It’s right there in the name.
We create brand image magic
for both national and international clients, with a cunning combination of creativity and technology. If you want show-stopping ideas for any channel; website, print, direct mail, interactive, email... Imagic delivers with flourish every time. We like to think of it as a truly integrated approach to marketing, bringing together the powers of the creative and the geek.
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"We want to make 'green' choices, but recycled paper is so expensive" is the sort of thing we hear from clients all the time.
Are there any 'green' alternatives to recycled paper? And what on earth is a WMF? We thought we'd share some tips that we've learnt from BJ Ball Papers.
Rethink Recycled Paper
Recycling paper is great because it reduces landfill. However paper can only be recycled 3-5 times, after which it loses its quality and strength. (Which means whether we like it or not there will always be a demand for virgin wood pulp.) Also, the recycling process (de-inking, re-pulping) uses a lot of energy. Recycling has its place, but shouldn’t be thought of as the ‘only’ environmentally sound choice.
Choose Sustainable Forests
You can be happy that the non-recycled paper you're buying is sustainable if it carries either the FSC or the PEFC logos. Both of theses are not-for-profit organisations with the aim of protection against deforestation and promoting better forest management.
Well managed forests (WMF) are sustainable forests, which means every time a tree is felled, at least one more is planted. Good forest management extends to ensuring the wildlife and the livelihood of local communities are protected.
Think Outside The Box
A paper doesn’t have to use post-consumer waste (PCW) to still be recycled. For instance Harvest Recycled is a paper made up of 60% Sugar Cane Fibre. This fibre is a by-product of the sugar industry. So although it can not be officially classed as recycled, it is in fact recycling an industrial by-product.
Here at Imagic we can advise you on the best paper choice for your budget and your conscience. Contact Paul, Vicki or Angela for more information.
Want to know more:
Visit the BJ Ball website to find out more
FSC = Forest Stewardship Council
PEFC = Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes
WMF = Well Managed Forest
PCW = Post Consumer Waste
What's the difference and when are they used?
The positioning statement
From a management perspective, positioning is the heartbeat of an effective communications plan. A well-crafted positioning statement defines your company's direction. It answers seven essential questions:
1) who you are
2) what business you're in
3) for whom (what people do you serve)
4) what's needed by the market you serve
5) against whom do you compete
6) what's different about your business
7) what unique benefit is derived from your product or services?
Ultimately your creative communication experts can help with the positioning statement, lending advice as to what "rings" well but this is a task best initiated by management.
Creating a positioning statement is a lot like creating your company vision or welcoming statement. It's an opportunity to deconstruct the work you do and then sum it up in as concise a fashion as possible.
The Tag Line
In short (because tag lines are short), a tagline is simply a short set of words that companies use to associate with their company or brand... it's like a quick summary of the advertising campaign that you are undertaking. It's the essence. So the best way to start to create one is to first figure out what segment(s) of the market you're going after, based on what these segments really care about, determine your positioning statement. Then, use the positioning statement as a launch pad for your tagline.
For example, BMW positions itself on performance and drivability. Therefore, it's not surprising that its tagline is "the ultimate driving machine".
Great tag lines are defined by great marketing. "Just do it" is sublimely simple. Those three words carry with them considerable weight and meaning for many consumers. However would it have been as effective if such high-profile creative hadn't backed it up?
Your tag is like a jingle. It needs to be "hooky" i.e. it has to catch and then stick. Short ‘n snappy keeps them happy. Keep it to one simple concept. Keep it concise, and make sure it rings.
Ultimately the tag line will more than likely form the essence of the campaign you are currently undertaking.
So there you have it. Positioning statement tells people who you are, while the tag line tells them what that means to them.
Didn't grow a mo for Movember? No worries, with Stashetastic, your iPhone can do all the hard work for you.
http://hugeapps.com/stachetastic.aspx
Here are some Stashetastic staff pics.
Google Sidewiki, launched in September, is a tool that allows anyone to leave posts as they surf the web. You need the Google Toolbar to be able to view and leave posts. Entries will then be sorted by an algorithm that filters out low-quality comments and moves the most interesting items to the top.
What does all this mean?
Well, if it takes off, your website will have a de facto comments page that you are unable to control. If people don't like your product or have received a bad service experience, they will be able to share this information with anyone visiting your website. Likewise, your brand advocates can rave about how great you are as well. These conversations may have been taking place in other parts of cyber-space already, but people now have a forum 'on' or should that be 'next to' your website.
What should I do?
There is very little that PR or marketing departments can do to control the flow of information on the internet. Nonetheless you should consider installing Google Toolbar with Sidewiki so you can at least keep one step ahead of the crowd.
However, the lesson is that in the new age of the internet, the customer really is king. Let them down with poor service or disappoint them with a product that doesn't perform, and they have the means to let the rest of your customers and potential customers know all about it.
The Chaos Scenario from Greg Stielstra on Vimeo.
This is a recommended watch for ad agencies, marketing departments & media companies.
In The Chaos Scenario, Bob Garfield, ad critic and essayist for Advertising Age magazine and co-host of NPR’s award-winning On the Media program, forecasts the disintegration of the traditional mass media and mass advertising structures that have worked in perfect symbiosis for 400 years and prescribes “Listenomics” as the way for brands to thrive in the digital, post-advertising age. He warns that all formerly top-down institutions cannot dictate to consumers with advertising through mass media as before, but must instead embrace digital tools to forge relationships with them—no longer seeing people as piggy banks, or eyeballs or votes, but as genuine stakeholders in their enterprise. Amid the ruins of mass media, the choice for business is stark: listen or perish. Watch the video presenation first then go to thechaosscenario.net for more info.
A/B testing has now been added to the Magic Mail toolkit. It is a very effective way to maximise your campaign results and learn about your subscribers.
What is an A/B Test?
An A/B test involves two differing emails being sent out to a small portion of your subscriber list, with the most successful ('winner') email being chosen from the two after a defined period of time. The 'winner' is then sent to the remainder of your subscribers.
So… why test?
There are a number of great reasons why you should optimise your campaigns using A/B testing, including:
* The chance to experiment and learn from different subject lines - what will produce the better open rate, 'Receive 20% off all products at ABC Store', or 'Discounts on all products at ABC Store'?
* The opportunity to decide what email content is most relevant and responsive - Is layout A better than B? What call to action will work best?
* Deciding which From name is best - Do you go corporate 'ABC Store', or personal 'Bill Storeowner'?
No matter what you decide to test, A/B testing will always provide you with useful feedback on your campaigns. For example, you will soon find that the process of choosing the 'perfect' subject will rapidly become less of a guessing game and more of an empirical study.
You will the find A/B testing tab under Step 1: Define the Campaign and Sender section.
If you want to find out more call us on +64 3 365 1809.
