Here at Roundpeg, we love a good discussion about rebranding, especially when it involves drastic changes to well-known logos. The topic this week was the recently updated JCPenney logo. Similar to the “new Gap logo incident” of 2011, this one has been causing a stir among designers and non-designers alike.

Just last year, JCPenney changed their logo to the all lowercase version which had the letters “jcp” reversed on a red square. The most recent logo change followed an announcement that the department store will no longer be offering hundreds of sale opportunities each year, and will instead be moving to a system involving three levels of discounts, to “keep things simple.”

The strategy is being called “fair and square,” and the new logo is a very literal interpretation of that. Peter and I had a long discussion about the logo and whether or not we thought it was successful. It still incorporates the square from the previous version, but the square is now blue and hangs uncomfortably in the upper left corner of a larger red and white square. It is very clearly meant to represent an American flag, which is unusual since the majority of JCPenney’s products are manufactured outside the US.

Besides the flag, which seems cliche and unnecessary, I have a few other issues with this particular rebranding project. I believe that when a company makes the decision to rebrand, it needs to be an extremely well thought out and executed plan. The fact that JCPenney rolled out a new logo less than a year ago makes me think they aren’t taking their rebranding as seriously as they should be. Repeatedly changing your logo and marketing strategy is a pretty surefire way to decrease recognition and brand loyalty.

CEO Myron E. Ullman was quoted as saying: “Our new logo reflects the modern retailer we’ve become while continuing to honor our rich legacy.” To me, the logo feels very old-fashioned. With its tired color scheme and font choice, and what seems to be an obvious lack of inspiration, the new logo feels extremely dated and uninspired.  While it hasn’t garnered quite the level of reaction the Gap logo did, from what I have seen so far, people are bored. The consumer has already seen too many variations of this square logo before and they’re ready for designers to think outside the box and show them something new and fresh.

The Roundpeg crew enjoyed a team building trip to the Super Bowl festivities last Friday. Have you had a chance to check out the fun?

Although it’s easy to get distracted this week we continue to publish at least one blog post daily. If you’ve been visiting Super Bowl Village on a daily basis you may have missed out. Now’s your chance to catch up.

Saturday - Faces of Roundpeg: New Characters – Jenna and Peter
We are a bit more polished, more professional and more grown up thanks to our newest cast members.

Sunday – What’s In a Theme?
Peter explains (to Romeo?) the basics behind WordPress themes.

Monday - Knowing When to Walk Away: Dealing with Anger Online
Always good to think before you respond whether in person or online.

Tuesday – Sometimes What’s Old is New Again
Sharing the love for WordPress plug in Tweet Old Post.

MTFW: Unfunded with Nick Carter
Listen to our talk with Nick Carter about his experiences growing his firm, AddressTwo as an “unfunded” venture.

Wednesday – Your New Truck is a Website
The inspiration for a client’s rebranding came from their original truck sign.

Thursday – Use FAQs as Blog Post Starters
FAQs and answers to questions make great content for blog posts.

Friday – Why Playing Hooky Can Help Your Business

Reflecting on our Adventure in the SuperBowl Village, Allison talks about why these types of outing are good for your business

Here at Roundpeg, we have an interesting way of interviewing potential employees. Along with the usual “boring interview questions” we also ask a series of our own random “fun questions” which have no right or wrong answer. One of these questions requires the person to choose between words, pictures and numbers. We get very few people who choose numbers (Lorraine is still waiting to find a soul mate),  some who choose words, but the vast majority choose pictures. People like to visualize things because often words can’t do justice to the product, idea, scenario etc.

This is something I always consider as I start any new project, but I think it is especially important in web design. The majority of sites we design to sell a product or service include at least one photograph on the home page. Often I’m asked to find stock photos for a client because it is more affordable than hiring a professional photographer.

The idea of using stock photography used to make a lot of designers (including me) cringe. When I thought of stock photography, words which came came to mind were “cheesy” “cliche” and “unprofessional,” which are obviously not words anyone wants associated with their website. These days, however, there are actually some really great stock photography sites (like istock.com) , with thousands of photos to choose from. The quality on stock sites has significantly increased as well, which makes it much easier to find photos that are just as good as what the client would have gotten from hiring a photographer, at a fraction of the cost.

