 In part two of this blog, we are going to be discussing the best ways to go about successfully and painlessly rebranding your company.
Hello Summerville, and welcome back to the Creative Consulting blog! We are excited that you've returned to continue learning more about the importance and sometimes necessary steps of rebranding your company. In the first part of this blog, we discussed some of the many reasons why your company might need to rebrand. While the idea of rebranding does come with a negative connotation, we hope that our last blog has helped normalize the idea that more often than not rebranding is very refreshing and can be incredibly successful and exciting! We know it can be scary to even consider this idea, but we are here to help. We can speak from experience and say that as we've helped many of our client's rebrand, that it is a very successful and positive step for your business when it's needed. It is an opportunity to learn even more about who you are as a business owner, express what makes your company unique in a whole new way, and reconnect with why you started your business in the first place. Rebranding is not starting from square one, it's reinventing the square itself. If you don't think your company has a brand or a very strong one, think again! Your brand holds much more power than you think, and it does deserve the time and appreciation to reflect your business. Let's get started on rebranding with some of the most successful and pain-free ways possible! In our last blog, we talked about how one of the very first steps in rebranding is usually the need for a new logo. Remember, rebranding is much more than just changing your logo and crossing your fingers and hoping everything is going to be alright. This is going to be a multiple-step process, and you need to invest the same amount of time and energy into each of these steps for rebranding to be successful. Somewhere along the way, your branding that worked in the past has stopped working, and this needs to change! [WHO YOU'RE SPEAKING TO] As we mentioned in part one of this blog, one of the many reasons why a company should go through with a rebrand is because their audience is or has changed. Remember how we've mentioned those incredibly important, easy to find, and free analytics that all social media platforms give you? Please pay attention to them! Make note of who is responding to your social media posts, who is buying your products, and who spends the most time seeking you out online. If it's not the audience you expected or intended, that's okay! Don't be afraid to embrace a whole new group and demographic of customers. They are here to buy your product. With the free research that so many platforms give you, allow that to power other forms of research. Research what is attractive and what attracts your new group of customers. What appeals to them in marketing and what is the best way to reach them? Have you been operating mostly off your website, but this new audience loves Instagram and Facebook? Then it might be time to start a new overhaul of what your brand looks like and how you're reaching this new audience. It's important to know and understand who this new audience is so you know exactly how to speak to them and sell for them. This can also be a situation where competitors have popped up with new products that are directly getting in the way of your company, and they are creating new competition that you never expected. Embracing and focusing on this new audience can help you build up a strong relationship with them and put you ahead of these new competitors. What is the most difficult part of this step? Time. You have to pay attention to these changes, learn about your new audience, and adapt to what this audience needs. In the long run, this will be time well spent. [IS THE NAME IN THE GAME] We might be throwing around the idea that changing your company's name has to be apart of the rebranding process and that it is very simple to do. Please by no means walk away from this blog series thinking that is the case. To rebrand, you do not have to change your name if you don't want to. If the name is still working and has become a staple to who and what your company does, don't throw it away. Changing your companies name can be one of the most dangerous choices in rebranding. This decision needs to be thought through with extreme care. If a new name is something that you and your company are working towards, then you should also consider a plan for introducing the world to this new name. Plan out how to successfully explain that the company that used to be known as "A" is now "X". Heading to the drawing board and brainstorming is one of the best ways you can go about coming up with a new name. According to Hubspot, some of the greatest ways to do so are:
When you're considering changing your name, a lot of the time that also comes with changing your slogan. Please consider why you are changing your slogan before actually doing so. If the slogan no longer matches your services and what your company represents then, by all means, changing it is appropriate. If you are sick of the slogan because you've seen it and said it for so long, consider hitting the brakes before changing it out of annoyance. If the slogan is still working, still catchy, and your customers still love it, there is no reason to get rid of it. Instead, put some new life into it and rediscover why the slogan is so important. If you decide to change your company's name, make sure it fits the current or new slog you've created too. [WATCHING YOUR Ps & Qs] Rebranding might go much deeper than what your customers see. This can be the most difficult part of the rebranding process, as this can touch on some very real and personal aspects at the core of why you started your company. Over time, as most companies do, you will evolve and change. Your products and what you're working towards can completely change from what they were when you started. This is a change in your vision. Your vision is the map as to why your company does what it does and the reason behind every decision you make. If this changes, your branding needs to reflect this. If your vision changes, many other aspects will change including your mission, your values, and the overall voice of your brand.
How are you feeling after reading this, readers? We know that rebranding can come off as a mid-life crisis or a personality swap. While that's how it might look on the surface, that is what you want and need to avoid. When rebranding, think of it as captaining a strong ship. The rebranding process is deciding to turn the wheel and create a new map to avoid oncoming storms and to finally find that treasure you've been searching for. It's a process that cannot be done alone or on a whim. We urge you to take both parts of this blog very seriously when thinking about rebranding. If it is still something you want to do, but it's just too daunting to do alone, we are here to help you take these important steps! Please feel free to reach out! Until next time, stay safe and caffeinated Summerville!
