Question

Topic: Taglines/Names

Newsletter Name Needed - Brainstorm

Posted by Anonymous on 1/28/2013 at 8:01 PM ET 250 Points
I am looking for a creative and witty name for my company newsletter. I have a million ideas and nothing that is jumping out or I think I will like long term. Our company is moving in a new direction and this newsletter will be the tool we use to help prepare our customers and move us where we want to be.

Company Name: BACM Consultants, Inc. "B-A-C-M" stands for Business Analysis & Change Management. One of our main taglines is "We Provide (complete) Solutions." A full description would be: "We offer complete solutions to help companies improve efficiency and productivity, reduce overhead, utilize systems and technology fully and improve their overall business operations."

Our customers are primarily Field Service type of companies - Elevator, AC, Plumbing, etc... - companies with office and field technicians. Fast-Paced, No-Bull, Just-need-it-to-work type of companies. We focus on making everything work optimally. We take a hands-on approach to our customers and work for them as we would our own company.

Here is the email I used to describe our newsletter and get people to sign up:

***<Start E-Mail>***
Our newsletter is going to be a compilation of various tools, tips and articles that will help business owners and employees improve their operations and learn more about things that will impact them. Some of the features you will find are:

Carmen’s Two Cents – Very profound stuff will be imparted. (Not sure of this title - basically letter from president or letter from CEO)

Best Practices/Free (Unsolicited) Advice – Best practices from business experts that are PRACTICAL & USEFUL.

Total Tip – Free “Secret” regarding Total Service that you will hopefully be able to use. (BACM is an expert in this software. We are considered better than the programmers b/c we understand the program AND have personal knowledge of the industry. So we combine the best processes to use it fully.)

WEBINAR Schedule – BACM will be providing REGULAR training sessions for Total Service. Topics and schedule and how to sign up will be listed.

Payroll/Financial News – News that affects your pocket and your bottom line.

Tech Note – Tech tips, advice, articles regarding your IT environment. Good advice for those who have to wear an IT hat every now and then.

Customer Spotlight – Showcase of one of BACM’s client’s. Chance to find out more about your fellow peers in the industry or just about another company and how they use a product or do something.

DON’T MISS THIS EXCITEMENT!! SIGN UP NOW – https://eepurl.com/rp1uT. You can also sign up on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bacminc.
****<End of Email>****
The parts in () are not part of the original e-mail. Any advice on the above descriptions or headlines will be welcomed as well. :)

We are developing a new website. Here is a link to the beta version: https://www.bacmconsultants.com/joomla/ Our existing site is the same without the /joomla/ part. You can also check out our Facebook or Google+ page if you want.

So... hopefully that is enough information to understand our company. NOW... regarding the newsletter name - I am swimming in a million ideas! I want something CLEVER, maybe a play on words, that will be memorable but not cheesy and hopefully put a smile on the reader's face. We are not a stuffy company so I don't think I want the word "Executive" in it.

Here some some top qualities/ideas I like to emphasize:
Personal
Realistic, Practical
Solid
Complete
YES, CAN - Anything is possible
Helping
Honest
Change - Not bad, leads to improvement
Flexible - We work around you
Authentic
Going Extra Mile
"We *know* your business" (practical experience)
Unique, Custom for your business
Best Practices Used
Principled
Making it Happen
Don't settle for "No"
Streamlined

Here are some TOP words/ideas (other than above) I like but can't seem to make work:
Results
Solutions
Expectations – Raising, Exceeding, Beyond…
Focus
Puzzle – Bringing all the pieces of the puzzle together (I really like the puzzle analogy but can't think how to make it work)
Ascend - Above & Beyond, Next Level, Higher, etc...
Building Blocks
Think Outside the Box
Proven
Simple
Common Sense
Order to Chaos
Top “B” Word – Buzz
"BUZZ" got shot down b/c my colors are black and yellow and I thought it would associate too much with bees but it might work.

Although it might seem like I have a ton of ideas I really don't. The problem is I can't find something that can work for all the parts of the newsletter or all the parts of my company.

I should stop b/c you probably have already stopped reading because of all the babble. btw - I did think of that but no one liked it but me. :) Also thought of "Blah","blabla" and "blank" to everyone's disapproval (including mine probably).

*******************************************
HELP!!!! Please brainstorm. I am not creative but I have been thinking of nothing but this for the entire weekend. I've read a ton of articles and seen tons of examples of creativity out there. Inspiration is just not coming and I'm exhausted from information overload. I am confident there are some great ideas out there. A play on words, Contrasting Words, Acronyms, Latin/Greek Phrases, Made-up Words, etc... Anything is possible.

