by Angelika Orgacki | Feb 15, 2012 | Advertising, Branding, Creative, Design
Keep it Simple
Whether I’m watching television, driving on the highway or opening a magazine, I am exposed to advertisements. In a consumer world this constant exposure has now become the norm. However, with the immense bombardment of advertisements, it has become increasingly difficult to grab the public’s attention. Having ads that are overwhelmed with information doesn’t help either.
Companies always want to make their brand as attractive as possible, but sometimes the detailed information behind the product is not worth mentioning. Cramming too much information onto an advertisement usually produces more harm than good. When I look around and examine the ads that grasp my attention best, I begin to see a common trend; simplicity works. This is especially so for a company logo.
Graphic designer Lucien Bernhard pioneered the idea of simplicity in advertising when designing a poster for the Priester match company. His initial concept featured a setting made up of a checkered table cloth, an ash tray with a lit cigar emitting smoke in the shape a of woman, and finally the matches on the table. After analyzing his own design, Lucien began to reduce certain elements one-by-one from his ad as his scene contained too many distractions. All that was left in the ad were the matches with no other image supporting the product but the brand name and the connotations of the brand itself. Hence, the Priester match poster is a great example of how sometimes it’s best to just “keep it simple.”
by Miriam Hara | Sep 9, 2011 | Business Success
I have reflected on the recent resignation of Steve Jobs and his legacy of what he taught the world. He has lead others by doing; not only in marketing, advertising, product development or the user experience, but in how a company can achieve greatness through people.
There is no need to reiterate the collection of apple products that are leading in each of their respective categories and I believe that has everything to do with the people responsible for the development of those products under driven and focused leadership. Steve Jobs understood that the character of each individual employee resonates on every project or task that they are involved with. Each person is essential to the advancement of the company so getting the right fit to hire is vital to a strong organization.
Company awareness is something that Steve Jobs has been noted for throughout his time at Apple. He believed that every person should understand the overall process of the business and that each employee, regardless of title or department, should educate others on how their part is a piece of the greater picture.
Involvement = Investment = Ownership
These are but a few of the lessons that can be gleaned from an inspiring individual who has earned his place in business history as one of the most influential leaders of our time.What have you learned from Steve Jobs over the years, or, what has impressed or annoyed you about his time at Apple?
by Miriam Hara | May 19, 2010 | Branding
The blending of all ingredients in most bread recipes is key to its rise and success! Very similar is the craft of developing a successful brand. Brand Making is like baking There are three important ingredients that need to be layered into brand development…. or more casually put, brand making.
Photo by except insects, available under a creative commons license
First, you need to imagine it. See it in your mind’s eye. How does it look? Feel? Act? What does the brand represent. Imagine where you want your brand to be. Second, you need to time it. Time the details necessary to achieve your vision. What’s the best time to go to market… properly? This is not a time to rush… you don’t want to end up having flat cake! Lastly, you need to watch it. Watch the details, make adjustments, listen to research or market conditions. If something doesn’t come up just right, you don’t need a new recipe, sometimes just add a pinch of something novel to the mix.
Brand Making, like creating a fabulous cake, cookies or bread.. you need to blend with passion, knead with persistence… the result will be a brand on the rise!
