Holberg Design... compelling creative is just the tip

9 ways to illustrate an apple

2011-02-14T11:13:00.001-08:00

Appleseed is a beautiful garden center located on the East Coast in VA. They are updating their main store and wanted us to do the same for their brand. We suggested a quick logo update (not a complete redo). The client narrowed it down to two logos. Which one(s) do you like?

RKL - CPA Rebrand and new identity

2011-01-04T09:42:00.001-08:00

RKL is one of the largest regional accounting, tax and consulting firms in Southeastern Pennsylvania, with offices located in Reading, Lancaster, York and Harrisburg.

RKL has a good brand presence and enthusiastic clients that rave about their service. However, the visual identity was dated and a little inconstant between offices. RKL hired holberg design to help put a fresh face on the company. This included a new logo, stationery, message, web site, email blast and advertising campaign.

The inspiration was developed by reviewing images of financial documents. These documents had an "official" feel by placing fine lines in their designs. This was an ambitious direction to take the new brand, as attention needed to be spent on print management (to make sure the lines appeared clean). The marketing team at RKL deserves great praise for not only handling so many print projects at once, but they also professionally rolled out the new materials to all of their offices without a hitch.

The result is a unique brand image that visually separates them from their competition.

A New Brand for a New Building

2010-09-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

Weldon solutions' new building is up and running... and it's beautifully branded.

In 2004, Weldon Machine Tool, Inc. announced the rebranding of the company. Now doing business as Weldon Solutions, the company manufactures and services the Weldon line of CNC grinders, designs and integrates robotic automation solutions to satisfy a variety of applications, and installs and services Emtrol storage and retrieval systems.

holberg design helped to rebrand the company, which most recently meant helping to design the exterior and interior of their new building. It’s great to see the brand visuals on Weldon’s website, in all of their marketing materials… and now when you arrive at their new headquarters.

What can be cooler than robots? A company that designs and builds automation robots!

Weldon Solutions uses innovation the latest technologies to provide World Class CNC cylindrical grinders, robotic automation systems, automated storage and retrieval systems, drives and controls technology and service to customers.

See more examples at www.holbergdesign.com

New Logo and Brand

2010-09-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

holberg design just finished helping Kallista Press design their new logo and brand

Killista Press is a new venture project started by a creative duo, which is taking greeting cards to the next level. Killista looks for fresh new illustrators and showcases their artwork on it's greeting cards.

In Greek, Kallista (or Callista) literally means "beautiful". So we wanted to design a logo that lived up to the name. We tried several Greek themes and icons, but during the discovery phase we found a unique dragonfly that lives on the Greek Islands. So, we started with the dragonfly and took a creative license on the image... redesigning the wings to be more beautiful.

The result is an image that makes an artistic statement and helps to define what the company is.

A Targeted Mailing List + Food = New Business

2010-09-16T06:19:00.000-07:00

The fastest way to a new client is through their... stomach

Holberg Design helped RKL develop an advertising plan that had two main goals. The first goal was to extend RKL's brand into the York, PA market – an area that they were opening a new office. This plan consisted of advertisements, billboards, bus billboards and mailings. The advertising message was created to showcase that RKL is the perfect size and location for York clients. RKL’s competition is either extremely large (with little personal service), or too small (with not as much experience and resources). RKL seems to be the “Just Right” fit for most York clients.

The 2nd goal was to gain new clients, by focusing on a targeted-list. Holberg Design created and sent out a series of mailing cards. Each mailing card kept building up the "just right" message, leading to the final mailing piece – a box of Omaha Steaks. After the steaks arrived, pone calls were placed to each name on the list. The Result: Out of 150 prospects, 22 new client appointments were secured and 8 are now in new client negotiations. And, as of today, new appointments are still being secured.

So, what are 22 new client appointments worth to you?

Suddenly... It Had It

2010-09-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

A brand image lesson... from 1988

When you set a marketing goal to capture 1% of the consumer soft drink market, but manage to capture only one-tenth of that, it could be called “disappointing.” “''Disappointment?'' said Seven-Up's then-chief executive, John R. Albers. ''I'll be honest. It's a failure.” (http://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/11/business/7-up-gold-the-failure-of-a-can-t-lose-plan.html) I would dare call it an unmitigated disaster. And with the product development angle that 7-Up marketing strategists took, I’m surprised it didn’t cause serious deterioration of the 7-Up brand in the marketplace. The major problem with 7-Up’s 1988 introduction of 7-Up Gold was that it forced consumers to make a cataclysmic shift in their thinking about the 7-Up brand image and perception in general. And brand image can be a powerful motivator.

7-Up product marketers introduced 7-Up Gold with only brief test marketing, little more than rudimentary taste-testing. Gold faced an uphill struggle from the get-go. One problem was that 7-Up Gold was caffeinated… an in-your-face about face on the 7-Up mantra “Never had it, never will.” Suddenly… it had it. And they lied to us.

Another problem was the product’s appearance. 7-Up was recognized as the “un-cola”. In the consumer’s mind that meant, obviously, “not like cola”… clear in color, clean in taste. But 7-Up Gold had a “reddish caramel hue”. From the confused consumer’s point of view, it was no longer un-… it was justanother-cola.

The third problem was taste. The perceived 7-Up brand taste was clean, citrusy (lemon-lime), clear and crisp. 7-Up Gold tasted nothing like that… or even like anything else on the soft drink market at the time. Spiced, cinnamon-apple flavored soda… hmmm. It was simply too new. However, 7-Up’s short marketing development taste-testing studies showed that people seemed to like the taste of Gold. But you can’t launch a new soda product on taste alone. For a new product, taste is an experience, not an impression. If the marketplace doesn’t understand the product, or see how it fits a defined brand… they simply will never try it. So they’ll never get to the taste experience.

In the consumer’s mind, the 7-Up brand had a defined “meaning” (thoughts and feelings that are evoked within a person when presented with a sign in a particular context). Gold was so out of bounds with the 7-Up brand that it destroyed the context.

Attribute positioning for soda is almost always product-related. 7-Up had specific attributes that had helped it establish a position in the marketplace – different color (clear), different taste (lemon-lime), different effect (non-caffeinated). But suddenly, those attributes were gone… and the 7-Up brand was now competing on the same attribute level as Coke and Pepsi, who had years of dominance based on these attributes. Consumer confusion abound, and with it… consumer confidence. The effect was a one-tenth of one percent market share. I’m surprised this product didn’t do more damage to the core of 7-Up’s brand equity.

Brand image is a powerful concept… a powerful associator… a powerful motivator. So powerful that not even $10 million in advertising could change it.
“…the idea of a dark-colored, caffeinated 7-Up was the hurdle most consumers never cleared.” (NYTimes.com)

The power of brand image and perception can also been seen in other failed product launches. In 1985 the Coca-Cola company reformulated their iconic recipe and introduced “New Coke” on the consumer public. But the consumer public was not happy. To brand loyalists and soda drinkers in general, Coke was just right the way it was (embodying intense product-related brand equity). Consumer outrage (and plummeting sales) forced Coke to return to their original formula, re-introduced as Coke Classic. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Coke) This re-release, and return to their core product attributes, caused sales to surge. Some speculated that the entire program was a marketing ploy. But Coca-Cola doesn’t strike me as the type of company that would purposely risk a level of consumer outraged (and brand dissolve), to subsequently fix the problem… and win back our hearts. What if our hearts were broken permanently?

