Friday, July 28, 2006

Will Work for Free

Rojo points this morning to Yay Hooray, where people are redoing famous logos in "Web 2.0" style.*

I want to know when someone at the top of the branding groups in one of these companies is going to get wind of this free brainstorming and take a lesson.



The question isn't really who will adopt these explorations, though the NFL logo above "illustrates" that a little creativity can go a long way. With a little work, that already screen-friendly logo could be print-ready and on NFL stationery in no time.

Companies are constantly "rethinking their brands" to remain relevant. As Yay Hooray demonstrates this morning, lots of folks out there play around with this stuff over their breakfast. Young, tech-savvy folks. Right smack dab in the middle of your company's key demographic.

Yes, marketers. Your target markets can provide input, too. Get in a conversation with them, gain their loyalty, and they will help you succeed. Mostly for free!!

Stop hamstringing your creatives with design-by-committee and let them work with your customers to create a "living" brand. Giving up a little control will help you stay relevant in the quickly-changing marketplace.

* No problem resisting the temptation to say that they are "Web 2.o-ing" the logos. I have my pride.

1. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.

2. Tenkai designed NFL 2.0, but gets his/her satisfaction from the imaginative exercise. S/he leaves no identifying information. Well done.