What pseudoscience and marketing have in common are the power of persuasion through delivering perceptions. Let’s face it, if I say my delivery services are swift and on time, just like someone says that aliens are wise and bright green, you have little direct experience of your own to dispute my words. To prove the points you have to experience my services and those aliens.

It is in that vein of thought that a story about a Coca-Cola promotion caught my eye. People were on twitter and facebook with surprising feedback that the company had not foreseen.

Coke had changed the color of some of it’s cans and bottle lids for a limited time promotion, tied into supporting the World Wildlife Fund protecting polar bears. Polar bears are white, so the cans and bottle lids related to saving the polar bears were white.

Posts about the company were in a negative light that had more to do with the customers perceptions than the reality of Coke’s intentions or product consistency, even though the promotion was announced earlier in October.

In the spirit of Carl Sagan’s book on how stories erupt from our ability to pseudo-reason, Coke fanatics came up with feedback like how the taste was different and how they were being betrayed. Coke decided to end it’s idea of a white can and go back to red.

In science you see people dealing with heavy issues like faith based creation countering science based creation and evolution. Both can only be understood and perceived through stories. Whichever side you are on, you know the keepers of those stories need to be consistent and understood by their support base. It’s the support base that will promote and vote for and keep the idea of two different creation stories alive.

In marketing your products the same thing happens. It is up to your company to tell the story of what product/service you bring to the market, why the company should be supported and of the company’s value to it’s community. Then back up your words with deeds and great products, of course.

In that way your customers become fans who spread the word. In that way your customers and their friends/associates own your story.

So what ultimately will happen with the end of Coke’s white cans and bottle tops? Will that end the negative perceptions Coca-Cola found from it’s fanatic consumers? I bet it will. Now the story has changed, it has grown and it includes Coke’s original intent to support the World Wildlife Fund as well as react positively to the concerns of it’s most diehard word of mouth fans.

To be fair, and to be get to the point of the matter here, the decision to put a white can and bottle lid out there was an authentic attempt to do something great for Coke’s community. A promotion with a cause.

In this whacky world your company can do a promotion that is well thought out, authentic to it’s purposes, valuable to it’s community, and still have unintentional consequences.

It could be that people saw the polar bear, knowing that the species was animated in earlier holiday advertising and thought nothing of it. Their minds went to “Coke – holiday – annual promotion” The valuable community purpose could have been spelled out but our minds see in iconic messaging first. The color of the can indicated a change. The polar bears meant that it was just another holiday season? I’m guessing here.

Coke can thank the fanatic fan feedback in their social media for the real consequences of the campaign.

To read more on the story I’d suggest this article.

I’m rereading Carl Sagan’s book. I remember hearing about it on a talk radio show and running out to get it at the book store. It was a published in 1996, my son had just been born, my freelance had taken off. I was also in a huge discussion about God, eastern religions, philosophy, athesm, and where I fit into the world.

I felt this was a good tool for me to reason through those stories I could relate to and others thrust upon me by the popular media and our culture in general. I won’t go into my beliefs here, but I would recommend the book as some light reading focused on how story telling, our natural perceptions and the purist methodology of science blend together.

Separating fact from fiction, the truth from fable can be more of a process, and not always a common sense experience. Knowing that can help anyone suffering from the unintended consequences of their latest misunderstood promotion.

This flier arrived in the Denver Post today, Oct 11, and gave it's best shot.

Why don’t huge companies hire designers?

I mean to ask this in the nicest way about a pet peeve that only rarely comes to surface these days. It’s when something is designed (engineered) well on the inside only for the outside to look like crud.

This time the rare occasion was an insert in todays newspaper. A letter sized, nicely designed flier showing the Hewlett-Packard HP Probook 4530s and Elitebook 8460p. It’s the close-up side photo of the Elitebook 8460p I am peeving about!

