So, you think there's no power in advertising?

You may want to lather, rinse and repeat.

“Don’t leave home without it.”

“Taste Great. Less Filling.”

“Can you hear me now?”

“Where’s the beef?”

We’ve just thrown at you four unforgettable examples (we could add dozens more without breaking a sweat) of the enduring power of mass-media advertising. Just take a second to appreciate the stickiness of these ear-worms. They’re representative of campaigns that ended years, sometimes decades ago; yet, unless you’re hearing them here for the first time (in which case you’re a hermit or a youngster. Or both?)...then they’re every bit as familiar to you as they are to us. More than that—you can probably hear or see, in your mind’s eye at least, the original flight of ads that embedded them in your consciousness, and in our collective unconscious.

And that’s exactly what happens to these classics, wouldn’t you agree? Eventually, they belong to all of us. They become cultural markers, very often evolved beyond, in due time, the corporate identity from whence they came: “Bet you can’t eat just one” “Have it your way” “Would you like fries with that?” “Lather. Rinse. Repeat.”

These are the phenomena that we hold up as rebuttal to those who say that advertising has no relevance. And we reference them to rebuke, as strongly as we can, those who claim advertising has no power. We humbly submit that advertising like this, lines like these, surpass marketing and mercantilism, and become part of our popular imagination.

“It’s the real thing.”

“Good to the last drop.”

“What’s in your wallet?”

You must realize, then, that this is an ongoing process. That even as the ad-memes of yesteryear endure (“My bologna has a first name!”), contemporary ones are implanting themselves today (“So easy a caveman can do it!”). The cycle repeats.

So what’s the takeaway? For most of us, it’s that our culture is alive, vibrant, ever-changing—replete with not just art, music, and literature, but also with the provocative creativity found in our popular media. With advertising.

And for a select few of us: marketers who’d love to harness this collective chorus, the takeaway is imperative and pithy: Just do it.

The C4:
1. A diamond is forever.
Succinct and catchy advertising slogans endure. They make the jump from media to imagination, and they stay there.

2. Plop plop, fizz fizz.
Repetition is key. Marketers jumpstart this phenomenon by harnessing all available channels to spread the message.

3. But I’m worth it.
Don’t forget value and quality. What you’re selling must be worthy of the consumer’s attention.

4. Time to make the doughnuts.
It takes hard work, and it takes time. Stick to it and you’ll gain customers, move product, capture
market-share. And who knows? Maybe you’ll create that one catchy line they’ll still be raving about a hundred years from now.

Who is Bill Cosby?

Is he America's funniest dad?

Perhaps he is a purveyor of fine puddings and delicious gelatin-based desserts? Or is he someone with decidedly more sinister secrets?

We don’t know the answer any more than you do, and we watch with resigned sadness as it plays out - we hope - to some kind of resolution. But this unfolding story illustrates a vital point, one we think is applicable to our personal lives, business lives, indeed to all of life, writ large.

Because the truth is, whether we’re talking about Bill Cosby, Bill Gates, Bill Clinton or Billy the Kid, we have to realize that a public persona, or any persona, tells only part of the story.

Lives are complex. That seems simplistic, but it’s actually a truth so profound that it’s worthwhile to frequently ponder all its implications.

Think of it this way — what person, other than yourself, knows you the best? It could be your spouse, your closest friend, or very possibly the church minister or bartender down the block. Whoever they are, and however well they may know you, we feel safe to pronounce: They don’t know you completely. We don’t accuse you of hiding some part of yourself, anymore than we accuse ourselves of the same (this phenomenon is entirely universal). It’s just that we’re all different people, in ways subtle and distinct, depending on circumstances and surroundings.

If this is a truth we can stipulate for people, can we not also apply it to organizations? It seems to us that the complexity must compound when we’re looking at larger pools of personalities.

So — was Enron all bad? Is the Humane Society all good? We’re not taking any stances here (we’re willing to flirt with controversy, but please excuse us from full-on macking)...we’re just posing questions.

Whatever feelings you might have about individuals, organizations, corporations, or even your friendly neighborhood brand-management experts it may behoove you to remember that those feelings were born of isolated experiences. You might remind yourself they probably only represent one small part of a very complex picture.

The C4:
1. One hundred percent good and one hundred percent evil are caricatures. They’re the stuff of comic books and not-very-convincing fiction.

