Rebel Nell Partners with Coeus Creative Group to Expand Social Impact

Detroit, Michigan – Rebel Nell, the socially conscious jewelry company empowering women, has partnered with Coeus Creative Group, an international talent development agency with a focus on driving social impact. The collaboration aims to expand Rebel Nell’s reach and amplify its mission to create sustainable change for marginalized communities.

Rebel Nell was founded in 2013 with the goal of providing underserved women a route to self-sufficiency and equitable opportunity in the City of Detroit. The company repurposes graffiti and other materials into unique, one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces, with proceeds going towards supporting the women artisans who make them. Rebel Nell has since grown into a social enterprise that provides job training, education, and holistic support to its employees.

Coeus Creative Group is a mission-driven agency that partners with corporate and non-profit organizations to improve their behaviors and achieve success. The agency is committed to using its expertise to drive behavioral change and increase people’s and organization’s ability to transform the way they communicate, lead, and grow.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Coeus Creative Group to further our mission of empowering women in Detroit and beyond,” said Amy Peterson, co-founder and CEO of Rebel Nell. “Their experience and passion for developing meaningful training workshops will help us reach new audiences and raise awareness for our important work.”

Through this partnership, Rebel Nell and Coeus Creative Group will work together to offer engaging executive and team-focused training sessions that help improve and foster cohesion and high-performance cultures, all while creating sustainable impact. The collaboration will include a co-branded mural experience that allow participants to create intentional art pieces that can be turned into wearable reminders, increasing awareness and driving sales that support Rebel Nell’s mission.

“We are honored to partner with Rebel Nell and help amplify their incredible work,” said Jay Johnson, co-founder and CEO of Coeus Creative Group. “Our team is passionate about using our skills to create positive change, and we believe that Rebel Nell’s mission aligns perfectly with our values.”

The partnership between Rebel Nell and Coeus Creative Group is a testament to the power of collaboration to create sustainable change and drive impact for marginalized communities.

• For more information about Rebel Nell, please visit https://www.rebelnell.com/
• For more information about Coeus Creative Group, please visit https://www.coeuscreativegroup.com/

Contact:

• Amy Peterson, Rebel Nell, amy@rebelnell.com (313) 288-8825
• Jay Johnson, Coeus Creative Group, jay@coeuscreativegroup.com (313) 802-1602

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For anyone who participates in training with us, works with our marketing division, or simply has a conversation with one of our team members, you will hear the term Behavioral Intelligence. It’s the foundation of our company and it guides everything we do. With that said, you might be wondering what it exactly means. Through years of research, more than a decade of application, and collaboration with professionals in psychology, neuroscience, and communication disciplines, Coeus Creative Group has redefined this space.

Behavioral Intelligence is the application of skills and abilities to accurately explain existing behaviors, predict future behaviors, influence other people’s behaviors, and control your own behavior. Four easy-to-remember categories we describe as “EPIC,” but there is a lot to unpack here.

A Brief History

Behavioral Intelligence made its debut in military strategy. Its application to discern the root causes of intentions and actions of enemy combatants. This type of intel was invaluable for special ops and strategy planning. There were a number of technologies developed to track and analyze behavioral data points to support these military efforts. Like most technologies, these later became commercialized for use in tracking consumer behaviors across digital landscapes.

It wasn’t long after that researchers and talent development practitioners started toying with Behavioral Intelligence as a means for understanding self and others. Some of the work was good, some not so much. Much of it was academic and had no real application value. Mostly, it relied on psychology as its main driver. However, it was not easily accessible to those without advanced knowledge or experience. Unlike Emotional Intelligence, it did not generate mainstream interest nor widespread adoption as a tool for understanding self or others. Behavioral Intelligence remained in the shadows of Emotional Intelligence, which was made popular by Daniel Goleman.

We’ll Take It From Here…

In 2014, Coeus began developing a model that was more inclusive, more robust, and easier to access for the general population. We used the foundational discipline of psychology, but also included the disciplines of applied communication and neuroscience to round out a more holistic interpretation of Behavioral Intelligence. While a small handful of organizations began using the term, it remained mostly unheard of and unpopular until our TEDx talk in 2018 brought it to the attention of nearly 2 million people worldwide.

From that point forward, Behavioral Intelligence was no longer to be the long-lost ugly cousin that no one wanted to invite to the party. Now, there are a number of articles such as one in Forbes titled, “Why Behavioral Intelligence is the New Black for Marketers.” It’s a great article if you have not seen it although it has a narrow focus on digital technologies. Our team especially liked the idea of it being the “new trend” given we have been using our model to help our marketing clients for the past five years with exceptional success. So, what is it about our model that drives marketing results and human performance? Let me break it down.

