Why brand perception means everything ….

Creating a powerful brand that customers relate to is about building the strongest positive perception you can in the minds of your customers. It is here, in the minds and the hearts of customers, that your brand lives.

That’s why companies who not only focus on how their brand is selling, but  also on the perception of their brand, prosper. Understanding brand perception is vital for everything from product/service development to positioning, market segmentation and driving the marketing mix.

Perception is formed as a result of our experiences of the company, product or service and generally falls into two main areas. The actual experience of the product such as quality, reliability and speed. And from emotion – how it makes the customer feel.

Developed over time from a variety of interactions and experiences a person has with the brand perception is a true gauge of how that person connects with the brand. Every single interaction with a brand goes to forming the perception we hold. Every phone call, every package received, every checkout interaction, every piece of collateral received all reinforce the perception.

Measuring brand perception is relevant for companies of all sizes, ages, and stages of the brand lifecycle.

For  mature companies understanding the brand perception with customers old, new and future will help  maintain the strength of the brand or indicate that it is time for a refresh. Newer businesses use results to differentiate their brand and formulate a strong market positioning. Companies extending product ranges must be clear on whether customers will accept a new product or service before they introduce it.

Here are 6 tips you should consider when you are measuring brand perception:

1. Use existing customers, lapsed customers and prospects

2. Measure awareness and preference

3. Include both behavioural and attitudinal measures

4. Include competitive comparisons

5. Determine what the brand communicates immediately, its value and loyalty

6. Measure the brand’s individuality

The information from brand perception studies help form powerful marketing strategies that can inform and empower marketers and business owners alike. When companies are clear about how customers and prospects perceive their brand, it can help drive marketing success. So, take some time now to consider

1.  Where your brand is in the lifecycle

2.  How positive/negative, strong/weak your brand is

3.  How you can conduct regular perception studies – we live in a fast paced world

4.  How understanding your brand perception will guide your marketing strategy

Successfully measuring brand perception and awareness helps companies tailor their marketing in the most cost-effective way. It also helps guide strategy in the longer term.

Karen Lambert is an experienced strategic marketer and Managing Director at Happy Creative, a full service marketing agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk

Producing the Perfect Brief in 8 Steps

Today I’ll talk about something that affects my working life every single day: briefs.

Briefs take a lot of thought and the whole point of it is to ensure that you allocate your resources to hit your marketing/campaign objectives. The right brief leads to the right campaign execution and the right campaign execution leads to the right results, which is what agency and client want to achieve.

Do you have a marketing challenge? Or perhaps a full campaign that you want an agency to plan and create for you? Or maybe you just need an advert designing?

Whatever it is, it all starts with the brief. If you are new to briefing or even if you have been doing it for a long time, here are my 8 top points to be considered.

1. Give background information.

Get together as much information as you can about the company and the product or service you want to promote. What has and hasn’t worked before is also a great help.  Any information of how you have communicated before is not a waste of space in your brief, as it will give more insight into your audience, which nicely leads me to the next point…

2. Find out about your audience.

Campaigns work because you know everything (you can) about the people you are targeting.  It is these people that you are hoping will ultimately want to respond and buy. Research and analyse your data to figure out what makes your target audience tick, what they want and what they may expect from you. And then go and exceed their expectations.

3. One line says it all.

Think about what you are trying to achieve with your marketing and then put this in one line. Think: ‘if I could achieve one thing and one thing only, what would this be?” This helps you with prioritising your objectives and focusing on your main proposition.

4. Think about how daring you want to be.

Whatever you are promoting, chances are that you know your audience better than most people. So tell us if you think it’s time to shake things up. Tell us if you want to surprise them. This type of information can completely change the way things are developed.

5. Don’t like this, don’t like that.

Yes, we want to know your (and your audience’s) likes and dislikes. If there is a particular colour/tone/image that you/they hate don’t be shy, put it in the brief.

There is nothing worse than producing good creative work that doesn’t hit the spot because of likes and dislikes. So get them out of the way at the start.

6. There is always a price tag

Be clear on the budget. If you are not entirely sure, try to give some level of indication. The budget has to be realistic and in accordance to the scope of your campaign. It’s also good practice to say how you intend to measure success, so we can put some steps in place along the process to help you be able to do that. There should always be a response rate in mind so we can calculate the success of the activity in real ROI terms.

7. Say what you expect

Include your requirements, particularly in terms of timings.  Then everyone knows what is required for when.  Not doing this at the start can result in a whole heap of confusion and can lead to expensive mistakes. By being exact with what you need to have planned, created, produced and reported will aid in the cost effectiveness and success of your activity. By being precise with what you need, the success of the communication is greatly improved.

8. ‘I know that now!’

