Tropicana: A Lesson in Branding

It seems that Tropicana’s new identity is causing a lot of uproar. The common opinion is that it looks like a discount brand because of the generic photo and overly simplified design. Yet, the product and price seem to be the same as before! This has caused a lot of confusion. People are angry when they browse the juice section with all its options and brands popping out … they can’t locate their old-time favorite … because its incognito! Not to mention hard to read for many.



When I first laid eyes on the new Tropicana carton, I instantly thought of The Byne Group. Then I thought about Pepsi Cola and their new simplified design. I’m always in favor of a cleaner design (we all are at The Byne Group!) … with Target and Apple being the prime examples of big corps. that have done it well. Turns out that Pepsi Corp. has decided to update several of their key products due to decreased sales. This includes Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade and Tropicana.

The new design was just released in January 2009 and it certainly didn’t last long because Tropicana made a statement this week citing that they will be reverting to the old design.

Even though this seemed to be a crash and burn scenario for Pepsi … I look at it in another way, they got a lot of press coverage and attention over this issue. People were reminded of how much they are connected to Tropicana. And I also applaud them for being brave and trying to do something very different for the industry they are in. Bravo!

New York Times, www,nytimes.com,
“Tropicana Discovers Some Buyers Are Passionate About Packaging,” Feb. 23, 2009.

Brand New blog, underconsideration.com/brandnew,
“Pepsi Takes the Tropic out of Tropicana,” Feb. 23, 2009.

A Glimpse Inside The Mind of a Graphic Designer

Why I Love Paper

The name paper derives from papyrus, the material used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. For thousands of years, hand-made methods dominated and then, during the 19th century, paper production became industrialized.

I remember the first time I found myself lost in the tactile experience of “feeling” paper. As a junior in High School I attended a summer program at Parsons School of Art and Design, one of our trips was touring the Mohawk Paper Mills, I had no idea how involved the paper making process was, I was in awe. Later as a graphic design student at Pratt I spent countless hours at the local art store Jake's choosing the paper my next assignment would be created on, considering the texture and color to reflect my ideas.

When I began in this field designers’ tools were the visual ideas in our heads both waking and dreaming. The skill was using the tools you had at your disposal to make the concept come to life. I owned hundreds of colored markers in ultra fine to bold tipped, the smell of which gave anyone within a 500-foot vicinity a nice little high. And my studio shelves was filled with paper stock sample books.

Even today whenever I pass a great paper store in Manhattan I feel giddy and have to check it out. I promise my husband I will just be 5 minutes and somehow an hour later I’m still mesmerized feeling the paper stock and inspired by all the papermaking and printing techniques, both old and new.

And now, we stare at a computer we think inside a box, we have no tactile experience that comes with our concepts. I’m the first to admit that my apple is an amazing and invaluable tool and no I wouldn’t go back, but what have we all lost! According to an article from Mohawk Paper titled Print as Urban Legend “Print gives us what all too often electronic media lacks – that feeling of the human spirit, permanence, honesty and quality”

Now more than ever a beautifully designed and professionally printed piece, with its tactile characteristics makes a positive impact on whoever receives it.

So what do you think?

Ann Byne, Principal/Creative Director

The Magic of Powerful Branding:

What we can all learn from Walt Disney

In this economy we could all use a little bit of magic. And who better to teach us than the master of successful branding, Walt Disney.

I often talk about the importance of finding and then telling one story from many in order to inspire and engage clients. Walt Disney intuitively understood this. He was a master story teller who touched old and young and knew how to coordinate the Disney brand across all mediums; tv, movies, books, and ultimately theme parks.

I remember the first time our family visited Disneyworld over 30 years ago. Our son was 5 and it was our first real family vacation. All you have to know about a powerful brand was revealed as we first walked into the park and saw “The Castle” ahead of us. It was a transforming experience that become a happy obsession for our son. He now shares it with his 22 month old daughter who points to a picture on her sippy cup and gleefully and loudly announces “Mick Mou” as if she is seeing a favorite friend.

