ustb ad design strategies 01

University of Science and Technology Beijing

北京科技大学

设计策略 / Design Strategies李亦芒老师 / Professor Li Yi Mang

作业1号 / Homework Nº1

Color Tendency in Technology & Media Logotypes

丽芳 / Lai Guim2013年01月07日


设计策略 / Design Strategies 作业1号 / Homework Nº 1 - Page 1

HOMEWORK:

Please choose a topic, could be whatever you are familiar with or interested in to complete a small essay from the market perspective or from culture perspective.



TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. Introduction 2. The importance of the Logotype

3. The Importance of Color Within Logotype Design

4. Succesful Technology & Media Brands on 2012

5. Succesful Technology & Media Brands on 2012: Logotypes

6. Color Analysis of Logotypes

7. List of Resources



1. Introduction

We live in an imminently technological era. Every day we use technology and we are increasingly dependent on them. Each service or product we choose is solving a specific need, improving our life quality. Good brands do have the power to make a positive contribution to people’s lives individually, and indeed to the world at large.(1) Our decisions about which technologies we incorporate into our daily lives should depend mainly on the efficiency degree that we reach by using the tools and solutions we choose. And when it comes to the choices for media consume the relationship it is even more delicate, when we consider the fact that all the information we consume has an influence about every aspect of our lives, not just technological comfort.

In this context, understanding ourselves as consumers in front of the wide range of options that the technology and media markets currently offers, it is prudent to be concious about the factors that determine our consumption decisions. Behind these services and products we choose there is a multidisciplinary team responsible to thoroughly investigate every aspect of the offered technology, a team oriented to work in last instance to increase economic benefits with business strategies. Build strong brands generate customer loyalty; this leads to more security of income for the company, and so to more reliable earnings.(2) One of the fundamental aspects of these strategies is the creation of a corporate brand under which their services and products could be clearly identified by users and consumers.

A corporate brand is built considering creating a strong relationship between its name, its visual identity, plus all the symbols and concepts which the company or business wants to convey to the target consumer.(3)

At this point, it is desirable to achieve the highest possible consistency within the relationship between all these features to achieve in the consumer a favorable reception of the offered services and products.

The visual identity or corporate image works as a key reference in which the company can establish and convey certain ideas about themselves or what they offer, suggesting to the public a mental image in order to gain the interest of potential consumers.(4) Translating these concepts to graphic language using design tools to build this corporate image to make it as efficient as possible it has a crucial importance.

The following essay will develop a descriptive analysis about the use of color in building corporate identities related to the technological world from the perspective of Western design, a topic that intersects the areas of marketing strategies, everyday use technologies and graphic design. The primary objective of the essay is to interpret and understand the concepts that these technologies are transmitting about themselves to their consumers, specifically from the design of their corporate images through the use of color understood as a key element inside visual language.

(1) CLIFTON, Rita. (PDF) “Editorial Brands”. p.4 http://www.interbrand.com/Libraries/Articles/Editorial_Brands_pdf.sflb.ashx (Accessed December 04, 2012).(2) CLIFTON, Rita. (PDF) “Editorial Brands”. p.3.(3) “Corporate Communication”. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_communication (Accessed November 28, 2012)(4) “Corporate Image”. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_image (Accessed November 28, 2012)



2. The importance of the Logotype

The design of the logo it is meant to reflect the brand positioning or platform and its importance it is fact so powerful that, besides the primary function of convey abstract values to build a solid identity, has also the function of ilustrate mayor evolution processes inside an organization. For instance, if the business strategy changes, the visual expression needs to be reviewed to ensure it is still aligned with the strategy.(5)

Brand expression is made up of two streams: visual expression and verbal expression. Initially, it would seem that the logo fits primarily into the visual expression stream, the graphic elements that compound it. On the other hand, the brand name itself, tone of voice, messaging, and the tagline all comprise the verbal expression stream.(6) The real potential for expressing the brand character lies in where words and pictures can be used to their full power.(7)

Achieve this delicate balance between the message and the form represents what a good logo design should aspire. The challenge of being clear and consistent about what a brand’s vision and values are, has never been so acute.(8) From the perspective of design, create a potent logo it is a great challenge since it must transmit this complex relationship of concepts within the limited graphic capabilities inside the synthetic nature that at the same time defines it. Synthetic nature, as it should represent a concise summary of concepts rather than an extense development of ideas, through the graphic language.

