Yahoo is not a Search Company
May 28, 2009
According to Yahoo! CEO Carol Bartz, “We’re not a search company.” You might ask, then what the heck is Yahoo? According to Bartz, it’s a site that creates a complete experience through social, mobile and video components.
The Yahoo! we know today is just the tip of the iceberg of where the company and brand are going in the future. The challenge will be repositioning the brand that has for so long been associated with search and as the brand tagging along behind Google, into a brand that delivers a more experiential and less transactional promise.
I’m rooting for Yahoo, and I think repositioning the brand could be what saves it. I give props to Carol Bartz for recognizing that the online market has changed and for trying to catch up. There is deep value in the Yahoo! brand, and watching it struggle in recent years has been unfortunate.
The repositioning of Yahoo! won’t succeed overnight. It’s going to take time, investment and patience. According to Bartz (and despite all the rumors and negative press to the contrary), the majority of Internet users still visit Yahoo! Perhaps the shift in brand perception among consumers doesn’t have to be a rough road. Only time will tell, but it sounds like Bartz is on the right track.
Watch the video interview with Bartz to hear her take on the future of Yahoo! firsthand.
What do you think? Can Yahoo! rebound?
Image: Flickr
2009 Rebrand 100 Global Award Winners Announced
March 15, 2009
The 2009 Rebrand 100 Global Award Winners have been announced. If you want some inspiration on your own branding efforts and rebranding creative, take a look at the winners by following the link above. There are 100 companies listed with links to see the before and after of each company’s rebranding efforts — and not just logos. You can see websites, collateral, signage, logo guidelines, and more. It’s a great collection.
One of my favorites is the rebranding of Australia Post, the mail service in Australia. Take a look at the before and after photos from Rebrand.com showing the outside of the Australia Post retail stores. What a difference! The new look is less “airport news stand” and more modern. The creative was done by Interbrand, and it shows.
Australia Post Before
Australia Post After (concept)
Which rebranding efforts do you like the most from the 2009 Rebrand 100 Global Award Winners?
Hat tip to the Brand New for this post.
Blimpie Logo Redesign – Why Bother?
February 11, 2009
Seriously, why bother? When I first saw the new Blimpie logo, I wondered if it was a joke. Alas, it’s real and it’s not impressive. In fact, it’s hard to even call it a logo design at all. Your thoughts?
Hat tip to Brand New for this logo redesign.
PETA Rebrands Fish as Sea Kittens
January 13, 2009
In another disasterous marketing move, PETA further uses its non-inclusive brand strategy to alienate people who eat fish. Although those people might very well support other causes PETA fights for, they’re not welcome. You can check out this post to learn more about that issue, but today, let’s talk about PETA’s idea to rebrand fish as “sea kittens” with the hope that a cute name for a species lower on the food chain will cause fewer people to eat it.
Why not? Tuna is already known as Chicken of the Sea.
I couldn’t help but think of that line from Seinfeld when I heard about this one, “It’s gold, Jerry. Gold.”
Of course, you know I’m being sarcastic. 
I do wonder though why PETA stopped with sea kittens. Why not sea gerbil for shrimp or sea bunny for lobster?
Your thoughts? Oh, and if you want to read about PETA’s reasoning and defense of its rebranding attempt, and read some really amusing comments from children and members of the fish and wildlife industry, you can follow the link to read the full article on NPR.org. It’s worth a laugh, but I don’t think it’s going to help PETA very much, and I say that as a person who doesn’t eat fish.
By the way, do you think if the bird and snake in the above pictures knew they were eating sea kittens they’d still eat those fish in their respective claws and mouth?
Shift from Print Magazine Hits PC Magazine – Now Online Only
November 22, 2008
Just last week, I wrote a post here on KeySplash Creative Conversations about the shift away from print advertising that is driving many established magazines to resort to layoffs in order to remain profitable. This week, Ziff Davis announced that its 27-year old PC Magazine will no longer be available in print. Instead, PC Magazine will be available online only. The new online version has been rebranded as PCMag.com.
This seems like a natural change since PC Magazine generates 80% of its profits from its existing online content. Also, circulation of PC Magazine has dropped by half over the course of the past decade. However, what other magazines are likely to follow suit? The Christian Science Monitor made inroads in October when it announced the publication would be the first national magazine to move from print to digital only. It will be interesting to see what other companies make the same change for their print magazines.
What do you think? Is there still value to print magazine advertising or is the clock ticking?
Image: PCMag.com
