Last week, I realized that my client was in serious logo trouble....


Not that there was anything wrong with the current; he simply didn't like it. Since his firm was young, and I was new to the situation, I entertained some of his questions.
"Change it? Don't change it? Change the name? Don't change the name? Add an icon? Leave it in a typeface?"
The list went on and on, and it became apparent that many contractors had been pulled into the mix without any direction at all. It also became clear that if he didn't make a decision soon, he was about to waste a good deal of money on reproducing all sales materials, business cards, site design, that were in progress.
My first effort was pragmatic:

"It might help to start with the brand platform, then the logo, and then the touch points. If we can't get past a logo decision, none of the touch points can be produced. Or worse, you will have to produce and then reproduce as you make new logo decisions. It is a waste of time and money. Even worse, the customer will be confused."

A blank stare from my client prompted a different effort. As he is a very fashion-forward gentleman, I put it this way:
"If you continue to spend so much time figuring out what to wear, you will end up not going to the party at all."

Suddenly, everything was understood.


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

www.saraholoubek.com
Sara Holoubek is a free agent consultant, advising growth firms and investors in the interactive technology and advertising sector. Ms. Holoubek is also the contributing editor of the DM News' SearchBuzz newsletter, and a regular author of the DM News Optimized column.

In 2008 Ms. Holoubek was elected to the Search Engine Marketing Professionals Organization (SEMPO) board of directors for a third term. During this time she also co-founded the SEMPO NY Working Group.

From 2003-2005, Ms. Holoubek served as iCrossing's Chief Strategy Officer, building the firm's New York office and repositioning the iCrossing brand as it raised an early VC round of $13 million. Prior to this experience, Ms. Holoubek held posts in client strategy with interactive agencies Organic and Blue Dingo. Her vertical expertise covers over 10 sectors and includes work with Levi Strauss & Co, Bloomingdales, LexisNexis, Texas Instruments, Colgate-Palmolive, Century 21 Real Estate, Martha Stewart Omnimedia, as well as firms within the WPP family and the Aegis Group family.

Ms. Holoubek has contributed to and/or been quoted in publications such as Adweek, DM News, Mediapost's Search Insider, WSJ.com, The Madison Avenue Journal, ClickZ and Internet Retailer. She also serves as a frequent guest lecturer at venues such as SMX, Search Engine Strategies, OMMA, the DMA, Harvard, NYU and Baruch College.

Ms. Holoubek also brings an international perspective to her work, having lived and worked in Latin America and Europe , and is fluent in Spanish and French and conversant in Portuguese. She holds a B.A. from the University of Iowa and an M.B.A. from HEC in France. She resides in New York City with her husband, baritone Claudio Mascarenhas.