BrandVision Marketing Announces the BrandPoll at www.brandvisionmarketing.com

“What’s it all about?”

That’s the question that BrandVision Marketing hopes to answer through its series of on-line surveys. “When you think of Nike, Mercedes-Benz, Hallmark, etc. you have a distinct collection of thoughts and ideas that you associate with that company. Those meanings and the relationships you have built with those companies is the essence of their brand. Through the BrandPoll we hope to identify what qualities area consumers are seeking in doing business with the companies they patronize.” States Scott Trueblood, President of BrandVision Marketing.

The BrandPoll is a 15-question survey that takes between 3-5 minutes to complete. Plus, if you complete the 500^th survey, you will win $100. “The poll is designed to be fast, easy and fun to take. The money is just part of the fun,” states Anne Coogan, Account Executive for BrandVision, who heads up the BrandPoll research. “We wanted to provide an incentive for people to take the poll and since the poll’s topic changes each month, we want people to come back every month.”

Each month BrandVision will highlight a different industry in the poll. In April, the poll’s focus is banking. “We want to find out what people are looking for in the bank’s they do business with. Do they want to be called by name, or would they prefer to be just a number? Is the loan process too bureaucratic? Are people looking for one-stop banking centers? How important is technology and how concerned are people with Identity Theft? We want to identify what is important to people, because that is what brands need to be built around.” comments Coogan.

You can take the BrandPoll by going to www.brandvisionmarketing.com and click the Take the BrandPoll link. You must be 18 years of age or older to complete the survey and only one poll will be accepted from each computer. “We wanted to protect the integrity of the data, so we are doing what we can to prevent someone from taking the poll more than once.” states Coogan.

Based in Knoxville, BrandVision Marketing is an adverting agency offering a variety of marketing services. It has served area businesses since 1998 with a focus on brand-building. For more information about the BrandPoll contact Anne Coogan at 865-531-5874 or visit the website at www.brandvisionmarketing.com.

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Webb to serve as Coordinator of

The Compassion Initiative

BrandVision Marketing announces Laura Webb to coordinate outreach activities

through The Compassion Initiative.

KNOXVILLE, TN. BrandVision Marketing is please to announce the appointment of Laura Webb to head its community outreach program known as The Compassion Initiative. The program is designed to work in partnership with area non-profit organizations to assist in fundraising while also providing free assistance with various marketing services.

“I am very happy that Laura has agreed to take on a leadership role with this project.” states Scott Trueblood, owner of BrandVision Marketing. “She truly embodies that compassionate spirit that is so important.”

Webb served as an attorney at Watson, Hullow and Reeves in Knoxville after owning her own law firm in Clinton. Webb earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee and graduated from law school at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. 

“The Compassion Initiative is a great program. I believe small business needs to take an active role in charitable and non-profit organizations. By developing these partnerships BrandVision can play a big role in the community and truly assist with the success of these worthy causes.  I am very much looking forward to making that happen.” comments Webb.

The Compassion Initiative was developed in April of this year as a way to reach out to the surrounding community. Each year, the program will select 3-5 non-profit organizations to partner with in an effort to increase fundraising while providing free marketing support. The organizations for this partnership with BrandVison will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

Each non-profit will receive a link on the BrandVision Marketing website at www.brandvisionmarketing.com on The Compassion Initiative page. “This will help not only create awareness for the partnering organizations but also potentially raise funds. We have several options for fundraising available for each of our partners that we’re excited about. Our website has seen increased traffic since the introduction of the BrandPoll, so we want to begin to capitalize on that for The Compassion Initiative.”

The BrandPoll is BrandVision Marketing’s on-line survey that attempts to identify the various qualities consumers look for in the companies they patronize. Anyone 18 years of age or older can take the BrandPoll by logging onto www.brandvisionmarketing.com and following the Take the BrandPoll link.

Stimulating on-line donations and fundraising is one way BrandVision Marketing will serve it’s partners in The Compassion Initiative. Providing free marketing services to more effectively market their partners is another. “Whether it’s a website, brochure or media release, we want to do our part to ensure that the area is familiar with our non-profit partners.” Webb states. “Overall, The Compassion Initiative is a great program and one that I am truly excited about. Small business has the opportunity to lead the way in positively impacting worthy causes. I am proud that our advertising agency is doing exactly that!”

If you are interested in learning more about The Compassion Initiative, log onto the website at www.brandvisionmarketing.com, call (865) 531-5874 or send an e-mail to either: compassion@brandvisionmarketing.com or LWebb@brandvisionmarketing.com.