The negative side of stock photography is the fact that the pictures weren’t taken for a specific purpose or project.  As a result, they often need to be edited in some way, whether it be changing the orientation, cropping, color editing etc. As the designer it is my job to figure out the best way to make the photograph work with the design of the site, and most importantly, stay on brand.

While it may seem like a simple task, cropping is probably the most important and effective way to improve a photograph and allow it to fit in with the rest of the elements on the website. Sometimes a photo needs to be cropped simply to fit within the confinements of a layout, and other times cropping is a good way to shift focus from one area of a photo to another. Altering the brightness/contrast levels and the saturation are some other simple ways to greatly improve your photos.  These tactics also allow us to overlay calls to action and other messages on top of the photo.

While stock photography may not be for everyone, it is often the quickest and most cost effective option. My suggestion to anyone considering stock photos for their website is to choose your photo carefully, and consider the way it will fit in the space. Once you have a photo you like, spend a little extra time tweaking it in Photoshop and it will feel more personal and not so much like “cliche stock photography.”

It doesn’t matter what you say about me as long as you spell my name right. That was the long held belief of many advertising and PR pros. It assumed people don’t remember the details, just your name. I saw this in practice 11 years ago when I was at Conseco. As we slid into bankruptcy, there were countless news articles describing the mismanagement of the company in great detail. While our agents noticed, consumers seemed to be oblivious. They just  heard the name over and over again and remembered us.

The Shane Company has the most annoying but recognizable commercials. The sound of the owner’s voice is like nails on a chalk board. As soon as I hear it, I switch stations.  I do, however, remember the Shane Company.

And in the realm of social media, there is  Tod Esquivel, AKA IndyFitBrides, IndyFitGrooms, IndyFitKids, IndyBootCamps, IndysBiggestLoser, IndyFitMoms and IndyFitSeniors, just to name a few. He is also known as IndyFitGolf, IndyFitBowling, IndyFitRowing, IndyFitPolice, and Indy FitFirefighters. In all, I found 57 different Twitter accounts.

He follows everyone he can from all of his accounts on Facebook and Twitter. His recent expansion to Foursquare and LinkedIn was really annoying as he spammed many of us with 5, 6 or even 10 separate invitations to connect. While local social media pros ignore, unfollow, and block his tweets, we know his name. He is the butt of many jokes, but  his accounts have followers, and some even have interaction.

So the question is this: Is this unsuccessful marketing if people remember your name? 

In my opinion, it is unsuccessful:

• He has spread himself so thin, none of the accounts are well-developed, with strong followings. If he allocated just half the time he spends dreaming up new accounts to making his primary one more interesting, he would be a social media powerhouse.
• Most of his accounts have low or non-existent Klout, and even his primary account is still below 40, indicating little or no influence.
• In addition, he has created so much negative energy around his brand, he is missing the opportunity to leverage the support of the Indy social community, which is, for the most part a generous and supportive group.
• His strategy on LinkedIn was in direct violation of their terms of service and his accounts were shut down. Reports have also been made to Foursquare for his violation of their TOS too.

What should he do?

• Todd needs one social media account for each network. There is no reason to have dozens of dummy accounts all supporting the  same business. It’s divides his potential audience, wastes time and provides limited results.
• He needs to blog. According to Hubspot companies that blog get 55% more web traffic and 70% more leads than those that don’t. Tod could dramatically increase his sales opportunities if he would eliminate most of his accounts and use his spare time generating content for his website in the form of a blog. Writing fitness tips for policemen, firemen, golfers, fishers, racers, tennis players, seniors, moms, dads, grooms, brides, and horseback riders would fill a years worth of blog posts and deliver measurable SEO benefits.

I am sure that Tod is a nice guy, but I would rather be fat than follow IndyFitAnything.

Branding does not stop at the edge of the paper or the bottom of a website. True branding extends into all facets of your customer experience. How you answer your phone, greet guests as they visit and even furnish your office all combine to create a brand impression.

This week, we will be talking to interior designer James Kuster, specifically about how he works with clients to extend their brand into all facets of the customer experience.

Do you have any comments or questions? Post it here, send it to one of us on Twitter or Facebook, or call in during the show at (805) 285 -9865. Remember to use the hashtag #MTFW on Twitter, so we can find your comments during the broadcast.

