The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is the national body that maintains and develops the national curriculum and associated assessments, tests and examinations, and accredits qualifications in colleges and at work.
QCA asked Oculus to develop a brand for the new national curriculum.
As Mick Waters, Director of Curriculum, QCA, states, “Teachers, parents, employers, the media and the public school should all see the curriculum as something to embrace, support and celebrate. Most of all, young people should relish the opportunity for discovery and achievement that the curriculum offers.”
Using the existing subject-specific colours, we created a colourful new mark that reflects the innovation, strength and creativity of this new direction. This Crown copyright logo has to work across multiple formats, subjects and age groups to reflect the fluid and responsive nature of the curriculum.
However, QCA is not the only organisation involved. The brand needs to work with that of QCA’s major partner the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and those of seven other subsidiary partners; and to ensure the brand is always used consistently, we have developed a set of style guidelines.
Top of the class
A delighted QCA presented the new brand at a conference where teachers and staff had their first view of how the new curriculum was going to work. Designing the conference items gave Oculus the opportunity to use the brand across a wide range of materials including an overview document, conference banners, delegate packs and even presentation materials.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
HT Mobile comes back with new brand
Vietnamobile is built under a business cooperation contract (BCC) between Hanoi Telecom and the US-based Hutchinson Telecommunications International Limited.
Hanoi Telecom’s Chairman Pham Ngoc Lang said Vietnamobile aims to become the most convenient GSM mobile network in Vietnam, with high network quality, good customer care service, and reasonable prices.
Vietnamobile Chief Executive Officer, Simon Perkins, said that subscribers of HT Mobile, who were “sent” to S-Fone while HT Mobile changed its technology, will be moved back to Vietnamobile, with the same numbers.
HT Mobile joined the telecom market on January 15, 2007, using CDMA 850MHz technology. This company’s goal was to have one million subscribers in 2007 but only achieved half of that. In early January 2008, the network petitioned to change its technology from CDMA to GSM, and the government approved its request.
The firm received a licence to supply e-GSM based mobile services on March 15, 2008.
Hanoi Telecom’s Chairman Pham Ngoc Lang said Vietnamobile aims to become the most convenient GSM mobile network in Vietnam, with high network quality, good customer care service, and reasonable prices.
Vietnamobile Chief Executive Officer, Simon Perkins, said that subscribers of HT Mobile, who were “sent” to S-Fone while HT Mobile changed its technology, will be moved back to Vietnamobile, with the same numbers.
HT Mobile joined the telecom market on January 15, 2007, using CDMA 850MHz technology. This company’s goal was to have one million subscribers in 2007 but only achieved half of that. In early January 2008, the network petitioned to change its technology from CDMA to GSM, and the government approved its request.
The firm received a licence to supply e-GSM based mobile services on March 15, 2008.
Asustek busts out new ASmobile laptop brand
If you weren't quite following along with the whole Asus/Asustek dual-identity thing, this latest news from Asustek might really throw you for a loop, so try and keep up. Asustek is developing a new brand, titled "ASmobile," to denote a new line of "open architecture" laptops. ASmobile computers will be aimed at DIY types and desktop replacers, and will be built to accommodate off-the-shelf parts while featuring supposedly "light and slim design." Asus is planning on bypassing budget buyers with these models, and instead hopes to milk cash from their brand-loyal enthusiast base, with plans to ship 100,000-200,000 of the laptops this year. So, yeah, this whole brand thing might not be so confusing after all, but it's not like we're going to let something silly like being reasonable stand in the way of a bit of Friday morning drama.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Brand New Second Hand: How Big Brands Help A Flailing Music Industry
The music industry in the UK is flailing. UK album sales were down 11% last year and major, established artists are now finding that album sales are not their main source of revenue.
Enter Harvest Entertainment, management services for the entertainment industry. Harvest have put their clever marketing skills to good use and have controversially found a new path in which bands and pop stars alike can increase revenue from record sales.
