The LAB Blog

The Business Case for Responsive Ideology

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:09:00 +0000

Responsive Design is all everyone's talking about lately, and rightfully so. Having your website design or digital content respond to best present itself to the device that is accessing it is Responsive Design.

The core philosophy of taking your digital communication and maximizing its audience seems like a no brainer. That is until you start factoring in the additional overhead of multiple rounds of wire-framing, design iterations, coding, and of course testing and tweaking the final product.

Marketing budgets and marketing dreams rarely come together to afford the best solution at the time, and yet it's clear that Responsive Design is not just our future, it's our present.

By the time you read this, it will be an irresponsible business decision not to embrace Responsive Design Concepts for your digital content projects.

Not your father's digital media

Responsive design techniques are flying fast and furious lately. The core concepts are pretty easy to digest. You look at your current analytics, determine your top five resolution targets, and then optimize your designs for those specific targets.

The problem is that this process leaves you only slightly better off than when you started. You’ve just designed for the past. Let's back up and look at why this is a present concern.

Device independence is here

Luke Wroblewski termed a phenomenon that is progressively happening to all internet media, “The Mobile Moment.” Facebook released usage data for their content consumption last October, and the data revealed that at the beginning of Q4 2011 their mobile content consumption surpassed their non-mobile, ushering in their “Mobile Moment.” At this point, a clear shift in design and development strategy had to be made. Mark Zuckerberg reclassified his whole company’s mission based on this data.

“Facebook’s new approach is to build mobile-first [...] we are now a mobile company.”

- Mark Zuckerberg

This crossover point is going to happen for every company in the world. That sounds hyperbolic, but lets look at some facts:

Mobile Proliferation:

There are now more than 1 billion smartphones in use worldwide: 1.038 billion in total. (source)
It took us 16 years to pass 1 billion, but it's estimated to take only three years for the next billion smartphone users to come on board. (source)
3.2 billion people, or 46% of the world's total population of 7 billion, have at least one active mobile (cellular, not just smartphone) device. (source)
31% of American adults who have cell phones use their phones for the majority of their Internet access. (source)
Among American adults (18-29) who use the Internet on their phones, 45% do most of their web surfing there, however for all age groups, preferences are shifting away from desktops and laptops and toward mobile devices. (source)
42% of UK adults that own a smartphone now say this device is the most important one for accessing the Internet. (source)

Those stats are a pretty powerful picture of adoption rates, but they only scratch the surface of the mobilization of content consumption. To get a true picture of what's happening, you have to look at the massive fragmentation of devices being adopted.

Opensignal.com recently did a mobile device fragmentation study that concentrated solely on Android devices, which hold about half of the mobile device market share. The results of the study showed that there were 681,900 of these devices on the market.

Screen resolutions for these devices ranged from small 3” screens to large 30” screens with a relatively linear progression between extremes.

The typical Responsive Design ideology of determining breakpoints (a specific screen resolution) and optimizing designs to those breakpoints is unattainable with this type of rapid mobile device adoption. The current state of device proliferation contrasted with increasing device usage for digital content consumption already mandates a Digital Media Strategy that is not Responsive Design, instead: Content Centric Design.

Long live the king

Content Centric Design brings back the adage that content is king. Creating content that matters to your users is a rule that goes back to the genesis of advertising. But it has new life in the digital age, as it becomes the guiding light for not only attracting users but for conquering the dilemma of designing for an infinite stream of devices and resolution targets.

Looking at your Google Analytics and running some linear progressions on your device profiles is a start, but also a potentially misleading attempt to determine your responsive breakpoints. It ignores the explosive growth patterns that mobile devices experience, as well as evolving usage patterns and user expectations. Going this route all but ensures that the breakpoint ‘lines in the sand’ you draw will be outdated by the time you finish your digital content project.

“Form Follows Function” - Louis Sullivan in 1896

Your focus should be on the content and how users interact with it. Mapping user flows and properly chunking content will allow you to start breaking away from the preconceived notion that your content should be architected to fit within a few breakpoint picture frames. Instead, start to realize that the content elements themselves have form and design attributed to them, and that ‘element design’ is a visual brand message reinforcement that is the consistent theme presented to the user.

It’s an impossible dream to design to every breakpoint that exists, and the dream of designing to the ‘most common’ breakpoints is fading fast. Designing web styles or web tiles, applying those styles to your content, chunking your content into units, and letting go of a little control is not only liberating, it enables future consumers to access your content on their terms.

Which, by the way, is the way all users expect it.

Breakpoints happen when the design says so

A device's viewport (the interpreted screen resolution of a mobile device) is not a viable way to determine breakpoints. The design must be the determining factor. Once your styles are applied to your content chuncks, starting from either the mobile design or the largest desktop view, you can start to compress or expand your design. Allow the design to tell you when it's broken - like when a NAV structure compresses too deep, or a button bar stretches too far and looks odd. You just found a breakpoint.

Combine these design triggered breakpoints with a fluid stretch between these design breaks, and you’ve actually spent useful time creating a future friendly site. This process still takes time, and still costs more, but the end result is that you’ve enabled your users to have a positive experience with your content on their terms.

Content Centric Design is the true successor to Responsive Design, and at the pace our mobile-centric world is evolving it’s a business liability to postpone incorporating this concept into your current digital content and distribution strategy.

It was a fairytale ending to our Holiday Book Drive.

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:58:00 +0000

4,472 Books. $1,000 in Gift Cards. And a Rewarding Day of Service at Philadelphia Reads.

We set what we thought was an ambitious goal – collect 1,000 books for our holiday drive. But thanks to overwhelming donations from family, friends and clients, we collected 4,472 books and $1,000 in Barnes & Noble Gift Cards for Philadelphia Reads.

Garfield Group’s Team Two Fish was victorious in our book collection challenge...coming from behind at the wire to beat Team One Fish by only 300 books.

On December 18th, we delivered our books and spent the day at the Philadelphia Reads book bank. Sorting 5,000 books and recording books on tape to help early readers.

To document our book drive journey we crafted a microsite that leveraged the Instragram API, enabling a live stream of photos to be visualized, tracking our book collection progress and documenting our day of service.

See more photos from our day of service at garfieldgroup.com/holiday2012, or view the entire collection of photos at http://instagram.com/thegarfieldgroup.

Let’s Continue to Support Philadelphia Reads

Philadelphia Reads goes way beyond the book bank! Learn more about programs like the Reading Olympics and the Summer Reading Program at www.philareads.org.

