http://thegoldsteingroup.net Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:15:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 TheGoldsteinGrouphttp://feedburner.google.com http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3639 http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3639#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:56:00 +0000 Dennise http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3639 “That’s a cheetah, a cheetah, a cheetah…”

Have you seen this video about this 5 year-old girl named Faith describing to her father what she sees in different logos?

“According to the father (who is himself a designer), it all started with her daughter’s interest on the BP colorful and flowery logo. Being a designer himself, he wanted to know what her daughter thought about other logos, making it into a game. He later recorder his daughter’s thoughts on different types of logos. The result was an adorable yet insightful video that has gone viral.” (The Huffington Post)

Here at TGG, we found this really interesting and also a learning experience. It proves that the right use of color, shapes, symbols, and words can resonate in consumer’s minds and, if brands are able to do so with a 5 year old, then someone is doing something right.

One thing that caught my interest was Faith’s perception of the McDonald’s “M”, which for her were made out of French fries put together. I am not sure about this but I don’t think if the designers had this in mind when they designed this brand mark. Imagine all of the hidden interpretations many brand marks may have around the world; some negative, others positive, all influencing individual perceptions. It may best to recall Marty Neumeir’s definition of a brand, “It’s not what you say it is. It’s what they say it is.”

The beauty of this video lies not only on the cuteness of the girl but essentially on how, what we know as brand marks are for children simple drawings… Pictures that remind them of things. Children are becoming more and more brand aware and this could be a big payoff for companies in the future. It is simple yet astounding. In the future, maybe we will hire a boy or a girl to let us know what they see when they look at the designs and its possible we could uncover new, deeper meanings.


Full Story Here…




]]> http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?feed=rss2&p=3639 0 http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3514 http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3514#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 22:29:33 +0000 Peter http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3514

Mike Esterl of The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Coca-Cola is switching back to the classic Red cans after only one month in the limited holiday edition White can. Why? Because consumers are having confusion over what’s in the can!

Consumers are confusing it with Diet Coke, especially in retail environments where single cans are sold. The team at Coca-Cola did use the classic red equity color for their secondary packaging in the supermarket and other on pack communications.

A smaller minority is upset over the change, calling it “blasphemy”, others adding that “you can’t change something that is a classic”.

Color equity is a powerful tool. It is the first and most powerful force in The Goldstein Groups pioneering branding approach, ShelfSightSequence™. Color is the most important element in a brand’s equity toolbox, driving consumer brand recognition and ultimately, brand purchase. Carefully consider the implications of changing this equity element.

Innovation definitely delights consumers and spurs water cooler conversation but dramatically changing a primary equity and product selection element at shelf is asking for consumer confusion, which results in dissatisfaction and brand switching.

Understand your equities, their value and use them wisely. Dramatically alter them and risk losing your consumer at shelf, where the ultimate decisions are made.

Full Story Here…


]]> http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?feed=rss2&p=3514 0 http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3462 http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3462#comments Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:10:11 +0000 Peter http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3462
Doughnuts provide humanity in an ever-increasing digital world. I watched Dov Siedman on Charlie Rose last night. He spoke about how hope is at the center of all growth and change. That hope is an essential part of humanity. He observed that hope is what is missing from our digital communications in business today.

Mr. Siedman told a story about 2 competing Doughnut shops. The only meaningful difference between the 2 shops was that one had offered the customers the option of self-service including paying for the doughnuts and making their own change from a tray of cash left out. In the open. Unguarded. This shop with its unconventional service model quickly outpaced the competition 3 to 1.

Why?

Mr. Siedman advocated that because this doughnut shop re-established the social contract of trusting his consumers, he gave these consumers hope and they told their friends about this trusting doughnut shop and their friends wanted to feel that trust and the underling hope that is at the foundation of this social contract.

How are you re-establishing your social contracts? How are you building trusts with your customers? How are you selling hope?

At TGG, we love to revitalize brands. We are always looking to re-establish the social contracts. Bring our collective humanity into the mix. Re-establish the trust. Give hope.

]]> http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?feed=rss2&p=3462 0 http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3313 http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3313#comments Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:58:16 +0000 Darcy http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3313

One of our employees at TGG is an avid runner and was experiencing a lot of pain from chaffing. Being a new mom I suggested that his symptoms were similar to diaper rash and that he should try using Balmex. Having restaged the brand in 2008 and now using it on my baby I knew if it was gentle enough for a newborn’s skin and couldn’t make his discomfort any worse. He gave it a go and lo and behold it cleared up after only a couple of days! He said he liked that it didn’t have a foul smell and the no mess feature made for a clean and easy application.

Got me to thinking: what are the other unspoken usages of America’s most beloved brands? You’ve heard of old wives tales such as milk taking out a blood stain, peanut butter removing sticker glue, cooking spray drying nail polish, and hemorrhoid cream eliminating puffy under eyes. What other brands do you have other uses for? Like in My Big Fat Greek Wedding whenever anyone has an ailment “Put some Windex”.

