by cassie | Aug 29, 2012 | Advertising, Branding, Business Success, Creative, Design
On August 23, 2012 a monumental change took place at one of the world’s largest technological companies; Microsoft unveiled a new logo, the first new logo since 1987.
This marks a significant change in the direction the company is taking. On the same day the logo was reveled, Microsoft stated in a press release that they wanted to revamp their image in time for the launch of Windows 8, which happens in late October. Windows 8 is the first software from Microsoft that can be used on both PCs and personal tablets, changing the way in which consumers interact with their various technological devices.
By creating a new logo Microsoft is not only trying to build interest and buzz around the product launch, but also show its target market that they have changed their way of thinking product development in response to how people currently use technology. Windows 8 is not just another “pretty” update and neither is the logo. It’s a new logo for a new Microsoft… with a new attitude.
Before
After
So how is that new business attitude reflected in the new logo? The first change is the font. Gone are the italics in favour of a new, straight font, which connects the F and T. They also altered the colour by lightening it and simplifying the use of colour removing dimension and shadows.
Secondly, the four coloured squares, which were previously curved and used to represent a window, have been straightened out and flattened to make a square. This was done to represent how applications will appear as mosaic tiles that will work on both touch tablets and PCs.
The changes are pretty minimal, so what has the response been? Pretty minimal as well. While it’s not being hailed as horrible, there’s no real praise for it either. It seems that it has failed to make an impression one way or another.
For a new logo that is supposed to be ushering in “one of the most significant waves of product launches in Microsoft’s history,” I personally think they could have done much better.
But like I said, they didn’t do a horrible job. Many components used are what go into a good logo. As Lance Ulanoff, Editor in Chief at Mashable.com, points out it’s simple and timeless. The design is clean and modern and void of stylistic trends that will easily look dated in a few years time. It also doesn’t deviate too far from the past logos. The logo is appropriate for the direction the brand is heading in. The tiles act as representation of the product the Microsoft is offering.
So where does it fail? Where it fails is the fact that it’s not memorable. Microsoft wanted the logo to be “humble, yet confident,” but humble is the wrong route to take if the brand is trying to play up the notion of significant innovation.
The lightened colour comes off as dull and weak. The adjustment of the coloured tiles is very minor. What the logo should say is “Microsoft is a leader in technology that offers innovative products to customers for their changing need.” Instead it says “Microsoft made a few changes here and there that might go unnoticed with customers.”
Simplicity is key in logo design…can anyone say Apple? The new Microsoft logo can be described as simple… but unlike Apple, it’s not clever and it’s not iconic. It’s bad business practice to try to follow in the footsteps of a competitor who has done it so well. Microsoft would have been better served striking off on its own… creating something original to set its brand apart.
While a logo a brand does not make, it is important to put thought and care into it, especially when evolving it.
Do you feel, given the goals and intended messaging, that Microsoft created a new logo that connects with consumers?
by cassie | Aug 24, 2012 | Advertising, Branding, Business Success, Interactive, Social Media
Every marketing campaign starts off with two things: a brand and a target audience. Determining a target audience used to be fairly simple; marketers looked at demographics and psychographics and determined which groups would be most responsive to the brand.
Who: is your target market made up of males or females? How old are they? Are they married or single?
Where: where do they live? What country? Are they in the country, suburbs or city?
What: what are their interests? What time of day is best to reach them? What is it about the brand’s persona that connects with them?
Why: why is the brand appealing? Why does the target audience need the product or service?
How: how can a brand’s product or service benefit the target audience?
Fundamentally the process for determining target audiences hasn’t changed, marketers still ask those questions. However, what has changed is how specific target audiences can get.
Psychographics are becoming increasingly important as niche marketing is becoming more of a common practice.
Brands that serve a niche market need to pay attention to psychographics in particular. Already having a smaller number of people in their target audience, these brands need to ensure that the connection they do create is a strong one.