Fun Facts

The Garfield Group Holiday Book Drive has turned into a real page turner!

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 10:13:00 +0000

Our drive, supporting Philadelphia Reads is in its final week. Teams One Fish and Two Fish have been working their fins off and the tally is already over 1500 books. Since we already exceeded our goal of 1000, we are pushing the teams to collect over 2000 books. Each day you can see photos of the latest books uploaded to garfieldgroup.com/holiday2012 via Instagram.

We’re also gearing up for our annual day of service. This year, we’ll be heading to the Philadelphia Reads headquarters to help sort and catalog books, and even record books-on-tape for the kids. Keep an eye on the Holiday 2012 landing page as pictures of our team in action are uploaded in real time.

There’s a week to go! It’s not too late to join the cause, visit garfieldgroup.com/holiday2012 to learn more about the drive and find out how to donate.

Spread the Word!
The more books we get, the more knowledge we share!

This holiday season we’ve been inspired by the magic of reading!

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 10:32:00 +0000

Every year, we dedicate ourselves to a cause we are passionate about. This year, we’ve teamed up with Philadelphia Reads, a non-profit that collects books for schools, libraries, and after-school programs in underprivileged neighborhoods.

Our holiday book drive.
Limited access to books is one of the major roadblocks children face on their path to literacy. This year, we’re holding an agency-wide book drive with an ambitious goal to collect over 1,000 books. These books – distributed by the folks at Philadelphia Reads – will help strengthen children’s literacy skills and create independent readers by grade four, ensuring their success in school – and in life.

Check out garfieldgroup.com/holiday2012 to learn more about our holiday book drive, find out how to donate books, and watch our progress in real time! We’ve added a few cool features to this site – including the ability to upload photos of books via Instagram.

We just can’t stop adding great talent. Announcing our newest hires.

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 10:18:00 +0000

Garfield Group is excited to introduce three new members of our team. Each has quickly contributed both their creative and technical brainpower to our agency think tank – and has already made a big impact.

Check out their bios below and help us welcome them to the team!

Jason Trojanowski :: Senior Interactive Art Director
Jason is a creative thinker, designer, self-proclaimed science geek and music hoarder. His projects effortlessly bridge the gap between traditional, digital, social, and mobile advertising, while delivering fresh and innovative creative ideas. His inspiration comes from the combination of form and function – knowing simple digital execution can be beautiful, as well as drive solid business results. Coming to us from G2 Worldwide, Jason’s list of favorite past clients includes: Hertz, NFL, Smucker’s, Merck, EA Games, and Campbell’s. Contact Jason»

"Digital marketing is a convergence of all of my passions. There's a science, technology, and art behind every interface and communication. With digital increasingly blurring lines between traditional and social media, this is a prime time to be emerged in something extraordinarily exciting." – Jason Trojanowski

Will Tate :: Developer
Will has spent the last few years of his professional career in the depth of highly-technical military and industrial systems development. (Basically, he can’t say what he did.) Along the way he was able to gain tremendous experience developing in PHP, Javascript, and HTML 5. Will is always looking to learn the latest and greatest technologies and is known to occasionally geek-out and develop his own open-source mobile applications with Android/Java. Contact Will»

“I've always considered software engineering my hobby, and there's nothing better than doing what you love for a living.” – Will Tate

Megan Cobb :: Junior Art Director
Megan’s design portfolio shows a depth and sophistication beyond her years. Coming out of school, Megan designed and produced ads for a local paper and quickly became a layout expert and a tight deadline master. She has rapidly become a reliable designer, and as the youngest member of our team Megan brings a fresh, youthful voice. We also love when she shares stories of her quaint, cozy home town in northern Pennsylvania. Some of Megan’s favorite Garfield Group clients so far are: Sesame Place, OPEX, and Vertex, Inc. Contact Megan»

"I enjoy being challenged. As I learn about new clients and gain creative experience, I am finding unlimited inspiration in the complex creative process of taking projects from a concept to an actual piece of meaningful marketing." – Megan Cobb

OUR VALUES: What matters most at Garfield Group.

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 15:07:00 +0000

We recently invested the time to consider what we really care about as an agency. What are the “North Star” principles that define us? What kind of company do we want to be — and what standards do we hold ourselves to?

We thought it was worth sharing these values through our blog.

Garfield Group maintains five core values that act as a guide for everything we do, everything we are and everything we aspire to be.

We are passionate.
Bringing passion to work each day, applying it and passing it on.

Passion is our common thread. We each contribute a unique set of experiences, but the love for what we do is the constant. It’s woven into the overall experience, reinforcing the enthusiastic atmosphere that helps us ensure success for our clients.

We are collaborative.
An open-door policy fosters interaction and creativity.

Nothing encourages collaboration more than a transparent environment. Great ideas and creativity come from everyone. We work together and we say what we think in a professional and considerate manner. And because of this, we are able to build trust, strong working relationships, and encourage true teamwork.

We are inquisitive.
Asking questions and reaching beyond expectations.

Playing “what if” is an essential part of our job. We challenge ourselves by bringing fresh thinking to the table, pushing boundaries and never settling for the obvious solution. For us, out-doing what’s been done before is the goal of every project.

We are strategic.
Always out front. Always leading the charge.

Being strategic is not a choice; it’s a way of life. There’s no question that we chase big ideas, but we look before we leap. Deep thinkers at our core, we strive to understand what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and how we’re going to bring it to life. This innate ability allows us to lead our clients, not passively execute.

We are results-oriented.
We drive results and results drive us.

Behind every great agency, there are great results. No matter the objective, our focus remains on the metrics. Our desire to understand facts and figures is steered by a “whatever it takes” outlook that ensures we aim high and achieve higher.

Leading your B2B Tribe.

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 10:51:00 +0000

I recently saw Seth Godin, a well-known entrepreneur and author speak in New York City. Seth is an inspiring presence - and challenges conventional wisdom about marketing.

Seth got me thinking about the current state of B2B marketing - and the disruptive nature of digital engagement as it relates to branding.

Here's Seth's basic premise: B2B marketers need to focus less on sales-related communications, and more on developing "Tribes." A tribe is any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader and an idea. This is basic to our human nature - tribes have existed for thousands of years.

Apple has a tribe. So does Harley Davidson. And SAP.

Of course, the Internet has eliminated the barriers of geography, cost and time. Allowing new tribes to emerge for nearly every area of specialized interest - from triathletes to clinical trial managers, to tax executives.

