Icon Visual Marketing

As brands look forward to 2017, commentators chime in with pitches for what they believe will be at the forefront of the marketer’s mind in the year to come. Millennials, of course, feature high on this list. Millienials; the illusive demographic whose life and work behaviours have marketers scrambling to find new and exciting ways to grab their ever-shrinking attention spans. They are the young kids you hear about in a boardroom discussion; those notoriously unreliable, unpredictable and dangerously empowered consumers that threaten all you know. The Millennial generation have been puzzling the minds of CMOs since the term was first coined by William Strauss and Neil Howe in 1987 to describe the future graduating class of 2000. Since then, a grossly undefined generation of people have been cloaked with the blanket term ‘Millennial’ to explain a demographic that brands can’t seem to catch up to. Whilst there most certainly is a generation of younger people that have come to adulthood in tandem with new technologies and unfettered access to communicational tools, they aren’t that different to the generations before them. Looking at Millennials as a new and undeciphered demographic doesn’t serve a marketer any more than saying baby boomers like houses and worked hard. Understanding macroscale demographic trends will rarely help you to influence a person’s purchasing decisions. Unfortunately, it is imperative to understand more about your customer than just the year of their birth and that they are on Instagram. Whilst identifying your target market and customer is an essential piece of the puzzle, puzzling your marketing staff with the pursuit of a generalized stereotype is only going to make for a disappointing year of communications cut-through. The under-defined group that have been labelled Millennials aren’t that different from the generations before them (apart from the obvious chronological definer). In most cases, they have the same fundamental wants, needs and desires as everyone does as they move into and through adulthood. The major differentiation point for this new generation is their use of new technologies to communicate, but that’s not news to anyone. What may be news, however, is that they are quickly becoming one of the most stereotyped and misunderstood generational groups. A Google search on the subject matter will find blogs, speeches and gurus all conveying images of an entitled generation that are unreliable, impatient, self-absorbed and lazy. On the more positive side, these same people are looking for purpose, feedback and personal life balance in their work. You might be reading some of this and nodding your head frantically, and while there is a degree of truth to those adjectives, there isn’t much in the way of empirical research to support it. In fact, there is more research suggesting that all age groups are seeking out such things, equally. For example, a multigenerational study conducted by IBM of 1,784 employees from companies across 12 countries and six industries, uncovered that a strikingly similar percentage of Millennials (25%) want to make a positive impact on their organisation as Gen Xers (21%) and Baby Boomers (23%).

Icon Visual Marketing is a full-service marketing agency based in the South West of Sydney. We pride ourselves on offering employment for people to live and work in the local community, a rare opportunity for staff to not have to commute out of the region to maintain a high-level career with opportunity and prospect.From a small sole business in 2003, Icon Visual Marketing has grown to become a large employer of over 40 highly educated experts in business and marketing professionals in the South West region of Sydney. The premise and basis for growth is simple, Icon deliver honest and realistic business and marketing programs that help clients to reach their next customer. This authenticity and transparency has seen the agency weather gloomy economic conditions to continue to grow and flourish. Of the 40 staff currently employed by Icon, their skill sets range from business and marketing experts, web developers, graphic designers, print and production managers, Google accredited digital marketers as well as operations and administration support staff to keep the agency on track.The South West region of Sydney is where we choose to live and work. For previous generations, growing up in the Western suburbs of Sydney meant commuting to larger regional centres or leaving the area all together to build a successful career. This is no longer the case. The growth of the entire South West Sydney region is offering opportunities for career advancements like never before and Icon takes our commitment to the economic development of the area very seriously. Core to the heart of Icon is to provide opportunities for highly skilled and talent staff to stay within the region to work. As such, over three quarters of Icon Visual Marketing staff live locally or have ties to the local Sydney South West area and have commutes less than 45 minutes for their work.

For the last few months, Icon was grateful to have Laura work with us as an Intern as part of her Uni course. In her last week, we asked Laura to let us know what she learnt at Icon and to share some insights of what it is like to be an intern at Icon.

