How Design Consistency Builds Brand Recognition.

There are many factors that go into creating a widely recognized brand. Without design consistency however, this can never be achieved.  On a recent trip to visit family in Cincinnati, Ohio, my then two-and-a-half-year-old son, Teigan, crafted a perfect case study on the matter.

A few days into our trip, my father-in-law came home with a new car. Not just any car, a white, 2015 Porsche Boxster S. Being one of the most stylized car brands in the world, the new Porsche quickly became one of Teigan’s favorite rides. What I thought was simple excitement of something new showing up, and the fascination of seeing a car with, “no-roof” as he proclaimed, turned out to be much more than that. Little did we know, Teigan was building brand recognition and becoming a fan of the Porsche brand.

porscheboxster

A week or so had gone by since the new car arrived, and my wife and I had taken the kids to visit the local Aquarium. Just as any major attraction, we arrived to a packed parking lot, filled with cars of all makes, sizes, and colors. While pushing the kids through the lot in their stroller, my son yells out, “daddy look, this car same like Tim’s.” Yes, he calls both of his Grandpa’s by their first names. As I started to look around for what caught his eye, I initially looked for a white car, maybe a two-door sports car, or a convertible. Something with what I would classify as obvious similarities to the white Porsche Boxster. After seeing no cars with any of these qualities, I asked Teigan to point out the car that sparked his interest. To my surprise he points directly at a dark blue Porsche Panamera. For anyone not familiar with the Porsche lineup, the Panamera is considered a full-size, four-door luxury sedan. A completely different class then Tim’s white convertible roadster. Being caught off guard to my son’s brand recognition, I had to clarify if there was something to this or if it was just a random coincidence. I asked him why the car looked like Grandpa Tim’s. His answer, “same logo daddy.” Wow, a two-year-old with a small but growing vocabulary was already speaking a visual language and experiencing brand recognition through of the Porsche logo.

porschepanamera

Porsche_logo

Considering the car’s were complete opposite in size, color and class, I figured the my son’s recognition of Porsche rested solely with the logo. Sure, I can distinguish the design consistency across the Porsche lineup, but could a toddler? Back home in San Diego, I was out on an evening run with Teigan in-tow when he shouts yet again, “daddy look, this car same like Tim’s.” Seeing his little finger pointing towards the road and the car that was flying by us, I couldn’t believe what I saw. Not a Boxster, not a Panamera, but a Porsche Cayenne, their SUV! Keep in mind the Cayenne was zooming by at about 50mph, so clearly it was not the Porsche logo that caught his eye, but the Porsche styling. I was stunned, and immediately sent a text to Grandpa Tim sharing the news that Teigan was officially a Porsche enthusiast.

porschecayenne

TeiganBoxster

Without design consistency across the Porsche brand, the Boxster, Panamera, and Cayenne would have been just any old cars to Teigan. But because of the unique, highly stylized design qualities that Porsche carriers across their model line up, Teigan was able to build a strong brand recognition and a particular liking to Porsche. What started with an interest in a single model, the Boxster S, lead to his appreciation of the Porsche logo, and ultimately to his attraction and understanding of the visual qualities across the Porsche lineup. Thus creating brand recognition based solely on design consistency alone.

So, what does this mean to brands and designers looking to create a widely recognized brand? It’s rather simple. Create a style, a look-and-feel, and apply it with strict guidelines across all touch points. And if a toddler can distinguish your products as part of the same family, there’s no doubt your target audience will as well.

Jacob Tyler | San Diego Advertising Agency

Design For The Internet of Things

Technology continues to march on, and the world continues to become more connected. The next great wave of technology is expected to be the “Internet of Things.” What is the Internet of Things, you ask? Basically, it refers to anything connected to the Internet – a list that grows longer by the day. Soon, our appliances, cars, furniture and– who knows – maybe even our pets will join the endless potential of the Internet of Things. The best contemporary example of this phenomenon is wearables, like the Apple Watch. Wearables are a logical next step in technology. After all, why pull a phone out of your pocket to check your email when you can just look at your wrist! More than email though, wearables have the potential to house multiple applications. A restaurant, for instance, could alert guests that their table is ready, or their takeout order is prepared. A washing machine could be started remotely, or a lawnmower could automatically perform its duties with a tap on one’s wrist. Already, wearables like the Fitbit track your activity and monitor your sleep. Undoubtedly, the uses of wearables will continue to evolve.