What does this mean for B2B brands? Perhaps it's time that we forget about defining "target audiences" and focus more on a core "tribe" - the small number of people who would desperately miss you if you were gone. Lead your tribe by offering them knowledge, ideas and connecting them to other people with the same interests. Inspire them rather than "pushing advertising" to them.

When you put your brand at the center of a shared interest, establish a vehicle to communicate, and inspire them, you establish willing tribe members who trust you, and want to learn from you. In the end, a shared vision is much more powerful than any sales pitch.

Here are three of Seth's keys to success:

Provide something valuable as a service
Earn the right to talk to people
Create an experience - give them the chance to interact with something remarkable and inspirational.

Have you done enough to establish and grow your tribe? Who are the people who would desperately miss you if you weren't around? Are you doing enough to inspire them?

Here's a link to Seth's blog.

The Making of a Tax Superhero

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 11:56:00 +0000

Vertex asked us to help them find new ways to break through to their conservative tax audience. Working together, we set out on a comic book adventure – transforming mild-mannered tax managers into problem solving superheroes. BAM!!!

See how we did it »

We have new GARFIELD GROUPies.

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 11:10:00 +0000

Good news comes in threes. We are excited to announce three new additions to our amazingly talented team of marketing specialists. Please join us in welcoming Adam Balkwill, Nicole Brandt, and Valene Chance.

Nicole and Valene have joined our Account Team and are already building positive client relationships and producing impressive results, while Adam, a true techie at heart, is leading our development team as Technical Director and has been busy upgrading, developing, and improving our interactive know-how. We are happy to report that they all have jumped right in and are fitting in with our quirky group just fine.

Check out their mini bios below and feel free to reach out to welcome them to our team!

Adam Balkwill :: Technical Director

Adam’s career has spanned the rise of the Internet. For the last 16 years his focus has been on all forms of digital marketing — including websites, interactive experiences and online engagement. His passion for intuitive end user experience and modern standards compliant development techniques benefits his clients in ways they never expected. Some of Adam’s favorite clients have included: Campbell’s, Hershey, GSK, Strine Printing, Sugar Foods, Fresh Gourmet, KozyShack, Skinner Baking Company. Contact Adam

  "Technology constantly evolves, as do client needs. My passion is to find the
  perfect combination of technology solutions in order to create an experience
  that surpasses the clients expectations and delights the user.” – Adam Balkwill

Nicole Brandt :: Senior Account Executive

Nicole enjoys a good challenge. Whether it’s helping a client shape intangible ideas into strong creative direction or managing a complex project from start to finish, Nicole is passionate about great results. She believes that the job is in both the details – definitive timelines, results tracking, and trend identification – as well as the big picture. Some of Nicole’s favorite clients over the past 12 years have included: Heinz, Teva Pharamceuticals, Comcast, Toll Brothers, SAP and Arm & Hammer. Contact Nicole

  “The devil is in the details, and that’s what you get with me, comprehensive
  account management from start to finish, and then some – continually seeking
  out ways to better optimize campaigns for the long term. I am passionate about
  strategy, love design and place value on the details.” - Nicole Brandt

Valene Chance :: Account Executive

Over 6 years of experience working on both the client and agency sides of marketing, has given Valene valuable experiences and an invaluable perspective. Valene has managed everything from direct mail campaigns to photo shoots, and developed relationship skills along the way that make her impressively effective and super fun. She takes pride in her ability to guide clients on the journey toward great work and new opportunities. Some of Valene’s favorite clients have included: Amway Global, Quest Diagnostics, EP Henry, Park Assist, Hamilton Mall, Broder Brothers Inc. Contact Valene

  “Every day I’m challenged both by my clients and my peers. I am asked to think
outside the box and help deliver a marketing piece that drives awareness, sales,
  and/or thought-leadership. And being part of the process from start to finish is
  truly rewarding.” – Valene Chance

The Benefits of a Content Management System

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 09:32:00 +0000

When building a website, a lot of attention is necessarily given to the user experience. Page layouts and content can define the success of a site. The content of a website is not static, however. Clients need a way to be able to easily manage the content of their site over time; that's where a CMS comes in.

Why use a CMS?

A CMS, or Content Management System, is a web-based way for a site administrator to handle what's displayed on their site. Based on the capabilities of the particular CMS used, the administrator can add new pages, edit existing pages, change the site map, create new web forms, polls, and surveys, and even manage file uploads on their site, all without needing to know the code behind their system.

It's certainly possible for a developer to create a custom system whereby a client can manage all of the aspects of their site that they need to. A custom solution might even seem to be ideal for most sites, since they can get exactly the capabilities and features they need, but using a pre-built CMS has several advantages. One of the biggest advantages of using an existing CMS is that it is much less error-prone than custom code. As said by Edsger Dijkstra, who made great contributions to programming throughout his life, "If debugging is the process of removing bugs, then programming must be the process of putting them in." By avoiding a lot of custom code, a developer also avoids creating a lot of new bugs.

The pre-built CMS solutions, of course, are not bug-free. They have, however, already solved most of the issues that a custom solution would need to hurdle over its development. Many of them also implement solutions to web security threats, including cross-site scripting, SQL injection, session hijacking, and cross-site request forgery, among others. These security loopholes can be incredibly time-consuming to close after code is already developed - using an existing solution not only provides peace-of-mind for knowing that these issues are solved; it saves a lot of time, too. The time saved by using an existing CMS can translate into money saved for both our developers and our clients. If our client does need some custom capabilities, most of the popular systems are still heavily customizable. In fact, for popular open-source systems, a lot of custom modules are already created and freely available for use, again saving time and money.

Which CMS should I use?

After deciding to use a CMS, the next obvious question becomes "which one?" There are a myriad of choices available, including Wordpress, Joomla, Drupal, Silverstripe, Expression Engine, and dozens of others. At Garfield Group, we remain "CMS neutral," choosing the right CMS based on our clients' needs, but recently we have been concentrating on two quite a lot: Silverstripe and Drupal. Both of these systems are open source with a PHP backend built on a MySQL database (among other possible options). They both make heavy use of page templates to define content layout, and both are customizable by the addition of modules that can either be downloaded from their respective communities or developed from scratch.

