Hi, I am Chris Teague , the Creative Director and Content Manager for the WIN Firm. Welcome to our firm's blog!
WIN Firm is back from Brasil and ready to rock out our new marketing program for start-ups and young businesses! After spending several weeks in Brasil and planning for a new year, we took some time off from blogging about our company and made sure we came out with innovative and engaging information for each you! So, we are here to announce the WIN Firm is driven to help you take your business to new heights!
Check out a recent thirty-second clip we created for a fun toy store!
Following the fever of the World Cup, we captured what fans in the U.S. did at a cool restaurant in Johnson City, TN!
I look forward to engaging each of you here on the WIN Firm's blog! Be ready to see what we can do for you...
Take care,
Chris Teague
Showing posts with label The WIN Firm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The WIN Firm. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
On Your Mind?
Good day to each of you following The WIN Firm here on blogger and on our web-site. This is Chris Teague, Vice President of The WIN Firm, and I have some cool stuff to share with you today. Let's get moving!
Last post we brought you tales from a campaign designed to help a local charity make a bit of cash during these tough times. The campaign for those of you who may have forgotten is called the Dream Ticket. Today, we will explore the emotional elements at play in this campaign and why each communication message we craft for the campaign is written to engage the sub-surface so that the Dream Ticket remains fresh on YOUR MIND. As you continue reading below, you will see how understanding cultural communication is important to message crafting.
Our first audience is the NASCAR fan. We at The WIN Firm have quite a bit of knowledge when it comes to understanding the cultural persuasions of a sport based on left-hand turns and continuous laps. Yes, you may like the sport, but you do for cultural reasons. Did you know that? Seriously, any sport is liked or not liked due to our cultural mentality. In fact, we make judgements about products everyday based on our up-brining. Don't believe me? How many of you went out on St. Patrick's Day and aren't even Irish? My point: St. Patrick's Day is embedded into our culture due to the influx of Irish immigrants that built this country.
Though we left NASCAR for a moment to discuss culture, we are now back to the power of NASCAR culture and The WIN Firm's understanding of this culture. Our Dream Ticket is very appealing to the fan in this sport. Why? Because this sport is all about the driver and how the consumer or fan perceives the driver. Dale Earnhardt Sr. presently sales the third most merchandise in the sport even though he sadly passed away. Fans are loyal to their driver, which is not new information. However, our concept of creating a Dream Ticket plays on this loyalty. How? Stay with me.
When developing key prizes to give away in order to make our raffle successful, The WIN Firm conducted an extensive research campaign that involved attending many NASCAR races and walking among the crowd. Sales numbers couldn't possibly reveal as much information as our WIN Analyst Team gathered interviewing and spending time with the fans. At the end of the day, we discovered what fans drank, ate, size of TV they liked, their favorite driver, what races were their favorite, what their style of dress was outside the track and a whole bunch of extra stuff. The point is, we at The WIN Firm were able to create a prize package that appeals to the NASCAR fan because we walked with the fan.
Now, we have a prize package that includes a 50" Plasma Screen TV, Season Tickets to the most popular track in NASCAR and the convenience of owning a condo across the street from this amazing fan-favorite track. Oh yeah, we threw in a bunch of other goodies like a trip to Las Vegas and the chance to drive a car through the Richard Petty Driving Experience. Appealing? It is if you are a NASCAR fan.
You see, our prize selection was geared to our primary target audience. Why are prizes important? When selling a ticket for $200, you must create a value that well-surpasses the price of the ticket. Creating a price point is nothing new in terms of value creation, but it is very important and represents your brand. Therefore, we offer the NASCAR fan a chance of winning a Dream package: A package that provides this fan an experience like none other. Yes, you as a fan can win a prize greater than any prize offered for NASCAR. What are you waiting for? Sign up for the Dream Ticket and find out when you can have your chance to purchase a fan's dream: email chris@thewinfirm.com for details.
I hope you have been enlightened as to how we at The WIN Firm work on campaigns. We are an ideation and brand positioning firm because of our love of people. We are a team of people that hang out with you on a daily basis then explain and teach companies how to talk to you. We are more than web-based analytics. We are ideas in motion and you move a lot.
Blessings to All!
Chris Teague
V.P. The WIN Firm, Inc.
chris@thewinfirm.com
www.thewinfirm.com
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Selling the Dream
Good day everyone!
This is Chris Teague from The WIN Firm. Yes, I am alive and well and have missed updating you on the events taking place here at WIN. We have been very busy the past few weeks creating a dynamic fundraising campaign to benefit a local charity here in our Johnson City location, Friends of Olde Downtowne. Being located in downtown Johnson City, we at WIN decided to help our area grow through a creative, emotionally engaging fundraising campaign. Ready to read all about the campaign?
First, we partnered with two condo owners that own condos across from NASCAR's most popular track, The Bristol Motor Speedway. The owners asked us if we thought conducting a raffle would help them sell their condos. We liked the idea and immediately began conducting research to determine our approach for marketing the raffle, developing a price point for the ticket and understanding the emotional elements needed to sell the tickets along with a bunch of other data and analytical stuff that is too boring to share, so I will spare you.
Next, we proceeded to utilize our researched information to create the campaign now known as The Dream Ticket. We call it the Dream Ticket because if you are a NASCAR fan, it is your dream ticket. So, what's all the fuss? We used the lottery concept of having the chance to win something of greater value than the price you pay as a starting point for developing the raffle campaign. Our first question was: Why would anyone buy a raffle ticket for $200 to win a condo at The Bristol Motor Speedway? After several brainstorming and thinking sessions, we came to realize the needed element to sell our raffle tickets and benefit our Friends of Olde Downtowne.
Following some creative thinking, our team at WIN began building value for our raffle ticket. We knew that the value built needed to reach NASCAR fans and the general public. You see, our audience for this raffle is the NASCAR fan and the person that cares about downtown Johnson City. Therefore, we have priced a raffle ticket for $200 that is worth nearly $300,000. Now that's a nice return, plus, you also get a tax break for purchasing the ticket since it benefits a charity.
