This is a great post. Logos are a difficult thing to do well. Think of how many logos are completely meaningless and tell you nothing about what the company does. If you are clever enough to design a logo that reinforces your brand message, congratulations.
Every interaction with a customer is an opportunity to reinforce your brand. Does your logo project the image and message you want your customers to hold about you?
25 logos with hidden messages – Amazing Graphic Designing tricks! | Graphic Design Blog
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Beliefs - Roman Catholics’ War Over Abortion - NYTimes.com
Beliefs - Roman Catholics’ War Over Abortion - NYTimes.com
This was an interesting op-ed in the NYTs yesterday. Most people don't think of the catholic church as a business or as a brand. But it is both. And I think the "business model" (if I can say that without getting in trouble) is under attack from scrappy start ups (evangelical churches) that are more nimble and hungrier for success as well as from a sect of brand loyalists (conservative catholics) who seek to define the brand.
The church in the U.S. has been losing more people than it has been gaining for a while. You would think that an organization that has lost as many as half of its customers/clients/members would try to understand the market and figure out why it is not meeting their needs. I fear the Catholic Church has done what many good, but mistaken, companies have done. They have blamed the member..."they don't like to follow the rules; they don't understand; we aren't going to change, they must."
A brand is owned by the customers. It feels to me like the Catholic brand in the U.S. is now being controlled by the most conservative members of the church. I think that the Catholic church, at least in the U.S., is at risk of making some members feel unwelcome. Look at what the pro-life Christians are doing at Notre Dame. I mean, can you find a more conservative, religiously pious community than Notre Dame?
I respect the conservative Catholics' views and their faith, but I fear that I do not fit into their church....nor do I want to. The most conservative are trying to define what it means to be catholic in the U.S. They want stict adherence to church teaching. While I accept the teachings of the church, I do not agree with all of them. So I ask you, should I be allowed to remain in the church?
I am not saying that the Church needs to abandon or compromise on its teachings. But any large organization that has unanimity of opinion on such important issues can not be an intelligent, organic organization. That would be a cult where all personal opinion and reason is taken away.
I like to think that the Church is a big tent organization, not a narrow one with strict rules of who gets in and how they stay there. The current situation in the Catholic Church feels an awful lot like what is happening in the Republican party. It seems, the most worthy and righteous have decided that their organizations are better off being smaller and purer, than larger, more open minded and, yes, a bit messy.
My God is benevolent and tolerant one. That is the church I seek.
Posted using ShareThis
This was an interesting op-ed in the NYTs yesterday. Most people don't think of the catholic church as a business or as a brand. But it is both. And I think the "business model" (if I can say that without getting in trouble) is under attack from scrappy start ups (evangelical churches) that are more nimble and hungrier for success as well as from a sect of brand loyalists (conservative catholics) who seek to define the brand.
The church in the U.S. has been losing more people than it has been gaining for a while. You would think that an organization that has lost as many as half of its customers/clients/members would try to understand the market and figure out why it is not meeting their needs. I fear the Catholic Church has done what many good, but mistaken, companies have done. They have blamed the member..."they don't like to follow the rules; they don't understand; we aren't going to change, they must."
A brand is owned by the customers. It feels to me like the Catholic brand in the U.S. is now being controlled by the most conservative members of the church. I think that the Catholic church, at least in the U.S., is at risk of making some members feel unwelcome. Look at what the pro-life Christians are doing at Notre Dame. I mean, can you find a more conservative, religiously pious community than Notre Dame?
I respect the conservative Catholics' views and their faith, but I fear that I do not fit into their church....nor do I want to. The most conservative are trying to define what it means to be catholic in the U.S. They want stict adherence to church teaching. While I accept the teachings of the church, I do not agree with all of them. So I ask you, should I be allowed to remain in the church?
I am not saying that the Church needs to abandon or compromise on its teachings. But any large organization that has unanimity of opinion on such important issues can not be an intelligent, organic organization. That would be a cult where all personal opinion and reason is taken away.
I like to think that the Church is a big tent organization, not a narrow one with strict rules of who gets in and how they stay there. The current situation in the Catholic Church feels an awful lot like what is happening in the Republican party. It seems, the most worthy and righteous have decided that their organizations are better off being smaller and purer, than larger, more open minded and, yes, a bit messy.
My God is benevolent and tolerant one. That is the church I seek.
Posted using ShareThis
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Welcome To The Reputation Economy - louisgray.com
Great post from Louis Gray today. If you don't know Louis Gray, you should. He is a West Coast blogger who is smart and insightful and has an inside line on tech.
He writes today about the importance of personal reputation. In a world where information can be created and distributed by anyone, about anything, you must manage your own reputation. And you must recognize that every action has an impact on your "brand." Every Facebook status update, every photo, every article you post.
Like great brands, the market will ultimately determine what it thinks your brand stands for, but you must do everything you can to make sure the market can see you the way you want to be seen. Your reputation is your brand. Don't mismanage it.