When all is done and dusted, a good tip is to look at the brief you supplied and take into account how your project or marketing activity went on that occasion. It’s good to think about what went well, what didn’t go well and what can be done better next time. If you create a process and follow all the steps consistently, with refinements over time, you will be on the way to creating great outcomes for your business in every brief you write.

And now you know all about the perfect brief, what are you waiting for?

Marilia Spindler is an Account Executive at Happy Creative, a full service marketing agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk

Happy Birthday…Happy!

Happy is 7!

It seems a long time ago that Happy Karen brought Happy Creative to the world on 1st September 2005, but it’s been a fun-filled 7 years.

We’ve worked with some fabulous clients, many of whom are still with us from that first year in 2005. We’d like to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to everyone we’ve had the pleasure of working with, both clients and suppliers. Our clients really do mean the world to us and our number one aim remains the same it did on that very 1st day, to make (and keep) you Happy.

As part of our 7th birthday celebrations we’ll be holding a full 7 days days of celebrations, with some fun along the way for everyone to get involved in.

Whether you are a client, a supplier, a friend, colleague or just a fan…Happy Birthday to you too, you are all part of the wonderful Happy family…Happy Birthday Happy 🙂

Branding – From A Designers Point Of View

I have to say, I’ve been working as a designer now for 3 ½ years and branding is, without a doubt, my favourite part of the job.  It really is something I love! Unfortunately, not every day is filled with branding projects, but if it was I would happily do it and never get bored. The whole process is something I really enjoy and get a real kick out of.

I thought it would be interesting to compile a list of steps I take as a designer to achieve the best results on branding projects at Happy Creative and share these with you.

These are steps I truly believe in, some of them may seem obvious but remain essential in getting the best outcome. I hope that fellow designers reading this will agree with me, and I hope that many others find interest in what goes into creating your perfect brand…from a designer’s point of view.

RESEARCH

It may sound obvious, that’s because it is. I’m not going to lie though, as a designer you can’t help but shudder at the very word because let’s face it, it’s not the most exciting thing to do as we all really just want to jump onto Photoshop or Illustrator and make something look pretty.  So forgive me, but this is an important, if not the most important thing you can do. Getting to know the ins and outs of the company you are creating an identity for is crucial in determining the outcome of your identity. There are always key messages and brand values that you can focus on which will help inspire the design and make it all that more effective and meaningful, not just to the designer, but more importantly the client.

SCAMP IT UP

Many may say that this is a waste of time but I highly recommend it. Whether you are drawing it up quickly on an old coffee stained piece of paper, or throwing something together quickly on the computer, it’s all relevant to the final outcome. One thing I’ve found is that your initial gut feeling, the visual you see straight away in your mind is often the best idea, not always, but certainly most of the time.

IT MAY NOT COME STRAIGHT AWAY

Keep calm and carry on. I know, I hate the saying too, because we all know how hard that is to do when under pressure, but in this situation it is very true.  It’s important to discipline yourself to this thinking, as no worthwhile work will be created in a negative frame of mind.  Equally this applies to every form of work, not just creative.

BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU’RE DOING

Believe in your own skills and capabilities and it will always result with something positive, once again, keep calm and carry on. (Sorry, last time!)

BE CLEVER – BUT ONLY IF IT WORKS

When it comes to creating an identity, you want to do something innovative and clever that stands out and gains you respect, of course you do, we all do this as designers and live for that pat on the back and the envious ‘Well done’ through gritted teeth from fellow design geeks. Now, depending on your research and the company you’re creating for, there may be an opportunity to be clever with ways you incorporate visuals with the typography you choose, a synergy between the two if you like, use them, if they work, it’s always appreciated.

However you can, from personal experience, waste time trying too hard to be clever and sometimes this really doesn’t work as well as you thought it might. It’s not always needed. Quite often, identities will require a smart piece of typography or a simple visual and maybe that’s it, don’t be afraid to settle with this, it may be the best piece you’ve done all day.

I GOT IT!

There’s no better feeling that getting that design that just works. Whichever way you look at it, from whatever angle, up or down, if it still makes you smile you’re onto a winner! All that’s left to do is hope that the client feels the same.

SWATCH WATCH

Again quite an obvious one but colour is so important when it comes to creating any identity and often evokes more emotion and feeling than the visual itself. Wisely choose colours that not just complement each other but represent the brand in the best way. 

TEST IT

Only by testing the brand on certain media will you realise the true strengths and weaknesses of the identity you’ve created.  If it’s not working, it’s back to the drawing board…literally.

WATCH THE IDENTITY GROW AND STRENGTHEN

For the designer and of course the client, this is a wonderful part of the branding process. When you have that winning design, seeing the identity working across all types of media gives you a real buzz. It really confirms the strength of the identity and overall style not just as a personal satisfaction for the designer who created it but also for the client, confirming the strength of the brand identity they now own and use to represent their company.

