Say it fast, Who-Wha-Why-and-How. What do you get? Hawaiian Owl!

In our last blog of our continuing series “Building The Architecture,” we discussed the use of Brand Archetypes in the creation of a coherent brand message. Today we highlight the purpose of the Unique Value Proposition (or “UVP”). Your Unique Value Proposition is an essential, powerful message that defines not only who you are and what you do, but identifies the central motivator for why you do it. Making a UVP is an opportunity to define what makes you different from other brands that offer similar products or services. This is the core aspect that will attract customers to a brand in the first place. Your UVP is critical to connect with your target market.

To determine your Unique Value Proposition, you must consider the 4 building blocks of the UVP formula:

• Determine what your target market is (Who)
• Formalize your business’ product or service (What)
• Isolate what differentiates you amongst the competition (How)
• Define your motivators (Why)

Much like the Hawaiian Owl, piecing together Who, What, Why, and How combine to create something special, your Unique Value Proposition. Among these brand-defining characteristics, it is the “Why” that most directly connects your target audience to purchase decisions. It is the bridge from practical need (What) and method (How) to making an emotional connection between you and your customer. These questions of What, How, and Why are extremely important to the development of your Unique Value Proposition. The most significant of the three is determining your Why, because it will be your defining feature that sets you apart from other businesses. As stated by Simon Sinek from his TED talk, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Without having a clear message for what drives your company, consumers will not be invested.

The most effective and well-developed brands have invested time into discovering their “Why.” Take TOMS Shoes for example. TOMS has taken the simple entrepreneurial idea and added a philanthropic element to the mix. The “Why” from TOMS is within their slogan: “One For One.” Their brand is constantly reminding us that we are not just purchasing shoes for ourselves, but we are also giving a pair to someone else. This altruistic business model tells customers what their motivation for selling their product is. Consumers do not buy TOMS solely because they want to buy shoes, consumers buy TOMS because they want to align themselves with the message of helping others.

Ultimately, through the Ilfusion Brand Architecture, we work together to determine the elements that determine the UVP formula:

“For [Target Market] who seek [What], Business Name [How], [Why].”

We can help you discuss these considerations and determine your brand’s Unique Value Proposition, your own Hawaiian Owl. Give us a call today to learn more! 888.420.5115

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That is the reaction we received from one of our clients after a recent presentation of their brand message. At Ilfusion, we know that having a clear focus is essential to building a brand, and that is why we offer our clients Ilfusion Brand Architecture analysis. Ilfusion Brand Architecture is a comprehensive research and writing process that defines how a brand communicates both internally and externally. Elements of this messaging include definition of the Brand Promise, Unique Value Proposition, and as we highlight here, discovery of the Brand Archetype.

Based on the Pearson Archetypal System which is derived from principles explored by Carl Jung, archetypes are symbols that lay in the subconscious of the mind in every human being, and can be used to help customers relate to your brand’s values. Your brand archetype serves as a filter for all of your marketing communications, ensuring consistency and creating the smoothest, straightest path for your customer to identify and connect with your brand.

What do you do once you know your archetype? Execution of the ideas is crucial. By figuring out which archetype most aligns with your brand, you are given a model to keep goals and values consistent over time. These values should drive the direction you take for all aspects of your communication such as your target audience, products and services offered, and marketing. Knowing your business’s archetype can help formulate not only your brand personality, but construct all internal and external messages. It is just as important to make sure that all employees understand and adhere to the message and belief of the archetype.

We receive very positive reactions from our clients when introducing them to this new way of thinking for their brand. Deciphering your brand archetype is only one aspect of Ilfusion Brand Architecture process that allows us to make informed decisions when creating your marketing strategy.

Let us know what you think! Want to learn more? Give us a call today at 888-420-5115.

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My role at Ilfusion was a PR/social media intern, but as the semester went on, I learned about far more than social media and PR. Ilfusion is a very open company that engages all of its employees in every aspect of the company. Everyone at Ilfusion was very welcoming from the moment I walked in the door and I was able to participate in a very fun and exciting work environment. I always had work to do that was important for the company and never had to do “busy work”, like a lot of people experience with internships. In fact, my favorite part of my internship was the work environment. Everyone at Ilfusion made me feel like a part of the team.

The duties that I performed for social media gave me a tremendous insight to working with clients in the real world. I learned how to use social media in order to help clients engage their target audiences better and gain the best online presence possible. The importance of client satisfaction and understanding has also taught me a lot about PR and how imperative it is to represent clients in the best ways that you can. I also learned the importance of teamwork and respecting everything that other teammates do, because at the end of the day, everyone is working together to create the best results possible for clients.

