Ann

Well of course they do, but not how you might think.

They don’t often get you new accounts, but they certainly matter to your design staff who need and deserve the praise for a job well done. There was a survey going around a couple of years ago that asked people if they had the choice between winning an Oscar or an award for a scientific discovery, which would they choose? Surprisingly most chose the Oscar. It seems being in the limelight and dressed up in front of your peers at a gala event means a lot.

So why do clients care? People in marketing responsible for choosing a firm to work with are always under a lot of pressure. How better to validate their decision to their bosses when the firm they chose wins awards on their behalf. Now please don’t misconstrue this. Awards never replace who the ultimate winners are. They are announced later when you do or don’t get a call for the next assignment after your client evaluates the success of the strategy on their bottom line!

So with that being said, I want to say kudos to my amazing and talented staff and to our very smart clients for choosing us. The Byne Group Took Home 10 Big W Awards this June including several honors for its work on Nyack Hospital’s Get to Know the Doctors Who Trust Nyack Hospital Image Campaign. Amy Massimo, Nyack Hospital's Director of Public Affairs, said it best: “The Byne Group worked extensively for us to develop cohesive, effective and targeted marketing campaigns and they all proved to be widely successful.” Amy let us know that we succeeded at our most important job by helping Nyack Hospital's bottom line!

The firm also earned Big W's for work for The Hollows at Blue Hill, Dominican College, Catholic Charities and United Hospice of Rockland.

In my work I am asked to help non-profits strategically analyze and improve their marketing across all mediums. After being hired, it’s inevitable that people within the organization will ask why they have to spend money and time on branding when let’s face it, they have so little of either.

Some staff will find the term alien, even off-putting, so make sure that all staff understands that a brand is not just a logo or a tagline or a mission statement. It is the overall impressions, good or bad that your organization leaves behind, from the materials you send out, to your website being current to the person who answers the phone.

So what are some ways to make everyone on the boat row in the same direction? In my opinion the key is in involving all levels of the staff. It may be a focus group, a task force or asking for input on current perceptions. We all want to be listened too, taken seriously and have our opinions valued. Hiring an outside firm can help create a non-judgmental atmosphere and a promise of no repercussions from upper management. The best cheerleading begins from within an organization and then naturally emanates to the people in the stands.

Now if only we can find a better word than branding, any suggestions out there?

Welcome to our new blog—created in direct response to lessons learned at our event. We hope this blog will give us an opportunity to share insights, provide a forum for discussion, and let you know what The Byne Group is up to. We will soon be launching our new website so stay tuned.

For those of you who missed it, our speaker, Howard Greenstein, a social media evangelist, introduced us to the new world of online social networks, and took us gently through a maze of terms at our first Lunch and Learn program. He touched on powerful ways for us all to harness the power of the online community and answered ethical concerns we all share.

Its obvious that new media such as social networking can pack a powerful punch and you should put these new tools to productive use in telling your story. These days, strategic branding across all media is essential and must include the right mix to meet your goals. We all know the obvious ones: Print the brochure, but make sure to get a pdf of it on your site. Send out the invites to your event but don’t forget the e-mail blast, Get that video you produced for an event onto your site. Just remember to make sure all the pieces all carefully branded! If you haven't done it yet consider an e-newsletter, there are many companies, Constant Contact.com and Ask Emma.com to name a few that inexpensively allow you to track who opens it and when as well as, who clicks through to check out your website.

I thought the event was a great success. Over 25 clients/friends joined us. Lots of networking, and even reconnecting for some old friends (you know who you are)...and the chocolate chip cookies were outrageous!