The stats look awesome for what it does. It’s a machine that is all about business (refer to the link to a PC magazine review on that). But we buy on emotional appeal regardless of the niche the engineering is suppose to appeal to. The 2004 look of the machine just doesn’t do it.

Okay, I’m mean to suggest it looks like a 04. It looks more like a 08.

Is there any ‘look’ or style that is unique to HP or any electronics brand other than Apple? Maybe, but none that are exciting.

For example I bought an HP printer awhile ago at one of the super office stores. The isle had many different brands of printers looked so similar it was scary. It seemed that being black and having rounded off corners was in vogue.

To be specific about my quirk for the Elite is that from the side, in this flier’s photo, it looks heavy and it looks slow. I might like the stats. I might like the price ($999). But very few people read that in an ad that features the look of the machine. It’s like the anti-business-is-fast-and-so-am-I look.

To be fair it is a good laptop and I hope you consider buying it when you have the need. Be sure to read about the inside of this not so great design in the PC Magazine review.

Think about the concept, the prep, rehearsals, the costumes, the lighting, the height of the cameras, the flow and the timing of the dancers. Hey, this is a deceptively tricky video to pull off! It’s a complex sequence leading to a simple, memorable experience for the viewer.

While I rarely go Mc’trek’in for their fast food, I always look forward to what the creative community has developed as the next McD’s commercial.

To a guy like me it truly is a special treat.

To see more McDonald’s commercials follow this link: http://wn.com/McCafe

The decision of Budweiser to change their cans to the new bowtie design to improve their sagging profits in the US has to be a bad one.

First, the design itself. There isn’t any visual dynamics or iconic image to it that says “hey world, here I am, you gotta have me, POW, ZAM, Grab ME NOOOWWWWW! It just says buy me. And as the three judges of America’s Got Talent all agree, at this level it isn’t good enough to just be good (buy me), you have to be great (POW, ZAM Grabme NOOOWWWWW!). Unless there is some kind of awesome collectible campaign to support any short term spark, like the 7-up two Celebrity Apprentice designs, I don’t see this improving things.

It’s early though as the cans have not yet made it to the store. Maybe there will be commercials with huge Clydesdales sporting red bowties and top hats? And wouldn’t that just be like Bud to do that. With a huge long string of wonderful commercial imagination stretching decades wide, I would expect the next couple of months to rain down bowties.

On the other hand the new design isn’t going to hurt. There is nothing negative I suppose about the thing. Ho-hum. Yep. Nothing too hot, or cold or whatever. We all recognize the bowtie design and know it’s the Bud look. And they cange the darn can every couple of years anyway. So there you go. It’s probably not going to hurt.

Still, ya know, I was just thinking. What I would have done (which I know you want to know, right?). Here are a few options:

• I would have tied a few new designs to a few of the famous ad campaigns of the recent past. Like the three toads Bud, Wise and Err. Now those would have been collectible. They might also have started surveys and questions and new social media activity on the lighter side. That also would have reminded people of the strong history Bud has, not only as a brewery, but as company that has brought humor to our hearts and quality to our fridgerators.

• I might have the Dalmatians on the new design. Give it some of the tail wagging heart bud has employed over the years with these guys expressing themselves. That may be targeting the 20-30 something buyer, still older demographic would like it too. Hey, we all love dogs. A commercial for the dalmatian can could be guys and gals at a picnic, they throw a dog a stick and he/she returns with a can of bud – a dalmatian can of bud. Go fetch it! – hey, maybe they throw the stick and 101 dalmatians return with cans. What beer does Disneyland sell?

There are more ideas like that. Fun, dynamic, using everything you have to bowtie the product to the otherwise cool bud persona.

So I’m ready.

I’m ready for the new Bud ad campaigns that rock, since they always do. I’ll be proven wrong. But it will take millions of dollars poured into this beer season to do it. The football season is ready to stoke up our NFL and college tailgate parties. Hooters and other sports bars will keep us warm with the steaks and cold beer. And those cans will bug me every inch of the way.

