ACME - Discovering A Brand In The Oilfield

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Communicating what you do has some benefit. Communicating how you bring unique value to what you do has the potential to make a real difference for your business.

Cornerstone recently completed a project using the latter approach for a client in the oil services industry. Delivered in time for an important trade show, a new pocket folder brochure for ACME Oil Service & Repair not only explains their range of services to potential clients, but introduces their basis for delivering those services as no one else can.

Built around a wealth of imagery captured specifically for this assignment, the brochure literally illustrates many of their services, describes the reason ACME brought them all together and highlights several selected case histories to demonstrate value. It tells a solid sales story that can be further customized with loose inserts specifically targeted to the interests of field personnel or office managers.

Read the new "ACME Oil Service & Repair brochure." (download a pdf file)

To talk to someone about developing this type of brand communication for your company, contact us today by e-mail or phone, 903-534-5220.

Flower Power

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In the big business world of product development, marketing and brand creation, this is a story not many will see. But it's worth a quick look if for no other reason than a "don't let this happen to your brand" reminder.

The story goes that two environmentally responsible cleaner manufacturers happened upon very similar visual icons to represent their respective brands' natural benefits, and a very dirty trademark war has erupted that has the potential to leave one or both with mud on their hands. The argument is over the use of a "Daisy" as a visual symbol of each cleaner's natural ingredients.

Let me just say that the larger manufacturer, Clorox, seems to be completely within their legal rights to try to protect their monetary and brand equity investment in the visual expression they have trademarked. However, the smaller manufacturer, Method, claims to have actually used the flower as a visual icon first, although they never bothered to trademark it. Seems pretty cut and dried on the surface.

The kicker is that Method has taken the battle to the public, asking visitors to their website to vote on who should own the rights to the flower - Clorox, Method or Mother Nature. Mother Nature seems to be winning the vote, but Clorox could be a big loser in the mind of consumers.

To me, the real point is pick your brand symbolism carefully, pay attention to your competitors and avoid legal arguments that may cost you more than money to win.

Read more about the brand story.

Shaving - It's About More Than Just Multiple Blades

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Finally, we have a razor company who thinks there’s more to a great shave than just the number of blades they can pack into a refill cartridge. Now the race is on to deliver “comfort”.

In an article published on brandchannel.com, the new Schick Hydro is positioned as the device to convincingly take razor marketing in a new direction. Challenging Gillette’s market share advantage, Schick introduces a system it claims delivers a superior shave and comfort-boosting rehydration at the same time. Plus, the soothing benefits of Schick’s hydrating gel reservoir last almost twice as long as Gillette’s lubricating strips.

And of course, Gillette is prepared to answer the challenge. But whether you’re a five-blade Fusion closeness fan or a pamper-me-in-comfort lubricating gel advocate, this shift in razor brand marketing signals a welcomed change from hardware-focused communications. I'll be interested to see if either of these two giants can truly make a switch from promoting competitive features to building an aspirational brand.

Read about the beginning salvo in the next great razor brand war.

Brand Benefit #2: It Attracts Customers To You

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There are many good reasons why brand development can be a difference maker for your business. This is the second of ten posts that I'll make over a period of weeks to highlight those reasons for your consideration. Read the previous post.

Even at a very basic level, where your brand reputation is directly associated with one strong product feature, it has the ability to attract the interest of your prospects and customers. That’s
because they can appreciate the benefit available from the reliable delivery of that functional performance characteristic. But a truly powerful brand can push your audience influence to a whole new level. Where it becomes aspirational. Now instead of simply recognizing your brand for what it helps them do, your audience attributes even greater value to you because of how your brand makes them feel. This includes, but isn’t limited to, the emotional desires for safety, beauty, acceptance, comfort, convenience, etc. The fact is, people will pay a fair price for what they need, but they’ll do almost anything for what they want.

Read about the other 9 brand development benefits now.

To talk to someone about the difference-making value of a brand for your business, contact us today by e-mail or phone, 903-534-5220.

Making An Expected Statement In An Unexpected Way

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Everyone expects the market leader to say they're the only brand that really matters.  So when Cornerstone was asked to help our client Tyler Pipe make just such a point, we took the opportunity to make the expected statement in an unexpected way – with a touch of humor.

Tyler Pipe is the largest domestic manufacturer of cast iron pipe and fittings for waste, drain and vent applications. They compete with two other smaller U.S. manufacturers and a number of foreign imports. Boasting the largest distribution network and the widest product line, they truly are the producer other companies try to copy.

But while that's the expected story their leadership qualifies them to tell, it isn't a message most readers will find particularly interesting. So to disarm the audience's tendency to avoid messages they already know, we used some quickly recognizable visual stereotypes to generate an instant subconscious aversion to the risk of choosing cheaper alternatives whether the intended audience read a word of the copy or not. We created curiosity with the headlines. Stated an audience benefit in the subheads. And kept the copy short but seasoned with enough specifics to make a point. Finally, we left them with a reminder that "anything less...is less".

Two ads were developed to promote Tyler Pipe to plumbing engineers, contractors and dealers. The first featured the headline "Low Price, High Risk" and pictured a seedy character selling bargain watches and plumbing couplings to emphasize the risk of using low-cost components instead of a quality system engineered for the highest value at the best price. The second, headlined "Small failure, Big Problem", depicted the embarrassment someone could bring upon themselves by specifying cheap couplings not tested to the same standards met by Tyler Pipe.

Read "Both Ads." (download a pdf file)

To talk to someone about developing this type of brand communication for your company, contact us today by e-mail or phone, 903-534-5220.

Good News About Manufacturing

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Sometimes it's just good form to repeat good news. This is one of those occasions. These are some new numbers from the manufacturing sector that we can all use to lift our attitudes and expectations.

In a very brief article by Sean Silverthorne on the website bnet.com, several March manufacturing numbers are used to support the statement that it is the businesses that make things, the good ol' get your hands dirty industries, that are leading the way up out of the economic slump. Sean reports:

1. March employment data confirms that manufacturing activity is growing at its fastest pace in five-and-one-half years, helping the nation avoid double-digit recession.

2. Manufacturing hiring this month will reach a level not seen since June 2008 according to the Society of Human Resource Management.

3. In the U.S., the Institute for Supply Management's index of manufacturing activity rose to 59.6 in March, the highest since 2004 and the eighth consecutive month of growth.

His final point is these figures are just more proof that manufacturing is vital to America's growth and competitiveness. And I for one am very glad to say a hardy "Keep up the good work guys!