Pierpont Communications, Inc.

A company logo is an essential component of a company’s brand image. Logos distinguish companies from their competitors and give consumers a way to identify and remember them.

As trends come and go, some companies decide to alter their logos. However, it is important to understand that a logo is a symbol of the relationship between a brand and a consumer. The symbol represents a shortcut to purchase that makes consumers feel comfortable in buying. Accordingly, changing a logo can result in a disconnect in this crucial relationship.

Below are three examples of logo changes that represent changes for the better…and the worse.

Starbucks
Earlier this year when Starbucks announced that the company logo would no longer contain the words “Starbucks Coffee,” customers were outraged. The company blog post by the CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, received nearly 900 comments, most of which contained negative feedback. Starbucks defends the change claiming the Siren has remained consistent for the company over the past four decades. The CEO believes giving the Siren a small yet meaningful update will ensure that Starbucks continues to embrace its heritage while remaining relevant and poised for future growth.

Despite the abundant consumer backlash, Starbucks remains at ease, and rightly so. Their fiscal third quarter report highlights a total net revenue increase of 12 percent.



Nike
One reason to change a company logo is the desire to simplify. When Nike first introduced its company logo in 1971, the text and iconic swoosh overlapped, making it difficult to read. Although the original design was somewhat illegible, it only cost the company $35 to design, and it provided the foundation of what would later become the company’s renowned symbol – the Swoosh. Four decades later, Nike’s legendary logo is recognized by consumers globally. So as you can see, simplicity worked for Nike’s logo.

Why simplicity worked for Nike (and not Starbucks) is because the Swoosh is bold, simple and has remained consistent in all versions of Nike’s logo. The Starbucks image of the Siren has changed drastically, which causes a disconnect with consumers, who prefer consistency.



Nokia
Another reason to revamp a logo would be a fundamental change in the company. In 1865, Nokia was a paper mill located off the Nokianvirta River in Finland. Since then, the company has shifted focus to telecommunications and cell phones, making it necessary to evolve its original logo, which featured a fish, to a more generic image. In the past, Nokia sold a variety of products including televisions, shoes and car tires. Since this company has experienced dramatic shifts in production, evolution of Nokia’s official logo over the years has been essential. After all, it is doubtful that consumers would associate a logo containing a fish with a telecommunications company.



Though there are negative consequences of a change in company logo, there are also positive results Simplicity can give consumers a straightforward way to identify a company. Other times, a change in logo is necessary in order to correctly communicate to consumers the company’s purpose. So if your company is trying to decide whether or not it wants to change the logo, learn from the mistakes and successes of other companies and make sure you are doing it for the right reasons.

Google Plus will soon allow people to use pseudonyms after being incredibly strict about user identities needing to be real. This is good news to me, because that means the real Winston Churchill was indeed following me on Google Plus the whole time!

… And now, on to the Digital Influence Weekly!



A few years ago, I was calling a business using the number listed on their website, but got another business altogether. Let’s just say it was a number that charges by the minute and I’ll leave it at that. After letting the original business know that their number is directing people somewhere else, they quickly realized the mistake they listed.

But this brings to mind something else that I just read about. A QR code in Russia led people to believe that when scanned, an app would download to their phone. But actually it loaded malware that sent messages that cost premium rates to the users’ phones. Just as with any social network, you have to be smart about your mobile device usage. You don’t click every spam-looking message that comes to you on Twitter, do you? (I hope not!)

As our ability to connect with businesses and organizations grow, these stories bring some very important lessons for the business and the user:

• Always double check every point of contact you post online or print. Make certain it directs people to where you want them to go. Check for and correct mislabeled numbers and dead links on your website.

• Pay attention to your other social networks and means of communication to determine if someone is having trouble contacting you. They may talk about it without reporting it.

• Take two seconds to research what you are about to download. There are processes to make sure apps from iTunes and the Android Market are safe to download, but downloading apps from third-party sites should be checked to make sure they are valid.

• Scan with a purpose! You don’t have to scan every QR code because it’s available. Scan codes on products you trust or to learn more about things that truly interest you.

Have a great weekend!

We’ve all experienced the dreaded phone pitch – you muster up the courage to call a reporter only to get told that you need to email them your pitch.

So why pitch a reporter via phone in the first place? Well, for a few reasons: it gives you a chance to show how passionate you are about the topic at hand, it gives the reporter a chance to put a voice with your name and story, and a phone pitch is much more interesting than an email pitch. Reporters get so many emails and (to be honest) it’s sometimes boring having to read them. In fact, I’ve had several reporters say to me “It’s good to have someone call me – no one calls me anymore.”

Here are a few tips to help you succeed when pitching a reporter over the phone:

1. Be respectful of their time. The reporter may be on DEADLINE. If they ask you to call back because they’re strapped for time, call back later. It is as simple as that. Do not keep them on the phone – that will cause them to disregard any of your follow ups.

2. Know what you’re talking about. Please do NOT pick up the phone and completely forget what you’re talking about. It won’t create a good first impression with the reporter. Research what you’re pitching and make sure you know everything there is to know about your pitch in case the reporter starts asking YOU questions. If you’re the PR pro, you need to know the issue at hand.

