The Importance Of Challenging What You Know Posted by John Assalian on January 6, 2022 Too often in marketing, we allow the strategies we have always relied upon to distract us from new avenues for growth. Marketing is fluid, and the moment you think you’ve got it all figured out is the same moment that the script is flipped and you find yourself on the outside looking in. This is the perpetual cycle of business, and the only way out is through. The tactics that once easily won in the marketplace can quickly become antiquated and even detrimental to your continued success. Being aware of this is the first step to staying ahead of the curve, but with awareness comes the responsibility to act. Try new strategies. Experiment with workflows you’re unsure of. Don’t take anything for granted. By doing so, you won’t just reveal the actual value of what you think you know, but also new methods and practices that can only be discovered through iteration. Below, I share six tips based on assumptions we ought to rethink. There isn’t much differentiation between ‘awareness’ and ‘demand.’ In today’s world, there is no shortage of contact data for B2B audiences, and channels where you can reach them on a 1-1 basis are numerous. Awareness and demand tactics are no longer that different. It is high time to test your assumption that some activities are “awareness” and some are “demand.” The distinction may be a relic. Don’t ignore home-grown leads in favor of paid platforms. Viable leads for B2B marketing are coming less and less from social media sources or digital tactics. Yes, there are many platforms out there that purport to reach your B2B customers, but when you truly measure the benefits, do they stack up? Probably not. Some platforms talk about ABM (account-based marketing) and building contextual awareness of buying groups, but for B2B marketing the data is already there. You just need to get the data, have a strategy, communicate your value proposition and make an offer. Put your strategies to the test. The truth is that most marketing problems are strategic problems. The tactic hasn’t been tested, validated or shown to have product/market fit. You need to figure out the most effective elements of each strategy by putting them to the test, seeing what does and doesn’t work, and iterating based on your findings until you discover the optimal combination. Experiment with new types of offers. Try targeting different job titles and industries. You should always be ready to pivot to a new strategy to maintain the growth cycle as markets change. Don’t make assumptions about your target market. Marketing is empirical. Only with validation can we say we know anything, and that validation comes in the form of revenue. That’s why you need the hard facts about who you’re marketing to. Document your ICP (ideal customer profile). Work with sales to pull a target contact list based on this profile. Pull the ecosystem — B2B is always a group decision — as colleagues will forward relevant emails to others to pursue. Through this process, relevant leads will reveal themselves to you and serve as a guide for how to build the most effective strategies. Find creative ways to use the data you already have. While you may think a lack of data is one of the problems you face, chances are you already have more than enough. The real question is, are you extracting the right insights? Contact data typically gives you a lot of information about the people at a company or an account you want to connect with. The data will include information like LinkedIn profiles or phone numbers, viable points of contact that should be taken advantage of. You can even use contact data to triangulate your first-party data. There are many vendors that can help, so choose wisely and make sure the data is up to date. You never know when the timing will be right. Timing is everything. You may have the exact right target — the question is: When are they ready to make a move? It’s hard to know (sorry, the AI isn’t there yet), so it’s essential to be persistent, focused and determined. People do not choose your competition because you marketed to them too much. When someone chooses your competition, find out why and market against it. You can’t take anything for granted in the world of marketing, even the strategies that you’ve traditionally been able to rely on. In fact, the success of those exact strategies may be distracting you from ways that they can be improved or new processes that you have yet to try. In marketing, the only way for us to arrive at the truth is through trial and error. If you believe something to be true, challenge that notion by testing it out and letting the results speak for themselves. By doing so, you’ll not only gain a deeper understanding of your current strategies but also the ability to respond quickly to changes in the market by pivoting to more effective methods when necessary. Read the Forbes article here.
Chief Marketer Names Viewstream to the 2022 CM200 Posted by John Assalian on December 7, 2021 Viewstream is proud to announce that we have once again been selected by the editors of Chief Marketer for the CM200, a carefully curated list of the top 200 marketing agencies for the coming year. The CM200 was created to call attention to the most exciting agencies across a variety of disciplines, and we are honored to be included as one of the selections in the Digital/Content category. Viewstream was selected for inclusion based on the 11 new Telly Awards we have added to our ever-growing collection, as well as our work with a host of new clients, including Intel and T-Mobile, as well as existing clients like Microsoft, Adobe, and Boston Dynamics. Interested in what it takes to be one of the top marketing agencies in the entire U.S.? Check out some of the award-winning content we’ve produced for a diverse array of clients or get in touch today to discover what Viewstream can create for you.
