Surfing….through my viewfinder.

My surfing days were very short….and a LONG time ago. I have lived my who life on the coast. The Florida Gulf Coast left very little surf for the young would-be boardsmith. What it lacked in surf-ability, it made up for in photogenic beauty.  Now at this more mature point in life, I live on the Atlantic Coast. I have no desire to attempt to balance my 38 year old frame on that fiberglass board anymore…..But…The hunt for the perfect coastal morning continues in a different form.

This week like many others before it, I found myself rising before the sun in search for the perfect sunrise. The beach is empty at that time of the morning. Two groups of people make that early pilgrimage across the sand on these coastal mornings. Those who ride the ocean on a board, and those who try to capture it with their lens. Much like the surfers who just beat me to the beach this day, I to was hunting for something.

Not every sunrise is a photogenic one. In fact the more overcast the better. You need clouds to capture the rays. The clearer the sky, the less likely you will have a majestic event. Unfortunately, while refreshing, most mornings last week were just the “typical” clear morning. The sun rose simply, with no fanfare.

Saturday morning however, was a different story. The wind was blowing and the clouds were mounting. The waves rolled large and barrel-like. The spray from the ocean was blowing softly across the shoreline. I could taste the salt air. I had waited all week for this. The surfers had waited for this. The suns initial appearance was hidden by a horizon full of building clouds. The surfers seemed to notice too. Some stopped for a moment and looked east. That’s when it happened. The cloudy sky coupled with that orange orb that I had hunted and waited for patiently, finally peered through the one opening in that wall of darkness. Its rays spread through and clung to everything near by. ..the surrounding clouds reflecting every color and shade of orange and pink and red.

I had waited…and hunted…and then right in front of me was the prey I had hunted…”Click!”…the surfers and I had both found what we were waiting for.  We were both looking for that one magical experience, that would literally inspire our entire day.  Moments later, the surfers …and the photogs head off to our  jobs, schools and families. Passing the tourists and beachcombers who are just now arriving.

They seem oblivious to what they have just missed. They have no idea the parking is free that early…right up until they got here. Now they stuff the meter and drag their coolers and chairs across the sand.

Little do they know. The best part of the ride….ended 10 minutes ago.

Why Corporate Branding and I.D. is a MUST…(part#2)

Famous Corporate ID's

A corporate ID is the literal face of your business. Just like your friends and family can recognize your physical face, your customer and potential customers need a way to recognize your business. Without it, you might as well be standing in a crowd with a mask over your face. You could hold up a sign telling folks how nice and friendly you are, but folks will want to look into your eyes to make their own judgement. Well the same is true with a business or organization. 

Imagine for a minute that you have $5000 to donate to a charity. Four of the five charities that you are considering have nice slick corporate packages. (Nice brochures, well presented logo, professionally built website…) The fifth one has nice information, but they failed to budget the expense of presenting their charity in a professional manner.  Instead the just hoped for word of mouth and luck. Guess which charity is not going to get your money?

The organization above may very well support a noble cause that you very well WOULD want to give the money to, but because they had a mask on in the crowd, you assumed they were not a factor, or worse yet…never even noticed them. 

Also we live in a world where assumptions are the rule that many live by. Fair or not, most people make assumptions based on image. You cant portray an image…if you dont have one. Folks will assume that you are unprofessional or uncommited, even if the total opposite is true. 

So in our tough economy, help yourself out. Take off the mask and let the world see who you are. It is an investment a business can not live without.

Why Corporate Branding and I.D. is a MUST…(part#1)

Many people are curious when I tell them what I do. Everyone sees logos all around them, but they never think about how much a part of our culture and memory they are.

Just about every social reaction we have is based on a logo. We are conditioned to look for the little blue box with a”t” in it (twitter). We seldom ever actually see the whole word. Many major companies like Apple and Nike never even use their name anymore….just a symbol.  If you own a business, you need a corporate ID. Your competitors will have them. Why let them look more professional than you?

I was going to blog about this today complete with a list of reasons, , but found a fellow blogger who nails it:

http://www.allbusiness.com/marketing/branding-logos/3579-1.html

Experts urge small business owners to “brand” their businesses with a logo and a set of consistent marketing materials. However, they rarely explain the reasons behind this advice. Read more about Developing Your Company’s Logo. Below are some of some of the benefits of a professionally designed logo and identity system:

1. To look “bigger” and “established.” Home-printed business cards or cards printed with Microsoft clipart scream “small-time vendor” to your potential clients — and that is how they will want to compensate you.
2. To increase your chance of earning venture capital or of selling a business. If you present a well-rounded business package that includes marketing materials and graphics, your business will look more complete.
3. To attract more clients. Some clients look for a well-defined company, and “look and feel” may be one of their criteria for making a purchasing decision.
4. To brand yourself. If you are a consultant, you need a logo in order to build an image and a brand that is greater than your individual identity. Be sure to avoid the Top 10 Branding Mistakes.
5. To convey that you are reputable. A logo and professionally-printed materials show that you are committed to both your business and to your clients.
6. To give clients a sense of stability. You may not have been in business “since 1908,” but if you have invested in your identity, you are more likely to remain firm and relevant in the eyes of your customers. It goes a long way toward building that all-important “trust.”
7. To be more memorable. Forty percent of people better remember what they see than what they hear or read. So to have graphics associated with your business, and to keep those graphics consistent, makes you more likely to be at the forefront of potential clients’ minds when they need your goods or services.
8. To explain your company name. If your company name contains a little-known word or an acronym, the logo can give visual clues to its meaning.
9. To endear your company name to your clients. A difficult-to-pronounce or hard-to-remember company name makes it challenging for clients to hire you. When potential clients need your services, they may not recall a tricky name. But if you reinforce the name with interesting, compelling graphics, they are more likely to remember you, pick up the phone, and hire you.
10. To explain an unusual line of business. If your business is nontraditional or in a hard-to-explain industry, a logo can help to clarify exactly what it is that you do.
11. To differentiate you from your competition. A well-designed logo can have many subtle meanings and can begin to tell the story of how you do business, including the special practices that make you stand apart from the competition.
12. To stand out in your field. A well-designed logo and an identity system can put you far above the competition, especially when paired with a strong marketing program.
13. To comply with expectations. In some industries, a logo is just expected. In the creative services industry especially, having a logo is an industry standard.
14. To show your commitment. Do it for the sense of personal pride that it will add to your practice.

—————————————–

What am I listening to today?   http://www.erichutchinson.com |  http://www.trainline.com/us/home

—————————————–