Please, ANY ideas at all would be welcomed at this time.

Thank you in advance!!
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by mgoodman on 1/28/2013 at 8:25 PM Accepted
    Too much information. Your "question" is more than 850 words!

    Focus on the objective and on your target audience. What are you trying to communicate to the target audience about the newsletter (or about the company, for that matter). Forget about what YOU "think I will like long term," and focus instead on what you want your target audience to take away. (What YOU like is irrelevant.)

    Here's a way to think about this: How will you evaluate our suggested names? What criteria will you use to pick a winner? If you were writing a Creative Brief (maximum 200-250 words), what would be in it?
  • Posted by Moriarty on 1/28/2013 at 8:43 PM Member
    Just a quickie as it is after midnight and I am done with copy for one night. Chileans sleep late.

    You say "We offer complete solutions to help companies improve efficiency and productivity, reduce overhead, utilize systems and technology fully and improve their overall business operations."

    What do you offer, specifically? What sorts of efficiency and productivity do you offer? Because I can do all that practically from where I sit here in Luneburg. The concepts you convey are vague in the extreme - and this is the root of the problem here.

    To back up the above answer: what direct offer can you make to a potential customer.

    "We offer you a 25% saving in logistics costs within three months"

    When you have determined what your business does - who it does it for - and the end result - then you can work out what kind of client suits you best. That is when you can offer them what they need. That is when your tagline begins to have bite.
  • Posted on 1/29/2013 at 10:18 AM Author
    Thank you for your comments. This was my first time to post something and I wasn't sure how to post the request so it turned into more of a stream of consciousness than a concise question or even an accurate portrayal of what we are trying to accomplish. Your comments and questions though were great and put into words a lot of what was in my thought process. I'm not sure how to just write a little when I'm trying to fully explain our situation which is unique I believe. To answer some of these questions:

    Existing consulting company is launching a newsletter for its customers and peers in the field service industry; specifically the elevator and hvac/mechanical industry.

    Who will read my newsletter? - Business owners and office employees of field service companies. Most will use a software program called "Total Service" that is a dispatch and accounting software. The company that makes this and supports this has very bad customer service and the program itself can be cumbersome. Customers/Users struggle to use it and do not use it to its fullest. Due to the nature of the business, the office employees and owners are very busy and often have to multi-task on demand. The challenge they face is getting the job done in the most efficient way possible and hopefully using the systems and tools they have at their disposal.

    What makes us different than the makers of the Total Service program? What is our "sweet spot"? What do we offer customers they can't find anywhere else? Our "sweet spot" is that we have been in their shoes and know exactly the challenges they face. BACM's owner worked in the industry and started out as a dispatcher in the office dealing with all the same challenges these companies now face. Carmen (owner) worked for a large OEM Elevator Company creating and supporting the internal system and work-flow processes for over 30 different companies/offices. She then worked for a startup elevator company which is now nationwide. At this last company she implemented and supported the Total Service program which most of the readers of our newsletter will be using. She established the work flow processes and learned all aspects of the program. Now at her own company she partners with the makers of this software and does all the implementations for new elevator companies. Our advantage is we can understand the problem or issue a user is having and can truly help. We can incorporate best practices and focus on improving the processes to use the program more efficiently. We don't just give a "how-to" regarding the application like the IT support company would. We also know, very well, all aspects of the company - from dispatching to accounting. We can talking financials with the CEO or talk dispatching with the admin in the office. "Translator" is a word I used to describe what I did once - someone who worked between business and programmers communicating back and forth for them. I speak both languages and can deliver what businesses truly want. We constantly are putting ourselves in our customer's shoes and always try to see things from their perspective.

    We offer experience, proven processes, personal service and support, fast responses and expert knowledge of the Total Service program AND the industries it is used in.

    Why would someone read our newsletter? The answer to that is to find advice and tips on improving their business and learning more about things that directly impact them. They read it because we "know our stuff" and are considered an expert on best practices due to our extensive experience with so many field service companies (100+). We can truly empathize with them and based on our experience and reputation we are genuine and credible. Carmen is often called on by companies asking to "pick her brain" on an issue or problem they have. Business owners who are struggling will call on BACM to help them identify the problem and offer suggestions for improvement. Also, someone would read our newsletter to stay connected so when industry conventions take place or we meet in person they will be up-to-date on our company. Many customers and prospects feel they "know" BACM as a personal friend and someone who can truly help them. Being Carmen has worked with so many companies she does know many people in the industry and they often want a piece of her time.

