Comments on: A PowerBar for Small Business Marketing

By: Tim Draayer

Tim Draayer — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 08:00:19 +0000

Ann – Simple, Succinct, Actionable are 3 traits I look for in marketing, reading material and many other things. Its great to see some thoughts on those very things and I’m definitely subscribing to the newsletter.

By: Krista

Krista — Fri, 18 May 2007 06:41:01 +0000

Hi Ann: Thanks for a great heads-up. Am so glad our logo fulfills all three criteria… our principal took 3 years to think and design that logo of ours. He’s quite a perfectionist (that’s why it took so long) but we’re happy that the logo looks good both on our stationery, our t-shirts and of course, in due time, on our website.

By: richard

richard — Mon, 14 May 2007 21:10:33 +0000

What makes a marketer a great marketer needs to be discussed in context to the dynamics of their respective industry, their competition, market life cycle, company sensitivity to investment and marketing spending, company culture and other crucial company, market and consumer behaviorial and lifestyle components.
Certainly a great marketer is an individual that has vision, the ability to lead and motivate a team to think and create innovative ideas from concept to final product well beyond the ordinary that is relevent, memorable and satisfies a need for the target market. The best and great marketers are those that can perform within the dynamics noted above as well as having restricted resources yet have a ubiquitous presence in all targeted markets. They can implement a strategic, tactical and instinctive approach to create excitement and customer demand for their brand with the ultimate goal to capture significant market share, become a innovative market leader and optimize the ROI well beyond industry standards for the long term.

By: S Mirabella

S Mirabella — Mon, 14 May 2007 18:26:18 +0000

Dear Ann:
As a long time marketer from the client side, I say – just blink.
I don’t think a logo needs a great “story”. That’s a bigger job for the branding. The most important thing is that a logo must be memorable, stimulate the senses, and be recognized in an instant. It should create an immediate reaction in the viewer in the blink of an eye. If you have to explain the design story, don’t bother to present it. The same holds true for all creative. Words and images should capture attention, memory, or evoke emotion. The key word is “memorable”. To sell-in a design to a client, designers need to present visually, not verbally.
And just blink.

By: Steve Hoffacker

Steve Hoffacker — Fri, 11 May 2007 03:12:35 +0000

Ann,
I totally agree with the B&W. Faxes are still in black and white for the most part, and many impressive print ads are done in B&W. Therefore, the logo has to be designed for this print mode – sort of a least common denominator. If it reads good and crisp in B&W, it should be real good in color.
Steve

By: Mandy Vavrinak

Mandy Vavrinak — Thu, 10 May 2007 16:18:53 +0000

Hooray! I now have an outside source I can cite when convincing clients that we need to a.) start in black and white, b.) consider billboards, business cards and ink pens, c.) think big and small, and d.) remember that this logo doesn’t need to speak TO you… it needs to speak well OF you, TO your marketplace.
Loving the new newsletters.

By: Steve Woodruff

Steve Woodruff — Thu, 10 May 2007 12:32:28 +0000

Try to imagine the Altria logo in black and white…! The designers of that one certainly weren’t tuned in to this thread!

By: Anne

Anne — Thu, 10 May 2007 03:55:09 +0000

This is one of those ideas that makes you wonder why it wasn’t done sooner. And the big hook for me? I can read it in :60! Now if only everything in my inbox could be read in :60!

By: Roger von Oech

Roger von Oech — Thu, 10 May 2007 00:25:19 +0000

Drew: “We also always present both large and small.”
That’s good advice beyond logos, too. Currently, I ‘m working with Warner Books on the publication of the 25th Anniversary Edition of “A Whack on the Side of the Head” (coming out early next year). Part of our cover discussions has been around how easy is it to recognize the cover when it’s reduced to 1″ high.
Since more and more sales and marketing of books is done on-line, often the 1″ version of your cover is what the customer will see. Thus, what looks great at 5.25″ x 8″ can be unreadable at a much smaller size. My solution: NO WIMPY TYPE and CLEAR LINES – the kinds of things you’d find in a good logo.

By: Drew McLellan

Drew McLellan — Wed, 09 May 2007 21:55:44 +0000

Ann,
Your tips are right on the money. When we present logos we always present in black and white.
We also always present both large and small. How often has a company fallen in love with a logo that looks great on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper only to be crushed when they see it on a business card.
A logo is one of the workhorses. So best to see how it looks on the mundane things like coming through on a fax and the size it is most often going to be.
I’ve been enjoying the “Get to the Point” pieces since they launched. Good stuff!
Drew

By: Mack Collier

Mack Collier — Wed, 09 May 2007 19:08:04 +0000

Funny Ann because I meant to email you to tell you how I thought the ‘Get to the Point’ newsletters are such a great idea. Quickly gives us business and marketing info we need. Great idea!

By: Claire Ratushny

Claire Ratushny — Wed, 09 May 2007 15:44:54 +0000

Hi Ann,
Where have I been? I’m a subscriber to Marketing Profs, and didn’t know this existed! This is a great service for small business and entrepreneurs; and much needed.
Thanks for the heads up on this one: just signed up.

By: Margie Zable Fisher

Margie Zable Fisher — Wed, 09 May 2007 14:44:08 +0000

Love this – info that’s relevant – short and sweet.

By: Spike

Spike — Wed, 09 May 2007 14:35:14 +0000

Don’t worry, Lewis and Ann, there’s always another post, eh?

By: Ann Handley

Ann Handley — Wed, 09 May 2007 14:15:53 +0000

Lewis & Spike: Wait a sec. Did hell just freeze over?!
Thanks for the kudos, Mike. A blog is a great idea, potentially. The real “content” informing GTTP is the Know-How Exchange, MP’s discussion forum… check it out:
http://www.marketingprofs.com/ea/index.asp

By: Lewis Green

Lewis Green — Wed, 09 May 2007 13:53:03 +0000

Ann,
Good post. I am disappointed, however, because I have so much fun bantering with Spike. But as a business that also offers identity services, I agree with everything he says. The key to brand identity is the story, not a logo. And the logo and every image tied to the business must show and tell that story to be relevant and memorable.

By: Spike

Spike — Wed, 09 May 2007 13:15:53 +0000

Interesting post, Ann. Especially since I’m with an identity company.
I’m with you on the design in black and white – that’s a big one. We also present the options to our clients in black and white first so they don’t get caught up in the color.
But above all, a logo has to have a reason for existence. Is there a mark or just a type treatment? It takes digging down deep into the culture of the company and its customers to find out. Logos (we call them identity marks) should never exist just because they look pretty. There needs to be a story behind them. Some context. And a lot of meaning. It should tell a story in and of itself.
Good stuff.

By: Mike Sansone

Mike Sansone — Wed, 09 May 2007 11:52:31 +0000

Simple, Succinct, Actionable. That got my attention. And right you are, so consider me subscribed. When is the blog site coming?