Banana Bulletin

Here, I will share how companies of all shapes and sizes can quickly destroy their brand, confuse customers, and shrink their bottom line. Throughout my 20+ years as a graphic designer, I’ve helped many companies build a strong brand, and effectively control their company’s perception in the market. And, I’ve also seen (and still see) companies who deviate from their brand strategy, and wonder why their message is not coming across clearly to their customers. Read on.

1. Company culture doesn’t align with your brand. From the attitude of your employees to the company’s overall vision and values, every point of contact with your customer must reflect your brand.

An example: Sam’s Gift Store wants to stand out as the most friendly, customer-oriented place in town. But, when a customer walks in the store, she notices that the salesperson is glued to her cell phone, and is not interested in helping her.

Another example: Speedy’s Pizza is well known for delivering pizzas within 10 minutes or it’s free. But, if you visit their website, it takes 5 minutes to load the home page.

2. Neglecting to educate your company’s employees/stakeholders about your brand, and promise to your customers. It’s one thing to do your research, consult with professionals, and determine your brand and company’s story. It’s another to communicate this strategy to the team responsible for reinforcing this message to customers and vendors everyday.

3. Create marketing tools independent from one another. Use different color palettes, typefaces, design elements, and copy tone for each marketing piece to create inconsistency and confusion for your customer. If you spread out all of your marketing tools on a table, do they all have a similar message, look, and feel? Or, will your customer be asking who you are, and whether you are a new company?

4. Ignore feedback from customers. Brands evolve along with customers’ needs. What may have worked 5 years ago, may not be successful today. Constantly solicit feedback, address concerns, and incorporate this information into your brand. Sometimes you are too close to your product or service, and what you may think is obvious, hasn’t come close to becoming clear to your customer. So, ask questions! Great brand strategy balances customers’ thoughts and emotions with facts and research.

5. Make it difficult for the customer to give feedback and suggestions. Whether it’s an 800 number, a poll on your website, or a simple contact form, make it easy for the customer to share their experiences with your company.

6. Create a marketing tool that is beyond your brand. I know it’s tempting, but don’t throw your brand image out the window because you want to do something different. It’s okay to do minor updates to your brand over time; in fact, you should, as mentioned in #4. Freshen up your brand by adding a color or two to your existing palette, or another design element to your layouts. But, don’t go off the deep end with a completely new look just because you are tired of being consistent. This will confuse customers, and destroy the brand you’ve taken so much care to build.

7. Make a change that will affect your customers without consulting and informing them. Whether it be a new ordering process, or a new pricing structure, it’s vital to gather feedback from your customers, vendors, and internal team. Formally or informally surveying a select group before making the change is a smart move. Once feedback is reviewed, then determine the best way to communicate this change to your customers.

An example: Netflix’s recent announcement of their new pricing structure for DVD’s and streaming video, which doubled most subscribers’ monthly rate. To date, Netflix has allegedly lost over 1 million subscribers, due to their inadequate communication with their customers, and lack of sufficient warning of the change. Netflix has been forced to do damage control. And, recently sent out a detailed explanation and apology in order to regain customer confidence and faith in their brand.

8. Allow non-creatives to “customize” their own marketing tools. This applies to both printed materials and web-based communication. Allowing salespeople or other internal employees that do not have a design or marketing background to edit or create their own marketing tools, is a disaster waiting to happen. Logos can be sized disproportionately, type can be unreadable, and graphics inappropriate. The list is endless. You may think you are saving money by not hiring a designer to customize, but in the end, is it worth risking your brand equity and company’s bottom line?

9. Participate in “design by committee” antics. Instead of appointing one point person responsible for marketing and design decisions, allow a group of people to give direction, where all feedback must be incorporated into the design. Too many cooks in the kitchen make for a dish everyone dislikes. In this case, a design which risks deviating from your brand strategy. Gathering feedback is encouraged, but don’t try to please everyone internally. Your goal is to please your customer.

10. Avoid getting involved in your community and events. Support your local community and sponsor local and national events that mirror your company’s values and vision. Create a connection between your brand and the attendees (ideally your customers) of the event.

