Revelation

The Russo G r oup is a b r a nd i ng a nd i n t eg r a t ed ma r ket i ng a genc y f oc used on RE SU LTS.

THE NEWSLETTER OF
THE RUSSO GROUP
VOLUME ONE - NUMBER SIX

Economic Revelations
IN THIS ISSUE:
FEATURE ARTICLE: Staying the course
Strong brands understand the difference between transactional and relational consumers.
Transactional consumers have no loyalty, and chances are, never will.

RUSSO PROFILE
According to Business Development Director, Kassi Guidry, “At Russo, we look for companies
that are forward thinking, and are truly good at what they do. Regardless of the industry,
if a company or organization does not have good business practices, and deliver
a strong product consistently, no amount of branding or marketing will save them.”

A RUSSO RESULTS CASE STUDY: No. 00298-08

Brand Management: Navigation Electronics, Inc.

GALLERY R DOWNTOWN SPOTLIGHT

Gallery R, located in the Russo building in the heart of downtown Lafayette,
is committed to the work of both emerging and established local artists
throughout South Louisiana.

Next month’s featured artist – Coby Cox

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S TAY I N G T H E C O U R S E

Maintaining your brand through difficult times

Chances are good that you’ve noticed the recent changes in our economy. Perhaps it’s the queasy feeling you got this morning as you filled
up your car with gas, or maybe it’s the nightly news that works very hard to terrorize us all with forecasts of doom. Either way, we have all
felt the pinch these last few months with no real end in sight. It is during these times that special attention must be paid to maintaining the
integrity of your brand. Unfortunately though, most businesses forget about their commitment to building and maintaining brand equity
and head directly into crisis mode.

Crisis mode generally results in discounts, sales and an attempt to attract transactional customers. While this may help to maintain the
status quo, it won’t lead to long term gains. More importantly, you begin to slowly water down your message, losing the relational clients
you have worked so hard for. This loss of brand loyalty is difficult if not impossible to regain once it is gone.

Continued Next Page

A Brand Evolution From The Russo Group :

Initial Corporate ID Options Approved Corporate ID

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Staying the Course... CONTINUED

Think about it. Has your product or service declined in value since yesterday? No, of course not? Well then, why would you even think of
not charging what your product or service is worth? Your brand is worth more than that, and it is vital that both you and your customers
regard it as such. Truth be told, once you head down the road of price point marketing, you will soon find yourself chasing after a dog
that will never be caught.

Strong brands understand the difference between transactional and relational consumers. Transactional consumers are going to drive
to the end of the Earth, or at least the State Line, to get the lowest price (please disregard the amount of gas and time spent on this
transaction). They will always make you work harder for less. Relational consumers on the other hand, will always want YOUR brand
because of the promises you have made regarding quality, service, and overall awesomeness. They provide you with both loyalty and,
wait for it – advocacy, the single most powerful form of advertising available. They rarely look for the best bargain, but rather, the best
quality. These are the customers we all want.

Remember, your promise is your brand – and as soon as you begin

slashing prices you lose credibility.

If you are an avid reader of our writings here at Russo, you’ll notice that we talk about advocacy and results quite a bit. The reason?
They are what we strive for with every branded touchpoint we develop. They are also unattainable as soon as you lose focus on your
core promise and begin discounting the value of your product or service. Remember, your promise is your brand – and as soon as you
begin slashing prices you lose credibility. So, before you run to the weekly paper and begin announcing the fire sale, think about the
ramifications of those actions. Yes, there may still be difficult times ahead, but those who stay the course and remain true to their promise,
will find their brand is not only intact, but stronger than ever.

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INSIDE - R NEWS

HOW TO MAKE YOUR BRAND WORK HARDER IN TOUGH TIMES

In an economic downturn the visual expression of your brand is one of its most powerful forms of communication. A skilful marketing

agency can make the brand tangible and express powerful sales messages in the most compelling way. For them to be effective it is

important to involve your agency in the whole strategic branding process, giving them an understanding of the big picture and your

business objectives. (Click here to read more)

BRANDING IN A RECESSION

Even in cases where the brand sees its sales falling, brand custodians need to be careful before announcing a price off. If market share

is constant and sales are lower than normal it’s possibly not a great cause for concern as it is likely that competition too is hurting. If

market share is falling due to competitors discounting their brand excessively it may be a good idea to avoid discounting. No one wins

a discounting battle and the brand that avoids it may just come out stronger because the competition’s brand equity has eroded due to

their excessive discounting. (Click here to read more)

BRANDING ON A SHOESTRING

The two approaches to managing your brand during these times are: 1) Cut back, wait out the recession, spend money on branding

when there’s extra in the pot; or 2) Full steam ahead, strike while the field is sparse. Carve out or reinforce a strong brand identity now

while the landscape is empty. So which of these two approaches do the brand managers apply? We talked to several across-industry

sectors and everyone seemed to agree, at least in theory, that branding is not just a patina to be applied during times of growth. It’s

a constant maintenance job. Nurture it and you’ll always be safe; dismiss it and you’ll start to see the immediate effects of decay and

neglect. (Click here to read more)

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RUSSO PROFILE

Kassi Guidry, Business Development Director

As a Marketing Consultant in radio broadcasting, Kassi was responsible for identifying new business
opportunities throughout a diverse market place. This experience of working with multiple industries,
as well as her belief in building strong and lasting relationships, made her an ideal fit to head up
Business Development at Russo.

More than acquiring new business for Russo, Kassi works to find good matches for the agency to
partner with. These partnerships come from a mutual belief that strong brands produce long lasting results.

How would you describe an ideal prospect?

