Lucy's view: Ben Affleck as Batman? Just think of it as a rebrand

The logo for the Batman and Superman
film to be released in 2015.

There seems to be a lot of negativity around the decision to cast Ben Affleck as the new Batman, and I can see people's concerns. But let's face it, this is not the first time this has happened and it will not be the last, I am sure people remember the media hype around Daniel Craig being cast as James Bond, and look how that turned out. For the record, I am aware James Bond is not a superhero, but his character is treated in a very similar way. Everyone has a favourite 'Bond' just like everyone has a favourite Superman, Spiderman, and obviously Batman, and I think it's pretty obvious that every actor brings something different to the role.

We oppose change

We humans are creatures of habit, and tend to resist change, and this is true across every aspect of our lives. And shaking up the casting of our favourite superheroes is always going to cause a stir. But superheroes are not the people in the suits, they are the characters with compelling stories, from comics dating back to the 30's (DC was founded in 1934, Marvel in 1939). Having a brother who is majorly into his comic books, I am learning that there are so many different story lines and variations in characters, that there is no way that the films can even keep up!

Also, these superheroes do not seem to age much. Kirk Alyn was the first actor to play Superman, way back in the 40s, there is no way he could still be playing the role now! And I am sure there was some upset when he was replaced, just like what's going on with Batman now.

Another factor to consider is that different comic book writers have brought their own spin to the characters, take the Tobey Maguire "Spiderman", and Andrew Garfield "The Amazing Spiderman", both actors are portraying a different Spiderman, created by two different sets of writers. Both required different actors, as both are essentially different characters, just they have the same name. It's a lot more complicated than it seems on the surface, which is why I trust the people casting for these roles, they know what they are doing! Ultimately, times change, roles and actors change, and thus people are replaced.

Tobey Maguire as Spiderman (left). Andrew Garfield as "The Amazing Spiderman" (right).
You can tell the character / icon is still Spiderman, effectively the character has just been rebranded.

"It's simple we kill [rebrand], the Batman" - The Joker

Whilst thinking about the news of Ben Affleck's casting, I couldn't help but notice the similarities between this situation and rebranding, as essentially, that is what's happening. Batman is still Batman, there is just a different guy behind the mask. He still has the same name, he just looks and acts a bit different, within the constraints of the character. Sound like a rebrand to you?

Batman is technically a brand, his suit and logo are icons of his brand, and it is a brand's icons that stick with you as a consumer. But, as Interbrand so succinctly put it:

"Icons are tremendous assets with incredible value, however they require regular updating to infuse them with new and relevant meaning."

As much as we like things to stay the same, we sometimes have to admit to ourselves that things have got a bit tired, or, if we're savvy, we may decide to freshen things up whilst we're still onto a good thing. And this is when we decide to rebrand. It's probably a good job Christian Bale got out now, soon we'd be complaining things had become too 'samey'. At some point, you, or in Batman's case Warner Bros., have to take a leap and change things, and wait for both the positive, confused, and negative reactions. Nobody is ever going to please everybody!

We feel strongly towards our favourite characters because we have empathy with them. When a different comic book writer writes about a well known character, or a new actor is cast for our favourite superhero, they are going to bring their interpretation to the table, it is still the same character, but just slightly different. Superficially our feelings may change towards the character, maybe because we don't like the new writer or actor as much, but remember, it's the writer or actor you're not keen on, not the character itself. The same rules apply to rebranding, people may initially not warm to a new look, but it's what's underneath that retain customers and keeps people interested. Like a brand, the suit and, the character's name, are just the first of many layers that people experience when interacting with a brand.

Change is good, but remember your story

The itv rebrand caused quite a stir when it was launched, now it is
accepted as "the norm".

In a rebrand, you may change your logo, colour palette and strap lines, you may even change your name! But underneath you are the same company, probably with the same mission and values. You are essentially the same, you just look a bit different, you may even act a bit differently. During a rebrand you might strengthen your policies, tighten your internal operations, and become bigger, bolder, and better. One of the most important things to remember in business is that your brand will mean different things to different people. Individuals will interpret your brand in different ways, and this is how a unique business to customer relationship is formed. If you change things peoples feelings may change, but you are likely to attract more people to your business if you are brave, change things, and throw yourself out there. What makes you shine more than any of this is your story, both as a company, and as an individual, this is your continuity, what carries through your old and new brands, this is what people buy into.

As previously mentioned, the decision to cast Ben Affleck has caused controversy, but the experts have selected him for the role, and I am sure they have considered Batman's characteristics when making this decision. In the same vane, when undertaking a rebrand, it is important to consult experts. You know your brand better than anyone, but it's the expert that will help you to unearth the true potential of your brand. An expert will help you to reinvent, reinvigorate and rejuvenate, whilst making sure that there is a clear continuity between old and new. 

