Good article about how brands are changing. Talk also about the new OCAD brand. http://www.fastcodesign.com/1664654/these-brands-allow-users-to-design-them-h...

The new visual identity of the MIT Media Lab is inspired by the community it comprises: Highly creative people from all kinds of backgrounds come together, inspire each other and collaboratively develop a vision of the future.

This unique offering of the MIT Media Lab is reflected in the logo design. Each of the three shapes stands for one individual’s contribution, the resulting shape represents the outcome of this process: A constant redefinition of what media and technology means today.

The logo is based on a visual system, an algorithm that produces a unique logo for each person, for faculty, staff and students. Each person can claim and own an individual shape and can use it on their business card a personal website. The design encompasses all collateral, business cards, letterhead, website, animations, signage etc. A custom web interface was developed to allow each person at the Media Lab to choose and claim an own individual logo for his/her business card, as well as a custom animation soſtware which allows to create custom animations for any video content the lab produces.

A recent conducted research of Co-Tweet and ExactTarget came closer to provide an answer. The following motives and answers will possibly help dealerships to adjust their engagement level on Social Media Networks. It will help us further in creating new approaches to “catch” potential customers’ attention.

Here the Top 10 Motivations why Consumers “Like” a Brand on Facebook and Follow

1. 40% want to receive discounts and promotions

2. 37% want to show support for the brand/company to thers

3. 36% hope (want) to get free samples, a coupon (a.k.a. freebies)

4. 34% want to stay informed about the activities of the company

5. 33% want to get updates on future products

6. 30% want to get updates and information on future sales

7. 27% like to get fun and entertainment out of it

8. 25% want to get access to exclusive content

9. 22% mentioned they were referred by someone to follow this brand/company

Just four days after confirming its surprise new logo was, in fact, legit, Gap is returning to its old design, Ad Age has learned. The announcement is expected to be made at 4:30 Pacific Time today on the brand's Facebook page.

--> Marka Hansen, Gap North America president, informed the company's marketing department this afternoon of the change, acknowledging that the switch was a mistake and that the company would be tabling any changes for the foreseeable future.

SocialSmack Gives You Props for Talking Smack About Brands

A new startup from the DEMO conference today tackles the problem of figuring out which brands to trust.

SocialSmack, founded earlier this year, is part information network, part consumer reviews website and part game. Users vote on whether a specific brand deserves a thumbs-up (“Props”) or a thumbs-down (“Drops”). For example, Nike now has 16 props and just 1 drop, while AT&T Wireless has 14 props and (not surprisingly) 70 drops. You can even vote comments on specific brands up or down, much like Reddit.

Because SocialSmack is an information network, users can share their thoughts on specific companies with their friends and the general community at large. It also doubles as a review site where users can browse comments and quickly find out whether a company is trustworthy or not.

While there’s been plenty of coverage about user privacy concerns, attention on Facebook’s changes on brands hasn’t been adequately covered, this analysis is intended to unravel what’s at stake –and what brands should do.  I’ve spoken to a handful of brands and their representatives to learn what’s eating at them.

Summary:  Facebook has quietly launched ‘Community Pages’ Hampering Brands
Facebook has launched several new policies and features since the F8 Conference ‘Crusade of Colonization’ which has resulted in a large backlash from media around user privacy.  It’s not clear if beyond the vocal media if users will leave the site in droves.  Perhaps more importantly,  Facebook launched “Facebook Community Pages” (read the official post) a feature that aggregates content from wikipedia and Facebook wall posts.  Think of it as a cross between Wikipedia with user comments –sometimes unwittingly.  These changes cause confusion for users, diminishing control for brands, and strains on the already torrid relationship between Facebook and brands.

Until recently, there were only two eras of marketing. But times are changing. Here are some approaches that successful brands are using to push past the rest of the pack.

Continue reading this article: http://www.imediaconnection.com/summits/coverage/25839.asp