The Brand Explorer

AIGA Design Expedition to China

2008-04-27T21:40:00.003-06:00

I can't believe that I've been planning this for three years and that it has been occupying a good portion of my life these last few months, and this is the first I have posted about it.

We are leaving in less that two weeks and everything seems to be going smoothly. There are 27 of us from all over the United States and two joining from Brazil. We have a full schedule of visits to design firms, advertising agencies, and design schools in Beijing, Xian, Guangzhou and Hong Kong lined up. We will be visiting at least two designers related to the Beijing Olympics -- Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) where they designed the Olympic medals, and the designer who created the Olympic logo.

Huang Li, editor of Package and Design Magazine (one of two official graphic design magazines in China) is helping to organize this tour. Profiles of most of the participants will be published in his magazine. The profiles will be split between two issues -- May and July 2008.

From past experience, using the Internet from within China is difficult. The Chinese government seems to block many websites, including blogs. In the past, I have not been able to post on this blog from inside China. I'll try again this trip. If I can, I hope to post some of our activities as we go along.

For more information on the trip, see AIGA Center for Cross-Cultural Design website:
xcd.aiga.org

BRITE 08

2008-03-13T10:16:00.006-06:00

The BRITE 08 Conference was amazing. The combination of people and case studies on cutting edge branding and the latest in social media were very exciting. Here are just a few highlights.

Bernd Schmitt (prefers to be called Schmitt rather than Bernd) presented his newest book Big Think Strategy published by Harvard Business School Press. This book lays out Schmitt's method for competing in a world where excellent marketing has become the status quo.

Schmitt uses the story of the Trojan Horse in the book. He commissioned this version of the Trojan Horse from a sculpture workshop in Shanghai.

The BRITE Jury Award for Big Thinker was given to Marty Homlish, Global Chief Marketing Officer for SAP. He is responsible for creating the key SAP strategy, "The best run companies run SAP."

Stephen Voltz is the creator of the original Coke and Mentos videos. He has an interesting story. He was an attorney and quit to pursue a dream. He spent 6 months developing the first Coke and Mentos. They posted it on Youtube on a Friday. By Monday they had 40 million hits and got a call from David Letterman. Sales of 2 litre bottles of Diet Coke skyrocketted and sales of Mentos went thru the roof. Stephen, however, has still not made any money on this. He would like to develop a business around viral marketing and performing, but the business model hasn't kicked in yet. Coca-Cola and Mentos companies had very interesting reactions to the videos. Mentos tried to be too close. They called right away, but they didn't know if this guy was a crazy or what. They were not able to cut any deals. The Coke people were in China at the time of the video and the issue was routed to the Coke risk management people. They were very stand-offish. A deal was not made there either.

Every attendee at the BRITE conference received one of these Spotme devices. Each person has a personal profile. The device allows you to interact with the rest of the group. You can see who is near you and how close they are. You can send text messages or just use the info in their profile to know who you want to talk to. There were also group voting activities and speaker feedback activities during the conference. Bänz Ledin is the founder of Spotme. He is just moving from Switzerland to launch Spotme in the U.S. Regine Flimlin is leaving Dialect and has taken a position as director of new business development for Spotme. We are very excited for her.

Brite '08 :: Branding : Innovation : Technology

2008-01-31T10:23:00.001-07:00

I will be working on the staff of the Brite '08 conference next week as the photographer. In 2006 I also worked with the Center on Global Brand Leadership team on their Innovative Marketing Conference 2006, the predecessor to Brite. Since it was a conference about innovative marketing and media, the conference invited bloggers to post live from the conference. I uploaded my photos to Flickr several times a day and the images and news of the conference streamed almost real time from the event. We will also be posting live from Brite '08.

See the Brite '08 website
Photos on Flickr from Innovative Marketing Conference 2006

Chinese Cars in Africa - Half Price

2008-01-27T20:28:00.001-07:00

Today I read in the Financial Times an entire section called "China-Arfrica Trade 2008." It's about China's dynamic role in economic development in Africa -- far outstripping the World Bank and the West in responsiveness and interest. Of course the Chinese don't seem to care about the atrocities they support with their investment. Darfur is an example. With full recognition of this connection, I want to simply make some observations about trade, taxis, and Chinese automobile brands.

