branding – ira f. cummings

Lettering that says "Shit"

You've probably seen the video by now, as it's been making the rounds in pretty much ever social network.

It's pretty funny, and well written. Having a guy play the part of the girl is pretty ingenious and the whole thing is put together skillfully, with its repetition and quick cuts. It has a lot of what makes pop songs catchy, just in video form.

What really interests me about the video, though, is how it's transformed into a meme that has become increasingly granular. In fact, I wasn't aware of the video until I saw one of the take-off on it. Several of my friends posted a link to the video, "Shit New Yorkers Say," which was somewhat funny to me (as a Bostonian). I couldn't totally relate to it though, as I'm not a New Yorker. I've been there many times, but I don't know it as intimately as my friends. I understood some of the jokes, but not all of them, so I watched the video and then moved on to the next thing.

The following day, another group of friends posted a link to this video:

This I could relate to and here's where it gets interesting. I've been a passionate mountain biker for the past three years, and it's a subculture which I've immersed myself in. I've probably said a bunch of lines from that video, and so for me there's a lot of truth in it. That authenticity is where the power in these videos is, combined with the sense of community they create. If you're not a mountain biker, you probably didn't relate to that last video, but that's what makes it great. The tribe of mountain bikers is so small that it has developed specialized language to accompany the central activity of the group. In essence, the language is one of the main defining aspects of the subculture.

We humans have always sought to form groups of like-minded individuals, and in the modern connected area, this is easier than ever. We're no longer limited by spacial boundaries, but we still seek out ways to make these connections. Language is one of them, and so are these sort of cultural artifacts that we create. They are a means to bring together members of a subculture from far-flung reaches of the globe and create things to talk about and share common experiences. We all seek these things out, and therein lies their power.

The Implications for Branding

Of course, professionals in the Branding spheres have known this for a long time. Logos are artifacts, so are modes of fashion and pieces of media. Just as a lot of the videos in this meme were created out of a passion for their culture, I've seen quite a few that were created by more corporate entities. From my point of view, not a single one of them has rung true. They have that whole stink of cashing in on the zeitgeist, for money and profit.

Smart folks in Branding know that you can't create these memes, and most of the time you can't piggy back off of them either. People can smell inauthenticity from a mile away, especially in such niche subcultures as mountain bikers (or fixed gear riders, or knitters, or organic gardeners, etc.). The risk of coming off as fake is always a consideration when you're creating branding, but if you're just recycling someone else's idea, you're chances of attaining an honest connection are pretty small. Your best hope is to already have enough brand equity in the viewer to overlook the face that you're just taking wholesale from an original idea. There hasn't really been a lack of corporations doing this historically, but I would suggest that this is the root of some of the corporate disillusionment in our society.

Strive for Authenticity

When we create branding, it's imperative that we understand our audience. It's not about riding the latest wave, it's about making connections. To do that, you really have to get to know who the audience is. One of the first things to realize is that you don't dictate branding. You can help to guide it, and provide input, but brands—whether they be corporate or non-profit or individual—are always about conversation. The hard reality that most organizations struggle with is that brands are not dictated, but are shaped by people just as much as they are created by designers, strategists and marketers.

Tags: branding, design, lettering

It's been a month of rather intense change for me. The biggest change has been a decision to quit my current full-time job and begin freelancing full-time. This hasn't been an easy decision for me—as you might imagine—with the job market being pretty poor and a lot of people still out of work. There are a few reasons why I decided to make a move, but I'll only get into a few of them here.

A Rolling Stone…

…gathers no moss, or so they say. It became abundantly clear to me, especially over the past 9–12 months, that I wasn't growing. I felt like my skillset was stagnating, and I could read articles and self-educate all I wanted, but the types of projects that I wanted to work on just weren't coming in. I wanted to work on a project that would challenge me and really push the limits of what I felt comfortable doing creatively. I wanted to think big and I wanted to get crazy. None of these things would happen at my previous job.

Some designers, especially these days, take this opportunity to create their own projects. This is great, and some amazing stuff has come of these kinds of ventures. For me, at this point in my life, I find the external stimulus far more motivating than self-defined projects. I'm not great at defining constraints for myself, so I find client work more rewarding.

One More Time, With More Focus

Some of the clarity that I've gained over the past 18 months relates to the type of work that I want to do. I realized that at some point, I got away from what I want to be doing. My first passion in design is Branding. The thrill of connecting with people and (positively) impacting their lives through my work is exciting. Branding is one of the things that I do best, but I want to do more of it, in a different way and bigger.

I'm also really excited with Interaction design. I've always loved technology, but I think that we're getting to a point where the technology is starting to disappear. By this, I mean that designers (and engineers, programmers, etc.) are creating systems that people can interact with on a complex level with minimal interference. This dove-tails with wanting to relate to people through my work, as well as engage them in a shared experience. All exciting stuff that I want to do more of.

In Which a Garden Analogy is Used

Even though I've had the pleasure of working with some really great folks over the past nine years, I realize now that I've hoed a pretty narrow row. I have worked primarily in small firms for much of my career, and so the type of work that I've done has been small firm work. That's not to say that there are benefits to the small firm environment. The relationships with clients, the accessibility to your boss, the ability to have some say in the direction of the company; these are all great things. For my immediate future, however, it's not what I want. I want bigger and I want different.

As a freelancer/sole-proprietor, I want to work as part of a large campaign or bring my services to a company that might not be able to use them otherwise. I want to do important work and meet a bunch of different people. All-in-all, I just want to get out there and see what's available to me.

So What Now?

Well, I'm not entirely sure. I suppose that I will more or less figure that out as I go along. What I do know is that I will feel a lot more in-control than I have in a while, and it's exhilarating. Sure, there is the possibility for failure. I know it's a risky move, but part of this move is having enough faith in myself that I can do it.

Of course, if you have any suggestions, words of wisdom or even a project that you might be interested in working with me on, feel free to drop a line. I'd love to chat more.

Tags: branding, career change, freelance, full-time, graphic design, interactive

The Shit We Say – Brand Artifacts