The Latest Logo Design Trends
Question: What do “Supernova,” “Doodles,” and “Jawbreakers” have in common?
Answer: They’re all branding design trends.
So says brand expert Bill Gardner, president of Gardner Design, one of the nation’s top branding firms, with clients that include Fortune 500s such as Chrysler, Hallmark, Cessna Aircraft, and Kroger.
Gardner released his sixth annual report of logo trends in GD USA, a national design magazine. The report discusses 15 trends found all over the world and provides insights on how they may influence customers.
One trend, “Facets,” is composed of logos that remind the viewer of highly polished gems. Another is called “Animotion.” These moving logos are designed for the online audience.
What else does Gardner see among these trends?
- Clean, simple, more succinct identities–in type, in line, in color.
- Getting “metricized”: Increasing value of design on the bottom line.
- Less emphasis on “greenness” in logo design. It is not that unique anymore.
- More vivid colors. Out with desaturation; in with chroma.
- Less is more common: less calligraphy, Photoshop tricks, artificial highlights.
- Found pattern and illustration still hanging on.
Seeing all this, what’s his advice on logo design? “The key is to study the trends, then evolve forward — as far forward as you can leap — from them,” he says.
For a branding resource offering a database of more than 75,000 logos: LogoLounge.com
For a look at emerging trends: http://www.logolounge.com/trends
Christine Babick is a marketing strategist and linguist specializing in marketing language, website text, “emo copy,” and cause and relationship marketing. More…
Who Still Reads Print Ads? Surprise, Surprise.
You may think it’s your grandfather or your father. But try asking your college-going younger brother.
A recent study found that college students are addicted to college newspapers. I found this was true in my own research as well.
Mainstream newspaper readership is declining everywhere, and yet college newspapers are still very much alive. The eye-opening facts:
* 76% read their paper in the past month. For dailies, it is 92%.
* Despite internet usage gaining strength, the print edition still gets more eyeballs.
* 73% say they look at the ads in their college paper.
* Top areas of interest? Entertainment news, sports, and current affairs.
Get Some Major Advertising Action:
* 78% (particularly females) use coupons or promo codes, mostly for food, restaurants, clothing, and big box stores.
* Advertising in the paper has significant impact on students’ actions after they read something, with almost 80% reacting:
- WOM is a strong driver of message sharing: 61% told a friend about something they saw.
- Over half attended an event as a result of reading.
- 40% saved an ad for future reference.
- 36% continued to research products or services online after reading it in print.
- 1 in 5 called or visited a retail store in response to an offer.
Source: Alloy Media + Marketing
Christine Babick is a marketing strategist and linguist specializing in marketing language, website text, “emo copy,” and cause and relationship marketing. More…
CBS Looks to the Past for a New Branding Initiative
CBS just crossed over into the brand extension zone. Or rather, they are making it easier for consumers to re-enter The Twilight Zone. In June, CBS Consumer Products unveiled “Television City.”
An executive at CBS said: “Television City will become the umbrella title for all our classic TV shows…will offer marketers…the ability to engage millions of consumers.”
With distinctive packaging and signage programs, this initiative offers classic TV series to both consumers and retailers:
The Twilight Zone, Cheers, Mighty Mouse, Beverly Hillbillies, The Little Rascals, Dynasty, The Love Boat, Taxi, and Rawhide.
Expect to see the first products under the “Television City” banner in 2009.
Source: www.worldscreen.com
Christine Babick is a marketing strategist and linguist specializing in marketing language, website text, “emo copy,” and cause and relationship marketing. More…
Cross Media Builds Purchase Intent
Everyone’s talking about measurement of results these days, and “intent to buy” is considered an important way to measure a campaign’s success. That’s why a recent report by research firm Advertising Perceptions is noteworthy:
Cross-platform exposure to advertising results in higher intent to buy. Here’s what the study examined: beer, apparel, automotive, consumer electronics and toiletries.