A Deeper Dive into The Coeus Creative Group Behavioral Intelligence Model

Our 4 easy to remember categories (Explain, Predict, Influence, and Control) establish an internal and external awareness of behavioral meaning, coupled with a framework for internal and external behavioral modification strategies. Let’s take a look at each of the categories and how they interact to establish Behavioral Intelligence as a means for growth and development.

Explain –

This category is the base level and supports all of the other categories. The ability to accurately explain behavior is complex. There are a number of factors that drive behavior, such as emotions (which is why Behavioral Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence are related), brain functions, genetics, culture, environment, and motivational drivers to name a few.

Awareness of these and other factors offer a framework for understanding, but we still have to collect information to apply the knowledge. This is where observation of particular body language cues, listening to speech patterns, analyzing behavioral data for digital sources, and other mining tools come into play. Through these human and technological means, we can discern a variety of different behaviors and use these to predict future behaviors, influence other people’s behaviors, and control our own behaviors.

Predict –

This category relies on patterns of behaviors, habit formation, and applying the base level explanations to a deductive process that gives insight into future actions. Through these applied skills and abilities, future behaviors are often easily predictable. In fact, humans have a built-in capacity to make these deductions naturally. With the help of Behavioral Intelligence, it gets scary how accurate we can be in our prediction models.

For example, if you know that your work colleague suffers from low self-esteem and lashes out when his ego is under attack, you can anticipate his reaction when the new hire begins to threaten his standing with the company. Now that you can predict what will happen, you can insert an influence mechanism to mitigate the harmful effects of his response. Predictions such as these are useful in business in forecasting the impact of organizational changes, hiring results, leadership potential, and consumer behavior.

One thing to note; sometimes humans can act outside of their behavioral norms and be completely unpredictable. In these cases, we “autopsy” a failed prediction to see newly visible markers or an alternative behavioral factor that was previously unrecognized. This helps to refine future predictions and models.

Influence –

This is where we become masters of persuasion, sales, negotiations, and marketing. By understanding the genesis of people’s behaviors and being able to explain what drives them, we can employ an influence tactic that truly gets to the inner fibers of their very being. Matching a well-structured communication message to the intrinsic drive of another person is incredibly effective at delivering positive results.

Using the foundations of rhetorical communication theories, influence tools (as made popular by Robert Cialdini’s groundbreaking research), and practical applications of a myriad of persuasion methodologies, we can see how Behavioral Intelligence sets the stage for influence to not only be more effective, but faster in its application.

With influence strategies, we are particularly sensitive to the ethical application of persuasion. As the friendly neighborhood Spiderman once said, “with great power comes great responsibility.” These tools are not to be taken lightly and should only be employed with an ethical approach. Influence can quickly become manipulation in the wrong hands, use its power wisely.

Control –

This is the real power of Behavioral Intelligence. The ability to manage your behaviors – despite intrinsic motivations (or lack thereof), despite emotional urges, despite nurtured habits – is the epitome of success and failure. Behavior is a choice. How we choose to act and react to internal and external stimuli has consequences. Some of these consequences are positive in nature, while some are harmful or negative in nature.

Utilizing methods such as limbic reaction management strategies, meditation, self-awareness of behavioral triggers and cues, we can become the master of our own destinies. If we can explain why we engage in certain behaviors, predict how we will react to certain stimuli, then we can adapt and transform our behaviors. This is growing our Behavioral Intelligence, and that is the core of what we do at Coeus Creative Group.

Coeus Creative Group’s Application of Behavioral Intelligence

Our vision is to be the leader in Behavioral Intelligence globally, and we are well on our way. We have delivered keynotes, trainings, workshops, and lectures in more than 30 countries; consulted organizations on the development of a Behaviorally Intelligent performance culture stretching from Main street to Wall Street; executed hundreds of marketing campaigns that have driven significant results to our clients across government, nonprofit, and corporate sectors; empowered thousands of leaders to improve their Behavioral Intelligence, giving them the tools to empower their followers and constituents; and we have even developed a proprietary assessment that helps people to understand their own behavioral preferences.

You can take our free, Quick Behavioral Elements Assessment and learn your primary behavioral preference. Interested in going deeper? We offer a full assessment at the lowest price on the market for a growth and performance tool of this type. The investment is $30 USD and you receive a detailed 15-page report with your personal rankings in each elemental preference. If you are curious about all of your behavioral preferences, take the Behavioral Elements – Full Assessment.

Our Behavioral Elements Program also has a number of products and tools, such as our Behavioral Planner System, designed to help people transform their behaviors. We continue to innovate new solutions and services in our effort to lead a behavioral revolution.

