Parent category for all new misc. topics that don’t fit into a service or industry + old content.
Originally, I wanted to write a blog about brands that build hype and do it well. But then I thought to myself how it’s much more interesting to ponder the brands that have so much power and brand equity that they don’t even have to build hype.
Here’s a “symptom” of COVID-19 that you might not have thought of, but I bet you can relate to: Zoom fatigue. For some, the exhaustion sets in after hours of being “on” during video calls. Others feel drained just seeing yet another Zoom, Teams, Skype or Webex invite land on their calendar.
The dominant global conversation for the better part of six months had been focused either directly or indirectly on one topic: The global pandemic that is coronavirus. Whether talking about the economy, the presidential election, the stock market, international affairs, the weather, education, social injustice, fashion… everything, without exception is frame-worked in COVID-19.
For obvious reasons, the majority of the workforce is currently working remote. Even prior to COVID-19, 4.3 million workers in the USA worked remote, which makes up 3.2% of the entire workforce. Companies large and small are seeing firsthand that remote employees make for happier, productive and agile teams - reducing stress, lessening distractions, offering flexibility and decreasing turnover.
Every marketer’s dream is that there is a silver bullet for marketing. One strategy that increases brand awareness, drives quality leads and drives them immediately. But we all know that just isn’t the case. Marketing requires ongoing strategy and a constant commitment to achieve your goals.
Working at home full-time, I no longer have the welcomed break of co-workers stopping by to chat or meeting at the water cooler for an impromptu discussion. These days, one of the only daily visits we can count on is our mail carrier and occasionally a visit from our UPS or FedEx driver.
There’s something about buying a product, seeing the packaging and opening it for the first time. It’s so… satisfying. You can’t beat good packaging. I’m on another one of my Shark Tank binges, and I find that I am easily for or against the product/brand based on the packaging and/or the physical displays that the product is showcased on.
The progression for many consumers of one of my favorite brands generally goes something like this: You like Rothy’s. You love Rothy’s. You become part of a hyper-engaged online community revolving around Rothy’s where members track shipments, decode product launches and generally obsess.
So, COVID-19, can you tell us where you came from? Please, call me COVID. I know there has been a lot of speculation about my origins; was I born in a lab? Did I start out as an animal germ that morphed into a human virus?
A big part of an art director’s job is not only to identify whether a concept or design communicates optimally, but to also know why, and if not, how to get it there. When I’m reviewing a design that’s not quite right yet, a common magic ingredient is contrast.
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