Design Management & Media

Design Management
& Media:
Understanding the roles, future and characteristics
of print and online media to promote effective design.
VanDna Cheena Jain
2010
Design Management
& MEDIA:
VanDna Cheena Jain

Acknowledgements
I wish to express my sincere thanks and regards to Dominic R. Stone

for giving invaluable advice and encouragement to me during the
completion of this work. My thanks are due to Anthony Kent and
David Griffiths for their additional guidance and wisdom throughout
this MA course. I am grateful to the British Council for providing
me financial assistance during my stay at the University of the Arts
London, London College of Communication, without which my
further education would have been difficult to accomplish. The
contributions of my study group, the Design Business Association
and interviewees in the preparation of this research is also highly
appreciated. With the members of my family and my friends
whose constant affection, inspiration and trust have led me to this
achievement, I wish to share my mixed feelings of joy and love.
To my father, thank you for having the courage to stand there so long
ago so that I could stand where I do today.
Thank you.
Vandna Cheena Jain
September 13, 2010
3
ABstract
Given the overcrowded marketplace, globalization, current socio-

economic climates and more, we see that brands and organizations
today must find ways to communicate more effectively. Recognizing
that the role of print and online media is changing and that we are
facing a shift in the way we correspond, this study aims to understand
the relationship between design management with both media and
effective design. For the purpose of this research, this relationship is
examined in three focus areas:
1. The value and future of print and online media

2. Implications of media consideration on businesses and
the creative industry
3. The role of media in effective design strategies
Supplementary analyses and research are presented in the appendices

to complement these findings.
Through secondary research, both from the literature review and case
study review, the areas of design management and media have been
explored. This includes:
- A breakdown of aspects of the design management discipline.

- An overview of both print and online media.
- A brief understanding of the interaction of design management
and media.

Design effectiveness and the value of design has also been discussed
and while it informs the literature review, it is supplementary;
readers can read about this topic in Appendix A.
As stated previously, this research examines three main focus areas.

Through the analysis, discussion and recommendations sections of
this study, these themes are evaluated and presented. The findings
of these themes were based on primary and secondary research in
the form of interviews with industry professionals, survey responses
from consumers and review of Design Business Association Design
Effectiveness Award case studies. In this presentation, the intention
is to reflect on growth opportunities for both the role of media and
consumer interaction.
The context of this research aims to be useful in many regards:

First, the author seeks to change the perception of print and online
media and to consider the future evolution of media consumption.
Secondly, this research wishes to allow businesses and creative
professionals to recognize the importance of media consideration
in the phases of design to achieve design effectiveness. And finally,
this information intends to both apply design management to the
consideration of media and implementation, but also consider the
implications of media on this discipline.
5
List of figures
Figure 1: Research Design and Methodology p. 22
Figure 2: Understanding the Context of Design p. 28
Figure 3: Levels of Design p. 29
Figure 4: The Function of Design for Different Roles p. 30
Figure 5: Levels of Design Strategy p. 32
Figure 6: Media Split of Advertising Expenditure, Print: 2000-05 p. 41
Figure 7: Basic SWOT Analysis of Print Media p. 43
Figure 8: Media Split of Advertising Expenditure, Online: 2000-05 p. 44
Figure 9: Basic SWOT Analysis of Online Media p. 45
Figure 10: Categorizing the Traits of Print Media p. 53

Figure 11: A Breakdown of the Values of Print Media p. 54
Figure 12: Psychology Traits of Print Media p. 55
Figure 13: Physicality Traits of Print Media p. 56
Figure 14: Impact Traits of Print Media p. 57
Figure 15: Categorizing the Traits of Online Media p. 62
Figure 16: A Breakdown of the Values of Online Media p. 63

Figure 17: Experience Traits of Online Media p. 64
Figure 18: Distribution Traits of Online Media p. 65

