Consumers look at thousands of ads a day. It’s important for each brand to stand out and be recognizable to the consumer. A great logo design is one way a brand can become memorable and recognizable. Some brands are so recognizable they can even be identified by only part of the logo.  Can you recognize these logos? Click on the logos below to reveal the brand.

Another important aspect of brand recognition is in the name. Many brand names have become household words. For instance, that cotton stick you put in your ear every morning is not called a Q-Tip, it’s actually called a cotton swab. The Q-Tip brand has become so powerful that many consumers use the brand name for all cotton swabs. There are a few other brands that have this powerful branding.

How many times has someone asked you for a Kleenex instead of a facial tissue or a Post-It Note instead of a sticky note? A brand name MANY consumers use as a product name is Coke.  “We need some Coke’s for our party, so get Dr. Pepper and Sprite."  In many parts of the country, Coke has become a ‘nickname’ for carbonated beverages.

Some other brands that are misused as the product name are Band-Aid (adhesive bandages), Xerox (photocopy), Tylenol (pain reliever), Vaseline (petroleum jelly), Chapstick (lip balm), and Velcro (hook-and-loop fasteners).

I love the option of placing food orders online, especially with pizza chains.   I have placed online orders from Pizza Hut and Papa Johns with minor technical errors.  Recently, I ordered from Domino’s because my 5-year old saw a commercial that led her to believe that people will show up at our house with cameras and balloons to celebrate us trying the new Domino’s pizza.  Of course, I had to immediately inform her that it doesn’t happen like that.  I did, however, agree to place an order since it had been years since we have ordered from Domino's.

I was very impressed with their online ordering.  I played around with each pizza, adding various toppings, putting toppings on ½ and then taking them away.  When it was all said and done, I had ordered 2 medium, 2 topping pizzas.

I entered my credit card information and received my email confirmation. Upon reviewing my confirmation, I noticed that I had put bacon & ham on both pizzas, which I didn't intend to do.  That’s where the Pizza Tracker came in! I was able to call the store directly because the phone number was provided on the confirmation. I spole to the person that had received my order because his name was on the email and he immediately updated my order.  I was then able to track the pizza as it was being prepared, placed in the oven, added to the box and en route for delivery. I knew exactly when our order was going to arrive at our house!

You can track your UPS packages from the time you process the shipment to the time it delivers.  Why not be able to do the same with your pizza order?  I really enjoyed the ordering process and the pizza was pretty good. And, just for the record, I’m not a pizza snob.  If it has the right price, it’s the right pizza!

A little over a month ago new GPS satellites were launched with relativity low fan fare, but they could have a potentally large impact on the way we navigate through life. The current GPS set-up that many of us use on our iPhones, car navigation systems, etc… can, assuming you have a good clear signal, pinpoint you within about 20 feet.

The new technology will trump that, promising not only a much stronger signal but accuracy up to two feet - that's about an arm's length.

Social check-in apps like FourSquare and Gowalla will no doubt take advantage of the stronger signal (especially in densely populated areas) and will be better able to pinpoint a business' location. With a accuracy of +/- 2 feet, the apps can tell not only if you are in Kroger, but in which aisle. Heck, you could become the mayor of aisle 6 of dirty Kroger....or I guess that would be an alderman?

With such a degree of accuracy, retail outlets can (via your smart phone) market a specific product or send a coupon to a consumer as they approach that product on a store shelf. How's that for interactive POS?

Augmented reality apps may finally become a reality. Think of looking through your iPhone as you walk down a street. Your screen will now be a virtual tour guide with restaurant reviews popping up or directions to the nearest ATM.

The possibilities are limitless, or at least within a few feet or so.

We all have our skeletons in Advertising, especially account executives. There is a mystery to the magic of advertising and how account executives perform their tricks. What makes AE’s tick, what keeps them going, how do they balance it all? Find out from a one-on-one interview conducting by me with my fellow account executive sisters.

For the privacy of all individuals involved, names have been replaced with fun titles.

Account Executives have to balance so much in a day. Client calls, emails, research, proofing, notes, follow up, tactical details, creative briefs, timesheets, client meetings, internal meetings, and that is all before lunch. What are the secrets to getting all of this done at Current?

Party Gal says:
Listening to jazz and not overanalyzing things

Margarita Mixer says:
Trusting your team, fun snacks and making lists for everything, all while jamming to some My Morning Jacket

Southern Belle says:
80’s music, a game face and rolling with the punches

Dog Lover says:
Always be ahead of schedule and let Dave [Matthews] show you the way

SUMMARY:
Music, Milk Duds and Management

The secrets to capturing every account executive’s heart are a pat on the back and letting the good times roll. Around these parts, we call these guilty pleasures. What are the guilty pleasures that drive our AEs?

Everyone says:
Margaritas, chocolate (Thanks Dawn and Tracey for keeping us stocked!), dance music, joking about mixed metaphors and yummy lunches. All of this can put pep in any girls step.