With the new financial year here and a new marketing budget for 2016/17, knowing where to allocate your budget, even if it is limited, will set you in good position for success for the coming 12 months.The best way to choose where to allocate your marketing budget is to first develop your marketing strategy. Your marketing strategy includes reviewing previous campaigns and programs to see what has worked previously and what has delivered the best ROI as well as investigating new marketing tactics that perhaps haven’t been used before.Planning your marketing strategy and tactics for the new financial year is key to developing a clear marketing plan that will set your marketing in the right direction.Taking the time to look at your own business instead of just your clients can be a challenge, but the insights you’ll gain will be invaluable to help your business grow.No one knows your business better than you. Often you are so intrinsically involved in every aspect of your business, you simply don’t have the time to sit back and really think top line about your business. Icon have developed a Strategic Marketing Workshop process that has proven effective for hundreds of clients to help set them on the right marketing direction. Going through the process during a strategic marketing workshop ensures that we are focusing on the core values that make up your business and why customers are buying from you. After setting your marketing strategy, Icon work with you and your marketing budget to set a realistic and detailed marketing plan.Give us two hours of your time and we will work with you to get to the heart of your business.

As manufacturing continues to decline as an industry sector, both in terms of employment and output, it is medium-sized enterprises, or companies with revenue of $1 million-$100 million, who will continue to experience the fastest levels of growth, according to the report, A Snapshot of Australia’s Digital Future to 2050 by Ibis World. This growth in medium sized business will in large be due to the trend to outsourcing by households and businesses, creating new entrepreneurial opportunities.According to the same report the standalone small business will eventually become a thing of the past. The 2015 thinkBIG study conducted by RSM highlighted that medium sized Australian businesses continue to face a myriad of challenges in the current business environment and this is unlikely to change in the near future. Disruptive technologies and innovation are accelerating the need for change and are having a profound impact on many traditional business models and their revenue streams. To compete effectively, businesses must adapt and evolve quickly to respond to what is becoming the new “norm”.Competition for customers and share of wallet is intensifying and now, more than ever, business owners need to be better connected to customers with a real focus on sales planning as part of their overall business ¬strategy.Australian small and medium businesses that are ready for change and have strong, strategic plans in place are likely to succeed. TOP strategies for growth according to RSM thinkBIG Australia 2015 report

Any relationship expert will tell you that communication is the number one factor for a happy partnership. Maintaining open and established lines of discussion means that when times get a little tense, the tools to overcome any obstacle are in reach.

In marketing the decision whether to outsource your marketing or build a team in-house can be difficult and challenge the traditional way your business runs. We look at it this way. Unless you find the ‘mythical marketer” with the right mix of strategy expertise to build you a solid marketing experience, combined with the skills to implement a calendar of marketing activities including digital marketing, creative design as well as web programming, then your in-house marketing has already grown to be at least three people who have a wide range of skills and capacity to deliver on your marketing function. And that’s an expensive team when you take into account for the hidden of maintaining internal fixed marketing assets including attrition, lack of support, unable to scale when needed etc. Here are the top ten reasons we see why it’s a great benefit to outsource your marketing team.

The last few weeks has seen a slowdown in the Sydney, and Australian, property market, with news across the country reporting slowing auction clearance rates and property on the market for longer than has been seen in the past few years. While the property market has been hot for a while, what about other industries that don't operate during such booms?

A recent report has demonstrated the very real gaps in marketing talent, technology and strategy and highlights the very real impact they are having on bottom line business performance.The marketing industry is advancing at an unprecedented rate, the rapid technology shifts, the reliance on digital and online marketing channels that just five years ago didn’t exist is creating seemingly insurmountable gaps in market talent, technology and strategy.Businesses are looking for these hybrid, almost mythical marketing managers, who somehow have the right mix of strategy acumen, executional know how and there finger on the pulse of the ever changing world of digital marketing. However is it fair to ask that one person, or a small team, be wholly responsible to having all the skills and knowledge needed for modern day marketing? It’s almost impossible.The Mythical Marketer, even if they do exist, have the limitations of time and reality, no one person can do it all. In the report, 90% of companies recognised that they lack the necessary digital skills in key areas of social media, mobile and performance monitoring and analysis and 96% feel the breadth of marketing skills needed to succeed has increased dramatically. However one of the most telling statistics is that 75% of the marketers surveyed themselves feel their lack of skills is impacting revenue in some way. Building an internal marketing department that has all the necessary skills, knowledge and experience can be overwhelming and near on impossible to cover all the skills necessary, which means then having a range of small niche agencies also engaged to manage projects and specific areas of marketing. That’s getting to be an expensive team.Outsourcing to a Sydney marketing agency like Icon Visual Marketing provides access to expertise in every marketing discipline−from an experienced team of specialists that can be scaled to suit projects of any size and scope. Such flexibility represents the most critical benefit of marketing outsourcing: You only for the services used for when you need them.We draw experienced and knowledgeable staff who have previously worked in big agencies and corporations who come to the agency as they are interested in doing a great job for clients without a lot of the pomp and excess that can go with marketing agencies.Businesses large and small can benefit from working with an outsourced marketing agency such as Icon where for less than a Marketing Coordinator salary you get access to over 35 marketers who have high level strategic and hands on implementation experience in all areas of marketing.Icon Visual Marketing is a Sydney Marketing Agency focused on delivering strategic marketing plans and campaigns for clients from small to medium businesses to larger companies with a range of marketing programs. By engaging Icon Visual Marketing as your outsourced marketing team, you get access to our highly experienced and knowledgeable team.

