Sheffield Marketing Partners » Guidelines

Brand guidelines are so formulaic

Joe McCormack — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:06:01 +0000

Creating or refreshing a brand is so much more than “look and feel”, color schemes, typography or a logo. In doing some research on exemplary brand guidelines recently, I saw a small blog post that I liked that lamented the challenge of getting good guideline examples. I am not sure if he ever succeeded. There needs to be a blend of the message and story (it’s voice and tone; what the brand says) and how the brand looks, feels and portrays itself.

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Online video: a comprehensive roundup

Joe McCormack — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:26:55 +0000

As a result of the current explosion of online video content, there are countless Web sites devoted to creating, hosting, sharing and promoting online video. In fact, there are so many that it can be difficult to know which ones are really worthwhile. Thankfully, Mashable.com’s Video Toolbox provides a comprehesive review of more than 150 Web sites, platforms and resources for all things online video.

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Media 101 – 5 quick tips to getting a great story

Joe McCormack — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:41:29 +0000

Know the reporter and the story angle – It’s critical to know who the reporter is and the exact subject of the interview. Go online to read any recent stories the reporter has written, find a bio and don’t be afraid to ask the nature of the story.
Prepare your messages – Write down your key messages and what you think the story should focus on; remember that reporters are looking to write good pieces and like it when you think like a reporter.
Keep your answers brief – In a typical interview your answers should be 30-60 seconds. Keep that in mind and notice if the subsequent questions follow your previous statements; it’s an indicator if they’re following you or are totally lost.
Have a few great quotes – Write down short sound bites that are clever and memorable; most people aren’t particularly gifted at making them up on the spot, and if they do it probably means trouble.
Get excited – The passion in your voice should reflect your interest in the interview and your desire to help shape the story. So don’t be afraid of showing some zeal.

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Five keys to succeed with online video

Joe McCormack — Sat, 24 May 2008 01:21:53 +0000

Make a point and keep it brief – short-form video is what people watch online; keep your segments to less than three minutes, ideally 60 seconds
Provide visual variety – watching a talking head for the entire time is cumbersome; spice up a video with different shot angles, an animation, stock b-roll and some mild music
Sign up to multiple accounts – create accounts on YouTube (of course), and also on Google, Revver, MetaCafe, AOL, Myspace, Veoh, blip.tv and Yahoo
Synidicate through TubeMogul – create an account on TubeMogul.com that syndicates the same episode to all your accounts automatically and gets picked up by search engines more effectively
Let them know how to find you – place a link at the end of your video so people can contact you or visit your site for more information

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Key to Marketing in an "ADD Age"

Joe McCormack — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 01:36:15 +0000

Be brief.

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Five keys to succeed with direct mail

Joe McCormack — Fri, 11 May 2007 02:47:11 +0000

Make them an offer – give them something worth responding to now
Create a follow-up strategy – expect them to ignore you at first, and plan how you will follow up
Be creative and compelling – ensure that your piece stands out against competing offers
Speak to the needs of the audience – can the recipient even relate?
Build or buy a bullet-proof list – will the right people even get it?

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The implications of user-generated content, part 1

Joe McCormack — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 02:56:43 +0000

With widespread broadband access, users can easily view and post audio and video content online right now. As more and more people spend time online, they’re not sitting in front of their TV. There are, however, many important implications to consider regarding this dramatic shift:

Make it quality content: the material you see and hear has to be acceptable and entertaining enough for people to want to watch and listen. Is this the end of the home-made video?
The right of distribution: who else will want to see and share it – is it worth anything to do this?
Provocative PR value: what’s the value of traditional marketing and PR to drive attention online. Can you intentionally build buzz and word of mouth?
Defining the community: is there a group of people who would appreciate this and how do I find and alert them?
A new talent pool: all of this will drive huge demand for people with wit, creativity, drive and know-how to make new media become the accepted model. What will their job title be, chief new media officer?

This is the beginning of a new day. Exciting and confusing all at once.

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