Creative Brief BlogCast

This is a blog post about what ice skates, hockey sticks and pucks have to do with marketing a new product. Because believe it or not, there's a lot in common between whatever you do, and ice skates, hockey sticks, and pucks. Andreas Schwabe is Graphos' Director of Media Services. Before that he was the first webmaster of the NHL's Edmonton Oilers, and among the first pro sports webmasters. Is there demand for your product? What's the ideal selling price and how will it affect the market segment? What is the brand promise? What's the product' unique selling proposition (USP) or differentiation in the market? After highlighting just a few of the moving parts, I might need to re-visit this topic again sometime. Professional sport does everything big. Success is big, failure is big. If you learn the lessons of pro sports, your business can thrive in the big leagues.

Podcasting allows businesses and individuals to create their own globally distributed 24/7 perpetual media property all about your interest or business. So why do businesses hold off creating a podcast? They don't know how. That's where Podsummit III comes in. You can start benefiting from Podsummit III even before it happens. This blogcast by Andreas Schwabe tells you how.

Branding is not about invention, it's about ownership. You can invent the greatest consumer product in the world. It can solve an important problem, look beautiful, and work flawlessly. And it can tank miserably, or even be mowed down by an inferior competitor who succeeds in owning the market. Graphos Principal and CEO Laurier Mandin breaks down Apple, Volvo, and Danone, and how the brands managed to dominate simplicity, safety, and healthy living. Read by Andreas Schwabe

At the heart of all this is that your website should be the hub of your marketing, a source of pride and a major competitive advantage for your business. If not, you're quite simply mishandling your most valuable brand asset. To start turning it around requires a change of thinking, a bit of a budget, and a plan. As a marketer or business owner, there is really no project more worthy of your time and energy.

Surviving in the most competitive and flooded online markets is far more than a guessing game. It requires data, testing and research. It requires tracking your marketing tactics to see if they're worthwhile. Those who ignore or abandon the powerful and useful tools of online marketing are destined for extinction. In this blog by the Graphos Team.

Dominating an industry requires an entirely different mindset from merely surviving or achieving profitability. You must be convinced that second place is the first loser, and believe with conviction your offering is by any measure far superior to the competition. Then set out to prove it in everything you do, every time. This blog by Laurier Mandin provides business leaders three important tools to turn your business into a segment and brand leader. Ready by Andreas Schwabe

Some companies just seem to succeed. Hard work and tenacity are a big part of the equation. Understanding your product, your customers, and the market are key points to focus on. Standing out in the market takes focus, budget, and dedication. Spontaneous, magical success isn't a thing. In this blog by Laurier Mandin, we examine five key big-picture actions you can take to help your business overachieve. Read by Andreas Schwabe

The internet is ubiquitous. Personal computing has migrated from office, to home, and now we carry our digital access with us everywhere with mobile devices. In spite of the constant companionship of our mobile devices and a lifetime of famliarity for an entire generation of consumers, carving out your own online space can be daunting. In this episode, written by Laurier Mandin, and read by Andreas Schwabe, you'll learn a half dozen of the easiest ways to make your online presence felt.

Your name is the sweetest sound you hear. Names are important. What if Amazon, Google, and Starbucks went with those original names: Abracadabra. Googol. Cargo House. Spelling counts. Pronunciation counts. Positive associations count. Making a mistake can be as bad as selling the Ford Pinto in Brazil, which in Brazilian Portuguese describes diminutive male genetalia. Or when Clairol tries to sell "Clairol Mist" in Germany? In German, "Mist" is "manure." Creating a name isn't just about understanding your product, it's about thinking about how your product will be understood.

Why podcasting? Andreas Schwabe is Graphos' Director of Media Services. Making a podcast is easy. Making a good podcast isn't. Andreas asks the question that answers itself: why wouldn't your business want to own a media property with global distribution where your message is the exclusive content? Business leaders are experts with passion - which is the exact starting point you need to build a podcast into a global message for your customers. Learn how podcasting can be a conversation that delivers news and information to your best customers.

Product launches are exciting. The potential is intoxicating, but success is elusive. It takes a dozens of things going exactly right for success to take hold. Conversely, one bad mistake can sink a product's success. In this Laurier Mandin blog read by Andreas Schwabe, you'll hear eight crucial mistakes to avoid, and give your product the best chance for success.

Graphos got some nice accolades when we were named in Marketing Tech Outlook Magazine's Top 10 companies. We're the only Canadian company named to the list. It's not a sales award. It's a results award. In this episode written by Laurier Mandin and read by Andreas Schwabe is about how Graphos thinks about marketing with technology.