For those who aren’t familiar with the term “typography”, it’s the strategic arrangement of type in order to make written language readable and visually appealing. In graphic design, typography’s two main purposes are to:

1. Communicate a message
2. Promote legibility

If one’s typography is failing in either of these objectives, it can greatly affect the desired response from the intended target audience.

Anyone in the field of design or marketing understands how important brand recognition is, and car companies are among the most recognizable in the world. In early 2021, Kia noticed that companies like Nissan, Volkswagen, BMW, and GM were all rebranding and decided to hop on the bandwagon. Their solution to an outdated and juvenile logo was to design something bold, stylized, and immediately recognizable.

They succeeded in all of those and still, unfortunately, missed the mark.

The shortcoming stems from the legibility of the logo, which is lost due to how the company decided to connect the K and the I to the A in the middle of the name. One could argue that the legibility here is a matter of opinion and that the logo clearly reads KIA, but you can’t argue with Google Analytics.

According to Google, over thirty thousand people a day Google the letters KN, thinking that the stylized logo is portraying a backward N instead of an I and A.

While the new KIA logo isn’t the worst logo taboo we’ve seen before, it is a detrimental one and has clearly been confusing drivers since it was unveiled. Here at Mad Men Marketing, we understand how important it is to have a brand logo that not only speaks to you and your business but is legible and above all, effective.

The post Kia’s Confusing Logo appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

Brand Pillars are a set of principles businesses can use to define their unique position in their industry.  These “pillars” are broken up into five categories and define the company’s brand as well as how it sets itself apart from its competitors. Seems simple, right? Well, a business’s brand can be a lot more complex than it may seem on the surface. Most people are familiar with how a company uses a logo and other written elements like a tagline or slogan, but brands also tap into your emotions to convey their values, feelings of trust, and product or service superiority. The main brand pillars are purpose, perception, personality, position, and promotion. It takes a deep level of strategy and consistency to communicate your company’s values in a way that resonates with your target audience, and these pillars can help us zero in on what those values are.

Pillar 1 — Purpose

Purpose is the mission and foundation of your company. It’s why your company exists (beyond wanting to earn a living), and it’s what gets you up in the morning eager to work. Purpose is the answer to the biggest question your company needs to be able to answer: Why?

A few things to consider when answering this question:

• What drives the brand
• Do we solve a problem?
• How do we impact our customers, employees, and community?
• What do we want our legacy to be?
• What are we, as an organization, proud of?

Pillar 2 — Perception

Perception is how your customers experience your brand. There are a variety of brand touchpoints that give you the opportunity to shape the perception of your brand like your website, advertisements, social media, community presence, and of course, customer service. First, you must understand your brand perception in order to shape it appropriately. Try asking yourself the following questions:

• How do we think customers perceive our brand?
• Is this how we want to be perceived?
• Is our brand misinterpreted, and if so, where does it stem from?
• Are we effectively communicating our positioning?
• What do people think of our competitors?

Pillar 3 — Personality

This pillar helps describe your brand’s behaviors, emotions, and human characteristics. This will influence your brand’s voice, design, color palette, and much more. It’s your brand’s opportunity to foster that immediate connection between you and your clients or customers. When developing your brand’s personality, think about the following questions:

• How would we describe the business if it were a person?
• Do we look, act, or sound too similar to our competition?
• Is our personality authentic to who we really are?

For more information on brand personalities, check out our blog on Brand Archetypes

Pillar 4 — Position

Brand positioning is defining how your brand is perceived. Everyone thinks about a brand in a very specific way. People don’t typically think about Toyota the same way they think about Mercedes. By defining your business’s position very specifically, you can build brand loyalty among your target audience. Figure out your brand’s position by asking the following questions:

• Who is the target audience?
• Does our current position resonate with our target audience, or do we need to evolve our position?
• What are our 5-year goals versus our 10-year goals?

Pillar 5 — Promotion

Promotion is all about how you engage your audience. How are you enticing your audience to choose you over your competitors? Brand promotion differs greatly from product promotion in the sense that brand position is trying to establish a connection between your business and its customer or client that will hopefully turn into a long-term relationship. Product promotion is more of a short-lived transaction based on selling a service or product. Effective brand promotion puts your business in front of the right people, at the right time, in the right context. Think about the following questions:

• How are we currently promoting ourselves?
• When do our customers need us and where can they find us?
• How do we get our brand in front of more customers?

