Week 2 - Applied Design and Branding

Applied Design is design you see day to day, and might not even realize you are looking at designs. For example when your driving down the freeway and see those billboards, or when your grocery shopping and they have those signs that might say Deli or Bakery. How about those instructional manuals that everyone dreads going through on Christmas morning trying to set up the big toy from Santa. Or going to the mall is a great example of applied design, on the kiosks, and in every store. All of this is applied design. I like to think of it as daily life design.

This is an advertisement at a bus stop. Every day I'm sure hundreds of people see that ad and remember it without even trying to pay attention, and that is the goal of the ad.

This is a mall. This has examples of signage, kiosk interface, informational design, apparel design, window display design, way finding design, etc. You would be surprised as to how many different designs you get right at your fingertips at a mall. Most of the time it is overwhelming....I hate shopping. Most people love it though, it caters to all walks of life.

This is a Verizon kiosk, usually found in a mall. This is a great design because it is a mini store that people can come right up and get there questions in and out. Its quick, no waiting to talk to a person that will answer your questions. Consumers want that quick service. This is also a great quick way to advertise new phones and new products right out in the middle of the consumer traffic, there is no better place.

This is also a great example of applied design. Lots of consumer traffic is always good. There are lots of signage and way findings as well.

I love this amazing window display design by Diesel. It also shows their apparel design, and in store projection. Diesel is a popular clothing store that takes advertising to new levels.

Branding can be a product of applied design. The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a "name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers. This is my interpretation of that: Basically a brand is an identifier to the company. You want a recognizable brand name,symbol, logo, etc. This is actually very important so that when the consumer glances at it, they know what it is immediately. For instance McDonald's, or Pepsi.

The objectives that a good brand will achieve include:  

• Delivers the message clearly
• Confirms your credibility
• Connects your target prospects emotionally
• Motivates the buyer
• Concretes User Loyalty

To succeed in branding you must understand the needs and wants of your customers and prospects. You do this by integrating your brand at every point of public contact. Your brand resides within the hearts and minds of customers, clients, and prospects. You must remember that it is the sum total of their experiences and perceptions, some of which you can influence, and most that you cannot. A strong brand is so necessary, as the battle for customers intensifies day by day. It's important to spend time investing in researching, defining, and building your brand. After all your brand is the source of a promise to your consumer. It's a foundational piece in your marketing communication and one you do not want to be without.

The key point in branding, i think, is: 
              It's not really about getting your target market to chose you over the competition, it's REALLY about getting your target market to see that you are the ONLY one that provides a solution to their problem.
    Here is an example of a brand that i think is on top of its game:

 

Here are some links to advertisements. We are to look at them and give our opinion on what we think about these brands.

http://www.abercrombie.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/home_10051_10901_-1 

             First of all, this ad is great! I love it! It's engaging, intriguing, and beautiful. It got my attention for sure.

http://fblegacy.com/store/

       I do not like it. The clothes don't match the attitude of the advertisement. You have some big tough man that has weapons hanging down from his jeans, and yet he is wearing like a layered fancy shirt and a fancy sport coat. I don't get it. It just doesn't appeal to me at all.

http://us.levi.com/home/index.jsp

     This advertisement is mediocre. It isn't bad, but it isn't anything exciting. I would have had a more exciting picture of those jeans, maybe the man playing outside without a shirt, not only complementing the jeans but drawing us in as well. The thing that saves this ad is that interesting question in big letters right in your face. I love that aspect of the ad. Now everyone wants to know how your jeans could save up to 16 million liters of water, and Levis is the only one with the answer. Perfect marketing strategy. So it wasn't a home run, but you didn't strike out, nice ad.

http://www.filson.com/?gclid=CIqy5qSppqUCFRZy5Qod52oY5g

       Personally, it's boring. That's mainly because i am not interested in what they are tyring to sell me. It looks like this company sells outdoor clothing and i don't camp barely ever, so i wasn't interested. On the other hand though, this ad i straight forward and they cater to their demographic. Men that hunt, fish, or camp, this is the company for them, and this ad seems like an efficient way to find what your looking for.

http://lifestyle.applebottoms.com/company.asp

         I think this ad is very fresh, and hip, and intriguing. I do not like the text to the right of the picture. It seems to be taking up most of the room, and it is sort of hard to read. The font needs to be a couple sizes larger, and all that text might look better if it wasn't all on the first page of the website, leave that crap for someone who wants to read it, they can track it down