CFX Creative - Branding + Design Blog

Who Are You Calling an Artist?

2008-06-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

We have a bone to pick with those well-meaning name-callers who like to refer to us as the "a-word" - artists. While their verbal path may be paved with good intentions, and there is a certain element of the artistic to design, it needs to be noted that there's an ocean of difference that distinguishes the roles of artists vs. that of designers.

WHO: Whereas an artist generally produces art for him or herself and then offers the work up for sale in a gallery or to private collectors, a designer is engaged to create a piece that is aimed at a specific pre-determined audience. While it's a common mistake to believe the designer is working to satisfy the personal preferences of the client themselves, our goal is to appeal to the client's target demographic, not an individual or group of people in the client's company.

WHAT: Unless commissioned to create a specific type of piece, an artist generally works in a medium of their own choosing. Some may focus on sculpture, while others may specialize in textile art, painting or multimedia installations. On the contrary, a designer is usually brought in to produce a specific marketing vehicle, whether it be a new logo and brand identity, a direct mail piece, signage for new real estate development or a web site.

WHY: The very reason for an artist's creative endeavors is personal expression. The artist creates work based on their own inspiration and emotions to fulfill a personal vision of what the piece will be. A designer's "why" is the polar opposite - we develop concepts and creative approaches that will intentionally speak to a well-defined target audience - satisfying our own preferences (or that of the client - we may have mentioned this a couple of times before...) is not the focus. Our goal should always be on appealing to someone else - the end user of the client's product or service.

WHEN: While there are always exceptions, artists often work at their own pace, taking the time they need to work on a piece until they're satisfied with the end result. Ask any designer and they'll tell you that design is a very deadline-oriented business. More often than not, by the time the client engages a designer, they want the finished product asap - like, yesterday. Rarely does a designer have open-ended timelines in which to conceptualize and pore over typographic details in a layout.

WHERE: Artists generally work in a studio space, which may be in or separate from their home. Designers work in any number of settings - as an in-house designer within a larger company, within a design firm or other creative agency, as a one-man marketing/design department for a smaller company, as principal of their own company or as a freelancer.

While the aesthetic aspect of art definitely makes up a crucial component of design, the main differences between the two lie in purpose and intent. While art is generally created for art's sake, design is a much more deliberate, calculated process with a specific end goal in mind. And, let's face it, it's a lot more challenging to appeal to an intended external audience than oneself. Without that audience, the very reason for the existence of design would be lost.

Now, please....go easy with the "a-word", will ya?

Related Reading:

A Designer's Research Manual: How to Succeed in Design by Knowing Your Clients and What They Really Need

Get Your Blog On

2008-05-20T13:04:00.003-07:00

We just came across a new blog today from CLS Fitness owner Cari-Lee Stevens. Cari-Lee is using a blog to document her journey through a 90-day health and fitness challenge she's undertaking. As a fitness advisor, the blog is a great way to establish expertise in the field, as well as share some "behind the scenes" information with her readers.

Think blogging isn't appropriate for your business? There are tons of ways to use blogging to reach your audience - new product offerings, sales, press releases, or even more candid information like "a day in the life of a...". Sometimes, a peek behind the curtains is infinitely more intriguing to an audience than the most polished ad campaign money can buy.

Cari Lee's site is a great example of how business owners can use blogging in innovative ways to stay in touch with and provide relevant information to their audience. And, speaking in a genuine voice is a refreshing change from rehearsed elevator speeches - and that means instant differentiation.

Click here to read Cari-Lee's blog, CleanseGirl.

Related Reading:
Blogging For Dummies

CFX Creative News - May 2008

2008-05-07T14:22:00.004-07:00

Without further ado, our re-design of the CFX Creative newsletter is complete. Our aim is to have the new version of the newsletter provide practical, useful information to our readers. We'll cover topics that discuss issues relevant to design, branding and marketing and how they all work together as a strategic advantage in the big bad world of business.

Click here to view the CFX Creative News - May 2008 edition.

Visit www.cfxcreative.com/newsletter to subscribe.

We hope you'll enjoy the new format and we welcome your feedback.

Related Reading:
Work the Pond - Use the Power of Positive Networking to Leap Forward in Work and Life

'Bucking Brand Expectations

2008-04-10T20:37:00.003-07:00

Leave it to Starbucks to...errr...buck the expectations of brand experts the world over. Branding gospel dictates that, unless undergoing a radical re-branding and re-positioning effort, once a brand icon is cemented in the minds of consumers, we dare not change it - save a few cosmetic updates here and there.

