It's All About YOU!

Wow! We are already in the middle of the week! I am pleased to report that our concept: Keep Brazil Beautiful is continuing to grow and everyone here at the WIN Firm looks forward to launching the promotional program and seeing our client reap the rewards of being socially responsible. Well, let's dive right into the work...it's awesome!

With all the hype around green marketing these days, we have really nailed a concept for our client that is going to change the way they sell shoes and bring them a greater reward than sales. What is this reward? Our client is going to build a connection with YOU, and YOU are going to build a relationship with our client. The marketing strategy behind Keep Brazil Beautiful is centered around continued growth and longevity. While short term sales are going to please our client's CFO and various Product managers, the future WIN is building through this marketing campaign is going to deliver something better than mere ROI numbers; we are going to connect YOU with our client for life.

Was that previous sentence a bold statement or what! I stand behind that statement and will do so as long as this campaign continues. Why? My reason is that Keep Brazil Beautiful is not just a sales or marketing ploy to make you buy shoes, though the client's intent is to sell lots of shoes. This campaign is truly about helping the environment, producing sustainable growth and empowering students to be socially aware. Keep Brazil Beautiful is designed to go beyond the traditional non-profit model of charging for services to react to a given need; rather, our model is going to proactively strive to reduce our global footprint along with reacting by replenishing rubber trees.

It's all about YOU! Yes, we at the WIN Firm realized that Keep Brazil Beautiful is one of those causes you are going to be proud of and support; it's not merely a marketing concept. We are turning our client's shoes into a vehicle that promotes caring. Of course marketing this concept is going to make our client money, but the non-profit side of this concept is about giving and receiving. Is this green marketing? Well, maybe; but, we are striving to grow and green marketing is merely a trend right now. As we all know, trends die, so our marketing is about future growth and causes are the future. In fact, causes are the past, present and future. All we are doing from the marketing side is communicating this concept in a manner that fully engages you and prompts you to take action. Our client saw the value of this concept as soon as we presented our canvas, and we are thankful to be working with such an astounding and responsible client.

Are we the first to realize that marketing based on a cause is the way to go? Of course not! However, you will see that our strategies and methods for communicating this cause are effective. One of our followers of this blog asked a question about the research we did over the past ten years on non-profits. J.R., here is your answer to the research. Non-profits that are able to mobilize and raise millions of dollars are the ones who know how to communicate. A simple answer yes, but I will elaborate. United Way communicates very well. Using visual images that not only inform us of what they are doing, but give us a direction to follow, the United Way has mastered the art of speaking to our conscious or I should say, subconscious. Have you seen a thermometer posted on a street corner displaying the amount of money raised up to a certain point? Did you realize the goal was not met and have a sudden feeling that you should give? Were you relieved to know that you held on to the letter your boss sent around about their participation in United Way as a company? Whether United Way knew that this visual image would successfully communicate the urgency and importance of giving subconsciously or not makes no difference, the point is that this simple way of communicating to you on the surface and penetrating the surface works.

The WIN Firm uses studies like United Way and other successful studies from today's leading non-profit organizations to learn how effective their communications are at reaching you. Twitter, MySpace, FaceBook and all of that social media jazz is the "thing" to do today if you want to stay up with the times. Yes, this new way of communicating is important, but organizations that keep their brand and last know how to use all available tools of communication to fuse the art and science of marketing that works for them. These companies and organizations are the ones that may struggle finacially during difficult economic times, but their image never tarnishes; thus, their perceived value remains strong. We at the WIN Firm use this knowledge so that our marketing strategies go beyond the short-term, quick fix solutions that many businesses get caught up in, and we provide them with the tools to achieve the short and long term successes that keep their fire burning.

As I end this blog for today, I do want to say that everyone who has commentted and provided WIN feedback is great! THANK YOU! Dan, we will be talking later this week and your ideas are right on target with where our firm wants to take clients. I hope everyone has enjoyed this post today and that you be blessed in all you do!

Blessings,
Chris

Chris Teague
V.P. Marketing
WIN Firm

Working because we Care!

Good day everyone! I hope all is well in your world today and thank you for keeping up with us at the WIN Firm. Our CMO, Catherine Poole, is going to begin posting a motivational blog for everyone on our blogspot called, The Thursday Kick! I am very thankful to have such a dedicated team of marketing gurus to work with and our cohesiveness produces wonderful results for our partners/clients.

Are you ready to discover how things are progressing with the concept: Keep Brazil Beautiful?