Let's not write Ben off just yet, let's embrace change and give it some time to become the norm, then we can start complaining all over again when Warner Bros. decide it's time for another recast, sorry, rebrand!

We'd love to hear your opinions, tweet us @ubd_studio

Owen's View: 'Branding' yourself- tattoos

Examples of sugar skulls

Since my college days I have been thinking about getting a tattoo, but haven't yet made the commitment to a design that I am prepared to wear on my body for the rest of my life. Our recent work with Treboom Brewery, and our research into sugar skulls got me once again thinking about tattoos, but also branding, and how the two are alike in so many ways. 

Tattoos symbolise being part of tradition, part of a group or clan, or to stand out and even shock. In the same vein, the reason businesses and individuals 'brand' is to differentiate themselves from the next person or business.

Recently the worlds of branding and tattoos have mixed quite dramatically, with huge brands including Reebok, Red Bull, HBO, ASOS and Sailor Jerrys offering free tattoos at various film and music events. The number of willing participants just proves how dedicated some brand fans can be, and that tattoos are no longer a symbol of rebellion.

And what about being dedicated to your company? I have thought about having the United by Design logo tattooed on my body, but this is my business, it's a part of me and something I feel strongly about. But I am not so sure about what's going on over in New York at Rapid Realty, the company is offering a 15% rise in commission to every member of staff who has the company's logo tattooed on them. Over 40 staff have been inked so far!

Tattooing is highly profiled in the media. The rise in popularity of shows such as Miami Ink is inspiring more people than ever to go out and get inked. The amount of celebrities now sporting tattoos makes the once frowned upon art-form even more part of the norm. After the 2012 Olympics, several of the GB athletes, including the majority of the women's basketball team, went and had tattoos incorporating the 5 Olympic rings, highlighting their dedication and pride to sport, Great Britain and the Olympic games.

Azania Stewart- Member of GB Women's Basketball team with her tattoo.

On the other hand, there is still a certain amount of prejudice when it comes to those with tattoos. Air New Zealand have been forced to rethink their policies after being slated for turning away a prospective employee due to her moko, (Maori), tattoo on her forearm. It is reasonable to say that some tattoos are offensive or inappropriate, but taking in pride in your heritage is no bad thing!

In Japan, tattoos still shock and unnerve people, as the showing of body art by Yakuza gang members is considered a sign of aggression. Attitudes are warming slightly to the tradition, as more and more people have started experimenting with irezumi (japanese style of tattooing).

As for my tattoo, I am inspired by japanese, polynesian and moko styles, in fact I have a Pinterest board dedicated to the tattoos that inspire me, check it out here. While I continue to make my mind up I may experiment with some temporary tattoos, such as these by Lydia Leith.

And just like tattoos, branding is something that has to be thought about and considered carefully. There should be a meaning behind your choice and why you are going ahead with such an investment. With regards to both tattoos and branding, seeking advice from an expert, and doing your research, are paramount. It may cost you, but you want the job to be done properly- money definitely well spent if you're going to have the branding, or the tattoo, for a VERY long time!

Are you inked? Tweet us some inspiration @ubd_studio



Sources of information: 
http://www.today.com/money/company-ink-agents-get-15-raise-corporate-tattoos-6C9714898 
http://www.details.com/blogs/daily-details/2013/05/the-tattoo-as-corporate-branding-tool.html 
http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/opinion/8739378/Editorial-Air-NZ-makes-a-moko-mistake
http://www.dontpaniconline.com/magazine/radar/horiyoshi-iii-inks-japan

Annabel's View: European Confectionery Brands- My Sugary Inspiration

The 'Face of Kinder' campaign.

Recently, Kinder launched the new campaign, 'The new face of Kinder' and I've seen it everywhere. The ads use naive and whimsical pencil-drawn-style illustrations and type. It's a great way to get kids and parents actively involved in the brand.

Having had a couple of holidays in Germany, I know how important their confectionery is to them, how the aisles and aisles of chocolate and gummy bears running down the Galeria Kaufhof food hall (large German department store) are much-loved by residents and visitors too.

For inspiration for children's brands and confectionery brands, I often think to those long aisles of colourful packaging and soft sweet scents, and the light-hearted adverts that make us smile.

Haribo and Maoam

One of the most popular German brands is Haribo. I bet we all know their strapline by now. To get some childlike inspiration and a smile on your face, watch the Haribo and Maoam (sub-brand) ads here:



Maoam ads: www.maoam.de/lang/enGB/index.html

Ferrero and Kinder

And for more inspiration watch the Ferrero and Kinder ads here: www.ferrero.co.uk/?IDpagina=1776

To see the New Face of Kinder campaign, with its lovely typography and illustration style, and to enter your little'un: www.faceofkinder.com

Ferrero is currently running two competitions: to design and win your own bike helmet, and to win a family cycling holiday at Centreparks, with its other sub-brand Nutella. The brand is very much about family involvement, which is smart; it's the parents who buy the product.