Finally, after all of our work to create value we now have the elements that make our Dream Ticket awesome! In order to create a wonderful ticket you need to have wonderful business relationships. The first obvious relationship we developed was with The Bristol Motor Speedway as they too are important to us at WIN. The winners; oh yeah, there are two winners for the Dream Ticket, will receive the following experience:
2011 Season Tickets to the Bristol Motor Speedway
A 50-inch plasma screen TV to put in a new condo
A condo across from the Bristol Motor Speedway
Free parking spaces for the race at Bristol Motor Speedway
Pit Passes to meet drivers at Bristol
The Richard Petty Driving School experience
Tickets to the first race at Vegas Motor Speedway
Flight and Hotel in Vegas for the race
The winners will be announced and at the Carnegie Hotel
The winners will also be recognized at the Bristol Motor Speedway and Vegas Motor Speedway races
Wow! Can you say we worked hard to add value to a $200 raffle ticket that benefits our community through support of Friends of Olde Downtowne? Yes, we are very EXCITED about the Dream Ticket! The best part for us at The WIN Firm, is this campaign is all about helping our community grow through the use of our creative talents.
I hope you enjoyed today's post and keep coming back to read about our progress as we continue to work through this campaign and many others!
Blessings,
Chris Teague
V.P. - The WIN Firm
chris@thewinfirm.com
www.thewinfirm.com
Skype: thewinfirm
Twitter: thewinfirm
Thursday, February 18, 2010
WIN Firm's Dream Campaign
Good day everyone!
On behalf of The WIN Firm, I would like to thank each of you for following our blog! We have been absent for a few weeks due to client needs, but now have an update of our work to share. Are you ready for another post from me, Chris Teague? If not, take a moment to prepare yourself for an exciting adventure in the world of WIN marketing and as we say in simple terms: "Get READY!"
This blog post will be followed by a series of posts updating our campaign, The Dream Ticket. Demonstrating our charitable intentions and following our mission to help those around us, we at The WIN Firm have partnered with a local organization to help raise funds for them via a raffle. What is so special about this raffle? The special part is that the organization we have selected to help is NOT paying us a dime! That's right, we are not billing the organization at all. In fact, we are donating a bit of our own money to their efforts as well as the money we are helping them to raise through the Dream Campaign.
Once I have permission to list the charitable organization we are helping, I will list their name. However, each step of this campaign is going to revealed in our blog. Thus, today's post is our first update of The WIN Firm's Dream Ticket. Okay, ready for the breakdown?
We have created the concept of a Dream Ticket based on the lottery's proven model of selling a dream. We are reaching a certain audience for promotion as this ticket is loaded with value items that appeal to a certain audience. In fact, there are two key audiences for this campaign. Want to know what two audiences we are working to reach? Come BACK next week! Some of the ticket items include condo units, a trip to Vegas (fully paid for), season tickets to a chosen event along with a BIG TV. There will be more items as we progress, but for now, we have created enough value for our chosen audience to buy the Dream Ticket.
Thank you for reading today's post. Check back here next week around 3 P.M. EST for an update on The Dream Ticket brought to you by your community-driven marketing firm, The WIN Firm. We work so you WIN!
Blessings,
Chris Teague
V.P. The WIN Firm, Inc.
www.thewinfirm.com
info@thewinfirm.com
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Where's the Content?
Good day! Welcome to another post by me, Chris Teague. On behalf of everyone here at The WIN Firm, I would like to thank you for taking a few moments out of your day to read our blog. Keep up with our posts and send us any information you would like us to cover: We’ll be provide you with information!
Do you remember any catchy songs or jingles from old ads? “Give me a Break; give me a break…” Does that song ring a bell? If you have been living since the early eighties is should. The jingle is from Kit Kat. I was in a wonderful conversation with a friend today, and he stated that advertising today absolutely blows! I asked why, and he replied: “It’s an insult to my intelligence. Too much art; not enough content.” Wow! After thinking about his comment, I completely agree. However, I want to share an example of a content driven strategy to compliment your art.
First, write an argumentative essay with five paragraphs stating your reasons someone should buy or use the product or service you are currently marketing. Make sure your essay is filled with a thesis statement and stresses key points in every paragraph. Of course, you need a nice introduction to grab the reader’s attention, so make sure you introduce what you are offering in such a manner that the reader understands you and wants to learn more.
Second, read the essay out loud and listen to your key points. Are they backed up with facts and supporting examples? Once you have completed this task, then hand your essay to a colleague. Have him or her read the second and final paragraph only then provide you with a summary of your argument. Did your colleague present a solid case of understanding your argument? If so, then you are good to go! If not, you need to work on your writing skills, but for now, you can move forward.
Last, take your key points from each of your paragraphs and write them down. Make a list of all supporting information as well and write that down. Now, find your three strongest points and their supportive examples and circle them. Are you ready for the design portion? Use a simple, clean design to compliment your points. Each component of your design should clearly relate to your three key points. Once you have done this, you have created an intelligent advertisement that is based on what people want: CONTENT.
Have a wonderful day!
Blessings,
Chris Teague
The WIN Firm, Inc.
Do you remember any catchy songs or jingles from old ads? “Give me a Break; give me a break…” Does that song ring a bell? If you have been living since the early eighties is should. The jingle is from Kit Kat. I was in a wonderful conversation with a friend today, and he stated that advertising today absolutely blows! I asked why, and he replied: “It’s an insult to my intelligence. Too much art; not enough content.” Wow! After thinking about his comment, I completely agree. However, I want to share an example of a content driven strategy to compliment your art.
First, write an argumentative essay with five paragraphs stating your reasons someone should buy or use the product or service you are currently marketing. Make sure your essay is filled with a thesis statement and stresses key points in every paragraph. Of course, you need a nice introduction to grab the reader’s attention, so make sure you introduce what you are offering in such a manner that the reader understands you and wants to learn more.
Second, read the essay out loud and listen to your key points. Are they backed up with facts and supporting examples? Once you have completed this task, then hand your essay to a colleague. Have him or her read the second and final paragraph only then provide you with a summary of your argument. Did your colleague present a solid case of understanding your argument? If so, then you are good to go! If not, you need to work on your writing skills, but for now, you can move forward.
