Running a successful business is all about the accomplishment of the brand image and no brand can be a success without marketing! Unfortunately, too many businesses waste money on ineffective marketing that goes nowhere near achieving their set goals.

According to Carmen Lerm, the CEO of FusionDesign, an integrated design agency, the first thing that businesses need to do is to sit down with marketing experts who have the insight and know-how on developing a marketing strategy – the Roadmap – which works as the businesses plan for the way forward.

Lerm offers the following advise on four key things to consider when developing a detailed and effective roadmap:

1)     Understanding your target market
“It is essential to understand the target audience for your particular product or service – their expectations and needs and especially their understanding of where they can access your product or service.”

“A lack of understanding of your audience translates into a complete waste of money invested into your marketing efforts!”

2)    Availability of your product or service
According to Lerm if your future customers do not know where they can obtain or experience your product or service then they will not be able to interact with your brand and ultimately, to convert this into a transaction.

“You therefore need to plan into your strategy how to make sure that your chosen target market will be able to find your product or service easily and then go over into transaction mode.”

3)    Consistent messaging and delivery of the brand experience
“Ensure that there is ALWAYS a consistent message that runs through all marketing efforts and that there is a consistent delivery of the brand experience so that you do not run the risk of confusing your customers.”

4)    The vehicles that carry the marketing messages
“The vehicles that carry the marketing messages are the media that you choose – so it may be online or offline platforms but it is important that you ensure the media you use reaches the correct target audience for your brand,” says Lerm.

So – as can be seen above – there are several areas where mistakes can be made and hence why it is so important to sit down with the experts to plan and carry out an effective, holistic marketing plan.

“Following the implementation of a marketing strategy, an audit should then be conducted to measure and assess the effectiveness of the strategy and whether or not the goals have been achieved and what benefits clients have seen.”

An example of a successful project completed by FusionDesign is that of City Sightseeing, the company that operates the red double-decker open top buses that are well-known around Cape Town.  FusionDesign developed an online and off line marketing plan that delivered a consistent message throughout – The best way to see Cape Town.

“FusionDesign have enjoyed a successful six years of doing business with City Sightseeing Cape Town,” says Lerm.  “Starting with an initial name change from “Cape Town Explorer” to “City Sightseeing Cape Town” we then went on to develop and implement both online and offline goals designed to deliver the Cape Town experience to as many people as possible – local and international visitors to Cape Town alike.”

The communication plan therefore had to feature the history, natural beauty and colourful culture of Cape Town at every touch point that visitors come in contact with.

“A business solution was also created where the company goals, such as sales and growth targets, were driven through a holistic marketing plan. In achieving the City Sightseeing goals we followed the Plan, Do, Review framework and started this off by researching the industry and future trends on international travel and tourism.”

The FusionDesign team is a workforce made up of skilled print designers and interactive design gurus delivering consistent online and offline experiences with an equally strong value put on print and online communication.  In 2008 the company re-invented themselves from a purely paper-art-design company to a cyber-classic-creative company as, according to Lerm, they recognised that interactive design is a necessity in order to deliver on an integrated communication plan.

“With an effective, well- thought out and insightful marketing roadmap in place, businesses can be sure that they are nor simply wasting their money on an ineffective marketing campaign that does not reach its audience, fails to deliver the right message and simply disappears into the noisy competition for marketing stand,” concludes Lerm.

Contact us on t 0861.321.777 to discuss how we can turn your brand into a Brand Diamond!

To give a brief summary of the various Generations, there are the Baby Boomers who were born between 1946 and 1964 (46-64yrs). Then there comes Generation X (aka the Rebels), who were born between 1961 and 1981 (29-49yrs). Following this is Generation Y (aka the Millennials) who were born between 1980 and the year 2000 (10-30yrs).

When it comes to internal communications you cannot use the same communication style that you would use for the Baby Boomers and apply it to the younger generations as the message you are trying to convey will be lost on the younger ones and vice versa.