**TV produced weak intent to buy on its own.
**If you add online ad exposure to print campaigns or TV, consumer intent to buy goes up.
**When two or more media were included, all of them showed lift.
**Intent to buy also goes up when brand names are thought of as high quality. This suggests that brand equity also plays a role in shaping consumer behavior (just like persuasive ads).
**Consumers expressed a stronger intent to buy a particular product after they had been exposed to ads for it on more than one medium.
The firm surveyed 25,000 people, looking at a broad range of websites, TV networks and other media.
So if you’re a media buyer looking to justify cross-media ad spend….this is good fodder.
Christine Babick is a marketing strategist and linguist specializing in marketing language, website text, “emo copy,” and cause and relationship marketing. More…
Redesign of My[insert ad here]Space
A summary of MySpace’s redesigned hp:
Less Clutter. More Advertising.
Hmm. Is there a paradox in there somewhere? It’s been said that the redesign addresses a nagging problem that beleaguers social networking sites: pages have “the aesthetic appeal of the locker door of a 14-year-old high schooler.” Which led me to imagine the site as the voice of a 14-year-old whining to its parent, Fox Interactive Media.
“Why can’t I be pretty like X website?”
“I want to make money like the other websites.”
“Can I have a new navigation bar? A search tool? A video player? I need these in time for school to start this fall.”
And like a lenient parent, Fox ignored the fact that the kid hasn’t been making the grade—more than one year into its $900 million contract with MySpace, Google said that it was not earning as much as expected, the site missed its revenue target, its sales force was rearranged, and the unit’s chief revenue officer was kicked out. Yet, MySpace is saying, “We’re seeing the dollars come in.”
This is an example of why questions exist about the ad value of social networks. When similar questions were raised in 2006, Fox brushed it aside, saying MySpace was more concerned about serving users than making money. Two years later, they are more concerned with making money. Also in 2006, not even Google was sure that it could provide enough ads to fill all the pages. However, recently Google said the situation had improved. Perhaps this is the reason for MySpace to be blithely optimistic?
Like the teen that wants to do what the adults do but hasn’t proved to be responsible yet, social networking sites have money-making ambitions but not enough proof that their plans work.
One analyst said, “We don’t have much conviction in the long-term ability to grow this business based on what we’ve seen lately. The jury’s still out on MySpace’s ability to monetize.” ….That is, if users don’t get “monotonized” by ads first.
Sources:
International Herald Tribune
MySpace Redesigns With Ad Sales in Mind Social Network Profit Remains a Riddle
Christine Babick is a marketing strategist and linguist specializing in marketing language, website text, “emo copy,” and cause and relationship marketing. More…
Inferior Brands Spiking
Do you know what is so good about having a generic or store brand right now? Well, for one the high price of gasoline. As the price to fuel vehicles continues to climb, consumers are turning to the lower cost version of their favorite products and to dollar or discount stores to purchase everyday necessities.
Stores can capture the action as consumers enter the doors by centrally locating their store brands of hot items before consumers even enter the isles. By clearly focusing on 
the generic or store brand you are giving them a first impression that will stand out when they are ready to make their purchase - same quality product, but at an inexpensive price.
Small discount and dollar stores are going to draw in the customers. Dollar General and Family Dollar have already seen an increase in consumers because their brand specifically builds on the idea that you are spending only a dollar, compared to two or three dollars someplace else.
Going to an old stand by, Wal-Mart’s campaign, "Save Money, Live Better" definitely is bringing in the consumers simply because they can shop in one location for all of their items - home, toiletries, food, and more - purchase store brands, and all of this will come at a cheaper price then the competitor down the street, saving consumers money.
Dannie McClain is a Category Manger with a New Jersey textiles company. In her spare time she also blogs on a personal blog and can be see at Simple Home Basics.
Me Talk Pretty PR One Day
It’s always interesting to me how marketing and PR firms “do” their corporate identity. Forever telling their clients how it’s done, how do they fare when they choose to do what they do with their websites and collateral?
