Why the fuss about the positioning statement?
In brand audits and workshops that we facilitate, much of our effort focuses on the positioning and reassurance statement. Why? Because this is what identifies your company (or program or service), conveys what you do, for whom, and how you help solve a need in a unique way. Oh yes, and this must be clear, concise and authentic.
When clients come to us and express their want and need for a social presence we are ecstatic however, we do ask them what their goals are and give a forewarning. For companies who are interested in diving into social media there is a lot to consider. Creating a social media presence for your company can be a valuable asset, but it can also be time consuming and confusing if you’re not using a trusted advisor or you’re not all that socially savvy yourself.
Throughout the process of writing for, designing and constructing a company website there is much to consider. For most companies, your website is a window to who you are as an organization. It’s your digital representative that is accessible 24/7, providing information about your team, projects and culture. Not only is your company website an important piece of your brand, it can also be a powerful sales tool–when created with user experience in mind.
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.
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.
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.
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?)
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.
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.
Check out these logo design changes for June 2014.
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.
“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:
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.
