Good morning all, and happy Monday. We’re getting back in gear after a windy weekend here in Baltimore, and one that stole an hour of sleep from us. But the coffee is fresh and hot, so we’re doing just fine…

I was just reading one of my favorite recent blogs from the folks over there at Plaid, and thought I’d pass along something they brought to my attention. My last post was all about Google Reader and how amazing it is for someone that enjoys reading and keeping up on important blogs. But what about people that are interested in reading blogs, but aren’t really sure how to find them? That’s why the folks at Blogged exist. Their site allows you to search for blogs by interest category. GREAT idea.

Check them out HERE.

Garret Ohm
www.orange-element.com

I forget how I found out about it, but I recently learned about Google Reader. It’s a great new application from Google that allows you to aggregate all of the blogs and news sites you visit on a regular basis. For me, it has solved one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced recently at work (ok, maybe that’s a little dramatic) and that’s “how do I keep up with all of the peoples’ blogs that I follow without having to go to each site every day?” That’s a lot to bookmark.

Signup was incredibly easy because I already had a Google account (Gmail) and it was very intuitive to use. All I had to do was to enter the URLs of the sites I was interested in and they started keeping track of every time new content was added. The best part is that I can just go to my Google Reader page and it shows me all the new posts from all the blogs I follow in one easy to use interface. It’s amazing - and today, I actually realized I could add a widget to my Google page that allows me to get a snapshot of reader right from www.google.com. Amazing.

I have 10 blogs/news feeds on my Reader so far. Are we on yours?

I also wanted to mention that I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about Twitter. So much so that I’ve actually signed up for an account and am considering jumping into actually using it regularly. But to me, it seems like you have to make one heck of a committment to actually get much out of it…Am I right or am I missing something? Let me know what you think…..

Garret Ohm
www.orange-element.com

I read an article this past weekend about a company called Anomaly (Fast Company, March 2008). Have you heard of them?

Essentially, the company has been created by a group of former advertising industry people. The ethos of the company is built upon what I would describe as that of an anti-agency. Why they exist, as found on their website, quotes several executives from different companies around the globe. My favorite, by Alan Rutherford, Global Media Director of Unilever (2006), reads:

“The ad industry is struggling at the moment. There is a disconnect between creative thinking and communications channel management.”

This excites me! It reinforces a big part of our own mission here at OE - to keep a strong connection between client and designer, project and audience, work impact and reaction. No room for dilution, wasted effort or loss of creativity.

It leaves room for adjustment to concept and adaptation to the way we use communication methods to reach an audience and experience a positive reaction. I like Anomaly for many reasons. I like them because they help reinforce the similar beliefs of a small firm like Orange Element. Photo above is a snapshot courtesy of Anomaly website.

Aaron Moore
www.orange-element.com

EJ Hall, of Orange Element, met with Environmental consultant, Derek Smith, and Edith Graves and Becky Eason, both members of Eason Associates, in DC today to discuss recommendations as Orange Element continues further focus of our own sustainable initiatives. More info to come on this meeting….including a list of sustainable resource links. A big thank you to EJ, Eason Associates and Derek Smith.

In the meantime, check out and read about greenstock: http://sustainability.aiga.org

Aaron Moore
www.orange-element.com

For projects that don’t have a budget for the photoshoot, here’s a great search tool:

Dig in: www.brightqube.com

Aaron Moore
www.orange-element.com

We think product packaging design is a CRUCIAL element in any product’s marketing plan. Why? Well, these days retail outlets are often forced to overload their store shelves with a plethora of products, each competing to grab the attention of the unsuspecting consumer walking down the aisle. The choices are overwhelming, and research has shown that consumers (often subconsciously) gravitate toward the products that have high brand awareness (comfort) and superior product packaging design (appeal).

The problem with trying to build high brand awareness is that in an overcommunicated society, this can take lots and lots of time and particularly money–something that many relatively new products don’t have. So what does a marketing department do to jumpstart consumer sales? We recommend placing a good deal of emphasis on the design of the product packaging to make sure the product affects consumer behavior as they attempt to decide on a purchase.

As I speak to this, I wanted to pass along a NY Times article I read a couple of days ago about an inspiring case study in the power of product packaging design. It’s about a shaving cream that’s about to hit the market called NXT (pronounced “next”). This product is going to hit the market and compete with the likes of Gillette and Barbasol without spending a single dollar on advertising to the public.

The makers of the product are doing so by saving tons of money by only investing in product packaging. Their aim is to create a product that truly stands out on the store shelves, and they’re using LED lights implanted in the actual package to do so. These LED lights actually light up the clear bottle that the shaving cream resides in, creating a spectacular light show on the shelves. HERE is the article. Enjoy!

Note also how they have adjusted the copy on the package to refer to “sensitive” skin as “lite.” Something a bit less wimpy!

Thanks for reading!

Garret Ohm
www.orange-element.com