Case in point:
Bock Communications, the only U.S.-based PR/marketing firm focused on the global wireless telecom industry, changed their corporate identity, which was designed to mirror the agency’s three defining tenets:
1. Bock is a luxury brand
2. PR and marketing are art forms
3. Growth is organic
Will it blend in the brand blender? Let’s see…
I guess they mean it when they say they are a BOUTIQUE PR agency.
They unveiled their new identity in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 16.
Boutique? Ribbon? I’m feeling the urge to do some scrapbooking. This page makes me want to ink up my stamp pad, embellish the bottom half, and add a paper flower with an eyelet.
Christine Babick is a marketing strategist and linguist specializing in marketing language, website text, “emo copy,” and cause and relationship marketing. More…
Mr. Gnome: Has It Really Been Four Years?
Recently Travelocity won a branding award for the Roaming Gnome campaign. Conducted by the Association of Travel Marketing Executives, these are the only results-driven marketing awards in the travel industry.
The strange, stiff little wizard-like creature became the spokesperson of Travelocity in January 2004. Ever since, he has been globetrotting, experiencing more adventures than I could ever hope to have.
The award means that Travelocity used breakthrough thinking, and that the campaign gained positive results.
Travelocity’s CMO commented that despite many critics disparaging a campaign based on a lawn ornament, the gnome “has become a pop culture celebrity and ambassador for getting out of the garden and great travel.”
While a little offbeat, at least the gnome is attention-grabbing without slithering into creepy like the “peeping Tom” Burger King.
Christine Babick is a marketing strategist and linguist specializing in marketing language, website text, “emo copy,” and cause and relationship marketing. More…
Would you like a celebrity with that?
Kudos to Burger King for creating something everybody wants. What I’m talking about is the Burger King Gold Card that has everyone buzzing following a recent Hugh Laurie interview. Evidently, high-profile celebrities who are loyal to Burger King are given a card that entitles them to free meals forever. Just for mentioning BK favorably in the media.
What a great way to show how this fast food chain is relevant in our celebrity-obsessed society. Giving away this Gold Card is part of Burger King’s promotion of their pre-paid BK Crown Cards, which regular guys can buy to pay for future food purchases.
In a world where brands sign up and pay famous personalities to talk well about their product, the BK Gold Card is an interesting twist on securing endorsements. By creating an exclusive private club, Burger King is having celebrities give them great positive word-of-mouth for just a few sandwiches. What a brilliant idea.
Technorati Tags: Burger King, Burger King Gold Card, Hugh Laurie
Picking your battles carefully
For years, PETA (people for the ethical treatment of animals) has done a noble job of focusing its efforts on animal rights issues in farming, ranching and the entertainment industry. But in this recent publicity stunt, they’ve chosen to jump the shark.
In a recent Yahoo! news article, PETA is condemning Wimbledon for “cruel and illegal behaviour” for shooting pigeons who were dive-bombing and defecating around the courts during play.
Now, I understand the need to protect animals that are being abused or eradicated to the point of extinction. But since when does shooting a few pesky pigeons that have infiltrated a private sporting event become “unethical?
What’s next? Filing lawsuits against airports that terminate geese that make runways their homes? Protesting against Florida golf courses that kill gators who wander on the fairways? Picketing my neighbor who evicted a family of raccoons from her attic?
It seems that PETA vice-president Bruce Friedrich thinks that any PR is good PR. But turning a few pigeon deaths into a public crusade does little to encourage the average Joe to taking PETA seriously. If PETA wants to engage the media in an important discussion on animal rights, they must be careful not to cry wolf too often.
Technorati Tags: animal rights, Wimbledon, PETA, Bruce Friedrich
Martha’s Brand Taking Hit
What names spring to mind as the A-list brands - in people terms? I think of Oprah, Donald Trump, and Martha Stewart. Undoubtedly each one has made their name 
stand out and many times had their names drug through the mud. Martha’s brand and her company, Martha Stewart Living, may be taking another huge hit to the Martha brand all over shattered tables.
