(The following post is by Sarah Guinot, Oddpodz newest team member).

I was until this week, when I attended Social School in Tampa.

I just joined the Oddpodz team as an intern. I’m finishing my MBA at the University of Tampa and I am thrilled to be working with such an exciting, young social media company. To learn more about me and connect, my Oddpodz user name is sarenka. I’d love to hear from you.

Part of my contributions to the company will be helping the Oddpodz community members and attracting new ones through social media.

My first assignment, get in the social media grove fast.

Lucky for me, the Oddpodz offices are located in www.Walkerbrands.com, a super cool place to work. Not only is it a design-centric, creative environment, the office culture has also lots of means for collaboration and learning via our roommates, tools and events.

This week the office hosted Social School. It was lead by Nancy Walker, President of Walker Brands and a super savvy, branding and marketing pro, and Julia Gorzka, a social media enthusiast and consultant.

The event attracted a diverse group of business people, all like me, hungry to get on the social media train.

So what is this international phenomenon sweeping the media, business and people’s lives?

It’s the “world’s largest cocktail party where everybody is invited”, explained Julia.

Such a definition makes it clear that social media challenges the “old school” marketing thinking. As most of the audience, you might find social media intimidating. After all, there are so many social tools out there, where does one start? How do you find your markets in this new World? You heard about Twitter and might wonder who is this new animal. But have no fear. The good news is that it is completely possible to understand social media and, even better, to make great use of them in order to support your brand and its delivery- two essential components for business success.

Here are some of the highlights I took away from Social School.

1) The first step is to define your brand. A brand is not merely a logo or a catchy slogan anymore. It’s what customers think, feel and expect about you, which is earned at every touch points, every contact with your customers, from product and signage to employee training.

2) Then, once you have a coherent and strong brand essence, it’s time for delivery. You are now ready to hit the social media universe. What are your goals? Is it brand awareness? Discoverability? Finding new leads?

3) Remember that in the World’s largest cocktail party (social media), the communication style is very conversational, helpful and educational and definitely not about hard selling. If you’re focused on mere transactions, you will be quickly black listed and your efforts will be a waste.

As Julia explained, “It is not as much about advertising anymore anyway, when companies were pushing their messages. It is about giving your customers something to talk about”.

For more on how social media can help your business check back, we will be posting other gems gained from the class. If you are interested in attending a future social media class go to social school.

Also we’ve posted and reviewed some great FREE social media tools and resources in Oddpodz FREE Biz Findz.

(Updated 05.07.09)This list grows, thanks to our communities contributions.

Most businesses can gain from standing out from the pack. People too can benefit from being different in the crowded world of bodies and brains. When ever I speak to audiences I always preach “Be distinct, standout and own a space that’s unique”. There is often a big sigh, HOW can we not blend in?

Here are some ideas to help you be unique in your industry. Apply them to one or several brand attributes or touch points. My goal is to assemble a list of 140 soon, all clearly stated in less than 140 characters for the new language of tweet tongue. I’ll be tapping my social stream for more ideas and be updating the list everyday. Have a contribution? DM at @brandingdiva on twitter.
1. Make up a word as your name
2. Leave something out
3. Use different ingredients
4. Sport an odd uniform
5. Do it faster
6. Save the earth while you are at it
7. Cop an attitude
8. Add humor
9. Package it in the unexpected
10. Combine extreme opposites
11. Infuse a foreign language
12. Give something big away
13. Slow it down
14. Jazz it up with a tune
15. Birth a new holiday
16. Hide something
17. Introduce an unbelievable guarantee
18. Splash a wild color
19. Involve younger minds
20. Gift often
21. Start earlier
22. Never close
23. Dispense it from a vending machine
24. Invite animals
25. Be exclusive
26. Create a mascot
27. Blow up a common practice
28. Use the earth to build it
29. Display it on a building
30. Mix in minis
31. Charge a lot more
32. Take alternative payments
33. Reward loyalty with living gifts
34. Start a new way
35. Slice it up
36. Get social
37. Remove technology
38. Add chocolate
39. Make a metaphor
40. Rearrange it
41. Sacrifice something important
42. Break the rules
43. Require tickets
44. Mash up weird things
45. Always have a deadline
46. Partner with an unusual suspect
47. Conduct an annual poll
48. Create controversy
49. Add a feminine touch
50. Be obnoxious
51. Super-size it
52. Get nostalgic
53. Exaggerate
54. Simplify the process
55. Reverse the order
56. Take a pause
57. Sing it
58. Scream it
59. Always whisper
60. House it in a remote spot
61. Sprinkle spice on it
62. Fast forward
63. Get glamorous
64. Dress it down
65. Get folksy
66. Make it low fat
67. Start a trend
68. Infuse a scent into it
69. Make it see threw
70.Make it edible
71.Be an expert
72.Be independent
73.Make it more durable
74.Turn it black and white
75.Add serenity
76.Incorporate cool
77.Expand its dimension