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Furniture Industry Healthy

Moving into Year’s Midpoint

People are buying furniture. BrandVision Marketing

seeks to find out exactly what they are looking for.

Many furniture stores are seeing healthy increases in sales figures as we move toward the mid-point of 2005. For example, Haverty’s,  the full-line retailer, saw a net sales increase of 9.1 percent in the first quarter of 2005 versus last year’s figures. Plus, Haverty’s, which operates 118 stores in 16 states, saw sales reach 65.1 million in April of 2005 which was a 13.7 percent increase over last year’s figures. Overall, the industry is healthy.  Even with some companies experiencing soft decreases, such as Pier 1 which reported a 2.1 dip from last year’s numbers, consumers are being consumers.

What are these furniture buyers looking for? A clean, organized and well-lit showroom, displayed prices, no-haggling and salesperson-free shopping?  BrandVision Marketing seeks answers to those questions in the May edition of the BrandPoll. Each month BrandVision selects an industry to discover the qualities that consumers look for in the companies they patronize. This month the survey targets the Furniture industry.

The Poll is 21-questions and takes between three and five minutes to complete. Plus, if yours is the 500th usable survey, you will win $100! To take the BrandPoll just log on to: www.brandvisionmarketing.com and click the “Take the BrandPoll” link. Questions regarding the BrandPoll can be e-mailed to brandpoll@brandvisionmarketing.com.

SOURCE: Figures quoted above are taken from Furniture World. 5/9/05

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Banking Poll Reveals Consumers

Value Privacy and Relationship

When it comes to personal finance, privacy and relationship are of the utmost concern to today’s consumer. BrandVision Marketing recently made available the results of its on-line consumer survey, known as the BrandPoll. The BrandPoll highlights a different industry each month in an effort to identify what consumers value in the businesses they patronize. In April, the BrandPoll focused on the banking industry.

Identity Security and Privacy, personal relationships and convenience were all deemed important by participants. “Identity theft is a tremendous concern today, so it was no surprise that an overwhelming number see it as an important issue.” Comments Scott Trueblood, BrandVision Marketing President. Actually, 97.6 percent of the BrandPollsters stated that Identity Security was “very important” to them, with no poll takers stating that it was not an important issue. While mail-theft and dumpster diving are equally prominently associated with Identity Theft, this issue is most often associated with the Internet. It was of little surprise, with such concern expressed over Identity Security, that the survey revealed 53.7 percent of the BrandPollsters using On-line Banking services, but 31.7 percent using those services for paying bills.

Personal relationships were also revealed to bear relevance with today’s consumer. The BrandPoll revealed that 75.6 percent of surveyors said that a bank knowing and calling them by name was either “somewhat important” or “very important.” While 58.5 percent of consumers felt it was important to have a personal contact at their bank to take care of their individual needs.

“Consumers are looking to be more than just a number when it comes to their finances. They want real people behind the counter that care about them.” States Trueblood.

To become a BrandPollster just log onto www.brandvisionmarketing.com and click the Take the BrandPoll link. The survey asks 15-questions after getting some basic demographic data from the BrandPollster. The survey is limited to the first 1,000 usable surveys and takes between 3-5 minutes to complete. Plus, if you complete the 500^th survey, you will win $100. The poll is designed to be fast, easy and fun to take. You must be 18 years of age or older to complete the survey and only one poll will be accepted from each computer.

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The Shopping Experience Is Still Alive in the Furniture Industry

Consumers still value the shopping experience versus on-line purchases

Not long ago, the popular explosion of E-Bay, Amazon and friends struck terror into the very hearts of retail chains who feared the days of the “window shopper” had been replaced with the “monitor shopper.” This concern has seemed more than justified as on-line purchases have indeed boomed since the Internet matured in the retail arena. In fact, on-line sales for second quarter of 2005 were tabulated at $39 billion, representing a 25 percent year-over-year increase.

Double-clicking toward purchases still has not replaced the good ole fashioned trip to the store, at least not in the furniture industry. According to BrandVision Marketing’s BrandPoll regarding furniture stores, only 4.5 percent of consumers made purchases on-line exclusively. In fact, nearly 64 percent of those surveyed had never utilized a furniture store’s website. However, 36.4 percent of the pollsters did utilize these websites for information gathering and price comparison. “When it comes to furniture, people still want the shopping experience. They want to see and feel what’s going into their living rooms,” states Scott Trueblood, President of BrandVision Marketing.

Relationship is also important. Actually, 81.8 percent of those who took the survey stated that the relationship with the salesperson was either “very important” or “somewhat important.” It seems that relationship is still a big factor in making a big-ticket purchase,” Trueblood continues. However, salespersons should beware. Of those taking the survey, 86.4 percent preferred to shop without the assistance of a salesperson, but wanted someone readily available to answer questions.

