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I come across a fair number of clients who apologize for their companies “We’re sorry that manufacturing label paste is not the most interesting thing in the world.” Or, “There’s nothing we can do to stand out we’re in the business of finding cheaper ways to for demolition customers to dump trash. We don’t dump the trash. We just research the cheapest way for them to dump their own trash. It’s really dry stuff.”

Yes, neither of these companies is selling gourmet food, creating colorful board games, or packaging imported tea. Photographers often hear, “I’m not remotely photogenic,” to which they usually respond, “It’s my job to take a good pictureyou just be you.” Design is the same. You do your job well and you know your market. It is a designer’s job to make you look interesting.

The potential for creativity is everywhere. Just because you’re in a boring industry doesn’t mean you can’t be creative and use design to make your organization more effective and successful. Industries that support creative design include food, lifestyle, and entertainment. Industries that don’t generally support creative design (the boring ones) include construction, accounting and law. If you are in a boring industry, you’re actually in a better position to benefit from having a creative brand, or even just a slightly controversial brochure or ad. That’s because your industry simply hasn’t caught up with the rest of the world in terms of creative marketing. For example, great packaging abounds in the supermarket. It’s harder to get a new cereal box on the supermarket shelf than it is to become a brain surgeon. The saturation of product packaging at a grocery store leaves little room for any new idea to stand out. On the other hand, a gravel yard or an accounting office is expected to be boring. What would happen with if the gravel company got a little creative in the form of humor or style in their sales materials? What if the accounting office created materials that were stylish and made tax season a little friendlier? As long as a company doesn’t go too overboard and sacrifice trust, creative marketing can only help.

How about the company that researches the costs of waste disposal? They need to look at what they do from a different angle. Bottom line is they save their demolition customers money by informing them it will cost less to haul garbage 100 miles to a landfill in Walla Walla than dumping it in the city transfer station which charges much higher fees. They prevent their customers from throwing away money. And there it is play with the idea of throwing away money, dumping money, and the creative ideas start to pour in. They can tell their customers to stop dumping money in a clever, well-designed package.

I once re-branded a construction supply company. Construction supply is not a very progressive, creative industry, but the new owner of the company is an innately savvy marketer. His store is only a few blocks from Safeco Field and Seahawks Stadium. He rents his parking lot during games. Knowing his market is full of sports fans, we developed a promotion rewarding his customers with free game tickets and parking when they give his company a certain level of business. The summer promotions have the feel of baseball gamea little retro with clean, bright colors. He stands out in his industry; very few companies like his take advantage of the fact that no one expects clever, well-designed promotions from a construction supply company, let alone free game tickets and parking.

There was once a time when a pen was a Bic, a stapler was painted steel, a computer was a big metal box, ketchup lived in a glass bottle and a paperclip was a paperclip. With the help of design (and, of course, technology) these products are no longer confined to their prescribed forms. Pens come in all sorts of ergonomic shapes, colors, and materials; staplers come in animal molds sized for a child’s pocket; computers now cheerfully match the d

Tags: artifex design, audrey nezer, branding, business development, graphic design, marketingartifex design, audrey nezer, branding, business development, graphic design, marketing

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When building a business as a brand it’s important to avoid
a myopic view and consider another important aspect of the
business game as well– investing. After any amount of toil
and hard work to create a valuable product, service or
company the big game is when you go public– when
money-minded people want more, they want a piece of your
brand pie.

For many entrepreneurs who are just starting out or are
flying solo for any amount of years, it’s often inconceivable
that anyone would want a piece of their business in the
future when they are struggling to grow now. For those who
find themselves in this implausible thought or for those who
believe in the ‘brass ring’ of going public there are four
things you should consider now that will enable that kind of
big future.

On a recent flight from Los Angeles to Orlando I experienced
a flight of fancy beyond anything I have ever felt before. When
I booked through Delta airlines, I was issued a ticket on a
company I had not heard of before called Song. I thought it
odd but nothing beyond that. That all changed from the
moment I got to the gate.

Waiting for the plane to board, I sensed a light buzz flowing
through people at the gate. They were actually thrilled to be
waiting. I thought that happy gas had been pumped into just
this section because across from us was another group on
another airline waiting to board who were not feeling the
same thing. Then the pre-boarding began.

A male Latin voice came over the intercom and began the
boarding with… a joke– a different experience. He then went
on to announce the boarding procedure with so much joy
that I couldn’t wait to get in line. I wasn’t even in a hurry to get
on the plane. When I got to the door, the woman taking my
ticket greeted me as if I arrived at her home for a party– a
very different experience.

I walked on the plane and heard upbeat music, saw the
colorful comfortable seats, and was greeted by fashionably
dressed flight-attendants by the time I sat down, the first
thing I said to Nanci, a perky brunette from Atlanta, was
“How can I invest in Song?” The plane hadn’t even taken off
yet!

When working with entrepreneurs and businesses of all
sizes, I often stress the need to create a brand experience
for the customer from every point of contact. Never was this
point hit home so beautifully… and so fun.