Now, more than ever, people are looking for a brand that stands for something and that they can connect with on a personal level. Brand pillars are the foundation of any business and are vital in creating your messaging, communication, and business strategy. By using this process, and carefully articulating your brand pillars, Mad Men Marketing can ensure that your brand will reach and affect the hearts and minds of your target audience.

The post 5 Pillars of Branding appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

We won’t beat around the bush. We’re talking taglines.

If you’re in the process of brainstorming a tagline or have yet to figure out how to work a tagline into your brand identity, don’t worry, we’re here to break it all down:

Tapping Into Taglines

Cambridge Dictionary defines a tagline as “a short, easily remembered phrase that a company uses in its advertisements, especially on television or the internet, so that people will recognize it or its products.”

In fact, you can probably recognize more taglines than you realize. Tell us: Which brands do these taglines belong to?

• I’m Lovin’ It
• Just Do It
• Think Different
• The Happiest Place on Earth

Now, let’s stop to consider what else these taglines have in common. Simply put, they cultivate a positive sentiment among their audiences, thereby influencing the overall decision of would-be consumers.

So if you were to determine how “successful” your tagline is, you might try asking yourself…

• Is my tagline memorable?
• Does my tagline evoke a positive feeling that resonates with what I’m selling?

Tag, You’re It…

It’s important that you don’t just think of your tagline as a line of copy to go on your product packaging. From food, to products, to theme parks, and more…. A brand’s tagline is arguably one of the most enduring elements featured in its overall identity.

That’s why the power of a tagline cannot be overstated: Because first impressions won’t be the last.

“Taglines also have the potential to build value over time,” as explained by Forbes. “When you use a tagline for long enough, it can become one of the most memorable parts of your identity. Audiences may even become more likely to remember your tagline than your company name.”

Conversely, keep in mind that a bad tagline has the potential to negatively impact your brand, so choose wisely.

Interact, Don’t Interrupt

With that being said, if you’re only beginning to dip your toes into the wide waters of marketing — or if you are otherwise unsure of how far your efforts have taken you in the past — there is no shame in reaching out for help.

“In essence, catch what your company or brand stands for in as succinct a manner as possible,” Marketing Epic advises. “When in doubt, it’s always beneficial to consult your marketing or advertising agency for guidance.”

Thankfully, Mad Men Marketing has the wit, the know-how, and the creativity to help you craft your tagline with confidence.

After all, here at Mad Men Marketing, we are rooted in the belief that brands should interact with their customers, not interrupt them — in fact, it’s in our tagline — and we’d love to help you do the same.

So, are you ready to interact? If so, contact Mad Men Marketing today by calling (904) 355-1766!

The post Just Do It: Write a Powerful Tagline appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

Some business owners may view a logo as just a graphic they need to put on a business card for legitimacy. Others may think of it as the face of their company, or an icon they can build their entire brand around.

The actual monetary value of a logo may be different from business to business, but some companies out there have shelled out some serious cash for their iconic looks with price tags that are sure to surprise you.

1. Symantec

Price Tag: $1,280,000,000

Symantec is a security program developing company that was established in 1982 in the United States and changed its name to NortonLifeLock in 2019. The business operates worldwide and is one of the largest in its field.

The Symantec logo is a very recognizable one. It’s made up of a simple emblem and a wordmark. The Symantec emblem is a black check encompassed by a yellow circle. This symbolizes protection and quality. The Symantec wordmark, placed on the right of the emblem, is a bold sans-serif typeface, which looks simple yet professional.

The validity of this logo’s price tag is debatable. Symantec purchased a company, Verisign, in 2010 for $1.28 Billion. One of the most valuable aspects of Verisign was its iconic checkmark that Symantec integrated into its brand after the buyout.

2. BP

Price Tag: $210,000,000

The second most expensive logo in the world goes to British Petroleum. BP, formerly known as the British Petroleum Company, is an oil company that was established in the 1950s. Today, the company operates worldwide and has gas stations in over 70 countries around the world. BP is one of the world’s leaders in the industry.