Swiss Army Knives are one of the most well-known products in the world, a highly regarded brand generally recognised as having the best quality pocket knives in the world. MacGyver used a Swiss Army knife in practically every episode to get out of situations. Creator of MacGyver, Lee David Zlotoff says, “there’s no substitute for a Swiss Army Knife.” There is a reason why the company behind the Swiss Army Knife – Victorinox – continue to maintain their reputation after being in business for over 130 years and develop innovative products that are highly sought after. They listen to their niche markets. Victorinox makes 35,000 knives each day – indeed the Swiss Army still carry the Swiss Army knife by Victorinox today. However the company has had it dark times. In the wake of 9/11, sales of the Swiss Army knife dropped by almost 30% due to industry wide ban on carrying knives and pocket tools onto any flight, domestic or international. Instead of crumbling under this unforseen external threat, Victorinox responded by producing Swiss Army knives without knife blades – a flight version if you wish. They also relied on their extensive product diversification platform and listened to their customers to create a specific Swiss Army knife for a range of niche markets.For bike riders there is the Bike Swiss Army Tool, a Golfers Swiss Army Tool includes a tee punch and ball marker and the Skipper Swiss Army Tool is a must have for all yachtsman and boating enthusiasts.This might seem like small markets to go after, but its these niche markets where, if you provide a specific solution to meet their specific problem – like the Skipper Swiss Army tool to undo ropes and shackles - you will have a very loyal audience who are you most fanatical brand advocates.Victorinox have also branched out into producing luggage and clothing – a good example of diversification. Now almost 50% of total sales are from newer product categories.

When formulating your marketing messages, it is essential to be clear, concise and thoughtful to whom you are talking to make the most impact from every communication.If you try to use each communication or advertisement to be all things to all people by providing too much information, in a complicated and confused way, odds are your message will get lost and any action you were trying to encourage and promote will fail.Each time you are putting together a social media post, an advertisement, a newsletter, think about three things:

The strength of any businesses, regardless of industry or company sector, is the power of the people out there selling the brand and products. Identifying and grooming leaders within this group is key, however the real secret to the continued growth of the business is to keep these leaders engaged and motivated.The reason a person takes on a direct selling role can vary, the obvious being freedom from sitting behind desk, to gaining back control over their own workload. If your agents aren’t being challenged or helped to grow to the next level, the thrill of direct selling could quickly disappear.Most leaders can be identified as having similar characteristics which makes them great leaders – self-confidence, commitment to the company and growing the business and the ability to inspire a team. The drive and passion that makes them great leaders makes them equally ambitious and driven, however they also need to be constantly engaged and moving forward to keep them driven.Coach and author Tony Dungy once said, "By replicating leaders who in turn can replicate more leaders, we can create value far beyond the small sphere that we can reach and touch directly."In a video titled, Developing the Leaders around You, John Maxwell states, "When you lead followers, you add. When you develop leaders, you multiply." A sentiment which is essential to the success of any direct selling business.For a direct selling agency, the ability to identify opportunity to grow consultants to team leaders and team leaders to team managers is core.Sales agents recognise the many benefits of working for a direct selling association – the freedom of work hours, location and potential earnings, so how else can they stay motivated and engaged?Just say thank youLeaders need to say "thank you" regularly and consistently. Team members will likely work much harder if they feel that what they're doing is noticed.Rewards or gifts don't have to be extravagant or costly. Small gestures are often remembered longer than financial bonuses. These small, entertaining rewards can also help promote a sense of fun in their work, which may go a long way toward helping you retain great talent.Sharing the incentives and rewardsAvoid an incentive that rewards the same people every time. You are looking to increase the pool of great performers – not just reward the people who would have done it anyway.Set challenges and mini milestonesHaving a yearly high achievers dinner and trip away will be the driver some sales agents need to perform all year round. However others need smaller timeframes to work towards, mini challenges or milestones where they can still achieve and potentially receive rewards. 12 week programs with mini milestones and challenges and weekly reward recipients, can be just was incentivising for a large group of agents than an extravagant trip overseas for a small select few once a year.