In an article in Harvard Business publishing, John Sviokla writes “As companies try to get their voice "out" in the overcrowded, fragmented, 24x7, blog-filled, multi-dialog, Mad Money Cramer kind of world of 2009, executives need to think carefully about their core stories to customers…..We can draw wisdom from Walt Disney, who understood the multi-media, multi-channel, multi-experience world four score years before the rest of us”

Some of the core branding principles John shares in his article:
1. Know the story is king.
Humans like to read about humans and whether you are selling CAT scanners, or auto insurance, every message must have a story that resonates with the human condition at its core.
2. Coordinate the message across the media.
In today's fragmented world, executives must reinforce key messages by having multiple, consistent, coordinated touch points for the same idea.
3. Have the courage to innovate.
Walt Disney initially funded portions of Disneyland out of his own pocket, and then sold them back to the corporation because they did not want to take the first risks. Be braver.
4. Stay on message.
With Disney, you only had to see the Castle to conjure up the entire set of thoughts and dreams.

Ann Byne, Creative Director/Principal
The Byne Group

How to Create a Facebook Page For Your Company or Non-Profit

I might be one of the "under 30 crowd," but that doesn't mean I was born with a social media chip implanted in my skull. When I was given the task of getting The Byne Group onto Facebook, I too had to learn and overcome my fears of the unknown. So in this entry, my mission is to help you through something I spent a few hours, and yes, a few anxious moments, figuring out.

Now if you cant figure out how to turn on your computer, it might be time to call over that sprightly intern or your offspring to help you out (I think maybe the "tweens" do come with a chip)!

Are you familiar with Facebook? [ if not, click here and get familiar ] If so, I’m sure you’ve seen friends of yours become fans of famous (or infamous) people, companies — like California Closets, or a non-profit like the American Red Cross. Well, in any case, you too can create a page for your company or non-profit with a few simple tips to make your experience a little less painful.

1: Get a Facebook Account. The person who creates this page needs to be an actual "real person." They wont let you join as a company entity. (Here at The Byne Group we tried to create an "imaginary person" so as to keep professional life and personal life separate on Facebook, (not allowed apparently). So for us, it's all through Ann Byne.

Now at this point you will be consumed with finding old college buddies, but bear with us here...

2: So once you are signed in, click "create a page." You will be prompted to fill out info about your company/non-profit. Keep in mind that all the info you fill out in the beginning is your ONLY chance to get it right, otherwise you have to start from scratch (I think it took us 3 times to get it right!)

3: Once you have filled out all the info they request you can customize your page’s look. Remember to keep the look consistent with your current branding.

4: Now you're ready to accessorize. Add components, such as an RSS feed, to pull in content from your blog or your website's news feeds to ensure that current content about your company is on your page. You can add videos, photos and upcoming events.

5: Once you’ve added all these elements you just need to publish it. Of course you can continue to update or take down items as you go along.

Now that you are "live" its all about getting the word out about your page. Have your employees join as fans of your page. Invite fans from your friend list. Or you can do word-of-mouth advertising through a Facebook ad or by adding a Facebook widget to your website.

Last bit of advice, keep up with your page and keep it current.

[ click here to view our page and become a fan ]

–Melissa Behrens, Senior Graphic Designer

Some free time? Here are books about sales you might want to check out.

I just finished three books of fiction for pure pleasure while on vacation last week. Now that I’m back to reality I’ve decided to read some books about sales to help motivate me in 2009. Happily the 2008 Sales Book Awards, an organization that recognizes books, authors, and publishers whose work advances sales as a profession, has just released this year's winners.

Sales, I’m not in sales, you say! I am a director of a philanthropy, a middle management administrator, a lawyer who works for someone else. Guys, it’s time to re-think. Yes, all of us sadly in one way or another are in sales. If its convincing your boss that you deserve the new title, or you're a CEO and need to excite your staff about yet the next big thing in the company, even if its your kids that need to be motivated to pick up their dirty laundry, in one form or another we are constantly selling.