3. Write a script. This practice will definitely help if you’re nervous about pitching over the phone. Bullet point the facts you want to convey to the reporter. Since you’ve prepared beforehand, you won’t miss anything important. But don’t read a script – it’s got to be natural.

4. Practice. If you’re truly nervous (even after drafting up important bullet points), get a buddy or a supervisor to help you practice – usually, someone will be willing to help out and play a reporter.

5. Be confident. This is usually where people get stuck. They get nervous because they think the call will be their only shot at getting the reporter’s interest. Well, stop. This isn’t your ONLY shot. There will be others. And to avoid sounding nervous, “Fake it till you make it”! If you act like you’re confident, you’ll most definitely come off as confident.

What tips do you have? Share them below!

While the news media’s wall-to-wall coverage during Hurricane Irene in late August drew criticism, the one place with truly up-to-the-minute coverage during the disaster was the social networking platform Twitter.

During the storm, I had several family members and friends in the hurricane’s path. After falling victim to the sometimes sensationalized TV coverage, I found myself unable to find out what was going on in the areas where people I know lived.

After unsuccessfully tuning in and realizing there’s only so many hours of watching people get blown around by winds on the beach any sane person can take, I found myself logging on to Twitter for the latest news.

Twitter’s been called the fastest way to share information, and it lived up to its billing during Irene. By following comments from people in the eye of the storm to those still waiting for its arrival, one could not only track its path up the East Coast but also get a truly up-to-the-minute appraisal of the situation from individuals who were there.

Throughout that weekend, people used the tool to post warnings, updates, local road closings, power outages and even hurricane party information. The term "category 1" was one of the top trending topics Saturday afternoon with Twitter sharing more than 3,000 tweets per minute. In fact, seven of its top 10 trending topics were Hurricane-related posts!

As the storm surged into North Carolina (where my grandmother lives) and into Virginia (where my best friend lives), Tweets shared that hundreds of thousands had lost power. Thanks to Twitter, I knew not to count on landline phones when contacting my friends and family.

As addictive as following the storm on TV might have been, the personal insight gained following Irene online was even more acute. After observing the speed at which Twitter shared the news and the backlash against the mainstream media, you have to wonder if we could see the beginnings of a whole new style of disaster journalism. Thoughts? Post them below!

We all know tablets are quickly becoming a valuable resource in this mobile-driven world. What I find amazing is all the different applications and uses that are emerging for this technology.

Mashable recently posted this article about how tablets are changing the way we search and discover the web. Browsing is becoming an interactive experience, much more than simply putting words in a text box and hitting enter. With the tablet, you really are in the internet and engaged.

But that’s not all the tablet is changing about our lives.

British Airways has issued tablets to all of their flight crews in order to enhance their passengers’ experience. The article explains how they use the mobile technology to keep track of who is traveling with whom, any food allergies as well as Executive Club status and previous flight history. The tablets also give flight attendants the ability to submit customer issues with ground crews before take off, so personnel at the destination airport can come up with a solution while the plane is in route.

United Airlines, Delta and Alaska Air are also taking off with tablets. They are completely replacing those heavy flight manuals pilots were required to carry with iPads. Talk about efficient!That means these pilots are trading a 12,000 page document weighing a staggering 38 pounds (on average) with a 1.5lb tablet.

In the medical industry, doctors are using iPads and tablets to access medical records, show patients x-rays and explain complicated procedures to their patients.

The education sector is also embracing tablets to enhance and improve productivity. Apple has reported over 600 school districts across the country have begun the shift from bound textbooks to digital books, giving each student an iPad to use while school is in session. Some schools have even gifted the devices to the student entirely!

Here at Pierpont, all of our executive team – and even some other staff members – use iPads to take notes at meetings, record conference calls, check email and scan the latest industry news.

It’s hard to believe that these devices were originally marketed to non-professionals for simple gaming and web browsing. And now more industries are depending on this technology to help people do their jobs safely and more effectively. The tablet market is projected to grow by $35 billion by the end of 2012. Here are some industries and professions that could benefit from the use of tablets in the next few years.

• Restaurants: Eliminating the pads and pens allow servers to speed up the order-taking process by automatically submitting orders to the kitchen. This can also increase order accuracy, and alert the kitchen of any allergies a guest may have.

• Law Enforcement: You’ve seen it. Every police cruiser is equipped with a laptop, stand and other devices allowing the officer to work from their car. Why not replace all that with a tablet and cut the clutter? Officers could file paperwork, check license plate numbers and keep track of local traffic conditions, all from the comfort of the patrol car.

• Retail: By using tablets, retail employees can instantly check inventory for customers without having to search through the mysterious back room or wait for an available computer register. Even further, if they are out of the product you need, they could then have the ability to order it for you, without ever leaving your side.

How do you use your tablet for work? What are ways you’ve seen others use new technology to be more productive and efficient in the workplace?

Disclosure: Verizon Wireless is a client of Pierpont Communications.