Placebo, McFly and Madness are just three bands linked to the company who are now looking for appropriate brands to support them.
The entertainment company was launched at the end of 2007 and is run by Ric Salmon, a man in know when it comes to the music industry. Former vice president of Warner Music International, Salmon is well aware of the transformation the music industry is currently going through.
Since the introduction of the world wide web, illegal downloads have gone through the roof, thus reducing actual sales in the shops. Bands and labels alike have been hit hard, and as a result, have turned to merchandising and tours as greater revenue earners.
Yes, the traditional music model remains intact, but artists are more open to venturing down new avenues. Take Prince, for example; mega star with a back catalogue that would humble any X Factor or American Idol winner, yet he still opted for the alternative route when releasing his latest works, Planet Earth. Instead of traditional sales, he decided to give it away free with copies of The Mail on Sunday.
Then there is Radiohead, who successfully released their latest album, In Rainbows, purely via download for the first few months before later releasing it proper. An instant success, the album reached the top spot in both the UK and US from downloads alone.
Harvest Entertainment is not alone in their adventures in the world of music. International coffee giants, Starbucks have also got in on the act, with the release of Paul McCartney's first studio album in more than two years.
Selling out? Dear God, no. Macca claims "It's a new world now and people are thinking of new ways to reach the people and that's always been my aim." If the coffee drinking population of the world don't already know who the legend is, then something is very much awry.
Starbucks added: "This demonstrates how Hear Music can present even the most successful recording artists of all time with unique opportunities to reach existing fans, as well as a new audience of listeners."
Similarly, dance duo Groove Armada have recently come out of a five year deal with Jive Records, one of the many arms of the Sony BMG machine. They have since opted for a one year deal with drinks maker, Bacardi, which will see the brand funding a four track EP. In exchange, Groove Armada have agreed to play at various Bacardi sponsored events across the globe.
So, you scratch my back and i'll scratch yours, in effect. The bands are benefiting immensely from backing of large brands. They [the brands] have the money to fund studio time, tours and parties whilst they get the added kudos of 'owning' a band.
Whilst this may seem like the next logical step in the evolution of music distribution, die hard fans of the more underground bands such as Kings of Leon or LCD Soundsystem may have a harder time of accepting this new found love with the big brands. Selling out is definitely a term that will spring to the mouths of thousands of pubescent teenagers across the globe. And we all know what happens when somebody is believed to have sold out: Interests cease and sales decline.
So only time will tell whether or not brands and bands will live in harmony or whether consumers realise that they are being hung out to dry by the proverbial scrotum.
Enter Harvest Entertainment, management services for the entertainment industry. Harvest have put their clever marketing skills to good use and have controversially found a new path in which bands and pop stars alike can increase revenue from record sales.
Placebo, McFly and Madness are just three bands linked to the company who are now looking for appropriate brands to support them.
The entertainment company was launched at the end of 2007 and is run by Ric Salmon, a man in know when it comes to the music industry. Former vice president of Warner Music International, Salmon is well aware of the transformation the music industry is currently going through.
Since the introduction of the world wide web, illegal downloads have gone through the roof, thus reducing actual sales in the shops. Bands and labels alike have been hit hard, and as a result, have turned to merchandising and tours as greater revenue earners.
Yes, the traditional music model remains intact, but artists are more open to venturing down new avenues. Take Prince, for example; mega star with a back catalogue that would humble any X Factor or American Idol winner, yet he still opted for the alternative route when releasing his latest works, Planet Earth. Instead of traditional sales, he decided to give it away free with copies of The Mail on Sunday.
Then there is Radiohead, who successfully released their latest album, In Rainbows, purely via download for the first few months before later releasing it proper. An instant success, the album reached the top spot in both the UK and US from downloads alone.
Harvest Entertainment is not alone in their adventures in the world of music. International coffee giants, Starbucks have also got in on the act, with the release of Paul McCartney's first studio album in more than two years.
