Google Technology Solutions (for you, me and my unborn son)

by Justin Brown, Senior Art Director

Google is indisputedly one of the world’s largest provider of free technological resources and applications, cloud computing solution. With technologies ranging from search, advertising, applications (apps), and now mobile, Google is on track to accomplish their mission to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.

The massive growth in Google technology is more than one blog post can handle. With this in mind, I will only cover thoughts/insight on Google’s web technology, advertising and some of the services Google provides through cloud computing.

Google Web Technology
Working from a cloud-computing concept whereby users have the ability to share resources, software and other information across multiple platforms all from the Internet, allows Google to provide innovative technologies that no other company has to offer to millions of users at any given time.

Google’s web search technology is predominately the company’s most popular service, setting rank as one of the Internet’s most visited sites and seen as the most dominant search engine. Utilizing over a million server technologies worldwide, Google’s ability to process billions of search queries daily allows users instant gratification whether they’re searching stock quotes, sport scores, current headlines, images, videos, maps, recipes, the latest Apple technology and much more, all combined in one query.

The ability to provide the end user with the more relevant results for faster searches, Google’s engineering team is continuously improving the way people find what they’re looking for. Using technologies such as their Google Chrome browser platform, personalized search services and Google Toolbar plug-in, Google is able to provide the user with tailored results for all their favorite websites in a split second.

Google Advertising
On the backend, Google provides a way for advertisers, interactive developers and programmers to gather information using Google Analytics. This easy to use code tracks end users trail through a web site, from where they came from, what they viewed, down to the kind of browser, device and screen resolution. This technology allows for better-optimized content to viewers so advertisers can measure and ultimately give back what is searched for.

In addition to Google Analytics, other web-based programs are provided such as AdWords and AdSense to help advertisers promote products and services globally based on the relevant content from search results. Each service gives businesses the tools to analyze their campaigns and adjust them accordingly to be more efficient and effective. You can find these services at work during a search or viewing video on YouTube as examples.

Google Web App Technology
As an extension of cloud computing, Google engineers have, and are continuously developing web apps as a way for users to share information, get things done efficiently, and lower the expenses of locally run software programs. Because the information is stored online, technologies from email, calendars, word processing, maps, shopping, photo editing, social media (Blogger, Buzz), video (YouTube - visit dgs’ channel at www.youtube.com/dgsmarketing), to even browser chat provides people with a virtual collaboration center so that all information is accessible from any device connected to the internet. The global accessibility this provides business users opens the door for more people to be technically minded on the same material at the same time.

Googley-eyed
With the seemingly endless possibilities of the Internet itself, Google’s latest reach into the mobile market with their Android platform, the cloud computing concept has reached a completely new technological advancement, linking everyone old, young and unborn together. What technologies will you Google today?

Managing Your Time

by Sarah Showalter, Account Manager

Part of being a successful account manager is time management. There never seems to be enough time in the day to get everything done, but with effective time management skills you can accomplish what needs to get done and prioritize the remaining tasks.

Developing effective habits will allow you to stay in control and feel less of the outside pressures of stress and havoc by following these simple guidelines:

1. Develop a list
In order to understand what projects or tasks you need to get done, it is easier to write them down. This allows you to visually see what is on your plate and allows those little tasks not to fall through the cracks. Everyone has his or her own preferences, but I recommend typing out a list organized by client and including as much detail as possible (status, due date, etc.).

2. Prioritize tasks
Now that the list is developed it makes it even more effective by deciding which project requires your attention first. I ask myself this when deciding the order or prioritization:
1.Does it have an absolute due date? Is it due “next week” or May 25th at 1:30pm?
2.Does it require an approval process?
3.Do you have all the details and materials you need to complete the task/project?

If the project does not have a firm deadline, it can go after a project that does. Firm deadlines are the golden rule when prioritizing- they always come first.

If the project has an approval process, it will have multiple deadlines. The deadline to get a proof and the deadline that it needs to be finalized. It is important to stay aware of both and to consider what type of process it has to go through.

