Whatever happened to old-fashioned “integrity”?

Well it could be too old fashioned to make it a practice anymore!  Obviously there are many people that do maintain high standards and integrity, but its sad that we live in a time where the lines are so blurry and no one seems to know who or what to believe.  I’m sharing this not as jab towards any particular group or belief system, but more as a reminder to those that spend so much time and great imagination creating false truths, having no second thoughts about it.  Who are these people?

There seems to be no limitations for those hyped up, warp-minded souls that thrive on creating as much chaos, confusion and lies (as though the world needs anymore) all for sake of making a splash on the internet and virtually every other social media outlet in cyberspace.

Sitting on the couch last night, my wife happens to mention a post on Facebook about this scandalous report of Tony Romo and Jason Wittin having an intimate relationship, finally coming out of the closet after all these years.  Again, the issue in my mind isn’t about the sexual lifestyle preference, because today its become socially acceptable for many, but more disturbing, the total lack of responsibility for attacking another human being with a boldfaced lie.  No scruples or integrity, and sadly many of us jump right on the bandwagon as evidenced by the huge viral swell that this dirty little lie created.

It has become an acceptable practice in our society today to manufacture whatever it takes to draw attention and create entertaining buzz.  And many within the entertainment and advertising industries have made an art of it.  And John Q Public in many ways continues to drink the Kool-Aid, fueling that momentum by not insisting on the facts to back it up. But would rather enjoy the lie for a little while.   

So what’s your point?  Simple. Think before you share, and be responsible for the sake of protecting your own and others integrity.

“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.”

–Ralph Waldo Emerson

Integrity: adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty. Shouldn’t this still be a timeless concept?

What a performance! The branding world is licking it's chops!

The 2014 World Series will go down in the history books as one of the most memorable performances in the modern era of baseball. Reason, because no pitcher in today's baseball system has ever stretched beyond the limits of the pioneer players since 1904. Truly an amazing feat by the 25 year old pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, Madison Bumgarner. He brought new meaning to the phrase, "ice in your veins" with an unshakeable demeanor on the mound during the entire post season of 2014. As a baseball fan, Major League Baseball delivered on their performance and for that, all that can be said is "Thank you!"

So for all of you non-baseball people out there, what does this mean for Madison Bumgarner? Yes, he's likely punched his ticket for entry into the Hall of Fame someday with this indisputable performance within such a short window of time as professional player. And likely that is the most important thing to a guy that possesses such a natural ownership of the pitcher's mound. It is truly his sanctuary as he's proven year end and year out. But what does it mean for him beyond the diamond?

In the sports marketing world, Madison Bumgarner just punched his ticket for an endless journey of opportunity to become an icon for the sport of baseball and beyond. I can only imagine that ad agencies throughout the country this morning are in the process of strategizing every potential avenue to leverage this instant sensation towards the consumer world. We've seen it time and time again with incredible athletes– Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rogers, the list goes on and on of athletes that have reached the pinnacle of performance cashing in on their "identity" as a household name. His agents are hot on the phones working every potential deal that they can secure. Life just changed even more for this slow talking, country boy that happened to make history last night!

The key for Mr. Bumgarner will be his ability to maintain who he is and never lose site of where he came from. A lot of pressure for a 25 year old, but something tells me that he's going to handle it just fine. Anyone that can stand on the hill among 37,000+ screaming fans in the opposing team's stadium, in the bottom of the 9th with the tying run on third base, and ices it the way he did– I'm thinking he's going to be okay!

Keep an eye out for the new "Madison Bumgarner" brand. And congratulations to the Giants for the huge surplus of merchandising that just came your way– Hello Nike, Under Armour, Chevrolet, Subway, AT&T, and on, and on!! Gotta love it!

Are Graphic Designers brand management experts?

This question was posted by a brand development professional in one of my branding groups recently. Meant to gather some perspective and insight from experts in the field, at first glance, the true or false question seemed obvious enough. But as I began to scan through a variety of differing opinions, I felt it deserved a fair answer.

Obviously, I was a little more bias towards the designer side of the equation given my early beginnings in this business. I went to school to become a designer, learning the art of typography, color and the basic principles of design. But all throughout my collegiate experience, most of the assignments were judged more of the basis of aesthetic qualities and visual communication strength. I'm confident that most learning institutions have advanced since my days in better equipping students to think more strategic and beyond the mere graphic aspect of a logo mark.

Branding is much more than a logo today. That said, many of the most memorable logo entities that have enjoyed long-lasting shelf lives have achieved that longevity not necessarily on the merit of the logo design itself. But I would argue that the long term equity of those brands have been the result of the constant voice and experience that the brand has created over time. And I'm guessing by and large most would agree with that statement.

