Welcome to Compositions, James DeKoven's column about brand communications. This time around:

- Extra cookies
- Gimmie some action
- Rock stories
- Album of the month

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Extra cookies
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Here in the Bay Area, it seems that everyone’s a foodie. Gourmet this, organic that. Me, I’m a rice and beans kind of guy, but I can appreciate the finer things. Like Bakesale Betty in Oakland, where they serve the most delicious fried chicken sandwich in the universe. As a 99.9% vegetarian, I have an allotment of one per year.

That sandwich is so good that Bakesale Betty doesn’t even have a sign on the storefront, but there’s always a line piling out of the door. And while you wait to order, a super-happy employee will probably give you one of their scrumptious cookies as a pre-meal snack. It’s just something they do, a generous act that’s become part of their brand (and I bet they didn’t need a brand strategist to get the idea).

A brand is often defined as the entirety of the customer’s experience with, and perception of, a given company. Imagery, tone of voice, the web experience and the physical shopping environment are some of the elements that shape that perception.

But that extra cookie exemplifies what really makes a strong brand: it’s what you actually DO. People don’t return to Bakesale Betty because of their brand attributes. Sure, those sandwiches are impossible to resist, but customers appreciate that they get a little more. Instead of conducting transactions, Bakesale Betty creates relationships.

All of us recognize this as “service.” What specific activities can strengthen your service – and thus the brand? We’re not suggesting that you develop a line of gluten-free baked goods. However, consider what you can do before, during, and after the sale that goes beyond the expected and delivers more value. Those are the reasons why customers will come back again – even if they have to wait in line.

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Gimmie some action
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The goal of any marketing campaign is to create desire for a product or service. But it’s not enough to merely help people imagine how you’ll improve their lives. They need to be told what to do next. It’s the call-to-action (CTA).

While we assess campaigns on the creative, the messaging, and whether everything’s on strategy, we often overlook the CTA. And “Click here for more information” is not a CTA. The action step has to be meaningful to prospects and provide a benefit for doing so.

For example, say you run a medium-sized accounting firm. On a landing page (from a banner ad) for a specific service, invite people to read a whitepaper, like “50 easy ways to reduce your office expenses.” At the conclusion of that whitepaper, offer a complimentary consultation to discuss how they can save even more. The point isn’t to necessarily ask for the sale right away. Rather, move prospects to the next step in a way that’s honest and truly valuable for them.

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Rock stories
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Like a lot of people who grew up pre-Internet, much of my music education came from the radio. One of my favorite teachers was “Uncle” Joe Benson, a D.J at KLOS in L.A. Joe’s now been on the air for about 40 years, but according to legend, he had a tough time landing his first gig.

Remember that in the late 60s/early 70s, being a rock-n-roll DJ was almost like being a rock star; interviews were hard to come by, and Joe realized he needed to stand out. So he sent another resume to another radio station – only this time, he attached his resume with twine to a really big rock. How could the station manager not notice that? Joe got the job and never looked back. It’s a story that reminds us about the power of targeted direct mail.

These days, because of technology and environmental concerns, many have abandoned traditional direct mail and now exclusively market via email, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, SEO, SEM, paid search, pay-per-click and all the rest.

These methods may be quicker, less expensive, more convenient and provide an instantly global reach. But sometimes you get what you pay for. Efficient doesn’t always mean effective. For very targeted campaigns, remember that your friends at the U.S Postal service still have a lot to offer.

Every sale starts by capturing attention, and done correctly, snail mail makes people take notice. In fact, with so much nonsense filling our in-boxes and social media accounts, physical mail can make even more of an impact than ever. Especially when you’re trying to reach executives and other people that don’t want to be bothered.

Think of a prospect who stares at her screen all day. Then picture an interesting package arriving at her desk. As for what to send, every situation is different, but in general the longer someone spends with the piece, the more they’ll consider taking the next step. For example, pair a simple sales letter with one more item they’re likely to keep, like a tri-fold brochure or reply device.

Paper and digital can co-exist. Don’t do what’s trendy – do what works.

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Album of the month
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Although it only existed from 1971-1976, the Black Jazz label released some of the most inventive music from that – or any – decade. “Hear, Sense and Feel”, by The Awakening, perfectly represents the classic Black Jazz sound: spiritual and socially conscious messages meld with avant-garde arrangements, creating music that’s both contemplative and full of groove. After all these years, it’s still ahead of its time.