Do you have Branding on the Brain?

Apparently, Yes, according to this recently released study.
It really shouldn’t be a surprise that something embedded in memory, particularly if it has positive associations, should show up in a functional MRI scan. But is there a bizarre business opportunity here – running people through fMRIs to validate branding effectiveness??

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Equal: Packets of sweet fun

Scott Ginsberg writes about his discovery of some great design on Equal packets – here’s a way to take something forgettably mundane and make it stand out! It’s a shame that more companies don’t come up with creative ways to grab attention and make themselves memorable. These small packets are billboard space, and this is [...]

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Personal Branding

Time magazine recently ran an article on the topic of “Personal Branding”. I’m a major believer in this idea. Actually, we all have a “brand” image that we project, and that others hold in their minds about us. The only question is, are deliberate about it, or not? Identifying the core traits, perspectives, and capabilities [...]

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The three-cent bill

We all know not to expect to see a legitimate three-dollar bill. Last week, however, I was amused and amazed to receive a three-cent bill.
My former long-distance provider, recently replaced by a more comprehensive phone plan from a local provider, decided, as a final act of goodwill and corporate wisdom, to send along an afterthought [...]

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Zagging

Looks like I’m going to have to buy this book, based on the Table of Contents, and this post about brand names. Marty Neumeier is definitely on the same wavelength!
Hat Tip: Brand Autopsy

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Mr. Happy Crack

What in the world could be more uninteresting, more pedestrian, more BORING than, say, cracks in a foundation?
So how do you market crack repair services? Mr. Happy Crack.
Naming and creating this mascot was a stroke of genius. Nobody is going to mistake Mr. Happy Crack for an undiscovered work of Monet, but as far as [...]

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Windy City Olympic logo deserves a gold

Unlike Seattle’s misguided attempt at branding itself, Chicago has unveiled a great looking logo as part of its effort to land the 2016 Olympics. Apparently, the firm that came up with this design only had a few months to pull it off, unlike the 16 months wasted by Seattle.
One test I use for good logo [...]

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Pleasant diversion

In my daily travels through the series of tubes that make up the Internet, one of my favorite stops has become Book of Joe. From a branding perspective, the value proposition is simple – Joe the blogging anesthesiologist consistently finds and consolidates an eclectic array of stuff on his site for the rest of us [...]

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Sweet logo

I confess, I don’t usually like logos with this format. But the colors and shapes just work right on this one…the logo “feels” professional, modern, and friendly all at once.

Update: AIMA Atlanta recently changed the logo (I like the old one better), but the new website has one of the best implementations of a [...]

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Some brand stories

Newsweek has a nice little slideshow on successful (smaller) brands that have quickly become household names. Of these, I use LinkedIn and Firefox (and very happy with both of those), and occasionally Craigslist…but I love the imagery shown for POM Wonderful juice.

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While we’re looking at billboards…

Hysterical. Done for the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

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Taboo no more?

Todd Wasserman over at Brandweek talks about efforts to “loosen up” use of the formerly sacred logo. I think this can be effective in time-limited, narrow circumstances – otherwise, brand chaos can ensue.

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