3 Quick Tips to Use Your Logo for Brand

Reinforcement
Leave a reply

Creating a strong brand through logo design, creative packaging ideas and overall corporate identity is an
essential component of retail success. Your brand is more than just the images you use in your advertising and
packaging. A companys brand encompasses every element of corporate image that consumers emotionally
perceive when they think of that company. This might include a brand name, mission statement and corporate
values, visual aspects that contribute to the brand, and of course, the icon or mark (i.e. logo) that represents
the business.
Your companys logo and any other design elements that you use in your advertising and packaging are
perhaps the most important part of the brand identity being communicated to your target audience. A great logo
is the first step to creating a brand that will leave a lasting impression on current and potential customers.
Whether you are operating an online business, running a small local shop or filling stores with your products
nationwide, your logo is an essential aspect of your brand. Here are three quick tips to help you make the most
of your logo and leave a lasting impression on consumers:
Keep Your Logo Prominent
When coming up with creative packaging ideas for your products, always make sure the logo is front and center
so customers see it right away. Retail spaces also provide an excellent opportunity to keep your logo in the
customers line of vision with well-positioned product displays. The same goes for online selling efforts. If youre
selling items online or promoting your brand through a company blog, newsletter or any variety of social media
channels, make sure the logo is positioned on every webpage so customers will see it at first glance. Web
designers often suggest the top left corner, as this is where viewers eyes tend to go first when scanning the
page.

Reinforce Your Brand with Promotional Products

Placing your logo on product packaging, price tags, displays and storefronts is just the beginning when it comes
to brand reinforcement. There are many ways to use your logo to reinforce your companys brand identity,
including a wide range of apparel and promotional merchandise. If you have employees that are visible to
customers, you can maximize the impact of your logo by embossing it on their uniforms and/or nametags. Any

opportunity to give out useful products such as key chains, pens and water bottles is a chance to promote your
brand. This is an especially good tip for public events, conferences and trade shows.
Include Your Logo Every Time You Correspond
Communications with customers, vendors and other parties provide yet another opportunity to maximize the
effect of your logo. Everything from business cards and company letterheads to email signatures, marketing
templates and presentations should include a prominently placed logo consistent with other aspects of your
corporate identity. Even if the correspondence doesnt include the company name in bold letters, it should
always include the logo. This is what people will associate with your brand before they even think about the
nameso make the most of it.

Six Rules for Brand

Revitalization
McDonald's Did It, and You Can Too
By Larry Light. Published on June 29, 2009.

43

Twitter
Facebook
Google+
LinkedIn
Email
Print
Reprints

Larry Light

Brands do not die natural deaths. However, brands can be murdered through
mismanagement. Some brands are beyond hope -- but others can be revitalized.
Of course, it's not easy. But it is well worth the effort. We at Arcature developed the
following principles and practices over the years while working with a variety of clients in a

variety of businesses. They're also practices we applied during my tenure as global CMO of
McDonald's from 2002 to 2005.
For a brand to be successfully revitalized, everyone needs to be on the same page. Then they
must follow the six rules of brand revitalization listed here. This "Plan to Win," as we call it,
is built around the eight P's: purpose, promise, people, product, place, price, promotion and
performance.
Rule 1: Refocus the organization
Refocusing the organization begins with redefining the brand and business purpose and
goals. The brand purpose should be aspirational. At McDonald's, where I held the post of
global CMO, we defined the long-term ambition "to be our customer's favorite place and
way to eat and drink." For the first three years, the primary focus was on becoming the
"favorite place and way to eat." As Jim Cantalupo, McDonald's CEO, liked to say, we would
"be bigger by being better." How would we accomplish that?
Rule 2: Restore brand relevance
The brand promise is an articulation of the relevant and differentiating experience that the
brand will deliver to every customer, every time. Brand revitalization means defining where
you want the brand to be and then deciding how to get there.
Over the years, the essence of the McDonald's brand was the perception that it was an
affordable, convenient brand for families with kids. There were those who said that equity
could not and should not be changed. But McDonald's set out to change people's
perceptions and go from appealing to the child in your heart to appealing to those with a
young-adult spirit at heart.
Rule 3: Reinvent the brand experience
To revitalize a brand, we need to bring the redefined brand promise to life. This is what the
five action P's are all about. The five action P's are people, product, place, price and
promotion.
People come first. Building employee commitment to the new direction, employee
confidence, and organizational and employee capabilities are critical factors that influence
future success.
And it's imperative to inspire those in the organization to believe that the new brand future
will happen and that they can help. At McDonald's a new on-boarding communication was
created called "Learnin' it. Livin' it. Lovin' it."