Why? Because we believe that helping people understand their behaviors is a means to a better world. Less conflict, better relationships, more innovation, enhanced leadership…It is all possible with the application of Behavioral Intelligence. The Coeus Team is proud of the work we do. We would love the opportunity to help you improve your own Behavioral Intelligence. Behavior is a choice and how we choose to behave impacts our success and failure. Behave intelligently, friends.

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2020 is a year that set the world ablaze – literally and figuratively. Whether you began 2020 considering yourself tech-savvy or not, COVID-19 has pushed many businesses, schools, and people to go online in a whole new way.

This year has revealed just how much social media has changed and what social media consumers truly want has become critical. To finish out 2020 as best as possible, be it running a company’s social media account, trying to expand your small business online, or simply upscale your own personal content, we are here to break down how you too, can be social media relevant.

Using Social as Brand Research

Consumer audiences are using social media for brand research in rising numbers. The use of search engines is starting to fall behind social searches in some demographics. If you don’t have an active and up-to-date social media account, you may be passed over for another competitor. Using related hashtags and locations can help customers find you in related searches before they are aware of your company.

Social budgets have also been skyrocketing. A targeted social media ad will have a much better return on investment (ROI) and data tracking than spending money on traditional print/mail advertising.

Reels

In August, Instagram released Reels, which is a dupe of TikTok. Instagram has successfully taken the format of Snapchat’s temporary vertical videos and AI, and created Stories. Over 70% of Instagram and Snapchat users watch Stories on both platforms daily and as of January 2020, there are nearly 1 billion monthly active users on Instagram.

It is much too early to tell how successful Reels will be and if it will begin to take away from TikTok’s growing number of users. Right now, Reels is not as refined and still has quite a different overall experience than TikTok.

So, if you want to jump onto this trend, gear your content to resemble that of TikTok. Keep it fun, entertaining, and use music and text elements in your video. The key is that they don’t have to be polished professional videos, they should come off as fresh and authentic.

TikTok

TikTok is a very different side of social media. It is creative, fun, and meant to be addictive. It is not meant to be used as a marketing tool though. Many marketing campaigns have been ripped to shreds in the comments, mainly because the app feels like a safe space for young creatives aside from all the marketing on other platforms.

However, some brands have found a way to leverage TikTok. Successful ads come from brands that are targeting the right audience (Gen Z), on the right platform (TikTok), and are the right brand (geared towards young people, trendy). Hollister ads on TikTok have been pretty successful due to using these three elements correctly.

However, the future for TikTok is quite tentative with the ban in India being a huge hit to the platform, as it is the second-largest audience. Alongside that, the U.S. government is currently at work to ban the app due to security concerns. TikTok is owned by the Chinese technology giant ByteDance. The company has an internal committee of the Chinese Communist Party as well as partnerships with the Ministry of Public Security and Chinese Communist Party-supported ventures in Beijing and Shanghai. This leads to concerns about China using access to steal personal data or blackmail U.S. officials.

Whether the TikTok lawsuits prevail, ownership is shifted, or it is banned, we will have to wait and see. Luckily, even if you don’t jump onto TikTok you will not miss out on all the action. There is a lot of social media overlap, so you can still reach many of the same audiences without it. Instagram has really grown and a huge group of millennials are devoted users. This is a great audience because millennials are older, buy more products, and have a larger income.

Social Responsibility & Purpose

The role of social responsibility in brands and marketing has also changed. Companies are no longer seen neutrally as only sales and marketing. People are looking for transparency and community in social media.

The idea of purpose was put to the test in 2020 through COVID-19 and social issues. Companies who are purpose-driven are shown to time and time again outperform companies that are not purpose-driven.

Purpose however is a stance backed by action, core ideology, your employees, etc. It is not simply a blanket post or statement. It is authentic, not just good PR. Brand purpose is successful when it is engrained throughout an organization.

Engagement Over Content

Look to have more one on one interaction with your customers and followers. Responding to negative complaints and positive comments can do much more for brand perception than just pushing out more content.

People will come back to a social media page where they feel valued, heard, and seen. If all you are doing is pushing products or a service without also giving value and engagement, you will lose brand loyalty in the long run.

Need Help with your Social Media Strategy?

As always, at Coeus Creative Group we are here to help you bring your brand and company to the next level. If you or your company could use help with social media strategy, planning, content curation, or having a staff or personal training in social media, please reach out to us!

Email us at info@coeuscreativegroup.com

Check out our website at https://www.coeuscreativegroup.com/

Follow our social media accounts @coeuscg

The post It’s 2020… Are you Social Media Fluent? appeared first on Coeus Creative Group, LLC.