Wearables pose a new challenge for web designers. While responsive web design will optimize websites for wearables like the Apple watch, designers must make additional considerations when creating designs and user experience for the “small screen,” including:

Device Utilization

An important consideration for design is determining the utilization of the wearable platform. For instance, a business that delivers pizza may have a large portion of its customers interacting with them through the wearable device, whereas a B2B construction company might only require its phone number to be easily accessible through the device. Designers should set priorities based on the portion of expected use of each type of device.

Text-Heavy Simplicity

 Small screens – the Apple watch clocks in at about 1.5” – require very basic, simple and easy to use designs. Text is key, as even those with 20/20 eagle vision will have a difficult time reading text on such a tiny screen. The utilization of large text and readable fonts should be design priorities.

It’s All About U/X

When it comes to designing for wearables, user experience is by far the most important aspect. Creating a good user experience requires a deep understanding of both the intended functionality of the site/device and the preferences of its intended users. Users should be able to easily navigate and inherently understand how a design works. Optimally, there should be zero learning curve.

Have you considered utilizing wearables in your business? If you’d like to discuss, drop us a line!

Website Design in San Diego | Jacob Tyler

Attention Retailers: Facebook Product Ads Have Arrived

Remember the days of catalogue shopping? A slew of catalogues would arrive on your doorstep – JC Penny, Eddie Bauer, Sears, etc. – and you’d flip through hundreds of pages to find the items that you wanted or needed. While a 300-page catalogue full of products could be exciting at first – with seemingly endless possibilities to quench your retail thirst – it was often cumbersome. There’s not a person on earth that could possibly want or need every product in the JC Penny catalogue. Product catalogues worked much like Encyclopedias (remember those?) – you had to physically search for products that matched your desires.

The days of receiving 5-pound catalogues in the mail are largely gone (though the Yellow Pages continues to mysteriously appear on my doorstep). But catalogues aren’t. Have you ever been to Ikea’s website? It features thousands and thousands of products in hundreds of countries. A virtual catalogue. Ikea is a phenomenal business with an international reputation. But what about smaller retailers? Are consumers willing to wade through hundreds of web pages of products to find what they’re looking for? In today’s climate of endless choices, probably not.

I’ve written before about the importance of brands reaching out directly to engage consumers in the virtual spaces they inhabit. With more than 700 million daily users, Facebook is the world’s most populous virtual space. Facebook is an important channel for retailers to engage audiences. And with Facebook’s latest evolution to its advertising service – “Product Ads” – retailers can now promote individual products from their catalogues to consumers. The service, introduced in mid-February, could be a game changer for brands with extensive product lines.

Facebook’s announcement described the new service: “Product ads offer businesses a number of ways to highlight different products on Facebook. Marketers can upload their product catalog and create campaigns targeting certain products to specific audiences, or let Facebook automatically deliver the most relevant products to people. Products can be shown in single- or multi-product ad units.”

The new service should take a lot of the guesswork and tedium out of how to reach the right audience at the right time for brands. However, brands must continue to raise the bar on creative presentation and engaging content. Does your brand’s creative stand out from the crowd? Contact us using the form to the right – we’d love to help!

