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User Generated Content Is Beautiful
When done properly, marketing using user generated content can be effective at building a brand and beautiful all at the same time. Take for example the site created recently by the brand that essentially owns the permanent marker category, Sharpie. The “Sharpie Uncapped” site, which you can visit HERE is a site that allows users to register to share anything and everything Sharpie. Users can register to upload images directly to the site, or submit images through the web via popular social media platforms such as Flickr and Youtube.
It’s an amazing repository of inspiration and information about the many unique ways consumers are using Sharpie’s products. One look at some of the content on the site and it’s easy to see how the brand could develop an advertising campaign generated from the submissions on the site. It’s also a great way to encourage people to spread the Sharpie message via word-of-mouth marketing, as you can imagine the people who submit will be proud to have their work featured online.
While the visual appeal of the Sharpie site really helps to generate and sustain interest, there are many other categories where user generated content can and has worked: automotive, airlines, snack foods, shoe companies, car dealerships, restaurants, tourist attractions, and more. That said, it’s important not to simply give your customers the keys to the castle, so to speak. In order for a UGC effort to work, it’s key to engage in careful planning, think creatively and to know your audience (including having a healthy knowledge of what could go wrong). Need help? We’ve got that.
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Interactive Ed - Organ/Tissue Donation
If your main marketing goal is to educate or raise awareness, I’ve got a great site I think you should check out as inspiration. A good friend of mine, @jojoreed on Twitter, passed along a link for a site that does a really great site of providing information and awareness on the critical issue of organ donation. Check it out HERE.
Not only does it provide a captivating (yet somewhat graphic) look at the different organs and tissues that can be donated, but it also allows users to join the movement, learn interesting facts and share the message with their peers—You can even watch transplant videos, if you’re so inclined.
The only thing a little perplexing to me is that there is no form of social media support built in for this campaign. There’s no Twitter account, no Facebook account that I can find, and you can’t share the site on any other social networks, potentially limiting the reach of the campaign. Perhaps that’s why they’re only 12% of the way to their goal of 15,000 members.
Want to see some other examples of interactive presentations that serve to educate and raise awareness? Check out these projects we did for NASA, including on that’s actually a bit reminiscent of the Recycleme site:
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Alliance Futbol Club Logo Design
Our creative director, John Cassella, is a soccer fanatic. He also runs a heck of a creative department. That’s why his teammates on the Alliance Futbol Club in Virginia called on us recently to develop the logo for their team.
While we love the range of work we do for our clients, it’s always fun to take on special projects like this that involve our own personal hobbies and passions. Have a look at the logo below and I’ll post an update when the uniforms come in:
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If Advertising is Dead, Then What?
I just read an article titled “Advertising is Dead. Long Live Packaging.” I’m not sure I wholly agree with that sentiment (I think advertising can certainly still be effective), but there’s no denying that the days of blasting print and television ads all over creation and waiting for the customers to roll in are long gone.
The article made the case for investing more marketing dollars in product packaging as a way to differentiate your product on the shelves and enhance the brand experience at the first point of contact. I took the article with a grain of salt in the first place because it was published on The Dieline, which is a blog showcasing top-notch packaging design, so clearly they have a reason to feel this way. But the argument really made sense to me because I’m a strong believer in the power of experiential marketing and I think product packaging is a big part of that. It’s generally the first REAL interaction a consumer has with a product. It’s the first chance for the consumer to touch and feel a product.
Most of the buzz surrounding the marketing world places social media squarely in the crosshairs of the future of marketing. Those that know me know that I’m a true believer in the power of social media for people and brands alike, but I am not biased toward that medium - like The Sutter Group, I like to consider myself media-neutral. What I do believe is that there are HUGE opportunities for brands to market through brand experience (not limited to a specific medium). That means more and more focus on how consumers interact with products and services—from packaging, to environmental graphics to interactive and social media to events and guerilla campaigns. I think these are going to be huge areas for growth in the next 3-5 years.
What do you think? Have any prognostications of your own?
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Logo Design In 2009
As a general rule, when we’re creating logos and brand identities, we strive to create something that has a long shelf life and doesn’t quickly date itself - to do this it’s important for us to have a healthy knowledge of the latest logo design trends. Our goal is to always stay ahead of the curve to maximize innovation and longevity.
I ran across a great article recently that compiled a list of some emerging trends in logo design in 2009 and I thought I’d pass it along for inspiration. Some of the trends listed included: Psychadelic pop backgrounds, origami, tactile logos, arabesque, classic modernism, pictograms, 80’s geometry lesson, typographic logos, street art and puzzle patterns.
Here are some examples that I thought were on the cutting edge and that really resonated with me:
If you think it might be time to take a fresh look at your logo design or entire brand identity, please give us a call, email, comment, Tweet, Facebook message or even drop on in! We’d love to help give new life to your visual brand.
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