Drupal is one of the most popular content management systems in use today. It has a huge development community, so chances are if you need to do something on your website, it's already been built, tested, and used by hundreds of other people. Drupal was created to be extended, so a developer has the ability to create incredibly powerful custom modules, or even modify the behavior of existing modules, all in an organized manner. The backend interface in Drupal allows modules to be upgraded and managed seamlessly without requiring extra code or downloads - a big plus for clients managing their own sites. Content management in Drupal is based on views, blocks, and pages. Views and blocks are small bits of content that can be put into any page and reused over the whole site. They make it easy to generate and manage familiar layouts throughout a website to make the site more usable. On the other hand, finding the source of any particular piece of content can be difficult for someone who isn't already familiar with the site, since a single page can be made from many views and blocks alongside custom content.

Silverstripe is a fairly new CMS that comes from a group in New Zealand. Being new, it has a much smaller online community than Drupal does. One interesting bit about Silverstripe, though, is that in addition to the CMS, Silverstripe includes a code framework for the site development itself. With the framework, code for a Silverstripe site tends to be highly modular, easily maintained, and very consistent. The administration of Silverstripe is based on the site structure itself, with administrators putting new pages directly into the site tree and adding content to them as needed. The content management interface is also highly customizable, making Silverstripe a good tool to use when the client needs become more complex than just filling in part of a predefined layout. In addition to the displayed content, Silverstripe also includes an integrated file manager, making it easy to upload and organize any files that need to be included on your site, from images to pdfs and media files. Once a file is uploaded, it can be linked into any page just by selecting it in a GUI interface.

Having used both Silverstripe and Drupal, I'm often asked which I recommend. The short answer is it depends. Drupal is incredibly customizable, has a huge community and thousands of pre-built modules to make many common and not-so-common needs easy. Silverstripe, on the other hand, is not as popular or established, leading to the need to do more custom work as a developer. However, I find that most clients find the site-tree-based administration very easy to understand. With its ability to customize the administrative interface to exactly match client needs, I'll often default to Silverstripe unless the client wants some really advanced functionality or I already know of an existing solution in Drupal.

Whether you choose Drupal, Silverstripe, or another CMS, implementing a content management system can make it easy for you to manage your site, and can save time and money for everyone involved.

What are some of your own experiences with Content Management Systems?

Matthew Butt is a Junior Web Developer at Garfield Group. Connect with Matt on LinkedIn. Garfield Group is an agency focused on delivering measurable business results to a client roster ranging from small startups to industry powerhouses. Positioning brands for maximum growth, Garfield Group applies innovative, strategies to drive objectives and surpass expectations through branding initiatives, digital campaigns and targeted offline tactics. For more insights from Garfield Group, visit The Lab and follow up on Twitter @garfieldgroup

Positioning a Clinical Trial Brand for Growth: 4 Simple Steps to Defining a Website Strategy

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:32:00 +0000

The goal - create a "gold standard" website, not just for the clinical trial industry, but comparable to the best websites you see every day. A site that looks great, and still manages to drive business growth. Certainly that's what ERT was looking for when we started this initiative. Often, this turns into a classic form vs. function battle - but why do you have to choose? If you follow this age-old recipe for developing strong marketing strategies, you can have an elegant site that actually helps move your business forward.

1. Establish business goals

2. Define tactical marketing goals (in this case, website goals)

3. Create a messaging strategy

4. Measure performance with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Step 1: Establish Business Goals

Piece of cake - ERT knew exactly what they wanted to accomplish with their overall business. Growing revenue with specific targets/dates, expanding particular categories, defining new service offerings. All with concrete numbers behind them. Perfect! Note that when clients struggle with this, we often start by asking them how they make money, how much they make in a year, sales in a given year, etc. Then we talk about what number they'd like to get to this year, 3 and 5 years from now.

Step 2: Define Tactical Marketing Goals (or in this case, website goals)

This is where the aesthetic piece comes in. If we say that we are going for "gold standard" what does that mean? And how does that result in more leads and sales? To resolve this, we considered the website's role in the business and the purchase process. Goals were established that mapped to the job the site needed to do, while still being considerate of visual interests.

Extend the site's appeal by establishing ERT as a trusted clinical trial resource (get more people to the site, more often)
Deepen the engagement of site visitors (keep people on the site and keep them coming back)
Demonstrate ERT's value relative to the competition (starting to bridge into sales here)
Elevate the brand (the catch all - make it pretty and compelling and play nice with the other materials out there)

Step 3: Create a Messaging Strategy

That "value" goal really became the key to unlocking the missing part of the story. We needed to communicate all the great things that make ERT different from their competitors, which explains why they may be higher in price at first glance, but more cost-effective in the long run. This story needed to be added to the content mix along with product/service offerings, thought leadership materials, etc. We then defined and prioritized all the different target groups they were looking to address, considered mindsets, information interests, and matched the content to the interested audience. This is the approach we take to all of our site builds - define what we have to say, look at who we're talking to and then create a user experience that delivers the content to those individuals who are looking for it. Visit ert.com to see the result.

Step 4: Measure Performance with KPIs

Boiling down the infinite number of metrics into a few specific KPIs is always an important exercise. Once you've laid the groundwork with Steps 1 and 2 it's not too difficult. The approach to keep in mind is to make them simple and ensure they're telling a clear story against your site goals. With ERT, we settled on 6.

Online content influence rating: Defines how much content is getting shared out in the digital ether
Percentage of content downloads per 100 visitors, by subject matter: Assesses engagement with thought leadership content
Percentage of event attendee sign-ups per 100 visitors, by subject matter: Assesses engagement achieved with events and informs where to do more events
Contact form completions per month, by source (organic search, advertising, email, etc.): defines which activities drive the greatest velocity of contact form completions
Cost per form completion, by source: Establishes which activities are most cost-effective
Closed sale percentage: This is really a sales metric, but if the site is doing its job, we'd expect it to improve lead quality

So, how's the new ERT site doing? Well, we just launched it on February 13^th, but hopefully you'll see lots of good news from ERT in the months and years to come. Tell us what you think....

Dan Sirk is Vice President of Account Services at Garfield Group. Connect with Dan on LinkedIn and follow him on twitter @dsirk1. Garfield Group is an agency focused on delivering measurable business results to a client roster ranging from small startups to industry powerhouses. Positioning brands for maximum growth, Garfield Group applies innovative, strategies to drive objectives and surpass expectations through branding initiatives, digital campaigns and targeted offline tactics. For more insights from Garfield Group, visit The Lab and follow up on Twitter @garfieldgroup

UX for B2B Brands: What happens next?

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:32:00 +0000

At the core of the best user experiences is a mindset, an approach to problem solving that thinks holistically about the entire experience. The best experiences, regardless of how technically advanced or simple they are, consistently and accurately answer one question; "what happens next?"

So what does all that really mean?

