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An often neglected, yet critical component of any marketing strategy is the creation of content that clearly communicates your product or brand’s message. Customer perceptions, sales and revenue, and ultimately, profitability, are all driven by the first impressions and message delivered through collateral and your online presence. Relevant content, in the form of written words and imagery, are just as important as design in creating an effective brand.

 

Copywriting and photography are highly specialized capabilities that have a tremendous impact on the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. A lot of design and marketing firms do not have these specific resources in-house, so we recommend and bring in outside talent to help. While this means additional budget is necessary, the solutions are more relevant and effective. Trying to save money by “doing it yourself” often leads to mixed results and frustration for everyone.

 

The Benefits of Using a Professional Copywriter

 

As an objective third-party, not privy to the inner workings of your company or brand, copywriters offer an outside perspective on marketing. Since they are not directly affiliated with the brand, they are able to elicit more honest feedback from customers, employees and vendors—invaluable insight that can help improve your product or service offering. They ask probing questions that get to the core of your brand and the benefits it provides; not just what management and employees think, but rather what your customers believe to be true.

 

Copywriters offer refined and eloquent prose to your marketing message. They distill messages into clear, concise, and understandable language that is more meaningful and relevant to customers. This content is often more search engine friendly (if for your brand’s online presence), grammatically correct, and stylistically consistent. Professional copywriters turn ideas into written words that provoke action from customers.

 

The Benefits of Using Professional Photography

 

Stock imagery, photo-sharing web sites, and Google “images” have all contributed to the diminishing perception of the value of using commercial photography. Using the Internet, or snapping a quick image with one of the many available smartphones or high-res digital cameras, allows almost anyone to consider themselves a photographer. It should be no surprise, then, that many companies do not want to commission a professional photographer for their marketing or branding projects.

 

While it may be cheaper to find free or low-cost imagery online or to “do it yourself,” there are several reasons why this is not an ideal way to build a unique, professional and relevant brand image. Besides being blurry, poorly lit, and low quality, pulling images off of Google, Flickr or other photo sharing web sites can land you in legal hot water, as usage rights are not clearly defined. Even though images from stock photo web sites are “royalty free” with a small fee, they are often generic-looking in that anyone can use them…it’s not unusual for us to come across competitors of our clients who use the same photography in their marketing collateral.

 

The only way to get truly original and compelling images that engage customers is to hire a professional photographer. They use the proper equipment, lighting, and composition techniques to bring your product or brand to life. And when you factor in the potential cost of searching through thousands of images online, using a professional photographer to capture and create the “exact” 3-4 images you need is actually more budget friendly.

 

Don’t try to do everything yourself.

 

The benefits of using outside professionals, such as copywriters and photographers, can far exceed their cost—in terms of time saved, quality of finished product, and overall effectiveness of a project. Just because you ‘can,’ or are capable of doing something, doesn’t necessarily mean you should. In the end, you might not be as happy with the results, and neither will your customers. When it comes to writing and photography, it’s sometimes best to leave that to the professionals.

 

By; Ryan Hembree, Principal | Brand and Creative Strategy

Web sites—like all fresh produce, cheese, meat or milk—have expiration dates. Usually these other items will start to smell bad to warn of their impending demise, but how can one tell if a brand’s web presence is starting to become a little stale? Determining a web site’s expiration date is not as complicated as one might think.

If it has been a couple of years since the last update, or there is still a counter on the bottom of the homepage, it is probably time for a new web site. As one of the first impressions of your brand, the web site must remain fresh and relevant to prospects and clients alike. Too often, however, marketers have Ron Popeil’s “set it and forget it” attitude about their site—once launched, they neglect this powerful marketing tool.

 

Humans are wired to detect visual stimulation and change–that’s why marketers change product packaging of your favorite brands every six months, often to signify a “New” or “Improved” formula, size, or offering. Your brand also consists of packaged products or services, and updating the graphics, navigation and content of your web site signals change, evolution and continued relevance.

 

Besides becoming visually “dated,” older web sites can fall behind the technology curve as well. The ways in which people access and consume information has changed—smart phones and tablets have become increasing popular for business and leisurely browsing. Given that the majority of these devices are Apple’s iPods, iPads, and iPhones, it is important that web sites use CSS, responsive design principles, and HTML5 for video instead of Flash (which won’t display on these iOS devices).