Project Spotlight – October 2021 Posted by John Assalian on November 11, 2021 VIDEO University of Missouri Video This project was developed by the University of Missouri – Kansas City, funded by and produced for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The video series was created to bring attention to the goal of eradicating the HIV epidemic, especially in the hardest-hit communities. This series was created in both English and Spanish to make it more accessible to as many people as possible. Bright colors and a fun animation style approach were used in hopes of holding viewers’ attention on a very data-driven subject matter. “I was excited to be a part of this series that aims to spread important, life-saving information. The biggest challenge in a series like this is making it entertaining, yet still easy to follow. It was a fulfilling project to be involved with, for sure!” Kim WhiteMotion Designer & Video Editor ARTICLE Bring Out the Cool Lumber. Software for HR. Insurance brokerages. Cleaning supplies. Drilling solutions. On the surface, these are decidedly unsexy products. But underneath, they solve real customer pain points and needs. Someone cares deeply about some aspect of all products. The question is: How do you bring out the cool? Read on to discover how to bring out the “sexy” in your products. Read More John AssalianFounder + CEOjohn@viewstream.com CREATIVE PROJECT I am an Autodesker Creating engaging and authentic video content doesn’t always require a big budget. Autodesk had an urgent need to tell their “Autodesker” story for a quickly approaching Brand launch. Utilizing self-recorded testimonials captured via Zoom, Viewstream quickly established a creative approach and edited together an authentic video using the words of Autodesk employees and families. View Video “This video project was especially fun. I loved seeing so many happy people who are proud to be a part of something. I’ve been working directly with Autodesk for over 14 years so I feel like I’m an Autodesker too.” Adam ZacekVP of Accountsazacek@viewstream.com CREATIVE PROJECT A Winning Roadmap Unanet tapped Viewstream for a broad-reaching creative campaign to promote their highly coveted 2021 GAUGE Report. Commonly referred to as “the best resource available for benchmarking a firm’s metrics against the GovCon industry” Viewstream designed a high-impact Landing Page, Email template as well as Display/Social Ads to inspire interest and encourage downloads of Unanet’s government contracting report. Safe to say, this campaign had the roadmap to success. View Landing Page “Unanet’s annual GAUGE Report is such a key resource for the GovCon industry, so I took great pleasure in helping manage and guide this highly-focused and targeted campaign. As a result, we were able to reach a responsive audience excited to access the report and apply its relevant content to their business – thus making a positive impact on their bottom line for years to come.” Jeff CarterAccount Managerjcarter@viewstream.com DID YOU KNOW? Viewstream does “Brand to Demand” Delivering the full creative strategy arc, from brand conception to demand generation. We produce award winning creative to tell your story, deploy disruptive digital media strategies, and win in the marketplace. This is ‘brand to demand’. Download our capabilities deck to learn more. Best regards,The Team @ Viewstream
Project Spotlight – September 2021 Posted by John Assalian on September 28, 2021 CREATIVE PROJECT Adobe Partner Portal The Adobe Video, Motion, and Audio Partner Program Portal was created to showcase the hundreds of industry-leading solutions that are transforming the way motion-rich content is being created by Adobe customers. The portal helps Adobe customers search for solutions that best fit their creative workflows and allows existing partners to showcase their solutions and access tools and resources to grow their partnership with Adobe. “Adobe has managed to curate a diverse group of partners who provide creative solutions for producing motion-rich content. They approached us to help organize their partner assets and provide an easy way for customers to find partners that fit their own creative workflow. The portal solution that we created allows Adobe to nurture the relationships they have built with existing partners and enroll new partners going forward.” Don Sparks Director of Account Strategydsparks@viewstream.com VIDEO Willdan – “We Do That” Willdan provides professional technical and consulting services to public and private utilities, public agencies at all levels of government, and commercial and industrial firms. Willdan wanted to create a company overview video that also featured customer testimonial to reinforce key messaging. With a deep bench of projects serving the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction industries, Willdan found a partner in Viewstream that understands their businesses and challenges. “The Viewstream Video Production Team spent two days onsite at Willdan headquarters in Anaheim, CA to film this video. We captured sincere testimonial from company clients and from key company executives. In post-production we apply motion-creative and insightful storytelling skills to make for a lively and informative viewing experience.