    The typical company BACM deals with and targets are small-to-medium businesses. Many are mom-and-pop type companies who started off small and have grown faster than expected. Many owners started out as technicians and mechanics in the field who went on to start their own companies. They often do not have formal business training and often do not have time to understand all the pieces and feel "lost" as to what the solution is. They need direction and someone (BACM) to make everything work the way it should.

    BACM - We offer COMPLETE solutions. We recommend practical solutions unique to the company and the issues they are facing. Our advice is considered "the best" and a company can verify that through our reputation and the fact that all our customers right now are from word-of-mouth and their peers.


    **** Urg - I don't know how to write short. I'm not writing to my customers but to you and I am just trying to convey the true nature and benefit of BACM. Sorry!! So... any suggestions on a name for the newsletter? :):)
  • Posted on 1/29/2013 at 1:57 PM Author
    @PhilGrisolia4Results - Thank You!!

    Plans are to have it very concise and to the point. I apologize for rambling aimlessly and writing a novel. I was writing as I would talk and brainstorm with someone. I understand this is not how I should have posted this topic and my request for help.

    I was thinking a tagline like "A newsletter by BACM Consultants, Inc." could go under the title/name for it.

    I have no ego to want my name in the newsletter name or the topics. I don't like "Carmen's Two Cents" but I also don't like "Letter from President" or "Letter from CEO". Maybe once the name comes, the headings for the sections will come.

    I agree about no self promotion. The intent of the newsletter is to be all articles and info relevant to a business and the person reading it. We might put a link to a special or service at the very end of it but that would be all.

    I really do appreciate your candid comments and advice. THANKS!!
  • Posted by Moriarty on 1/29/2013 at 2:53 PM Accepted
    Carmen - firstly an apology because I haven't given your thoughtful piece any justice. In mitigation I was on a train for six hours and feel trashed.

    Let's forget all the self-promotion stuff. None of us needs it, and you say as much. What you need is something that speaks to your customers. To whit I will give you an example. Because on the train home I met a lady from Berlin whose husband is involved with building the new airport. I recognized the problem in a flash - it was something I had written about several weeks ago.

    The point is that your experience will allow you to speak not about yourself, but the people you meet. So tell their stories. Just as I will be once I have cooked my evening meal. Oh, and people don't want info. They want - for want of a better word - entertainment. In any case, info is boring, stories are a way to get the message across in a way that is both entertaining and engaging.

    You have a natural writing style too - only keep the sentences a little punchier (it makes them easier to read). You can try the Flesch-Kincaid test that you can find somewhere on Microsoft Word and yours came out at grade 9.9 (age 15). Ideally it should be age 10-11 and this makes things a lot easier to read (= a brain deadened Moriarty!).

    TAGLINES & Co.

    BACM - to you it is like BMW. Few Americans will know that it stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke (or some such German drivel). Just accept that you are known as ... BACM for whatever reason. If that is how your clients know you, fine. If not, throw it. Jay is right, it means nothing. If it means anything to your customers keep it. It is no worse than Cosco.

    So for the time being, let's keep it. How about

    BACM in action
    - out in the wild
    - coaxing businesses down from trees.

    Any good? It's dinnertime this side of the Atlantic. M xxx

    A footnote on Brainstorming. It is an art, and one that is particularly badly used by all those who don't understand art. You need a theme - and you need people who can think in terms of themes. I always relate it to bread. Flour, yeast, salt and a little oil. Yet there are hundreds of different breads. Only add an egg instead of the yeast and you have batter - so one detail makes for a real change in how it all works. It's the same with brainstorming: you need a focus and not just wild ideas (although they are useful if you have reached a dead-end). Hope this helps.

  • Posted by SteveByrneMarketing on 1/29/2013 at 9:26 PM Accepted
    "I am looking for a creative and witty name for my company newsletter ... Our company is moving in a new direction ... "

    Why not name the newsletter "New Directions"?

  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 1/29/2013 at 9:40 PM Accepted
    To The Point
    No Fluff News
    Time For Change
  • Posted by Moriarty on 1/30/2013 at 9:06 AM Accepted
    BACM Solutions - Supports small businesses.

    Viewpoint. What a small business needs in tough times.

    BACM Latest. Solutions for small businesses.

    BACM Newsletter. Practical solutions for the SME

    BACM Newsletter - sensible talk for the SME

    Pick and mix! M xx

  • Posted on 2/3/2013 at 1:05 PM Author
    Thank you so much for all your comments and frank advice. You have given me a lot to think about and I appreciate it immensely. This site is awesome!!! Thanks again!!

    Have a great day!
    Carmen
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