This is a tremendously exciting time to be doing what we do: never before has there been such a diverse range of communication tools and venues available to help organizations tell their stories, and build a “mosaic brand.”

Blog posts around New Year’s often focus on reflections on the year behind us,  or predictions for the year ahead. We’re going to land somewhere in the middle, and share a few favorite posts from our blog over the last 12 months. Technically, that’s reflective, I suppose — but some of them had predictions, too!

We’ll be sharing more of our thinking in the months ahead, and celebrating some great achievements by our friends and partners.

Stay tuned.. and the very happiest of New Year’s to you and yours.

Sage thoughts from Roger on when “logo drama” is unwarranted (starring corporate titans Starbucks and the Gap)

Our New Year’s video from last year — a labor of love

What happens when great design and great music come together

A favorite identity from the past year — and a project we’re proud to be a part of

Everyone gets a turn with the markers and whiteboard around here

“Adopsters”… the hipsters of social media

Sametz Blackstone 101: so is it an actual “cup of tea”, or?

Director of Design, Joerg, looks back in time… and finds that it flies

A can by any other color would not taste as sweet?

Thanks for coming by today — and join us for more in 2012!

Luckily, in addition to being an incredibly smart group of people, the Sametz Blackstone team is extraordinarily welcoming, patient, and kind. Over the last six weeks they have taught me far more than I would ever learn in a semester’s worth of classes on branding, marketing, and communications—with a sprinkling of design on top.

Part of my learning curve has been understanding the way of talking about branding unique to Sametz Blackstone. The following is a cheat sheet to a few of my favorite phrases heard often in the office:

“First handshake”: Your first impression of a brand. What is the look / feel / emotional affect of this brand?

“Messages have to live somewhere”: Branding messages aren’t just words that exist in a vacuum. How those messages are brought to life in printed materials or on a website is inextricably tied to design. You could have the most compelling brand message in the world, but if your fonts, imagery, and colors are inconsistent across different messaging vehicles, your brand will still not pack its maximum punch.

“Cups of Tea”: Qualitative research is a key tool to be used in understanding and articulating a meaningful, authentic brand message. Having metaphorical—or real!—cups of tea with different constituents across a brand (the brand managers, the brand users, etc.) is at the heart of what SBA does to really get to know a brand from the inside out and communicate its value most effectively.

“Ways In”: Different audiences connect with the same brand differently. An individual donor interested in educational policy issues shouldn’t be spoken to in the same way as the corporate foundation who needs to fulfill both a philanthropic and a marketing goal. Understand the different ways into your brand—and the brand values that resonate most closely with diverse key constituent groups—allows an organization to nimbly shift its messaging accordingly.

“Mosaic branding”: Fundamental to Sametz Blackstone’s work is the view that a brand is like a mosaic. It’s made up of pieces that we can control (for example, the words, fonts, and colors we use) and that we can’t control (your consumers’ conversations), which all come together to communicate the meaning integral to the dynamic organism that is a brand.

Casually drop one of these phrases into conversation at Sametz Blackstone and you’re sure to sound like an old pro.

Now, if only I could really become an old pro at the office’s archaic and rather terrifying phone system…

Sametz Blackstone Associates is a 100% Apple shop.

We work each day on everything from MacBook Airs to mighty iMacs (with a couple iPads thrown in for good measure.) When we have a meeting, the only thing more plentiful than Flour Bakery cookies on our conference table are the ubiquitous glowing apples on the backside of our (11″ to 17″) screens.

This is due in part to our heritage as a graphic design studio — since Macs have long been popular with those who design for print, digital, and web — and in part to our current status as a bunch of raving product design and gadget junkies.

Out of our current staff of 15, 9 of us are iPhone owners. 4 of us are iPad owners. At least 2 or 3 of us are glued to the liveblogs of Apple product launches when they happen. And one of us has a full color wardrobe of cases for all her beloved gadgets (I have no idea who that might be.)

When I learned that visionary and Apple founder Steve Jobs had passed away yesterday (via a text from my Dad in Vancouver — his iPhone to my iPhone), I was standing in Whole Foods near my fellow Sametzian, Michael, who immediately fired up his Twitter app to see the news. I was struck by how sad I was — after all, I’d never met Mr. Jobs. But when I realized just how much of my life is touched by things he either created, helped develop, or launched, it seemed less surprising.

In fact, I posted this last night:

I have friends from dozens of cities, all sorts of generations, all sorts of backgrounds, and the only thing I’ve seen more of them mention than not on social platforms is the passing of Steve Jobs.

