Branding is Fun & (not) Easy
I think getting a brand for branding’s sake takes some shortcuts across things that are essential in learning about, well, why you want to start this business, who is a right fit for what you offer, your philosophy, what differentiators make your company different from the one next door.
Read MoreTelling the Story
I went to a wine tasting this week – an industry tasting – where you’re more likely to see the winemakers themselves than the rep, the sales manager or even the partner. Maybe. What I love about these types of pourings is the short opportunity to dialogue with the person behind the bottle. At first they say something like, (pouring) “This is the Syrah, which has a pleasant blend of fruit and tobacco (essence), grown from our estate grapes & cured in French oak,” because they’re supposed to say that. It’s what sells wine, to the distributor or restaurant or grocery wine steward. And they’re there to sell the wine. And then I ask a question. Something about their work. Their story. Their eyes light up a little...
Read MoreBusiness Card Gallery
With my last post about paper, I thought I’d peruse the card gallery & bring out a few. Some are quite recent & most feature original logos. ...
Read MoreBranding Story #2
Richard Branson was/is extremely dyslexic – both letters & numbers, & was a high school dropout (He says today that’s why he is intuitive about business decisions; not liking spreadsheets so much). But he had the advantage of being born into a family that embraced the entrepreneurial spirit. He started a student paper at 16, opened a record store soon after that, & went on to start/stop/launch over 400 companies with the Virgin brand. He experienced success, failure, was brought to trial over tax evasion, had numerous blunders & started an airline and is in the process of starting a rail line, because he saw the need for ‘better’ in existing services as they were. An ‘entrepreneurial investment banker’, he...
Read MoreBranding Story #1
Barbe-Nicole Clicquot, a young mother, at the age of 27, inherited a company involved in banking, wool trading & Champagne production when her husband died suddenly, possibly from suicide (others say a fever). She was known societally as la Veuve (the widow) Clicquot. Under her management (women in business being unheard of in Napoleonic France), the company focused on Champagne production and perfected the ‘methode champenoise’, which is still practised today. She is credited with expanding her wine’s distribution into Russia by first smuggling 10,000 bottles of ‘Vin de la Comet” (wine of the comet – more on that later) to Tsarist Russia where it came to be known as the wine of kings. Today global distribution exceeds 16...
Read MoreBranding Lessons Learned from Actors
Every once in awhile, I get an opportunity to shoot stills on an indie film set. I find this environment ripe for creativity, & the blessing of an indie {in many circumstances a little-or-no-budget} film set is that almost everyone weighs in on varying possibilities for getting a creative scene shot, which makes for an energizing atmosphere where ideas flow. . . it’s an addicting circumstance, all will readily admit. My role as photographer is a small one, but one that inspires me, & largely the reason I make time for a gig. True actors are involved in the energy of ideas, & the premise of financial gain is somewhat less consequential, for the opportunity for creativity runs prior to padding the bank account. {Sometimes. Let’s not...
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I'm Tari & Grace Studio is my brandesign firm. :: We stir the pot with beautiful imagery & design, inspiring web design & digital smarts to craft a brand that reflects your passion about your work on the inside for others to appreciate on the outside.
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