In 2005 I led a panel discussion on branding in China at World Trade Week NYC. One of the big items of discussion was the expectation of the emergence of Chinese automobile brands on the world market. Here they are. Introducing Chery and Great Wall automobiles. I took the above photos of a Chery display at the Guangzhou Airport in August of 2007. It looked beautiful and included leather interior. At the time, I heard that China was selling primarily to Africa with little interest in the United States. I thought it an interesting strategy to concentrate on a market where others are less interested. Africa and developing countries in general are a blind spot in the West.

In an article titled, "Time for the West to practise what it preaches" Senegal president Abdoulaye Wade makes his case for China . He tells how China is responding to Africa's needs while others are unable or unwilling to act. I'll let you read the article if you are interested. I simply want to point out one reference in the article that I find particularly interesting as follows.

President Wade says, "For the price of one European vehicle, a Senagalese can purchase two Chinese cars. The proof is in the parking lot at the presidential palace. Low-cost Chinese Chery and Great Wall models are giving Senegal's middle and working classes access to a new car, a sign of our emerging consumer class. We are even using these affordable Chinese cars in a pilot project to reinsert unemployed women into the workforce by creating a fleet of taxis called Sister Taxis."

Week's Supply of Food

2007-12-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

I am posting the following photos and descriptions from an e-mail that apparently has been forwarded and posted widely. I was not, however, able to find the source. When I did a search for this on Google, I found 10 pages of blogs that had posted this, but I would really like to know the full story. Who did the research? How was this set up? Who traveled to help the families track their food intake and then gather and display the food? If anyone knows, please leave a comment.

Thanks Malina for sending this to me. :)

______________

What is eaten in one week

Ecuador : The Ayme family of Tingo
Food expenditure for one week: $31.55

Bhutan: The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village
Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03

Chad: The Aboufakar family of Breidjing Camp
Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23

Germany : The Melander family of Bargteheide
Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07

United States: The Revis family of North Carolina
Food expenditure for one week $341.98

Mexico: The Casales family of Cuernavaca
Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09

Poland : The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna
Food expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27

Egypt : The Ahmed family of Cairo
Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53

Italy: The Manzo family of Sicily
Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11

Fuse.TV at Penn Station

2007-12-19T09:59:00.000-07:00

Experiential Marketing is a topic that I will address in this blog many times. One of the main principles of creating an experience is to respect the viewer. Provide them with something of value, something they will enjoy and want to tell their friends about. This ad by Fuse.TV is worth telling your friends about. I love the way the words go down into the sidewalk. How did they get a permit to do that?

Common Cents Penny Harvest NYC

2007-12-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

A harvest of pennies in Rockefeller Center. There is nothing like millions of pennies to make you feel the need to empty your pockets. What a lot of fun to see children throwing change onto the field.

For more information visit the Common Cents website.

Visual treats in London and NYC

2007-12-17T15:07:00.000-07:00

While I was in London last week for some meetings, I saw this "rubbish collection vehicle." The City of London seems to be very proactive in using and promoting design in the public space. In addition to the garbage trucks, their newer public buildings are often highly modern and beautiful. It made my day to see this work of art on the streets. It's a lovely way to turn something so ordinary, necessary and potentially unpleasant into something delightful and surprising. Brilliant!

I stopped off in New York on my way home from London. Here's another visual treat from the back side of a diner in Tribeca.

Canadian Government Explores Internet Design and Culture

2007-12-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

The Canadian Government publishes Intercultures Magazine. A few months ago, I received a call from Mara Munro, a freelance writer, to discuss cultural issues and Web design. We had a lovely discussion that went way beyond what I think Mara was expecting. Mara also interviewed Aaron Marcus, a fellow AIGA Center for Cross-Cultural Design activist.

Here is the article:
Internet and Design Culture - Unraveling the Tangled Web
by Mara Munro

Halloween at Dialect

2007-10-31T17:05:00.000-06:00

The Dialect staff dressed up for Halloween. Here they are, from left to right.
Standing: Christopher (Tin Tin), Noriko (Halloween colors), Jane (Studious), Scott (with mask -- Malfoy from Harry Potter), Brian (Elvis), Malina ("Hi, I'm a PC"), Katri ("...and I'm a Mac")
Kneeling: Mike (iPod), Melynn (Cowgirl).
Missing from photo: Regine (in New Jersey), and Sandee

We know how to have fun around here.