We’ve all have been there, a bathroom in a business that was not a memorable experience, unless it was so disgusting it left a dreadful, bad impression.

Roadside gas stations are notorious for this. But, I’ve also been in some pretty high-brow retail stores where the loo was a lot less than lovely. In fact, it was missed many opportunities to connect their brand with customers, clients and employees, often and intimately.

If you think about, when someone visits your room of resting it’s a pretty uninterrupted experience, where small details surface and a lot of messaging is communicated.

Take a look at these 3 environments and see how they could be translated into a brand impression.

Unfortunately I see this one a lot.
1) A nasty, un kept facility with no obvious thought about design or decor, multi-used as an unorganized, cluttered stockroom and no basic supplies in sight.

Hmmm is this how do they run their business too?

2) An immaculate space, friendly signage about plumbing sensitivity, interesting art, painted walls and lighting that make your look great, not sick and subtle branding details that further the story about the brand.

This feels good. What a nice experience, I believe this company is thoughtful and these small details tell me more about who they are.

3) I’m blown away. This 2-minute bathroom excursion is so unique. Every detail is memorable from the lighting, to eco-friendly fixtures to the branded soap products.

I can’t wait to tell my friends about this. This company is so creative, innovative and distinct. This makes me feel special.

So which one is your company? And what do you need to do to bring the toilet up to total brand standards?

Here are some ideas to pump up your bathroom branding.
1)Change something out regularly. So people want to visit. Make it a seasonally experience.
2)Consider leveraging more than one sense. What can you do to the scent, the sounds, touch and textures or visuals to make it more memorable?
3)Inject some humor in to the room. Provide custom reading material with a brand twist.
4)Think about how can you imprint your brand graphics into the experience? On the soap, tissues, floor, ceiling or wall tiles.

Here are a couple of my favorite restrooms experiences.

Oddpodz is fortunate to be housed in the Walker Brands Building in Tampa. Walker Brands specializes in experiential, destination branding and their building is the first “Gold” LEED certified property in the city. Which means they were recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council’s leading-edge system for designing and constructing a sustainable, energy-efficient and high-performance building meeting key eco-supporting standards.
The entire space is awesome and a creative haven, but the bathrooms are a great example of a thoughtful on-brand experience. The 8,400-square-foot building has four uniquely wonderful lavatories, all delivering a cool and memorable experience. All designed with a consistent style, each sport a wall-to-wall photo graphic depicting a story and travel experience. One is Fenway Park, one is an aquarium with whale sharks, one is Times Square in New York City and one is a Roman scene. In addition to energy-saving and beautifully-design fixtures, they all have life like sound effects from the featured destination.

My other example is not quite as full drama, but equally as on-brand. The company is a consulting practice and investment banking firm called Santa Fe Capital. It’s owned by emerging business guru and author David Silver. David is very creative, not your typical finance guy and loves art and collects it. His office is packed with an eclectic mix of paintings, sculptures and photographs. And so is his restroom, wall to ceiling, you feel like you are at the MOMA and not in a small business bathroom. It’s impressive and memorable.

If you want to see some other noted restroom environments for more inspiration check out this link highlighting 10 of the most unique restrooms in the world.

Your company toilet, bathroom, power room or what ever you choose to call it is an important branding touch point, don’t to waste the opportunity. Have you seen a cool and on brand bathroom? If so, share it with us.