Today brand management has become an art in and of itself. Marketing sophistication, media tactics and really more than those, today's consumer has evolved to a level of savvy that far exceeds anything that we could imagine 30 years ago. Some suggest that logos and brand names are merely the identifiers or symbols and not the brand itself. "What would a consumer miss if a brand disappeared?" Would the product, experience and benefits outweigh the power of the logo or brand image in the mind of the consumer? Don't misunderstand, every brand has to have some form of representation, but could the representation exceed the limitations of the brand icon itself? I believe that it can and has for many of today's mainstream brands, i.e. Nike, Amazon, Food Network, etc. Apple as a perfect example. Today's iPhone product, experience, and innovation has become an iconic brand image in and of itself. Now you might say that this product is merely an extension of the Apple brand, and that sits well with advertising and branding professionals, but as for the general consumer, they are more consumed in the power behind this product than the little icon that happens to be it's label.

Granted, the iPhone is an extreme example. We're not talking about your typical consumable goods like shampoo and toothpaste, but every brand has a voice and creates a degree of unique experience in order to compete in today's ever increasing, over-communicated noisy world. And it is vital to have a clear (and concise as possible) understanding of the positioning, message and experiential benefits that a brand represents. So back to the original question, "Are graphic designers brand management experts?" Unless a designer wades further out into the deeper recesses of branding, I think it would be difficult to say that they are. Yes, they can certainly offer solid design implementation policies that will protect the integrity of the brand, but to fully realize the management responsibilities of a brand's voice and experience goes well beyond the PMS color specifications, usage rules and font families. Will the title "graphic designer" ever achieve that level of expertise in today's brand world? I'm not going to say that it can't happen, but doubtful. I have had the privilege of working with a number of talented and very intelligent designers over the years, some of which have evolved to a more complete understanding of brand development. But throughout my career, I have gained greater understanding when engaged in collaboration with varying disciplines coming together to define and establish the strategy, target audience, message, vision (today and tomorrow's), and the overall experience that a brand should achieve.  

So for all of the young (and old) graphic designers aspiring to become true brand management experts, think beyond the disciplines of your own trade. Surround yourself with a team of diverse brand mavens that can help inspire and achieve a level of sophistication that every brand must have in order to succeed in today's world.

Telling a Corporate Story...

We were recently asked to create a corporate video production highlighting the values, core focus and future plans that this particular company envisioned. Several key things go into producing an effective story. The first thing that you must have in order to meet both the brand's and the client's expectations is a strategy behind the sole purpose for a production. How is going to be used and who are we trying to reach? Secondly, it requires a strong manuscript. Not necessarily for the sake of sticking to it word for word, but more for the sake of maintaining the flow of your story. And last (but not least), establishing a clear and concise understanding of what goes into producing a quality video.

Today we have the luxury of so many devices and tools that virtually anyone can produce a fairly sophisticated video clip. And in most cases, the post production aspect is left out of the equation given all of the software available on your own desktop. This particular exercise involved hours and hours (days) of footage which required a full day of editing in order to produce something at this rough cut level. Mixing, transitions, and overall production values play a key role in delivering a high-definition solution. So keep these three things in mind prior to ever presenting a proposed plan for a video production. There are many misconceptions when it comes to fully understanding all that is involved in producing a video and its our job to do a better job at educating the client.

Special thanks to Stewart Cohen Productions for his terrific production crew and the folks at Sullair for their excellent participation. Click here to view video.

Timing is everything... or is it?

Over the years, I had numerous clients contact us in the emergency crisis mode. "We really need to get things rolling with our brand message!" Or maybe something like, "We haven't honestly figured out how to tell our story in a way that customers really understand who we are!" Not uncommon at all in our business.  And often this epiphany occurs on the brink of some major initiative that the company might be reacting to in a sudden panic or knee jerk reaction to quickly shore the game up so that we look smart enough to secure that next major initiative. We've all been there.  But what typically happens is that once a strategy and plan to get there is established, the realization begins to set in––that in order to do this right, it's going to take some time.

Time is a precious commodity and there never seems to be enough of it.  All too often, as marketers we find ourselves yearning for more patience with clients, failing to fully realize all of the variables that they may be dealing with.  It takes resources, both financial and human to effectively support branding and advertising efforts.  And while we find ourselves growing anxious to get the ball rolling so that perhaps the bleeding can stop, we sometimes pin the blame on the client. That said, it is critical that at the very front end of every marketing plan a detailed schedule be established for the entire team to commit to and stay the course.  Not that this is going to necessarily prevent all of the stops and starts on typical project, but it will help to keep everyone more focused and on task.

So don't find yourself growing frustrated on that next project, rather set some realistic expectations upfront with your clients.  I found over the years that they will work that much harder knowing that you understand things from their side.