In a market flooded with so many brands, today’s consumer is presented with an ever-changing array of options along with an increased sense of discernment about what and where to spend their resources.  To be successful, a brand must find ways to distinguish itself and stand out amongst the clutter.

The process begins with a business strategy and marketing plan.  It has a clear point of view and maps out a direction for future activities.  This written plan describes the business, outlines goals and defines a sustainable competitive advantage.  It is a document that will grow and evolve.  A strong plan is an essential foundation documenting specific strategies and tactics to guarantee objectives are met.  Furthermore, it helps businesses make decisions quickly and manages capital and promotional opportunities effectively throughout the year; allowing for the right investments in the right places always with an eye towards the “big picture.”

Businesses who operate without a marketing plan often find themselves evaluating each marketing and business opportunity on a case-by-case basis and spend much time reacting to market conditions and at worst, “fighting fires.”  This method often produces “feast or famine” marketing.  Entire marketing budgets can be spent on one or two promotional tools, leaving a lack of funding to support any further efforts, including critical follow-up.  Worse yet, companies lose sight of why each project should be included in the business and promotional cycle in the first place and how it relates to the greater purpose.  With a marketing plan in place, businesses can then execute with a consistent focus on their overall goals.  Included will be a definition of the target customers for each program and the specific calls-to-action being deployed at each stage in the sales cycle.

For smaller brands seeking new or additional distribution, a marketing plan and its effective execution is an essential tool to igniting confidence and securing key retailer partnerships.  Retailers want to know that you have specific plans in place to inform consumers of your offering and ultimately create the desire that drives them into their stores.  As one set of eyes and ears to your consumer, they can be critical partners in this process and a vital help in revisiting your plan and evaluating its performance to determine future actions.

Research and knowledge of consumer behavior indicates that fashion and beauty purchases are often made because of certain intangible and emotional aspects of the experience.  It is those brands that show a profound understanding of this special relationship with their consumer and knowledge of how to tap into certain triggers that prove to have the most longevity and impact.  Every customer wants to be associated with a brand they can relate to, that makes them feel good and delivers on a particular promise.  The way that we go about communicating that message is through a combination of methods that targets all senses.  This is where the marketing vision and creative expression of the brand intersect.  The clarity of this vision identifies how the brand is different than its competitors and establishes a certain intrigue and romance.  Ultimately, this vision will result in the delivery of a consistent message through all the brand’s touch points.  Brands need marketing to be seen, to be found and to create that interaction that will lead to the desired goal of any enterprise– making money.

Often we will see amazing ideas spring out of the marketing planning process.  The key is that it be successfully executed with the resources available.  The answer lies in making an appropriate assessment of those resources to determine what is actually realistic then setting appropriate targets and expectations.  The success of this process will be in the ability to combine the pragmatic with the creative.  Ideally, this entails a highly collaborative process between all stakeholders, driven primarily by the marketing and creative teams.  Marketing charts the course and design creates the vehicles that bring it to life.  This strong alliance is essential to communicating the clear and distinctive message defined by your marketing plan and helps differentiate the brand so it rises above the competition.
We all recognize the value of great creative but it will lack meaning if it does not connect to the brand’s overall positioning.  We suggest that the design team be part of some of the initial ideation meetings to ensure their buy-in.  The results can be incredibly powerful.

Gloria Luna is an independent marketing consultant who has recently partnered with MSLK

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“Soundtrack”: Soundtrack is soul-stirring Cast: Rajeev Khandelwal, Soha Ali Khan, Mohan Kapoor Writer and Director: Neerav Ghosh Rating; ***1/2(3.5 Out of 5) Hear this.
DOORMagazine – Online Web Magazine

By Paul Gessell

This must surely be every artist’s worst nightmare: Being squeezed between exhibitions of Caravaggio and Vincent Van Gogh.

Art-lovers are still swooning over the summer-long exhibition of Caravaggio at the National Gallery. Now, how do you top that? Well, perhaps with the exhibition next summer of Vincent Van Gogh.

For Ottawa art lovers looking to occupy themselves in between those two blockbusters, there’s the newly opened National Gallery exhibition called Drawn to Art: French Artists and Lovers in 18th Century Rome.

Note the title: It does not include a mention of one superstar to attract the masses. So, will the masses be all that interested in a group of lesser-known artists exhibiting the 18th century equivalent of slides from a foreign vacation? (Actually, the vacations were not just spent sightseeing. Considerable sketching and painting resulted, the visiting French artists having journeyed to the eternal city to be inspired by classical art and architecture, just as early 20th century Canadian and American artists flocked to Paris to experience Left Bank culture in all its debauched glory.)

Despite some high quality works, chances are only the most die-hard fans will head over to the National Gallery this fall for the new exhibition. And that’s a real pity because no other major exhibition is planned from January, after Drawn to Art closes, until May, when the Van Goghs are uncrated.