“ Andrew Assalian SVP Operations & Accountsaassalian@viewstream.com ARTICLE 5 Flywheels For Go To Market Success Go-to-market is your overall marketing program to win in the marketplace. A successful strategy needs to communicate to audiences your unique value proposition, get prospects into your sales cycle, and then continuously earn revenue from them over the longest possible period of time. As Peter Drucker, the founder of modern business management, emphatically wrote, “…the business enterprise has two—and only two—basic functions: marketing and innovation.” This article covers the first function: marketing… Read More John AssalianCEOjohn@viewstream.com CREATIVE PROJECT Microsoft Partner Communications A partner’s source for sales play information, Plays-in-a-Box (PiBs) bring together capacity and enablement, go-to-market, and co-selling resources by solution area. Microsoft PiBs align with six solution areas: Business Applications, Data, and AI, Digital and App Innovation, Infrastructure, Modern Workplace and Surface, and Security. Each PiB provides the tools a partner needs to help their customers with their digital transformation. All plays are packaged in a simple, easy-to-use format. “Organizations as expansive as Microsoft often struggle to enable their partner sales initiatives while maintaining alignment and consistency with the main brand. We at Viewstream always enjoy the challenge of marrying strategy and utility with beautiful creative and a delightful end-user experience.” Rob McLay VP of Creativermclay@viewstream.com DID YOU KNOW? Viewstream does “Brand to Demand” Delivering the full creative strategy arc, from brand conception to demand generation. We produce award-winning creative to tell your story, deploy disruptive digital media strategies, and win in the marketplace. This is ‘brand to demand’. Download our capabilities deck to learn more. Best regards,The Team @ Viewstream
Project Spotlight – August 2021 Posted by John Assalian on September 13, 2021 VIDEO Autodesk Smart Cities As the global leader in “Design and Make” software for the AEC industry, being at the cutting edge of thought leadership is crucial. Autodesk looked to Viewstream to help craft The Future of Making Things story through a series of videos on complex topics such as Generative Design, DFMA, IoT, Robotics, and their spotlight: Smart Cities. The team at Viewstream took this project from initial discovery interviews to on-site video production at Autodesk offices in Toronto and Boston, through post-production and final delivery. “An in-depth discovery process is crucial to create successful thought leadership videos. Smart Cities is a great example of getting under the hood of a topic through pre-interviews and then reverse engineering to craft the desired narrative. Autodesk was able to approve the exact story on paper before we arrived onsite to roll camera.” Adam Zacek Director of Accountsazacek@viewstream.com ARTICLE 12 Practices To Grow Your Business With Video In the contemporary digital world, video is a popular medium of choice for everyone from Generation Z to boomers. I lead a creative digital agency that specializes in video marketing. Business owners and clients continually report positive ROI using video in their marketing. Users consistently cite product videos as helpful in their purchase decision. Video can be a powerful driver in boosting conversions and increases sales. With the compelling value propositions, video is worth the investment to grow your business. Here are 12 best practices to maximize your ROI with video… Read More John AssalianCEOjohn@viewstream.com CREATIVE PROJECT AWS and Deloitte Microsite PROJECT DELIVERABLES: Microsite Design & Development, 2 PDF Lead Magnets – Copywritten and Designed, Media Plan/Buy/Management + Ad Creative Production Viewstream developed a (digital) marketing campaign for the Amazon Web Services and Deloitte partnership to drive awareness of Mainframe Migration and the overall AWS and Deloitte solution. By creating urgency in the marketplace and communicating how enterprises can transform their mainframe legacy applications and migrate to the AWS Cloud, we were able to deliver high-quality and targeted leads to the Deloitte sales organization. “This whole campaign centered around clearly communicating the benefits to the target audience, including streamlining modernization process, increasing business agility, realizing cost savings and enabling staff transition.” Maureen Serrao ColeVP of Accountsmcole@viewstream.com DID YOU KNOW? Viewstream does “Brand to Demand” Delivering the full creative strategy arc, from brand conception to demand generation. We produce award-winning creative to tell your story, deploy disruptive digital media strategies, and win in the marketplace. This is “brand to demand”. Download our capabilities deck to learn more. Best regards,The Team @ Viewstream