Ever noticed that the Nutella and the Kinder logos use a similar style? That's brand continuity, the subtlety that lets you know the two brands are connected.

Milka

Another great European brand, founded in Switzerland, is Milka (now owned by Kraft, together with Cadbury's and Oreo), who took their purple cow from the packaging and made it into a purple chocolate icon:

Ritter Sport

And for the adults, who love their continental chocolate, take a look at the clean, fresh and colourful Ritter Sport packaging.

Ritter Sport, founded in 1912, was the first chocolate company to use yoghurt in 1970 – an innovative move, and brave for a small family-owned company; the packaging very much reflects the business.

It's also great of Ritter Sport to put their packaging evolution on the website so we can see how they have evolved over the years:

From my research I gather the museum and factory in Waldenbuch, Germany, or the museum in Berlin, Germany, are very much worth a visit:

Ritter Sport shop at the Waldenbuch factory, credit: www.joetheexplorer.com/

Ritter Sport Museum, Berlin

The chocolatiers can create your own bespoke Ritter Sport bar to take home …or consume on the spot.

Are you hungry yet?

Personalisation: putting people in your marketing strategy

Just two of the 150 names available on Coke products this summer.

By now we are sure that you have all seen Coca Cola's latest marketing campaign: "Share a Coke with..." It appears that personalisation is a big thing in the food and drink industry at present.

Personalisation can be as simple as using a lead or client's first name on an email, or you could go to the extreme like Coke, and put your customers' names on the products.

Coca Cola have used the top 150 names in the UK to create personalised bottles of regular Coke, Diet Coke and Coke Zero, the idea being that you share the bottles with friends and family.  The campaign is set to be around all summer, and Coke are even hosting events for those whose name do not appear on the shelves, allowing them to have personalised bottles printed.

The one and only name featuring on an Irn-Bru can

HP Sauce are also jumping on the personalisation bandwagon specifically for Fathers Day (June 16th). Using a Facebook competition, HP are allowing 100 of their biggest fans to win personalised bottles of sauce for their dads. No surprises that your chances of winning are doubled if you choose to share the campaign on your Facebook timeline. HP Sauce state that the reasoning behind the campaign is to reward their most loyal fans (and their dads) in "a new and exciting way".

A slightly tongue-in-cheek nod to personalisation is Irn-Bru's new can. Following on from their TV campaign, the scottish soft drink has released pictures of a personalised can, but it's only suitable if your name is Fanny. Unfortunately the can is not available in stores, and there is no word as yet that it ever will be.

An example from the HP Sauce campaign.

Personalisation is a rewarding strategy, both from the prospective of the
business, and your audience. The customer feels that they are being given something back from the company, and the company is able to encourage loyalty and advocacy.

Do you use personalisation in your marketing strategy?





Sources of Information:
http://www.thedrum.com/news/2013/05/31/hp-sauce-offers-facebook-fans-chance-win-personalised-bottles-father-s-day
http://www.thedrum.com/stuff/2013/05/31/irn-bru-jumps-personalised-can-bandwagon-suitable-only-people-called-fanny
http://www.coca-cola.co.uk/faq/products/share-a-coke.html

30 years of 'Now that's what I call music!'

"Now that's what I call music!" has been part of our vinyl / cassette / CD / mini disc / download collections for 30 years, and is a name that is recognised by tweens and 40-somethings alike (maybe older if you have a cool grandma!). At some point, you probably owned a 'Now', whether it be 1 or, the most current, 84 or any in between.

Now! took over from the cheap and nasty compilation albums of the 70's and gave the public what they had been waiting for, all the biggest hits on the same album. They also gave lesser known bands and singers a chance to be heard, as producers often cut deals to push new artists; e.g. "you can have Phil Colins if you feature these two tracks (from lesser known bands) on the album too". This has resulted in the Now! albums providing an eclectic mix of music three times a year since 1983. Despite rival record companies offering similar compilation albums from time to time, none have managed to knock Now! off the top spot.

NTWICM 3 featuring the pig as
part of the branding.

The first Now! album.

The back of the first Now! featuring
the poster from which the series got its name.

We were surprised to discover that the Now! series was created by Virgin, for some reason we just assumed it was its own brand, it has been such a huge success without having to broadcast who created it!

After watching ITV's documentary, and doing a bit of research, we found out some more facts about Now! some of which are quite surprising:

- The first ever song to appear on Now! was Phil Colins - You can't hurry love.

- Girls Aloud are the longest running consecutive artists having appeared on 13 Now! albums (54 to 66).

- Songs are edited to remove swearwords, this happened to ruin the concept of Mark Owen's song Four Minute Warning, which, you guessed it, was supposed to be exactly four minutes long.

After Now! 5 the pig was dropped.

At this point Now! had found their
signature look. This grouping of text
has not changed much since.

