Keep Calm, Join the Dark Side

Sometimes graphic designers are either lazy, stupid, or really, really devious.


Walmart redesigned their logo in 2008, and the shift was apparently pretty haphazard, if this report is correct. It is certainly a friendlier look. I remember when Wal-Mart stores (then hypenated) appeared in Canada, and its logo look barely less friendly than an outpost of the US Army:

The uppercase letters were monolithic, and the star was as American as... well, the US army:

The logo change in 2008 was softer.... the font was lowercase, rounder, and more "friendly". It's more "approachable", for sure. It was surely designed to embrace Walmart's (now un-hyphenated) growing global presence.

Nobody knew what the starburst was supposed to represent, but hey, it looked pretty. Like a flower, perhaps - or a flash from a far away galaxy.

Unfortunately, Walmart's global expansion has been viewed by many as a form of economic colonialism - taking over the world, one rollback at a time. This new logo was likely created in part to address this concern by appearing more friendly, and less American.

Which brings me to my point: was the designer lazy, or insidiously devious? Either way, you have to admit.... the new logo looks a hell of a lot like the logo of the Galactic Empire.

Party on, Darth.

Branding Beyond the Product Label - Managing for Success webinar

This video was presented on June 25th, 2012 as a part of Ontario's Managing for Success webinar series directed towards Ontario food and beverage processing companies.

While the audience was food & beverage processors, the general principles hold true for most small businesses.

The general point is this: as a leader in your company, you can spend hours building a convincing case for what sets your product apart from your competitors - but can you do it in 30 seconds?

A strong brand and concise message are the most successful marketing tools available to your business – but only if you build them well.

This is a long video, so you might want to top up your coffee first....

A Branding Evolution for Sociable

A brand is not a logo. It’s not a company name. These things contribute to a brand, as do every other element that make up a company or organization – including people, products or services, culture… the list could be endless, but there’s a lot that goes into it.

Still, it is a scary (and sometimes dangerous) thing to change a logo or a company name. It can be refreshing and effective, but it can kill any equity you have built over time.

My company has been running for three years, and I felt it was time to freshen things up a bit with my own forward-facing marketing. I took a huge shot of inspiration from my friends over at MacMillan Marketing Group, who just took a brave (and ridiculously effective) leap evolving into “The Letter M Marketing”. It was a major change, and they hit all the points it set out to do: they look like a new company, but they maintained all the history and personality behind the company that made them (and their brand) great in the first place.

So, after a bit of soul searching and strategic planning, I decided that my greatest business challenge is countering initial misperceptions about “what I do”. I can explain what I do easily enough, but I felt my actual logo was supporting misperceptions before anyone even met me.

I was subject to a weird convergence of timing when I established my company in January 2009. The name “Sociable” is itself an eastern-Canada term for “cheers”. The colour scheme I chose for the logo - shades of blue - was deemed “professional and welcoming” (there’s lots of studies about colour perceptions as they relate to business).

Sociable Communications Logo: January 2009
Designed by Annette ten Cate - Orange Door Design

The problem? February 2009 saw the sudden explosion of this “new thing” called “social media”. Social media has been around for years of course, but that season was when it blew up in the public consciousness. If you care to quibble with the timing, check out Twitter new user uptake in that period:

According to this data, there were about 2 million new Twitter users in February 2009, and almost 8 million only two months later. These were the heady days when Ashton Kucher broke a million followers, and Oprah wouldn’t shut up about social media. It was an interesting time to have a communications, marketing & media company called “Sociable”. It didn’t help that my carefully-chosen colours were also seen as “professional and welcoming” by a few other companies that were quickly growing in prominence….

This could have been a great boost to business if I wanted to be just a social media consultant - but as I have written and said often, social media is just one tactic in an overall communications strategy. I have no interest in helping people to communicate information if I feel they are not communicating helpful, relevant information… but most folks just wanted a Facebook page, not a strategic marketing & communications strategy. I did some really interesting work with a number of larger companies to integrate social media use into their overall communications, and that was great, but it isn’t where the future is going.

So, it’s time for a fresh coat of paint. I went so far as to completely strip my logo (and company name) apart, with redesigns and all sorts of stuff. However, I think there is a certain equity in my “inverted exclamation marks” (the word ‘Sociable’ in the Maritime context is always shouted), it is supportive of my business philosophy, and I like it.