Last, take your key points from each of your paragraphs and write them down. Make a list of all supporting information as well and write that down. Now, find your three strongest points and their supportive examples and circle them. Are you ready for the design portion? Use a simple, clean design to compliment your points. Each component of your design should clearly relate to your three key points. Once you have done this, you have created an intelligent advertisement that is based on what people want: CONTENT.
Have a wonderful day!
Blessings,
Chris Teague
The WIN Firm, Inc.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
All WOUND Up!
Wow! It has been a crazy end of the year and start of a new year! Welcome to this new year of posts by The WIN Firm. This is Chris Teague, and I am the V.P. of our wonderful marketing/advertising firm. Today's post is a brief explanation of what we have been able to do during this challenging economy: Create new strategies and have fun doing it!!
Monday, I was having lunch and someone asked me "What I did for a living?" I simply replied, "I have fun!" Don't misunderstand me. Not all work is fun, but overall, working with The WIN Firm is fun. I am unable to speak for other marketers today, but all of the worry wrapped up in today's economic climate has only made us happier than we were at WIN.
Why would I be happy when clients are cutting budgets and leaving us with less billable work than we have ever experienced? Simple: I LOVE the challenge of seeing whether we are good enough to compete. The author, John Eldridge, explains in various books how men always seek approval from their father and want to be tested. Though Mr. Eldridge is specifically writing to men, his point about proving worth relates to all of us! We all want to know that we are good at something and can overcome hurdles in our lives.
This year, we are unveiling some AWESOME strategies for increasing a company's brand, market presence and bottom line. Please stay tuned as we UNVEIL our "secret strategies" that we presently utilizing for our clients. Our clients love the work we are doing and YOU will too!
The WIN Firm's posting schedule will be on a regular basis. We will post updates once a week for everyone. Posts will occur every Thursday, so check back with us next Thursday at 3pm EST. Please take our strategies and ideas. Use them to help you market your company. We are here to share what we do: Have Fun!
Be blessed in all YOU do!
Chris Teague
Chris Teague
V.P. The WIN Firm
chris@thewinfirm.com
Monday, I was having lunch and someone asked me "What I did for a living?" I simply replied, "I have fun!" Don't misunderstand me. Not all work is fun, but overall, working with The WIN Firm is fun. I am unable to speak for other marketers today, but all of the worry wrapped up in today's economic climate has only made us happier than we were at WIN.
Why would I be happy when clients are cutting budgets and leaving us with less billable work than we have ever experienced? Simple: I LOVE the challenge of seeing whether we are good enough to compete. The author, John Eldridge, explains in various books how men always seek approval from their father and want to be tested. Though Mr. Eldridge is specifically writing to men, his point about proving worth relates to all of us! We all want to know that we are good at something and can overcome hurdles in our lives.
This year, we are unveiling some AWESOME strategies for increasing a company's brand, market presence and bottom line. Please stay tuned as we UNVEIL our "secret strategies" that we presently utilizing for our clients. Our clients love the work we are doing and YOU will too!
The WIN Firm's posting schedule will be on a regular basis. We will post updates once a week for everyone. Posts will occur every Thursday, so check back with us next Thursday at 3pm EST. Please take our strategies and ideas. Use them to help you market your company. We are here to share what we do: Have Fun!
Be blessed in all YOU do!
Chris Teague
Chris Teague
V.P. The WIN Firm
chris@thewinfirm.com
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Dew Power: Can YOU Handle IT!
DEWPower: Can YOU handle it? on 12seconds.tv
Check out our video and enjoy 12 seconds of difficult writing and production! The next step would be to also vote for us on the 12 second tv site so we can win the Dew account!!
Blessings,
The WIN Firm, Inc. and StarScape Media
Friday, December 4, 2009
Be QUIET!
Hello everyone! It's Chris Teague of the WIN Firm bringing you marketing information from our guerrilla channel known as a blog.
Did the title of this post catch your attention? If not, I will try harder next time. Okay, the point of the title is a mere reflection of marketing. Perhaps we as marketers are too LOUD, and say too much. What about BEING QUIET and listening to YOU instead of yelling at you!
I sat with a client yesterday afternoon and listened to the group tell me how great their new product was and how we were all going to have a WINNING time launching the product. I agreed! As the client continued sharing what ideas they had for reaching people, I realized something: "I'm listening and they are giving me great ideas!"
Instead of spending time consulting the client, providing the WIN Firm's expert advice on marketing and advertising, I kept my mouth closed and listened. WOW! I heard so many ideas come out of that meeting, it felt just like a WIN brainstorming session. And this was a client meeting where I was supposed to do the talking.
Let's say, I walked away knowing exactly where the client was coming from and how to produce the results the client truly desired. I learned the immediate marketing needs and then the most important, the long-term goals. All of this happened by just sitting and BEING QUIET.
Everyone, please BE QUIET. Listen to someone and you will discover what they really NEED. This simple act is what our team at The WIN Firm stresses as the greatest asset we provide to our clients. We not only listen to consumers; we listen to our clients!
Have a GREAT Day Being QUIET!
Blessings,
Chris Teague
Chris Teague
The WIN Firm, Inc.
www.thewinfirm.com
Winning Strategies for Today's Market
Did the title of this post catch your attention? If not, I will try harder next time. Okay, the point of the title is a mere reflection of marketing. Perhaps we as marketers are too LOUD, and say too much. What about BEING QUIET and listening to YOU instead of yelling at you!
I sat with a client yesterday afternoon and listened to the group tell me how great their new product was and how we were all going to have a WINNING time launching the product. I agreed! As the client continued sharing what ideas they had for reaching people, I realized something: "I'm listening and they are giving me great ideas!"
Instead of spending time consulting the client, providing the WIN Firm's expert advice on marketing and advertising, I kept my mouth closed and listened. WOW! I heard so many ideas come out of that meeting, it felt just like a WIN brainstorming session. And this was a client meeting where I was supposed to do the talking.
Let's say, I walked away knowing exactly where the client was coming from and how to produce the results the client truly desired. I learned the immediate marketing needs and then the most important, the long-term goals. All of this happened by just sitting and BEING QUIET.
Everyone, please BE QUIET. Listen to someone and you will discover what they really NEED. This simple act is what our team at The WIN Firm stresses as the greatest asset we provide to our clients. We not only listen to consumers; we listen to our clients!