Often you find that in large corporations the Baby Boomers Generation are the leaders and managers and may be reluctant to adopt online and digital media channels to communicate with their employees, which in most cases are made up by a big portion of Millennials, who want to be communicated with in a different way and are comfortable with digital media.

As an example, a manager from the Baby Boomers generation may prefer to hand write a memo that they place on an employee’s desk – whereas a Millennial employee would prefer an email to go to their inbox that they can retrieve via their laptops or cell phones.
Then we come to employees from within Generation X. Also often the leaders and managers in companies – they have a strong sense of individualism and are also very diverse in aspects of society such as race, class, religion, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Generation X, although not born in the digital age, are eager adopters of online media.

Millennials, or Generation Y, make up the biggest portion of the workforce in South Africa. They are achievement-orientated employees and super multi-taskers who like to work in teams and embrace challenges together. Digital media, email and sms are ideal ways to communicate with this generation, who are seen as ‘Digital Natives’ and thrive on communication via social sharing. (Interestingly, Google is losing their market share to Facebook due to searches being done on facebook instead of Google by the younger Generation Y members).

Check out the other related blog articles: Top Tips to Motivate your Team, Top 11 Staff Recognition Tips, Benefits of Internal Communication

FusionDesign have the Strategists on hand, to assist with Internal Communication Campaigns and R&R Programs – specially developed around your organisation Challenges & Goals. Contact Carmen on t 0861.321.777 to discuss your company goals.

What does effective corporate communication bring >
A unity of purpose and a synergy of energies. And that’s more than just a neat rhyme. Effective communication, ultimately, is communication that gets everyone to understand and assimilate the goals and values of the company into their very DNA. If that sounds like more than just the odd motivational e-mail to ‘All At:’ and a couple of posters in the canteen, it certain is.

Some of the content FusionDesign can deliver, from Concept to Execution >

• Internal staff drives to educate and motivate
• Rewards and Recognition programmes
• Conferences (invites, website, event organisation, everything)
• Purposeful teambuilding
• Relationship maintenance with all stakeholders, internal and external

In any successful business, people know what their brand stands for, what their roles are, and what excellence is. And it shows. If you want your brand to stand out, allow our experienced FusionDesign team to develop a custom-made corporate communication strategy that will renew your business from the inside out.

Here are some shining examples of projects completed by FusionDesign through our skills and tools to execute any campaign, from Strategy, Marketing, On- and Offline Advertising and Design >

Caltex and Chevron >

Campaign educating fuel retailers throughout Africa on a new ordering procedure, the emphasis on conveying technical information in a simple way.

MTN Banking and Standard Bank >

Campaigns include an educational drive aimed at Standard Bank staff around MTN Banking accounts; a motivational drive to call centre staff; and an integrated campus campaign promoting the service.

Metrolpolitan Health – IiP Accreditation>

Internal campaign motivating a workforce of 3000+ to achieve an international certification of excellence, in the process addressing key issues such as Communication, Performance Management and Rewards and Recognition.

Government Medical Aid >

Various internal campaigns for this first-of-its-kind government medical aid scheme. Included educational drives around the product and communicating the goals and organisational plan of the business to staff in an accessible way.

PetroSA  >

A fun, uplifting corporate yearbook celebrating the pride, passion and unity experienced during the World Cup, from the perspective of all stakeholders in the business.

TNS Research Surveys >

Conceptualising and producing all necessary material for a major global conference for the world’s leading market research company.

Hylton Ross Touring >

Creating a teambuilding getaway where staff learned the core values of the business and the importance of their unique roles. Currently our service includes ongoing ‘relationship maintenance’ communication between management and all stakeholders.

City Sightseeing Cape Town >

A detailed communications plan educating employees on the values of the company, with an emphasis on integrity: how it must pervade all aspects of the business and its importance as a criterion in performance management.

allaboutXpert >

A vibrant new brand identity, including name development for merged Xpert Group and allabout projectmanagement. The nine company values AND nine project management values of the new merged company, allaboutXpert, was represented in a colourful, simple and effective slick corporate signature.

As specialists in corporate communication, we have the ability to transform your business into a brand diamond, by channeling all your energies in the same direction. Every business has a plan, for example, but does everyone know what it is? And more importantly, do they buy into it?