Whether you believe that your behavior is the result of when you were born, or you believe that it’s just a silly coincidence, there is no denying the popularity of Astrology. Astrology dates back to Babylon, but in recent years, has become more popular, especially amongst millennials. Zodiac related media is all over the internet, where you can find lists that focus on the personality traits of each sign and even entire social media accounts dedicated to astrology.

In total, there are 12 astrological signs, which are widely known as zodiac signs. What makes them so interesting is that each one is believed to have different qualities, strengths, and weaknesses.

So, in true millennial fashion, we decided to have a bit of fun and pair up each of the star signs up with a Coeus Creative Group Training that can help them to Behave Intelligently!

Not sure what your star sign is? Signs are determined according to your birth date, which you can view below:

• Capricorn: December 22 – January 20
• Aquarius: January 21 – February 18
• Pisces: February 19 – March 20
• Aries: March 21 – April 20
• Taurus: April 21 – May 21
• Gemini: May 22 – June 21
• Cancer: June 22 – July 22
• Leo: July 23 – August 23
• Virgo: August 24 – September 22
• Scorpio: October 24 – November 22
• Sagittarius: November 23 – December 21

Aries – Breaking Bad Habits

Aries can sometimes be selfish, quick-tempered, and impatient, all traits that can lend themselves to bad habits, such as lashing out and putting themselves before others, to name a few. This is why we think Breaking Bad Habits would be the perfect training for an Aries looking to improve their behaviors.

Taurus – Difficult Conversations

Taurus can be seen as inflexible, materialistic, and greedy, which is why our Difficult Conversations training will help them have those tough discussions about possessions and spending.

Gemini – Building Personal Trust

Gemini, the most controversial sign of the mix, may seem superficial and inconsistent to others. Our Building Personal Trust training will help them regain trust from those around them and change those misconceptions.

Cancer – Emotional Intelligence

Cancer is seen as the emotional one of the bunch and typically come off as moody, overemotional, and touchy. Participating in our Emotional Intelligence training will help them understand their feelings and rein them in.

Leo – Dynamic Listening Skills

While Leo is a natural leader, they can also be seen as pompous, patronizing, and bossy. Our Dynamic Listening Skills training will help this sign increase those skills, which is key to being a great leader.

Virgo – Communication Styles

Virgo struggles with communication, and this can cause them to come off as overcritical and harsh. By participating in our Communication Styles training, Virgo can learn to communicate in a more effective way.

Libra – Decision Making

Libra can be indecisive, gullible, and easily influenced, making our Decision Making training perfect for them. This training will give them the tools to be more confident when making decisions.

Scorpio – Dealing with Difficult People

Right behind Gemini, Scorpio takes the second spot for controversial signs. Often seen as jealous, resentful, compulsive, and obsessive, many people might categorize them as difficult people. Our Dealing with Difficult People training will help them understand how others might see them.

Sagittarius – Time Management

Sagittarius tend to be irresponsible and careless, which typically can lead to being late and missing important deadlines. Our Time Management training can provide them with the skills to get them on track.

Capricorn – Tools for Innovation

This sign is known for being pessimistic, miserly, and fatalistic. Participating in our Tools for Innovation training will help inspire them to see things differently and change their outlook.

Aquarius – Personal Branding

Aquarius is notorious for coming off as unemotional and detached to most people they come in contact with. Our Personal Branding training can help them enhance their personal brand and change others perception of them.

Pisces – Persuasion + Influence

Pisces are prone to being weak-willed and easily led, which is why our Persuasion + Influence training will take them from being led to being a leader.

Gemini or a Scorpio, Capricorn or Aries, no matter your sign, our training options can help you to “Behave Intelligently.” Contact us today to schedule any of our trainings in-person or virtually!

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What is Behavioral Intelligence?

Let’s start by defining our model. Behavioral Intelligence is the skills and abilities to accurately explain existing behavior, predict future behaviors, influence other people’s behavior, and control your own behavior. Behavior is the root of all success and failure in life. Thankfully, our behavior is a choice. We may not be able to control our feelings and emotions, but we can choose how we respond to situations and how we react to these internal impulses. With this in mind, let’s explore some strategies for dealing with difficult people.

This is NOT the Hill I Want to Die On.

First and foremost remember, “It’s your heart attack.” When you are dealing with difficult people, your limbic system ignites, dumping cortisol and adrenaline into your body. These stress hormones can be toxic if prolonged. This is why we need to use the “control” aspect of Behavioral Intelligence. Ask yourself, “Is this the hill I want to die on?” Most of the time, the answer should probably be no. Why? Because someone else’s terrible behavior should not be the cause of your heart attack.

