Tonic Blue Communications is proud to have been selected for two Summit Creative Awards presented by the Summit International Awards organization for our work in two categories: B2B Trade Publication Campaign and Best Idea Never Produced, and for an American Design Award in the Winter 2011 competition, Advertising category.

Summit Silver Award : B2B Trade Publication Campaign : Ladies of Takara Belmont (Takara Belmont USA)

Summit Silver Award : Best Idea Never Produced : ADPAC Ad Concept (American Dental Association)

American Design Awards Winter 2011 : Advertising : Takara Belmont Odin Ad (Takara Belmont USA)

Coming right off an exhausting – but stimulating – trip to the America’s Beauty Show in Chicago last weekend, I was overwhelmed by this little slice of celebrity, fashion, and pent-up energy that was released in one big extravaganza at the McCormick Convention Center. It was an enormously successful show, with attendance that surpassed the expectations of many – a good sign the market is likely on the verge of an upswing.

I was impressed when I heard that the legendary hairdresser and businessman, Vidal Sassoon himself, probably one of the most famous and historic names of the beauty industry, was signing autographs on the showroom floor. Sure enough, seated at a table, there he was, row upon row of eager fans in front of him, their hands outstretched, holding scraps of paper for signatures. But it occurred to me, for many people, his name probably conjures up images, not of a smiling face, and his recreations of classic bob haircuts, but the infamous logo on plastic shampoo and hair conditioner packaging that was relentlessly advertised on prime-time television with the unforgettable phrase, “If you don’t look good, we don’t look good.” The jingle rings on in my ears to this day. So prominent was the brand name in my sheltered suburban world of household beauty products, bestowed on me by my two older sisters in the early eighties, that I can say for myself at least that I probably didn’t realize Vidal Sassoon was actually the name of a human being until I hit my early twenties.

That night after the beauty show, curiosity got the best of me, and I became caught up in a Google feast of Vidal’s life history. I quickly discovered he had agreed to sell the rights to his name for commercial use in the early sixties, and later Procter & Gamble began applying beaucoup bucks and an immensely successful marketing campaign to the haircare products that later became synonymous with the stylist. At one point in 2003, Vidal wished he could disassociate himself from the product line after becoming dissatisfied with how the company began diverting its attention to other product lines and diminishing the impression of quality he felt his name deserved.

This got me thinking. How does a person’s name become so strongly associated with a product or company that it is no longer associated with the person? There are thousands of examples of this, not only in the beauty market but in countless other industries. Think Oscar Mayer, Ford, and Schwinn. Advertising campaigns have built up brands like these so effectively that the names associated with them have taken on a life of their own.

I can only dream of the idea of Chamerlik… ah, I won’t even go there. I should be happy when people spell my name right. For now, I dream, and collect my autographs and select my bottles of shampoo. At age 83, Vidal and the brand that bears his name may have had their family squabbles, but now appear to be getting along quite well.

Tonic Blue recently developed a new web site that allows the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) to effectively communicate with an international membership of over 6,000 surgeons, researchers and healthcare professionals. The site architecture required careful attention at the beginning of the project to ensure the needs of all audience types were being considered, and so that content from categories such as education, research, membership and advocacy funneled into the site structure appropriately. Elaborate wireframe diagrams were created that allowed scrutiny of functionality and layout of pages before a single splash of color was applied to any page. The process paid off, resulting in beautifully-designed site that does not sacrifice usability at any level.

A content management system (CMS) was integrated that allows numerous association managers to publish material, preventing workflow bottle-necks common to many associations, yet a content review and approval process allows managers the quality control they need to ensure communication establishes a unified voice and a strong brand impression.

Visit sts.org, and see how Tonic Blue created a site designed to accommodate high quantities of frequently changing and seasonal content for one of the world’s most prominent and respected medical societies.

It takes only a Pew Research Center poll from April, 2010 to shed some light on current views. The poll found that only 22 percent of Americans trust the government in Washington. Corporations don’t fare any better: the poll further confirmed that only 39 percent of consumers trusted messages conveyed to them by corporate spokespeople in 2010, compared to 45 percent in 2009. There are many elements contributing to consumers’ lack of trust: The economic downturn is an obvious indicator, but badly handled scandals, including the former Hewlett Packard CEO’s sex scandal, or the slowly-handled BP gulf oil spill, don’t help.

