Full Moon Design Blog

Olympic Branding & Olympic Games Come to a Close

The 2008 Summer Olympic Games came to a close in Beijing this weekend with as much fanfare as it opened.  The closing ceremonies are a time to reflect on all the excitement that occurred over the past 17 days, and one can’t help but to think about the excitement that was caused by two Olympians in particular – Usain Bolt and America’s own Michael Phelps.  However, there is one other thing that we here at Full Moon Design Group have also been thinking about and that is the branding that occurs during the Olympics.

Olympic Branding Getting Stronger

When it comes down to it, the Olympics are the perfect brand to align your company or product with.  The Olympic brand represents stability, unity and goodwill.  Borrowing the Olympic reputation really got started about 20 years ago with Coca-Cola and McDonalds sharing the Olympic brand during the 1988 Summer/Winter Olympics, according to branding experts at Seigal+Gale’s Group. 

And boy did it work, when you think about the brands of Coca-Cola and McDonald’s you definitely think of stability, unity and goodwill.

Olympic Branding Under Control

However, the trend has now caught on and seems to be growing with every Olympics.  Everyone wants some sort of sponsorship or marketing opportunity they can get their hands on.  If it keeps growing in the way that it is, we fear that one day the Olympics’ brand might lose some of its prestige.  A completely sponsored Olympics, i.e. “Women’s 100 meter relay sponsored today by Pizza Hut,” would take away from the original concept of the Olympics:  the world coming together, putting everything aside, and playing a few games.

Fortunately, it hasn’t gotten to that point yet, and we can rest easy knowing that the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver will still hold true to the original Olympic spirit.

This blog was brought to you today by Full Moon Design Group. (HeeHee).

*Photo by Denis Collette

The Olympics Require Much Prep-Work

The Olympics are a time when the whole world pays attention to some healthy competition and to one country … the host country.  The 2008 Summer Olympics are being held in Beijing, China this year and so far they are doing a bang-up job in the hosting realm. 

Everything that we have seen on the television, or in person if you are fortunate enough to be there, has taken many years to develop and plan – even the graphics.

The Olympics’ Graphic Challenge

According to an article that appeared in the China View, the challenge of creating graphics for the 2008 Olympics began three years ago in a country that really just discovered graphic design in the 80’s.  The challenge was placed on the Art Research Center for the Olympic Games (ARCOG) at the China Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA). 

The Olympics as a Brand

As graphic designers, we can only imagine the difficult task that graduates of CAFA were faced with in branding the 2008 Olympics.  Not only did they have to brand the Olympics, they also had to somehow brand China as Olympic host as well.  However, they had to do this while avoiding overly celebrating Chinese culture; it had to appeal to every culture in the world.

The Olympics Theme

The group at the ARCOG finally settled on a theme and design.  For the representation of the 35 Olympic sports, they choose to use pictograms based on jingwen.  Jingwen, according to the article, is the script found on 2,000-year-old bronze carvings.

For the Olympic core graphic, the team chose a wave pattern that was based on and inspired by traditional Chinese themes.

Apparently this task of spending three years working on the same project was so tedious, that many of the graphic designers dropped off the scene.  Nevertheless, 20 designers hung in there and got the job done and are now moving on to working on the Beijing 2008 Paralympics.

*Photo by Kevin Dooley

Branding:  The Courting Phase

Branding is probably one of the most important aspects of marketing out there.  Branding is what makes your first impression, your last impression, pretty much all of your impressions.

Branding was a large topic of discussion at the 2008 HOW Design Conference that was held in Boston a few weeks back.  (Just a side F.Y.I., next year’s conference is going to be held here in Austin, how cool is that?)  At the conference, Dragon Rouge Chief Creative Office Marcus Hewitt discussed the importance of branding.  He basically stated that branding is not only the way you engage the customer, but it is also how you keep them coming back again and again.  Your branding needs to inspire and constantly wow – kind of like dating. 

Branding:  The Relationship

Branding requires honesty, attractiveness and change with the times.  In other words, it needs to constantly evolve but stay true to what intrigued you in the first place.  Hewitt mentioned seven steps for proper branding, but they definitely would work in any dating relationship.  The seven steps are as follows:

1. Love Yourself:  The brand should be confident in itself and stand proud.
2. Dare to be Different:  Let your personality shine through.  Be unique.  Don’t try to be like everyone else.
3. Get to Know People:  Take the time to know your audience, their aspiration and desires.  Be it your client or your consumer – find out what makes them tick.
4. Don’t Overwhelm:  Everyone needs a little space.  There is such as thing as too much information.
5. Keep them Engaged:  Don’t let the relationship get stale.  Keep them on their toes with new products or visuals.
6. Stay in Shape:  Brand relationships are hard work.   They require discipline.  Don’t get out of shape or lazy when your relationship is going well.  Your consumer is in high-demand and can always leave you for a more attractive, more responsive brand.
7. Think About Tomorrow:  Consumers will grow and evolve.  Anticipate their needs and have a solution before they even realize they have a problem.  This requires an active effort to follow and utilize macro trends.  The most prevalent example lately is global consciousness. 

Branding:  Get into the Dating Game

Thank you, Marcus Hewitt, for that very clear and simple way of understanding the importance of branding and how to use it to keep your customers interested. 

Consider Full Moon Design Group your brand dating service.  We will work with you to make sure that you are market ready and we promise to make it as pain free as possible.  To begin your journey to seeking brand dating bliss, contact one of our dating counselors today.

*Photo by Pedro Ignacio Guridi

Marketing on a Budget

Marketing on a budget.  This is a phrase that is probably on the minds of most of our current and potential clients these days.  Although they know that they shouldn’t cutback their marketing efforts, especially during a slow economy … they are and who can blame them.  But once the budget is cut, how do you still get your name and message out there. 

The following are just a few tips on how to market for less money.

Marketing on a Budget:  Your Message

When marketing on a budget, one of the most important things you can do is to make sure that your messaging is on target with your audience.   Making sure that your message is clear and concise ensures that it is getting across to the largest amount of people during this period of reduced marketing efforts.

Marketing on a Budget:  Utilizing the Internet

Once you have your messaging complete, putting it to use is the next step.  One of the most valuable ways you can market yourself is through your Website.  If you don’t have a Website for your business, then you need to get one.  This is the one place that you can show off your business and reach your clients for a minimal cost.

Now that you have a Website, putting it to work properly is critical.  Make sure that you include your Web address on every piece of promotional and marketing materials that you create and make sure that the address is on every advertisement and every correspondence.  Having your potential clients visit your site and learn more about your company increases the odds of getting their business.

Marketing on a Budget:  Word of Mouth

Finally, word of mouth is probably the best marketing tool out there.  Everyone loves to know what others think of a business; they want to learn about others’ experiences first. 

There are several ways to incorporate word-of-mouth into your marketing plan.  The first we are going to suggest is testimonials from current and past clients.  These can be posted on your Web site, as well as on promotional pieces.

The second way that we are going to suggest is social media.  Social media is the word-of-mouth for the future and involves sites like FaceBook, LinkedIn, Flickr, Twitter, De-li-cious, Digg, etc.  Social groups and tools that were used in the past strictly by teenagers are now being utilized by businesses everywhere.  There is not a quicker way to spread good news (and bad news) and a corporate message than through these social sites. 

Marketing on a Budget:  What Next?

The above is just a sample of the many ways that you can stretch your corporate marketing dollars.  For more tips on how to market on a budget or for assistance on getting your message across, please feel free to contact us at Full Moon Design Group.  We are ready to help!

*Photo by Tracy Olson