2. Real life is more about subtleties of gray, and of complex ranges of motivation and action. Might not be as satisfying from a dramatic standpoint, but mundane human existence rarely is.

3. It’s well-nigh impossible, then, for any of us to completely, intimately know the personalities of others. We think this is inescapable on an individual basis, and even more so with large groups.

4. Impressions, feelings, even the things you’re sure you know about the people around you and the the businesses you work with might just be incomplete. We’re not saying your impressions aren't valid. They surely are. We’re just hoping you can recognize that other impressions and contrasting truths could be just as valid in their own right.

Weighted Down In The New Year

New Weightwatchers logo puts on some pounds.

One of the biggest decisions people worldwide make around this time is what to do in the New Year. The biggest resolution is always weight loss, but it seems like Weight Watchers — a major player in that particular arena — has put on some pounds with its new identity. The justification for the change sounds nice, but we fail to see “modern, open and energetic.” If anything it’s flat, not to mention squat and chunky.

New logo

Previous logo

We appreciate the attempt to illustrate a transformation by having the new logo gradate, but agree that isn’t necessarily the best way to do it. It’s a weight loss program — not an invisibility tonic. Weight Watchers offers a lifestyle change and an increase in health and vitality. By losing weight, you gain much more. We think that would’ve been more interesting — and valuable — to represent their brand image in their logo than what was used. Based on their primary audience (women) and how they try to make weight loss look fun and easy, the logo might also benefit from a more feminine, carefree look.

Color variations

It’s easy to get carried away with applying meaning when creating new organizational identities. But sometimes that’s the barrier you were trying to overcome all along — particularly when a company name itself has power. Jeff Halmos, a brand strategist in Toronto, may have summed it up best when referring to Microsoft’s recent brand changes:

“So the question, ‘What do you think of the new Microsoft logo’ is a futile one. You’re not supposed to notice, let alone ask. It’s not meant to be discerned. There is no story here. Nothing to talk about. That’s the point: ‘You have the word; it’s been around; everyone knows it; what’s the problem?’ Any implied or imparted meaning is now being defined by the tribe. Microsoft has no control over its brand anymore. The tribe owns it. The less Microsoft does to get in the way, the longer the tribe will feed.”

One of the main reasons we create identities is to make things easier. Clients shouldn’t have to spend time thinking about which iteration of their logo should be used in one application or another. Identity should simplify, not create more situations where people have to make decisions on color configuration, etc.

More colors mean more decisions, and more decisions mean more time spent not getting things done.

Let Go of the Past, Embrace the Future

Open wide your windows of opportunity.

Not exactly controversial advice, right? But when that past includes equity and proven success, it tends to make an alternative future that much more uncertain. And this makes letting go of the one and embracing the other all the harder.

Still, it happens. We’ve seen it happen twice in recent weeks, with both Microsoft and Avis bidding farewell to iconic marketing elements, and moving on to something new. This was brave of them…but was it wise?

In Avis’ case, they’ve stopped using a marketing slogan that has for half a century defined them as a determined rental-car underdog. “We Try Harder” was their 1962 answer to their second-place status to Hertz. All these decades later Avis is still following Hertz, but has at last ceased advertising that fact. Instead, they’re concentrating on their core market, business travelers, by adopting the position “It’s Your Space.” They’re attempting to tout all the amenities they offer busy people on the go, which is probably a smart strategy. But “We Try Harder” has been around for generations; Avis is mistaken if they think their customers will forget it anytime soon.

Then there’s Microsoft.

That company has stirred up both tech and design observers — two opinionated groups if there ever were any — by replacing their 25-year-old logo and branding. The “wavy windows” look is gone, but what’s in its place is eerily familiar. We now have a bold, sans-serif rendering of the company name, next to a symmetrical four-color window grid. In terms of branding updates, this one is more like baby steps.

That hasn’t quieted the sounding-off, though. Some are saying that the placid, 2D windows look like an antithesis of technology. Others say the design is clean, simple and memorable. What’s probably a win from Microsoft’s point of view is that people are talking about it.

These sorts of updates are never easy, in that they’re a letting go of often beloved elements of a company’s history. On the other hand, such elements almost always eventually date themselves, and must be let go (take a look at Microsoft’s original 1975 logo if you don’t believe us). Either way, it’s a gamble.