In the past few years, we’ve heard our share of news stories on dishonest, scum bag, greedy souls. From the Enron gang, to Allen Stanford, to the biggest scammer of all, Bernie Madoff who misled investors and lost over $65 billion. These people are a disgrace to business and mankind.

While these criminal profiles are plastered on every media venue from out there, and they should be, what about companies and brands that behave less than truthfully everyday in their advertising and communications? I think they are just as guilty, and consumers should be aware of their shady moves and then make their choices on what company they should do business with.

I’ve talked about some of these less than forthright brands in my speaking programs and I’ve written about them in the past. We just posted a story I wrote for Fast Company called Integrity, an invaluable brand asset

These companies really get under my skin. In fact, this morning I was reading a half page ad for “The Perfect Pitch” giveaway in Tampa. It is sponsored by Teasdale, marketing of distinction and some other seemingly reputable media companies. The ad says: throw us your perfect pitch and two companies could win $250,000 in media to promote your company and the at applicants get a gift bag valued at $3,000. What it did not tell you was that it costs $500.00 to apply. That information was only found inside the site on the PDF form. To me that’s creepy, and falls under the category of not being honest. Why not put that information on the ad? Wasting my time because of a lack of full disclosure or not clearly marking fees puts no integrity points in their basket. In fact I’ve shared this example at 10 times today with my business buddies.

Contests are notorious for these sneaky ploys. Big brands have dirt on their collars too.

I just received a mailer from Verizon. The offering was $99.00 flat fee for Internet, TV and phone service and they give you $150.00 back. Sounds great, right? So, I call my friendly sales rep to investigate. I wait on hold for 17 minutes, just to find out the boxes you also need for the TVs were not included and neither were the taxes. The drive out price was the same as what I already have. Wasting my time because of a lack of full disclosure or not clearly marking the real price is no better than a friend telling me a big lie. It hurts the relationship.

This list of slimy-talking, deceptive messaging happens every day. And brands wonder why consumer trust is at an all time low. If you know of a company that is resorting to dishonest marketing messages or campaigns, please share, so we can inform our community that the brand in question may too deserve the Bernie Badge of Deception.

Speaking of my pal John Jantsch, forgot to mention that he has invited me to participate in an upcoming Webinar sponsored by HP. The Webinar is called Small Business Branding and its FREE. Joining John and me are:
* » John Moore - Creator of Brand Autopsy & Author of Tribal Knowledge
* » Sam Horn - Author of Pop! - Stand out in any crowd
* » Aaron Weiss - Chief Product Officer for MarketSplash

You don’t want to miss this, register today.

Small Business Branding
The “Truth” About Small Business Branding - using your small business brand to outsmart the competition - a panel discussion featuring practical branding tips and tactics from leading small business branding experts.

* Date:18 Mar 2009, 9 A.M. PST
* Duration: 00:60 min

by Karen Post, a.k.a. The Branding Diva®

It’s Wild Wednesday.
The hump day that shares the brilliant! and the bad (roadkill) ads from around the planet.

Note to readers: We are changing our Wild About Ads Wednesday feature to Worth Talking About Wednesday: Campaigns worth talking about. The media mix today is so diverse, we thought why not include any campaign worth talking about? We’ll look at print, PR, online and alternative programs. If you’ve developed a campaign, send it in. We’ll give it our three cents and invite our members to give theirs.

Charter doesn’t have to be a bitch.
Company: Virgin Charter
Agency: Anthem Creative

Virgin flies high with their Virgin Charter Print Ad. Earlier this year Richard Branson’s Virgin company launched a new brand extension Virgin Charter service. Branson and his team have always been smart and diligent brand builders. In this latest effort, the full-page print ad speaks to the affluent traveler who needs premium air service around their schedule; it is on target. The company does not own or actually fly the aircraft. They serve as a marketing portal for many independent jet service carriers around the world.

The ad, which I spotted in American Express’s Platinum Departure Magazine, leverages the Virgin brand’s personality, high energy and confident. The ad is a great balance of sexy, wit and direct communication. The photography and copy are equally as crisp and assertive. And when the reader is driven to the Website, you absolutely get what this brand stands for.

Have you seen any interesting campaigns worth talking about? Have you created one yourself? We want to hear from you.

