08.30
[A version of this post was first published on FutureBrand's FBlog.]
FutureBrand Singapore is a regional hub, meaning we service clients not only domestically but also in Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. That means a fair bit of travel for most of us, although sadly it’s all too often the kind of travel that involves less time site-seeing, meeting people and getting to know local cultures and more time on planes and in airports. (And in cities like Jakarta, Manila and Bangkok, a lot of time on the ground is spent in traffic.) But even with all the running around, there’s still plenty to see, do and photograph. Here are ten photos from around Southeast Asia—mostly shot from my phone, while on the go—all demonstrating some aspect of brand strategy. Check out the slideshow first and then read more about each photo/idea below.
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06.29
[This post was originally published on FutureBrand's FBlog.]
Recent IPOs from LinkedIn, Groupon and Pandora have all eyes on the “social media” industry. While that label may be useful in contrasting from more traditional brick-and-mortar businesses or the dotcom darlings of the early 2000s, it does the companies it refers to a disservice by failing to recognize diversity within the group. Facebook, Groupon, Twitter, LinkedIn—while they all allow us to connect with each other online, they are otherwise quite different businesses. (In fact, doesn’t it feel a little funny to refer to Twitter as a “business” at all?)
The success of LinkedIn is based on a simple tenet of brand strategy, and something that Facebook, Twitter and even Google mostly lack. Namely, LinkedIn has a niche.
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10.09
Full disclosure: I’m an Obama supporter. I (still) believe in his potential to make a significant, positive impact on the U.S.—the livelihood of its citizens, how it’s perceived globally, and so on. That’s a reason to vote for him; it’s not a reason to give him the Nobel Peace Prize. I’ve heard the opposite argument already a few times today, that “the prize seems to be more for promise than performance,” as it’s stated in an Associated Press story headlined “Analysis: Obama’s Nobel honors promise, not action.”
With all due respect, that’s a pretty ridiculous position to take. Sorry to turn this into a semantic argument (hahaha…ug), but a prize is not usually something awarded for promise.
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09.10
A few months back I wrote a post about a local coffee (?) joint near my house. The problem with DeSpyro Coffee, from my point of view, was that they were claiming expertise in too many categories at once (coffee, burgers, breakfast, mexican food, gelato, subs, and “grill”), which gives the impression that they’re a jack of all trades, master of none. Maybe that’s fine if you’re a diner or a Jewish deli, but for a place with “coffee” in the name, it would be nice if they’d at least mastered a good cup a’ joe.
The other day I noticed that DeSpyro is now Dukes Burgers. I called, and apparently it is just a name change, with little change to the menu or anything else. The lady I spoke with wouldn’t give me a real reason for the name change.
But here’s the kicker:
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06.05
[Originally published on The B2B Brand Debate]
Bill Marsh’s article in The New York Times a few days ago pointed out that a number of companies have recently redesigned their corporate logos, replacing “emblems of distant behemoths” with updates that are “non-threatening, reassuring, playful, even child-like.” The article includes a nice Flash click-through showing before and after logos. Marsh’s assessment is that these redesigns are aimed at addressing “the economy, environment, image repair,” and that while logos are meant to be differentiating, “there are striking similarities among recent redesigns.”
He’s right to point out the similarities, but the trend he’s seeing—which includes lowercase lettering, “softer” fonts, and lightened colors—began well before the recession. I first noticed it in 2005, while at Interbrand during the design of the new AT&T logo. Shortly after it launched, it seemed, Chevron and Allstate made very similar changes to their logos, incorporating lighter colors, rounder type, and highlights and shading that give the logos a 3D feel.
So while not all of these changes are reactions to the current economy, they do raise some awkward questions about logo design. I turned to Michael Dula, RiechesBaird’s resident logo guru, for some answers.
Should companies change their logos as a reaction to current events—changes in the economy, an increase in popular environmentalism, or even their own PR blunders?
Dula:
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03.23
California roll? Yeah, we can whip that up.
Would you go to a coffee place for Mexican food? A Mexican restaurant for a great latte?
DeSpyro Coffee, a relatively new spot in Huntington Beach, is committing a common brand strategy blunder right out of the gate. In choosing a somewhat descriptive name (and they could have just as easily gone with something vague like “DeSpryo’s”), they’ve set themselves up to be perceived by patrons as a coffee shop—a well-established category that comes with a certain set of expectations.
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