Another example of how brand perception can control consumer thinking is McDonald’s introduction of the Arch Deluxe sandwich line in 1996. These sandwiches were marketed to adults “with more sophisticated palates.” (http://www.walletpop.com/specials/top-25-biggest-product-flops-of-all-time) The name, the ingredients, the market positioning – and the price – was “deluxe.” The problem was that the name “McDonald’s” and the term “sophisticated” caused major consumer brand disconnect. McD’s is convenient. It is, dare I say, cheap and fast. It is not sophisticated. This brand disconnect, along with a poor nutritional score, caused lackluster sales of the Arch Deluxe. It has since been completely phased out of McDonald’s menu.

Just as 7-Up Gold tried to bend consumer brand perception - to disastrous results - it’s easy to see from these examples of other failed marketing ideas that brand image and brand equity is powerful to possess… but difficult to work against.

Measuring advertising effectiveness

2010-09-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

BehaviorScan versus ScanTrack

Bringing a new product to market can be an expensive venture. Brand managers are constantly looking at ways of getting more for their marketing and advertising budgets. Comparatively, the raw costs for an awareness study are five times less than for a BehaviorScan test… but the prudent brand manager should realize that the BehaviorScan data is ten times more valuable.

As a brand manager, I can certainly understand the need to build brand awareness and equity. That’s a critical first step to building an effective product launch. An awareness study will gauge just that – the amount of “awareness” this new brand has in the market place… “whether a brand name comes to mind when consumers think about a particular product category and the ease with which the name is evoked.” Certainly valid information… but I need to know more. My main goal with this product launch is using my advertising budget effectively and generating sales (emphasis on the sales)… and BehaviorScan data can help me understand the impact on sales that a specific advertising campaign might create… “single-source systems (like BehaviorScan) address the critical issue of whether an advertising campaign has actually driven increases in brand sales and augmented the brand’s market share.”

IRI’s BevahiorScan and ACNielsen’s ScanTrack are both single-source systems that can measure the effects of advertising on sales. Both systems provide dynamic information to brand managers and marketers but function a bit differently. ScanTrack has its household panel members use handheld scanners to record the barcode from every product they purchase, no matter where it is bought. Users also are asked to scan all coupons and any other offers that effected their buying decision. While Shimp talks about ScanTrack being able to uncover “the short- and long-term effects of advertising”, Nielsen’s web site claims… “This virtual report card of product and category performance provides your organization with accurate, decision-ready reporting across the broadest array of retail channels. This allows your company to hold the course through larger volume swings and increased margin pressures. Even more, Nielsen Scantrack can help you uncover significant growth opportunities.” (http://en-us.nielsen.com/content/nielsen/en_us/product_families/nielsen_scantrack.html)

The information that IRI’s BehaviorScan brings to the table seems a bit more comprehensive. BehaviorScan operates in 5 small-market cities across the United States. These cities were chosen because of the consumer’s reliance on cable TV for television reception. Selected households (panel members) provide IRI with specific demographic information about income, media use and shopping preferences. Panel members have an ID card that they present whenever they shop. Grocery and drug stores in these markets have barcode readers that record their purchases (and members also have handheld scanners for purchases made in other types of retail stores). BehaviorScan then compiles all purchasing data, knowing exactly which households purchased which items.

But BehaviorScan goes even deeper. According to their web site it “measures the impact of advertising on actual consumer behavior at the household level, empowering you to analyze advertising’s impact on brand switching and different demographic groups” (http://www.symphonyiri.com/ProductsSolutions/AllProducts/AllProductsDetail/tabid/159/productid/29/Default.aspx). Cooperating with advertisers and cable companies, IRI is able to split test different TV commercials and different weighting so the outcome of advertising data is even more complete. The split-cable feature and optically scanned purchase data enable IRI to know which commercial each household had an opportunity to see and how much of the advertised brand the household purchases. That information, from a brand manager’s perspective, is well worth the cost of participation… and is much more comprehensive - and sales driven - than an awareness study. I can test ad creative and weighting and determine which ad schedule would be the most beneficial to sales efforts. That information should help me maximize use of my advertising budget and increase brand sales.

Considering the fact that I own an advertising agency, I would never be asked to participate in either ScanTrack or BehaviorScan. But if I would be asked, I would have no qualms about participating. Sign me up! I think this type of data actually helps consumers because it helps identify products that are truly ready for market. And I believe it brings newer and more innovative products to market quicker (perhaps a bit of far-fetched altruism here…). I do not see it as an invasion of privacy if I consent and am willing to subject my buying habits to scrutiny and study. Data must be compiled from all segments and demographics within a marketplace in order to be complete. My data would differ from my neighbors and would therefore be valid to capture and analyze. My wife commented that she wouldn’t participate if it took a lot if time (ScanTrack seems more time-involved from a user standpoint), which would alter the data if she started the program and then decided not to participate fully. One missed scan affects the accuracy of the data.

PANTS10 - PANTS SHOW 2010

2010-08-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

PANTS10 Quick Show Recap

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our PANTS10 booth to say "Hi". Below are some event photos we captured at the show. If you would like to see the full PANTS reband, check out...

http://blog.holbergdesign.com/2009/10/trade-show-makeover.html

Here are our personal top 5 observations from the PANTS10 show…

1. We really enjoyed the sessions… I have to give a shout out to Jeffery Scott for helping make the seminars such a success.

2. We really liked the new layout. The entrance and HOT TRENDS area was a great lead into the main floor.

3. Completely enjoyed the BBQ chicken… however, the lunch vendor just seemed unprepared for us hungry exhibitors.

4. The move-in and move-out was very fast and easy, but HOT and HUMID... I lost 3 pounds :)

5. The traffic seemed a little lighter this year, but (personally) we had more, better-qualified contacts.

You Can't Beat the Real Thing

2010-07-05T18:15:00.000-07:00

An overview of Coca-Cola's brand history
By Rick Holberg

"Open Happiness". It's clean and bright. Direct and easy to understand. It's full of … effervescence. “Open Happiness” is the latest version of Coca-Cola’s advertising slogan and it suits them to a (Nestea Iced) tea. Over their 124 years, Coke has used catchy advertising themes, intelligent brand positioning, on-target product innovation and savvy marketing concepts to build what is considered by most media and marketing professionals to be the world’s most recognizable brand.

Advertising has always played a vital role in the growth of the Coke brand. 1886, the year Coca-Cola debuted, is also the year their first ad appeared in an Atlanta newspaper. Thus was born an advertising program that would become one of the biggest brand spenders in all of business history. Messaging of the day was straightforward – “Drink Coca-Cola”. Within 5 years, the company used coupons and outdoor posters (the precursors to billboards) to entice people to “drink Coca-Cola”. By 1900 the ad budget had reached $100,000 per year (about 1.9 million in today’s dollars), a huge amount for any business of that day, and branded promotional items and national magazine advertisements were used to enhance the brand exposure. In 10 short years, that ad budget would reach $1 million. And the ad messaging became more emotive – “Good to the last drop” – resonating great taste and pure refreshment.

