the becher agency work honored by Virginia Press Association

Written by tba | PR + Advertising Friday, 22 April 2011 00:00

ROANOKE, VA

The Virginia Press Association has recognized tba (the becher agency) for the best newspaper ad of 2010 created by an advertising agency.

The winning ad was created for Friendship Retirement Community with the message: “Where acting your age is strongly discouraged.”

The award was presented during the organization’s Virginia Newspaper Agency Advertising Awards luncheon in Norfolk.

“For the third year in a row, Virginia’s newspapers have recognized our team for producing some of the Commonwealth’s best advertisements,” said Thomas Becher, APR, president of tba. “It’s gratifying to see the strategy and creativity we provide to our clients being recognized by a statewide organization.”

Everyone has competition – do you understand yours?

Written by Carolyn Kiser Monday, 11 April 2011 00:00

When we help clients develop marketing plans and work with them to define their brand's position in the marketplace, one comment always blows me away. When people say, "We have no competition." Well if there was zero competition, in theory, you should have complete market dominance. And while there are some big players that enjoy an overwhelming amount of market leadership (Google), there are always threats to that position (I'm pretty sure Google is keeping an eye on Facebook). While it may be true that you are the only player in the market that offers a particular product or service, but that doesn't mean there is no competition.

Competition isn't always as simple as a competitor that provides a similar product like Coke vs. Pepsi or McDonalds vs. Burger King. In addition to the obvious direct competitors, competition can also be indirect. In the case of McDonald's, let's think of the main customer benefit: convenience. With that in mind, McDonald's indirect competition could be another convenient food option, like frozen pizza or a box of Hamburger Helper or even takeout from Fresh Market.

At tba, we define competition as any barrier preventing your target audience to purchase your product and service. So therefore, you may not have just direct and indirect competitors, you also have to consider the most challenging type of competition - mind barriers! This is more of a silent competitor. Again using the case of McDonalds, this could be the people or groups that simply do not eat at fast-food establishments for whatever reason – quality, taste, health, etc. They simply choose not to use your product/service.

And while the latter may not be a target, they are still competition because they are getting in the way of sales. If they increase their presence, it could have an impact on your business. In order to evaluate your competition, consider the following:

1. Identify your direct competitors – These are businesses with like products/services.
2. Identify your indirect competitors – This is determined by identifying products/services that provide the same customer benefit as your business.
3. Identify barriers – What is preventing the target from using you or any of your competitors? Apathy? Fear? Change?

Not until you truly understand where your competitors are, can you develop a marketing strategy that addresses each of them. The messages and vehicles will be different and more relevant based on where the competition is coming from.

Colors. A Key Element in Your Brand.

Written by Aimee Drysdale Tuesday, 29 March 2011 00:00

What influence they have on a consumer is not always easy to determine without keeping in mind demographics and your product or service’s messages.

According to a marketing study from the University of Loyola, Maryland, color increases brand recognition by 80 percent! When developing brand identities for our clients, we always evaluate the use of color knowing how important it is in the success of a brand and its identification in a crowded marketplace.

As a reference, I have indicated basic color meanings below. Note, these are not rigid rules, just general associations to keep in mind:

Blue = depth, stability, trust, masculine, tranquility, security

Red = intensity, energy, war, danger, love, passion, strength, energetic, urgency

Purple = soothing, calming, royalty, power, nobility, wealth, ambition, dignified, mystery

Yellow = optimistic, youthful, joyful, intellectual, energetic, cheerful

Green = nature, growth, fertility, fresh, healing, safe, wealthy, relaxation

Orange = aggressive, warmth, stimulation, enthusiasm, happiness, success, creativity

Pink = romantic, feminine, idealistic

Black = powerful, sleek, intimidating

Be sure to contact us to find out how we can help boost your brand’s familiarity!