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Archive for April, 2010

Logo Design Theory

Logo Design Theory:

A logo always represents a brand. One of the 20th century’s most influential designers Milton Glaser said “The logo is the entry point to the brand.” That statement perfectly defines the position your organization’s logo should have and the part it plays in your visual portfolio. Identity designer Alison Hulett said “The logo or trademark is without a doubt the ultimate branding’ tool.

The research that is necessary to create an effective brand starts with your design savvy. Next you must investigate the company for which you’ve been commissioned to design for. Let me make clear that learning about a company cannot be done by simply nosing about for an hour to see how it ticks rather it must be thoroughly understood from the perspective of its clients. What do they want? What are they looking for and what do they see when they look at your client’s business? By speaking with employees owners partners and clients mingling these interviews with solid facts about that particular industry you end up with solid clues that will help guide you to the beginnings of a successful business.

The word “logo” means a name symbol or trademark designed for easy recognition. The use of logos goes back to the early days of the Renaissance around the 13th Century. Goldsmiths masons paper makers and potters were among the first tradespeople to use markspressings into gold chiseled symbols watermarks on paper and simple thumbprints on pottery. Trademarks are still used for the same reason they were established centuries ago: to provide an easy method for recognizing a particular product. These “marks” made it easier to differentiate a quality product from one that was not well made. The value of the craftsmanship represented in the gold paper stonework pottery etc. could be expressed through the special distinctive mark on the product.

Where one logo succeeds for a restaurant the same likely will not be true if used for Wall Street simply because the needs of the clients are different. People looking for a place to eat may be looking for good food a comfortable environment and all for a modest price. A logo that communicates this feeling will draw new clients while one that appears too rigid and all business might turn them away.

It’s still helpful to think of a logo in those terms: your logo is your symbolyour markof guaranteed authenticity. A simple swoosh on a pair of athletic shoes transforms those modest sneakers into desirable quality footwear with an unspoken guarantee of “authentic athletic performance.

If a logo meets the need of the company and keeps the target market in mind is visually striking and illustrious can be easily reproduced uses a limited number of colors for reasons of reproduction costs and still looks firstrate when scaled down then you have yourself a winning brand.

Logos are still the front door to products and services today. The logo or mark of an organization is often the very first impression a potential customer or supporter has of your organization. That’s why it’s important that yourlogo is an accurate representation of your mission. And for service organizations with “invisible” offerings the logo often represents the offerings. So don’t underestimate their importance.

Some Logo Criteria

Here are five things to keep in mind when evaluating your current logo or considering a redesignto align your logo with your brand essence.

• Your logo should be simple and readable. The viewer should “get it” immediately and be able to get a “sneak peek” into your brand through the mark itself. The challenge then is to create a logo that is simple and immediate without being boring or institutional.
• Your logoshould convey a sense of emotion and personality. Think of it as the layers of an onion. As you peel away each layerthe typography the symbols the shapes and textures and color paletteyou learn more and more about the brand the company behind the logo.
• Your logo should express the appropriate tone and voice articulated in your brand strategy. If a businessman walks into a boardroom with a loud and garish pink flamingoprint tie that tie would speak clearly to everyone in the room even before the businessman uttered a single word. Conversely a conservative silk tie will “speak” in an entirely different voice. Your company’s logo can act as the reputation that precedes you into the marketplace.
• Your logo should be flexible and work well in a multichannel sales environmentnot just on letterhead and business cards. It should work in all mediums from black and white tiny lowresolution fax web and fullcolor printing. With today’s broadband delivery animated logosor avatarscan also be a desirable option.

• Your logo should look different than other logosespecially those who share your same marketspace or prospect base. Having a “me too” logo design will weaken your organization’s uniqueness and the differentiation you tried so hard to establish in

  A Critical Starting Point

  If your company is struggling with any of these attributes don’t even bother exploring a new logo design. First conduct or host a brand strategy workshop. And if you do have a solid brand strategy please don’t let a wellintentioned designer screw it up by not considering the importance of expressing that strategy visually.

