Market Navigators

Brand Evolution…or Not

In discussions about brand, I am often asked, “Do I need to update my brand? And if yes, when is the right time and way to do so?”

Seasoned business owners hesitate because they have become emotionally attached to the logo they have — whether it’s working or not.

Shiny, new entrepreneurs worry about being locked into a brand that won’t reflect them in the future — but they are in a rush to get going.

Correct answer: it’s a balance. Up front, you DO want to take sufficient time and soul searching to ensure your brand is reflective of your business offering and values, but recognize that you and your business may evolve over time. In which case, a new brand may be more appropriate than a mere update.

Do not enter into this decision lightly, however. Some tweaks are just nasty and worse than a re-brand altogether.

One thing to consider is, you are better off with a tweak if you’ve already invested a lot in the brand and your core business and values haven’t changed.

The Crayola brand case study is an excellent example of how a long-standing company has evolved over time in keeping with the times, while staying true to it’s business and it’s brand, while continuing to build on the equity they’ve invested.

What’s different — the font. What’s the same, the general concept of packaging, name, colours…

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 By liz gaige, June 30, 2009 · Filed under Logos & Branding, Marketing - General

The Value of Clarity

Hah, finally! Scientific proof for my belief that making things easy to read makes them easier to understand and do.

I don’t always get immediate buy-in from clients when I tell them their marketing materials or instruction manuals need an overhaul. Sometimes it’s the cost of the re-do (when in fact poor materials cost you potential sales), a mistaken belief that more is better, or the conviction that because the client understands it — isn’t it obvious? — their customers will too.

Turns out, according to Wray Herbert in American Scientific Mind, A Recipe for Motivation: Easy to Read, Easy to Do, people are more likely to do something if it’s easy to read.

I don’t just mean the words, I also mean the general look and feel.

Words, sentence structure, layout, font, type size. All of these things matter when trying to get people to understand or DO something. The harder it is to read, the less likely people will engage or feel they want to attempt or can accomplish the task.

I know that holds true for me. I often don’t finish reading text that isn’t scanable, single paragraph articles/letters/emails are a pet peeve, and I won’t buy books, leisure or business, if the type is too small or there’s too little white space. Now scientists confirm that, while I may be peculiar, I’m also onto something. (Note: I also appreciate a nice texture to the cover and paper.)

Basically, if you want people to get it or do it, keep it clean and simple on every level.

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 By liz gaige, June 18, 2009 · Filed under Articles, Copywriting, Marketing - General, Marketing Collateral, Marketing Message

The Client is Not Always Right

I’ve often advised and trained clients on the principle that people don’t buy on price, if the value is clear.

In a recent client meeting we discussed a situation where pricing in one segment of the client’s industry had been seriously eroded by unnecessary, competitive price cutting — clearly by vendors who did not value their own work — to such a degree that that segment of the business was not worth pursuing.

If you make the mistake of undervaluing your product and service, and allow customers to undervalue it as well, you will never develop a satisfying and mutually respectful relationship.

The following clip illustrates — in a very funny manner — the situation most of us have faced at one point or another. One that you’re best not to get sucked into!

Watch this clip and remember, sometimes it’s the client who is unreasonable.

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 By liz gaige, June 15, 2009 · Filed under Customer Service, Marketing - General

Capture Those Creative Thoughts Via Mind Mapping

If you’ve ever been involved in a really productive brainstorm session you know the best ideas don’t roll out of your head in a nice orderly, organized fashion.

True creativity is a mess. If it’s a process, it doesn’t really act like one. It’s all over the map and often, the messier it is the better the outcome.

That’s where mind mapping bridges the gap between total chaos and linear idea collection. I love the concept! It lets us blurt everything out at once, all over the page, and draw non-linear but wholly logical connections while we do so.

I chatted with certified mind mapping consultant, Dragana Djurasic of Radiant Minds, and she told me there’s additional benefit when you physically write/draw your mind map, because it engages different areas of your brain. I believe that, it always works better for me that way.

But once you’re done, it would be awfully handy to have an electronic format, wouldn’t it?

Enter MindJet, a handy little tool I was introduced to today. I was able to capture all of my brainstormed thoughts, create a PDF of the document, add some notes, and share it with my colleague. Not only did it work like a charm, it looks top notch professional, too. Delicious.

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 By liz gaige, May 14, 2009 · Filed under Creativity, Marketing - General, Strategic Planning