Let’s breakdown my desire to invest in this company just
from just a single contact in four points of connection we
humans can relate to:

One, most airlines are scrambling to cover losses and
willing to slash prices to get people flying again– Delta
included. As they scramble to react, new airlines were
capturing market share with lower price points. With Song,
Delta made the decision to expand rather than dilute Delta’s
existing brand and value proposition. They needed to go in
another direction and create something completely different
to join the battle. Now I wasn’t here too observe this
personally, but it seems to me they responded like a nimble
entrepreneur eyeing a market opportunity, not a giant
digging in. To make big advances, bold steps are needed.

Two, from the very beginning they had me emotionally. From
the moment I was at the gate through when I stepped off the
plane they touched me. I got to choose from a menu of great
food and I got to choose my entertainment– the music
selection was better than a record store. I felt so good I
didn’t even think I was in the air. No emotional detail was
spared. They nailed it big time. It was all planned down to
the detail. I wouldn’t have been surprised if the Captain
came on and introduced Cirque du Soleil (the famed
performers from Canada) would be performing soon. They
had me from… the joke. Create and experience I’ll buy more
than a ticket.

Three, they were able to make this emotional impact on me
because the airline itself came from a deep place of belief.
After the unfortunate events of September 11th, the airline
industry was reeling. Delta employees knew they had to do
something to capture the hearts of flyers or cutbacks and
layoffs were on the horizon. They believed they had to deliver
an exceptional service never before experienced at a price
that the public would pay. No more doing business as
usual, they had to create something that they personally
would want to experience. They took the big business of
flight and made it deeply personal. They were able to get me
emotionally because of their deep belief.

Four, as a smart investor I knew that if Song was able to
keep up this level of experience for their customers in a
dependable fashion that it would indeed become “the airline
of choice” for me. I also knew there are lots of me’s in the
world. At this rate of experience, it would be no time at all
before they expanded their routes and create a powerful
brand presence in the marketplace. A smart investor knows
to follow their own instincts and invest in more than just the
numbers– what they experience as valuable– what they
believe in.

And all of this was woven together with the CEO’s passion
of music, hence the name. This was by far the best branded
experience I have ever witnessed… no… experienced!

If investors look at businesses from this viewpoint, then
shouldn’t you as a business owner do the same?

Whether you are a small business owner or a new
entrepreneur develop your brand by focusing on
“experience,” doing so will undoubtedly put your business
closer to your customer AND closer to the investment pie.
And you will also enjoy the journey!

Unfortunately, Song is not public… yet. I’m first in line.

Kim A. Castle, Co-founder BrandU

Tags: branding, business, entrepeneurs, Investing, marketing, successbranding, business, entrepeneurs, Investing, marketing, success

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Ask any marketing executive and they will tell you that a company’s name is golden. There are certain associations that people have with a name, one that invokes emotions — good or bad. Let’s examine three case studies of branding involving companies that have merged and where the buyer kept the name of the company they bought or are considering purchasing.

In the late 1990s with bank mergers in full swing, United Jersey Bank was faced with a dilemma. Having started to open branches in neighboring states, the “United Jersey” part of their name was beginning to become a hindrance. Bank executives knew that the name would have to be changed in order to continue to grow, while at the same time continuing to avoid being merged out of existence. The solution? The bank purchased a small, local bank based in Summit, NJ named Summit Bank. Once the merger was completed United Jersey Bank was renamed Summit Bank. Unlike the United Jersey name with its New Jersey correlation, few people associated Summit with the town of Summit. Instead, United Jersey Bank capitalized on a very positive name, summit, and started to market themselves as the peak of all banks. The campaign was a success as the name change was well received by consumers.

In 2005, KMart purchased Sears, Roebuck, and Company and the newly joined entity was renamed Sears Holdings. While it is much too early to tell if the decision to keep the Sears name is a success, most people have associated KMart with bankruptcy, run down stores, and as being a poor competitor to WalMart and Target. Sears, on the other hand, has pretty much put their woes behind them after forfeiting the spot as America’s top retailer a generation ago to WalMart, and after laying off 100,000 employees, and closing out their famous catalog business. Branding experts will tell you that both names carry plenty of baggage [the stores will keep the KMart and Sears names too] as some see the merger as only a temporary fix. Thus, the Sears name may not be enough to save the combined retailer.

In the airline industry, several of the legacy carriers will more than likely find themselves out of business over the next few years. United, for instance, could find themselves a takeover target of a regional carrier. Skywest Airlines, which also flies as United Express [by providing regional jet services to United], may see a “buy” opportunity and offer to purchase the venerable, but bankrupt carrier. To “unite” the two companies, Skywest could consider tossing their regional sounding name and take on the reknowned United moniker. The new carrier would then be able to carry on the legacy of a 75 year old name and achieve instant recognition on the world stage while at the same time distancing itself from the problems that beset the original United.

With a wave of mergers and acquisitions anticipated over the next few years, more opportunities to purchase a “golden” name will arise for savvy dealmakers. These dealmakers must call upon the skills of branding experts to take the pulse of consumers’ “feel” for a name. Neglect that or pick the wrong name and you are certain to invite disaster.

Matt runs two very successfully branded aviation sites: the Corporate Flight Attendant Community at http://www.cabinmanagers.com and the Aviation Employment Board at http://www.aviationemploymentboard.com

Tags: acquisitions, branding, dealmakers, KMart, marketing, mergers, Sears, Skywest, Unitedacquisitions, branding, dealmakers, KMart, marketing, mergers, Sears, Skywest, United

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