Reacting to a death outside of our friends or family always seems strange, like we’re co-opting something that we don’t quite have a right to feel. Especially when it’s related to something some of us already have an uneasy relationship with: technology.

But it’s powerful to see how many of us recognize vision, creativity, and passion as something to be cherished — and something worthy of a real goodbye.

So, from our iOrchard to yours, Cupertino, we send our thoughts and deep appreciation for a life lived the way we hope to each day: with big ideas, big goals, and the desire to create things that people love and take pride in.

Thank you, Steve Jobs, for making our little world a better place.

And lo, mere moments later, I realized that tweet was traveling far and wide:

That’s when I knew I’d probably hit some sort of nerve. (I got re-tweeted by a muskox!)

And, truth be told, I was pointing a finger at myself as much as anyone else.

I’ve been an “early adopter” of a number of social media platforms over the past several years — usually via invitations from friends who are REAL early adopters: the kinds of folks who know start-up founders or have start-ups themselves, or who happen to run in tech-savvy circles where everything is in beta (including the fish.)

Maybe that makes me more of an early “hanger-on”… but regardless, I’ve been given access a time or two.

When platforms are solely populated by early adopters, a lot of the conversation surrounds how the platform is functioning, how we should / could be using it, where it could be improved, and which existing platform it will “kill” when everyone can sign up.

I’m not an entrepreneur or a developer or a venture capitalist, so my contribution to those conversations is usually pretty limited. I tend to do what I do with my personal accounts on all social platforms regardless of how new they are, or who else might be there (share random links, rhapsodize about the bottle of moisturizer I just bought, talk about recipes and dinner menus, poke fun at my friends, fling non-sequiturs into the ether…)

In some sense, I’m probably actually doing most of the things that bug the early adopters when a platform is open to the public — just a few months early. And I know those things bug them because they make no bones about expressing disdain when their private club has their virtual doors opened to digital “riff raff.”

Or, you know… everyone else.

I saw it with various blogging platforms.

I saw it with podcasting (though that’s less a platform issue than a technology that become easier to use with certain platforms.)

I saw it with Facebook.

I saw it with Twitter.

And I have to admit — I was one of those people with Twitter. When we were just a few hundred thousand folks hanging out in a 140-character cocktail party, it was easy to have conversations about things I enjoyed without getting followed by a bot replying to all tweets mentioning the word “furry”.

Then came the spam. Then came the internet marketers. Then came the sparkly MySpacers. Then came the self-help people with bushels of inspirational quotes. Then came the relatives who didn’t quite get how things worked, but tweeted thoughts at me that were better suited for email. And I can’t forget how hard I shook my fist when Oprah platituded her way to a zillion followers.

But as soon as I realized how insular I sounded (“Email was SO much better when only six of us had it”), I cut it out. Because everything evolves over time, and opening up a platform shows what it is really capable of doing (see: national revolutions, emergency news distribution, health support networks, citizen journalism, live-tweeting the Oscars… okay, maybe not that last one…)

Now I’m seeing a number of folks who’ve been futzing around with Google Plus expressing irritation at how their channels are changing, now that the doors are wide open.

They rail at the rise in “spam” (some of which is actual spam, but some of which is just content they’re not interested in), they sigh at random comments that derail conversations on their posts (“Why is my uncle talking about Sarah Palin on a post about access to APIs?”)… and ultimately have embarked on an ardent search for their next treehouse.

I can take this from true nerds who still pine for old IRC channels (you’ve never made any bones about being truly “social”), but since many early adopters nowadays are social strategists, integrated marketers, community managers on other platforms, and the like, it seems absurd to pine for the days when the only people they had to talk to were… social strategists, integrated marketers, community managers on other platforms, and the like.

Yes, I know it’s more fun in the back room of the store, where you can complain about the crazy lady who tried on 14 red dresses before stating that “red has never been my color.”

Yes, I know it’s more fun to talk about potential ways you could use a tool than to have to actually USE the tool to talk to someone who uses your products, or wants to know more about your initiative, or needs you to use plain language to help them work something out.

Yes, I know that not everyone is as supportive as your five friends who comment on every post you make, and re-share every link you post with the world.

Yes, I know it feels like they’re “doing it wrong” (sure, there are best practices, but they’re not best laws.)

But.

