EMPOWERING MARKETING

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JULY 2014

7 keys to executing your business rebrand

Why different is better

Where marketers go for news

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CANVAS P1

P2

Editor’s Thoughts Talk to me

P4

Best of CANVAS NotesBig Muscles

P6

Marketing Insights

P12

Say what10 presentation skill challenges your sales team isn’t telling you

P18

Game changers Why you must be different – not better – than your competition

P24

High noon7 keys to executing your successful business rebrand

PUBLISHER

mark potter

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

brandon clark

MARKETING MANAGER

brandy brewer

MANAGING EDITOR

michael j. pallerino

ART DIRECTOR

brent cashman

EDITORIAL BOARDchris petroGlobalSoft

tom moeDaily Printing

dean petrulakisRider Dickerson

david bennettBennett Graphics

tony narducciO’Neil Printing

CANVAS, Volume 6, Issue 7. Published bi-monthly, copyright 2014 CANVAS, All rights reserved, 2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400, Duluth, GA 30097. Please note: The acceptance of advertising or products mentioned by contributing authors does not constitute endorsement by the publisher. Publisher cannot accept responsibility for the correctness of an opinion expressed by contributing authors.

JULY 2014

Good public speaking skills can

change you as a person and boost your confidence.

P2 CANVAS JULY 2014

EDITOR’S THOUGHTS

Talk to me

Michael J. Pallerino, Editor

Okay, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Can you hear me? Come a little closer. Now, what I’m about to tell you isn’t as important as the fact that I can. See, if you’re not creating a dialog with your cus-

tomers, while then, I politely ask, “What are doing?”In today’s media friendly (and I’m being kind here) world, you have unlimited,

direct access to your consumers through an ungodly amount of platforms – email, blogs, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, to name a few. These are some of the places they’re hanging out. So, why aren’t you? Why aren’t you standing up and being counted in a world where everybody has a megaphone these days?

And I’m not talking about selling your customers and prospective customers at every turn (that’s just a turn off); I’m talking about talking to them, sharing your brand’s story and offering educational insights that cannot only help add real value to what they do, but keeps you on their radar.

These are new times, and new times call for new actions. That’s why CANVAS continues to be your playbook for how to strategically maneuver through this maze of non-stop communication. And, after all, it’s all about communications and content.

In our cover story, “Say What – 10 Presentation Skill Challenges Your Sales Team Isn’t Telling You,” three-time Emmy nominated TV show host and cor-porate improv skills coach Scott Topper discusses how good public speaking skills can help boost your confidence. In our second feature, “Game Chang-ers,” CANVAS columnist Greg Coticchia shows you why you must be different – not better – than your competition.

We hope you enjoy this issue, and remember that when you’re ready to talk, we’re listening. So, what are you waiting for – start talking already. Keep moving forward,

These are new times, and new

times call for new

actions…It’s all about

communications and content.

It’s a dynamic new world. Speed to market counts, but now with a broader perspective.

Today, it’s speed to market safer, smarter and more sustainably. To outperform today,

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P4 CANVAS JULY 2014

Ihad a pretty active couple of days recently. I even worked out with my kids. We

ran, did a bunch of different exercises and played a lot. Our goal is to start build-

ing up some of their big muscles, which will help make them stronger and more

physically able to handle their workloads next season.

It goes without saying that my old body is a bit sore. And while I seem to be moving slower than

normal, it’s the kind of sore that shows I put in some good, hard physical work.

There is something to be said about feeling the pain and taking pride in it. It provides a sense of

accomplishment that nobody can take away from you. The real test is whether you decide to move

through the pain and keep going forward. Take my son, he jumped out of bed early the next morning

and went for a run. He felt like he had made some progress and wanted the feeling to last.

The other parts of our life – the mental and

spiritual – are not as easily gauged. When

you push yourself to learn new things or

connect to something on a deeper level,

the pain may not be as tangible as the sore

muscles that come from physical training.

You may not get that immediate sense of

accomplishment that propels you forward.

Stretching your mental muscles doesn’t necessarily provide the trigger that pushes you forward. But

training those muscles is just as important to your well being as eating right and physical exercise is.