Have a GREAT Day Being QUIET!
Blessings,
Chris Teague
Chris Teague
The WIN Firm, Inc.
www.thewinfirm.com
Winning Strategies for Today's Market
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Meeting the NEED
YOU are driven to surpass status-quo expectations. We too possess the drive to produce RESULTS that our clients NEED.
Welcome everyone! This is Chris Teague, and I am going to share a WINNING idea we at The WIN Firm use to generate RESULTS. Last week’s blog was an example of the impact we provide to clients, and as you can see, we truly strive to leave a positive footprint as we walk through this life. So, today’s post is another example of good ideas that will help you produce effective marketing communications.
Have you been in a situation where your current marketing efforts were working, but your boss was not seeing the same thing you do? This lack of recognition can often bring you down, hindering your creativity. Stand UP! Let me show you how to keep the good marketing going while pleasing your boss.
Step 1: Hire The WIN Firm. Okay, seriously. First, review your company’s overall growth plans for the year. Is your marketing playing a positive role in this growth? If so, then determine what exactly your boss needs. Is it more results? What are these results? Well, what are you waiting for? Go ask the boss what is needed! This step is important because you are not only marketing to external audiences; you also need to reach internal audiences: your boss.
Step 2: Remember that you are doing a good job and that your marketing is working. Be positive! Now that you know what your boss needs, it is time to produce some winning results (Call me now! :) Instead of putting more money into your current campaign, segment your campaign. Much like you do to reach various audiences, segmented your campaign will enable you to demonstrate the results your boss needs. Take the information your boss provided you and create a side campaign that compliments your current campaign. This segmented campaign should be directly targeted to an audience that can quickly show your boss desired outcomes.
Step 3: Track this campaign and measure it as best as possible. Create a separate landing page for the campaign. The landing page unique visitor count will be a good measure to show the boss results. Enhance your imagery in various advertisements and create new messages. These images and messages need to be distinctly different from what you are presently doing, yet ensure your brand is kept in tact. Once you begin receiving responses to this campaign, you can march right into the boss’s office and say: “RESULTS delivered!”
Be blessed in all you do,
Chris Teague
The WIN Firm, Inc.
chris@thewinfirm.com
www.thewinfirm.com
Welcome everyone! This is Chris Teague, and I am going to share a WINNING idea we at The WIN Firm use to generate RESULTS. Last week’s blog was an example of the impact we provide to clients, and as you can see, we truly strive to leave a positive footprint as we walk through this life. So, today’s post is another example of good ideas that will help you produce effective marketing communications.
Have you been in a situation where your current marketing efforts were working, but your boss was not seeing the same thing you do? This lack of recognition can often bring you down, hindering your creativity. Stand UP! Let me show you how to keep the good marketing going while pleasing your boss.
Step 1: Hire The WIN Firm. Okay, seriously. First, review your company’s overall growth plans for the year. Is your marketing playing a positive role in this growth? If so, then determine what exactly your boss needs. Is it more results? What are these results? Well, what are you waiting for? Go ask the boss what is needed! This step is important because you are not only marketing to external audiences; you also need to reach internal audiences: your boss.
Step 2: Remember that you are doing a good job and that your marketing is working. Be positive! Now that you know what your boss needs, it is time to produce some winning results (Call me now! :) Instead of putting more money into your current campaign, segment your campaign. Much like you do to reach various audiences, segmented your campaign will enable you to demonstrate the results your boss needs. Take the information your boss provided you and create a side campaign that compliments your current campaign. This segmented campaign should be directly targeted to an audience that can quickly show your boss desired outcomes.
Step 3: Track this campaign and measure it as best as possible. Create a separate landing page for the campaign. The landing page unique visitor count will be a good measure to show the boss results. Enhance your imagery in various advertisements and create new messages. These images and messages need to be distinctly different from what you are presently doing, yet ensure your brand is kept in tact. Once you begin receiving responses to this campaign, you can march right into the boss’s office and say: “RESULTS delivered!”
Be blessed in all you do,
Chris Teague
The WIN Firm, Inc.
chris@thewinfirm.com
www.thewinfirm.com
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Creating an IMPACT
Good day! I apologize for not writing anything last week, but our clients at The WIN Firm come first. Are you ready?
The sun is shining brightly outside, the weather is definitely cool and The WIN Firm is full of IMPACT this fall! As you have discovered through reading previous posts, everyone at The WIN Firm enjoys what we do! So, today I am going to share one way we as a marketing firm help better the places we live: Northeast Tennessee and Chicago, IL.
Feeding America is a national Food Banking organization dedicated to combating hunger in our country located in Chicago. We at The WIN Firm are heavily involved with Feeding America's efforts through concept development, design and grant writing, especially on the local Northeast Tennessee level. As the grant writer for Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee, I use every bit of my marketing expertise to engage the grant reviewing audience through carefully crafted proposals. Today, I am happy to reveal the efforts of this work!
As you can see, our work at The WIN Firm is all about creating an impact. Many marketing groups and agencies all have successful case studies, but we at The WIN Firm are proud to showcase how our work leaves a lasting IMPACT.
I realize that today's post is kind of an affirmation of what we can do at The WIN Firm, but I wanted to showcase our work for you to see a "Real-Time" Case Study. We are proud to help our neighbors and know that the marketing we do is helping.
Blessings,
Chris Teague
V.P./C0-Founder
The WIN Firm, Inc.
www.thewinfirm.com
Email: chris@thewinfirm.com
The sun is shining brightly outside, the weather is definitely cool and The WIN Firm is full of IMPACT this fall! As you have discovered through reading previous posts, everyone at The WIN Firm enjoys what we do! So, today I am going to share one way we as a marketing firm help better the places we live: Northeast Tennessee and Chicago, IL.
Feeding America is a national Food Banking organization dedicated to combating hunger in our country located in Chicago. We at The WIN Firm are heavily involved with Feeding America's efforts through concept development, design and grant writing, especially on the local Northeast Tennessee level. As the grant writer for Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee, I use every bit of my marketing expertise to engage the grant reviewing audience through carefully crafted proposals. Today, I am happy to reveal the efforts of this work!
