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Why logos are so important and the real story behind Apple Computer's logo
Logos are among the most valuable graphic design projects on the face of the earth. Done well, they resonate with customers and help build powerful relationships. They can help a brand grow to millions or even billions of dollars in value.
If you think of a big powerful brand (IBM, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Toyota, VW etc.) you can probably immediately visualize the famous logo that represents it.
What's so interesting about them is that logos are ridiculously hard to do well.
Why? They combine elements of visual communication, symbolism, typography, design, and marketing communications. They must work well on huge billboards, web sites, packaging, business cards, t-shirts, coffee cups, and more. They must work in color, greyscale, and monochrome.
It's hard to quantify why a good logo is so good. It must convey meaning and at the same time be simple. It must be visually appealing and support what the brand is trying to say. It must accomplish all this in a handful of shapes, lines and colors. For really big firms, a logo has to work globally. That means it can't offend foreign cultures or, often, it can't rely on the English language. And it has to work in a tiny little space.
Big companies will spend big money on them because a good logo is worth so much.
Here's an interview with the person who created one of mankind's most recognizable and valuable logos - the logo of Apple Computer. I thought you may enjoy reading the real story: http://creativebits.org/interview/interview_rob_janoff_designer_apple_logo
Yellow Pages: Doorstops or Indispensible Resource?
I don't know about you, but the Yellow Pages have been made obsolete in my home. In fact, as soon as they arrive, we put them right in recycling. Admittedly, we're a very digital family. Still, I have to wonder what Yellow Page use looks like on a national level in our digital times.
I met with a Yellow pages ad representative recently to discuss an ad for a client of mine. She tells me that business remains really good for her. She cited some examples of ads which pulled very large numbers. They will set up unique phone numbers (at a fee) to track ad response rates, and they offer some google adwords services, too.
Still, I have to believe that the Yellow Pages are becoming dinosaurs, like the local printed newspapers.
When it comes to demographics - just ask a teenager if they've used the yellow pages lately, and you'll likely get a blank stare. I'd bet the vast majority of yellow pagers users are middle aged and older.
Even when we order a pizza, we go online for information, menus, and coupons rather than the phone book.
What do you think? Are there still segments of our population which rely on the yellow pages? What about business advertisers? Can any still thrive using Yellow Pages ads?
Newspapers or newssites?
I've always loved reading the newspaper as a way to start my day. Having been raised near Chicago, I grew up reading the Chicago Tribune. We've moved around a lot due to my career, and I've brought my daily newspaper habit with me. I've been a daily newspaper reader in all my "homes", from Chicago to Appleton, then to Boston, Lexington, San Jose and finally Indianapolis. So the newspaper is really part of my daily life.
As a marketing consultant, my clients sometimes want to run ads in the newspaper to generate business. That's become harder and harder to justify in my mind, and my "gut" tells me they're not going to get the exposure they expect. Yesterday I had a moment which helped explain my "gut feelings" about newspaper advertising.
I am an adjunct professor at a local college and I teach a marketing class to 28 college students. In class yesterday, we were discussing marketing communications and how to get your sales messages out to people. We talked about online (of course), TV, Radio, and newspapers.
I am an adjunct professor at a local college and I teach a marketing class to 28 college students. In class yesterday, we were discussing marketing communications and how to get your sales messages out to people. We talked about online (of course), TV, Radio, and newspapers.
When I asked "does anyone in the class read the paper?" guess how many hands shot up? Of my 28 students, only 2 (!) read the newspaper at all. When asked, they told me they get all their news for free online, using places like Yahoo. That surprised me, but it shouldn't have. I've been a daily newspaper reader for longer than many of my students have even been alive, but that doesn't mean the "Gen Y" aged students pay any attention to print. The generation gap between middle-aged folks like me, and 20 year olds like my students, is really evident in our media consumption.
The news paper industry is becoming a news site industry. Here's a few developments:
The news paper industry is becoming a news site industry. Here's a few developments:
The Seattle Post Intelligencer stopped the presses for good as they ceased printed production of the paper, going exclusively online. As a former Chicagoan, it surprised me when the Chicago Tribune declared bankruptcy. Last week, there was a lot of buzz when the LA Times sold front-page ad space that looked like real news. Even the staid NY Times started selling ads on the front page a few months ago. My hometown Indianapolis Star is shrinking down to fewer and fewer pages - the Monday edition is so skinny, it's hard to justify walking out to the mailbox to pick it up in the morning.
Personally, I still like to scan the actual printed pages of the paper while I have my morning coffee. I like to pick and choose what I read as I spread the paper out on the dinner table. It looks like I'll not be able to count on that for much longer. It seems printed newspapers are going the way of the 8 track cassette tape.
What will happen to the newspapers in the next couple of years? Will they find new business models to reinvent themselves? Will they go completely online? Moreover, how will that impact local advertising as a business tool?