Some say your mental and spiritual strength are the big muscles within your life – the ones that will

enable you to handle the real workload.

Your ability to commit to a growth mindset is critical to your success. You must train yourself to stretch

your mind along with your emotions. In turn, I believe that true greatness is found in the willingness

to push forward despite the pain. Mental soreness should be a sign to get up and go at it again.

Go ahead and train the big muscles for your life’s journey. In the end, they will sustain you.

Warmest Regards,

Mark Pot terFollow me @markricepotter

Big Muscles

Your ability to commit to a

growth mindset is critical to your

success. You must train yourself

to stretch your mind along with

your emotions.

Productivity Meet Profitability

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P6 CANVAS JULY 2014

MARKETINSIGHTS A SNAPSHOT OF THE TRENDS DEFINING OUR INDUSTRY

The rise of mobile– continuesWhile the growth of the internet may be slowing, the rise of mobile is just begin-ning, according to Mary Meeker’s annual “Internet Trends” report. The noted tech analyst projects mobile advertising to present a $30 billion opportunity in the United States alone. Mobile phones also are projected to see growth as more con-sumers switch to smartphones, which cur-rently account for just 30 percent of the phones used worldwide.

The eyes have itYou cannot say enough about the interest in marketing through visual channels. According to Social Media Examiner’s “Social Media Marketing Industry Report,” 67 percent of mar-keters plan to increase their YouTube marketing, 50 percent want to increase their Pinterest usage and 42 percent will boost their use of Instagram. The report also shows that 68 percent of marketers want to learn more about creating original visual assets, while 60 percent seek more knowledge on producing original videos.

The percent of consumers who say they generally trust educational material from a business as

long as it seems objective and doesn’t explicitly try to sell a product and/or service, according to Kentico’s “Content Marketing Survey.” The

report also says that trust is extremely fragile. For example, just adding a product pitch to the end

of an otherwise objective blog post or newsletter brings the credibility level down significantly, with

only 45 percent saying they trust such content.

We wanted to engage people on a personal level, because even though we’re professionals and this is a B2B cam-paign, we are human beings, too.

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P8 CANVAS JULY 2014

MARKETINSIGHTS A SNAPSHOT OF THE TRENDS DEFINING OUR INDUSTRY

Quick question: How many of your employees feel deeply engaged with your company and brand? The answer may surprise you. Ac-cording to the “Employees Rising: Seizing the Opportunity in Employee Activism” report, only 30 percent of employees feel truly engaged. Interestingly, most say their leadership teams, senior management and direct supervisors don’t communicate effectively. Interestingly, the report shows that nine out of 10 employees use at least one social-media site for personal communication; increasingly, employees use those channels to air their likes and dislikes of their jobs, bosses and organizations.

With so much focus on the need to create epic content, the demands of creating content that’s truly unique and valuable often can feel paralyzing. And with so many people creat-ing content, are there many truly original ideas? Does it matter? If you’re looking for ideas on creating content that feels more original, organic and impactful, Michele Linn, content development director for the Content Marketing Institute, offers these three tips:

What your employees really think

3 ways to create unique content

No. 1 – Think about your passions

In the content marketing world, the cries of, “It’s all about your audience” can be deafening. For the most part, it makes a lot of sense. You don’t want your content to just pon-tificate your features and benefits. But don’t get completely lost in the mix, either. Base your content on what you’re most pas-sionate about and what is most relevant to your au-dience. While your audi-ence should be front and center, there’s a lot to be said for keeping some fo-cus on your passions.

No. 2 – Build off others’ ideas

Even if you don’t con-sider yourself to be a particularly passionate person, no one has read or experienced things in the same way that you have. Just as people say that content marketing is not a new concept, nei-ther is ideation. The best ideas often are those built upon other ideas. A personal story is some-thing you can offer that no one else can — and it can help shape your au-dience in a unique way.

No. 3 – Get your fans involved

One way to keep things fresh is to ask your fans, followers and customers to create content based on how they feel about your business. Get-ting great user-gener-ated content isn’t easy, and you need a brand people are passionate about. But, if you have the right product/ser-vice and a good mar-keting strategy, you can encourage contribution, and original, insightful and exciting content.