The word ‘communications’ has a few challenges: a lot of people ask if I work with “cell phones”. So, I thought I’d add in the “& Marketing” to not only get that in there, but also to visually highlight the word “Sociable” better. If I have anything resembling a wordmark in my brand, that’s it.

So, deciding that I didn't need to reinvent the wheel dramatically, I was down to colours. The blues are not as relevant to me as they used to be, and have actually become potentially harmful against the ubiquity of the “Facebook” shades. After stripping apart a number of ideas, I landed on something that better represents me. If I practice what I preach, then I have to embrace the fact that “I am the brand” as much as anything, which brings me to my musical instruments. I have a lot – probably too many - but these are my favorites:

Notice a similarity? So, voila…. That’s where I landed on the new colours – a quiet emulation of the inner shading on my beloved vintage Gibson J-45 and my Fender Jazz basses, which leads to the new (and slightly evolved logo) for Sociable:

Thanks to Francesco Piccioni, Lisa Lawless and Marshal McLernon for the design assistance and insight, and to Annette ten Cate for the original design!

Your Website Redesign: Help us help you

A website designed only a few years ago may already be lacking when compared against the online activities of competitive organizations. Many elements are becoming increasingly critical for maintaining an effective, relevant online presence.

Consider some of the following options before you evolve your online efforts, and be sure that your marketing service providers understand what you are looking for before they quote the job for you.

Integrated communications: If your slightly-aged website looks or reads differently from your current advertising, sales activities, newsletters or key messages, then don’t do that. Your online presence should be the forefront of your outgoing communications, never an afterthought. Say the same thing, say it consistently, and say it everywhere: if you are saying different things in different places, you are harming your brand.

Content Management System (CMS): You should be able to update the content of your website as frequently as you wish – especially if your business or organization is evolving. If you have to email your website designer each time you want to change a few words, it is inefficient and expensive. Furthermore, it is generally acknowledged that search engines prioritize websites with frequently updated content as a mark of relevancy and engagement. In other words, a “digital brochure” website will actually hurt your ability to rise in search engine rankings. Content management systems are simply software interfaces, available either as purchased software, or software-as-a-service (SAAS) that your designer can set up. If a web developer is not willing to set you up with a CMS, find another developer.

Search engine optimization (SEO): SEO rules are always changing, and Google doesn’t share their specific search engine algorithm changes, but at least pay attention to the basics: good keywords, effective keyword use in titles, headings, body text, well-named images, relevant back links (if appropriate), etc.

Mobile integration: Research if your customers or potential customers may access your online presence with mobile interfaces, mobile apps, or if they will tend to find you through a traditional website. Mobile integration may be important – if so, ensure your developer addresses this – and make sure that your CMS works with the integration.

Content sharing: Establishing thought leadership with information provided through your online activities is increasingly important – be sure that viewers can share your content easily, without having to turn to outside channels like Facebook or Twitter. Integrate your own sharing tools onto pages where content may be relevant for others to share.

Communities: Forums and online communities demand a certain amount of attention, but if they are appropriate for your brand, they can be really valuable for maintaining dialogue with your customers. Framed another way, online communities aren’t very different from a physical store where repeat customers stop by to “talk shop” with your staff and each other, in order to answer questions and share their own interests.

E-Commerce: There are lots of really cool (and cheap) ways to integrate safe, secure online sales into your website, many through SAAS (www.shopify.ca is great). If you have a product that can be sold online, there are tools galore to do so – don’t miss out on sales opportunities for another minute.

Social media: If you are already generating communications content, then push it out everywhere – publish your newsletters on your website as a blog or a news page, and be sure that RSS feeds are in place, as well as automatic notification of updates that are populated to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn (if appropriate), etc. Share existing messaging as broadly as possible, and ensure that all touch points are integrated in their look, message, personality and feel. Use tools to streamline your social efforts – I’m a huge fan of www.hootsuite.com.

Arts and Culture is the Core of Community Vibrancy

Many folks question the need to support the arts - particularly on a community level. Schools across Canada are having their arts funding cut, and it seems there are as many people fighting for the arts as there are people fighting against it.