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 Get to know the hilarious, hard-working, and creative individuals that make up the Creative Consulting family one blog at a time.
Hello Summerville, and welcome back to the blog writer's desk! We are taking a break from your normally scheduled program of learning more about the social media and marketing world, and welcoming you back into the personal offices of Creative Consulting! I'm not sure about you, but the fact that there are only a few weeks left of 2020 seems pretty crazy, right? This year has sped by, and in many ways, that is really alright! Before I get too ahead of myself and dive into the Holidays (hold me back, I am ready for some tensile and fake snow!) I am trying to soak up the last bit of fall right here in the heart of Summerville. Have you recently taken a walk around our adorable little square? It is still emerald green, the fountain is bubbling, and all the shops have their doors open and ready to welcome each of us. I just took a walk with a cool cup of joy from Cuppa Manna and enjoyed a little slice of Summerville. If you haven't done that recently, I would recommend it for your next break during the workday. I am also very excited to get back to one of my favorite series of blogs I have written for CC, our spotlight on each of our team members! I know that I say this in every blog, but it so refreshing to learn and read more about my coworkers, especially if they are newer to the company. Creative has come to a very exciting threshold that many young businesses work towards. We are growing and planning for something big, and every time I'm in the office or talk to my teammates, it feels like we are standing on a precipice of something very exciting. One of these exciting things came in with our newest team member, Michael Andrew Hatchell. Andrew, who is our Customer Relations Manager and Marketing Specialist, has given so much to Creative in the very short time he has been with us. Hiring Andrew meant that our relationships with our clients could become more hands-on, more time could be delegated to new ventures, and more things could get done on a day to day basis. Andrews's expertise and fresh new ideas have been an exciting part of the Creative work week, and I have enjoyed working with him. Being a blog writer is a very unique hat to wear, while my background is in the arts, I spend a lot of my time learning and researching about a whole slew of topics that I personally had never spent time on until this job appeared. Just like any artist or writer, writer's block is very common. I spend more time brainstorming and staring at my blinking cursor than I care to admit. My Creative team has always been so supportive when it comes to helping me brainstorm and come up with the next new and exciting topic for my set of blogs every month. It has also been fun to sit one on one with Andrew almost every week brainstorming about our clients in a whole new way. If you are a new client with Creative or a perspective one, and you haven't met Andrew yet, you will truly enjoy working with him. He supports and loves the business, he is always excited to learn, and always excited to talk about food and his beautiful family. I am so excited that he's joined our Creative family, and I look forward to seeing what wonderful things he has in store! Dear readers, it is my pleasure to introduce you to Mr. Michael Andrew Hatchell! Name: Michael Andrew Hatchell How long have you been working at CC: Almost two months! How did you hear about the positions: I reached out to Stephen organically. I didn’t see a job posting, just walked in, and handed him a resume. Then I just waited semi-patiently for a call. What do you do for CC: Marketing strategy and customer relations. I analyze all the statistics for the client’s website and social media so I can come up with a formula to increase the business’s outreach. What is your favorite part about working for CC: The people are already some of the best I have ever worked with. Everyone is so nice, very helpful, and extremely talented. I feel fortunate to be a part of Creative Consulting. What have you learned since you worked at CC: I studied marketing in college but what you learn in the books is very different from real-world application. I have learned a lot about how to take the information I got from college and really apply it to helping businesses grow in the greater Charleston area. What is your favorite part of your workday at CC: Meeting with existing and prospective clients. I love meeting new people and learning about them. Everyone has such an interesting story and nobody is the same, so it keeps you on your toes. Favorite memory at CC so far: We are in the midst of conducting a case study around videography. We had a film crew in the office and was able to finally meet everyone face to face. Favorite Summerville Small Business (besides CC): It’s not fair in my opinion to have a favorite here in Summerville. There are so many great businesses and they all have different specialties. The most recent discovery though would have to be Patrick the Groomsmith. Highly professional and one of the best master barbers I have had the pleasure to get a haircut from. What is your educational background: Graduated from Limestone University with a BS in Business Administration where I majored in marketing. Currently, I attend Webster University and should graduate with my MBA in the summer of 2021. What are your hobbies: Other than being with my 4-year-old, I love to cook and play instruments. Really anything music-related. I also enjoy the outdoors, so hunting, fishing, and golf are up there on the list. What is your favorite book, color, song, movie: Being that I spent a good bit of time in school recently, I don’t have much pleasure reading going on. I most recently read “Can’t Hurt Me” by David Goggins and absolutely loved it. Interesting Facts: I was in the Navy for nine years. There, I traveled a lot and got to experience a plethora of different cultures and food which is some of my favorite things! Favorite Food: I’m not a picky eater by any means, but I do prefer home-cooked meals. On Saturdays, you may find me in the back yard running my smoker. I love making and eating barbecue. Favorite Restaurant in Charleston/Summerville: Another tough one. It depends on my mood but I love Poogan’s Porch and 843 BBQ. 843 BBQ is a Korean restaurant and sushi bar. Great for date nights. Poogan’s Porch is great food and is awesome for a late breakfast on Sunday mornings. Favorite things to do in Charleston/Summerville: My wife and I love to just go walking around Charleston and seeing the sites. After five years of living here, my wife still can’t believe we only live 30 to 45 minutes from downtown Charleston (depending on traffic). I don't know about you, but after I went back and re-read Andrew's interview while preparing this blog, I was craving BBQ and a nice walk around some of my favorite places in Charleston, how about you? This blog, while it does give you an insight into Andrew's passion and humor, you'll have to meet him in person to really see and enjoy it. Summerville, keep your eyes open for this gentleman. If you don't know him yet, he will become a staple in the area. He is here to support your business, help you grow, and help Summerville grow and prosper in some very new and exciting ways! Again, many thanks to Andrew for spending the time working with me on this blog, and helping me be better at my job every day! I hope you all enjoyed another visit with me and another of my teammates! Until next time Summerville, find the fun in the puzzles you come across in your life and stay caffeinated!  Get to know the hilarious, hard-working, and creative individuals that make up the Creative Consulting family one blog at a time.
