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Jan 14 2014

The Importance of Brand Awareness

Posted by | PR Knowledge | No Comments

When people hear the word ‘brand’ many things may come to mind. It may be their favorite brand of shoe, or perhaps their favorite clothing brand. All of this is thanks to a thing we like to call Brand Awareness.

By definition, Brand Awareness is the extent to which a brand is recognized by potential customers, and is correctly associated with a particular product.

 

Why do brands/companies need this?

Brand Awareness is very, very important and a defining factor in any products success. If consumers recognize a product, they are more likely to purchase, as well as recommend said product to their friends- which in turn increases sales!

 

There are two types of Brand Awareness: Top of Mind and Aided.

Top of Mind awareness is the highest level of awareness. This means that when a customer is in need of a product, a brand name comes to mind. For example, Person A asks Person B what type of detergent they like; Person B automatically says they really enjoy A+ Detergent. This means that A+ Detergent has reached “Top of Mind” Awareness.

Aided awareness is when a consumer may not be able to name a brand off the top of their head, but is able to recognize one brand name when multiple are present. For example, Person A asks Person B what type of detergent they like. Person B is unsure, so Person A gives him a list of common detergents. Person B then remembers that they enjoy A+ Detergent.

 

At Avalon Communications, we work closely with each client to develop compelling and consistent communication with the consumer media in order to increase brand awareness. We do so by identifying the best target markets for each product to ensure wide spread visibility. This visibility in turn encourages Top of Mind awareness and incrementally drives sales.

 

Dec 05 2013

The Pursuit of Happiness (at Work)

Posted by | PR Knowledge, The Workplace | No Comments

We all know that sometimes sitting at your desk day after day may get a little repetitive, therefore making work less fun- and who wants that?! Work should be a place where ideas come to life, where you feel relaxed and confident in your progress and ultimately a place that you actually want to wake up for in the morning.

The atmosphere at Avalon Communications is the perfect balance between work and play. We get things done, but have fun while doing so. Below are some fun ways to make the workplace a happy place.

Strategy Sessions

Sure, this sounds more like work than play- but they really work! Grab your co-workers, order in some lunch and simply have a conversation! Talk about your clients, their products, what you are working on now, or any questions you might have. Sitting at the same table and engaging in open conversation is a great way to brainstorm, and maybe even solve some problems! It is always nice to have a fresh perspective on ideas, and a strategy session solves just that (Plus it involves food).

Celebrate Holidays

The Holidays are always a fun time at home, so why not make them fun at work? Celebrate co-workers birthdays, have a Christmas party! This year at Avalon, we are having a Secret Santa! Having fun things like this in the office make the day a little less stressful and also show that your company really cares about you as an employee.

Make the Office Aesthetically Appealing

No one wants to work in an office that could double as a prison cell. Not only will employees be happier at an office that looks good, but they will get more work done as well! Some décor may be out of your hands- but even a simple tree at Christmas time can set a happy mood in the office.

These are just a few of the ways we like to keep it fun at Avalon, but at the end of the day it is about productivity and getting our jobs done. Keep in mind that the saying goes, “Work Hard, Play Hard” and not the other way around.

Hope you all have a FUN day at work!

Nov 14 2013

Client Relationships

Posted by | PR Knowledge | No Comments

Relationships in life are important. Relationships in the Public Relations industry are even MORE important.

 

Many companies may realize that clients are important, if not key, to a thriving business. What they do not realize is that maintaining a relationship with said client is crucial. Sure, you may have landed the biggest client your company has ever seen, but if they feel neglected one thing is for sure- you will not be seeing them again.

 

Like many people, the client wants to feel in the loop. They want to feel appreciated, and know that their product (which they have spent countless hours creating) is in good hands. From a company standpoint, you should want to take care of your client and make sure they feel comfortable with how you are representing their product.

 

Here is where companies might get confused about client relationships. They may not know exactly how to maintain a continuous, happy relationship with their clients. Some think that an emailing a client once a month will suffice, others may not even think a follow up email is needed.

 

At Avalon, we believe that in order to develop solid, long term client relationships the following rules must be implemented.

  1. Keep them in the loop. Whether this is by email or phone it is important that the client knows what is going on with their product at all times. Not only does constant communication open the doors for a great relationship, but it gives both you and the client greater insight for future business.
  2. Be conversational. It is important to keep conversations business appropriate, but remember that clients are people too. Simply adding a “Hope you have/had a great weekend!” can greatly alter the way you are perceived by a client.
  3. Reply in a reasonable amount of time. The client has things to do and a company to run, so their time is precious. If they email or call you, try to respond quickly. Not only does it show that you care about them, but it shows you are dedicated to their product. how to backup iphone to icloud .
  4. Be positive. Even if things are not going in the direction you hoped, or moving as quickly as anticipated- keep your head up! Always find something good in the situation and communicate that to your client. Nobody likes a Debbie Downer.

If you ever doubt whether or not to check in with a client, just remember-not one company will ever say, “Wow, I wish I didn’t know what was going on with my product.”

By employing the above practices, Avalon clients can rest assured that their brand is in good hands, and will always be given the care it needs.

 

 

Oct 16 2013

How To Speak Social Media

Posted by | Social Media | No Comments

 

Social media is something people in todays society might describe as a “necessity” and on some levels, they might be right. Businesses are now catching on to this Facebook/Twitter/Social Media trend and it seems to be around every corner. Society is constantly using it to interact with the world around them and, in a way, document their lives. You hear words like ‘Hashtag,’ ‘Tweet,’ and ‘Post’ everywhere- so much so that there should be a language titled “Social Media.”

 

Many savvy techies already speak this language, as do teenagers and twenty-something’s, but for those that have been around since before popular gadgets started with an “i” it is a hard language to learn.

 

This will be a sort of “Intro to Social Media- the language.” It will decode words associated with Social Media and decipher their truly fascinating meaning.

 

Twitter: A social platform that enables users to send and read ‘tweets.’

 

• Tweet: A ‘status’ message, if you will, that has a limit of 140 characters.

• Reply: If you wish to answer a tweet, simply click the green arrow to answer, or ‘reply’ to them.

• Favorite: If you really like someone’s tweet, click the star icon to “Favorite” it.

• Mention: Symbolized by the “@” symbol, a mention allows you to tag people in your tweet and vice-versa.

• ReTweet: If you wish to re-post someone’s tweet, click the “ReTweet” symbol.

• Hashtag: Allows you to group posts together by topic or word choice, prefixed with the “#” sign.

• Follower/Following: If you wish to be someone’s ‘friend’ on Twitter you can ‘follow’ them and see all tweets they post.

 

Facebook

 

• Post: This can be in any form (picture, Link, video, text) and is a way of communicating with friends. It will show up on your timeline as well as friend’s News Feed’s.

• Timeline: Shows all Facebook updates and activities in reverse chronological order.

• Tag: To mention someone in you post, you can tag them by inserting the “@” symbol before their name. You can also tag people in pictures or comments.

• Like: You can “like” anything on Facebook by clicking the thumbs-up icon on the screen. (This can be Company pages, Pictures, posts, statuses, etc.) After liking, the action will show up on your Wall.

• Wall: Area where you and your friends can post updates.

 

Although these are not all terms associated with Social Media (that would take many more pages) it is a great intro to the language. Social Media is constantly changing as is everything in today’s world and it is key to have a basic understanding of each platform not only for pesonal use but professional as well.

 

We hope this post helps with your understanding of Social Media and that you feel more secure in using it!

 

Test out your skills by Following us @AvalonComm or Like us on Facebook: Avalon Communications!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ready to talk about driving exposure for your brand and products? Contact us today