Internet Marketing in San Diego | Jacob Tyler

Copy That: 9 Essential Copywriting Rules for Brands

No development in history has moved the human race forward more than the written language. From cave drawings to the printing press to the Internet, words move our world and shape our beliefs. Words are our greatest form of communication, regardless of medium. Like art and music, words have the power to elicit emotion and influence opinion. Effective and emotive copywriting is essential for every brand. Great copy is more than just stylish wording – it moves people, drives action and connects with its intended audience. From great taglines like Nike’s “Just Do It” or Burger King’s “Have it Your Way” to crisply-written websites, email messages and blog posts, a brand’s copy will help direct its audience to take action ­– and help achieve its business goals. The following nine essentials for effective copy will help your brand reach, engage – and close its audience.

Know your audience: You wouldn’t talk to your grandmother about the new features in iOS 7 and you wouldn’t discuss James Joyce’s Ulysses with an eight year old. The same goes for copywriting. Determine whom the audience for your product or service is, and write in a voice that speaks to them accordingly.

Write with a purpose and a defined strategy: Why are you writing? What do you want to achieve? If your business’ goal is to sell more ceiling fans, write copy that will help achieve that goal. You’re writing copy to make something happen, not to impress your high school English teacher.

Get the tone and voice right: Your brand’s personality is driven by its tone and voice. Whether your brand is light-hearted and fun, or serious and professional, the tone and voice in which you write must be uniform across all brand communications.

Write short sentences: Nothing burns the eyes (and loses attention) like run-on sentences. Short sentences promote readability and comprehension – two things you need your copy to include if you wish to win more customers. If you’re trying to decide between a comma and a period, go with the period.

Employ vigorous English: One of Ernest Hemingway’s rules for writing, “vigorous English” refers to the active voice. Active voice opens the door to the party and announces its presence. Passive voice tip-toes around outside, waiting to be let in.

PRO TIP: Try to reduce the number of times you use the word “is.”

Never waste a word: Never say in two words what can be said it one. If your first word isn’t strong enough to enforce your point, find a better word.

Sell benefits, not features: No one really wants to know how the sausage is made. Tell your audience how your product or service will benefit them and improve their lives.

Be original – and creative: It’s a crowded marketplace out there. For most products, there are multiple options at similar price points. Creative, original and memorable copy can cut through the clutter, and “make the sale” for your product or service.

Spur action with words: Always include a call to action as you lead potential customers down the path to purchase. Identify the next steps, and show your audience how to get there.

Does your brand’s copy need a touch up? Contact us to discuss how we can help by using the form to the right!

San Diego Branding Agency | Jacob Tyler

Designing Our Life Experiences

Have you ever really thought about how design influences your everyday actions? Most of the time, we’re unaware of the subtle visual queues that guide our daily lives. Whether it’s strategically placed road signs on the freeway, color-coded packaging or the product flow of a supermarket, design is all around us, influencing our thoughts and behaviors. In many cases, a simple design can make a huge logistical difference. Take, for instance, University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale, Arizona – host of this year’s Super Bowl. The stadium has five main sections of seating around the perimeter. Instead of using three-digit numbers like most stadiums, University of Phoenix Stadium uses the numbers 1-5. Outside of each section, a 30-foot high corresponding number directs visitors to their section. Once inside, visitors are guided to their seats in a similarly linear fashion. It’s an easy design that that dramatically improves game day logistics.

Package design influences behavior too – like the nutrition labels on our food. As any aspiring dieter knows, the standard US nutrition label can be more than a bit confusing. As people become increasingly aware of their food choices, nutrition labels have become a point of contention for many nutritionists and doctors. But according to psychologists Peter Helfer and Thomas Shultz of McGill University in Montreal, there may be a better way to label our food.  In a recent issue of the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, they argue that a simple one-number label called “NuVal” might be a better way to go. In their study, the pair compared the traditional nutrition label with two alternatives: a “traffic light” style design and the new, single-summary “NuVal” design. Both the traffic light and NuVal designs outperformed traditional labeling. The study, which you can read more about here, is an interesting look into the way design influences our choices.