Avoid Labels When Dealing with Difficult People

Separate the “person” from the behavior. We have a tendency to apply labels, which denote a sense of permanency. Bill is a jerk. Shauna is greedy. Note the word, “is.” This pre-supposes that Bill and Shauna are naturally this way and cannot change. They just “are” that way. While it may be convenient to think so, it is an explanation that ignores the fact that behaviors are learned, and that they can be unlearned.

Instead of applying labels, try to approach this by calling out the behavior specifically. “Bill yells at the employees when he is stressed.” “Shauna takes more than her rightful share of office supplies.” Removing the label re-introduces the fact that Bill and Shauna are choosing to behave in ways that are antisocial. By that rationale, they can also choose not to engage in those behaviors. Now we can work to influence their behavior to be less difficult.

Have a Difficult Conversation with Difficult People

One method to influence behavior is to address it directly. Terrifying, right? While this may result in a difficult conversation it’s worth it because remember, it’s your heart attack. Think of the cost of not addressing the behavior; stress, anxiety, frustration, and anger take a heavy toll on your mental and emotional well being. Directly addressing the issue is one method to resolve the conflict. You can check out our blog on body language and relationship building for tactics to help you navigate the encounter.

Employ Cognitive Empathy

Another method to influence behavior is to employ a cognitive empathy approach. This includes utilizing tools such as acknowledgment, flattery, and calibrating questions.

Acknowledgment helps to disarm the defense mechanisms of the difficult person. For example, “I can understand why you yell when your frustrated, if I had those feelings, I might want to yell too.” This helps the difficult person to feel understood. If they feel that you understand them, they are more likely to be influenced by you.

By flattery, I am not suggesting saying something like, “your ass looks great in those jeans. See our articles on sexual harassment. I am more speaking of employing strategies such as the Benjamin Franklin Effect. Not only will you enjoy the benefits of flattering someone by showing an interest in their interest, but also create a cognitive dissonance that will further give you the opportunity to influence.

Calibrated questions allow for the difficult person to solve the problem. These questions begin with “how” and “what.” For example, “How might we look to reducing your frustrations in the future?” “What would it take to feel more secure in the resources that are provided?” These evoke rational thinking and eliminate the possibility of short “yes” or “no” answers.

Find your Zen When Dealing with Difficult People

We cannot control other people; we can only control our own behaviors. To do so requires an ability to stay calm and focused even in the midst of conflict. Here are two strategies that we learned in kindergarten that are shown by neuroscience to be effective in reducing our limbic threat response. Take a deep breath and count to ten.

Taking a deep breath floods our blood with oxygen and tells our limbic to relax. After all, you would not be taking calming deep breaths if you were running from a lion, would you? This active approach signals to your system that the perceived threat is not a cause for survival concerned responses.

Counting to 10 gives you a small break from the situation, which then allows your rational thinking to override the limbic response. This can be executed by taking a short break if in conflict. Both strategies can help us manage our own threat response system, think more clearly, and often can stop us from saying something we will regret.

Conclusion

These strategies are just a few that encompass a Behavioral Intelligence approach to dealing with difficult people. In the most extreme cases where people are completely toxic and seemingly unmanageable, it may be the best strategy to remove yourself from the situation. A future blog post will cover dealing with toxic people, but for now, I hope this helps you to deal with that pesky colleague that drives you nuts. Remember, it’s your heart attack. Using a Behavioral Intelligence-based approach will help you control your own reactions to these difficult people. You are worth it.

You can learn more about dealing with difficult people by watching my TEDx talk on the subject below. Interested in an exhilarating keynote, coaching, or training in dealing with difficult people?

Contact us today for a free quote!

Written by Jay Johnson, CEO at Coeus Creative Group. Connect with Jay on LinkedIn

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So there you are, sitting and working diligently, crushing your “to-do-list” and feeling uber-productive. Then it happens. An email comes through with an expert level click-bait subject line, promising the world or more, and you click it…Down the rabbit hole, you go.

3 hours later, you find yourself amidst cat videos on YouTube or watching endless hours of Generation X getting their groove on via Tik Tok. You ask yourself, “How did I get here?” and “Where did my day go?”

Don’t worry friend, it happens to the best of us.

Productivity killers such as the scenario described above are perpetual in today’s endless supply of mind-numbing content. We find ourselves with seemingly no ability to stay focused – leaving behind the essential work we have to do or even the tasks that we truly desire to complete. We get down on ourselves for doing so. We then go back to watching cat videos. Brush, rinse, repeat.