  When done correctly this synergy between brand strategy and logo design is referred to as “trade dress” or “visual identity.” When done well a good logo will be easy to read and understand express your unique positioning work in multiple channels and convey your company’s voice and tone. Companies like logogreets.com does excellent online logo design services.

  Your logo must also be emotionally charged as it is often the very first thing a prospect client sees of a company and will likely make their impressions based on it from there. If stability is what you wish to convey then you will need to work the logo so that it instills that kind of an emotional reaction from the viewer.

  Some basics

  A basic starting point is to choose your fonts serif or sans serif and set your color scheme. If you have already determined the emotional goal of your logo then font and color choice will be more about finetuning rather than any kind of struggle. It is essential to have a basic understanding of color otherwise you may convey the wrong message with poor color choice so take the time to update your knowledge base on the subject whenever you can.

  Consider your shapes carefully. Rounded edges versus sharp corners can mean the difference between aggressive and passive messages. If the company you are designing the logo for wish to convey action and excitement then using smooth curving shapes may not be the proper solution.

  There are basic tricks to use during the process of designing a logo to ensure that it is not only aesthetically pleasing but also balanced. Try simply turning your design upside down to test the shape of your design and then look at it in a mirror. If the paper is thin enough I also put it up against a window imageside down in order to see through the sheet. Without realizing it we sometimes load our shapes and text too much on one side and by using these tests you can help prevent such occurrences.

  One of the strongest methods of breaking down a logo to find its finer points is to get opinions. Approach your peers and have them analyze your work. Often they will see things you have overlooked and advise solutions. Although you should prepare yourself for the critique as it is never easy to take and in the wrong frame of mind you might take the wrong advice. By keeping an open mind and being confident in the parts of your design that work you will avoid feeling defeated and instead will flourish with the new ideas and advice.

  For online logo design services visit www.logogreets.com

About the writer:  A Engineer by profession..with little bit of art in the heart..and lots of love towards nature and literature.

Videofilmen Als Werbetrger

…Internetwerbung mit Bewegten Bilder erzielen die meiste Aufmerksamkeit Yahoo! Deutschland

Wenn ein Bild mehr sagt als tausend Wouml;rter welche Werbebotschaft trauml;gt dann erst ein Video? Werbespots die bei Videoportal wie z.B YouTube Millionenfach Downloads generieren zeigen das Potenzial fuuml;r Videofilmen als Werbetrauml;ger.

Warten Sie jetzt nicht lauml;nger und verpassen Sie nicht den Trend. Mit Ez easyClips ist es so einfach wie 1..2..3.. um ein Werbe Clip zu erstellen

…kosteneffektiv..

Ein Clip ist bereits ab euro; 25.00 erhauml;ltlich und der Ablauf ist denkbar einfach. Sie brauchen lediglich eine Digitalkamera

1. Fotografien oder nehmen Sie kurze Video Clips mit der Digitalkamera auf

2. Kontrollieren und senden Sie uns anschliessend Ihre Film/Fotomaterial mit Verkaufstext

3. Wir produzieren animieren vertonen beschriften und untermalen den Clip mit Musik

…einfach zu Integrieren.

Wir integrieren den Clip fuuml;r Sie in einer Widget Applikation welche es Ihnen erlaubt mittels dem automatisch generierten Code den Clip in Ihre Webseite Blogs Online Verkaufsportal Soical Network zu integrieren. Zusauml;tzlich steht Ihren Besucher noch dieSend to Frind EMail Funktion sowie eine eigene Webseite und Analytic Report zur Verfuuml;gung.

.

…das Angebot

Wir offerieren Ihnen bis ende Jahr einen 50 Rabat als Einfuuml;hrungsSonderangebot an. Zusauml;tzlich erhalten mehrfach Besteller einen Mengenrabatt ab 5 Clips.

