Individual Branding – “It’s Personal”

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Personal Branding”? Do you think it is revealed in your dress style, your job position, the car you drive or even the company you keep? What I love most about Personal Branding is just that — it is personal. No two personal brands are alike. There are many people with similarities in style and personality but there are distinct differences in one person to the next.

The person that is “You” is shaped by countless influences throughout your life, past and present, such as: parents, siblings, best friends, arch enemies, teachers, coaches, scout leaders, first crush, classmates, children, bosses. Moments like first steps, first day in school, first kiss, first dates, graduations, touchdowns, college, weddings, births, deaths and all the tragedies and triumphs in between. 

Some people are very in touch with these influences and their impact on their success and happiness. Taking into account your own personal influences in life can help you appreciate the “unique” you and understand the make up of your brand. Think of them as an ever-increasing foundation to draw confidence from and support your strong sense of self.

With years of experiences to draw on, this may prove meaningful to you as an adult, but how can this also apply to young children? Even at a tender age, the children in our lives are experiencing, you might say, “assembling,” the elements that influence their self-esteem and ultimately define their unique persona.

Without positive influence, many become teens without knowing who they are, or what makes them interesting, unique or even important? They lack direction. They don’t know how to dream or begin to embrace the great possibilities in front of them. It seems, a growing number are glued to electronic devices— communicating through keyboard conversations ontheir cell phones and through social media. And unfortunately, many get their sense of self from television programs, rather than through real person-to-person exchange. 

You can guide them and influence them positively. The everyday connections you share with them (a smile, a wink, a giggle, etc.) are valuable. Your time and attention to them is precious. The freedom you extend to them to explore and express themselves can be revealing.  And, positive feedback is empowering. 

I’d love to hear your feedback and thoughts or experiences with personal branding. Leave a comment! And, as always, for more information about other types of branding, please visit www.stimulusbrand.com.

—Tom McManimon

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Company Stories – Don’t just Tell…. Do!

A recent book entitled True Story: How to Combine Story and Action to Transform Your Business is creating a buzz in the marketing community. It is written by Ty Montague, a successful advertiser and the founder of co: collective, a consultancy that helps clients develop a brand story by using the principles of “storydoing” – rather than storytelling.

Basically, the 240-page book hammers home the point that marketing is not about telling a story to get people to like a brand. It’s about creating and activating the brand to behave in a manner that marries meaningful passion and action with a substantial consumer need. The best brands do not simply “tell a story,” they “live a story.” We can think of Apple, Nike, Virgin, Ralph Lauren as specific successes of this.

At StimulusBrand Communications, we perpetually seek to discover the heart of a client’s business, its leaders, and the products BEFORE beginning any promotional activities. Years of experience have demonstrated there is always a “story” behind every brand, which is often, in fact, the brand. If this story is then told and acted upon in a real, relevant way, there is a high chance the brand will be trusted, admired and successful.

Recently, I spent a week in Santa Fe, New Mexico, working directly with a family planning the launch of a new kind of Coffee Café experience —called Fullfilled Coffee CompanyTM. The initial café will launch in Edmond, Oklahoma, with a planned opening in mid-2014. The experience will be similar to the well-known Starbucks brand – albeit with a warmer, more artsy ambiance and more emotionally and spiritually fulfilling vibe. Here, expression will be king! Customers will be encouraged to express what fulfills them. Coupled with their Community program entitled, Living Fullfilled InitiativeTM, the café owners will encourage community artists to submit their work for display in the café – and offer grants to advance artists’ crafts.

I spent the first two days talking at length to the family members — asking and probing in order to get a strong and accurate feel for them, their business strengths and personal attributes. As we worked together to identify the brand “from the bottom up,” their passion was palpable.

As StimulusBrand Communications helps promote Fullfilled Coffee CompanyTM, we will use this as the backbone of the company’s story. By serving up a unique experience over coffee while exposing extraordinary talents in the region, the family can easily participate in “storydoing” to complement the storytelling, adding further authenticity to their brand.

In many ways, a true brand is like an onion, with many layers. As each layer is gently peeled away, the “truth” unfolds. And that, as I believe Montague would agree, is where the brand’s ultimate strength resides. Consequently, doing branding takes a little more effort than telling branding. But, doing it well is a very fulfilling experience!

