So you think it’s time for a rebrand? Not so fast.
It’s a conversation that comes up on a regular basis. A client says, “we need to rebrand our company.” To which I reply, “are you sure?” You’d think that as a creative agency, I would simply dive in and push for budget approval. But a rebrand is often ill-advised. I’ll outline the pros and cons, […]
Let’s Make the Dealer the Hero of Your Brand
Your dealers should be catalysts that propel your brand forward. Marketing and brand directors will likely nod along and say, “Absolutely, they should be. But they aren’t.” I’ve witnessed frustration on both sides of the fence between dealers and the manufacturers they represent. Like any relationship it requires effort from both parties. But dealers are required to serve many masters, so for better or worse the lion’s share of the effort in this relationship belongs to the manufacturer. Of course, the manufacturers also reap most of the rewards.
Three essential branding tools that improve lead gen and ROI
Every marketer is concerned with lead gen and ROI. Every marketer gives lip service to the importance of branding, but few make it a priority.
Stop making the same mistakes: Start your annual planning now
We all start the planning season, usually in the final stretch of the current year, with a B2B marketing version of New Year’s resolutions. This year will be different. I won’t fall into the same traps that have tripped me up in years past. Just like that treadmill in the corner collecting dust, we begin […]
Having the ROI conversation before it’s too late.
As a marketing firm, we’re often asked to demonstrate ROI. And we should be. Our clients need to know that their marketing dollars are having a positive impact. But showing a clear return on investment is a team effort—a nimble dance between agency and client. Unfortunately, the ROI conversation often occurs way too late in […]
Industry change drives training.
The exponential rate of change in today’s world is reflected in the kitchen and bath industry. Products, especially, are becoming more complex.
In 2018, Ten Pound Hammer took on the project of asking dealers in the custom kitchen and bath industry about the issue of training to determine dealer attitudes toward training and their most important training issues.
Training means revenue for brands.
Training helps professionals become better communicators, more effective managers, or more profitable salespeople. Training ensures a return on time and financial investment as it links your people, your products, and your customers together.
Think outside the slide. Or confessions of a reluctant PowerPoint addict.
PowerPoint: The go-to presentation format, projected in conference rooms everywhere. You know it. You use it. You hate it. It’s a fascinating paradox of corporate America. Among the few things we can agree on—within a team, department or organization, there is a universal loathing of PowerPoint. Yet, when asked to put together a presentation, we […]
Product training: The critical job that (almost) nobody is doing.
We produce a fair amount of technical work that’s used by our clients to inform dealers how to sell, install, and maintain all kinds of products. But even with pieces written and designed to communicate the right information in an engaging way, it doesn’t mean the brand can sit back and watch the sales roll […]
You should sound as good as you look. Brand voice matters.
Think back to years ago (or maybe just days) when you were going out to meet some friends, and maybe make some new ones. You check yourself out in the mirror. No stains on your shirt. Your fly is zipped. No spinach in your teeth. You look good. There you are, talking with your friends […]
Sales is a Tough Job. Strong Marketing Makes it Easier.
I was at an event recently. The professional kind with a buffet line and well-dressed people balancing small plates of food while maintaining a white-knuckle grip on a cocktail. The topic of marketing came up, mainly because I’m a marketing guy and I started it. Then I hear this: “Sales and marketing are the same […]
The death of branding and other myths.
Brands don’t matter. At least that’s the word these days. Marketers have been trying to sell the power of branding for years, and it’s always been an uphill struggle. In this supposedly post-brand world it’s gotten even harder to convince marketing decision makers that there’s benefit to brand building. A Post-Brand World? For the moment, […]