You can’t…

• tell businesses that they “can’t afford NOT to be social”,
• tell conference goers in a 40-slide deck that there are “endless opportunities”
• tell everyone in a book that anyone can use these channels, even “dummies”!
• tell your friends and family they can get better customer service through social media,
• tell nonprofits that they’re going to have more access than ever to their communities and constituents,
• tell reporters that want to quote you about how social media is changing everything from government to education to art…

…  UNLESS you’re genuinely excited when everybody gets a chance to use them.

Even if it’s not that fun at first.

After all… home runs are rare in inside baseball.

Here’s a quick excerpt:

“There are two sides to the power of measurement for achieving social media success: first, the way it helps you track, tweak, and re-jig your social efforts to ensure you’re meeting goals. It’s up to you to define what success looks like, and what your goals are, but by actually paying attention, you’re already headed in the right direction.”

You can find the whole post here.

Thanks so much, Radian6 team, for the opportunity to share my thoughts on strategies for tracking social engagement… and for giving me a chance to rant about the Metric system.

And feel free to share your thoughts here or there about social measurement — even any questions you might have. We’d love to help out!

This also tends to come up in how we hire new team members: we look for people who have diverse experience and interests, who show initiative in making things happen (even if it’s a little outside the parameters of their role), and who value collaboration in all things.

Everyone has a voice, so we want to make sure we bring in people who have good ideas—and who listen (and get excited) when other people come up with them, too.

Right now, we’re in the midst of hiring two key positions to fill out our team: a Brand Strategist, and a Designer.

In the time since we’ve been on the hunt, we’ve learned a few things (well, we kind of already knew…):

1. Most people are used to a certain kind of hierarchy when it comes to creating communications for clients: the client wants something, the strategist comes up with something that something should say and an idea of how it could look, and the designer takes the creative brief and makes it happen. Lather, rinse, repeat.
2. The idea of “brand” is one that has taken a big hit as of lately, what with the notion of “personal brand” running rampant through social media, and the reality that many people think of a logo and a color scheme as “branding” (which leaves out the meaning side of things: a brand’s foundation, positioning, messages, etc. )
3. We’re a bit different.

(And that’s not a bad thing. In fact, it’s why we’ve been around for 32 years.)

We’re “system thinkers”: we make sure everything we create—from top to bottom web projects for financial companies, to postcards targeting potential applicants of a summer high school program—strengthens our clients’ brands. If the visual elements don’t jive with their other communications… if the message doesn’t ring true to the organization and their goals… if you can’t point to where it “moves the needle”… well, we’re wasting an opportunity.

To us, a “brand” isn’t a logo or a tagline or an eye-catching color you choose.  A brand lives in the hearts and minds of an organization’s constituents: it hinges on how people perceive them and what they do, both in the context of the communications they create, and what others are saying (in the press, via social media, through word of mouth… and beyond.)

And no matter how big or small an organization might be, they are only so much in control of their brand—which means that at the moments when they are in control, they need to do a great job of sharing who they are.

That’s where we come in…

Designer

We’re seeking a Designer who makes beautiful things—beautiful things that do what they’re meant to do, within functional, smart, compelling systems. You will work on a wide range of projects—across an equally wide range of clients, both for- and nonprofit—in print and electronic formats, from worldwide brand identity systems to multi-year capital campaigns. Versatility is a must (if you couldn’t tell already!)

If you:

• do exceptional work on projects large and small, and across media
• work and communicate well with clients, and can articulate the thinking behind what you create
• make “problem solving” a priority in meeting the needs of organizations
• have a passion for innovative, progressive design
• have experience in both print and digital media
• are typographically savvy
• can multitask like a pro—without missing details or dropping the ball on communicating
• enjoy a collaborative environment, both as part of a deeply creative design community, and as part of a focused client team…

… then we’d love to talk to you. Scroll down to learn how to get in touch!

Brand strategist

We’re seeking a Brand Strategist who sees both the forest and the trees: you understand how brands are created, maintained, and loved, and how every aspect of an organization’s communications can reflect and strengthen that brand. You’ve ideally worked with both for- and nonprofit organizations (because we do!), and see each one of your clients as a unique, complex entity with their own needs and goals. In fact, you’ve thrown out all your cookie cutters… because you haven’t used them in years.

This isn’t an “account exec” position or a “brand manager” position or a “project manager” position, though all of those things are wrapped in to what you’ll do with our team.

