The age old question asked by many? Does sex sell?

It has been said that sex is actually the first industry to explore, publish and profit from any new technology ( e.g., Still images, moving images, motion picture, videos, DVD’s, the internet, mobile content.) and it is a highly profitable business.

So the answer is yes, sex sells. With this in mind many have tried to use the same tactics to sell their own business but didn’t realise that sex only makes sales for the sex industry (sex actually has its own industry).

If you’re an executive recruitment company, the last thing your client wants to see is a naked person strutting their stuff on your logo (might give the wrong idea of recruitment:). Sex doesn’t really sell anything else apart from itself.
With this in mind then, how can you present an image that’s just as effective and attractive to your potential clients?

There are two routes to the success of your business image:

1.) The professional image
2.) The sexy image

The first is the most obvious. Overall it solves many problems for your image as a service provider:
- what was expected
- experts
- trustworthy
- credible
- professional
- going to help my business
- an answer to my problems

A professional image for a florist maybe different to an executive recruitment company but it delivers the same message of trust and credibility. The only drawback is that it can be boring.

The second one is a tricky one because everyone has a different interpretation of the term sexy.

Some will consider humor as sexy?
Some will think of a shiny red car as sexy?
Some find big muscles as sexy?
Some find intelligence sexy?

It’s not anyone’s fault it’s our own interpretations of language, image and culture. It’s been said that no two people in the world can see one single colour in the same way because different colours each have a different meaning to all of us. Likewise so does the term sexy. You may find something sexy whilst others don’t.

When it comes to sexing up a business image, you don’t want to give the wrong impression and come off as offensive or uncredible. You must also appeal to your target audience so the best way to achieve an attractive but effective business image is to merge the two categories together,

Professional + Sexy = Classy.

When it comes down to it a classy business image is defined by subliminal originality and uniqueness, whatever slant is taken (humorous, retro, exclusive, reliable, slick, traditional etc). It’s a fine balance of being relevant and attractive without overdoing each part. A Professional image is always good but can suffer from monotony whilst sexy is dangerously attractive, it gives the wrong impression. The term “less is more” comes to mind.

Achieving the right balance of elements is the key to success and the most important factor comes from the execution of the design. Making an executive recruitment agency or florist look classy is actually not an easy thing to do. One may suffer from boredom whilst the other suffers from too many bright colours. It’s essential to get this done right in order for a successful result. Two from the (sexy) list above are characteristics whilst 2 are visual elements and like a business you need to portray both to build on your brand values and visual representation. The goal of the design is to project the brand values, keep the image classy and in tune with the target audience. There’s also the point of clever design. As a designer myself, I’ve seen work which many would brush off but to my eyes it was just incredibly clever design, so clever that it was professional, sexy, no wait it was just classy.

Remember that you’re a business providing a reliable professional service and that should be the heart of your image. Don’t use sex to make your business more attractive because it won’t sell. Refine it and make it classy instead. Make it a brand that your target audience will want to work with just by looking at the logo.

Coca Cola Re-branded.

The Worlds most famous brand has re-branded. Since the logo was originally designed in 1967 the company coca cola has gone through many re-brands, changing strap lines and packaging according to current events, campaigns and time frames but substantially the classic logo has had minimal change.

Remember the adverts and strap lines:

Coca cola is it
The 3d polar bears
The colourful animated illustrations.

With a multimillion dollar marketing budget Coca Cola have always pushed the line on design, keeping up with new design trends and techniques. Much like the rest of the design industry Coca Cola got a little muddled up during the 21st Century. Design itself took a big step on colour & illustration as everyone overworked designs utilizing many techniques with the latest software.

The abstract futuristic CGI effect (glows, lines, small fonts, exploding shapes) was popular and the dirty grunge look made a comeback as an alternative. On another note the colourful overfilled illustrative cartoon effect was utilsed by many and then finally web.20 threw its 2p’s worth in.

Coca cola maximized on the trendy yet classy cartoony illustrative style and in doing so cluttered its packaging with extra colours and shapes. Just like fashion, graphic design can have a cautious tale of going out of trend after being over used and this is what happened to Coke. The strong illustrations just got a little tiring, old and cluttered, eventually loosing focus of what Coke is.