 

Finally, updating a brand’s web site also increases web traffic. It gives customers a reason to check out your web presence, generating excitement and word-of-mouth marketing. While you’re at it, be sure to sign up for Google Analytics… it’s free, and the code that is added will allow you to track which web pages are being viewed the most, for how long, and where visitors are coming from. Using this information, it is possible to further refine the brand’s messaging and become even more relevant to the target audience.

 

All marketing materials have a useful lifespan. For web sites, no more than 2–3 years should elapse between major updates to the content, messaging and visuals. Is your web presence in danger of expiring soon?

 

By: Ryan Hembree, Principal | Brand and Creative Strategy, Indicia Design, Inc.

Intellectual property (IP for short) and copyrights can be particularly tricky issues that companies and brands must navigate as part of their relationship with a creative services firm. For example, when projects are completed, clients may receive logo files, printed brochures or a web site. But do they really own the rights to those files, or are they just leasing them?

 

Usage rights, such as ownership of intellectual property and copyrights, are typically defined in the “terms and conditions” of a contract or proposal for design services, and are meant to protect the design firm or agency. Sometimes, however, these stipulations are not in alignment with client needs. To help clear up some of the confusion about this issue, let’s examine what rights companies and their brands are entitled to, especially after paying in full for a given project.

 

Rights that you should be granted when you pay for creative work

 

Unethical creative firms might try to sell “limited” rights to produce a certain number of brochures, or use the web site for a certain period of time, after which you must pay them more money for the continued usage. This used to be typical of certain types of creative professionals, such as photographers and illustrators, (digital competition has all but eliminated this practice). Remember having to pay outrageous prices for photographic prints, since the rights to the film negatives were “owned” by the photographer?

 

Make sure the usage rights purchased are “exclusive” and “full” or “unlimited,” meaning that only your company or brand has the right to reproduce the artwork any way it sees fit. It goes without saying that all logos, business systems (stationery), and sales collateral should be granted full and unlimited usage rights. You are also entitled to request a copy of all final digital files for the piece, no matter what it is.

 

What you don’t get just because you pay for creative work

 

Usage rights are a means in which creative firms protect their initial concepts and ideas so that preliminary work cannot simply be taken to another firm for execution and reproduction. Companies typically buy the usage rights to ONE of the ideas or concepts that is developed to solve a creative challenge—not all of the ideas. These preliminary ideas might include handwritten notes generated during the Discovery Meeting, to sketches on the back of a napkin.

 

This same principle applies even if during the course of a project third party services are used. Copywriters will take copious amounts of notes, and many ideas end up in the waste bin before relevant content is ever developed. For photographers, there are several “outtakes” that are created before capturing the perfect, staged image (and in some cases these can be more appropriate for the project).

 

Rights that are negotiable with regard to creative work

 

With certain branding projects, however, it may be important that clients retain all usage rights to concepts and ideas generated for a project, such as when developing a new product for the market. A non-disclosure and/or confidentiality agreement is signed prior to work beginning, and then all concepts become the property of the client.

 

Photographers might agree to give all digital images to a client to help them build a digital library. These are in addition to the final, retouched photographs. Or, an illustrator may agree to develop all concepts presented for an additional charge. Unless reasonable fees or prior arrangements have been made, clients should not expect to receive the unlimited and full usage rights to preliminary work, and it remains the property of the creative firm.

 

When it comes to intellectual property and your brand, don’t make assumptions that you are getting everything you think you are paying for. If a brand manager or marketing director is unsure of what usage rights they are being granted once a project is paid for, ask the creative firm for an explanation, and get it in writing. Most firms are receptive and amenable to granting additional rights—especially if it means retaining a long-term client.

 

By: Ryan Hembree, Principal | Creative and Brand Strategy

Late last year, Coca Cola pulled their white “polar bear” cans from the market after only a couple of weeks and after a tremendous backlash from retailers and consumers. The white and silver cans, featuring silhouette polar bears, were supposed to remain on store shelves throughout the holiday season and raise awareness of and promote the protection of arctic habitats.

 

The off-color cans received a lot of attention, but for all the wrong reasons. The white polar bear Coke cans were too similar in appearance to the silver cans of Diet Coke. Retailers and customers were confused by the change from the traditional red, and had trouble finding the regular formula Coke. Some even complained that the taste of the soda was different—all because of the color of the can! It was arguably one of the worst missteps by the infamous brand in almost thirty years.

 

So how important is your brand’s color? The answer, as evidenced by Coke’s folly, is: Very Important. Color is a powerful signifier of a brand. When customers visually scan store shelves, they look first at color clues, then at shapes, and finally at the label or name of the brand.

