Branding
Designing a website that manifests your brand narrative
Have you taken a look at my recent chat with Laurie DiBiagio, the artist behind the brand Sirena + the Sea? Let’s just say that Laurie is a model for creating a web presence that manifests its brand. It takes only a glance at her site to get a sense that you know what she and her…
Read MoreLearn how effective your current website is via discovery
If you’ve ever gone to the grocery store without a list, you know the dangers of making decisions without a roadmap. Generally, you wind up buying yet another can of green beans to add to your dusty canned goods collection while forgetting to pick up the one thing that you really needed. You make an…
Read MoreWhat’s the ROI on your brand’s website design?
Occasionally clients will tell me that they don’t get any business from their website because their prospects don’t use Google to find them. This is especially true in more industrial enterprises. It may be the case that your target audience doesn’t use a search engine to find your services, but they’ll use your site to…
Read MoreHow a long-lasting relationship with your web designer helps your business
Should old acquaintance be forgot,and never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot, and old lang syne? As the old year drew to a close and a new year began, many of us were clinking together champagne flutes while singing along with the traditional New Year’s melody Auld Lang Syne. The song, written more…
Read MoreModern visual storytelling lessons from an ancient expert
A lot has changed since Aristotle proposed his six elements of drama. For one thing, people who were once thrilled at any opportunity to distract themselves from the drudgery of everyday life are now bombarded with distractions. So many, in fact, that modern storytellers have less than 9 seconds to captivate their audiences. Given that,…
Read MoreDid you remember to brand these items?
You’re ready to launch your new brand. You’re slinging high gloss, bend-resistant business cards like the Annie Oakley of entrepreneurship. You’re penning letters to the editor on your premium linen letterhead. Your website looks so professional you’re already getting resumes from young go-getters ready to board your train to success. Your forms, manuals, and email…
Read MoreHow can I improve my brand strategy?
While your brand represents your business story, if done well it also becomes representative of your audience’s stories. For many Americans, McDonald’s is a fixture of childhood happiness that makes it difficult to disentangle from the brand (even when you know it’s not good for you). It’s too entrenched in memories of kiddie birthday parties…
Read MoreWebsite design: set the stage for your brand’s story
On Broadway and in Hollywood, the true nature of a story emerges on carefully constructed sets. Lighting and artfully engineered backdrops create atmosphere. The subtle scoring that underlies each scene establishes mood. Actors’ actions and reactions, tone and costume, reveal motivations and morals. By the end of a powerful show, the audience has aligned themselves…
Read MoreYou can’t build a timeless brand without timeless values
Brand identities fall into two main categories: the ones we remember and the ones we don’t. The difference is sometimes mistakenly attributed to superficial elements like colors, fonts, and asset packages. We might look at the bright red of Coca-Cola and say, “It’s that unmistakable red. It really catches the eye.” Or when explaining the…
Read MoreTweet Your Way to Fame
When Twitter first came on the scene, I don’t think anyone could have predicted the way it would change the business landscape. Back then it was like a simple, short messaging service, and reducing your story to 140 characters became an art form and a fan favorite. Gradually, Twitter grew from posts about people’s daily…
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