Legendary Strength in Simplicity

A key component of marketing and promoting a product is the development of a marketing strategy, based on the history, culture, and community associated with a brand. But, how should these items be structured when a brand is new, in development, or is being refreshed?

Customer Focus

The Sampson Data-Pattern Index (DPI) is a revolutionary computer technology that uses an original, internationally patented data structure devised by Wes Sampson, CPA and PhD. Dr. Sampson developed the Index to assist the U.S. Department of Defense with the tracking of certain security risks. The DPI facilitates product mix, OLAP, bookkeeping, inventory updates, and scheduling. New areas of operating-system reporting, such as reports of program stack content and tracking of objects, are also made easier.

As a marketing consultant for the Data-Pattern Index, I met with Dr. Sampson to plan the marketing materials needed to support the DPI. In order to build on the success Dr. Sampson was experiencing with the patent, funding, and development stages of the technology, we knew that a logo befitting the brand and invoking the strength represented by this “quantum leap” in innovation would be required.
As part of our creating a logo and theme for the marketing materials, our team also worked in tandem with Dr. Sampson to envision, rewrite, update, and produce materials for use with the funding stages of the Sampson Data-Pattern Index. This included the formats required by funding and enterprise development groups. We also assisted Dr. Sampson with the search for compatible technology and sales partners, as well as the selection of software development and allied firms for the Sampson DPI.

This search included relationship-development with technology firms in Silicon Valley, in addition to the Northwest, Boston area, and international markets, leading to lucrative sales contracts. The theme of a powerful logo, however, continued to prove elusive. Atomic structures, circuit-board layouts, and a number of different styles were explored. Popular at the time were “swoosh” and “semicircle” logo icons and logotype. None seemed to fit.

The Breakthrough

During one of our many meetings about the marketing strategy for the Sampson Data-Pattern Index, where we were discussing future events and how to showcase capabilities in an upcoming venture-capital group event, we finally had a breakthrough: Since Sampson was the name of the client, why not represent his intellectual strengths and expertise through a logo that made use of his name? The Greek god Sampson was associated with these positives, among others.

While variations of the name Heracles, Hercules, Samson, and Sampson all survived in historical and in Israelitic biblical texts, the name Sampson alone would immediately convey the strength of the Data-Pattern Index. What luck! The client, who initially demurred on the basis of humility, realized that this simple connection was a solid one, and the logo was constructed shortly thereafter, to great reception.

Why Can’t Everything Just Get Along?

Years ago, frustrated by YouTube’s lack of connectivity between devices, I called them on it. My gripe was that while I could access a video on my PC by copying/pasting the URL into my browser, plugging that same URL into the search window on my phone got me nowhere. To my surprise, YouTube implemented this fix. How satisfying! Unfortunately, this functionality vanished a year later, when Google acquired YouTube.

There are many examples of devices not playing nicely in the sandbox. For instance, in the early 2000s, you could purchase a full-color, touchscreen mobile device from Samsung (i300) that ran Palm OS and allowed the user to set a moving mobile wallpaper by adding the proper video file. The Apple iPhone did not offer users motion in a wallpaper until not that long ago, but even now will only allow images from Apple. It also used to be that with Alexa’s Spotify connection, you could tell Siri to skip to the next track and “she” would. This is no longer the case unless using Amazon Prime Music. These are just a few examples of functionality that hardware will allow, but is being blocked or even rolled back for business reasons.

Corporations have long understood that a silo mentality doesn’t work. When departments or groups within an organization are unwilling to share information or knowledge with other individuals in the same organization, it leads to communication problems, friction, counter-productivity – and it limits growth. In contrast, some companies have achieved unprecedented success simply by being open and cooperative with partners, customers, and prospects.

Today’s internet ecosystem allows for the interconnectivity of many rule sets, data streams, and functions. As firms mature, however, they often lose sight of the open and interactive landscape in favor of locking down revenue. When solutions and conveniences are limited to a private pool of functions, and a user is unable to take advantage of them, these firms are ultimately setting themselves up for failure.

Now that many platforms factor into the equation the “customer journey” – the complete sum of experiences that customers go through when interacting with a particular company and brand – the ability to carry a transaction (a full shopping cart, for example) across multiple devices is becoming increasingly available. Amazon seems to understand that browser experience across desktop, laptop, and mobile platforms must be seamless, no matter how many times users switch devices. Apple’s “Handoff” feature allows a user to instantly move whatever activity they’re doing to whatever device they want to continue doing it with.

The next generation of platforms will need to evolve in order to claim client market share away from outdated options. The user experience is what drives long-term revenue growth, expansion into new markets, and the true “word-of-mouth” that all marketing departments strive for. Adapting to a changing landscape, opening up platforms to modular use, and offering what customers are searching for – and demanding – is what will determine which firms flourish and which don’t.