Within their first 50 years, by the late 1920’s, the Coca-Cola name appeared on billboards and the bright lights of Times Square. The trademark brand “Coke” exploded onto the market in 1942 and by the early 1950’s the ad budget had reach 30 million dollars annually. Thematic ad slogans like “Where there’s Coke there’s hospitality” and “What you want is a Coke” played into the strategy of Coke as part of entertainment… and part of everyday life. Next came the era of Coke advertising driven by the rapidly growing “boob tube”. An excerpt from their Heritage website summarizes the time… “Advertising for Coca-Cola, always an important and exciting part of its business, really came into its own in the 1970s, and reflected a brand connected with fun, friends and good times. The international appeal of Coca-Cola was embodied by a 1971 commercial, where a group of young people from all over the world gathered on a hilltop in Italy to sing "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke."” (Heritage website) That “Hilltop” commercial has become one of the most endearing ads of all time, and quite honestly, for me, cemented the Coke brand in my mind. It also cemented the Coke name as a powerhouse international brand. The commercial can be viewed here: http://video.thecoca-colacompany.com/presscenter/avcenter/view/advertising/3

Then, in 1993 as part of the new “Always Coca-Cola” campaign, another international advertising sensation appeared – the Coca-Cola polar bears. Creative Artists Agency’s Creative Director, Ken Stewart, envisioned his Labrador Retreiver drinking Coke at the movies… and the “Northern Lights” spot was conceived. The “dog” became polar bears and the “movie” became the aurora borealis. Stewart commented, “That's really what we were trying to do - create a character that's innocent, fun and reflects the best attributes we like to call 'human'. The bears are cute, mischievous, playful and filled with fun." And once again, by playing to the consumer sentiment of lightheartedness, fun and sentimental emotion, Coke made an indelible brand impression on the world’s psyche.

Advertising Age estimated global advertising spending at $2.7 billion in 2008 (that’s billion, with a “b”), making Coca-Cola the world's #6 advertiser.

Coke has also used the 4 Ps of marketing to build brand loyalty and their beverage industry dominance.

• Product – When introduced in 1886, quite simply, there was nothing like it. Coca-Cola had immediate product differentiation. The right product at the right time. And throughout it’s history Coke’s marketers have maintained that innovative spirit – the unique bottle shape, bell-shaped drinking glass, paper six-pack carrier, sleek fountain dispensers and king-size bottles – have all been used to separate the Coke brand from its imitators. The power of the product is obvious – the Coke brand was strong enough to sidestep 1985’s disastrous introduction of New Coke.

• Price – Debuting at 5 cents a glass, Coke has always been affordably priced – a marketing strategy that enabled it to easily become a part of everyday life for a vast majority of the consumer population.

• Place (or distribution) – Coke launched meagerly in Atlanta, GA. But shrewd business managers quickly saw it’s potential for worldwide appeal. It first appeared on an international stage at a World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893 and was first bottled for mass distribution in 1894. Just one year later, Asa Candler, the current company President proclaimed, “Coca-Cola is sold and consumed in every state and territory of the United States.” Once again, the Heritage website tells the appropriate story… “As the country roared into the new century, The Coca-Cola Company grew rapidly, moving into Canada, Panama, Cuba, Puerto Rico, France, and other countries and U.S. territories. In 1900, there were two bottlers of Coca-Cola; by 1920, there would be about 1,000.” (Heritage website) Coin operated vending machines were introduced in 1935, opening an even wider distribution channel of Coke to an adoring public. Even World War II helped Coke’s placement – overseas bottlers helped deliver 5 billion bottles of Coke to American troops. The international appeal of the brand grew year after year. 1971’s “Hilltop” commercial, discussed above, embodied this appeal. In 1978, Coke was the only packaged cold drink allowed in China. Coke currently offers over 500 beverage brands served in over 200 countries. (Ad Brands website) Pure and simple, this far-reaching availability represents domination of the worldwide soft drink market.

• Promotion – Advertising is just one component of brand promotion. Consistent visual branding and graphic design is another. These, and many more, are the cornerstone components of brand promotion. From coupons to Santa Claus, celebrity endorsements to FIFA sponsorships, with dexterity Coke has used cohesive marketing communication and other promotional opportunities to enhance their brand and build brand loyalty. Perhaps the most effective promotional opportunity began in 1928 when Coca-Cola first partnered with the Olympics. That partnership came to full fruition when Coke sponsored the 1996 Olympics in their hometown of Atlanta.

From the most meager beginnings - just nine drinks a day - Coca-Cola has used innovative marketing and advertising to become the world’s most ubiquitous brand. More than 1.4 billion beverage servings are sold each day. “When people choose to reach for one of The Coca-Cola Company brands, the Company wants that choice to be exciting and satisfying, every single time.” (Heritage website) After all… “You can’t beat the real thing.”

To see more about design, branding, advertising and marketing, visit our web site. Here's a link: www.holbergdesign.com

Reference

Heritage website (2010) The Coca-Cola Company
http://heritage.coca-cola.com

Company website (2010) The Coca-Cola Company
http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/

Fifty Years of Coca-Cola Television Advertisements: Highlights from the Motion Picture Archives, American Memory section - website (2010) Library of Congress
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ccmphtml/colahome.html

Ad Brands website (2010)
http://www.adbrands.net/us/cocacola_us.htm

Transit Rebrand and Marketing

2010-05-05T08:36:00.000-07:00

On Monday, May 3, COLT (County of Lebanon Transit) announced it’s new name… LT (Lebanon Transit). Along with the new name, the new brand will consist of a new logo, signage, bus designs, route maps, messaging and a new website.

The rebranding emerged from the results of a 2008 transportation study that found that county residents were not aware of LT’s services—or the breadth of those services and their advantages to the community and it’s residents.

“Lebanon County is growing,” states LT Executive Director Theresa Giurintano, “and so are we. Lebanon Transit is offering new service lines and integrating newer technologies for the benefit of our riders. As a transportation leader in the 21^st century, we needed a brand that matches the quality of our services and one that our community can be proud of.”

The transit agency, then called COLT, hired York-based branding experts Holberg Design to develop a new brand and a marketing strategy for the changing transportation organization. Company President Richard Holberg explains, “We felt the former name did not capture what the transit agency represented in the new millennium. During the creative research phase, we began to understand who our new target new audience is. We wanted to reach the working professionals who have cars but never really considered riding public transportation. So, we created a new brand message that helps convey transit’s environment-helping, traffic-reducing, money-saving benefits —these are the key points this target audience cares about and will help to convert them into believers. Currently this demographic thinks of public transportation as a last resort and their cars as a first, the ultimate long-term brand goal is to reverse that way of thinking.”

The new name includes a new look as well. Fresh, brightly colored designs for LT’s fleet of buses are the most visible change, but these are just one part of the image makeover. A newly designed website will be launched to reflect the technology-forward transit agency, as it continues to incorporate time-saving, convenient amenities for riders.

The new brand will take up to a year to be fully incorporated into the community. Lebanon residents and commuters will start seeing changes throughout the community this spring and summer.

The logo before rebranding
Design inspiration and mood board development

New brand identity

Visit the website for the new LT commuter line between Harrisburg and Lebanon - The Commute King

To see more about design, branding, advertising and marketing, visit our web site. Here's a link: www.holbergdesign.com

Can't Escape 'Em (and Who'd Want To!)

2010-03-26T13:48:00.000-07:00

The ubiquitous television commercial… when done well it’s 30 seconds of pure power. A mini-epic designed to entice, control and compel you to take action. Arthur Berger, in his "Media & Society" text, appropriately calls them micro-narratives.