Surprisingly, it’s not everyone. At Russo, we look for companies that are forward thinking, and are truly good at what they do. Regardless of
the industry, if a company or organization does not have good business practices, and deliver a strong product consistently, no amount of
branding or marketing will save them.

Here, the branding process begins before we even meet. Just as you would carefully consider hiring an agency, we also take who we work
for very seriously. We begin by taking a hard look at the exterior of a potential client’s operations, products, services, competition and
communications. Most importantly though, we want to see how a potential client’s brand is viewed and thought of by those who matter most
– the consumer and the general public. This preliminary research gives us a foundation to begin the conversation, with an understanding of
where we are, and where we need to go.

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A RUSSO RE SULTS C A SE STUDY: No. 00298 - 08

NAVIGATION ELECTRONICS, INC. Brand Management

Background: Navigation Electronics came to Russo five years ago with a single need – new business cards. In that initial
meeting, we discovered a strong, family run company with unlimited potential. So yes, we were able to help them with their
business card need, as well as a brand unification plan that helped bring focus and direction to their marketing efforts. Since
that time, we have worked closely with NEI’s leadership to maintain their branding, while being pro-active towards emerging
needs as the company continues to grow.

WHEN IT COMES TO TRIMBLE - THINK NEI! ®

NEW USED RENTALS SERVICE

INFO INFO INFO INFO

NAVIGATION ELECTRONICS, INC.

800.949.1446
www.neigps.com

Mike Nitska Product Guide

Rental Coordinator / Trimble Survey Product Specialist

30° 13´ 45˝ N 92° 03´ 33˝ W

Navigation Electronics, Inc.
200 Toledo Drive t Lafayette, LA 70506
NEI REPAIRS – Since its beginning in 1988, NEI has FINANCIAL SERVICES
Phone: 337.237.1413 been the source for reliable personal equipment repair and
service. We have provided qualified service for an extremely NEI has partnered with Trimble Financial Services to bring you the best opportunity to take advantage
Fax:
At 337.237.1417
NEI, we believe in one thing - wide range of products from conventional instruments to of the best equipment and systems available. This insures you get the best financial leverage possible.

meeting
Toll Free:the needs of our customers.
800.949.1446
the latest electronics; from repair and calibrating of GPS
to repairing lasers and robotics. Cable repairs to board
We offer a variety of competitive, creative and flexible programs to help make your business bigger,
better and stronger!
level surface mount components are also some of the

Authorized Trimble Dealer Cell: 337.326.8067

It has been the key to our success over the years, and we take immense pride in wide variety of repairs we have performed. RENTALS
We have experienced technicians, great customer
GPS, GIS, Survey mike_nitska@neigps.com
continuing that reputation. service and excellent turnaround times. Need one more component to complete a job ahead of schedule? Want to get experience with those
components? Are you in an unpredictable boom or bust segment of the economy?
Sales Service Rentals Training www.neigps.com TRAINING – NEI offers a variety
If you are looking to fill temporary equipment needs with no large capital outlay, NEI has you covered.
of options designed to meet your
We have a variety of product rentals to choose from risk free!
We accomplish this by making sure schedule and training needs. Whether
it’s customized training at one of our
each and every transaction is handled personally. locations, electronic learning, or on-site
training, you can rest assured you will be
AVAILABLE FOR RENTAL

learning from the industry’s best.
Our entire team,
CUSTOM CASES – One benefit many of
from our technicians to our sales staff, our customers are unaware of, is our in-house
custom storage box department. Here we
believe in this philosophy, design and fabricate storage boxes for just
about any need. These boxes carry the same
and it is implemented in everything we do. quality our customers have come to expect in
our other departments.
• Trimble GPS Survey Grade Systems
(Land Survey & Marine Survey)
• Trimble GPS Mapping Grade Systems
• Trimble Total Stations
• Data Collectors
• Radios
• Office Software
• Surveying & Mapping Accessories

As an Official Trimble Distributor, we offer mapping, marine, surveying and infastructure solutions.

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CONTACT THE RUSSO GROUP

We would love to hear from you, whether you’re ready to jump right in, or you need to learn a little more about us. Perhaps you
just need someone to talk to. We’re good at that too. Either way, we look forward to speaking with you about your needs, and getting to
work on producing RESULTS.

Phone: 337.769.1530 • Fax: 337.769.1531 • E-mail: info@therussogroup.com

116 East Congress Street Lafayette, Louisiana 70501

Website: www.TheRussoGroup.com

Editor-in-Chief / Creative Director: Michael J. Russo • Art Director: Gary LoBue Jr

REVELATION is published in 12 issues yearly by The Russo Group • Copyright © 2008 The Russo Group

N E X T MONTH AT GALLE RY R DOWNTOWN

opposition (op•po•si•tion) n.
1. the action of opposing, resisting, or combating; antagonism or hostility
Coby Cox
opposition

Downtown ArtWalk | July 12, 2008

(op•po•si•tion) n.

This month, Gallery R will be featuring the work of painter Coby Cox. The show, entitled “OPPOSITION,” will feature
selections of Cox’s newest work, which focuses on capturing the most elusive aspects of human nature; aspects
that are observable both internally and externally, though in simultaneous contradiction. Cox, a native of Lubbock,
Texas, and current resident of Lafayette and New Orleans, explains his work as recurrent images reconsidered as an
exploration of the nuanced nature of relationships and the impossibility of form and content acting in unison. While
the images may be symbolically suggestive, the symbols relied on are meant to define ironic relationships reliant on
contrast - the organic shape of anatomy wedded to the stylized line of machine. What is latently vulnerable about that
which is manifested as hideous, what is blatantly destructive about that which is perceived to heal.

AT THE RUSSO GROUP

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