Tag Archives: branding hall of fameThere are so many things to write about that I’ve had trouble coming up with something to write about. (That ever happened to you?) And then, my Hip Slip arrived. Doug and Chenin know I’ve been lusting after one, and it arrived without warning today. Squeal! Double squeal! The product itself is fabulous, but the branding is just as remarkable. First, the box. Even the UPS man commented on the loveliness of the box.
 
 
 What about your brand? How can you create an experience with your product’s delivery, whether it’s being picked up or shipped thousands of miles?November 6, 2009 - 3:52 am
I enjoyed when my Shootsac arrived too! It really makes you stop, take notice, and enjoy unwrapping each piece. The photo tips with the photo was such a nice touch. Feels like it should be some sort of "collect 'em all!" type deal! November 5, 2009 - 7:47 pm
I agree, Photojojo is another, as well as Drop It Modern, great packaging there! November 5, 2009 - 6:01 pm
We are glad you like it so much. It has been fun to design with them… they are willing to take risks! It's funny we actually wrote a post about them last night too (posted today) … what a coincidence. Poked around your blog, keep up the great work and advice! November 5, 2009 - 4:24 pm
I loved mine when it arrived. Totally agree about the packaging. I was trying to figure out how to repurpose the box 'cause is was so coo. Fun to get in the mail. Who'd a thought. Other products that were impressive when delivered: my Drobo hard drive and PhotoJojo (which adds just a bit of humor to the everyday). November 5, 2009 - 4:03 pm
I remember the day my Shootsac arrived. I had all the same thoughts and feelings! It made me want to order one a week just to have such a beautiful delivery in my life on a regular basis! No, really. This post is about panties. So if you just can’t take that level of intimate product connected to a talk about effective branding and sales, abandon the post now! Unrelated but funny commercial about underwear: Ok. You stayed. ::whew:: I randomly get catalogs and mail from those who lived in my home prior to me, and most of the time I dutifully mark it ‘return to sender’ — if it’s important. But the Victoria’s Secret ‘free cotton panty with no purchase required’ coupon? I keep that. Let’s talk about that concept, first: FREE ______ with no purchase required. It’s genius, because I ignore all the coupons that come in the mail. But this little card, that could magically turn into free panties if I just present myself at the store? Yes please. Okay, so, Victoria’s Secret got me into the store. And while I was there, yes, I did some shopping. So I’m standing in the checkout line, ready to go, when I see it: a giant table of panties that are $12 each, or FIVE FOR $25. I think you know what happened. All they wanted me to do was spend $25 on panties, and they knew EXACTLY what it takes to get me to do it. Let’s recap: coupon for free panties not yet active. Grabbed panties from big giant 5/$25 table, and bought other stuff while browsing. SPENT $103.84 WITHOUT ACTUALLY GETTING MY FREEBIE. So, there you are, artist. Find a nifty loss-leader that can get people interested in your work. What will get your ideal clients to visit you? To talk about you? To physically show up and spend money on your work? This concept can be tricky to apply to anything artistic, as we don’t happen to have a supply of photos of Jimmy that we can give to Jimmy’s Mom before taking the hours to shoot and edit little Jimmy’s photos. The ‘free sitting, free 5×7′ deals aren’t what I’m talking about, here — they require both time and vision to implement. I’m talking a product you can create in advance, and then give away to generate interest and excitement in your brand. Perhaps a free 5×7″ frame? A set of 3 notecards featuring your fine art or stock photography? What will lead your clients up your stairs, down your hallway, or around that corner to meet you and talk with you (read: book you) as you hand over their free item? I’d love to hear any ideas you have about this in the comments section below! SHOW COMMENTS 3 comments January 14, 2010 - 12:16 pm
We tried something at a bridal show. Anyone who filled out a contact card was eligible to get a free engagement shoot… On the day of the bridal show, people were excited and fired up about our offer… yup… out of the 100 people who signed up for a shoot… not a single person followed through with us. We have learned from that situation, and have come to realize that maybe it was just all the cheap skate girls signing up, who weren’t serious, but the idea of free enticed them… while all our “ideal” clients would’ve shied away from a company so willing to give away free work. September 16, 2009 - 11:30 am
I reserved a vendor table at a Harvest Festival in October with 7000 people expected. I will set up a table, and Moms and Dads bring their kids over and I’ll snap a picture. Ask for their email address so I can send it to them. I get a giant email list of potential clients, they think I am awesome for their one free digital image. I will also display my products (canvases, stand-outs, Holiday cards etc). Offer a small discount if they book a future session that day… September 15, 2009 - 10:05 pm
