Velvet Ropes & Red Carpet:

Google+ brings virtual exclusivity to life 

There’s a lot of invitation-only social networking going on these days. Look around the web, you’ll find the members only clubs. On June 28th, Google launched the invite-only “field testing” phase of Google+ development. Based on social media activity and presence, invitations were sent out to selected requestors. The next day, those people were allowed to invite their friends and networks to join. This was soon suspended due to extremely high demand for accounts.

This reminds us of the old battle between penetration and prestige pricing. If you’re not familiar with these two strategies, you’re about to be:

Penetration pricing is a technique used when a business introduces a product into the market at a relatively low price in order to attract a large customer base. The hope is that new users or customers will try the product, find they like it, and continue to use the product when the introductory pricing time frame has ended. This is common with cable and satellite providers, credit cards, and myriad other products and services.

Prestige pricing (sometimes called Premium or Image pricing) is a method where the business will introduce a product or service at a high, or prestigious, price. The intention is to set an expectation that the product is high-end and exclusive. This method is most often seen with jewelry, clothing, and automobiles. This generates buzz – no pun, honest.

So, are invitation only web services a new, online version of prestige pricing? The exclusivity provided to early adopters is closely akin to prestige pricing.

A few ogres have had a go with “the Plus”. Here are some initial thoughts.

Google+, or Google Plus, is the online giant’s latest attempt at social media. After failing with Google Buzz, Google+ is a refreshing attempt from the company of a hundred zeroes. Of course, it has its shortcomings. Come on, it’s just a kid. But, it’ll probably be around for a good long while.

Why? Google’s already got their mitts on a large chunk of your digital life. You may or may not realize it, but Google is everywhere. The map app on your iOS device is Google powered, Google Earth is a great way to see pretty much anything anywhere in the world, Picasa – the online photo sharing application – is a Google product, and YouTube – the broadcast yourself behemoth – is a Google service as well. Google’s got its own browser, Google Chrome, and pretty much anything else you could want to do online, well, there’s a Google app for that. Big whoop, right?

Mudhole? Slimy? My home, this is.

This is where Google+ comes in. The service is closely related in form and function to Facebook. Just in case you’re from Dagobah, and have never heard of Facebook, it’s the 750+ million user strong, social media giant dictating the direction of the digital world. Ok, maybe it’s not dictating the direction of the digital world, but you’d be hard pressed to find a modern company or group of friends without a presence on the network.

The trouble is, nearly everything inside the Facebook environment comes from outside. Google+, on the other hand, incorporates all of Google’s services, seamlessly. Add to that Google+’s “Circles”, “Hangouts”, and “Sparks” and there’s definitely something worth checking out…all the time. Sure, Facebook has similar services, but they’ve been cobbled together from bits and pieces. Facebook is like Frankenstein’s monster. Eventually, it’s gonna go crazy and end up at the North Pole in ashes. G+ has all of these features integrated in the core of its being. Plus, no pun intended, it’s closely tied into Google’s own web rankings; more +1s equals more Google go-go juice.

As long as the farms, vampires, and mobsters stay out, Google+ might have a real chance at taking down, or at least paralleling, Facebook. Sure, Facebook has 750 million users, but in its first two weeks, Google+ had over 10 million. Not a bad start.

What do you think? Are you using Google+? Leave a comment below, or hook up with us on facebook, twitter, or over at our website, www.cleverogre.com

AAdvertising Dollars Well Spent

Have you gotten this phone call?

“Hello, may I speak with the business owner or whoever is in charge of advertising and marketing decisions?”

It’s the Yellow Pages or one of the other phone book companies, and they want your business to advertise in their publication. What to do? What to do? Well, you have two obvious options: buy an ad or don’t. It’s that simple. The decision, however, might make you want to commit hari-kari.

There are pros and cons with each. So what’s new? Everything has a dark side, even duct tape. A lot of businesses still advertise in these directories, and they’re one way to get your name out there. People will see your business name, and maybe a little blurb about what you do, but that’s it.

