Speaking of colors…The flags of each nation become symbols of every national team attending the tournament. 32 countries will be in attendance. Its amazing how visual the World Cup has become. Flags, banners, face paint, jerseys, every fan in the stadium has become a walking symbol for their country. The colors of our country have become the brand we follow and display so that everyone knows who we’re shouting for.

Unless you’ve been asleep for the last few months you’ve also seen that the World Cup has become a world wide marketing phenomena. Commercials, soundtracks, concerts, shoes, clothing, internet content. The most recent final was watched by more than 715 million viewers worldwide, whereas the Super Bowl was watched by 106 million in just the U.S. Soccer stars are selling everything from shoes to underwear and are among highest paid athletes in the world. Business productivity will lower and governments will shut down just to watch (400 channels in 208 countries). So,  if you don’t know what a corner kick is now you will know in the future.

The world cup was first played in 1930 and is held every four years. Since then there have been posters designed for each tournament representing the country holding the event. Being the poster junkie that I am, I would love to have several of these to display. These designs are not only something to admire visually, but they also represent a significant time in the history of the sport. The stories that unfolded at each have been told many times over. I’m excited to witness the stories that unfold in South Africa!

Neutra Face : An Ode On A Typeface

The next day I found out that two super giants in the telecommunications industry in the UK were combining; T-Mobile (UK) and Orange. Their new name is…Everything Everywhere, eventhough they will still be known as T-Mobile and Orange to customers. The new name itself would be an interesting discussion to have. It was developed in house with the help of some high powered agencies for both Orange and T-Mobile. The new word mark is set in none other than Neutraface italic. Now I know where to go for inspiration…YouTube parodies!

This hits closer to home for me due to the fact that since a very early stage in my career dating back to the early ‘80′s I have always admired Saul Bass who designed the distinctive U in 1973, and who also coincidentally had a hand in Continental’s early identity back in 1968. Saul Bass’ career spans over 50 years and across many different disciplines of design including films. So it is with some great sadness to see the iconic United Airlines identity brushed aside. It survived over 30 years of ups and downs in the airline industry with several updates to the type, but the U always remained.

The new arrangement seems to be a ‘what’s wrong with this picture’ puzzle more so than a real solution to the merger of two great airlines. From a visual branding perspective this presents some real problems because of the prior associations we have with these two airlines. Now where do we go? I’m confused. My only hope is that within time there will be a new identity created that will pick up where the U left off.

The goal of ProPharma Group’s new website redesign was to evolve their online presence which included seamlessly integrating professional design, easy-to-use navigation, smart functionality and dynamic content management tools. The new website also extends the client’s marketing and advertising efforts by integrating key messages and visual elements from their annual advertising, email and direct mail campaigns into their website presence. This multi-channel marketing approach creates even greater brand consistency and furthers the company’s overall marketing effectiveness.

ProPharma Group is an industry leader providing validation, compliance and technical services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and related industries.  They serve industry-leading clients like Abbott Laboratories, Bayer, Pfizer and Monsanto. 

This website redesign project clearly demonstrates how leading companies are refocusing on their core marketing assets including redesigning their websites to have more purpose in the presence of artful website design. We work with our clients to help them strike a carefully managed balance between the elements of purpose, design, systems integration and fluid content management. Or more simply put, many of our clients want less Flash and more substance in their websites - a strategy worth copying.

Nov. 30 (Bloomberg) — Italian fashion houses including Giorgio Armani SpA and Valentino Fashion Group SpA, which have traditionally spurned the Internet, are testing Web stores this holiday season in a quest for new sources of revenue.

The worst recession since World War II and Italian acceptance of Internet buying — even for big-ticket items — is sparking greater use of Web shops in the luxury-goods industry. Designer Roberto Cavalli and shoemaker Salvatore Ferragamo SpA have both opened e-stores in the past five weeks.

“I expect a significant boom in online luxury sales during the Christmas period,” said Alessandro Perego, a professor in charge of research on e-commerce at Milan Politecnico’s School of Management. “In the past year the number of Web sites has increased substantially. I expect growth rates in 2010 to match or beat this year’s.”

Younger, more Internet-savvy consumers and “luxury shame” that’s causing customers to shun boutiques are contributing to a boom in online fashion sales. Web sales of Italian luxury goods are expected to soar 42 percent to 335 million euros ($500 million) this year, according to a study by Politecnico. That beats a 6 percent decline to 3.48 billion euros for the overall industry in a survey by fashion consultant Carlo Pambianco.

Feeling Guilty

“People feel guilty about going shopping,” Paola Durante, Bank of America Merrill Lynch director of investment banking and head of corporate broking for Italy, said in an interview in Milan. She said some people may feel more comfortable shopping from home or the office over the Internet.

Luxury brands have been available online in the U.S. for at least four years through department stores including The Neiman Marcus Group Inc. Nordstrom started sales of Giorgio Armani merchandise in 2006, adding to its range of designers such as Burberry Group Plc and Dolce & Gabbana SpA.