Project Spotlight – July 2021 Posted by John Assalian on August 10, 2021 CREATIVE PROJECT Microsoft – Play-in-a-Box PROJECT DELIVERABLES: Play-in-a-Box Website, Presentations, and Videos Viewstream teamed up with Microsoft to launch the US Partner Play-in-a-Box (PiBs) resources for 14 FY22 Sales Plays spanning six key solution areas. The sales plays are specifically designed to get partners selling fast with key Microsoft solution areas like Data and AI, as well help drive customer acquisition and revenue. The resources included presentations and videos for each play, as well as the various communications to launch the program internally. “Viewstream created a set of diverse resources for Microsoft’s internal sales teams and partners that are easy to use and understand; they are also flexible and adaptive. We have a high standard for visual communication, and our creators maintained this while keeping the assets open to the changing needs of a rapidly evolving sales environment.” Bill KutschCreative Directorbkutsch@viewstream.com VIDEO Altais – Overview Video Altais is transforming patient care and creating better experiences for physicians and clinicians through their eNable platform. Viewstream created an uplifting, fast-paced video to communicate the impact this platform can have for healthcare professionals seeking to develop deeper relationships with those they serve. “From the concept and scripting to design and editing, every element of this video came together perfectly. It’s truly a great example of what Viewstream can do when we combine our various talents in pursuit of impactful storytelling.” John HoltonExecutive Producerjholton@viewstream.com DID YOU KNOW? Viewstream does Virtual Events Whether it’s for an audience of millions or a small sales conference, Viewstream creates lasting impressions with our Virtual Events practice. Since COVID, our practice has grown significantly for clients like Adobe, Deloitte Digital, CDW, ESRI, and a lot more. Recently we partnered with MEZ Creative and Intersect ENT to deliver the best experience for all viewers for their annual sales conference, now done online. Events can feature thirty-plus video presentations, live moderated chat, zoom conferences, and a lot more. Connect with us for a private demonstration and learn how we change businesses with our virtual event practice. Email john@viewstream.com to schedule a demo. Best regards,The Team @ Viewstream
Project Spotlight – June 2021 Posted by John Assalian on July 15, 2021 VIDEO Emerge – Agent Sizzle Video Emerge is reinventing freight procurement. Their Digital Freight Marketplace provides access to benchmarked rates and thousands of trusted partners to maximize cost savings. A key user persona for this marketplace is the Freight Agent. Viewstream was selected to produce a high-energy sizzle video showcasing the innovation of this technology and the unfair advantage it provides to the Agents that use the platform. “We do a lot of explainer videos for tech companies here at Viewstream, but every once in a while we get our hands on a truly exciting innovation. Emerge is doing some really disruptive stuff in an industry full of stale solutions. Putting together this aggressive, energetic piece was a real treat. The in-house marketing team was a joy to collaborate with and bounce ideas off, and the end result was something we were all proud of.” Aiden FishbeinAccount Directorafishbein@viewstream.com DOCUMENT DESIGN Cortex® Xpanse™ – Asset Rebranding PROJECT DELIVERABLES: White Papers, Case Studies, PowerPoint Presentations, Datasheets, Landing Pages, Email Templates, Infographics, Video Titles, Video Lower 3rds, Banner Ad Design With Palo Alto Network’s December 2020 acquisition of Expanse Inc. (a leader in attack surface management), the Expanse brand was primed and ready for a fresh make-over. With an in-house agency overseeing the transition to a new brand name (Cortex® Xpanse™), logo creation, and template development, the Viewstream team was tapped with a massive digital asset creation and rebranding initiative, including the development of over (30+) brand resources including White Papers, Case Studies, Datasheets and more to support and promote the all-new Cortex Xpanse product offering. “The security industry is fast-paced and extremely demanding of marketers — not all agencies can keep up. The Viewstream team is always ready and produces exceptional quality work. They fit in perfectly with our work processes and are a natural part of our team.”Alex Yakubov | Director, Demand Generation, Cortex “The 90-day rebranding initiative was an all-hands-on-deck project that tested Viewstream’s talented resource capacity, and we were able to meet the challenge head-on. In the end, the Viewstream team was able to successfully deliver 100% of the Cortex Xpanse assets on time and on budget. It was truly a huge win for everyone involved.” Jeff CarterAccount Managerjcarter@viewstream.com DID YOU KNOW? Viewstream does Remote Video Production How do you produce a documentary in the age of COVID-19? Using the Viewstream Virtual Studio, of course! The pandemic has made video production, from Hollywood features to corporate video content, difficult to produce. While we haven’t found a solution (yet) for contactless blockbusters, you CAN keep the conversation about your product alive, with the Viewstream Virtual Studio. Best regards,The Team @ Viewstream