Selling out? Dear God, no. Macca claims "It's a new world now and people are thinking of new ways to reach the people and that's always been my aim." If the coffee drinking population of the world don't already know who the legend is, then something is very much awry.
Starbucks added: "This demonstrates how Hear Music can present even the most successful recording artists of all time with unique opportunities to reach existing fans, as well as a new audience of listeners."
Similarly, dance duo Groove Armada have recently come out of a five year deal with Jive Records, one of the many arms of the Sony BMG machine. They have since opted for a one year deal with drinks maker, Bacardi, which will see the brand funding a four track EP. In exchange, Groove Armada have agreed to play at various Bacardi sponsored events across the globe.
So, you scratch my back and i'll scratch yours, in effect. The bands are benefiting immensely from backing of large brands. They [the brands] have the money to fund studio time, tours and parties whilst they get the added kudos of 'owning' a band.
Whilst this may seem like the next logical step in the evolution of music distribution, die hard fans of the more underground bands such as Kings of Leon or LCD Soundsystem may have a harder time of accepting this new found love with the big brands. Selling out is definitely a term that will spring to the mouths of thousands of pubescent teenagers across the globe. And we all know what happens when somebody is believed to have sold out: Interests cease and sales decline.
So only time will tell whether or not brands and bands will live in harmony or whether consumers realise that they are being hung out to dry by the proverbial scrotum.
Essential Ingredients No.1 & No.2 For A Killer Online Brand
One of the most important aspects of a killer online brand is specialisation. We see it everywhere online.
There are sites focused on social networking, sites focused on sport, sites focused on current affairs and sites focused on many possible themes.
This first ingredient is known as contraction. The fact of the matter is that the most successful and well-known sites online are NOT sites that offer a variety of services from different industries or sectors.
The most successful online brands are those that focus strongly on 1 service or 1 product.
A good example would be PayPal. If you have not heard of PayPal, it is an online service to facilitate payment for online purchases. Its main function is an online paying service. Any other products or services that it may offer on its website are simply in support of their main service.
However, you may say that a site like eBay offers more than just 1 product. It's true because it offers literally thousands and thousands of products on a daily basis. Nevertheless, eBay's main specialty is being a marketplace for buyers and sellers.
Both PayPal and eBay are examples of companies that long before they grew and became well-known online brands, chose to contract their brand and focus on a simple product or service.
As a result, their brand has become stronger and hence contraction is what all online brands should strive for if they want to be successful.
Now onto the 2nd ingredient which is Word and/or Phrase Association.
Let me ask you a question.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when I someone mentions the name "Facebook"?
Most likely, the first thing to come to mind would have been the phrase "social networking."
Why is this case? Because most people associate Facebook with the phrase "social networking." You may also associate other words and phrases such as "Top Friends" and "procrastination", however the core phrase that differentiates Facebook from other website is "social networking." Facebook pretty much now owns the phrase.
What should we learn from this? Basically it means that any online business must focus its branding efforts on owning a word or phrase in the prospect's mind. Especially a word or phrase that nobody else owns.
You wouldn't want to be trying to own the phrase "search engine" because Google is clearly the leader and it is unlikely that anyone will be able to take it over.
However, I'm not suggesting that you should completely give up on trying to dominate popular phrases such as "social networking" or "search engine." You could instead for variants. For example, "social networking for homosexuals" may be a phrase you might want to dominate and which nobody owns. Another one could be "search engines for students." There are literally many variants possible.
This requires a lot of keyword research on your part. There are many tools out there to see what's setting the trend. The site I recommend to do this and which I use the most is Google Trends. Why not use the biggest search engine to figure out the trends and words/phrases that you could one day dominate?
There are sites focused on social networking, sites focused on sport, sites focused on current affairs and sites focused on many possible themes.
This first ingredient is known as contraction. The fact of the matter is that the most successful and well-known sites online are NOT sites that offer a variety of services from different industries or sectors.
The most successful online brands are those that focus strongly on 1 service or 1 product.