About 14 percent of Italians will do their holiday shopping online, according to Deloitte’s 2009 Christmas Survey. Greater choice, avoiding crowded stores and having little time to shop were cited as reasons to buy on the Web. Being unable to touch or directly see the items is described as the main shortfall of the net, according to the research.

Books are still the most desired Internet items on Italian wish lists, followed by clothes and shoes, Deloitte said.

“The cost of making a Web Site is not that big. That’s encouraging fashion houses,” said Stefano Sassi, chief executive officer of Milan-based Valentino, which opened its Web shop six months ago. “There’s a very interesting margin on e-commerce.”

Smart Phones

On Nov. 25, Armani introduced a mobile application for Apple Inc.’s iPhone, Research in Motion Ltd.’s BlackBerry and other so- called smart phones for shopping at its online store. Users will be able to buy goods “anywhere and anytime,” the Milan-based company said in a statement.

It also introduced a Christmas Web site where users can make a wish and share it on social networks such as Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc.

Ferragamo, whose shoes have been worn by Marilyn Monroe and Condoleeza Rice, last month unveiled its online shop, predicting the site will be one of its “top stores” starting next year.

“Some people are far away from stores, others love to buy online even if they have an outlet in the same city,” CEO Michele Norsa said in an interview.

Gucci, part of PPR SA, whose brands also include Bottega Veneta, Yves Saint Laurent and Stella McCartney, started its Web store in 2002.

“At that time, no one believed that major luxury brands could offer luxury online,” said a Gucci Group spokeswoman who declined to be named.

Remote Customers

Gruppo Cavalli’s online shop was introduced this month in 46 countries, giving the Florence-based company access to customers in areas where it doesn’t have shops.

“The Internet has revolutionized consumer behavior, also for luxury consumers, and will help our online shop to become one of our top stores at a global level,” Cavalli CEO Gianluca Brozzetti said.

Men, in particular, are turning to the Internet to avoid crowded shops and save time when selecting gifts, Perego said.

“If women are the main clients at our outlets, a significant slice of online shopping is done by men,” said Paolo Fontanelli, CEO of leather-goods maker Furla SpA. “This is the first year for our e-commerce and it’s already generating sales comparable to an actual store.”

An Oasis

Yoox SpA, which runs its own Web site offering previous season clothing from top designers and operates sites for fashion houses including Armani, is taking advantage of the increased interest for online luxury sales. The company, whose shares are set to start trading Dec. 3, is holding the country’s biggest initial public offering in two years.

“In these tough times we didn’t feel the recession,” founder Federico Marchetti said in a Sept. 25 interview. “E- commerce is quite an oasis. We are counter balancing the fact that there are tough times.”

Still, some analysts and consultants are skeptical about whether the Internet will be a benefit to every luxury-goods company.

“The Web can help business a lot, but it also depends on the product,” said Pambianco, who has been advising fashion companies through his eponymous consulting firm since 1977. “Perfumes, eyewear, watches, bags and everything that doesn’t need fitting is going to do better than apparel.”

To contact the reporters on this story: Chiara Remondini in Milan at cremondini@bloomberg.net; Armorel Kenna in Milan at akenna@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: November 30, 2009 06:58 EST

This survey project also extends to a broader initiative being undertaken by HealthShare Montana, a consortium of Montana healthcare leaders and stakeholders with representatives from state government, major payers, consumer groups, large and small healthcare facilities and individual physicians.  HealthShare Montana has been designated by Gov. Schweitzer as the Montana organization responsible for the development of a statewide health information exchange (HIE) infrastructure.

Janice Conners, MPQHF CEO, commented “Thanks so much Kitch….I am very pleased with how your organization moved quickly and efficiently to help us to organize our thoughts, develop survey questions and complete the survey.  I will definitely use you for our future projects.”

The new website strikes a balance between simplicity, sophisticated design and smart functionality. It integrates dynamic content management tools that allow the Milesnick’s to easily update and manage a variety of content within their site over time. The goal was simple – to build a beautiful, yet smart, website that helps the Milesnick’s provide meaningful and engaging content to site visitors.  Plus, they’re hoping it will last another 10 years. 

MZBar (MZ-) Cattle Company and Milesnick Recreation Company are home to a working ranch and one of Montana’s premier spring creek, fly-fishing experiences near Bozeman, Montana. Their family’s ranching and stewardship practices are world renowned….[Learn More]

We encourage you to visit their new website and learn more about the Milesnick’s. You may even want to book a time to do some fishing on the Ranch. Tell ‘em Ripple Marketing sent ya.

According to Kitch Walker, President and Cofounder of both companies, “The re-location in Bozeman, Montana and the expanding operations in Italy allow us to fully realize the synergies we have been cultivating between Ripple Marketing and Flat Earth Imports for the past three years in import/export services for small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs/SMBs).” He continues, “With globalization truly affecting small and big business alike, we found it was imperative to evolve, adapt and expand our business model to help our clients bring about their desired results, both domestically and internationally.”

