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Spokane Public Market — Creating a Brand That Grows

admin — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 20:17:34 +0000

When people think of public markets in the Pacific Northwest, it’s likely they think of the world-famous Pike Place Market in Seattle, but a few dedicated volunteers have been working hard on a dream of a Spokane Public Market in hopes that may not always be the case.

The Spokane Public Market, which officially opened for business last week, hopes to become a community gathering place and cultural variety center of fun and education for families and visitors. The Market plans to offer produce, fruit, flowers, honey, meat, seafood, dairy, baked goods, music, artisan wares and much more. It occupies the 21,000 square ft. historic warehouse at the corner of Browne and Second Ave in Downtown Spokane and will serve shoppers Thursday through Saturday year round.

BHW1 was proud to partner with the Spokane Public Market to build a brand that matched their ambitious goals. BHW1 created a brand identity that reflects the spirit of a self-sustaining economy while continuing to elevate the Spokane brand and give tourists and locals one more reason to fall in love with Downtown Spokane.

The campaign developed for the Spokane Public Market includes:

New logo and identity package
New promotional brochure
Market wayfinding system
Outdoor advertising and signage
New website
A communications campaign

Outcomes:

Increase in brand awareness and education
Significant coverage by local media members — Read the recent Spokesman Review story here.
Increase in funds raised for developmentHigher rates of engagement with community members

Client: Spokane Public Market
Website: http://www.spokanepublicmarket.org/
Campaign Goal: Awareness, Education and Community Involvement
Strategy: Create an identity that strengthens the brand and builds awareness of the Spokane Public Market. Use effective design and messaging across multiple platforms to engage with the community on the importance of sustainability and local economic development. And, of course, also build appropriate hype for this very cool project.

Looking for ways to communicate to your audience? Want to know more about logo design, brand management or interactive development? Tell us your goal, together we can make it happen.

Facebook Messaging: Scary Cool, or Just Plain Scary?

admin — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:04:01 +0000

Facebook recently announced Facebook Messaging–a new service of the social media giant that will attempt to corral all forms of communication (including text, chat and email from multiple email addresses) in one “social inbox.”

The service is planned to be introduced by invitation only to the more than 500 billion members over the next few months . While Zuckerburg believes people will not automatically give up current email accounts, he is hopeful the up and coming generation (who are “already used to the instant stream of communication”) will forego the traditional email address and opt for the Facebook system.

The system will feature an exhaustive message memory: it will remember every ounce of communication, no matter how trivial (ok, see you later), and said information never be deleted. The idea is that Facebook messaging accounts will be the place where you can receive and send all forms of communication (the email to end all email, if you will). The system will organize contacts into appropriate lists and appear as Facebook messages currently do, along with photo and name.

While some call it the “Gmail killer” (or Hotmail or Yahoo), it remains to be seen whether this system will be as useful as it claims…and if people will abandon other systems. Staggering success in one niche doesn’t necessarily translate to staggering success with other tools. Just ask Google, which all but owns search, but has stumbled with offerings such as Google Buzz.

And, it must be said, there’s a darker side to all of this (as those of you with a flair for conspiracy theories, Big Brother, and One World domination may already be feeling). PC World, in a recent article, doesn’t mince words in an article titled Facebook Messages: The Worst Thing That Ever Happened.

Already Facebook has experienced backlash for security and privacy issues, but if the past is any predictor of the present, this system will have serious implications for the powerhouses of the web and how we communicate—issues or not.

Business (and personal) implication:

As Facebook knows more and more confidential information about you, remember to adjust privacy settings to protect yourself. Be smart and make sure you have security settings established at your desired level.

B2B and Social Media: Luke, Meet Warm

admin — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:22:57 +0000

A “State of B2B Social Media Marketing” story and infographic on Mashable illustrate some of the barriers still existent in the world of social engagement–within the realm of B2B marketers, of course, but also quite prevalent among B2C marketing at the regional and local levels.

First, a couple of caveats: The data referenced in this infographic comes from a March, 2010 research study; in the world of social media, that’s several cycles ago. On a related note, the methodology for the research isn’t clear: sample size, scope, markets surveyed, and so on. So in no way should we look at this data as a quantitative, representative look at the whole world of B2B and social media.

