The arduous task of writing…

Finding something interesting to write about is always hard for me, I know I’m not alone. I have all these great thoughts and then I sit down, see that blank, very empty, very white word doc taunting me… well I get intimated and lose all sensible thoughts. They do come back at night when I shut off my computer and lay my head on my pillow. I’ve come to realize my pillow is magic like that. Morning comes again, and I’m right back where I started. BUT, I have devised a plan for myself, not all pieces work alone, but like a puzzle if you put them altogether, it defines the picture.

When I am in front of my computer, I keep a word document open throughout the day. A lot of times as I am working projects, ideas for other projects pop into my head. I don’t always have time to stop and develop them, so I will capture the general idea with as much detail as possible so I can get back to what I am doing.

A great tool I came across is Evernote, this app is helpful if I am not in front of my computer. Because let’s face it more often than not, the best ideas seem to come when you don’t have anything to write with. Evernote is great because you can store links to websites you come across, keep notes and the search features make it easy to find what you have saved.

And of course there is always good ole pen and paper. I always have a small notebook on hand to jot ideas down. This comes in handy when my phone has died, which happens quite a bit since I am a technology junkie. If I’m not checking my phone every 2 minutes then I’m not living! Sad, I know.

Anyway, the point is to write about something, anything every day. Look at that I just concurred the white word document and wrote about writing… now to conjure up my next post.

 

Making of a brand…

A good brand keeps you engaged, you know it just by its logo, and you can relate to the vision. It speaks to you, you connect with it. That is what a good brand does.

We connect first with brands by color, shape, numbers, then words. Nike, inspires you to be the athlete you never were but always wished you could be, they make you believe you can “just do it”. Three simple words have inspired millions to push harder and be better. They make an emotional connection with consumers. Their design is unique, relevant and memorable. When you see the swoosh you know its Nike.

Good brands are executed brilliantly across all touch points. No matter where you see it, you know. Coke, Apple, Burberry, all good examples of brands that are flexible with strong strategies. These companies own and define their brand. They haven’t let consumers do that for them.  Most consumers will experience a brand visually before they are even used. First impressions count.

Messaging is important as well. A brand’s message has to resonate with a consumer, how is this brand solving a problem? Why would a consumer need it? Why can’t they live without it?

Key points when building a brand:

• Make an emotional connection with consumers
• The design: visuals that are unique, ownable, relevant and memorable
• Consumers experience a brand visually before they buy into it
• Strong strategies
• Take a brand identity approach
• Flexibility (can be identify anywhere: on a bottle, on a bag, on a stuffed animal)
• Executed brilliantly across all touch points

Hierarchy of visual perception, how we see brands:

1. Color
2. Shape
3. Numbers
4. Words

Build a strong brand and you build a profitable business that grows organically.

~christine maria