The writing is on the wall

A sign of our times: choosing your tag

This document is meant for

B2B IT companies (SME), their management, marketeers and interested readers.

It aims toStart a discussion on how IT companies profile themselves and how they can improve in doing so(and provide some tips and tools to help you along).

My personal disclaimer:I am sure I am not always right or the world renowned guru in all fields of marketing, branding, communications or PR. You

should not believe anybody who says they are. But I do know my trade and have been working in the IT industry for many, many years.

Always willing to learn and share experiences, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me. Lindy.Dragstra@itemmarketing.com

5000 People are exposed to

promotional messages a day http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/15/business/media/15everywhere.html?pagewanted=all

7Short term working memory has capacity for

items (plus or minus 2)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magical_Number_Seven,_Plus_or_Minus_Two

74% of tech B2B customers consider

or morecompanies when

purchasing 3 of Tech B2B customerswere not sure what

companyto purchase from

67%Source: Google/Compete Tech B2B Customer Study, U.S. Sept 2012. Clickstream Analysis & Survey Data, Q2 2011 – Q1 2012.

Here we go:

So if you want to

stand out

from the crowd:

A funny hat won’t be enough

Know your customerBe focusedBe consistentBe sincereBe professional

Just like people, every company and every product has it’s own “identifier”. It can be the way you work, your target market, a product feature or a corporate

theme. Check yours and ask yourself “What business am I in?” Think about Kodak.

http://www.lindamagazine.nl/nieuws/funfact/zeg-eens-wat-vaker-goeiemorgen/

If I shout, will you listen?

Do you have stopping power?

Schuberg Philis: 100% uptimeLeaseweb: Reliable hosting

CGI: Experience the commitmentAccenture: High performance.

DeliveredOracle: Get better results

Salesforce.com: No boundaries

What is your claim to fame?

Trust me. You need to have one. One that actually means something. Check this out: http://www.begtodiffer.com/2009/08/25-meaningless-tag-lines/

How to discover

and choose your identifier

Do it properly – you’ll be glad you did

Ask yourself.Ask your customers.Ask your partners

and employees.

Odds are that you are NOT unique. Even if you think you are. Or maybe you are unique, but the customer doesn’t care. Check out the competition. Do

research. Think about what is relevant to the customer, how you can help his business.

Contact: info@itemmarketing.com for a template to help you start this process

Yes, You have to

CHOOSE

Honestly, you can’t have it all.

A grafitti artist has his own tag and writes consistent messages.

Make a choice, what’s that

you want people to remember

Don’t be a politician. Be bold. Be decisive. A clear choice for your “identifier”will lead the way to your goals.

Whether it’s a BHAG, tagline, theme or concept: make it as razorsharp as you dare.

one thing

Stick to your choice and live up to

it

Start today.

It takes time, information and inspiration, but the benefits are great. Involve your organization, partners and customers.

For a workbook and workshop tuned to your organization: info@itemmarketing.com – follow me: @lindyDT – let’s link: Lindy Dragstra/LinkedIn

ONE thing!