The BrandPoll is offered on-line at www.brandvisionmarketing.com on the Take the BrandPoll page. The survey asks 13-questions after obtaining some basic demographic data from the BrandPollster. The survey is limited to the first 1,000 usable surveys and takes between 3-5 minutes to complete. The poll changes its industry focus each month and is designed to be fast, easy and fun to take. You must be 18 years of age or older to complete the survey and only one poll is accepted from each computer.

The bottom line is simple: “People still want to shop. They want to experience the thrill of the hunt. The brick-and-mortar is far from dead, especially in the furniture industry,” Trueblood comments.

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 Tattoos: Taking Branding to New Heights

Project: BrandME examines the extent of a consumer’s passion

Sixteen percent of American’s have them. Tattoos. In fact, according to a Harris Interactive study, 28 percent of Americans between the ages of 30-39 have them; and 36 percent of 25-29 year-olds have tattoos. They come in all forms, shapes and sizes: a Rose; Barbed-wire;  your girlfriend or boyfriend’s name. Even athletes, such as basketball players mark their bodies with the tools of their trade.

Tattoos make a loud and clear personal statement. It is the sign of ultimate commitment and loyalty to a symbol or idea. For some, their tattoo exonerates their favorite brands. Harley-Davidson, Nike and Gucci have each seen their  brands displayed on their customer’s bodies, providing a testament of passion and connection that each customer feels toward their brand.

BrandVision Marketing, a Southeast-based marketing agency located in Knoxville, Tennessee is undertaking a research project to discover more about the passions consumers hold regarding their favorite brands. The study, known as Project: BrandME, will interview numerous “company-tattooed” consumers in an attempt to learn more about their relationships with the brands they hold so dearly. Those selected for interviews will have the opportunity to be showcased on BrandVision Marketing’s website when the study’s results are revealed. 

“From a brand-building perspective, a tattoo is really the ultimate sign of respect and relationship with a company,” states Scott Trueblood, BrandVision Marketing President. “We hope that Project: BrandME will help us learn more about what leads a consumer to this level of passion and enthusiasm about a brand.”

To sign up to be interviewed or to learn more about Project: BrandME go to www.brandvisionmarketing.com or e-mail BrandVision Marketing at: brandme@brandvisionmarketing.com. (SOURCE: Harris Interactive. Study of 2,215 Americans conducted between July 14, 2003 and July 20, 2003)

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 Holiday Cheer Should Not Cause Holiday Debt

By Scott Trueblood

“Tis better to give than receive.”  

This old adage has marked Christmas for centuries. It is a saying that has been very much embraced by Americans during the Holiday Season. Of course, there is a good reason that this motto has been so joyfully lived: It’s true. The feeling of passing along a valued gift to a loved one fills us with a warm treasure with which no price tag can equate. Unfortunately, joyful spending in December is often followed by woeful trips to the mailbox in January to endure those dreaded credit card statements.

Americans spent $434 billion during the 2005 Holiday. That figure is not expected to slow substantially heading into this season. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), Americans are planning on spending an average of $791 toward spreading Christmas cheer, which is five percent more than last year’s $738. The NRF notes that more than 30 percent of Americans say that they spent more than they had planned on the holidays—by a whopping $100 to $500.

The problem stems from the active use of credit cards to pay for the Holidays and the inability to pay them off in January. The average American holds 2.9 credit cards and carries $2,328 in credit card debt. Add nearly eight hundred more to that sum on January’s statement and it makes for a rough winter. Therefore, it is of no surprise that a survey by the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) found that more than 25% of consumers are concerned about paying off their credit card debt.

Managing the Merriment

What to do? Good question. The holidays are certainly here to stay and for good reason. A year without the camaraderie and unity that we enjoy during the Christmas Season is unthinkable. Gifts are a big part of the festivities for kids and adults alike. Carving gifts out of fallen limbs is probably not the answer. Thus, the question remains: How do we enjoy the season and express our emotions for our loved ones without entering a state of unmanageable debt? The answer lies in two words: plan and save.   

What’s the Plan?

The first step is to create a detailed plan that includes every holiday expense. Everything from decorations and charitable giving to gifts and Christmas Cards should be planned. Begin with a budget figure that you want to stay within. Remember, the budget figure should be one that is manageable for your family. It is not a number that serves as a wish list, but rather one in which you will be able to pay off in January or no later than February.