A brand is your overall promise of value to your customers. It is the emotional connection your customers feel with your product or service. A strong brand is built over time with on-target design and clear communication. Without strictly managing your brand throughout every point of interaction with your customer, it can be easily destroyed. If your company can avoid the tactics above, you will protect and support your brand for many years to come.

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Being successful doesn’t mean trying to fit in, but working hard to set yourself apart. These campaigns from designer-daily.com are a clear illustration of creative thinking beyond the status quo. Seth Godin states this perfectly in his recent book entitled, Linchpin, “You must become indispensable to thrive in the new economy. The best ways to do that are to be remarkable, insightful, an artist, someone bearing gifts. To lead. The worst way is to conform and become a cog in a giant system.” Enjoy!

Pantone, a global authority on color, has predicted the hottest and most highly anticipated color trends for 2012. These colors not only influence fashion and interiors, but provide a roadmap for all aspects of design. And, ultimately drive what consumers will soon see on the shelves.

“PANTONE VIEW home + interiors 2012 …is filled with interesting new directions,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Some paths lead to exhilarating tones that encourage the prospective buyer to forge ahead into adventures with novel color combinations, while others invite them to stop for a moment, take a deep breath, relax and consider the more classic hues in a different kind of mix. The continuing challenge and goal will be in keeping the consumer visually engaged by blending the playful with the practical. To reach that destination, color is the compass.”

The nine palettes for 2012 are (drumroll please):

Nonchalance, Subtleties, Resilience, Indigo Effects, Transcending Time, Back to the Fuchsia, Reflections, Nouveau Neon and The Comics. For those of us who prefer visuals (myself included), I’ve taken palettes and descriptions directly from Pantone’s press release, and Chicago unveiling of the Spring/Summer 2012 Color Trends Report.

Nonchalance

The simplicity and casual ambiance in this palette are easy to read and enjoy. The reassuring colors coax a feeling of tranquility and relaxation with no suggestion of anxiety in the surroundings. The comforting pastel pinks, ethereal blues and soft egret white wrap us in carefree baby blanket colors, harmoniously blending with the more mature taupe, gray and grape tones.

Subtleties

Subtleties are just that - a close connectivity between the color families, sliding effortlessly into a seamless collection of hues that are either closely related or quietly complementary. The atmosphere they present is effortless and compatible: hazy coral, soft yellow green, faded rose, stonewashed blue and tinges of gray and green artfully set against a tasteful brown earthy red.

Resilience

Resilience represents a group of sturdy hues that work very well together. It speaks of hand-hewn objects of substance, sustenance and solidity in a range of natural, outdoor shades. There are nuances of the deepest browns, varietal mushroom tones, foliage green and greenish yellow. A dash of flamingo orange adds an exotic touch to this otherwise organic grouping.

Indigo Effects

Like the twilight colors of a descending night sky, Indigo Effects evokes a mood of broad expansiveness and depth - enveloping and protective, yet mysterious. The colors are variations on a blue theme - celestial and majestic blues, purpled and deep blue indigos - all deftly brushed with contrasting strokes of maroon, mauve and moody gray.

Transcending Time

Transcending Time is a palette that speaks of continuity - inspirations from the past, both style and color-wise, which continue well into the future - containing hues that heirlooms are made of, including elegant wine and plum, warm beige and wood tones, as well as classic rose. A touch of frosted almond adds a soft and subtle glimmer to the atmosphere.

Back to Fuchsia

Bold, daring and audacious, this is a group of tantalizing colors that makes no excuses for the attention it creates. Back to the Fuchsia celebrates the energy generated through the provocative melding of dancing reds, purples and pink, all highlighted by a variety of fuchsias. Jewel-toned peridot both accentuates and complements the hotter hues.

Reflections

Glossy finish and color are a magical coupling, fascinating the eye and riveting attention. Metallic or glassy surfaces undulate and move and twist and turn, taking colors to new dimensions. Included in this arresting palette are tones and tints that spark the imagination.

Nouveau Neon

The colors of the Nouveau Neon palette are not the phosphorescent neons of yesterday. They are instead a collection of exuberant shades that bring a fresh new perspective to combinations. Asian-inspired bamboo yellow-green plays with orange Popsicle® and berry purples, while citrus colors toy with pink and raspberry. A flavorful butter-rum tan is the unexpected accompaniment to all of the vibrant colors in the palette.