BP is notorious for its impact on the environment, so in 2000, with the help of Landor Associates, it executed a rebrand to help fight that pre-existing stigma.  BP’s current logo is in the shape of a flower, with vivid tones of green and yellow, giving the brand a fresh and exciting look.

3. BBC

Price Tag: $1,800,000

BBC is a British public service broadcaster that was founded in 1922. It’s headquartered in Westminster, London, and it is the world’s oldest national broadcasting organization. Besides the UK, it is the most well-known public broadcaster in the world.

In 2021, BBC began to phase in the first update to its logo in over 20 years. Closely based on its previous version, it maintains its basic form of the existing logo used since 1997, but the blocks have more space between them and slightly smaller lettering. The new lettering is in BBC Reith, the BBC’s proprietary font, introduced in 2017 and designed by Dalton Maag.

4. Citibank

Price Tag: $1,500,000

Citibank is an American banking corporation, which was established in 1955 in New York. Today Citibank is an international institution with more than two thousand offices in almost 20 countries around the world.

The timeline of the bank’s logo can be divided into two periods — the era of First National City Bank, from 1955 to 1976, and the Citibank period, which started in 1976 with the company’s rebranding. The company merged with Travelers Insurance Group in 1998 and started working on its rebrand, in collaboration with the famous Pentagram agency. Travelers Group had a very recognizable logo — a red umbrella, symbolizing protection and security.  Paula Scher, one of the Pentagram designers, created a very minimalist logo, which was instantly accepted by the company and became one of the most iconic emblems in modern history.

5. Pepsi

Price Tag: $1,000,000

Pepsi is one of the most well-known beverage brands in the world.  Its logo is a combination of red, white, and dark blue inside a circular shape, and it looks appealing due to a “smile” effect, created by the white swirl inside the circle.

Pepsi’s logo evolution includes 16 different variations dating all the way back to 1893. The most recent redesign was done by The Arnell Group in 2008 and is reported to have cost Pepsi $1 million.

Obviously, these are insane numbers that companies paid for a rebrand. But the takeaway here is the importance of the logo in brand promotion and marketing strategy.

So, whether you’re in the market for a $1 billion logo, or maybe something a little more affordable, Mad Men Marketing can help you build a brand worth more than you paid.

The post 5 of the Most Expensive Logos appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

A thorough brand guideline or style guide is a must-have for any business, big or small. The purpose of a brand guideline is to break down your company’s personality and aesthetic in a document for other creatives to utilize.  By providing a comprehensive manual for designers to use, you can ensure that the message, tone, logo, and design elements are all used properly, thereby protecting the visual identity of your brand.

Let’s Break It Down

Brand guidelines cover seven key points:

• An Overview
• Mission Statement
• Logo Usage
• Color Palette
• Fonts
• Imagery
• Mockups

Overview

An overview is used to set the expectations for both your customers and your team. This is an opportunity for you to explain your business’s core values and history.  Ask yourself what values are unique to you and your business.

Mission Statement

A mission statement is essentially a brief explanation of the organization in terms of why and how you do what you do.  It’s important to explain your purpose and overall intention while supporting your vision and direction.  The main two questions to ask yourself while writing a mission statement are: “What is our company’s purpose?” and “Why does our company exist?

 Logo Usage

Designers create logos to be used in a variety of ways, and people without the proper experience or knowledge can easily use a logo incorrectly.  It’s important to provide a detailed visual breakdown of how to use different variations of a logo, the correct use of different background colors, and proper margins surrounding the logo.

Color Palette

Consistency is key when it comes to your color palette.   It may not seem that important, but repeated usage of specific colors is key when it comes to brand recognition.  Companies like Google and UPS are immediately recognizable due to their color palette. The more people can recognize your brand, the more effective your advertisements can be.

Fonts

The consistency and variety of fonts are just as important as the color palette.  In your brand guidelines, you want to display each font your brand uses, along with their font family (variety of weights the font offers). A good rule thumb is to utilize two to three fonts — one for headers, one for body copy, and one for your logo (which may be one of the previous two).

Design Elements

When designers create a brand, specific design elements other than the logo are created to help with visual recognition. Whether it’s a specific shape, background, texture, pattern, or illustration, having consistent imagery will help consumers link visuals to your brand, making them more likely to interact.