The next step is to categorize and prioritize. Take a piece of paper and make four columns. In the first column heading, write: Holiday Expense. Then, break your plan into three areas with headings of 1) Must Spend; 2) Might Spend and 3) Could Go Without columns. Next, list every area in which you spend money for the holidays.

Break down the list within each category and itemize your spending. For example, list the items individually that you plan on getting for that person and the other expenses in a category. Mark each in the appropriate column by priority as shown in the example.

 Holiday Expense               Must Spend                    Might Spend                   Could Go Without                            

Gifts

     -Stacy                    X-Blender….   #45

                                 -Book………. $15

     -Chelsea                  X-Am. Girl….  $35

                                X-Doll Outfit.. $15

     -Phil                     X-Tie……………  $15

     -Kristyn  X-Cash………..  $50

Christmas Cards

     -Church List                                                             X-$50

     -Work List                                                                                                               X-$30

     -Friends List                                                             X-$50

Decorations

     -Tree                     X-Tree……….   $75

     -New Lights                                                              X-$25

     -New Star                                                                                                                X-$25

________________________________________________________________

TOTALS:                                                       $250           $115                                            $55           

GRAND TOTAL: $420.00

BUDGET: $400.00

 Finally, begin reviewing your figures. Are there areas that can be tweaked to include nearly everything but still stay within your budget? In the example given, we are $20 over budget. By prioritizing we see that by eliminating either the Christmas Card list of fellow employees or the new Star, we could make budget. Another option would be to shave off $20 of expense by buying a slightly less expensive blender and cheaper cards to make budget. Budgeting does not necessarily mean that you are going to be eliminating mass amounts of holiday fun for your family. Sometimes, it does mean making due for one more year with that same roll of garland or buying a less premium gift or set of Christmas Cards.

A Penny Saved…

Another way to help ease the burden of holiday expenses is saving money throughout the year. For instance, New South Credit Union offers its members a Christmas Club account that pays interest monthly. While no minimum monthly amount is required, a member who put $20 per month in a Christmas Club account would help ease that burdensome task of opening those January credit card statements.

 “Planning is the key,” states LeAnn Maples of New South Credit Union. “We have always cared about the financial well-being of our members so it’s important to try and help ease the crunch of holiday expenses. Our Christmas Club account does exactly that and with no fees attached, the interest earned throughout the year is profit to the member.”

Saving is often a difficult task, but in the long run it pays. After all, with the high amount of interest charged on many credit cards, you may end up paying more than twice the cost of that blender if paid over time. “We encourage our members to plan and save. It’s always better to take a ‘have it (cash) before you buy it’ mentality when it comes to holiday spending,” states Maples.

The important thing is to enjoy the Holiday Season in a way spreads a good seasonal feeling even after December 25^th has passed. After all, trips to the mailbox are tough enough in the cold winter of January. Try not to make them worse by feeling the chilly bite of those credit card bills.

Scott Trueblood is the President of BrandVision Marketing, a Southeastern-based advertising and marketing firm specializing in brand-building. He serves as a special columnist reporting on various marketing and consumer issues; and writes a monthly column for www.brandvisionmarketing.com called Set Your Sights.

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 Easy Money? Beware…

By Scott Trueblood

The world has officially enlisted another skeptic: Mrs. Berry from East Tennessee. Perhaps I am the president of the group. I am a cynic. I admit it. Upon hearing about a “Once in a lifetime deal” that requires me to “Order Now!!!” I utter a silent, “Yeah right!” Whenever I hear, “Be the 99^th caller!” my eyes roll. When asked to fill out a registration form to win that Mercedes-Benz parked in the mall, I immediately think about the tons of junk mail I’ll get in return and politely pass on the chance. Yes, I am skeptic.

However, not everyone is so cynical. Many people live for Publisher’s Clearinghouse. They get chills when the latest ticket giveaway emerges on the radio. They even play the lottery with great loyalty. Many enjoy the thrill of the contest and exhilaration of the conquest. Mrs. Berry a resident of East Tennessee is one such person. She loves sweepstakes and has even hired a firm to help her enter contests in other countries. Therefore, when Mrs. Berry, received a check for $3,500.00 from USA Mega Direct in Kent, Ohio, with the message that she had won a lottery prize of $250,000.00, she greeted the news with excitement more so than a raised brow. “It didn’t seem right, but the check was from Exxon Mobile, so I thought it must be for real,” states Berry. “I was so excited. I started picking out houses.” Unfortunately, the thrill of victory was met very quickly with the agony of defeat.