Icograda World Congress, Havana, Cuba

2007-10-29T12:59:00.000-06:00

The Icograda World Design Congress 2007 was held last week (20-26 October 2007) in Havana, Cuba. This is the largest and most comprehensive design event in the world with participation from national design associations in 49 countries and individual attendees from who-knows-how-many countries. The AIGA Center for Cross-Cultural Design (AIGA XCD) and Prografica, the Cuban design association/host of this congress, presented an exhibition of peace posters called Shared Dreams 2007. Many of my associates from AIGA XCD were there. The above image is a set of posters created by Prografica for the Congress and I am including links below to more information and photos about the World Congress.

Links:
The official site for Icograda World Design Congress 2007
Photos of the Congress by Stuart Alden (Denver)
The official AIGA XCD Shared Dreams 2007 site
Photos of Cuba and design exhibitions by Valerie Romley of Moving Target Research Group

The official site for the AIGA Center for Cross-Cultural Design

On Craft by Hailey Meyer Liechty

2007-10-22T21:39:00.000-06:00

C and I were just in California for the 100th year celebration for CCAC, now CCA.

CCAC used to stand for California College of Arts and Crafts. A few years ago the powers that were changed the name to the very generic and bland CCA, for California College of the Arts. Several people at the celebration had buttons created by the print-maker Jack Ford, that read, "Conceptual Crap and Art." Seemed fitting.

I really miss "Craft" in the name. Craft is so dang right and cool, not only the 70's macramé and scrap booking (all that is great too!) but the notion of craft, doing a skill so well it becomes art. The question remains, can graphic design, architecture, art education be a "craft?" Of course. All of it can be art as well. Dialog about a teapot or a blown glass vase can be just as valuable, deep and riveting, as that of a sky scrapper, or logo design or painting.

Them is fighting words ... to put that in writing makes artistes defensive and craft people repulsed. Don't compare my teapot with some lousy logo... Don't compare my use of clay with your use of steel or that %!™&#*¡?* computer! All the elements are the same though! Line, contrast, content, composition, materials, intent, use, location, climax, value, color, flow, the list goes on and on, happily. Embrace it all -- and GET TO WORK!

The place (CCAC's Treadwell Hall, the ceramics building, especially) is still so inspiring to me. Someday (strike up the soaring violins and moving cellos) I'd love to work/teach there, simply be more involved. Or ideally, create that environment in my family life, it is serious and committed while also being progressive and light.

The above art that I discovered in a bathroom at CCAC is an example of that last statement. :)

Wouldn't you just love to see this artistic combo at a bathroom at BYU? Within a day it would be sanitized, treated as vandalism. What a shame.

The contrasts between BYU and CCAC were staggering to me. One school (CCAC) celebrates and encourages creativity through any outlet necessary and the other tries to teach creativity through obedience to all sorts of ideas, religion, leaders, famous dead artists' rules, to craft. How ironic that CCAC had craft in the name and now doesn't celebrate craft and BYU was supposed to be spiritually based and had no spirit.

Citizen Designer Takes Action

2007-10-10T09:29:00.001-06:00

Frank Baseman, a designer, instructor, and friend of mine based in Philadelphia is concerned about the rising murder rate in the City of Brotherly Love. He did something about it, and despite a mid-level bureaucrat in city government blocking his campaign, he is succeeding in bringing attention to his cause. The following are several links to articles about this campaign.

AIGA Voice :: Journal of Design

Philadelphia Inquirer, 7-4-07

Philadelphia Inquirer, 8-22-07

Tell Me More with Michel Martin, National Public Radio, 8-28-07

Meyer & Liechty is now Dialect

2007-10-04T17:49:00.000-06:00

Meyer & Liechty, Inc. has changed its name to Dialect: Global Brand Rollout Specialists. With this change in branding, we are also changing our focus. With this, we are changing our focus from a generalist agency with international skills to what we call Global Brand Rollout Specialists. This basically means that we are focusing on providing global tactical creative for in-house marketing communications groups at medium and large corporations. We do not threaten the relationship with a lead agency like Ogilvy, Sattchi, Landor, etc. but compliment them by providing high-quality implementation of "below-the-line" creative on a global scale. A website update will be launching soon.

Lecture at BYU Kennedy Center

2007-10-04T15:38:00.000-06:00

On 13 June 2006 I gave a lecture at Brigham Young Univeristy's Kennedy Center for International Studies. I started off the lecture with a shadow puppet show on the theme of empathy in design. We had a lot of fun and it seems I got the audience's gears turning which is one of my main goals.

My son Karl is helping me here with the shadow puppet show.