 

— Tom McManimon

— Diane Blaszka

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Truth in Branding — the beginning of a lasting relationship

There’s a saying that you can’t make someone else happy unless you are first happy with yourself.

Likewise, you can’t get others to understand your brand until you understand it yourself.

As important as it is to understand our personal “influencers,” as discussed in our last blog, it’s equally important to understand the TRUTH of our brands. Then, the challenge lies in helping people see and feel and react to that truth.

Admittedly, it’s not always easy. In fact, it can be quite hard. It takes questioning, studying, pondering and listening. It takes imagination and creativity but in the context of your truth. With each new client, StimulusBrand Communications takes the time to dig deep – so we can understand them, their history, their products, their services, their competition, and consider points of difference and where opportunity presents itself. Consistently, the time spent up front has been well worth it, leading us in honest, creative directions that result in well-defined messaging that rings true… and gets results.

In advertising, in business, and, heck, in life — knowing who and what you are can be the critical difference between success and failure. Your audience can spot a fake in a heartbeat. There is much to be gained when you start with the truth; and, likewise, much to lose when you mislead. Tap into the substance of you or your business first. You will discover where improvements can make a positive difference and just what makes you relevant and worthwhile.

We’ve seen companies that are so anxious to cloak themselves with a  really snappy or cool presence… because it’s what they hope to be when they grow up – or worse what they imagine they already are. Too often, they set themselves up for failure, disappointing customers – and wasting money. Many dot com companies launching back in the ‘90s were notorious for this; creating excitement without much follow-through. Not many survived.

A few well-known “truthful” brands that we continue to be drawn to year after year, product extension after product extension: Apple, McDonald’s, BMW, FedEx, The Home Depot, VW.

So, our advice is: To fully benefit from your advertising and branding efforts, take the time to understand the truth of who and what you are. When you are real, consistent and true to your core, you usually find that you don’t have to sell yourself too hard. Success will find you!

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To read about how we’ve helped clients better understand and define their brands, visit  www.stimulusbrand.com/raves.shtml.

— Tom McManimon

— Diane Blaszka

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The Influences that Influence

“If you know from whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go.”  — James Arthur Baldwin

Deep spiritual thinkers as well as quantum physicists claim that every single thing influences every other thing. In chaos theory, the so-called “butterfly effect” is based on how a seemingly small change at one place in time (such as the flap of a butterfly’s wings) can result in large differences (such as the formation of a hurricane) to a later state.

Political and corporate leaders and, of course, celebrities are often considered  to be “influencers.” Yet, the fact is that, every second of every day, each one of us is affected by random events, people and things that — in some way, shape or form — influence our journeys.

Visualize, if you will, a wooden bridge with each plank constructed out of either a person or event in your life that made some type of lasting impression.

Your parents, siblings, best friends, arch enemies, the nuns you had as teachers (yes, I went to Catholic school), your first coach, boy scout leader, first crush, classmates, children, bosses – all your influences, good or bad…

First steps, first day of school, first kiss, first dates, graduations, touchdowns, first day of college, weddings, births, deaths — and all the tragedies and triumphs in between…

Each and every plank of your ever-expanding bridge influences who and what you are. Each plank has led you to exactly where you are. And, perhaps most importantly, your personal bridge makes you uniquely different from anyone else on this planet. The bridge is You!

Now visualize an Impressionist Painting—such as the ”The Four Trees” by Claude Monet, displaying a row of poplar trees at attention along the Epte River bank. Many of you might like it for its color, its calmness, or its scenic simplicity. Yet, on closer examination, you see thousands of tiny strokes of color, dabs of paint that bring life and form to the canvas. No two paintings are alike and each is special.

So what does your canvas look like? Consider the top 10 most defining moments (dabs of color or influence) in your life. Jot them down. They can be big or small. But know that each has been significant. Then, name the next 10 moments. Think of each moment as the raw materials (a palette of paint colors) that come together to display your personal portrait. Examine it! Cherish it! Allow yourself to marvel at how the pieces have somehow all fit together.

These are all influencers that have created the Unique You.

The more you take stock in your influencers, you get closer to more fully appreciating yourself.

You see, it’s not about the influences that bring you influence as much as it is about the influences that influence who and what you are today. There are the positive ones you’ve embraced, as well as the negative ones you’ve learned from.