Product is the next P. Products and services are the tangible evidence of the truth of the
promise. When we redefine the promise, product and service renovation and innovation are
imperative.
A disciplined approach to brand extension can revitalize and strengthen a brand.
McDonald's extended its product range to include products such as salads, yogurt parfaits
and coffee. The Crest revitalizations included extensions beyond cavity prevention to
include tartar control, whitening, breath freshening, dental floss, mouthwash, tooth
whiteners and toothbrushes.
The place is the face of the brand. Whether a store, a website, a retail display, a kiosk or
wherever the "place" may be, the experience must be consistent with the intended brand
direction. For example, McDonald's embarked on a very ambitious retail reimaging
program. It also updated the brand website.
Price comes next. The launch of the McDonald's Dollar Menu created an everyday-low-price
list of items and enabled the brand to significantly reduce marketing emphasis on on-andoff discounting. Overemphasis on deals and discounts builds deal loyalty rather real loyalty.
Promotion comes next. In September 2003, a new global campaign was launched in 119
countries. The common signature theme was "I'm lovin' it," supported by a distinctive set of
five musical notes. The character of the communications was designed to reflect the new
young-adult spirit of the brand. The following year, McDonald's adopted its first global
packaging approach. It's the longest-running theme in the history of the brand.
Whether advertising, special events, public relations, online, cause marketing, sponsorships,
Olympics, World Cup or other forms of communication, the goal was to be consistent with
the new McDonald's brand promise. Disconnected, monthly promotional messages and
tactics destroy brands.
Rule 4: Reinforce a results culture
Measuring and managing performance is the eighth P. The McDonald's Plan to Win
included three-year, measurable milestones.
Creating a results culture means it is important to produce the right results the right way. A
balanced brand-business scorecard should include measurable elements such as brand
familiarity, brand reputation, employee pride, customer-perceived value, brand loyalty,
sales, share and profit.

Rule 5: Rebuild brand trust

In this skeptical, demanding, uncertain world, trust is a must. As part of revitalizing a
brand, rebuilding trust is critical. Investment in rebuilding trust is an important,
challenging marketing imperative. There is demand for more openness, more social
responsibility and more integrity. Over the years McDonald's invested in building trust -Ronald McDonald House, environmental responsibility, commitment to employee diversity,
local community activities. As the concern with healthful living has grown, so has
McDonald's commitment to providing appropriate choices -- for example, salads, apple
slices, yogurt parfait, water, juices and milk.
Rule 6: Realize global alignment
The power of alignment is awesome. During brand revitalization, we often talk about the
need to get everyone on the same page. But we rarely, if ever, define the page we want
everyone to be on. That's the purpose of the one-page Plan to Win, the one-page document
that summarizes the eight P's and the desired outcomes.
Brand revitalization needs the courage and perspective of strong leaders. Jim Cantalupo was
a decisive, committed leader providing clear direction and priorities. Charlie Bell, chief
operating officer, was not only a great communicator, his positive attitude was infectious.
They were the leaders who led the creation and launch of the far-reaching McDonald's Plan
to Win. The vision and positive momentum initiated by Cantalupo and Bell continues to
produce results even in a difficult economic environment.