Unless you've been living under a rock, Starbucks' famed green circular logo, complete with mermaid and stars, frequently finds itself on your visual radar when walking down nearly any urban street and in a shopping mall near you. It's so recognizable, in fact, that any white cup sporting a circular emblem is likely to be taken for a carrier of Starbucks spawn, even if it's a designer-imposter.

Despite the logo's rock star-like recognition, in an attempt to return to its roots, Starbucks has introduced a new cup with a new-retro version of its famed logo. Already, the move has delivered a generous serving of buzz for the company, which hopes to boost its sagging sales of-late.

Luckily, those of us who are attached to standard-issue Starbucks will shortly see a return of our beacon of caffeinated satisfaction. The retro logo is being launched as a temporary measure in hopes it will put Starbucks back in a top-of-mind position with consumers.

While the rules of consistency in branding exist to prevent erosion of hard-earned recognition, sometimes breaking them - especially for a company as widely-known as Starbucks - can serve up a double shot of much-needed attention.

Related Reading:
The Starbucks Experience - How to Turn Ordinary into Extraordinary

The Cobbler's Children Have New Shoes

2008-03-26T13:56:00.000-07:00

At long last, we've managed to squirrel away some time to update the CFX site's portfolio. We've been very busy over the past year as the many new additions to our portfolio will attest.

Now, finally, those pesky kids can stop whining about being shoeless...

Check out the new projects in Corporate Identity, Graphic Design and Web Site Design

Less is More - DUH

2008-03-04T14:25:00.001-08:00

Once in a while, we can all use a good reminder of how simple execution of a great idea can be more effective than all the bells and whistles you can shake a stick at....and, what's with the stick shaking anyhow?

In this instance, a single word is emblazoned across the middle of an ad, coupled with the organization's logo and a simple call to action that we immediately "get", resulting in a head-nodding chuckle. That's it. No fancy Photoshop tricks, no superhot, scantily-clad models, carefully-selected stock images or overdone design. Just the perfect marriage of relevant observation to effective implementation.

Oh, yeah, and it delivered a palpable result for the client organization, too...

See for yourself: San Francisco Zoo Print Campaign

Brand-New Cars

2008-02-20T14:24:00.003-08:00

We were recently interviewed by a writer for a local business publication who was putting together an article on re-branding. She was personable and her questions straightforward - why would a company decide to re-brand (and what does that MEAN exactly?) and how often should a business pop the hood and take a look inside?

In composing thoughtful answers to her questions, the wheels - in this case, pun intended - started turning. While it's not always true, for many long-standing companies, re-branding takes place as a gradual change over an extended period of time - corporate evolution, if you will. As companies grow and re-define their focus and markets shift, so must the image of the business to remain relevant and accurately positioned.

Almost as if by divine intervention, we happened upon an article that discusses the logo progression of several major car manufacturers since the companies were founded. While logo re-designs only represent one possible element of what re-branding can entail for a given company, showing is often more effective than telling, so without further ado...

Click here to read the article Evolution of Car Logos.

Superbowl XLII Ads Hit and Miss

2008-02-04T12:16:00.000-08:00

Super Bowl Sunday has become a picture of people waiting in eager anticipation of not only the game itself but also of - shocking as it would seem under normal circumstances - the advertisements shown during the broadcast.

Most of us can frequently be found sitting down to enjoy our favourite pre-recorded programs, gripping the remote control, thanking the technology gods for commercial-skip features on our DVRs. Contrary to the normal avoid-commercials-at-all-costs mindset to which most of us faithfully adhere, the promise of inspired, smart, funny and, sometimes, shocking Super Bowl ads has earned a special place in consumers' hearts. Any removal of self from couch is met with looming fear of missing a spot that will be Monday's hot watercooler topic.

This year, some ads hit the mark and some missed by a mile. Here's a summary of our thoughts on the matter:

Several companies stole the show with their clever use of American cultural icons - Macy's Thankgiving Day parade balloons, Democrat versus Republican politics - brought together by witty humour. Others, in spite of their best attempts, fell completely flat. E-Trade's talking baby ad felt totally done-already. Sobe's dancing model/lizards spot just lead to scratching one's head wondering how a model and a group of animated lizards - both re-enacting the dance sequence from Michael Jackson's Thriller - had anything to do with one another. Oh, wait, isn't the Sobe logo a lizard? Total disconnect. Just the lizards would've made more sense. Let's not even go there with the Salesgenie.com's animated racial stereotyping ads. Someone's gonna have picketers outside their corporate headquarters.