If you:

• see “brand” as a never-static, living, breathing thing
• believe that stories are important
• can capably research (both qualitative and quantitative—stats AND in-depth conversations), envision, and implement brand-focused strategies
• love to dig into a new industry to learn all you can in a short space of time
• can articulate, write, and present in a compelling way
• can lead multiple client teams simultaneously, with efficiency and respect
• are conversant with both traditional and new media
• collaborate with designers, writers, and developers with respect and open ears
• manage and grow healthy, productive client relationships, and
• want to help find and realize new opportunities

… we’d love to talk to you. Our ideal candidate has 5+ years experience in and around branding, business and communication strategy, marketing, and website development. Experience in nonprofit marketing and fundraising wouldn’t hurt, either.

Ready to join us? We’d love to meet you—and we think we’re pretty fun to work with, too.

Please send your resume (directed clearly to one of the positions above) and some words about who you are and why you’re interested in being a part of our team to Human Resources, Sametz Blackstone Associates, 40 West Newton Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02118. You can also email hrATsametzDOTcom (no phone calls, please!)

The best people to invite to a dinner party? Great storytellers.

The thing that brilliant novelists are that okay novelists are not? Great storytellers.

The best people to be stuck next to on an 8-hour train ride? Great storytellers.

The thing that virtuoso directors are that leaves a movie playing in the back of your mind, long after the last reel? Great storytellers.

Oh… and the thing your brand needs more of?

Great storytellers.

Great storytellers internally — who communicate using ideas and images that resonate, instead of relying on corporate-speak — get everyone in your organization excited about what you’re going to do next.

Great storytellers externally — who bolster your value by sharing their positive experiences in passionate and public ways — spread the word  in a manner that those around them are genuinely inclined to trust.

Great storytellers at the marketing helm — who convey your offerings by crafting a compelling narrative, instead of another pitch or a tagline — generate genuine curiosity and desire in your potential customers.

Great storytellers from the top down — who motivate with something more visionary than a list of your Q4 strategic business goals — advance the kind of mission-driven culture that leads to uncommon success.

Great storytellers from the front lines — who can tell you who your customers truly are and what they truly need because they’ve met them, and they care — keep everyone focused on the real reason you’re doing what you do… and the right way to do it.

Are you a great storyteller?

If the answer is “no”, don’t worry — you can learn to be.

Do you know what stories you should be telling?

If the answer is “no”, don’t worry — you can find them.

But you should start now.

As with the funniest person at your dinner party, or a fantastic traveling companion, or those rare movies and books you can’t make yourself turn off or put down, great storytellers are remarkably unforgettable.

And that’s definitely something you want your brand to be.

“The CR” (the common shorthand for their name) provides information, collaborative events, and a sort of ongoing “digital support group” for people who are taking part in online conversations on behalf of an organization.They face a unique set of challenges — and the CR has responded with a unique set of solutions and resources.

Rachel Happe founded the The CR with Jim Storer, and they both bring a wealth of marketing and social media expertise to the table. This is evident in a recent piece Rachel wrote for Information Week: “The Third Leg of the Social Business Stool: Technology”. Here’s an excerpt:

“Social technology is everywhere, and often it’s the place where companies start because it’s the most obvious new element, particularly for interacting with external audiences. Businesses see most of their customers using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social networking channels, so building a presence there seems to make obvious sense. However, adopting the technology starts a company down the slippery slope of social business when that may not be its intent, so it’s unprepared for the risks.

Marketing departments, for instance, will start a Twitter or Facebook page to reach more customers directly, but in the process they’re setting the expectation that they’re speaking and listening. Most organizations don’t have the processes and governance in place to effectively listen and respond to individual consumers in meaningful ways. As a result, crises can emerge.”

As more and more social media firms rise up to promise big things to organizations, and social media conferences haul in millions every year preaching the value of social tools and platforms and “being a part of the conversation”, and more and more companies fear that they’ll be left behind if they don’t “get a Twitter and a Facebook.”

That’s why I’m so pleased when someone who works actively in social business advocates for building a presence only after you’ve taken the time to learn:

• What’s already being said about you out there, so you know where you stand from the beginning
• How your target market is actually using social tools and networks — so you can follow suit with your tone and your topics
• The resources you actually have on hand to tackle social media involvement
• Security and data risks unique to your industry
• The use cases within your organization that correlate with key social tools

Some of the biggest brands out there have found themselves in hot water after diving into social because they didn’t want to be left behind.

This doesn’t mean, of course, that you should minimize the importance of social as a part of your integrated marketing plan, of course. But remember: the cost of looking foolish is considerably greater than the cost of staying silent until you’ve got the right thing to say.

Read the whole article here.

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