Look at them. Leverage them. Let them help you define your personal brand and where you wish to go, both personally and professionally.

Share the unique influences of the brand called You with us!

— Tom McManimon

— Diane Blaszka

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Yes, Virginia, Everyone Needs Branding!

It is fairly easy to realize the importance of a corporate brand. The Coca Colas, Nikes and Apples of the world spend millions to reinforce and fine tune their branding and messaging each year. But what about Business-to-Business and Professional Services marketers? Those working in law firms, accounting firms, insurance companies, energy, financial, telecommunications, human resources, research and more? Yes, Virginia, branding is equally important, although different in some ways, for them.

At StimulusBrand, we’ve built a reputation in helping companies better understand their target and positioning them with a presence that elevates their brand visibility. We help clients seize opportunities to reach their target with meaningful messaging and to better compete in their market space.

In 2012, we continued to add quality professional service businesses to the growing StimulusBrand client list. Working with these folks is inspiring, challenging, and always leads to great creativity. Looking to “make some noise,” or “refresh their advertising,” these types of businesses are increasingly realizing the power in a brand and in examining not just what they say in their target communities, but how they say it.

S.W.O.T. analyses are especially helpful with new clients. This is a beginning review discussion to determine a company’s STRENGTHS and WEAKNESSES, and to discuss any OPPORTUNITIES and THREATS. Then, we always add another T — an examination of what TACTICS we can now employ to truly add value to the effort. Often, interviewing an organization’s top managers or salespeople, its key clients or top customers leads to terrific learning that helps us craft the most targeted, results-producing messaging. After all, what’s the point of creativity if you’re not saying the right message to the right people?

We help companies, big and small, pause … to define and “drill down” their target audiences, their motivations, their needs and their goals — before they invest time, money and effort into a website redesign, or ad, social media campaign or email marketing campaign. In the process, we uncover valuable, often hidden, opportunities. This learning is good for everyone. And, it informs the creative work— which we do pretty darn well too!

As we welcome in 2013, new businesses will look to launch. Small businesses will strive to get to the next level. And big businesses will seek to re-examine and re-define. We get it. And, we do it. I encourage all of you: don’t do marketing out of desperation, and pause before doing “Do It Yourself (DIY)” marketing.  Instead, take the time to consider the impact of sound branding. Trust StimulusBrand to help you define or re-define your brand direction with smarts and creativity.

See images below for samples of client communications… and learn more at www.stimulusbrand.com and by calling Tom McManimon 609.538.1126 for a FREE consultation.

–        Tom McManimon

–        Diane Blaszka

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Technology and Customer Service: Where’s The Human Touch?

Discover commercials bring us Peggy as a funny example of customer service…

You’ve hired the best firm (StimulusBrand Communications) and spent valuable hours and hard earned dollars on a new brand direction, a wonderful logo, brochure, website, ad campaign… Your materials are stunning and you perceive your overall brand as favored and strong.

Are you paying equal attention to the attitudes and work ethic of the individuals who work for you and with you? Your people play a fundamental and critical role regarding the overall good or bad perception of your company.

Customer service in America is, as a rule, disintegrating rapidly. It’s like we think providing more tech tools means giving customers more choices and, therefore, more service.

Who doesn’t have stories of being on hold for 25 minutes only to be directed to a website; talking with someone with an accent, or attitude, so thick that it was almost unbearable; being treated as a nuisance and not as a PAYING CUSTOMER?

I feel technology, as wonderful and promising as it is, is partially to blame. Telephone systems lead us through countless prompts and allow reps to, with the touch of a button, quickly place us on hold while we are “entertained” with music or a constant parade of promotions.

Technology also enables people to answer our phone calls and e-mail inquiries in cubicles on the other side of the globe — and reply to our pleas for help with formulaic scripts and lightning-fast transfers. A recent and clever ad campaign for Discover serves up “Peggy” the rough scruffy looking guy who poses as a frustrating customer service rep with a thick accent and no interest in helping customers.

Funny, but sad!

