Letting Loose: Our Employee Fun Day

It was the day of the big event, Brand Iron’s Employee Fun Day at Lucky Strike Bowling Alley. The pins stood quivering in fear at the end of the lane as team Brand Iron prepped their shoes, chose their balls, and sipped their first beers. Lucky Strike wasn’t ready for what the cow pokes from Brand Iron were about to dish out. After spending days upon days working on proposals, one sheets, direct mailers and various client needs, it was time to unwind, and that we did. Take a look at our team’s triumphant and relaxing venture.

The Team

Jim likes to give the "right arm" ... a lot...

Natasha snuck in her gutter balls with spares...no one was the wiser...

Josh and Marni dominated...

Michael took home the trophy!

Obviously Nicole was distraught by Michael's victory...

El Fin

Gimme Some Real News!!!

Hey everyone, I have an announcement!

Gather around because I need your full, undivided attention. What I am about to tell you is big news! This is exciting so please listen to what I am about to say…

Are you ready?

Of course you are. Who wouldn’t be on the edge of their seat waiting anxiously with that kind of build up?

But after the drum roll, unfortunately we usually come away disappointed. That was it? That was all you had for me?

Generally, we as information seekers fall for that kind of approach all the time. We are teased by our TV and radio, and by the front pages of our news Web sites and newspapers. They sometimes suck us in, and if it is worthy enough of being sucked in, we don’t mind. But if it isn’t we quickly become immune to it. Just like the story about the “boy who cried wolf.”

But while the news media works to get our attention in various ways, they very often receive similar treatment by the people disseminating news…those of us who work in the communications and public relations world.

Media members are inundated with email news releases, phone messages, packages and press kits on a constant basis. They are poked, prodded and pitched by companies who claim to have “really important” news.

I know it’s true and I keep that in mind every time a client suggests we send out a press release just for the sake of sending out a press release. It’s important to understand what news is and what it’s not. And it’s important to put ourselves in the shoes of the reporter to whom we are reaching out.

The media wants news that is timely and relevant. Yes, they also prefer ‘exciting,’ but not all news is exciting. So, if we can find what might be exciting or unique about a particular story, it becomes much more palatable.

Reporters want news that impacts their readers/viewers, not news that only matters to you, the messenger. They want short, sweet and to the point, not long, drawn-out and complicated.

Beating down reporters with a constant stream of nothing will only alienate yourself and your firm. A press release with no intrinsic news value or unique content is just that: a press release with no value.

To communicate effectively, it is important to know that what we communicate is just as important as how we communicate it. Real news and real stories are fun to share and nothing is better than engaging a reporter who sees the same news value as you do.

The next time you have big news and can’t wait to share it, think for a minute how big, how important and how newsworthy it really is to someone outside of your company. Maybe it’s best to celebrate internally and leave everyone on the outside wondering what the fuss is all about.

Enough fuss that it just may be worthy of a news story.

written by Jim Miller, Director of PR

Can you read this?

Do you remember why the Internet began? It was developed as a way to exchange information. So, in order to exchange information it would be important to read the information in an easy manner. Right?

When designing for the internet it’s important to know how a typeface should be placed on the page. Letters, words, and sentences all crammed together are more difficult to read and understand. Paying careful attention to how much space you give your text is key for readability.

Lines of type that are too long (or too short) slow down reading and comprehension. Combine the wrong line length with the wrong type size and the problem is magnified.

The shorter the line length, the smaller the font should be — allowing more words to fit on the line. The longer the line, the larger the font can be.

• Choose a font size that your primary audience can read comfortably, like Arial 11 or 12 point.
• Apply the alphabet-and-a-half line length rule, 36 characters.
• Balance line length with type size for readability.

In the end, the decision to restrict line length is a philosophical one. From a design standpoint, a measure that is comfortable for reading is good practice. One of the fundamental principles of the Web, however, is that users should be able to structure their own view.

Stick with Brand Iron and we'll make sure your message reaches your target audience no matter how much (or little) you have to say.

written by Marni Myers, Creative

Commit to your brand in the New Year.

At the first of every year, I encourage all of our clients and prospects to address their brand goals and objectives for the coming year and set out a plan to obtain them. This year is no different; it is time to look back at what was accomplished, both positively and negatively, in regards to your brand for this past year. Did you make the advances you had hoped to get accomplished?

It is also the time of year when I ask another question: “Are you really committed to addressing your barriers to growth from a holistic perspective in order to reach these goals and objectives?” To answer “yes” means looking and improving sales, marketing and operations in your company.

My experience is that most companies say they want to get to the next level, but very few can actually (1) develop the strategy, (2) understand the activity level necessary to make those become a reality and (3) apply themselves to make it happen.

So, I suggest making that commitment to yourself and your company by laying out where you want your brand to be a year from now. Here are some tips to get you there:

First, address all of the items that need to be accomplished, in order for you to advance your brand from the inside out. Plan out the brand strategy, making sure everyone within the company knows what it is going to take to get there.

Next, delegate who is responsible for sales, marketing and the operations brand initiatives. Establish a timeline with milestones and some sort of reward for obtaining your goals.

And last but not least, execute by holding yourself and everyone else accountable for getting your brand to the next level. A year from now, you can say, “man we kicked some ass towards our brand goals and objectives this year and can’t wait to make even more progress this year.”

written by Michael Doyle, President & CEO of Brand Iron