Creativity, Branding and Lead Generation

This is my last post of 2010 and a time to briefly reflect on a few things that are top-of-mind as we close out the year.

The Secret Sauce
I’ve often heard it said that there are no new creative ideas, that everything’s been done. I’ve always hated that statement for its lazy and uninspired sentiment. In his book, “Outliers,” Malcolm Gladwell says, “researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: ten thousand hours.” I’m happy to realize that I’ve done my 10,000 hours as a creative professional and the longer I’m in this business, the deeper my creative options become. My expanding database of memories, associations and relationships open the possibilities of finding unique creative solutions to our client’s communication problems.

What makes a person creative is the ability to tap into a deep well of experiences, impressions and awareness and synthesize the right elements to solve a specific problem. Throw in a facility with similes and metaphors, sweat, passion and Father Time; you have your secret sauce.

The Synergy between Branding and Lead Generation creates Differentiation
I’m very interested in the quantitative direction marketing has taken. I want our clients to see the value of the websites and brands we create for them. I’m happy to be part of the dialogue to continuously measure and improve the effectiveness of their websites and marketing programs.

Where we differ from many other interactive firms is that we believe the brand is the foundation for improving lead generation and awareness. It’s not only about creating tons of keyword-rich content and measuring clicks, it’s about getting the message right first. “The best lead generation effort should make the brand relevant to the marketplace. In the short-term, a lead generation program will be more effective when it grows from a brand that is both organic to the company and differentiated from the competition. In the long-term, lead generation provides the opportunity to reinforce your brand with highly focused target audiences,” says Sally Roffman in her article “Leading the Way!” for Tech Journal South.

RainCastle’s dual heritage as a branding and interactive company enables us to delve deeply on the messaging and business side in order to differentiate our clients in ways they can clearly express and defend. From that foundation, we design and develop websites and marketing programs that get results.

2010 was an excellent year for RainCastle and we’d like to thank our many clients, partners and friends for their support. We’re excited about 2011 and its fruitful collaborations, planned and unplanned. Best wishes and Happy New Year all!

photo: “Spirit,” by Paul Regensburg