17 MAY

Good Marketing Starts With the “Menu”

Posted by Adam at 6:00 pm 0 Comments

Imagine this: Your mouth has been watering all morning for a good fetucini alfredo. You quickly google for the closest italian restaurant and find a new spot called “Papa Mario’s” that’s just opened right down the street. Pulling into the parking lot you spot the sign with their logo (a smiling chef tossing a pizza crust in the air). Walking through the door you’re greeted warmly with, “Welcome to Papa Mario’s!”. You’re quickly seated. An usher takes your drink order while handing you a menu. When you open the menu you’re taken by surprise. You begin reading the menu items; Egg Rolls, Spring Rolls, Deep Fried Wontons, Egg Drop Soup, Sweet and Sour Chicken and Rice! Keep Reading

Categories: Blog, Branding, Communication, Tips

12 MAY

4 Ways to Maintain Your “Social Brand”

Posted by Adam at 1:21 pm 0 Comments

Based on the statistics, 9 out of 10 of the you that are reading this post are probably using either one or more than one of the following: Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Friend Feed or MySpace. What you may not realize is that within those services rests the integrity of something that we call your “social brand”. Just like a corporate brand, your social brand is a public representation of who you are. Whether you like it or not, you live in a glass house when it comes to your online identity. Keep Reading

Categories: Blog, Branding, Tips

2 JAN

Are you having a bad hair day?

Posted by Adam at 7:17 pm 0 Comments

The news came out recently that Andre Agassi, the long-maned tennis player from the 90s, wore a wig. Yes, the guy who was known as much for his hair as his tennis ability, was actually a fake. (read more about that here)

Remember the commercials Agassi used to do for Canon cameras? “Image is everything”. That same motto has to be what motivates all those other hairless guys out there who insist on wearing a toupe. They act as if it’s real, but everyone else knows it isn’t. It’s Artificial DNA, and those guys are spending most of their emotional energy trying to sell it as truth. Then there is the guy we all know with the comb-over. Yes, it’s his actual DNA- but the alignment is all wrong. Again, it’s obvious to everyone but him that it isn’t working. Lastly, consider the mullet. We all still see guys wearing these. Yes, it was cool in the 80s and 90s… but that was 20-30 years ago. Times have changed. Even Billy Ray Cyrus figured that out- and successfully reinvented himself.

Keep Reading

Categories: Blog, Branding

1 JAN

Intheimage.com – Version 3.0

Posted by Adam at 3:02 am 0 Comments

New for 2010! We’re extremely happy to announce that the updated intheimage.com is officially up and running!

Our new single-page design utilizes some of the newest web technologies to create a unique and minimalistic browsing experience.

We look forward to your feedback in the comments.

Categories: Blog, In The Image

24 NOV

Compared to what?

Posted by Hugh at 8:21 am 0 Comments

I’m sitting here checking my email, listening to the construction sounds from a site down the street. They are adding a new sanctuary to a church site, and it’s been going on for almost a year. Almost every day I hear these sounds, and sometimes they are quite distracting. At those times, I regularly console myself with the thought, …” at least its a church and they are not building a bar or an adult movie theatre”. Keep Reading

Categories: Communication, Productivity, Random Thoughts

3 SEP

What we have here is a failure to communicate…

Posted by Hugh at 6:13 pm 1 Comment

A friend once told me that he learned in a college business class, “Don’t communicate to be understood. Rather, communicate so you won’t be misunderstood”. This quote in one form or another is generally credited to WWII General Douglas MacArthur. However, regardless of its source, it’s great advice.  Another quote by MacArthur is “Never give an order that can’t be obeyed”.

As a history buff, I have repeatedly read how some battles were won or lost over poor communication. The order given was understood to mean something different. Especially in the Civil War, orders that were worded too politely often left too much discretion to the receiving officer, and resulted in a delay of action that gave the enemy the upper-hand. Phrases like, “When you think it prudent” or, “At the time of your choosing” gave too much room for poor interpretation of the message. Keep Reading

Categories: Communication, Productivity

10 AUG

We can lead a horse to water, but YOU make him drink

Posted by Hugh at 7:03 am 0 Comments

In it’s most basic sense, Successful Marketing lets potential customers/clients know about your products or services in a creative and memorable way. Your marketing should be well-thought out, purposeful in implementation, and focused in execution. That’s a no-brainer, right? But what happens when your marketing works? What then? Successful Marketing gets potential clients into contact with you. You (and your staff) are then charged with turning them into actual clients or customers.

Your worst case scenario is to successfully create a demand for your products or services when those products or services are not ready to be sold or offered. Or, as more often is the case, when those products or services aren’t as cool or professional as you marketed them to be. Think about it- We have all responded to good marketing that left us asking, “Is this all there is?” or saying, “This is not what I was led to believe it was going to be”. If that is the case with your organization, you have invested (or, rather, wasted) time, money and effort in telling your potential clients/customers that you care more about getting them than keeping them.

Keep Reading

Categories: Branding, Tips

24 MAR

The birth of the drive-in cubicle

Posted by Adam at 10:08 am 0 Comments

As I have frequented wi-fi hotspots all over the nation I’ve started noticing an interesting trend. I call it the “drive-in cubicle”. Keep Reading

Categories: Productivity, Random Thoughts

23 MAR

Branded House vs. House of Brands vs. House Blend

Posted by Adam at 8:16 pm 2 Comments

In many organizations there is a silent war taking place. It may not even be a battle that you are aware of. It is the struggle between consistent branding and diversification. One side focuses on the categorization of a single branding while the other two focus of the branding of multiple categories. Believe it or not, you probably come into contact with all three branding architectures every day: Keep Reading

Categories: Branding, Tips

19 JAN

"Good artists copy. Great artist steal."

Posted by Adam at 6:41 pm 0 Comments

Last week we focused on the importance of clearly defined project leadership. This week we will be focusing on the negative impact of mainstream branding and how to overcome it.

Pablo Picasso, one of the most misunderstood and unique artists of the 20th century once said, “Good artists copy. Great artists steal.” What did he mean? Why would a man that affected the artistic world in such a unique way say such a thing? Google it, and you’ll find plenty of interpretations and opinions. Keep Reading

Categories: Design, Tips