Wednesday, September 19, 2012

A Deeper Kind of Branding


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Expert Author Doug Shapiro
Hey there, my brothers and sisters!
Put on your miner's hat and make sure you packed a sandwich, because we're going even deeper into the idea of branding today.
When we talk about branding for artists, many of us tend to go straight to the celebrities.
You bring the masculine sensuality of Antonio Banderas with the voice of Fran Drescher.
You're Al Roker with Channing Tatum's dance moves.
Excellent! Now your targeted list of agents and casting directors have a mental short-hand for what you bring to the table.
But wait! There's more. Your brand must also reflect your values.
I'll share. When I was challenged to come up with my top two values, I discovered my main motivators are:
Love and Influence.
And now you can take out the sandwich I mentioned earlier because it's story time.
Recently, I was faced with a difficult decision. A brilliant composer/lyricist (and husband/wife) team, not to mention dear friends, had cast me in a reading of their musical. There was a top-notch group of artists participating and I was going to get to duet with one of my all-time best buddies from my teenage years in drama camp (French Woods, for those of you that are curious).
The creative team had shown up in the best possible way, sending scripts and recordings well in advance and I was incredibly excited to sink my teeth into a great project in its early stages.
Then I got the e-mail requesting me to sing a benefit for an incredibly successful theatre company.
A concert version of BABY.
With a group of Broadway powerhouses.
At the Lucille Lortel Theater.
With Richard Maltby and David Shire and the original cast in the audience.
In direct conflict with my friends' reading.
Oy.
Once I realized there was no way to do both, no matter how cleverly I enrolled both parties in my vision, I had a decision to make.
I am running a business. The concert was the better business decision.
This is where my values of Love and Influence come in. I will not leave people I love and respect in a difficult situation. When I know of a job opportunity, I am compelled to get one of my people in there.
I keep of list of guys who are a similar type and vocal range to me for the sole purpose of being able to make a recommendation when I can not take a gig. I called my top go-to guy and he was both available and interested.
Then I CALLED my composer and lyricist friends and spoke with them directly. I did not text or e-mail or leave a voicemail or leave a status update on Facebook and hope they saw it. I spoke with them directly, explained my choice, and let them know I had an amazing actor ready and willing to take my place. The situation resolved with all parties feeling taken-care-of and excited about each other's success.
And then I sang the score of BABY for Maltby and Shire. Holy Potato, what a night!
So I ask thee, Actors, how do you want to show up in the world? This is an essential part of your brand, what you are selling.
Your brand informs what headshots to use, which audition materials to pick, and how to phrase your correspondence. Yes! And now you need to make sure your brand shines also through your social media status updates and in your day-to-day dealings with your colleagues in that same consistent manner.
How you show up for your colleagues is a sacred and wonderful part of your brand.
So Actors, here's your challenge. Take a step back and ask yourself what is important to you as a person. Is it family? Love? Money? Power? Influence? Reputation? Prestige? Physical Appearance? Saving Face? Political Beliefs?
Take some time and choose two defining values.
Now, choose to show up in the world, true to your brand, in your very own brilliant, authentic way.