By Now! 18 the 'snooker' ball logo
was dropped for a bolder look.

- Now 4 was the first album to be released on CD.

- Madonna has never appeared on a Now! album, and was once knocked off the number one chart spot by Now! 10. She campaigned for compilation albums to have a separate chart.

- The series has had over 100 million sales globally.

- Many countries have their own versions of Now! including Korea, Turkey, Israel and Norway.

- The total number of tracks on the UK Now! albums is 2693.

The lastest numbered Now! album.

The pigs have made a come-back on
the commemorative album.

All of this got us discussing the first Now! albums that we bought. Owen has the first 'Now that's what I call music!' on tape! (Thinking about this caused a couple of laughs reminiscing about the issues we faced with tapes, such as winding the ribbon back in with a Biro). The first album Lucy remembers listening to is Now! 42, which included the likes of Steps, Billie and the Spice Girls. Annabel remembers Now! 43 as her first album, and Ross has Now! 44 somewhere at home, and he distinctly remembers that CD featuring Eiffel 65's 'Blue'.  

Which was the first Now! Album you bought?

Sources of Information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Now_That%27s_What_I_Call_Music!
http://fatherandy2.proboards.com/thread/46675#
http://www.nowmusic.com/

Owen's View: Looking to extend brand reach – at the cinema

Robert Downy Jnr. as Tony Stark in Iron Man 3.

Having just watched Iron Man 3, which I really enjoyed, I found myself particularly drawn to those brands and their products both obviously (Audi and Oracle) and subtly (ABB and FIOS products) injected into the movie. I even missed some, which others have since highlighted.

It is almost laughable now how brand product placement is something we come to expect as part of our movie experience. Not since Minority Report have I been blown away how cinema can exploit the captive audience of the cinema. 

Do you know what this little icon means?
 

The 'PP' icon used in the UK for programmes
containing product placement.

Product placement has been common on UK television since February 2011, when the 'PP' symbol was introduced. The EU define product placement as "any form of audiovisual commercial communication consisting of the inclusion of or reference to a product, a service or the trade mark thereof so that it is featured within a programme".

This form of advertising is popular due to its ability to show products in context, for example how people interact with products, and how a product interacts with its environment. This facilitates an emotional connection between the product and the audience. Product placement on commercial television has been common practice in the US for a lot longer than in the UK.

However, long before television entered our homes, product placement was already taking place in the cinema, with the earliest instances taking place around 1895! More recent, and much more well-known, instances of product placement include a Capital One credit card in 127 Hours, Domino's Pizzas in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Nike trainers in The Terminator, and Heineken lager in Skyfall.

Is product placement effective?

One of the sarcastically obvious product placements in
'Wayne's World'.

Quite simply, yes it is. There are several ways to measure the effectiveness of product placement, one being implicit memory. A study used the film 'Home Alone' to test the product placement of Pepsi. One group of children watched a clip of the film featuring Pepsi, and when asked to pick between Pepsi and Coke, 67% of the children chose Pepsi. Out of a group of children who watched clip of 'Home Alone' which did not feature the soft drink, only 42% chose Pepsi.

Studies have also shown that a number of factors can affect the success of a product placement, including the attractiveness of the characters, and the degree of subtlety used when placing the product. The 1992 film 'Wayne's World' did a great job of highlighting how to do product placement badly in their parody. In the scene both Wayne and Garth decry product placement while at the same time blatantly promoting many products by looking directly at the camera, holding up the product, smiling widely, and sometimes giving a thumbs-up. 

And as for Iron Man 3...

The main product that I was drawn towards through the excitement, action, thrill and MARVEL madness was the Audi R8. This is more than likely why I really like the super car and Audi as a brand but one thing I did not notice was the fact that Audi appear to have category exclusivity in the film. It has been pointed out that one of the cars in the film is a Mustang, however does not carry the Mustang logo.

Audi take centre stage in the Iron Man movies.

I was also intrigued by some of the sunglasses Tony Stark was wearing. Several eyewear brands were represented throughout the film but the one that caught my eye was the luxury brand Matsuda, who have a very cool website! You can also check them out on Twitter.

And of course MARVEL did not forget to advertise the Avengers franchise with their trademark bonus clip after the credits!

However, it has been questioned whether product placement was taken too far in Iron Man 3, especially in the chinese version. Chinese audiences we treated to an extra 4 minutes of footage, but from the reviews it seems that most of this footage was used to promote a cheap chinese milk brand!

What about the future?

Product placement occurs everywhere; in our streets, on our screens, in our books, everywhere. Are we as creatives going to be asked to persue further avenues to promote and advertise a brand's products and services? Red Bull have already gone to the heady heights of space to push the boundaries, we're pretty sure that if practicality hadn't have gotten in the way Felix would have been enjoying a can just before he jumped to earth...

Notice how his suit is Red Bull branded.