Tom Fearon is a Designer and Guerrilla marketing expert at Happy Creative, a full service marketing agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk

1908,1948, 2012

What do these numbers have in common? Any ideas?

Before you scroll down to reveal the answer I was at a wedding last weekend and the Father of the bride spoke with great pride that his daughter’s grandma’s on both sides of her family were still alive and unless they passed away in the next three weeks (that was a direct quote!) then they would have lived through three London Olympic games. This remarkable fact is very unlikely to happen again with the modern Olympic movement we experience today. This fact stuck with me throughout a very enjoyable evening and I thought it would be interesting to look at the different design styles of these three very different moments in time.

The 1908 Summer Olympics were the fourth modern Olympic Games to be held outside of Athens. They were scheduled to take place in Rome, however Mount Versuvius erupted and the Italian government had to use money from hosting the games to actually rescuing some of its audience. The event took place between 27 April 1908 and 31 October 1908, with 22 nations participating in 110 events. The British team easily topped the unofficial medal count, finishing with three times as many medals as the second-place United States.

         1908 London Olympic Games Poster

 

This poster by an unknown artist was lost until recently.  No copy is held in BOA archives, nor by the IOC, one reason being that the poster was in fact prepared by the organisers of the Franco-British Exhibition. A copy of the image was known on a folder describing the Olympic stadium, but it was research by members of the Society of Olympic Collectors that established it was the poster image – a postcard exists showing the poster in situ. 2

An interesting starting point for the first London Games as there is no clear identity or iconic image to distinguish itself. The poster has hints of Art Nouveau. The left hand side of the poster shows the athlete in the foreground holding a scroll that points down and directs your eyes to the title – Olympic Games. The familiar branding of the five olympic rings was only adopted by Baron Pierre de Coubertin (founder of the modern Olympic Movement) in 1913 after he saw a similar design on an artefact from ancient Greece.

The laural leaf draped along the top of the sign hints to the heritage of the games and in my research I found some evidence to the poster having being designed by a Frenchman which may explain the prominence of the french flag over the UK one.

 

                             1948 London Olympic Games Poster 

The 1948 Summer Olympics (the Games of the XIV Olympiad) were the first to be held after World War II, with the 1944 Summer Olympics having been cancelled due to the war. Showing a collective unity after the war, 59 nations competed in 136 different events between 29 July 1948 and 14 August 1948. Germany and Japan were not invited to the games due to security reasons. Unlike the last time the UK hosted the Olympics, the British athletes did not have a high medal count, finishing 12th in the unofficial medal count with only 23 medals. 3

The 1948 London Olympic Games Poster is a Lithographic print taken from a original drawing and painting, designed by Walter Herz.

The context of the poster shows an iconic building of London.The hands of “Big Ben” are pointing to 4 o’clock. This was the time that the opening of the games.

The background uses a cool, clear blue sky. The buildings are subtle, muted and look like they are catching the last sun rays of the day. The discus thrower is smooth, simple and coloured like a marble statue of ancient Greece. The iconic bold colours of the 5 Olympic rings dominate the foreground.

The discus figure focusses our eyes on him in two ways. He’s central and is in the foreground. Secondly the lighter colour distinguishes him from the rest of his surroundings. A nice touch is that the discus thrower’s arm reaching up takes our eye to the clock tower, as we wait for him to cast his throw. The angle of the road and the blurring effect creates the impression of speed and brings your eye down to the rings. A distant lamp post on the left side of the road creates the illusion of perspective and distance.

The typography is simple and, apart from the dates, it communicates the exact same message as the main image – London Olympics.

   2012 London Olympic Games Poster 

 

In an interesting break from convention, these evoke the 1908 posters in their lack of familiar Olympic branding. The 2012 posters feature twelve different designs. British artists, including Bridget Riley, Tracey Emin, Martin Creed, Rachel Whiteread, and Bob and Roberta Smith, have all designed posters to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

I think that these posters need the benefit of time to be evaluated. It’s very easy to make a snap judgement and dismiss them, because they don’t conform to our accepted notion of what an Olympic poster should look like. My personal favourite is Rachel Whiteread’s Olympic rings. The design is based on the mark from athletes’ water (not coffee cup stains!) I like the energy of the design, the emotion that it conveys.

My brief look at these three Olympics show the incredible changes that have happened in London every fifty or sixty years. A great article will lots of interestings statistics is the Guardian article http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/datablog/2012/jul/10/london-olympic-charts-medals-competitors

I’m not sure if I will be around in 2082  to write an update blog about the new London Olympic posters. If I am, I’m sure Marilia will make sure it gets done!

James Chantler is Creative Director at Happy Creative, a full service marketing and creative agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk