Notes from the point Newsletter 01

This is the first in a series, you know…Planet of the Apes, Escape from Planet of the Apes, Beyond Planet of the Apes, Planet of the Apes Meets Bambi, etc. However, we are expecting the acting and musical numbers will be a little more… well, insightful.

Promoting Through a Difficult Economy

Sure, we all long for times past (and hopefully future) when you could feel free to sneeze without having to get 17 cost estimates for the process. Times are tight, and although the economy is showing hints of a recovery, some companies have created strong habits of sticking their collective heads in the sand, waiting for… well… some cloudless, blue sky day to drift by before they show their faces to their audience again. Like a rubberband being stretched further and further as time passes, we are moving towards a time when the “snap” will usher in a flood of competitors all trying to get their message out. That wave of promotion will take the attention of your audience and spread it very thinly. Being noticed, and better yet, heard over all that promotional clutter requires a good creative or mass/repetitive promotional yell. Currently, while your competitors are quietly waiting, a nice little economic whisper can set the groundwork for future relationships. A good discussion with your design firm or marketing company (AXIS visual for example) about your goals and budget can be the seed for numerous thoughts and ideas on how to get your business out to your client base before the wave.

The Line Between Design and Marketing

What is the difference between design and marketing? As the saying goes, ask 20 different people and get 20 different answers. In a pure definition the difference is great but when they are both working effectively, where one stops and the other starts can be a blurry, but beneficial line.

From a design perspective – the line is a mile wide and many shades of grey. Seriously, the thought that goes into the design of just about anything requires (or at least, should require) consideration of the target audience and how to get them to respond, in other words, marketing. It could be the style of art, an adventurous or conservative layout of the piece, color choice, font choice or any number of thousands of decisions that go into the design of a promotion, identity, product or anything else. But these decisions, although they may be farther out on the branch of marketing, are still a process, and like any other process, if done well, results will follow.

From a marketers perspective – you have a widget that you want to sell… now what? OK, a valid argument can be made that marketing starts before a product is even made or designed, but that is for another issue. Back to your widget. How do you sell it and make profits to channel back into your business… or to go to Tahiti. Well, who is your main audience? Your secondary audience? How do they like to take in information? Who are their major influences? What are their likes and dislikes? Many questions but the point is that marketing builds a picture of who is your best possible audience and then creates a strategy for how to motivate them. Think of marketing as an architect that creates the plan to build your promotional house, high rise, garage, whatever. And graphic design? Think of design as a specific engineer who is responsible for the look of everything from the interior to the landscaping as well as making sure everything works as planned and that all subcontractors come in on time and on budget. In the end, both the product and the process are better if both sides understand and respect how the other works.

5 Reasons a Good Logo is “Good”

A logo is a very personal item, like your signature or your favorite sweatshirt. Working with a firm to design your logo is like working with someone to design your house. There are things you like, dislike, want to see, colors you like, etc. But what is the purpose of a logo? Yes, it is something that YOU need to “live in,” or live with, but it is also, and this is of equal or greater importance, something that your client base needs to be able to “live in.” Ultimately, a logo has to function as a symbol for a company or product. One that is a quick identifier and that is used to build positive recognition for the company or product. But what makes one “good.” Simply put, here are some thoughts…

1) A good logo is not confusing. It doesn’t suffer from an attempt to include everything about the company (a brochure or web site will do that).

2) It delivers the “feel” or personality of the company (conservative, playful, technological, rebellious). It doesn’t deliver a message (direct or subliminal) that contradicts the company philosophy. In other words, if you are selling heart medication, a logo that looks like it is from an MTV spot is probably NOT a “good” logo, and visa versa.

3) It is a strong and distinctive mark that can be recognized easily.

4) It has a quality or element that can be used to reinforce the marketing focus. This works to remind the viewer of the marketing message while increasing the visual equity of the logo itself.

5) Finally, is it likable? So yes, it is your house… but if you don’t put some thought into how your customers think, you just might not have too much company.