…die Louml;sung um Ihren Umsatz zu steigern

Warten Sie nicht lauml;nger erkenne und nutzen Sie jetzt den neuen Trend verbreiten Sie jetzt Ihre Werbebotschaft es ist so einfach wie 1..2..3

11.08.2008 ndash; Im Vergleich zu anderen Werbeformen bietet der Video Stream ein hohes Aufmerksamkeits und Faszinationspotenzial. Die Werbebotschaft wird dadurch mit einem vergleichsweise hohen Interesse wahrgenommen. Weiterer Vorteil: Die Verweildauer lauml;sst sich durch die Animation entscheidend steigern. Dadurch kouml;nnen detaillierte Produktinformationen sowie die Imagebotschaft besser transportiert werden.

Den Erfolg von OnlineWerbung zweifelt mittlerweile niemand mehr an. Doch welche Art von Werbemittel bringt den grouml;szlig;ten Werbeerfolg im Internet? Wirken eher einfache Bilder oder aufwendig animierte Video Streams? Diese Fragen vieler Werbetreibender und Agenturen beantwortet jetzt die aktuelle Studie Yahoo! Rich Media flashbasierte Werbeformate von Yahoo! Deutschland.

Am Beispiel der OnlineWerbung eines der fuuml;hrenden OnlineReiseanbieters sowie eines Versandhandelsunternehmens wurden Wirkung und Nachhaltigkeit verschiedener Rich MediaFormate und klassischer OnlineWerbeformate untersucht. Das Ergebnis ist eindeutig: Der Video Stream erzielt mit Abstand die houml;chste Aufmerksamkeit sowie eine nachhaltigere Erinnerungsleistung bei den Internetnutzern.

Ziel der neuen Studie war es herauszufinden wie sich verschiedene Rich MediaFormate im Werbeumfeld durchsetzen. Untersucht wurde wie die vier getesteten Rich Media Ads Expandable Ad Reverse Expandable Video Rectangle und Video Stream mit Blick auf Uuml;berzeugungsleistung und Differenzierung gegenuuml;ber klassischer OnlineWerbung Rectangle kommunizieren und welche Akzeptanz die einzelnen Werbeformate bei den Nutzern erfahren.

Je animierter das Werbemittel desto grouml;szlig;er die Wirkung

Die Kombination von Audio und Video erreicht hohe Aufmerksamkeit: Durch den Einsatz von bewegten Bildern und Ton haben Rich MediaFormate das Potenzial die Aufmerksamkeit von bis zu 100 Prozent der Nutzer auf sich zu ziehen bei Rectangles liegt die Wahrnehmung nach 60 Sekunden bei 65 Prozent bei Video Streams nehmen dagegen alle User das Werbemittel wahr. Ferner steigert sich die Verweildauer durch Animation in einem Werbemittel auch entscheidend. Das bewirkt dass die Aufmerksamkeit stauml;rker auf das beworbene Produkt gelenkt wird: Verharrt der Nutzer auf einem Rectangle gerade einmal zwei Sekunden so verfolgt er das Video durchschnittlich mehr als zwouml;lf Sekunden.

Dies hat zur Folge dass deutlich mehr Zeit zur Verfuuml;gung steht detaillierte Produktinformationen und die Imagebotschaft zu transportieren. Ebenso steigen die Erinnerungswerte mit zunehmendem Animierungsgrad: Wauml;hrend sich an eine Werbung im RectangleFormat ungestuuml;tzt 13 Prozent erinnern rangiert der Prozentsatz bei Video Streams und Video Retangle zwischen 40 und 44 Prozent. Daruuml;ber hinaus kouml;nnen die animierten Werbemittel den Konsumenten in eine Produktwelt hineinziehen und diese mit positiven Emotionen besetzen.

Im Vergleich aller getesteten Werbemittel hat sich der Video Stream durchgesetzt da er ein hohes Aufmerksamkeits und Faszinationspotenzial besitzt. Unabhauml;ngig vom Inhalt wirken die VideoWerbemittel durch die Einbindung von Bewegtbild bei den Befragten nicht nur dynamisch sondern auch modern originell und innovativ. Die Werbemittel werden dadurch mit einem vergleichsweise hohen Interesse wahrgenommen sodass sich Werbeformen mit integriertem Video tiefer im Gedauml;chtnis verankern. Im Vergleich zu klassischen oder wenig animierten Werbemitteln wirken Rich Media Ads besonders nachhaltig was sich nicht nur positiv auf die Erinnerungsleistung auswirkt sondern auch einen positiven Effekt auf die ImageBeurteilung der Marken hat.