About the author: Karen Post, a.k.a. The Branding Diva® is an international authority on branding, marketing, and entrepreneurial matters. She is has been featured as a business expert in print publications; on TV, radio, and on Web channels. Karen authored the best-selling book Brain Tattoos, Creating Unique Brands That Stick in your Customers’ Minds and she is co-founder and CEO of Oddpodz.com, an idea engine for creative professionals and business. Her work has benefited large and small organizations in the United States and around the world.

By Karen Post, The Branding Diva®

I was in Cancun Mexico earlier this month speaking at marketing meeting for a large consumer packaged goods company. I have not been to Mexico in over 15 years. And even though I had traveled to the country at least five times in my life, my memories were vague. Maybe it’s early memory loss setting in, maybe nothing was very remarkable.

It’s also funny how as you evolve in your life, as you have more experiences, your brand affinities and values change too. When I was in my twenties, carbonated beverages, sweet liquors, and snacks mattered. Suntan oils had clout and the hotel brand didn’t even register. Today for me, it’s about luxury brands, products that really perform and solve some challenge and brands that reflect who I am.

Wind of change.
Before arriving in Mexico, my brain was introduced to a potential, newly popular brand category, named by the national hurricane center, a tropical storm named Andrew. Fifteen years ago before 24/7 news weather occurrences did not earn such high-profile notoriety. Today as soon as the storm is named, they have branded, tracking meteorology teams, dedicated TV programming and depending on the storm’s impact, printed T-shirts. Fortunately for me and several hundred thousand other folks, this brand never fully developed, in fact, most have already forgotten its name.

Just thinking about a disaster like this while traveling out of the country made me a lot more aware of the brands near me, and how suddenly even a packaged good, like bottled water, or the hotel brand they provided an important security value and relationship to me.

As I made my journey this past week and encountered some brands, I’d like to share some observations and insight on global identity, awesome customer experiences and small things that can have huge impact on any size brand. I believe people keep scorecards of a brand’s communications, their delivery of benefits and the overall experience. Good stuff adds to the brand equity and stimulates loyalty. Disappointing stuff weakens the emotional connection and dilutes their value.

So who scored points with me this trip and who has work to do? I’ve grouped my thoughts and would love your comments on these brands and these subjects.

Delta Airlines.
I’d rather sell root canals than be in the airline business today. Even the media darling brands like Southwest and JetBlue have had their share of brand damage recently. However, if I were a betting branding person, I’d keep my money on both of those companies because they do get the simple, powerful formula and I am confident they will get past this turbulence.

Was Delta a chosen brand or a default purchase?
Chosen brand.
Even though I can’t say I’m having a love affair with Delta, I did consciously choose them over others. Why? Most direct route and The Crown Room. Hanging out in airports can be a doable, productive chunk of one’s day if there is a nice Crown Room. Electrical outlets, nice restrooms, complimentary drinks including adult beverages, and they can service your ticket, change flights etc. a lot faster than the mass service desks.

Branding humor.

As you may know Delta recently emerged from bankruptcy. As part of their new beginning, they have launched a rebranding campaign with the help of creative agency Shepardson, Stern & Kaminsky in New York. Part of the effort is a new visual mark/logo that will be applied to the airline’s planes along with other marketing communications.

According to Delta’s press release, the centerpiece of the new look is “a striking three-dimensional, red “Widget” icon flying across a blue background that reflects the company’s successful transformation into a highly differentiated, customer-focused airline.”

Jonberrydesign thinks Delta and its new “’do” threw the baby out with the bathwater and ended up with something bland and soulless.

I don’t disagree with Jon’s take on the mark, but, I believe the real plane wreck here is the company’s belief that they have successfully transformed into a highly differentiated, customer-focused airline. Are they referring to the same Delta that I know? Maybe my dictionary is old and they know a new meaning for “differentiated.” Last I looked, it meant “be different.”

OK they do have the Breeze Way that allows First Class and high ranking frequent flyers the ability to board early through a special lane. That’s a little different for a small segment of their elite customers.

Details differentiate.
What about how the planes smell? A nice brand scent would be different. The plastic wear for drinks could be Delta blue or clear red as a memorable brand asset. Boarding gates with a few nap chairs or more sponsored areas with electrical outlets might be nice. What about something unexpected in the seat the seat pocket? Travel tips, destination trivia, or something that directed guests to the Web site for something of added value?