Project Spotlight – May 2021 Posted by John Assalian on June 8, 2021 VIDEO Lexus Collision Assistance Lexus wanted an ultra-modern video to show off the collision assistance feature in its new app. Viewstream created a semi-futuristic 3D environment and made a complete 3D model of a Lexus vehicle to show viewers how the collision assistance feature works. “The middle section of this video features an interactive sequence where the phone user is performing a number of tasks in the workflow. To make this human-phone interaction sequence look true to life, Viewstream filmed a hand model in our production studio to make sure we get each swipe, each tap, and each gesture. In post-production, we accurately sync the hand movements to the pre-recorded app workflow.” Andrew AssalianSVP Accountsaassalian@viewstream.com WEBSITE Prosimo.io Launch Package Prosimo has come up with a radical new way to empower a true multi-cloud infrastructure strategy that allows users to deliver apps that are fast, secure and cost-optimized. As part of the full launch package production, and in addition to being tapped to design and develop the Prosimo.io website , Viewstream was tasked with distilling their technical offering into infographics that could transmit their value proposition cleanly, quickly, and beautifully. Deliverables: Infographic strategy and design, diagram design, presentation deck design, eBook design, website information architecture, design and development, video and motion graphic production, interactive infographic design and development, interactive assessment design and development, banner ad design. “It’s always a thrill to work with early-stage technology companies, but the Prosimo launch was particularly engaging. Conceiving of visuals and interactive experiences that communicate complex concepts such as “Application Experience Infrastructure”, was certainly a challenge, but we are incredibly proud of the end result. This project touched almost everyone at Viewstream at one stage or another. It was a full team affair and is a great example of the wide production skillset we offer.” Aiden FishbeinAccount Directorafishbein@viewstream.com Best regards,The Team @ Viewstream
Viewstream Recognized for Creative Excellence with Eleven 2021 Telly Awards Posted by John Assalian on May 26, 2021 Viewstream, the Brand-to-Demand Agency, received numerous accolades at the 42nd Annual Telly Awards. The Telly Awards, a premier award honoring outstanding creative work in video, film productions and digital marketing, presented Viewstream with 11 Telly Awards this year. Among tens of thousands of entries, Viewstream was recognized for its creative work supporting the products and brands of some of the largest companies in the world. Viewstream was presented with four Gold Telly Awards – the highest honor – for the agency’s work with Adobe Target, Scholastic Learning, Vistage Executive Summit and Global Touch. Viewstream added three Silver Awards and four Bronze Awards for 2021. “Our primary focus has always been to exceed our clients’ expectations with exceptional creative work in the area of digital marketing content,” said John Assalian, CEO of Viewstream. “Viewstream focuses on digital video tailored to our clients’ needs and thus, the awards demonstrate the range of our creative work. The customer needs drive the creative.” Viewstream’s Telly Awards Adobe Target – AI & Personalization 2021 TELLY AWARDS GOLD Craft-Use of 2D Animation for Promotional Video Toyota – Fleet Telematics 2021 TELLY AWARDS BRONZE Craft-Use of Animation for Promotional Video Pre K On My Way 2021 TELLY AWARDS GOLD Craft-Use of 2D Animation for Promotional Video Paypal Hyperwallet 2021 TELLY AWARDS SILVER General-Financial Services/Banking for Promotional Video Global Touch: Your Business Success 2021 TELLY AWARDS GOLD Craft-Motion Graphics / Design for Online Commercials Adobe Connect: EMS Training Center 2021 TELLY AWARDS SILVER General-Remote Production for Online Commercials Envase: Embrace what’s next 2021 TELLY AWARDS SILVER Craft-Art Direction for Promotional Video https://vimeo.com/488206517 Meet Zazu 2021 TELLY AWARDS BRONZE Craft-Use of Stock Footage for Online Commercials Standard Imaging 2021 TELLY AWARDS BRONZE General-Corporate Image for Promotional Video Adobe Connect 11 – What’s New? 2021 TELLY AWARDS BRONZE Craft-Use of Graphics for Promotional Video For more information, see the press release where Viewstream is noted. About The Telly Awards The Telly Awards are like the “Oscars” to digital and online video content creators. A prestigious judging panel of over 500 accomplished industry professionals, each a past winner of a Silver Telly and a member of The Silver Telly Council, judged the competition, upholding the historical standard of excellence that Telly represents. The Silver Council evaluated entries to recognize distinction in creative work – entries do not compete against each other – rather entries are judged against a high standard of merit. Less than 10% of entries are chosen as winners of the Silver Telly, while approximately 25% of entries are chosen as winners of the Bronze Telly. About Viewstream Viewstream is a digital B2B marketing agency that conceives, develops and engineers marketing for brands that include UPS, Microsoft, Adobe and PayPal as well as a range of startups and mid-market businesses. If you would like to schedule an interview with the CEO of Viewstream, John Assalian, please contact Phillip Bergman. See all award-winning Viewstream videos here and get in touch today for your next award-winning video!