Mockups

Providing a visual representation of how you utilize the brand is key.  This is usually in the form of business cards, letterhead, apparel, and other swag. This gives anyone looking at your brand guideline a cohesive snapshot of how your company visually promotes itself in various ways.

The post Brand Guidelines 101 appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

Step 1: Know Yourself

Before you choose a font, it’s important to have a solid understanding of your brand’s identity.

Every brand has a personality. Coming up with a few adjectives that describe your business’s character is a great place to start:

• Bold
• Helpful
• Caring
• Serious
• Adventurous
• Imaginative
• Youthful
• Playful
• Vibrant
• Energetic
• Reliable
• Whimsical
• Masculine
• Feminine
• Innovative
• Calm
• Luxurious
• Elegant
• Humorous
• Glamorous
• Healthy
• Old-Fashioned
• Kind
• Light-hearted
• Witty
• Tough
• Sexy
• Authoritative
• Quirky
• Smart

Step 2: Font Psychology

Fonts are broken up into different categories with different aesthetic traits. This is known as “Font Psychology.” Review each font classification and see which one fits your brand most appropriately.

• Serif: Classic, traditional, elegant
• Sans-Serif: Clean, modern, minimalistic
• Slab-Serif: Strong and adventurous
• Script: Chic and exclusive
• Handwritten: Creative and Informal
• Decorative: Unique and stylized

Step 3: Licensing

Not all fonts are free, so it’s important to figure out how you will source your fonts before making the final decision.

Free font resources: 

• Google Fonts
• Dafont
• Font Squirrel

These resources may be free, but free resources usually lack diversity in weight throughout the font family.

Paid font resources:

• Adobe fonts
• Envato Elements
• LinoType

Paid fonts give you more versatility with your designs in that they offer fonts that have a variety of weights (thin, book, normal, semi bold, bold, and black).

Step 4: Find a pairing

Now that we have identified our font classification, it’s time to mix and match. Having a secondary font option can help with visual hierarchy and diversify your brand’s look.

Always make sure to test your font pairings out in real situations to ensure they work well. Don’t forget to make sure your font licensing is covered in all implementations (websites, packaging, print, etc.)

The post Finding the Best Front for Your Brand appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

In 1947, psychologist Carl Jung posed the theory that 12 essential characters exist in everyone’s unconscious mind, each one battling for dominance.  Since then, marketing experts have utilized this theory, stating that each brand fits into one of the 12 archetypes or “characters.”

These characters are all based on universal patterns of behavior that everyone can instinctively relate to. The following human desires each match with a specific character or “archetype”:

• Power = The Magician
• Mastery = The Hero
• Liberation = The Outlaw
• Freedom = The Explorer
• Understanding = The Sage
• Safety = The Innocent
• Intimacy = The Lover
• Enjoyment = The Jester
• Belonging = The Everyman
• Innovation = The Creator
• Control = The Ruler
• Service = The Caregiver

The Outlaw

The outlaw archetype tends to be disruptive, rebellious, and combative. This is the type of brand that attracts people who like to live life on the edge, encouraging revolution and empowerment. Harley Davidson motors is a great example of an Outlaw.

Related Industries: Automobiles, Tools, & Apparel

The Magician

The Magician is a reassuring archetype that wants to make your dreams come true. They want their customers to feel like anything can happen and that one is only limited by their imagination. A perfect example of this would be Disney.

Related Industries: Entertainment, Health & Wellness, Cosmetics

The Hero

The Hero archetype is honest and brave. They have the determination and desire to make the world a better place. Businesses like Nike and FedEx lean towards the Hero archetype due to their motivation to prove their worth.

Related Industries: Sportswear, Outdoor Equipment, Trade Services

The Lover

The Lover archetype can be sensual and soothing, seeking pleasure from the experience of intimacy. Some brands that relate to this are Victoria’s Secret and Chanel.

Related Industries: Cosmetics, Wine, Food, Travel

The Jester

The Jester archetype is the playful, fun-loving optimist. The Jester is all about living life in the moment and ensuring that the people they surround themselves with are as happy as they are. Some great examples of companies that utilize this persona are M&Ms, Old Spice, and Dollar Shave Club.