Hello again Summerville, and welcome back to the blog writer's desk! I am here to bring you yet another wonderful blog introducing you to another team member and family member of the Creative Consulting family! As October draws to a close, we are trying to enjoy every moment of fall that we can. Have you taken a walk up and down the main square of town? It's covered head to toe in some of the best and most creative Halloween decorations we've ever seen! Every shop has its own flair of All Hallows Eve, luring us in with the promise of delicious treats, candy, or just some spooky fun. While Halloween and all of our frightful fun might be a little different this year, there is still something magical about this time of year that nothing can get in the way of. One of the most magical things we love to see every day is how vibrant and alive Summerville seems to grow every day. More shops are bustling, restaurants are getting back to their normal business, and even a few new potential budding businesses might even begin popping up. It feels like fall has brought in a cool breeze of fresh air, and it's something we've all needed. I continue to sit happily from my writer's desk watching the town of Summerville bustle around me, taking everything in. While I continue to research and dive deep into a myriad of topics for each of our clients to make each of my blogs better than the next, I love to look up and watch the town float by for a few minutes. It's refreshing, thank you, Summerville. One of my most favorite projects of this year has been these spotlight blogs. I say it every time I sit down to write one, that I love continuing to learn more about my teammates. Each interview and blog is more surprising than the next, and it opens my eyes to these incredible individuals sitting around me helping Creative Consulting grow one day at a time. Each of them truly put the heart and soul of creativity into our name, that's for sure! For this blog's feature, we are spending time and interviewing one of the very first company members, Mr. Capers Lever. Capers was on the welcome wagon when I joined the team and has been an incredible support to me personally since day one. If you didn't know, my blogging work is closely connected to his work with SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Every important keyword and piece of information that is trending or relevant right now that lives within each of my blogs is key for the work he does every day. For the last year and a half, it has been a joy to work with him. I have also never met someone who loves Dunkin Donuts as much as him. If you're reading this Dunkin, I wanted to let you know that I work with one of your biggest fan's and he deserves at least one or two free treats this week. He is the definition of a professional, but he always knows when to make you laugh at the most perfectly timed moments. He also tends to keep you on your toes and surprise you with every little fact he shares about himself or what he's up to during our Monday meetings. Going through this interview was no exception to that - Capers continues to surprise me and make me laugh out loud. I hope you enjoy reading this blog and Capers' interview as much as I enjoyed writing it! It is my absolute pleasure to introduce you to Mr. Capers Lever! How long have you been working at CC: 5 years How did you hear about the positions: From Stephen as he was starting the company. What do you do for CC: I do pay per click advertising and search engine optimization. What is your favorite part about working for CC: Being able to work from anywhere at any time. The internet connects us all and allows us to be in separate places while still having the ability to communicate and work effectively. What have you learned since you worked at CC: I've learned the importance of having a very good team and diversity of thought. What is your favorite part of your workday at CC: I've always liked puzzles and most of my job is finding logical solutions to real-world puzzles. So I get to sit down with a coffee every morning and solve problems. Favorite memory at CC so far: My favorite memory is being here to see Creative Consulting grow from where we started to where we are now. Favorite Summerville Small Business (besides CC): Cuppa Manna, within walking distance of the office and great coffee. What is your education background: My degree from CSU is in Computer Science. Many of the skills help to understand SEO on a deeper level. What are your hobbies: I collect hobbies. I pick up and put down hobbies regularly. I have played sports for almost my whole life. Beyond that, I've done everything from mixed martial arts to golf, and everything in-between. What is your favorite book, color, song, movie: The Eragon series of books were my favorite. Favorite color is blue. I love music way too much to pick one song, my favorite band is probably Pink Floyd. Favorite movie is Book of Eli, Denzel is the GOAT. Interesting Facts: I was a classical pianist for 4 years. Favorite Food: Bulgogi, I love Korean BBQ Favorite Restaurant in Charleston/Summerville: 843 a Korean BBQ Place, imagine that. Favorite things to do in Charleston/Summerville: The most fun thing to do in Charleston is to go have some food and drinks somewhere that fits your fancy. The atmosphere here is one of the best in the world. What an incredible guy, am I right? I think one of the most surprising things to me that I will have to ask a few more follow up questions about, is about his time as a classical pianist. With my background in performance and music, that will be a very fun rabbit hole to go down. Also, I have never heard Charleston better described than how he answered his last question. The atmosphere here really is one of the best in the world, isn't it? What a great reminder of all the beauty that is right here around us and all within such a short distance! Again, many thanks to Capers for spending the time working with me on this blog, and helping me be better at my job every day! I hope you all enjoyed another visit with me and another of my teammates! Until next time Summerville, find the fun in the puzzles you come across in your life and stay caffeinated!  Sometimes starting over can be a huge benefit to your company. Today, we are going to be talking about rebranding, when it's time to rebrand, and some of the best ways to go about doing so!
