My email inbox is out of control.
So is my mailbox.
And there's that pile of newspapers and magazines sitting over there...
Some days I can barely skim the subjects of my emails, or flip through my mail.
It makes me wonder if my email and marketing messages are getting read, or lost in someone else's stack.
Whether you're sending out a marketing message, or simply corresponding with a client, your message has to get read.
But how? It's your personality.
Most of the copy I read is full of jargon and lacks warmth.
The images used are often cliché or over used.
They don't mean anything to me.
It doesn't pull me in or engage me, so I don't read very far.
The messages that stand out to me have a different tone to them.
That difference is personality.
What moves me, makes me stop and listen, no matter what the subject, is a genuine voice.
You can use your own story in your marketing.
It may be appropriate for you to tell the life story of your business to a potential customer.
For example, I attended the Australian Wine Experience the other night.
After an hour of unbelievable crowds and line ups I was ready to go home.
All of the wine had begun to taste the same, the displays were blending into one another, and the faces were interchangeable.
When came across the Lehmann display, I noticed right away that the company was different.
Perhaps because I'm a graphic designer, the display grabbed my attention right away.
The banner displayed a mosaic of various paintings, with the title "Works of Art".
After many photos of grapes, or panoramic images of vineyards, this unique banner caused us to ask the staff to explain.
As it turns out, Peter Lehmann established the company many years ago when he had been a farmer.
Because he felt that starting the company was a great risk, he was compelled to use an image of the Queen of Clubs on his wine labels and marketing material.
To illustrate this, he hired a different artist to create their own interpretation for each wine label.
Mr.
Lehmann was in attendance that night.
I had a chance to meet him (he signed a poster for me) hear his story, and see him put his arms around his wife as they posed for a photo together.
I can remember the taste of Lehmann's Shiraz, exactly what the label looked like, and can still picture the Lehmanns getting into a cab, still smiling at the end of the night.
That's genuine.
That's personality.
As a customer, I will never forget Peter Lehmann's "Works of Art", or his story.
Whether you are creating your corporate identity (or brand), or planning your next marketing campaign, don't be afraid to let your personality showthrough.
Unlike the list of products and services you offer, which are likely just like everyone else's, your personality can set you apart from the competition.
So is my mailbox.
And there's that pile of newspapers and magazines sitting over there...
Some days I can barely skim the subjects of my emails, or flip through my mail.
It makes me wonder if my email and marketing messages are getting read, or lost in someone else's stack.
Whether you're sending out a marketing message, or simply corresponding with a client, your message has to get read.
But how? It's your personality.
Most of the copy I read is full of jargon and lacks warmth.
The images used are often cliché or over used.
They don't mean anything to me.
It doesn't pull me in or engage me, so I don't read very far.
The messages that stand out to me have a different tone to them.
That difference is personality.
What moves me, makes me stop and listen, no matter what the subject, is a genuine voice.
You can use your own story in your marketing.
It may be appropriate for you to tell the life story of your business to a potential customer.
For example, I attended the Australian Wine Experience the other night.
After an hour of unbelievable crowds and line ups I was ready to go home.
All of the wine had begun to taste the same, the displays were blending into one another, and the faces were interchangeable.
When came across the Lehmann display, I noticed right away that the company was different.
Perhaps because I'm a graphic designer, the display grabbed my attention right away.
The banner displayed a mosaic of various paintings, with the title "Works of Art".
After many photos of grapes, or panoramic images of vineyards, this unique banner caused us to ask the staff to explain.
As it turns out, Peter Lehmann established the company many years ago when he had been a farmer.
Because he felt that starting the company was a great risk, he was compelled to use an image of the Queen of Clubs on his wine labels and marketing material.
To illustrate this, he hired a different artist to create their own interpretation for each wine label.
Mr.
Lehmann was in attendance that night.
I had a chance to meet him (he signed a poster for me) hear his story, and see him put his arms around his wife as they posed for a photo together.
I can remember the taste of Lehmann's Shiraz, exactly what the label looked like, and can still picture the Lehmanns getting into a cab, still smiling at the end of the night.
That's genuine.
That's personality.
As a customer, I will never forget Peter Lehmann's "Works of Art", or his story.
Whether you are creating your corporate identity (or brand), or planning your next marketing campaign, don't be afraid to let your personality showthrough.
Unlike the list of products and services you offer, which are likely just like everyone else's, your personality can set you apart from the competition.
SHARE
