Part year-end financial statements, part yearbook, part marketing piece for its Member Firms’ use, the M Financial piece goes beyond the standard annual report. Its thought-provoking spreads also serve as concepts for print and digital ads in financial wealth management publications throughout the year.

Each year, we develop a unique messaging concept to illustrate M Financial’s superior services in wealth management and preservation for its ultra-affluent clientele. This year’s concept is based on M Financial’s “Transformative” thinking. The interior spreads feature ideas and imagery illustrating M’s acceptance of emerging ideas and unconventional solutions, its 150 Member Firms’ collective knowledge which sets them far above competing firms and its broadening evolution into new technologies ahead of the curve.

Click on the gallery below to see this year’s work. (click to enlarge.)

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Armed with a talented roster and a successful history of pioneering landmark IP legal precedents, Marger Johnson was poised for some big changes in 2016. The firm was on the verge of its 30-year anniversary, and would be moving into a new office after a 10-year run in its old building.

That’s why last year was as good a time as any for Marger Johnson to ask Magneto to develop and implement a branding strategy that would better reflect the cutting edge industries it serves. Magneto went right to work for the firm, creating a new logo, fresh website and 30^th anniversary ad campaign, running in regional law publications this summer.

The logo we created evokes a clean, future-forward aesthetic while breaking from the traditionally boring constraints of law firm branding. The concept for the logo, predicated on the idea of a compass, represents the guidance Marger Johnson offers its clients while safeguarding their ideas so they can be brought to market. The blue, charcoal and white color palette reflects the trustworthy and knowledgeable services clients can expect from the firm.

In conjunction with the updated logo, Magneto designed and developed a comprehensive website using bold imagery, parallax scrolling and a treasure trove of content to better communicate Marger Johnson’s achievements and capabilities. We built the site into a WordPress platform to enhance search engine functionality. Additionally, clean, angular design and personable photography mesh seamlessly with the firm’s top-tier reputation while also conveying the approachability of the Marger Johnson team.

With its bold new look and feel, we have no doubt in our minds that Marger Johnson will continue to lead the way in west coast intellectual property law. Here’s to the next 30 years and beyond!

You can check out the final product here.

Magneto’s repertoire of branding and website development projects is as diverse as it is impressive. Is your business in need of a fresh face? Drop us a line—we love what we do and we do it well.

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While this group of makers has spent years building an established reputation of accuracy and efficiency with its clients, City Color was lacking a website and brand identity to convey its detail-oriented work ethic.

Magneto was tapped to fill in the gaps and promptly got to work delving deep into the heart of the brand. Upon identifying City Color’s unique brand promise, Magneto turned its attention toward building a stunning visual identity.

The logo we created is representative of the precision with which City Color collaborates to combine disparate elements into visually compelling work for its clients. The mark’s shape itself is simple, but its components call to mind the complex machinery of a clock’s inner workings—much like the meticulous nature of City Color’s creative process.

To further communicate City Color’s capabilities, Magneto developed a website using bold imagery and an eye-catching color palette worthy of its bold new logo. The sophisticated parallax design lets users scroll seamlessly from one image to the next, enabling City Color’s in-store displays to jump off the screen and speak for themselves. The website was built on a WordPress platform to support Google SEO.

Now that City Color is armed with its own bold brand identity, it can continue to serve its clients with the high-quality creative work that has become synonymous with its name.

You can check out the final product here.

Magneto has implemented branding and website development projects for a diverse roster of clients. Looking to brand or rebrand your business? Give us a shout—it’s kind of our thing.

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That’s because the work you see is the finished product, and it comes with zero asterisks or addendums to give you the 4-1-1 on how it came to be. In that sense, you can think of polished creative as the tip of a very large—and probably chaotic—iceberg, lurking undetected below the surface.

I say large and chaotic because the creative process is rarely smooth and linear. If you’ve ever worked a job that depends on your creative prowess, you understand this. You know this process involves a delicate balance of brainstorming, procrastinating, panicking and producing.

