By: Darren Constantino | Pit & Quarry, Editor-in-Chief
The Wright Brothers
By David McCullough
This is a great story about how these two Ohio brothers invented flight, and, along with their sister, achieved worldwide fame. Their attention to detail allowed them to rise above all competitors (no pun intended).
In our youth, it seems most people are involved with sports in some capacity, but not everyone continues to pursue athletics growing up. Some people in the office who participated in sports but never got a shot at playing professionally might still enjoy using sports analogies while conducting business.
To try and stave off possible confusion in the work place, here are the definitions of some sports analogies and their origins.
“The ball’s in your court:”
A saying that is used to signify the next action on something needs to be done by you or someone else or there will be a standstill.
Example: “I have approved that column and sent it over to Bob. The ball is in his court now.”
In tennis, when a player hits the ball over the net they put it into their opponent’s “court.” A player can only hit a ball that’s in their court.
“A homerun:”
This term would most like be used when something like a project, presentation or idea went very well in their mind.
Example: “I just completed my first interview for that job and it was a homerun. I think they really liked me.”
It originates from baseball/softball when a player hits the ball and they touch all four bases, including home plate, to score a run.
“Full-court press:”
If a team or business is trying to complete a project or goal that requires the attention and effort of a lot of people, someone might use this expression.
Example: “Ask everyone if they can stay late tonight. We are going to have to use a full-court press to complete this presentation by tomorrow.”
This is an aggressive strategy from basketball that makes it difficult for the opposing team to move the ball up the court and involves effort from the entire team.
“Drop the ball:”
When an individual or team makes a mistake.
Example: “Did you notice the typo on that page? He really dropped the ball on that one.”
Used in sports that require carrying or catching a ball, most commonly football in the U.S., where dropping or “fumbling” the ball is an error by the ball carrier.
“Par for the course:”
When an event or meeting goes as expected. It’s an alternate way to say something is “status quo.”
Example: “I couldn’t find anything in the supply closet because the room is a mess, but that’s par for the course around here.”
In golf, to attain the average score the player must total par for the course and the goal is to finish under par or better than average.
“Down to the wire:”
An expression that is used to express that something’s outcome is not decided until the very last minute.
Example: “We were down to the wire on that deadline, but we sent in the document just in time.”
This is a horse racing term that was used when the competition would be decided at the very end. The “wire” comes from the wire that stretches across the racetrack at the finishline.
On Oct. 21, 2015, we celebrated one year since completing the rebrand and redesign of the Landscape Management brand. The year has passed in the blink of an eye. In looking back, it’s astonishing to see what we accomplished in the months leading up to the launch. However, in reviewing the notes and details, I quickly realize, the process made the project. I’m not saying there weren’t some long hours, stressful situations and times when we weren’t sure we’d complete the project on time, but overall, it was “relatively” smooth.
Taking on a rebranding project can be overwhelming. Because our process worked so well and has produced outstanding results, I’d like share our 8 Steps to a Successful Rebranding Project.
A tremendous amount of expenses are associated with a relaunch. Before you start, be sure to establish a budget. Make sure your team understands the budget parameters and is committed to managing the funds accordingly.
You’ll need a minimum of nine months. Depending on the size of your company, the number of people included in the process, the layers of approvals, etc., a lot more time may be needed. Be sure to think about your team’s other workload and any business or vacation travel. We didn’t use a project tracking software, but having one would have definitely helped for tracking progress and keeping the team on schedule.
3. ALL INThe words ALL IN have special meaning to those of us in Cleveland. Last year while the Cleveland Cavaliers were making their run through the NBA Playoffs and into the Finals, their team slogan was “ALL IN.” As the Landscape Management team was making its run towards the brand relaunch, we adopted the same slogan. Just as in team sports, like basketball, your entire team must be ALL IN to significantly increase the odds of success.
You don’t get to decide what your brand means in the eyes of your audience. Only through conducting research — qualitative and quantitative — and synthesizing/distilling the research to understand the audience’s key need(s) will the brand essence be revealed. Landscape Management worked with an outside research firm, Strategic Partners, to conduct the research and facilitate a brand workshop helping us establish our unique brand essence.