In the words of George Bernard Shaw: “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”

PetroSA's Annual Yearbook served as a Momento to staff of the year that passed, the lessons learned, the value of being participative throughout the Soccer World Cup and Beyond.

Communicate to Motivate – Top Tips
Ask employees what they want out of work > Just knowing that a boss or manager is interested in their goals will make many workers feel better about their jobs. For meaningful motivation, find out what projects they enjoyed working on in the past, then see if aspects of that project can be repeated.
Bear in mind each employee’s personality > If you’re planning a ceremony to hand out awards or other forms of recognition, remember that some people love the limelight while others would much prefer being acknowledged more quietly in person.
Treat communication like a game of tennis > In any discussion or verbal interchange, make sure you always give the other person their share of the air time. Don’t monopolise or interrupt.
You have two ears and one mouth > Remember to use them in that proportion. Listening is often the greatest gift you can give someone. Listen actively, with your mind and body focused on them, not passively by just using your ears. Give them your full attention.
Don’t forget Humour & Fun > Scott Adams, creator of brilliant Dilbert comic strip, points out many of the communication flaws in corporate life with his incisive humour. If you find a comic strip that speaks to a relevant issue in your organisation, use it as part of your communication when addressing said issue.

As always we put our hearts into Projects to create Communication Tools that bring all the staff together and remind them of what their values are.

Contact us on t 0861.321.777 to discuss how we can turn your brand into a Brand Diamond!

It’s also a time where our lives have become busier and our jobs more specialised and complex than ever. We have less time, and invariably neglect that most timeless and essential of disciplines: communication.

We say ‘discipline’ because clear and effective communication within a business context doesn’t happen by accident.

It comes as a result of deliberate implementation of a strategic message. For example, getting all necessary stakeholders to understand and take ownership of the organisational plan. And not by using corporate speak or jargon, but in as plain English as is possible.

The benefits of effective corporate communication >
• Improved staff retention
• Enlightened staff become ambassadors for your brand
• Increased job satisfaction and productivity
• Improved personal and professional relationships
• Better utilisation of resources

FusionDesign Developed with the Senior Manager of Internal Communications a 3 Month Campaign to ensure that Metropolitan Health Group Achieve their IiP Status (Investors in People Accreditation)

Creative and fresh communication ideas will help break through and entrench your message, and for this you will do well to hire the specialists. FusionDesign, a small (read nimble) and experienced team of multi-skilled communicators can Fusionize your business with strategic and engaging work that achieves your goals.

So Contact Us on 0861 321 777, and let’s get the communication going.

How to do this? One of the cornerstones of business success remains the age old activity of marketing. Nothing new here, BUT, not all marketing is equal and you may be spending time and money marketing your product, but still not reaching your audience and selling as much as you would like.

The problem? Consumers these days are increasingly hard to reach and convince.  Money is tight and people are not as easily persuaded to part with their hard earned cash – in fact, the price of a product is not the only convincing factor to take into account and consumers also consider things such as the perceived benefits and what it can do for them.

In addition to this, consumers have needs and steps that they go through that persuades them to buy. If your marketing is not meeting those requirements it is probably the reasons your product is not selling as well as you might have hoped. Consider the following advise on how to improve your marketing in a way that converts consumers into your customers.

