YOU ASKED FOR IT

“Do you ever feel like the world was a tuxedoand you were a pair of brown shoes?”

—George Goble

February 28, 2012BRANDS, PINTEREST & PINNACLES OF POSITIONING

BRAND OBSERVATIONS OF THE DAYFrom my random collection of info sources, here are some highlights related to the brands we love (and some we hate):• Jaguar just announced a rebranding effort. If they really

want to sell more cars, shouldn’t it be a brand repositioning effort? A technicality, I know, but...

• Have you seen the new Samsung Galaxy superphone? My son and I tried it out at Best Buy last weekend, and it’s cool...but it won’t fit in my pocket and it’s smaller than a tablet. Is there a big market for it? It’s a bit dubious.

• Facebook’s new “social ads” will show users when their friends “Like” the advertiser. This type of endorsement advertising (among other things) will continue to make Facebook a force to be reckoned with.

• Allstate Insurance has reported poor results with their “Mayhem” campaign. While some called the switch to this dark campaign genius, I always thought it was a little creepy and difficult to follow. I guess others did too.

YOU’VE PIQUED MY PINTERESTThis up and coming social media star is fast becoming a viable branding avenue for serious marketers. Check this article out on our blog about how good photography can make the difference for your brand on Pinterest.

ANOTHER COMPUTER MAKER “THINKS DIFFERENT” HP’s new Folio product takes a big swing at differentiation. In my opinion, it’s a good, big swing. Click here to read about it on our blog.

FROM THE POLITICALLY INCORRECTAD DAYS OF YORE...

JIM HUEBNER

j i m h @ h u e b n e r p e t e r s e n . c o mC E L L U L A RT E L E P H O N E970-420-3382

Hmmm.

Brought to you by popular demand of a client, my mom, and some folks I met at a church potluck

From the remaining gray matter of Jim Huebner

Information that will make you smile, groan or think...

Brought to you by popular demand of a client, my mom, and some folks I met at a church potluck

Those who know me best know that quantifying the value of what we do as a marketing communications firm is important to me. Frankly, it makes it much easier to convince clients that what we do matters. That’s why I was pleased to run across a white paper recently, entitled “The Impact of Design on Stock Market Performance.”

The paper highlights a study conducted by the Design Council (UK), which analyzed a select group of public companies—called the “Design Portfolio”—who were led by professionally driven, award-winning design (sales literature, websites, etc.) and compared it to the FTSE’s (UK’s stock market index) performance as a whole. While HuebnerPetersen works primarily with privately-held companies, I found the results from this analysis quite relevant and compelling for any manufacturer selling products through dealers and distributors nationally or internationally.

The study reported that over a 10-year period (1994-2003), those companies in the Design Portfolio grew more than 230%, while the FTSE itself grew just 32%. During that period, the results also showed the difference in stock performance between the two groups INCREASING year after year.

My own interpretation of this says that first impressions on the web have become (and continue to be) more and

more important when conveying a credible image and message. Oftentimes, a website or a printed sales

piece is the first (and possibly only) impression a prospective customer might have with a brand. And according to this study, investing in effective use of design can and will make a big difference in the growth and value of the brand.

Jim Huebner is President of HuebnerPetersen Marketing Communications.The firm was established in 1989 and specializes in helping make manufacturers heroes to their dealer and distribution networks through strategic brand positioning, integrated marketing, and front lines marketing services. You can reach Jim at jimh@HuebnerPetersen.com or on LinkedIn.

WORDS TOLIVE BY

He who pursues righteousness and love will find life, prosperity and

honor.

–Proverbs 21:21

Quantifying the value of good design

...and straight from the HuebnerPetersen blog...! PAGE2