 

Color differentiates.

In every industry or category of product, brands “own” certain colors. Coke is identifiable because of its red can; Pepsi, from its blue ones. John Deere tractors wouldn’t be the same without their green and yellow paint scheme. Brown has become synonymous with UPS.

 

Color expresses.

The most popular color in the world among adults, male or female, is the color blue because it connotes strength, solidarity, and serenity. Among children, red is the preferred color because it’s passionate, exciting, and aggressive. Yellow is sunny, cheerful, and luminous, and tends to draw the attention of young infants.

 

Color communicates.

When used properly, color can be a highly effective tool for communication. Although sometimes cultural differences exist, for the most part color meanings are universal. In the color chart below, learn what your brand’s color says about your product, service, or organization.

 

 

Red is the most passionate color, and tends to excite and get adrenaline pumping through the body. It is associated with both love and anger; it can mean good luck; or represent lust, danger, and aggression.

 

Blue is the most popular color, and also the most widely specified color in corporate identity programs. It symbolizes serenity and tranquility, the sky or ocean, and has a calming effect if used in moderation. Blue is often associated with things that are cold, as well as quality and expertise.

 

Yellow is the most luminous color with the highest visibility. It is the most cheerful color, representing the sun. If used too much, it makes people more irritable. Yellow has also become synonymous with greed and cowardliness.

 

Green is a very relaxing color associated with growth and prosperity, as well as health and wellness. It can also suggest envy and jealousy.

 

Orange is suggestive of fire and good things to eat. It is the most edible color, which explains why many fast foods chains use it as part of their color scheme.

 

Purple is associated with both royalty and spirituality because in ancient times, only emperors or kings could afford garments made of purple dye. Naturally occurring Tyrian purple dye is extremely rare—it takes 9,000 mollusks from the Mediterranean Sea to yield 1g of purple dye.

 

By: Ryan Hembree, Principal | Brand and Creative Strategy, Indicia

The holidays are rapidly approaching, and with them, the annual frenzied rush to find, sign, address, and mail holiday cards. There are countless sources for pre-printed “Seasons Greetings” or “Happy Holiday” cards, even ones that will print your company’s logo on the inside. While this may seem like the quickest, most cost-effective way for companies to send out the obligatory holiday card, they are missing a great opportunity to reinforce their brand image.

 

The holidays are the one time during the year in which people are actually receptive to the idea of not only receiving more snailmail or email, they are more likely to open it as well. It is the perfect time to thank your clients and customers for their business. But what type of holiday greeting should you send? In addition to the pre-printed variety, custom designed cards, email greetings, and even animations are available to help build your brand.

 

Depending on the number of cards your company intends to distribute this year, it can actually cost less to create your own branded holiday card instead of buying pre-printed ones. Besides having a look and feel that is consistent with your other collateral, messages can be tailored to your unique needs and are less generic. Printers that have in-house mailing capabilities can print addresses from your mailing list, saving you countless hours addressing envelopes or printing and adhering individual labels.

 

If you want to save money on printing and postage, sending out a Holiday Email blast is a cost effective and “green” option. These graphic html emails are custom designed to be consistent with your brand and sent out through email marketing programs like MailerMailer, MailChimp, or Constant Contact. Holiday animations can also be an effective way to build your brand’s image this holiday season. It’s been our experience that people want to be entertained, and with one of these “eCards” that link to a short 20-30 second animation, you will be able stand out from the rest of the holiday greetings. Often, the cost to design and code these holiday “eCards” or animations can be less than the cost of ordering and mailing pre-printed or custom cards.

 

Regardless of which method you choose for connecting with your customers this holiday season, the important thing is that you use this opportunity to enhance the perception of your brand.

 

By: Ryan Hembree, Principal

The Internet is simply one tool by which to get consumers’ attention. While the web offers an immediate way for customers to learn more about your product or service, it takes more than getting people to visit a web site to get them to open up their pocketbooks. Print, on the other hand, helps enhance your brand by offering customers a more tactile, intimate and memorable experience.

 

Brochures, catalogs, or direct mailers make the intangible more real when potential customers can hold printed collateral in their hands. They keep your product or service top-of-mind when making buying decisions, or give people something to look at while waiting to speak with a representative at a tradeshow or convention. There is a reason why companies still spend millions of dollars on printed catalogs and car dealerships are stocked with hundreds of glossy brochures.