And copious amounts of caffeine, of course.

But for all the stress and sleep deprivation the seemingly vague and elusive creative process can bring, there are some general constructive guidelines that everyone can adhere to.

Jumping into the Abyss

The creative process begins only after your research is complete, your targets have been identified and your advertising strategy is in place. Whether you’re writing a script, designing a logo, producing a website or developing a digital ad campaign, you will need to engage your creative spidey senses.

Defining the process of creative problem solving isn’t as easy as it sounds because it’s different for everyone. Some people are disciplined and methodical, while others’ approach may be interpreted as haphazard. But regardless of one’s methodology, there are some basic concepts that hold true across the board.

Let’s start with Graham Wallas, a social psychologist and co-founder of the London School of Economics. Wallas was one of the first people to write about the creative process in his book, The Art of Thought (1926), in which he proposed a model consisting of 4 steps: Preparation; incubation; illumination; and verification. Wallas’ model is a good one because it truly reflects the basis for building quality creative work.

Here’s how we interpret Wallas’ model:

Preparation
This is the mental gathering of information or discovery period; digesting the contents of the creative brief, reflecting on discussions, reviewing competitive analyses, putting directional thoughts together, outside stimuli absorption, readying oneself for the creative task ahead and brainstorming away. Here is where you put pictures up on walls, and notes in books. Scribble. Jot. Muse. Ponder.

Incubation
This is a period of detachment from the immediate challenge at hand; deliberately allowing a distraction to take the mind off the problem so that solutions can begin to creep in. Wallas believed that detachment from the creative objective stimulates thought—and he was right. Moving oneself away from a creative problem in a completely different direction creates a vacuum in which ideas for the objective can begin to come forward in your mind. So take your hands off the keyboard and step away from the computer.

Illumination
This is about idea generation; the magical instances in which aha! moments start to happen. The ideas are flowing freely. Disparate bits of creative thought are gelling as concepts are being thrown about and put up on walls. You are blue sky thinking at this point; anything goes, so don’t hold back. Throw in the kitchen sink, if you must. Something will come of this. Put up your bad ideas and replace them with better ones, and then with great ones as they come to you. Aha! Shiny new concepts have emerged! You are feeling satisfied! So many great ideas are piling up that the client wont be able to choose just one!

Verification
This is the application phase. The reality check, if you will. It’s where the rubber meets the road; where the tough questions are asked. Are the ideas on strategy? Do they fit the brand? Will the executions meet the objectives? Are they doable within the time and budget constraints? Creative people often don’t enjoy this aspect of the creative process because this is where idea refinement and idea elimination takes place. This is where ideas come to die. And no one likes to see their ideas axed. The best you can do is hope that your favorite ideas will live to see the light of day.

These four pillars of creative problem solving aren’t the end-all be-all, but they do lend some welcome structure to the pandemonium happening inside your head as you embark on any creative pursuit. At the end of the day, the only tried and true constant that will be essential to your creative process is caffeine. Trust me, you do not want to leave that one out of the equation.

And hey, if all else fails, we at Magneto would be happy to help. We live, breathe and eat the creative process, so you can count on us to do it right.

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Your creative—no matter the medium—needs to stand out and break through the clutter. Interesting, outlandish or humorous creative work that isn’t remembered or doesn’t motivate is essentially worthless.

That being said, brand advertising is just as much about science as it is about art. The tools we have at our disposal enable us to do our science more effectively today than has ever been possible in the past. Analytics, tracking, and a host of optimization tools—all of which tell us in real time whom we are reaching and how they are interacting with our messages.

Of course, algorithms can’t produce the kind of engaging creative that helps brand advertising campaigns stand out. That’s art’s job.

You see, art is predicated on hunches and intuition; it’s meant to evoke emotional responses. Science, on the other hand, is about systematic processes and rigorous evaluation. You can think of art as the experience, and science as the vehicle through which that experience is delivered.