For more on all things content marketing, visit the Content Marketing Institute at www.contentmarketinginstitute.com

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P10 CANVAS JULY 2014

MARKETINSIGHTS A SNAPSHOT OF THE TRENDS DEFINING OUR INDUSTRY

Where the marketers areSurvey says news sites main source for information

It may be no secret, but the first place marketers turn to for news is news sites. According to PAN Communications’ “2014 Content Fitness Test

Report,” 51 percent of marketing professionals hit news sites to find the information that’s circulating in the world around them. Here’s a look at

what channels they surf:

51

% - NEWS WEBSITES

24% - TWITTER

15% - BLOGS

4% - L

INKEDIN GROUPS2%

- PR

INT NEWSPAPERS

P12 CANVAS JULY 2014

PRESENTATION SKILLS CHALLENGES

CANVAS P13

BY SCOTT TOPPER

The biggest challenge for a newer sales team might be how they actually feel when they give their presenta-tions. Many first timers want to feel confident, want to

engage their audience and want to feel good about actually giving their presentations. But how is this achieved?

Good public speaking skills can change you as a person and boost your confidence. You will learn how to express yourself clearly and get your message across. Being able to speak in front of an audience is a key ingredient of success. The ben-efits of public speaking are huge. From delivering a formal speech, to attending business meetings and answering questions for your boss, public speaking is an impor-tant part of your career.

Since more than half of all human

communication takes place nonverbally,

audiences judge you based on what

they hear and see.

10 presentation skill challenges your sales team isn’t telling you

By Scott Topper

P14 CANVAS JULY 2014

SAY WHAT

In a survey taken by more than 50 business sales professionals

during a presentation skills training workshop I recently held, we

identified 10 key questions and concerns on how to become a confi-

dent public speaker. See where your team’s challenges are:

No. 1 – Does the audience really listen or do they just read the PowerPoint slides?

It is good practice to keep your PowerPoint presentation un-

der one hour. Use the slides to enhance your speech. The less

information you place on the slide, the better (two to three bullet

points works best). Don’t read the slides, but rather keep them

simple and over a white background, as many people print out

the presentation. Ask the audience for questions as you go along

so they feel engaged.

No. 2 – How many head and hand movements are too many?

Since more than half of all human communication takes place non-

verbally, audiences judge you based on what they hear and see.

It’s important to have control over your body language. Movement

must support the message. Your head, eyes and facial expressions

usually convey your true feelings, so it’s important to communicate

with sincerity to connect with your audience. Your hands can be used

to express emotion and to emphasize a point. Don’t keep them in

your pockets or behind your back.

No. 3 – How do I gain confidence and keep people entertained?

It is important to discuss a subject you enjoy – one you know well.

This will allow you to improvise and keep things light, and help the

audience relate to you. Tell a personal story or use appropriate hu-

mor. Confidence comes with practice and your ability to give your

speech with a personal touch.

It’s imperative to have an emotional connection with your audience by sharing some personal experiences. This will help make your speech memorable.

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P16 CANVAS JULY 2014

SAY WHAT

No. 4 – How do I prevent my face from getting red right before the speech?

Visualize yourself giving a successful speech. Re-

member, your audience is interested in what you

have to say. Be sure to take a few deep breaths

before walking up to the microphone.

No. 5 – How do I handle client questions/interruptions?

In order to control an audience and prevent

them from interrupting you, it’s best to begin

your speech by stating a simple outline. Remem-

ber to tell people to silence their cell phones. And

make it clear as to if and when you’d like to hold

a Q&A session.

No. 6 – How can I create more opportunities to practice my speech?

It is important to practice your speech as if there

is an audience in front of you. Try to practice dur-

ing a lunch break or create a group of two or three

co-workers who also are giving a speech. This will

not only give you some support, but get some

feedback, too.

No. 7 – How do I improve my openings and closings?

Practice your openings and closings until you

feel completely confident. Some people open

with a quote, a statistic or pose a question to the

audience. When closing, be sure to include a call

to action and summarize your speech with a per-

sonal experience so that the audience can relate

to your story.

No. 8 – What are the most common mistakes made in public speaking?