We'd love to hear what you thought of Iron Man 3, and what you think about product placement in general. Leave us a comment or tweet us @ubd_studio.

Sources of Information:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_placement#Product_Placement_in_Historical_Cinema
http://brandsandfilms.com/2013/05/product-placement-slideshow-iron-man-3/
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JoshWildingNewsAndReviews/news/?a=78666
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/20/ofcom-product-placement-uk-tv
http://www.slashfilm.com/5-things-that-bothered-me-about-iron-man-3/

Kanye West uses unconventional marketing to promote "New Slaves"

Were you in a big city over the weekend? Did you manage to see a projection of Kanye West's face onto a building near you?



"New Slaves" is the first official song to be revealed off the artist's latest studio album, expected to be released on June 18th. To help fans find the projections, kanyewest.com has been turned into an interactive map highlighting the times and locations of the 'performances'.

Artwork for Kanye West's upcoming album, 'Yeezus'.

Speculation and hype about the upcoming release of the album has been fuelled by this Instagram posted by Kim Kardashian, released before Kanye appeared on Saturday Night Live, (18th May), to perform.

Is this the way marketing is going now, bigger and bolder? And more importantly integrated? It's one thing to set up your website to promote the launch of a new product, in this case an album, but it's another to use your website as some sort of 'treasure map' directing your customers to another form of marketing. Plus the use of Instagram to promote the album artwork just before a live performance is a very clever and free way to get news out to the masses, and to start to cause a stir.

Moreover, Kanye West must have a lot of faith in his personal brand, the projections don't feature any gimmicks, logos, or any other branding apart from Kanye himself. Whether you like him or not, you have to admit his methods of self promotion definitely stand out from the crowd. 

Creative Copyright- Facts, thoughts and opinions

So, you have an amazing logo / jingle / piece of art, or anything you've created really, and you want to use it, but you're scared people are going to copy it, what do you do? Having worked with a number of past and current clients, regarding their Intellectual Property, Trade mark and registered status, it got us thinking that people should know more. We've also seen several articles lately that highlight the dangers of not protecting your work and IP. It's a hot topic in the media and it's definitely worth you considering your options about building equity in your business.


Taking the confusion out of copyright

However, what you need to do to protect your work can be somewhat confusing. After quick glance at the IPO, (Intellectual Property Office), website it became clear that it's not a simple case of 'copyright':

- Copyright: protects arts including music, literary works, dance, artworks, layouts for books etc and recordings or broadcasts of any work (music etc.). A copyright protects any medium of a piece of work, meaning that it cannot be copied in any form. Although there is no official system for copyright, the IPO suggest either sending yourself a special delivery letter with the work inside, and leave it unopened, or lodging your work with a bank, (this is not legally binding, but would provide evidence in court). Note that copyrights only protect the actually work, not the thoughts or ideas behind it. You can display that you wish to copyright your work by adding the © symbol. It is also advised to include your name and the year from which you wish to protect your work. A piece of work may have more than one copyright attached to it. A great, yet complicated example of this can be found here, regarding the highly irritating, but super catchy 'Friday' by Rebecca Black.

- Trade marks: otherwise known as your brand. The IPO define a trade mark as "a sign which can distinguish your goods and services from those of your competitors...It can be for example words, logos or a combination of both." The only way to register a trade mark is with the IPO. Although you may have registered your company name with Companies House, you may not be able to use this in your trade mark, the IPO provide a lot more information on this issue here.

- Registered Design: according to the IPO, the legal definition of a design is "the appearance of the whole or part of a product resulting from the features of, in particular, the lines, contours, colours, shape, texture or materials of the product or ornamentation." In the graphic design and branding world, this type of protection is suitable for packaging, graphic symbols, and typefaces. Designs can only be registered with the IPO, in the same way trade marks can.

- Design Right: just like copyrights do not need to be registered, neither do design rights. However design rights only protect the 3D shape and configuration of a product, not the surface patterns or other 2-dimensional aspects of the product. The IPO recommends taking similar precautions to that when protecting your copyright, e.g. mailing yourself a copy of your design and leaving it sealed.

- Patent: a patent is specifically for new inventions and protects "how things work, what they do, how they do it, what they are made of and how they are made." Patents are granted under strict guidelines, information on which can be found on the IPO website here.

The IPO also provide information on other rights regarding intellectual property, these can be found here.

Lessons learned from Leather Bags

Whether its logos, patterns or actual products, copyright infringement is serious, and can be seriously damaging to the owner of a copyright. Take, for example, the case of The Cambridge Satchel Company. It would seem obvious to assume that the brand would face problems with counterfeit products coming from overseas, however it might surprise you to hear that the company's own suppliers were using Cambridge Satchel leather and putting their own labels on the bags under a different brand name! Furthermore, it was discovered that fake social network sites had been created for the company, causing confusion for customers; a deception technique known as 'cybersquatting'.