According to the letter, signed by company vice-president Roman Whiney, this check was an advance and would pay “Insurance, Taxes, Handling and Shipping fees.” Not a bad deal. The letter instructed the prize winner to call a number at the company in order to activate the check. When Mrs. Berry did this, she was told to cash the check and then call back for instructions. When she attempted to cash the check at her credit union, New South Credit Union, the employees found the check to be counterfeit.

The credit union held the check for 10 days in order to investigate the situation. When they did, they found a bad check and uncovered a scam. “It’s great that we caught it,” says Richard Schulz, NSCU President. “It would be very easy to go on a spending spree thinking you have that kind of money. Our people are trained to catch this sort of thing. They saved one of our members $3,500.”

After her trip to the credit union, Mrs. Berry called the company. “When I told the woman at USA Mega Direct that they were going to hold the check, she tells me that she’ll call me back and I haven’t heard from them since.” Since the occurrence, Mrs. Berry continues to receive similar checks from other companies notifying her of prize winnings.

This incident is not exclusive to Mrs. Berry and East Tennessee. The same scam, using the company name of USA Mega Direct, has been detected in Mobile, Alabama and even in Ontario, Canada. Checks have been sent bearing the names of various businesses including Goslin Enterprises.

“Authorities will certainly attempt to prosecute these people,” states Knoxville attorney Ralph Brown. “However, that’s small consolation to the victim because if they did send them money, then that money is gone. Prosecution would certainly try to bring restitution, but getting money from these people would be very difficult.”

The moral of the story is simple: Be aware of any check that arrives claiming you to be the next big prize winner—even if it is drawn on reputable company. If there is any question, ask your credit union for determining the legitimacy of the check.

As for the world of skeptics, there is one more in the fold. “I’m certainly leery of anything that says I have won something. I may win something someday, but I’ll need to see the money before I believe it!” states Mrs. Berry. Scott Trueblood is the President of BrandVision Marketing, a Southeastern-based advertising and marketing firm specializing in brand-building. He serves as a special columnist reporting on various marketing and consumer issues; and writes a monthly column for www.brandvisionmarketing.com called Set Your Sights.                                                         -#- [Top]

 Zero percent financing??? Slim Chance!

I have a friend. We’ll call him Jeff. Jeff is a teacher and a pretty thrifty spender. It’s probably his defining characteristic. So, when Jeff told me that he was going to surprise his wife with a new car, I too, was a little stunned. Actually, this announcement compelled me to check Jeff’s driver’s license to verify his identity.

“Yes,” Jeff assured me. “I want to buy a new car. Mine is wearing down and with these zero percent financing offers, it’s the perfect time to buy.” He made a good point. Unfortunately as it turned out, his theory, while sound in principle was actually quite flawed in practice.

It sounds great, doesn’t it? Zero percent on a new car? New sofa? New big-screen television? Actually, it does sound great. Paying only principle instead of interest on those big purchases would be a tremendously wise strategy in managing one’s household finances. However, the “zero” in “zero percent financing” more realistically refers to the chance of the consumer qualifying for such an offer.

Zero percent financing offers are merely a legal form of a bait-and-switch tactic used to lure consumers into the business. Yes, typically a consumer will receive zero percent financing if he or she has a credit rating among the top nine percent along with a healthy annual income. Otherwise, the zero percent offer disappears only to be replaced with a realistic interest rate. This was Jeff’s experience and he’s not alone. 

Plus, there are other concerns. These offers often come with very short pay-back periods—typically less than two years. Even with a zero percent interest offer, it is difficult to pay off a new car in two years. Even worse, should you fail to pay off the term in the short amount of time or are late on a payment, you must pay the interest agreed on in the contract, which usually begins accumulating at the time of the purchase. For example, if you were to buy a new television at zero percent interest and failed to make a monthly payment, then the deal is off. You would then begin paying a higher interest rate that began accumulating from the time you made the purchase.

In either scenario, often refinancing is a sound solution. For example, New South Credit Union takes pride in helping its member’s save money. “We often see people bitten by the zero interest bugs,” states LeAnn Maples, Loan Officer at NSCU. “Maybe they’ve been late on a payment and the contract skyrockets or often we’re just able to offer a better rate. We’ve saved hundreds of people thousands of dollars with refinancing those deals.”

The bottom line is simple: zero percent interest specials may work for some, but not for the majority. Just ask Jeff. He went ahead and bought his new car. Unfortunately, he didn’t qualify for the zero percent deal, but he did get added to the list of thousands of consumers who had fallen for that offer.  Scott Trueblood is the President of BrandVision Marketing, a Southeastern-based advertising and marketing firm specializing in brand-building. He serves as a special columnist reporting on various marketing and consumer issues; and writes a monthly column for www.brandvisionmarketing.com called Set Your Sights.

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