Is Your Brand Authentic?
Mon, Apr 2 2012 11:14 AM
Keep these tips in mind for staying conscious about your consumers wants and needs.
“Brands fail because they are devoid of authenticity.” This is a phrase that has been thrown around a lot lately in our industry, but what does it mean? Originality, genuine, legitimate, real? No. In branding terms, authentic and its synonyms are all buzzwords marketers use to sell books. What authenticity relates to in terms of branding is this simple concept: brands are no longer the property of the businesses they represent; they are the property of the consumer.
Having a firm grasp on this concept is paramount for brand success. Through Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc., consumers have a gluttonous accessibility to brands. Therefore the only way to be “authentic” is to be malleable and shape your brand around the consumer’s wants, needs, and problems. Here are three concepts that will help your pliability.
Acknowledge your consumers by following these three concepts and your brand will become more malleable and adaptable, or “authentic” (If that’s what you want to call it).
“Brands fail because they are devoid of authenticity.” This is a phrase that has been thrown around a lot lately in our industry, but what does it mean? Originality, genuine, legitimate, real? No. In branding terms, authentic and its synonyms are all buzzwords marketers use to sell books. What authenticity relates to in terms of branding is this simple concept: brands are no longer the property of the businesses they represent; they are the property of the consumer.
Having a firm grasp on this concept is paramount for brand success. Through Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc., consumers have a gluttonous accessibility to brands. Therefore the only way to be “authentic” is to be malleable and shape your brand around the consumer’s wants, needs, and problems. Here are three concepts that will help your pliability.
- Be Emotional
- More Importantly: Be Empathetic
- Forget ROI
Acknowledge your consumers by following these three concepts and your brand will become more malleable and adaptable, or “authentic” (If that’s what you want to call it).
SAVE THE DATE... March 24th, 2012
Wed, Mar 14 2012 04:14 PM
For a great event at Dogtown USA.
All to benefit the American Cancer Society/Relay for Life.
All to benefit the American Cancer Society/Relay for Life.
Let's connect.
Thu, Dec 29 2011 03:08 PM
It's almost the new year... and we want to connect in 2012!
If we aren't yet connected with you, we want to be...
If we aren't yet connected with you, we want to be...
Deep insight to the "creative".
Wed, Dec 28 2011 08:00 PM
A little of what we're all about:
Creatives generally perform services on behalf of a client and are in service of an audience. So, looking at the role of the creative professional from the other side can yield some insights — specifically as it relates to the idea of expectations or trust — and weigh this against other professions.
For instance, would you trust a civil engineer — who’s responsible for the stability of bridges and the like — if there was a math error on their cost-estimate? Would you trust a mechanic who drives a broken-down hatchback? Would you trust a personal trainer with love handles? Now, I don’t care if my engineer has love handles or if my personal trainer drives a smoking Hyundai, but there are minimum expectations in each profession. In order for a personal trainer to convey a sense of health and well-being (and that they’ve mastered it enough to pass it on to me), they should also be fit, right?
Where does that leave the creative professional? What does the world expect of us? What should we expect for ourselves? Well, for starters, remember that we are communicators. Added to that, we’re aesthetes. We are also conceptual thinkers. And, to top it off, we’re craftsmen. That’s certainly a tall order, which is one of the reasons we often tell students that graphic design is one of the most challenging courses of study in art school.
So…what does this mean?
As communicators we’re expected to be able to craft a compelling story. We need to understand our audience (so there’s a bit of psychology thrown in). We need to understand and master the narrative structure so we can engage and hold the attention of our audience — and do this in a way that connects to both their hearts and their heads. Good storytellers have a command of ideas and concepts…metaphor and analogy…prose and poetry. Good storytellers run spell-check and proofread.
As aesthetes, we’re expected to turn a white sheet of paper or a blank screen into a work of art. We study history so we know what’s worked in the past and how to avoid the trappings of simply copying old ideas. Style is the life-blood of the aesthete and beauty is the byproduct. And that style exists in every facet of our lives, from the things we surround ourselves with to the things we create to surround other people … from the magazines we read to the magazines we design. We’re wary of shopping or eating at places with “barn,” “factory” or “warehouse” in the name. If it can be said “you are what you eat,” for a creative person it’s “you are what you eat, breathe, swim around in, and happen to spit-out.” Everything matters. However, we’re also wary of hype, and remember the moral of the story “The Emperor’s New Clothes” — just because someone says it’s wonderful and amazing, doesn’t really make it so.