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History of Video Games


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Expert Author John Dixon
Way back in 1961, a talented team of programmers led by Steve "Slug" Russell developed the world's first video game: Spacewar. A lot has changed since then, but the fundamentals of what makes a good video game are still the same now as they were back in the 1960s.
Of course, as it ran on a DEC PDP-1 computer, not many people got to play Spacewar. For most people, myself included, their first introduction to the world of video games was Space Invaders, which was introduced in 1978.
Space invaders was designed and developed by Toshihiro Nishikado, while he was working for the Japanese company Taito Corporation. Although Space Invaders was a simple game with simple graphics, it was a massive success. The reason for this was 'game play', which is probably the single most important aspect of any computer game. Without it, a game is unlikely to be successful. Even today (2012), the incredible video sophistication available to games developers is no substitute for good old-fashioned game play.
An interesting point to note about Space Invaders is that Nishikado had originally planned to use tanks or airplanes as the attacking force, but the computers of the time were too slow to let the tanks turn and move smoothly, so the familiar aliens were used instead. Nishikado could have used humans instead of aliens, but he felt that this would have been morally wrong.
The 1980s
During the 1980s, arcade games became very popular in establishments such as pubs, bars, hotels, and so on. These games were not, on the whole, free to play and I can remember spending more money playing the games than on beer! Companies such as Atari had been dominant in the games market since the late 1970s, and initially the 1980s were a boom period for companies involved in the industry. During the course of the decade though, the market became flooded, quite often with poor quality games, and by the end of the decade the industry had largely crashed.
There was, however, a new emergence on the scene - small hand held devices such as Nintendo's GameBoy started to become popular, and would go on to play a major role in the games industry to this day.
The 1990s
During the 1990s the video games industry saw a gradual transition from two-dimensional (2D) graphics to more realistic and visually pleasing 3D graphics. The decade also saw the emergence of new genres of game such the first person shooter, real-time strategy, survival horror, and MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online).
Handheld gaming continued to gain popularity throughout the decade. Although arcade games were still fairly popular in the early 1990s, the use of home consoles gradually pushed them out of the market. And, of course, the 1990s saw the invention of the World Wide Web, which would revolutionise the gaming industry during the next decade.
The 2000s
In the home video market, the 2000s was a decade that was dominated by companies such as Sony, Nintendo, and - to a lesser extent - Microsoft. In the 1980s and 1990s, Sega had been Nintendo's main rival, but the company left the console market in 2002 in favor of returning to the third-party company they once were. The gradual increase in computer processing power from the 1990s and through the 2000s enabled developers to create immersive and interactive gaming environments, creating a more realistic and enjoyable gaming environment.
Influence of the World Wide Web
In the early days of the web in the mid-1990s, the combination of a lack of computing power and slow transmission rates meant that online gaming did not exist. As computers became more powerful and transmission speeds increased during the 2000s, online gaming slowly became more popular. Technologies such as Flash enabled sophisticated games to be developed fairly easily. These games could then be integrated or embedded into web pages and run in a web browser.
As well as traditional games such as driving, adventure, action, puzzles or shooting games, the gambling industry has been a massive winner due to the Internet. Online gambling and gaming websites are extremely popular and provide an easy way for adults to participate in gambling activities. Strict laws in many countries ensure that the sites are properly regulated.
There are also plenty of sites providing free casino games that use virtual money so there is no financial risk at all in participating in the games, many of which enable you to play other people around the world.
Conclusion
Video games can offer a bit of light entertainment for a few minutes, or they can offer almost total immersion - and pretty much everything in between. The progression of video games since Steve Russell's Spacewar has been dramatic. Who knows what the future holds?
Enjoy playing some fun, safe, arcade games and casino games at The Free Games Zone and Gambling and Gaming.
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Friday, August 31, 2012

How to Provide Excellent Customer Service in the Retail Industry

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Expert Author Ankan Bose
Providing effective and timely customer service is critical for any industry and the same holds true for the retail industry as well. Since, without effective and timely customer services a business is sure to lose a lot of customers.
So why do you need customer services that are efficient in handling customer queries?
To begin with, let's just say that you have just bought a product from one of the major retail outlets and later on have some issues with the product, and you visit the store to get a replacement. Now, the outlet has two options:
· They listen to your query and provide a solution.
· They come up with excuses and refuse to replace your product.
As you can see, that the first option is pretty effective in retaining you as a customer; whereas the second option will leave you disappointed and it is unlikely that you would ever want to visit that store again. That's the reason why the retail industry needs to have excellent customer services in place to maintain its position and reputation in the market.
Now, coming back to the main question, "How to provide excellent customer service in the retail industry?"
There are a few essential points to keep in mind here. Let's look at some of the more important ones...
# Training the In-store demonstrators or customer care associates
It is the most important point. Since, they are the ones who are going to deal with customers in the first place. Therefore, it becomes highly important that they are able to address any questions that the customers' might have and provide them with an answer.
Also, not every customer is knowledgeable enough and often at times turns to these customer care associates to help them choose a product and come with a final decision while buying a product.
# Grievance desk
At times, the customers might end up being misguided or mistreated by the in-store associates. That is why there should always be a grievance desk, where the customer can go and register his/her issues. Doing so, sends out a message that the store in question cares for its customers and they are more than willing to help, should an issue crop up.
# Listing phone numbers and other details of the higher-ups
Listing the phone numbers and other details such as official email ID's etc. of the higher-ups in the store can prove to be a good step in providing effective customer services in the retail industry. This becomes important as the customer needs to know whom to contact in case his issues remain unresolved or he has some suggestions or complaints regarding either the products or the staff.
The retail industry is a very competitive industry. And over the years, it has become clear that the outlets that generate the maximum sales are the ones that are able to provide a positive overall experience to the customers'. Having the latest products or stuff that is in vogue definitely helps in generating sales. But in the end, it is the level of customer care that the store has decides whether the customer returns back to the store in the future or not.
Channelplay Is a leading retail marketing agency and field marketing service provider and offers its services to major retail stores in India. The company features an exhaustive list of services, including retail intelligence, visual merchandising, product training, audit services along with a range of other services. Please visit http://www.channelplay.in to know more about how they can help you with their services.
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Logo Mats and Branding Campaigns