Working with Ilfusion has taught me the importance of building relationships inside and outside of work. I feel like I have grown my network immensely and that I can start building my career with confidence. I will truly miss working with everyone at Ilfusion, and I recommend this internship to anyone looking to gain knowledge in marketing, social media, PR, graphic design, and having an awesome time.

-Amanda Ogle

Digital Advertising : Social Media Campaign

Silver
A Great Place to Work Campaign
- Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market

Digital Advertising : Social Media Campaign

Bronze
Fusion Women’s Health & Wellness Social Media Campaign
- Fusion Women’s Health & Wellness

Digital Advertising : Video, Commercials

Silver
Smart Pack Gummy Vitamins “Calcium”
- Smart Pack Gummy Vitamins

Digital Advertising : Video, Commercials

Silver
Smart Pack Gummy Vitamins “DHA/EPA Omega-3″
- Smart Pack Gummy Vitamins

Digital Advertising : Video, Branded Content, more than 60 secs.

Bronze
I Love Fresh and Easy Campaign
- Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market

Digital Advertising : Video, Branded Content, more than 60 secs.

Bronze
Discover Spirit Lodge
- Right Step

Collateral Material : Stationary Package, Multiple Process

Silver
Fusion Stationary Materials
- Fusion Women’s Health and Wellness

Public Service : Broadcast/Electronic/Digital, Audio/Visual

Bronze
Make Education a Priority
- School Priority

Elements of Advertising : Visual, Logo

Bronze
Social 7th
- Social 7th

Ilfusion is incredibly proud of their team and clients for their hard work and dedication during 2012, and 2013 is shaping up to be a banner year.

The Fort Worth Botanical Society announced the appointment of Jeff Langhammer, partner and co-founder at Ilfusion Creative, as the first Vice President and Chairman of Community Relations of the Board of Directors effective April 10th, 2013.

Langhammer co-founded Ilfusion in January of 2010 and was elected to the The Fort Worth Botanical Society Board in 2013. He also was also honored as one of Fort Worth Business Press’ 40 Under 40 in 2012.

With the appointment of Langhammer, The Botanical Society’s board now has a fresh, new pair of eyes looking into the future. Rattana Mao is President of the board and has a great deal of exciting ideas to bring to the table including events such as fashion shows and concerts. The two look forward to working together to make this amazing piece of Fort Worth a beacon of community culture and preservation.

About the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens

This 109-acre, picturesque botanic garden nestled in Downtown Fort Worth is a tranquil and relaxing escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. This is especially true within the walls of the soothing Japanese garden, where you can watch “koi stampede across the pond” waiting to be fed. The exceptional rose garden and the popular collection of perennials all make the Fort Worth Botanic Garden a local favorite.

Step 1: Client Creative Brief

- One of the most important steps in logo design is understanding the clients goals and objectives.

- Ask the clients several questions in order to get all of the info and details you need. (Ex: What does the company do and how do they want to be perceived?)

Step 2: Researching the Industry

- If you are unfamiliar with the industry, research it to get the best understanding of what it’s all about.

- Research all of the competitors logos and use them to your advantage in order for you to create something unique, a logo that stands out against the rest.

Step 3: Brainstorming/Sketching

- This is the most important in order to create a solid, unique and memorable logo design. Too many people skip this step in order to try and save time, but if you try and rush a project it may never reach its full potential.

- Start sketching on paper with your favorite pencil and eraser. This allows your brain to get warmed up and rolling onto some good concepts. It takes time coming up with good ideas. Keep in mind your creative brief and research while sketching ideas.

- Usually the first sketches will be the most obvious and generic ideas that you need to get out of your system before you start getting to the good ideas. Sketching is like an unused sink: the first water tends to be dirty, it’s been sitting in the pipes, let water run for a bit and the water becomes something you would actually want to ingest. It is best to sketch at LEAST 20 different concepts.

- Unlike jumping straight to the computer, sketching allows you to develop several different ideas and concepts as a whole, instead of focusing on small details or perfection.

Step 4: Digitizing the Sketches

- After feeling confident in your sketches, choose a few of the strongest ones and take them to the computer by scanning them in.

- At this point it is not necessary to introduce color into your designs. Focus on perfecting the logo in black and white. A proper logo should be able work in black and white just as well as it works in color.

- Once you are happy with the logo options you have designed, it’s time to show them to the client! If this process is used from beginning to end without skipping a step, there should always be an end result of some strong logos that the client will love.

Taking breaks throughout the whole process is important. It is helpful to be able to step away from your work for a while and let your ideas mature and soak in.

If you or your company is looking for a great logo design, our graphic designers will create a logo that will exemplify your brand. Contact us today, at 888.420.5115 to find out what we can do for you.