However, we can make a few qualitative observations, backed up by our experience working with both B2B and B2C brands engaging in social media. Let’s look at a few of the statistics:

• 86% of B2B firms are using social media, compared to 82% of B2C companies. (This seems somewhat high, in our experience, unless “using social media” means having a Facebook presence or a Twitter account. But it’s interesting to note that B2B usage is at least equal to B2C application.)

• 46% of B2B companies say social media is perceived as “irrelevant” in their organizations, while only 12% of B2C companies say the same thing. (Again, while we might disagree with the overall numbers, it’s probably safe to say that B2C brands are more comfortable with social media than B2B brands.)

• 10% of B2B companies use outside consultants for social media, compared to 28% of B2C companies. (Again, those figures are probably overrepresented in regional and local circles, but there’s a definite DIY mentality that exists in social media…and that mentality is probably much more prevalent in B2B settings. We surmise it has a lot to do with that “irrelevant” factor mentioned previously. Marketing people at these firms undoubtedly know social media is relevant, but if they feel they’re battling a misperception about such relevance, the most logical step is to take matters into their own hands.)

When we see information and data like this, we come back to a few of our oft-repeated mantras. First, we’ve yet to work with a company that can’t benefit, in some way, from social media. In fact, we think social media may have even more utility for biz-to-biz firms, because the markets tend to be more vertical, and therefore easier to track. For starters, biz-to-biz uses for social media include reputation management and monitoring, tracking of marketing activities, unvarnished market research, employee recruitment, and competitor analysis. How is any of that irrelevant?

Finally–and this holds true across the board–we still sense a general “look, but don’t touch” attitude toward social media in general. That is to say, many companies are interested in the research and numbers, but have a difficult time leaping into actual engagement. Our response is: the only sure way to fail at any business proposition is to never do it in the first place.

Business implications:

Find the current state of social media in your spheres of influence. What are your competitors doing? What are people saying about you and your brands? Who are the opinion leaders in your niche?

Don’t get analysis paralysis when it comes to engagement. It’s already an oft-repeated cliche: “Social media is conversation.” That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to start the conversations. Often, it simply means finding existing conversations, listening, and contributing in a meaningful way.

The little “i” that’s changing everything.

admin — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:53:44 +0000

First came the iPod and iTunes, which combined to form a cultural phenomenon. The explosion of interest resulted in a slew of iApplications and iProducts (iLife, iChat, iWork, etc), including the iPhone and iPad–objects on wish lists everywhere.

So it’s no surprise that Apple recently announced $20 billion in quarterly revenue (much of it due to iPhone sales). It’s their biggest ever, and is only expected to grow. (Read the whole article.)

During the quarter, the iPhone sold 14.1 million units and saw 91 percent growth in sales compared to the same quarter last year. The iPad sold 4.19 million units (numbers Apple said are low due to supply shortages). With the iPhone likely to become available to other cell carriers in the coming year, and smart phones competitors flying off the shelves, well, it ain’t all that difficult to see where this is all heading.

Apple is leading the pack when it comes to mobile internet devices and the competition is getting fierce (Samsung, RIM, Amazon, Barnes and Noble have all produced competing iPad products). Already smart phones dominate the marketplace. Soon, the public will be flooded with mobile device options at varying price points.

It’s time to prepare for the mobile and tablet PC revolution. The era of the desktop computer is evolving. Maybe even disappearing. Mary Meeker of Morgan Stanley says by 2013, mobile internet will surpass desktop internet usage. (See accompanying graph at the top of this post.) We wouldn’t be surprised if it happens even before then, as we see the growth curve accelerating.

Business Implications

Is your content ready to be viewed on a 13 inch screen? How about a 4 inch screen? If you have a smart phone, look at your company’s web site; you might be surprised at how unusable it really is on a device with limited screen real estate.
What can you do now to better prepare for mobile usage? People browse on computers, smart phones and tablets, yes. But their browsing habits differ on those devices–precisely because they use them in different locations. Desktops are used at home and work, which means longer users sessions. But smart phones are likely used on-the-go (perhaps even at your business location), so it’s better to highlight contact information, ordering information, and similar items on your mobile site. Think to yourself: what do people want to know when they walk through my door? That’s exactly what you need to highlight on your mobile site. (And don’t forget to ask them to rate you on Yelp or other services, or check in on Foursquare and Facebook Places.)
What kind of apps would benefit your clients/customers? The term “app” can be a stumbling block, because businesses often think of massive programming. But really, an app can simply be information you already have in an alternate format; consider publishing your specials or news in an “app” framework.