Like many successful brands they decided to re-brand in a way that’s becoming very common. NASA did it, so did KFC along with countless others and now its Cokes turn to go back to the beginning.

The original Coke bottle was designed to be recognisable even in the dark and once again it has been re-shaped and simplified. The cans are a clean pure red with just the iconic logo emblazed across it. It’s dynamic, simple and swift. The use of red dead space adds to the contemporary feel yet emphasises the “Classic” strap line in every way. By simplifying the packaging the brand has come back to its roots, distinctively reinforcing what made Coke the world famous brand it is today.

Along with the packaging the new TV campaigns use strong vibrant but natural colours with real people rejoicing in the taste of Coke rather then the design that surrounds it. Overall the focus has been to reintroduce the brand back to its basic originality of a great tasting beverage for people.

Old ideas reinvented.

2 thumbs up.

Reading through Simon Singhs “The code book” I learnt several ways of encrypting and ciphering messages. Since the beginning of time people have used words, symbols and pictures to carry messages whether it be secretly, subliminally or publicly. The book also noted how a codemaker is usually the best person to use when it comes to code breaking.
Unless you’re a secret agent, programmer, historian or detective I guess there’s not much need for the knowledge of deciphering code in today’s world, or is there? Everyday we are surrounded by thousands of pieces of code, in fact there is one underneath your nose right now. Look at the bottom of your monitor screen and you will see one there, the logo for the manufacturer of your monitor.
Logos are indeed pieces of code just like Egyptian hieroglyphs. Symbols and images used to communicate a message but also carry an identity. You may not understand, ancient Egypt, French, German or the Hindi language but if you saw a piece of text you could probably guess where the language originated from (like a corporate identity).
Logos are just the same and here are some examples of deciphering them.

Adidas –
The original adidas logo (three stripes) was an attempt to create a big brand presence in the 1900’s by Adi Dassler himself. He wanted everyone to know which trackstar was unmistakably wearing his shoes and thus branded them with 3 stripes. He even said himself it was “the brand with three stripes”.
In due time Adidas become bigger and bolder with a strong reputation and went onto create the Trefoil logo showing the diversity in the Adidas brand.
Today’s logo is much like the original, three stripes but in this case they take a specific formation.
Decipher: Today’s three stripes form in a shape of a mountain, signifying the challenges and rewards in life (climbing a mountain.)

BMW –
A controversial logo which still holds confusion today. The Bavarian Motor Works (BMW) has its place in history tied in with the World Wars. One story tells the logo originating before world war 1 as a rotating plane propeller set off a blue clear sky (hence the coloured segments). It was also said that BMW started business making Luffwafe fighter planes which were decorated in the same blue and white colours. Adverts for BMW even used this imagery for publicity but ultimately they claim that this not the case. The other story which BMW claims is true is that the logo is an ode to Bavaria (blue and white flag), the HQ of BMW.
BMW themselves say that the logo was created 6 months before they had ever created any plane components and the signature rotating propeller which backs up the World War story, was not even a component that they made.

Next time you see a logo see if you can decipher it. Even better, when you have your logo designed (or redesigned (just give me a call) see what code you can implement into it.

Whats a corporate identity? Think of it as your brand in a visual form or at the most basic level anything with your logo on it. Yes anything! From your business cards to the giant sign on your office building, they’re all elements which compose your corporate identity, a way of communicating your brand.

As a small (or smaller business) you may not have a giant sign on your office building, you may not even have a fully fledged office at all so how can you maximize the potential of your business image and turn it into a corporate identity?

The most important aspect will be your logo. Make sure it’s professionally designed visually, technically and ethically. Remember that it’s a representation of your brand which should communicate your company values. After the final vectorised logo has been created you should have the essence of your business in a visual form which will set a benchmark for your corporate identity. (a vectorised logo will be very important in maximizing the quality and accessibility of your brand)

That’s the first and most important part done. It’s a good start on setting your business out from the rest but what else can you do?