]]> http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?feed=rss2&p=3313 0 http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3299 http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3299#comments Fri, 26 Aug 2011 19:50:34 +0000 Peter http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3299
What do women want to see, feel and understand about brand packaging? It might pay for marketers to remember that for centuries women have responded to romance, flowers and chocolate. Why? Because women respond when their emotions are activated.

]]> http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?feed=rss2&p=3299 0 http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3288 http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3288#comments Mon, 22 Aug 2011 17:04:52 +0000 Peter http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3288

A very interesting article we ran across in our travels. It is an except from the Harvard Business Review about how people prefer and understand recognizable numbers when they are attached to a brand.

]]> http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?feed=rss2&p=3288 0 http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3284 http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3284#comments Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:19:42 +0000 Peter http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3284

On our most recent trip down to Chattanooga, the TGG team got to visit Moon Pie General Store. Located downtown in The ‘Noog, we were all excited to see one of our favorite brands in this wonderful little retail space.

]]> http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?feed=rss2&p=3284 0 http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3195 http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3195#comments Fri, 06 May 2011 18:10:29 +0000 Carl http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3195







It’s interesting to note that Nestle doesn’t’ necessarily feel the need to put the kitchen sink on a package to make it sell. And often other countries seem to have an elevated design sensibility and don’t communicate many different messages on a single package. However, it’s funny, at first glance, I thought “Wow, Kit Kat looks so different now…but I miss my old Kit Kat.” There was something immediately comforting in knowing that Hershy’s Kit Kat design remains the same as I have always remembered it.



]]> http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?feed=rss2&p=3195 0 http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3125 http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3125#comments Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:37:57 +0000 Chris http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3125
To support the “Home Farming” movement, Triscuits revised their packaging to showcase this endeavor. They have added the “Home Farming” icon, and now depict a woman farming at home, to which both identifiers are integrated well and do not interrupt the core brand design.

What really excites me most about this seemingly normal promotion-run package is its “call to action” – Plant a Seed, Grow a Movement. By itself, this is a good textual violator but what it refers to is even more powerful. As depicted in the picture aside, on the back of the package there is a die cut with a piece of cardboard behind it. Upon its removal, this piece of cardboard can be soaked in water and peeled to reveal either a basil or dill seed within.

This inclusion promotes consumer involvement, allowing them to be included with the movement and provides additional product (dill or basil plants) at no extra charge. This itself is a powerful connector between the brand, promotion, and consumer. Additionally, the “go green” oriented packaging of the seed via a piece of cardboard is environmentally friendly, simple yet intriguing enough to further engage consumers.









]]> http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?feed=rss2&p=3125 0 http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3115 http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3115#comments Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:59:56 +0000 Brian http://thegoldsteingroup.net/?p=3115

In an industry where change is the norm, thousands of ideas are generated daily… some good, some bad. A few of these ideas will separate a product from the competition, like the new plastic bottle developed by Pepsi. Sometimes these ideas, similar to what they end up becoming, are just garbage… An example of this would be Del Monte’s new individually wrapped banana. These two products could not have been created as a more perfect foil for comparison.

The bottle developed by Pepsi is made from 100% plant waste, and is “indistinguishable,” from a traditional petroleum based plastic bottle, claims Rocco Papalia, PepsiCo’s senior vice president of advanced research. They plan on launching a limited run of these bottles in 2012, and if it is accepted by the consumer, they will convert their entire line to plant-based plastics. If you’ll recall Sun Chips’ biodegradable, loud-as-a-Knucklehead bag, adoption by the consumer is not always the case. Even though the Sun Chips’ bag was biodegradable, and would have reduced the amount of packaging in landfills, it was so crinkly and loud that it was ultimately rejected. Even if Pepsi’s new bottle never sees the light of day, it is at least an example of one company using it’s resources to reduce their overall impact on the environment, which we can all agree is a good idea.

As the juxtaposition to this, we have Del Monte’s banana wrapper. This time last year, if you were to ask me about a banana wrapper, I would have assumed you were referring to a banana peel. After all, isn’t the banana peel nature’s perfect little wrapper? But no… the product is an individually wrapped banana, intended to be sold in retail channels not traditionally associated with fresh produce.

According UK’s Daily Mail Online; “The company claims that the bag contains ‘Controlled Ripening Technology’ – which extends the shelf-life of the banana by up to six days.” And in an interview with Forbes’ Magazine, Dionysios Christou, Del Monte Fresh Produce’s Vice President of Marketing claims: “The recyclable plastic bag used for single finger CRT bananas replaces the need for the large master bag used with all conventional bananas.” Even if this is the case, additional machining and printing are required to individually wrap the product, as opposed to gang wrapping, which requires less energy and resources. And unlike the Pepsi bottle, is this not just an example of using the same kind of thinking to solve a problem that was used to create it? Einstein… anyone? Bueller?

Pepsi was able to reengineer a way to produce the component of their packaging that ended up in a landfill… all Del Monte did was package the same product differently. One is a step in the right direction, and the other is just a step in any direction.

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