Businesses need to market themselves in every way possible. To this end, many companies like to plaster their logo onto everything from golf shirts to tote bags to vehicles. They send their employees out into the world wearing, carrying and driving the company logo around town and beyond. What they may not take into account however, is the behaviour of the individuals who are now ambassadors of the company while out in public.

Building a website isn’t like buying socks: You can’t just go to the ‘website store’ and pick one up on your way home from the getting groceries. But, it doesn’t have to be confusing or difficult, either. All it takes is some preparation. Start by asking yourself these three types of questions:

1. What do I need and want?
2. How soon do I need it?
3. How much am I willing to invest?

Discovery: What do I need and want?

It was hot in Guelph last week. Seriously hot. It was hot enough that I stayed late at the air-conditioned Letter M World Headquarters to try and beat the heat. As a result, I needed something to eat, so I decided venture downtown to one of my favourite restaurants.

“Traditional yet modern.”

“Consistent but different.”

“Audience ranging from 18-80.”

“Business in the front, party in the back.”

A mullet. An oxymoron.

Sometimes making smart marketing choices means taking a leap of faith. It means getting out of your comfort zone every once in a while and trying something different. It means not doing something just because everyone else is, but because it makes strategic sense. Making smart marketing choices means trusting your agency – but it also means trusting your gut.

Think of marketing that appeals to you, usually it’s not the safe and conservative choice. So don’t be afraid to take a risk once in a while.

I came across this graphic the other day entitled, "How would you like your graphic design?" 

Ideally on both. Define the product in clear, concise and memorable statements that make a huge and unique splash. Pair that with a graphic, photo or layout that grabs attention, pumps the product off the page, sets the exact mood and is talked about. Perfection.

But perhaps you don’t have the dollars to hire a creative team to brainstorm taglines or a multi-message platform. Perhaps focus groups to test messaging are a fantasy. Maybe hiring a professional photographer to get “just the right picture” is over-the-moon. What’s to be done?

Life is all about choices. Admittedly, some things are beyond our control. But the choices we make every day have a tremendous impact on our lives.

It’s not easy to make good choices and follow through on them – it’s hard work. But the results are well worth it. Here are three steps to making better choices in life:

We all want to be the best, stand out, create a lasting and powerful impression. Be all we can be, so to speak.

It is seemingly counterintuitive to think that creating anything less than the highest quality marketing is the right thing to do for your brand. But this month, we are going to explore that instinct and look at situations where the “gold plan” is not necessarily the best choice.