A panel of 35 judges rated submissions in 10 separate categories, awarding one Gold Medal and two Silver Medals in each. Each book was rated on five primary criteria: Authority, Readability, Content Relevance, Physical Quality & Writing Style. I’ve included the 2008 Sales Book Gold Award Winners in my list.

Hmmm, where should I begin, Any suggestions?

General Sales
• Gold Medal: Perfect Selling by Linda Richardson

Classic Sales Books
• Gold: Selling to Big Companies by Jill Konrath

Sales Leadership
• Gold: Coaching Salespeople Into Sales Champions by Keith Rosen

Sales Methodology
• Gold: Reality Sells by Bill Guertin and Andrew Corbus

Sales Motivation
• Gold: The All Star Sales Book by Billy Cox

Prospecting
• Gold: The Real Secrets of the Top 20% by Mike Brooks

Presenting
• Gold: Presentations That Change Minds by Josh Gordon

Industry Specific
• Gold: Salesopedia by Clayton Shold

Sales Audio Programs
• Gold: Nano Sales Books by Linda Richardson

eBooks
• Gold: 200 Sales Hunting Tips by Mark Hunter

– Ann Byne, Principal/Creative Director

Managing Your Reputation Online

It’s a subject that most likely concerned us all greatly in Junior High: Reputation Management.

It’s a big, virtual world out there and whether you like it or not, people are talking about you! The good news is, you can make sure it’s not all behind your back.

Fact is, there are more people online creating “buzz” about you than you create yourself, and considering how much you invest in marketing, it’s not to be ignored!

One of my favorite blogs, marketingprofs, recently offered 6 keys ways to manage your reputation online. I’ve summarized my fave’s.

…and yes you can do it all from your computer at home (but don’t tell this to your boss)!

1. Google—Google.com/alerts
Set up an alert and you’ll know whenever someone writes something about you, or even your competitors. Best to set it up in your RSS reader and you can sort the results to find out who the biggest talkers are… and who to kiss up to!

2. Blog Posts—Technorati.com
If you have a blog, register and Technorati will track other blogs who are linking to yours. What’s the point? It’s all about relationship management. Try to link to them in your blog, comment and spread the love.

3. Blog comments—Backtype.com
It’s so important to comment on blog posts that mention you, whether positive or negative. Use backtype.com to keep track of all of the conversations you participate in. The coolest part is you will begin to find out who the key influencers are (one bad apple can spoil the whole barrel) and do a little targeted damage control. And for those singing your praises? Tell them you appreciate it.

4. Discussion Boards—Boardtracker.com
Get alerts when someone in a “forum” mentions your name, and join the top few. Then you can establish yourself as a leader on the topic and offer resources. What great publicity!

So remember, it might be overwhelming at first, but after you’re up and running you will have a great picture of who is talking about you, what they are saying, and also the opportunity to inform, educate and be a good community citizen.

Just do it!

–Jennifer Zapf, Art Director

Are You on a Tight Budget?

Times like these you need to be more creative with your budget. The good news is that email marketing can fit into most anyone's budget. Wikipedia explains that email marketing is a form of direct marketing, which uses electronic mail as a means of communicating commercial or fundraising messages to your customers/clients. You can achieve a big bang for a small price while getting out relevant messages, achieving brand appeal and the ability to measure it all.

• Reduce Other Costs_ Think about what you are printing: holiday cards, invitations, newsletters. Could these be emailed? Of course they can.

• Get Valuable Info_ Using email you can obtain valuable stats and watch response rates in real time. With this information you can easily tweak your emails, see what is working and not working with your client/customer base.

• Build Brand Loyalty_ With email you can keep current clients/customers happy and engaged. Reward loyal customers, but keep it interesting.

• Do's and Don'ts – Use Email The Right Way
DON'T buy/rent an email list
DON'T send emails everyday
DO be client/customer specific
DO keep your focus on a permission-based strategy
DO make it fun and different

–Melissa Behrens, Senior Graphic Designer