Lorem Ipsum is just an excuse. This placeholder text — often assumed to be Latin but in fact a nonsensical compilation of pseudo-Latin words — has been used for decades by designers intent on putting real language aside for the moment to focus exclusively on design. And while this approach may have been great for 16th-century typesetting, it does a tremendous disservice to a 21st-century company’s brand.

Here’s why: Any true identity system has two halves — one visual, one verbal. But there’s no solid line severing one from the other. They must work congruously — each picking up where the other leaves off, one compensating for what the other is unable to communicate, each one enhancing and building off the other. This “verbisual” approach to branding acknowledges the fact that consumers don’t process words and images as individual components. Instead, they see one ad, one webpage, one collateral spread — and they process it all at once, words and images. The companies whose identity systems are founded upon a holistic approach to branding understand this, and they dedicate time during the concepting stage to clarify the role of language in their system. More...

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By Dara Kennedy and Manfredi Ricca

As Emma and Rachel wrote in their last post about the celebrity apocalypse, the tragic suicide of Lee Alexander McQueen first shook a saddened fashion world and then left it speculating on the future of the brand. While it is no easy task to contemplate the next steps without the visionary at the helm, the brand must now consider its options.

The challenge with Alexander McQueen is that he had become a uniquely strong personality in the fashion world (standing out in a sea of strong personalities). As WWD stated, he evolved “from traditional tailor to fashion iconoclast and consummate showman.” This makes managing the next steps particularly tough, as the person behind McQueen was driving the desire and demand of the brand as much as the style. And yet, while McQueen’s big personality may have helped to drive the brand, many believe that his unique production also stands on its own. If this is indeed the case, this uniqueness can be picked up, cultivated and revived by a new thinker and creator—and will eventually ensure the brand’s survival. More...

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Meet the earnest, fresh young face of social activism, version 3.0.

In an email blast yesterday, Chris Hughes, the 26-year-old Facebook founder and high-profile force behind the Obama campaign’s social media initiatives, unveiled his latest direction: a website combining social conscience and social media. Jumo.com is “soft-launching” its initiative to connect volunteers with causes -- and gathering email addies — in lead-up to going live in the Fall.

Here’s the site.

And here’s the email blast he sent out.  Notice his well-known informality, a hallmark of his youthful approach to creating a voice for his every brand. And note that at the tender age of 26, Hughes may be positioning himself to join the Carnegies, Mellons, Buffets and Gateses of the world as a do-good-by-doing-well game changer.  Stay tuned.

I just wanted to let you know about my new startup called Jumo. We're announcing today that we're building an online platform to connect individuals and organizations working to change the world. More...

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It seems like everyone has a social media presence these days. My favourite florist has a blog.  My neighbour who is a teacher by day and a freelance photographer by night is twittering. The Indian restaurant below our office has a facebook fan page. Heck, even the mom-and-pop store down on the street is on social media.

These days virtually every small business owner has jumped onto the social media bandwagon – each having a Facebook page, Twitter account, RSS feed, and blog (either one or all of the above). After all, the cost of setting up is practically zero – all you really need is a computer with an Internet connection.

According to Business.com, the top five social media resources used by small businesses, most of which involve relatively low cash and IT investments are:

1.    Webinars / Podcasts
2.    Ratings & Reviews
3.    Company / Brand Pages on Social Networking Sites
4.    Company Blogs
5.    Social Media Search

But while many small brands are on social media, the majority of companies are just taking up web space, rather than doing something strategic with it. Social media has leveled the playing field, as James mentioned in his last post, but the opportunities don’t exist without a clever strategy.

Brands like Blendtec and Moonfruit are good examples of small companies that have successfully created big buzz with a small budget through innovation– not money. More...

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by Rachel Bernard and Emma Cofer

Remember the celebrity apocalypse? Here’s a quick and incomplete reminder: Bea Arthur. Billy Mays. Farrah Fawcett. Michael Jackson. Ted Kennedy.

Whether or not 2009 qualified as an all-out apocalypse, it wasn’t a winning year for many famous folk. For our purposes, these people are more than humans. They’re human brands, recognizable figureheads who toppled off of various empires into the abyss.

It may be too soon to predict the longer-term response to our early 2010 losses, but the tragic suicide of designer Lee Alexander McQueen drew a media buzz that’s still humming. In the fashion world, name-as-brand is a heightened responsibility because you aren’t just branding what you do; you’re branding what you create. McQueen’s clothes go out on the runway and out to consumers, wearable pieces of his personality and aesthetic. The recent semi-private display of his unfinished, final collection indicates that the public is unready to let him go. More...

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