A client recently asked about incorporating mobile into a marketing campaign.

During our discovery process, we learned that a recent eMarketer study of the U.S. business population showed that roughly 28% of C-suite execs used mobile devices and 21% used tablets to gather purchase information. That trend has continued to increase over the past few years, resulting in an increasing number of mobile optimized web properties.

In actuality, our client's email and brand.com statistics were reporting mobile viewing around 10% of the total audience, far less than the aggregate industry trends, placing the need for a full fledged mobile program in question.

Is our audience really there? How much do we need to optimize for? Is our marketing spend going to justify the return?

Smart Integration

Our recommendation opted for "smart" integration. The core elements of the campaign would be optimized for mobile; making use of standards-based design and development methodologies, ensuring consistent delivery across multiple devices, leaner production costs for the project and an overall tighter budget and spend of marketing dollars.

The approach consisted of email and direct mail marketing working in concert with a registration (lead capture) form on their corporate website. The email and registration page would also be optimized for the mobile web and he direct mail would also incorporate the use of a QR (quick response) code to enable rapid, in-hand, sign up for the program.

The addition of mobile optimization evolved our approach to planning the campaign. The recipients of the marketing materials now had multiple options for engaging the new program. Users could view an email on their desktop, tablet or mobile device, scan a QR code with their smart phone, or enter a URL within a browser. The new approach allowed users to engage the content in several ways; but multiple touch points, on multiple devices, meant more room for error in the seamless delivery of the campaign.

As we entered the planning stage of the project, diagramming the entire brand experience became paramount to ensure we optimized for every angle.

This method integrated the use of mobile directly into the user experience of the entire campaign. Not only from a digital perspective, but from a holistic brand perspective as well; maintaining the visual integrity of the brand across print, digital channels and devices while delivering a clean, intuitive and pleasant brand experience.

Special attention was paid to the creation of mobile-optimized versions of both the email and the registration page. The visual design and fluid development approach delivered a more pleasant reading experience of the content; as well as an optimized, intuitive experience as the user moves through the registration process regardless of how they access the content (mobile or desktop).

So how can I apply this knowledge to my B2B brand?

1. Know who's looking. Perform due diligence to learn where and how your audience is digesting your content to ensure that the time, energy and cost associated with the additional work is worth the investment.

2. Think it through. Put yourself in the driver's seat and walk though the steps. Where are the pitfalls? What doesn't make sense? Where could you find frustration?

3. Sketch it out. Drawing, sketching or diagramming user experiences can reveal problems and opportunities that writing simply can't. Diagramming the experience can assist in communicating the solution's complexity, scale and details.

4. Answer the question. "What happens next?"

Andrew Schultz is an Associate Creative Director at Garfield Group. Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn. Garfield Group is an agency focused on delivering measurable business results to a client roster ranging from small startups to industry powerhouses. Positioning brands for maximum growth, Garfield Group applies innovative, strategies to drive objectives and surpass expectations through branding initiatives, digital campaigns and targeted offline tactics. For more insights from Garfield Group, visit The Lab and follow up on Twitter @garfieldgroup

How can we avoid Groundhog Day?

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:32:00 +0000

Groundhog Day is one of my favorite movies of all time. Besides being a huge Bill Murray fan (I grew up watching Saturday Night Live), I love the underlying message:

LIVE EVERY DAY WITH A SENSE OF WONDER.

When the film opens, Bill's character, Phil Collins, is as cynical as they come. Angry. Self-centered. Selfish. He's a miserable guy. He likes no one and no one likes him. He complains about the hotel. He thinks the people around him are stupid hicks.

He becomes trapped in Groundhog Day. Doomed to live it over and over and over again. At first, he uses this as the chance to live out his own selfish schemes. Until, finally, he realizes that if he takes the time to notice and care about the small things around him, the world opens up to him. He takes piano lessons. Saves lives. Falls in love. He learns a lesson that changes his life.

OK, SO WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH MARKETING?

I am fortunate to love what I do for a living, and work with a very talented and fun team. After nearly 30 years, it would be easy to become cynical or bored. Which is why we try to look at every new assignment as the opportunity to do something truly great. Not to just win awards. But to bring real passion to our clients - and make our work the best it can possibly be.

Just imagine how much better our websites, ads, brands can be. How much more innovation we could build into our plans. How much more fun we'd have.

Let's not sleepwalk through our days. Let's get infectious with our enthusiasm. Here are a few ways we like to shake off the cobwebs and build in a sense of wonder.

1. Ask "why" Why will anyone care about what you have to say?
2. Think bigger. Enough with the small ideas already.
3. Get inspired. Read Steve Jobs' biography. Go to a museum. Pick up Communications Arts.
4. Sneer at anyone who says "But we've always done it like that."
5. Love the work.

How do you avoid Groundhog Day? We'd love to hear your ideas.

We have new GARFIELD GROUPies. Announcing our newest hires.

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:23:00 +0000

Garfield Group is growing and we are excited to announce the addition of some amazingly talented new employees: Andrew Schultz, Alexis Sawyer, and Tony Romig.

Hitting the ground running, each has been contributing their talents to everything from big idea campaign concepting and pithy headline writing to geeky, but totally cool, web development. Check out their bios below and feel free to reach out to welcome them to our team!

Andrew Schultz :: Associate Creative Director, Philadelphia

Andrew's career has taken him on a journey from small boutiques to global brand agencies; all with one unwavering focus, designing interactive experiences and ensuring the consistent delivery of beautiful, purposeful, and highly functional design across a range of mediums and platforms. Working within the health-care, pharmaceutical and consumer product spaces, Andrew's designs allow customers to interact with brands in a deeper, more engaging way. Some of his favorite clients have been: Merck, Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline, Abbott Nutrition, Brystol Myers-Squibb, Novo Nordisk, Valio, Lansinoh Laboratories, and Everlast Worldwide.

"I'm continually motivated by the possibilities that design, and design thinking,

offer to generate new ideas and solutions. I'm driven to make things better,

simpler more intuitive and more enjoyable for people to experience."

-Andrew Schultz

Alexis Sawyer :: Senior Copywriter, Philadelphia

Having worked in both the corporate and agency environments, Alexis has gained a unique perspective toward brand and voice development. She understands how to work within an existing corporate structure while also remaining creative in her thinking. She strives to deliver the most compelling messages within established brands and develop strategic branded voices for emerging companies. Some of Alexis' favorite clients have been: Zany Brainy, FAO Schwarz, The Right Start, SciMedica Group, Praxis Capital, S&H Interiorscapes and Quaker Coffee Company.

