Let’s Be Frank: Curiously Rewarding

I just returned from Florence, Italy where my curiosity for art and fashion were again refreshed and enlivened. A must see, was the Pontormo and Rosso Fiorentino exhibition at the Strozzi Palace and the beautiful leather and suede handcrafted creations by the Tattanelli family.

On the flight back I read my current issue of Vanity Fair with Jon Hamm on the cover. Now, I find out that because I’m an avid reader of this magazine, I was “born curious.” This is the current mantra for their new branding campaign promoting the print, digital video, and online editions. Interesting.

I’ll review my family tree to see if this trait is genetically grounded or a product of my environment. That should be fun. Meanwhile I checked out their online video to see where they were going. Pretty darn smart. Thanks Graydon Carter and company for making this branding message “curiously rewarding.”

Corporate Oligarchy

These are an international few, ten mega-corporations whose multi-industry holdings create a situation not unlike the coal and iron trusts of Industrial Revolution America: basically, a few large entities own huge chunks of industry, and whoever can outbuy or undercut the competitors. The fact of the matter is that this is a product of a free market economy, where the larger corporations have the ability to diversify the industries they involve themselves in while increasing revenue and industry influence.

While parallels might be drawn to the monopolies of the early twentieth century, the new supercorporations don’t sell under their own names. Rather, they own, own shares of, or partner with hundreds of thousands of brands, which leads to mass appeal based on what Reddit refers to as “The Illusion of Choice”. This is a deceptive use of terminology because the fact is that while these brands and companies are all associated, they are not companies within companies, like Russian nesting dolls, as the chart leads one to believe. The reality of the situation is much more complicated than a simple infographic can demonstrate.

What it is effective at showing, however, is that there are several very large, very influential corporations behind the multitude of brands that many people use daily. Whether or not this is a good or a bad thing remains to be seen. However, it’s important to know.

What Sparks Our Fire: Knowing the behind-the-scenes workings of corporate America.

Does this affect the way that you view your favorite brands?

Let’s Be Frank: Cheers To The Great Inventors

Here’s to the great “brand inventors” of our time. They were the inspiration and driving force behind the brands we have come to love. Their ideas are timeless and they fought hard to bring them to life. We like that and are inspired by these extraordinary thinkers and doers…the great inventors. The one’s who followed an unfiltered approach to success. This is the sentiment behind Ideas without Borders, the platform on which Canopy rests.

Following are some you know and some you may not.

Information Overload: Larry Page and Sergey Brinn
Invented the most efficient tool ever known to man for getting information about anything and everything. Google.

Mom’s Solution to Temper Tantrums: Ruth Handler
Invented every little girl’s best friend growing up and every Mom’s solution to a temper tantrum. The Barbie Doll.

Scooped: Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield
Inventive founders who scooped the category with humor, social responsibility and oh so good ice cream. Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream.

Jeanius: Levi Strauss
A true blue inventor who put the rivets and red tab in jeans for millions worldwide. Levi’s.

Mobile Music: Nobutoshi Kihara
Revolutionized how and where we listen to music. Sony Walkman.

Triple Threat: Elon Musk
The definition of all-in: inventor, businessman, and investor. Tesla Motors, PayPal and SpaceX.

If logos could talk

Paris-based art group, Maentis, recently redesigned many classic brand logos in a collection entitled, Universal Unbranding. Drawing upon how American’s really perceive many popular consumer brands, Maentis has created satirical interpretations. For example, McDonald’s “golden arches” have now packed on a few pounds and the IKEA logo is shown deconstructed in multiple pieces humorously hinting some assembly required.

What sparked our fire: How art is used to humorously disrupt and expose truths through culture-jamming.

Do these intelligent parodies more accurately represent what their companies stand for?

Enjoy!

-Canopy Team

Positive you know what’s influencing you? Think Again

Brand awareness is the ultimate objective for most marketers. However, Douglas Van Praet, a marketing and neuroscience expert, recently discussed why traditional research misses the mark on what actually drives consumers to purchase. Ever heard of the term “gut reaction” ? A consumer knows they like something but they are unaware of what, or how, they were influenced. Simply put, we can’t explain what we don’t know, which has been credited as the, “I like it, but I don’t know why” effect. Praet goes on to discuss another psychological idea that effects consumers, learning without knowing. Our brain’s emotional side has the ability to function independently from our cortex, the epicenter of consciousness. This enables us to attribute a positive and/or negative association to a product without knowledge or reasoning.This concept proves why Coke Clear and Crystal Pepsi were huge flops in the 1990’s. Consumers were unaware of the positive association they subconsciously made with the dark brown color of both soda brands. Eloquently put by Praet, “We see with our brains not just our eyes.”

You must be asking, so what does this mean to the marketing world? Praet has constructed a seven-step process to break through the clutter.

Interrupt the Pattern.
Create Comfort.
Lead the Imagination.
Shift the Feeling.
Satisfy the Critical Mind.
Change the Associations.
Take Action.

What sparks out fire: The unconscious level of thought involved in the consumer’s decision-making process.

How will this change the way companies market to their consumers?