Although no recall was ever initiated and eventually the tables were redesigned, a law suit against Martha Stewart Living over the table glass shattering and not issuing refunds could cost the company - let me rephrase that - could cost Martha $150 million. Let’s face it, it doesn’t matter if Martha Stewart Living and Sears are the companies involved, it is the name Martha that will take the brunt. The brand will again be tarnished.
Why no refunds? Simply because the glass was not covered under the manufacture’s warranty. Warranty to lawsuit, and now $150 million on the table. Unfortunately, there is a lot of finger pointing, from designers to makers; a manufacturer that is now out of business, no one wants to take the blame, another hit that could cost Martha.
Dannie McClain is a Category Manger with a New Jersey textiles company. In her spare time she also blogs on a personal blog and can be see at Simple Home Basics.
Mad About Mad Men
Mad Men, in case you haven’t seen it, is an original series that started last year on AMC, about a New York City advertising agency, set in 1960.
The first season was fantastic: great writing, acting and art direction. And for those of us in the business, it’s also a journey back in time to an era where going to work at an ad agency, for men, meant wearing a suit (even creatives!), smoking a pipe and drinking the proverbial three martini lunch.
For women, it mostly meant being chased around the office by suit wearing, pipe smoking, drunken letches, but that’s part of what drives the series: dealing with the changing times the 60’s ushered in. The agency is a conservative place of business, but the characters that inhabit it are all being driven by issues like equal rights, freedom of expression and the need to question authority.
The added appeal of the series for me is experiencing an agency that predates computers, cellphones, and email. The IBM Selectric typewriter was the high-tech gadget in the office, hand-drawn boards were the presentation medium of choice, and people met face to face instead of firing off endless voice- and e-mails.
The new season doesn’t start until July, but I’m writing this now to beat everybody else who will be blogging about it next month, and to tell you that if you haven’t seen the first season, see it before the second season starts. You’ll enjoy it — particularly with a martini.
Steven Stark is a writer and creative director who is mad, but only in the good sense of the word. You can see his work and read some of his other musings here.
To the Mic
It looks like having a highly respected publication is a great precursor to getting on Burson-Marsteller’s Top Podiums for CEOs list. Of the top 10, many have print publications (Wall Street Journal is number two). This isn’t a bad thing; it’s proof of the power in strong branding.
Newspaper Advertising Is Old News
As of about a month ago, I worked in the advertising business. Specifically, the newspaper advertising business. For one of the largest daily newspapers in our area.
I worked there - until I was laid off. Along with 20+ others, in various departments, throughout the building.
Needless to say, the newspaper business is not doing so well these days.
I specifically saw it in terms of the advertising. Companies and individuals are much more likely to advertise online now. Whether it be for real estate, employment opportunities, or whatever - in-print is no longer the most effective advertising avenue available.
Now, as I job hunt, I see this change in advertising in a whole new light. Flipping the pages of the newspaper - any newspaper - hardly provides me with any viable opportunities. Especially in the field I’m most interested in - writing and editing.
So I look online. And there, I’m successful. There, I’ve found plenty of positions to apply for. Via email, I’m able to get my resume and cover letter off to prospective employers in no time at all.I’m anxiously now waiting to hear on one job in particular.
In the mean time, you’ll find me at my laptop, job searching online.
Wish me luck!
Flush This
Attend any ad agency meeting and one thing you can be sure of is that the buzzwords will be flying: Out of the Box, Let’s Take This Offline, New Paradigm, Low Hanging Fruit, A (fill in your own big number) Foot View, and Dog & Pony Show, just to name a few. It seems that these words are hardwired into the meeting lexicon.
This practice is so widespread that Buzzword Bingo games have sprung up like mushrooms on the web, and IBM even has a commercial based on the idea, which, I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess, was developed in a meeting.
Somehow, in this miasma of meaning, there are two words that have sprung up to mean the same thing: Flesh and Flush. As in Flesh/Flush Out The Idea.