And like all business gambles, these ones will ultimately be settled in the marketplace.

The C4:

1. In business theory, the idea of letting go of the past and embracing the future is a no-brainer. In practice, it’s trickier. When do you let go of something that’s served you well? When do you try something new? Often the right answer only becomes clear in hindsight, often when you realize you’ve chosen poorly.
2. Nevertheless, Avis and Microsoft have both moved boldly, relinquishing tried and true marketing elements and replacing them with something brand new. Avis, in focusing on service to business travelers, risks the question, “Aren’t you guys trying harder anymore?” And Microsoft has raised the scorn of logo critics, who say the simple new design ill represents one of the world’s leading tech companies.
3. Those reactions are worrisome, but what were these companies to do? They’ve both broken with decades-old traditions—something most of us would argue has to be done sooner or later. Whether their decisions are smart or self-damaging perhaps is just a matter of timing.
    
4. So did they time it right? Or did they shoot themselves in the foot? The answer is entirely up to the customers of these companies. The jury’s out, and deliberations are underway.

Be Epic

Traditionally, an “epic” was a long poem that narrated the deeds of heroes, the rise and fall of nations and the meddling of the gods. But in today’s vocabulary, “epic” is an — often intentionally exaggerated — adjective used to say that something is awesome.

When describing a person, you might say, “That guy was the most epic guitarist I’ve ever seen.” For an event or action, a simple “That was epic.”

You get the idea. But how does “epic” work for organizations? It definitely sounds weird when you talk about them like that:

Adobe is the most epic content authoring, customer experience management and online marketing software developer ever!

Yep, that definitely sounds weird — and a wee bit forced.

Making “epic” work for an organization isn’t easy. In the traditional epic, characters, groups and even entire nations went through a lot of hardship, self-discovery, lesson learning and perhaps even sacrifice to get to where they were going. Sound familiar? That’s probably because you experienced those same things at some point in your organization’s history. Any company that’s still operating in this world knows how hard it can be — and what it had to go through to get to where it is today.

That journey — coupled with your history and culture — makes up your unique story. It’s the tale of how you came to be and the adventures you’ve been on since the beginning. It’s the saga of your relationships with customers and the chronicle of your battles with competitors.

Unfortunately, most organizations aren’t on the same page when it comes to understanding and telling their unique story. Our role is to discover it, dust it off, polish it, package it and tell it in its most favorable light and most memorable way to those who will benefit from hearing it.

And with our team by your side every step of the way, you’ll discover how to make that story epic.

What Is Design? Part 4

Part 4: Design is about the experience that those solutions generate.

In part one, we talked about the importance of research when it comes to brand development. In part two, we discussed how to use that research to identify meaningful solutions to brand challenges. In part three, we covered the creative process used to get to those solutions.

Now we’re going to talk about the experience those solutions generate.

Let’s take another look at our identity work for Winer+Bevilacqua, Inc. Our understanding of that organization’s needs came from discussions with its staff. That information was compiled and analyzed — leading to the development of their new identity.

After that identity launched, a team of eight W+B staff members was appointed and made responsible for ensuring the protection and ongoing development of the firm’s brand, culture and messaging. The team meets weekly to recommend policies, procedures and methods that enhance value for clients and efficiency for the organization.

This team has enabled Winer+Bevilacqua personnel to collectively own their new identity, which helps them better communicate their unique value to other staff members, current and potential clients and the people with whom they interact outside of work.

From the identity sprouted other new staff experiences, such as the development of formal mission and vision statements, a 60-second commercial for the firm, personal 60-second commercials for the staff, new business development incentives and more. These tools present a consistent message from a singular culture, one that digs down deep into what the firm offers and why it matters for those they serve.

Good design must create meaning and transform that meaning into action. In this example, design generated an entirely new experience for the Winer+Bevilacqua staff while simultaneously engaging them in its use, such as the communal, interactive support of the firm’s brand and selling of its services.

The C4:

1. Experiences — both internal and external — are an important part of an organization’s identity and brand.
2. An organization that owns its identity and actively participates in its ongoing development will be more successful.
3. A good identity should be more than just one experience — it has to generate more on different levels.
4. Good design must create meaning and transform that meaning into action.