Now, for a more positive approach, see how combining technology with real voices (a human touch) and relevant messaging to customers would seem to bridge that challenge. Preview StimulusBrand client Talksoft Corporation online at http://www.talksoftonline.com/

I also blame technology for a seemingly declining ability for workers, especially younger ones, to carry on intelligent conversations and display true patience, empathy and assistance. Perhaps we are getting so accustomed to pressing buttons, swiping screens, and getting exactly what we want that, when problems are more complex, many find it easier to tune out or simply transfer the call.

According to a University of California study, we are now faced with approximately 34 gigabytes of information and roughly 100,000 words a day. “Conversations” are increasingly done in half sentences and abbreviations. How many more hours a day do we spend gazing at computer screens, television, video games, tablets and smart phones — and not into the eyes of someone speaking to us or, for that matter, even our loved ones.

Technology offers wonderful opportunity to connect, engage and learn from each other. But it’s only as good as the hands that it is in. Have you ever been victimized by a company who chose only to connect with you via email, especially when a phone call or letter might have delivered a more “human touch” and perhaps been more fruitful?  Ask yourself, “Am I allowing technology to help me better engage with someone?” Or, are you using it as a crutch?

Have a quick read of a past blog at https://stimulusbrand.wordpress.com/2011/09/16/multi-tasking-productivity-or-simultaneous-combustion/

As you focus on branding, don’t neglect to examine your customer interactions and use of technology as well. Make sure technology helps you better engage with your customers. Back up your stellar marketing materials and high-end machines with heart. It may be the personal connection and human touch that ultimately provides the true definition of your brand.

We would love to hear your thoughts. Get in touch!

–Tom McManimon

— Diane Blaszka

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Shaken … or Stirred?

Puppies and kids… They tug at our heartstrings, stir our souls, make us want to pinch their cheeks and cuddle, and convey such innocence and playfulness.

It’s obvious why we so often see Fido and Bobby — as well as beach scenes, warm smiles and embraces — in so many advertisements, promotions and appeals. They work. As we all rush about “doing our thing” in this crazy, pressured world, it’s nice to be reminded of nice, simple things. Nice is … well, nice.

There is another camp of advertising appealing to a polar opposite feeling. Fear… A far different approach, but, at times, equally effective. Think “This is your brain on drugs” or any number of recent ads imploring people to quit smoking.

Does advertising that purposely causes us discomfort have its place? Surely. The shock factor can powerfully and successfully get an audience to snap to attention and remember something. Have you seen the UK public service announcement that went vital on YouTube featuring teenagers texting while driving? Seconds into the video, a graphic and terrible crash occurs.

Personally, I prefer advertising that makes me smile, laugh or feel good inside. A public service ad produced by Stimulus Brand Communications on behalf of The Partnership for Drug Free NJ advocated a positive, visual and memorable approach to a serious message. Drugs are scary things. They kill, bankrupt and ruin childhoods and lives. But, our firm chose to not go to those dark, scary, places. Instead, we focused on taste appeal, touting the healthy benefits families can derive by simply spending regular time with their teens over meals.

 

It can be quite fun to develop ads that tap into audiences emotional, humorous and playful sides. Who doesn’t enjoy the series for E-Trade with the super savvy babies?

Maybe if more ad firms put out creative work that uplifts, our world would be a more positive place. Or… perhaps, like good martinis, we all need to be shaken once in a while. Share your thoughts — and your favorite positive v. negative ads!

— Tom McManimon

— Diane Blaszka

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Is Mocking the Holi-daze the New Ad Craze?

Before the Thanksgiving turkey is even purchased — much less digested — the holiday television commercial season has begun.

It’s interesting to think that most of the commercials we are seeing all over television now were planned and created way back in the heat of summer. Holiday advertising is huge (sometimes make-or-break) business for advertisers and agencies alike. Come Super Bowl and holiday time, consumers’ attention, as well as expectations, rise — and commercials can prove most memorable. Think Budweiser Clydesdales; Lexus cars wrapped in bows; and Folger’s Coffee’s  “Peter Comes Home for Christmas.” Companies seem harshly aware that people’s gift buying budgets are smaller this year — and they want to claim their piece. Perhaps because they are also aware of the stresses many folks are under, a recent advertising approach gaining in popularity is to mock the excesses and craziness of the gift-giving season.

Two examples featuring characters with very different demeanors are Honda and Target.

