I’ve been watching the ABC show, Undercover Boss. It’s basically where a boss of a major corporation disguises himself as an average employee working in the trenches.  The coolest thing about the show is that at the end, these CEOs actually make real connections with their employees. The typical suit and tie, and corporate setting is gone, and they find themselves working side-by-side their lower-level employees. For a little while, they’re no longer CEO and grunt, but two everyday people just making an honest days wages. They listen to the stories of their employees, appreciate the hardships and struggles they go through, and many times, can relate to a lot of their struggles and they end up forming a real bond (most of the time).

The great thing here is that because of the interaction and relationships they build with their employees, they gain valuable insight into their companies and from this comes some really profound change. It’s inspiring and it’s such a positive show.

By creating better, stronger relationships with their employees, and connecting with them as human beings, not merely worker drones, they will build stronger brands. When you have people working with you, and doing business with you that feel valued and respected, they will usually become catalysts for your brand.

So how about you? Are you building stronger relationships with your employees, with vendors, with customers…better yet…with PEOPLE? With all of the money spent on advertising, marketing, public relations, social media, etc. - sometimes all it takes is just reaching out and building a relationship.

Here we are again at the crossroads of another awesome music festival. From what I know about who’s attending this year, it’s going to be another sweet lineup. Guess who has the job of doing all of the branding and design for the festival? You guessed it. We’re honored to be doing the work for the Festival again this year and although some things have changed, ultimately, it’s about charity and bringing great music to the fans.

I’m bummed about no camping, too, although I’ve never camped, but I’d be willing to open up my pad for folks coming in from out of town looking for a place to crash. Seriously.

Branding for a music festival is great, because you’ve got so much creative freedom, and I get to draw stuff - like the logo! It’s all done by hand, with the exception of the annual logotype. We do a lot of our work here in an organic way, going back to the roots of drawing by hand, which is something that a lot of designers have lost, sadly. One other thing that makes branding for a festival a bit different is that the logo itself kind of becomes the art for the poster and lots of different applications for branding, from advertising, the program, t-shirts, etc. Hopefully it’s well received!

The website will be ready to  rock next week and I can’t wait to launch. It’s definitely been one of the most fun projects for Birthmark to-date and we’re definitely proud to be a part of the festival again this year. Let’s make lemonade people!

Small business owners, if this even slightly resembles what your business cards look like - you’re probably scaring people. Just like a good business card design can make a great impression right off the bat, the opposite is also true. This guy came to my door today claiming he sells Direct TV. He gave me a business card and a photocopied flier as well. I actually seriously considered calling the cops on the guy. I don’t know for sure whether this guy is legit or not, but just by looking at his card, I’m thinking probably not.

There’s not even the slightest chance I would consider calling this guy. Personally, he made a decent impression. He was polite and dressed business casual. Regardless of what he looks like, or what kind of personality he may have had, I don’t believe this guy is legit - and even if he was, from the looks of this card, his service or product is probably REALLY bad. Please, please, small business owners, don’t go out like this guy and scare people out of doing business with you. I beg you!

Recently, there’s been a handful of movies making their debut in 3-D. Earlier today I took my two kids to go see G-Force (a movie about four hamsters and a mole who are secret agents out to stop the world from being, ironically,  exterminated. Cute, right?). Featured previews included Alice in Wonderland (can you say “hole-nutha-level?”), Toy Story 3 (also in 3D) and an upcoming remake of Scrooge (HNL!). Read the rest of this entry »

Ever been to one of those places that, in terms of branding, seems to do just about everything right? They have an identity that perfectly reflects who they are, entices and excites you to buy from them. Their website, printed materials, etc. are all top-notch - but their service sucks? So many businesses get caught up in branding, business tactics, marketing, etc. that they forget that customer experience is a HUGE part of good branding. Read the rest of this entry »