As you can see, our work at The WIN Firm is all about creating an impact. Many marketing groups and agencies all have successful case studies, but we at The WIN Firm are proud to showcase how our work leaves a lasting IMPACT.
I realize that today's post is kind of an affirmation of what we can do at The WIN Firm, but I wanted to showcase our work for you to see a "Real-Time" Case Study. We are proud to help our neighbors and know that the marketing we do is helping.
Blessings,
Chris Teague
V.P./C0-Founder
The WIN Firm, Inc.
www.thewinfirm.com
Email: chris@thewinfirm.com
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Everyone Looks the Same! What Do I Do?
Have you been in an environment that caused you to feel cramped, closed-in and left you desperately grasping for air? For those of us that have experienced such an environment, it is often one we would rather forget about. Well, today's post is a personal testimony of how I grasped for air and demonstrates that being uniquely different can separate your brand. Therefore, I will reveal my personal brand story.
I recently interviewed for a Group Study Exchange sponsored by Rotary International District 7570. Thanks to my work at The WIN Firm, I am blessed to have opportunities of growing both professionally and personally, which afforded me the chance to interview for a business exchange program sponsored by Rotary. How did this interview bring out all the advice, strategy and creativity The WIN Firm provides our clients? Read on!
When I first arrived in Roanoke, Va. to interview, I was introduced to my fellow morning candidates. Upon first glance, I realized that I was dressed exactly like each of the male candidates: Black Suit, Tie and Black Shoes. Sound familiar for many brands out there today? "Wow!" I thought. I had a brand identity crisis first thing, and knew that I needed to differentiate myself from the other brands. After all, I help clients communicate their brand everyday at The WIN Firm.
I introduced myself to each of the candidates and the Rotarian that was responsible for facilitating conversations among our group. By the way, there were a total of 14 candidates to fill 8 slots. As soon as I set down, I began conducting brand research. I engaged my fellow candidates in conversation, asking each of them unique questions that revealed their brand a.k.a. who they were. It almost felt like I was doing WIN Firm work on my day off!
Using the information I received from our conversations, I began to deduce each brand in the room and focus on key attributes each brand had that were similar to my brand: ME. As we went around the room answering questions, I noticed emerging brand characteristics that fit the Rotarian mold. Each candidate was strong, but I knew there were features my brand (I) had that also fit the Rotarian mold unlike any features I discovered in conversations. Therefore, I gathered all of this information and prepared my brand position for the BIG step: The INTERVIEW!
I have interviewed with big corporations on behalf of The WIN Firm, but this interview was so much more intimidating than any I have experienced!
My time arrived, and now it was time for me to position my brand. I walked into the interview room facing 25 plus business professionals all wandering what I had to offer them that was any better than anyone else. These were Rotarians that nominated other candidates and wanted their nominees to win.
What did I do?
I positioned my brand as a: Team Player with Integrity and Leadership qualities. How did I communicate this brand?
As soon as I sat down, I made sure to stay on the edge of my seat and leave my body open. Yes, body language is important my friends. I immediately glanced around the room reading everyone's name card and looked at as many facial expressions as possible prior to my first question. As soon as I was asked a question, I repeated the questioner's name and the question prior to my response. I answered every question with the intent of positioning my brand of being a Team Player, having Integrity and possessing Leadership qualities.
You see, I made sure that the three characteristics I possessed were communicated in every single question I answered. I penetrated the market, in this case, the room, with my brand qualities. I remained strict and focused on ensuring my brand was present during the most difficult 15 minutes of my life.
Perhaps my strongest perceived value was GREATLY stressed near the interview's end. My brand attribute of Leadership clearly was vital to my being accepted into the GSE program. Therefore, I made sure to demonstrate this part of my brand through my questions. I took charge of the interviewers by asking them in-depth questions regarding their desired outcomes for this GSE program and what their expectations were of us, the candidates/brands, upon our return. What benefit could our brands bring to Rotary during this exchange?
Understanding that there were goals on the other side of the table, I was able to position my brand effectively. My brand had similar qualities as the other brands and it looked exactly the same. However, I positioned my brand as the brand Rotary was seeking to integrate into their organization, which has now afforded me the opportunity to participate in a Group Study Exchange in May 2010.
Blessings,
Chris Teague
WIN Firm
chris@thewinfirm.com
www.thewinfirm.com
I recently interviewed for a Group Study Exchange sponsored by Rotary International District 7570. Thanks to my work at The WIN Firm, I am blessed to have opportunities of growing both professionally and personally, which afforded me the chance to interview for a business exchange program sponsored by Rotary. How did this interview bring out all the advice, strategy and creativity The WIN Firm provides our clients? Read on!
When I first arrived in Roanoke, Va. to interview, I was introduced to my fellow morning candidates. Upon first glance, I realized that I was dressed exactly like each of the male candidates: Black Suit, Tie and Black Shoes. Sound familiar for many brands out there today? "Wow!" I thought. I had a brand identity crisis first thing, and knew that I needed to differentiate myself from the other brands. After all, I help clients communicate their brand everyday at The WIN Firm.
I introduced myself to each of the candidates and the Rotarian that was responsible for facilitating conversations among our group. By the way, there were a total of 14 candidates to fill 8 slots. As soon as I set down, I began conducting brand research. I engaged my fellow candidates in conversation, asking each of them unique questions that revealed their brand a.k.a. who they were. It almost felt like I was doing WIN Firm work on my day off!
Using the information I received from our conversations, I began to deduce each brand in the room and focus on key attributes each brand had that were similar to my brand: ME. As we went around the room answering questions, I noticed emerging brand characteristics that fit the Rotarian mold. Each candidate was strong, but I knew there were features my brand (I) had that also fit the Rotarian mold unlike any features I discovered in conversations. Therefore, I gathered all of this information and prepared my brand position for the BIG step: The INTERVIEW!
I have interviewed with big corporations on behalf of The WIN Firm, but this interview was so much more intimidating than any I have experienced!
My time arrived, and now it was time for me to position my brand. I walked into the interview room facing 25 plus business professionals all wandering what I had to offer them that was any better than anyone else. These were Rotarians that nominated other candidates and wanted their nominees to win.
