Creating a Mobile Marketing Strategy | Step One: Identifying if you need one

As 2012 begins, the mobile industry continues to grow and mature. Companies are just now beginning to understand the capabilities of these super computers in our pockets as the entertainment sections of the App Stores are giving way to corporate applications. Yet for most small businesses that are still working out the kinks in their social media campaigns, they haven’t even started to think about their mobile presence. The prevailing logic is that they don’t have an App that can bring value to their customers and modern mobile browsers do a pretty good job of displaying their website that was meant for the desktop so mission accomplished, right? 

The other day at Prizm, we were doing some research

Prizm as a Time Bandit? Ah, yes!

As we begin a new year, it occurs to me that I have spent a dozen years now with Prizm.  How can that possibly be?  After all, to contemplate 12 years in future tense feels like a much longer span of time than it does to look back on that same number of years.  And the scary part about it is that as I age, time seems to just go faster and faster.  But enough of that conversation, it could lead me down an entirely different path.  Hmmmmmmmm…Perhaps another blog?  Perhaps not…we shall see.

The purpose of this blog, though, is to give you, the reader, an inside perspective on Prizm, and why, as I look back over these past years, it is easy enough to recognize why time here passes so quickly.  There are a number of contributing factors, all of which could be a singular cause of time slippage, depending upon which angle one views life through, at, and with Prizm.  I have decided to list my top five in no particular order:

Video on Website Improves Brand

Why do you need video on your website?

As a video production and web design hybrid company, we are asked this question a lot. And while the answer may seem straightforward to us, many businesses are still miffed about what they can gain from online media.

The Importance of Creative Leadership and Culture

We’re asked on a regular basis about creative leadership at Prizm.  With our roots at Disney, I thought I’d share some excerpts from a recent speech I gave at Indiana State University Foundation’s Leadership Experience.

My keynote presentation at ISU Foundation

What everyone should know about pricing professional video

What could possibly be so hard about pricing a professional video project?

From the outside looking in, it may seem simple enough to put a price tag on a professional video, but there are many considerations involved.  Having spent more than a decade working for Prizm, I have learned so much about the process of creating a professional video, and let me tell you, there is absolutely nothing simple about it!

I receive inquiries for cost quotes daily, and frequently find it necessary to help people understand how much really goes into creating professional, award winning videos.   I can’t tell you how many times I have heard:  “Just off of the top of your head, how much does it usually cost to…?” Although I don’t like to say it, there genuinely is not a “usual” cost when it comes to the creation of a professional video.

Capturing professional video for Extreme Makeover Home Edition

In order to receive a true and complete price quote on your video, you must be prepared to provide your production company with answers to some very pertinent questions like these:

1. How long do you want your video to be?
2. What style and quality do you envision for your final product?
3. What delivery medium (or mediums) do you intend to use?
4. What is your deadline?
5. Are you working within a specific budget?
6. Do you want professional actors and/or voice talent to be part of your video?
7. Do you need scripting services?

The answers to the above questions then create more leading questions, which largely influence pricing, such as: 

Celebrating the small victories

Prizm is about to celebrate our 14th year in business. Time really flies when you follow your dream! It has been both rewarding and terrifying, exhilarating and depressing. Still, we celebrate the small victories.

The Anatomy of the “Director of First Impressions”

Who is the Director of First Impressions for your company?  Why, it’s you, of course!  It doesn’t matter what position or title you hold, if you are ever the first person to greet a visitor or pick up the telephone, the responsibility of making a great first impression is all on you.

While it’s obvious that greeting someone with a warm smile is crucial when you’re face to face, many people don’t realize the importance of a smile even when you are simply taking a phone call.  This is the point where you are probably thinking:  Oh come on, it isn’t as if you can really hear a smile, can you?

You bet you can!  And the flip side is that you can definitely hear it when that smile is not there, even though you may not be able to see whom you are speaking with.  Think about your own experiences.  How many times have you been put off by an unpleasant conversation with a seemingly unhappy or completely uninterested sounding customer service representative?  The truth is that the majority of those service reps really were interested in helping you, they were just never taught the basics of proper telephone etiquette.

Measuring your social media’s ROI

A common question between businesses and marketers alike is “How do I measure the ROI of my social media campaign?” Well, folks, I have the answer:

You don’t.

A common myth about social media is that it can be the end-all solution for advertising. Plus, it’s free — perfect, right? Wrong. While social media can be part of your marketing campaign, it cannot carry the ship.

How much do keywords matter?

My husband and I have always been sticklers for doing research before making any kind of major purchase.  From cars to appliances to electronics, it is important to know that you will be getting the most for your money before committing to spending it.  While it hasn’t been that long ago that we had to go to our local library to peruse the latest copies of Consumer Reports for information, now one has to go only as far as the closest computer with an internet connection to learn everything pertinent to making an informed buying decision.

A while back, I thought I had done my due diligence before making a major purchase – so much that even Dave Ramsey would have been proud!  I actually spent 4 months doing research in my spare time, before making the final choice, which was based on my research.  Here’s where it gets interesting:  I have had quite a lot of trouble with this product, even though everything I read raved about the item in question.  Did I get a “lemon”?  Or was all of my research bogus?  What did I do wrong?!

I continued to contemplate these questions, until it finally occurred to me that every time I did a new search for information, I always used “reviews” in my search.  So, I decided to try an experiment. 

New Logo, New Emblem, New Icon – OH MY!! | when to re-brand and why

Starbucks is evolving their logo once again this year

Image is everything.  Who hasn’t heard that a million times?!  

While substance is what ultimately matters, if your first impression doesn’t attractively and informatively communicate that substance…nobody cares.  That’s why every business, product, film, music group, etc. needs a brand.  A face to put to their name.  A personality to put to the person.

Walmart and Starbucks – a couple of the largest, most successful companies our country has seen – have re-branded within the last two years.  Why is that?