"The best part of my job is the teamwork. The chance to work with clients, as

well as the designers, to bring brands to life with crisp language and impactful

design is so rewarding." -Alexis Sawyer

Tony Romig :: Web Developer, Boston

Tony's career path has wound its way through video production and Flash animation to design and LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) Development. Having worked for both agencies and enterprise applications, he has developed exceptional insights into the digital process but is always focused on his unwavering mantra of focus, simplicity and ease of use. Some of Tony's favorite clients have been: Jordan's Furniture, SolidWorks, Progressive Insurance, Dell Computers, Samsonite, Tufts Healthcare, Stryker Biomed.

"I enjoy the prospect of creative problem solving that presents itself with each

and every new project." -Tony Romig

The Power of Opportunity

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:19:00 +0000

The mission of Opportunity Finance Network, the national voice of 170 CDFIs (Community Development Financial Institutions) is to align capital with social justice. Learn why they were an exceptional choice to help lead the Create Jobs for USA initiative.

The American Dream. Opportunity. These are core values of our country — politically, socially and economically. The promise: any individual who works hard can improve their quality of life, improve their communities, and as a result, improve our country. The missing link: access to capital.

Unfortunately, traditional banks are often not able to provide loans to those in underserved communities. As a result, minorities and women cannot find the capital to fund their own American Dream — and the dream dies.

For nearly 30 years, CDFIs have focused on creating and funding opportunities that others miss.

CDFIs finance community businesses that often find it challenging to secure financing from conventional lending institutions. Combining innovation and determination, CDFIs are performance-oriented, responsible, and affordable lenders that spark job growth in the areas where it is needed most.

Thus far, Opportunity Finance Network reports that CDFIs have made over $30 Billion in loans. And because they are experts in what opportunities to fund, they enjoy less than 2% in loan loss rates — keeping investors happy, and creating a virtuous cycle that creates more capital for them to lend. The results are impressive:

60,261 businesses
635,528 housing units
6,465 community facility projects
298,511 new or continuing jobs

Learn how CDFIs multiply opportunity for all.

This summer, Howard Schultz, Chairman of Starbucks, frustrated by government gridlock, sought out ways the private sector could find solutions to the unemployment problem. Once he learned about CDFIs, Create Jobs for USA was born.

By purchasing an "Indivisible" wristband at over 7,000 Starbucks nationwide or online at CreateJobsforUSA.org, you are helping to create and sustain jobs in the USA. Donations go directly to Opportunity Finance Network, which then turn them into loans directed to worthy small businesses through CDFIs.

A donation to Create Jobs for USA is a great holiday gift for you, your friends and family, and, more importantly, it's a gift that can help the economy start growing again.

Stronger communities. More economic opportunity for all. Better lives for all. We are Indivisible.

Learn more about the great work done by CDFIs and Create Jobs for USA by visiting our holiday page garfieldgroup.com/holiday2011.

The Engine of Job Creation.

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:10:00 +0000

U.S. small businesses are the engine of job creation. The premise for Create Jobs for USA is that we can help Americans get back to work by providing small businesses in underserved communities greater access to capital.

According to Fortune Magazine (Nov 1, 2011), "Even though widely cited surveys suggest they continue having a gloomy picture of the economy, small businesses are actually hiring considerably more than big companies. Since last March, firms with 500 or fewer employees have added 60,000 jobs a month to private payroll employment ‘while large businesses have added nothing,' says Paul Dales, an economist with Capital Economics, citing ADP employment surveys."

The challenge for small business is access to capital. One in three small businesses say they can't get adequate financing to fuel their enterprises. And the financing squeeze is stifling their potential for growth. This is even more of an issue for businesses in underserved communities - where unemployment, recently measured at 9.1% for the entire U.S labor force, spikes to 11.3% within the Hispanic community, and 16.7% within the African-American community.

This was this inspiration for Create Jobs for USA, an ambitious program jointly created by Starbucks and our client, Opportunity Finance Network.

By purchasing an "Indivisible" wristband, you can make a real difference -contributing to the goal of creating and sustaining jobs in the USA. Donations go directly to Opportunity Finance Network, where their members, Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), turn these donations into loans for worthy small businesses.

CDFIs finance community businesses that often find it challenging to secure financing from conventional financing institutions. Combining innovation and determination, these hand-selected CDFIs are performance-oriented, responsible, and affordable lenders that spark job growth in the areas where it is needed most.

A donation to Create Jobs for USA is a great holiday gift for you, your friends and family, and, more importantly, it's a gift that can help the economy start growing again.

Stronger communities. More economic opportunity for all. Better lives for all. We are indivisible.

Learn more about Create Jobs for USA by visiting our holiday page garfieldgroup.com/holiday2011, or CreateJobsforUSA.org.

Doing Our Part to help America get back to work

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:23:00 +0000

Every holiday season, Garfield Group tries to give something back. This year, we are excited to support Create Jobs for USA - a national initiative created by Starbucks and our client, Opportunity Finance Network.

For every $5 donation - at over 7,000 Starbucks stores or online at CreateJobsforUSA.org, you receive an "indivisible" wristband that shows your support. Donations go to Opportunity Finance Network and are then invested in small business - the true job engine of our economy. Opportunity Finance Network estimates that every $3,000 donated can be leveraged into $21,000 in loans to small businesses.

Americans helping Americans - in a big way.

Lynn Smith encourages Starbucks customers to make a donation by wearing her "Indivisible" wristband and explaining the program at every checkout.

Laura Maxwell, a Starbucks patron, shows her support of Create Jobs for USA.

Inspired by Create Jobs for USA, we purchased wristbands and hit the streets asking people what they thought.

Lynn Smith, a Starbucks barista, has felt the effects of the struggling economy firsthand and is a big supporter of Create Jobs for USA.

"As a college graduate who's had trouble finding a salaried job, I think it's really moving that a program has been created that brings people together to create and sustain jobs," Lynn said. "I think everyone has been impacted by the recession, or at least knows someone who has, so I think it makes them feel good to do their part."

A Starbucks patron, John Campbell, shared his view, "I bought a wristband and wear it proudly. It's a great conversation starter, and an easy way to spread the message of such a worthy cause. Job creation is crucial to building our communities and I'm happy to be empowered to do my small part."

We all have the opportunity to get involved and effect change! Visit your neighborhood Starbucks. Check out CreateJobsforUSA.org. Make a donation that helps get America back to work.