Hootsuite has solved this problem. Through their Enterprise package, Hootsuite gives brands (or their wonderful agency strategists) the tools necessary for quick, easy, and accurate analytics graphs reports at a moment’s notice. As these tools become more integrated into social media managers’ daily monitoring, the idea of command centers has emerged.

Social media “command centers” have become a revolutionary way for major brands and events to engage with fans, absorb user-generated content, and gather relative insights to be used in future marketing campaigns. Gatorade, Dell, and the NFL all utilize social media command centers, using an impressive display of monitors and a team of responders, almost like a mini NASA, to oversee every minute of online conversation and to respond to praise, ideas, funny anecdotes, and complaints – all in real time.

While smaller brands likely do not require such intense regulation, they do need monitoring and representation in online forums. Our social media strategists have small scale command centers set up for all of their brands, and will monitor and engage in social media conversations surrounding your brand and industry. Because many companies are not taking such precise advantage of their social media marketing tools, our strategists will put you ahead of the game, often positioning your brand as the expert in your industry.

If you’d like to know more about social media strategy and what Ilfusion can do for you, email or call us at 888.420.5115.

Hope Center for Autism Appoints Clif Mattix as President of Board of Directors

Hope Center for Autism announced the appointment of Clif Mattix, Chief Marketing Officer at Ilfusion Creative, as President of the Board of Directors effective March 20th, 2013.

He joined Ilfusion in March 2010 and was elected to the Hope Center for Autism Board in June 2011. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors at Dream Outside the Box, another local charity focused on helping youths.

With the appointment of Mattix, Hope’s board now consists of 9 members, including Jason Harvison (Secretary/Treasurer), Elsa Newsome (Vice President), Ember Nevill, Caroline Cradick, Susan Wood, Glenn Wood, Sue Harvison, and Hollie Harvison. The Advisory Board now has five members including Rattana Mao, Valerie Wallis, Greg Berryhill, Laura Whatley and Darcee Maddy.

About Hope Center for Autism

Hope Center for Autism provides one-on-one Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Therapy to children on the autism spectrum. At Hope, there is no one program alike. Each therapy program is built to meet each child’s specific needs and strengths.

In 2007 Susan and Glenn Wood, along with a group of concerned parents, saw the need for a different type center to serve families affected by autism in the Fort Worth area. They gathered parents together to discuss what they needed in regards to support for their families and desire for ABA therapy for their children. The Wood’s vision aligned perfectly with these parents and Hope Center for Autism was founded. For more information, visit www.HopeCenter4Autism.org.

Ilfusion Creative is pleased to announce Blake Hooser as Chief Executive Officer beginning March 8, 2013. Jeff Langhammer and Ryan Li, formerly the CEO and CIO, will remain Ilfusion’s Partners and Co-Founders and stay closely involved in the day-to-day business within the company.

Blake brings over fourteen years of marketing and advertising experience, most recently working as Creative Director and Account Manager at Fort Worth-based The Starr Conspiracy. Prior to this, Blake worked at the Star-Telegram for ten years, acting as Senior Art Director of the marketing department.

Jeff Langhammer says, “Prior to Blake being brought in, we had many discussions with him about the growing pains we were experiencing, and he had insight into the issues we were facing. It was a very organic and natural decision to bring him in.”

“I’m thrilled to be part of a company where the intangibles and talent are already in place,” Blake says. “I am looking forward to applying my experience, and molding Ilfusion into an efficient, high performing agency that is a valuable strategic partner for all of our clients.”

In our experience, many people think that all you need to make a good video is a high quality camera that can shoot 4K RAW in 3D, and everything else will just work itself out. Instead of hiring a professional videographer, they use their expensive camera and create the video themselves. While having a great camera has many benefits and can make production easier, it is not the most important thing. Your ability to use the camera to its full potential to effectively tell a story outweighs the quality of the picture.

Take the movie Skyline for example. It was shot using a RED camera, a digital cinema camera that can produce amazing quality video at 4K resolution and costs an arm and leg. While the movie looks pretty and has great special effects, it lacks creativity. On the other end of the spectrum, the movie Act of Valor was shot mostly on the Canon 5D MKII. This is a consumer DSLR camera that can be purchased for around $2,000. While Act of Valor won’t be winning any awards for acting (Navy SEALs aren’t known for their acting), the story telling and camera work is miles ahead of Skyline. This video for example, was shot on an iPhone which goes to show you that it isn’t always about the equipment!

Before you go out and spend $16,000 on a Canon C300, consider your skill set and creativity when it comes to creating videos. Get a cheaper camera and learn every function and technique inside out. If there isn’t time for that, then it’s best to invest in someone who knows what he or she is doing. Save your company time and money and invest in something you know is quality.