The call will be live from 10:30 – 11:00 today, Wednesday, January 4. You will be able to listen to the program from our  station on BlogTalkRadio.com

So, I left to go to the store on my bike. I love bikes, don’t you? Biking is great, like that time I went biking through the foothills of Mount Everest. Did I ever tell you about the time I went to Peru? It was awesome, we ate guinea pig. It reminded me of the pet gerbil I had as a kid. But, anyway, I was on my way to the store...

Don’t you hate getting caught in a conversation with someone who can’t just tell you a straightforward story? You want them to tell you one simple thing, but they have to expound on every detail, get caught on every tangent. Instead of focusing like a laser on one narrative, they dart around from thread to thread, and the true story gets lost.

Many brands have this exact problem. Instead of honing in on their one selling proposition, they want to be all things to all people–and tell all the stories at once. They’re experienced–been around since 1665!–but still on the cutting edge. They’re the cheapest around, but they don’t forget about quality, no sir! And their customer service is the best in the industry, but it’s all no-pressure sales. It’s just what makes Company X unique!

With all that messy muddle in there, you can’t pick out what’s really important and what does differentiate your small business  from the rest of it’s competitors. We get it, you want to be good at everything. You want to be just all-around awesome and make sure everyone knows it. But your true essence is getting caught in that contradictory tangle and your prospective client walks away with a sigh–you’re just like everyone else.

So instead of trying to tell your entire life story in one sitting, tease out the one story that matters. Maybe it is your long tradition and experience in your industry, which allows you insight no one else has. Or maybe it is that incredible customer service, with your patient and friendly staff who are like family. Find what makes you different and embrace it. Sing that story loud and proud, and use it to get people in the door. Then you can wow them with all those other stories. But when it comes to your marketing, keep your stories simple and streamlined.

What story do you tell?

“I really like how clean and modern it is, but could we fill in all that white space and add these 16 product shots and all four of our tag lines?”

While this is not a direct quote from any of our clients, it is similar to some of the things I’ve heard in the past that have made me want to take my college diploma and light it on fire. One of the biggest challenges is striking a balance between what looks good and what the client wants.  There are definitely days when I think to myself, “If all everyone wants are gradients, drop shadows and Papyrus, why am I doing this?”

There are basically three reasons:

#1- Graphic design is what I love. Since my first visual communication class in high school, I’ve found myself noticing and analyzing design everywhere. As with most designers, the tiny details most people overlook stand out to me and usually either excite or irritate me. I can’t remember the last time I was able to eat at a restaurant without critiquing the menu. As much as this drives me crazy, it also makes me good at what I do and keeps me coming back to it everyday.

#2- Not all clients are nightmares. For the most part Roundpeg works with reasonable people who understand we have their best interests at heart and trust that we know what we are doing. I’ve had clients that would actually listen to me explain a design and the reasoning behind it, and come back with some great ideas of their own. These projects always turn out the best because we find the perfect balance of design aesthetic and communicating the message to the target audience.

#3- I know how to pick my battles. I can’t win every time, and fortunately I accepted that years ago. Sure, in my younger years you would have basically needed to pry the scorned design from my cold dead fingers, but these days I understand that some clients know what they want, and right or wrong I must give it to them. I know these pieces aren’t going in my portfolio and that makes me sad, but on the bright side, it gives Allison, Peter and I something to laugh about when we need to take a break from staring at our computers all day. Plus, I always keep my fingers crossed. Maybe someday that guy who tried to get me to create a bouquet of plungers in Photoshop will come to his senses and decide I was right after all.

My advice to anyone who is planning to work with a graphic designer is to bring any materials you find inspiring to the kickoff meeting, speak up and let your designer know your likes and dislikes and most importantly keep an open mind. It is our job to pay attention to design trends and styles and understand how to best convey your message.  Remember we’re here to help. We want you, and most importantly your customer, to love your design as much as we do!

When you hear the name American Eagle Basketball Goals you probably envision something in red, white and blue with a heavy Serif font to give it a traditional feel.  But this product is anything but traditional and so one of Jenna’s challenges was to give them a logo which would make them stand out as well.  Her other challenge was to give them something which would look equally good on top of a web page or on the product itself.

