Marketing your business: Dare to be different, but proceed with purpose

Just after the first of the year, the staff at Serendipity came together for a kick off meeting of sorts to clarify our vision for 2014. We revisited our goals, brand promises, and tweaked our roles. It was my first official meeting since rejoining the company and it felt familiar yet brand new at the same time.

Due to the role changes, we needed new business cards. We were presented a few different options. Of course everyone had an opinion, but none of them seemed to 100 percent hit the mark. Then one of our talented designers suggested we get to see a version that was initially tossed aside. The circle-shaped business card (pictured) was an instant hit with most everyone in the room. Lots of chatter, like “they look just like us!” and “we can use them as Frisbees at trade shows!”

It was then time to get serious if we were going to make this decision. True, the role of the business card has changed with the digital age and demise of the rolodex (who remembers?). But they still have their place; serving as a first impression, creating a lasting one when saved for future reference, and at industry events where it’s critical to stand out. We knew some would love them and some might find them hokey, but in the end we decided to go for it. Why? Because it served our brand. Circles appear in much of our creative: our logo, signage, web site, and media kits. These three “bubbles” represent the buckets of services that we offer including print, digital, and the future of media. In addition, we use bubbles to represent our total audience reach including print, social media, e-mail communication, and digital.

Marketing is all about promoting your brand in the specific way you want your clients and prospects to view your company, products, and services. Forward-thinking and creative marketing is about getting noticed, while being reflective of your brand promises. Think about that the next time you are evaluating your company’s efforts. By all means, be willing to take some risks! Ask your employees to share their ideas, explore what your competition is doing, and stay engaged with current marketing trends. But remember…while it’s great to be creative, don’t just be different for the sake of being different. Proceed with the purpose of representing your brand, in all its glory.

I look forward to blogging more about marketing topics relevant to you and your business. You won’t hear me talk too much about us, as our goal is to provide topics and information important to you, but since I’m new again with Serendipity I feel it’s appropriate to share my observations since re-joining the team. Although the company has grown and a lot has changed around here, I’m happy to see that the core brand and strong commitment to our clients hasn’t. I’m honored to again be a part of this great company and talented team. 

I guess you could say that I’ve come full circle.  

Written by: Jill Carroll, marketing director for Serendipity Media, LLC