If the project requires gathering of materials (images, copy, etc) it is important to work ahead and collect them as soon as possible. It is a waste of time to wait until you “need” them to ask. Multi-tasking is key in this area of the project life span. Focus your energy on tasks you can get done while you wait for approval.

3. Stay organized
Staying organized means actually utilizing steps #1 and #2. Update your list as you complete it- cross it off, write notes on it, draw pictures on it- whatever you need to do to stay up to date on your list. Have your list easily accessible, my list sits by me all week long where I can glance over at it and it serves as a constant reminder as to what I need to complete. I also get a sense of accomplishment when I can cross something off- it’s all about the little things☺

If your project requires outside materials (images, copy, etc) make sure you know where they are. Are they in a folder? On your computer? Do the right people have what they need to work on the project? This allows the project to flow smoothly and more efficiently.

4. Avoid distractions
As I previously mentioned a deadline is the golden rule. If something is due at noon, you better sit down and get it done by 11:45. Distractions are everywhere- telephone calls, emails, the great view from your window, but rather than being easily side tracked, be motivated by the sense of accomplishment you will feel when the project or task is off your desk. After it is completed, then can you take a mental break, and then move on to the next one.

5. Open communication
Although we try to avoid setbacks and “emergencies” they always tend to happen now and again. Examples of these “emergencies” include approval process delays, waiting on images/copy, and deadline changes, etc. During these set backs it is important to stay calm, proactive, and make sure you notify all parties involved of the change in plans. For example, if an ad is going to be late, tell the publication (usually they can grant you a few days leeway) tell your client and your staff the new deadline, so they are all aware of when it has to be complete and do this while you are waiting on the revisions. Try to avoid last minute surprises and everyone involved will have a successful outcome.

Some Tips For Reaching Customers Through Social Media

by Jim May, PR Manager

So you’ve identified which social media could provide your company with some significant value, but now you have to actually execute. Here are tips for some of the vehicles that have been discussed in previous entries.

Message Boards/Forums

- Go where it makes sense. If your company makes power tools, you probably don’t have a reason to be posting about it in a forum dedicated to world travel. This seems obvious, but a lot of companies take a scattershot approach, posting salesy product information on completely unrelated sites. Doing so accomplishes nothing but to create a negative association in the minds of those sites’ users.

- Don’t be anonymous. Message boards are all about people with a shared interest swapping information among themselves. Promoting your company’s goods while posing as just another interested consumer would clearly be dishonest and is the kind of behavior an online community will punish as soon as they discover it.

- Check the terms of service. Some message boards won’t allow representatives of companies to join to discuss their products. Others will, but require a special account that clearly labels the contributor’s vested interest. Before joining any specific community, it’s always a good idea to email the site’s admin team to make sure you’re staying within the rules.

- Keep it active and open. This applies to those few companies that establish their own message boards to foster discussion among current and potential customers. First, make sure the board has enough regular posters to guarantee constant new content. To this end, it’s perfectly acceptable to encourage employees to participate in the board. Second, don’t stifle the information being shared just because you don’t like it. If a discussion turns towards something negative about your company or product, feel free to jump in and offer a counterpoint, but don’t resort to simply deleting topics you dislike. If people feel prohibited from offering honest opinions, your message board will turn into an online ghost town.

Blogs

- Demonstrate your expertise. Once you’ve set up a blog, it’s vital that you offer up information or opinions that your customers wouldn’t otherwise see. To build a base of regular readers, you have to develop content that provides value to those who consume it. Occasional ‘fluff’ pieces are acceptable, but make sure the majority of your entries have some meat to them.

- Choose relevant topics. While expertise is vital, it’s not enough on its own. A blog entry of highly technical data that provides no value to the end user might be interesting to others in your field, but it will likely leave customers scratching their heads.

- Let some personality show. It seems a bit obvious, but people really do tend to like and identify with other people a whole lot more than with organizations. Encourage the contributors to your company’s blog to let their personalities shine through. If your entries are in a drab, corporate tone, few people are going to want to sit through reading them.