The following ad categories were observed during an evening of casual telly viewing on March 2, 2010.

• Heroes and Heroines
A promotional spot for ESPN’s upcoming World Cup coverage. (:30, ESPN, during College Basketball) Quick cuts of soccer action by famous athletes with interspersed slo-mo and driving music designed to make you feel part of the game… and anxious for the network’s upcoming coverage. A few months early in my opinion…
There was also an ad for Metrex protein supplements during the same commercial break. I was looking for the Derek Jeter/shaving ad, but it didn’t run.

• Sexuality
A Victoria’s Secret ad (could this get any more obvious… or me any more lucky!). (:30, FOX, during American Idol) A runway montage of the prerequisite scantily clad female form in VS undies, with electronica music. Now I know why they call it the “boob tube.” It was just PC enough for American television. My wife looks JUST like that in her undies too! (My iWife that is… remember her?)
I won’t detail the Hooters spot with Dick Vitale on ESPN (other than to tout my luck once again).

• Humor
What else… a Miller Lite ad (:30, ESPN, during College Basketball) A hilarious spot featuring a young couple at a bar. She looks affectionately at him and says “I love you.” He stammers “And I lo… looo… laao” Obviously too stressful for the guy to say. The waitress stops by and asks if he’d like another Miller Lite. And he shouts out… “I’d LOVE one!” Beer 1, girlfriend 0.

• Fun
A slickly produced ad for Vizio Internet Tools (:30, Palladia, during an AC/DC concert) Quick cuts of robotic assembly line, morphs into man on couch in assembly line, morphs into man in living room, morphs into flat screen TV, to text reveal screen. With up-tempo music throughout. Fun to watch and it raised my interest to try these browsing tools.

• Success
A cable network spot for Comcast Business Class (:30, TNT, during a rerun of SouthLAnd) Several stern-faced, multi-cultural business types ask me if I’ve “taken a look at my phone bill lately”. A VO over typical office b-roll tells me how much money I can save and how much better my business will be. Ends with graphic/text screen. Heavily “reduced overhead = success” oriented. Made me want to take a look at my phone bill.

• Reward
An older installment of the often seen “flying type” Ford F-150 ads (:30, ESPN, during College Basketball) Built around the theme - You work hard, you play hard… you deserve a Ford F-150. The truck that’s got it all. Dennis Leary’s VO delivery is perfect. What’s interesting to me is, thinking back, I can’t actually recall if he said the words “you deserve a Ford F-150.” But the “reward” implication was readily apparent.

Each of these spots, in it’s own right, was effective. But the most effective overall are the spots that strike the right chord with their audience and create a memorable brand impression. They are the spots that are precisely targeted to the demographic of the show in which they run. I think I would stop short of saying that a certain ad category, or a certain theme or style, will always be the most effective. Effectiveness lies mainly in the hands of the media buyer who places the spot.

I think effectiveness is also related to personal tastes. I typically relate well to humorous commercial spots. Most that I see entertain me. Some enthrall me. I smile… I chuckle. I am satisfied. But if I saw a Miller Lite spot during “Meet The Press” it probably wouldn’t impact me the same way. It’s out of context on a talking-heads show. But it’s precisely in-context for the fun-loving, beer drinking Gen X males who watch college basketball on ESPN. That demo is right in Miller’s wheelhouse. And the F-150’s as well. What I witnessed during my evening viewing was a savvy demonstration of research and media buying.

In this same vein, at first blush, some might think the Victoria’s Secret ad might have been better suited for ESPN. After all, sex sells. But it’s not the guy’s who buy. Commercials aren’t meant JUST to titillate (which is all the guys want), they have a deeper function to perform – entice someone to buy. The heavily female “Idol” audience is the perfect spot for Victoria’s Secret. Women will buy it to “own” the sexuality portrayed in the commercial.

Several of the other ad categories can also be defined as possibly more suitable for certain demographics. “Heroes/Heroines” ads are well suited to those enamored with celebrity. They’re well suited to those who idolize the famous and want to mimic them. They’d be well placed on E! or TNT or ESPN (depending on genre). “Success” and “Reward” spots are perfect for those who seek status. One of my clients recently defined part of that group as “The Young Up-and-Comers.” But this is also a demographic without age boundaries – success can be achieved at any stage of life. Finding the on-air home for this demographic is more difficult.

The “Fun” category, to me, seems the most ubiquitous. I think a large segment of the population can associate with happy, fun-loving people doing fun-looking, entertaining things as portrayed in TV ads. There doesn’t appear to be age, gender or socio-economic boundaries to the group that would be impacted by the “fun” category of ads.

If I ran my own ad agency (oh, wait, I do!) I would use these categories for creative concept development after doing extensive market research about the intended audience for each spot. I would tell the creative team… “We’re running a wine ad on Food Network. Let’s base our concept on the “Reward” and “Success” characteristics of this product. That theme will play well to the demographic we want to reach.” Therefore, these ad categories actually become signifiers of societal groups, and in understanding those groups advertisers can use the most appropriate thematic elements – be it a product display, lifestyle visual, or famous personality - to best reach them. I wonder how long it will be before we see the Tiger Woods/Viagra spots…

To see more about design, branding, advertising and marketing, visit our web site. Here's a link: www.holbergdesign.com

99 and 44/100% Pure Entertainment

2010-03-07T16:17:00.000-08:00

Matt Lauer should win an Emmy, perhaps even an Oscar. It’s a new category I just invented – Newscaster Most Likely To Satisfy the Advertisers. Matt’s job (I see him almost every morning so, yes, we are on a first name basis) is to facilitate a story that will grab me by the … emotions. And he’s devilishly good at what he does on the fiendishly clever NBC “Today Show”. Take those allusions at face value. The more Matt can tap into my emotions, the more “connected” I fell to him and his show. The more connected I feel, the more I’ll watch. The more I watch, the more I see the advertisers messages. The more ads I see, the more likely I am to allow those brands into my circle of influence. You get the picture. It’s a capitalist mass media “vicious cycle”, not dissimilar to the one hypothesized by Berger. And it keeps the “morning news” in business.

The Today Show of 2010 is not your father’s morning news. It’s 99 and 44/100% pure entertainment. And I have to admit, I’m NOT lovin’ it. (I do pay attention to the ads – it’s my job). Matt and his band of on-air cohorts are supported in their quest for my emotions by a host of other media artists who write, rehearse, make-up (no pun intended), film, produce and distribute the Today Show. It is literally hours of pulp interspersed with snippets of newsy information and periods of “mini-epic” narratives designed to make a visceral connection with me and make me want to buy. Neil Postman realized it all the way back in 1985 in his seminal media work "Amusing Ourselves to Death" – “A news show, to put it plainly, is a format for entertainment, not for education, reflection or catharsis."

Let me give you an example. I normally watch Today on my 13” kitchen TV. That’s a convenient way for me to digest the little bit of information it provides. But for this experiment, I watched it on my 52” flat screen instead. On the final day of Today’s Olympic coverage, a larger than life Matt appeared on-screen after a break, posed with a simple pleasant smile on his face. He’s big… he’s real. I immediately felt at ease. He wanted to recap his experience knowing and relating to the top American athletes at the Games. An audio/video montage ensued showing Matt with Lindsey Vonn, Evan Lysacek, Shaun White, et all. It ended with an uncharacteristic “I Love You, Man” hug from Matt with Seth Westcott. What a guy! But this piece wasn’t about the athletes, it was about Matt’s relationship with them. I didn’t learn a single new thing about the real newsworthy people – those that risked life and limb to compete. It was intended simply to help the world connect with the star NBC “newscaster”. I could almost hear the line from the movie “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy”… “I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal.” So this is what’s become of “the news.”