Facebing?

admin — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 22:55:10 +0000

They are forming alliances, strategizing and bolstering defenses.

It’s not an episode of Survivor; it’s just another chapter in the ongoing battle for world wide web dominion—and the online world’s most powerful players are pulling out the big guns.
First Yahoo announced a partnership with AOL and a strategic partnership with Microsoft. Now Bing’s latest venture with Facebook aims to redefine the search engine—socially.

So what does Bing + Facebook mean for you?

It means the “Like” will be more powerful than ever. The new tool will rank search engine results using the “like” recommendations from friends within your social network. Looking for a new vacuum? The brands your network of friends have “liked” will emerge on top of search results—ideally making search results much more customized, trustworthy and relevant.
And it’s not limited to products or brands. Looking for a news story? The ones your friends have read and “liked” will show first. Looking for a person? The ones closest to your network rank first. Read Facebook’s explanation

Underdog Bing, with 11.2 percent market share, hopes this newest partnership will give the needed boost to give the world’s largest search engine Google a run for its money.
However, on the tails of Bing and Facebook’s announcement, Google had news of their own: $2.17 billion in net revenue for third quarter (its biggest ever).

So will market share change in light of all this? The crystal ball is looking cloudy at the moment, but share isn’t the most important take-away (unless you’re one of the key players involved). The key take-away is: Social search is growing in importance.

Business implications:

Customer service experience and users’ online engagement are paramount. If you aren’t getting “liked,” your search ranking will suffer (maybe not today, but soon). So now, more than ever, you need to take polls, engage users, and encourage sharing.
A related corollary: if you don’t have a strategy or plan for finding and interacting with key content producers, now’s the time to start. Getting content and links into the hands of taste-makers is going to affect your search engine optimization on two important levels: on the surface, at the pure data level indexed by robots; and on a deeper social level, driven by the likes and dislikes of people who command a large circle of influence.

Igniting New Ideas: Social’s More Local

admin — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:45:06 +0000

Tony Hines, our Creative/Social Media Director, be speaking at the inaugural Ignite Spokane tonight (www.ignitespokane.com), a growing movement that began with Ignite Seattle in 2006. That, in turn, grew out of Japanese Pecha Kucha. (Not the first fun idea we’ve stolen from Japanese culture—Karaoke, anyone?)

Basically, the Ignite talk is five minutes in length, governed by 20 slides of 15 seconds each. Quick “nuggets” of information, easily digestible in an online format (most videos eventually make it onto YouTube and other video sharing sites). Worldwide, the Ignite movement has grown to more than 50 cities around the world, and it continues to expand.

Ignite is a perfect model and example of where we’ve been moving with social media in the last few years. In the early days of the Interwebs (and social media specifically), the lure was the fact that you could interact with people across the world. Geography no longer mattered. And certainly, that’s still true to a great extent. But we’ve also seen the greatest recent growth in activity among localized social media. People are interacting among niches within their own, physical communities. That’s what powers Foursquare, Yelp, Gowalla, BrightKite, and the location update feature on Facebook. That’s what powers Meetup, Gather, and thousands of spontaneous Tweetup gatherings in venues across the world. And that’s what powers one of the newest darlings of online commerce: Groupon.

So the question is: does this intersection of social awareness and localization power part of your social media presence?

Business implications:

If you are a retail business, a portion of your online strategy should be devoted to courting “socially aware” local groups and meetings. Offer your establishment as a venue for tweetups, meetups, and other gatherings. Create special prizes and offers for people who check in at your location on Yelp, Foursquare, and Facebook. Create your own events and gatherings designed to attract heavy users of social media tools.
If you’re service-oriented or business-to-business, you should be a part of these previously mentioned “local social” gatherings. Participation extends beyond the online world, and you’ll invariably form personal and professional relationships.

The Internet. Now with More Video, and Less Web.

Tony — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:27:31 +0000

Wired magazine’s September edition trumpets that the “web is dead,” and goes on to explain how the world wide web’s share of overall internet traffic has dropped by about half in the past decade. From its high point in 2000—when it accounted for more than half of all internet traffic—the web has since shrunk to 23% of internet activity.