It’s funny, in an ironic, post-Seinfeld sort of way, that this duality has occurred, since the whole purpose of buzzwords is to speak a language that everybody understands.
So, in an effort to restore linguistic harmony to meetings I would like to propose Flesh as the agency standard. Here’s my logic: flesh means to build or add to, while flush means remove or take away. Flesh seems more positive as it conjures up a picture of teamwork and continued improvement, while Flush only conjures up, well, it’s obvious what it conjures up.
For the sake of meetings — let’s all go with Flesh —and get on with the communications business at hand.
Steven Stark is a writer and creative director who thinks meetings can be fun. You can see his work and read some of his other musings here.
Deceptive Drug Ads?
Like the Jedi Force, marketing is not inherently good or evil. When well-executed, it is influence. It is powerful. I remember first seeing Merck’s and Schering-Plough’s Vytorin ads(both print and tv) and thinking that they were quite clever and effective. But sometimes, the law decides that it needs to step in. Three pharmaceutical companies are facing scrutiny at a hearing that deals with deceptive television ads.
The ads in question are Merck’s and Schering-Plough’s Vytorin, Pfizer’s Lipitor, and Johnson & Johnson’s Procrit commercials. And what’s deceptive about them?
The Lipitor ad features the inventor of the artificial heart. Doesn’t sound like too big of a deal. But the only problem is that he appears to be dispensing medical advice—and he’s not a practicing physician. The commercial for Vytorin was pulled after a study revealed that it doesn’t lower cholesterol any better than an older generic drug. And Procrit, which treats the anemia related to chemotherapy, represented itself as a way to deal with “cancer fatigue.”
Head of the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce investigative panel, Democrat Bart Stupak, called for tighter restrictions on direct to consumer ads, saying “Pharmaceutical companies should consider it a privilege to be allowed to air DTC ads in this country…We should make sure that pharmaceuticals companies conduct themselves responsibly.”
Representatives from the companies–as well as several Republican lawmakers–say that the ads motivate consumers to get more information and see their doctors. Republican John Shimkus of Illinois also brought up the point that the FDA has not had the chance to crack down on these ads since they’ve been granted the power to do so earlier in the year.
Next week, the FDA will hold its own hearing regarding the ads.
The only other country to allow drug companies to promote ads to consumers is New Zealand. I’m curious what other Beneath the Brand readers think about the issue: if drug companies should be able to market directly to consumers with or without restrictions—or if they should be allowed to market DTC at all. It’s not a cut and dry issue.
Marketing folks are a creative bunch—one run through the Vytorin ad will tell you that. But there are ways to help connect consumers with quality products and services without deception.
Read the whole article at Reuters.
I’ve got no credit at Ad Age.
I still remember the day I heard about Hal Riney passing away. As a student of advertising, I can recall the initial launch of campaigns like “It’s perfect. It’s Perrier.” and “It’s morning again in America.” So, I was saddened by the news and sought comfort online from advertising’s trade publications.
Naturally, I turned to Advertising Age to read up on Hal and relive the glory days. After reading an opening paragraph, I clicked “Full Article” to find out more. And that’s when it hit me. “The article you have chosen costs 1 credit.”
WHAT? One credit?
I have to pay to read an obituary? Ad Age wants to charge me for an article that eulogizes an advertising iconoclast? The very man who helped reshape the industry, which this publication is supposedly devoted to? Where’s the compassion? Where’s the journalistic integrity? Where’s the good will?
Now, I know that newspapers and magazines are suffering from declining advertisers and readership, and they need to find new sources of revenue. But charging people to read an obituary is nothing less than outrageous.
I can see how Ad Age would want to charge online viewers for original content or words of wisdom written by well-respected columnists. But asking them to pay to read about the passing of a renowned adman is just plain wrong.