But not all news is bad news. I have to disagree somewhat with Arthur Berger (Media & Society, 2003) in his assessment of local news, which he said “can only be described as a disaster.” My job forces me to travel a bit and I’ve seen local news in many areas around the country. I can begin to understand Berger’s statement. But then I return home to central PA. I’m lucky… our local news is fairly well done. With only 30 minutes to work with, it is concise and informative. It is usually information that’s important to me – it’s happening in my town or even my backyard. But it is still entertainment oriented, just maybe not as pure. Our newscaster Lori Burkholder plays the part of the Today Show’s beautiful Natalie Morales… only with Susquehanna Valley good looks. (I wonder if newscaster beauty is proportionate to audience size?) The handsome Jere Gish is our Matt Lauer (with hair). The news, weather, traffic and sports are fast-paced with quick video cuts and interesting motion graphics. With less time for fluff, it is bright, fast, slickly packaged, on-point and projected in hi-def inviting me to jump into the imagery.

Because ultimately it is all about the fact that the “news” is played out within the visual medium that television inherently is. As Postman states, it is “everything to do with what the pictorial image looks like.” And less to do with the news itself. Again, Postman said it best, “those without camera appeal are excluded from addressing the public about what is called “the news of the day,” and “Most (television newscasters) spend more time with their hair dryers and less time with their scripts.” With Matt Lauer himself being the possible exception… how does he stay on the air with that receding hairline?! It’s either because he relates empathetically to a large segment of his male audience (an emotive connection again)… or it’s possibly aberrant decoding at work!

My lament here is this… “What’s become of our culture and our society where learning and understanding provided by the news is concerned?” Why do we enjoy digesting this narrative pap? Is it because it’s all we’re fed so we’ve learned to easily decode it? Or because real news could be educational, reflective and cathartic… but so visually off-putting that we’d stop watching? Postman’s example of the Ted Koppel “discussion” show would never work now. As a media elitist (on a rant), it saddens me.

But “the news” goes on. If Postman can paraphrase Irving Berlin, I’ll take the liberty as well… There’s News Business Like Show Business. Our culture wants it to be image over content… style over substance. I just hope it never reaches the point where the “Anchorman” news show title card becomes reality… “The following is based on actual events. Only the names, locations and events have been changed.”

To see more about design, branding, advertising and marketing, visit our web site. Here's a link: www.holbergdesign.com

Sleeping With Who??

2010-02-18T05:58:00.000-08:00

Media and My Life
by Rick Holberg

Just call me “Johnny”… “Johnny Q. Public” as Berger defines “me”. (Arthur Berger, Media and Society, 2003) Even though my media usage may not be exactly like the example Berger provides, I can find many direct correlations between his character summation and my life. I am involved with mass media in some form or another from sun up to sun down. On a typical day, just like Johnny, I’m a radio listening, television watching, music humming, book reading, phone talking, web browsing mass media consumer.

And I do like it “hot”. I feel that Marshall McLuhan’s theory of hot and cool media is direct and to the point. Even though my daily exposure is mostly from “cool” media (background music), I always find myself most engaged by what he defined as “hot” media – in my case especially books and movies. These hot media are those that “extend one single sense in “high definition.” High definition is the state of being well filled with data.” I define it as being enraptured… engrossed. Even though I didn’t use these media much on my day of analysis, movies and books always draw me in to the point where I can no longer see the background. Try it yourself some time… try disengaging your self from the “message” in a movie theater. Picture yourself in front of a screen instead of watching the movie and you’ll understand what McLuhan means by being “filled with data.” So McLuhan and I see eye to eye, eh.

This “Johnny” is also an individualist… but not by de Tocqueville’s definition. I do not “willingly leave society at large to itself.” Being an unabashed member of the baby boomer generation (sorry about the cliché) I’ve grown up being “socialized by my parents and peers and priests and pop stars” becoming more fully immersed in mass media as the years progressed. Media helps define my place in society while my media choices help define me as an individual. We all watch, we all listen, we all surf… but did your media inventory include “Head Automatica”, “The Assassination of Jesse James” and “Sport Diver?” All in the same day? Well, now Johnny’s taken on a bit of an elitist attitude too!

But I guess ultimately I’m pretty much a conformist. Like most Americans, I spend a “great deal more time with electronic media and photographic media” than I do with print media. However, I do feel that Berger’s 2003 definitions of traditional media classifications have become a bit archaic. Funny… it was only 7 years ago. He mentions the merger of photographic and electronic media but stops short of defining what I live – the “digital lifestyle.” Steve Jobs is perhaps given credit with coining the phrase – “But now, Jobs feels that we're entering what he calls the Digital Lifestyle Age, which is marked by the electronic devices we carry around with us such as cell phones, PDAs, CD players, MP3 players, and digital cameras, along with consumer-level devices like DVD players.” (TidBits website) (9 years ago… hmmm) And I am totally “plugged-in.” I spend my day with iTunes, make calls on my iPhone, organize my “hot” pictures in iPhoto, sleep with my iWife and live the iLife. That class description might make Berger’s head spin…

And all this analysis still raises the one question I, and Harold Lasswell, ponder… “To what effect?” I’m now consuming my 8 to 9 hours worth of daily mass media. My career allows me to create texts that are received by audiences through various channels. I’m hot on McLuhan, living a cool digital lifestyle but I can’t truly define the “long-lasting and important effects” it’s had on my life. Has my media involvement made me Dumb and Dumber? Or has it helped me develop A Beautiful Mind? Or am I merely A Simple Man with a massive Hangover...

To see more about design, branding, advertising and marketing, visit our web site. Here's a link: www.holbergdesign.com

Fresh Talent

2010-02-13T12:32:00.000-08:00

We think it involves new thinking, new eyes... fresh new skills and talents with the potential to build great creative. As an offshoot of my teaching at the Art Institute of York, I've created a Fresh Talent section on our web site featuring the work of the top students in my class. You'll see everything from posters to book jacket designs to booklets and magazines spreads. Here's an example from Mike Berkel...

To see more, visit the Cool Ideas page of our web site. Here's a link: www.holbergdesign.com

The Future is Now… and Good Design Is Making It Happen

2010-02-02T12:04:00.000-08:00

Communication Arts is a leading international trade journal for anyone involved in visual communications. CA claims to be the “largest creative magazine in the world” (commarts.com web site, 2010) even though they only boast an audited circulation of just over 63,000. The print magazine and online web site is targeted to graphic designers, art directors, creative directors, commercial photographers and illustrators and showcases the top work worldwide in graphic design, advertising, illustration, photography and interactive design.

In addition to trade articles and in-depth profiles in multi-topic issues, CA hosts five creative competitions in graphic design, advertising, photography, illustration and interactive media, generating highly respected juried Annuals in each category.
Since it’s founding in 1959 by Richard Coyne and Robert Blanchard, Communication Arts magazine has been published six times per year by Coyne & Blanchard Inc. of Menlo, CA. Richard Coyne’s wife and son still maintain full editorial control over the published content. It is a subscription and advertising based publication model with many of the ads offering creative services (photographers and stock photo web sites), printing production (commercial printers and paper companies) and communication firm business management tools.

