A colleague shared this interesting article with me about Starbucks. Having acquired Seattle’s Best, Starbucks seems to be repositioning the brand as a product for cost sensitive joe drinkers. Part of the marketing strategy being a logo redesign. My thoughts… why mess with a good thing? Why diminish the brand equity and run the risk of putting off an already established customer base? Perhaps an evolution of the logo would suffice, thereby keeping many of the distinct characteristics of the established logo, but applying a more modern facelift. But not a complete departure from the familiar.

Citing Pepsi’s very costly debacle with the redesign of the Tropicana logo and packaging, as well as, Gatorade’s profit drop after the adoption of “G”, the author, Jeff Reeves, makes a great point. Albeit preaching to the choir here, he concludes that design has a direct effect on brand loyalty, but more importantly, the bottom line.

Check it out here: Unpopular Seattle’s Best Logo Could Hurt SBUX

Every Designer can attest to hearing that, or something similar, from a client or even a Manager at some point of their career. I firmly believe that often times, Designers don’t get the credit we deserve, and that is making the intangible understandable. I recall some years ago, a sales rep giving his feedback on a project saying “Any kid in a basement can do what you guys do”… likening us to glorified color pickers.

What he failed to understand and what, unfortunately, many folks can’t grasp, is the science behind what we do. I came across this article on doshdosh.com, titled “11 Ways to Influence People Online and Make Them Take Action”. It speaks to the psychology behind web design; exploring the patterns of human behavior and thought.

Designers, in turn, leverage those patterns and marry them with fundamental design principles to not only create pieces that we’re most proud of, but from a business perspective, we use that formula to increase reach and awareness of marketing campaigns, foster new product development and create “Brand Fans” which makes companies profitable… a far cry from a kid in the basement.

If you know me, you know that I heart Apple more than any other brand. After expressing the sheer joy I have in being able to purchase my iPad soon, a friend of mine questioned my (and other Macheads) loyalty to Mr. Jobs.  Later during the exchange, he says “If you’re willing to just buy EVERYTHING Apple, then Mr Jobs has done his job”.

EXACTLY, That’s what innovative design and targeted consumer marketing is for!

Absolutely Mr. Jobs has done his job well, as expected. That’s why we as brand marketing professionals get paid to do what we do every day….create innovative and differentiated products/services that shape consumer perception, enhance their experience and ultimately influence their behavior. We thereby maintain loyalty among our repeat buyers/visitors and establish positive brand awareness among those who are not.

Apple does just that and they do it very well. People scoffed at the idea of iTunes and digital downloads with the iPod. Apple revolutionized the music industry by redefining distribution and changed how consumers purchased and stored it. Not to mention the rockin’ marketing campaign that accompanied the product launch that captivated folks and made them say, ‘hey that’s cool, I want that!’ Brand marketing at it’s best!

Apple probably saved the music industry to a certain degree, or at the least stopped the hemorrhaging. They could very well do the same for the print media with the iPad, changing how consumers engage with newsprint and magazines, a troubled medium at best. Sure you have your Kindles and your Nooks. But from a UI design perspective…. they somewhat lack the sexy sizzle that consumers are accustomed to having. Not to mention all the other features of the iPad from gaming to web browsing; it, in my opinion, is a far superior product. But then again, I am biased.

So as a brand loyalist and tech geek, I applaud the iPad and will be one of the first to cop one! Thank you Steve, keep on keepin’ on!!”