1. Leverage existing brand equity
Effective rebrands harness existing brand equity taking audiences through an evolutionary journey which should keep the brand relevant and not irreparably disconnect the old audience from the new positioning. Often, except for the scenario where it is necessary to communicate wholesale changes (for example, a merger) a mere update or refresh is all that is required.
Ok ok so the fairies ended up looking more like female 118s but we could still work it….kinda. Having left our self respect firmly in the house we arrived at the Manchester Imperial War museum in the freezing cold with only pink tutus to keep us warm but frankly looking bloomin’ marvelous. The slide itself was amazing fun and with £450 raised for Cash For Kids you can’t go far wrong and we’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone that sponsored us. Roll on next year I say, then we’ll come complete with matching pink moustaches….
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Last week the girls of Studio North* kick started Anna’s hen weekend bonanza with some strange but fun activities at the Chill Factor: Tubing! All the plans had been the best kept secret of the office for over a month with Anna not having a clue.
That takes some going as nothing really stays secret for very long round here, I think not letting the boys in on it helped keep the plans concealed! “Bring something warm & some sensible shoes” were the only clues to the mystery activity, although, Anna did get taunted a few times during the course of the day.
I love todays google picture for the first day of spring
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is one of my favourite kids books ever.
The firm commitment to Key 103’s Cash For Kids has been taken to a whole new level by the gruesome twosome aka Kaz and well, me. Not only are we weird enough to agree to be zip wired across the Manchester ship canal from the top of the Imperial War Museum to do a bit of fundraising but to make matters worse we’re committed to completing said activity dressed in fairy outfits…..Hmmmm. An interesting mental image that will no doubt provoke many a mental scar when presented in photographic form. Of course it’s going to be really difficult considering how introverted and shy we are as a pair not to mention how terrified we are of heights (slight artistic license there but go with it) but we will struggle through, it is for charity after all 
In all seriousness though it is an amazing cause and if you would like to show your support you can easily bob to our just giving site and make a donation:
http://www.justgiving.com/kazandrach-zipforcharidy
Thank you, wheeeeeeeeeeeeee…..arrrrrrrrrrggggggghhhhhh!
by 'eck that's high!
You probably already know your Nota Benes from your Exempli Gratias but if you struggle as I do with some of the rarer Latin terms this is quite a useful resource I stumbled across when checking something out.
Courtesy of Her Majestys Court Service, a little helping hand next time you have to go through some terms and conditions or digest the finer detail of a complicated contract.
http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/infoabout/glossary/latin.htm
Studio North have just launched the “Got It?” website for Coventry PCT.
“Got It?” is a Chlamydia screening programme for under 25’s in Coventry. Chlamydia is one of the fastest growing Sexually Transmitted Infections in the UK approximately 1 in 10 young people test positive for Chlamydia more so in Coventry. The purpose of the site is to raise awareness about Chlamydia and to impart useful information about the infection, but also to get more people tested. One of the prime functions of the website is the ability to order a postal test kit, eliminating a trip to the clinic for testing will hopefully encourage more young people find out if they have the STI.
Go and take a look for yourself: www.got-it.org.uk
Manchester City Centre’s decision to task Peter Saville to create a new Crest for the city is an interesting one. Manchester is one of the most dynamic and creative hubs in the UK and I think most people would agree that we need a cohesive image that accurately projects where we are today.
There’s no doubting that the city has a strong and proud heritage which forms the very foundation of how it has developed and changed. However, I applaud the decision to update the Crest as it, just like industry, commerce and culture, needs to evolve. I’m not saying that the past should be scrapped – far from it – if anything, it should act as the inspiration for the future. There was a lot of debate when Peter designed the now famous ‘M’ and this next phase needs to build on that clear vision.
Our identity is now a bit fragmented and that needs to be addressed. Like any brand, Manchester can’t stand still. We are all slightly dubious and reticent when our favourite cereal or chocolate bar undergoes a design re-think, but as long as core messages and heritage aren’t totally abandoned then we adapt and accept them. Manchester is now well and truly on the international stage so the new Crest for the next 166 years needs to showcase the new aswell as pull on the old.
Web 3.0 – the future online?
In the begining was the World Wide Web and it was kind of good. People (usually computer-geek type people like, erm, myself) built a few websites and it’s fame began to spread. Pretty soon big businesses cottoned onto the idea and corporate websites sprang up all over the place with everything from the chief executives biography to a list of their company’s widgets available to purchase. In those days to say you were a ‘website designer’ was to be treated with the reverance normally only reserved for Nobel Prize-winning rock stars, or even possibly the Pope. Untold riches were yours and beautiful women would fall at your feet (although, curiously, not in my particularly grimy neck of the woods at the time).
I finally got round to seeing Milk last night, it has to be said one of the best decisions I’ve made in a while. The acting was superb with not a single weak performance and the cinematography was fantastic, the use of original footage was so skilfully integrated with the new that you sometimes couldn’t tell which was which. It wasn’t just brilliant for its entertainment value though, the story in itself was inspirational; vehemently opposing the apathy that has all too often creeped into modern life. And yes, I have unwittingly landed on my soap box but if it’s good enough for Harvey Milk it’s good enough for me.