Oh, I did forget this, on my trip to Mexico the Delta staff had failed to bring any English immigration forms on to the plane, so the entire cabin enjoyed personalized line by line translation so we could complete our forms. Now that’s customer engagement, not sure about different.

Seriously, Delta. Walk the talk. If differentiated is what you promise us and your new mark symbolizes this, deliver it. That would be different.

Fiesta Americana Coral Beach, Cancun
Was Fiesta Americana a chosen brand or a default purchase?
Default brand.
My client hosted their conference here. It looked like my kind of place (5 diamond rating and luxury) from their Web communication, but the experience to me was nothing special.

They did not do a lot of things wrong, just not enough extraordinary. This waterfront property was spacious and lightly elegant. Marble adorned the floors, mammoth flower arrangements were the centerpiece of every important room and the staff was pleasant. From here the experience took over. If it had been great, the above would have had more value. But, since they lost points on brand execution the grandness of the environment and décor just faded into a very average place.

The food was fair. The walls were thin. Someone was always pounding on something. The room’s air conditioners were loud and either freezing or barely cooling. There was a huge population of screaming kids and nasty, black birds everywhere. I’m not sure what was worse. I think it was the birds, because they swarmed all the pools and the outdoor restaurants non-stop, like we were filming part 2 of Alfred Hitchcock’s famous flick; very creepy. Even though this brand hosts many English-speaking guests, there were many touch points that were not in English. Which brings me to the point, when your consumer can’t understand what you are saying, you’ve got a challenge.

The psychology of pricing.
When a brand starts disappointing me on the experience, other elements seem to be amplified—like nickel and dime pricing. I don’t get why hotels continue to take this approach instead of just increasing the room rate. This would enable customers to feel good and as if they are getting something for free, instead of the annoyance and even guilt that comes with paying for the fitness room, in-room coffee, and $20.00 a day Internet.

I had added a day after my speaking assignment to relax. I was not feeling like I was in the nirvana zone and knew I needed to find one of my trusted brands for some relief. There was a Ritz Carlton down the road; surely they could deliver on a five-diamond experience.

Ritz Carlton, Cancun
Was Ritz a chosen brand or a default purchase?
Chosen brand.
What a difference a trusted brand makes. From my first step onto the property, a well-spoken, welcoming brand ambassador greeted me. I explained I was not staying with them, but was interested in lunch. “No problem. We are happy to see you” said the staffer. “Would you like a tour of the property so you will know where everything is?”

Globally, The Ritz has done a great job at setting high expectations and consistently meeting them. Whatever country or city you are in, the piped-in classical music, lobby and room décor, art, food, service, and even scents are familiar and thoughtfully executed. At this Cancun property there was not one chirping, annoying black bird anywhere, and no screaming kids. I suppose the price tag at least keeps the kid population down. I had a fabulous lunch, the food was incredible and the service was over the top. The experience was great.

Delivering a total sensory brand experience, leaves lasting impression.
Global branding guru and author of Brand Sense, Martin Lindstrom claims most brands only tap into two of the human senses. Why is that, when full sensory stimulation and engagement significantly heightens the emotional connection between the brand and a consumer. Maybe because investing in these touch points makes it difficult to track ROI? Or operations leaders get too bogged down with bigger scale, non-detail activities?

The next part of my day in Cancun was the ultimate sensory experience, all in the Ritz Carlton brand fashion. While I was having lunch one of the staffers was telling me about a Mexican food cooking class they offered in this super cool, state-of-the-art culinary learning kitchen. She also asked me if I had ever had a massage on the beach at their spa? This was not a hard sell conversation, but a very casual, helpful chat with a very knowledgeable, hospitality pro. Both sounded intriguing, but since I had limited time and an over-abundance of stress, I opted for the spa treatment.

I’m sure this in-depth expertise on property-wide services is part of the staff comprehensive training. Many businesses fail to see the opportunity and don’t do enough in the area of knowledge transfer concerning different departments or business units within an organization to all employees. Two ideas here are to invite employees to experience these services and also consider conducting job swaps where individuals are placed in completely different positions and departments to learn first-hand about diverse areas of a company or property in this case.