A strong and motivated sales force armed with your high quality product is the foundation to building a successful direct selling company. After all, your sales team are the public face of your company and it’s the positive experiences they deliver that will be most important in building long term customers.Increased competition in the direct selling market space has seen more choice for sales agents to choose the company and brand they want to work with. To set your company apart and to entice the right talent, the power of your brand can make all the difference. After all, it’s the power of the brand and the knowledge of the brand in the wider community that will help them along their way to be a successful sales agent.Your brand is one of the most valuable assets of your business – it’s what sets you apart from your competitors. And your brand isn’t just a word or a logo, it’s all the aspects of your business that your customers hold valuable and why they keep coming back.The key to attracting the right sales team is essentially delivering a position in the market for which your brand represents and is known for. Building a brand is more than just advertising and marketing; it’s about creating an emotional connection at every touch point.The starting point of a brand strategy is to work out what the company stands for. What is the single most important value that the company presents to the world? Strongly marketing your brand’s culture and what it stands for is the strongest way you can attract the right sales agents for your brand. After all, your sales force are unique, they are looking for a company to work with that they can be passionate about and are confident in selling it to their friends and family. They are relying on the strength of your brand to open the door to peoples home to host parties and sell your product.By carefully managing a strong brand, you build credibility, have more influence on your target market, and motivate and attract the right talent.

A lot of what goes into building your brand is simply telling your story. At its core, the heart of your corporate story is the voice of your brand.

It may be hard to predict what opportunities and threats your business may face in 2015, but having a strategic marketing plan in place will reduce the likelihood of your business growth being stunted by unpredictability. 

While most people are focused on just getting through to Christmas, you can make your business stand out by thinking past that and laying the ground-work for a great start to 2015.

It’s already started. Just a day after Halloween the Christmas decorations are up in the shopping centres and Santa’s workshop is being prepared for family photos of crying children on Santa’s lap.

Google My Business allows you to connect directly with customers whether they're looking for you on Search, Maps, or Google+. The platform combines Google’s pre-existing local search services into one seamless and integrated approach that makes it easier than ever to update your business information across Google's vast search network. If you already have a website, Google My Business further enhances what you're already doing and provides more insights for users and more ways for them to find information about your business.

Which of your marketing activities are working? Which aren’t? What is your cost per lead or ROI?

You have a unique product or service – no one else can offer what you do. That’s how we all think of our businesses. But how to communicate this is paramount to a growing a successful business! Just how you differentiate yourself in the eyes of customers is key.While there are a myriad of marketing activities that you can undertake to grow your business, setting a marketing strategy before undertaking activities will ensure they are in line with target markets, the goals for the business and are realistic in terms on delivering leads that will turn into sales.The ability to think strategically about your business is very different to planning tactical activities. Your marketing strategy is the overall guide as to what you are trying to do – your goals – and then your marketing plan is the more detailed translation into what exactly what you are going to do to deliver your business goals. No one knows your business better than you. Often you are so intrinsically involved in every aspect of your business, you simply don’t have the time to sit back and really think top line about your business. That’s why Icon’s Strategic Marketing Workshops are so effective. Give us two hours of your time and we will work with you to get to the heart of your business. Going through the workshop process during a strategic marketing workshop ensures that we are focusing on the core values that make up your business and why customers are buying from you. After setting your topline marketing strategy, Icon work with you and your marketing budget to set a realistic and detailed marketing plan that can be executed by yourself or Icon as your outsourced marketing team.