And try as you may to tackle your advertising endeavors with only one or the other in mind, the truth is, you’re going to need them both.

Channeling Your Inner Artistic Scientist (Or Scientific Artist, Depending On How You See It)

If there’s one thing artists and scientists have in common, it’s that they are always observing their environments. Whether you consider yourself more of a right-brain thinker or a left-brain thinker, there’s plenty from which you can draw inspiration.

Be a student of the world—a sponge that is ready to absorb any and all ideas you like. What are the trends that caught your attention? What kind of music made you feel inspired? Film techniques, print layouts, snazzy logo designs—take note and keep a file.

Having a treasure trove of inspiration to draw from will go a long way toward generating a productive brainstorming session—which, by the way, is going to happen a lot during the beginning stages of your project. All ideas are not created equal, but almost anything goes while you’re brainstorming. Just make sure you’re going deep and moving past what’s easy or obvious.

These are the principles that should guide your creative development:

• Brevity: Keep it simple, keep it short and be engaging without saying too much.
• Authenticity: Your creative should be unique, arresting and compelling. Being real is better than relying on borrowed interest; and unless you can afford to constantly shift with changing trends, err on the side of originality rather than what’s hot at the moment.
• Stickiness: Make it memorable, make it relevant and be consistent in the brand’s messaging and tone. Also be sure to include a clear call to action, so that once your audience is effectively engaged, they’ll know where to go from there.

Setting Yourself Up For Success

The research and planning stage is where a lot of the science comes into play. That’s because, in order for your advertising to be successful, you have to know where and how to distribute it. Who is your target market? And how do they live? Efforts should be made to find out anything and everything about your target’s needs, desires, likes and dislikes. This will serve as your roadmap, and will inform your creative brief.

If you’re wondering what a creative brief is, or you know what it is and you’re wondering why we’re telling you to work from one, let’s jump right into CB 101: Introduction to Creative Briefs.

A creative brief is a concise but informative document that answers every important question you need to successfully complete your project. It’s the who, what, when, where and—perhaps most importantly—the why. What is this project? Who is it for? Why is it necessary? If you don’t have an answer to these questions, you are not ready to move forward with your plan.

While every creative brief is going to look different depending on what kind of product or service you are trying to advertise, the meat and potatoes will remain relatively unchanged.

Here’s a list of things your creative brief should include:

• Background: This is where you dive into the client’s history, the history of the product or service they are trying to sell, and other general research and information-gathering efforts.
• Overview: This section is about the product or service; the what, the why and the perceived opportunities.
• Objectives: Clearly defined goals make for a clearly defined plan of action.
• Audience: What are the attitudes and motivations of your target audience?
• Competitors: Who else is doing this? And what kind of lack can we fulfill?
• Deliverables: Effective communication about what the client expects from the agency is the key to building long-term relationships—and to making sure the project is up to snuff, of course.

Once you’ve filled in all these blanks, it should be pretty easy to throw in details about the intended tone of the messaging and the artistic direction of the visuals. Then you’ll be ready to rock and roll.

Stay tuned for our next installment of Brand Advertising, Defined, where we will dive deeper into the abyss that is the creative process.

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A good brand story functions in much the same way as an immersive book or an engaging film. It hooks you emotionally, and it allows you to put yourself at the center of the narrative.

As mentioned in the previous installment of Brand Advertising, Defined, forming emotional connections with your followers is key. You can think of your brand story as the vehicle through which that emotional connection is cultivated and maintained.

But don’t assume that sharing your brand story is a one-way street. A brand’s story is a collaborative living document, and your followers will be active participants in both the interpretation and transmission of your ideas.

Your brand story extends far beyond the limits of an advertising campaign or the details on your website’s about page. It’s a story about the very heart of your brand—the idea that makes it unique and valuable to consumers. Taking this approach to your storytelling is crucial, because a product or service without a story is really nothing more than a soulless commodity. And you’re not just in the business of selling commodities; you’re in the business of selling ideas.