Let the senses awaken.
My “seaside” massage was to start at 6pm. My personal concierge arranged everything, scheduling, selection of massage products, down to which therapist would be best for me. Once this was finalized, she prepared a passport-like document in a personalized envelope, all setting the tone for my ultimate experience. This is another important branding touch point; the packaging before a service is delivered. The service is not limited to luxury categories either, business services often miss an opportunity to add a higher perceived value by how they package documents like proposals, contracts, or offering options. This can take the form of a very interesting envelope, or box/container or even silver tray.

Per the instructions of the staffer, I arrived an hour early to enjoy the full range of spa features. I have had a lot of spa treatments in my life, so my “really impress me stage” is pretty high off the ground. I’m happy to report the Ritz hit a home run.

The environment was immaculate. This orderly detail communicates so much to your customer. It says you run a smooth, quality organization. After being greeted by the front staff, I was introduced to my personal valet. She was there every step of the way, ensuring I had everything I needed to be totally relaxed. First stop–my locker. It was filled with small branded amenities, a lush robe, and matching slippers. Next was the steam room. My valet guided me there and presented a chilled glass of cucumber water and iced towel for my eyes. The room was filled with intense steam and a potent aroma of infused eucalyptus oils. After 10 minutes the valet was back to escort me to the whirlpool located in an outside area. Along with warm towels, she presented a beautifully appointed tray of dried fruit, nuts, fresh mango juice and a loose tropical flower. The attention to every sense and thoughtful service took my stressed soul to another place.
The only off-the-brand track details I noticed were in the posted rules throughout the wet rooms. Absolutely no spitting or blowing nose in any of the spa areas. Hmm, can’t say I considered doing either of those. Maybe they printed the signs as duplicates from the men’s room.

From the whirlpool I was guided to the quiet room. Dimmed lights, candles flickering, and my valet brings me a heated, lavender-scented neck pillow. This just kept getting better. The important aspect of all of this is how the brand experience is extended far beyond the one point of the purchased service, in my case getting a massage. This thinking can apply to so many service businesses.

The sea massage begins. Situated about 200 feet from the hotel in a quiet area away from any noise other than the natural sea tide, the wind, and soon-to-be a mild thunderstorm. The white gauze, screened-in grass hut was open on two sides, allowing a strong breeze to add to my experience. The head cradle was scented with a cool mint scent. The sheets were finely woven Egyptian cotton. The treatment was unbelievable. A soft rain started about 15 minutes into the session, followed by thunder and stronger winds. It was like the ultimate Disney ride that extracted all my evil tension and stress. And there was my valet, ready to guide me back to the hotel. Finishing off the journey was a very high tech multi-point massage shower, complete with an assortment of Ritz brand hair and body products. An awesome end to a memorable brand experience. As I exit the spa, and pay my bill, the front staff, along with my personal valet, gift me with a token of their appreciation. The gift was a small fragrant necklace on a soft silk cable with a tiny clay bottle filled with one of their signature scents. What a nice way to be reminded of the brand even after I return home.

This brand experience was a complete 360 adventure. It neglected nothing and reinforced the essence of this global brand of luxury, quality, and supreme service.

4 takeaways to increase the strength of any brand experience.
Even non-luxury brands can gain from the Ritz’s all touch point approach.
1. Small details make a big difference.
2. Leverage all 5 senses.
3. Address the before, during, and after brand communication and experience.
4. Full-circle staff education and training on company-wide brand offering is key.

In summary, my trip was good. Familiar packaged good brands—from the Evian water to the Bayer aspirin—had a deeper connection to me in a foreign land. Easy communication enhanced all my experiences. Language gaps and things not in English added a frustrating element that I assigned to the brand owner as a shortcoming. Mexico is beautiful place, but there is nothing like America. And I’m glad to be home.

About the author: Karen Post, a.k.a. The Branding Diva® is an international authority on branding, marketing, and entrepreneurial matters. She is has been featured as a business expert in print publications; on TV, radio, and on Web channels. Karen authored the best-selling book Brain Tattoos, Creating Unique Brands That Stick in your Customers’ Minds and she is co-founder and CEO of Oddpodz.com, an idea engine for creative professionals and business. Her work has benefited large and small organizations in the United States and around the world.