The Comics

Cartoons come to life in this effervescent palette called The Comics. Funny paper hues pop off the page in whimsical ways that bring a smile and create the need to take some time to play. Ominous phantom black provides the backdrop for sulphuric yellow and fiery red. A flash of green provokes a strong blue while an inky cyan plays up to honeysuckle and primrose. It’s quirky joy and spontaneity.

What is your opinion of these predictions? Will these palettes influence your work in any way?

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Have a coupon for free admission ($25 value) to the Visual Media Alliance’s event, State of the Art Expo @ UCSF Mission Bay Conference Center, includes admission to keynote speaker, Kit Hinrichs and Expo Hall/Networking, May 12th from 5:15pm-8pm. Great networking, seminars, vendor contacts for marketers, designers, print and other media buyers. Email dmai@bananacreative.com if interested. First one to respond, get’s it!

This is a continuation of my previous post…After working with many businesses of all shapes and sizes in the past 20 years, I’ve come to realize that the basic design principles I learned back in Design school still apply. These principles not only guarantee a cool design, but attract attention. Keep in mind that there is more than one way to apply each principle.

6. Proximity. The distance between elements on a page creates a bond, or lack thereof in a design. If elements are related to eachother, for instance, they should be placed on the page together. Unrelated elements should not be in close proximity. The process of grouping related information and graphics creates visual cues, which help the reader scan and absorb the information easily.

7. Consistency. While working to achieve a successful design, keeping the overall aesthetic integrity of the elements of the page must be considered. This means keeping all of the visual and typographic elements simple and clear, and applying these styles uniformly. For example, using the Garamond Bold typeface in orange for all subheads, or framing all customer testimonials in a 3 point green border. There should be an overall visual system to all of the elements that unify the design into a coherent whole. Consistency brings recognition, which makes the reader more comfortable, and more likely to respond.

8. Demographics. Gender, age, social, physical, and cultural demographics play a key role in who will pay attention to the design. Before starting any design, research is required to understand the audience, and tailor specifically to their needs. For instance, a brochure targeted to seniors over 60 should incorporate a larger (minimum 12 point) and more readable (Serif) typeface throughout. Also, use a color palette that is more appealing to the 60 and over audience.

9. Color. Last, but certainly not least, is the use of color in design. Color is a key principle that affects everything we’ve talked about so far: organization, balance, contrast, rhythm, readability, proximity, consistency, and demographics. Similar colors will bond elements together (light blue and dark blue), just as colors located on opposite sides of the color wheel (purple and yellow) will create visual contrast, rhythm, and balance on the page. Studies have shown that women are more sensitive to color than men, women prefer reds, and men prefer blues. Therefore, audience demographics must be considered before choosing a color palette.

Graphic design is a creative process that combines art and technology to communicate ideas. The designer’s job is to work with a variety of communication tools, images and typography to convey a message from a client to a particular audience. Using these basic principles from Design school, can help anyone design a piece that is both beautiful and functional.

Which element do you think is most important in any design? Share your thoughts here.

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Visual Media Alliance (VMA) (formerly PINC (Printing Industries of Northern CA)) is offering a free expo pass to their annual State of the Art expo, seminars, and networking event in SF on May 12, 2011. Register by March 31st. This event will replace the annual PINC show, and includes the keynote address by Kit Hinrichs. Representatives from Google and Adobe will also be presenting. I’ve attended this in the past, and have always left with loads of contacts and new inspiration. Feel free to pass along to anyone who may be interested.

Visual Media Alliance (VMA), is a nonprofit trade association dedicated to providing a variety of benefits and money saving programs to creative, web, marketing and print businesses in Northern, Central California and Northern Nevada.

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After working with many businesses of all shapes and sizes in the past 20 years, I’ve come to realize that the basic design principles I learned back in Design school still apply. These principles not only guarantee a cool design, but attract attention. Keep in mind that there is more than one way to apply each principle.

1. Organization. There are 7 essential elements to any design—line, direction, shape, size, texture, value, and color. The process of graphic design is the awareness of all of these elements, and organizing them in a way that allows each to interact in a meaningful way. It’s the placement of text, graphics, white space, and backgrounds that lead the eye through the hierarchy of information on the page.