Since speaking is an acquired skill, it’s impor-

tant to prepare and rehearse so that you leave a

great impression. Remember not to read your

speech word for word, but rather summarize the

key points. Share your enthusiasm on your subject

and be sure to take time to personally meet several

audience members before and after your speech.

No. 9 – How do I avoid the first five minutes of anxiety?

To relieve nervous tension, try stretching and

take a few deep breaths. Pretend to hear your

favorite motivational song playing in your head,

which may give you a sense of empowerment.

No. 10 – How do I make my speech stand out?

It’s imperative to have an emotional connection

with your audience by sharing some personal ex-

periences. This will help make your speech more

memorable. Try sharing a case study or tell a per-

sonal story. Be sure to include a brief explanation

of who you are. Include past accomplishments to

establish credibility.

Scott Topper, a three-time Emmy nominated TV show host and corporate improv skills coach,

helps organizations and individuals learn business improvisational skills and theatrical techniques

to achieve better sales presentation. To check out some of his public speaking content, visit

www.IMproSolutions.com. You can reach him at 818-640-6100 or Scott@IMproSolutions.com.

Good public speaking skills can change you as a person and boost your confidence.

P18 CANVAS JULY 2014

DIFFERENT IS MUCH BETTER

W e’re better. We’re different. The

difference seems irrelevant some

times, doesn’t it? It can even be

dismissed – or even too simple to discuss. But it’s

certainly worth discussing. Is your your company,

products and services different or better than the

competition? Can they be both? Should they?

By Greg Cottichia

Why you must be different – not better – than your competition

CANVAS P19

BY GREG COTICCHIA

P20 CANVAS JULY 2014

GAME CHANGERS

We’re better. We’re different. The difference seems irrelevant some times, doesn’t it? It can even be dismissed – or even too simple to discuss. But it’s certainly worth discussing. Is your your company, products and services different or better than the competition? Can they be both? Should they? These two adjectives are surprisingly impactful to what we de-cide we want to be and have strategic implications for how we “go to market.” They also have a tactical impact, since what we sell to our customers – our basic value proposition – is based on whether we feel we’re better or different – or both. Let’s start with some definitions. What does better mean? Here’s how our friends at “Merriam Webster” define the word better: higher in quality; more skillful; more attractive, appealing, effective, useful, etc. Examples include: Her second book is better than her first one. This one is no better than that one. She’s a better golfer than I am. How about the word different? “Merriam Webster” says it means: not of the same kind – partly or totally unlike; not the same.

Cost. Differentiation. Focus. Choose oneWith the previous definitions as a background, let’s see an expert in competition and competitive advantage, Michael Porter, says is important when businesses compete. If you’re not familiar with Porter, he’s a leading authority on competitive strategy, and the application of competitive principles and strategic approaches. The Harvard Business School professor also is the author of 125 articles and more than 18 books, including “Competitive Strat-egy.” In that book, Porter wrote that a company’s strategy should target cost leadership, differentiation or focus. The strategy – known as “Porter’s Three Generic Strategies” – can be applied to any size or form of business. Porter claims that a company must only choose one of the three risks that the business would waste precious resources on. Some businesses will attempt to adopt all three strategies: cost lead-ership, differentiation and niche (focus). A business adopting all three is known as “stuck in the middle.” They typically have no clear business strategy and attempt to be everything to every-one. Why? Most likely they are prone to increase costs and cause confusion, especially when they’re trying to please all sectors of the market. The “middle of the road” businesses usually perform the worst in their industry because they don’t concentrate on one business strength. The interesting part is that Porter never mentions “better” as a strategy, i.e., “do what your competition does and do it better.” Why? The main reason is that it’s not a sustainable competitive advantage. It’s temporary. Being “better” simply doesn’t last. But being different does. And in reality, what Porter calls “focus” is sometimes called “segmentation,” as in Rolls Royce or Bentley, both of which focus on high-end car buyers with premium cars. Isn’t that just another form of “difference?” So, that leaves us with “different versus cost.” Porter believes there is difficulty in sustaining cost leadership in the long run, which leaves us with one path forward: different.

To be heard in a crowded, noisy marketplace, you have to be loud. Better doesn’t do that.… Consumers want and will buy something different.

