Blog

Topic: Branding

May22

What’s in a Name?
by Brooke Packard in Branding, 1 comment

After walking down the aisle into wedded bliss, I’m in the process of ditching the last name I’ve dreamt of changing since the 3rd grade. (Being called a cockroach wasn’t exactly ego-boosting as a kid.) I smile every time I see Packard next to Brooke, but I’ve also started worrying about losing everything I’ve worked up to for the last 31 years. And then it hit me, businesses change their names and are alright! Sometimes, they’re even stronger!

After thinking about business name changes, I came up with this checklist.

Do you have the budget?
A name change is much larger than just a new... read on
Oct26

Not creative? Try asking better questions.
by Casey Baksa in Advertising, Branding, Public Relations, Social Media, 0 comments

It's a common practice in life, and particularly in business, to anoint a specific group of people "the creative ones." Searching for a clever idea? Ask the creative ones. In need of a snappy paragraph? Have a creative person write it.

While there's no doubt some of us simply have a knack for thinking outside of the box, the long-held presumption that only certain individuals are capable of churning out Grade A ideas is one that should be put to rest. Just because you don't wear skinny jeans, listen to indie rock or go to gallery openings doesn't mean you lack the capacity for... read on
Apr19

Hawaiian Shirt Friday
by Brooke Packard in Branding, Social Media, 1 comment
Social media for some businesses is a little like participating in Hawaiian Shirt Friday at the office. The company can kickback and relax, showing a bit more personality, but it certainly shouldn’t walk around the office barefoot while talking inappropriately to co-workers. The same principle should be applied when managing a business account on Twitter.
1. Use Your Company Name and Logo.
  It’s important to use the brand’s name and logo mark as the handle and avatar. That sounds so obvious, right? It should be. However, with the popularity of social media, brands become butchered and... read on
Jan03

Giving Back: A Trendy resolution
by TrendyMinds Staff in Advertising, Branding, Business, Design, Interactive Services, Miscellaneous, Public Relations, 0 comments

The beginning of the year is an exciting time at TrendyMinds. Our pro-bono program is kicking off (for the third consecutive year), and we’re beginning to get to know a new “class” of worthy organizations. This year our program is giving $50,000 worth of in-kind creative, strategic and interactive services to non-profits here in Indiana and around the country. In the past three years, we’ve contributed more than a quarter of a million dollars to nonprofits. That’s a pretty amazing program to be a part of, if you ask me.

Half of the fun of our pro-bono program is the voting process --... read on
Dec01

Use, don’t abuse, stock photography
by Brooke Packard in Branding, Design, 0 comments

Every year that a business remains open is truly a blessing. Remaining alive, vibrant and growing for 15 years is an amazing accomplishment. We have been very fortunate to reach this milestone, and we’re extremely grateful to all of our current and past clients, partners, team members and friends that have helped us along throughout the years. Without all of you, we would not be where we are today.

As with any 15 year old, we are still pretty young and plan to do even bigger things as we grow older. However, we have picked up a few pointers along our journey to "adulthood." Here are our... read on
Nov08

Humanitarian Aid Up in Smoke?
by TrendyMinds Staff in Advertising, Branding, Business, Public Relations, 0 comments

Indonesia has been hard hit recently. In quick succession, a tsunami and then a volcano knocked around the country. Because the Indonesian government is stretched thin trying to house, clothe and feed evacuees, corporations based in Indonesia are stepping in to fill the gaps. In an effort known as “corporate social responsibility” corporations are taking an active role by paying for disaster relief teams.

Sounds great, right? Well, kind of.

One of Indonesia’s largest tobacco companies, Sampoerna (owned by Philip Morris), along with other big-name companies in Indonesia, paid for a... read on
Jun24

The Key to Client Satisfaction
by TrendyMinds Staff in Advertising, Branding, Design, Interactive Services, Promotions, Public Relations, Social Media, 2 comments

I was sitting in a meeting the other day listening to a woman speak about her dissatisfaction regarding a previous agency she had tapped to handle the advertising and public relations needs for her company. Her chief complaint was feeling that her company was not the number one priority of the agency. She further explained that there didn't seem to be any type of consistent project management system in place, and as a result, projects weren't completed when promised.

Project management is a major problem for many advertising and PR agencies, yet implementing a few tidy processes may... read on
Jun11

When Stupid is Smart
by TrendyMinds Staff in Advertising, Branding, Public Relations, 4 comments

When I first heard that Chevrolet sent out a memo to its employees announcing that they were forever ditching the term “Chevy” to maintain its brand consistency, my jaw dropped. How could a huge corporation who had the best of available branding consultants, Goodby Silverstein & Partners, do something so stupid? Why on earth would they want to eradicate the nickname “Chevy” which has immediate emotional connections with their customers (the type of deeply rooted connections that every brand dreams of having), and insist on a brand name that doesn’t?

“Chevy” has been used for about a 100... read on