2. Balance. Once all of the elements are placed on the page, it’s important to balance the weight of the text, graphics, color, and positive and negative space. Without balance, the eye gets confused, doesn’t know where to go weight of any of these elements are related to it’s size, density, and color. Essentially, an element that is large and contains darker, more saturated color is “heavier”, and will need other elements on the page to distribute the weight as evenly as possible. My trick is to squint while viewing the page to make sure the heavier elements are balanced.

3. Contrast. Big, small. Short, tall. Contrast occurs when two elements are different. The greater the difference, the greater the contrast. In design, big and small elements, black and white text, squares and circles, can all create contrast. Contrasting elements immediately attract attention.

4. Rhythm. Repetitive elements similar in nature, such as sidebars and figures, can create a visual rhythm that will unify the design. These elements are picked up as “pulsations” and causes the eye to briefly pause as it moves around the page. These pauses and shifts in rhythm can bring attention to important information.

5. Readability. Even if all of the key principles of design are followed, attention is lost without content that is readable. Factors such as size, background, and letter spacing determine the readability of text. And, studies indicate that some text is more readable than others. For instance, serif typefaces, such as Times New Roman, are slightly more legible than sans-serifs, such as Helvetica, for long body copy. And, three quarters of all readers prefer black text on a white background.

Stay tuned for Part II in the coming weeks…

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The holidays are an opportunity for brands to connect with their audience emotionally, and emulate what they are engaged in this season. Christmas parties, gift buying, gift returning, and charitable giving, are only some of the ways advertising can touch their audience. Whether it be in print, online, or TV, it’s a lot fun to see the amazing creativity that arises at year’s end from companies large and small. Here are some examples of inspiring print ads to help you celebrate the holiday season.

Wishing all of you the gift of peace and happiness this holiday and throughout the New Year!

Ebay

Gillette

Volkswagen

Childhope Asia

McDonalds

Pedigree

Pepsi

Coca Cola

It’s that wonderful time of year where families and friends gather together, give thanks, and gorge on lots of turkey and fixin’s…yum! But, do you really know how we started celebrating this invented tradition? Or who declared it a national holiday? Here are some myths about Thanksgiving from the History Channel, and whether or not they are indeed fact or fiction. Wishing you all a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

1. Fact or Fiction: Thanksgiving is held on the final Thursday of November each year.

Fiction. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln designated the last Thursday in November as a national day of thanksgiving. However, in 1939, after a request from the National Retail Dry Goods Association, President Franklin Roosevelt decreed that the holiday should always be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month (and never the occasional fifth, as occurred in 1939) in order to extend the holiday shopping season by a week. The decision sparked great controversy, and was still unresolved two years later, when the House of Representatives passed a resolution making the last Thursday in November a legal national holiday. The Senate amended the resolution, setting the date as the fourth Thursday, and the House eventually agreed.

2. Fact or Fiction: One of America’s Founding Fathers thought the turkey should be the national bird of the United States.

Fact. In a letter to his daughter sent in 1784, Benjamin Franklin suggested that the wild turkey would be a more appropriate national symbol for the newly independent United States than the bald eagle (which had earlier been chosen by the Continental Congress). He argued that the turkey was “a much more respectable Bird,” “a true original Native of America,” and “though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage.”

3.Fact or Fiction: In 1863, Abraham Lincoln became the first American president to proclaim a national day of thanksgiving.

Fiction. George Washington, John Adams and James Madison all issued proclamations urging Americans to observe days of thanksgiving, both for general good fortune and for particularly momentous events (the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, in Washington’s case; the end of the War of 1812, in Madison’s).

4.Fact or Fiction: Macy’s was the first American department store to sponsor a parade in celebration of Thanksgiving.

Fiction. The Philadelphia department store Gimbel’s had sponsored a parade in 1920, but the Macy’s parade, launched four years later, soon became a Thanksgiving tradition and the standard kickoff to the holiday shopping season. The parade became ever more well-known after it featured prominently in the hit film Miracle on 34th Street (1947), which shows actual footage of the 1946 parade. In addition to its famous giant balloons and floats, the Macy’s parade features live music and other performances, including by the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes and cast members of well-known Broadway shows.