Toolkit of successful marketing campaigns >

1. Make people aware of your product > Consumers cannot purchase products that they are not aware of.  Evaluate whether you are targeting the right market with your message? Is your message accurate and informative?  Are you using the correct marketing stream? It’s important to remember that the solution is not always more marketing, because the problem may lie with who you are marketing towards, and what marketing vehicles you are using.For example, if you are marketing a product that would benefit young mothers, it would be a waste of time and effort to launch a campaign that features in business publications.  It is important to research and understand the target audience of your considered marketing vehicle to be sure you do not make mistakes.
2. Ensure consumers understand the benefits of your product > If you asked your customers what the benefits of your product are, would they know? Consumers don’t buy products solely based on price. Whilst price is of course factored in, consumers buy based on the benefits your product brings them.  Make sure that your marketing is centered on the benefits of your product and make sure they are appealing to your target audience.
   Create a list of the top three benefits of your product and use those consistently in your marketing message.
   For example, some people reading this may still remember a certain brand of toilet paper that promoted itself with the pay off line “Soft, strong and extra long”…
3. Ensure consumers feel your product has perceived value > Use the benefits of your product as mentioned above to create a perceived value – it is this perceived value that helps the sales of your product.
   If a customer cannot see value they will simply pass your product by. You must be sure to create that perceived value in your marketing message.
   Consumers need to see how your product meets their needs > Does your product make the lives of your customers easier?  Does it save them time or make them feel better? What need does your product satisfy? It is essential that you tell consumers why they NEED your product!
4. Make sure your product is accessible to them > Consumers can’t buy what is not available to them. If they hear about your product but it is not accessible, forget it.

Consumers want ease in obtaining and using your product. How can you make your product more accessible to them? Is it putting it in different locations? Distributing your product different? Perhaps it’s offering your product online. Evaluate the accessibility of your product and see if you need to make changes.
If, for example, you only sell through an online store you may be limiting your sales dramatically as potential customers may be hesitant or unable to shop online for various reasons.  Try and establish some points of distribution that are relevant to your product, a local supermarket, deli, hardware store etc.

These are just a few tips that we can share with you that will help hugely if you apply them to your marketing strategies.  But they are by no means the only ones – in fact this is just the tip of the iceberg really!

Stay tuned to the FusionDesign blog for more informative articles on marketing, buying behavior, generation approaches and much more…

Contact us on t 0861.321.777 to discuss how we can turn your brand into a Brand Diamond!

The solution? Well, other than the obvious such as paying staff handsomely and offering them perks – you need to introduce an ongoing R&R program. No – we are not referring to Rest and Recuperation but rather Rewards and Recognition programs that will drive staff, build brand ambassadors and foster a great positive team spirit!

Really important to note, is that Rewards and Recognition programs must become an ongoing, intrinsic aspect of your business and not a once off, every now and then happening.  Owners, managers and staff must become completely familiar with the program and accept it as part of the company ethos.

So how does one tackle a Rewards and Recognition program I hear you ask?  Below are FusionDesigns top 11 tips to make your R&R program successful:

1. Make sure the R&R program is a formal one, with clear guidelines and objectives and that it is planned and budgeted for.
2. Create a formal program with many informal recognition opportunities. Its great to get a pat on the back from the CEO when you least expected it, right?
3. Remember: what managers may see as a reward, may not be experienced in the same light by staff, so get them to help you develop your R&R program.
4. Structure and clear communication is key to the success of a R&R program.
5. Communicate the program directly and with face-to-face discussions.
6. Now, link your induction program into you R&R and make the execution vibrant and exciting!
7. Don’t keep R&R quiet – publicly recognize staff.
8. This is an ONGOING process and require regular and ongoing traction.
9. Market your R & R internally.  Factor into the costs a communications plan – how, when and where will you communicate your consistent message to staff.
10. Often it is NOT the individual who seeks Rewards & Recognition, but the team. There is no space for individual hero’s in Generation Y. It is all about US!  See our Generations Blog Article.
11. And finally – have fun!  Remember that you are ultimately ensuring the future sustainability of your company through a well structured and consistently implemented Rewards & Recognition programme.

For more insight and to get to know your staff better, study our summaries on slideshare – showing the generations and their habits.

FusionDesign have the Strategists on hand, to assist with internal campaigns and R&R programs. Contact Carmen on t 0861.321.777 to discuss your company goals.

People generally battle to box themselves into an LSM. So for the purpose of Marketing Strategies and Internal Staff Communication look at your target market by dividing them into Generations – this is part of doing an Outside-In Marketing Strategy.

