by admin | May 12, 2014 | Brand identity
It’s not as hard as you think! We explain how to create a new brand from scratch. When a client approaches you to create a new brand identity for their product, service or event, things can seem a little bit daunting. But don’t worry – all you need to do is apply all the skills you’ve built up in your design career in a slightly different way. To help you along, here are some expert tips on developing the perfect brand identity that will make both you and your client happy. Who knows, come next year it might be your brand on the corner of every street… Read more about the 10 easy steps towards designing a brand identity for your company...
by admin | May 12, 2014 | Brand identity
PayPal has revolutionized the way people across the globe think about and use money. Today, they announced transformational changes to its brand identity, including the unveiling of a new logo. The new look reflects PayPal’s simplicity, convenience and security, redesigned for today’s dynamic, mobile-first world. This is the first time PayPal has updated its identity since 2007. “Our new brand identity goes far beyond an updated logo,” said David Marcus, PayPal’s president. “We have aligned this with our first global brand campaign. We’re setting a new expectation with our global consumers, developers and merchants: PayPal is redefining the future of money by putting people first. After all, money doesn’t make the world go round, people do.” Read about their new brand identity...
by admin | May 9, 2014 | Communication strategy
Do you find yourself steering clear of difficult conversations with your spouse, your children, your co-workers, your boss? We all have defense mechanisms that kick in when we want to avoid the harder choices in our lives. But avoiding everyday communication that we really need to face causes stress and can actually make us physically ill. Dr. Neha Sangwan, Internal Medicine physician, entrepreneur, andHuffington Post contributor, took as her mission empowering people in their own health by teaching them practical communication tools to strengthen their relationships, decrease stress levels, and create the life they deserve. Doctor Neha trained as a medical doctor. For over a decade, she worked 36-hour shifts and saw up to 18 hospitalized patients a day. She found that this punishing schedule quickly took its toll on her health. “Instead of acknowledging my headaches, throat constriction, insomnia and physical exhaustion as warning signals, I powered through shift after shift, fueled by caffeine, sugar and a fear of failure,” she told me. “Eventually the grueling pace, erratic sleep schedule and blatant disregard for my own physical, mental and emotional well-being led to burnout. I was so focused on other people’s health and doing what was expected, I rarely paid attention to what my own body was saying. My official diagnosis: a classic case of people pleasing.” Read more about this inability to communicate here and how it can be fixed...
by admin | May 9, 2014 | Communication strategy
A mother said to her three-year-old daughter, “When you get a chance, can you please clean your room?” The young girl responded, “Mom, no, I not gonna get a chance.” A colleague told me this story about her daughter, and after I stopped laughing, I had to tell her that she hadn’t use a little-recognized, yet powerful communication tool. Since she had hired me to teach assertiveness for her organization, I felt comfortable giving her this feedback. Her stumbling block? My colleague had used a question instead of a direct assertive statement. Using a question (Can you please clean your room?) allows the other person to make the choice, and you may not get what you want. You are being less direct. Read more about these two communication strategies...
by admin | May 8, 2014 | Brand targeting & positioning
At first glance, Instagram doesn’t seem like a powerhouse lead generator. The photo-sharing app, which allows you to add filters, descriptions, locations and hashtags to pictures taken on a mobile device, is great for brand discovery and engagement. But marketers can’t include clickable buy links in their product posts, as they can on other sites like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. And yet, Instagram has been described as “the world’s most powerful selling tool.” A recent Forbes article noted that user-generated photos with branded products, as well as Instagram’s sponsored posts, help to boost consumer reach, recall and awareness, and, ultimately, lead to sales conversion. Read more about these five steps to developing an effective Instagram strategy...