As we move further into the digital age, the concentration on intuitive, behavior-altering design has moved to the forefront. Mobile devices are a prime example of design in action. Steve Jobs famously believed that simple, gorgeous design was the basis of success for Apple’s products. He insisted that the inside of the iPhone – which the consumer would never see – be as visually effective as the outside, believing that whole design would drive ingenuity. Today, the design of that first iPhone – a short seven years ago – has not only influenced our behavior (who knew what a “swipe” was a decade ago?) but has bled into all of our digital designs, including responsive website design. As we increasingly blend our digital experience with our organic experience, digital design will be at the vanguard of creating designs that influence, simplify and guide our actions and decisions. For brands, design will guide how consumers interact with – and make decisions about – their products and services. Whether it’s a website, packaging or a brand’s physical location, design has an enormous impact on the success of its operation. Think about how your brand utilizes design. Are you guiding customers along their journey from prospect to evangelist? Fill out the form to the right, let’s talk.

Web Design by Jacob Tyler in San Diego

The Five Main Components of a Strategic Brand Communications Plan

Does your brand have a plan? How will your brand communicate with its audience? Who is its audience? What message do you want to deliver? A strategic brand communications plan is an integral part of any branding effort. Integrating a strategic plan into your marketing efforts assures that you are reaching the right audience at the right time to drive results for your brand. It’s an analytical approach to creative efforts. Like any good strategy, a strategic brand communications plan should begin with research. While you might be able to guess the general audience for your products or services, you may be surprised to find additional market segments to tap into. Once you’ve completed research, it’s time to get down to the strategy. The following five components are the backbone of a brand communications strategy, and will inform the rest of your plan.

Identify the Audience: To WHOM do we need to communicate?

What is the audience for your products or services? Perhaps there are multiple audiences. Identifying your audience is the first step in your strategy.

Determine Goals and Objectives: WHY communicate? WHAT do we want to achieve?

Too often, brands communicate for the sake of communicating. Your communication efforts should always be in support of a larger organizational goal. If you own a burger stand, your goal might be to increase sales by 20 percent. Never lose sight of the goal when communicating.

Develop Key Messages: WHAT do we need to communicate?

Develop clear and concise messaging that communicates to your audience what you do and how you do it in simple, easily digestible copy.

Develop Tactical Plan: HOW will we communicate, to whom and when?

The tactical plan is the blueprint for your communications plan. A tactical plan should include a linear strategy for reaching your goals. Strategies and ground level tactics support goals. Creating an outline that shows how tactics support strategies, and strategies support goals, is a best practice for strategic brand communications planning.

Identify Measures of Evaluation: HOW will we know if we are successful?

Metrics are important. Whether or not you’ve reached your organizational goal should be fairly easy to determine (did sales increase by 20 percent?), but applying metrics to determine if your communications tactics and strategies were ultimately successful – and what role they played in reaching (or not reaching) your organizational goals can be more difficult. There are, however, various options for capturing these data, especially in digital communications. Whenever possible, apply outcome metrics instead of output metrics.

Think about these five basic components of a strategic brand communications plan and apply them to your organization. Are you communicating effectively? We can help! Fill out the form to the right to reach out.

San Diego Website Design by Jacob Tyler

Shake, Rattle and Roll: Shake Shack’s $1.6 Billion Brand

At Jacob Tyler, we draw design inspiration from the world around us. We create functional and intuitive designs that accurately portray the brand they represent. In order to achieve this end, we immerse ourselves in the culture of an organization to ensure we can “feel” the brand as well as we can see it. A great design is inspired by culture, product and when applicable – physical surroundings. Shake Shack – the high-end burger chain that recently launched a $1.6 billion IPO – is a great example of what could be called “indigenous” branding. Created by world-renowned designer Paula Scher, Shake Shack’s branding was meant to mimic its original physical location and construction. Built in Madison Square Park as a part of the park’s conservancy, the structure of the original Shake Shack was constructed with corrugated metal to blend in with its surroundings – an urban park landscape. Drawing inspiration from both the structure and the core of Shake Shack’s offerings – a 1950’-inspired burger joint – Scher created a simple, flat design that conveyed both past (“neon” 50’s roots) and present (neo-urban landscape).

