A QR code, which is short for Quick Response, is a two dimensional bar code readable by a QR code reader or smart phone. The code is made up of black modules arranged on a white background. The information encoded can be text, a URL or other information. Some smart phones such as Blackberry and Droid come equipped with QR Code readers. Others like the iPhone can download a free QR Code reader app to scan these quirky bar codes.

QR Codes were originally developed by Toyota subsidiary Denso-Wave in 1994 for use in the automobile industry as a way to track parts in vehicle manufacturing. QR Codes are now used in a wide range of ways including commercial and print ads to link people to a products web page. It can also be used on a business card to add a vCard to the persons’s device. The vCard is a file format that is standard for electronic business cards that can contain a name, address, email, phone number, photos, and even audio clips. Users can also generate their own QR code by using one of the many free QR code generation sites.

Recently QR codes have become more common in marketing circles and have been used in both traditional and interactive campaigns. Some places where QR codes have been use include: billboard ads, in-store displays, event ticketing and tracking, trade-show management, business cards, print ads, contests, direct mail campaigns, websites, email marketing, and couponing just to name a few. QR Codes are valuable to marketers because it gives them the ability to measure response rates very accurately.

Connecting real life and the digital world – take a look at your favorite everyday products, magazines, ads, etc. and take notice of the ever growing popular use of QR Codes. Before too long QR Codes will be used daily by many… bd.

This past holiday season we wanted to mix it up a bit for our family and friends. So instead of purchasing your “typical” non-memorable tangible gifts we selected a different route. We instead wanted to share an experience with them, something that is memorable that can also be enjoyed by many at once. Next week the Blue Man Group is coming to Indiana University Auditorium, so we are excited to be joining 15 of our closest family and friends for this amazing experience, an experience that will be memorable and impact folks of all ages from 5 to 62.

From spraying scads of crazy confetti to turning tubes and vacuum cleaners into musical instruments or consuming mass quantities of Cap’n Crunch cereal, Blue Man Group’s wild on-stage antics combine music, comedy, art and multimedia. The group that has made multiple appearances on “The Tonight Show” and performed in New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Berlin and Tokyo. Blue Man founders Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton have met with the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and shot hoops with the Harlem Globetrotters. They started a creative expression-based school in New York in 2008 and even developed a line of musical toys. But they remain passionate about touring to share their collective creative gifts through the magic that can only happen during live performance.

BD shares this example as “experiences” (good and bad) are most certainly an extension of your overall brand. So when you are ready to stand out from your competition remember creating a (positive) memorable experience creates a strong brand extension.

Another great “experience” branding is the famed Starbucks. If you ask most folks would they pay $5.13 for a medium latte, they would look at you like you lost your mind. But if you asked folks would you pay $5.13 for a medium (or in Starbucks language “grande”) latte, WiFi, comfy seating, cozy environment, over the top friendly baristas more then likely their answer would be very different.

When is it okay to update a logo? The short answer is, well it depends. Over time the complexity of many strong logos have been simplified. This practical design detail regarding logos most certainly started as result of so many logos and brands to weed through and typically the simpler the logo identity the easier an end consumer or reader with be able to remember the logo. Although simplifying a logo too much can also be a wrong move for branding.

A great “bad example” is the new Starbucks logo. Yes. The new Starbucks logo, which drops the company name is a bad idea. Dropping the “Starbucks” and the “Coffee” from their logo, and turning their symbolic mermaid into their well-known green coloring is not a strong enough change to create a usable “symbol only” corporate identity. The previous Starbucks logo was created in 1992, while this previous logo was 19 years old it does not always make since to update a logo that isn’t broken. Instead simply refreshing the branding that surrounds the logo if a strong logo exist already.

Starbucks

For instance the Nike logo is a great example of a longevity logo identity. There must be very few people who do not recognize the Nike Swoosh logo. With a big arsenal of superstars such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Andre Agassi, Shane Warne, Maria Sharapova, Venus and Serena Williams. This list is pretty long. The company takes its name from the Greek goddess of victory, Nike. The Nike “Swoosh” is a design created in 1971 by Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student at Portland State University. The Nike logo still remains fairly true to the original mark some 40 years later.

Nike Swoosh

So the long more defined answer to when is it okay to update a logo… it depends how strong your current logo is in the minds of your consumer, readers, etc. In the case of logos, change is not always good if your logo is created strong in the beginning. bd

The use of colors can quickly evoke a certain feeling or mood to any print piece or even environment. This summer we at BD have been creating and designing several invitations from weddings, to corporate events, to even personal gatherings.

One particular invitation we worked on had a very strong color palette : pumpkin (orange), chocolate (brown) and ivory (off-white). The pumpkin color value (Pantone 1585) is very positive color which evokes jewelry, multi-cultural, mellow, abundant, original, autumn. The chocolate color value (Pantone 477)  is another very positive color which evokes delicious, rich, robust, appetizing. The ivory color value (Pantone 7401) is a cheering, happy, soft, sunny, warming, sweet color value.

The use of color especially when designing invitations is extremely important as you are creating the mood for the event to come. The wedding invitation we designed is for an upcoming fall wedding hence the color palette.

Wedding Invitation Color Palette

Print is still alive, studies have shown that humans still learn and grasp ideas with all 3 methods  (visual, audio and tactile) in sync. Consumers who have viewed a catalog/magazine for a particular product/service has a higher rate of purchasing history. Catalog recipients purchased 28% more items and spent 28% more money than their non-catalog counterparts. Americans who shop from catalogs spend an average $151 per order. In 2008, catalog sales in the U.S. were estimated at $154.7 billion.

Percentage of Sales From :

• Paper Catalog – 46%
• eCatalog/Website – 36%
• Retail – 14%
• Other – 4%

Make Media Buyers Aware :

1. Print is less intrusive than broadcast.
2. Print motivates consumers to quicker responses and actions.
3. Print translates into more brand awareness and brand loyalty.

Reinforce to Media Buyers :

1. Print is not the lowest-cost provider.
2. Print has the most favorable ROI/ROC.
3. Print continues to be the most efficacious media for…
   – branding.
   – mnemonic retention.
   – sales, merchandising and marketing ROI.
   – highest trust quotient.

There is the skinny that print is still alive as humans still need tactile pieces. -bd