Welcome To The Reputation Economy - louisgray.com
He writes today about the importance of personal reputation. In a world where information can be created and distributed by anyone, about anything, you must manage your own reputation. And you must recognize that every action has an impact on your "brand." Every Facebook status update, every photo, every article you post.
Like great brands, the market will ultimately determine what it thinks your brand stands for, but you must do everything you can to make sure the market can see you the way you want to be seen. Your reputation is your brand. Don't mismanage it.
Welcome To The Reputation Economy - louisgray.com
Sunday, May 3, 2009
How Lehman Got Its Real Estate Fix - NYTimes.com
How Lehman Got Its Real Estate Fix - NYTimes.com
Well, if there was any question that the newspaper business is desperate, check out the article in today NY Times. The article is fine, if not a little sensationalist and focused on the personal. But this has been an increasing trend with the Times and WSJ. They now compete with Access Hollywood, CNN Headline News, and Joe Nobody's blog. So they increasingly go to content they would never have dreamed of running even ten years ago.
But that is not the point of this post. Check out the photo in the Lehman article. I find it offensive, flat-footed and not very clever. Its too easy and ridiculous.....aside from that I have no opinion.
Is it just me? What do you think?
Posted using ShareThis
Well, if there was any question that the newspaper business is desperate, check out the article in today NY Times. The article is fine, if not a little sensationalist and focused on the personal. But this has been an increasing trend with the Times and WSJ. They now compete with Access Hollywood, CNN Headline News, and Joe Nobody's blog. So they increasingly go to content they would never have dreamed of running even ten years ago.
But that is not the point of this post. Check out the photo in the Lehman article. I find it offensive, flat-footed and not very clever. Its too easy and ridiculous.....aside from that I have no opinion.
Is it just me? What do you think?
Posted using ShareThis
Friday, May 1, 2009
Michael Vick in Talks to Become PETA Spokesman - Advertising Age - News
This is perfect. PETA needs all the help it can get. It has become the Taliban of animal rights. And now they find Michael Vick, who is in desperate need of showing remorse if he ever wants to get paid to throw a football again.
Its so crazy it just may work. It will bring PR to both of them. But the question is, what are their objectives. Vick wants to be seen as remorseful that he contributed to the harm of animals. And PETA want to raise awareness about animal rights. Ok.
But this feels too baldly opportunistic for both of them to be truly successful. I could be wrong. Though we should never underestimate peoples ability to dismiss those who are disingenuous are clearly motivated by purely personal reasons.
I guess we'll see.
Michael Vick in Talks to Become PETA Spokesman - Advertising Age - News
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Its so crazy it just may work. It will bring PR to both of them. But the question is, what are their objectives. Vick wants to be seen as remorseful that he contributed to the harm of animals. And PETA want to raise awareness about animal rights. Ok.
But this feels too baldly opportunistic for both of them to be truly successful. I could be wrong. Though we should never underestimate peoples ability to dismiss those who are disingenuous are clearly motivated by purely personal reasons.
I guess we'll see.
Michael Vick in Talks to Become PETA Spokesman - Advertising Age - News
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Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Are Stadium Naming Rights and Sports Adverstising Deals Worth It?
Citi paid something like $300 million for the naming rights of the new Mets stadium, now known as Citi Field. You will find similar deals in every city. But are they worth it? There has been lots of debate. The debate usually comes down to a fundamental debate in marketing. Is brand advertising and spending worth it? Here we are again at the ROI question.
How do you measure the return to your business of naming the Mets stadium for example? You can come up with some metrics such as new accounts, customer loyalty etc in the market, but it is usually and indirect metric, that is, you can't directly attribute the new account to the stadium name but it can be seen as helping.
As budgets get tighter, many companies are looking at their budgets and asking, is brand advertising worth it? After all, it is much easier to measure return on investment (ROI) on a direct mail piece. You know your cost. You know your response. You know your resulting sales.
How can a sponsorship of the Washington Capitals or Seattle Mariners makes sense for a business?
I think it can makes sense, but only if there are several conditions in place:
1) You must be targeting a regional audience. By definition, sports franchises are local enterprises. Yes, there are some that are national or global, but this is the exception and not the rule. And, it will be very difficult to measure any kind of tangible impact for a local sponsorship on a national or global scale. Know your audience and make your decision with the assumption that your impact will be local.
2) You must go for some kind of endorsement or key sponsorship. Advertising during Steelers games can be an effective way to reach a specific demographic, if that is your goal. But if you are seeking to benefit from that demographic's emotional connection to the team, then straight advertising misses a key opportunity.
3) The team or franchise you are sponsoring must have a strong and irrational fan base. Think about it. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays made it to the World Series, but never filled the stadium during the year. The Nationals have a new stadium and lots of attention, but the fans are just learning to love them irrationally. The Nats are not the Redskins. Those fans are truly nuts in love. That is the kind of franchise you would want to be associated with....assuming their fans are the demo you are trying to reach.