The logo is often referred to as a corporate signature. A person’s signature identifies a person, and through a kind of subtle graphology, suggests an individual’s personality traits. Is the signature bold and energetic, or restrained and conservative? A signature can hint or indicate this. A logo does the same, identifying and subtly revealing a brand’s specific qualities.(9)

Another, perhaps, more powerful, component of the signature analogy is that a logo, like a signature, functions as a promise. When a logo is applied to a product, it promises that the product will deliver a specific quality that alludes to the brand’s identity.(10) But, the logo can only allude to the promise of these qualities, it cannot speak with eloquence.(11)

(5) AMSTRONG, Christopher. (2008). “Role of the Logo in Brand Expression”. p. 4. http://www.interbrand.com/Libraries/Articles/IP-Role_of_the_Logo_in_Brand_Expression_pdf.sflb.ashx (Accessed December 04, 2012).p. 4.(6) AMSTRONG, Christopher. (2008). p. 2.(7) AMSTRONG, Christopher. (2008). p. 3.(8) CLIFTON, Rita. p. 3.(9) AMSTRONG, Christopher. (2008). p. 3.(10) AMSTRONG, Christopher. (2008). p. 3.(11) AMSTRONG, Christopher. (2008). p. 3.



3. The Importance of Color Within Logotype Design

The selection of the graphic elements to be integrated within logo design it is therefore crucial: typography, imagery or photography style, graphic devices, color palette and layout conventions. The idea it is to transmit a brand expression so powerful that the viewer is no longer seeing the form of the logo, but the ideas it stands for.(12)

Companies are aware of the process to achieve this effect in their consumers, understanding that branding it is a learned response. Commercials in both print and television condition us to recognize a logo and the name of a company with special attention to the color. With the addition of the Internet as a medium to advertise products and services, we are constantly bombarded with images of them, their names and their logos.(13)

Color is one of the most pregnant aspects of a logo. Each company has its own color or color scheme that is burned this way into our brains. In fact, when companies succeed in this task, they no longer need to have their name in their logo, the shape and color are all that are required.(14) This is a powerful relationship, but also a remarkably fragile one. The unconscious psychological connection between the consumer or viewer and the brand will break if the color of a product varies even slightly.(15)

The choice of color for a logo will have many determining factors such us age, sex, and socioeconomic class of the intended costumer. Colors that work for one group of consumers may not work for another, and colors that may be acceptable for one product or service may not be appropiate for another.(16)

To reach the perfect color for a design, exist what it is called “color forecasting”, which is a form of color theorizing, not for classification and categorization, but for purely aesthetic use by designers and artists. These services have become industrial staples in fashion, interior, industrial, product and graphic design. A group of experts from both the design and manufacturing areas meet to discuss all aspects of products sales and development. Based on these factors, color forecasters make predictions or develop themes for coming seasons. They may develop specific palletes for different industries or economic groups. Their main work is in simple words to develop new colors and buying trends.(17)

(12) AMSTRONG, Christopher. (2008). p. 3.(13) BLEICHER, Steven. (2012). “Contemporary Color: Theory & Use”. Delmar. p. 166. ISBN: 978-1-111-53891-0(14) BLEICHER, Steven. (2012). p. 167.(15) BLEICHER, Steven. (2012). p. 167.(16) BLEICHER, Steven. (2012). p. 51.(17) BLEICHER, Steven. (2012). p. 35.



4. Successful Technology & Media Brands on 2012

In order to understand the current trends in the use of color within the logo design, specifically those associated with technology and media brands, this essay will use a recent study by an independent company as a reference instrument. This company(18) has elaborated their own methodologies(19) to determine the 500 most valuable brands in 2012.