For it’s 50th anniversary issue (March/April 2009), CA revisited top Silicon Valley forecaster Paul Saffo. Ten years prior, for the magazine’s 40th anniversary, Saffo was interviewed about future trends. At that time web business was booming and the tech sector was rife with almost limitless potential.

A decade ago Saffo predicted “ubiquitous sensors, inexpensive flat screens, a rise in person-to-person interaction on the web,” and “things that look like TV, but are interactive.” (McMillan, 2009) He even pulled from his pocket a small chrome and black gadget – an mp3 player that held 40 songs he had just downloaded from his computer.
Now ten years later, reality blew past him. Now we have hand-held GPS, smart phones, iTunes, iPods, Facebook and YouTube which produced “more video programming in the past 6 months than all of the big three television networks combined in the last 60 years.”

So what are some of Saffo’s predictions for the decade ahead of us? One is… robots. In a stunning example Saffo juxtaposed an actual massive California highway pileup (where cars were hitting the back of the pile as drivers up front were being treated) with an event that took place the same day – a robotic car successfully navigating a 60-mile road course. That was accomplished by DARPA – “the same folks that brought you the internet.” (McMillan, 2009) He predicts that by 2030 fifty percent of our driving will be done by robots.

Saffo also says that designers will need to master the “meta-skills” of design… making sense of information in a time-starved world. In the 80’s it was desktop publishing, the 90’s had html and now and beyond the skill set must include video.
And lastly, Saffo posits something he calls the “creator economy.” Central to this is not the worker or the consumer… it is the person who “consumes and creates in the same act.” (McMillan, 2009) That person is us… when we forward a viral video to a friend, post to a blog and link to an authority or tag a photo on Flickr. This new economy’s action is based on participation and the currency is time. “Designers are here to help us cope with the information overload. They should be figuring out how to get people to part with their time, not just their cash.”

Saffo’s final bit of advice… “Flee as fast as you can. But flee in a particular direction – flee to the future.”

I.D. – International Design is a now defunct trade publication which touted itself as “America’s leading critical magazine covering the art, business, and culture of design.” The magazine and its poorly conceived web site targeted anyone involved with design, spanning across disciplines ranging from web design to graphic design to industrial design. Since it’s founding in 1954, I.D. has won five National Magazine Awards: three for General Excellence (1995, 1997, 1999), one for Design (1997), and one for Special Interests (2000).

It was published seven times a year by F+W Media Inc. in Cincinnati, OH. Issues included the Annual Design Review (America’s oldest and most prestigious juried design-recognition program curated by I.D. staff and industry practitioners) as well as the I.D. 40, and Design + Business.

Due to financial pressures the magazine closed its doors after its January/February 2010 issue but certain aspects of the publication, such as the design competitions, will live on through their web site. It was a subscription and advertising based publication model with many of the sparse ads geared toward graphic and product designers.

In a world with increasingly congested commuter roadways, the time for the Personal Rapid Transit vehicle (PRT) has arrived. PRT’s are self-driving, computer-controlled, zero-emissions pods running on a network of shared tracks. The intent of a PRT system is to bridge the gap between public transportation and suburbia.

In Spring 2010 the first public installation of the ULTra PRT system, designed by U.K.-based Advanced Transportation Systems (ATS), will “begin whisking travelers at Heathrow Airport between parking lots and Terminal 5.” Eventually, the designers hope to see PRT’s everywhere from office parks to suburban developments.

Riders climb aboard one of the electric pods and choose a destination. The centrally controlled pods then enter the shared track and continue uninterrupted to their destination, reaching speeds of up to 25 miles per hour. The constant speed (contrasted to commuter stop-and-go), combined with a “light vehicle design running off modestly sized batteries that charge when the pods are in station, translates to a system that uses very little power.”

PRT’s are not designed to replace public transportation but rather be a “feeder” to it, covering those big last-mile areas.” Properly designed and installed, PRT’s are intended to be convenient and safe, while reducing automobile-related pollution. ATS hopes to prove with the Heathrow project that the time for PRT’s is now. Said Steve Raney, head of ATS’s U.S. operations, “Compared to four years ago, us PRT folks appear so much less crazy.”

To see more, visit the Cool Ideas page of our web site. Here's a link: www.holbergdesign.com

Design Inspiration

2010-01-18T09:11:00.000-08:00

York, PA 2009 Hot Rod Show

While cleaning up my iPod photos, I came across some pictures I took at the 2009 Street Rod show in York, PA. I’m not a huge fan of Street Rods, but I have to admit some of the cars were beautifully designed. And, coming from D.C. - the city where everyone drives those latest hybrid/diesel/55-miles-to-the-gallon cars – I felt like I was on another planet. I find it strangely encouraging, that when we leave the comfort of our usual routines and see different sites, we start to find unique design inspirations in our surroundings.

Yes, in order to fully appreciate the design of these gas-guzzling behemoths, I had to leave my environmentally social-responsible self at home. Some of these cars looked like they got a whopping 3 picas-to-the gallon. However, they were built back when gas was plentiful and American cars ruled the road.

Among all of the horsepower and carbon dioxide emissions, I found my inside child designer calling out (but maybe it was just the lack of oxygen). I particularly fell in love with the colors and hood ordainments of the beasts. And, in our time, where white/gray is the main consumer choice for car colors, it was nice to see such bright blues, purples and pinks.

Here are some of the incredibly designed ordainments I captured that day. Who knows, you just might see a glimpse of some of the colors, shapes or styles in one of our next design projects.

holbergdesign.com

Design Predictions for 2010

2010-01-17T10:40:00.000-08:00

Big Type

Actually, this trend has already started and is gaining momentum in the design world. On various web site layouts, you can already start seeing less impact images and more BIG headlines and GIANORMOUS words. This is an interesting look and right now is extremely refreshing. This design style takes the old saying “A photograph is worth a 1,000 words” and flips it around – the right word(s) can now replace the main photograph in your design.

Less is More

We all know this rule, but it seems like the less is more theory is being taken to new levels. Super ultra-clean sites are now appearing – without any images or photos. Not one. Nope, just words and text (see Ogilvy’s and Draftfcb’s homepage designs). The golden rule in web site design use to be to try and sell the reader on the homepage – to let them know everything about the company at one quick glance. Now, it’s more about getting the reader to the information they want. Less talk, more plain facts.

Serif Fonts

Everyone has a favorite font, one that describes his or her style. Personally, I’m a Century Gothic guy. However, lately I’m finding myself drawn to more serif fonts as it just seems more refreshing. It looks as if the clean sans serif fonts have run their course (for the most part). And, since the market is overrun with sans serif, the serif fonts stand out more. One of the best clean serif fonts I have found is… Bell MT.

Colors

Brown was in and for the most part will still be around in early 2010. It’s funny, if you go back 10-20 years and ask people what brown reminds them of, you would hear “dirt”, “mud” or “blah”. Now, if you ask people they reply “chocolate”, “rich” or “elegant”. However, Pantone just came out with their new Color of the Year for 2010 – Turquoise (Pantone 15-5519). So, what is the opposite of Teal/Turquoise? Brown. My guess is that most designers will start to use less browns and will move toward blacks. Black and Turquoise provides a more striking visual than Brown and Turquoise.