A good example would be PayPal. If you have not heard of PayPal, it is an online service to facilitate payment for online purchases. Its main function is an online paying service. Any other products or services that it may offer on its website are simply in support of their main service.
However, you may say that a site like eBay offers more than just 1 product. It's true because it offers literally thousands and thousands of products on a daily basis. Nevertheless, eBay's main specialty is being a marketplace for buyers and sellers.
Both PayPal and eBay are examples of companies that long before they grew and became well-known online brands, chose to contract their brand and focus on a simple product or service.
As a result, their brand has become stronger and hence contraction is what all online brands should strive for if they want to be successful.
Now onto the 2nd ingredient which is Word and/or Phrase Association.
Let me ask you a question.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when I someone mentions the name "Facebook"?
Most likely, the first thing to come to mind would have been the phrase "social networking."
Why is this case? Because most people associate Facebook with the phrase "social networking." You may also associate other words and phrases such as "Top Friends" and "procrastination", however the core phrase that differentiates Facebook from other website is "social networking." Facebook pretty much now owns the phrase.
What should we learn from this? Basically it means that any online business must focus its branding efforts on owning a word or phrase in the prospect's mind. Especially a word or phrase that nobody else owns.
You wouldn't want to be trying to own the phrase "search engine" because Google is clearly the leader and it is unlikely that anyone will be able to take it over.
However, I'm not suggesting that you should completely give up on trying to dominate popular phrases such as "social networking" or "search engine." You could instead for variants. For example, "social networking for homosexuals" may be a phrase you might want to dominate and which nobody owns. Another one could be "search engines for students." There are literally many variants possible.
This requires a lot of keyword research on your part. There are many tools out there to see what's setting the trend. The site I recommend to do this and which I use the most is Google Trends. Why not use the biggest search engine to figure out the trends and words/phrases that you could one day dominate?
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
How to Create Money with List Building and Branding?
Selling online can be almost impossible if you have to approach your niche target market one by one. For more detail go to:www.email-auto-format.com.What's worse is trying to build a profitable list and brand you online without the necessary tools, which can be costly and time-consuming if carried out one person at a time. Wouldn't it be easier if you can just send everyone a promotional email?
With few clicks on your mouse? this is highly possible if you have a list of potential clients who are most likely to buy from you. Here are the 5 key ways to create more money with list building and branding: 1. Construct your own squeeze page. This is one of the best ways to get the contact information of your target market. Send them to a page where they don't have much choice but to provide their email addresses or they won't be able to go on any other page of your site. Freebies like pens or sample of your products in exchange of their contact information is a very good way to lighten the load and for your prospect to gain more trust with you. 2. Make your squeeze page simple and short. Online users don't have much time to fill out one-page forms. So, ask them for information that matters the most - their names and their email addresses. 3. Manage your email list through the use of an auto responder. For more detail go to: www.autoresponder-money.com. Auto responders can do your job even if you are not online, making your job easier and automatic at the same time. The best thing about this tool is that it allows your list members to opt-out at any give time when they choose not to receive any more messages from you. This will protect you from future spam complaints. 4. Put up a guest book on your website. Run a promotion like raffles for those who visits your site and all they have to do is leave their names and email addresses to get the chance to win. Don't forget to inform them that you will be sending them promotional emails to the email address that they have provided so you won't be accused of spamming. 5. Keep their contact information secure. Never share your list with third party without the permission of your list members. This will tarnish your credibility and you will eventually lose clients because of it. Using these key points will help you tremendously while building your list and branding yourself. You want your prospect to ultimately trust you and when they feel comfortable with you they will usually buy your products or join you in your business venture, which becomes a win-win situation for both parties