For more information or inquiries call +1 406.585.8168 or visit http://www.RippleMarketing.com.

To learn more about Flat Earth Imports visit: http://www.FlatEarthImports.com

View Photos of Ripple Marketing | Flat Earth Imports USA Headquarters below

]]> http://www.ripplemarketingblog.com/2009/11/ripple-marketing-relocates-usa-heaquarters-and-expands-internationally/feed/ 2 http://www.ripplemarketingblog.com/2009/11/bozeman-ontana-importer-ripple-marketing-flat-earth-imports-brings-italian-products-to-usa/ http://www.ripplemarketingblog.com/2009/11/bozeman-ontana-importer-ripple-marketing-flat-earth-imports-brings-italian-products-to-usa/#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:48:20 +0000 Kitch Walker http://www.ripplemarketingblog.com/?p=262 COMPLETE STORY AT: Bozeman, Montana Importer Brings Unique Products to U.S. – Bozeman Daily Chronicle.
published on Thursday, November 5, 2009 8:45 AM MST Bozeman Daily Chronicle
By JODI HAUSEN, Chronicle Staff Writer

When Ripple Marketing principals Kurt Palmquist and Dodd “Kitch” Walker went to Italy a few years ago as part of a marketing-Montana trip, they had no idea the ideas they were pitching would turn into a wholesale import business in Bozeman.

But when Richard Helzer, former director of Montana State University’s art school, asked Palmquist to turn his attention to Umbria — a region in central Italy, between Florence and Rome — a business was born. Helzer had been taking students to study in Umbria for years, where they stayed at a villa owned by Filippo Vasta. When Vasta asked Helzer for help developing an artisans’ cooperative, Helzer went to Palmquist for help.

Now Palmquist and Walker work out of a 5,200-square-foot warehouse behind industrial buildings in Four Corners, where shelves are stacked with exquisite and folksy Italian hand-painted and hand-thrown ceramic dishes and woven tablecloths, all tucked into cardboard boxes that rise toward high ceilings…..

[READ ENTIRE STORY]

Photo By NICK WOLCOTT/CHRONICLE
Kurt Palmquist, Nikki Walker and Dodd “Kitch” Walker of Ripple Marketing have gone beyond marketing and now import handmade Italian goods.

]]> http://www.ripplemarketingblog.com/2009/11/bozeman-ontana-importer-ripple-marketing-flat-earth-imports-brings-italian-products-to-usa/feed/ 0 http://www.ripplemarketingblog.com/2009/11/color-can-make-a-difference-for-small-business-identities-too/ http://www.ripplemarketingblog.com/2009/11/color-can-make-a-difference-for-small-business-identities-too/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:29:47 +0000 Kurt Palmquist http://www.ripplemarketingblog.com/?p=238 I was reminded of the challenging task of selecting colors for a new logo as we are nearing completion on a new identity for a company called Timberline Tool. Think of any major brand in the marketplace and you can probably identify the color that is associated with them. IBM Blue, UPS brown or the color of a school bus. A person doesn’t need to read a package to know that it is a Coca-Cola. Over time these companies have invested millions of dollars to make sure they “own” a color and spend millions protecting their color as well.

Our association with color is closely connected to our emotions and senses, just like our sense of smell and taste. It affects our mood, what we wear, and what we purchase. The brain reads color after it registers shape and before it reads content. The human eye can distinguish some 10,000 hues of color. This presents both opportunities and dilemmas in the world of corporate identity and branding.

Early in my career I worked for a corporate identity firm in Seattle, WA, where I first learned how important this was. The project was for Boeing www.boeing.com and we were updating their corporate standards which included standardizing the colors for their corporate identity system. There was no doubt that there needed to be standard color when at the time they had over 200 different versions of business cards in use. They had realized that over time their core brand had deteriorated partly due to the abuse of the color blue. I have never looked at so many different shades and hues of blue, but the end result was two specifically formulated colors known as “Boeing Blue” and “Boeing Gray.”

For smaller business enterprises this should not be overlooked. It is the one tool in your marketing belt that is quite often overlooked and ignored. Companies that control their color in their industry will have a distinct advantage over those who don’t. Ensuring proper reproduction of the brand color across a broad range of mediums is a tall challenge, but one that is well worth the investment considering the equity you can gain by establishing standards.

Here are a few basic questions to test the effectiveness of a color strategy:

• Is the color differentiated from competitors?
• What do you want the color to communicate?
• Does the color have sustainability?
• Can the color be protected?
• Are there technical challenges to getting the color right?
• Can you achieve consistency across a broad range of media?
• What color connotations will the color have in other cultures?

Last but not least, once standardized colors have been established, create identity standards and guidelines that make it easy to use for those who are involved with your marketing efforts.

How strategically did you select your colors? Does your brand identity truly represent your company or product well? Have you established usage standards and guidelines to maintain and manage your identity?

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