Create Jobs for USA

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:39:00 +0000

Today, November 1st, Starbucks is teaming up with our client, Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) to launch Create Jobs for USA. This ambitious program was designed to focus on one essential thing: create jobs. Something congress -and big business - has not been able to do.

What is so meaningful about this program?

It provides a private enterprise solution to one of the biggest challenges facing our country today.

Why do we need to wait on government? We the people have far greater power-and resources-to effect positive change. If you're like me, you've seen that individuals-working toward a common goal-can move mountains. If Howard Schultz, Starbucks CEO, is willing to lead the charge-you know that this is not an empty politicians' promise. It's going to get done.
It leverages a network of incredibly innovative and effective financial organizations.

Opportunity Finance Network is a national network of CDFIs-Community Development Financial Institutions. CDFIs are Community Financial Institutions who make loans to improve low-income, low-wealth and disadvantaged communities. They make investments in small businesses, affordable housing, community centers, supermarkets, healthy foods, charter schools. Their loans are 100% dedicated to creating jobs, building communities, and helping hard-working Americans improve their quality of life.

Mark Pinsky, the CEO of OFN, and his team, do an exceptional job of developing creative ways of creating and leveraging capital sources to maximize their impact. Every $5 donated to Create Jobs for USA will be leveraged into $35 of capital to be invested in small businesses who will use it to create jobs. Because CDFIs are expert in finding and financing these types of opportunities, they experience a less than 2% default rate-which is miniscule compared to traditional lenders. This is not charity. These are loans to be put to work. And a sustainable model for creating more capital over time.
It focuses attention on small business and community development as the keys to success. It's an investment in the American Dream.

It recognizes that small business is the true job engine of the American economy. And that job creation is essential to helping to revive our economy. And that creating economic opportunity helps to sustain communities-the backbone of the middle class-and the backbone of our country.

The program includes some exceptional creative ideas as well. For every $5 contributed, donors will receive a wristband inscribed with the word "indivisible." Wearing this demonstrates a personal commitment to helping to improve our country-and is a great way to talk about the program with friends, family and co-workers. The use of infographics, and real success stories does a great job of communicating complex ideas in a friendly, human way that can appeal to everyone.

We encourage everyone to participate and make whatever donation you can afford, either at your neighborhood Starbucks, or online at CreateJobsforUSA.org.

To learn more about Opportunity Finance Network, and the great work done by CDFIs, visit opportunityfinance.net.

Larry Garfield is the President of Garfield Group an agency focused on delivering measurable business results for its clients, and a contributing blogger to The Lab. Learn more about him, connect with him on Linkedin and follow him on Twitter @LarryGarfield

Approaching Mobile Web and Mobile Apps

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:41:00 +0000

We live in an on-demand world that moves at the speed of light both personally and professionally, and our daily activities - both offline and online - are quickly merging together.

Case in point: I actually wrote this blog using my iPad while waiting to board a plane. I look around and only a few newspapers are open during the pre-boarding. Instead, tablets, iPads and smartphones connect my fellow passengers to current events. Once boarded, we reach our cruising altitude and all wait for the "DING! You are now free to use your personal approved electronic devices." Out come the airplane mode Smartphone and tablets connecting to the airplane's in-flight WIFI.

Marketing communications have been trending digitally for a while now, but is this just the beginning of the mobile boom? In the two examples below, I'll share some observations on both the mobile web and mobile app approach, as well as share how Garfield Group has found success for our clients and partners in deploying mobile solutions.

Mobile Web vs. Apps

This by far raises the most questions - should I build a mobile site or just an app? If I create an app, should it be for the iPhone or Android? Any good planner knows that decision-making in building any strategy is informed by knowledge, facts and data.

Mobile Web

In determining the need for a mobile version of your site, start with looking at your mobile traffic within your analytics software. Hopefully you are running Google Analytics at the very least. Looking at the trend of mobile visitors month over month, you will likely see mobile-based traffic trending upward. Among Garfield Group's B2B clients, we've been seeing between 3-5% of their overall web traffic originating from mobile client browsers. This may sound insignificant but actually it's just the opposite. Visitor time on-site and page engagement is typically twice as high as desktop web browsing, and that's not related to different connection speeds. It's because more often, when a user is engaging with the web on a mobile device, they have a specific task or need to fulfill. Whether it is something as simple as retrieving a phone number and directions, or reading up on your services and upcoming webinar events, mobile web users tend to have an objective in mind when they are browsing your site, they are looking for something.

Here's a quick exercise: pull up your company's website on your iPhone, Driod or Blackberry. Does it load, work as intended and allow you to complete basic tasks like find info or fill out a contact form? Are your key value propositions and marketing messages making it through within the smaller aperture of a mobile web browser? The mobile web experience should not be a duplicated version of your current site - the mobile web users are much more task-specific on their devices. Once you learn their habits, you can tailor a more optimal user experience, which allows the top pages to be made available with a single touch. Maybe it's a main screen that displays an integrated feed of news, blog posts and tweets coupled with a strong call to action and supporting company information.

So that's mobile web. Taking the most relevant content of your main company website and optimizing it for display and ease of use on mobile devices and Smartphone. After reading this, if you find your website may be in need of a mobile optimized tune-up, contact us or give us a ring. Please check out one of our latest mobile-optimizations by visiting http://bioclinica.com on your desktop browser and then http://m.bioclinica.com from your Smartphone to see how navigation, content and user needs have been optimized for the mobile platform.

There's an app for that

In addition to Mobile Web development, over the last year we have seen tremendous growth in app development, at least in part because of wider adoption of these devices within businesses along with overall improvements in what these devices are capable of. There are now more mobile devices than computers and hundreds of thousands of apps to go with them. Apps are a great way to package up all of your messaging, tools and company values into a unique customer experience - all while making most of this content available offline without a WIFI or 3G connection. Despite having content available offline, over 60% of apps still use or require an Internet connection. So don't be afraid put a mix of content that users can take on-the-go without WIFI and additional features that may need to fetch content via the web.

We are often asked the question: What are the first steps in creating an App? Where do I Begin? At the Garfield Group, our approach to mobile strategy is informed by four imperatives:

Know your audience (How much of it is mobile, what are they accessing now, what platforms are they using?).

Define what content you're going to deliver. (Is there a unique story that needs to be told through interaction that cannot be done with a mobile version of your website? Do you need to create a tool or utility that helps your audience arrive at a decision or educate them in an engaging way? Do you need to develop an App that helps your sales force communicate the value proposition of your products and services?)