Perhaps best known as Puddy on Seinfeld, Patrick Warburton serves as Honda’s laid back, almost catatonic, but humorous spokesman in the “Happy Honda Days” series. The ads feature great comedic writing and are quietly dismissive of all the holiday hoopla — while still making an effective holiday pitch. As Tim Nudd writes in Adweek Magazine, Warburton “can get away with this, partly because he acknowledges the hypocrisy and partly because he’s so likable. In one ad, he opens by suggesting that ‘Elves are shoddy craftsmen,’ then points out that Hondas are made by ‘real human beings.’ In another, he ridicules holiday ads from luxury automakers that show cars wrapped in bows. ‘Are you a millionaire? No? Well, then you probably don’t give cars to people as presents,’ he says, as he rips the bow off a Civic. (Again, though, this is disingenuous—as another spot urges you to give the gift of a Honda, just to watch the person’s joyful reaction.)”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjwULyeyzkc&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OThgvHPQkc&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz8zcjoUlvU&feature=relmfu

With its “crazy Christmas lady” that people seem to either love or hate, Target also mocks seasonal pressures, but by depicting the opposite of Honda — a stressed out, Type A shopper whom some of you may have bumped into on Black Friday! With wild eyes and chanting “You will win this,” she plans and trains like Rocky for the big door buster sales.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqXsLHXX_pE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqG6WYJAM2I&feature=related

Two different approaches. Which do you prefer?

Although outside the mix of actual holiday ads, I am also reminded of the 1996 commercials for Staples a few years back promoting the back-to-school shopping craze featuring the often heard music, “It‘s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year.” This surely produced a smile or a laugh from giddy parents who were more than ready to unload the “kids of summer.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIyKG6WkYa8

Do you have a commercial you love or hate this holiday season? What are some of the commercials you remember most fondly from your childhood? Share your thoughts by e-mailing tom@stimulusbrand.com. To see a handful of our ads, visit www.stimulusbrand.com.

–Diane Blaszka

–Tom McManimon

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The American Brand?

For centuries, one of the most famous brands in the world has been “The American Dream.” People have endured much risk and hardship to come to America in search of freedom and opportunity.  With “Occupy Wall Street” protests spreading across the county and the world, one has to wonder if the dream — or brand — is dying. Or… perhaps, such protests are proof of its very strength.

I am reminded of an impassioned phrase spoken in the movie Network: “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take anymore of it.”

Emphasizing the importance of a well-honed mission statement, the main criticism of the “Occupy” movement has been that protestors are sending unfocused, mixed messages, with some not even knowing what they are protesting. A consequence is that many do take them seriously and feel that it will soon die off. It’s
almost as though the protestors do not know exactly who to protest toward, so they “vent” in hopes that someone who can make a difference hears
them.

One unifying message, however, seems clear — unless corporate political influence decreases, America will no longer be a land of opportunity and equality. Protestors point to the corporate bail outs and fact that 25 million Americans are unemployed or underemployed as proof that Washington’s policies cannot continue to favor the most privileged 1 percent among us. The ongoing division in Washington and lack of respect for leadership seems to feed this protest. They’re simply not helping the situation.

As one middle-aged white woman’s hand-made protest sign read: “You know things are bad when middle-aged white suburbanites come out.”

No matter what “side” you’re on, it is alarming that the typical working-age family’s earnings are no higher today than they were almost two decades ago. And, according to a study by a Federal Reserve economist, a poor family now needs nearly 10 generations (more than 200 years) to achieve middle-class income.

Put another way, if you are poor today, then you may reasonably hope your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandchildren will finally climb into the middle class.

Are we content to have that be the revised brand of the American Dream?

Let’s hear the thoughts that occupy you on this matter.

– Tom McManimon

– Diane Blaszka

Let us help you with your brand. www.stimulusbrand.com

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Multi-tasking — Productivity or Simultaneous Combustion?

Multi-tasking. It seems to be the term of our age. We live and work in an age of automatic this and automatic that. Hurry. Hurry. Hurry. High expectations. Come on, I need you to over-perform! We seem to buy into the pressures and expectations. And the latest and greatest technologies feed right into it. And so, we try to accomplish lots of things at the same time. I call it “simultaneous combustion.”

It’s similar to those people you see on the road; they’re driving, drinking coffee, talking on the phone, maybe shaving or fixing their hair and even trying to read something— all at the same time. Come on! Aren’t they really just doing lots of things at maybe 25-50% or less, instead of one thing at 100%?