Happy blog reading, Summerville! We hope you're doing well and continue to enjoy our wonderful town to its fullest! We are working hard as ever over at Creative Consulting, and we love seeing more and more of you responding to our posts, reaching out, and starting the steps in working with us. We've truly been wonderfully overwhelmed by getting to know new people and their businesses every week. Helping companies at all stages of their growth and size become the company they've always dreamed of is one of the most rewarding parts of our job. If you have any questions, comments, or you're curious about working with us please don't hesitate to reach out. We would love to hear from you! Until then, make sure you're following us on Instagram and Facebook to follow all of our exciting news and ventures! Today, we are going to be talking about rebranding. This might sound like a scary term to apply to any business, and we understand your hesitation. However, this doesn't mean throwing out your business and starting from square one. It means that after you accept the fact that while yes, this can be scary, it is well worth the effort and it can give new life to your company. Rebranding leaves the heart of your company and its products or services alone while you decide to change your image. This could mean changing the brand logo, the colors, your name, the symbols you use, or going in for a totally new design overhaul. It's a refresh of what you had and taking it to a new and improved level to catch a new audience, compete with your competitors, grow with the times, and become bigger than you ever were before. It can be scary to totally change and edit the identity of a company and let go of all the time and effort you spent putting into your current brand, but please believe us when we say that it can take your company to a whole new level of success if you trust the process. In the first part of this two-part blog, we are going to be talking about red flag moments that will let you know that it might be time to rebrand. In the second part of this blog, we will be talking about successful steps and things to make the rebranding process as pain-free and successful as possible. TIME TO REBRAND We have new clients come work with us who already have a website and a social media presence. They've hit a wall and they aren't getting any response, customers, sales, and it seems like no one knows who they are or what their business does. In these situations, we do a few things to jumpstart these companies again including blog work, SEO, a new approach to their advertisement plan, new ideas when it comes to the social media pages, and so much more. One of the biggest things we do is help rebrand these companies. We redesign logos, change the color schemes and layouts of their website, and are consistent in what their social media posts look like. This helps create a consistent flow that allows audience members to remember their brand, connect images and layout to their brand, and entice people to check out and understand what this particular company does just by looking at their logo and branding. What are some other examples of when it might be time to start rebranding? Just like everything else in the business world, your company will change and evolve. This is the perfect time to start the rebranding process. REASON ONE: Growing Pains Over time, your company can begin to offer new services, new products, and can even change the focus of what is important for the company and what they want to provide to their customers. When this happens, your original logo might not incorporate all of these new ideas or what all you're now offering to your clientele. You want everyone who comes across your logo and branding to know exactly all there is to know about your company or, be inspired to find out more just by looking at it. If your original logo isn't providing this, then it's time to start thinking about rebranding to something that does explain all of these things for you. This can save you a ton of time in the long run, because there will be less confusion to clean up, fewer questions about what you do, and you can get directly to selling your services and products without hesitation. REASON TWO: A Bad Day It's something we hope never happens to your company or any future companies you might come to own in the future; but, once a company has a palpable and recognized bad reputation, it might be time to rebrand. A company can still have so much to offer even if it has hit a wall of a bad reputation. Their product still might have something important to offer its consumers. Everything can change if new management and new owners come into the picture, and with a refreshing rebrand from head to toe, this can be a total rebirth and survival of a company. Along with that, it can also help slowly remove the negative connotation associated with it. This can help your audience and a new audience see you in a brand new light with a new understanding. REASON THREE: Getting In Your Own Way Rebranding doesn't mean that you're failing or doing something wrong. It can simply mean your original logo and brand is getting in the way of your current success. For example, say you started your company 15 or 20 years ago. While your products are still popular and necessary, your font, brand, and color choices can make you feel dated and old fashioned. The fonts and colors you're using might have been popular all those years ago, but they might be tired and very out of style now. This can turn people away from your brand when they see it for the first time and make them choose your competitors instead. All because of your branding! Don't let this happen. Many businesses, no matter their success, know it's a smart move to rebrand because they've "outgrown their original mission" according to Entrepreneur. Also, once this rebrand happens, it's a great opportunity to put your logo on even more products! Have you had pens with your logo on them? Maybe try mini flash drives, portable phone batters, or mini hand sanitizer bottles! New products that people will use with your new brand on it is a double win! REASON FOUR: Beyond the Competition This is one of the most popular reasons why companies rebrand. If your brand is similar to your competitors or even a company that does something different than yours, it's time to shake it up. You want your logo to stand out and be remembered, not questioned, or confused with another company that could potentially take your business! Also, if your competition has a better brand than what you currently have, it's time to step it up and go one step further with a better brand than what they have. This can be pricey, but it will be worth it. Also, please avoid using anything overtly generic and never use stock images or art as part of your brand or logo. Sure, these can be used in other parts of your company, but not for who are! REASON FIVE: The Cool Kid On The Block Another very popular reason companies rebrand is to reach a whole new level of customers and a new demographic. Does your product or service offer something for people of all ages, but for some reason your demographic is only reaching a certain age group? It might be your brand. Subconsciously thanks to our culture and how we associate different colors, shapes, pictures, and fonts we connect who a product is for, even if we are incorrect in these assumptions. Rebranding to attract everyone instead of limiting your reach can bring you more business and a wider reach. A new rebrand can introduce you to a whole new generation of customers who might have been looking for your product for years and they never even knew you existed! How do you feel about rebranding so far? There are multiple reasons why it might be time or extremely necessary to do so. While it might not be an easy experience, it can save your company and prolong its lifespan. We are here to help you through the process and to help make it as pain-free as possible. In our next blog, we will be discussing some of the best tips, suggestions, and steps to take to make your branding process as successful as possible. Until then, stay safe and caffeinated Summerville!  Get to know the hilarious, hard-working, and creative individuals that make up the Creative Consulting family one blog at a time.