Each generation is different. Raised differently, exposed to different external influences, with different values and norms – we are all shaped by the generation in which we are born and raised and this affects the way we look at the world around us, our responses and expectations. View Current Integrated Marketing Projects: www.fusiondesign.co.za

Here is a summary of the various Generations:

The Baby Boom Generation > (+-1946 – 1964) So called because of the great increase in birth rates following World War II – Baby Boomers are associated with a redefinition of traditional values and one of the key features of Boomers are that they tend to think of themselves as a special and hard working generation. Taking age and technological advances into mind, when exposing Baby Boomers to Online & Digital media, take into consideration the categories: Avoiders, Reluctant Adopters and Eager Adopters, with some never being able to convert!

The GenerationX > (+- 1961 – 1981) seen by the baby boomers as the REBELS – Generation X have a strong sense of individualism, possibly effected by the formation of the ANC and the Republic of South Africa in 1961, and are also very diverse in aspects of society such as race, class, religion, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. In the workplace, Generation X value the freedom to set their own hours through flexi-time.  As with Baby Boomers, when exposing Generation X to Online & Digital media you need to take into consideration that a big portion were born before the existence of digital technology and have had to adopt it.

The Millennials / GenerationY > (+- 1980 – 2000) Generation Y probably make up the biggest portion of the workforce and are achievement-orientated employees, skilled multi-taskers who may constantly yearn for your attention and guidance. Millennials like to work in teams and embrace challenges together (ubuntu) – possibly influenced through social networking and sharing, plus the end of Apartheid in 1994. Depending on their social & economic conditions, the Millennials are seen as the Digital Natives. They thrive in Communication via Social Sharing, Email & sms.

Millennials are also known as the Eco Boomers, due to the increased awareness of their health & environment responsibilities.

Generation C (+-March 12, 1988 – April 24, 1993) – This is a generation within GenerationY, and are known as the CONTENT generation, with the web at their fingertips and heaps of applications on their iPhones to share content.

When FusionDesign turned 10 (time flies when you are having fun!) we wanted to generate a buzz around our 10-year anniversary, plus the fact that we do more than just design, but we Build Brand Diamonds! So, the Fusionites felt it was essential that our online presence communicated this. View our Website & Portfolio on www.fusiondesign.co.za

Integrated Campaign: google ads, regular newsletters, personalised emails, a facebook page, our micro site (interactive adding a bit of fun, with the diamond metaphor). And, off course our FusionGlobe blog to drive traffic to the website.

Top 10 Most Important Elements of a Web Site:

Online, your website can go a long way in creating a good first impression about your company, it is after all your online shop/office-front, the receptionist should be helpful! A few simple tricks make the difference between an corporate website design and a great one. Here are 10 tips to consider, before you start:

1. First impressions & Purpose + Objectives > Often, this is the first point of contact for your potential customers (or just to check you out!). Establish the impact the website must have on visitors & what they will look for. Ask yourself what is the Purpose: Do you want to provide information, close a sale, generate a database for leads?

Within the first month of launching, FusionDesign received two quality leads through the website that converted to sales! They both commented on the ease of getting info and liked that it was not to flashy, but had a bit of creativity especially when looking at the About Us page.

2. Layout & Navigation > Consistency and Strategic placement of information and cross-linking, makes for a website that gives answers to any possible questions/need within 2-3 clicks!

The Fusionites spent weeeeks on on the sitemap and layout!! We decided on a theme per landing page, and a main message per page that is featured right at the top. The website contains bulleted text and descriptive headings for scan ability as well as links and cross-linking for easier navigation when a user is doing research about FusionDesign.

3. Target Market relevancy > Get out of your comfort zone and get into the heads of your current and potential clients – personalities and the way the do business and what is important to them.

In the Case of FusionDesign: We focused strongly on a look and feel, as well as copy and navigation that is to the point and meets the expectations of our target market needs – which is made up of two main personas, namely the Red Personality and Yellow Personality.

THE Fusion Client Persona

4. Content > Content is King! Does it say all you want, quickly and clearly? The Web Copywriter should work according to the sitemap and keyword research to make sure the Content & Design works together.