It used to be that males 18-25 and who live alone was a target audience. Seems kind of broad doesn’t it? It is possible to narrow down the target audience even more and it’s largely due to social media.
Social media has made it possible for anyone to be a publisher or a writer. If an individual is dissatisfied with the lack of discourse on their interests, there is little stopping them from starting a blog or an online magazine. That’s where marketers need be looking to determine their target audience.
With the vast amount of resources available at marketer’s fingertips, it is possible to include more variables in the target audience. Instead of targeting males 18-25, who live alone and don’t cook, they can target males 18-25, who live alone in an exact neighbourhood and who don’t like vegetables.
For agencies, this can mean greater efficiency and better results for the brands. While the “blanket approach” of placing ads in all outlets that cover a particular topic can be successful in some cases; increased exposure does drive sales, it runs the risk of being too generic and lacking the details that speak directly to the target audience.
For niche marketing and its specific target audiences to be successful, marketers need to use the fine details to grab the attention of the members of the target audience, speak to them directly and build a strong relationship that will be maintained over time.
With niche marketing ads are just the beginning. As previously mentioned there are blogs, online magazines and digital media, but then there are also social media platforms and forums. Marketers need to be monitoring online conversation and see how people are speaking about brands and products. In doing so marketers can better position brands and products to align with the feelings and perspectives of the target audience, again developing a stronger connection.
Integrating psychographics and multiple variables when identifying a target audience helps drive sales through developing brand loyalty, as opposed to attracting a large amount of one-time buyers.
How specific do you get when identifying target audiences? How do you determine which variables to include?
by cassie | Aug 21, 2012 | Advertising, Branding, Business Success, Interactive, Social Media
Social Media change…what else is new!
The only constant in life is change, and this seems especially true in terms of social media. It seems as if every other day there is a new platform that is coming into vogue and those that have been around awhile are changing to keep up. Once you finally learn how to leverage networks like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, they change the next day.
Let’s take a look at some recent social media changes:
Klout has altered its scoring system to include “moments.” Moments are posts that have generated activity. Through moments users can see what action was taken, who did it and what network it happened on. In similar fashion to Facebook, Klout is also including insights, which allows users to have a better idea of their influence by allowing them to view data quickly and simply.
LinkedIn has changed its user interface. The homepage now features a more modern design as well as incorporating more visuals in the updates stream. Additionally, updates and posts can now be organized and viewed by what is most relevant, not that which is most recent.
Twitter has taken its promotional tweets one step further with targeted tweets. Targeted tweets allow advertisers to send tweets to specific audiences without tweeting to all of a brand’s followers. Advertisers using targeted tweets can segment by location, devices and platforms.
Facebook is following in the footsteps of Twitter by testing promoted posts. Promoted posts allow ads to show in the news feeds of all members regardless if the user has liked the brand page or if they have friends who have liked the brand page.
The question remains, are these changes necessary and useful or just annoying?
As with any change, there are going to be positive and negative aspects.
The best instances of change come out of necessity. In the case of Klout, there were many critics voicing opinions about whether the score is truly accurate and even questioning how the score is determined.
Klout’s response was to try to develop a better user understanding through its new features. Whether it will silence the naysayers remains to be seen.
Facebook is also a good example of necessary social media change. One of its largest competitors was offering a way to reach more people, so they are testing a similar approach to stay relevant.
This particular case has huge potential for brands and advertisers. Facebook already offers ads, but they are small and cast off to the side of the page. Promoted posts will bring the content onto the news feeds of users, giving it more space and attention.
These changes have the potential to transform the way those specific platforms are used and to open new ways for marketers to engage with their audiences. These changes show that the platforms are listening to their users and work to serve a purpose.
Change for change’s sake is not necessarily good. Facebook is notorious for changing their user interface and often times the reasoning behind the change is not clear. LinkedIn is the most recent platform to alter its appearance and one could question why the now and if it was even necessary.