4) You must make your brand part of the team's brand family. Red Sox fans know that they are part of something more than following a sports team. They call themselves Red Sox Nation. For many, the Red Sox are part of their own personal brands/identities. With effective sponsorship and advertising deals, you can make your product part of the "family." The key is meaningful placement and enagement as well key endorsement by the organization. Another Red Sox example. Citizens Bank is a corporate sponsor. They have signage. They advertise during broadcasts, but perhaps the most effective part of their plan is when Jerry Remy, the color man for the Sox TV broadcasts, reads promo scripts and often goes off script to say what a great bank they are. You can't pay enough for that kind of promotion. But it comes from being a trusted part of the family. And it is a cycle that perpetuates itself.
5) Develop relevant content -- ideally playing off the fans and their emotional connection directly. Avis does this brilliantly in a recent ad developed for the New York market.
I don't know if the $300 million was worth it. But I can tell you, if it is a flat footed advertising deal that doesn't seek to make Citi part of the Mets organization and its fans identities, it will have been a waste of money.
Here are a few other sources of info:
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/29/us/denver-journal-what-s-in-a-stadium-name-tradition-or-money.html
http://www.performanceresearch.com/naming-rights.htm
http://www.ameinfo.com/61816.html
http://www.sportslinkscentral.com/sports_business/sponsorship_research.htm
How do you measure the return to your business of naming the Mets stadium for example? You can come up with some metrics such as new accounts, customer loyalty etc in the market, but it is usually and indirect metric, that is, you can't directly attribute the new account to the stadium name but it can be seen as helping.
As budgets get tighter, many companies are looking at their budgets and asking, is brand advertising worth it? After all, it is much easier to measure return on investment (ROI) on a direct mail piece. You know your cost. You know your response. You know your resulting sales.
How can a sponsorship of the Washington Capitals or Seattle Mariners makes sense for a business?
I think it can makes sense, but only if there are several conditions in place:
1) You must be targeting a regional audience. By definition, sports franchises are local enterprises. Yes, there are some that are national or global, but this is the exception and not the rule. And, it will be very difficult to measure any kind of tangible impact for a local sponsorship on a national or global scale. Know your audience and make your decision with the assumption that your impact will be local.
2) You must go for some kind of endorsement or key sponsorship. Advertising during Steelers games can be an effective way to reach a specific demographic, if that is your goal. But if you are seeking to benefit from that demographic's emotional connection to the team, then straight advertising misses a key opportunity.
3) The team or franchise you are sponsoring must have a strong and irrational fan base. Think about it. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays made it to the World Series, but never filled the stadium during the year. The Nationals have a new stadium and lots of attention, but the fans are just learning to love them irrationally. The Nats are not the Redskins. Those fans are truly nuts in love. That is the kind of franchise you would want to be associated with....assuming their fans are the demo you are trying to reach.
4) You must make your brand part of the team's brand family. Red Sox fans know that they are part of something more than following a sports team. They call themselves Red Sox Nation. For many, the Red Sox are part of their own personal brands/identities. With effective sponsorship and advertising deals, you can make your product part of the "family." The key is meaningful placement and enagement as well key endorsement by the organization. Another Red Sox example. Citizens Bank is a corporate sponsor. They have signage. They advertise during broadcasts, but perhaps the most effective part of their plan is when Jerry Remy, the color man for the Sox TV broadcasts, reads promo scripts and often goes off script to say what a great bank they are. You can't pay enough for that kind of promotion. But it comes from being a trusted part of the family. And it is a cycle that perpetuates itself.
5) Develop relevant content -- ideally playing off the fans and their emotional connection directly. Avis does this brilliantly in a recent ad developed for the New York market.
I don't know if the $300 million was worth it. But I can tell you, if it is a flat footed advertising deal that doesn't seek to make Citi part of the Mets organization and its fans identities, it will have been a waste of money.
Here are a few other sources of info:
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/29/us/denver-journal-what-s-in-a-stadium-name-tradition-or-money.html
http://www.performanceresearch.com/naming-rights.htm
http://www.ameinfo.com/61816.html
http://www.sportslinkscentral.com/sports_business/sponsorship_research.htm
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Facebook Pages Become the Newest Ad Platform
Facebook Pages Become the Newest Ad Platform -- Mashable
US Weekly, that highly popular, never admitted to, magazine of high culture, has sold a sponsorship of its Facebook page to State Farm Insurance.
Hey State Farm, I reach a highly desirable demographic. Want to sponsor me?
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US Weekly, that highly popular, never admitted to, magazine of high culture, has sold a sponsorship of its Facebook page to State Farm Insurance.
Hey State Farm, I reach a highly desirable demographic. Want to sponsor me?
Posted using ShareThis
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