Packaging to brand marketers

and consumers: Can you hear
me now?
By David Luttenberger in Packaging Design on August 14, 2014
1

Email

View Gallery

The philosophical if a tree falls in the forest question notwithstanding, sound can be
very subjective. When your baby cries at night, you want to hear it. When someone elses
baby cries on an airplane, no one wants to hear it.
But when it comes to packaging, an audible snap, crackle, click or pop generally contributes
positively to the overall user experience. Yes, we all know the difference between sound and
noise when it comes to the packaging of salty snacks, so theres no need to sound off here
about it again!
Most often in packaging, sound is associated with a positive reinforcement cue, such as a
signal of freshness upon opening, that a pre-determined dose has been measured or perhaps
that a bottle of medicine or jug of harmful household cleaner is securely closed and our little
loved ones are protected.
In Mintels 2014 US Food Packaging Trends reports, reseal ranks second only to freshness as
a most desired consumer attribute. In fact, 92% of primary or shared shoppers indicate a
product that retains freshness is the most important food packaging feature, and 82% indicate
resealable or reclosable packaging is most important. Sound can be a significant contributing
factor to reinforcing both freshness and positive reseal.

Sound as an intentional mutli-sensory marketing cue has come a long way since the days of
the iconic Tupperware burp or even the more Once you pop, you cant stop tagline that
become the calling card of the groundbreaking design of the Pringles chip cylinder.
According to sensory marketing expert Prof. Charles Spence of the Crossmodal Research
Laboratory at Oxford University, using auditory cues with food packaging can enhance the
user taste experience by as much as 20%.
Recently, such new product launches as Krafts MiO, have used sound as a positive
reinforcement mechanism. In the case of MiO, on-pack instructions directed consumers to
Flip It, Tip It, Sip It, Click It the final instruction directly consumers to listen for a
double-click sound. The first click of the lid closed the diminutive container. But the
second click was reassurance that the container was sealed, thus ensuring the brightly
colored, free-flowing water flavoring syrup wouldnt leak when placed in a pocket, purse or
backpack.
Sound is increasingly being used to convey value through product preservation. Packs that
help ensure food safety by incorporating audible cues that signal food packs, particularly in
such deli categories as processed meats and cheeses, are becoming increasingly
commonplace, but are no less valued by both brands and consumers for their ability to
extend shelf life.
In Australia, Fonterra employs a clamshell with a positive reseal flip-top lid for its Mainland
brand of Colby cheese slices, which it called out as a Click & Lock feature on the front of
the pack (left in photo). In Mexico, Sigma Alimentos pioneered an audible snap-top lid for
deli meats, for which it earned a Silver Award in DuPonts 2014 Packaging Innovations
competition (right in photo).
Taking the auditory packaging cue to yet another level, Snapsil, a revolutionary one-handed
dispensing pack, is bold enough to incorporate the word snap directly into the brand
conversation. Using a proprietary vacuum-forming process and a unique flexible packaging
lidding film, Snapsil emits a clear snap sound when the consumer breaks the pack along
pre-designated scores. Snapsils inaugural market application is the Fountain brand of singleserve condiments in Australia.
Author David Luttenberger is the global packaging director at Mintel. He has 24 years
packaging experience. He can be reached at dluttenberger@mintel.com. You can follow him
on Twitter at @packaginggeek.
CONVERTING BROWSING TO BUYING: KEYS TO EFFECTIVE PACKAGING DESIGN (PART
3)
July 2013 | by Jenn David Connolly

So your PDP (principal display panel) worked overtime in getting your potential customer to pick up the product. What
needs to happen now in order to get them to buy? Lets take a look at how the package can further entice and inspire the
consumer to action. This is the third in our series on creating packaging that increases sales. (See Part 1 here and Part 2
here)

From here, its all about the secondary panels supporting everything thats been set forth on the PDP with informative,
inspiring, useful information.

