Authenticity and Design in Recovery
September 10, 2009
People’s search for authenticity in who a company says they are and how they do what they do, has necessarily grown in the economic crisis of the last year. Institutions people have trusted either no longer exist or cannot or did not deliver on their brand promise. The explosion of social media too, has stemmed to a degree from people’s search for authenticity and a need for connection and belonging.
For instance, the non-profit sector is, like all of us, wanting and needing to do more with the dollars they have. But do your patrons, donors and clientele know what you do? Cynthia Round, Executive Vice President of Brand Strategy & Marketing for United Way that “People make decisions about buying products for lots of reasons, but the decision to invest in a charity is made 100 percent on faith and how much trust there is in the organization.” ( from Why Should Non-profits invest in Brand? by Mary Weisnewski). Your brand experience tells potential donors and volunteers what they cannot learn on their own and weighs heavily in their decision to contribute time and /or money. Its authenticity in terms of reflecting your mission is critical.
This search for authenticity in both personal and business contexts is driving much of the social media bus. This dichotomy of the personal authenticity search and the needs and pressures of business, puts a particular strain on social media’s messaging. David Baker of Recourses writes an interesting article on doing social media well in terms of authenticity and ROI. We as marketers would do well to balance our enthusiasm with his thoughts.
As we peek around the door of economic recovery, it’s exciting to think on the possibilities that a renewed sense of “real” can bring to design in any of its forms, from a better client understanding of branding from the inside out, to offering design solutions that truly solve problems. Honesty in design and communications will be more important now than it ever has been in ensuring customer understanding, loyalty and engagement with your brand.
All Hail Windows 7!
August 3, 2009
We regularly use Microsoft products here at thriveOn, however we certainly don’t consider ourselves diehard Microsoft fan boys. That being said we have high hopes for the arrival of Microsoft’s latest operating system Windows 7, according to this article on TechCrunch, Windows 7 has hit the released-to manufacturing stage.
Why are our hopes sky-high for Microsoft’s latest product? It’s certainly not for the multitude of reasons Microsoft might hope, rather we are eagerly anticipating the end of an era, one that Microsoft likely secretly hopes to soon forget as well, the name of that era is “Internet Explorer 6”.
Internet Explorer 6, or IE6, was first introduced to the world with the dawning of Windows XP, Microsoft’s longest standing successful operating system. And while Windows XP provided the stable and reliable user experience many were seeking it became a dark horse allowing IE6 to ride the coat-tails of its success long after it should have been vanquished.
Unless you have firsthand experience as a web-developer who is forced to provide compatibility for IE6 it may be difficult to fully understand the distain that is unanimously shared around the world among the fellowship of web-developers. Suffice it to say countless quantities of labor, patience, sleep and hair have been lost on the villain that is IE6.
Perhaps we should be thankful, as massive browser revolutions (i.e. FireFox, Opera, Chrome) have formed to reign in the relentless abuse and lawlessness of IE6. After all, every good story needs a villain. But despite the innovations we’ve achieved IE6 has managed to long overstay its welcome, surviving onslaught after onslaught like a persistent mold that has permeated every sustainable environment within reach. But every good story also needs an ending, one where its villain faces its doom. Enter Windows 7, our beacon of hope, we pray that it would surpass Windows XP and triumphantly slay the beast once for all.
All Hail Windows 7!