June 25th, 2008
Next year, Sapporo, a Japanese beer company, will start labeling its beer bottles with the amount of carbon emissions associated with production and disposal. Japan’s is also working on standardizing how carbon can be measured and labeled on consumer products.
In the UK, the Carbon Trust, a government-funded independent company, is developing a similar scheme, set to launch in the coming months. According to their site, companies like Coors and Coca-Cola will add the carbon label.
Will this added transparency provide a competitive advantage? Are these figures meaningful to the consumer? And will people really track their carbon impact? We shall soon see.
According to the Carbon Trust’s research, reported in an Independent article, 66 percent of UK consumers want to know how much carbon is associated with their consumer goods. The UK labeling program will have a one year trial period, so we will hopefully find out how accurate that statistic is.
June 25th, 2008
As KMK Media’s graphic designer, some of my time is often spent educating clients about graphic design and how it works. Design is a critical piece in any successful campaign; here are some tips about how you can work effectively with any graphic designer to make your pieces better and more effective:
1. Know your budget. The size, layout and print quality of the piece are all affected by the amount of money you have to spend.
2. Know your project. Is it a brochure, a trade show display or a postcard? Who is your target audience? Will it be mailed or handed out? All of these elements will dramatically impact your design work from the start.
3. Planning and forecasting. Work with your designer up front to discuss concepts and goals for the piece(s) and then work with him/her to set up a realistic production calendar with milestones and a “drop dead” print date. (A word to the wise - it’s often easier to build in a few “cushion” days to any print deadline you may have and be sure to count holidays, when printers and even designers are closed.)
4. Feedback…and then some. Working with a designer is the ultimate give-and-take. We need - and expect - constructive feedback throughout the process. If you don’t like something, tell us up front. It’s much easier to make a change in the early stages than the day before it’s supposed to go to the printer.
5. Final copy first. The design phase is not the time to be doing massive rewrites of copy. Make sure the copy you submit has the sign-off of all parties involved. Small text changes are OK but massive rewrites will only delay the process and likely cost you more in design fees.
6. Changes are OK…to a point. If you find yourself going back and forth with a designer more than 2 or 3 times on a project, likely it’s because you were unclear in your direction at the beginning of the project or too timid in your criticism. Design is a dialog and it only works when both sides are talking to each other. Again, more changes = more delays and higher costs.
7. Keep an open mind. Graphic designers do this for a living - be open to their ideas and suggestions. Oftentimes, we can suggest a better way to design a piece so that it gets the results you’re after.
For examples of good design, visit Creativity Online…a great source for the leading edge in advertising creative.