A No-Fluff Guide To Branding Posted by John Assalian on April 8, 2021 If you’ve sat through a branding meeting recently, you’ve probably seen it: the slide deck filled with fuzzy, all-caps words like “authentic” and “caring,” fancy slides labeling your company as the “feisty underdog challenger” and all sorts of other fluff. (“Fluff” is the polite term for this type of thing; I can think of another word.) This isn’t branding. Or, at least, it’s not what branding should be. At its heart, a brand isn’t about a series of pretty words, but rather owning a favorable position in the customer’s consciousness. Do that and you’ve won the branding game. Here’s how: 1. Start With The Customer And Competitive Landscape Customers typically want to know what they can get from you, and why they should get it from your company instead of from someone else. Cut through the color schemes and fonts and lists of core values and ask yourself the following: What are people looking for from your company? And what are you already delivering? The answers to these questions are far more important than any buzzword or cliché. Think for a moment about the world’s best-known brands and you’ll see just how clear the customer value proposition is in your mind. For instance, I can’t list Apple’s core values off the top of my head, but I can tell you the company is known for creating beautiful, user-friendly devices. I can’t tell you anything about Nintendo’s latest branding deck, but I can tell you that it’s one of the world’s leading companies for family-friendly gaming. That’s what effective branding looks like. Remember that brands exist in a larger ecosystem. This is the real reason that design decisions like color schemes are so important — they set your company apart from the competition. I’ve seen branding decks that include a competitive landscape matrix where nearly every box next to the company’s name is checked off. This is a major red flag. If a branding agency is trying to convince you that your company can be all things to all people, it’s time to go elsewhere for your advice. 2. Prioritize Substance Over Style Many people think of branding largely in terms of logos, websites and other design elements. But you can have a sleek, modern design and customers still might not have any idea what your company does or why they should care. That’s why it’s important to start with strategy and then let that drive your design decisions. Another common mistake: People get bogged down with lengthy conversations about things like purpose, promise, tone and core values. Yes, these are important, but the leader of a company should be able to articulate these four things fairly quickly. This should be the easy part. The branding team should spend the bulk of its time and effort on more tangible things like competitive landscape, brand architecture, customer value proposition, customer pain points and go-to-market messaging. Even more importantly, these branding decisions must be backed up by action. Look at a company like Southwest Airlines. The brand is anchored by the idea that it takes care of its customers, but this lofty ideal doesn’t live solely in a branding deck. Instead, the airline takes concrete steps, such as allowing customers to change their flights without paying a fee. Any other airline can claim to be caring, but when customers get charged an extra $100 to switch to an earlier flight, they’ll instantly see through the branding nonsense. 3. Embrace Simplicity Beware of branding bloat. A client recently asked us to do specialized branding for their human resources department, but we turned down the project. “You already have a brand,” we told them. “Use the strength of that brand to recruit new employees.” Also, it’s usually a mistake to include a very large group of stakeholders in brand meetings. It’s great that branding is no longer just a marketing function, but conversations can quickly become muddled when branding teams are trying to please people from sales, human resources, corporate social responsibility and other departments. Make branding a strategic function that starts at the top. Finally, be incredibly skeptical when an agency rolls out an overly complicated branding methodology. Branding may not be “easy,” but when it’s done right, it tends to be fairly simple and straightforward. If a branding agency’s approach seems complex or tedious, cast a wary eye. And if they ask you to define 25 different terms before you even get started, run away. By taking a pragmatic, business-focused approach to branding, you can connect with your customers, set yourself apart from competitors and cut out the fluff — or whatever you want to call it. Read the full trends article here.