Random thoughts on marketing, advertising, brands and corporate identity
Interbrand has released their 2010 list of top global brands. Top 5 gainers are Apple, Google, Blackberry, JP Morgan and Allianz. Top 5 losers? Harley-Davidson, Toyota (no surprise there, but I’m still happy with my Camry Hybrid), Nokia, Dell, and Citi.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704652104575493861108689980.html
There’s a new iPhone app that lets you take a picture of a typeface and identify it within seconds.
Today ‘s Wall Street Journal has an article on Carl Chiara’s methods for cleaning your jeans. Chiara is the director of brand concepts and special projects for Levi Strauss & Co.
Mr. Chiara recommends washing jeans as infrequently as possible—and never in a washing machine. He spot cleans his with Windex or 409 until they really need cleaning. And then he hand washes them in a bathtub.
Now, I’m not posting about this because I want to promulgate this idea of treating jeans like a fine hand-washable. Personally, the reason I’m darn loyal to Levis is precisely because they do shape to your body, even with machine (gasp!) washing. I’m posting because this is pretty nifty media work on the part of Levi Strauss. Getting the Wall Street Journal to run an article on not washing your jeans? Color me impressed.
Type house P22 offers a collection of typefaces based on the handwriting of famous artists—Van Gogh, Cezanne, Gaugin, Michelangelo and others. During the month of December, these typefaces (as well as the collection CD) are 25 percent off.
BNET takes a look at how Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and MySpace users break down by age. It’s good news for businesses using these vehicles. Some people are surprised to learn that younger people are not necessarily the biggest users of social media. But personally, I think that makes complete sense. When you’re in high school and college, you see your friends everyday. You have plenty of time to spend with your friends. As you get older, that changes.
http://www.bnet.com/2403-13237_23-366331.html?tag=content;col2
Agency Spy reporting on a McDonald’s in the Chelsea neighborhood in New York that has spiffed up its decor and put its employees all in black. I’m headed up to New York in a few weeks — maybe I’ll check it out.
I have a soft spot for catalogs. This is due entirely to a childhood spent in a small town where there were, frankly, few stores. (No McDonald’s, even, until I was a teenager). Catalogs were my lifeline to consumer culture. At this time of year, however, two of my favorite catalogs are the World Vision and Heifer International catalogs. If you haven’t seen these, they allow you to donate farm animals, seeds, medicines, school supplies, etc. to people in need (both in the US and around the world). This year, I let my seven-year-old choose what to give (seeds and a family fishing kit).
For all you designers (and typography fans), the New York Times has an article about typography mistakes. I am probably more sensitive to typography than the average Joe, since I’ve spent so many years working with designers. But, I have to confess, I have never noticed that the numbers on the pressure gauges in the movie “Titanic” are set in Helvetica. Helvetica, of course, being a typeface designed about 45 years after the Titanic sank.
The article also takes the television show, “Mad Men” to task for using typefaces designed long after the 60s. This may seem like so much picking of nits but the article points out that many period movies take great pains to ensure that costumes and furniture are historically accurate, so why not lettering?
In any case, I suspect I’ll be watching period movies with a closer eye from now on to see if I can spot any errant Helvetica usage.
If you’re contemplating putting your business on Facebook or you’ve just launched your Facebook page, check out this article in the New York Times, “How to Market Your Business With Facebook.”
An excerpt:
Flaunt your personality. The page of an ice cream parlor should feel different than that of a funeral parlor. “The pages that are most successful,” said Tim Kendall, the director of monetization at Facebook, “are the ones that really replicate the personality of the business.”
Know your business should be on Twitter or Facebook, but don’t know where to start? Or what to do once you get there? Mashable is chock-full of information and news on social media. Just a taste of what you can find there:
Why Social Media is Vital to Corporate Responsibility
5 Advanced Social Media Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses
5 Ways Banks are Using Social Media
10 Essential Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter
