Your Marketing Plan and Corporate Image

Does your marketing plan include an evaluation of your corporate image?

Here are ways to evaluate if you need to budget for a change in your marketing plan:

#1 How old is your business or company?

If you're past the 3 year mark then you should revisit your print materials and key components of your web site.

#2 Are you still happy with your corporate colors and logo?

If so, great. If not, this alone could be a reason to make a change although you don't need an immediate one. Make sure your logo and colors differentiate you.

#3 What do the main headlines say in your print materials or on your web site?

#4 Now, compare this to what you say to clients or prospective clients. Do they match up?
Ask others on staff to do the same thing. It's easy to conduct your own informal market research. Also, ask key customers what they say about the type of work you do. How do they describe it to someone else?

You're not asking for testimonials, but get customer feedback on their perspective of your work.

#5 Now, read the web sites and print materials from local or national competitors or others in your industry who do similar work.


Now here's the irony! I'm doing project work for a web development company that hasn't updated its web site in 2 1/2 years. I know another graphic artist who hasn't refreshed his own web site in about the same time frame. But the web company is sharpening its strategic focus.

Both entities have a stable of clients that bring in steady work. But to market to new clients, they have to improve the look - and they're aware of it. It's the old saying, "the cobbler's kids have no shoes!"

Be careful that you don't start walking around barefoot!