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Floor mats are more than just a place to wipe your shoes. Today, commercial floor mats are easily customized with logos, slogans, and other images to help a business communicate with prospective customers. Moreover, customizing a mat with a logo design does not compromise overall functionality. Logo mats are made using the same materials as ordinary floor mats and are equally effective in controlling dirt, moisture, and other debris. In general, there are three ways a business can use logo mats to their advantage.
The first way in which a business can use commercial mats with logos is to create trust with prospects. This can be accomplished in a number of ways, and it requires only that the business print custom mats with their slogan, logo, or brand message on the surface. Once the mats are created, they can be placed at the major points of entry at the storefront or main place of business. This elevates consumer trust in two important ways. First, mats create a good first impression because they keep entryways clean and safe. By using floor mats in entryways, a business garners consumer confidence by demonstrating that visitor safety and facility cleanliness are a top priority. Second, logo mats provide a visual cue that reminds guests of the brand image of the business. Assuming your business has taken proactive steps towards reinforcing a positive brand image with the public, this visual cue can be a powerful way to remind prospective customers why your products or services are superior to that of the leading competitor.
General brand-building purposes are another way businesses may leverage logo mats. For businesses with an under-developed brand image, logo mats are a good opportunity to increase exposure for specific logo designs, slogans, or selling propositions. Facility guests are sure to take notice, and they will link the visual images with the experience they had with the company. This can be a tricky endeavor for businesses that do not have a brand, however, as coordinating text with imagery and color is a challenge that requires a bit of aesthetics.
Finally, logo mats are a great compliment to individual marketing campaigns. These high-quality products are not costly to produce, they are reusable, and they keep employees safe during a variety of different promotional activities. Street-level product demonstrations, conventions, and in-store point of sales displays are just a few examples of the real-world promotional events that are made safer with commercial matting. Branding efforts are furthered when these mats are customized with logos, slogans, and carefully crafted campaign messages. In this way, logo mats can communicate specific campaign messages to prospective dealers, customers, and stakeholders through the use of visual designs.
Today's consumer is bombarded with thousands of marketing messages each day. It is nearly impossible to watch television, surf the Internet, or visit a local store without interacting with an advertisement. This creates a lot of "noise" for the consumer, and soon marketing messages blend together. The dilution of messages lessens the impact of each, and businesses must now find new opportunities to market themselves to prospective customers. Logo mats are a creative solution to this problem, offering a variety of benefits that extend beyond simply keeping floor spaces tidy.
Custom logo mats are an essential part of a well-rounded and coordinated branding campaign. Whether used in-store or on the road, logo mats play a subtle but powerful role in improving brand exposure and affinity. Order logo mats online at www.eaglemat.com and receive complimentary image upload, proofing, and free shipping.
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NASA UFO Astronaut Sightings

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Ever since astronauts have been going into space they've observed strange lights floating about up there, some close some far away, lights which often make direction changes and right angle turns, and ever since astronauts have been going into space and seeing strange lights their superiors have told them not to talk about what they are seeing, "don't talk about the cool interesting lights Aldrin, just concentrate on repairing boring circuit board 357.2, slowly". So whats the big deal? If we, the people of earth were told by NASA "yes, there are about a hundred alien orb CCTV camera type things in our atmosphere which occasionally keep an eye on our shuttles and space station" would we really all fall to our knees and start crying and praying, or run out side with pillows over our heads and stop going to work? It's highly doubtful, even in the 1950's such a reaction would have probably only occurred in people with a more extreme personality, but after fifty odd years of hollywood conditioning about intelligent aliens (much of it negative for some reason) I imagine we could collectively cope with the news.
So who's being seeing what? Firstly we have Major Gordon Cooper who was the last American astronaut to go into space on a solo mission, in 1963 while on an Earth orbiting flight mission he reported seeing a "glowing green object quickly approaching his capsule", the UFO was also picked up by the ground station's radar equipment which confirmed his sighting. In a later interview which can be viewed on YouTube titled "NASA astronaut Major Gordon Cooper talks about UFOs while in the military" he talks about an incident in 1951 where he witnessed hundreds of UFOs fly in formation above him while he was piloting a sabre jet over western Germany. Major Cooper reported this sighting to his superiors and the response they finally came back with was that "they were probably high altitude sea pods" which of course makes all kinds of sense.
Next up is Donald Slayton, an astronaut with the Mercury Seven group, which was the only astronaut group to fly all of NASA's manned orbital spacecraft, including Gemini, Mercury, Apollo and the Space Shuttle. While testing a fighter jet in the skies above Minneapolis he spotted an object at about 10,000 feet, ahead of him which he first thought was a kite, he quickly realised no kites would fly this high, Slayton reported "As I got closer It looked like a weather balloon, gray and about three feet in diameter. As soon as I got behind the darn thing it did not look like a balloon anymore, It looked like a saucer, a disk. About the same time, I Realized That It was suddenly going away from me, and there I was running at about 300 miles per hour. I tracked it for a little way, and then all of a sudden the damn thing just Took off, it pulled about a 45 degree climbing turn and accelerated and just flat disappeared." I for one don't believe that any sea pod could achieve these types of maneuvers at speeds greater than 300 miles per hour!
There are of course many other Nasa astronauts who have reported UFO sightings both on and off missions, it's with the testimony of level headed witnesses like these that we may be able to finally answer the question " are aliens real?" once and for all.
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A Guide to Choosing the Right Promotional Merchandise