Here’s a sad excuse-for-multi-tasking story: I met a colleague for a scheduled meeting over coffee one morning. Once we sat down, the entire time they were
texting others and taking calls. So, to get their attention…I texted them back asking if we could have our meeting. They looked up and replied, “I’m listening!
I’m just multi-tasking.” We never really got the conversation started. I then got up and left and texted them suggesting. “When you have time for me, let’s
reschedule…”

My point: Respect the task (or person) in front of you. Then, take time to actually look, listen and participate in the moment with full focus.

— Tom McManimon

See how I multi-task with great clients and projects every day — but never, ever forget to LISTEN. www.stimulusbrand.com

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Vick Contract Lands Nike in the Doghouse and with an Asterisk!*

On July 1, Nike announced it renewed its contract with Michael Vick for “promotional services.” The amount of the contract is undisclosed. In less than five days, a Facebook page called “Boycott Nike for Signing Michael Vick” had garnered close to 6,000 “likes.” Several online petitions and letter-writing campaigns have begun.

CNBC reports that this marks the first time that a brand that broke ties with an athlete re-signed them. It makes me and, obviously scores of others, wonder what the heck Nike — typically a masterfully managed brand – is thinking.

Sure, Vick “served his time” (19 months in prison) for running a dog-fighting ring and is a tremendous athlete. In an impressive comeback, he rose above some passionate media and fan protests to win the starting quarterback job and lead the Philadelphia Eagles to the NFC East Championship last season.

But, as they see him associated with Nike’s famed “Just do it” slogan, will people reflect on Vick’s comeback and prowess — or on his cocky, cavalier and violent demeanor as he “just did it” and subjected innocent dogs to torture and death?

Personally, I’m surprised and feel this is a backward-looking, ill-advised brand decision. Nike can have just about any spokesperson it chooses. By linking itself with Vick, it has placed itself in the proverbial doghouse with many current and potential consumers.

I’m all in favor of people vindicating, improving, and renewing themselves. It’s true Mike kept quiet and just did what he had to do to regain his life and career. It seems however, that his name will be forever mentioned with an asterisk by it, just like baseball players accused of using performance enhancing drugs — and those brands who endorse them.

The larger-than-life message and culture that Nike spawned many years ago seemed to tell us how life should be. The brand guided us. Nike aligned its brand not just with hard work and achievement, but also with goodness.

Vick’s re-signing will likely (but unfortunately) sit just fine with most true football fans. We are such an entertainment-driven society that fans don’t really care as long as he plays good ball. Vick is hot right now, so Nike stands to ride his tail and make lots of money. You can bet the moment Tiger Woods roars back to another Major tournament win, Nike will come-a-calling. With a contract and asterisk in hand!

– Tom McManimon

– Diane Blaszka

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Logo Redesign: Seemingly simple but serious business. Proceed with caution!

A logo is not a brand, but it’s a vital component of it. People visually identify a company by its logo and may express surprisingly strong emotions when it’s altered. A logo not only reflects the company’s self-image but, often, the customers’ as well. Changes considered “off brand” may conflict with a customer’s experiences, associations and sense of self. For these reasons, a good logo redesign involves multi-dimensional research, professional advice and careful design and implementation. Done right, a redesign can be brilliant. Done poorly, disastrous.

For example, a recent redesign of the well-known Starbucks logo sparked a wave of social media chatter disliking the new identity. It appears to have become its own Café-no-a-lika-Grande.

Five of the most common logo mistakes you should be aware of include:

1)      Amateurish design – A professional business should look professional. A logo designed by a friend, relative or cheap online site will likely not. Using clip art or aspects resembling another company’s logo could lead to licensing and legal troubles. Your logo is your unique, memorable signature — and should be treated with respect.

2)      Too trendy – Following design trends is tempting, but is akin to putting a sell-by date on the image. Trends come and go. A strong logo is timeless.

3)      Poor reproduction – A properly designed logo can be reproduced in various sizes and mediums (t-shirts, billboards, automobile wraps, etc.) It should be designed as a vector graphic, using software such as Adobe Illustrator that creates mathematically precise points, not a raster graphic, which can result in poor pixelation. In this electronic age, a logo must reproduce online just as well as it does in print.