Hello, Summerville! It's that time again where we introduce you to another incredible member of the Creative Consulting team! So grab your favorite fall beverage (have you seen Cuppa Manna's fall menu?! If not - go check it out NOW!) and get settled in for another wonderful read! I know, as the blog writer, that you hear a lot of things from my perspective - but it's all I have, right? It's been so fun getting to know my coworkers a little better every time I sit down in my favorite writing chair and get to work on these profiles. We all create our own work schedules, so often through the week, we are like ships passing in the night. We see one another on Mondays and during other weekly meetings, but sometimes we might go a whole week without seeing one another. The freedom we have to create, work, and make CC possible is something that I consider a huge gift. Life, right now, has been so strange that creating a workflow for myself (and how everyone on our team has been doing) is a blessing. So, when I sit down to write these, it's like my teammate is sitting right next to me and we are sharing a laugh over an inside office joke. Nothing like work making you smile, right? This woman was one of the very first team members that was hired after I was brought on. I came into the office during a huge transition, and for a while there our little family only had 5 members in it. It became apparent that we needed to grow and we needed some incredible talent to help Creative continue its upward climb. That is where Ms. Lizzy Smith came into the picture! Again, Meg and Stephan have an incredible way of hiring people who just fit together. Lizzy fit right in without a second hesitation. She jumped right into work and has kept creating incredible designs and websites since the day she began. Always positive, always quick to laugh, and excited about the work at hand - it has been wonderful to work with Lizzy. I constantly learn something new about the design world from her, and about social media at large. Also, another fun fact, we both got engaged a few weeks apart. There MUST have been something in the water, don't you think? I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did. It is my pleasure to officially introduce you to Lizzy Smith!
After reading all of that, aren't you inspired to do an all day marathon of the Harry Potter moves while eating a pile of popcorn and starting a new Pinterest board full of DIY and design ideas? No? Just me? Well, that sounds like a perfect day for Lizzy and me then! Again, it's always so fun to read through these. Even as the writer of the blog and the individual who came up with these questions, it's funny how often these particular questions don't come up during the workday. You spend so much time talking about work (of course) and other random topics of the day, and you might not even know your coworker's favorite food! Now that I know Lizzy and I love popcorn so much, I finally have an excuse to buy those giant popcorn tins around the holidays full of flavored popcorn! Which, I will of course, be bringing into the office. Maybe. There you have it, Summerville! You now know one more member of the Creative Consulting team! I hope you've enjoyed this blog - and I look forward to introducing you to the last four members of our team in the upcoming weeks! Until next time, make sure to look for the positives in any challenge you might be facing this week, and treat yourself to something from your favorite local shop, bakery, coffee shop, or restaurant this week!  We are finishing up our blog series on the best ways to handle negative social media comments. We know it's a difficult situation to deal with, but with enough preparation, you can be ready to handle anything!
Hello, Summerville! Welcome back to part two of our blog about handing negative social media comments. We hope that part one of this blog gave you a good basis for how to move forward if you are faced with this issue. As we mentioned before, this is not something we would wish on anyone. Sadly, it is very possible. Hopping on the internet and telling everyone exactly how you feel has become a trend since the dawning of Facebook, if not sooner, and has continued to grow stronger in the years following. As a business, you prepare for the inevitable with insurance, a strong plan, a good financial team, and a good workforce. Why not be prepared for everything you might face? Keep a watchful eye on all of your online networks, and be ready to handle everything and everyone you come across with an attitude of being calm, cool, and collected.