SUMMARY:
Margaritas and Marketing do Mix (after hours of course)!

We all have tools that we use to make our jobs easier. Designers enjoy cool applications like Photoshop and typography sites. Copywriters enjoy research and peace and quiet. What tools do our AE’s enjoy the most?

Party Gal says:
Keynote

Southern Belle says:
Keynote

German lover says:
CurrentTrack

Dog Lover says:
Excel, Love me some spreadsheets!

Funny Gal says:
Pages

Margarita Mixer says:
CurrentTrack

SUMMARY:
Get a MAC with iWork, spreadsheets are your friend and use CurrentTrack by Developware.

Stay tuned for more Account Executive Confessions.

I heard on the radio recently that the National Pork Board has implemented a five year strategic plan that among other things, calls for a new slogan.  There’s going to be transitional advertising until March 2011 when the new brand materials will be unveiled.

My initial reaction was, why?

If there is anyone out there who hasn’t heard, “the other white meat,” I’d sure like to meet him.  The slogan is 23 years old and widely recognized.  And this statement, from the website of the National Pork Board, demonstrates that they recognize the equity of the slogan:

"We know for certain that we will protect the Other White Meat’s important heritage both in marketing and legally.”

So, why change it?  When a tagline enjoys such recognition and equity, what creates the feeling that you have to start over with a new one? I did a little research to find other slogans that have been in use a long time and remain effective, even despite longevity. Here are ten popular tags (some still in use, some not), followed by the company and date which they were first used.  Do the age of any of these surprise you?

Just Do It. - Nike 1988
Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. - State Farm Insurance 1971
It's the real thing. - Coca Cola 1969
Because I’m worth it.  - L'Oréal 1967
Finger lickin' good. - KFC 1952
The milk chocolate melts in your mouth, not in your hand.  - M&Ms 1954
Diamonds are Forever. - DeBeers 1948
Snap! Crackle! Pop! - Kellogg's Rice Krispies 1932
Good to the last drop. - Maxwell House 1915
When it rains, it pours! - Morton Salt 1911

This past week, a few of us here in the copywriting bullpen got into a discussion on the state of advertising. It was Angela T., our social media “Buzz Builder” who started it, calling to our attention a set of banners on the Spirit Airlines website. The banners were attempting to find humor in the gulf oil spill, something that isn’t even remotely funny, less so to Angela who’s originally from the coast.

Yet it got me thinking about what seems to me to be a decline in advertising generally. The industry is sliding away from clever selling and towards merely vulgar attention-getting. Obviously, a certain stripe of ad man (a stripe like me) has been railing against big budget “entertainment”-type advertising for decades. Yet I think something different has been happening in the industry lately. Traditional mass-media agencies are flailing, throwing everything they possibly can at the wall, hoping something will stick. How else to explain the Dockers’ bewildering “I Wear No Pants” campaign?

What we’re seeing, I think, is the traditional agency trying to stay relevant at a time when selling is declining as a marketing activity. To be sure, buying hasn’t stopped. People still love to buy. What they increasingly don’t like is being sold, hence the overall reduction in selling as it’s traditionally been defined, and the rise of branding.

No wonder so many traditional ad agencies are at a creative crisis point, racking their brains trying to come up with ever-more outrageous methods for garnering attention, under the mistaken assumption that what they’re doing constitutes branding. The reality is that any attention isn’t necessarily good attention for a brand (just ask BP). The dinosaur agencies of yesterday had better wise up, because the number of opportunities left to use the old tried-and-true mass media techniques is shrinking, fast. Meantime, creative, cost-effective opportunities for companies to differentiate and build brand continue to proliferate.

As a long-time marketer, I know which side of this particular fence I’d rather be on.

I have often said that "just because I own a pipe wrench, that doesn't make me a plumber." Unfortunately, owning a computer makes a lot of people think they are a graphic designer. Putting aside the typical technical mistakes and bad clip art for a minute, let's talk about what drives me (and most professional designers) crazy: bad fonts. Fonts can set a tone, deliver context and provide aesthetic elements to a project. And they can also completely ruin a design project. The following are 5 fonts that I propose we stop using. In fact, trash the files so you are never tempted to "make your design fun."

1. Carpenter

This font was all the rage 10 years ago. You saw it everywhere from wedding invitations to billboards for anything feminine or classy. The problem is that it is impossible to read. Please pick another script face that doesn't require a second look to decipher.

2. Papyrus

It's the go-to font for people working on anything to do with nature, history or who are just looking to annoy me. It constantly shows up in museum and zoo design projects. Bottom line: It's been done. To death. Stop it.

3. Comic Sans

This one has been a problem for a long time and by now, everybody should know better. There are web sites devoted to hatred of this typeface. People think it's fun and friendly and folks must love it, because it has been around forever. But that doesn't make it right. Ever.

