by Grace Gagliano
The YMCA is introducing a new brand strategy.
The marketing move aims to create more public awareness of all the services the nonprofit organization offers, officials say.
“Our three goals: youth development, healthy living and social responsibility are all things that we’ve always done,” said Sean Allison, president and chief executive officer of the Manatee County YMCA. “But we haven’t always been real effective in describing that.”
by Brian Carroll
Imagine that you are a new immigrant arriving at Ellis Island for the first time after a long journey across the Atlantic. It is the early 1900’s and you have just left a country where the tallest structure you have ever seen is probably the church in your small village. As you make the fifteen minute trek from Ellis Island to Battery Park in lower Manhattan, you are in awe of these amazing structures that just reach for the sky.
This was a common occurrence in for many of the immigrants making their way to the “new world” here in the United States. As they crossed over to the magnificent island called New York, these structures were pointed out by the names of the companies that were having them built. “That is the Singer Building, there is the Chrysler Building, and over there is the Hearst Building.”
Companies in these days were expanding their empires, and battling it out for who could go the highest. These companies were not only building up due to lack of space, there were literally building their brand. The brand with the tallest building would be the most recognized on the New York skyline. Even today, when visitors arrive in New York City, they can point out buildings, based on nothing but brand recognition.
by Eric Goldstein
You can see here, how social communities, both online and in your own backyard are coming together to fight corruption, racism and political dissatisfaction. Passionate American’s are getting involved to be more vocal, using very approachable technologies such as a few point and shoot/video cameras and friends to share with the world the issues they have (in this case) with corporate/political & financial association.
Over the last 24 hours – over 150,000 people have seen this and I estimate that it will reach 500,000 by end of next week.
It’s the power of social communities and understanding how your audience is listening to what is happening around, and what forces there are to tell a story, whether you want them to our not – everyone is now an author/publisher and you have to be on your best behavior.
by Jonathan O’Connell
Hilton Worldwide has been undergoing a major reevaluation of its flagship brand, Hilton Hotels, and, after completing international consumer research, a lengthy strategic branding process and custom graphic design work, is introducing a brand-new Hilton logo.
“We’ve embarked on the most comprehensive research in the history of the company for the Hilton brand,” said Dave Horton, global head of the Hilton Hotels brand.
So what does the new logo, one of more than 20 in the company’s 91-year history, say about Hilton? Almost the same things the old logo said about Hilton.
The old logo features the word Hilton in serif font below the company’s distinctive H symbol, in a royal blue color. The new logo features … the word Hilton in a serif font below the company’s distinctive H symbol, in a slightly darker blue color. Oh, and the words “Hotels & Resorts” below.
Horton said the company had been in the process of “evolving our brand and making it more relevant to customers today” since the company moved to McLean from Beverly Hills, Calif., in early 2009. The process, he said, included consumer research in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas, as well as a custom-designed font by a contracted graphics design firm. It is being promoted by Murphy O’Brien Public Relations of Los Angeles.
Horton does not necessarily expect people to notice. “We don’t have an expectation that people will immediately see it and say ‘Oh, the logo’s changed,’ ” Horton said. But he pointed to important changes: mentioning ‘resorts’ in the logo highlights the company’s 70 resorts in 25 countries and a pipeline of more to come. Horton said the new type is cleaner, the darker blue more sophisticated and the smaller cartouche (the H symbol) brings out the name better. “We began to feel that the cartouche was overwhelming the word Hilton a little bit too much,” he said.
Still, the chain’s 540 existing hotels and resorts will not be required to adopt the new logo, only new ones.
“I think the average consumer in Bethesda or D.C. might say, hey, I don’t really care, but a graphic designer might say that they really did a good job with that,” he said.
by Brian Carroll
National Public Radio has now re-branded itself as NPR. Funny, wasn’t that what their name was before? According to Vivian Schiller, NPR’s chief executive, the name change is intended to reflect public radio’s move from traditional broadcasting to the delivery of news, music and entertainment fare across a variety of digital platforms. “NPR is more modern, streamlined,” said Schiller.
NPR says it’s abbreviating the name it has used since its debut in 1971 because it’s more than radio these days. Its news, music and informational programming is heard over a variety of digital devices that aren’t radios; it also operates news and music Web sites.
Read the Full Story in the Washington Post Here
by Brian Carroll
It is well known that brand loyalty is worth millions. Companies are taking tougher actions to protect their brand, but implementing branding police? FIFA’s brand police held more than 30 Dutch women and interrogated them for three hours for wearing outfits designed by a Dutch beer company, The Star newspaper reported on Tuesday.
