Archive for the ‘Marketing’ Category

What’s the Value of Facebook? Three perspectives, all related.

Thursday, May 17th, 2012

advertise on facebook

Facebook had 901 million monthly active users at the end of the first quarter this year. That’s impressive.

Let me focus on three issues: Tomorrow’s IPO, the Branding/Advertising platform and Business Strategy. I wear three hats: Investor, Branding Consultant and Business Strategist. (more…)

Why Lawyers Wear Suits

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

suit-tshirt

Baker Botts LLP has just taken the lead in Houston. The city’s third largest law firm has formally adopted a return to a traditional dress code. The casual dress code may be a passing fad, but
(more…)

CBS radio interview on marketing and branding.

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

Steven Sessions was invited to be interviewed by Chris Kelso on Talk Radio 650AM in Houston Texas to discuss Marketing. This is the full transcript of the live broadcast on June 8, 2011.

live interview on marketing and branding

(Welcome to “The Price of Business,” I’m your host Chris Kelso, we appreciate your tuning in to “Talk 650” powered by CBS radio, right now, someone I really, really want to talk to is Steven Sessions with the Sessions Group – Steven how you doing?) “Good Chris, thank you for inviting me.”

(Let me ask you to tell our listeners (more…)

Companies raised their marketing spending in this last recession and saw sales increase.

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

marketing-budgeting-300x193

When should a company increase marketing spending? Most companies during a recession think it is wise to reduce marketing budgets to save money, and the drop has been extreme as spending plunged 12.3% — the largest annual drop ever, more than three times more severe than the next worst drop of 3.9% in 1991.

But 26 of the top 100 marketers bucked the trend and boosted 2009 . 70% of those spending more saw a U.S. sales increase – double the success rate of those who reduced their spending according to (more…)

Outperform the market.

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

In today’s marketplace a Brand is one of the very very few sustainable competitive advantages a company can own. Credit Suisse research shows an index of companies spending at least (more…)

After all the news about the Toyota vehicle recall, what do you think?

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

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The significance of a logo redesign.

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

Is The Detroit Lions Logo Change Appropriate?

President Obama said it was time for change. And apparently the beleaguered Detroit Lions got the message. At a news conference April 20, 2009 the Lions announced that they changed their Logo from the one they’ve had since 1961. And it’s a good thing they told us they changed it, because if they hadn’t, it’s doubtful anyone would’ve noticed. Of course, Lions president Tom Lewand also admitted the obvious saying that this won’t turn around the team’s image unless the team improves on the football field. That said, a change in visual identity could serve as a powerful signal for change on the field and can motivate and encourage fan support. It’s an important clue. No other initiative offers more promise in enabling business transformation than effective branding. The key word however, is “effective.” By accurately defining the new company position, expressing it consistently through all marketing materials and forming tight alignment across the organization, it will: (more…)

Hello!

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

Welcome! Enjoy our blog. Who are we? We’re a team of professionals experienced at creating Branding and Marketing designed to increase both sales and business valuation for clients. The SessionsGroup has achieved over 25 years of established credibility in the planning, design and production of corporate communications materials. We apply our creativity within a strategic framework and have demonstrated all the qualities necessary for creating effective branding, marketing and advertising. And in response to numerous requests, we’ve started this blog. We hope to have the time to post, and that our posts are all interesting. We’ll also post a few of our articles previously published in business papers and magazines, if relevant.

Unique window of opportunity today for smart community banks.

Friday, November 7th, 2008
Originally published in the Houston Business Journal, November 7, 2008

The catastrophe brutalizing the banking industry is at the forefront of both the news and main street conversations around the world. A Gallup survey measuring consumer confidence in banks taken in late September showed an unprecedented drop from 40% in mid-July and is the lowest level in thirty years. Only 21% of consumers polled are confident in U.S. banks today. This erosion of confidence (more…)

Bank mergers and competition.

Thursday, June 29th, 2006
Originally published by the American Bankers Association, June 2004, also published by the Brandchannel and the Houston Business Journal. It was also published by several Asian websites and the Belgian Management and Marketing Association.

Wachovia Corp. has agreed to purchase competitor SouthTrust Corp. Hibernia Corporation acquired Coastal Bancorp, Inc. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. is cleared to absorb Bank One Corp.

Whew! Banking is no longer boring.

The Chase merger will form the second-largest bank in the United States, with $1.12 trillion in assets. For Chase, this requires a significant investment in new signage, business cards, letterhead, envelopes, displays, imprints on about 51 million credit cards, etc. There will be employee issues and expenses as well.

And consider the thousands of other banks providing the same service: How will they compete? How can they compete? (more…)