I do have to say that I worked for VS for almost 2 years in college (WORST JOB EVERRRRR), and the number of people who just collect their free panties and leave totally outweigh the people who are like you and spent the extra money. =) But it must be worth it if they’re still doing it after all these years! I like the idea of the 5×7 frames. That’s cute! Let’s say you’re a starving artist. You’re so poor you can’t even afford a background color for your blog. (Yah, I know color is free, just play along. Please.) You’re stuck with plain ‘ol white, and you need to distinguish you & your art from aaaaaaall the other artists out there. What do you do? You kick ass, if you’re one of these people: Marc Johns. Never have I seen so much done with…well, post-it notes and a few scribbles. Great choice of words. Quirky, laugh-out-loud funny drawings. Tara Whitney. Often emulated, never duplicated. Tara recently went from a super-colorful, popping with polka dots layout to this little ditty. Brilliant. Bonnie Tsang. Two columns — an increasingly rare choice for professional photographers. Simple simple design and utterly stunning imagery. Sweet Fine Day. Another two-column layout, this time with marshmallows. (Really — caramel ones and some meant to be eaten with beer…) I can’t put my finger on what, exactly, I adore about this blog design, but I’m firmly in heart, and on my way to heart heart hearting. That Unreliable Girl. Thinking there’s no way to distinguish your text from other’s text? (Not the actual words you’re writing, but the text itself…) Check out the way that unreliable girl formats a typical blogpost. Sheer genius. There ya go: five examples of branding without color. Layout choices, blockquote choices, consistent use of one’s own handwriting, ridiculously stunning imagery, and one-of-a-kind products distinguish each of these blogs without the use of poppy, punchy, over-the-top design elements. If your blog went color-less, how would it stand out? SHOW COMMENTS 2 comments September 6, 2009 - 12:50 am
Why thank you for including me in amongst such fine company! I’m currently finishing off a completely new blog layout, so fingers crossed it will match up to its current incarnation! xx Kit June 12, 2009 - 9:21 pm
i am a huge fan of REALLY simple blog designs. i love the clean look. especially for artists, i think it’s so important to go light-on-the-design so that their work is the main focus. love your freshy list. I remember the first time I entered a Target store: shock and awe, baby. Shock and awe. Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, I was used to Wal-Mart. Dudes with mullets, screaming babies, dirty floors, long lines, messy shelves, and cheap products. Entering a Target for the first time made it okay for me to boycott Wal-Mart forever. Target was so…CLEAN. And so…PRETTY. Yes, they’re a big box store that sells crap that’s going to break in six months, but I FEEL like it’s going to last longer. Because hey, there’s aisle after aisle of eye candy. And well-stocked shelves. And products available at reasonable prices for a limited time. What can we learn from Target? Little things can be big things. A clean, open working space doesn’t cost much to maintain, but can cause a big boost in client (er, ‘guest’) perception of your company. Improve on what’s out there, if only by a slim margin. Target isn’t 1,000 times better than Wal-mart, and you don’t have to be 1,000 times better than your competitor to nab more business. Just improve on the status quo. This could be a handwritten note to your project manager after finishing a freelance job or a quick phone call instead of an e-mail when handling customer service. Nothing revolutionary, just an improvement; win the world over in baby steps. And uh, get rid of that mullet. Or you’ll be branded a Wal-mart shopper for life. SHOW COMMENTS 2 comments June 4, 2009 - 11:01 pm
Growing up in the Minneapolis/St Paul area of MN, Target and I became BFFs way before I ever knew that Walmart even existed. It probably sounds dorky, but it’s been fun to see the brand evolve and grow up into the icon it is today. As for Walmart, the two words that come to mind when I remember walking into one for the first time are cheap and claustrophobic. For me, Target = inexpensive; Walmart = cheap. June 4, 2009 - 7:10 am
great post. target has definitely hit the nail on the head with perceived value. works for me in a heartbeat. side note, i think i secretly enjoyed this post because you mentioned mullets. just saying it makes me laugh. equating it with walmart makes it that much funnier. Let’s say you were just fine with having yogurt a few times a week, and you didn’t necessarily give two poops (literally) about your digestive health. All of a sudden, you see an Activia commercial and start pondering your digestive health, the bacteria Bifidus Regularis, and how you need to buy A 14-DAY SUPPLY of yogurt, STAT. That’s fabulous branding (and marketing!), peeps. Suddenly, there’s a new yogurt craze in town! Activia created a need, coined that big ol’ dotted arrow that signifies digestive movement, and then convinced everyone who buys to get waaaaay more than they otherwise would have. (When I go to the grocery store, I buy 2 or 3 servings of yogurt at a time. But 14!?) Their point of differentiation — the culture Bifidus Regularis — may or may not be pertinent to my lifestyle, but in a sea of choices, I’m gonna go with the one that stands out.  Screenshot of Activia webpage Let me repeat: in a sea of choices, I’m gonna go with the one that stands out. And so will your clients. How can you make your brand stand out? What need can you fill? Or create, and then fill? no comments |
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