The Best Logo of the 1990s, Today

Never underestimate the power of a good logotype. Logos, which provide a business with the means to instantly communicate its identity and branding, are the most powerful marketing tool known. The merger between Citicorp and Travelers Group, and the need to create a unified design representing the combined entity, led to one of the most innovative and memorable logotypes of record.

What’s in a Name?
While Citicorp, throughout the 1980s and 1990s, was undoubtedly one of the strongest financial services firms to expand and grow by customer addition and retention, the organization also added tremendous revenue by buying up other profitable concerns. In fact, Citicorp’s success in this arena during an era dominated by mergers and acquisitions is still a case study in flexible, sustained increase.

Enter Travelers Group
In 1998, Citicorp announced that it would merge with Travelers Group, a well-known insurance and financial concern, with tremendous potential for cross-selling and additional service offerings at existing locations. Every successful merger requires that the organizations’ operations be married at all levels, but what might stand out the most about this combination was the new entity’s legendary branding and logo.

Creating an Icon to Last
The design team that toiled to visually represent the merger of these two giants had several approaches they could take: Retire both icons and create an entirely new look and feel; take the colors of one and carry them over to the style of the other; or combine the two icons and create an emotive, solid look to the merger, one that would last for years to come. Decades, as it turned out. The stroke of genius that resulted incorporated the original feel of Citibank from the 1970s and 1980s and Travelers’ well-known umbrella icon.

This red umbrella was so beloved that several years after Travelers left Citi, as soon as it became available again, Travelers bought it back. Citi retained a red swash over its name, and the grace, simplicity, and power of its logo also endures.
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Herding Cats? NO, Sales Teams Are Dog Packs

The road to hiring solid business-development leaders can be littered with misjudgments and potentially costly mistakes. However, while it might appear that creating a winning sales team is more art than science, it absolutely is possible to establish a methodology that leads to success.

Who Sells the Sellers?
One of my favorite communities for salespeople and business development is Sales Gravy, which I discovered in the early 2000’s. Jeb Blount, the founder, is a career sales leader who understands the mindset of the seller and who early on recognized the need to connect online. The informal community that he built is now complete with forums, a strong presence on social media, and a steady growth plan. I was introduced to Sales Gravy purely by chance during the period of time I was running a realty brokerage and mortgage firm. While listening to podcasts, I found myself wishing that more guidance existed with regard to driving real estate sales. While Jeb’s podcast was not specific to that industry, it was very much applicable – both then and now. He succinctly discussed sales, the rigors of keeping up with both product knowledge and the marketplace, and, most important, he addressed the need for regular outbound prospecting to achieve sales success.

The ‘Aha’ Moment
If you google “better sales and [ANY INDUSTRY],” you will see that there are hundreds, maybe even thousands, of options being offered that all but guarantee better sales growth. Everything from more online advertising, to specialized software, to sales training, are all available for a modest investment – but not one of them is a magic bullet. In fact, there is a great article on SalesHQ (part of the Monster.com brand for job hunters) that details the Top 5 Fastest Growing Sales Jobs. It’s interesting because while the industries vary greatly (Realty, Insurance, Retail, Technology, Wholesalers), the key practices recommended to help a good seller grow into being a great one are identical across the board:

1. Keep Up With Your CRM
2. Know Your Inventory
3. Do Your Dials

Getting Good Sales Talent
“Want good sellers working for you? Pay ’em right.” This was the advice I received a decade ago from Lori Chmura, the second-generation owner and director of the Middleton Real Estate Academy. At the time I was attending classes there in broker ownership and contract law for my real estate broker licensing, Middleton was the highest-rated and most respected school for real estate licensing in Michigan. It really can be simple. Salespeople are good at sales because they are both outgoing and driven by financial reward. Selling is a career choice that rewards regular, intelligent, prospecting activity with opportunities to begin, and close, sales that pay. “Your raise starts when you do,” as one of my early sales mentors once told me.

Advice to the Pack Leaders
It’s not uncommon to hear people outside of the selling profession gripe about salespeople. Oft-heard complaints include: “So cheesy” and “impossible to deal with.” To grossly simplify, what lies at the heart of the matter is the difference between cats and dogs. Pet owners know that cats will always behave like cats: somewhat aloof and ultimately independent. They are trainable, but to a very limited degree. Dogs are the opposite. Like salespeople, they are always hungry for more, they are motivated by pecking order, and they are highly trainable when it comes to following the “boss.” When chaos rules and no lead orders are handed down, or when there are issues with regard to rewarding good behavior and punishing bad, the dogs are unhappy – and, more to the point, cease to function as a cohesive pack. However, when expectations are clearly set and enforced, and pack members understand that meeting these goals – or, better yet, exceeding them – will result in reward, the pack can be managed and will excel. If we can train Huskies to run the Iditarod, we can train the individuals on a sales team to follow the leader, assuming the leader leads. This will keep salespeople from being “cheesy” or “impossible” and will transform them into highly productive winners.