Coca-Cola ran several ads which were right on the money and spoke to what their brand promises it can do - bring people together and inspire passion. One spot features a pair of Macy's parade balloons chasing a Coca-Cola bottle-shaped balloon through the air high above the streets of New York. The spot ends with a third character - Charlie Brown - popping up and claiming the prize which is clearly, according to the ad's story - worth fighting for. Another Coke ad shows James Carville verbally sparring with Bill Frist and then the two crossing party lines to share a touristy trip through Washington DC after pausing for a bit of Coca-Cola refreshment.

Budweiser's "Clydsdale Team" ad features a horse who doesn't "make the team" but who is then inspired to train harder by a Dalmatian "coach". The spot closes with Hank making the team a year later and giving his coach a horse/dog high-five. Classic!

Pepsi also weighed in with a couple of great ads - "Nod" which was a play on the SNL skit/movie Night at the Roxbury and "Magnetic Attraction" which found Justin Timberlake being sucked through traffic and in near-misses with various vehicles every time someone took a sip of a Pepsi through a straw. The punchline: every sip of Pepsi gets you closer to winning a chance to meet JT.

Overall, Big Beverage stole the show, while everyone else fell well short of expectation, especially on such a widely-publicized stage.

Watch all the Super Bowl Ads and judge for yourself!

M&Ms Thinks Outside the Heart-Shaped Box

2008-01-24T14:16:00.001-08:00

In a brilliant marketing move, M&Ms has embraced a long-standing urban myth about the product to differentiate itself on the sweetest of holidays.

This oft-told legend declares that green M&Ms have the mysterious quality to act as an aphrodisiac. Started in the '70s, the story became so widespread that it prompted one famous rock star to demand 3 pounds of green-only M&Ms be delivered to his dressing room for after-show "inspiration". Apparently, some people need all the help they can get.

Humour aside, the move by the company to capitalize on a myth perpetuated by the general public for two decades is a stroke of marketing genius. What better way to draw attention to your product and stand out from the sea of red-swaddled competitors than to stand up and declare green as the new official colour of Valentine's Day - with the added promise of "love potion" powers.

Read more about the "new color of love" on the M&Ms site here: http://www.mms.com/us/coloroflove/

You're So Vain (You Probably Think This Blog is About You)

2008-01-22T16:46:00.000-08:00

We've seen companies of all shapes and sizes across a wide spectrum of industries. In spite of their differences, all share a common goal - to market in a way that most effectively speaks to the target audience.

Right now, you may be thinking, "Wow, these guys are masters of the obvious!", but not all is as it seems, Grasshopper, so please bear with us...

Like everyone on our fair planet, clients have their own thoughts, opinions and preferences about any and everything from politics and religion to car brands, vacation spots, and even their ever-so-personal, paragraph-long designer coffee order. We, too, are guilty of producing more than our fair share of strong opinions. Fortunately, like lawyers and professional critics, we chose a career that pays us for unleashing them on unsuspecting passersby...

The potential for disaster arises when the two trains of thought meet on the track. Well, helloooo...Personal Opinion, we'd like you to meet our good friend, Target Audience. While it's important that marketing pieces, corporate identity, web sites and advertising accurately portray the personality of the company they're representing, it can be dangerous to infuse marketing with too much of one or a few people's personal tastes.

The key to success lies in reminding ourselves to focus on those whom our companies exist to appeal to and to serve - our customers. While it's important to feel confident in and connected to a new logo, ad or direct mail piece, it's essential that our audience makes that connection - immediately. So, to accomplish our goal of attracting those we aim to please, it may sometimes be necessary to look past personal opinions and find out what THEY respond to.

What age range, ethnicity, demographic and psychographic encompasses your buyers? What colours typically appeal to them psychologically? Does your audience associate specific icons or imagery with your industry? Use this knowledge when developing your collateral to put your own unique - and relevant - spin on the expected. If that means overriding your own personal penchant for hot pink - unless, of course, it's appropriate to your audience! - so much the better for the effectiveness of your marketing efforts!

The winning recipe will be a perfect blend of that which tantalizes the senses of your buyers with just a hint of that which makes a company's brand you-nique.

Xerox: Not Just for Copiers Anymore

2008-01-08T17:34:00.000-08:00

A recent article in the New York Times talks about the Xerox company's re-design of their long-standing logo and what their goals were for undertaking the redesign.

