And then, my Hip Slip arrived.  Doug and Chenin know I’ve been lusting after one, and it arrived without warning today.  Squeal!  Double squeal! The product itself is fabulous, but the branding is just as remarkable.

First, the box.  Even the UPS man commented on the loveliness of the box.

Then, the paperwork.  Yes, it’s that good.  A postcard with tips for taking better photographs, as the Shootsac line caters to professional photographers:

A little information about the Hip Slip…And consistent use of the logo:

Oh, and the bag itself.  Chosen to match my studio colors, of course!

In the space of a box shipped from across the country, Shootsac delivers an experience.  A little information, a lot of pretty, and a heap of usefulness.

What about your brand?  How can you create an experience with your product’s delivery, whether it’s being picked up or shipped thousands of miles?

Want to read it on the blog? BRANDING HALL OF FAME: SHOOTSAC

Unrelated but funny commercial about underwear:

Ok.  You stayed.  ::whew::

I randomly get catalogs and mail from those who lived in my home prior to me, and most of the time I dutifully mark it ‘return to sender’ — if it’s important.  But the Victoria’s Secret ‘free cotton panty with no purchase required’ coupon?  I keep that.

Let’s talk about that concept, first: FREE ______ with no purchase required.  It’s genius, because I ignore all the coupons that come in the mail.  But this little card, that could magically turn into free panties if I just present myself at the store?  Yes please.

Okay, so, Victoria’s Secret got me into the store.  And while I was there, yes, I did some shopping.  So I’m standing in the checkout line, ready to go, when I see it: a giant table of panties that are $12 each, or FIVE FOR $25.  I think you know what happened.  All they wanted me to do was spend $25 on panties, and they knew EXACTLY what it takes to get me to do it.

Let’s recap: coupon for free panties not yet active.  Grabbed panties from big giant 5/$25 table, and bought other stuff while browsing.  SPENT $103.84 WITHOUT ACTUALLY GETTING MY FREEBIE.

So, there you are, artist.  Find a nifty loss-leader that can get people interested in your work.  What will get your ideal clients to visit you?  To talk about you?  To physically show up and spend money on your work?

This concept can be tricky to apply to anything artistic, as we don’t happen to have a supply of photos of Jimmy that we can give to Jimmy’s Mom before taking the hours to shoot and edit little Jimmy’s photos.  The ‘free sitting, free 5×7′ deals aren’t what I’m talking about, here — they require both time and vision to implement.

I’m talking a product you can create in advance, and then give away to generate interest and excitement in your brand. Perhaps a free 5×7″ frame?  A set of 3 notecards featuring your fine art or stock photography?  What will lead your clients up your stairs, down your hallway, or around that corner to meet you and talk with you (read: book you) as you hand over their free item?

I’d love to hear any ideas you have about this in the comments section below!

Want to read it on the blog? PANTIES CAN TEACH YOU LOTS OF THINGS

You’re stuck with plain ‘ol white, and you need to distinguish you & your art from aaaaaaall the other artists out there.  What do you do?

You kick ass, if you’re one of these people:

Marc Johns. Never have I seen so much done with…well, post-it notes and a few scribbles.  Great choice of words.  Quirky, laugh-out-loud funny drawings.

Tara Whitney.  Often emulated, never duplicated.  Tara recently went from a super-colorful,  popping with polka dots layout to this little ditty.  Brilliant.

Bonnie Tsang.  Two columns — an increasingly rare choice for professional photographers.  Simple simple design  and utterly stunning imagery.

Sweet Fine Day. Another two-column layout, this time with marshmallows.  (Really — caramel ones and some meant to be eaten with beer…)  I can’t put my finger on what, exactly, I adore about this blog design, but I’m firmly in heart, and on my way to heart heart hearting.

That Unreliable Girl.  Thinking there’s no way to distinguish your text from other’s text? (Not the actual words you’re writing, but the text itself…) Check out the way that unreliable girl formats a typical blogpost.  Sheer genius.

There ya go: five examples of branding without color.  Layout choices, blockquote choices, consistent use of one’s own handwriting, ridiculously stunning imagery, and one-of-a-kind products distinguish each of these blogs without the use of poppy, punchy, over-the-top design elements.

If your blog went color-less, how would it stand out?

Want to read it on the blog? BRANDING WITHOUT COLOR

Entering a Target for the first time made it okay for me to boycott Wal-Mart forever.  Target was so…CLEAN.  And so…PRETTY.  Yes, they’re a big box store that sells crap that’s going to break in six months, but I FEEL like it’s going to last longer.  Because hey, there’s aisle after aisle of eye candy.  And well-stocked shelves. And products available at reasonable prices for a limited time.

What can we learn from Target?

Little things can be big things. A clean, open working space doesn’t cost much to maintain, but can cause a big boost in client (er, ‘guest’) perception of your company.

Improve on what’s out there, if only by a slim margin. Target isn’t 1,000 times better than Wal-mart, and you don’t have to be 1,000 times better than your competitor to nab more business.  Just improve on the status quo.  This could be a handwritten note to your project manager after finishing a freelance job or a quick phone call instead of an e-mail when handling customer service.  Nothing revolutionary, just an improvement; win the world over in baby steps.

And uh, get rid of that mullet. Or you’ll be branded a Wal-mart shopper for life.

Want to read it on the blog? BRAND HALL OF FAME: TARGET.

That’s fabulous branding (and marketing!), peeps.  Suddenly, there’s a new yogurt craze in town!  Activia created a need, coined that big ol’ dotted arrow that signifies digestive movement, and then convinced everyone who buys to get waaaaay more than they otherwise would have.  (When I go to the grocery store, I buy 2 or 3 servings of yogurt at a time.  But 14!?)

Their point of differentiation — the culture Bifidus Regularis — may or may not be pertinent to my lifestyle, but in a sea of choices, I’m gonna go with the one that stands out.

Screenshot of Activia webpage

Let me repeat: in a sea of choices, I’m gonna go with the one that stands out. And so will your clients.

How can you make your brand stand out?  What need can you fill?  Or create, and then fill?

Want to read it on the blog? BRAND HALL OF FAME: ACTIVIA.