Here are a few ways to get past the temptation for distraction:

1. Recognize WHY you chose to break from your work: Have you been at it for hours? Was your body telling you that you need a break? Here is the science – You will be at your most productive in 45-minute intervals. Your brain needs a break. It needs stimulation. It craves dopamine. That distraction is just what the brain ordered. Instead of going down the rabbit hole, plan for a short intermission. Set a timer. Give yourself permission to be unproductive, but do so with an end game in mind. The act of planning for these events will allow you to dabble, not indulge. It becomes a reward for a job well done, not a binge-watching episodic break from reality.
2. Schedule a time for reading click-bait style emails: I get them too. Promises of business success if I only click here, interesting articles from my favorite subscriptions, new promotions…I read them all… on Friday. Whenever I get these tantalizing emails, I use Slack or a special Gmail folder to save them. Once or twice a week, I quickly look through them when it is on my terms. Refusing to let “Interrupting Johnny” get in the way of what is important not only feels good but allows me to stay focused and not succumb to the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Guess what? I have never once missed out on a promotion because I delayed it on my own terms.
3. Consciously (and audibly) ask yourself, “Is this worth it? Can it wait?”: This is a habit recipe for me. Whenever I get the craving to look at something that is not mission-critical, I ask myself these questions. Simply asking these questions brings my behavioral choices to the forefront of my consciousness. No more “impulse buying” of content that can wait. If you have ever put something into your shopping cart, walked around the store for an hour, and then decided not to buy it because you realized you don’t actually need it, you have already exhibited this behavior. Now, operationalize it to your advantage and put the click-bait back on the shelf. There is a time and place, but not when your shopping for the staples.

Behavior is a choice. When we find ourselves at the end of a YouTube or Tik Tok binge, we can look back and see what choices we made that got us there. If you can incorporate the hacks noted above, we can stop the madness before it even starts. Your productivity will thank you for it.

The post Indistractable – On Task, On Target, On Time appeared first on Coeus Creative Group, LLC.

By Madison Bennett, Associate Content Creator

In part 1 we talked about the main psychological factors you need to consider when you’re building your brand to ensure its success. In part 2, we’re going to take a deep dive into the specifics of those to help you build the brand of your dreams.

Color

This section plays hand in hand with distinctiveness, but there is an entire psychology around colors that takes us much deeper into the consumer connection.

Let’s take this shade of red for example. What brand are you thinking of? I don’t need to type the name for you to know what soft drink company I’m referring to.

Outside of being able to associate a specific color to your brand without giving it a second thought, it’s important to remember that colors can also elicit certain emotions. Red brings out excitement, passion, and urgency, which is why it is typically associated with fast-food (McDonald’s and the above brand, Coca-Cola).

Green reminds you of the earth, so many brands centered around health and nature, or with an environmentally-friendly mission, select hues in this color family. I.E. Starbucks, using green to provoke their connection to the world.

White correlates with simplicity, cleanliness, and purity. The perfect example of this is the white Apple logo; their products have a clean, modern design and their software is simple and user friendly.

The colors you use should not only be the symbolization of your brand’s message, but also the emotions you want a consumer to feel and associate with it when they look at the packaging, design, or logo.

Transparency and Consistency

Being transparent and consistent in your messaging will take you a long way in building trust among a community and finding loyal consumers. Here are a few tips from Crestline on how to do so:

• Make a commitment to keep your promises and follow through for your consumers.
• Always be honest and open about your products and the brand.
• Interact with customers openly and honestly.
• Directly address any product issues that might come up.
• Freely share information about your products (how they’re made, ingredients, etc).

When you’re open and honest with your consumers, they will take notice and show their appreciation by investing in your brand. In 2020, this is arguably one of the best ways to create and sustain a following.

Social Media

This is the age of digital media; consumers love to interact with brands via social media and this is why influencer culture exists. This might be specific to certain age markets, but majority of the population has a social media account on at least one platform.

Most brands have social media accounts across all platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and maybe even YouTube (more so for beauty, wellness, and fashion brands). Specifically crafting your content to the platform makes a huge impact. Instagram is visual, so photos and stories on your page need to be carefully curated; Twitter focuses on words, so witty, bold, statements that portray your brand will be successful; Facebook allows you to reach older generations and allows for a mix of photos/videos and wording.

Social media has also generated influencer culture, meaning users with massive followings can help grow your brand by posting on their accounts about using your product, photos of them wearing it, or even videos reviewing it. It’s the same concept of “brand ambassadors,” but in the digital age.

Creating an Experience for Consumers

While having a storefront for your brand might not be necessary or feasible, it’s important to create an experience for consumers whether that is in a storefront, an office, or even solely online.

