Congratulations Karen and Dave Howard! They were the big winners of our Springarama draw for a Picasso print and fish dinner. Picasso Fish had a great time at the Simcoe Chamber of Commerce’s Springarama. We met many wonderful exhibitors and participants. Thanks for stopping by!

Table of Contents:

Spot Light Article

Entertainment

Message From The Big Fish

Tips and Facts 

Inside News 

Tech News

Spot Light Article

What Is Branding?

~By Shelley Pursley  

Branding is the process organizations use to try and influence how the public perceives them. Name choice, phrases, designs and symbols are used to increase brand awareness.

Branding is not only included in the process of marketing, but it is also included in perception-building. Research shows that consumers often assign personality qualities to products - such as humor, romance and sophistication. An important fact that needs to be considered is; consumers choose brands that are consisten with their own or desired self image. Analyze your company's branding. Borrow your customer's eye glasses, see what they see and then compare that to how you see your company's image.

Three BIG Branding Mistakes

The three big branding mistakes we see all the time here at Picasso Fish when dealing with our clients are:

1. Inconsistent Branding: Professionals know that your branding must be consistent across the board. From corporate identification, vehicle graphics, advertisements, websites and more, the name, phrase, design and symbols which create your brand should all be consistent in order to effectively remind your customers who you are.
   

2. Amateur Designs: 'Image is everything,' consumers choose brands they can relate to. The design of your logo must reflect how your target sees themselves. Having a professional design your branding elements allows you to have a unique positioning statement.
   

3. Branding Overload: Having your brand represent too many messages creates confusion. Being famous for one particular thing, like Coca-Cola being famous for their beverage, is the key to success. Having features to go a long with the concentrated message (fries and beverage to go along with the famous burger) adds support and creates interest.

What Benefits Do I Get From Branding?

There are many benefits to branding, developing a brand can help you to:

1. Attracts a higher price, because of the perceived value of your product

2. Differentiate your product from your competition. Make it more difficult for other companies to compete against you.

3. Effective communication of a simple message to your target market through consistent repetition.

What Benefits Of Branding Do My Customers Get?

1. Saves your customers time when shopping, because they lean towards what is familiar

2. Offers your customers reassurance when buying a product or service becase they know your brand

3. Offers your customers convenience, because they can recognize your products and services quickly

An example of successful branding:

Did you get the right answer?

Remember: Once you have applied your brand, the entire company needs to own it. Not just the marketing departments, as an owner you need to make sure brand thinking permeates the entire company from people who stick the shelves to the people who make the sale and ring it through the register. Every time someone comes in contact with your company, they come in contact with your brand. 

Entertainment 

'Betcha can't eat just one,' was the popular slogan for this company...

Get the highest score and WIN! 2 theatre tickets for 'Bed Time Stories' 

. 

Message From The Big Fish 

The Evolution of Picasso Fish's Branding

~By John Matecsa

Being the Big Fish, my job is to ensure that Picasso Fish continues to be a healthy, growing company.

At the beginning I fell short on executing the best practice of doing consistent professional branding. As a consequence, after 7 years in business, many prospective clients in our local market don't recognize Picasso Fish. Thankfully referrals from satisfied clients have kept us growing.

Efforts to improve our branding are continuing and we have already reaped some rewards. In fact while I was writing this, someone from a large company in Markham phoned. He found us on Google, was impressed with our website and invited us to quote on a big project.

Lesson learned... Its best to do it things right from the beginning, but it is never too late to start branding. 

Our first and best, branding decision was to name our company "Picasso Fish." It is memorable, creative, wholesome, flexible and mysterious. It perks people's curiosity and compels them to learn more about us.

The next branding decision was our tagline, which appears in small print along with our name. As our company evolves we change it to express what we currently do. Today it reads "Web. Print. Software. Design."

We had trouble settling on a logo. Our original logo was a photograph of a real Picasso Fish coloured blue, then we switched to a colourful line drawing inspired by Pablo Picasso's poster art, then we reverted back to the original logo. Finally we adopted a professionally designed technical looking fish with blue and green accents. Changing our logo has created brand confusion. We should have hired a professional designer to do it right from the start.

Lately, we have been using coloured accents art work that complements our logo to decorate our website, business cards, letter head, brochure, newsletter, shirts and trade show display. This adds visual interest and reinforces our brand identity.

We take pride in our work. Just like Pablo Picasso signed his paintings, we leave a subtle recognizable mark on the websites, printed materials and software that we design. Who knows, maybe someday that work we do fro you will sell for a million dollars at Christie's Auction.

Our commitment to branding is paying off. As time passes more potential clients in our target market are becoming aware of our brand and what we do. We are delighted by the number of strangers who contact us and become clients and friends.

To learn more about our name and see old logos, click here .

Tips and Facts

~By Ixnay Hombre

Be Consistent. But also be flexible and adaptive. The sensation of that which is you should be immediately recognizable. A tingling sensation is good.

Put Things In Perspective, by putting yourself in your target market's shoes. Think about what they want, not what you like.

Keep Things Simple. Simplicity communicates quickly and effectively.

Meet & Exceed What Your Brand Represents, within your company itself. A brand is only a powerful as those who uphold it and are proud to promote it.

Keep Your Printed Materials & Website Up-To-Date. Online resources are typically the front line to introduce yourself. Resources spent to draw interest to your website may be wasted if information is out of date or incorrect.  

Inside News 

~By Steven Thomson

Branding is fun. Branding is passion. Branding is a lot of hard work. Here at Picasso Fish, we have been working hard on our own brand so we can be recognized as the place to go for Web• Print• Software •Design solutions.

It's been working too. Our new logo design and corporate colors grab attention and our message is clear and easy to understand.The recognition doesn't come overnight, but with consistency and strategic placement of the message, we are pushing ourselves to the forefront of our marketplace as a creative powerhouse for media solutions.

Our clients have really embraced this idea too and we have worked on branding and re-branding businesses all over the area.  Look for our handiwork this spring with such clients as Borders Unlimited and Acourus Restoration. Websites, literature, business cards, lawn signs, fliers, packaging and vehicle wraps all offer a consistent message and call to action.

We have been seeing more and more businesses that are suffering from an identity crisis. Branding is an exercise that can rally the troops internally and provide a strong message to staff and management as well.  Employees see the message and can better identify with their company and the work they're doing. We say this a lot around the office, and it is very true in business marketing. Simple isn't easy. Let us help you clarify your message and cut down on the ‘noise' that distracts the audience from the message you need to convey.

The Picasso Fish brand is turning up all over and will continue in the weeks, months and years to come.Keep a lookout for the Picasso Fish and remember that we are the provider of Web• Print• Software• Design services in our area.

So, Just Do It! Have a Coke and a Smile and remember, when you need Web• Print• Software• Design solutions, come see Picasso Fish!

Tech News 

Vista Upgrade Issues

~By Greg Caughill

In the tech world the biggest news right now is the arrival of Windows Vista. Vista was supposed to offer security and productivity to millions of computer users, but so far the feedback has been largely negative.

Microsoft is pushing to get Windows XP off the market this year, as the following articles show:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,130710/articles.html

http://blogs.pcworld.com/tipsandtweaks/archives/004177.html