those hard conversations. We believe in open, candid communication with the senior decision-makers at our client companies. Transparency is one of our core values, and we admit when we’re wrong. Let’s face it, we’re human beings, so being right 100 percent of the time is not feasible. We’re also not afraid to challenge you or encourage you to see something through a different lens.

Respect for Time and Money

We’re not obsessed with billable hours, and we don’t nickel and dime. We’ll never ask you to be in a meeting just for the sake of being in a meeting. We don’t invite our entire team to be on client calls; only those who are necessary.  As much as we might like you and enjoy talking to you, we’d much rather have our heads down working toward meeting your business goals. One of the questions our Managing Director, Rajat Kapur, likes to ask is, “What would you do if it were your money?” When you think about it like that, the conversation changes. As your outsourced marketing department, we will treat your money (and time) like it’s our own.

Company Culture

We have purposefully created a unique and unbureaucratic company (well, as unbureaucratic as possible…obviously there need to be some rules.) Our culture is important to us. We have very little turnover at &Marketing because when people come on board, they tend to stay. We are selective with our people and invest in them accordingly. Ideas from every single team member are valued, from those of us with decades of experience, to our newest, fresh-out-of-college Marketing Coordinators. Everyone brings value. Our expectation is that our clients will treat each of our team members — regardless of age or experience — with dignity and respect. How we operate together will make or break this culture.

Ethics

Ultimately, it all comes down to ethics, and we’re not afraid to decline work with potential clients if it’s a cultural mismatch. As we wrote in a previous blog series (the ABCs of What We’ve Learned so Far at &Marketing):

“What we’ve learned so far is that you can’t assume everyone takes ethics seriously. Many take it for granted, while others don’t even think about it at all. In our two-year journey, we’ve run into a surprising number of clients who try to cut corners, don’t stay true to their work, or don’t hold themselves accountable for their end of the bargain.”

As your outsourced marketing department, our top priority is not growing our own bottom line; it’s meeting your business growth goals. We measure our own success by our client’s success, and we’re here to generate results for your business. The foundation of that joint success is transparency and mutual respect. We believe if we do that relentlessly and consistently, the financial results will follow.

So, do you jive with our ethics? Are you looking for an honest, trustworthy marketing partner, and not just a “vendor?” If the answer is yes, let’s chat! Contact us for a free consultation, or download our workbook, “Marketing Planning Like a Pro: Offline and Online.”

About the Author

Tracey Colla is a Marketing Director at &Marketing. In her role, she is an outsourced marketing director for multiple clients, helping them execute modern marketing programs by understanding their business challenges, providing them sound advice, and coordinating activity with &Marketing’s experienced team of creatives, developers, analysts, and writers.  Tracey brings nearly 20 years of experience to &Marketing, including Peet’s Coffee and Jamba Juice. She lives with her husband, 11-year old son, and anxious rescue dog in the Philadelphia area.

About &Marketing

In today’s fast paced world, many growing businesses are struggling to modernize their marketing approaches because either they don’t have the expertise or the bandwidth to do it themselves.

&Marketing provides seasoned marketing strategy professionals and a nimble execution team to help our clients achieve their goals. Our unique partnership model allows us to augment our client’s existing teams or outsource the entire marketing function in an affordable, flexible, and transparent way.

Sorry Not Sorry: Qualifiers And Apologetic Work Culture

Sorry Not Sorry: Qualifiers And Apologetic Work Culture

by | Jun 14, 2019 | Insights, Storytelling & Branding

Sorry Not Sorry: Qualifiers And Apologetic Work Culture

Written By Tracey Colla

On

Over a decade ago, I was writing a letter to someone and signed it “All my best.” When I asked someone to read what I wrote they asked me if I really wished this person the best. I most certainly did not wish this gentleman “All my best.” In fact, I did not wish him even a small portion of my best. Ever since then, I have tried to pay attention to how I start or close an email. ‘

Fast forward ten years. Recently, I was updating our Managing Director, Rajat Kapur, on the current status of each of my projects. I told him that I would call someone I needed to follow up with and say, “I am just checking in on that proposed plan we sent you.” Raj stopped me to ask, “ Why ”just”?” I hadn’t even thought about it, really. But yeah, why ”just”?  Why am I “just” calling this man, for whom our company works, to get an answer? No, not “just.” Give me a damn answer, Mr. CEO. 😉

As a result of this conversation, Raj and I started talking about different qualifiers we hear.

“Actually, you’re right.”  

Are you surprised I’m right?

“Can I be honest with you, I do not think that’s a good idea.”

Have you not been honest this whole time?

“I’m sorry but I hate that.”

Why are you sorry if you hate that?

When I say to someone, “I’m JUST checking in on that proposed plan we sent you” it diminishes what I’m doing and makes it seem less important. I’m not just doing anything. I’m doing my job.

Sorry, I’m Not Sorry.

Now that this is front of mind, I’m hyper-aware of these speech qualifiers people use. I find myself listening to the way men and women speak. I noticed that sometimes I catch myself apologizing to someone when I don’t understand something,  or when I need their help. “I’m sorry, but I need help.” Why am I sorry? Am I sorry? I am not sorry, dammit. I don’t hear men using qualifiers as much as women, though it does happen. I also hear men apologize a whole hell of a lot less than women. My unfounded, unscientific hypothesis is that women are taught to be nice more than men are.  

During a recent project kick-off call with a small team, I took their silence in response to something I said as a lack of buy-in or confusion. I noticed I kept saying, “Does that make sense?”  I read the absence of affirmation as the presence of misunderstanding. Since then, I’ve promised myself not to keep taking silence as a chance to ask that question. We’re all adults, and the onus is on each person to speak up if they disagree or don’t understand. From now on, silence will be a source of affirmation rather than consternation for me.

The Just Not Sorry app, which is a Gmail plug-in with over 35k subscribers, underlines words in an email that might undermine the message you’re trying to send. The app explains itself like this: We’re Just NOT Sorry! Let’s build awareness of how we qualify our message and diminish our voice. Inspired by the writings of Tara Mohr and others, this Chrome Extension for Gmail and Inbox will warn you when you use words or phrases that undermine your message. Commonly used qualifying words and phrases are underlined for you to choose how you want to address them. Hover over the underline to see additional information about how using the phrase is perceived.

It looks like this:

How Managed Email Signatures work:

1. We create a signature template to match your organization’s branding and content strategy.

 

In her article “3 Communication Mistakes with Big Impact”, Tara Mohr calls these statements, “shrinkers.”  She writes, “‘Notice how “just” shrinks or qualifies what comes next? Notice how “actually” makes the speaker sound like she’s surprised that she has a question?” In other words, qualifiers dilute the message and water down your communication, diminishing its impact. Who wants to do that? Not me.

I am trying to pay attention to the way I say things when I talk to colleagues and clients. This adjustment is showing me that the way you say something can impact how people interpret and react to what you say. For now, I hope they interpret me as someone who does not need to qualify what she says. And for that folks, I’m #sorrynotsorry.

About the Author

Marketing Director Tracey Colla focuses on ensuring each client’s needs are being met in a timely, productive, and creative way. She is a well-rounded marketer, with a talent for identifying opportunity, product strategy and positioning, go-to-market strategies and launches.

About &Marketing

In today’s fast paced world, many growing businesses are struggling to modernize their marketing approaches because either they don’t have the expertise or the bandwidth to do it themselves.

&Marketing provides seasoned marketing strategy professionals and a nimble execution team to help our clients achieve their goals. Our unique partnership model allows us to augment our client’s existing teams or outsource the entire marketing function in an affordable, flexible, and transparent way.