“The police came and kept on asking us the same questions over and over, asking if we worked for Bavaria,” said Dutch tourist Barbara Kastein, who was attending the match between the Netherlands and Denmark on Monday.
“They said we were ambush-marketing and it was against the law in South Africa. They said we would be arrested and would stay in jail for six months. Girls were crying. It was bad,” Kastein was quoted as saying.
Bavaria beer’s Peer Swinkels said there was no branding on the sexy orange dresses, but that it was known to part of the Bavaria brand. “FIFA don’t have a monopoly over orange,” said Swinkels.
FIFA, however, said no arrests were made, but that the women were used in an ambush marketing campaign and that it was considering legal remedies.
By Brian Carroll
Posted: Tuesday 25th May 2010 | 17:53
WHEN Anish Kapoor unveiled his twisted tower – dubbed by some a rollercoaster gone wrong – which will sit at the heart of the London 2012 Olympic Park, it met with an expected mixed reaction.
But what was not in doubt was the commercial masterstroke of billionaire steel baron Lakshmi Mittal, who it appeared had secured his company valuable naming rights to one of the most high-visibility symbols of the Games, the ArcelorMittal Orbit.
ArcelorMittal were also named as a tier two London 2012 sponsor but their apparent land grab in the heart of Olympic Park was not universally welcomed.
Some tier one partners – who have paid up to £80 million for their rights – felt for less a quarter of that amount, another lower level sponsor was getting an unfair advantage, as they didn’t have such high-profile collateral to leverage their investments come Games-time.
However, in a press release issued today by London 2012 organisers – they officially confirmed the appointment of ArcelorMittal as a tier two sponsor, just as the company themselves had in their own release nearly two months ago, but clarified the structure would only be known as ‘The Orbit’ during the Olympics and proceeding Paralympics.
Mittal is underwriting £16 million of the £19.1m cost of the 115 metre high visitor attraction, which will be run by the Olympic Park Legacy Company at the conclusion of the Games, while the London Development Agency is making up the shortfall.
As part of the deal, Locog confirmed they will benefit from the sale of tickets to visit the viewing platform of the tower around the Games, as well as being able to provide hospitality in the tower at Games-time. The tower is expected to be completed by May 2012.
“We’re excited about being associated with this great global sporting event and being able to showcase the versatility of steel at it,” said Mittal.
“I’m also personally pleased to be able to give a little something back with this initiative to London, which has been my home for many years.”
Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
How far would you go to show loyalty on the job?
Katie Edmeier, a paralegal for Anytime Fitness, got the health club chain’s purple running-man logo tattooed on her upper left arm.
She’s one of more than 200 staffers from among the company’s nearly 1,300 clubs worldwide who have gone under the needle in the name of Anytime enthusiasm over the past several years. At least 20 of them work at headquarters in Hastings, Minn.
“We bleed purple here at corporate,” said CEO Chuck Runyon.
A tattoo artist is often on hand at annual conferences to oblige employees who are feeling particularly dedicated.
While it’s common for businesses to hand out temporary tattoos of their logos, this is taking product branding to a very personal — and some might say extreme — level.
What if Edmeier decides to move on to another employer?
“I’ve thought about that,” she said. “I’ll just look at it as my reminder to live healthy.”
by Eric Goldstein
As seen on one of our favorite content/design/channels – Cool Hunting, here is a great example of design, interior, retail and experience design.
Nike – fusing culture, interaction and brand values with cutting edge fashion, design and immersion – a true winner. The textural sole applications and modeling, the suspended runner’s numbers/mobile installation – it’s wonderful.
by Eric Goldstein
I was having a conversation with my family about the 80’s and the resurgence of popular 80’s music, but then the next day was talking about fashion and how it’s snaking it’s way back into our culture once again. Many people acknowledging these cultural trends raise their eyebrows, throw their hands in the air and say “I don’t get it”. “it was so terrible”. But was it? We are in a time where there is so much transition around economy, negativity, challenge and the younger generations are being immersed in media-centric waves through RockBand, GuitarHero, Sirius/XM Radio where a large portion of the music dominating these channels is 80’s. From Journey to Guns and Roses, to Brian Ferry, Erasure, Judas Priest, Bon Jovi – kids 10 years old are now learning all the words and relating more and more with their parents.
On the fashion front – for me it’s quite simple (hopefully demystifying this for a lot of my friends who laugh at reflecting back on facebook images of me and my mullet/perm/paisley shirts) – is to consider this: in the 80’s, the fashion allowed through vibrant color, scale/fit (both oversized and often times, fitted (and often, unfortunately, too tight) was a vehicle for individuality and a visual voice. It was a much more innocent time in our style, music and culture and in the light of so much question around our future – it’s refreshing, nostalgic, easy to digest and familial between generations.
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