This lecture covers the following topics:
- AIGA Center for Cross-Cultural Design (AIGA XCD) -- programs and my role
- My philosopy on experiential or integrated marketing communications which includes:
- Customer orientation and ethnographic research
- Using a brand promise in place of a traditional mission statement
- Case studies on delivering a brand experience

Watch a video of this lecture here.

AIGA XCD Fellow Awards

2007-09-22T23:23:00.000-06:00

Henry Steiner and Anne Ghory-Goodman in Hong Kong, 12 September 2007

Shelly Langton (center in black) and other AIGA Fellows at the AIGA Gala, NYC, 20 September 2007.

The AIGA Center for Cross-Cultural Design (AIGA XCD) has given two AIGA Fellow Awards and Shelly Langton has received the fellow award from the AIGA Seattle Chapter for her key role in founding AIGA XCD.

This year, we (at XCD) presented AIGA Fellow Awards to two of the early voices for cross-cultural design, Aaron Marcus and Henry Steiner.

- Aaron Marcus, president of Aaron Marcus and Associates in Berkeley, CA
Shelly Langton presented the award to Aaron at a San Francisco Chapter award ceremony in June.
http://www.amanda.com/

- Henry Steiner, principal of Steiner & Co. in Hong Kong
Anne Ghory-Goodman, one of our new XCD board members presented the award in Hong Kong on September 12.
http://www.steiner.hk/

Shelly is very humble about her role. She never liked to take the spotlight, but it would not have happened without her. She is the person who introduced me to Icograda and provided much of the drive, connections, and insight necessary to make the organization successful.

Here is a Link to AIGA's list of AIGA Fellows

Chinese Element: Day 2

2007-09-16T13:54:00.000-06:00

On the second day of judging the finalists had been selected and the task at hand was to choose bronze, silver, gold, and a grand prize. While there was some excellent work in the print, TV and Interactive categories, there was not one piece that stood out among the rest. There was a vote, and the judges agreed to cancel the grand prize this year.

I am not going to reveal any secrets about the winners, but am posting a few pieces that I liked personally. It was very interesting to see how the judges disagreed on some of the pieces. There were a few pieces that were very controversial. Some judges really loved them and others really felt they were lacking. They are a strong willed group of people as would be expected.

On the first day we arrived Kao Jun gave me a hug. One of the other judges commented on this and Kao Jun said, "hey, we are old friends." I have been fortunate to spend time with Kao Jun on each of my trips to China since 2005 and it seems I have been accepted into their circle of friends. Huang Li introduced me to Kao Jun with high commendation and so Kao Jun accepts me. In China "guanxi" (relationships) is everything. Here it is in action. You can see he was very kind to both me and to Karl.

Chinese Element: Day 1

2007-08-29T07:39:00.000-06:00

Here are a few photos from day one of judging.

I love the way this Chinese typography flows from the dandelion.

This is a print ad that goes with a TV commercial about a Taiwan noodle company that gives a portion of each sale to help build schools in China.

The first round of judging was done individually.

Later we voted on some final selections.

I am standing next to Ma Quan of Tsinghua Univeristy in Beijing. Later, I will post short introductions to all of the judges.

Huang Li: Center of the Chinese Design Universe

2007-08-27T18:10:00.000-06:00

Huang Li (left)

My son Karl (age 12) and I have spent the past few days in southern China with Mr Huang Li, editor of Package and Design Magazine based in Guangzhou. Package and Design is one of two official, government-owned design magazines in China. It's pretty much like Communication Arts in the U.S. in quality and stature.

Huang Li and I have become good friends over the past few years. Originally, he soght me out because of my work with the AIGA Center fotr CrossCultural Design. Since then, he has taken me under his wing and introduced me to many of his friends in China. Kao Jun is one of these introductions. His son, Huang Shan, also came to stay at my home this summer and to intern with me in Utah.

This last few days, Karl and I stayed at Huang Li's home in Guangzhou, as a base for for our adventures in Shenzhen and Zhongshan, a tremendous honor.

Chinese Element

2007-08-27T18:08:00.000-06:00

Today I am arriving in Shanghai to judge a new design competition called Chinese Element. The competition covers advertining and design that includes, as the name says, Chinese cultural imagery. This is the second year of the competition. I was invited to be a judge last year as well, but because of last minute schedule changes for the judging, I was unable to attend. The included me in the book as a judge anyway. I presume this is because They had already inclued me in the publicity. Last year this book was produced. I'll see what I can do to learn how people outside of China can order the book.

The competiton is organized by Kao Jun of Meikao Co., an advertising and design firm in Shanghai, Beijing, and Guiling. They are one of five design firms doing work for the olympics. If you visit their website, you can see their work and read their famous toilet intro page. Kao Jun firmly defends this toilet philosophy as the basis of their success. Check it out for yourself.
http://www.meikao.com

Visit the Chinese Element site (English)

Ingredients make all the difference.

2007-08-19T22:29:00.000-06:00

Tomato Mozzarella Salad
> Tomatoes — several varieties fresh from the garden
> Fresh mozzarella
> Fresh basil leaves
> Extra virgin olive oil
> Balsamic vinegar
> Salt (optional)

Recently, I have been preparing training for our design and production staff and I asked Hailey (my wife and silent partner in Dialect) if she had any ideas on how to convey our design philosophy to the staff. She suggested using food as an analogy. This tomato-mozzarella salad is a perfect example. Good design and writing are best when they are very simple and pack a lot of flavor. They must also be on strategy, of course, but I will leave the strategy discussion for another day.

In contrast, ingredients like stock photos, sloppy typography, and generic-overused-salesy language are like cooking with tomatoes from the produce isle or canned ingredients. They have no flavor and there is nothing special about them.

Don't get me wrong, we cook with stock photos often and there is a time and place for them. But when you want to serve a meal that someone really remembers, the quality of the photos, the writing, the paper, and the typography make all the difference.

8 8 :: Father's Day in China

2007-08-08T09:27:00.000-06:00

Happy Father's Day in China. The sound of 88 is the same as daddy, "BaBa" in Mandarin, so in many places they celebrate fathers day on the eighth day of the eighth month. Easy to remember.

I did find some references to Father's Day in China on the third sunday of June as well. But that's not as fun.

Icograda Design Week in Seattle 9-15 July 2006

2007-08-06T08:16:00.000-06:00

Saki Mafundikwa of Zimbabwe presented his views about design and
globalization.

Icograda Design Week in Seattle Press Coverage and Web Links

9-15 July 2006

Seattle, Washington, USA

Icograda Design Week in Seattle was a major global design conference exploring the role of design in the age of globalization. Speakers came from all over the world to provide a truly global perspective. Christopher Liechty was a co-chair and organizer. Here is a list of related websites, photos, and press coverage on the conference.

Icograda Design Week in Seattle

OFFICIAL RESOURCES AND SITES
Main Conference Sites
http://seattledesignweek.com
http://www.seattle.icograda.org/

Student Workshop -- Overview and Posters
http://art.washington.edu/icograda

Official Photos of the Conference by Stuart Alden
http://www.idahostew.com/ICOGRADA

Official Photos of the Conference by Christopher Liechty on Flickr
Regional Mtg-Icograda Design Week in Seattle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/70852113@N00/sets/72157594228209956/
Set Up-Icograda Design Week in Seattle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/70852113@N00/sets/72157594228265775/
Press Conference-Icograda Design Week in Seattle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/70852113@N00/sets/72157594228304190/
Over the Fence-Icograda Design Week in Seattle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/70852113@N00/sets/72157594229226548/
Cuba Poster Exhibition-Icograda Design Week in Seattle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/70852113@N00/sets/72157594229250763/
Int'l Conference-Icograda Design Week in Seattle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/70852113@N00/sets/72157594229294892/
Closing Party-Icograda Design Week in Seattle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/70852113@N00/sets/72157594229298247/

YouTube
Christopher Liechty's Shadow Puppet Show, presented at the beginning of his lecture. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfP5nbfhjMw

Icograda official website
http://www.icograda.org/web/

AIGA Center for Cross-Cultural Design
http://xcd.aiga.org

PRESS COVERAGE
Taxi Design Network
Article by Mark Busse
http://www.designtaxi.com/features.jsp?id=235
Taxi Media Partner Notice
http://www.designtaxi.com/features.jsp?id=229

Taxi -- Speaker Profiles: International Conference July 14-15
Jacques Lange and Christopher Liechty http://www.designtaxi.com/features.jsp?id=223
Saki Mafundikwa and Ravi Naidoo http://www.designtaxi.com/features.jsp?id=193
Sara Little Turnbull and Darrel Rhea http://www.designtaxi.com/features.jsp?id=181
Adelia Borges and Linda Fu http://www.designtaxi.com/features.jsp?id=186
Esen Karol and Mervyn Kurlansky http://www.designtaxi.com/features.jsp?id=189
Sanja Rocco and Henry Steiner http://www.designtaxi.com/features.jsp?id=196
Omar Vulpinari http://www.designtaxi.com/features.jsp?id=201