In spite of the fact that Xerox has long been associated with copiers - to the extent that it's even a verb..."I need to Xerox this document immediately!" - they want to shed their copier image. Makes sense given that their current product line no longer includes standalone copiers. When your company is so ingrained with a specific action, that's a big shadow to step out of after so many years.

As a result, there's a lot at stake when using a logo re-design as a catalyst for shifting consumers' deeply-held idea of what your brand stands for. And, it's a good first step. Changing your external visual presentation to be in line with your internal vision is important in initiating a change in perception. It gets people talking and looking more closely at the company. But, it's only part of the puzzle - the part you can see.

To Xerox's credit is their acknowledgement that the redesign is only one of the necessary steps in their brand's evolution. Simply redesigning their logo is not the only action they'll need to take in order to fully integrate the new mindset behind the redesign. There will be many other shifts - both internal and external - required to make a successful transition. Copy that.

Goal-Setting First Step Towards Success

2008-01-03T09:54:00.000-08:00

As obvious a thing as it might seem, actually writing down goals for your company for the coming year is something few people actually take the time to do. In the absence of a set of written goals and a concrete plan of action to attain them, we tend to get less accomplished. The result? What we achieve falls well short of our aspirations.

Much like planning a road trip, before you can determine how to get somewhere, you first have to know where you want to go. Imagine saying to yourself "I want to go somewhere, but I'm not sure where...", getting in the car and driving aimlessly with no set destination. It wouldn't take long to realize you're getting nowhere, fast. With no end point in mind, not only will you be clueless as to how you'll end up in the right place, you'll also have no way to know when you HAVE finally arrived.

The first step is to figure out what you're aiming for, then break those goals down into steps that you'll need to take to get there. Think Google-style door-to-door directions. Where am I now? Where am I going? What route will take me from here to there?

Make your goals specific. Then, be specific on what actions need to be taken to move you closer to them. Do you want to hit a certain percentage increase in revenue by year's end? Increase your client roster by a certain number? Achieve better awareness of your products with the general public?

Once you have your end point in mind, the next step is to design a road map that will get you there. What tools will you need to hit the mark? Will you need to develop new marketing pieces to support your efforts? Will you need a direct mail piece, advertisement or to re-design your web site to more effectively communicate with your audience? Whose expertise will you need to assist you in achieving those goals? Will you need to partner with a design firm, marketing agency or copywriter to help you polish your message and strategy? Break each goal down into manageable action steps so it's easy to note your progress and to see what your next step is as you move along.

Now, I know what you're thinking..."Well, I have an idea in my head about what I'd like to see happen...". STOP RIGHT THERE! It's important to actually write your goals down - don't keep them rattling around in your head! For many people, writing things down makes them real, more substantial. With this in mind, committing your goals to paper is the first step in transforming them from dreams to reality.

Re-Design to Re-Define

2006-05-02T23:20:00.000-07:00

In a market where companies are always in search of ways to outsmart the competition, giving your collateral and identity an overhaul is a great way to reinvent yourself.  Not merely an aesthetic process, the decision to re-design anything from a single piece to an entire identity offers a laundry list of benefits, not the least of which is to help a company refocus both its internal and external vision and how it is represented in the market.

But, with a busier-than-ever pace in the business world, why would an enterprise choose to undertake such a process in the first place?   What real purpose does re-designing a company’s identity, web site or collateral serve?  While the answer to that question can be a very personal one for each company, there are some that are more obvious, one of the most common being the addition of a new product or service that prompts design of a new sales or promotional piece.

In some cases, a well-established company may have evolved well past the original definition of its identity and service offering and may now need to redefine its image and refine its collateral to more accurately convey what the company stands for today.  An excellent example of this particular reason for choosing to “redesign to redefine” is NALH Bookkeeping Services, who approached CFX with precisely this challenge.  In business for more than 27 years, NALH owner Joyce Wishart was concerned that her company’s identity no longer communicated the scope and level of services the company offered.  Having begun as a solopreneur working from her kitchen table, NALH’s years in business have brought about many changes including the addition of a capable staff, increased capacity, an extensive service offering and a wealth of experience in their industry.  CFX worked with NALH to develop a new identity that honed in on the core essence of their service – helping businesses grow.

In essence, a re-design, ranging from a single piece to an entire identity and marketing campaign, can help a business to re-define itself in the marketplace and keep its image in line with both its own ever-evolving definition and the current business climate.

Service vs. Product Marketing

2006-02-01T01:52:00.000-08:00

If you manage a service-based business, you're certainly aware of how ineffective some traditional product-based marketing approaches can be in promoting your company. The fact is, if you provide a service rather than a product, it can be downright detrimental to your company's reputation and the perceived value of your service to use product-based marketing techniques.