By Karen Post The Branding Diva®, co-founder of Oddpodz.

“Wanted” the nitwit who created the type justification feature on the Microsoft Word® program, or any word processing program for that matter. And all the nitwit followers who always justify documents (proposals, letters, and even PowerPoint® presentations) and continue to use goofy outdated typefaces; underscore, bold, and capitalize letters in long phrases, and then separate them from the body copy with floating headlines.

This is not cool. I don’t care if your attorney does it, he or she is mislead too. It just makes your document look cheesy and your brand unprofessional.
Just because a computer or word processing application has these type features, does not make them right. Typography was born to help you communicate. Using type correctly can act as a visual tool in conveying your cause, selling your idea, or expressing your message; not to degrade your brand with bad type practices.

Here are five tips to polish up your documents, so they work with you.

1) Justifying type dramatically reduces readability. If you want to make your reader’s experience pleasant and reader-friendly, flush-left your type.

2) If you want to draw attention to a word, select one type style, like bold, not three. Less is more.

3) Designer typefaces are like fashion. They look good when they are in vogue. When they are out of style, they look worse than a light blue leisure suit showing up in a swanky, hip bar.

4) Headlines are meant to guide the reader’s eye to the body copy. Floating headlines with space between them (under the headline) serves no purpose except to make it more work for your reader to get your communication.

5) In most cases, all caps communicates that you are screaming. If that is your intent, go for it. If it’s not, try upper and lower case letters.

Applying these simple guidelines can drastically improve the effectiveness and quality image of your documents. Share these tips with every attorney you know. Who knows: together maybe we can eliminate these goofy, uninformed document producers’ bad type practices.

About the author: Karen Post, a.k.a. The Branding Diva® is an international authority on branding, marketing, and entrepreneurial matters. She is has been featured as a business expert in print publications; on TV, radio, and on Web channels. Karen authored the best-selling book Brain Tattoos, Creating Unique Brands That Stick in your Customers’ Minds and she is co-founder and CEO of Oddpodz.com, an idea engine for creative professionals and business. Her work has benefited large and small organizations in the United States and around the world.

by Ann Marie Gardner

In an unusual chain of events, and somewhat of an outsourcing reversal, this Oddpodz marketing staffer helped infuse India with another well-known American brand. The Washington Redskins cheerleaders were invited to become the Bangalore Royal Challengers T20 Cricket cheerleading team. As a former brand ambassador and member of the squad, I spent 18 days in India supporting the team in this goodwill and marketing effort.

In T20, gone are the days of British tea and wearing white pants during a five-day game. The India Premier League (IPL) has shortened the game to three hours, signed a billion-dollar broadcasting contract with Sony, and the international roster of players are treated like rock stars; all part of what we in the United States know as “sportainment.” This Western trend is the reason they contracted out for the job of Cheerleading Team.

This was my seventh trip overseas with the cheerleaders and as a more seasoned traveler, my purpose in being there was to assist the director and team in everything. To the inexperienced members, India represented an overwhelming number of things to deal with in a small amount of time; malaria, dehydration, or language barriers. I did what I could to fix problems and alleviate the “static” so the ladies could maintain the glamour and attitude of entertainment, brand ambassadors—the NFL cheerleader brand.

The trip also gave me a great occasion to make some branding observations around the culture, market and environment.

The Redskin Cheerleader brand today is entirely due to the Redskins’ current Director of Entertainment, Donald Wells. I’ve worked with Donald since 1997, I’ve been in marketing since 1992, and I spent some time reflecting on similarities in branding “products” across commercial and geographic lines. Yes, even cheerleading. And what does it take to successfully export this entertainment product to a country across the globe that resembles ours in . . . hardly any way at all?

3 important branding tips when traveling to a foreign venue.
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By Karen Post, the Branding Diva®

This past week, I was in Champaign IL, the University of Illinois to be exact. The university was the host and one of the sponsoring organizations of The National Center for Women & Information Technology’s, NCWIT meeting on Advancing Computing from Multiple Disciplines. The National Center for Women & Information Technology is a coalition of more than 100 prominent corporations, academic institutions, government agencies, and non-profits working to increase women’s and minorities’ participation in information technology (IT).

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