We point to this for a couple of reasons. First, in the minds of many, it seems, the world wide web = the internet. The two are one and the same. This has never been the case, except in perception: for years, the web has been the poster child for the internet. And even though its share of traffic has decreased, its share of mind hasn’t.

Perhaps knowing this will open eyes to new opportunities.

Topping that list of opportunities (and the truly interesting part of the article’s graphic, if not its content): video. We’re a visual species, and internet video now accounts for more than half of internet traffic, according to the Wired graphic. (Cisco’s VNI forecast puts the current figure for video traffic at 40%.) This also flies in the face of some long-held conventional wisdom that interactivity trumped passivity in online content: we were told for so long that the “web” would kill TV because it promised a new level of active involvement.

Not the case, folks, as the internet now moves more video than anything else—whether that’s through the web itself (via browser or a web-based application), or through native apps (Android, iPhone, download boxes from NetFlix, Vudu and others). More eye-opening data comes from Cisco’s forecasts for 2014:

By 2014, the various forms of video (TV, VoD, Internet Video, and P2P) will exceed 91 percent of global consumer traffic….Global online video will approach 57 percent of consumer Internet traffic (up from 40 percent in 2010).

And while the Wired graphic (and accompanying article) are puzzlingly silent on mobile as a total portion of internet traffic, Cisco’s report also emphasizes the importance of the mobile platform:

Globally, mobile data traffic will double every year through 2014, increasing 39 times between 2009 and 2014.

That’s 3900% increase in four years for mobile traffic. Increasingly, we’ll see people pulling content to themselves via mobile devices, rather than going out and finding that content via the web.

Business Implications:

If internet video isn’t a major part of your content plan, it should be. Whether you’re biz-to-biz, biz-to-consumer, a wide-ranging consumer product/service company, or a niche-oriented business, video should undoubtedly be one of your core offerings.
At the very least, your current web site should be optimized for the mobile platform. But now is the time to begin planning content that lives specifically on mobile platforms, pushing data to your customers/fans/clients through specialized apps, widgets, and SMS.

BHW1 Hires Social Media and Creative Director

admin — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 18:44:43 +0000

BHW1 has hired Tony Hines as Director of Creative and Social Media Services. As director he will manage the creative department and oversee social media marketing strategy.

“Tony is both a world-class creative director and a guru in the social mediasphere,” said BHW1 partner Greg Birchell. “His strengths further position the agency for the exciting direction in which our industry is headed.”

Hines has a 20-year career in advertising as a writer, creative director and agency principal working on accounts such as Intermountain Healthcare, OneEighty Communications, Sun Valley Resorts, Weider Sports, Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau, Montana Tourism and GlidePoint. His work has garnered regional and national recognition in both advertising and public relations including Telly Awards, Golden Spike Awards, Silver Microphone Awards, inclusion in the Print Magazine Design Annual, and others.

“BHW1 has an established track record of solutions that are both strategic and creative,” says Hines. “We all share that vision for both traditional marketing and social media, so I think this is a perfect fit all around.”

Hines’s social media experience has earned him interviews and coverage with Publishers’ Weekly, Media Bistro, and dozens of radio stations, blogs and social sites. Capitalizing on his social media work, Hines launched Social Media Scout in 2009, a company which helps businesses monitor and manage their brands through online interaction and conversation. His company was a strategic partner with BHW1 prior to his hiring.

Hines is also a multi-published author, writing what he calls “Noir Bizarre” fiction in the books Waking Lazarus, The Dead Whisper On, The Unseen, Faces in the Fire, and The Falling Away. His fiction has appeared on the annual “25 Best Genre Novels of the Year” list compiled by Library Journal.

Click here to see our 2010 Summer Hours video.

trevin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 18:38:21 +0000

2010 BHW1 Summer Hours Video from BHW1 on Vimeo.

BHW1 Presents Keynote at CASE Conference

admin — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 00:07:18 +0000

As keynote speakers, BHW1 presented “The State of Social Media in Higher Education” at the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District VIII Social Media Bootcamp on April 23.

Over 50 representatives from West Coast colleges and universities attended the all-day workshop for lessons and tips using social media tools to market higher education institutions.

The conference was held at the Washington State University Riverpoint Campus in Spokane, Wash. CASE District VIII is the largest of the eight North American geographical districts of higher education institutions.

To request a copy of The State of Social Media in Higher Education, email Rachel.