I’ll eat crow anyway if it means more people keep their job in Saint Louis. Hey, when it comes to beer, this year, at the very least, I hope we are all buying American no matter what the cans looks like.

For more on the new bud can go to this link.

I’m a visual person. Lately I had a chance to look at the new McDonald’s Happy Meal. They see it as a continuation of commitment toward promoting good nutrition. I see a band aide, not a real change. To tell you the truth, I feel like they should stay put, make great fried and fatty food, and not try to change their company image into one of a healthy alternative to their competition.

In the McDonald’s literature they say they will always try to do the right thing. Well, the sugared chocolate milk and the anemic apple slices (and only four of those) won’t cut it. Please. The photographer had to work hard to give any of that credible weight next to the fries and fried meat that were included.

To say the least, their effort is lacking.

I think McDonald’s should stay the so called villain of the nutritional world and focus on serving fatty burgers, fries and shakes. Is that great brand support or marketing advice? I guess not. But I hate the pretense they display toward joining the health kick. If they and other fast food burger joints really changed into healthy places to sip green tea and pick through garden salads, then what would be the point of going there in the first place?

We love our burgers, we always will. Parents should make better decisions. McDonald’s should be an occasional treat, not a dinner destination.

What are your thoughts? Check out the new happy meal and let me know. http://alturl.com/3b3vd

There are a few sites I visit for inspiration and education on what the latest look, strategies & technology can bring to companies looking to brand. While our studio process generates our own visual solutions for you, it’s still a lot of fun to browse.

First up is www.brandchannel.com, where you read the latest on brands from around the globe. Some articles are superficial, some are in depth. Variety of subject and content. I like it!

For those into websites try www.webbyawards.com. This is an award site with tons of different sites under many specific categories. You can find unique presentations and interactive ideas by clicking on these winners.

Just for grins you have to spend some time at inspirationfeed.com. Hoover your mouse over the word Inspiration, pick a topic and prepare to be, well, inspired. This could take all of your morning btw.

If you have other sites to share that you feel can inspire the graphic artist in all of us, please share.

Visit Veal Creative on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vealcreative

I have a lot of clients who are strapped this year for new content. iStockphoto has been a real partner for them in their initial projects such as websites, brochures and other collateral. But I caution that the same images are used so many times that rarely do they sway visitors to use their services or products. In a few cases they work against success.

As communications devices stock imagery does it’s part in setting the stage. Still, to add real value to your material you should heavily consider commissioning a photographer. That value includes differentiation, true support for your brand, a direct and strong connection between you and your market.

For example, if you are a technician oriented service nothing beats having photography of your techs in uniform at a client’s site. Often to make the situation clear you need to have these “visits” set up as pre-arranged photo shoots, though it is common to have photographer there to simply click away in a less intrusive manner. Many of your favorite clients would gladly accommodate the lights and setup to be part of your promotions.

And even if you need to go to a studio to update your company photography, the more control you have over the final imagery the better your company looks on your materials.

For products a studio session with a seasoned photographer is a must. The clarity they can pull into an image to sharpen the color, the details, the texture; all of that lifts the value of your products for such a small relative cost. We know items like jewelry, but it is also true for huge products like heavy machinery. The studios today are used to photographing very diverse subjects.

How does this translate on the page? Steve Kessler of Denver Dataman who tracks this information so well sent the following link to his twitter followers. It tells some of the facts behind investing in imagery to support your sales strategy.

Veal Creative has a great stable of photographers who have their niche in different markets. For more information on raising your brand and responses through the use of commissioned imagery, please do not hesitate to e-mail or call me.

Cruising through the Google news stories and digging into the groups on linkedin, I finally found something to replace our obsession with online marketing and smart phones. We are living in the dawn of The Real Age of Renewable Energy.