STAY IN TOUCH...Our CANVAS community is more robust than ever.

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In their book, “Blue Ocean Strategy,” W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, professors at INSEAD and co-directors of the IN-SEAD Blue Ocean Strategy Institute, showed that companies not only can succeed by battling competitors, but also by creating “blue oceans” of uncontested market space. The book, written 25 years after “Competitive Strategy,” was based on a study of 150 strategic moves spanning more than 100 years and 300 in-dustries. The metaphor was that you shouldn’t compete in a red ocean since they represent what exists today. Why a blue ocean? Well, its not about being “better,” it’s about being different.

Why different is betterI believe being different is much better. Why? Over the years, I’ve seen this play out in the management and positioning of hun-dreds of products and services. As a young product manager, I once was put in charge of an early stage product, Automate/MVS, in an emerging market. Among the product’s many issues, it was late to market, had fewer features than the competition and was priced incorrectly. In short, the product was dead on arrival when it launched. While there were many decisions to be made about how to move ahead – or whether to move ahead at all – the company decided to be one important thing – different. It purposefully didn’t try to catch up on the feature list with its competition, but instead moved ahead with functionality that was totally unique to the marketplace. It felt that was sufficient enough to gain customers.

Being able to think

different(ly) is a basic definition

of innovation. It’s a definition

of how to be smart about

your business.

P22 CANVAS JULY 2014

GAME CHANGERS

The gamble worked. Being different paid off, and the product not only became a leader in its space, but one of the most successful software products of its time.

Think different(lyGrammar aside, and with respect to Apple, being able to think different(ly) is a basic definition of innovation. It’s a definition of how to be smart about your business. To stay relevant, current and competitive, you have to be different. Look at popular culture. How does a pop star like Madonna sell music at 54 years old? She’s always different. Yes, there’s always a thread of familiarity in knowing what you’re going to get when you listen to her music or attend one of her shows, but you also know you’re going to be surprised. Why? She also does something different. To be heard in a crowded, noisy marketplace, you have to be loud. Better doesn’t do that. Nobody says, “Oh, XYZ Corp. is the one who makes the better stuff.” Yet, we have endless meetings and discussions about how we can build something better than the competition or tell our customers why we are better. No one cares. Consumers want and will buy something different, not better. They remember different.

So, think about yourself, your prod-ucts and services, and your company. Why are you different? You may be surprised by just how much better you really are.

Greg Coticchia is an award-winning technology executive with more than 25 years experience in

high-tech products and services. Recently, as CEO and co-founder of eBillingHub, he grew the

company from inception to establishing it in a leading market position that led to its sale to Thomson

Reuters. He currently teaches both business-to-business marketing and entrepreneurial leadership

at the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz School of Business.

P24 CANVAS JULY 2014

BUSINESSINSIGHTS SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS REBRAND • STEVE BLUE

High noon7 keys to executing your successful business rebrand

No matter your reason for embarking on a business rebrand-ing effort for your company or product name, logo, phrase or design scheme, there is one thing that’s certain: If executed

poorly, you’re going to suffer extreme consequences.

Let’s face it – you’re not going to find any rebranding

efforts where the stakes are not extraordinarily high and

the margin for error is slim at best. This has been proven

repeatedly amid a litany of rebrand debacles that didn’t

heed just a few fundamental principles.

Executing a rebrand must be extraordinarily strategic,

not violate your company’s cultural roots. Be relevant and

consistently supported, and place the customer benefit

front and center at all times. It’s all about them.

So, if you’re looking for the most effective strategies

for your next rebranding initiative, here are seven keys

to employ:

Key No. 1 – Get clear on what your brand isA brand is not just your logo. A brand is the sum total of

the messages, interactions and experiences a customer

has with your product, services and people. To your cus-

tomers, your brand is the promise of an experience that

promises to deliver every time – whatever that experi-

ence may be. This is a valuable asset to nurture over time.

Key No. 2 – Maintain control of the rebranding process

Try using a third-party guide. This is a simple strategy

for a re-naming effort. Ground your brand in a strategy

that recognizes not only its origins, but also the ultimate

destination in the current and future marketplace. Keep

an open mind. Small ideas can get bigger and big ideas

can diminish over time. Also identify those equities that

cannot change.