Video Streams effektiv und per Mausklick aktiviert

Erhouml;hen lauml;sst sich die initiale Aufmerksamkeit fuuml;r die Video Ads noch durch Formate die automatisch beim Ouml;ffnen der Seite auch Ton abspielen beziehungsweise die durch ein Mouse Over also bei einer Bewegung der Maus uuml;ber das Werbemittel akustisch aktiviert werden. Besonders gut funktioniert dies bei dezenter Musik oder Jingles mit hohem Wiedererkennungswert.

Heiko Genzlinger Commercial Director von Yahoo! Deutschland erlauml;utert die Vorteile von flashbasierten Werbeformaten:

Die Werbewirkung im Internet lauml;sst sich durch den Einsatz von Bewegtbildern eindeutig erhouml;hen. Wichtig ist in jedem Fall dass Video und AudioWerbemittel harmonisch miteinander kombiniert werden um die User emotional abzuholen und sie in die jeweilige Markenwelt eintauchen zu lassen. Aber nicht nur das hohe emotionale Involvement spricht fuuml;r den Einsatz von Rich Media Ads sondern auch die Fauml;higkeit komplexere Botschaften zu transportieren da die Betrachtungsdauer bei Video Ads deutlich houml;her ist und via Ton und Bewegtbild mehr Informationen vermittelt werden kouml;nnen.

Neben den Vorteilen des Formats stellt Genzlinger das wachsende Interesse von allen Seiten heraus:

In den letzten Monaten haben wir bei Yahoo! eine kontinuierlich steigende groszlig;e Nachfrage an Bewegtbildern quer durch alle Produkte feststellen kouml;nnen. Allein in Deutschland wurden mehr als 14 Millionen Videos gestreamt. Wir sehen dabei natuuml;rlich auch gleichzeitig eine entsprechende Nachfrage seitens der Werbetreibenden die den Konsumenten hier direkt folgen und ihre Werbebotschaften in Form des eher neuen Werbeformats in einem attraktiven Umfeld kommunizieren wollen.

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About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;