Figure 19: Presence Traits of Online Media p. 66
Figure 20: Creating Relevance Online in the Future p. 68
Figures 21 & 22: Old and New Models of Communication p. 93
Table 1: Case 1 BT Business Support p. 79
Table 2: Case 2 Another Place Magazine p. 80
Table 3: Case 3 Melbourne Writers Festival p. 81
Table 4: Case 4 Macmillan Cancer Support p. 82

Table 5: Case 5 T-Mobile Bill Redesign p. 83
Table 6: Case 6 All Bar One Vino Voyage p. 84
Table 7: Case 7 NHS Pregnancy Planner p. 85
7
Contents
Case Study: Nitro Group
Acknowledgements p. 3
ABSTRACT p. 5
List of Figures p. 7
1. Introduction p. 13
1.1 Aims of Research p. 16
1.2 Research Question and Objectives p. 18
1.3 Research Methods p. 20
2. Literature Review p. 25
2.1 Design Management p. 26
2.1.1 Defining Design Management p. 26
2.1.2 Fields of Design Management Application p. 30
2.1.3 Design Management & Design Effectiveness p. 36
2.2 Media p. 38
2.2.1 An Overview of Media p. 38
2.2.2 Print Media p. 39
2.2.3 Online Media p. 43
2.3 DM, Media & Implementation p. 48

2.3.1 Managing Media with Design p. 48
Contents
3. ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS p. 5 1
3.1 The Value and Future of
Print and Online Media p. 53
3.1.1 The Value of Print Media p. 53
3.1.2 The Future of Print Media p. 58
3.1.3 The Value of Online Media p. 61
3.1.4 The Future of Online Media p. 67
3.2 Implications of Media Consideration p. 69

3.2.1 Media and Engagement in the Creative Process p. 69
3.2.2 User Experience p. 70
3.2.3 Understanding Effective Media Choices p. 72
3.2.4 Media, Message and Place p. 73
3.2.5 Pinpointing Relevant Target Groups p. 75
3.3 The Role of Media

in Effective Design Strategy p. 77
3.3.1 Emotionally-Driven and Experiential Engagement p. 79
3.3.2 Strategic and Insightful Use of Media p. 79
3.3.3 Application of Common Themes p. 79
4. Discussion OF FINDINGS p. 87
4.1 The Shift of Media p. 88
4.2 Design Management of Media p. 89
4.3 Cross-collaboration &
Multi-disciplinary Teams p. 91
4.4 User Experience& Engagement p. 93
4.5 Additional Considerations p. 94
5. Recommendations p. 97
5.1 Recommendation for Today p. 98
5.2 Recommendations for Tomorrow p. 100
6. Conclusions p. 103
7. Bibliography p. 107
7.1 Primary Research p. 108
7.1.1 Interviews p. 108
7.1.2 Design Business Association Case Studies p. 109
7.2 Secondary Research p. 110

7.2.1 Books p. 110
7.2.2 Publications, Journals and Articles p. 114
7.2.3 Websites p. 115
7.2.4 Lectures and Attended Events p. 117
Chapter 1:
Introduction
1 Introduction
The debate about online versus print media has been a common discussion within
the creative community.
After graduating in 2005, with a BFA in Graphic Design, the author
noticed that the line of separation between interactive and print
designers was slowly disappearing, alongside the emergence of the
argument that print is dead. Due to the recent recession, she also
noticed the demands placed upon designers to have expertise in both
print and online medias.
As a designer with strengths in print design, the author felt

