noises from dog n’ moon.

With every client project, there is a series of comps and revisions. The delivery usually contains a diverse collection of ideas, many of which are fleshed out to near-finality. The cross section usually includes something conservative, something quirky, and the one I call the “If-I-Were-In-Charge-Of-The-World” idea. From time to time, we get to build off of the latter, stretch our creative legs, and those become design projects that are rewarding to the soul.

In some cases, though, an idea gets stuck in our craw and we have to sit and stare at it- and as you can understand, the idea is the commodity in this business. I loved the quirky and bold nature of this invitiation to an annually held Newlywed Banquet at a Southern California church. It was never used and therefore gets relegated to the Flea Market.

©2007 dog n’ moon

Lately, it seems like we’re doing more and more branding and identity campaigns, which is great because I feel like it’s what we do best. And because we do it often, I find myself saying some of the same things to each prospective client. Because branding is not an inexpensive process, it takes some consideration. What I often tell clients is that this process of rebranding is similar to undergoing plastic surgery (please forgive the Southern California metaphor- we’re reflective of our own surroundings, I suppose). Here are some basic rules for putting your organization under the knife. 

1. Define the purpose of the surgery. Were you once beautiful and vibrant but have since started to show signs of aging or wear? Or have you always been unhappy with your looks? • For your organization: Did you once have a strong brand that has since been outdated by passing time or changing tastes and trends? Or did your organization start on a shoestring budget with little or no resources to get a solid identity built? You’ll find that goal-based design is more effective than “let’s-just-see-what-we-come-up-with” design. Setting the purpose of the project helps your designer decide if he or she is only meant to contemporize an outdated brand or if he or she’s going to define who you are to the world. 

2. Research the doctors. You will find that some surgeries can be done in third world countries for pennies on the dollar. While this is great for the budget-conscious, it doesn’t offer much assurance that you’re getting the best of the best (or even the best of the good, or the best of the acceptable, or the best of the licensed…). On the flipside, researching doctors in more cosmopolitan areas may offer assurance that they do hundreds of surgeries a week, but they may be outside of your price range. • For your organization: decide if your designer needs to be part of a powerful and prestigious firm or if your designer needs to be a freelancer that can offer you more one-on-one accommodations. Keep in mind that this is a conversation of grayscale- there are prestigious international design firms, there are kitchen-table-freelancers, and there are innumerable “boutique” agencies and collectives that offer regional prestige and can still accommodate you when you call. I read this John Ruskin quote on a photographer’s website and it sums up quite intelligently what I’m saying…

It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money, that’s all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot — it can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better.    

 3. Be realistic about the expectations. Doctors can do amazing things and reality TV has shown us that extreme physical makeovers were all the rage a few years ago. But bear in mind that a doctor can make reasonable fixes- he cannot recreate you. Your plastic surgeon may be able to fix your nose or remove skin blemishes, but he cannot give you working wings or make you a foot taller. Operations can superficially make improvements to the current structure but they cannot overwhelmingly change you into another person. Additionally, while a new nose or flatter tummy might make you more attractive, it may not necessarily make you more agreeable. • For your organization: be realistic about what a designer can do. He or she will be able to build a brand, create the visuals for an exciting campaign launch, and give you some marketing tips for creatively notifying the world that a new you is on the horizon. But your designer cannot change the makeup of your company, cannot make your receptionist take better messages, and cannot make your product more credible if it is a poor product. There is a common misconception that a rebranding effort will relaunch a company in such a way that it will surely become a Fortune 500 enitity within a few years. Any rocket launch involves continous propulsion to get it into the stars. Your designer has basically designed the rocket and told you where to aim it. It will be your business practice that either capitalizes on that or neglects to use it effectively. 

4. Be prepared to live with the outcome. I read an article this morning about a movie star who is ultimately unhappy with the amount of plastic surgery he’s purchased. It’s unfortunate to read that somebody has done irreparable damage to himself, especialy as a result of an attempt to be happier with his own image. Regret is a hard mask to wear, especially when it’s so difficult to remove. • For your organization: The good news here is that design is almost never permanent. And the most embarassing or tasteless marketing mistakes can be controlled with some damage control and a cocktail of humility and nobility. However, I did a rebranding launch for an organization 3 years ago that has since turned into a case study for me. It started as a standard rebranding project, run by a committee of 3 people and officially signed into approval by a 4th overseer. The 3 people involved wanted to do something wild, daring, and progressive with the brand and tagline, so we accommodated and appreciated the chance to think outside the box. This was one of the projects of which we were most proud and wore it like a badge of honor in our client portfolio. Unfortunately, within 18 months, the brand that had once been used as the DNA by which signage, business forms, printed materials, marketing, and swag were born was now defunct, inappropriately used (in spite of a brand manual/ user guide), and awkwardly incoherent. The problem? 2 of the 3 committee members voted against the third who wanted something more conservative. Then those two people found employment elsewhere and left the brand maintenance in the hands of people who had little understanding of the vision and little passion for evangelizing the brand. In short, the work you do in rebranding takes maintenance and effort. If you’re the type to lose steam and change course with passing fancy, consider a design that is either really subtle/conservative or modular, which allows you to keep it fresh. Otherwise, be prepared to nurse the brand until it catches on and builds equity.• In summary, I’m neither for or against plastic surgery. What one human wants to do in the name of self-improvement is out of my jurisdiction. In the same manner, no one can force another into a rebranding project. It’s up to the powers that be to decide if the facelift is necessary, prudent, and beneficial. What I can say without reservation, though, is that when undergoing reconstructive surgery, The knife is only the first of many points of consideration. (Get it?…)