It might be incredibly hard, but take a moment to see the issue from the client's point of view. There will be people who will be angry just to be angry. If the product or service your company offers is broken, doesn't deliver as promised, or arrives extremely late, apologizing and owning up to your mistakes will help. Offering a discount, refund, voucher, or replacement can also help calm the tension at hand. Make sure you are aware of the comments you're receiving. Keep notifications on and connect them to a phone or email that will be checked and monitored frequently. Also, make sure to follow up with any complaints and follow through with what you promise to offer your client. Make sure you understand what the problem is and discuss how it can be fixed. Once these terms have been agreed on, follow through with them and check back in with your client to make sure they're happy and satisfied with the situation. This shows that you really care, and you didn't just fix the problem and forget about them. Sometimes you will run into a situation where an issue is out of your control. A system error could be beyond your knowledge to repair, your suppliers that help create your goods and services could be doing something to harm the quality of your product, and sometimes you are in a situation where you don't have the answers or a way to fix it yourself. That's okay - you're human. This doesn't mean you just toss it away and brush the problem off, you still have to fix it. What you can do is outsource someone who can help you. Recruit a good IT company, find a new supplier, and find the best of the best in what you're having issues with. This can cause a hike in price than just refunding your customer, but this can be a priceless decision to help keep your customer and continue bringing in others. It is never wrong to ask for help with something you don't know! Not only can this help relations between you and your customer, but it can be a learning opportunity for you and your team as well!
According to Forbes, 84% of people who go looking into a company online say they trust the reviews they see. Sometimes you can't help how people will respond or react, their anger could be something completely out of your hands. If you can, try to get ahead of any potential problems so negativity can be avoided. Listen to your customers before things get difficult. Have you been hearing similar small complaints? Have you been hearing the same suggestion over and over again? Have people been supporting you for a significant amount of time, but have been asking for a revamp of your goods and services? Listen to them! They are giving you excellent free advice, why not take it? If you can get ahead of the curve, this can help avoid negative situations.
Negative comments are bound to happen. It's how you deal with them that will make all the difference. Everyone is allowed to have their opinion, but make sure your voice as a company isn't quiet. Don't be afraid to connect with these unhappy people, human to human. Remember too, one bad comment does not reflect your company as a whole. Take it in stride, and keep doing what you do best! If you need help or would like to learn more, please contact us! We look forward to talking to you soon!  Creative Consulting: A Spotlight On Jen Gilmore Get to know the hilarious, hard-working, and creative individuals that make up the Creative Consulting family one blog at a time. Hello, Summerville! We hope you're doing well! Things at our office are going well - we are now entering the busiest part of our year, and things are gearing up for everyone on our team. This year has already been busy for all of us, which I can say that we are all thankful for. Working for a small local business, you get to see so much up close about each of your clients and everyone you work with that you wouldn't at a big corporate office. It's unique, special, and honestly really exciting. You get to know your clients, you are proud of their daily hard work, you get excited about the work you're doing for them, and are thrilled to see what's next for them. Instead of getting stressed out about the busy season, we are looking forward to taking on the challenge and are so excited to see what level of growth this will push us all to. Getting ready for a busy season is only possible with an incredible team, which is why I have loved doing these spotlights on my fellow team members. Every Monday, we have a team meeting to check in to see what is coming our way in the upcoming week, what new projects are on the docket and to check in with one another. I feel that with every meeting, I learn something new about these incredible people I work with, and am in awe of the work that they do. I met Jen last fall after I had been out of town doing a show in North Carolina, and she was already a part of the family by the time I got back into town. Have you ever worked with someone and they are the cool new kid in town? That's Jen. Talented, hilarious, and loves cats just as much as I do. We spend a lot of time bonding over our favorite Charleston restaurants, cute pictures of our cats, and her educating me on the wonders of Filipino food. I've never wanted to travel more than after she tells me about all the incredible dishes she makes with her family. Her work for CC is incredible - I am not a designer or graphic artist in the slightest, but I appreciate those who are. Her work is so unique and beautifully crafted, that I always get excited to see what she is working on. It is my pleasure to introduce you to my teammate and friend, Jen Gilmore! Name: Jen Gilmore How long have you been working at CC? 7 months in September How did you hear about the position? While I was in my last semester of college, Stephen came into our class promoting an internship position at Creative. What do you do for CC? I’m one of the graphic designers here. I help make businesses look real good. I create logos and graphics for social media like daily posts and ads. What is your favorite part about working for CC? I love how we always laugh. It doesn’t matter what kind of morning I may be having, I know I’m going to laugh and have a good time in the office. What have you learned since you worked at CC? Since working at CC I’ve learned more about logo design and logo animation, a little about the business side of Creative, and that Stephen loves Taco Bell. What is your favorite part of your workday at CC? My favorite part of my workday is being able to check tasks off in Hubspot… so satisfying. Favorite memory at CC so far? It’s so hard to pick a favorite memory. I keep thinking “Mondays”. Mondays tend to be full of good laughs. Favorite Summerville Small Business (besides CC)? I love Coastal Coffee Roasters. I used to go there religiously before I moved to James Island. It always reminds me of the sweet coffee dates I had with my husband before we got married (cue the “aw”s). What is your education background: I have a BA in Graphic Design from good ole’ CSU. What are your hobbies: Printmaking, escape rooms (me and my husband are addicted to them), tabletop games, trying out new restaurants, watching anime, and riding my new bike (it has light-up wheels). What is your favorite book, color, song, movie:
Interesting Facts: Favorite Food: Filipino food! Sarap! Favorite Restaurant in Charleston/Summerville: I literally can’t decide. Charleston makes it too hard to have a favorite restaurant because most of them are so good! So I’m just going to say my mom’s house cause she makes the food I truly crave. Favorite things to do in Charleston/Summerville:
Pretty cool lady, right? I have to agree with her. Mondays are by far one of my favorite days of the week. I know most people dread them, but always knowing that we will spend time laughing together to get our work week started is pretty special. I look forward to introducing you to more of our team members, but until next time, stay safe and be well Summerville! Make sure to look for the positives in any challenge you might be facing this week, and treat yourself to something from your favorite local shop, bakery, coffee shop, or restaurant this week!  Dealing with negative comments or bots is sadly something every business needs to prepare to handle. It's not a fun situation or topic, but it's always best to be prepared.