YouTube

- Integrate videos into other forms of communication. Once you’ve created a YouTube channel and posted some videos, tie them back into your other marketing efforts. If you issue a press release on a new product and have posted video of it in action on YouTube, include a link to the video in the release. If you work with trade press specific to your industry, see if they’re interested in including links to some of your videos on relevant areas of their own websites. These types of actions don’t merely increase exposure of your videos. They also create a more comprehensive value proposition for your customers.

- Go for substance over style. This holds especially true if you’re paying to develop assets specifically for YouTube. Most marketers, current company included, tend to think they’re fairly clever. It’s easy to see a humorous video go viral and get millions of views, then think gee, I could do one of those. Such thoughts can quickly turn into a quest of catching lightning in a bottle. Make sure your top priority is creating content that will provide your customers with something they’ll appreciate.

- Ok, style’s important too. While content is vital, few people want to sit through a 20-minute video of someone staring into a camera and droning on about a specific topic. Even if you don’t have the budget for professional production, there are plenty of ways to spice up a video. Intercut images or videos of the products or processes being discussed. Throw in text with bullet points summarizing the video’s content. Use some royalty free stock footage relevant to the subject. These types of things can easily be done on a personal computer and will make it much more enjoyable for customers to sit through the content you’ve created.

Ok, that’s all for this week. In a week or two, I’ll have one more entry that focuses on tips for Tweeting and social sites and wraps up the series. Thanks for reading.

Ten Steps to Writing an Effective Press Release

by Janae Cummings, PR Associate

There’s a common misconception that press releases are a foolproof method for increasing client exposure at minimal expense. Technically, I suppose that is true, but what most people forget, or, perhaps, never realize is that the likelihood of a press release not only being read but also published really depends on how well it’s written. By following these simple steps, you should be well on your way toward developing press releases that will be hard for the media to refuse.

1. Is the topic newsworthy?
Just because your client is excited about something doesn’t mean it counts as news, so consider your audience and their interest. Next, a press release should answer the 5 Ws – who, what, where, when and why. If it can’t, it likely reads like an advertisement and either needs to be re-written or not written at all.

2. Write strong headlines and first paragraphs
This isn’t a five-paragraph essay. State the good stuff first to capture the attention of the journalists who will publish your press release and the audience who will read it.

3. Just the facts
Avoid the fluff and exaggerations. Journalists will see right through it and either edit your release or not run it at all.

4. Concise language
Make every word count. Don’t distract the reader with flowery language or unnecessary adjectives and phrases.

5. Beware the exclamation point
Using exclamation points to generate hype is a fantastic way to destroy your credibility. It really ought to be a cardinal sin!!!!! (See what I did there?)

6. Strong, active voice
These verbs add clarity and strength to your message. Avoid passive voice whenever possible.

7. Less is more
If your press release is reaching two pages in length, revisit steps 3 and 4 and then check your document for extraneous news. Something has to go.

8. Timeliness
Have an event? Sign a new client? If it’s newsworthy, the time to write about it is when it happens and not weeks or months later.

9. Contact information
Journalists and readers need to know who to contact if they have questions or need more information. Always include an e-mail address and/or phone number.

10. Mind the media
Make it easy on them by distributing well-written releases that follow these steps and don’t require (or compel) them to do any heavy editing.

IMTS 2010 - Make or Break?

by Leslie Galbreath, Executive Vice President/CMO

Believe it or not, another IMTS is just around the corner. It seems as if it was just yesterday that the machine tool industry gathered at McCormick Place in Chicago for the International Manufacturing Technology Show. In fact, it’s been almost two years since IMTS 2008, and a lot has changed. I mean, a LOT.

In the last two years we’ve seen a recession unlike anything this generation’s global economy has ever experienced. According to Gardner Publication’s Capital Spending Survey & Forecast, the machine tool industry overall was down 47% in 2009 from 2008. In terms of units, it was down 54%. As a result, in addition to dismal sales, we saw the demise of multiple publications, the merger of seemingly strange bedfellows in the interest of survival, the failing of several iconic companies, a decrease in marketing budgets, reduced production and countless lost jobs. Needless to say, it was a tough year for everyone.

That said, things are on the upswing.