And keep this in mind; a carefully molded brand impression that takes years to build can go right out the window with a single rumor on a social media or news network. Take a look at the recent headlines that spread like wildfire when WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange revealed he may release damaging private information from a Bank of America executive on his controversial web site. The bank’s stock went down 3 points the following day even though there had been no such information revealed.

Think carefully about how you communicate when representing your company’s brand. Social Media and web content, although a powerful tool to spread great messaging and build impressions, can go sour instantly. Brands need to do more than merely stay on the straight and narrow; they need to develop web content that builds their impression effectively and should rely on experienced resources to create and manage their communications.

You’ve heard it many times… Digital agencies stressing they know the ropes of Search Engine Optimization talk about bringing more people to your site. More people, more conversions. There’s nothing bad about that.

But ask yourself, what will be the true result of our investment in time and energy? How many of these site visits will be from the types of people your company is looking for? Even more important, how many of the site visitors will result in relationships? These days, business often does not get started before audiences conduct a surprising amount of online research and communication over the internet. Is your company providing what it takes?

First things first. On the technical side, you need to take care of the basics to realize the fruits of your search engine optimization labor.

Data Collection and Analysis

Are you monitoring? Knowledge is power. Seth Godin, author of Purple Cow, says “measurement means admitting what’s broken so you can fix it”. You need to use Google Analytics or other software to get an accurate baseline measurement of current visitors to your web site and to see what they are doing once they are there. We all know that learning about quantity and duration of web site visits is critical, but there are other things often overlooked that can provide insight and help you determine if your efforts are effective.

Consider the following:

• What might your users be looking for based on the search phrases they are using or sources they are coming from? This is an easy way to learn the mindset of a visitor. Are you directing them to pages with content that is relevant?
• Are the paths that visitors use from the initial landing page telling you something about your users’ interests? See where they are going once they arrive at the landing page. Is there a pattern? If they are leaving early after traveling a consistent navigational path, can you make a logical determination of what type of information they may be looking for? If so, are there changes you can make that will increase the chances of them finding it?
• How many are “bouncing” from the initial landing page? A bounce is about the worst scenario possible. It either means you are directing people to content that is not impressing them, or it means there is a disconnect. You may not be sending them to content they would expect to find with the search criteria they are using.

You have data at your fingertips once you make efforts to harvest it. Analyze it, adapt your efforts and increase the effectiveness of your search engine optimization investment.

Beyond the basics

Your next step should be to analyze the overall experience you create so you can be sure that you are putting all of the energy possible toward convincing a visitor your company is worthy of their time and energy.

Visual Impact

Design matters a lot more than people realize. The usability guru Don Norman, in his book Emotional Design, reports that site visitors happy with a design are far more likely to judge a site as also being easier to use. And the Neuromarketing master Roger Dooley, in an article appearing on his blog, Neuromarketing, states that studies show users form lasting impressions of a site in a fraction of a second, before it is absorbed by the cognitive mind. Design does matter. Even when you have no idea that it is at work.

And content?

Content matters too. Once you convince on the cognitive level, your company’s next goal should be to supply your visitors with information that builds trust and molds their opinion. A landing page must have all your primary selling points, convincing copy, and an easy-to-use form or easy-to-find link that gets them interacting with your company. Site visitors are usually lost potentials if you do not secure communication with them on their very first visit. If you have one opportunity, give it your very best shot!

It goes both ways

Finally, your job isn’t over unless you’ve given a visitor reasons to want to talk to you. Thought leadership is vital, and can build your company’s brand by creating an impression that you are a leader in your field, and that you care to talk with them about the things that effect them and their market, that you solve problems. Sales don’t always happen right away. You’d be foolish not to draw users in; encourage requests for additional information, stay in touch, register or promote your newsletter or blog, or talk to one of your experts. Two-way communication is key. Whether it be social media, eNewsletter, blog subscription, brochure, or phone call, carry on the dance; get them wanting to hear from you again and build your brand with the best possible responses to inquiries, comments, and even complaints.

Site visitors are nothing. Site visitors that turn into leads and then customers are something. No, take that back, they are everything.

Ready to start talking? Contact us.

In one of the worst economic downturns in U.S. history, Tonic Blue has enjoyed more success than ever before. We’ve grown thirty percent annually, for each of the last three years.

So what do we owe this success to? Some great clients, some healthy markets, but most of all, our people.