Whatever size business you are, think about your assets. What can you place your logo on and why should you want to place your logo on it. The next step should ideally be your stationery, electronic or hard from, it will be used extensively and given out to all clients/potential clients, suppliers and anyone connected to your business.
Some businesses have everything matching (letterheads, comp slips and bus cards) but the stationery does not have to be exactly the same. Letters are used as a formal communication where as comp slips and bus cards can be used in different ways so just be sure that they all contain a consistent theme (do they look like they are from the same company?). Using matching or consistent stationery makes your business easy to recognize and essentially builds brand awareness as well as providing a professional and credible image. The same goes for the paper used. Its another element to your corporate identity so make sure the paper choice matches one another and stay within your theme.

Now you have a hard format of your business image and you are forming a corporate identity. What’s next? The rest of your corporate materials.
Everything which displays your logo should reflect the theme that you’ve already created. From car livery to shop signage, promotional gifts to websites and emails to TV, you have a recognizable theme which reflects your business because it has become your corporate identity. You can alter the theme slightly according to a specific purpose but you should always be identified as the company you are, hence, “corporate identity”.

The corporates – You may not be a corporate enterprise but its good to see what they do and how you can take their actions into consideration. Some corporates tend to keep their logo and brand consistent but change the coroporate idenity elements according to the current marketing campaign they’re running. Some keep the company logo in the background whilst their product logos are propelled forward. There are reasons for each decision to maximize the potential of their cause.
Corporate manuals are issued as a guide to how their presence should be regulated. The guides will consider everything, even the way there office buildings are designed, inside and out.

An example
Premier lodge use a distinct colour scheme which makes the hotel instantly recognisable when driving past. The colours are streamlined throughout their assets from uniforms to the interior design of the hotels themselves, (they all look the same). The buildings are widely located outside of a town centre (although there are the exceptions) and each one has a family orientated bar/restaurant attached.

All in all this creates a strong and consistent identity affecting the business in and externally. In return the result builds a brand which we become familiar with and can trust unconsciously.

Maximise your business image to build a strong corporate identity. People will recognize you, become familiar with you and eventually trust you.

I’ve had quite a few people who are fresh into their first business, ask me how to market their venture. They usually have no idea whatsoever about marketing and are working with a very tight budget (its there very first time). The situation (mostly) revolves around some sort of retail venture, whether it be internet based or a shop outlet.
Although it may sound like an obvious place to start, the most common and biggest gap they have is a lack of research. They all failed to research their market and business in any way.
Research should be the very first point of call when considering any marketing especially if you’re having to pay someone else to carry out the execution. If you’ve started up in business then this research should have already been done. Even if its wrong at least you’ll know where you’re going wrong and how to adapt.

Why guerilla style? This research is something you can do on your own. All it takes is a little time, persistence and maybe some creativity. Take it upon your own shoulders to go out there and find out.
Obviously each business is different and the variables will change according to the nature but this is what to research in general.

Your business……………..
Who are you?
What you do?
What makes you different (USP)?

Demographics?
Who are you targeting? (be specific……male, female, old, young, professionals, ethnicity, etc)
Where are you located?
Where are your customers located?
Where are your competitors located?
Whats around your location? (any potential customers? Office blocks, shops, town centre etc)

Your competitors…….
How do they operate?
Are they successful?
When are they busy?
What are their trends?

CRM
Get your customers and visitors details
Keep them in the loop of your business.

Budget
Maybe the most important question, how much do you have to play with.

After initial research you should get some answers as to how, where and who to market to. Once again the execution can be carried out guerilla style. Be active and be unique, it will make a difference.

Specific Marketing?
Whatever marketing you carry out, try and be specific with your execution. If you’re publishing adverts try and place them in relevant and specifically targeted publishings/locations rather then a general publisicised advert spot. Follow this route for all your marketing activities such as:

Flyers to local community/businesses -
Special offers to local community/business
Special opening event
Sell in side your customers location (go to them)
Pro bono work & PR – Give a little back
EMAILS
SEO
Brand & design

Make sure you are reaching your TA rather then a common general public.

Top tips:
Emails are a cheap and effective way of promoting your business and bring return custom but beware. Buying a contacts list is a quick fix in reaching out to potential clients but a bought list is actually considered as a spam list. You are not actually allowed to send emails to people who have not given out their email address directly to you. The result is that you could be blacklisted so try and send emails only to people who have given consent.

The more research you can carry out the better position you will be in.