So, my big color predication for 2010… hot pink. Yes, I know, it’s strange, and that’s why it works so well. Over the last year, I have been seeing a strong comeback for the color pink for newer brands and their marketing collateral. It’s not the right color for everyone, but pink is defiantly not just for girls anymore.

For more design ideas visit http://www.holbergdesign.com

New Design Research In a Consumer-centric World

2010-01-16T12:27:00.000-08:00

International Journal of Design is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal devoted to publishing research papers in all fields of design, including industrial design, visual communication design, interface design, animation and game design, architectural design, urban design, and other design related fields. It aims to provide an international forum for the exchange of ideas from researchers across different cultures and encourages research on the impact of cultural factors on design theory and practice. It also seeks to promote the transfer of knowledge between professionals in academia and industry by emphasizing research in which results are of interest or applicable to design practices.

Since 2007, the IJD has been published 3 times per year in both print and online editions by faculty and students of the Graduate Institute of Design, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology in Taipei, Taiwan. The Editorial Staff is international in geography and entirely academic in scope. It is a non-advertising based publication model.

The International Journal of Design invites papers from any contributors on a wide range of topics, including the following:
• Social-Cultural Aspects of Design
• Globalization and Localization Approaches to Design
• Design Strategy and Management
• Ergonomics and Perceptions in Design
• Design Theories and Methodologies
• Computer Applications in Design

All submissions undergo an anonymous double-blind peer review process before being accepted for submission. The process starts with the Editor-in-Chief who, after acceptance, passes the submission to an Assistant Editor. The Assistant Editor sends the submission to a diverse team of referees who determine the final judgment as to the acceptability for inclusion in the journal. To date, there have been 281 submissions from 33 countries/territories, with a 23% acceptance rate.

The aim of this research was to provide knowledge on the consumer perception of product appearances by identifying attributes that consumers use to distinguish product appearances. “The meaning the appearance of a product communicates helps consumers to assess the product on functional, aesthetic, symbolic or ergonomic motives.” These motives play a role in the consumers overall product appraisal. Companies that are able to communicate a certain meaning through the appearance of a product design can create a competitive advantage in the marketplace and increase the product’s chance of success.

The appearance attributes of designed products often reflect what designers themselves perceive in a product design. To deflect that bias, in this classic example of focus group qualitative research, the appearance descriptions were generated by consumers themselves in an open categorization task. The three prevalent descriptions were defined as the attributes Modernity, Simplicity and Playfulness. These three attributes provide a general view on how consumers perceive durable product appearances and differentiate between different appearances. These attributes were confirmed in a separate, repeated categorization task performed by a second group of consumers. The research showed that these attributes proved stable across different groups of consumers indicating that they are universally accepted. Additionally, the attributes were validated across different product categories and the outcomes indicate that they are not product category specific.

This research provides insight into consumer perceptions of product appearances, and the defined attributes can provide valuable guidelines to designers wanting to attune their designed product appearances to consumer preferences.

See more design and marketing... Visit our web site at http://www.holbergdesign.com

Branding and the Presidency

2009-12-30T11:14:00.000-08:00

What is the greatest historical significance about the Obama campaign? Branding! Well maybe not, but it still was a first. Most people do not realize that this is the first time in American history where there was a major branding effort behind the campaign. I had the opportunity to met Scott Thomas, the designer behind the Obama campaign, last year at the 99% conference in NY.

Scott gave a presentation on how his team was the first to design and brand a presidential candidate. His hands seemed to touch every aspect of the campaign; from the writing (replacing the “I’s” and the “my’s” with “we’s” and “us’s”) to the visual images (the now-famous sunrise logo.)

Scott also talked about how the web became an important part of the campaign and how the web site kept changing to fit the current needs.

So, if branding can help a presidential hopeful, what can it do for you?

See more branding ideas... Visit our web site at http://www.holbergdesign.com

Trade Show Marketing

2009-12-29T13:46:00.000-08:00

It’s a new year and a new show. This year, PANTS10 (the largest summer horticultural trade show on the east coast) will be featuring green products, environmental tours and social-responsibility seminars. One great aspect of the show is the high energy on the floor. Since the move back to PA, the show has gained excitement and attendees. And, the endless energy coming from the show’s staff and volunteers is contagious and inspiring. We wanted to capture this energy in the new marketing collateral and tie-in the energy/green concept as well. The final designs will be “common” horticultural images (watering can, a leaf, etc.) bursting with energy.

See more design and marketing... Visit our web site at http://www.holbergdesign.com

Vehicle Graphics

2009-12-29T13:15:00.000-08:00

Here are some new design concepts for the Stauffers of Kissel Hill fleet. The Scion will be used for their fresh flower department. If this little delivery gem passes you by, you will notice it (we're trying to figure out how to get fresh flower scent to come out the exhaust)! For the record, we did not work on The Flower Shop logo – but would love to get our hands on it.

See more design and marketing... Visit our web site at http://www.holbergdesign.com

Will the Internet always be "New Media"?

2009-12-28T13:18:00.000-08:00

As the major components of mass media, books, magazines, newspapers, sound recordings, movies, radio and television all have much in common – their presence in modern society is pervasive and their purpose is to either inform or entertain. Through topical information presented and through advertising placements, these components all contain forms of persuasion. Additionally they also create a binding effect in communities by “giving messages that become a shared experience.” (John Vivian – The Media of Mass Communication, Seventh Edition 2004. p. 4)

These components are differentiated and categorized through various models – ie. books, magazines, newspapers and movie theatre presentations are hot media because of the high degree of involvement while viewing them, while television is a cool media required less “intellectual involvement”. Due to programming considerations, radio content can straddle to divide and be considered “warm media”. Other models, such as the Elitist-Populist model and Maturation model also differentiate these components. Demassification has also created differentiation. It has caused segmentation and the development of media components with defined content targeted to smaller groups within the mass audience.

However, the primary difference within these components are their delivery methods and, because of those methods, we can define their current state of accessibility and pervasiveness within the domestic mass market audience. For example, in 2005, there were 847 television sets and 2,115 radios per 1,000 people in the US population. (Vivian p. 3) Again in 2005, daily newspapers reached an estimated 127 million people per day. (Vivian p. 76) That’s an incredibly deep media penetration for those components, pointing to their persistence and importance in society. However, there was a huge divide between the US and other developing countries in these areas. India, the most populous country charted, had a mere 68 televisions and 117 radios per 1,000 people. (Vivian p. 3) The world was ripe for leveling the playing field.

This is where a current technological “game changer” comes into play – the “new media” world wide web. It’s an understatement to say that the web is creating a cataclysmic shift in worldwide accessibility to all forms of media. Vivian tells us that “Every major mass media company has put products on the web.” (Vivian p. 216) He also talks about technological convergence, the digitization of media and it’s blending together into various outlets. Local daily newspapers and minor market lifestyle magazines all now have web sites, giving them the same potential audience as The Wall Street Journal or Time magazine (which, of course, also have web sites). Hulu.com has brought a large chunk of television network programming to the web, expanding those programs’ accessibility and reach. iTunes, along with other (illegal) file sharing applications has created the ability to download and watch movies at the viewers convenience on their laptop computer. Apple TV and other game consoles allow us to watch movies and other syndicated content, legally, on our 60” high-def televisions. Amazon.com now offers book downloads to high-tech digital reader devices. Facebook currently has 340 million members on its popular social media web site. These, and other web technologies, have put full access to media directly at our fingertips, 24/7. Demassification is over. Now remassification is taking place. The web has torn down the distinctions of traditional media and blended them together into one pervasive mass universe.