 

The key to developing print collateral that will support your brand (and help drive traffic to your web site) is to evaluate your sales process to determine the various touch points you have with your customers. Some of the items that we consistently develop for our clients include the following:

 

Tradeshows:

If your company attends tradeshows on a regular basis, a large pop-up display might be a good investment. While hardware can be expensive (up to a few thousand dollars), they are easy to ship and have the capacity for interchangeable graphic panels. Bannerstands (fabric panels that work much like old-fashioned projector screens) are a less expensive option that still have the ability for customized graphics. In addition to your backdrop or display, it is important to have some sort of printed handout; this provides attendees something to remember you by, as well as give them information about your product or service should they have to wait in line for a meeting with your representative.

 

Sales Kit or Leave-Behind:

There is often a gate-keeper between your sales team and the decision maker at a prospective customer’s office. Taking a packet of information about your brand to leave with them is one way to make a favorable impression; that is, if your collateral is unique and professionally developed. A small brochure espousing the benefits (NOT features) of your product or service is one approach. A customized pocket folder containing not only a brochure, but also case study or informational insert sheets, is another effective printed piece that will help your brand get noticed.

 

Direct Mailer or Follow-up pieces:

Conventional wisdom dictates that direct mail is usually ineffective at driving traffic to a web site or increasing brand awareness. While this might be true with MASS direct mail (a shotgun approach sending unsolicited pieces of mail to thousands of people), developing a highly targeted campaign to valuable customers or prospects can be effective. The secret is to develop a list of fewer recipients that share a similar problem or interest, and then send only those prospects a series of 3-4 mailers that address those pain points and offers a solution.

 

Print and interactive can work in tandem to build your brand. Printed collateral such as direct mail can help drive traffic to a unique, web landing page for your product or service, where results of different marketing campaigns and messages can be tracked. Tradeshow handouts or sales brochures may contain “call to action” statements or incentives to also drive traffic. Despite what some may say, print is most certainly not dead, and it won’t be going away anytime soon—together with the web and other interactive technologies, it is a powerful way to reach customers, increase brand loyalty, and promote purchases.

 

By: Ryan Hembree, Principal, Brand & Creative Strategy

Search Engine Optimization, or “SEO,” has become the new marketing buzzword. As a way to drive traffic to a web site, increase awareness of a brand, and increase consumer sales, it has risen in prominence on many companies’ “must-have” lists. Unfortunately, this powerful marketing tool is often misunderstood, and as a result, can cost companies a lot of money for questionable results at best.

 

Traditional and Internet Marketing companies, many promoting the benefits of paid search and optimized web sites, have sprung up like weeds to take advantage of this lack of understanding of SEO. It seems like there is no escaping the constant barrage of emails that promote “guaranteed placement” or “top rankings on major search engines.” Of course, it doesn’t help that Google sends every registered company a $100 coupon for free AdWords advertising.

 

In my opinion, some of these Internet Marketing companies are offering the equivalent of a “Yellow Pages” approach to promoting brands: remember when it was considered smart to place customized ads (costing thousands of dollars every month!) in the Yellow Pages? The rush for paid search results reminds me of this mentality, and can be epitomized by the following quote from Navin R. Johnson, Steve Martin’s memorable character in the movie “The Jerk”:

“The new phone book’s here! The new phone book’s here! … I’m somebody now! Millions of people look at this book everyday! This is the kind of spontaneous publicity–your name in print–that makes people. I’m in print! Things are going to start happening to me now.”

 

This is not to say that SEO is not worth doing. In fact, the opposite is true. There are a number of companies offering SEO/Internet marketing services that can add value to your business. However, instead of paying them thousands of dollars every month on a long-term and expensive contract, there are other ways to increase your rankings on major search engines. Companies and brands seeking to drive traffic to their web sites in order to build brand awareness or increase sales can do the following to improve search rankings organically, and without much expense.
1. Develop a list of keywords that you wish to be found through on search engines. Be specific, as the more generic the keyword, the lower your initial rankings will be. Trying to pay for placement using generic terms will also require greater amounts of advertising dollars.
2. Use these selected keywords throughout your site; when naming each page, link names, and for image filename and descriptions (using the “alt” tag).
3. Provide a lot of relevant content on the web site, using keywords as much as possible; the more a certain keyword appears within your site, the higher your organic search results will be.
4. Register your web site with all of the major search engines, not just Google. Registering your URL with Yahoo!, Bing, Lycos, Ask.com, and others will help create more connections and relevance for search results.
5. Be patient. It might take a few months for you to notice movement in search rankings, especially if you are planning on organic search results.
6. Start a small, limited budget campaign using AdWords, for no more than three- to six-months. When you do this, sites will start indexing you.

