Creating Selling Opportunities RSS Feed

Branding: Worth Reading for Some Nuggets

Ann Iverson — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Not surprisingly, more and more brands are seeking fans on Facebook, according to a recent Brandweek article.

The article suggests that brands that do not take advantage of Facebook are missing opportunities, including the opportunity to reach millions and millions of people at no cost; social media measurement is still a huge challenge because to date no standards have been set. The article sites case several case histories. "Of the 15 most popular pages on the site, three belong to corporations: Coca-Cola, Starbucks and Skittles."

Do read the article for some great nuggets at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/koi-pond/id286420263?mt=8.

22-Nov-09 5:00 PM

Is The Consumer Decision-Making Process Changing?

Ann Iverson — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:00:00 GMT

We have generally assumed that the process consumers go through for making a purchasing decision is based on various touch points: awareness of a product or service, becoming interested in that product or service, forming positive attitudes and then making the purchase.

However, according to a recent McKinsey Quarterly newsletter, that process does not work any more because it does not recognize "all the touch points and key buying factors resulting from the explosion of product choices and digital channels, coupled with the emergence of an increasingly discerning, well-informed consumer."

McKinsey has labeled the new process "the consumer decision journey," and points out that by understanding that journey, "and directing their spending an messaging to the moments of maximum influence, they stand a much greater chance of reaching consumers in the right place at the right time with the right message."

Read more at: http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/The_consumer_decision_journey_2373

12-Aug-09 1:00 PM

Are Marketers At Risk For Cutting Budgets Significantly?

Ann Iverson — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 23:00:00 GMT

According to Forrester, marketers are cutting their marketing communications budgets significantly. Are their brands at risk? Yes!

A soft market can be an opportunity. Companies who increase their marketing communications budgets during recession experience a drop in ROI. However, these companies achieve greater market share gains; they are in a better position to reap post-recession profitability. (Strategic Planning Institute, PIMS database)

For more on Forrester go to: http://www.forrester.com/Research/Document/Excerpt/0,7211,47951,00.html.

25-Jul-09 6:00 PM

Advertisers And Their Advertising Agencies Are Not Taking Advantage Of Social Networks

Ann Iverson — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:00:00 GMT

According to BUSINESS WEEK, advertisers and their agencies are not taking advantage of communicating with their customers using social networks. They have not figured out how to effectively break through. That's because when consumers go to Facebook or My Space, they are more interested in socializing, i;.e. building relationships, re-connecting with past friends, or adding information to their profiles, etc.

"In sum, social networks and related tools are transforming the way companies communicate with consumers and potential consumers in profoundly interesting ways. In this light, questions of Facebook's valuation are at best mildly amusing to me. If, as I suspect, Facebook is at the vanguard of transforming how companies reach consumers, $10 billion will some day seem laughably small.

Now it's up to the advertising industry to get its collective head out of the sand and exploit this transformation to its advantage."

Read in depth at: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/may2009/tc20090527_635562.htm

28-May-09 12:00 PM

What Is A Brand?

Ann Iverson — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 19:00:00 GMT

We've all seen numerous definitions of a brand. Essentially a brand where a product or service "fits" in the consumer's mind.

That fit is all about a basketful of attributes made up of two key components: performance (what are you going to do for me today) and emotional rewards (how are you going to make me feel today).

Successful marketers have and continue to recognize those important components, with emotional rewards becoming more and more important given the sea of sameness in product and service offerings available today.

To better understand brands and branding, read UNDERSTANDING BRANDS BY10 PEOPLE WHO DO, edited by Don Cowley. It's available on Amazon.com.

19-Mar-09 2:00 PM

Digital Media Is Where You Can Engage Your Customers

Ann Iverson — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Consumers spend an extraordinary amount of time on the web, working, playing, searching, checking and more. According to Matt Greene of Blue Ribbon Consulting, to survive these days, marketers need to place significantly more of their marketing and media dollars on digital channels in order to win, or maybe even survive, in one of the most challenging environments marketers have ever faced. Read more: http://www.blueribbondigital.com/blog/

12-Mar-09 5:00 PM

Success Through Teamwork

Ann Iverson — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 19:15:00 GMT

Teamwork is very difficult to teach when it comes to decision-making. Practice helps. Exercises help. Often though some essential guidelines are not used to make decisions through consensus.

Read what Bob Frisch offers as tactics "which are designed to fix the decision-making process...and have far greater success in achieving real alignment." (http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/hbsp/hbr/articles/article.jsp?articleID=R0811J&ml_action=get-article&print=true&ml_issueid=BR0811)

21-Dec-08 1:15 PM

How To Define A Brand

Ann Iverson — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 16:00:00 GMT

There are tons of articles and journal articles that help us define brands. One simple truth is that to succeed in the sea of sameness world of branding, connecting with customers at their emotional level is essential. That is not to say that rational connections are not important.