Cultivating, or capping, creativity?

In the UK, copyright protection can last upwards of 50 years, depending on the type of material being protected. There are arguments for and against this length of time. Some claim that long copyrights increase creativity by providing protection to the creator, which is becoming more of an issue with the ease of sharing in the current digital climate. However, the point has been raised that these extended periods of protection make it difficult to revive or protect older material, as it can be difficult to find the original copyright holder in order to gain permission to use the work. Others claim that nowadays copyright is only used to protect publishing companies / record labels, not the content creators themselves.
  
These arguments raise interesting points. However, we believe, especially in the case of the individual or the independent business, copyright is essential, and trademarking must be seriously considered. Both provide protection for you and your brand from your reputation being damaged by cybersquatting or other fraudulent activities. Protecting yourself now is a lot cheaper than a legal battle later!

So how safe are you?




Sources of Information:
http://www.lawlawlandblog.com/2011/04/copyright_battles_on_friday_fu.html
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/copy/c-about.htm
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/tm/t-about/t-whatis.htm
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/design/d-about/d-whatis.htm
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/design/d-about/d-designright.htm
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/patent/p-about/p-whatis.htm
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/otherprotect.htm
http://www.law.com/corporatecounsel/PubArticleCC.jsp?id=1202590116493&A_Handbag_Maker_Battles_Counterfeits_and_Copyright_Copycats
http://www.economist.com/node/15868004
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/tm/t-about/t-whatis/t-companies.htm
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/c-basicfacts.pdf

Business cards are big business! Part 1

Once again we've been trawling the internet for inspiration, and an image caught our attention. This time it's all about business cards:


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Our personal favourite comes from Lego, we'd love to have Lego figures of us! Which is your favourite?

Your business card is the part of your brand that your potential customer / contact takes away with them. It's likely they have a whole wallet / folder of them, especially at a networking event. So how do you make sure it's you they are wanting to work with, rather than your competitor?

Getting everything you want to convey onto your business card is tough, so it's all to easy to put too much on there. Having the right balance is crucial. You don't want to overwhelm somone with a mass of information on a tiny piece of card, but nor do you want to leave them confused as to what you actually do, and more importantly, what you can do for them.
 
In some cases your name, a punchy strapline, and a phone number is all you need, in others an address, website, email address, and a Twitter handle may be more appropriate. Some even claim that your contact details are not even that important, with your company name there on the card, Google can fill in the blanks. Some people advise that you should only use one side of your business card, on the other you should leave space for people to write notes about you and your company. But we advise you at least put your logo on it, then no matter which way up your business card is, people know who it belongs to.

Nowadays it's not enough for a business card to stand out just visually. People appreciate business cards that feel, or even smell different! And there is no reason why your business card should adhere to a certain size and shape, your imagination is your only limit!

Do you have a business card that you feel stands out from the crowd? Tweet us a picture @ubd_studio!


Sources of information:
http://www.stickybranding.com/business-cards-make-a-statement/
http://www.steamfeed.com/your-business-card-is-your-first-impression/ 

Gone are the days of the humble box

Here at United by Design we love quirky packaging. A link on Facebook captured our attention and got us looking at some innovative packaging ideas. After a little more digging around on the internet we came up with this slideshow of packaging ideas that got us talking, laughing, and thinking, exactly what good packaging should do:



Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

We think these are great, which one is your favourite?

It is quite clear to us that in a world where innovation is king and standing out from the crowd is key to success, it is no longer enough to just have a good product. Sure, without a good product you have nothing, but without the tools to sell it, then you just have a lot of product, and not a lot of pennies! Your brand packaging is what makes your product great; it’s what sells it. Packaging should say, “Hey, you, look at me! Pick me up! I am better than that product there, look at my exciting packaging!” Ok, so packaging doesn’t really talk, but a picture is worth 1,000 words, and your packaging needs to tell your consumer everything your product has to offer. It needs to ooze personality and help tell the brand story.

So you’re happy with your product, you think it’s the bee’s knees, but the masses don’t seem to agree with you, what do you do? You need to get some insight from market research, from the people who buy your product but also those who don't, to find out why they don't! Then you need to look at category cues, your competition, those who do amazingly well – so you can benchmark and of course look at your brand story and see how you can express it to entice and draw people in.

Never be afraid to change things! This may be through evolution or perhaps you need to employ and more aggressive approach and innovate in your sector. Do not be afraid to do thing differently to help differentiate! It will ultimately help you to develop your business. Gain insight and act on it!