Determine what devices you will use to distribute the experience. (Does the audience you've targeted standardize on a specific device platform or are they spread across a number of different platforms?)

Define how you will measure success. (What business objectives are associated with this investment? How will this app drive business growth or make other business processes more efficient or effective?)

Carefully addressing each of these conditions will enable you to develop a comprehensive strategy and identify the tactical requirements for a successful app development project that meets your audience needs as well as your business goals.

You might also check our a recent blog post about an App we'd built for Vocollect to power their new business efforts and drive business growth.

That's the approach for App Development for business. Identifying the opportunity to create engagement and a unique customer experience and constructing a sound strategy that incorporates what will be of the greatest benefit to the user and what would be the best business outcomes from that experience. If you are considering an App to help deliver business growth, drive greater efficiency in the sales cycle or serve as an effective tool for your sales force please contact us or give us a ring. We'd love to talk to you about your next project. And if you'd like to check out the App we developed for Vocollect's sales force, you can download a lite version on the Apple App store.

Dave Snyder is the Interactive Account Director at Garfield Group. Connect with Dave on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @dbspeed. Garfield Group is an agency focused on delivering measurable business results to a client roster ranging from small startups to industry powerhouses. Positioning brands for maximum growth, Garfield Group applies innovative, strategies to drive objectives and surpass expectations through branding initiatives, digital campaigns and targeted offline tactics. For more insights from Garfield Group, visit The Lab and follow up on Twitter @garfieldgroup

Strategies for Effective Online Brand Management

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Many B2B companies may believe the only path to success is to focus on generating leads and making the sale. A commitment to online branding is an often overlooked or underfunded initiative, deemed not essential to marketers who live and die by their sales performance. But this approach can be shortsighted. Brand building plays a critical role in your business strategy, ensuring the business remains brand-focused and customer-focused to achieve profitability.

Building your brand in the online space can boost awareness of your brand, your company and it's products or services. The greater brand awareness you can create, the greater the chances that your audience will actively seek your brand out and remain loyal to you.

While putting your company in front of an audience is not too difficult with the right tactics and expenditure, it must be done in concert with developing a solid brand reputation and a strong online presence, backed by an effective media strategy, in order to sustain the desired flow of business leads.

Online Branding Basics

Key tactics or components that form the basis of an online brand strategy are typically SEO (search engine optimization), SEM (search engine marketing), PPC (online display advertising), Social Media marketing, online brand reputation management, online Public Relations and thought leadership. While each of these techniques can serve as a lever in boosting brand equity online, when used together they become a powerful and effective strategy for brand management. While your specific online strategy for branding may differ from other businesses with regard to the specific tactics employed, the core elements of a strategic online brand strategy should be a combination of advertising, social media, SEO and online PR or thought leadership activities.

The following additional guidelines will help you articulate your online brand promise, define the marketing opportunity and objectives, and extend your targeted audience.

Know the audience you are trying to reach

Learn as much as you can about your target audiences, not only how they relate to the products or services you sell, but who they are as individuals. Where do they live? How old are they? How do they behave towards media? How do they make purchase decisions and how do they research their purchases before buying? Do they engage with social media channels? If so, which ones and in what way?

Understanding your audience segments is crucial to your business strategy ¬- are you serving a profitable niche of prospective customers? Are you effective in spotting opportunities in additional customer segments and extending your strategy to reach them? How do you describe your customers and how do they describe themselves?

Work through multiple channels

Build your brand by extending it out to where your audience is, don't just count on them to come to you and your website. Leverage behavioral targeting, site specific targeting and re-marketing in display and content networks to raise awareness and create the repetition necessary to spur action. Conduct these activities systematically and with key measurement criteria built-in so that you can evaluate and fine-tune performance over time. With SEO (search engine optimization), remain consistent with brand messaging guidelines in creating your title tags and other Meta data. Ensure your offline marketing activities are in sync with your online activities. Ensure your emails, landing pages, and other digital expressions of your brand share a similar look and feel, and relate to your brand identity and target audiences. Consistency and reinforcement of your brand messaging throughout the buying cycle helps your audience recognize and recall your brand. When those audiences are then "ready to buy," you will ensure your brand is among the consideration set.

Develop a social media strategy

As I've mentioned previous blog posts, the visibility of your brand can quickly determine a company's success or failure. A comprehensive SEO plan alone is no longer enough to maintain proper brand visibility. The rise in popularity of social media networks have made it necessary for businesses to consider and to define a strategy on how they will incorporate social media into their brand management process. A part of this strategy will be in determining what you want your brand to say or do in the social media space, how you want your target audiences via social media to engage with your brand, and what platforms or networks are most appropriate to achieve those objectives. Start by investigating and listening, find out who is talking about your brand and where they are talking. If nobody is talking, start the conversation yourself, but remember that the social media space is about interaction, not sales. Don't force your message on your prospects. Engage with them in a more human way and demonstrate your value through action and behavior

Thought Leadership

Building an online brand reputation is achieved through the delivery of exceptional value to your audience in an unselfish and altruistic way. Start at the beginning by making a list to identify your areas of expertise, where your brand really has credible expertise. Next, identify the company assets, intelligence and experience you have at your disposal to demonstrate that expertise. You may find that you will have to create some of these assets to achieve this goal. Use your brand and marketing strategy as a guide to ensure the assets you develop speak to the intended audience and are consistent with your brand expression. Finally, define a clear strategy for delivering that expertise to your audience. Once you've identified what you have to say and how you can best say it, the next step is to develop a set of tactics that will ensure the thought leadership content and thinking reaches the audience successfully.

Keep in mind that this content and must have intrinsic value, this is essential to create the ripple effect you are seeking, it must be valuable and shareable, so that your audience appreciates your brand's viewpoint or experience on the subject and is willing to share that content with their peers. Your thought leadership activities can incorporate both online and offline tactics (whitepapers and speaking engagements), and incorporate PR as well as social media participation (3rd party publications and active online community participation). The important thing is to identify the audience question or need, then set about fulfilling that need and answering those questions, in an altruistic, no-strings-attached way.

Russ Gallant is the Managing Director of Garfield Group. Connect with Russ on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter at @rawlus. Garfield Group is an agency focused on delivering measurable business results to a client roster ranging from small startups to industry powerhouses. Positioning brands for maximum growth, Garfield Group applies innovative strategies to drive objectives and surpass expectations through branding initiatives, digital campaigns and targeted offline tactics. For more insights from Garfield Group, visit The Lab.