Introduction to Color
With only a split-second glance, color can convey a memorable message. Color speaks to us by instantly evoking physiological reactions and cultural associations. Utilizing the ideas we link to colors helps a designer build a brand identity. So how do we describe colors and combine them into the message we want to send?
Rules of Typography
Follow these rules if you want your publication to look professional, be easy to read, and reflect well on you. When in doubt, consult The Chicago Manual of Style. Insert one space after all punctuation. If you learned to type on a typewriter, you were taught to insert two spaces after each period, semicolon, question […]
Do You Know What a Font Is?
typeface: an artistic design for letterforms A typeface represents a consistent visual appearance for letterforms. A typeface might be produced as a single font, or a family of various weights and styles. The Garamond Premier Pro typeface is depicted above.
Social Media No Match for Face-to-Face
From wsj.com “Today’s consumer marketplace is highly social, but not because of particular platforms or technologies. The businesses that will be the most successful in the future are the ones that embrace a model that puts people—rather than technology—at the center of products, campaigns and market strategies. Those who achieve the greatest success will recognize that […]
Case Study: Selling More Chocolate
from the Wall Street Journal article by Elizabeth Holmes When Godiva wanted to get people to eat more chocolate, it had an 85-year brand history to overcome.
Branding by Design
From fastcompany.com Busy day, so I’m just going to quote the article: Branding and design are, to a large extent, inseparable. “A brand is not your logo or ID system,” says Brunner. “It’s a gut feeling people have about you. When two or more people have the same feeling, you have a brand. You get that […]
Book Review: The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
by Al Ries & Jack Trout Some of the 22 laws are surprising and counter-intuitive. Number 12 in particular: the Law of Line Extension. Almost every company that achieves success with a brand begins extending that brand with multiple products. Case study: 7-Up, the uncola. 7-Up was the most popular alternative to regular cola, and […]
Rebranding
Rebranding an established company can be both exciting and scary. The fear is that a new image will alienate loyal customers. The exciting part is reconnecting with the core mission and setting new goals. The cost is high, without any guarantee of payoff. But what is the cost of standing still?
Book Review: The Ultimate Marketing Plan
by Dan S. Kennedy I liked the conversational tone of Dan’s writing. He is not academic. His experience comes from working with businesses first hand. The book relates the ideas that worked. This book is aimed at small business owners with little or no marketing experience looking for ideas to promote their businesses.
Fascinate
At the HOW design conference in June 2011, the keynote speaker was Sally Hogshead. She conceived the {F} SCORE brand personality test. You can take it yourself at her website. Her idea is that we all have the natural ability to fascinate. By knowing your triggers, you can leverage them to your advantage. My Primary […]