Occasionally, I am asked simple questions that take me back to the fundamentals of this business and managing a business in general. I love when this happens because it usually sets my feet in the puddles of common sense that are all too easy to skip across when the going gets going too fast.
“Why do you cost more?” was the question I received today.
I love that question because it gives me the chance to talk about our team and if there is one thing I love, its talking about our team.
In web development I am confident that we are not the cheapest firm around. I don’t want to be the cheapest. Cheapest and “blow your mind” rarely go out together to talk about how compatible they are.
Creating web sites, brilliant design, advertising, film, etc. are all beholden to the potential of the people creating in those spaces. Talent comes in all shapes and sizes but usually comes with a common quality - the ability to repeat a brilliant performance when called on to do so. Average workers get lucky sometimes and find it difficult to replicate their success - because they don’t know what their success was based upon. But talent comes at a price commensurate with quality.
We invest very heavily in talent and do so ahead of when the balance sheet says it is safe. It is scary at times to reach DEEP in the pockets to pay for talent but you have to trust that winners win. Time after time. Google and Apple are both famous for paying VERY well for the best and brightest. If Apple bought average talent in the area of industrial design or not paid for the triumphant return of Steve Jobs in the 90s would the iPod ever have seen the light of day? What would they have “saved”? They would have foregone billions - with a “b”.
In small businesses, the impact is even more severe. Great ideas in small companies have the potential to radically transform those companies and the people who work there. You can rely on average talent for a long time. You’ll maybe keep the doors open and offer the same level of quality that you always have. Or you can get moving in a direction to be exceptional. And it will happen on the back of the people you employ.
Its a lot more fun to go to work and be surrounded by exceptional.
Anyone who’s been in downtown Bellingham recently knows how much the area’s been cleaned up. With several new businesses coming on board and new housing being introduced, the area has received a major face-lift in recent years.
One group who’s been involved in this effort, and who’s driving promotion for business in downtown, is the Downtown Renaissance Network. We’ve been involved with the group for a little while now, developing the downtown Bellingham identity, designing print materials and producing several TV spots.
Most recently, we’ve been working with DTR to promote an upcoming party - Downtown Mardi Gras 2008. The network is putting on a Mardi Gras celebration on Feb 9, a benefit to raise money for DTR complete with costumes, dancing and live Zydeco music (come on, when’s the last time you danced to live Zydeco music? And in Bellingham, for that matter.), some tasty food, an auction and other festivities. You can find out more about the event and secure your space at their Web site.
It should be a great event, and it will be bringing in $ to support downtown too.
So come on, get out there. Celebrate Mardi Gras. And support your downtown Bellingham.
We’ve enjoyed working with Skagit Transit on a wide variety of projects for a number of years now. Over the years, we’ve designed an updated Skagit Transit logo, created a TV ad showcasing several Skagit Transit riders sharing why they enjoy the “Everett Express,” Skagit Transit’s daily commuter service between Skagit County and Everett, and we regularly produce the Skagit Transit Times, the agency’s quarterly newsletter, among other things.
But this quarter has brought a different project to the table. This winter, Skagit Transit is partnering with Toys for Tots in Skagit County to challenge the community to help collect even more toys this year for local families in need.
As a way to help motivate local community members to get involved in this year’s toy drive, Skagit Transit has parked one of their Vanpool vans inside the Cascade Mall in Burlington (thanks Cascade Mall!), smack dab in the middle of one of the mall’s courtyards. By December 25, the hope is that the van will be packed to the brim with new, unwrapped donated toys for youth aged 18 years and younger.
If you’re in the area, or just driving through Skagit County, swing in and check it out (and drop off a toy or two). We’ll be there this Saturday and Sunday, from 11:00 to 2:00, in front of the mall’s eastern entrance (on the opposite side of the mall from I-5). In order to make it even easier to swing in and drop off donations, volunteers will be on hand to collect donations from cars as they pull up and drop off donations. Skagit Transit will have one of their 29 foot long buses parked near the mall’s entrance where this will be taking place, just to make sure no one misses us.
It’s been great to see Skagit Transit align itself with an organization that shares so many of the agency’s core values. This partnership truly reflects the goodwill Skagit Transit offers to local residents. With any luck, this year will start a tradition between Skagit Transit and Toys For Tots for many years to come.
I suspect that to some marketing firms, there is a tendency to look at clients simply as a paycheck. While there’s nothing wrong with being paid for good work, (after all, we’re professionals with targeted expertise and we bring a lot of value to our clients) there needs to be more involved than simply “doing the job.”