In the not-so-distant past, this ad space was priceless. If your business wasn’t listed in the yellow pages, then your potential customers couldn’t “let their fingers do the walking” and find you. Of course, if you operated Wilson’s Whitewash, your listing would be well below AAble Whitewashing Company. As a result, you probably got a lot fewer calls. So, even though it was incredibly important to be listed in the telephone directory, there were still drawbacks.

Fast forward to today. When was the last time you pulled out a phone book to look up a number? It’s more likely that you use the book as a booster seat at the Thanksgiving dinner table. It’s going away, and replacing it are Google rankings and search engine optimization. A well programmed website will go a long way to increase your chances of landing a job when a potential customer searches for a whitewashing company. The old trick of adding a couple of “A”s to your business’ name to beat out the competition are over. Good riddance to bad practices.

Even if you and your audience are not computer savvy, there are still better ways to spend those advertising dollars. Instead of buying a phone book ad, consider a billboard or vinyl lettering on your company cars. Remember, not everyone is going to see the van driving down the street with Wilson’s Whitewash emblazoned on the side, but a lot more will see that than the phone number buried under little Timmy’s tush.

If you want to explore your options, find the best place to put your money, contact an ogre for a free consultation. We have a phone. The number is 850.912.4203. We’re on Facebook, Twitter, and at cleverogre.com. You can even email us.

A Bite of Inspiration

It’s been sunny and beautiful in Pensacola the last, well, the last several weeks. Summertime is here and we’re enjoying it. The writing ogre (that’s me) was sitting at his computer trying to figure out what he would write. Sometimes inspiration is hard to find, so he went for a walk. Lo and behold, right there, beside the sidewalk was inspiration.

For those of you not familiar with fire ants, they’re a kind of ant found in the southeastern United States. They build big dirt mounds, or anthills, some of which are so big one might think they could be seen from space; oceans, the Great Wall of China, and anthills… yep. The thing about fire ants is that they’re extremely territorial and aggressive. The slightest disturbance to the hill and thousands of them emerge, looking for a fight. Their main goal is to defend the queen, so that she can produce more fire ants and grow the colony. The fire ant’s bite packs a painful and venomous punch. They’re not deadly, unless the victim weighs about a gram, or there are thousands of them biting a larger creature or person at once. The bite swells up, develops a red, itchy rash, and is dang near impossible not to meddle with. Their tenacity, however annoying, is admirable.

Here’s a short video of fire ants emerging from the hill, ready to attack.

Much like the fire ants, a good team - whether family, friends, or coworkers – will defend one another against intruders and unwanted outsiders. They work together, each one doing his or her job, and helping out as much as possible wherever needed, to perform each task to the best of the group’s abilities. These are the kind of groups we all seek out in life; others with a common interest and goal, who will fight for and defend one another and their collective task. Find these people, and you’ve found something special… something different.

At Clever Ogre, this is artistically illustrated. Ogres do what’s required, and then some, to produce the best possible product. Whether it’s a logo, a website, a blog or a full-on branding campaign; rest assured, they’re on it. Each one knows what is expected of the other and what the end result should be. When they’re working for you, you’re part of the group. You and your product or image will be defended just as vehemently as the fire ants defend their queen and hill.

Do you have questions for the ogres? You can find us all over the web. We’re at www.cleverogre.com, on facebook, and on Twitter. Say hi, let us know if you need anything, and we’ll be there for you. Don’t worry, we don’t bite.

A Few Words on Words

So, you’ve got an amazing idea for a blog post for your business, and you’re ready to get it out there for the whole world. You want everyone to have a look at the great things that have crossed your mind. That’s fantastic! Something big is happening at your business or in your personal life, and you want to share it. You sit down in your favorite comfy chair with your coffee (or other beverage) and start typing. There are a couple of things that you should keep in mind while creating your masterpiece.