Service businesses differ from tangible-goods companies in many ways. Many service companies focus their marketing efforts on the goal of instilling the proper perceived value of the service - the customer must feel - must KNOW - that their life will be made easier, better or richer in some way from using the service.  Since the customer, in many cases, won't walk out of your office with a tangible product in-hand, this emotional connection is an imperative element in service marketing. The (sometimes) unfortunate reality is that service providers have to work many times harder than their product-offering counterparts to persuade the consumer of the service's intrinsic value.

While product-based marketing is nearly always price-centric, most high-end service providers do not compete on price - largely because they know that it's a losing proposition. There will always be someone waiting around the corner willing to do the job cheaper.  Unless you're looking to drive your company on volume sales, price-cutting is probably not the best approach to attract buyers.  In fact, this approach can be downright dangerous.

Price cutting can lead to devaluation of the service being provided and also lead to a decline in the quality of services being offered as a result of lesser-qualified firms entering the market to compete on the basis of price alone.

In order to compete in a saturated market without resorting to price-cutting, it's imperative to define your company's unique - TRULY unique - selling proposition. Why are you better?  What can you say that your competitors can't?  And - the most important questions of all - Why should I, as a consumer, care?  What's in it for me?  Once these questions have been answered, you can approach your audience with confidence and know - and communicate - that, regardless of how many other, cheaper options they may come across, they'd be crazy to do business with anyone else.

What a Brand IS - And IS NOT

2005-12-12T01:02:00.000-08:00

With terms like branding, brand identity, corporate identity and a host of other terms related to corporate brand building finding their way into the jargon of nearly every businessperson on the planet, there's bound to be some confusion about what it all means.

Many people equate a "brand" with its logo, which is a common misconception. A logo is not the brand in and of itself, but a graphic representation of what the brand stands for - a sort of visual shorthand for a complex message.

In short, a brand is the emotional connection you have with a company or its products. It's the expectation that you have of high quality, a good price or exceptional customer service when you see a company's name or logo, watch their advertisements or read their promotional materials. A clear example of this connection with a brand is automaker Mercedes-Benz. When you see one of their vehicles, watch one of their ads or enter their showroom, you immediately connect their name and products with quality engineering and luxury. THAT is the definition of branding.

On the contrary, brand identity - aka corporate identity - is a set of marketing tools used to promote awareness of and reinforce the brand's promise. Spanning various media, a logo, business card, brochure, web site or billboard are all elements of a brand's physical representation or identity. The sole purpose of these tools is to remind you of what the brand stands for. Imagery, color and even the type of paper a brochure is printed on all serve ro reinforce the brand's core message - whether that message be a promise of a low price, quality workmanship or a great experience.

The bottom line of branding is to connect a company, product or service with a specific perception in the mind of the consumer.

Corporate Doesn't Have to Be Boring

2005-11-29T00:48:00.001-08:00

You may hear many creative types express that they feel that working on "corporate" projects is boring, limiting and stuffy. However, the more restrictive a project's guidelines, the greater the challenge to turn out some great work. Let's face it. Anyone can make sports, cars and video games look cool in print or on the web.

But, the real test of a firm's creative capabilities is the ability to make more mundane subject matter engaging to the target audience. Presentation plays a crucial role in forming the impression your piece has on a viewer and color, placement, size and texture can all influence them to take a closer look.

Don't stop at the obvious - delve deeper into how your offering improves lives, how people interact with it, how it makes them feel and the result will be a representation that is genuine and that your audience can relate to. Sometimes, starting by identifying the problem is the quickest way to have people nodding in agreement with the "pain" you describe.

So, now you know - all of you in less "exciting" industries know that not only CAN you expect the same "wow" factor for your marketing collateral as sports cars and luxury items, but you SHOULD. Chances are, your competitors are missing this same opportunity to make a splash and gain market share.

Submit Your Questions

2005-11-28T04:19:00.000-08:00

We invite you to submit questions or topics that you'd like to see discussed on our blog. Our goal is to provide information that our readers deem valuable, so let us know what you'd like to see.

CFX Creative Launches Branding + Design Blog

2005-11-27T23:54:00.000-08:00

As a way to provide relevant information about design, branding and marketing to our clients and site visitors, CFX Creative has launched a new web log, or "blog" to act as a new communication tool between the CFX team and our visitors and subscribers.

We look forward to providing you with information that is educational, informative and, above all, useful in helping to make your business more successful!