Hello, Summerville! How is our favorite city? We hope you're staying safe and making the best out of your week! This week's blog is going to touch on an uncomfortable topic that sadly every business that has an online presence needs to prepare for. When a company creates its online presence, its goal is to create a positive community to share their products, services, knowledge about their industry, to connect with their customers and future customers, and connect with anyone who happens to discover their brand. With the freedom that the internet allows and the ability to hide behind a keyboard, this positive community isn't always positive or well-received. People will have their opinions and the internet allows them to share them in an instant, regardless if they're good or bad. In a world dominated by Google reviews, Yelp reviews, comments, and opinions, staying on top of these interactions is incredibly important. It's not a pleasant part of owning a business today, but it is a reality. Hopefully, this isn't something that you'll have to deal with often but just in case, it's always best to stay prepared. Social media and the internet has its own culture, its way of interacting, and its way of how best to communicate. It is a different animal compared to dealing with an upset or disgruntled client in real life, which is why many of the normal practices of dealing with these situations might not work. In this two-part blog, we are going to give you a few tips and suggestions on how to deal with handling negative comments, and how to move on from them.
Many trolls, scammers, and bots are trying to get an emotional response from you so they have the upper hand in making you and your company look bad. Don't allow them to do this. First, make sure to document these posts or comments. Take a screenshot on your phone or computer just in case. Deleting the comment won't be in your best favor. It could anger the person who commented in the first place, and it could also bring your integrity into question by the commenter and anyone who saw the post before the comment was removed, according to Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. The only time you should remove a negative comment is if it has nothing to do with your company or if they are inappropriate. Remove these comments and block the user who is abusing and attacking your social media platforms. This is an example of people being mean to be mean. Make sure to discuss your response with your fellow employees, if a response is necessary, and make sure to do it quickly. Anyone can see these comments, and news travels fast on social media. Make sure to get a handle on it before it handles you. With this being said, the continued conversation doesn't have to be in the public eye. Make sure to respond to every comment, but invite the disgruntled party to connect with you outside of social media. Invite them to email you or to directly message you to fix the issue at hand. Make it known to your customers where they can turn to if they do have issues and who they can speak to. This can channel these issues into a safe space instead of all over the internet. The internet can be an easy escape and a wonderful addition to running your company. It can also be a harmful place for quick and ugly comments and opinions to spew. We do believe that inherently, people are trying to be good. Sometimes, a bad experience makes us angry for a split second, but that doesn't mean that we are bad people. The internet opened up a world of wonderful and it also opened up the possibility for a lot of ugliness. Learning how to deal with it professionally and quickly is a skill that you will acquire when owning a business. In our next blog, we will be continuing this topic and giving you more ideas on how to handle these situations. Until next time, stay safe and sound Summerville!  Get to know the hilarious, hard-working, and creative individuals that make up the Creative Consulting family one blog at a time.