I bet you already knew that for quite some time, thinking in terms of solar panels for the house or turbines that catch water and wind power. But renewables have a different feel to them now. The industry’s brand has slowly been updated. It has money and political clout. It carries the same promise as landing on the moon did a few decades back. It’s for real. And as small businesses, we should be looking for ways to tap into this non-stopable energy surge.

In its natural form, renewable energy is as old as time. Heat from geothermal sources, radiation from the sun, windmills and water wheels. Every culture has learned to harness environmental elements. Then came the century long surge of the non-renewable petroleum based lifestyle. After countless rewards and innovations from oil, kids in the 1970′s were perhaps the first generation to be inundated with messages about the health costs and environmental disasters of poorly managed petroleum by-products.

My first real taste of renewable technology was back in 1980, at Colorado Mountain College in Glenwood Springs. I loved this alternative energy class where we were introduced to passive solar construction among other topics. The instructors gave the feeling of a revolution, hippie enviro-movement. Innovators were geeky science types or geek wannabe’s like myself.

As a result we had what I call a mini surge of anti-pollution-pro-renewable-energy innovations. None of which had staying power in the light of our overwhelming dependence on oil. Solar panels were not efficient enough to pay for themselves, tax write offs were yet to appear, transportation and industrial uses were next to nothing. Aside from a few pioneers who earned write-ups in Popular Mechanics, I never would have been able to find who was doing what.

That was then. This time around, with greater industry coordination, financing, technological advances and the political world confronting climate change, the effort to innovate and proliferate renewable alternatives is a competitive steamroller.

We’re not just talking about making our homes self sustaining energy generators, or electric hybrid vehicles for the mega hit SMART grid. Those are just the tip of the iceberg that I feel will be the foundation for our kids living in a clean world.

1. In the wake of the Copenhagen Climate Summit (which many inaccurately argue meant nothing) there are several countries around the world who walked into meetings committed to being known as the leader in renewable energy. Aside from the United States, you have India and China and others with the land (referencing solar and wind farms), motivation and resources. Hence the latest of several US federal stimulants, this time 2.3 billion in advanced energy manufacturing tax credits awarded to 183 projects.

2. The Bureau of Land Management is on course for approving 31 renewable projects by December 2010 through its fast-track program. Jobs will be generated before, during and after the projects are built. Most are solar in nature, but they include a variety of industries.

3. New technologies are surfacing every week from armies of innovative research sources. I love it when basic chemistry is bought to bear as opposed to the latest and greatest discovery. One example of the less theoretical technologies surfacing last week is a story about a CA company named SolarReserve. They are developing a way of using salt, which retains heat for long periods of time, to increase the efficiency of their solar energy plants. I understand the logic and it’s practical.

Why is this renewable energy surge such a big deal?

The way I see it, any industry that has started to grow and innovate under the radar for decades, like renewable energy has, will effect how you do business in the future. In the 1950′s until the 1970′s computers were like that. A computer was a weird scientists and engineers were using handle a few mega-complex tasks for a few companies and government agencies? As we have lived it, the computer has had an amazing growth spurt in less than a few generations, changing our culture and lifestyle by reaching into every aspect of our lives. Innovation, innovation. Ben Franklin kind of innovation. Juggernaut kind of innovation. Science fiction kind of innovation.

As a graphic designer I will be looking for the industries that renewable energy companies will effect, the needs they will spawn, the cultural change they will introduce into our everyday lives. Take a look at all of those gas stations. When will the fuel pumps be a thing of the past? What will our concerns be when energy is no longer one of them? Mideast politics, the monthly electrical bill, keeping the impoverished warm in winter? What will small business look like just 10 years from now?

Though there may be a thousand holes in my theory about the age of real renewable energy, we may agree we are looking forward to a time when the world transforms from energy glutton to energy balanced. In my heart, I know we’ll get there. It is my hope that the innovation continues to be supported and pays back the companies and the rest of us very soon.