How to Evaluate a New Logo Design

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Your logo is one of the most important elements of your brand communication. Choosing the right logo that best represents your brand can be confusing and frustrating. It’s always sad when I meet business owners who are having difficulty because their logos weren’t created well.

Poorly designed logos can be the result of two things: 1) the graphic designer didn’t have the knowledge to design a professional logo, or 2) the business owners insisted on a concept without fully understanding the impact. This article is for the business owner who hopefully has hired a professional logo designer. Read more

Leading with Values

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Today, two news articles popped out at me. One was about Zappos “squishy” culture and the  other was about Panera’s profit from shared values. The message is clear: people care about values. Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and other publications as well as the swelling number of books written about profit built on purposeful intent (e.g. Conscious Capitalism by John Mackey and Raj Sisodia, The Responsible Business by Carol Sanford, etc), are removing any doubt that the future of business must be squarely focused on human needs beyond the simple product offering.

Too much headline news is curated based on fear or tragedy. To be honest, I think it makes some people nervous to believe things are improving. Perhaps trouble has become a “safe place” for them and the idea of change for better makes them nervous? But the facts are that the world is indeed getting better, and people truly do care about each other. The sooner businesses wake up and realize it, the better chance they have for success.

Transforming Systems

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Effective systems are critical to success. Businesses have multiple systems: lead generation, sales, accounting, workflow, customer service, etc.  These systems and processes are set in place at the beginning however once set up, should be reviewed regularly. Adapting to unforeseen variables, technology, social behavioral changes and expectations, and innovations is an ongoing effort.  Continuing adaptation is non-negotiable if a business is to experience any kind of sustainability and success. While commitment to transformation has always been important in the modern era, the speed of change has increased dramatically.

Sadly, the temptation in many organizations is not just to avoid change, but actually punish anyone or anything that hints at the need to change.  Leadership often looks at the cost of change in the short term rather than the long-term cost of being locked in a concrete (aka safe, proven) system.

Some organizations are trying to “transform”. They get that things have changed and they need to adapt. Unfortunately, the aspiration to change is much easier than actually doing it. Transformation requires continual learning and the ability to adapt, over and over again. Businesses struggle with this because they rely on choosing solutions to create their way of doing things, and those solutions are based off knowledge and ways of thinking.

Yet to be successful, positive change must be ongoing. The burden falls on leadership to:

  1. 1) be committed to continual education and long-term change,
  2. 2) provide an environment that allows for flexibility and adaptation and
  3. 3) empower workers rather than inspect them.

Dr. W Edwards Deming is considered to be the father of modern quality control. He popularized the process of Plan/Do/Check/Act. Later in his career, he modified it to Plan/Do/Study/Act because he felt that the emphasis on “check” was interpreted as inspection. The difference between “check” and  “study” is enormous. “Checking” can be used to threaten workers and create fear in the workplace. “Studying” looks at the system and allows for understanding and growth. Far too often quality control is used to bludgeon the workers rather than modify a faulty system. As always, the root of the problem falls on leadership’s ability to allow ongoing transformation.

Outstanding

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When you’re thinking about marketing, you already know you need an outstanding idea. You will have mere seconds to communicate it. Less than a year ago The Associated Press claimed our attention span is 8 seconds, shorter than a decade previous. People obsess over making those seconds count, scrambling to rise above the noise like eager volunteers waving their hands at the teacher, “Pick me! Pick me!”

The Super Bowl is the biggest ad game in town, with mega-millions spent to get the most attention. We talk about the ads after the game, or maybe sneak peak and pick our favorites before the Super Bowl is played.  Yet many of the top spenders are losing market share, or at best still scrambling for a genuine place in the hearts of consumers.

That’s where the big companies, for all their millions, are missing the point.  A truly outstanding idea begins with an outstanding company willing to address the higher values and purposes of its customers. Being louder, funnier, cuter or more obnoxious than the other guy may grab 30 seconds of attention (because it stands out), but loyalty to a trusted brand that can prove it supports the values of its customers is what wins. Don’t seek to  merely stand out—be outstanding!

Photo wikipedia.org by P. Keleher

Success Requires Business with Higher Ideals

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In 2008, Jim Stengel left his prestigious role as global marketing officer at Proctor & Gamble to start on a new mission sharing his passion for growing business through a focus on higher ideals. Below is a good video that shows the result of studying the world’s top 50 brands and their correlation to ideals. These companies are successful because they don’t just offer a product or service but reach for something higher.

It’s a great video in its entirety but please try to watch at least the first 3:20. And if you can hang in there longer, keep watching for the great example of Coca-Cola’s return to ideas by delivering happiness—guaranteed to make you smile (unless you insist on being pissy).

The research done by Stengel and his partners at Millward Brown reveals every successful brand must address at least one of the following fundamental ideals (human values):
Joy: Delight people with experiences of joy, wonder and limitless possibility (examples: Lindt, Zappos)

Connection: Enhancing the ability of people to connect with each other and the world in meaningful ways (Natura, Starbucks)

Exploration: Helping people explore new horizons and new experiences (Discovery, Pampers)

Pride: Giving people increased confidence, strength, security, and vitality (Snow Beer, Mercedes Benz)

Society: Affecting society broadly, from challenging the status quo to redefining categories (IBM, Innocent, Method)

Ultimately, every business is human business. Connect to your customer’s fundamental values and they will connect to you.

Here’s the link to his video. Enjoy!

The New Story of Brand Success: http://www.jimstengel.com/thought-leadership#articles