reactions

In a market flooded with so many brands, today’s consumer is presented with an ever-changing array of options along with an increased sense of discernment about what and where to spend their resources.  To be successful, a brand must find ways to distinguish itself and stand out amongst the clutter.

The process begins with a business strategy and marketing plan.  It has a clear point of view and maps out a direction for future activities.  This written plan describes the business, outlines goals and defines a sustainable competitive advantage.  It is a document that will grow and evolve.  A strong plan is an essential foundation documenting specific strategies and tactics to guarantee objectives are met.  Furthermore, it helps businesses make decisions quickly and manages capital and promotional opportunities effectively throughout the year; allowing for the right investments in the right places always with an eye towards the “big picture.”

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For many, the word audit isn’t connected to creativity or much less something that can be good for business or actually fun. However, a brand audit is a great way of reviewing your brand to get an overview of how your company communicates. This is necessary in order to understand what’s working, what’s not working as intended,  and to set a successful course for the road ahead. We recently completed a brand audit and thought we’d share what we’ve identified as some best practices.

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Reaching people through online, e-commerce and social media has become an unquestionable requirement of doing business; particularly for smaller brands without the resources to do other types of advertising and promotion. However the online space is becoming increasingly more crowded as well. Gone are the wild frontier days of social media where anything would garner attention. In addition emailers and banner ads are all experiencing declines in user participation. Faced with these facts, brands should not run and hide, rather we see tremendous opportunities when each media is approached with a clear plan of action and a clear point-of-difference to share. Enter the alliance of strategic marketing and design. Marketing charts the course and design creates the vehicles that bring it to life.

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We would like to hear your opinion on an idea for our newest eco-art installation.

Did you ever consider all of the products you use as part of your daily routine? Soaps, cleaners, air fresheners, shampoos, moisturizers—all are seemingly innocuous items that have become accepted cultural norms.  Rarely do we stop to consider whether the ingredients in these products are 100% safe.

As designers, we at MSLK are committed to using our talents to make the public aware of environmental issues facing the world today. Our eco-art installations: Urban Tumbleweeds, Watershed, and Take-Less focused on the dangers of our mass consumption of single-use plastics.  These plastic products seem harmless as you use them one at a time, but over time the refuse accumulates. Similarly, we wonder about all those unnatural ingredients in our beauty and personal care products. How does the accumulation of what we put on our skin, our largest organ, affect our health as a whole?

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In today’s faced paced environment brands want their creative turned around quickly. However, they also want it done effectively. Enter the role of marketing and brand strategy seamlessly changing hands with creatives. A well defined marketing concept, coupled with effective copy/content can quickly and easily translate to great creative, saving the client time and money.

However many companies cannot afford to maintain marketing or design departments on staff, in addition, those with internal support are often overworked juggling many roles.  Recently marketing guru Gloria Luna and the design agency MSLK have formed a strategic partnership to fill these needs in the market.

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Recently MSLK was asked to do some retail analysis for an apparel brand looking to grow their business. The assignment, create a line extension for the brand that would capture more fashionable, impulse purchases made by consumers — primarily women. As we reviewed the product offerings in each store, we focused on the merchandise at check out counters, cash wraps, and end-caps, primarily on the first floor.  These locations tend to receive the most traffic and often lead to impulse purchases. Besides the anticipated insights that fun, travel sized, and conveniently priced items often occupy this prime impulse real estate, I was struck by the immense presence cause marketing, primarily for Breast Cancer Awareness, was receiving.
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