After establishing your brand essence, stop analyzing and “just do it!” Using the outcome of your branding workshop, creative briefs and communications plans should be developed. Art directors and designers get involved to develop logo concepts. Copywriters work on taglines. Lots and lots of logos and taglines are developed, presented, reworked, re-presented and on and on until the final logo and tagline — supported by research and reinforcing your brand essence — are selected. Because our product includes a print publication, we make certain that all content written, and each page designed, are based on the key learnings from the research and uphold our brand essence.
Now continue to “just do it” for everything your audience associates with your brand. Signage, business cards, websites, collateral materials, trade show and event materials, wearables, product packaging, etc.
Anything with your logo or branding must be rebranded. And be sure to schedule enough time to get everything complete prior to your relaunch (see No. 2 above).
Plan to make a big splash. In order to create some anticipation, consider a teaser campaign beginning a couple months in advance of the relaunch. Maybe you can include a countdown clock on your website. Hold a press event. Launch an advertising campaign. Throw a party! Everyone enjoys a good party; it’s a great opportunity to engage your audience and reward your team. Be sure to stay within your set budget parameters (see No. 1 above) as it’s easy to let these costs get out of control.
After you’ve relaunched, your work is far from complete. Create checkpoints to make sure you’re on track. Review progress of the measurements (KPIs, Sales Revenue, Profit, New Customers, etc.) you’ve established as targets for success. Refine as necessary to make certain you meet or exceed your success metrics.
Deciding to rebrand can be a daunting undertaking. Following the steps above can help ease the apprehension and ensure a successful outcome.
By: Darren Constantino | Pit & Quarry, Editor-in-Chief
The ABM Parking Services app includes comprehensive parking information including hours of operation, rates, entrance points and payment types. It helps you to find parking in Cleveland and many other cities.
Looking for a cost effective and relatively easy way to reach customers and potential customers? Consider hosting a webinar.
A webinar is an online presentation viewers can watch at their convenience. In return, you receive the contact information of those in attendance.
Webinars are a great way to share your targeted message with customers and potential customers. As an added bonus, including polls and a question-and-answer session allows you to quickly learn what they think of your brand, product, or service.
A successful webinar will provide information and insight, or offer a solution to a problem. Choose your subject matter wisely. The goal of your webinar should be to help those who attend, not sell them a product.
Of course, you may deliver a product-centric webinar, but keep the focus on the problem the product solves, not the product. Keep in mind that readers want to know how to think, not what to buy. Rethink your presentation if it’s too sales oriented.
Consider focusing on a topic your customers and potential customers want to learn more about. Your attendance figures will reflect their interest in your subject.
Check Twitter, Facebook and other social media sources for ideas on a topic your customers and potential customers are talking about.
Consider using Interactive tools during your webinar because they help increase viewing time and improve retention of your content.
Polls, surveys and a live question-and-answer session will provide a personal connection to your brand, product, or service.
Polls will give you a feel for what attendees/readers are thinking about a product or issue.
Surveys will provide information you can use to make changes for your next webinar.
A question and answer session will address attendees’ concerns immediately. It’s will allow you to dispel misconceptions about an issue, or product or service.
Webinars are a great way to control the message for your brand, product, or service while helping or educating customers and potential customers. Your customers and potential customers will consider you a trusted resource if you offer a well-presented webinar on a subject that provides a solution to their problem.
If you’re interested in creating a webinar for your brand, product or service, please contact us here.
I went into Crimson Peak expecting jump-scares and ghosts galore. However, what I got was a slow-burning, tension-filled, period thriller.
Set in the gothic period, Crimson Peak seemingly follows the formula of classic novels such as Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre, but with much darker twists and turns. What begins as a gothic romance becomes a gothic horror as the film progresses.
Our heroine, Edith (Mia Wasikowska), is swept away by the dashing Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston), who, along with his sister (Jessica Chastain), has sinister plans for the girl. The plot moves along nicely, making the film seem to go by much quicker than its 119-minute run-time. It grabs you from the beginning, not putting you back down until the very end.
Beyond the plot, the sets and costumes are intricate and gorgeous. These details, along with the main actors’ excellent portrayals, draw you in from the start and add to the haunting feeling throughout the movie. Especially important to notice is Allerdale Hall, the Sharpe’s home. What was once clearly a grand manor, now has a massive hole in the roof and is sinking into the ground, all of its former regalia still inside, now covered in the dust of the past.
So, what are the Sharpe’s sinister plans? Why is the film called “Crimson Peak?” You’ll have to check it out yourself to find out!
