Much has been written about branding, brand strategy, brand archetypes and brands, in general.  Any seasoned marketer worth his or her salt has read and pulled useful information from countless articles, blogs and posts in an effort to form their own opinion or strategy on how best to define and promote their own brand.

In the interest of full disclosure, you’ll discover nothing new here as I’m more interested in learning the process through which you’ve come to define your brand(s), and why. 

We, like many others, have adopted Mark and Pearson’s brand archetype approach, made popular in their book The Hero and The Outlaw.  You can get your own copy here. (more…)

Dean LePoidevin | Post a Comment

• 
   Print
• 
   Email
• 
• Share
• 
   Permalink

“Words have meaning and type has spirit,” says Paula Scher. “And the combination is just spectacular.”

Typography is used in advertising and marketing to give “meaning and spirit” to a company’s brand identity.

Part of the PBS web series, “Off Book,” is the short film “Type,” exploring the diversity of typographic expression through conversations with iconic graphic designer Paula Scher, font designers Tobias Frere-Jones and Jonathan Hoefler, the experimental young designer Eddie Opara, and cutting-edge info-graphic creators Deroy Peraza and Julia Vakser.

Watch the full episode. See more Off Book.

Type is the visual representation of our language. It adds shape, texture, mood and feeling to our messages, creating subtle layers of nuance and meaning. As it shapes your brand identity, it also enhances its emotional intangibles. Next time you look at an advertisement, a sign or a logo maybe you’ll see it a little bit differently.

Julie Meidam | Post a Comment

• 
   Print
• 
   Email
• 
• Share
• 
   Permalink

An article on Ragan’s PR Daily titled 7 Essential Tips for PR Newbies, asked PR pros what advice they would give to a person launching their career in public relations.

The wisdom that struck a chord with me was from Andrew Worob, who said, don’t ever get complacent. That’s so true when it comes to PR. It’s great when your proactive media relations pay off in a four-page spread or lands a cover story. Clients love that kind of exposure and it goes a long way toward validating your value to them. (more…)

Steve Staedler | Post a Comment

• 
   Print
• 
   Email
• 
• Share
• 
   Permalink

Who doesn’t love free stuff? CreativePro.com writer Pariah Burke recently posted an article in their “Free for All” series offering 10 InDesign table styles, 12 sans serif fonts, 13 letterpress Photoshop layer styles and three color reference infographics. All for free. Well… almost.

If you want the tables, you’ll have to pony-up with a tweet. StockInDesign service is looking to build their Twitter following with the promise of 10 free table design templates.

This is a great way for any business to help build their brand online. Offering items of real value to a target audience is great way to show what you know and establish credibility and buzz. In this case, tweet cred.  This strategy works well with Facebook and other social media outlets. It also works as a way to drive visitors to your website. That’s a lot a mileage out of a very small investment. It’s a win-win situation. InStockDesign gets increased exposure for their brand on Twitter and you get the free stuff. (more…)

Julie Meidam | Post a Comment

• 
   Print
• 
   Email
• 
• Share
• 
   Permalink

If you even causally follow baseball, you know the Brewers were a big deal in Milwaukee this year. “Beast Mode” was in full effect. Here at the agency, one discussion about our beloved team spawned an interesting question. The Brewers have all sorts of uniform versions in a variety of colors and styles (I want all of them, but that’s another conversation).

Color choices can have a wide range of implications. We look at the intrinsic meanings of color when building logos and other brand identity. We make recommendations to our clients to help convey specific traits and feelings. We know some organizations have worked to “own” colors. UPS’s what can brown do for you comes to mind. (more…)

Judson Luke | Post a Comment

• 
   Print
• 
   Email
• 
• Share
• 
   Permalink

Things don’t stay the same for long, and that’s certainly the case in marketing strategies. We’ve seen this time and again, from the traditional newspaper and magazine buys, to the early days of radio and television, to online ads, to search marketing and social media – marketing strategies are constantly in a state of flux, always shifting and adapting with the times.   (more…)

Rosalind Elliott | Post a Comment

• 
   Print
• 
   Email
• 
• Share
• 
   Permalink

I have been stranded at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee for seven hours and counting, trying to travel to my inaugural PestWorld 2011 experience in New Orleans.  After rerouting our flight and squatting at two different restaurants, working remotely, I took to listening in on different conversations: fellow travelers from my flight complaining of the long day ahead, a mother consoling an overtired child needing a nap, two friends excited about their weekend trip ahead, our server telling us all about her day and how she runs her station.  When the server said “More Money, More Time” and laughed ruefully to one of her customers, it struck a chord. (more…)

Angela Mork | Post a Comment

• 
   Print
• 
   Email
• 
• Share
• 
   Permalink

Talk about an overused way in which to describe an individual.  In this day and age, and in all facets of our lives, we are often referred or called attention to the opinions of “experts.”  Whether dealing with professional or personal issues, there are always experts nearby ready to render their opinion and influence our actions.

An expert is defined by the dictionary as someone with the special skill or knowledge representing mastery of a particular subject.  While I am fond of stating that, in my opinion “there are no experts,” I do realize there are individuals who possess a great deal of knowledge on a particular subject that exceeds the amount held by a vast majority of others.   These individuals, through years of research, hands-on experience and a true passion for their chosen area of expertise, may indeed have earned the title of expert.  My beef is with those who are labeled or believe themselves to be an expert, when they have done little to validate their opinions. (more…)

Dean LePoidevin | Post a Comment

• 
   Print
• 
   Email
• 
• Share
• 
   Permalink

I made a recent purchase at Sears and during check-out I opted for an electronic receipt versus hard copy. Simple, yet the more I thought about it I realized how this one transaction benefits all parties involved.

The electronic option is a way for Sears to support efforts to go green. If that’s important to someone like me, then I have that option to do so. In a way I felt I was connecting with their brand, as we share a common interest. (more…)

Karen Enriquez-Wagner | Post a Comment

• 
   Print
• 
   Email
• 
• Share
• 
   Permalink

I like to think I know both sides of the fence.

Being in public relations, one of my core functions is interacting with the media on an almost daily basis. But before jumping over to PR, I was a newspaper reporter for several years, which gives me a unique perspective on knowing how both professions operate. (more…)

Steve Staedler | Post a Comment

• 
   Print
• 
   Email
• 
• Share
• 
   Permalink