Now, I use the term ‘upswing’ loosely. Sales are improving for many builders and some jobs are coming back to the US, but we have a long way to go.

Enter IMTS. First held in Cleveland, Ohio in 1927, IMTS is the largest manufacturing technology trade show in North America, and has served as the launching pad for many a technological innovation. The show has taken place every two years in good times and bad, and has always been considered the premier event for the industry. But with things so very different now, the entire industry is eager to learn what the show will bring this year.

In the last few weeks, I’ve read several editorials published by key editors in our industry urging capital equipment builders and accessories and peripherals manufacturers alike to make this the best IMTS yet. In fact, it’s been suggested that it MUST be. That this show will be a (not the, but a) deciding factor in the success or failure of the US manufacturing industry going forward. I’m not usually one to believe that the outcome of a given situation results from the last shot of the game per se, but I’m beginning to wonder if they might be right this time.

I think IMTS 2010 will set the tone at the very least.

Our clients are already gearing up for a big show. We’ve been fortunate to have clients that have remained relatively strong during the recession, and most are looking at IMTS as the time to pounce on the competition. These companies are heeding the urgency of the IMTS message this year – to connect global technology and re-inspire the industry. They have developed new technology and are prepared to demonstrate it in an interesting way. They have upped their marketing budgets to ensure they reach their audiences and drive them to the booths. They have planned an interactive experience for their visitors. They are using social media and capitalizing on public relations and advertising. In short, they are serious. And this is a good thing.

Only time will tell if IMTS is the restart button the industry needs. I hope that as we’re all icing our aching feet on September 18, we can look back and celebrate a show that did indeed re-inspire and, perhaps more importantly, reinvigorate US manufacturing.

The ‘Science’ Of Branding In The World Of Industrial Marketing

by Marc Diebold, President & CEO

I ran into an interesting guy once a few years ago. I had just walked into a banquet room – a bit early for once – to attend a marketing association meeting. I’m not the most outgoing networker in the world, but I try to make an effort at these things to meet some new people, so I walked up to the first person I saw and introduced myself. It turned out this guy was the guest speaker, a branding research expert from a high profile brand consultancy out of the Chicago area. At first, he was politely going through the motions, making small talk with me while he glanced at anyone new that walked in the room. But that changed when I answered his question about what kind of clients we work with, and what kind of people they sell to. “Engineers! I am fascinated by them,” he said.

He went on to tell me about one of the intense exercises they do with target audience subjects on behalf of the clients they work for. One aspect of this particular exercise, he said, was boring for their researchers because it almost always yielded the same results, regardless of the type of people being observed. What they do is sit a person down in a chair, tell them to close their eyes, and proceed to ask a series of ‘what comes to mind’ type questions. When they get to a question that asks the subject to describe a situation that sets their mind at ease, most everyone answers with something like ‘sitting on a beach listening to the ocean.’ However, he explained excitedly, if the subject is an engineer, they will often answer with something like ‘the sound of one of their machines running smoothly.’ Imagine that. Sounds a bit geeky doesn’t it?

This story illustrates a simple but unique reality we have to consider everyday here at dgs. Technically minded people process information (and make purchase decisions) differently than the rest of us.

Branding can be a very important part of an integrated marketing program for companies that sell manufacturing equipment. That may seem counterintuitive to some marketing folks. Don’t technically minded people purchase things based solely on a detailed, process-oriented analysis, and therefore concern themselves only with the features and specs of a product? The short answer is ‘not exactly.’ There’s no question that their decision making process is more analytical than other business-to-business audiences advertising agencies may deal with. But we’ve learned from studying research and our own observations from years of doing this kind of work that technically minded people are in fact deeply affected by brand perceptions, and even emotions, much more than they might admit if the question is posed to them in a group setting.