4)      Too complex – A well-designed logo will be simple. A complex design with photos, drop shadows, small text or special effects may be illegible and look like a smudge when printed in smaller sizes, such as on letterhead or business cards. A good logo incorporates no more than 2-4 complimentary, business-appropriate colors and 2 easy-to-read fonts. It will appear just as professional and attractive when printed in black as in full color.

5)      Not well studied – There are numerous (and comical) examples of costly logo designs that were approved and implemented, only to be retracted or scorned when others perceived unacceptable images or messages within them. A new logo should be studied up, down and sideways for anything that could even remotely be perceived as organizationally, sexually or culturally inappropriate!

 

StimulusBrand Communications has developed a significant business and reputation designing award-winning logos for major corporations, small businesses and nonprofits. “We take these assignments seriously and love it when launching or refining a brand requires new identity and positioning. What may seem like a simple design project is actually an exhaustive and critical step in properly defining the tone of a brand. Designed well, it should indeed appear to be simple, memorable and easy to consistently display,” states Tom McManimon, Principal of StimulusBrand Communications. See our logo sample sheet below. Or visit www.stimulusbrand.com.

Click here to see some logos designed by StimulusBrand Communications

— Diane Blaszka

— Tom McManimon

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All Aboard the Brand Bandwagon! Does your Company Need a Brand Training Campaign?

Company leaders are increasingly realizing the value of strong branding, but are they successfully communicating that downward? Are they championing its power and priority on a regular basis?

Everyone in an organization needs to understand the company brand. Everyone. With branding, the phrase “you are only as strong as your weakest link” resonates. Each employee needs to understand that a brand is not simply a consistent logo or color scheme. It is the company’s personality, tone and soul. It is the customer’s experience, feeling and memory. In their book The 22 Immutable Laws of BRANDING, brand management experts  Al Ries and Laura Ries write, “What’s a brand?  A singular idea or concept that you own inside the mind of the prospect.”

Before a consumer purchases a product, studies show they need to be exposed to a brand an average of 17 times. That’s a lot — and underscores the importance of consistency at every turn. And, although logos and Pantone colors may change, company attitudes and values should not.

A successful brand (think Nike or Apple) is woven through each customer contact point, communication, product and service; and is aligned with every organizational decision. Think emotion as well as emblem. Since Apple’s conception, its brand proposition was to supply advanced, quality, great looking, high performing computers. The company has expanded in ways its founders never dreamed, but its brand proposition has not — resulting in customer loyalty that makes others green with envy. The strength of its brand is so strong that, if Apple were to delve into the auto industry tomorrow, it would have an immediate group of rabid customers.

Demonstrating a true top-down commitment, company Brand Training Programs define the multiple aspects of a brand and help employees at all levels realize the important role they play in guarding its persona. Those of us who are branding experts can provide tools to get every employee (and prospective employee) aboard a company’s “brand bandwagon” and to increase their company pride and commitment. The result is often strengthened marketplace clarity and familiarity. With familiarity comes confidence and loyalty. And, with loyalty comes increased market shares, revenues and decreased price sensitivity. Customers will pay more for a brand they feel never disappoints!

The “father of branding” David Aaker aptly states, “Branding adds spirit and a soul to what would otherwise be a robotic, automated, generic price-value proposition. If branding is ultimately about the creation of human meaning, it follows logically that it is the humans who must ultimately provide it.”

Is your company (and personal) brand stimulating success?  See our brief on Branding for Success. “It’s Personal” at www.stimulusbrand.com and consider Brand Training for you and your team.

–Diane Blaszka

–Tom McManimon

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Celebrity Style v. Substance

Have you read How to be Famous: Our Guide to Looking the Part, Playing the Press, and Becoming a Tabloid Fixture?

Speidi posing and promoting their book

It’s a book “written” by (former) reality TV couple Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, once named “most embarrassing Americans.” Promotional copy promises that, “with Heidi and Spencer as your personal coaches, you, too, could transform yourself into a red-carpet-ready superstar!” and that it will help readers:

• Discover why getting and talking about plastic surgery is a must
• Unlock the secrets of celebrity couple math (e.g. Speidi > Heidi + Spencer)
• Mesmerize the media with outrageous behavior … and much, much more!