Domestic web usage has become the definition of the term “pervasive.” Vivian noted that in 2005 web usage was approaching 100 million users (30% of the US population). Current data shows that number is now approaching 227 million or 74% of the population. That’s more than double the users in just a 4-year period! (Internet World Stats)

The key component in furthering this cataclysmic shift is broadband – or high-speed – internet access. Broadband breathes life into the web, enabling faster access to data and downloads of large media files (such as movies and audio files). Although the US leads all nations in broadband access – 81 million subscribers as of June 2009 compared with 31 million in #2 Japan (OECD web) – there is even deeper penetration on the horizon. “The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was signed into law by President Obama on February 17th, 2009. The FCC is currently working in coordination with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to perform the FCC’s role under the Recovery Act. Specifically, in conjunction with the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program established by the Act, the FCC has been tasked with creating a National Broadband Plan by February 17, 2010. The Recovery Act states that the National Broadband Plan shall seek to ensure all people of the United States have access to broadband capability and shall establish benchmarks for meeting that goal.” (FCC web)

However, just like the emergence of newspapers and television, implementation of internet access in third world countries still lags far behind. But with lower infrastructure installation costs and increased access to PCs, this field should also be leveled soon as well.

With the web’s accessibility, penetration, pervasiveness and absorption into daily life, one can immediately recognize this new medias importance as a cultural force. The more difficult question is – what will the business of media look like in just the very near future? Is mobile web the next “game changer?”

Interestingly, Vivian’s definition of “new media” is “current media technology whose potential has not yet been fully recognized.” (Vivian p. 9) What will be in store for media audiences once the web recognizes that potential? Or will continual technological advancements, along with developing ideas about content and functionality mean that the web will continually leapfrog it’s own potential? Will it always be “new media”?

Incidently, it’s no mere coincidence that the best place to research and find information for this discussion was… the web. And, step back for a moment and realize where you’re reading this.

See the design behind the opinion... Visit our web site at http://www.holbergdesign.com

Does product placement work?

2009-12-21T11:29:00.000-08:00

E.T. loved Reese’s Pieces. So do I. Simon Cowell drinks Coke. Ditto again. These are obvious examples of product placement. And potentially they are examples of their possible impact. But more on that later…

Before I launch too far into this segment I’d like to express my viewpoints on the use of the term “product placement.” Vivian writes that “In the 1980’s advertisers began wiggling brand-name products into movie scripts…” (John Vivian – The Media of Mass Communication, Seventh Edition 2004) and the practice of “product placement” took root. I think the key discerning factor here is the term “brand-name products”. I think there is a distinction here. I feel that, perhaps in subtle or subliminal ways, “product placement” has been in use since the early days of movies and television. But now I’m not referring to “branded” products. I would like to make the argument that, in the same way that a Coke cup on the Idol judges desk might increase the sale of Coke (Vivian p. 307), could seeing Humphrey Bogart light up a cigarette possibly increase the potential for the viewer to take up smoking (no matter what brand)… and therefore help the tobacco industry as a whole?

Did the tobacco industry push to have their products used in early movies? Probably not (but I’m sure they didn’t complain!). It was an accepted form of self-enjoyment appropriate to the time. It helped make the film characters real and relatable to many viewers. Couldn’t the same be said of the Idol Coke drinkers? Does seeing them drink soda (who cares whether it’s Coke) make them more relatable to a vast majority of their viewers? Probably so, considering the show’s audience demographic is youths to young adults. And if the viewer relates more on a personal level to the characters on their television screen, are they not more inclined to participate with the show and watch more frequently? So are these brand placements helping to sell more products… or are they subliminally helping the show to solidify an audience? I feel they have the potential to be successful at both. But, as a recent Marketplace segment on new TV ads relates, there are no forms of quantitative analysis to be able to prove that. In that segment Michael Burgi states… “I don't think it works any more or less than advertising has.” (Marketplace, May 22, 2009)

I cannot argue the fact that there may be critics who feel that TV viewers are being duped by these brand placements and that FCC regulation could be required. Or that artistic integrity could suffer if placements become too rampant. But don’t viewers also see paid ad placements in other subtle/subliminal formats such as when we watch scrolling banners at basketball and soccer games or see stadium billboards when watching football? Will the FCC eventually want to regulate those impressions as well?

Just as there may be those being duped, there is also a segment of the viewing audience which will not be impacted by viewing these brand placements. I enjoyed Reese’s Pieces before E.T. ever came to earth. But I didn’t eat more because of him. The same holds true for me with Simon Cowell and Coke. (He actually makes me drink Scotch… to ease my pain!)

As I stated earlier, product placement enhances reality for the viewer. It’s all a matter of solidifying the show’s context. Here’s an example from another Marketplace segment:

MAN IN AD: These guys, they've been working all day, they have to be really hungry.
WOMAN IN AD: You're probably right. So I had an idea . . . ha ha, Wendy's! (Marketplace, Warning, June 23, 2008)

Yes, it’s a blatant “endorsement” for the Wendy’s “brand”. But isn’t it also an endorsement of the fast-food industry as a whole? Which is worse… the brand advertisement itself or the support of less-than-healthy eating choices that the bulk of the American TV audience relates to? Think how out of context that blurb would be if it ended… “You're probably right. So I had an idea . . . ha ha, let’s go home and have some fruits and veggies!” You would hear a collective click as most of America changed the channel.

An interesting tidbit: The web site Brand Channel (notice the term “Brand” solidifying my point) has a page which tracks product placements as they appear in current movies. See it here.
I may have asked more questions than I answered in this discussion. What do you think about some of my ideas?

See the design behind the opinion... Visit our web site at http://www.holbergdesign.com

New Garden Center brand in progress

2009-12-14T09:33:00.000-08:00

Our new division, that helps market and brand garden centers, GreenBranding has just finished the first round of logo designs for Herbein's Garden Center.

We first reviewed the property to gain an understanding of the location and "feeling" of the Garden Center. We then used images from the geographic location to develop a color palette and also used local PA Dutch hex signs as inspiration to develop the brand visuals. Lastly, we wanted to add a greater level of sophistication, so we reviewed some higher-end shops for typography options.

Let us know what you think.

View our portfolio of other client work on our web site holbergdesign.com

A Trade Show makeover

2009-12-10T06:44:00.000-08:00

Brand new "PANTS"

PANTS (Penn Atlantic Nursery Trade Show), the Summer's largest horticultural trade show held on the East Coast, was looking for a way to increase their attendees and exhibitors. PANTS attendance had been on a steady decline over the past few years and needed help to turn the show around. PANTS decided to move the physical location of the show and looked to holberg design to help renew the visual brand, main message and feel of the show.

We wanted to create a core brand icon that could be inserted into the show’s signage… so a colorful “helping hand” was designed for the logo mark. Since this trade show is not known as a strong selling show, the new messaging stressed the importance of meeting vendors, making new connections, staying in front of current clients and seeing the latest products by attending the largest show on the East Coast.

We then helped to strategically market the new brand to current and potential attendees and exhibitors.

The result...
Attendance was up over 15% (in a year of recession) and exhibitor space was completely sold out for the first time in three years.

View our portfolio of other client work on our web site holbergdesign.com