What did I do?
I positioned my brand as a: Team Player with Integrity and Leadership qualities. How did I communicate this brand?
As soon as I sat down, I made sure to stay on the edge of my seat and leave my body open. Yes, body language is important my friends. I immediately glanced around the room reading everyone's name card and looked at as many facial expressions as possible prior to my first question. As soon as I was asked a question, I repeated the questioner's name and the question prior to my response. I answered every question with the intent of positioning my brand of being a Team Player, having Integrity and possessing Leadership qualities.
You see, I made sure that the three characteristics I possessed were communicated in every single question I answered. I penetrated the market, in this case, the room, with my brand qualities. I remained strict and focused on ensuring my brand was present during the most difficult 15 minutes of my life.
Perhaps my strongest perceived value was GREATLY stressed near the interview's end. My brand attribute of Leadership clearly was vital to my being accepted into the GSE program. Therefore, I made sure to demonstrate this part of my brand through my questions. I took charge of the interviewers by asking them in-depth questions regarding their desired outcomes for this GSE program and what their expectations were of us, the candidates/brands, upon our return. What benefit could our brands bring to Rotary during this exchange?
Understanding that there were goals on the other side of the table, I was able to position my brand effectively. My brand had similar qualities as the other brands and it looked exactly the same. However, I positioned my brand as the brand Rotary was seeking to integrate into their organization, which has now afforded me the opportunity to participate in a Group Study Exchange in May 2010.
Blessings,
Chris Teague
WIN Firm
chris@thewinfirm.com
www.thewinfirm.com
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Smacked in the FACE!
Good day everyone! I hope this blog finds each of you in good spirits, and if you are feeling down, please know I am wishing you well right now. Today is another account of our marketing tactics as told in real time. The title, Smacked in the FACE, is a branding lesson for those of you caught in an advertising budget that is not producing the results you expected. Ready!
Many companies come up with a unique way to attract more customers and get so excited about their new marketing strategy that they forget about their brand. When working with a client in the automotive industry, we interviewed the client for two weeks off and on. We dug deep, seeking to find who the client was underneath the masks of cars, gimmicks and poorly produced ads. What we found was a client dedicated to working hard and truly cared about the community. However, the problem for this client was that the company had a poor reputation of working hard at "tricking" you into coming in and discovering there were no "real deals."
When we revealed the fact that our client was perceived as a basic "cheater", we really stepped on some toes. However, we were not the ones stepping; it was the potential customers. Talk about a smack in the face! Our client was furious!! After careful talking and even mediating, we were able to resume our strategy of changing this perception. We recommended to our client that a branding initiative was needed. It was time to revisit who the client was and let the public know.
We created a campaign that focused solely on creating a positive experience for customers. Instead of disproportionate guerrillas flying high overhead, we took a straight-forward approach and directly integrated the client's brand with the customer. How did we achieve this feat?
Any automotive client will tell you that selling a car comes from test drives, and that is the reason for so many gimmicks. Knowing a simple sales to drive conversion provided by our client, we created a campaign to sell cars while promoting the client's brand versus using gimmicks. The campaign worked as follows:
1. We researched the local market and discovered a hidden gem: a wavepool in a small town about 30 minutes from the client's location. This was also a town with no automotive dealers. Untapped market...yeah! We visited with the town manager and arranged a community pool party to be sponsored by our client.
2. We partnered with a local t-shirt vendor in the town and had the vendor create t-shirts for the event. We wanted to be as authentic as possible, so we made sure to keep everything local. Why? Branding is about being authentic!
3. We planned the event to compliment an already planned civil war exhibition taking place in the town. We had street teams of people handing out fliers for the pool party at the event, creating an "up-sale" for the exhibition, and ultimately providing something unexpected for tourists. This was a great move and made the town look nice!
4. We arranged for four specific vehicles to be on-site the day of the pool party. We opened up the cars for everyone to look in, and even offered test drives with one of our team members. We conducted the test drives to obtain research and to keep the campaign authentic. No salesmen ALLOWED!
5. As the party began, kids came pouring out from the neighborhoods, families that attended the exhibition brought their fliers, pizza was served and parents had fun test driving the vehicles while their children enjoyed a free night of fun. As people drove by, their curiosity won and they looked at the vehicles that each were clearly branded with our client's information all over the vehicles.
The night ended with the best possible feedback I could think of:
Wow! Talk about integrating a brand into an event and being authentic.
Blessings,
Chris
Chris Teague
V.P. WIN Firm
chris@thewinfirm.com
Many companies come up with a unique way to attract more customers and get so excited about their new marketing strategy that they forget about their brand. When working with a client in the automotive industry, we interviewed the client for two weeks off and on. We dug deep, seeking to find who the client was underneath the masks of cars, gimmicks and poorly produced ads. What we found was a client dedicated to working hard and truly cared about the community. However, the problem for this client was that the company had a poor reputation of working hard at "tricking" you into coming in and discovering there were no "real deals."
When we revealed the fact that our client was perceived as a basic "cheater", we really stepped on some toes. However, we were not the ones stepping; it was the potential customers. Talk about a smack in the face! Our client was furious!! After careful talking and even mediating, we were able to resume our strategy of changing this perception. We recommended to our client that a branding initiative was needed. It was time to revisit who the client was and let the public know.
We created a campaign that focused solely on creating a positive experience for customers. Instead of disproportionate guerrillas flying high overhead, we took a straight-forward approach and directly integrated the client's brand with the customer. How did we achieve this feat?
Any automotive client will tell you that selling a car comes from test drives, and that is the reason for so many gimmicks. Knowing a simple sales to drive conversion provided by our client, we created a campaign to sell cars while promoting the client's brand versus using gimmicks. The campaign worked as follows:
1. We researched the local market and discovered a hidden gem: a wavepool in a small town about 30 minutes from the client's location. This was also a town with no automotive dealers. Untapped market...yeah! We visited with the town manager and arranged a community pool party to be sponsored by our client.
2. We partnered with a local t-shirt vendor in the town and had the vendor create t-shirts for the event. We wanted to be as authentic as possible, so we made sure to keep everything local. Why? Branding is about being authentic!