In the story The Emperor's New Clothes, the Emperor is convinced he has wonderful robes that only the most worthy can see when in fact, he was wearing nothing. Sounds a lot like over-hyped marketing to me.
As conceptual-thinkers, we are expected to connect with the audiences mentioned above in new and innovative ways. Without bringing something new to the table, we’re destined to eat last week’s meatloaf over and over again with a different sauce on top or chopped up and thrown in with some pasta. As creative professionals we have to keep the world fresh with meaningful, new ideas that challenge the perceptions of the audience enough to make it interesting and worthwhile, yet temper this wild innovation with a bit of strategy. We’re always thinking, not just about the next new idea but often about how to get that new idea to the audience. We are looking at what could be designed and weighing this with what should be designed knowing that people crave freshness but are, ironically, naturally resistant to change. A great creative minded professional can walk that line. We approach everything with a delicate balance of wonderment, suspicion and respect.
As craftsmen, we don’t make mistakes. We have a command of the materials and resources used by the profession: paper, pencils, pixels, paste, posters, programs and pictures. Just as a carpenter knows the difference between maple and mahogany by the smell of the sawdust, we know the difference between Akzidenz-Grotesk and Helvetica just by looking at the numeral 2. We never leave a word hanging out on a line by itself, much less on the next page. All of our quote marks are “smart.” We never use a handwriting typeface, but instead write it and scan it in. We never do something that would be on par with our scrap-booking neighbor. We never try to “rez-up” a web jpeg for print use without running it through its paces — and when it doesn’t work, we look for a new image… even if we have to take it ourselves. We never say, “well, that’s all I could find on the internet.” And we know that the word “window” isn’t always preceded by “browser,” and that some windows open to let in fresh air, sunlight, new inspiration, and a fly or two. We never settle for free fonts that end in “-o-rama” when there’s a more well-crafted one that’s more suitable for our use — even if we have to pay for it. Heck, sometimes we create typefaces for ourselves when we can’t find one that’s working just right. We know the difference between a hyphen, an en-dash and an em-dash and use each correctly. We never double space after punctuation. We track each line of type and often — if it’s still not working — we change the font size, grid or even rewrite. We’re often more interested in the spaces between things than the things themselves. We do things over, simply because we don’t settle for “good enough.” We follow directions, but are wise enough to know the difference between the “letter” and “spirit” of the task before us — and if we decide to break from the rules, we do it in a way that creates an end-product far better than anyone imagined possible, yet we’ll still be willing to go back and do it the way it was “s’posed” to be done (or do both in the first place).
- Hunter Wimmer
The dreaded "fitted sheet" - Here is a quick step-by-step guide for folding!
Tue, Dec 20 2011 01:50 PM
The Meaning of the Candy Cane.
Fri, Dec 16 2011 12:27 PM
It just goes to prove that we are constantly learning new things.
I never knew there was a "meaning" behind the candy cane.
Many years ago a candy maker wanted to make a candy that would symbolize the true meaning of Christmas - Jesus.
The hard candy was shaped like a "J" to represent that Jesus is our rock of all ages.
The candy was made of white to stand for pureness of Jesus. The red represents the blood that Jesus shed to save us from our sins.
So, the next time you see a candy cane take a minute to reflect on the real meaning behind it and Christmas.
Merry Christmas!
I never knew there was a "meaning" behind the candy cane.
Many years ago a candy maker wanted to make a candy that would symbolize the true meaning of Christmas - Jesus.
The hard candy was shaped like a "J" to represent that Jesus is our rock of all ages.
The candy was made of white to stand for pureness of Jesus. The red represents the blood that Jesus shed to save us from our sins.
So, the next time you see a candy cane take a minute to reflect on the real meaning behind it and Christmas.
Merry Christmas!
12 Days of Christmas ...Ever wonder what it all means?
Thu, Dec 8 2011 07:58 AM
1 - True Love refers to God
2 - Turtle Doves refers to the Old and New Testaments
3 - French Hens refers to Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues
4 - Calling Birds refers to the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 - Golden Rings refers to the first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which gives the history of man's fall from grace.
6 Geese A-laying refers to the six days of creation
7 - Swans A-swimming refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments
8 - Maids A-milking refers to the eight beatitudes
9 - Ladies Dancing refers to the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 - Lords A-leaping refers to the ten commandments
11 - Pipers Piping refers to the eleven faithful apostles
12 - Drummers Drumming refers to the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed
Christmas 2011 – Birth of a New Tradition
Mon, Nov 14 2011 09:42 AM
As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high
gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods –
merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor.