Most of our clients sell a very expensive piece of high-tech manufacturing equipment. As a marketing service company for these types of clients, we do a lot of technical product marketing designed to inform and influence engineers, plant managers, scientists, and other industrial audiences. To do that effectively, you have to be able to get inside a technical person’s mind to understand how they think and what influences their brand perceptions. Besides traditional forms of marketing communications like print advertising, public relations, website development, direct mail and trade show marketing, the actual experiences a customer has using a piece of equipment, and the chemistry of their relationship with the people at the company making the product collectively contribute to that company’s brand image. So, at least for a technical audience, branding is much more than logos and slogans. To build a brand image, you better have your key messages right, and deliver them in a believable, creative, and, most importantly, compelling way.

There’s another interesting dynamic at play here, particularly for our clients. The machines they sell often run productively for 10, 15 or even 20 years before they are replaced. So, good or bad, the impression (read ‘brand image’) left with the user endures longer than most other company’s products. In many cases, that presents an opportunity. Through the life of the product, support services like applications engineering, training, parts and service, etc. can serve to enhance the brand image of our client, so we look for opportunities to include those things as part of our marketing communications approach. It’s all part of the science of branding in the world of industrial marketing.

I could go on and on about branding and technical marketing, but in the interest of keeping this blog post to a reasonable length, I’ll just close by offering to continue the conversation ‘offline’ with anyone that is interested. Please feel free to e-mail me at diebold@dgsmarketing.com or call me at 317-813-2220 if you have any interesting thoughts on this subject.

Creating Technically

by Justin Brown, Senior Art Director

Let’s say we have a client who needs an ad or piece of literature focused on a new series of machines. After I understand the creative and marketing strategies, I start experimenting with layouts. For inspiration, I avoid looking at the typical B-to-B magazines and go straight for my car magazines. Car magazines are filled with very creative and technical ads for new car models and ads for safety innovations. That car is the focal point of the ad. I look at the advertisers’ use of space, color, tone, purpose, and whether or not it makes me excited like a 15yr old boy on a beach. I also explore social media outlets like Twitter, Facebook and blogs for the latest creative trends and dos and don’ts.

Keeping in mind that the copy often drives the design, I work with layout options that presents the information our clients want to get across most effectively. I’ll never go back to a copywriter and tell them that their copy doesn’t fit my design. I frequently make adjustments to my concepts in order to accommodate the size of content. The exciting part about this is that it keeps me on my toes creatively and allows me to continue producing unique looks for each project. I also like experimenting with page orientation. Vertical layouts are traditional. Horizontal layouts are rare. If I think the information presents better horizontally, I’m all over it like ugly on an ape. It’s unique and stands out from the other ads in the publication. However, I’m still waiting on a client approval for an upside ad. Waiting… still waiting… I should grab a Snickers®

Now that I have some layout options and I know the tone of the copy, I pull keywords from the copy and start researching images focused on the targeted audience. I’m looking for those digital, high tech, sophisticated images. Not the ones that are plain, dull and straightforward – I’m after the dramatic angles, abstract views and well-taken photography.

While images are key, I also explore new ways of incorporating color to prevent pieces from blending in with those template driven ads. Most of our clients have their main corporate color palettes but also include secondary color palettes. As much as possible, I try to work in these secondary colors to add more depth to the creative. Today’s consumer market color trends are very minimalistic. A lot of black, darker colors or whites, lighter colors are being used in printed materials to achieve that sleek, elegant look. I work from this in my own style to give each ad that high level sophistication that presents the product as if it’s the best of the best.

With the layout structure, dramatic imagery, highly technical copy and sophisticated color scheme together, I feel we have developed an ad that presents the information effectively and also stands out in a magazine.

The Wrap

Looking back on the evolution of my design process over the last five and a half years, combined with the collaborative dgs approach, I feel we have been able to develop some highly effective and influential creative designs. No designer has it all figured out. We have to keep our eyes open and minds alert for new ways to help clients evolve, while remembering who we are marketing to – people. Even though B-to-B consumers rarely make spontaneous purchases like Apple enthusiasts do when the latest product is released, there is still an emotional element that should be acknowledged and respected.

A machine tool or a spindle will never obtain the same excitement for a buyer as the latest Corvette or iPhone, but emotions control much of what we do, and when communicating to a person whose purchases have the power to change the way his or her company does business, finding ways to engage, entice and persuade them is vital to any advertiser’s success.