This kind of content control reeks of greed. It redefines Ad Age’s brand from a supporter of the community to that of an industry leech. On that gloomy day in March, Hal Riney wasn’t the only advertising legend that passed on. My belief that us ad guys are all in this together also died.
RIP Hal.
Technorati Tags: Hal Riney, “It’s perfect. It’s Perrier.”, “It’s morning again in America.”, Advertising Age
Reverse trend: ‘Townhall’ expands online brand to print
With print media chanting a fairly dismal liturgy, the website Townhall.com is reversing a trend by expanding the online brand to print. The new magazine just released its 5th issue wrapped in a perfect bound cover and packed with color photos. The paper stock is heavier than that of other political magazines both left and right wing. The layouts are airy, and some sections like ‘the Word’ are definitely graphically influenced by Web design. Blurbs from politicos and celebs set in large type offer both progressive and conservative views. The advertising is solid—healthcare, mortgage services, publishers and others placed messages in the May issue, the first one I’ve seen. I suspect most of the marketing is being done by the website, in the top online political destinations alongside counterparts like the liberal site Daily Kos. As I opened the cover of my sample, I asked myself a question. Will this new magazine overdo the agenda of the far right or will it take a sensible approach? Read more
Die neue Britney Spears
Guess what the German edition of Vanity Fair is calling Disney’s teen darling Miley Cyrus (aka, Hannah Montana) following her controversial photo shoot and feature for the magazine - the new Britney Spears. Not a moniker I’d want my 15 old daughter saddled with, but one that seems befitting considering the nature of some of those photos. (And it’s not the first time such controversy has brewed either.)
The 15-year-old actress was featured in a two-page spread for Vanity Fair and was photographed by acclaimed photographer Annie Leibovitz wearing nothing more than a blanket wrapped around her bare chest. What makes this even worse is that her father Billy Ray was not only on the set, but was included in some 
of the photos!
It’s worth noting that the feature article in the American edition is entitled “Miley Knows Best.” Apparently, she didn’t, but her father should have and put the quash on anything even resembling titillating eroticism…and her photo with the blanket certainly qualifies. I mean, my God, the girl is 15 years old! Billy Ray, what were you thinking?! After all, don’t you adhere to a higher moral code? So does Miley for that matter.
Miley and Co. have apologized, and rightfully so, saying, “I never intended for any of this to happen and I am truly sorry if I have disappointed anyone. Most of all, I have let myself down. I will learn from my mistakes and trust my support team. My family and my faith will guide me through my life’s journey.” As would be expected, both the photographer and magazine have defended the shoot.
OK, so Miley’s apologized, but what are the consequences of this very bad decision?
- Miley’s image is tarnished to the point where, as is the case with VF’s German edition, she’ll be compared to Britney.
- She joins a line of child stars associated with eroticism. Do you recall Brooke Shields in Pretty Babyand The Blue Lagoon? OK, it’s not that bad, but you get my point.
- *Disney gets egg all over its face and has a PR firestorm to quell. Which begs the question, where were they when the photo shoot was taking place?
- Since Miley is a professing Christian who does everything for Jesus, she has some ’splainin’ todo where her fellow believers are concerned.
I don’t have a 15 year-old daughter, but I do have a 12 year-old niece who is a huge fan of Cyrus/Montana. (Tweens are Cyrus’ core fan-base.) This is not an image of Miley that I’d care for her to see.
*Keep in mind that Britney began her career with Disney as well.
Olay branding includes ‘killer online app’ and new kiosks in stores
Brand strategists for Olay products know they’re doing something exactly right when Advertising Age magazine calls a marketing tool a “killer online app.” Those same strategists know a method has hit the ball out of the marketing stadium if it works well enough to draw a million visitors since January, persuading 80% of those visitors to take part in an involved question-and-answer process, and to spend an average of 8 minutes on the site. No wonder those strategists are taking that process to stores, putting kiosks in the aisles so consumers can experience ‘Olay for You.’ In the article, Advertising Age explores several online to offline product models. What’s so special about Olay branding? Read more
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