If you've been following the recent NBA Draft, you'll know that this year's consensus number 1 pick was none other than Kentucky's Anthony Davis. If you don't recognize his name then you might've, at the very least, have caught a glimpse of what arguably makes NBA's latest talent, an easily recognizable figure.

The Unibrow.



Now in our day in age, a unibrow is not the most favourable look one can don. But what's great is, Davis has turned this normally negatively viewed attribute into a positive. He's fully embraced the look, and not only that, he's taken full advantage of it from a personal branding perspective. He's even gone as far as trademarking some catchphrases such as "Fear the Brow" and "Raise the Brow" for all sorts of merchandising opportunities.

Gotta give Davis' business sense, he's already thinking long-term and he has yet to play his first NBA game.

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Here's a CNN article regarding his trademarks.

Here's an interview from the Jimmy Kimmel Show of him discussing his look and his brand.



Rene Tan
Graphic Designer
Mystique Creative

With the New Jersey Nets finally making their move to Brooklyn next season, the organization recently unveiled the storied franchise's rebrand.

Voila, and there it is.



I'm really not sure how I feel about it. The minimalist in me completely appreciates the simplified design approach but at the same time I feel that in some iterations of the logo – it almost looks oversimplified to the point of feeling rather unfinished and lazy. I'm specifically referring to what looks like the primary team logo (with the crest). If it were up to me, I would've made a complete departure from the crest – which feels like a rather forced artefact from the New Jersey era. I think it only makes sense since the team is entering a new chapter in its history.

I can say however, I do love the circular logo because of its vintage quality – not to mention the shape better lends itself to the B & ball imagery. In keeping with the minimalistic approach, their colour palette seems to only comprise of black and white. This makes Brooklyn a unique team as no other team in the league currently utilizes only a black and white palette (San Antonio is close but they also use silver).

I'm pretty excited to see how the rebrand is applied to the team jerseys and court design.



Rene Tan
Graphic Designer
Mystique Creative

Some stats on the adoption of Geosocial and Location-Based Services via mobile devices have been revealed in this inforgraphic from Flowtown – Social Media Marketing Application. Over 58% of smartphone users are utilizing these services. The infographic defines each of the services as:
Geosocial Networking – this type of social networking uses geographic services and capabilities, such as geocoding and geotagging, to enable additional social dynamics.
Location-Based Services – this type of information or entertainment service utilizes the geographic position of a mobile device through a network.


Read more: http://www.marketingtechblog.com/geosoc ... z1pWlR16tI

from www.marketingtechblog.com



Frank Beecham
Mystique Creative

Click here to download a pdf sheet of Valentines. Cut them out and have fun.

We’re well into the new year and most of us are back to business as usual. If you haven’t already, it’s time to review your business’ progress over 2011 and make business resolutions to help you get the most out of 2012.
Here are a few to get you started on planning and setting goals for the new year.

1) Update Your Business Plan
Keeping your business plan up to date gives you the chance to see where your business currently stands, and can help you develop a strategy for growth. Have your goals changed? Has the market changed? Using your vision and mission as the foundation, set new goals. Be ambitious.

2) Commit to Strategy Before Tactics
Once you’ve defined the exact person, business or problem that embodies your ideal client you need to craft a way to communicate why your specific product or service produces greater value than every other option. You then need to commit to using this strategy to guide you for every marketing decision that follows – including product/service mix, pricing, identity elements, customer service and hiring.

3) Create a Tactical Road Map
Consider how to get in front of prospects and customers alike. Map out ongoing touchpoint opportunities through multiple channels to generate active lead generation.

Define specific actions or tasks that will you help carry out your strategy. Take into consideration the cost as well as the amount of sales you’ll need to cover the costs. Will you need new staff to handle your marketing efforts or new business? Be prepared for changes in the way you do business.

Break down your plan into monthly, weekly and daily activities. Make sure you schedule the time to do what's necessary. Don't be afraid to use external support to accomplish your goals.

4) Integrate a lead conversion process
To help convert leads into customers you should consider developing a system to nurture and track campaigns across all channels. Create a closed-loop follow-up process so leads don’t slip through the cracks. Establish a lead qualification process to make sure all sales reps use the same consistent methodology. What is your response when a prospect requests more information? How will you orient a new customer?

Track your performance relative to your various marketing initiatives in order to measure campaign effectiveness.

As you achieve your goals be sure to take time to celebrate every success, big and small. With each celebration your confidence and commitment will grow making it easier to reach your ambitious goals.

Need help? Contact us today to discuss your plans for acquisition and business development.
416.441.2666 x 14

Paul Bies



President,
Mystique Creative