Getting to the Heart of Your Brand

Some brand stories center around social responsibility, while others focus on identifying a point of frustration and providing a path to resolution. The one thing all effective stories have in common is their ability to communicate the line of thought that makes a brand one of a kind.

When Dove launched its Real Beauty campaign in 2004, it resonated with a lot of women who were fed up with unrealistic beauty standards portrayed in advertisements. The story was one that any woman could relate to, because whatever her shape, size or color, she had at one point or another felt inadequate about her looks. Beyond that, it was a story that no other major cosmetics companies were trying to tell.

Over a decade has passed, and Dove’s Real Beauty has proven itself to be far more than feel-good messaging. An extension of the ideas communicated through the ad campaign, Dove’s Self-Esteem Project works to promote healthy body image to girls and women. The products Dove sells are not particularly standout when compared to its competitors, but the story being told about what Dove stands for goes a long way in driving engagement and loyalty to the brand.

Plenty of brands benefit from this kind of values-based storytelling, because the idea of tying social responsibility to consumption enables customers to feel as though they are participating in something meaningful.

The Solution You’ve Been Waiting For

Brand storytelling doesn’t have to be about doing well by doing good. In fact, some of the most effective brand stories are the ones that communicate the very reason you are selling your product or service to begin with: You are solving a problem for consumers.

Take Dollar Shave Club, for example. Dollar Shave Club’s business model is a relatively simple one, and the amount of money the company spends on marketing its services pales in comparisons to its competitors. That’s because it’s taking advantage of the shaving industry’s biggest weakness—razors and shaving creams are vastly overpriced.

By validating what consumers had long suspected about their pricey disposable razors, the Dollar Shave Club’s story has cultivated a bond of trust and reliability with its customers. Ask anyone who receives their monthly or bimonthly box of shaving goods to their door, and chances are they’ll be the first ones to tell you that they’ll never go back.

And the Dollar Shave Club didn’t just fill a need for reasonably priced razors; they did so with irreverence, thumbing their nose at the big guys. If you’ve never seen Dollar Shave Club’s hilarious launch video, you’re in for a treat.

One of a Kind

Somewhere inside your company’s narrative is the angle that gets to the heart and soul of your product or service—the unique selling point that cements your brand as irreplaceable. Uncover it and build on it and you will be able to separate your brand from your competition. Here are a few quick tips on getting to that unique selling point to help you tell your brand story:

• Focus on the value your customers will get by engaging with you.
• Be authentic; make sure your story connects honestly with people.
• Ask yourself what would make you curious about your brand.
• Provide reasons why you’re different from your competition.
• Strive to make an emotional connection by looking at what motivates your core customers, and in some cases, your own team.

This stuff may not sound like rocket science, but it isn’t particularly easy either. Don’t feel bad if you need a little help telling your brand story. Here at Magneto, we pride ourselves on our ability to get to the root of what makes your brand one of a kind. We’d be happy to get to the root of yours.

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Fast-forward to another commercial break during the same Super Bowl, and Budweiser is back with a whole new tone. This time, making bold jabs at the rise in popularity of craft beer. If you’re on team microbrew, this one probably felt rather inflammatory; and if you’re all for the golden suds, perhaps you felt affirmed. Either way, you felt something.

Budweiser was playing your emotions like a fiddle that day, and whether you bow to the King of Beers or deplore its anti-craft beer practices, you can’t deny the genius behind its branding strategy. Budweiser has perfected the art of the emotional connection.

Courting Your Core

Your company is more than just a business that makes things or provides a service. It’s a brand, and your brand rests in the mind of your customers. They have an emotional connection with you. They think of you as a trusted friend. Everything you do should reflect and reinforce that connection.

Your engagement with them is your lifeline to growth. Support them, love them, and keep them intrigued with new and interesting ideas. Ask for their feedback; use it to evolve. This is how you attract a genuine following.