Spelling and grammar are very important:
While this is a blog post and not a doctoral dissertation, the need for proper spelling and grammar is still present. If someone is scanning your content, they may be quite put off by misspelled words or the improper use of “their” when it should be “they’re” or something else similar. Now, you’re probably thinking something like “I’ve got it under control” or “What’s the big deal?” Well, here’s the deal; people who don’t know any better will not notice the effort that was put into providing quality, properly constructed content, and people who do will notice that you’ve got all of your ducks in a row. This will lend valuable credibility to you and your product/organization.


Big words are for educated small minds:
Throwing a lot of $25 words at your posts will not necessarily help you seem more knowledgeable. It is great to know the words and even better to understand them and use them properly in speech and writing. It’s completely different to understand the words well enough to use common words in their place. We have all met people who speak in jargon and technical terms. They think that they’re proving how much they know but, in actuality, they are demonstrating how little they actually know. Bottom line, if you can’t convey your message in terms that everyone can understand, you can’t convey your message.


Be sure to use keywords to build SEO:
When writing your blog, be sure to include everything that encompasses your message. This means keywords. Think of what you’re writing about and then think of how people discuss the topic. What are some of the common words that are part of that conversation? Got some of them in mind now? Good. Include them in your post; in a natural way. Don’t make it look like you’ve added a string of nonsensical words together just because they are related to the topic and search inquiries. Bad, bad, bad.


Proofread:
This should go without saying, but it’s now been said (or typed anyway). It’s a good idea to get your piece exactly where you want it… great words, great arrangement, and a smooth, easy read. Then leave it alone for a few hours. When you come back to it, look at it with a critical eye and you’ll make changes. We guarantee it.
Now, get out there and get to writing.

Branding and Your Best Bud

Do you understand branding as well as your dog?

The other day I was tossing around the old tennis ball with Clever Dog. Every time I threw the ball, he’d gallop off to fetch it. POUNCE! Then he’d bring it right back and drop it at my feet. “More Ogre Daddy!” he seemed to say. This went on for several minutes. Then I gave the ball to a different but equally capable ball thrower. THROW! Clever Dog looked at New Ogre and then at me. He then went to a shady spot next to the building to lie down.

Even though New Ogre and I threw the ball in basically the same way, Clever Dog preferred to fetch it only when I threw it. He picked Brand Daddy over Brand New. This is an example of brand loyalty. Clever Dog and I have a history. He knows that I’ll throw the ball, he can bring it back, and I’ll throw it again. I provide a product that he likes and, even though New Ogre could provide the same basic product, Clever Dog comes back to me. As long as I do what he expects, and I don’t let him down, then he’ll buy my ball throwing every time I’m selling.

A brand is much more than just a name and a logo. It is delivering a quality product or service, the same way, every time. Your brand is everything about your company. Everything about your company is your brand. Consider any company that has had negative publicity for whatever reason. The product that they were selling didn’t change, but due to the negative publicity that they received, their brand was tarnished. Once a brand image has been built it requires constant attention. The deliverable provided by the company must consistently be what the customer or client is looking for. If not, the brand is soiled and no one likes a dirty brand.

Mommy, What are Ogres Made of?

Somebody asked us one time “What makes Clever Ogre a good ad agency?” Well, not being an ad agency is a good start for us… and we’re not a pr agency either. We are a lot more than either of those. Throw away your preconceptions of what ad or PR agencies are. Consider a new label that can’t be nailed down to two letters. That’s Clever Ogre.

We do what is necessary to create and promote brand you. We don’t stop with a logo, a tag line and a website design. You need more than that because public perception of your business doesn’t stop on your website. It stops……………………………………………………………………… way over here (here… -ere… -ere).

We can’t control what people say about your business or product, that’s up to you and the quality of your deliverables. Sorry, that’s just the way it is. What we can do is influence their opinion of what is said. Ogres are strong. We can hold you above our head when the water gets too deep. We can bend the bars on the gate just enough to let you get through.

We’re ogres because we do things differently. We do what needs to be done; not what everyone else is doing.