“Aha” moments
to help you compel and connect with your market. Choose from 4 series:
brand strategy – logo design – experience design – communication
“Aha” moments
to help you compel and connect with your market. Choose from 4 series:
brand strategy – logo design
experience design – communication
build brand affinity – series intro
How to escape the rat race of price competition.
The vast majority of businesses fail within the first three years. Most other businesses never reach the levels of profitability they want. One of the main reasons for both, is that these businesses never build brand affinity. This series will look at the main attributes that you can infuse into your business to develop brand affinity.
build brand affinity 1: your story
Are you a brand, or just a business?
When people are willing to pay more for your product or service even though they know they can get it cheaper elsewhere, you’ve developed brand affinity. In order to get to this point, people need to….
build brand affinity 2: their experience
Delightful experiences build emotional connections.
Why? Because we remember people mostly by how they make us feel. What is it that makes us feel? Our experiences. Literally. When you experience something, your nerves…
build brand affinity 3: your values
When values are clear, decisions are easy.
As our planet’s nervous system (the internet) continues to expand, consumers have more and more say in the fate of businesses and brands. Seriously, let’s stop and think about the implications of…
build brand affinity 4: a cause
Social footprints reveal a path to growth.
Over the last 5 years, we’ve seen a massive philanthropic trend. Brands are increasingly contributing to charitable causes. Why? Because statistics show that consumers…
build brand affinity 5: transparency
Are you comfortable with the unknown? Neither are they.
If there are unknowns about your company, it may prevent consumers from fully trusting you, even if you’re the real deal. And if they don’t fully trust you, it’s hard for them to establish…
logo lessons – series intro
What’s a logo to a brand?
There are lots of misconceptions about what a logo is in relevance to your business or brand. In this series we’ll clarify the true purpose of your logo, and look at the most important attributes that make for a powerful, lasting logo.
logo lessons 1: uniqueness
The quest for meaning.
The first attribute of a strong logo is how unique it is. A logo can be extremely generic or, on the other end of the creative spectrum, it can be unique. Often times, what determines where it lands on this spectrum, is the…
logo lessons 2: simplicity
Learn from other peoples’ mistakes…
… says the world’s greatest investor, Warren Buffet. What does that have to do with your logo? Well, why not learn from the world’s biggest and most successful brands, and their mishaps….
logo lessons 3: visual harmony
Nature holds the secrets.
Have you ever looked at a logo or some other visual design and felt that something was off, even though you couldn’t quite tell why? The reason it felt off, is because…
logo lessons 4: memorability
Look at your logo. Close your eyes. Is it still there?
If it isn’t, your logo needs improvement. How easily your logo is remembered is important because as we explained at the start of this series, your logo serves as…
logo lessons 5: clarity & scalability
Zoom in, zoom out. Is it fuzzy or clear?
So, you’ve gone through iteration after iteration and you’ve finally chiselled away the last pieces to uncover the masterpiece that is your logo. Now the fun begins. It’s time…
logo lessons 6: versatility
Lone wolf, or leader of the pack?
Solidify the visual identity. Improve familiarity. Increase consistency. These are all benefits you get from having a versatile logo. What do we mean by “versatile?” When a logo’s visual properties…
design delight – series intro
Fun and fluid or bland and frustrating?
There’s a reason why some brands serve up delightful digital experiences to consumers, while others fail to capture attention, often evoking frustration instead. This series dives into the fundamental principles of visual design which help to create delightful digital experiences for consumers.
design delight 1: contrast
In one ear and out the other…
Or rather, in one eye and out the other. That’s what happens to your content when customers are viewing a web page that lacks the most important visual design principle of them all: contrast.
design delight 2: proportions
Why size matters
Having a bunch of elements whose sizes are only slightly different from each other, may create friction and possibly even confusion in the viewing experience. This is especially true when…
design delight 3: empty space
Much less is much more…
What is the biggest tool you can leverage to draw your consumers’ attention to the things you want them to see, feel and think about? Nothingness. In other words…
design delight 4: grouping
Leverage human nature…
…to capture consumer attention and keep it long enough to convey your value.
design delight 5: colour models
The importance of waves.
Colour is a powerful tool you can use to make your brand more compelling and consistent. But before…
design delight 6: colour choice
Stir emotion with colour.
Did you know that consumers decide if they like a product within 90 seconds of seeing it? Did you know that 90% of that decision is based solely on color?
design delight 7: colour schemes
Spin the wheel.
You know that feeling when you see a logo or some visual design and it just stands out right away? You don’t know what it is but it just looks so refreshing…
design delight 8: colour stories
Enhance the experience with colour.
You know when you browse a web page and it flows so well that you find yourself captivated and pleased at the same time? Things pop. Other things blend in perfectly. The whole viewing experience is…
convey to compel – series intro
The pen is mightier than the sword…
…because steel swung moves a soldier, while words uttered can move nations. Your audience is your own little nation, and this series explores the fundamental principles of how to utter words so your thoughts sink into their minds.
convey to compel 1: thought distribution
Working Memory Capacity:
The barrier between your thoughts and your listener’s mind. What is it, and how do you befriend it so your words penetrate?
convey to compel 2: active voice
Tell. Don’t describe.
There’s a certain kind of voice that penetrates the barrier to your listeners’ minds. Learn how to use it, or keep speaking in vain.
convey to compel 3: silence
The gold of dialogue.
The epitome of compelling communication is selling. It’s difficult to persuade someone to happily part with their hard-earned money. So why do true sales pros say that “silence is golden?”
convey to compel 4: visual silence
Visual Silence? Really?
Yes, you can achieve the powerful effects of silence visually. It’s quite simple, really. You just need a bit of courage to step outside of your comfort zone.
convey to compel 5: word choice
Act, don’t describe.
The words we like to use most are the ones we need the least. Act more, describe less and drive the point home more effectively.
convey to compel 6: jargon
True experts explain simply.
Those big, long, highly articulate words you think make you sound smart are actually just picking fights… with the guard at the door of your audience’s minds. Unless they belong to a certain club.
convey to compel 7: the senses
Evoke them to compel.
How do you learn best? By watching people do things? Maybe you’re more of a hands-on learner? Perhaps you like to read instructions instead? Why is this important?
convey to compel 8: priming
Zoom in. Zoom out.
Repeat. There are two types of thinkers in the world and by zooming in and out of your thoughts you can cater to both of them. This is especially powerful when you’re…
convey to compel 9: “aha” moments
Build suspense then relieve it.
Imagine you could build an emotional connection with customers by asking simple questions. Imagine you could read their mind, and they loved you for it…