Hello, Summerville! Welcome back to another fun and exciting spotlight on another member of the Creative Consulting team! We are still enjoying these cooler temperatures - it seems like the heat just broke overnight. We know this might be a sad change for many of you who enjoy those hot and humid temperatures, but we are so excited for fall to settle in. I have noticed that it's starting to get a little darker a little sooner every night, and THAT is what I am the saddest about when it comes to letting go of summer. This has been an interesting year for all small businesses in Summerville, but we are so thankful for the continued support and love from all of our clients, friends, and followers. The Creative team is growing and expanding, and we are excited to introduce you to more team members. Until then, we wanted to introduce you to our newest team member! This bright young lady was hired to work with us just as the pandemic hit, and we all met her for the first time during a zoom meeting, and have only recently met her in person. Even though it was a virtual introduction, she has felt like family since day one. I will never forget the first time she was apart of a team meeting because she brought a special guest with her. We all logged into the meeting, and a sweet black and white baby goat was sitting on her lap. If that doesn't wake you up on a Monday morning, I don't know what will! Dear Summerville, I would like to introduce to you Kelsay Pattillo! This bright Summerville native has been a wonderful addition to our Creative family, and I am very excited for you to get to know her! Name: Kelsay Pattillo How long have you been working at CC: Since March of this year. How did you hear about the positions: I live in town and happened to be at Swank and saw the banner on the side of the building. I looked them up to see what they were about and if there were any open positions to apply for. What do you do for CC: I am a social media manager and strategist. I research many different topics and curate content based on my findings and also touch on what is currently trending in each industry of my clients. I also manage their cross-platform social media channels by keeping everything up to date, replying to their clients through messages and comments, running ads each month, and more. What is your favorite part about working for CC: My favorite part about working for Creative Consulting is the great work environment and communicating team. I love that we can all work together towards a common goal and all stay on the same page! What have you learned since you worked at CC: I have learned that you can be creative in the workplace! Creative Consulting has allowed me to express my passion for marketing and add my creativity to it. What is your favorite part of your workday at CC: My favorite part of my workday is working alongside my lovely co-workers! Favorite memory at CC so far: My favorite memory here so far is the first time everyone was able to come back to the office from working remotely during the pandemic- I got to meet everyone and get to know them better! This was my first official day working in the office. Favorite Summerville Small Business (besides CC): My favorite Summerville Small Business is Discover The Magic Vacations! It is a full white glove service travel agency, and their services are free! It is great to have a local travel agency that truly has its clients’ best interests at heart. What is your education background: I am currently going into the very last semester of my college career and will be earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fashion Marketing & Merchandising Management. What are your hobbies: I love to shop, hang out with my family and friends, and read. I also love researching and keeping up with trends within the fashion industry! Fashion is something that I am very passionate about. What is your favorite book, color, song, movie: My favorite book is The Last Song, my favorite color is baby pink, my favorite song is Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons, and my favorite movie is currently the new remake of Valley Girl. Interesting Facts: I love coffee, fashion, and Jesus. Favorite Food: My favorite food is Mexican! Favorite Restaurant in Charleston/Summerville: I would have to say Five Loaves Cafe and Margaritas for some good Mexican food! Favorite things to do in Charleston/Summerville: I love to go to the Farmers Market when it is in season, go on golf cart rides through beautiful historic Summerville, and I absolutely love finding new and local coffee shops to try! I have to admit, writing these blogs has been such a fun adventure for me. I spend my work hours researching and learning about companies and industry-related topics that I otherwise might not. I have learned so much in my time at Creative, and I have enjoyed learning more and more about my incredible coworkers. Each of them teaches me a little bit more about why I love this company, and why I love Summerville and its surrounding areas. I hope you've been enjoying these blogs as well - and I look forward to sharing more of these interviews with you! Until next time, stay safe, be well, and stay caffeinated!  Creating a strong brand identity can make or break your company's success. Here is why it is so important, along with a few tips and suggestions to make yourself stand out!
Hello, Summerville! We hope you're doing well. The smell of pumpkin spice abounds, all of our favorite stores here in the square are starting to put out decorations. We also might be a tad embarrassed about the number of baked fall goods from Swank that we've already sampled. To say the least, we are pretty excited about fall! Celebrating Summerville, supporting our fellow local businesses, and creating exactly what our clients want is a part of our brand. The bright orange color we use in our logo is a part of who we are. We are quirky, hardworking, and usually a little over-caffeinated. This is who we are and what makes us unique as a company. All of these are traits that we are proud of and what we want our current and future clients to know about us. All of these elements are a part of our branding. It's the part of our company that you see online, what you see when you drive by our office, and what you hear about us when you ask about us around town. Brand identity is the unique fingerprint that people will see and look into before they meet the people behind the business. This is why having a strong branding identity is so important. More Than Just A Logo Granted, yes. Your company needs a logo, a color scheme, and fonts that you'll use consistently. There is something very special in seeing your signage, window decals, business cards, website, social media, and stationary all decked out in your logo, colors, and fonts. All of these tools are necessary because you'll use them to catch the eye of your future clients. When it comes to the whole of your brand identity, this is a very small part of the whole story. Your brand identity is so much more than your meticulously created logo. It is your reputation, how you want people to perceive you, your unique and individual voice, and what you want to be known for. It needs to stand up to the challenge, support your business, and get your message across.
What It Does For You Now that you've established what brand identity is what can it turn around and do for you?
It takes work to create your brand identity. Creating your logo didn't happen overnight, and your brand identity won't provide these amazing benefits to you overnight either. The steps to creating a strong brand identity aren't overwhelming, they're actually very straight forward. The challenge is implementing them into your workflow and your company's everyday life. How To Get Started As we said, strong brand identity doesn't happen instantly. It takes time, research, and doing all of those necessary tedious things that arent the glamorous side of owning a business.
The list goes on with the many ways you can create, strengthen, and grow your brand identity. This blog is just a peek into everything that is available to you. We did mention that this took time, right? Every company and business is different. You need to find what works for you. We just wanted to provide a little foundation for you to build on. The long and short of it is that brand identity is important and it's worth your time. If you need help or would like to learn more, please contact us! We look forward to talking to you soon! |
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