Archive for the ‘Branding & Design’ Category
Importance of a USP
Thursday, May 6th, 2010
Yahoo! is re-branding. Many products and services are in dire need to do the same. But why?
One of the most important things you can communicate to your potential customers and clients is how you can help them. How can you make their world easier? It also helps if your message looks good. Whether you’re only interested in a particular part of advertising or are looking into a revamped marketing strategy as a whole, you need to make sure that your product, your service, your unique selling point is pushed into the spotlight.
(Unique Selling Point: the main thing you have and can offer your clients that no one else in your industry has or can offer)
For example, one of Album’s USP is Confidence. While other items are important, our clients know that they will receive the best service, product, and help possible. We are dedicated to only launching/releasing the best work possible.
Here’s a commercial that does a GREAT job of pointing out their USP, and in a funny way to boot. Can you find the USP?
USP: They help you learn English better.
1 Comment | Tags: advertising, branding, rebrand, unique selling point, unique selling proposition, Yahoo
Posted by Paulina in Branding & Design
A Wonderful Surprise at Album
Thursday, April 29th, 2010
In the midst of searching through different articles online to share with our fans/follower/clients, we are exposed to a wealth of information that we only hope to convey clearly to help you with different parts of online marketing.
One of our intern’s favorite new information sources is, you guessed it, a twitter feed, that has been linked to some of the most knowledgeable, interesting, and successful people around. Smashing Magazine has been one of those reliable pals that unknowingly has made lots of Album employees thrilled to be in this industry, over and over again. They have posted the Album site as an example for different educational categories, such as the Speaking Navigation category in the Design Trends for 2009 article.
Now, this is a big deal for us. We put our blood, sweat, and tears into our work, and what kind of an example would we be for potential clients if our own site wasn’t worthy of praise?
Well, apparently it is. So much so that when Smashing Magazine published The Smashing Book, they included us in it. That’s right! Here we are on page 170:
This is in the “The Ultimate Guide to Fantastic Color Usage in Web Design, Usability, and Experience” section.
All we can say is: Go Team!
Fun Fact: As you may have noticed, the article mentioned earlier was called “Design Trends for 2009.” The site was launched in 2008. What does this mean? We are ahead of our time when it comes to what’s cool, what’s hot, what works, and what just looks good.
Don’t mind us if we toot our own horn every once in a while.
No Comments | Tags: brand value, media, smashing magazine
Posted by Paulina in Branding & Design
2009 Feltron Annual Report
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010
Nicholas Felton is a data obsessed designer from New York. Every year he creates an annual report, which is a record of his daily tasks and data for the year. Each year he comes up with a new way to display and present the data, with amazing results. Also check out Datum, which lets you collect, categorize and communicate your own data.
No Comments | Posted by Nick in Branding & Design
Pfizer Finesses Their Brand Identity
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009
Pfizer, “the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical company”, recently released a refreshed brand identity. For most people the logo update will go unnoticed, but the overall brand identity (colors, fonts and design style) have been upgraded dramatically. According to Siegel+Gale, the agency behind the design strategy, the new logo “signals positive change and forward momentum and asks people to take a fresh look at Pfizer because it is not the same company it was in 1991″ (the last time the logo was refreshed).
The most noticeable difference in the new logo is the oval shape, which was tilted to create a more dynamic arrangement. Subtle changes to every character in the font have resulted in a more rounded, friendlier and soothing feel, with the biggest changes coming to the “z” and the “e”.
The new color palette is bold and fluorescent and contains a lot of visual energy.
Pfizer’s new identity also carries a strong circular theme, as evidenced in their new home page pictured above. Overall, this is the right move for a global brand that has produced two of the most popular drugs in the world: Lipitor and Viagra. The change positions them as a more progressive and lively brand that is helping to change lives for the better. I applaud them on this strategic step and believe it’s a boost to their brand resonance.
1 Comment | Tags: brand strategy, branding, rebrand
Posted by Nathan in Branding & Design
It Hertz So Good
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
Hertz cast their shadow away and recently revealed a new brand identity. While the old blocky letters were bold and unequivocal, thankfully, the sunshine yellow is still shining strong. The new letters are a nice modern variation, with a rounder, friendlier feel. I think it’s a good move to bring them out of the 80′s, but not radical enough to lose all the brand equity they have racked up over the years.
We’ll see if the public responds positively. They definitely have room for improvement. According to goodlogo.com, they rank 5.5 out of 10 based on 8000+ votes.