We figured that it’s about time you met them: our e-business consultants, our creative staff, our web site usability experts, our account managers, and of course the partners, John Herron, Patrick Perry, and myself.

Our philosophy is to carefully select the right team for every client. Sometimes this means working as an extension to their existing marketing team, collaborating where needed, sitting by their side to advise, assist, and execute the best possible strategic campaigns. For others, it means handling everything with a fresh new perspective so that the largest impact is achieved. Our relationships stay healthy because we blend in effectively, so we can help you communicate and build your brand. Just as no two people are the same, no company is, either. Templates and molds do not work. Unique strategies and solutions do.

In the months ahead, our “Voices from the Blue” campaign will introduce you to our team and open discussions on everything from search engine optimization to catalog production and web site development to print campaigns. You will experience insights and opinions from some of the most talented and creative folks in the industry. Feel free to contact us or join the conversations on Twitter and Facebook. Even in these challenging economic times, there is opportunity for those that team up with the right people.

Tonic Blue Communications is proud to have been selected from over 3,000 worldwide entries as the Silver Award winner of the 2010 W3 Awards presented by the International Academy of Visual Arts for our work on the website tonicblue.com. The W3 Awards honor outstanding Websites, Web Marketing, Web Video, and Mobile Apps.

“We were once again amazed by the high standard of excellence represented throughout the entries we received this year. W3 winners continue to embody what the internet is all about and continue to raise the bar in Web development and design. We are honored to have reviewed such a diverse and remarkable pool of work this year” said Linda Day, the executive director of the IAVA. “On behalf of the entire Academy, congratulations to this year’s W3 Award entrants and winners as they continue to push the limits of Web Creativity. “

When Tonic Blue was awarded the web site redesign project for a company with an incredible reputation in the Chicagoland’s construction community, some deep thinking was required. How do you convince an audience of something they already believe? Continental Electrical Construction Company was already established as an industry icon, with a Chicago history going back almost one hundred years. Started a year before people even had electric refrigerators in their homes, the company has experienced tremendous success and has emerged as one of the greatest of the city’s “big shoulder” success stories.

With the creation of the company’s new web site, Tonic Blue focused on the substantial company history and its experience handling Chicago’s highest profile projects; U.S Cellular Field, Millennium Park, The Willis (Sears) Tower, and large corporate and institutional facilities such as Boeing Headquarters, and University of Chicago Hospital Center for Advanced Medicine.

The foundation of Continental’s brand is its reputation for working on high-profile projects, its impressive history (check out the interactive timeline that begins with the company launch in 1912), and its impressive array of services, including experience with emerging, smart-building technologies.

The Continental Electrical Construction web site flaunts a great brand with a clean presentation and showcases what makes the company truly great.

An awful lot, according to Jennifer Howard, head of Google B2B Markets Group, who in September’s Chicago Business Marketing Association’s Marketing Innovations Luncheon indicated that consumers no longer make purchasing decisions they way they used to.

Just five years ago, manufacturer Proctor & Gamble coined the term “First Moment of Truth,” or FMOT, to describe the moment at which consumers decide to purchase a product – the same moment they encounter it, whether by way of retailer, friend, or salesperson.

New research by Google suggests these moments are no longer the point that determines a sale. Their research (registration required) suggests that the moment of “truth” is far earlier, at a point they have named, The “Zero Moment of Truth”,  or ZMOT.

Zero refers to purchases resulting from web-content research and discussions with trusted friends, usually via web-based social media networks. According to Google, this emerging purchase pattern is so pronounced that manufacturers are tracking and scrutinizing it in order to build brand recognition and loyalty as early as possible. To do so, they must be sufficiently nimble to negotiate lightning-fast changes in online communications. By its very nature, the web is dynamic and fluid, and therefore subject to sudden spikes and changes in communication trends, searches, and content consumption. Product manufacturers now need to respond, often in as few as 24 hours, or they can be sure their competition will, with noticeable results.

Google refers to this new strategy the “Five P’s” of digital marketing:

• Pulse – Keeping your finger on the pulse of online activity associated with your brand.
• Pace – Reacting at the rate that change occurs online.
• Precision – Targeting your message in a language and location relevant to your customers.
• Participation – Engaging your customers online.
• Performance – Measuring the effectiveness of your online efforts.

The times, they are a changing. It’s up to you to decide whether your enterprise keeps pace or finds itself in the dust of yesterday’s chatter.