Taxi -- Speaker Profiles: Over the Fence Seminar July 13
Tarek Atrissi and Sean Bolan http://www.designtaxi.com/features.jsp?id=204
Cristina Chiappini and Halim Choueiry http://www.designtaxi.com/features.jsp?id=208
Lorraine Gauthier and Andrea Marks http://www.designtaxi.com/features.jsp?id=211
Maurice Woods and Henk van Assen http://www.designtaxi.com/features.jsp?id=220

Industrial Brand Blog
7/14/06 Student Workshop Review
http://blog.industrialbrand.com/archives/2006/07/icograda_student_workshop.html#more
Main Review of the Conference
http://blog.industrialbrand.com/archives/2006/07/defining_design.html#more
Between the Lines
http://blog.industrialbrand.com/archives/2006/07/between_the_lines.html#comments
Starbucks Studio Tour
http://blog.industrialbrand.com/archives/2006/07/starbucks_studio_tour.html#more

Core77
http://www.core77.com/blog/events/icograda_design_week_2006_4087.asp

Under Consideration/Speak Up
Globalization and Design Guest Editorial by Christopher Liechty
http://www.underconsideration.com/speakup/archives/002737.html

Flickr
Icograda Seattle Design Week Flickr Group
http://www.flickr.com/groups/icograda_seattle_design_week/
Discussions Posted on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/groups/icograda_seattle_design_week/discuss/72157594199207221

Photos by Callieo (Callie Neylan) Day One -- Student Workshop
http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamcatherine/sets/72157594194894345/
Day Two -- Student Workshop
http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamcatherine/sets/72157594197122865/
Day Three -- Student Workshop
http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamcatherine/sets/72157594197130359/
Day Four -- Student Workshop
http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamcatherine/sets/72157594198215056/
Day Five -- Over the Fence Seminar
http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamcatherine/sets/72157594198232483/
Day Six -- International Conference
http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamcatherine/sets/72157594200187979/
Day Seven -- International Conference
http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamcatherine/sets/72157594200189590/

World Trade Week Branding in China 19 May 2005

2007-08-06T08:14:00.000-06:00

In May 2005, I organized the first World Trade Week Global Branding Event on the subject of Branding in China. This was the first event in a now three-year partnership with the Center on Global Brand Leadership at Columbia Business School. Bernd Schmitt and David Rogers have been great to work with.

The panelists above (from left to right) are LiAnne Yu of Cheskin, Donald Sexton of Columbia Business School, Bernd Schmitt, and Tom Lowry of Business Week Magazine. I was the moderator.

Read a summary of the Branding in China event here.

Read the full transcript of the event here.

In 2006 the World Trade Week Global Branding Event featured Enoch Palmer, vp design of Aveda and David Boorstin, branding consultant and former worldwide managing director of FutureBrand.

In 2007 the World Trade Week Global Branding Event was on Branding in India. the Panelists were Arvind Sharma (Chairman & CEO of Leo Burnett, India Subcontintent), Harjiv Singh (Co-founder & CEO, Gutenberg Communications), Hitendra Wadhwa (Associate Professor of Professional Practice, Columbia Business School), and Debera Johnson (Professor of Industrial Design, Pratt Institute).
To see a review and to watch videos of the Branding in India event, click here.
More will be posted about this event later.

Verge: The OgilvyOne Digital Summit 17 June 2004

2007-08-03T11:08:00.000-06:00

The 30 second television ad is dead! I’ts the cornerstone of the advertising industry and the media buying has been the basis of the advertising business model. Unfortunately, the mass audiences on which these ads depend no longer exist and the cost of reaching the ever-shrinking viewership is constantly rising.

In response to this crisis, OgilvyOne has held a series of conferences called Verge to talk about new ways of reaching audiences. These conferences explore new technologies and ideas for attracting customers rather than interrupting them. It is part of the experiential marketing movement—one of the main themes of this blog.

Thanks to David Polinchock at Brand Experience Lab, we were among the presenters at the first Verge conference held at the Guggeneheim Musem in New York City. We presented two experiments: Name Poetry – an exploration into one-to-one marketing and Culture Map – an interactive map based on Geert Hofstede’s research on cultural values.

The above photo shows someone using our name poetry piece which was positioned under the stair in the main rotunda of the Guggeneheim.