Yesterday it happened

I was reading an article on-line, and the article took me to a website. Where I saw something all to familiar. A logo that looked like another business that I go to. Sure, I probably notice these things more than most. After all, it is my business. But it's something that everyone in marketing/branding/design is all to familiar with. Stock. Stock photography. Stock logos. Stock websites. While the goal of marketing a business is to understand what makes a business unique, what value it brings to their clients with their product and services, what does it say when your mark, your single most important symbol of your business, is the same as someone else? Worse, what happens when that business is the same. Two floral businesses with the same logo, two shoe stores, two coffee shops? You get the idea. How can we tell one from the other? It's something to think about. And why you sure hire a professional. Because stock (anything) is just that. Stock, which means of the common or ordinary type. And what business wants to be ordinary?

Fine tuning

I've noticed I'm tuning out a lot lately. To the noise, all those distractions, the television. Or maybe it's more that I'm tuning in. But this summer I've been very busy. Work and family are always first priority. Fun seems to take a back seat. Time seems to be a luxury that I don't have at the moment. And so I've become hyper aware. Of what I'm doing, who I'm doing it with. I'm reading more. Watching tv less. Trashing emails promoting the next sale or class I can't live without. Because I can. And want to. It's a cautionary tale. For those in marketing, always trying to get someone's attention. But to many emails from the same company, to many specials, and it becomes noise. So I say with caution, watch what you send. Because I think we all need a little break.