This study shows and explains the remarkable increase in the value of the brands associated with technologies above all other areas covered by the international market during that year, with an increase of 81% in the value of their brands, surpassing even the retail area.(20) The following list shows the 70 brands associated with technology and media, in order to subsequently analyze their corporate images and build relationships in the use of color within the design of their logos. The number between “[ ]” shows the rank inside the 500 most valuable brands of the study:

01. [001] Apple02. [002] Google03. [003] Microsoft04. [004] IBM05. [010] Amazon06. [020] Intel07. [021] HP08. [039] Oracle09. [050] Walt Disney10. [058] Toshiba11. [068] Comcast12. [069] Sony13. [072] Dell14. [093] Canon15. [094] Panasonic16. [095] Time Warner Cable17. [096] SAP18. [098] eBay19. [102] Facebook20. [108] Time Warner21. [112] DirecTV22. [131] Fox23. [139] Accenture24. [144] Philips

25. [149] Sky26. [163] Thompson Reuters27. [171] Sharp28. [180] Fujitsu29. [191] NBC30. [203] CBS31. [206] Xbox32. [209] Warner Bros33. [217] EMC34. [224] Yahoo!35. [255] Sanyo Electric36. [261] priceline.com37. [273] BBC38. [276] QQ39. [279] Dish Network40. [289] Playstation41. [292] MTV42. [297] Infosys43. [300] Nec44. [305] Schneider Electric45. [307] QVC46. [312] Xerox47. [342] Blackberry48. [345] Texas Instruments

49. [355] Shaw50. [372] Emerson Electric51. [373] ESPN52. [386] Motorola53. [389] Tyco54. [390] Adobe55. [392] Activation Bizzard56. [398] ABC57. [399] Nielsen58. [401] Cap Gemini59. [410] Paypal60. [413] Sandisk61. [428] Expedia.com62. [437] Pearson63. [446] EA64. [453] Symatec65. [466] Ricoh66. [482] Nintendo67. [486] Haier68. [487] Baidu 69. [490] Kyocera70. [492] Qualcomm

(18) Brand Finance is an independent global business focused on advising strongly branded organisations on how to maximize value through the effective management of their brands and intangible assets. BRAND-FINANCE. (2012). “Brand Financial Global 500: The annual report on the world’s most valuable global brands”. p. 26.(19) The methodology this company uses to determine which are the most valuable brands it is composed by four main

stages: obtain brand-specific financial and revenue data, model the market to identify market demand and the position of individual brands in the context of all other market competitors, establish the royalty rate for each brand, to finally calculate future royalty income stream —considering the discount rate specific to each brand, taking account of its size, geographical presence, reputation, gearing and brand ratin plus the eventual future royalty stream—.

BRAND-FINANCE. (2012). p. 24.(20) BRAND-FINANCE. (2012). p. 2.



5. Succesful Technology & Media Brands on 2012: Logotypes

These are all the logotypes form the successful companies mention before, in the same order of the ranking they were extracted, arranged top to bottom, left to right:



6. Color Analysis of Successful Logotypes

Within the same 70 logotypes now sorted by color, the predominance of the blue color hue is quite evident with a total of 29 corporal identities using it, followed by red with 15, black with 11 and 6 with multicolor combinations. Green, grey and yellow have 2 logotypes each, while orange, turquoise and violet have only one.

Blue: 29Red: 15Black: 11Multicolor: 6Green: 2 Grey: 2Yellow: 2Orange: 1Turquoise: 1Violet: 1



Assimilating all the information on global color and using it intelligently is part of the role of the artist and designer. It is important to understand how people in different countries, religions, and ethnic and religious groups view color and its usage.(21) Although there is no universal color scheme, there are some general considerations about color that will be explained in this analysis. They can provide some insight into a place and its cultures amd being to sensitize artist and designers to other ways of thinking about color utilization and its power as a visual image or entity.(22)

Designers must constantly update their palette to keep pace with market expectations, and all products and services must be designed with color in mind. The artist and designer’s role is to find the right hue for their audience and intended message. For instance, the socioeconomical factor can be translated into the use of color. The higher the economic status, the more favorable colors will be those darker, less saturated and complex hues.(23)

About the color, blue is widely refered as the color of water and air, both life giving entities. Because of this association it could easily become the color for the enviromental and sustainability movement.(24) The planet earth is also referred as a “big blue marble”. Blue as the sky. Lighter blue hues do not have the same impact or meaning as the darker varieties. Unlike the statement of authority in navy-blue, a light blue has a more calming and peaceful feel.(25) In Buddhism, blue stands for the concepts of light and wisdom,(26) while in Catholicism represents honesty and truthfulness.(27)

From the color methaphore language, the predominance of blue in technology and media logotypes could represent a wise choice, or the idea of something we honestly need, transmitting to consumers the feeling that we are taking a product or a service as valuable and elemental as water and air inside our everyday life, or that will be enviromental friendly. Also for its association with peace in lighter shades, it might represent the idea of relaxing times, the feeling that we are choosing a service that will allow us to have a relaxing time enjoying the contents they provide (Time Cable Warner, WB) or by choosing satellital broadcasted contents (SAP), something that comes literally from the sky to improve our lives.