First, before we begin, I want to thank Dan Oda for a wonderful conversation about more giving opportunities related to this campaign. Dan, "OBRIGADAO, VIU!" The beauty of not being secretive and allowing others to view what we are working on has proven to be a great business model for WIN. This Wikinomics approach to working with doors open makes us much better marketers for our clients. In fact, I have received a suggestion to make a profile change and another regarding a spelling mistake on Exxon Mobile; both were great suggestions. See, this feedback is exactly what we need to be sharp!

Now, to the project! We mentioned in last week's blog that design and style were removed from our list of deliverables for time being due to further research needed on shoe-wearing consumers. Therefore, we began researching consumer behavior in terms of shoes being worn today and also spent the past week mapping out our course of giving models so that people truly know their investment is helping. We want everyone to not only buy our client's fabulous shoes because they are cool, trendy and comfortable; rather, we desire a stronger, more emotional connection to you, the consumer, than the simple thrill of owning some new shoes.

We have taken our giving concept to a new level, and Dan gave us some wonderful insight into being proactive in helping Brazil versus our original reactive approach. We decided that being proactive is what many non-profit organizations lack today in the U.S. It seems every grant I write for Second Harvest Food Bank is based on a reaction to an identified problem: hunger. What are we doing to prevent hunger? This question led me to think harder about our Keep Brazil Beautiful concept. What can we do to truly bless the country that gives us so much rubber for the shoes we wear? What about being even more environmentally aware while promoting education as well?

Yes, we are going deeper into our concept. Why? We work because we care for our clients, and we develop marketing concepts for clients who care for you, me and the environment. Thus, there is a new development of giving. Dan posed a great idea of tree planting that involves partnering with Google, using its mapping software along with cross-promotion efforts to implement an "Adopt a Tree for Brazil's Children" campaign. You would continue buying these wonderful shoes, knowing that your money is going back to replenish the Rain Forest, but you will also be able to provide ongoing support that truly Keeps Brazil Beautiful.

By adopting a tree, your investment will go to the future of Brazil. We will start a tree forest on a University's property that is close to the Rain Forest. We are now working on the logistics of making this idea a reality and furthering our campaign, so more information is to come around this new development. Imagine, you will help the environment through specific tree placement and planting as well as help provide work opportunities and education to University students. Imagine a campaign like this in the U.S. Wow! Working because we care is not only going to sell a whole lot of shoes for our client, but we are also proactively taking care of people and the environment. Maybe we should be a non-profit marketing firm! I hope you have enjoyed today's post! Please comment.

Blessings,
Chris Teague
V.P. Marketing
WIN Firm

Living with a Cause

Good day to everybody keeping up with the WIN Firm's marketing projects. As always, I welcome your feedback to this post and want you to know our doors are open and we believe in sharing our marketing knowledge to all interested parties. Did you like that disclaimer? Seriously, we at the WIN Firm are really pleased with the progress we are making on various projects and are excited to share our discoveries in this ever-changing marketing world with you. Are you ready to hear how our Brazil project is progressing?

I apologize for not posting on Friday, and will not offer up any excuses for my missed post. I just ask for your understanding and forgiveness.

Let's get started on telling you how our strategies are being formed for the Keep Brazil Beautiful campaign. First, after several years of researching the concept of social causes and non-profit marketing, we have found that people really do care about helping others, their community, the environment, etc... Therefore, we have developed a concept to sell shoes. Yes, we are selling shoes that touch your emotional neurons and make you believe in what you are buying. We have a firm understanding of why you support various non-profits, and have developed this campaign based on the non-profit model of caring.

After we first posted this blog and told people that we were opening up our core, people thought we were really making a mistake. I disagree. You and I and everyone in the world knows how to market something. Ever been asked how you were? Were you actually lousy but responded that you were alright? Well, this response is what we call perception management. Therefore, you manage your perception everyday with the way you comb (or don't) your hair, the way keep your house, etc...

How does all of this perception management tie into our project of selling Brazilian shoes? The answer is that when you wear these shoes you are managing a perception that lets others know you care. Yes, IT IS THE SHOES! You will be telling everyone who sees your shoes how much you are aware of the decisions you make, especially when it comes to the things you buy. What better way to communicate you care than to walk in the shoes of caring?

Our advertising and promotional strategies will all convey the message of our shoe being the BRAND that cares. As we have stated before, we are willing to do whatever it takes to build confidence in our brand and show you where your money is actually going. Our web-sites are going to be designed for you to follow the shoes journey to replenishing the Rain Forest in Brazil and Keeping Brazil Beautiful. Don't we need a company that truly is a steward of goodwill?

Until next time, be blessed in all you do!

Blessings,
Chris Teague
V.P. Marketing
WIN Firm