From a branding standpoint, they’ve done a stellar job of retaining the yellow and black color palette. 50+ years to be precise…
1949 Hertz ad
Hertz ad from the 60's
1 Comment | Tags: brand identity, brand strategy, logo design
Posted by Nathan in Branding & Design
New 9/11 Memorial Logo Revealed
Friday, September 11th, 2009
Now 8 years after that fateful day, limited progress has been made on the completion of a memorial and museum at ground zero. Courtesy of Brand New, the image above shows a recent decision to shorten the lengthy name to simply “9/11 Memorial”. From a branding standpoint, this makes it much easier for the public to “remember” its name. The new logo solution is bold and simple, leaving the simple element of the blue towers as an impactful reminder of what actually happened. Check out the official 9/11 Memorial site for tons of information on what’s coming. We salute our fallen heroes.
No Comments | Tags: brand identity, brand name, brand strategy, logo design, rebrand
Posted by Nathan in Branding & Design
What comes first – The Web Design or SEO?
Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
You could consider this question like the chicken & the egg controversy… and you’ll get a different answer from different internet experts.
I am often amazed at some of the websites that Google ranks #1. The design is elementary and the content is irrelevant or somewhat spammy. These websites all have a very high bounce rate. Why? …because their website looks terrible. Nobody will take a tacky, unprofessional site seriously – even if it is ranked #1 in Google.
Obviously, a website is nothing unless it is aesthetically pleasing. BUT you can’t get too carried away with the appearance.
A few years ago, people got carried away with the design aspect and created entire websites in flash. Search engines don’t read flash. So any content that was on a flash site was irrelevant. The people who paid for an outrageously expensive, beautiful site were scratching their heads wondering why there was no traffic. This pretty website is nothing but a façade and the company will end up paying a fortune in Pay-Per-Click because their website is no where to be seen in the organic search.
So what is the answer? What comes first? The truth is, they go hand in hand. A website needs to be constructed with SEO tactics in mind. The extra time and money spent to do initial SEO set-up (keyword research, META tag writing and keyword-rich content) will go a long way.
This is why I believe so strongly in working with companies that cover the whole online spectrum – from branding to web design to SEO to social media. I don’t want to work for companies that only do SEO or that only do web design. Both need to be mended together from the beginning, otherwise the website will only be partially successful. COMPLETE online marketing campaigns, will make the most successful websites on the internet.
1 Comment | Tags: branding, Google, pay per click, SEO, web design
Posted by Jessica in Branding & Design, Online Marketing, Opinion
Wise Words
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
No Comments | Posted by Jessica in Branding & Design, Opinion
YouTube and Brand Name Value
Friday, June 19th, 2009
How much is YouTube’s brand worth? In late 2006 Google purchased them for $1.65 billion, even though after almost 3 years, they are still not profitable. Recent estimates place YouTube’s annual expenses between $174 – 470 million (as estimated by RampRate and Credit Suisse).
Many people do not realize that there are hundreds of other video sites with very similar features. In fact, many of their competitors started several years before YouTube.com even went live. So why has Google dumped more than $2 billion into a website that they could easily reproduce for a fraction of the cost? Simple…brand name value.
With smart marketing, impeccable timing, and arguably a lot of luck, YouTube has become THE standard for video sites. Their brand name has been used so much now that it is synonymous with “video site”. It’s a phenomena shared by few brands.
Here are a few more examples. I think you’ll be surprised how many brand names on this list you use to describe these items. Is YouTube the new Kleenex?
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| Band-Aids | plastic bandages |
| Chapstick | lip balm |
| Jell-O | gelatin dessert |
| Kleenex | facial tissues |
| Q-Tips | cotton swabs |
| Scotch Tape | cellophane tape |
| Vaseline | petroleum jelly |
| Velcro | hook and loop fastener |
| Xerox | photocopier |
No Comments | Tags: brand name, brand value, online video, YouTube
Posted by Nathan in Branding & Design, Online Marketing
More Rebranding
Monday, April 6th, 2009
After the FritoLay’s Baked Snacks, the same company just released Flat Earth rebranded packaging.
One question about both the rebrands: Once again they mention women on this rebrand as a reason for it, so are all baked chips focused on women? are they supposed to be the ones who eat chips the most?
I, personally, liked both the redesigns, but I don’t see much of the mentioned feminine appeal. I see a clearer more direct message with better cleaner colors and a simpler design, which if you look at all the new packagings for chips and cereals seems to be the real trend.
More about this at The Dieline
1 Comment | Tags: packaging, rebrand
Posted by Michel in Branding & Design
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