 

There is a fallacy and misconception that Internet search is all you need. Ultimately, companies need to understand that SEO is simply one tool of many when marketing their brands. In addition to an SEO campaign, print collateral can also help drive traffic to your site and increase web traffic (which helps increase relevance and rankings). Be wary of anyone who promises you that they can guarantee a number 1 or number 2 placement in SEO. Sure, they might be able to do so for some obscure keyword or terms that no one would ever search for; or it might end up costing you more than you thought.

 

By: Ryan Hembree, Principal and Creative Director

Customers today have too many choices, regardless of the type of product or service they are shopping for. Often the differences between them are indistinguishable, and as a result, companies tend to compete based on price (even though they might not admit it). When the biggest difference standing between you and your competition is price, then branding must become your key differentiator.

 

To be successful, all brands must tell their customers a story. No matter the company, industry, or product/service, all brands have a story to tell. As long as it connects emotionally with customers by telling them why your product or service is better, or how it will impact theirs or others’ lives, it is possible to demand higher or premium pricing. Customers will pay more for something that they believe in.

 

A classic example of this principle in action is the (PRODUCT) RED initiative, started by Bono to raise money to eliminate AIDS in Africa. Consumers will pay premium prices for red-colored products from various brands, such as Apple, Nike, and Starbucks, and 50% of profits go directly to the Global Fund.

 

 

The idea of telling a brand “story” is not new: business and marketing gurus such as Jim Collins (Good to Great) and Seth Godin (Purple Cow, All Marketers Tell Stories) have written about this concept for years. The problem is that brands have a hard time discovering what their “story” should be. Here are some ideas to help get you started:

 

1. Is there something unique about the history of your brand? For example, what trials and tribulations have you overcome? Have you been in business longer than any of your competitors, and why?

Indicia is celebrating our tenth anniversary this year, but the more compelling story is how the business partners met. Over 15 years ago they were introduced to each other by a high school art teacher and started a t-shirt company together. The resulting business lasted throughout college, and after going their separate ways they reunited four years ago.

 

2. What “pain points” does your brand address? In other words, is there a particular problem that your product or service solves? Does it make peoples’ jobs or lives easier, and in what way?

Herb Kelleher started Southwest Airlines because regional flights between Houston, San Antonio and Dallas, Texas were too expensive for most travellers. In doing so, he launched a revolutionary, low-cost, no frills airline that gave people “The Freedom to Fly.”

 

3. Are there any social or environmental causes that your brand is participating in? How are you helping the local community or giving back?

We already discussed the (PRODUCT)Red campaign to fight the spread of AIDS in Africa, but other companies are “going green” and trying to lessen their impact on the environment. Target’s story of social responsibility is evidenced by the fact they donate 5% of their profits to the communities surrounding their stores. Walmart now has recycling centers near most stores, and is trying to reduce their impact on the environment through conservation efforts.

 

These are but a few examples of the types of stories brands can tell. The secret to your brand’s success is to discover what it is about the company, product or service that makes it different. The next challenge is to tell that story in a compelling way to connect and resonate with your customers. Finally, following up on the claims you make is critical. If your brand’s story is not genuine, confidence in the brand’s authenticity will falter, driving customers away and into the wallets of your competitors.

 

By: Ryan Hembree, Principal | Brand and Creative Strategy, Indicia

Transparency is a very important trend in branding today, especially since customers have so many options from which to choose. Transparency is defined as “being free from pretense or deceit;” or in business as “visibility or accessibility of information, especially concerning business practices.” Simply put, transparency is about being honest with customers about what the brand does, the price someone will pay, and what benefit they will receive from using your product or service.

 

While it might be easy to confuse this quality with authenticity, I would argue that transparency is about much more than that: authenticity means that not only is a brand relevant, delivering meaningful value to the customer, but the brand also must do what it says it will. Authentic brands follow through with actions that benefit the customer and deliver results.

 

Transparency often strikes a deeper chord with consumers, particularly in terms of their pocketbooks. When customers buy a product or service, they are putting their faith and trust in your brand; it is up to you to not only deliver what they expect, but within the terms and pricing that have been established.