This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of
genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse
that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by
American hands. Oh.... Yes there is! It is time to think outside the
box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in
Chinese produced wrapping paper?
Everyone – yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates
from your local American hair salon or barber?
Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some
health improvement.
Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned
detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a
book of gift certificates.
Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plunking down
the Benjamins on a Chinese-made flat-screen TV? Perhaps that grateful gift
receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or
driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.
There are a gazillion owner-run restaurants – all offering gift
certificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about a half
dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint.
Remember, folks this isn't about big National chains – this is about
supporting your home town Americans with their financial lives on the line to
keep their doors open
How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or
motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?
Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a
local cleaning lady for a day.
My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who
is struggling to get his repair business up and running.
OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin
their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery
and beautiful wooden boxes.
Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave
your server a nice tip.
And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre.
Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.
Honestly people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese
lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of light, about fifty
cents stays in the community.
If you have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or
babysitter a nice BIG tip.
You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that
China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about
US (We the People), encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging
away to follow their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we
care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we could
not imagine.
THIS is the new American Christmas tradition!!
gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods –
merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor.
This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of
genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse
that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by
American hands. Oh.... Yes there is! It is time to think outside the
box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in
Chinese produced wrapping paper?
Everyone – yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates
from your local American hair salon or barber?
Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some
health improvement.
Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned
detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a
book of gift certificates.
Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plunking down
the Benjamins on a Chinese-made flat-screen TV? Perhaps that grateful gift
receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or
driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.
There are a gazillion owner-run restaurants – all offering gift
certificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about a half
dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint.
Remember, folks this isn't about big National chains – this is about
supporting your home town Americans with their financial lives on the line to
keep their doors open
How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or
motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?
Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a
local cleaning lady for a day.
My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who
is struggling to get his repair business up and running.
OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin
their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery
and beautiful wooden boxes.
Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave
your server a nice tip.
And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre.
Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.
Honestly people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese
lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of light, about fifty
cents stays in the community.
If you have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or
babysitter a nice BIG tip.
You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that
China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about
US (We the People), encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging
away to follow their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we
care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we could
not imagine.
THIS is the new American Christmas tradition!!
Too Good To Not Share.
Sat, Oct 8 2011 11:30 AM
As a consumer, do you ever feel the responsibility to share when you discover something great?
Maybe I am more of the minority than I realize, but – I feel that need.
After all, when you find a product that totally makes you go WOW! don't you feel like you want to tell everyone about it? I will never forget the days when my daughter was much younger and a friend turned me on to a product called "Zout". It was the only product that would successfully remove those awful formula stains that would ruin so many clothes. Once I realized that it actually worked, I wanted to purchase it by the cases! I also wanted to shout out to all my friends and family because I had actually found a product that lived up to it's promise.
The last product I discovered that ranks right up there with my Zout is the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.
I have not come across many people that have not tried this product. But if you are reading this and have not, you must. It is one of those products that when you use, you stop and wonder - how does it do that? I find myself staring at this simple little white sponge asking myself, what and how does it do what it does?
This morning, with the continuous aggravation of attempting to keep my stainless kitchen appliances fingerprint-free, I picked a product from the local grocery and opted to give it a try.
Well, I must act on my responsibility today and share with you my recent favorite find. The Weiman Stainless Steel Wipes. Very convenient and maybe a bit pricey because of it, but I literally said - WOW! With only one wipe, I was able to clean and eliminate all prints from my side-by-side and it looked awesome! And it was effortless. My kind of product.
So - if you have this problem with your stainless as I do, I suggest and recommend you try this nifty and convenient product for your solution. I think you will be glad that you did.
Maybe I am more of the minority than I realize, but – I feel that need.
After all, when you find a product that totally makes you go WOW! don't you feel like you want to tell everyone about it? I will never forget the days when my daughter was much younger and a friend turned me on to a product called "Zout". It was the only product that would successfully remove those awful formula stains that would ruin so many clothes. Once I realized that it actually worked, I wanted to purchase it by the cases! I also wanted to shout out to all my friends and family because I had actually found a product that lived up to it's promise.
The last product I discovered that ranks right up there with my Zout is the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.
I have not come across many people that have not tried this product. But if you are reading this and have not, you must. It is one of those products that when you use, you stop and wonder - how does it do that? I find myself staring at this simple little white sponge asking myself, what and how does it do what it does?
This morning, with the continuous aggravation of attempting to keep my stainless kitchen appliances fingerprint-free, I picked a product from the local grocery and opted to give it a try.