The design process started as she searched for images of an eagle.  The one she selected is strong, but not a literal image of an eagle with arms outstretched that seem to wrap around the image of the ball.  While she did retain a fairly traditional blue, there was no place for red in this design.  Instead she selected a shade of orange which is similar to the actual color of a basketball.   The clear contrast of the colors is striking on their website and in print.

The font choices are also somewhat unexpected. Instead of a very heavy serif font, Jenna selected Go Long  for the words American Eagle.  The very straight line looks like the lines of a basketball goal.  The word Goals is turned on it’s side to frame the logo.  And the choice of Christopher Hand font gives a fun, playful feel to the design.

The website is complete and the logo looks great on the page.  We can’t wait to see how this logo will look on their new goals.

This logo was designed by the team at Roundpeg, an Indianapolis graphic design firm.

With the launch of our new website this summer, we made several modifications to our brand. We moved to a very fresh, sophisticated and understated  look. Gone is the handwriting font, the circles and clutter. Our business cards needed to change to match the new look.

The problem – I loved the card Taylor designed in 2009 the last time we updated our website. The blue background was dramatic. The circular layout of the content was fun and distinctive. Even two years later, I haven’t seen anything quite like it. In addition, we had equity in the design because all of us have been very active at networking events, handing out hundreds of those cards.

So I challenged the design team to develop a concept that had the fresh, understated look of the web site, but still felt like Roundpeg. It took several months because nothing seemed quite right, and because we were constantly getting distracted by client projects. As we got close, we printed several small test runs and tweaked the design until we were completely satisfied. Everyone contributed to the design;  there is a piece of all of us in this new card, and I love the final product.

We eliminated some of the contact information to unclutter the front. Gone is fax number.  We get so few anymore, it seems silly to have that number on the card.  We also eliminated the personal cell phone numbers.  The team felt this allowed them some separation between personal and business time and the ability to control which clients could reach them after hours.

My favorite addition is our “RP”.  When I transfered the @roundpeg twitter account to the business, I changed the avatar from a picture of me to this graphic.  It is also the corner image on our Facebook fan page. Adding it to the card helped to unify our identity elements.

Although we have lost the distinctive circular layout, the rounded corners make the cards feel like us. Our cards have changed a lot over the years, as our company has changed.  This latest iteration fits who we are today.  We will be printing new cards for everyone, just in time for the new year!

The beauty of social media is that it gives brands immediate access to customer reactions. Today’s consumers aren’t shy about turning to social media to register their opinion about your company’s latest move. And usually, it’s an unhappy opinion. Fewer people log onto social media to share how awesome your new packaging design is or how fabulous that new video is, but if they dislike something, a torrent will be unleashed on your page.

Sometimes, this is a blessing. If there’s a genuine problem with your business, for instance, customer service issues or defective products, it’s a chance for you to become aware of the problem and fix it in a timely manner. But other times this “constructive criticism” can turn into a pointless, abusive whirlwind that distracts you from your real goals.

Let’s take Coca Cola, one of the biggest brands in the world. They recently decided to try something new: white Classic Coke cans for the holidays, with proceeds from sales going to save the polar bears. Cute, right? Apparently not. Customers expressed their outrage at the change of the classic red coke cans. Some complained the cans were too similar to Diet Coke’s silver look, while others just hated to see the red go, even temporarily. Some even claimed Coke tasted different in the red cans. So what did Coke do? They pulled the white cans.

This isn’t a matter of a bad product or bad customer service. This isn’t a “mistake” the company made–it’s a matter of opinion. Yet Coke almost immediately abandoned their long-term plans for the cans and changed them back to their trademark red. It’s almost inexplicable. Were people really going to stop buying Coke because of the color of the can?

To contrast Coca Cola’s acquiescence, let’s look at Facebook. Facebook constantly rolls out sweeping user experience changes, alterations to privacy policy and other tweaks to every part of the site. There’s always an outcry, furious petitions and people begging them to return to “old Facebook.” And Facebook (with a few notable exceptions), doesn’t. They expect their customers to adapt. And they do, to the point that they’ll beg for that old interface when a new one comes out and the cycle begins again.

The right path, as usual, lies somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. Listen intently to your customer. Take their thoughts and opinions seriously, and then choose what’s useful and what’s noise. Be true to who you are, but don’t be afraid to make changes when necessary. But don’t fold at the slightest whiff of trouble. Keep your  spine in tact.