It has been proven that arts-education facilitates better learning in all other educational disciplines. So, my point is to highlight the value that the arts provides to a community in a way that is meaningful to folks who have the money to keep the arts alive and thriving - anyone who may be potential "consumers". Patronizing local arts and artists is not just good for the intelligence of a community - it is also fundamental to its economy.

The primary goal of anyone who works in the arts is to continue to make a living. It's as simple as that - most artists - painters, musicians, dancers, sculptors, actors or writers - are entrepreneurs, self-employed individuals who make a living exercising their skills and abilities. And yet, artists rarely get the same level of respect (or pay) that a dentist or a lawyer does. Artists usually have an equal depth of education, training and commitment to their profession, and yet they rarely earn a consistent, sustainable living wage.

Achieving a balance between artistic mission and economic need, and creating a sustainable economy for artistic work is essential for community artists and arts organizations to be sustainable and healthy in the long-term. This is generally difficult for cultural entrepreneurs to do, but it is critical to the health of a community. Why? Because it is measurably valuable to have a thriving arts and culture community in any town or city. Why? Because a community that cherishes and presents is own community-defining stories of heritage and humanity is one that carves its own clear, compelling identity. Where would you rather live?  In a community that has a vibrant identity, or a faceless collection of factories and houses? Would you rather live with mature trees, parks, and skilled informed merchants and service providers under the umbrella of a defined, supportive "community" - or within a commodified community of strip-malls and tract housing?

A thriving cultural community attracts people. Cultural success leads to enriched lifestyles, which contributes directly to economic success in any community. A community that has a lot of "happenings" (not just in the arts, but in sport, volunteerism or any other social endeavor) will attract people - people who will live, work, spend, pay taxes, and contribute. Arts and culture has a place in community economic development that is fundamental to a strong, sustainable local economy.

All economic development starts with people who are thriving, happy and investing in their community. Creative innovation is essential to developing a culture of innovation in the broader community, and that starts with the arts. That means that, regardless of your love of the arts, it is essential to understand that a thriving arts community is a foundation of a strong, vibrant community.

Don't you think that it may be a good idea to invest in something that increases the quality and value of the region you call home?

QR Codes - Newfoundland and Labrador does 'em right. Yis bye.

QR Codes are getting ubiquitous - but how many people actually use them?  A better question - how many people even know what they are supposed to be used for?  An even better question for the techies - what does "QR" stand for??  "Quick Response"... not that it really matters, but I thought I'd test you.

My concern isn't with the ubiquity of QR codes - in fact, I think they present an awesome opportunity to reach out to people in spaces where mobile computing is the only option.  My concern is that it is still very, very new technology - and those of us "in the business" always forget that last month's news to us is still a bewildering, brave new world to the general public.

Enter the clever marketers behind tourism for Newfoundland and Labrador - the providers of what are arguably the most consistent and intelligent marketing campaigns in Canada.  They recently released a print insert in National newspapers with a QR code that allowed you to "Get the soundtrack", which played audio of birds singing over Cape St. Mary's.  What really impressed me though was the provision of text that said "Not sure how? Download a QR reader app on your smartphone, scan the QR code, and hear the birds."  It may seem simple, but I bet this one print ad taught thousands of people how to do this.  iphones are one thing - but how many BlackBerry users have enabled a QR reader app?  Have you?

My point is that this ad made no assumptions about its audience - in fact, if it made one assumption, it was that people may not yet understand the technology.  A pretty smart assumption to make, I think.

The ad itself is brilliant too - and the addition of audio, provided in the comfort of the newspaper reader's personal space, allows for a multi-sensory experience that lives up to the slogan "Give your senses a trip to remember".

Ah, I want to get back to Newfoundland.

Sociable Communications has moved out of the house!!

After two years in business, Sociable Communications has recently moved “out of the house” to an official office space at the Granbry Innovations Centre on 130 Research Lane, Suite 7B in Guelph, Ontario (just inside the east entrance, down the hall from AdFarm).

All other contact information, including our Post Office mailing box (PO Box 1684, Guelph ON) will stay the same – we now just have a formal space and a boardroom for conducting business on behalf of our clients and partners. Come on by and say hello!