Brand recognition alone is useless. Today every plumber has a brand and a slogan on the side of his truck. The world is drowning in brands and slogans
Robert Bloom author and ex – Chairman of Publicis Worldwide
Although we are not there yet in either the USA or Australia, the sentiment is right – recognition alone is not enough!
Virtually every category of consumer product and service is now crowded and in some cases overcrowded with brands. However this is not the case in for most of the small and medium enterprise categories and this presents a tremendous opportunity for those that can create a brand identity that connects with their target audience.
The more “creative” the marketing communication, the more memorable and comprehensible it is. Which means that you do not have to expose your target audience to your message as many times as you would otherwise with “average” communication. Gene Stark
Reaching your target audience with your message remains the most expensive cost of doing business today. Those that do it whilst building their brand are turning this expense into an investment. An investment into the positive perceptions their customers and prospects will retain about their products or services in their hearts and minds.
The internet, application of technology to the science of marketing (email, CRM, etc), media fragmentation and the advent of Social Media have all contributed to lowering the cost of marketing communication, especially for SME’s. It is now easier than ever to reach your target audience, but more challenging to get your message understood, which is why clarity and creativity in marketing are a necessity for your business survival.
Reaching your target audience with your message remains the most expensive cost of doing business today. Those that do it whilst building their brand are turning this expense into an investment. An investment into the positive perceptions their customers and prospects will retain about their products or services in their hearts and minds.
The internet, application of technology to the science of marketing (email, CRM, etc), media fragmentation and the advent of Social Media have all contributed to lowering the cost of marketing communication, especially for SME’s. It is now easier than ever to reach your target audience, but more challenging to get your message understood, which is why clarity and creativity in marketing are a necessity for your business survival.
Recently a member of Linked In Group, posted an excellent blog on why “A Logo Should not Cost $100”. http://ronnielebow.blogspot.com/
Although a number of readers agreed fully with the thinking and issues raised by the author, they pointed out the cold hard facts of the free market…demand and supply will inevitably have their way.
From our perspective, it is not a case of what something should cost or how much effort goes into supplying a product or service, it is a case of “you get what you pay for” and the business owners who commission this sort of design service “from the crowd” will not get the result they deserve! Here is why:
The $99 logo is designed by those and for those who have no idea a about strategic design and its contribution to the value of marketing communication! Which is a reflection of their general attitude to business. I’d love to know how many of the companies that paid $99 for a logo are actually successful, compared to those that had the good sense to not corners when designing their brand, not just one of the visual interpretations of their brand being the logo!
Trying to design (or redesign) a logo before completing a comprehensive strategic brand review is a little like asking an artist to draw you a picture of a person!
No matter how talented the artist, the patron (in our case the client) is unlikely to get something truly remarkable or moving for their target audience. How can they, if the artist does not know whether: to paint a man or woman?
• Is the person young or old?
•Thin or fat?
•Attractive or not?
•Are they fun or serious?
•Caring or tough?
And this is just the brand personality without taking into account the brand’s core message and positioning, the brand’s immediate competition, etc.
Ultimately the brand owners are at fault for not having a decent brief and the designers are foolish enough to waste their time in trying to satisfy this market segment that should not be giving up their day jobs!
If you have heard or experienced this humorous situation:
then enjoy the laugh or cry, which ever comes first. If you are about to unleash such horrors onto a designer – don’t!
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