Let’s focus on your website considering most storefronts are closed right now; your page should be a visual representation of your brand’s core values. This goes along with your choice in color. You might have a primary color (or a palette of colors) for your brand but stick within that family and utilize different hues so you continue to embody those emotions and feelings you want a user to experience.

In the above photo, Starbucks does exactly that, keeping their colors in the green family to remind you of their connection to the world and eco-friendly mission. Additionally, their website makes you feel like you’re virtually in the store. The theme, colors, and even fonts should be similar across the board so consumers feel that sense of familiarity throughout your entire brand.

This is just the starting point for all of the psychological aspects of building a brand. If you need help creating a graphic design, building a website, or running your social media, contact Coeus Creative Group today! Our experts can help you build your brand from the ground up.

The post The Secret to Creating a Successful Brand – Part 2 appeared first on Coeus Creative Group, LLC.

By Madison Bennett, Associate Content Creator

So, you want to build your brand, but… where do you start? Whether you’re running a small business or a large company, understanding how consumers think is the secret sauce to success. In order to appeal to your consumer, you need to understand the psychology around purchasing and what makes people connect to your company and its products. In part 1, we’ll discuss the top factors to consider when building your brand from the ground up.

Loyalty

This is where the psychology of branding starts. As authors Susan Gunelius and Kristi Hedges put it in their article The Psychology and Philosophy of Branding, Marketing, Needs, and Actions, “Consumers build brands, not companies.” The ultimate goal for creating a successful brand is to build a loyal following. Whether it’s yourself as the brand, a company, or a small business, understanding how to keep consumers coming back for more is the most important factor. This starts with creating a meaningful connection between your consumers and the brand itself.

Distinctiveness

In the article, “Mind Over Matter: The Psychology of Branding” by Nugno, the author spoke with Damien Mcloughlin, Professor of Marketing and Marketing Subject Area Head at UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School in Ireland.

“… according to his colleague, Byron Sharp, author of How Brands Grow, “Differentiation is more important than distinctiveness, and the reason for that is, if you think about your own shopping behavior, most of us buy the same products all the time. If you use Colgate toothpaste, you’ll always use Colgate toothpaste. If you use Barry’s tea you’ll always use Barry’s tea, and it’s the distinctiveness of those brands that cause this. If you show a consumer the Nike swoosh, they’ll be able to recognize the brand. If you show them a particular shade of red, they know it’s Coca Cola.

It’s the distinctiveness of brands that really drive their success. They need to be physically and  mentally available. Physical availability is easy to understand; your consumer must be able to actually get whatever the product is. The idea of mental availability is the idea that when you think about a problem ‘I’m thirsty, I’m warm, I need to buy a new pair of jeans, I’d like to go on holidays,’ whatever it is, that consumers are not aware of the full range of products and services that are available. So, what you want when a consumer thinks about a problem or whatever they want to buy, you want your product to end up in the consideration set.””

We live in a society that is constantly on the go, and with the current state of the world, our minds are all over the place. Creating a distinctive brand is what will create that trigger in consumers’ minds when they’re looking to buy a product. From the design to the logo, you want your brand to come to mind on the consumer’s first thought when considering a purchase.

Loyalty and distinctiveness might be at the top of your list when you’re building your brand, but there are so many factors to consider within just those two areas. In part two, we’ll dive deeper into specific ways to make your brand distinct and create a loyal following.

The post The Secret to Creating a Successful Brand – Part 1 appeared first on Coeus Creative Group, LLC.

Are filler words bad? Short answer- not always. Filler words are a necessary function for interpersonal communication. In one-on-one or small group communication, they serve a purpose in the concept of speech reciprocity. Essentially, filler words signal to the listener that you are still completing a thought and that it is not their turn to speak. But when you are giving a public speech, presentation, or lecture, filler words can have devastating consequences to your credibility.

During a presentation or when giving a speech, “the floor is all yours”. The audience generally is not seeking to interrupt and filler words begin to have negative consequences. We have all seen (and sometimes have been) that struggling speaker who uses um’s or uh’s every three seconds. Not only is this distracting and painful for an audience to sit through, but it can also kill the speaker’s credibility. The use of filler words signals to an audience that the speaker is not confident and is struggling to formulate their ideas. This can make the audience choose to leave rather than sit and listen for one more painful sequence of um…uh…ah… to come pouring out.

So, how can we use Behavioral Intelligence to reduce our filler words in public speaking?