Author web pages
EzClips Germany
EzClips Canada

23 Marketing And Branding Tips

1. Marketing 101: Develop a powerful and compelling core message.
   Say something say it well say it often.? Why should customers buy from you? Why should they even take a second glance? You need to build a powerful message that gets key points across without clutter because clutter is what leads to abandonment. Although this is the essence of a successful branding and marketing campaign youd be surprised how many companies fail to grasp this concept.
2. Make sure your core message is benefit oriented.?
   People dont buy services or products they buy the benefits of those services or products. In all your communications make sure your message translates into specific benefits.
3. Make sure your initial message directs prospects toward a specific action.
   Your customers want to be told where to go to find the solutions they seek. This should be abundantly clear to all four major personality groups Amiables Drivers Expressives and Analyticals. When you invite customers to go somewhere to learn how to interact with your site and find out more about your company you can greatly increase your potential for conversions.
4. Develop imagery that enhances your message and intrigues your target audience.
   The images on your site should enhance your message by being visually stimulating. Sometimes this may only be an aesthetic; other times it may involve timelining? imagery and content together to use space more effectively and get across a message in a more distinctive fashion.
5. Develop a unique value proposition UVP.
   Sit down with a branding or marketing expert and define a UVP for your company as a reminder of your competitive advantages. Make sure these advantages are customercentric not businesscentric.
6. Incorporate your UVP into all online and offline media for brand consistency and saturation.
   Make sure your message constantly reiterates your competitive benefits and your UVP. You never know which aspect of your brand a prospect might respond to so make sure the message is consistently broadcast in whatever media you use.
7. Tell customers what they want to hear not what you want to tell them.
   We call this insideout marketing. Too often companies unknowingly focus on what they want to say rather than what customers want to hear. An outsidein perspective with a true 360 view of your company from the customers viewpoint is best accomplished with the help of a qualified branding and marketing firm that can determine customers attitudes expectations and requirements.
8. Build value not boredom.
   I leave this one to Napoleon Hill: It is as useless to try to sell a man something until you have first made him want to listen as it would be to command the earth to stop rotating? Think and Grow Rich
9. Lead with a header and close with a call to action.
   Readers are much more likely to read your message white papers case studies etc. if you pique their interest or curiosity through wellwritten headers transition headers body content and calls to action that lead to the next step in a sales cycle.
10. SCAN I AM.?
    Todays readers dont read they scan. They scan for areas of interest offers links to relevant information etc. So it is important to set up your text so that it can be quickly scanned. Online text is not linear like a book; its interactive to follow users nonlinear demands.
11. Develop a branding blueprint? that
    shows clearly how you expect prospects to interact with your messages. This blueprint should start with an outline and show all paths from all forms of communication and how they lead to firm sales. Again marketing and branding professionals can help develop a plan.
12. Evaluate your plan. Have others evaluate your plan. Reevaluate and adjust.
    No plan is perfect and any plan should be constantly adjusted to maximize its effectiveness. It is critical to continually audit your branding plan and all your marketing media.
13. Reevaluate again.
14. Adjust your blueprint
    to adapt to the market trends technologies customer demands etc. Review quarterly. Every successful brand in the world is optimized regularly. Branding is an ongoing effort not a onetime occurrence.
15. Use measurable tools to track prospect response.
    Use online forms and phone logs to track responses from prospects. Capturing information via legitimate means allows you to remarket to this customer base and to see which forms programs tools and salespeople are getting the best results.
16. Build a list.
    Use online forms and phone logs to build an optin prospect list to serve as a powerful conversion tool. See below.
17. Remarket remarket remarket.
    A customer may need to see a message more than five times to even notice it once! Keep your marketing efforts going and going
18. Dont forget referrals!
    Build a specific program to track manage and solicit referral business. We like email campaigns and direct mail for this.
19. Upselling!
    Your existing customer base is your best source of more business. Develop a formidable plan to make sure your customers know what services you provide and that you keep your core and other related messages in front of your customers as often as possible. It may take up to 10 forms of contact for a customer to identify with your brand Remember sell the benefitsnot the service!
20. Use programs and tools to generate interest.
    People like simplicity and packages offers and deals that are easy to understand and evaluate. By creating various packages or free tools for prospects to interact with you can stimulate interest that may have waned otherwise.
21. Hit them from all angles!
    Its called shotgun marketing. A shotgun shell contains hundreds of tiny lead balls increasing your chance of hitting a target. Marketing is much the same the more media you use effectively the better the chance that your message will be seen and remembered. There is no secret solution to marketing; its all about creating a total user experience across all platforms that projects your brand.
22. Use technologies and trends; they are your friends!
    Using various technologies such as online bookings reservations response forms PDF downloads Blogging Wikis internal search engines and newsfeeds can have a dramatic effect on your overall brand identity and on your marketing strategy in general.
23. Calls to action.
    Calls to action are perhaps the most important aspect of marketing and advertising. After all what good is any message or image if it doesnt initiate an action that leads to a conversion? When developing a call to action remember the four personality types and make use of available technologies to make compelling interactive offers. You should have a unique call to action for each type of person who represents your customer base. For example Visit www.intriguedesign.com to learn more about successful branding and to request a free evaluation of the effectiveness of your home pages.

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;http://www.intriguedesign.com

Intrigue Design was founded in 2005 by entrepreneur and marketing enthusiast Benjamin Donley. It was Bens vision to create a company that provides highly effective marketing strategies and creative services to fill the void between the mega ad agencies mostly focused on Fortune 500 companies and Retail and small graphic web design firms with limited knowledge and experience in resultoriented marketing and branding strategies.