Want to know what we’re reading?

The team at Braun/Allison Inc. are constantly reading about interesting stories and cool new developments happening in the world of marketing and branding. And what better way to spread the excitement about some of the articles and posts we’ve come across than to share them?

So we thought we’d try something new. If you text “david” at 82422, you’ll receive David’s mobile business card and a recommended monthly reading list.

Here’s what has caught our attention recently:

What Does A Viral Video Cost And How Do You Make One?

We’re big believers in video – if it’s done right. A great post reminding us all that it takes more than just a camera and an idea to create, produce and launch a viral video.

Survey: Most Audiences to Get Information from Mobile Devices

Agreed. A phone is so much more than a communication piece, and there are some helpful stats in this post to back that up.

2010 Logo Design Trends

As a company that works to design creative campaigns for our clients, it’s essential that we stay on top of the latest trends. The headline is self-explanatory.

The big app transition

A very interesting read about old and new media convergence. And a reminder not to get too comfortable. These days, change is the only constant. 

The Best Kept Secret in Social Media

Share content without sending people away from your site. Simple tips with pictures too!

It’s (always) too soon to know for sure

We love posts that get us thinking, and Seth Godin has a knack for it. Enough said.

Altered States: Times Square Billboard Crowdsources Content, Disrupts Reality

Using high-tech surveillance cameras and computer vision technology, Forever 21’s billboard actually interacts with crowds in Times Square. Wow. This is social media on an entirely new level.

Did you hear? Video is the new text.

In this day and age the way we tell stories is just as important as the stories we’re telling. How are you telling your story?

A good story is essential to creating a compelling marketing campaign. Stories are the currencies of relationships, and it’s vital to exchange this currency if you want people to trust you and your brand. But in this fast-paced, multi-tech world that we live in people aren’t always willing to spend the time to listen to a story, let alone read one.

You need to be engaging with your story and be able to tell it in a swift and simple way, which seems like a bit of a conjuring trick. A meaty story jam-packed with loads of information tends to lose, well, the meat when it’s transferred into something quick and compact.

But there is good news. The magic behind all of those high-tech fancy gadgets, user-friendly apps, and peer-sharing models that have changed the way we live our lives and made everyone’s attention span shrink to the length of a Tweet is that they can help us tell these stories not only quickly, but effectively.

Video, especially, takes a complicated story and gets it across fairly simply. By way of example, here’s something Braun/Allison did that we think is pretty cool.

As the web moves towards video and mobile technology continues to improve video capabilities, video is only going to get bigger, so why not hop on and ride the reel, so to speak? We had fun with it.

Branding Lessons Are Everywhere

This is a duplicate post from David Allison’s blog on BC Business

Why is it that some brands do all the right things, but feel forced, while others do all the right things, and feel amazing? I don’t think there is one definitive answer to this question, but from time to time a case study presents itself that is remarkable and instructional.

I’ve been visiting Toronto recently, and staying in a little hotel called the Windsor Arms. It’s got the secret sauce that makes an amazing brand all figured out, and I’ve learned a ton of great things. This place isn’t the biggest, the flashiest, the most expensive, or the most luxurious hotel in the city. But there’s something going on here we can all learn from.

I’ve decided I’m going to stay here every time I come to Toronto. I’m in love with this brand. Why? Lots of little reasons that add up to some big impressions. I’m not sure if all these things happened on purpose, or accidentally. But the combination is a powerful one.

• A welcoming lobby, where you actually feel like you are at home.
• Staff who are helpful and happy.
• Rooms that are comfortable and understated; not trendy and cool.
• A good room service menu.
• A bright and spacious fitness room, with equipment from this year, not last decade.
• Free WiFi and movies.

Those are all things that many hotels can claim, and should be, as far as I am concerned, a cost of doing business in the hotel vertical. But it’s this next list of little touches that are the salt-and-pepper here; the stuff that makes this brand come alive.

• Heavy bridle leather “do not disturb” signs for the doorknobs, instead of those dreadful little plastic cards.
• Leather room service menu covers, notepad covers, desk blotter and etc. All worn to a nice patina, evidencing the guests who came before.
• A little butlers closet beside the door to your suite, accessible from within and without, so room service and laundry can be dropped off without staff entering your room.
• A good collection of Canadian Art.
• Cloth laundry bags.
• Chocolate chip cookies outside the fitness centre.
• Flattering lighting in all common areas, and a good reading light over the bed. You can also control all the room lights from bed, so you don’t have to walk around shutting lights off when it’s time to drift off to sleep.
• Silver salt and pepper shakers, nice cutlery, linens, and a formidable steel tray when room service arrives.

And so on.

Reading back over what I’ve just written it’s not coming across as well as I would like. But I think that inability to write down the exact recipe for this brand is one of the lessons here too.

It’s the big things done right, the little extras thought about with intelligence and grace, and the unplanned organic interplay of them all that make a brand shine.

UDI breakfast seminar – Marketing in the New Economy

All of us at Braun/Allison are intrigued and excited about what’s going on in the world of real estate development marketing. We’re learning new things every day. Everything has changed so much, and keeps changing so fast, we thought it would be a good idea for our industry peers to get together and talk about this for awhile.

So we’re working with the UDI to bring together a panel of speakers on December 1st (details here) and we’d love for you to come.

• David Allison, Partner, Braun/Allison Inc., will share what we’ve learned about real estate marketing.
• Kirk LaPointe, Managing Editor, The Vancouver Sun, will talk about the future of traditional media.
• Chris Breikss, President, 6S Marketing, will discuss the holy grail of ROI for online marketing and social media.
• Amielle Lake, President and CEO, Tagga Inc., will talk about the next wave: mobile marketing.
• Hanson Lok, Senior Research Manager, Ipsos Reid, will share secrets from his latest research on consumer behaviour.

Please plan to join us, have a pancake (it’s a breakfast seminar!) and let’s see what we can all learn about the way forward. Click here to register now. This seminar will sell out fast.