Is crowd-sourced branding the way of the future?

Coming up with a brand to represent a whole city is no easy task. Not only is city branding a complex and involved process, it is a PR minefield - just look at the controversy that surrounded the recent launch of the City of Melbourne's new visual identity. Critics lambasted the logo as not being representative or reflective of the city.

When London invited pitches for the development of a city brand, to be used globally in the lead up to the Olympics, one agency sought to side step this possible resistance. In developing their pitch, Moving Brands took the unlikely step of inviting the public into the creative process.

The agency established a blog and a Twitter account and called not only for submissions from the public, but for comment as they progressed through the design process.

This type of two-way engagement is common in the social media world and is reflective of an overall shift in public expectations.

While Moving Brands did not ultimately win the tender (that honour went to Saffron Brand Consultants) they did attract quite a lot of attention and support for their approach. This is a trend we're likely to see more of, and one we can all learn something from.

Read the Moving Brands presentation here.

Below: Submissions from the ‘Submit your design‘ section of the "A brand for London" blog.

Concept above by Stephen Walker

Concept above by Paul

Concept above by Mark Allardice.

Below: Moving Brands shared their conceptual exploration real time on the blog & invited feedback from Londoners.

David Downton - A master craftsman

"In order to leave something out, first you have to put it in..."

You know those images that tell you everything, even though the artist has used the smallest amount of ink to convey it? An almost nonchalant line that suggests a face, a hip, a smile, a frown.

This man is a master: David Downton, UK fashion illustrator. If you've ever wanted to understand the concept of negative space, look at his breathtaking work in fashion and portraiture.

Ah, beauty is a wonderful thing!

Click here to view his website & full portfolio

3 DONTs For Mobile Site Development

Top tips from our resident guru Teresa Sperti of Digital Marketing Lab:

According to Morgan Stanley, the mobile internet is expected to be twice the size of the desktop internet within the next 5 years and all because of 5 major forces including 3G + social networking + video + VoIP + impressive mobile devices._In the local market mobile internet usage is growing fast. In fact according to the AIMIA general web browsing via a mobile is on the rise, with 21 per cent of respondents visiting websites from their mobile phones at least once a day._The level of usage has meant in many respects, that Australian companies are behind the times. Organisations are waiting for the year of the mobile, however with 1 in 5 users browsing daily the time has come to get serious about mobile strategy.

As the site is core to any mobile strategy, this article explores the 6 DONT's to help you to deliver a successful and usable mobile site.

1. Don't just mirror your existing site: Building a mobile site is not just about replicating your mobile presence to be suitable for a mobile device. Users will of course be looking to perform core functions that they can do on your site via a desktop however planning a mobile site should begin with defining a user's needs on the move. By doing so organisations are more likely to provide consumers with a useful mobile experience that meets their audience's needs.

2. Don't just build for iPhone: Many marketers make the mistake of assuming that building a mobile site fit for iPhone is enough. Whilst mobile internet penetration is high on the iPhone, it is not the only device that your audience is potentially using.

3. Don't engage a traditional web development company: There are so many challenges with mobile; lots of different handsets, many operating systems, and numerous browser types, which makes the process of site development vary different to web design for PCs. Many web development companies are looking to expand into the mobile space, however they do not have enough knowledge of the complexities to be able to build an effective mobile site.

For more on tips on mobile site development & online marketing visit Digital Marketing Lab

Image above Mark Jenkins street installation "Meaning is overrated"

Architecture envy...and admiration

We're often inspired by architecture and the way three-dimensional space can be transformed by creative minds. Here's three of our current faves. The Graceful Taylor would like to live in all of them!

First, the Japanese modernist master: Kisho Kurokawa

Kurokawa Nakagin Capsule Hotel

Can you believe this is in danger from the wrecking ball? Built in 1972, this masterpiece is a stunning example of the Metabolist Movement, large-scale, flexible structures that could grow almost organically. Do you think we could put a pod in the back yard?

Images and more info via grainedit

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Closer to home: Billy Kavellaris' Perforated House by Kavellaris Urban Design

The possibilities of modern materials sing in this award-nominated inner-city 'terrace house'. We love it.

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And for a bit of fun: Wilhelmson Arkitekter

Oh, that new apartment blocks in Melbourne could be designed with the same sense of whimsy!Imagine looking at something like this from your train window in the mornings...

Why I love Iris Barrel Apfel

It could be her outrageousness:

It could be her shoes:


Or it could be her philosophy:

"...I look at a piece of fabric and listen to the threads.
It tells me a story. It sings me a song."

How can you resist such panache? She's turned a lifelong love of fashion into an artform, a business (Old World Weavers - makers of antique textile reproductions) and way of life. A true pioneer who's influenced a generation, Iris wore a pair of boy's jeans in the 40s before jeans were even made for women! But wait till you see the rest of her wardrobe... Go Iris - here's to an authentic, passionate life!

For more about Iris click here.

A collection of her outfits are on display at the Peabody Essex Museum from 17 October through 7 February, 2010.

Images above, with thanks from here




Images above, with thanks from here

Happy new year!

Another year, another opportunity to build your brand. So to get your creative synapses singing, here's a cute and clever outdoor billboard campaign from Saatchi and Saatchi Indonesia showing that even nose hair can be funny. Yep, nose hair. Check out the images: that's real electrical cable, on the streets of Indonesia. Eew! Makes us want to buy a pair of those nose hair trimmers and chop them off on the spot!
Thanks to Toxel for the images.

2010 Australian Digital Marketing Predictions

Digital marketing trends from our resident guru Teresa Sperti of Digital Marketing Lab:

As 2009 begins to draw to a close marketers are starting to look ahead to 2010. So what will 2010 bring for Australian digital? With a big gap between the have and the have not's - this article identifies the key tactics that will be leveraged by the market leaders;

Mobile Strategy Maturity & Integration; 2009 was definitely the year of mobile internet take up by Australians - with 1 In 2010 organisations will look to leverage the channel in a more sophisticated way. Mobile analytics will mature, offering a new depth of insight for marketers to support decision making and assit organisations to build upon their core mobile site offering. Organisations will also look to leverage mobile as a tool to bring the online and offline space closer together.

Social Search: With search engines losing eye-balls to social media, we will see Search Engines build upon integration efforts with social networks to provide users with a richer / real time experience.

Engagement - The next big thing: The Government has done it (for Brand Australia), Telstra has started it and Kraft fudged it. A few Australian brands have toyed with concepts to co-create the brand experience with consumers however such activity will increase significantly in 2010. Tactics such as crowd-sourcing will be key, as will spending time in the community on social platforms to gather feedback from consumers and participate in meaningful conversations.

Click here for the full article

Image credit - "walking through light" by GILLES ET DADA