Changes, such as those mentioned, can seem superficial and can lead to “user rage.” With the speed of technology and the amount of platforms out there, users can easily become overwhelmed. It takes time, a precious commodity they don’t have, to learn and adjust to a new interface and many initially resent being forced to make the change. It goes against the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” mentality.
Change has the potential to bring about great things, so long as it serves a purpose and people are willing to accept it. How do you feel about the recent changes in the social media landscape?
by cassie | Aug 17, 2012 | Advertising, Branding, Business Success, Creative, Design, Social Media
The rise of social media has brought about many advantages: instantaneous and constant communication; the humanization of brands and stronger relationships with customers.
However, it all comes at a price, mainly the diminishing attention span of users. Social media creates a constant feed of information virtually 24/7, resulting in people spending less time engaged in your content – if they even read it at all.
So how does one make sure that not only does important information reach the intended audience, but that it also gets absorbed?
It’s funny how everything old is new. Social Media content has taken “a page” from traditional print. Remember how newspapers were very rudimentary in layout and content was “the star”, making for a very text heavy presentation. Well, here we are once again.
Social media is becoming increasingly more visual and that means if you want your content to be read, you need to make it visually appealing.
Moving away from being text heavy, Twitter has a limit on the number of characters a message can have as well as allowing for postings of photos. After all a picture is worth a thousand words! Taking that adage to the max is Instagram, a photo-sharing platform in which users take photos, apply a filter and share it to their other social media accounts. Then there’s Pinterest, a virtual pin board that allows users to “pin” photos of things they find interesting and share with others for inspiration.
Making numbers and dry data interesting is easier said than done. One way do that is to use infographics. Infographics are visual representations of data and yes, they too have been around for a long time, just not called as such. Chances are you’ve used infographics long before venturing into social media. Maps, diagrams and charts are all examples.
So why now are infographics gaining popularity?
First of all, with the rise of social media, people don’t want to dig to find the relevant information. Infographics can streamline what needs to be known in a concise and easy to read manner. At the risk of repeating myself, the attention span of audiences is lessening by the second!
Secondly, infographics can take information that, while important, might be boring and transform it into something that is eye catching and visually appealing. With a whole spectrum of symbols, characters and colours to use, what once was boring can be made fun. By using those elements, the creator of the infographic not only catches the eye of the reader, but directs them where to look, helping ensure the information is read.
For example
This is an infographic taken from www.timeout.com. It provides interesting stats on the Olympic and Paralympic games through recognizable symbols, colours and limited text. If the information were presented written in a black and white article, people might not care, but through the use of infograhpics the information has suddenly become quirky and worth a second look.
How can brands leverage infographics to their benefit?
Brands can use infographics to tell their story. Through statistical graphs and charts brands can show how the brand has grown and the direction in which it is evolving.
Brands can also use infographics to assist in developing or establishing a persona. The images, characters and colours used will all have connotations and those choices directly reflect the brand.
Lastly, brands need to put their infographics out into the world. The whole point is to make the information easy to understand and absorb quickly, making it ideal for sharing. Being easy to read and understand, visually appealing and fun are all characteristics that help generate engagement and propel brands. The greater the impression an infographic makes on a reader, the greater the likelihood of the reader sharing it with others on social media networks such as Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest– that’s what social media is all about after all.
Just like having a brand and not advertising it…. It doesn’t matter how great an infographic is, if it’s not posted to social media, it’s not worth anything.
What has your experience with infographics been? Do you think they are here to stay or a fleeting trend?
by cassie | Aug 8, 2012 | Advertising, Branding, Business Success, Creative, Events, Social Media
The internet and social media have created a venue for open marketing. It’s called the Blog. No longer are “readers” designated to print alone. Reading is now accessible to anyone that has connection to the web. Social Media has enabled more people to read up on their points of interests. People are turning to the views of bloggers for information on a specific topic and because they are seen as a trusted source. Added to that, bloggers are perceived as everyday people – one of “us” – and essentially they are. Bloggers tend to be very upfront about the experience they have with various products, stating whether or not they were paid or if they are acting as a brand ambassador. Transparency is what makes them trustworthy. Knowing that that there is no hidden agenda helps bloggers create a very loyal following. The beauty of blogging is that anyone, anywhere can do it; but, it must be done well, especially when we are speaking about brands and brand voice.
So why are blogs worth considering?
That’s an easy one… and is part of Marketing 101: Bloggers are another channel through which brands can reach their target markets based on psychographics. That in itself is exciting. Bloggers are a great way to reach a niche target market that may not be accessible with traditional media. There are blogs on everything, from cooking to parenting and even someone chronicling their journey in the Himalayan Mountains. Marketers can make use of bloggers by having them write reviews for products and services, promote contests and events, or even establish the forum themselves and engage with their audience one on one.
So why aren’t bloggers included in more marketing campaigns?
Much like traditional PR, there is no guarantee that a blogger will be interested in your product or service and if they do agree to a review, you can’t control what they’ll say. However, there is a way to overcome this obstacle. You can buy advertising space on blogs that garner attention from your target audience. Although, the most effective outreach happens when bloggers write review posts of their own accord. You have to EARN that review by convincing the blogger that your product or service is worth writing about.
How to identify appropriate bloggers?
Social Media isn’t easy and it isn’t inexpensive, there is a significant amount of time and energy involved when doing research. The first step is to identify influential bloggers. This can prove to be difficult depending on how specific your target audience is. There are a few different methods a brand can take when trying to locate bloggers:
- Look within: Brands may already be connected to bloggers and not even know it. Checking Twitter and Facebook followers and looking through website comment sections is one way brands can find bloggers that may already be tuned in to them. If a blogger has already engaged with a brand, they are more likely to get on board.
- Simply search: Running a search of brand keywords and images can be a good way for brands to identify bloggers. If a brand has been mentioned on top influencing blogs chances are it will come up in a search. Searching competitors is also a good idea. If the competition has been mentioned on any blogs, it may be a good idea to approach those blogs.
- Turn to tools: Online tools that rank and organize websites and blogs are everywhere. Turning to sites such as Bloglovin, Technorati, BlogCatalog and Alexa can prove helpful in finding influential bloggers. Tools that specialize in blogger outreach are also great to take advantage of. There are a number of tools out there such as BlogDash and GoupHigh that help brands find, research, and track blogger outreach efforts.
5 things you should know to help you fine tune and optimize your results on your blog:
- Where is the blog located? This one can be tricky, most bloggers don’t include a physical address in their profile description. But it is worth knowing, if you are trying to get a product promoted that is only available in certain locations, you want to avoid blogs that are outside those area. For example if a product is only available in Canada, you don’t want to reach out to bloggers from the States. If it isn’t mentioned on the site, email and ask.
- What topics do they cover? Make sure that the topics featured within the blog are relevant to your brand or its target audience.
- Are they PR/marketing friendly? Not all blogs accept product from PR or marketing firms. Look at some of their previous posts and see if any reviews or promotions have been included, if not, reaching out to them may be a waste of time.
- Is your product or service a good “fit”? Blogs can fall into a general category, but take a specific stance. For example, there are a lot of food blogs, but some cater to a vegan-organic-gluten free audience. Be sure to determine the bloggers point-of-view and make sure your brand falls within it.
- What is their audience reach? If a blog is PR/marketing friendly or accepts advertising, they usually have a media kit with site stats such as audience reach, demographics etc. This is important to know, because you want to create as much awareness as possible. Try targeting those with a high number of unique visitors per month. If there isn’t a media kit available to download, just ask.
Once you have all the required information, put it to use and tailor your pitch to the individual blog: mention past posts, say why you think your product is a good fit for their blog and why their readers need to know about it. Also be sure to mention what’s in it for them, whether it be free product (because who doesn’t love free stuff!) or some sort of kick back.
Blogger outreach doesn’t have to be difficult, you just need to pay attention to the details and put yourself out there. How do you successfully integrate blogs into your marketing campaign? We’d like to hear about it here!