1. Increase awareness – The first step in changing any behavior is to become aware of the situations that elicit the behavior. Do you find yourself having more filler words at the beginning of your speech or presentation? In the end? On topics that you are not as comfortable with? When do you feel anxiety? Noticing these triggers allows us to address the behaviors.
2. Introduce pauses and silence – We often use filler words to allow our brain to catch up to what we are saying, transition to a new thought, or to think through a question or process as we are talking. The best way to get past this is to pause. We generally think that pausing is bad because we find silence to be uncomfortable. However, if you watch someone like Obama (politics aside) and you will see this demonstrated exceptionally well. He chunks his information and uses pauses and silence in a way that makes his message extremely impactful. If you want additional information, this article helps explain how pauses can help eliminate filler words.
   Remember: Silence and pausing in a speech feel 10x longer to the speaker than it does to the audience. If the speaker uses it intentionally, it can make a powerful impact on what the speaker is conveying.
3. Use body language to your advantage – If you’re grasping for thoughts and need the pause or a moment of silence, talk with your facial expressions or gestures. Raising your eyebrows, making strong eye contact, using gestures to imply that you are pondering the thought (Think of bringing your hand to your chin and looking upward as an example). All of these can convey the inherent message of “I am thinking” or “Stay with me while my brain catches up with my words” without having to fill the dead space.
4. Practice, Practice, Practice – The more you practice, the more fluid and natural the presentation or speech will flow. Remember that the information that you are delivering is coming from an expert. Take your time, take a deep breath, and let it flow as though it is a conversation with your friends, colleagues, and peers. This will help to reduce your anxiety which will then lessen the need for filler words. When practicing, record yourself. It may be painful to start (it was for me), but when you see yourself, you will be able to better identify the areas of the presentation or the situations that breed more filler words.

Filler words can have a devastating impact on a speaker’s credibility. Using these tips and tactics, you can start reducing these unnecessary distractions and elevate your prowess in the public speaking world. If you want more custom support, Coeus Creative Group offers a 10 session coaching program to take your public speaking to new heights, contact us today to learn more!

Stay tuned for an upcoming blog with behaviorally intelligent tips to reduce anxiety before, during, and after your public speaking!

Jay Johnson is an internationally renowned speaker specializing in behavior and organizational development. Jay has given keynotes and workshops in 20 countries across 4 continents, empowering audiences with a unique perspective on behavior, communication, and leadership. Connect with Jay on LinkedIn.

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The post Um, Uh, Like…. Reducing the Filler Words in Your Speech or Presentations appeared first on Coeus Creative Group, LLC.

In the world of design, everything matters. Each color, space, shape, and angle presents an opportunity to tell a story about many things; from yourself to a company and your products, to your history, mission, and beyond… Even a seemingly basic decision like choosing the right typeface makes a world of difference in shaping your brand’s identity.

As one of the in-house graphic designers for Coeus Creative Group, I’ve learned to navigate the nuances of typeface and studied countless font families. Now, I can’t encounter an ad on TV without theorizing, “I think they’re using Avenir Bold…” So, I’m here to share some insights about the importance of typefaces in design.

Let’s get into some of the secrets of typeface usage and explore the subliminal branding messages they tell us.

Typeface VS Font

First, let’s get some vocab out of the way. Did you know “typeface” and “font” mean two different things? A typeface is the name of the overall design of letters and characters (“Arial”), while a font specifies their weight, width, or style (“Arial Black,” “Arial Narrow,” “Arial Italic”). You can think of a typeface as the umbrella under which slight variation occurs. All of the variations within a typeface are called a “font family.”

Legibility & Readability

When you’re choosing a typeface for a project, the first question is: is it legible? Meaning, can you make out what the words are? If yes, full steam ahead! If no, then it’s back to the drawing board. Be sure to take note of the elements you liked about this typeface; you may find similar characteristics in another, more legible one.

Wingdings is an extreme example of an illegible typeface.

Brush Script MT is another typeface that can be tricky to read.

The second question to consider is: is the typeface readable? Now I know what you’re thinking: “Didn’t we already cover this?” But readability goes a step further then legibility. While legibility asks, “Can you read this?” readability asks, “Can you read this for an extended period of time without strain?” A typeface can be legible in the short-term but not readable in the long-term.

Readability is important for body paragraphs and larger swaths of text, but it’s not a major concern for titles and headings, which tend to be limited to one or two lines. If you’re really drawn to a font that is legible but not readable, then it’s best to limit its usage to titles and headings only.

American typewriter is legible, but not the best in terms of readability.

Franklin Gothic is both legible and readable!

In part two, we will start to look into serif and sans-serif, handwritten typefaces, and identity. In part three we will dive into how typefaces can make or break a brand.

If you’re interested in accessing part two and three they are included in our FREE digital White Paper. Click the link to get it now!

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