Related Industries: Beer/Liquor, Child Services

The Everyman

The Everyman archetype is authentically humble and friendly. They don’t like to stand out from the crowd, so they seamlessly blend in to society. They tend to be very positive due to their need to fit into a group. Target and Ikea are both great examples of brands that fall under the Everyman category.

Related Industries: Foods, Home & Family Life, Apparel, Automobile

The Caregiver

The Caregiver archetype has a warm and caring personality. They are often thought of as maternity figures due to their need to protect others. Toms and UNICEF both have brands that make them perfect caregivers.

Related Industries: Elder Care, Non-Profits, Hospitals, Education

The Ruler

The Ruler archetype has a very refined and commanding presence.  Above everything else, the ruler needs control.   They can be considered intimated at times due to their authoritative actions.  These brands consider themselves to be the best of the best and want their customers to feel the same way. Mercedes-Benz and Rolex are both obvious Rulers in their industry.

Related Industries: Luxury Automotive, Watch Manufacturers, Hotels,  Formal wear

The Creator

The Creator Architype tends to be provocative and inspirational, always wanting to create something incredible.  Imagination and creative expression are two things they value the most. Lego, Apple, and Adobe are all great examples of creator brands.

Related Industries: Arts, Design, IT, Marketing, Writing

The Innocent

The Innocent archetype is always humble and honest. They have a positive view of life due to their inherent optimism. Companies like Dove and Aveeno would be considered Innocent brands.

Related Industries: Beauty & Skin products, Fresh Food, Cleaning Supplies

The Sage

The Sage archetype is knowledgeable and understanding. They seek truth above all else and want to share their knowledge with the world. Examples of sage-like bands would be Google and the University of Oxford.

Related Industries: Media & News, Schools & Universities, Educational Businesses, Search Engines

The Explorer

The Explorer Archetype is exciting and fearless. They have very daring personalities and don’t like to be pinned down. They love to push themselves out of their comfort zones and are on a constant road of discovery. Patagonia, North Face, and Jeep are all true Explorer brands to the core.

Related Industries: Extreme Sports, Outdoor equipment, Automotive, Travel

You may be wondering if your archetype is that of your customer or that of your brand, and the simple answer is both. Archetypes represent all personalities.  First, we must figure out your customers’ personalities and then tailor your brand to the archetype that is most attractive to your customer base. Define your character and begin your story!

The post Brand Archetypes 101 appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

There’s a difference between telling people who you think you are and inviting them into your story.

One great way to accomplish this is to create a “tagline.” A tagline is a concise statement that you can use to clearly explain what you offer or do. 

That being said, a tagline is a bit different from a slogan. A slogan is typically a short catchy phrase used in a campaign, whereas a tagline tends to have a longer shelf life.  It simply answers the question “What do you do?” or implies how the brand wants the customers to feel

Some of the most popular taglines are Nike’s “Just Do It,” McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It,” and Dunkin’s “America Runs on Dunkin’,” just to name a few. These are all successful taglines because they create a connection with the consumer.

Let’s take Dunkin’ for example.  Their tagline makes an instant emotional connection with hardworking Americans who believe they need to be fueled throughout their day.  This tagline is also included on or in almost all of their products and merchandise.

L’Oréal also does an impressive job of creating that emotional connection.  “Because You’re Worth It” creates an emotional response by making it about the target audience and not the company itself. 

Think about what the consumer feels and how you can make them feel appreciated.

Here are a few key suggestions when considering your brand’s tagline.

1. Keep it short
2. Make it memorable and easy to understand
3. Make sure it flows with the name of the business
4. Align it with your brand
5. Showcase your brand’s key benefit(s)
6. Encourage a positive reaction from your target audience.

And if crafting a tagline and subsequent marketing strategy is outside of your primary responsibilities or strengths, then it’s time to call in Mad Men Marketing!

As a full-service marketing agency offering a team of research strategists, creative experts, and social media aficionados, we’re ready and waiting to help you interact with your audience, not interrupt them.

So, are you ready to interact? If so, contact us today by calling 904-355-1766!

The post Building Brand Emotion Through a Tagline appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.