420 Creative Blog

Keeping Focus with Growth Allows You to Keep Customers

2009-11-20T17:34:19+00:00

One of my material pleasures in life is watches. Time pieces you wear on your wrist. And one of my favorite brands is/was Fossil. I say is/was because I'm not sure where I sit on that at the moment. You see, Fossil has expanded to feature a lot more apparel and messenger bags, among other accessories. This wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing except for one thing: they've lost focus.

I receive emails from Fossil at least once a month and more often than not, the email features their watches less and less and their other stuff more and more. Watches are where Fossil really started. Their expansion into apparel has made them more like the Gap and less like themselves. Not that I have anything against the Gap. But the Gap has always been about selling apparel. Whatever other lines they've expanded into (such as cologne and perfume), they've done so in a way that doesn't take away their focus from their primary line of business (apparel).

Fossil, however, has alienated me. Their decline and lack of really cool watches over the past few years demonstrates that while they're focusing on the apparel side of things, they've all but abandoned the watch line. As a consumer, this has made me look at other brands on a similar or better level. Sure, I'm just one consumer, but I'm sure there are others that feel the same way.

My point here isn't about what Fossil has done to me. What this really is about is a company's growth/expansion affecting its brand in a negative manner. I don't know what kind of sales Fossil has had in the past 5 years, but it matters little. What they've done is left what was once their cornerstone product to become less than great - the very product that made them a cool company. In this loss of focus, they can now be lumped together with all the Gap, Express, Abercrombie stores. That can't be a good move when it comes to your brand.

Unfortunately it happens all the time. Companies start out with a killer product or service. Some years down the road as they become more successful, they add a new product or service and end up neglecting their flagship product/service. They may continue to do well but they have probably alienated and lost a large segment of their customers that helped them get to where they are in the first place. This does little for brand loyalty.

I'm all for growth and expansion. Just don't make the same mistake Fossil has made.

Harsh Realities of Social Media Marketing

2009-11-19T18:04:14+00:00

Sonia Simone at Copyblogger:

"So in honor of Dan Kennedy, who sometimes styles himself as the “Professor of Harsh Reality,” I thought I’d talk today about some of the not-so-kumbaya aspects of social media marketing."

Very good read, especially if you're curious about social media marketing.

The Why Imperative

2009-11-19T00:31:09+00:00

Seth Godin:

"If the only reason you don't do something is because you never did, that's not a good reason. If the environment has changed dramatically and you are feeling pain because of it, this is a great reason to question yourself, to ask why."

Awesome Design: Blume logo

2009-11-17T17:00:25+00:00

Illustrators rock my world and this logo totally rocks it. Nice work Breno.

[ via LogoGala ]

Photoshop, HTML, the Design Process and All That

2009-11-16T23:46:29+00:00

Once again, 37signals posted a tidbit on why, for them, Photoshop doesn't cut it. And as expected, the 37s fanboys have agreed that HTML works better for UI design. A few have actually disagreed, and a few have stayed neutral.

While I have a boatload of respect for 37s (we use their products), I'm sure they're successful because they've found methods that work for them (among other reasons of course). If you've read Getting Real then you know that they're all for keeping it simple and nimble. And yes, the book also is about doing it differently. It obviously has worked for them. Can it work for others? Abso-freaking-lutely.

The problem, however, isn't the idea behind their methodology. It's that too many will take it as gospel. In my view, sometimes Photoshop is the right choice for UI, sometimes it's not. 37signals has no "client" – they create web products. Web agencies (yep, they used to be one) have clients (duh). And as tiring as it is to hear it, or read it (or write it), every client is different. Project goals are different, budgets, needs, etc.

Thinking that a single, particular process or tool will work for every client is setting up a trap for yourself. Having a general process and methodology and being able to take your process (and your tools) and adjust them to meet the needs of the client and the project is a much better approach. In fact, I think that's part of what's at the heart of Getting Real. More importantly, though, your process and your tools should be completely independent of each other!

So, to my fellow designers and developers, I say to you, stop focusing on the tools. Whether you do your wireframes in HTML, OmniGraffle, Photoshop or with crayons, it really doesn't matter much. What matters is whether or not what you're doing is going to be understood and valued by your client and (hopefully) lead them to further success.

How to Deal with Site Ranking Changes

2009-11-16T21:18:00+00:00

Stoney deGeyter wrote three great articles on website search ranking fluxuations, which I highly recommend:

Rankings Change. (Here's How to) Deal With It! Part I: How to deal with on-page changes and server-related issues.
Rankings Change. (Here's How to) Deal With It! Part II: Covers changes in search algorithms.
Rankings Change. (Here's How to) Deal With It! Part III: Covers dealing with changes made to a competitor's site.

Everyone Is Clueless (or Why Target Audiences Matter)

2009-11-13T21:04:49+00:00

Seth Godin (yes, him again):

"The problem with "everyone" is that in order to reach everyone or teach everyone or sell to everyone, you need to so water down what you've got you end up with almost nothing."

CNBC’s Story on Coca-Cola

2009-11-13T00:07:11+00:00

CNBC aired "Coca-Cola: The Real Story Behind the Real Thing" last night. I actually watched it twice (it was on back-to-back, not sure why) and thought to myself, "Every business owner needs to watch this."

While the piece is a great look into Coke as a company, it really focuses on branding and brand marketing. Even though they're a global brand, every small business owner can learn something from it. The show "will re-air on Wednesday, November 11th at 10PM ET/PT, Thursday, November 12th at 8PM ET and Sunday, November 15th at 10PM ET." For more info: http://insidecoke.cnbc.com

The Common Attribute for Good

2009-11-12T20:59:52+00:00

Dustin Curtis:

"There's a common attribute that makes for good designers, good engineers, good employees, and good companies. For a long time, I couldn't figure out what it was. Was it practice? Was it skill? Was it innate ability? Turns out, it's none of those. It's taste."

Hallelujah! I couldn't figure it out either. His answer is 100% correct.

Oh, and be sure to read his whole post.

Charles Lewis Selects 420 Creative for His Website Redesign

2009-11-12T20:00:16+00:00

We're very happy and excited to announce that Charles Lewis has chosen 420 Creative to redesign and redevelop his website.

Charles Lewis is a California artist who paints in a humorous and whimsical style. His work can be found and purchased on his website.

Charlie's easy-going attitude, sense of humor and desire to have a great website that really represents him and his work (and that is easy to update!) makes him a great fit for us. We're particularly excited about this project because it's going to give us a good look into the work of a contemporary artist. And, working with other creatives is always a fun time!