Has it truly become so easy? Does anybody see, recognize, hear or care about substance anymore?

Remember the days when songs took a while to climb the charts … and people watched to see a record climb? This happened well before they were labeled a “hit.” The same with a TV show or a theatre movie. They weren’t labeled “smash hit” until they sold out so many times or won the ratings race. Now, we see countless shows, movies, books, artists and songs immediately being labeled “star”or “hit.” Come on people! If you take away the special effects, the glitz, the digital layering, what you all too often discover is a mediocre singer at best; an actor who is stiff and unseasoned; an artist who really has not earned the title.

How to be Famous… reminds me of a time years back when I visited an art museum and a friend later mentioned, “Just because it’s in a museum doesn’t mean it’s great art.” Perhaps the flipside may be that all these “anointed stars” make it easier to identify the truly talented. People with gifts. The type who don’t necessarily know that and who work at their craft to EARN stardom.

We should remind ourselves that, typically, style over substance is fleeting – as evidenced by the fact that sales of Speidi’s book were low and that E! banned the duo from its network claiming viewers polled voted overwhelmingly that they were sick and tired of their self-promoting ways. The network actually stated it would no longer cover “the misadventures of Speidi until the pair does something truly newsworthy.”

For certain, the importance of branding and packaging should never be underestimated. But neither should evidence that (even in Hollywood!) style plus substance perseveres.

— Diane Blaszka

— Tom McManimon

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Hey Printers- Time to Re-invent!

It seems that many companies have turned to re-branding lately.  They’re choosing to remain fresh, stay relevant and ahead of the curve.  There’s a certain group in particular who could benefit.  Printers.  The very people who have provided the sell, the flash, the splash, the color, and the texture now suffer at every corner.  It seems they are “bleeding ink.”

They are the suppliers to agencies, design firms, publishers, and marketers.  And far too many are suffering.  It’s no secret to those of us in the communications fields that volume is down on printing.  The market is saturated with printers and the desperation is palpable.  So what has happened?  Of course, an obvious cause is the growth of digital communication mechanisms.  People require information quickly, concisely and on their terms.

One of the more overlooked causes is one that many printing companies are turning a blind eye to:  the need to re-invent their business.  Many other companies are embracing this idea.  Take GM Motors:

GM Motors Reinvention

It took me years to learn that my greatest achievement was learning to embrace change. That’s easier said than done.  It is unnerving and exciting.  Often change is thrown at you, like losing a job, losing your life’s savings, a company merger or a sudden drop in business.

These are the times that try men’s souls. And printers too.

I often say “as soon as you think you have it all figured out, everything changes.”  We need to take stock of our strengths and weaknesses and re-invent what we stand for and how we operate.

The same can be said for many of those printing companies that seem to be starving for activity. To them I say “step outside of yourselves.”  Seek the help of consultants who can help you re-evaluate your business, propose new directions, open your mind to new possibilities.  Maybe it is time to stop thinking of your business as printing ink on paper from printing presses.  Maybe you can bring more value to your customers or even a new base of customers where printing is just one element of your offering. Or, just maybe, partnering with the right talents or an atypical resource can open new doors for prosperity.  It is wise simply to consider that!

Companies and agencies have long turned to printers to produce the items that deliver the communications they create.  This makes printers the conduit to delivering company communications.  Now, how do you properly re-tool to succeed in that space?

• Step outside and seek expert consultation

• Consider your strengths and weaknesses

• Determine your marketplace demand

• Understand what you can uniquely offer

• Scrutinize your skill sets and re-tool

• Develop your brand

I am a graphic designer, art director, marketer and agency owner. I count myself lucky to have first learned under a professional typographer and from a truly excellent creative director. I learned how to spec type, render marker comps, and make up mechanicals. I also was fortunate to make the transition to computer design back in the mid-1980s. I was part of a team that was forced to embrace change.

Further into my career, I knew I had to stay ahead of the curve to remain competitive. That’s one thing that will never change.  As creative tools and delivery mechanisms continue to evolve, we need to evolve with them.

My point is that in the communications game, you must continually reinvent yourself, stay relevant, and create your own change.  Printing companies have long been a critical part of the creativity chain.  Maybe it’s time for some of them to create their own change.

Is it your time for you to consider re-invention?

-Tom McManimon

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