 

1. Don’t over-promise and then under-deliver.

 

This is something that most products or services struggle with. Often, while in pursuit of more sales, higher revenue growth, or increased profitability, companies will sometimes do or say anything to earn business. Once received, they might leave customers wondering where their product or service is. Worse yet, the product or service delivered might be of inferior quality to what was promised. Have you ever ordered a product from one of those television infomercials, waited “4–6 weeks” for its delivery, and then had it break within the first few hours of its use? Or the product was not quite what was pictured on the commercial?

 

2. Don’t have hidden costs that will surprise the customer.

 

Being upfront and honest about pricing is essential to transparency, and to establishing trust with customers. Ensure that there are no hidden costs associated with buying the product or service. On a recent family trip to the Atlantis Resort and waterpark in the Bahamas, I discovered how important transparency in branding is. After months of anticipation for all of the fun that had been promised, my delight and excitement quickly turned to frustration and then anger at all of the hidden charges that were assessed during our stay: additional charges for daily room service; expensive drinks and food; and charges for certain conveniences such as Internet access. Even with a “gratuity included meal plan” and reasonable room rates, the trip still cost hundreds of dollars more than expected. You might be able to fool customers once, but if you do, don’t be surprised if they never buy your product or service again.

 

3. Always communicate with customers, even when there is bad news.

 

There is an old adage that “no news is good news.” Nothing can be further from the truth, especially when it comes to your brand. Customers want, and need, to hear from the providers of their products and services, even if it is a simple email or phone call. A little reassurance, along with honest communication about pricing when issues arise, will go a long way to establishing a relationship built on trust and transparency.

 

By: Ryan Hembree, Principal of brand and creative strategy, Indicia

Brand messages are positioning and marketing statements about your offering that tell customers why they should use your product or service, why they should care, and what it means to them. They must not only be different from competitors, they must be relevant, authentic, and accessible to your target market. In other words, it’s not just what you say that matters, it is where and how that message is communicated, and to whom.

 

The first step in making your brand messaging work is to say the right things that connect emotionally with the audience. While luck and intuition might play a role in developing your brand message, some simple objective research techniques will yield better results:

 

Field Research

 

This is something that anyone can do, not just a market research firm. “Field” simply implies that you should get out and get to know your customers, your competitors, and you industry better. Interviews and surveys are a good start (see “Your Brand is Not What You Think It Is…”), but they sometimes don’t dive deep enough into the psyche of the customer. Instead, go to the places where they shop, where they relax, or the setting in which they use the product or service. Find out how they interact with the brand. Observing other retailers in the vicinity to see what messages they are communicating can also offer insight into appropriate brand messages. Have you ever noticed how there always seems to be a Taco Bell within a few blocks of a US Bank; or a Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse near a Walmart? There is a reason that certain stores cluster together: they are targeting the same type of customer.

 

Literature Research

 

If getting out of the office is too difficult or not an option, then another great way to discover how to develop the right brand message is to simply check out your local bookstore. There are literally thousands of magazines to choose from, many tailored to very specific niche markets. Odds are you will find a few magazines that appeal to your target market–simply flipping through them will give you a good idea of trends within the industry, language that is used, and imagery and colors that are appropriate. These literary sources already do a great amount of research into your target market, so why not use that to your advantage?

 

Once the brand messaging has been developed, the context in which it appears is equally important. If your message says all the right things, but no one from your target market sees or hears it, then it will be ineffective. Likewise, if messaging is placed within marketing vehicles that seem to contradict it, or if people can’t immediate comprehend what you are saying, the perception of the brand is affected. I call this the “Billboard” test: if you were in a car travelling at a high rate of speed, with only a fraction of second to read a marketing or brand message, would you get it?

 

Vanity license plates are a great and fun way to demonstrate the importance of context in communicating the right message. The following are real license plates, and great examples of why the type of automobile on which they appear make all the difference as to how the message may be interpreted. For example, if you quickly glanced a license plate that read “4MYHORS,” you would hope to see a trailer attached to a truck or SUV (in this case, there was none). In another example, a Corvette had a license plate that read “THERAPE.” While I am sure that the individual driving this car was probably a psychologist (“Therapy”), the message could just as easily be interpreted as something more sinister.

 

In conclusion, two of the most important factors to consider with regard to your brand message are what you should say (the content), and where and how you say it (the context). By performing simple research, it is possible to tailor a highly relevant message to your target audience. Once created, however, it is important to find the best way to communicate the message so that it is crystal clear. The perceptions of your brand message will ultimately affect your bottom line.

 

Ryan Hembree, principal of brand and creative strategy, Indicia