5. Fact or Fiction: Turkeys are slow-moving birds that lack the ability to fly.

Fiction (kind of). Domesticated turkeys (the type eaten on Thanksgiving) cannot fly, and their pace is limited to a slow walk. Female domestic turkeys, which are typically smaller and lighter than males, can move somewhat faster. Wild turkeys, on the other hand, are much smaller and more agile. They can reach speeds of up to 20-25 miles per hour on the ground and fly for short distances at speeds approaching 55 miles per hour. They also have better eyesight and hearing than their domestic counterparts.

6. Fact or Fiction: Native Americans used cranberries, now a staple of many Thanksgiving dinners, for cooking as well as medicinal purposes.

Fact. According to the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association, one of the country’s oldest farmers’ organizations, Native Americans used cranberries in a variety of foods, including “pemmican” (a nourishing, high-protein combination of crushed berries, dried deer meat and melted fat). They also used it as a medicine to treat arrow punctures and other wounds and as a dye for fabric. The Pilgrims adopted these uses for the fruit and gave it a name—”craneberry”—because its drooping pink blossoms in the spring reminded them of a crane.

7. Fact or Fiction: The movement of the turkey inspired a ballroom dance.

Fact. The turkey trot, modeled on that bird’s characteristic short, jerky steps, was one of a number of popular dance styles that emerged during the late 19th and early 20th century in the United States. The two-step, a simple dance that required little to no instruction, was quickly followed by such dances as the one-step, the turkey trot, the fox trot and the bunny hug, which could all be performed to the ragtime and jazz music popular at the time. The popularity of such dances spread like wildfire, helped along by the teachings and performances of exhibition dancers like the famous husband-and-wife team Vernon and Irene Castle.

8. Fact or Fiction: On Thanksgiving Day in 2007, two turkeys earned a trip to Disney World.

Fact. On November 20, 2007, President George W. Bush granted a “pardon” to two turkeys, named May and Flower, at the 60th annual National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation, held in the Rose Garden at the White House. The two turkeys were flown to Orlando, Florida, where they served as honorary grand marshals for the Disney World Thanksgiving Parade. The current tradition of presidential turkey pardons began in 1947, under Harry Truman, but the practice is said to have informally begun with Abraham Lincoln, who granted a pardon to his son Tad’s pet turkey.

9. Fact or Fiction: Turkey contains an amino acid that makes you sleepy.

Fact. Turkey does contain the essential amino acid tryptophan, which is a natural sedative, but so do a lot of other foods, including chicken, beef, pork, beans and cheese. Though many people believe turkey’s tryptophan content is what makes many people feel sleepy after a big Thanksgiving meal, it is more likely the combination of fats and carbohydrates most people eat with the turkey, as well as the large amount of food (not to mention alcohol, in some cases) consumed, that makes most people feel like following their meal up with a nap.

10. Fact or Fiction: The tradition of playing or watching football on Thanksgiving started with the first National Football League game on the holiday in 1934.

Fiction. The American tradition of college football on Thanksgiving is pretty much as old as the sport itself. The newly formed American Intercollegiate Football Association held its first championship game on Thanksgiving Day in 1876. At the time, the sport resembled something between rugby and what we think of as football today. By the 1890s, more than 5,000 club, college and high school football games were taking place on Thanksgiving, and championship match-ups between schools like Princeton and Yale could draw up to 40,000 fans. The NFL took up the tradition in 1934, when the Detroit Lions (recently arrived in the city and renamed) played the Chicago Bears at the University of Detroit stadium in front of 26,000 fans. Since then, the Lions game on Thanksgiving has become an annual event, taking place every year except during the World War II years (1939–1944).

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When the Gap unveiled its new logo on October 6, the reaction was swift and unequivocal. And bad. The redesign attracted the kind of mainstream attention and brought down the kind of wrath that, for a marketer, must be horrifying to watch, but at the same time provide some valuable lessons.

What went wrong? I agree wholeheartedly with these top Designers. Use this as an example of what not to do with a strong logo with a loyal following. Read more