I get a lot of questions, especially from my personal friends, about one in particular word I use quite a bit in my marketing: 'We'. We created this, or that...or...we're not this, we are that.
You see, for those that know me have seen my office (a mighty fine office I might add), there's only one desk. In fact, I rarely work from my desk. I love to sit at the kitchen table and have incredible productive days watching my son play in the sandbox outside.
So, who is this 'we'? Am I being deceitful in my marketing? Am I putting on heirs to trick my client?
Let me give you some background information first. I started UD+M in response to the level of service and quality I observed while working here. Their clients received the most amazing service and attention to detail. For the hourly rate they were paying (and could afford, I might add), they should have! My goal was to bring this format and quality down to a reachable shelf for the small businesses without the million-dollar budgets.
It's obvious that GS&Fs quality of service was attainable with a staff of 70: designers, account executives, art directors, copywriters, etc. So, how in the world do I expect to take this model and make it affordable??? Ah, that's where the 'we' comes in...Collaboration.
I know where my strengths lie. They're in creative conceptualization and design. They are NOT in programming. They are NOT in photography. With that understanding, I've surrounded myself with a network of incredibly talented folks in their own areas of expertise, allowing me to offer many different services under UD+M . We work as a team, because I know I can't do it alone. WE truly do create branding solutions. WE make them pretty. WE make them work.
The benefit of this collaborative format is that it keeps me from having to pay employees for work they aren't doing, or renting office space, or paying health insurance, which would essentially all be transferred to my clients in the form of higher rates. To break it down for you, remember that ad agency I talked about earlier? My rates work out to about 35%-40% less. Granted, you're not working with a staff of 70. You're only working with the staff that you need.
WE would love to hear about your business, whether it's just you working out of your garage or working with a staff of 70. We are more than a design studio. And you are more than a business. You are an experience that you offer your customers. Send us (me) an e-mail and tell us more about you and your branding needs. Don't know what branding is? We'll be glad to explain.
(Design industry-speak below. Enter at your own creative risk)
I had been back and forth on even creating UD+M in the first place. The other option was to begin branding Ryan Myers as a designer. I'd heard recommendations both ways. Ultimately I came to this conclusion, the one that nearly every choice in design and marketing comes down to: Know your target market.
UD+M desires to work with small to medium businesses to establish branding and collateral marketing. While I know that I am fully capable of creating amazing branding solutions, my potential clients need the peace of mind to trust in me.
If I had a narrower style or a specific niche market, then marketing Ryan Myers may have been the better option. But, I'm no Eric Natzke. It's clear why he's marketing himself. He creates a very specific thing.
The second reason I went with UD+M was because of my vision for the future. Freelancers tend to flounder, taking work as it comes, without any real consistency or growth. My desire is to build UD+M to a point where I may be forced to bring someone on full-time. So it is beneficial to begin to create UD+Ms brand awareness now.
2 comments:
As a person (company) who advises clients on branding and branding strategy-how you brand yourself (company) is critical. As you know all too well.
I would consider protecting yourself (company) if you have not done so already and making sure you are set up for any avoidance of deception. If you are set up as an LLC, sole, partner, or corp., you create a business model for growth and the "we" perception is understood. And you are protected financially as well.
Advertising must be truthful and non-deceptive. This should be the first rule in branding, nonetheless it is the law.(http://www.ftc.gov/ogc/stat1.shtm)
How you position yourself (company) is how you initially set expectations. Contracting out work is acceptable, but that needs to be addressed up front. "We" implies more than one. "We" may or may not imply networking. I would say in your case your networked "team" have very little interest in the well-being of your clients.
Some may never care how certain work is processed, others may want to protect every aspect of their brand. The latter should be wise enough to seek understanding.
So, To We or Not to We? Ultimately, I say "We." But make sure you can answer questions like this when referring to yourself in the first person plural pronoun: "Who is this 'we' you keep talking about...you got a frog in your pocket?"
Very well written and will definitely take all of this into consideration.
However, I must offer a rebuttal on a few points to give some clarification.
1. The collaborative team is not one that varies by project. I work with a single programmer, backend developer, and flash designer on each project that calls for them. It's not a format that I bid out to all my programmer friends each time a new project comes about. So, in this case, it is indeed a collaborative. Granted, the project is completed under the UD+M name and the growth is in my company. But the same goes for THEIR clients on projects that I work on.
2. When pitching to prospective clients, my major push, especially in the current economic status of fear, is value and how UD+M is able to offer this value of top-notch service at a lower rate. Each of my clients is well aware of the collaborative format and receive clear introduction to each team member.
3. Lastly, there IS a vested interest for all parties working with UD+M. Happy clients are returning clients. Happy clients tell other potential clients. Happy Ryan continues to bring in work for his collaborative programmers.
I would not be the designer I am without working with these guys. They're the function behind the form. And I stand behind them as they stand behind my work on their own projects. Which brings us to 'we'. This does pose a question for me if it might be of interest to include an about us section on the that would include personal info on team members.
This format is especially successful and common in the creative industry. You'd be hard-pressed to find a hybrid designer/programmer that can match the expertise of a designer and programmer. Better to be an expert of one craft than a jack-of-all-trades, master of none.
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