Take SLOEmotion for example. We continue to enjoy work with the team to evolve their company and the way they do things – ‘evolution rather than revolution’. The basics were already there, a great, award winning product and a signature bottle shape. United by Design has brought the SLOEmotion range of products together, whilst differentiating between the various spirits (gin, vodka, brandy, whiskey), using category cues to help instant recognition; the characteristics that people associate with certain products, e.g red is associated with vodka and purple with sloe gin. The distinctive shape of the SLOEmotion 35cl bottles enabled us to extend the brand to a large 70cl size and a gift range of 5cl bottle, all accentuate the originality of the SLOEmotion brand story. Focussing on finer details such as the hedgerow sprig, strap-line, and focus on the actual fruit help the consumer to be clear on what they are buying.

We also helped to reduce packaging costs for the truffle ranges by designing a generic signature box with a range of product stickers depending on the contents of the box. It’s these simple yet effective ideas that make all the difference in such a competitive market for a business that is thinking about the bottom line as well as making profits!



Early last year we worked closely with the company to launch a new product that’s packaging design has a completely different feel to the others that have been developed to date. SLOEmotion No. 7 fruit cup (gin based mixer) has a fun and fresh design but is still easily identifiable as a SLOEmotion product. Compared to its competitors it has a contemporary design that makes it stand out on the shelves. SLOEmotion have embraced change and challenged the norm to help them define themselves in a very competitive market where other companies have lead for a long time and other brands have decided to create 'me too' products that look lifeless and very much a lesser product due to the strength of the brand leader. This approach, although calculated, is enabling SLOEmotion to make a name for themselves as being different – in a good way!



What we’re really getting at is that packaging no longer just serves as a means of housing a product, it’s a strategic design process, and to get ahead you really have to ‘think outside the box’ (see what we did there?).



Images from: 
http://humorcamp.com/view/6251/
www.thedieline.com

Love? Consumerism? Or because we love consumerism?

Cupcakes in the studio (baked by Lucy)

So it's that time of year again, when people go out of their way to show that special someone how much they care with an overpriced teddy bear or a dozen red roses that cost a fortune. Valentine's Day causes such a stir, with retail businesses loving every second of our need to find the perfect card and gift. Quite often we do this last minute, despite the weeks of warnings around us in every shop we visit.







But why Valentine's Day? Where did it come from? 
And why are we so 'in love' with it?
 
The origins of Valentine's Day could go as far back as the Roman Times, however there are many stories of St. Valentine, and so the true roots of the day of love are still a mystery. Written Valentine's started to increase in popularity in the 1400s, and in the UK the day has been celebrated since the 17th Century.

Now, in the 21st Century the once humble sentiment of Valentine's Day is worth millions of pounds. According to EZBOB, you can expect the average consumer to be spending around £76 on gifts and cards. And if that consumer is female, she may even be buying gifts for her children, pets, or her friends!

Buying in to Valentine's
 
The biggest money maker is cards, with 60% of money spent on Valentine's Day lining the pockets of companies such as Hallmark. But florists, restaurants, and confectioners also get their fair share of revenue. Amazon are even offering same-day-delivery on the day itself, for those forgetful ones amongst us!

We buy into it every year, but are we doing it because we want to treat the one we love, or because it's forced down our necks? Valentine's Day is consumerism in its perfect form, everyone scrambling over each other to wow their significant others with gifts, driven by the hype caused by retailers. And, let's face it, we're all suckers for a good gimmick. But, as The Gauntlet points out, isn't every purchase decision you make just consumerism? The car you drive, your choice of coffee shop, the shoes on your feet, you had been given choices for all these items, and consumerism lead your decisions.

Let's look at it from the other perspective: brands. Without a brand, you have no identity, and without an identity, you're not very likely to have a consumer, let alone lots of them! And without a consumer, how do you expect to take advantage of consumerism? The simple answer is you can't. Your brand is everything! It will cause people to dismiss you or inspire them to queue down the street. Getting it right is paramount, especially when it's a necessity to stand out from the crowd, and on a day like Valentine's Day, that is a must!

If you feel like having a consumerism-free Valentine's Day, why not strip it back and make something for that special person in your life, or those special people if you're all about sharing the love. Here in the studio we are celebrating with cupcakes!

We hope that whatever you decide to do, you have a lovely day. Tweet us with you plans @ubd_studio


Sources of information:
http://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/
http://www.thegauntlet.ca/story/valentines-day-and-consumerism
http://www.ezbob.com/valentines-day-consumerism-at-its-best/

Got some time for tea?

Tea Infographic: Fun facts about tea!

‘Ahhh’ tea, nothing seems to hit the spot quite like it, not for the Brits anyway, especially us Yorkshire folk. In the office, a couple of us can’t live without a good brew; it just makes us feel better, especially if it has been a particularly stressful day! In fact, it seems like a lot of you share our love for tea, so go grab yourself a cuppa and read all about the stuff that gets us through the day!







Yorkshire - the past, present and future of tea

Lu Lin's cubed teabags.