Shake Shack’s branding was not conceived to represent an international chain restaurant, only a one-off location. But the restaurant’s immediate popularity gave way to a meteoric expansion that now includes locations in Russia, Dubai and even Turkey. And the original brand design survived – and thrived. It’s a great example of indigenous branding. While Shake Shack is now a multi-national corporation, it’s appeal remains grounded in its original offerings and that first location in New York. Your brand represents your company’s core – it’s culture, it’s products and its way of doing business. Success doesn’t change brands – it strengthens them.

To read more about Shake Shack’s brand story, check out this article from Fast Company: http://www.fastcodesign.com/3041777/the-untold-story-of-shake-shacks-16-billion-branding?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=codesign-daily&position=1&partner=newsletter&campaign_date=02022015#1

To learn more about how Jacob Tyler can help with your branding needs, fill out the form to the right.

Branding by Jacob Tyler in San Diego

Super Brands: The Brand Personalities of the Seahawks and Patriots

The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks faced off this past Sunday in Super Bowl XLIX (49). The Seahawks and Patriots have not only been two of the most successful NFL franchises over the last few years, but two of the league’s most identifiable brands. Success has been a large part of each team’s recognizability – the Seahawks were the reigning Super Bowl champions until this year and the Patriots, under coach Bill Belichick and star quarterback Tom Brady, appeared in their sixth Super Bowl. The recent success is only one ingredient in the recipe for a great NFL brand. In fact, success, in large part, can be tied directly to each franchise’s internal culture – the basis for each team’s brand. The Seahawks and Patriots both have strong cultures and thus, strong brands.

At Jacob Tyler, we work with clients to create and reinvigorate brands. Part of this process is developing a brand guide that helps define the brand’s story, how it differentiates itself from the competition, and the voice and personality that define its culture. So what would the “personality” of the Seahawks and Patriots brands look like? In honor of Super Bowl XLIX, a thought exercise:

The Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks are loud and brash. They’re optimistic and confident. They have faith in their system, their coaches and each other. They share a bond with their fans – whom they refer to as the “12th man” – and exude a strong sense of provincial community. The Seahawks personality traits are:

  • Confident
  • Team-oriented
  • Exuberant
  • Optimistic
  • Colorful
  • Vigorous
  • Resilient
  • Strong
  • Relentless
  • Tight-knit
  • Dedicated

The New England Patriots

The Patriots have for years enjoyed incredible on-field success, despite an average 30 percent turnover in players each year. They have been able to maintain excellence largely on the culture of the team and organization, directed by coach Bill Belichick and enforced by perennial Pro Bowl quarterback Tom Brady. Operating under the mantra of “Do your job,” the Patriots have earned unwavering support from their fans, and begrudging respect from the rest of the league. The Patriots personality traits are:

  • Efficient
  • Dedicated
  • Focused
  • Resilient
  • Reserved
  • Confident
  • Calm
  • Professional

Brand personalities are the basis for what your brand does, how it operates and how its audience will view it. Brand personality is the basis of a brand’s culture. NFL franchises are a great study in brand and culture. This past weekend, a clash of cultures took center stage. The Seahawks and Patriots have very different cultures, and have both enjoyed success. But the NFL, by its very nature, is fickle. Maintaining a strong brand over a long period of time is incredibly difficult.

Want to learn more about how to strengthen your brand? Contact us using the form to the right.

Branding in San Diego | Jacob Tyler

Crashing the Party: How Brands Engaged an Audience of 33 Million at the College Football National Championship

People always want to be invited to the biggest party. The parties with the “In Crowd.” It’s human nature. These days, they call it “FOMO” – Fear of Missing Out. But it’s more than that. It’s the desire to engage with others. It’s the desire be accepted by your peers. Because if you’re not in, then, well – you’re out. This year, for the 10th year in a row, I failed to receive an invitation to HBO’s Golden Globes after party. While I was a little bummed, I understood why I didn’t make the cut. I don’t work in Hollywood, I don’t personally know anyone who attended and I didn’t even watch the Golden Globes (or realize they were happening). Still, it stung a little. I could have made some great connections and maybe even drummed up some new business. But alas, there will be other parties.  And now that we’re living in the digital age, invitations are no longer needed to get in to some of the biggest parties of the year.