What goes where. The amount of secondary space and number of areas you have will depend on the size and type of
package. On a box for example, you have 4 main panels in this order of prominence:
1. Front: This is the PDP. Weve already covered what goes here in our second article in this series.
2. Back: You usually have plenty of room here for some romance copy. But dont just romance for romances sake, make
sure it keeps focused on the product. If you have room, you can also touch on the company itself while reinforcing the
brand message.
3. Left side: This is just the place for an interesting factoid, or aspect of the company. You can also dive deeper into the
company for further brand story.
4. Right side: Welcome to the nutritional information panel. Sorry, there isnt much wiggle room on that. The FDA
requires that the information panel be the panel immediately to the right of the PDP. If this panel is not usable due to
package construction (e.g., gusseted side panel), then the information panel is the next panel immediately to the right,
typically the back panel. The information panel consists of company name and address, ingredients, nutrition facts and any
allergy statements if applicable.

On a round container or other package, you may only have front/back panels.
Now that were clear on what information goes where on a package, lets move on to how you can make the most of the
available areas on a package.
More room for romance.
You may have a small blurb of romance copy on the front, just the most essential words. The secondary panel is the place
to expand upon that. (Or perhaps you opted for no romance on the front due to space or other reason, then the secondary
panel is the place for all your romance copy.) Go into more detail here. Perhaps you talk about country of origin, how the
product is made or a healthy story. While its beneficial to be descriptive, remember that you still need to be brief! Keep in
mind the consumer is in the store setting and they are likely strapped for time. Remember, if its too hard to read, theyll
just put the package down. You want the romance to be easy to scan, not too long, and so keep it essential and informative.

How does it fit into their life?

Go ahead, be specific. If a product is new or unusual, people wont know what to do with it. Give them the tools and get
them excited about trying something new and different. This can be general info such as great for baking or try in
salads. It does not need to be super-detailed and likely you wont have room for more detail anyway.

The taste of success.

Recipes are one of the best ways to entice customers. A recipe can get the consumer excited to try something very specific,
something they can make right when they get home from the store. And if they need a few extra ingredients, theyre in the
right place. If you dont have room on the package for a recipe, consider a hangtag or foldout label.

Multiply the uses. Multiply the sales.

Are there other ways they can use your product? For example, coconut oil found in the culinary aisle is not only for
cooking but also great for use on skin and hair, but you wont find it in the cosmetic aisle. Tell your customer multiple uses
to demonstrate how versatile the product is. With multiple uses, theyre more likely to buy.
Your website: the fifth panel.
You probably know its a good idea to include a URL on your package. But take it a step further by telling your customer
they can find more recipes or find similar products. You may feature the URL in the romance copy. At the end is a good
place, to carry the narrative over to the website. You should also consider repeating the url by the company info on the
information panel as well, since the consumer might be looking for it there along with the other contact information.
Give them something for free.
The more value you add to your product through the information on the package, the more the consumer is armed and
informed. Theyll know what they need to get the most out of the productand get more bang for their buck.
What problem can you solve?
Address pain points of the consumer and then show how this product can solve their problem.

Encourage the repeat sale.

Assuming the product is great, the design is strong, and the copy on point, all components work together in the consumers
home to encourage a repeat sale. If a product comes in a beautiful package, customers are more likely to keep it on display
in their home, not hidden in a cabinet.
The more the consumer sees the package and dwells on the message, the more it sinks in and becomes rooted in their
everyday lifestyle.
Invest the time. The first time.
The efforts you invest in creating the design will pay off with results. Youll enjoy more sales and less down time. And
take your time, a well-thought out design wont need reworking every year.
Part 1: The Whole Package
Part 2: Maximizing the Sale
Jenn David Design partners with gourmet food and specialty brands to create powerful, distinct, cohesive design that
commands attention and makes an impact. How can we help you take your brand even further?