The only new exhibition opening between now and then is a photo show drawn from the National Gallery’s own collection. That’s the kind of show galleries usually produce when they have no money for star power.

Portrait of Pierre-Jacques-Onésyme Bergeret de Grancourt, 1774, François-André Vincent. Musée des beaux-arts et d’archéologie, Besançon (D.843.I.27) Photo © Besançon, Musée des beaux-arts et d’archéologie / Photo Charles Choffet

This is not to say Drawn to Art should be avoided. Worth the price of admission alone is the hilarious 1774 portrait of French art patron Pierre-Jacques-Onesyme Bergeret de Grancourt by Francois-Andre Vincent (right). Now, this Bergeret was a corpulent fellow, judging from the painting. But why is Bergeret “en deshabille,” as the French would say, on this particular day of his Roman vacation? In other words, Bergert’s clothes are all askew and partially unbuttoned, as if he had just arrived most hurriedly from a lover’s tryst. Even the fly on his breeches is open.

The artist is clearly having some fun with the subject in this painting. One can only wish artists today would share that sense of humour while painting portraits of their moneyed patrons.

There are 134 works in Drawn to Art. The majority are drawings but there are several paintings, beyond the Bergeret portrait, of interest. Among them is the National Gallery’s own painting from 1787-88 by Jean-Baptiste Frederic Desmarais titled The Shepherd Paris (below), the mythological character whose amorous intentions towards the already-married Helen caused the Trojan War.

The Shepherd Paris, 1787–1788, Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Desmarais. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (23535) Photo © NGC

In the early 1980s, shortly after the Paris painting was acquired by the National Gallery, it was discovered that the work was not by Jean-Germain Drouais, as originally thought, but by Desmarais. The mistake was easy to make, seeing as how Drouais had a tendency to create paintings, like The Shepherd Paris, of handsome men in their birthday suits. And Drouais’s signature was actually, but incorrectly, on the painting. Some great detective work resulted in the painting being assigned to Desmarais. One can only hope paintings by Desmarais are worth more these days than those of Drouais.

Drawn to Art: French Artists and Art Lovers in 18th Century Rome continues at the National Gallery until Jan. 2.www.gallery.ca

Ottawa Magazine

TORONTO LIFE: Yes, I realize you can’t actually buy this stuff in Ottawa, but it’s still nice to know that you could be fashionable if necessary. Toronto Life brings you Toronto Fashion Week’s best dressed.

FASHION MAGAZINE: Here’s some inspiration for you last-minute types. It’s Fashion’ween! Create your very own Karl Lagerfeld costume with some Carrera sunglasses and a pair of fingerless gloves away. Put away your sewing kit and dress up as everyone’s favourite fashion uncle.

CANADIAN FAMILY: And this is obviously what Uncle Karl would take to a Hallowe’en bash — no-bake Candy Corn and Pretzel Bark. It’s easy to make, it looks great, and you can customize the ingredients to suit picky eaters.

OTTAWA MAGAZINE: While everyone else was going all Hallowe’en, Ottawa Magazine focussed on our favourite theme: vice. In case you missed it, this week’s Politics Chatter blog takes a historical look at how various Canadian governments have alternately embraced — or forbidden — Canada’s most lucrative “vices”.

TORONTOIST: Hey, we voted out our zany mayor last year, but Toronto went the other way. And so Torontoist brings you “One Year of Street Art Dedicated to Mayor Ford. Too funny – a gallery of the street art inspired by his tumultuous term. Marg Delahunty to be added soon.

WHERE: Not my cup of tea, but some people apparently pay good money to be creeped out. That’s why Where‘s got Canada’s Most Haunted Hotels. Have your own ghost story to tell after you spend a night at one of these hotels known for their paranormal activity.

20 MINUTE SUPPER CLUB: And for nesting types, ’tis the season for curries. Six easy ones, to be exact.

WEDDING BELLS: Talk about choice. Over 500 must-see gowns straight off the runway. Check out all the hottest new styles from Bridal Fashion Week.

QUILL & QUIRE: Always a worthy read, Quill & Quire’s book links round-up offers up literary Hallowe’en costume ideas, H&M’s gritty clothing line inspired by girl with the dragon tattoo Lisbeth Salander, and the scoop on Amazon’s sales figures.

Ottawa Magazine

PaidContent recently wrote about social reading site aNobii (means bookworm in Latin).

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Bipasha Basu, who was in Greece for “Jodi Breakers”, has wrapped up the film shoot and says she would miss her cast and crew. “Greece schedule for my movie ‘Jodi Breakers’ got successfully wrapped up! I had a fabulous time shooting there. Now it’s time to holiday in Santorini! I will surely miss the movie [...]
DOORMagazine – Online Web Magazine

The turkey coupons keep on coming! I just found a new .00/1 Butterball Ready to Carve Fully Cooked Turkey Breast coupon.  To print your coupon, go HERE and click the “foods” category.  Then, click zip 60606 to find quickly.

AddictedToSaving.com