Take the NCAA football National Championship between Ohio State and the University of Oregon. 33.4 million people tuned in on Monday night to watch Ohio State take home the title. That’s a BIG party. And everyone was invited. Through the magic of social media, anyone with an Internet connection or a smartphone could join in on the fun. Whether it was OSU and UofO fans taunting each other, people taking issue with some of the referee’s calls or talking heads tweeting out stats, everyone was in on the conversation. It wasn’t just individuals at the party. Lots of big brands – and plenty of smaller ones – were in attendance as well.

Today, brands must engage their customers and potential customers in order to survive. The numbers of choices consumers have for each product is staggering. Brands must now go to where the consumers are instead of the other way around. Brands have to be at the party. During the National Championship, they showed up in droves.  AMC Theatres and Marvel Studios were there; reminding everybody how awesome the new Avengers movie will be, after debuting its first trailer at halftime. Nike – a massive Oregon benefactor – was actively chatting up the crowd (and reminding everyone that they sponsor Ohio State as well). CNN, among many others, noted that the lead referee was an uncanny Bob Newhart doppelganger. Bob Newhart himself (still alive, still funny) even joined in on the fun, tweeting a joke in response. Macy’s showed off their Oregon and Ohio State tee-shirts, and Butterfinger – always quick with a joke – capitalized on their name and the unusual amount of fumbles by tweeting this picture. Even small brands, like Garden and Gun – a lifestyle publication from Charleston, SC – got in on the fun, offering up game time recipes.  Everyone – save Oregon fans – had a good time.

The sheer volume of brand engagement during the game – and the witty, personable voice of those brands – is a testament to the effectiveness of customer engagement in the digital age. And though the communication feels off the cuff and natural, it’s part of an all-encompassing branding strategy to reach and engage with customers, no matter what party they’re attending.

If you’d like to learn about how your brand can engage customers, fill out the form to the right and let’s chat!

San Diego Branding Agency | Jacob Tyler

What’s Old is New: Miller Lite Goes Back to the Future With Re-Rebrand

Miller Lite, once America’s most popular lite beer, is going back to the future. Miller has redesigned – or rather recycled – its can design from the mid-70s in an effort to attract Millennial drinkers (ages 21-30) who prefer a “vintage” feel in their products of choice. The meteoric rise in sales of what was mostly a forgotten artifact beer – Pabst Blue Ribbon – amongst the hipster set proved a hypothesis that image has as much to do with taste as well, taste. In fact, Miller conducted taste tests with its new/old can, and found that people actually thought the beer tasted better than the “old” Miller Lite. The beer’s recipe, it should be noted, has not changed.

The can first launched as a part of a promotion with the movie Anchorman 2, set in 1979. Reception was so positive that Miller made the can permanent. Though the company remains behind Bud Light and Coors Light in light beer sales, the results have shown promise.

With the recent surge of craft and microbrew beer carving out a significant portion of the beer market, the large-scale, traditional breweries, like Miller and Budweiser, have had to get creative with new products and brands to stay relevant.  Miller Lite’s re-brand is a great example of this. The new can design won’t make Miller into a microbrew, but it can create the kind of nostalgia that masks what many Millennials view as a mass-produced, “corporate” brand.

Miller’s marketing history, dating back to 1973, is an interesting study in in the life of a brand. Selling essentially the same product for 40 years, Miller has sold their beer in a variety of different ways using a variety of techniques. In the following article, Ian Crouch of the New Yorker takes a look at Miller’s past, present – and past again: http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/miller-tyme.

Rebranding by Jacob Tyler in San Diego