Brand Consistency: Did the new Apple iOS7 hurt?

Well folks, it's here - love it or not, we'll have to get used to it if we want to keep up with Apple.  iOS 7 is a complete change in brand consistency for Apple - the fonts, color schemes, motion and graphics, etc all have changed - so much so that our phones can be classified as brand new!  Apple has even enlisted its chief designer Jony Ives to describe how these design changes are a good thing - another departure from the Steve Jobs past.

These changes may or may not hurt Apple's brand loyalty - I am a die-hard Apple-ite myself, however, and it's a BIG however, drastic changes to your Brand WILL affect your business.

Consistent branding is not just a buzzword, it is the cornerstone of your overall business strategy.  All of the innovation in social media, advertising, and experiential marketing puts more ammo in our marketing arsenal, however staying true to our branding message is more important than ever.

Check out this infographic that Jessica Brandenburg created to visualize the importance of Brand consistency:

Breast Cancer Awareness: October awareness products!

Breast Cancer is a serious disease that affects 1 in 8 women over the course of their lifetime.  That's not a pretty number for anyone to see, and although the death rates have been decreasing, finding a treatment is no closer to reality.

Organizations such as the American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen have done a lot to help raise money and awareness for Breast Cancer, and branded products have been a focal point in raising money.  In that regards, there is an opportunity for brands to show their support for continued research and awareness, plus show that their employees' health is an important issue.

Check out some of the items we have for your Breast Cancer Awareness efforts:

Fundraising: Why not use promo products?

My wife found an interesting site that was leveraging t-shirt sales to help raise money and awareness for seven areas in our world that need help:  Feeding the hungry, healing the sick, Hope for peace, house the homeless, quench the thirsty, teach people well, and save the Earth.

Noble causes, but as is always the case - it takes money to help in these seven areas.  So, Project 7 created a storefront that sells branded t-shirts, mints, bottled water, coffee mugs and iPhone covers to raise funds for select non-profits.

We have found that promo products that have utility - Tervis Tumblers, Nalgene water bottles, T-shirts, and coolers are great items to look at for schools, non-profits and awareness programs.

Custom 32 oz Nalgene Bottles - The Green alternative to bottled water!

I for one have found lately that I am using an inordinate amount of plastic bottles lately as I have made an extreme effort to keep hydrated this summer.  Between the Gatorade and Dasani bottles, it's a bit much to say the least...

So we partnered with Nalgene to start using their BPA free 32 oz Nalgene Bottles, and well not only is the hydration issue taken care of, but I'm not recycling a whole case of plastic stuff a month!

We've done these for the Appalachia Service Project and they have used it for a fundraising gift with great success.

Look to using these for any sports-related promotion or fitness program!

What do Walter White and Steve Jobs have in common?

Hmmm, now that's an intriguing question to ask on a Wednesday.  How can a science teacher turned meth kingpin have anything in common with the Apple guru?

In actuality - quite a bit!  You think about how Apple came on to the computer scene in the 70's, how it's design techniques and customer-driven laser focus created several industries, and then apply that to the drug business, and well you have synergies that can be applied to basic branding principles.

1. Market recognition:  Steve Jobs saw the future of personal computing very early, and recognized the vastness of the emerging market.  Jobs also was able to hone in on what the end user wanted, and simplified it so that it applied to everyday life - i.e. creating the MacIntosh desktop graphical interfaces that, well mimic someone's desktop.  Very simple, yet applicable to everybody's life!  Walter White saw that Methamphetamine was rapidly becoming huge, and took his expertise in chemistry to a new level by developing a better product which his market truly wanted.
2. Product Integrity:  Walter's formula in the show is a 99% pure product - well above anything in the marketplace, and its distinctive blue coloring made it easily identifiable.  To the consumer, it was a mark of drug excellence and created a huge demand for the Blue.  Jobs created a closed product, so that anyone who wanted to create an application or software had to utilize Apple's parameters, thereby ensuring that any software or hardware component worked seamlessly with Apple products.
3. Distinctive Design:  From the branding to the packaging, everything that Apple creates has a distinctively clean and intuitive design.  The iPod/iPad/iPhone have limited product directions as earch are easily implemented - kids can operate them without any real instructions.  Walter White's Blue meth is completely different than anything in the fictitious marketplace, and it's brand name of Heisenberg appeals to the end user, and strikes fear into the competition.
4. Market Dominance:  Apple has revolutionized 4 industries, and in each has been an industry leader, leaving competitors, particularly in the cellphone industry lagging behind.  Walter White's ruthless attention to his marketplace has placed his product as the standard, and his competition has not been able to copy and/or destroy it's way back.

Yes, we're talking fiction vs. reality, but these four principles can be put in to your own branding culture.

Post Office reports loss - again...

The US Postal Service's financial woes continue with losses of $740 million in its 3rd Quarter.  This brings the total loss for the year up to a whopping $3.9 BILLION.

No business can sustain this, and it is an unfortunate situation when the entire country depends upon their Postal Service delivery day in and day out.  The significant problem lies in the legislative handcuffs attached to this service that does not allow it to adapt to today's marketplace.

The good news is that as far as services go - there are no changes forthcoming.  This bodes well for direct mail marketing campaigns and whatnot.  However, marketers need to be aware of this as the mail is a vital part of our everyday marketing plans.

Brand Messaging: Common mistakes that deflate your Message

Any fighter will tell you, if you want to win - you have to come out swinging and make a solid connection quickly.

This is the same with any product or service - you want to make a solid connection quickly with your audience - and that is done with a powerful brand message that empowers action.  Yet, this is a constant struggle with today's marketers.

Brand messaging doesn't have to be all about the Pro's of your product or service - rather it must embody your target audience's core values.  That old adage, sell the "WHY" remains somewhat true in this respect - if you don't zero in on what your audience cares most about in relation to your Brand, then you risk inauthenticity, or basically pissing off your key demo.

Read more to avoid the 5 common pitfalls of brand messaging so that your Brand scores a knockout in its next campaign!