So, if you think of Yorkshire and tea, you think of two things; Yorkshire Tea and Betty’s. Would you be as surprised as me to find out they are owned by the same people?! Betty’s bought Taylors of Harrogate, (who make Yorkshire Tea), in the 1960’s and they have been working together ever since to create the perfect afternoon tea experience. Who is Betty you may ask? Well we don’t know, and they don’t know either, but what we do know is that if you are looking for some high-class afternoon tea, you will struggle to find somewhere better! But if you do want to shop around, Yorkshire does have it’s very own tea trail that can be found here.

Carnation Blooming Tea.

Although the traditional afternoon tea is lovely, tea seems to be moving forward somewhat. No longer are English Breakfast and Earl Grey the only variations we have heard of. Green tea, white tea, even blooming tea are now on our radar. Especially ours here at UBD, we work with a fantastic company called Lu Lin Teas, who specialise in Chinese Teas. Their futuristic looking cubed tea bags show how something so traditional is able to move with the times, and their blooming teas are a real showstopper!

Not since the 1990’s, when PG released the pyramid tea bag has there been significant innovation to enhance the flavour of bagged tea. While researching the pyramid PG even considered using a top hat shape!

Finished your brew yet? Good, so have we, and it’s about time we put the kettle back on! Leave us a comment telling us about your favourite tea.



Sources of information: 
http://www.lulin-teas.com/
http://www.tea.co.uk/teafacts
http://www.taylorsofharrogate.com/about-us/taylors-history.asp
http://www.yorkshire.com/what-to-do/delicious/delicious-tea-trail
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/foo_tea_con-food-tea-consumption
http://www.tea.co.uk/tea-glossary-and-faqs
http://www.bettys.co.uk/About_Bettys/The_Bettys_Story.aspx
http://www.pgtips.co.uk/timeline/

Selfridge’s ‘No Noise’ Campaign- Proving the power of branding?

A screen shot of the 'no noise' website.

Have you been watching ‘Mr. Selfridge’ on ITV1? It’s been fascinating to learn about the rise of the department store, and about the characters that you could have found there. Harry Gordon Selfridge was a pioneer of his time, bringing the UK a retail experience they had never had before. It even included a bargain basement.

Selfridge strip it back to basics

Fast-forward to now, 113 years later, and Selfridges is still aiming to inspire and capture attention, the same way that Mr. Selfridge himself did when he installed the first aeroplane to cross water in the department store in 1909. That stunt attracted over 150,000 visitors! 

When Selfridges originally opened, Mr. Selfridge included a silence room for shoppers to escape from the hustle and bustle of the store. This year this room has been reinstated as part of Selfridges ‘No Noise’ campaign. Selfridges believe that we are becoming more and more bombarded with information such as advertising and branding, and have therefore collaborated with some of the world’s most recognisable brands. They have asked these brands to remove their logos from some of their best-known products in order to create a ‘Quiet Shop’, a shop free from branding.

Successful silence? Or screaming louder?

Still looks branded to us!

Although this is a great idea, and it is indeed true that we are now constantly attacked by information left, right and centre, we can’t help but question the success of this campaign. Sure, it’s lovely to have somewhere to relax on a busy shopping day, and escape from the crowds, but is buying a tin of beans that doesn’t say Heinz, yet still has their signature image on, sticking fingers up at branding? We think not.


It’s branding and novelty that make this campaign interesting. You wouldn’t go out of your way to buy an unbranded tin of Value beans, so why would you pay £1.99 for a Heinz tin? Brand recognition, that’s why. You look at the Heinz tin and think, “oh that’s quirky, it might even be collectable one day”, and that’s because it’s a recognised brand! It doesn’t have to say Heinz for you to know what it is; the Levi’s 501s they are selling don’t have to say they are Levi’s, because you already know.

Can you tell if this one is Heinz?

Good branding brings power. All the brands involved in this campaign can still be recognised without their logos, it wouldn’t work if it were any other way. So to say these products are ‘de-branded’ is not strictly true. It’s not just the logo that makes your brand, it’s the colours, the shape of the packaging, the graphics; it’s everything. And that’s what all these brands have in common, you recognise everything about them. Strip it back to a plain old can and then tell us if you can spot the difference! You couldn’t, and that’s why they won’t. 


Don’t get us wrong, we think this campaign is fun, different, and has certainly served it’s purpose, it captured UBD’s attention and got us talking about it. But rather than making things ‘quieter’, it’s really only proved that the information we are bombarded with really does stick, and taking the logo’s off a few products isn’t going to undo that. It’s just going to make people work harder to challenge, and be as successful as, the ‘big guns’, so one day they can take their logo off their product and the masses will recognise it too. And that keeps us in work!
What do you think, serious campaign or a fun and quirky way to get people talking even more about branding?


Information and images from:
http://www.selfridges.com/en/StaticPage/Our+Heritage/
http://www.georgianhousehotel.co.uk/london-shopping/selfridges.asp
http://nonoise.selfridges.com/
http://www.sxc.hu/