We are inundated with marketing messages day in and day out; morning, noon and night someone is talking to or at us about something s/he want us to pay attention to.
"LUV" to Inspire Thoughts of Sunshine
Welcome to another day of yucky weather! It is below freezing again and to be honest I am truly ready for spring. I really can’t complain compared to all those people in Boston but I feel like this winter is never-ending. We are supposed to get freezing rain again later today and then are in for more snow tomorrow night. Ho Hum! The cabin fever is starting to set in for many of us around this office so when I was looking for some ideas for my blog post this morning and came across a follow up for Southwest’s rebrand on the blog “Brand New,” I felt a glimmer of hope in what seems to be a dreary and cold world lately. I know you are probably thinking why, but the idea of flying somewhere warm and sunny made me smile. I won’t really be going anywhere for a couple more months but just the thought made dealing with these last couple days of nasty weather seem almost bearable. So I thought I would share the details on Southwest’s rebranding and maybe it will inspire some thoughts of warm sunshine.
Branding: The Big Idea
I’m a people person. It’s through relationships and one-on-one communication that I feel I am most effective. So of course, one of my favorite parts of the creative branding process is the meeting with an organization’s CEO and key players during the discovery phase. Asking some important questions to key individuals reveals so much about the organization and helps determine the creative choices we will make during the rebranding process. Listening, learning, watching interactions, and observing the culture—all of these actions inform and inspire how we will develop strategic recommendations and ultimately, brand design and messaging.
Practicality Marketing
Those of you who know me and are familiar with my role and responsibilities as “Principal of Practicality” at Insight180 will chuckle at how NOT surprising it is I would coin the phrase or espouse the concept of “Practicality Marketing.” (Well, some things should be predictable in life, shouldn’t they?)
5 Facts About Baltimore Brand Old Bay
When thinking of uniquely Maryland brands, a few that always come to mind are Under Armour, Natty Boh and of course, Old Bay. Marylanders are known for their brand loyalty. Search Instagram and Twitter for #oldbay and you’ll find hundreds of photos of people showing their Maryland pride with their favorite seasoning blend.
Branding, Differentiation, Positioning & Corporate Identity
In a previous blog post we addressed the fact that many times, marketing terms get used interchangeably when they actually mean very different things. Learn below the actual meaning of branding, differentiation, positioning and corporate identity and the roles they play in business development and marketing.
June Logo Design Round-Up
Check out these logo design changes for June 2014.
Disney Channel
Contrary to our post about the, “Less is more” logo trend, Disney has given their logo a refresh but, has yet to adopt a flat design. With the type logo no longer surrounded by the box and mouse ears, Disney opted to make the ears smaller and incorporate it into the type logo itself. I think this makes for a much cleaner, distinctive, high quality logo.
Logos: The Less Is More Trend
“Less is more” has become a pretty strong trend lately in the world of logo design. More and more brand facelifts are sharing a common theme: simplicity. To name a few just in the past couple weeks, Netflix, Paypal and Avery have followed suit. Take a look:
Is Fear of Change Holding You Back?
You are not alone.
American entrepreneurs may have a well-earned reputation for risk taking, but once we have a modicum of success, we tend to turn into a timid bunch—or maybe the better term is reluctant. We’ve figured out what works on our own for initial growth, so we start relying on that status quo experience, often refusing to recognize changes appearing on the horizon, reluctant to see what’s right in front of us.
5 Baltimore Eateries With Unique Branding
Good branding is all around us.
While we write much about the audience we serve, B2B professional services and advisory firms and nonprofits, we can learn much from the consumer branding all around us. Today we look at some food establishments. Remember, branding is not just a logo, a color scheme or graphics on your website. It’s a compilation of those things and more. Visual branding (logo, imagery, color scheme) is important but branding is also about messaging and how your audience feels about your business and the perception that prevails. If your company sends a message and makes a promise (we have the best crabcakes in Baltimore!) and delivers on that promise, your establishment is building brand trust.
Can Great Design and Nostalgia Make "Orioles Magic?"
Opening Day at Camden Yards
For Orioles’ fans, opening day in Baltimore is like Christmas come early, and this year’s opening day did not disappoint. While the few weeks running up to opening day were snow ridden, March 31st brought warmer weather for Orioles and Red Sox fans alike. With the O’s victory over the Red Sox (2-1), many believe this could be Baltimore’s year.
Sir Richard Branson: A Brand Leader's Influence & Role
There aren’t many organizations where the leader is just as famous as the brand itself. Sir Richard Branson, the Founder of Virgin Group, a collection of more than 400 companies, the most notable of which: Virgin Records, Virgin Mobile, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin America, has created an energy and excitement around the Virgin Brand that is unparalleled. Virgin Group has created more billion-dollar companies in more sectors than any other company.