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What does this mean? Improved brand familiarity, plenty of repeat custom and more business for you.
Why you need it:
  • Advertising - a promotional pen, shirt or calendar is a business card with a purpose. Choose the right merchandise and you could have thousands of potential customers hanging your name, web domain and slogan on their wall, drinking their morning coffee from it - even wearing it to bed!

  • Brand reinforcement - unlike a newspaper ad or pop up, your logo on a pen will be seen time and time again - whenever you take a number, sign a cheque, fill in a survey, or see your child doing their homework - as well as having a fantastic pass-along rate. If your company pen makes its way into the homes and businesses of your potential customers, your name will soon be imprinted on more than just stationary!

  • Strengthen business/customer relations - corporate merchandise can make a fantastic 'thank you' gift to your existing clientele, encouraging customer loyalty and referrals.

  • Draw attention - original and useful corporate giveaways can create a real buzz around your stand at a trade show or expo.
Which merchandise is best?
It's important to choose promotional merchandise which is unique, appropriate to your line of business and useful to the customer. For example, an accountancy firm might choose to brand a calculator, an IT company may opt for a USB stick and a grocery store may like to invest in some quality cotton bags, which people will reuse and in doing so will advertise your brand to even more potential customers.
You might also like to think about where your merchandise will be used to improve your chances of securing business. If you're a stationary company, a headed notepad is a great idea because whenever your client makes a note to stock up on files/staples/notepads(!), your name will serve as a nice reminder at just the right time.
Think about your clientele. If your market is at the higher-end of the spectrum, you might want to think about branding more expensive items such as high-quality clothing. One effective method of raising your own image is to add your logo to an already branded item - for example, a Waterman pen or Regatta jacket. You might like to combine your order - a cheaper item in bulk for distribution to the masses and several dozen luxury items for those extra special customers.
There's no doubting the effectiveness of promotional pens for that in-bulk corporate giveaway. Although inexpensive, these are a fantastic way of ensuring your name gets plenty of airing in public. With just enough room to include your important message and contact details, this is a business card which keeps on working (well, until the ink runs out anyway).
The quality of your merchandise is an important consideration as it will reflect the quality of your own products. Get it wrong and buy cheap products which break or fade easily and this may have negative connotations for your brand.
Indeed, your merchandise will reflect a message of what your company is all about, so don't be frightened of being creative or original in your approach. Try to choose an item which people will not only use, but something they will appreciate. A recent brand of baby milk powder sent a high-quality teddy to every customer that called their helpline. By choosing a gift which would appeal to babies, not only will the brand be reinforced each time a parent hunts for it or attempts to prize it from their child for a wash, it also reflects that the company cares - not just about their custom, but also about the happiness of their baby.
The right corporate merchandise reflects so much of what you do - but it also sends the message that you are willing to give a little in return for customer loyalty and in the hope of new business. From key fobs and lighters to jackets and keepsakes, make the right choice and your promotional merchandise could keep giving back for years to come.
K Lam works with customers to promote their business through the use of promotional merchandise available from Complete Merchandise. The range includes promotional pens, branded mugs, corporate umbrellas, mints, printed paper cups, company USB memory sticks, executive gifts or giveaways for conferences and exhibitions,
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