E n c o u r a g i n g c r E a t i v E m i n d sFounded in 1996, The Electronic document scholarship Foundation (EdsF) is a charitable, non-profit, that engages in programs designed to attract the best and brightest to the industry. By granting scholarships, fostering education, promoting research, recognizing leaders, encouraging innovation, and garnering and disseminating knowledge, we are helping build the next generation of digital content and delivery professionals.

SCHOLARSHIPSEdsF’s scholarship program makes it possible for students to receive the education necessary to pursue careers in the document management and graphic communications industry. What sets EdsF apart from other Foundations is the international scope of our operations.

RESEARCHEdsF sponsors academic research grants and partners with major industry research firms to provide businesses with cutting-edge data on trends in the document management and graphic communications industry. since 2001, EdsF has provided 30 research grants, developed a grant/mentor program and published over 25 white papers.

EduCAtIOnThrough recognition of leading educators and educational programs worldwide, EdsF continues to build awareness about career opportunities in the industry, while ensuring that businesses have a talented pool of applicants to recruit.

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For more information visit www.edsf.org or call +1 817.849.1145

more than ever before, there is a critical need for individuals and companies to support the future of the document management and graphic communications industry. EdsF’s scholarship program enables students to receive the education necessary to pursue careers in the industry, while providing much needed assistance in offsetting the ever increasing financial burden. Please join us as we work together to provide our future business leaders with the skills and knowledge necessary to shape our industry for years to come.

P26 CANVAS JULY 2014

Key No. 3 – Understand your brand has two owners: the marketer and your customer

The breakdown goes like this: The marketer

owns 50 percent and your customers own 100

percent. (Note: The total is 150-percent). The

marketer produces messages, products and

services. Your customer experiences the brand,

and in the digital age, he is in ultimate control

of the messages he receives. Therefore, check

in with him and, at the very least, include those

internal players who have the most customer

contact. The worst thing you can do is to decide

all of your branding issues at the top level, and

dictate what your team must deliver to your cus-

tomers. You risk a loss of relevancy and buy-in.

Key No. 4 – Your logo, tagline, typography and design should tell a single-minded story

Every brand is heroic in some way. Its look,

feel and message should tell one story. Think

about what your brand fights for and against

what odds. Consider what’s at stake for your

customers in terms of their problems and how

you solve those for them. By becoming a hero

to your customers, you make heroes out of

them. Now that’s adding value.

Key No. 5 – Never forget that your brand should always remain fluid

Some will warn you that changing your brand

is a major risk. If it fails, it can be expensive and

disruptive. (Note Coca Cola’s “New Coke.”)

But if you don’t violate a brand’s established

equities and values, you still can add flexibility

into a brand and keep its relevance. For exam-

ple, Tide Detergent is built on the premise and

consumer trust that it gets clothes clean, yet

the brand has found multiple fresh expressions

of that proposition over the years, even adding

benefits to fend off competitors. Therefore,

you must create a brand positioning that’s

broad enough to remain relevant, yet be flex-

ible enough to be relevant in the future.

Key No. 6 – Never stop supporting and promoting your brand

Successful brands are a living presence in the

marketplace with a tangible relationship with its

customers. It’s easy to support a brand in boom

times, but much tougher in down times. How-

ever, study after study has shown that brands

consistently supported during a down cycle,

gain greater sales and shares when the economy

turns up – over those who cut support activities.

Key No. 7 – Be a brand championHaving gone through the discipline of craft-

ing or refreshing your brand, select a key

leader, typically on your marketing team, to be

your brand champion. Set up brand guidelines

and procedures to make sure the identity you

carefully have created presents a consistent

image and message in your marketing commu-

nications plan, including business cards, digi-

tal media, sales presentations, and signage at

events and trade shows, etc.

BUSINESSINSIGHTS SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS REBRAND

With more than three decades of management, executive, consulting and speaking experience in

markets all over the world, Miller Ingenuity CEO Steve Blue is a globally regarded business growth

authority and author of “Outdo, Outsmart… Outlast: A Practical Guide to Managed, Measured and

Meaningful Growth.” Follow him @MillerIngenuity.

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