What some people miss out on is that in order to do a job really well, you must actually care about the client and their goals. You can’t go into a relationship thinking it’s just an opportunity to score some cash and/or develop a nice portfolio piece.
I have found that the most rewarding work comes when I engage a client to a level where I really understand what they are trying to accomplish. In a very practical sense, their goals become my goals. The work becomes much easier because their goals unleash a greater supply of urgency and dedication than I would otherwise have. It also allows a deeper sense of ownership in the work, even delivering a bit of an adrenaline rush as you really want to do all you can to make sure the project is a complete success.
Without a commitment to your clients’ goals, it’s easy to become focused on the financial gain of your company and lose sight of the greater purpose. That simply isn’t a fun way to make a living. And, for those operating this way, it’s also a short term strategy. Clients can tell if you haven’t adopted their goals as your own. If they perceive that your only motivations are money and “making cool stuff” (and they can tell), they won’t be your clients very long.
On the flip side, if you just can’t get behind what a client is trying to do, be honest and step away from it. No one is going to benefit from work you’re doing if it’s for a purpose you don’t agree with or respect.
One of our favorite parts of this job is introducing customers to new solutions.
Baron & Co. president, Gerald Baron, spoke on this topic at a recent business conference here in Bellingham that was put on by Northwest Business Monthly.
Many businesses are searching for new ways to reach their customers. Surprisingly, many of these same folks haven’t considered blogging. As Baron pointed out, some businesses have found they can reach their audience better through an online conversation than through traditional advertising means.
Another trend Baron highlighted is that today’s culture is driven by video. Case in point: the incredible success of YouTube. Case in point #2: news stations will do whatever it takes to include video with their “breaking news” stories, even if that means playing a fuzzy video captured by a bystander’s cell phone. People love visuals, and that’s true whether you’re using today’s technology to introduce your product to customers in an innovative way, or just capturing one of those amazing moments on video.
Baron did a better job of explaining these trends last Thursday; you can check out an article on his talk here.
Fall’s a great time for many things: pumpkin flavored lattes, pulling out some of your favorite sweaters again and visiting the local apple farm.
If you live in Whatcom County, and you haven’t already, you really should take a trip out to locally-owned BelleWood Acres. Owners John and Dorie Belisle love to have visitors come and take a look around the farm, pick out a pumpkin to take home or hear how much you enjoyed their new TV ad.
We recently worked with John and Dorie to produce this commercial to share with Whatcom County residents the great experience BelleWood provides. It took a couple apple seasons to convince the Belisles that television advertising was a good fit for them. In the end, video was able to tell the Belisle’s story and show others what makes the farm so special in a way that print or radio couldn’t.
We wanted to capture their personality, so we developed the ad using John and Dorie as the talent, allowing them to tell their story in their own words. We think the result has paid off: they have had several comments from customers who loved how “real” the ad feels.
Our goal was for people to fall in love with John & Dorie, and the beauty of BelleWood acres. Once that happens, selling apples is easy.
For those of you who live and work in Bellingham, you’ve likely seen one of the “1-800-Got-Junk” trucks driving around town. I see them all the time. The amazing thing about this is, and I heard this from a third party so someone correct me if I’m wrong, they only have two of these puppies here, but they’re everywhere! (By the way, ever notice how many Keith Cox Autobahn license plates are driving around town? Try it. Next time you see a VW, Audi or BMW in B’ham, check the license plate cover, chances are you’ll see Keith’s name.)
Anyways, back to my story… There’s no question about what it is Got Junk is offering: an easy way to get all that junk you have (we all have it) off your hands. No witty name, no pun, no artsy design… just 1-800-Got-Junk. The name speaks for itself. Sometimes, that’s all it takes.
Another case in point: RunningShoes.com. You don’t hear anyone asking what it is RunningShoes.com offers. Nobody.
And what do these two business names have in common? They both tell you exactly where to go for more info. No flipping through the phone book to find junk collectors; no Google search for local places to find a good pair of running shoes. The name says it all.
Unfortunately, there are many businesses out there shooting themselves in the foot by overthinking this process. Don’t believe me? Flip through your phone book for plenty of perfect examples.
Yes, your name is important. But what’s more important is that your customers know exactly what you provide. Are you helping them with that?
Anyone who’s been in downtown Bellingham recently knows how much the area’s been cleaned up. With several 