With few clicks on your mouse? this is highly possible if you have a list of potential clients who are most likely to buy from you. Here are the 5 key ways to create more money with list building and branding: 1. Construct your own squeeze page. This is one of the best ways to get the contact information of your target market. Send them to a page where they don't have much choice but to provide their email addresses or they won't be able to go on any other page of your site. Freebies like pens or sample of your products in exchange of their contact information is a very good way to lighten the load and for your prospect to gain more trust with you. 2. Make your squeeze page simple and short. Online users don't have much time to fill out one-page forms. So, ask them for information that matters the most - their names and their email addresses. 3. Manage your email list through the use of an auto responder. For more detail go to: www.autoresponder-money.com. Auto responders can do your job even if you are not online, making your job easier and automatic at the same time. The best thing about this tool is that it allows your list members to opt-out at any give time when they choose not to receive any more messages from you. This will protect you from future spam complaints. 4. Put up a guest book on your website. Run a promotion like raffles for those who visits your site and all they have to do is leave their names and email addresses to get the chance to win. Don't forget to inform them that you will be sending them promotional emails to the email address that they have provided so you won't be accused of spamming. 5. Keep their contact information secure. Never share your list with third party without the permission of your list members. This will tarnish your credibility and you will eventually lose clients because of it. Using these key points will help you tremendously while building your list and branding yourself. You want your prospect to ultimately trust you and when they feel comfortable with you they will usually buy your products or join you in your business venture, which becomes a win-win situation for both parties
Promotional Leisurewear Is The Branding Solution
Promotional clothing has risen to the top amongst all types of promotional merchandise, and may now be considered the best branding solution for any type of business. Whether the brand is imprinted on T-shirts, jackets, ball caps or sun visors, clothing functions as the best brand advertising vehicle available.
There are many types of promotional leisurewear from which to choose, from T-shirts and shirts, to sweat shirts and jackets, to fleeces, ball caps and hats. T-shirts are probably the most popular, largely because of the large area they provide for printing. They are very economical and are available in a wide variety of colours and fabrics, from cotton to polyester.
If your tradeshow or conference is to be held during the winter, you may want to consider warm clothing as your giveaway product. Sweat shirts, jackets and fleeces can carry the brand name on them nicely, whether embroidered or screen printed. The customers will appreciate the thoughtful gesture of your recognition of the cold season, and will be sure to wear them more.
There is a tough competition among businesses. There is no time left to wait for the responses from the conventional advertisements. All you have to do is to approach the customers directly with the best strategy. Promotional clothing is the best solution for brand promotion. They effect a direct communication with the customers. The brand impression carried by them lasts for a long time, until the promotional clothing products wear out. The clothing products in general, are acceptable to all types of customers; hence, there is no chance that they are ignored by any age groups of people.
Hats, ball caps and visors are another popular item used in brand promotion. Never before in modern times have caps and visors been so popular with so many. They convey a youthful energetic type of energy to customers for whom style and design is important. But no matter what type of leisurewear you select for your promotion, you can be assured of success with promotional clothing.
There are many types of promotional leisurewear from which to choose, from T-shirts and shirts, to sweat shirts and jackets, to fleeces, ball caps and hats. T-shirts are probably the most popular, largely because of the large area they provide for printing. They are very economical and are available in a wide variety of colours and fabrics, from cotton to polyester.
If your tradeshow or conference is to be held during the winter, you may want to consider warm clothing as your giveaway product. Sweat shirts, jackets and fleeces can carry the brand name on them nicely, whether embroidered or screen printed. The customers will appreciate the thoughtful gesture of your recognition of the cold season, and will be sure to wear them more.
There is a tough competition among businesses. There is no time left to wait for the responses from the conventional advertisements. All you have to do is to approach the customers directly with the best strategy. Promotional clothing is the best solution for brand promotion. They effect a direct communication with the customers. The brand impression carried by them lasts for a long time, until the promotional clothing products wear out. The clothing products in general, are acceptable to all types of customers; hence, there is no chance that they are ignored by any age groups of people.
Hats, ball caps and visors are another popular item used in brand promotion. Never before in modern times have caps and visors been so popular with so many. They convey a youthful energetic type of energy to customers for whom style and design is important. But no matter what type of leisurewear you select for your promotion, you can be assured of success with promotional clothing.
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