(21) BLEICHER, Steven. (2012). p. 193.(22) BLEICHER, Steven. (2012). p. 185.(23) BLEICHER, Steven. (2012). p. 53.(24) BLEICHER, Steven. (2012). p.193.(25) BLEICHER, Steven. (2012). p. 47.(26) BLEICHER, Steven. (2012). p. 192.(27) BLEICHER, Steven. (2012). p. 188.

Blue is equal to41.42% of the

samples

Red is a passionate color. It is the color of many intense elements including fire and blood. Because of its relationship to blood, it is suitable to represent life. It is a great hue to use when to inflame the audience with strong emotions or passionate feelings it is required.(28) It makes sense that red is often present among logotypes: in those related to media specifically news broadcasting could be a statement for passion in the search for truth while practicing journalism (ESPN, Sky News), or in the case of technologies, could be a call for the passion for photography (Canon) or for the passion needed to achieve great designs (Adobe).

Black is the darkest of all the colors and it is the negation or absence of all color. It represents the color of anarchy and protest. In the Luscher Color Test, the most popular color test ot determine personality traits, says that a person that picks it wants to rebel against anything and everything.(29) There is definetly a conceptual link between this idea and the definition for the target audience of pop and rock music consume (MTV) or how young and modern people communicates in China (QQ). But black it is also the color of sophistication, of supreme elegance, like a millionaire picking the color for an expensive car or piece of technology (Sony, Blackberry), as well as the sophisticated way when presenting information contents (BBC).




(28) BLEICHER, Steven. (2012). p. 194.(29) BLEICHER, Steven. (2012). p. 41-43.

Red is equal to21.42% of the

samples

Black is equal to15.71% of the

samples



Multicolor logotypes are “multi” by definition, they are trying to reach the largest possible target audience. The effect of complements is one of the color properties used to achieve this goal. Complementary colors are those two that are exactly opposite from each other on the color wheel,(30) for instance red and green, blue and orange, yellow and violet are complementary between them. In any pair of complements, one hue will be warm and the other cold, making the observer feel a natural balance; with only two colors, it feels like the whole spectrum of the rainbow it is already contained.

A similar perception occurs when primary colors are used, if yellow and red are already present it is not necessary to add orange, neither violet or green if we add blue to the two first ones. If we also consider that people in the lower socioeconomic brackets tend to prefer and respond favorably to simple, bright, pure hues,(31) then multicolor logotypes are talking about being inclusive in every possible way: they want everyone’s eyes attention.


(30) BLEICHER, Steven. (2012). p. 72.(31) BLEICHER, Steven. (2012). p. 52.

Multicoloris equal to

8,57% of the samples



7. List of Resources

BOOKS

BLEICHER, Steven. (2012). “Contemporary Color: Theory & Use”. Delmar. ISBN: 978-1-111-53891-0

ONLINE RESOURCES

“Corporate Communication”. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_communication(Accessed November 28, 2012)

“Corporate Image”. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_image(Accessed November 28, 2012)

AMSTRONG, Christopher. (2008). “Role of the Logo in Brand Expression”. (PDF)http://www.interbrand.com/Libraries/Articles/IP-Role_of_the_Logo_in_Brand_Expression_pdf.sflb.ashx(Accessed November 28, 2012)

CLIFTON, Rita. () “Editorial Brands”. (PDF)http://www.interbrand.com/Libraries/Articles/Editorial_Brands_pdf.sflb.ashx(Accessed November 28, 2012)

“Brand Finance Global 500: The annual report on the world’s most valuable brands”. (2012).Brand-Finance. (PDF)http://brandfinance.com/images/upload/bf_g500_2012_web_dp.pdf(Accessed November 28, 2012)

GIDMAN, Galen. “Brand Colors”http://brandcolors.net/(Accessed November 28, 2012)

“Color Marketing Group” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_Marketing_Group(Accessed November 28, 2012)

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