April 12, 2010
After moving into a new house last year, it was time for me to upgrade from the old push mower I had been using. The new house came with a much larger area to keep up with and required a riding lawn mower if I ever wanted to do anything other than mow grass on the weekends. I shopped around at different stores for a couple of weeks and determined that most riding models were just too expensive. I decided to go with a used model from a local mower dealer–which was a little awkward to drive due to the square steering wheel, but seemed to be in good shape.
I brought it home where my wife immediately laughed at me and asked if I was “borrowing the old mower from the year 1955.” When I told her that I had purchased it, she was no longer laughing. She said that it had been a mistake to purchase the mower and that I should return it or I would regret it. This is tough for me to say, but my wife was right.
I had problems with the mower from the moment I engaged the cutting blade. I ended up spending a lot of time, energy and money getting a myriad of problems fixed. The real cost of this used mower far exceeded the price of the new mower (which came with a warranty and even — a round steering wheel).
Sometimes at Onyx Group, we see the same thing happen with business owners and their corporate identity. Often we are hired to help them create a stronger brand for their business. It is most often the case that they started their business years before and have grown to a point where their current brand and corporate identity have begun to hold them back from future growth. When they started their business, they either didn’t value great creative services or didn’t understand the importance of a strong, cohesive identity that could keep up with their growth.
Now, further down the road, they see the added cost of not only having us rework the identity, but also the expense of producing all new collateral. Shirts, signs, websites, invoices, letterhead, business cards, truck decals… The list goes on and even includes the time and energy of educating employees and customers of the change. The real cost of not hiring an experienced marketing and design firm in the beginning is much more than the higher cost on their quote.
Often times, you get what you pay for. Make sure you are getting the round steering wheel and new blades first or you will spend more time and money in the long run.
March 30, 2010
Welcome back! Last week we covered steps one and two in the strategic planning process. If you missed it check it out here.
3. Know your market. By segmenting the market and learning the demographics, locations, values, lifestyles and behaviors of your clients, you can assess the revenue potential within these markets. This will help you develop a plan to reach your most profitable and viable customers.
4. Know the central players. Understanding the competition can help when planning is necessary for success of a new venture. You need to research what competitors are doing right and determine where there is room for improvement.
5. Be prepared to adapt. In other words, embrace social media. No, you can’t hide from it. It is not a fad. It is here to stay. Learn the platforms, determine your goals and use the vast array of analytics software to analyze what is attracting your customers and clients.
At the end of the strategic planning process you walk away with a deeper understanding of the market and your brand’s position. A successful strategic plan works as a road map to success by helping you to create achievable goals and focus on the core values of your business while conveying a consistent message to your customers.
When you’re starting a new enterprise, it pays to be strategic. We can help you develop a dynamic strategic plan to guide you in launching your business. Contact us at info@onyxcreates.com for details on our launch services.
March 25, 2010
Have a great business plan, but need assistance bringing this dream into reality? That’s where we come in. We can help make the process of launching a new enterprise strategic and creative.
Times have changed — and so has how people get their information. The Age of Information is over. After 20 years, enter: The Attention Age.
We are bombarded by information. Data is filtered to us based on our recent Google searches, iTunes purchase history, Facebook profile and any other footprint we make in cyber world. What has happened as a result of this information overload? People are starting to selectively filter our information via RSS feeds, twitter updates of selected individuals and companies and constantly updating Google Reader to make sure that the information that we are getting is the information that we want.
So how does this affect the launch of your business? You need to develop a branding strategy that cuts through the noise.
The first major step is creating a dynamic and achievable strategic plan. You need to know where you’re going before you start moving forward. This helps to ensure you stay true to your brand identity and assists in setting achievable goals. Follow us in this two part blog as we take a deeper look into the strategic planning process and its key components.
1. Know who you are. Test assumptions, ask difficult questions and determine your guiding principles. By knowing what your business represents and what you’re not willing to compromise, you can ensure that you maintain these principles in every aspect of your business. The goal is to walk away with a vision that you can incorporate into daily operations of your business.
2. Know your strengths and problems. Analysis of internal factors, strengths and problems, as well as external factors, threats and opportunities, is key to creating a successful brand. By conducting a thorough SWOP analysis we gain a greater understanding of the political and economic climate and identify the current industry trends.
Join us next week to learn more about the second part of the strategic planning process. Contact us at info@onyxcreates.com for details on our launch services.
http://onyxcreates.com/2010/02/sweeps-commercial-cleaning/
December 2, 2009
Our fall interns offer insight into their Onyx Group experiences and provide advice for those who may be interested in interning in the future.
Juliette:
My internship at Onyx Group has been such a rewarding experience. I was able to work with a group of talented communications professionals. My projects provided me hands on experience in marketing communication. Tasked with creating a strategic marketing plan for Onyx Group, I was able to utilize my skills in research, critical thinking and strategic planning. Also, I had an opportunity to plan and execute the company’s charity event “Toast to Donate” with my fellow intern Megan, which was very fun and valuable to me. We brainstormed ideas, developed the action plan, and worked on every detail for the event.
I love the corporate culture of Onyx Group. The company encourages open dialogue and everyone’s opinions are valued. The team at Onyx Group is willing to share their experiences and give us great support.
Megan:
As an intern at Onyx Group, I had the opportunity to participate in various stages of a campaign from strategic planning to copy writing. For the ‘Shop Local Wakulla’ campaign, I was able to utilize my advertising education to help write a storyboard that became the final commercial. I attended networking events where I got to meet Tallahassee professionals and gained valuable insight into how Onyx Group lives their brand. Overall, this has been a great opportunity for me to gain real world experience in the marketing communications industry.
Onyx Group offers an excellent learning environment because the entire staff is passionate about fostering new talent. The best advice I have for future interns is to be flexible, Onyx Group is a fast paced and creative company where everyday offers something new.
For more information on internship opportunities at Onyx Group email info@onyxcreates.com.
January 27, 2009
Tallahassee, Florida, January 27th, 2009- This week Onyx Group launched their new consulting division called ‘or-ge-nīz. ‘Or-ge-nīz will offer strategic planning, meeting facilitations, and seminars. Onyx Group wants to show clients how smart planning and strong creative work hand-in-hand. ‘Or-ge-nīz will promote an integrated marketing communication approach to businesses.
“We want companies to understand being successful is more than having a pretty website, it’s all about being integrated,” says Nadia Kamal, Onyx Group Agency Co-Principal.
Check out Or-ge-niz at www.onyxplans.com!