Treat your customers like lifelong friends by maintaining and building upon your emotional relationship. If you’re really good at it, some of your followers will become diehards. These are the believers that will evangelize for your brand, the ones in a constant state of anticipation as they await your next offering. They are your core customers, and their loyalty is everything.

Take Nike, for example. You’ve probably heard the phrase “Cult of Nike” at some point or another. And while it may seem a tad extreme, it’s really not all that far off the mark. Nike fanaticism is real, and the number of diehards who refuse to buy athletic apparel from anyone else might surprise you. These people don’t just believe in the products Nike sells, they believe in the idea of Nike and everything it stands for.

The Cult of Nike is not the result of the company emerging into the athletic apparel industry in the right place at the right time. Nike has spent decades building brand loyalty and customer trust. And they’ve done so through intensely on-brand emotional appeals.

Sometimes Nike strums the chords of nostalgia by bringing your favorite players off the court and into its advertisements. Other times it lets you relive the greatest accomplishments in sports history, inspiring awe at what the human body is capable of. Nike speaks to your inner child, encouraging you to be playful and have fun. And perhaps most reliably, Nike is always there to remind you that you too have a propensity for greatness—so long as you Just Do It.

Nike sets a high bar, but you don’t have to be a multinational corporation with an estimated brand value of upwards of $20 billion to make successful emotional connections. Anyone can do it with a little heart and soul.

Plant Seeds, Watch Them Grow

 There are lots of ways to form emotional connections with customers, and you will do so successfully if you stay true to your brand. But Rome wasn’t built in a day, and it would be ignorant to assume that your core will flock to your brand overnight. People want to know you’re playing the long game; that you’ll be there to lean on, like a trusted neighbor or a childhood friend. People smell out false promises in a heartbeat, and they have little time or patience for them.

So, ready to cultivate long-lasting, emotional relationships with your customers? These tips will put you on the path to harvest:

1. Be loyal to your core. This is about authenticity, and it cannot be overstated. Communicate with your target audience in ways that are honest, straightforward and transparent. Authenticity builds trust, and trust is at the core of positive emotional reactions. Remember when Airwalk decided to sell its skate shoes in malls? That was an affront to everything skater culture stood for, and Airwalk immediately fell out of favor with former loyalists. Be loyal to your core and your core will be loyal to you.

2. Listen to your customers. Your followers want to be a part of the conversation, so solicit their feedback and evolve accordingly. Netflix has tracked customer feedback and viewing behavior religiously over the years, and now it is quite literally crafting the ideal streaming service per its loyalists’ desires. Hul-who?

3. Demonstrate appreciation for your customers. In the age of ad overload, it’s hard not to approach discounts and freebies with skepticism. Freebies rarely come to you no strings attached. But what about brands that reward their customers with free things just because? It’s a strategy that seems to work well for Ben & Jerry’s. Anyone who has seen the line on free ice cream day can tell you that.

4. Be realistic. Know what you do and focus on doing it well. Setting ambitious and expansive goals will harm your brand if you fail to meet your customers’ high expectations. When Steve Jobs came back to Apple, his first order of business was to get back to basics by cutting extraneous projects. Can’t say he didn’t know what he was talking about there.

5. Embrace adaptation. Like any relationship, sometimes the emotional bonds you form with customers could use a little spicing up. Don’t be afraid to try something new, even if it’s an entirely different direction. Back in the early 2000s, Pabst Blue Ribbon reached an all-time low in beer sales. Upon discovering its beer was popular with people who despise being marketed to, the 172-year-old macro-brewery decided to take a more hands-off approach. Playing it cool has paid off for the beer giant, with sales of PBR increasing by over 200 percent.

Don’t be intimidated by the prospect of forming connections. Humans are hardwired for emotional bonds. And while we won’t go as far as to say that corporations are people, we will absolutely stand behind the idea that a brand promise is cultivated and maintained through the same level of emotional investment as any important relationship you build.

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