Competition in industrial pneumatics is cut-throat. But Parker Hannifin has made up its mind – within a couple of years they are going to be one of the top three preferred suppliers of pneumatics.

With an extended offering of more products, more services and more distributors, the first steps have already been taken. Add to that a big campaign (developed by Sandberg Trygg) that was launched a few weeks ago. The campaign materials help the sales people all the way from the first contact to the signed contract, via both digital and printed media. To find out more take a look at the campaign site.

Just do it (Nike). Das Auto (Volkswagen). Connecting people (Nokia).

Sometimes it feels like the world is awash with taglines. Some get etched on your brain like the ones above. But most of them just vanish. And yet the question turns up time and again here at the agency: Does my company (or product) need a tagline?

It’s easy to think that the job is all about a catchy phrase but a good definition of a tagline is “a phrase that is easy to remember and that summarises what a brand or a product stands for”.  So, in actual fact, it’s also about going into what a company really stands for.

How does the company differ from its competitors? Which promise do customers value most? What are the differences between various markets? The barrage of questions is almost endless. The bigger the organisation, the harder it is to find something that unites.

The trick is to think first and then write. The ideas need to be discussed several times both at the agency and at the customer. When the right words turn up, the phrase is often accepted without much resistance.

An example: A couple of years ago the agency did a project for Alektum Inkasso. This business is made up of a number of agencies who all say they are good at collecting money from debtors. But nobody thought about what many clients value, that is if you do the job well, you win back customer relationships. Together with Alektum we realised that this thought was something to build upon. We then arrived at the following tagline: “Get your money back. And the customer”.

Now a lot of competitors are talking about the importance of keeping good relations with those in debt. But Alektum Inkasso was first and is therefore, according to all positioning theories, king of the castle. And with its tagline “Get you money back. And the customer” the company makes it even more difficult for competitors to lay their hands on the concept of customer relationships.

What then is the answer to the question in the heading? Well, if you have thoroughly thought through what the company stands for, a tagline is suitable because it conveys and strengthens this thought. Otherwise it’s better to resist the temptation. As Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet:

“Words without thoughts never to heaven go”.

By the way, “Das Auto”, Volkswagen’s tagline, was first used by Opel in the ‘70s , but that’s another story.

With all due respect to friends and clients at SKF, the question is not quite as ridiculous as you might think. At least not for this layman. Some background. SKF has provided bearings for over a century, in the process learning just about everything there is to know about how objects rotate – and just as importantly, why they suddenly stop. And guess what they discovered? The vast majority of mechanical breakdowns can be attributed to a malfunctioning rotating part. Who’s the greatest expert on those parts? SKF. And who’s the world’s leading supplier of them? Right again.

No, dear reader, as you’ve already guessed, I wouldn’t dream of blaming SKF. My aim was simply to share with you what an extraordinary company it is. But had the headline been ’SKF is fantastic,’ you would never have made it this far. After all, nothing bores a reader more than bluster and blarney.

Distance Selling Day (Distanshandelsdagen) celebrated 30 years on November 19th, this year. It was only natural that Alektum Inkasso, with many clients in distance selling, was among the exhibitors at Åhaga event centre i Borås.

Sandberg Trygg developed a stand for the exhibition based on the same theme as the international campaign rolled out earlier this year. The campaign strengthens Alektum Inkasso’s strong position on caring for its clients’ customer relationships.

It was also important to stress the company’s continual expansion internationally. Which is why we produced the Travel Game (Resespelet) – a game where the visitors have to match the right airport code to the right city in the shortest possible time. The prize? An orange Alektum suitcase … of course!

A friend sent me this link the other day. It’s a simple little website for a simple little idea:
The Fun Theory.

The theory is this: Changing people’s behaviour is easy if you make it fun.

From that small seed, they’ve developed several short films showing people enjoying themselves while making a small difference to the world. We’ve got musical stairs, the world’s deepest litterbin and an arcade machine that recycles at the same time. Take a look and enjoy.

And you probably won’t see it immediately but you’ll eventually notice a logo on the right hand side and in the last seconds of each film. This site is very discreetly brought to us by Volkswagen (and their ad agency DDB Stockholm). There is certainly no heavy sell going on here – you have to click on the logo before you’ll even see a car – VW are just choosing to associate their brand with entertaining content. Content that also has a social point. Perhaps content that’s a little bit like … oh I don’t know … a sporty, environmentally sexy Golf?

Well, there’s no harm in that. Just like the way the site makes use of its visitors and their willing participation. Shortly there will be new content as visitors start putting forward their own ideas. And in the meantime everyone (me included) is spreading the word, sending links to friends or putting the films on YouTube where they are creating a real buzz with millions of viewings.

Why are we doing VW’s job for them? Because it’s fun :)

Now is the time. Those who dare to invest in a recession are more often the winners when the market recovers. But there are still those who hesitate, postpone important decisions until ”later” or wait with that special campaign.

Don’t be one of those also-rans – continue to develop your offer. It’s when your competitors cut down on their advertising that you can make a bigger impact. All it takes is courage, an eye for new possibilities and being smart about how to use your resources.

You can explore, for instance, how to build your brand with social media. Or how to create a stronger relationship with your current customers. Keep up to speed with what your competitors are doing, and then do the opposite. Just like Kellogg’s did in the middle of the 1929 crash. When their competitor Post cut down on advertising, Kellogg’s increased theirs, gaining a lead that still lasts. A more recent example is Dell, who during the recession in the nineties increased their marketing budget by 300 percent, taking their business to a new level.

No matter what you invest in, it’s important to build some momentum and not wait for the economy to turn around. Because turn it will – some say it already has. The average recession lasts about 11 months. The longest we’ve had during the last 50 years lasted for 16 months and the shortest for 7. From that point of view it’s not really interesting how long this recession will last. The question is more: What should you do to be first out of the blocks?

Requirements for positioning (PDF)

Crepido Systems develops customer-unique IT systems based on proven technology. So far the company has grown thanks to contacts and recommendations. Now Crepido wants to take the next step and spread their offering to a wider group of decision makers.

What differentiates Crepido Systems from the competitors is that they have succeeded in thinking innovatively without being tempted to use the absolutely latest technology. Quite the reverse, technology should never constitute a problem for the customer – it is important that customers can handle their system.

Sandberg Trygg has produced a communications platform for Crepido Systems, which is now being implemented. But we can already let you in on the tagline, which everyone in the management group fell for: “Crepido Systems. Klurigt tänkt. Enkelt utfört”, (Cleverly thought out. Easily done.)

CMIV (Center for Medical Imaging and Visualisation) is a research institute specialising in neurodegenerative diseases, for example, Alzheimer’s, and in only a very short time has gained international recognition for its cutting-edge technology. CMIV is, however, dependent on private donations. As a part of a larger campaign, Sandberg Trygg has helped CMIV with a new image brochure. The purpose is to describe what CMIV do in an easy-to-understand way and inspire contributors to support them.

Gambro turned to Sandberg Trygg to renew its brand communication. The assignment also included a revamp of their graphic identity, new packing design, sales support material, booth design, ads and much more.

AD Ola Carlberg lived and breathed Gambro 24/7 during the winter and spring of 2008. “We have worked to tough time schedules. A lot had to be produced during a short period. And we did it.”

One of many assignments was to make Gambro visible to international visitors attending the big EDTA Fair in Stockholm in May. “You don’t often get the chance in b2b to wallpaper Arlanda or to be visible outdoors, so that was fun,” says Ola.