• Keywords in title tag, h1/h2 etc tags, alt text, URL and site links
• High keyword density in body, preferably near beginning
• Small Pages <30k
• Themed pages
• Copy in pockets in narrow paragraphs
• Internal cross linking

Fusionites decided on a certain tone for the copy, corporate but friendly – avoiding the usual jargon agencies use. We made sure all Images had their carefully crafted ALT tags, meta tags & title tags with keywords that concentrate on a call to action. The homepage offers a link to our blog, (search engine crawlers/spiders like it when you have content that changes regularly).

5. Usability and accessibility > Web accessibility is about making your website accessible to all Internet users regardless of what browsing technology they’re using or slow internet connection.

• Provide meaningful information in the title, h1/h2 and image alt tags
• Have the most useful information near the top
• Have pages that load fast
• Have meaningful link text
• Gives user control over pages, e.g. resizing text
• Include a text-based sitemap

6. The client gets what the client wants > Good corporate website design is all about avoiding customer needing to use their brainpower to find info. Do not make headings to fancy – sometimes plain and simple is what people recognise i.e. Contact Us. Stay away from irritants like music (unless you’re in that business), make sure there’s an option to turn it off.

7. Good Visual Design > Blend elements of your Corporate Identity to create an Online Identity.

Visually it is professional and uncluttered but with elements of fun and a dash of colour. Amongst the design elements it was agreed that there needs to be a consistent look throughout the website.

8. Compatibility > Before you announce your website to the world, check that it works on all browsers. Remember what it’s like not to find that newly advertised chocolate on the shelves – well, a website that doesn’t show up is a similar feeling!

9. Tie up the loose links > If you are re-doing your website remember to do the re-directs to the new site. Standard “page not found” messages is not good, alternatively make sure you have a 404 page set up, with links back to the home page.

10. Launch & Adapt > Set up Google Analytics and start Marketing your Website to see where the traffic comes from and what the searched terms are. Take into consideration feedback that you get and adapt your website accordingly.

A Website should not be done in isolation, an Integrated Strategy of

Online Marketing must be in place for Success.

Contact us on t 0861.321.777 to discuss for we can turn your brand into a Brand Diamond!

SA Celebs on Twitter

South Africa is the 10th most represented nation on Twitter (by number of users) and there are a number of South African celebrities, companies and services on Twitter.

It is also the 7th most visited site in South Africa . The power for your business lies in the number of South Africans on Twitter – there are 100 000s of South Africans signed up on Twitter, and their Twitter stream (should they follow you) provides a very direct way for you to reach them!

The fastest way to find them is by finding some of the more popular South Africans on Twitter, and starting to follow their followers.  Your stream will initially appear quite cluttered, but you will soon be able to remove those you have followed from your Twitter stream.  You can see where a Twitter user is based so make sure you follow only those who you think will benefit from following you based on your location.

A word of caution - there is a ratio of followers to follows which you must stick to at all times – if you have no followers, but try and follow 1000s of people, Twitter will stop you from following people until you have gained more followers.

For lists of South Africans and South African companies on Twitter, click here (http://rwrant.co.za/2010/04/13/noteworthy-south-african-twitter-users/), here (http://twitterholic.com/top100/followers/bylocation/South+Africa/) and here (http://twitter.com/#/list/ArthurCVanWyk/south-africans-on-twitter).

South African Celebs on Twitter

South African news agencies and websites like News24, IOL, TimesLive, Mail and Guardian, SABC, EWN (and 702 and 567 talk radio) and 5fm are all on Twitter and local celebrities like Casper Rasper, Gareth Cliff, Koos Kombuis, Charlize Theron, Barry Ronge, Khanyi Mbau, Graeme Smith, Victor Matfield, Zapiro, Leanne Manas and Bryan Habana (to name but a few) can also be found and followed.  Latest tweets from your favorite celebs, whatever your flava, herewith a list with top  SA celebs on Twitter to choose from.

The great thing about Twitter is how you can connect to your stakeholders and grow your business.

Check out the other related blog articles: what is twitter?,  what is the point of twitter and twitter for your business.

Thinking twitter can benefit your business contact us on t 0861.321.777 to discuss.