Read what some British experts have to say at http://www.hdm-stuttgart.de/~britsch/nmdesdev/downloads/article/branding_4.pdf.

20-Dec-08 10:00 AM

Building Brands Through Community Efforts

Ann Iverson — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 15:00:00 GMT

More and more companies are instituting web grass roots efforts to build their brands. According to Umar Hague, a London economist and Havas Media Lab director, "By choosing to invest in consumers over advertising, Google is a living example of a deeper truth: The future of communications as advantage lies in talking less and listening more."

Read more, about brands like Zappos and Craigslist at http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/esearch/e3i5e732e045deaaba3ecab1948a0858e5b/

20-Dec-08 9:00 AM

Viral Video On The Rise

Ann Iverson — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:00:00 GMT

According to a recent study conducted by Feed Company, an online marketing company, more and more marketers are embracing viral video. "Over 70% of ad agency and media buying executives plan to increase their viral video marketing budgets next year, despite cutbacks in projected spending. (For more: http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_display/news-and-features/digital/e3i677aeab462cd125fa1225335b5a78b84)

14-Oct-08 3:00 PM

Creating Culinary Opportunities

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:33:16 GMT

How to cook authentic Italian cuisine in Houston... with Giuliano Hazan Join acclaimed cooking teacher, chef and author Giuliano Hazan, for hands-on, multicourse Italian cooking classes in a private kitchen. Learn special techniques and easy preparation for Italian meals while expanding your culinary skills. A worldwide consultant and entrepreneur, Giuliano began his education as a cook before he could reach the counter, and by age 17 was a hard-working assistant at Marcella Hazan’s renowned School of Classic Italian Cooking in Bologna. The only other place Giuliano offers hands-on classes is at his school in Italy at the renaissance Villa Giona in the heart of Verona’s wine country. Giuliano Hazan is the author of four critically acclaimed cookbooks and the recipient of the 2007 International Association of Culinary Professionals Cooking Teacher of the Year Award. His fourth, and newest book, THIRTY MINUTE PASTA, is now available on amazon.com. ...

Client Experience

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:01:11 GMT

Ann Iverson's considerable corporate, consumer and business-to-business marketing and marketing communications strategic experience includes a variety of clients, including: AIM Funds AlE Package Goods Products American Express (Medical Card) American Red Cross of Greater New York Axiom Design Group BBDO Beauty ID Betty Wong Design Bigler LP Browning Ferris Industries (now Waste Management) Camden Property Trust Cameron Christian Smith & Jewell LLP Clements, O'™Neill, Pierce, Wilkerson & Pierson (Now Howrey LLP) Compaq Computer (now Hewlett-Packard Company) Cordua Restaurants The Cultural Arts Council of Houston and Harris County* Dayton Community Development Corp. Exxon/Mobil Chemical Co. First Data Corporation Gateway Design Gardere Hands Consulting H.E. Butt Grocery Co. HL&P (now Reliant) Houston Cellular (now AT&T) Houston Grand Opera Houston Symphony JPMorgan Chase KFC Kraft/General Foods Middle South Utilities Morgan Personette...

Awards

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:01:43 GMT

Awards

In addition to providing the strategic leadership for award winning campaigns for companies like Shell, Kraft/General Foods, Southwest Bank of Texas, etc., Iverson has received the following awards:

American Advertising Federation Houston Chapter Distinguished Service Awards, 2007

American Advertising Federation Houston Chapter Silver Medal in 2004, for recognition of outstanding contributions to advertising, furthering the industry’s standards, creative excellence, and responsibility in areas of social concern.

Houston Graphics Communicator of the Year in 1984.

Branding and Positioning

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:51:44 GMT

Brand builder, creative facilitator and inspiring team leader, at the heart of Ann Iverson's fascination with her work over the years is her capacity to uncover new selling opportunities for her clients. Her method is to dig relentlessly for more insightful, more informed, more effective ways of looking at the market to reach customers. Studying customers until the world is seen through their eyes is part of her formula for successful branding. As a result, Iverson develops strategies and programs that reach those customers in new and highly profitable ways.

Iverson has lectured on strategic branding and positioning at various American Association of Advertising Agencies' training programs, Ogilvy’s training programs worldwide, Rice University, Houston Baptist University, New York University, Skidmore College, University of Texas, and The University of Houston. She has been the keynote speaker at various American Advertising Federation chapter clubs around the country. In addition, she teaches advertising at Rice University with an emphasis on strategic branding and positioning.

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noemail@anniverson.com — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:12:42 GMT

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2008-04-02T18:12:42Z

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