Today was the debut of the Starbucks holiday cup. You may think, “so what, who cares? It is just a cup.” Or, if you’re like me, a little smile crept onto your face, and a small burst of joy hit you when you saw the Holiday cup. I am not sure why, but each year I get excited when I get my coffee in a red cup with a wintery mix of graphics.
As a sixth grader in home economics, I was assigned to write a letter to a company about one of their products. The idea behind the assignment was simply to help us understand how to write and format a professional letter. I remember the excitement I felt when I got a response in the mail from the company I wrote to–until I opened it. Only thirteen years old, I was traumatized when I read that the company did not appreciate my letter (which suggested the company produce a diet version of a certain cake product – which of course now exists,) and claimed if I wrote again they would be forced to take some sort of action. I laugh now, but I also wonder if I would resend my letter today, or posed my suggestion on their Facebook wall – would I receive the same response?
What is the first thing you see?
We get data from our senses. Our eyes see, and then the brain makes meaning of the information collected. In his book, The Brand Gap, Marty Neumeier explains that out eyes quickly find the contrast in what we are viewing, and then the brain takes over. We see the difference between subject and ground, big and small, rough and smooth, motionless and moving – then we determine the importance of those differences.
In his book, The Advertising Concept Book, Pete Barry explains that a good ad communicates its message, but a great ad “stops you, hooks you, and hauls you in.” Further, a great ad will make the viewer react in at least one of six ways – SLIP IT. This concept also works for email marketing, web landing pages, direct mail, and more.
Brand Identity: NFRC Logo, Print Materials and Emailer
Our logo design, print design and emailer design for NFRC
Brand Identity: The Harbinson Group Logo
Our logo design for The Harbinson Group
Brand Identity: Rugs to Riches
Our logo design for Rugs to Riches
Brand Identity: Prologue Logo
Our logo design for Prologue Inc.
. . .websites, that is. Is your site up to date? By that we mean, is news truly new? Do all of your outside links work? Do all of the page links lead somewhere? As time progresses and businesses transform, so do their websites. Links are embedded, pages are added, pictures are planted. Have you taken a look at your site navigation lately? Do all of the links still work? Does your site need an overhaul? Maybe have an outsider take a look — they may find things that you miss.
Brand Identity: Winemasters Logo
Our logo design for Winemasters
Brand Identity: Studio Inspire Logo
Our logo design for Studio Inspire
In the philosophy section of Google’s corporate website at www.google.com/corporate/tenthings.html, Google publicizes 10 statements that articulate their general principals of behavior with which they try to operate. It’s a great thing to have in a website. We’ve recommended it to many clients. It tells your customers and potential customers just who are you are what you stand for. It gives them concrete information that goes deeper than a specific product or service offering, that helps them understand who you are as a company behind the scenes. It gives customers a reason to become fans, to believe in you, to develop loyalty to you.
