In my post on Philippine logo design, I wrote about how there aren’t many great logos in my country, and shared some of my theories on why this lack exists. One of my theories was this:
Having no branding is their branding.
I can imagine how readers might take this to be sarcastic, or at least very tongue-in-cheek. But I think it’s a valid theory, and here’s why.
The word “branding” has several definitions. In my theory, I was referring to these two definitions:
- Branding as a means to an end. For a typical company, this includes the company name, logo, colors, fonts, writing style, package designs, and website look and feel. This was what the first “branding” meant. For the rest of this entry, I’ll be referring to this definition as branding.
- Branding as the actual end. For a typical company, this includes the company’s personality, the impression it leaves on people, customer perception, what it’s known for, who the target audience is, and what differentiates it from the competition. This was what the second “branding” meant. For the rest of this entry, I’ll be referring to this definition as brand.
(Okay, I may have cheated by using a polysemous word with both meanings in the same sentence. But it made the statement sound witty, right?)
Essentially, a company does branding (designs logos, chooses colors, writes catchphrases, advertises) with the objective of building a brand (the impression they or their products or services leave).
This article points out the benefits of a strong brand:
A good brand achieves the following objectives:
- Delivers the message clearly
- Confirms your credibility
- Connects your target prospects emotionally
- Motivates the buyer
- Concretes user loyalty
A strong brand is invaluable 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.
So, what exactly did I mean when I said that having no branding is their branding?
Continue reading “Brands without branding”
By Madeline Ong on November 25, 2009 | Category: Design |
Branding and identity design aren’t too popular in the Philippines. Take logos, for example. As you drive by the same old establishments—not counting multinationals—you realize that that Philippine company logos mostly consist of:
- Clip art. You know those stock graphics you could get from a copy of Print Shop? I found a lot of those, partnered with a brand name in some awkward font on the side.
- Seals and crests. I would understand why schools and government units would use these. But commercial corporations? Crests are so 1793. Yes, I’m talking to you, San Miguel.
- Themed typefaces. These are usually logotypes—except they haven’t benefited from kerning, composition, or any sort of treatment.
- Photoshopped/imitated logos of other brands. You might think they’re spoofs of the original brands. But no, these logos are actually serious.
- Various typefaces. A different typeface for each word or even each letter.
- Clichés. Swirls, globes, dots, swooshes, shadows, and even reflections!
You might be thinking: there are bad logos everywhere—why target your home country? But here’s the thing: awesome logos are also everywhere. Just not here—or at least not where you can easily find them. I’m not entirely sure why. Here are some theories:
- Philippine businesses focus more on customers and products than on advertising/marketing.
- Branding and identity design cost money that they would rather spend on other things.
- They simply don’t realize the importance of branding.
- Having no branding is their branding.
Continue reading “Logo design in the Philippines”
By Madeline Ong on October 30, 2009 | Category: Design |
When you ask people about productivity, they typically talk about tools: to-do lists, notepads, PDA’s. Although these are useful for enhancing productivity, they’re only secondary to a fundamental requirement: a balanced life built on a sturdy foundation.
According to The Productivity Handbook by Donald E. Wetmore, the foundation of our lives consists of seven areas: health, family, financial, intellectual, social, professional, and spiritual. I personally include another area, fun, which I think is very important.
Continue reading “Balance and productivity”
By Madeline Ong on September 30, 2009 | Category: Personal Development |
I’ve been working on a better personal documentation system, and this includes (among other things) notes on the books I’ve read and how I liked them. I’ve realized how useful notes can be when you’re trying to remember the title of that book you read about a ghost watching his old friends, or which of the stories from a certain collection are worth rereading. Since I mainly write them for myself, my book notes are usually full of assumptions and personal references that would not make them understandable to the public. For the following books, however, my notes were detailed enough so I could adapt them into short book reviews. Here are my thoughts on two novels, a short story collection, and a nonfiction book.
The Eye by Vladimir Nabokov
Summary: Smurov, a lovelorn and self-conscious Russian émigré living in prewar Berlin, commits suicide after being humiliated by a jealous husband—only to suffer even greater indignities in the afterlife as he searches for proof of his existence among fellow émigrés, who are too distracted to pay him any heed.
For I do not exist: there exist but the thousand mirrors that reflect me. With every acquaintance I make, the population of phantoms resembling me increases. Somewhere they live, somewhere they multiply. I alone do not exist.
The Eye was an elaborate joke which I caught on very early. I appreciated the prose style, the clarity of description, and the small details that made the story more real. However, I felt the sensation of just rolling along for the ride until the end, without any emotional or intellectual investment. The novel was not as dazzling as Nabokov’s other works, and it really should have been a short story. It did, nevertheless, inspire me to ask myself this question: Are we nothing more than what people perceive us to be?
(I think that we are, indeed, partially defined by how others perceive us—but in the end, how we see ourselves is ultimately truer and more real.)
Continue reading “Book reviews”
By Madeline Ong on August 28, 2009 | Category: Literature |
How to keep track of replies to your comments
When I first started participating in blog discussions, I wished there were a more efficient system. I wanted a tool to notify me whenever someone replied to a comment I wrote on any blog post. I tried two solutions that didn’t work:
Then I read about Yahoo! Pipes, and I knew I had found my solution.
Keep track of comment replies with Yahoo! Pipes
Here’s how to be notified of direct replies to your comments using Yahoo! Pipes. All you need is a Yahoo! account and some spare time.
http://blog.com/comments/feed.Use Yahoo! Pipes to keep track of comment replies
There are limitations, of course. If you have a very common first name, you may receive comments that aren’t addressed to you. Also, for blogs with threaded comments enabled, people may not mention your name when replying to you.
But if you’re willing to navigate through the Pipes and are okay with having to add newly discovered blogs from time to time, it’s a great solution. You have one feed to subscribe to, and there are no searches required. Receiving comment replies is fast and easy.
By Madeline Ong on October 15, 2009 | Category: Social Media | 3 comments