3. We planned the event to compliment an already planned civil war exhibition taking place in the town. We had street teams of people handing out fliers for the pool party at the event, creating an "up-sale" for the exhibition, and ultimately providing something unexpected for tourists. This was a great move and made the town look nice!
4. We arranged for four specific vehicles to be on-site the day of the pool party. We opened up the cars for everyone to look in, and even offered test drives with one of our team members. We conducted the test drives to obtain research and to keep the campaign authentic. No salesmen ALLOWED!
5. As the party began, kids came pouring out from the neighborhoods, families that attended the exhibition brought their fliers, pizza was served and parents had fun test driving the vehicles while their children enjoyed a free night of fun. As people drove by, their curiosity won and they looked at the vehicles that each were clearly branded with our client's information all over the vehicles.
The night ended with the best possible feedback I could think of:
We would like to thank the client for showing interest in our town and letting these kids swim. What is the client's address so I can thank the client?
Wow! Talk about integrating a brand into an event and being authentic.
Blessings,
Chris
Chris Teague
V.P. WIN Firm
chris@thewinfirm.com
Friday, October 9, 2009
Are YOU Awake?
"If I had a lighter in hand, and some oily rags...is that what it'd take to wake you from your sleep?" - Anti-Flag
Did I capture your attention for a moment? Good day to all following us at The WIN Firm. As a marketing firm that creates ideas for YOU, we strive to always engage our client's audience. Don't we all? Today's post is a little bit of history about where we come up with the messages that captivate and leave a lasting impact on audiences we are paid to reach, and the ones we reach just for fun.
It is 1980, Operation Ivy has released another record on the West Coast, the scene of PUNK is emerging to take hold of music for a brief moment. Being credited with the look that is PUNK, Malcolm McLaren displays his expertise of marketing by creating a band based on the brand of PUNK. That band? The notorious Sex Pistols. What is the brand of PUNK? Attitude. Director, Don Letts, does a superb job telling the story of PUNK in his film, Punk:Attitude. From this scene came the beginning of a marketing firm that had no idea it was going to be a marketing firm. Yes, The WIN Firm has deep roots in the PUNK scene.
Move ahead in time to 2007. A young, outspoken marketer figures that playing in his current band is not reaching as many people as he would like. He decides to show Marketed America he can play with the big boys and begins seeking PUNK minded marketers to help him reshape the scene we call: "Marketing." Blessed with spiritual guidance and faith in Christ (very PUNK for the PUNK Scene), this young man discovers there are people just like him with the same ideas: Marketing has gone numb because it is being done by boring individuals that spend too much time on the computer and not enough time living amongst the people.
That young man? Yes, it is me. However, looking at me, you would not see me as the stereotypical PUNK Rocker at all. Having played in numerous PUNK bands in college and even through grad school, I always stressed the importance of making my voice heard over wearing labeled clothing. So, how does this background help The WIN Firm? Well, it helps us out a lot! Our CMO is branded and trademarked as the Queen of Color. How did she get that title? She knows color better than anyone else out there. Just ask our clients. In fact, she shows clients that color is attitude, emotion and everything we are as people. Therefore, our CMO helps clients find the essence of PUNK in their color choices: Attitude.
Our Chief Designer makes sure we stick to a balanced attack when crafting messages for our clients. The attack is to get your attention, then make you remember us. How is this achieved? Just like PUNK, we make sure you look at us. However, we refrain from merely offering you a pretty picture, cute commercial or anything those over-paid marketers do for you. We keep things simple, homemade if possible and follow our pictures with messages that reach you on the surface and below. We engage you emotionally. We bring you into a mood by understanding your Attitude, which enables our clients to fully integrate their brand into your thought processes.
Today, The WIN Firm is two years old, but has been blessed to work on projects for companies like Nike, American Express, FreshAire Paints and NASCAR. The best part, is our experience with these projects could only be accomplished by the individuals that make up The WIN Firm. Our Attitude helps us get fun projects, and helps our clients reach you more than their competitors. Therefore, we are a firm of Attitude. We are PUNK and enjoy every bit of our jobs.
Blessings,
Chris Teague
Chris Teague
V.P.
WIN Firm
Did I capture your attention for a moment? Good day to all following us at The WIN Firm. As a marketing firm that creates ideas for YOU, we strive to always engage our client's audience. Don't we all? Today's post is a little bit of history about where we come up with the messages that captivate and leave a lasting impact on audiences we are paid to reach, and the ones we reach just for fun.
It is 1980, Operation Ivy has released another record on the West Coast, the scene of PUNK is emerging to take hold of music for a brief moment. Being credited with the look that is PUNK, Malcolm McLaren displays his expertise of marketing by creating a band based on the brand of PUNK. That band? The notorious Sex Pistols. What is the brand of PUNK? Attitude. Director, Don Letts, does a superb job telling the story of PUNK in his film, Punk:Attitude. From this scene came the beginning of a marketing firm that had no idea it was going to be a marketing firm. Yes, The WIN Firm has deep roots in the PUNK scene.
Move ahead in time to 2007. A young, outspoken marketer figures that playing in his current band is not reaching as many people as he would like. He decides to show Marketed America he can play with the big boys and begins seeking PUNK minded marketers to help him reshape the scene we call: "Marketing." Blessed with spiritual guidance and faith in Christ (very PUNK for the PUNK Scene), this young man discovers there are people just like him with the same ideas: Marketing has gone numb because it is being done by boring individuals that spend too much time on the computer and not enough time living amongst the people.
That young man? Yes, it is me. However, looking at me, you would not see me as the stereotypical PUNK Rocker at all. Having played in numerous PUNK bands in college and even through grad school, I always stressed the importance of making my voice heard over wearing labeled clothing. So, how does this background help The WIN Firm? Well, it helps us out a lot! Our CMO is branded and trademarked as the Queen of Color. How did she get that title? She knows color better than anyone else out there. Just ask our clients. In fact, she shows clients that color is attitude, emotion and everything we are as people. Therefore, our CMO helps clients find the essence of PUNK in their color choices: Attitude.
Our Chief Designer makes sure we stick to a balanced attack when crafting messages for our clients. The attack is to get your attention, then make you remember us. How is this achieved? Just like PUNK, we make sure you look at us. However, we refrain from merely offering you a pretty picture, cute commercial or anything those over-paid marketers do for you. We keep things simple, homemade if possible and follow our pictures with messages that reach you on the surface and below. We engage you emotionally. We bring you into a mood by understanding your Attitude, which enables our clients to fully integrate their brand into your thought processes.
Today, The WIN Firm is two years old, but has been blessed to work on projects for companies like Nike, American Express, FreshAire Paints and NASCAR. The best part, is our experience with these projects could only be accomplished by the individuals that make up The WIN Firm. Our Attitude helps us get fun projects, and helps our clients reach you more than their competitors. Therefore, we are a firm of Attitude. We are PUNK and enjoy every bit of our jobs.
Blessings,
Chris Teague
Chris Teague
V.P.
WIN Firm
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Branding in Northeast Tennessee
Welcome back everyone! We at The WIN Firm have been busy the past three weeks traveling from meeting to meeting, and have so much to tell. Today's post is a brief overview of something we have been working on for quite some time. Being a marketing firm that creates concepts for clients, we decided it was time for us to swallow that promotional/branding pill. Therefore, we are going to let you know a little bit about our intentions of branding The WIN Firm in Northeast Tennessee.
Have you ever hopped online and began searching for marketing companies to help you with an upcoming campaign? How many local firms appeared in your search? Before you even start complaining about SEO and PPC campaigns, we are not even going that route, so please hang on. My point is, that many marketing firms refrain from branding themselves for one reason or another and you often are left wandering where the talent is in your town. We are one of those companies that has an incredible list of BIG clients to be unknown in our own town due to our lack of effective branding efforts. My friends, it's time for us to brand.
Today, I made it a point to tweet about The WIN Firm, drive people to www.thewinfirm.com, invite people to come learn about what we do and followed those efforts up on LinkedIn. Therefore, it is fitting that I tell you a little bit about The WIN Firm on today's post. Don't worry, you will still receive updates of our projects and "Hidden Secrets" to marketing. Yeah right, marketing is no secret, so don't let any of those so-called creative agencies tell you their tactics are kept hush, hush. So, what are we doing to brand The WIN Firm?
Step 1: Develop a comprehensive marketing plan for this fourth quarter. The plan is based on various ways to communicate our brand: A firm that creates ideas for YOU. Within this plan, we must analyze all local competition and see what efforts other agencies are making in the local market. After evaluation of the market, refrain from being competitive by creating a unique value proposition for our clients that no other group offers. In fact, we plan on collaborating with several agencies in Northeast Tennessee.
Step 2: Create various collateral that represents are brand: A firm that creates ideas for YOU. We have been redesigning our entire look at The WIN Firm and now have a cohesive look to all collateral we will be using to reach businesses and invite them to discover our passion for enhancing marketing initiatives. Want to see our portfolio? No problem, we will have it with us wherever we go.
Step 3: Develop relationships with local non-profits and schools. This step is vital to our growth as a firm. We seek to always utilize our God-given talents for marketing to help others, and being directly involved in our community is a must. We will use the power of press to communicate our brand: A firm that creates ideas for YOU. Everyone in Northeast Tennessee will discover that we are a marketing firm dedicated to leaving fruitful footprints, and part of our efforts will be to help others through resources, time and support.
Thank you for reading today's post. Stay tuned for Friday's post...It will be NICE!
Who is The WIN Firm? The WIN Firm is a marketing firm that creates ideas for YOU. Come get to know us. Email me: chris@thewinfirm.com, if you like and I will be glad to share our portfolio with you. Come to our site: www.thewinfirm.com, and see how it evolves over the next few weeks as we post new case studies.
Blessings,
Chris Teague
V.P.
WIN Firm
Have you ever hopped online and began searching for marketing companies to help you with an upcoming campaign? How many local firms appeared in your search? Before you even start complaining about SEO and PPC campaigns, we are not even going that route, so please hang on. My point is, that many marketing firms refrain from branding themselves for one reason or another and you often are left wandering where the talent is in your town. We are one of those companies that has an incredible list of BIG clients to be unknown in our own town due to our lack of effective branding efforts. My friends, it's time for us to brand.
Today, I made it a point to tweet about The WIN Firm, drive people to www.thewinfirm.com, invite people to come learn about what we do and followed those efforts up on LinkedIn. Therefore, it is fitting that I tell you a little bit about The WIN Firm on today's post. Don't worry, you will still receive updates of our projects and "Hidden Secrets" to marketing. Yeah right, marketing is no secret, so don't let any of those so-called creative agencies tell you their tactics are kept hush, hush. So, what are we doing to brand The WIN Firm?
Step 1: Develop a comprehensive marketing plan for this fourth quarter. The plan is based on various ways to communicate our brand: A firm that creates ideas for YOU. Within this plan, we must analyze all local competition and see what efforts other agencies are making in the local market. After evaluation of the market, refrain from being competitive by creating a unique value proposition for our clients that no other group offers. In fact, we plan on collaborating with several agencies in Northeast Tennessee.
Step 2: Create various collateral that represents are brand: A firm that creates ideas for YOU. We have been redesigning our entire look at The WIN Firm and now have a cohesive look to all collateral we will be using to reach businesses and invite them to discover our passion for enhancing marketing initiatives. Want to see our portfolio? No problem, we will have it with us wherever we go.
Step 3: Develop relationships with local non-profits and schools. This step is vital to our growth as a firm. We seek to always utilize our God-given talents for marketing to help others, and being directly involved in our community is a must. We will use the power of press to communicate our brand: A firm that creates ideas for YOU. Everyone in Northeast Tennessee will discover that we are a marketing firm dedicated to leaving fruitful footprints, and part of our efforts will be to help others through resources, time and support.
Thank you for reading today's post. Stay tuned for Friday's post...It will be NICE!
Who is The WIN Firm? The WIN Firm is a marketing firm that creates ideas for YOU. Come get to know us. Email me: chris@thewinfirm.com, if you like and I will be glad to share our portfolio with you. Come to our site: www.thewinfirm.com, and see how it evolves over the next few weeks as we post new case studies.
Blessings,
Chris Teague
V.P.
WIN Firm
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