Well, I must act on my responsibility today and share with you my recent favorite find. The Weiman Stainless Steel Wipes. Very convenient and maybe a bit pricey because of it, but I literally said - WOW! With only one wipe, I was able to clean and eliminate all prints from my side-by-side and it looked awesome! And it was effortless. My kind of product.
So - if you have this problem with your stainless as I do, I suggest and recommend you try this nifty and convenient product for your solution. I think you will be glad that you did.
The Time is Now for Brands to be Human.
Tue, Aug 30 2011 12:11 PM
For Brands, Being Human Is The New Black
BY E.B. BoydMon Aug 29, 2011
At the Designer Fund’s first Designer Fair, IDEO’s Elle Luna explains how brands are increasingly seeking to gain customers and build loyalty by showing their human side.
Want to build your brand? Traditionally that’s meant a lot of chest thumping. But that’s changing, IDEO communications designer Elle Luna told a standing-room-only crowd at The Designer Fund’s first-ever Designer Fair on Friday. More and more, brands are gaining traction by embracing qualities like honesty, kindness, and simply having a sense of humor about themselves. It's something a lot of viewers of ads by Domino's, Old Spice, or Dos Equis may have noticed, but Luna summed it up succinctly.
“Today, brands are becoming more and more like humans,” Luna said. “They’re taking on more and more human-like traits.”
About 200 people crammed into 500 Startups’ incubator space in downtown Mountain View, Calif., for the inaugural Fair, a lightweight, late afternoon “conference” of sorts, where designers networked with hackers, and listened to several dozen presentations from the likes of Pinterest’s Evan Sharp, Eventbrite designer Tom Censani, former Mint.com lead designer and now Votizen cofounder Jason Putorti, and Visual.ly’s Nate Whitson.
The Fair was part of The Designer Fund’s overall goal to put designers at the center of the current tech boom and ultimately encourage some of them to start their own companies.
Luna’s talk on the increasing humanity of brands included examples from Pepsi, which decided to launch the Refresh Project last year, a charitable giving program, instead of dropping $20 million on a Super Bowl ad, and Patagonia, which uses the “Footprint Chronicles” section of its website to let consumers see the environmental impact of the company’s various garments.
“We are hard-wired to respond to [human] traits,” Luna continued. So, “if you’re doing good, [think about] how do you communicate that to your users, especially in a human way, through traits like honesty, openness, and humor? If you have practices that you’d like to improve upon, that you’re working on, [think about] how might you be honest and open with your users, even when it’s not all perfect.”
BY E.B. BoydMon Aug 29, 2011
At the Designer Fund’s first Designer Fair, IDEO’s Elle Luna explains how brands are increasingly seeking to gain customers and build loyalty by showing their human side.
Want to build your brand? Traditionally that’s meant a lot of chest thumping. But that’s changing, IDEO communications designer Elle Luna told a standing-room-only crowd at The Designer Fund’s first-ever Designer Fair on Friday. More and more, brands are gaining traction by embracing qualities like honesty, kindness, and simply having a sense of humor about themselves. It's something a lot of viewers of ads by Domino's, Old Spice, or Dos Equis may have noticed, but Luna summed it up succinctly.
“Today, brands are becoming more and more like humans,” Luna said. “They’re taking on more and more human-like traits.”
About 200 people crammed into 500 Startups’ incubator space in downtown Mountain View, Calif., for the inaugural Fair, a lightweight, late afternoon “conference” of sorts, where designers networked with hackers, and listened to several dozen presentations from the likes of Pinterest’s Evan Sharp, Eventbrite designer Tom Censani, former Mint.com lead designer and now Votizen cofounder Jason Putorti, and Visual.ly’s Nate Whitson.
The Fair was part of The Designer Fund’s overall goal to put designers at the center of the current tech boom and ultimately encourage some of them to start their own companies.
Luna’s talk on the increasing humanity of brands included examples from Pepsi, which decided to launch the Refresh Project last year, a charitable giving program, instead of dropping $20 million on a Super Bowl ad, and Patagonia, which uses the “Footprint Chronicles” section of its website to let consumers see the environmental impact of the company’s various garments.
“We are hard-wired to respond to [human] traits,” Luna continued. So, “if you’re doing good, [think about] how do you communicate that to your users, especially in a human way, through traits like honesty, openness, and humor? If you have practices that you’d like to improve upon, that you’re working on, [think about] how might you be honest and open with your users, even when it’s not all perfect.”
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