4. Fajita

Fajita turns up exactly where you would expect it to: Mexican restaurant menus and party invitations. It's exactly the kind of font my Mom would use to lay out the pages in her church cookbook. And while I love my mother (and her cooking) I hate this font.

5. Hobo

This one is a running joke at our office. Any time someone in the art studio (usually an AE) says "What font..." they will not get to finish their question because one of us will answer "HOBO?" What makes this extra funny is that Hobo turned up today on a highly visible promotional project for a huge event here in Louisville. And while it is a nice looking piece, all I can see is the Hobo. Someone should have known better.

Bottom line: when in doubt, use Helvetica. It's always appropriate.

OK, so you're British Petroleum and you've destroyed habitats in the Gulf of Mexico.  And in the process are killing birds, businesses and communities.  Yeah, you blew it on the whole safe drilling and reaction plan things.  But how are you handling the PR nightmare 100 times the magnitude of anything the John Wilkes Booth family ever dreamed of.

And stupid, insensitive comments like "I want my life back," from embattled BP CEO Tony Hayward don't score points with the Gulf locals, shareholders or the rest of the world.

Sure, it's an uphill battle.  But I've seen some bright spots.  Certainly, setting up the $20 billion damage claims fund -- shakedown or not -- was a positive if unavoidable first step.  Then I saw this commercial last night that made me think BP really does care.  I guess that's the objective.

I even read a letter to the editor in the Courier-Journal  this week encouraging people to buy gas from BP!  True.  The writer's rationale was that if BP goes out of business, who's going to pay for the clean up?  Made sense to me.

As of today, I'd give BP an F-minus for environmentalism and a C-plus in post-disaster marketing.  For the long term, I'm afraid the picture is bleak for both BP and the Gulf.  Though, I think BP has the better chance of coming out of this mess.  And, as a marketer, I must admire their efforts to keep a positive spin on things.  They have little choice.

What do YOU think?  We'd love to see comments from UnderCurrent readers on BPs handling of the Gulf Crisis.   There's enough fodder here for a wide spectrum on opinions on the PR/marketing aspect of this.  Heck, even congress has taken up -- believe it or not -- polar positions on it (pick it up at 6:00 into the show).  So please, chime in yourself!

Exactly 13 months ago today, Wolfram|Alpha, a self-billed “Computational Knowledge Engine,” went online. It was hailed as a new type of search engine. Unlike Google or Yahoo!, Wolfram|Alpha wasn’t made to scan the entire web for relevant articles and content. Instead, it was built to deliver objective, factual data on the search topic as well as solve complex mathematical queries.

For instance, search “barrel of oil” in Wolfram|Alpha and instead of a slew of articles about the Gulf spill, you’ll get a collection of facts about oil barrels. Search “Chuck Norris” on Wolfram|Alpham, and instead of facts like “Chuck Norris sheds his skin twice a year,” all you’ll get are his hometown and birth date. Boring, yes.

Having been designed largely for academic and scientific purposes, Wolfram|Alpha is a powerful tool for everything from solving calculus equations, to doing a quick calorie audit of what you had for breakfast. The point being, it only yields results that are demonstrably true.

So the question is, with today’s students enjoying the unmatched research power of Google and Wikipedia along with Wolfram|Alpha for the math homework, is personal knowledge losing value? Are we transitioning from a society of “knowers” to a society of “finders”? Is this a good thing?

I’m not quite sure, but a strong argument can be made that traditional learning, i.e. repeating, understanding and storing information, is quickly becoming obsolete. These days, the answer to virtually any question you can think of is only a web search away, and with mobile technology, access is abundant.

While genuinely knowing things will never go out of style (I’d hope), it seems to be ceding ground to knowing how to find things. With our collective human knowledge growing at an exponential rate, perhaps this is as it should be; I guess only time will tell. However, it does seem that while personal knowledge will never become worthless, it’s certainly becoming worth less. ;-)

About a year and a half ago, Google released its first public version of its browser Chrome. Since then I've switched from Safari to Firefox and installed countless add-ons to make my life as a web developer easier. Lately though, I've begun to question my browser of choice, Firefox.

I know what you're thinking: "Brandon, I thought you loved Firefox!" Well, I did. That is until one day Firefox started crashing and becoming sluggish. Sure, I had 11 tabs open, was listening to Pandora and using Web Developer Toolkit. But come on, man! I need a browser that performs!

Enter Google Chrome, my latest internet love affair. The interface is second to none and very intuitive. Chrome lets me use all my favorite add-ons, like Web Developer Toolkit and Firebug, without having to relive the nightmare of a slow browser. Now I know what you're thinking again: "Brandon, stop being such a hater! Firefox is a great browser!" And you're right, Firefox is wonderful. If you're into slow.

So enough of my opinions, lets see the facts. To see just how Chrome measures up with your favorite browser, take a look at these browser speed tests. And if that arrangement of lines and numbers doesn't impress you, here is a video proving once and for all that Chrome is faster than a potato, sound, and lightning.

Enjoy and get Chrome.