the need to change or reflect on her future path. Through the
design management MA, she sought to gain more insight on the
management and development of online media to further her
career. From this, an interest with regards to media consumption
and effective design developed; eventually these topics became the
inspiration for this research. The author, from experience, has
consistently seen a need to reevaluate the uses of print design for
such things like branding, B2B and consumer print. It should be
noted that while packaging is one aspect of the print medium, it
encompasses a different purpose and addresses a different need.
For this reason and the breadth of the research, packaging was not
addressed in this research. The realm of online media is of similar
interest and a germane area of inquiry: With the growth and new
applications of the medium, we see that businesses are unclear about
the opportunities available online. Again, certain areas like SMS
marketing and more were not discussed in an attempt to limit the
breadth of this research.
Introduction
Within this dissertation, there may be a consideration for bias
towards print media due to the authors background. However, the
intended dialogue of this research is not to prove that one media
is superior to another, but rather to show that these mediums
function in different ways, have unique strengths and so, should
be considered appropriately. The range of information presented
is wide, but a necessary task in order to allow for a reflection about
future growth and realize change.
The intention of this research is not to reeducate the creative community on media,
but to shift perceptions. Furthermore, this research aims to strengthen business
initiatives by allowing organizations to recognize the contribution of media to
effective design.
We see that media has a tremendous role in the interactions between

businesses and consumers through not only a message, but also the
way in which that message is presented. Through this application of
design management, we can not only begin to understand the role
of print and online media for effective design, but also recognize
another way that this discipline is an appropriate and necessary tool
for businesses and creative agencies in the future.
15
1.1 AIMS OF Research
Within the past decade, we have seen a shift in media consumption

and the development of strategy for business. While have seen the
decline in the use of print-based strategy and the rise of internet-
based creative development, we must understand the value of both.
This research aims to discuss how the consideration of media through

the stages of design management is essential to effective design solutions.
By looking at the Design Business Association Design Effectiveness
award winners, we can further consider common themes, the role
of media within these strategies and how that allowed for maximum
client benefits. From this, we can begin to see in what ways each media
can be used most effectively through design and in what ways design
implementation is a key ingredient of effective design.
The Value of Design
All businesses need to communicate, and they do so with man-made things

reports, promotional and advertising materials, videos, signs, and a host of other
products that must be designed To gain its full potential benefit, therefore, a
manager needs to know how best to use design and how best to understand its
contribution (Gorb, p.70, 1990).
There is currently a knowledge gap regarding the value of design
for business in addition to the misunderstanding of design as a
visual discipline (Pilditch, 1990). By allowing both the creative and
business communities to understand the value of design and design
Introduction: Aims of Research

effectiveness through common themes such as strategy, media choices, project management
and more, we can allow businesses to create competitive advantages for themselves (Wolff
Olins, 1985).
The Specialty of Print and Online Mediums
Given the mass transition to web-based design, this study has become extremely relevant.
There has been a shift in what is required of employees in recent years. This has potentially
created a skills gap within the industry and frequently we are seeing new expectations of
creative professionals (Cox, 2005). Whereas in the early part of the decade, there was
a division between print and new media designers, at the present time, many designers
are expected to be outstanding at both mediums. There must be some thought to the
distinguishing traits of each media and a designers interaction with this knowledge. This
consideration lends itself to the understanding of how designing for specific media types can
have different results and value for business.
Design and Media
In the future, we will need to create opportunities for innovation and competition to allow
businesses to thrive. By looking media as well as design effectiveness, we can understand
where and how design can have value for businesses through the utility of these different types
of media by redefining their consumption.
With the shifts in media consumption both within the industry and socially, this research will
allow us to reflect on effectiveness and business growth to see how media choices are means to
successful strategy. We must also consider whether or not within an increasingly online world,
print-based strategy is still an effective and relied upon communication medium and if so,
for what reasons.
Additionally, we must understand the uses of print and online media within a wider
context for industry and consider areas of growth or change with the application of design
management for branded communications.
17
1.2 Research Question
& Objectives
In the past decade, we have seen a shift in media consumption and

usage from print to online initiatives. As technology has evolved, so
has the opportunity to enhance communication with audiences. It
is due to the rapid influx of information that we must understand
the ways to stay present in the mind of the consumer and create an
emotional response.
We have seen a long history of print media and given the appearance of
the Information Age and online media, we must begin to understand
the new place of both medias (Philips Design, 1999). By utilizing
design management, we can consider the most appropriate uses of
these types of media and expand the utility of each. This consideration
of media also affects the design management of solutions.
Whether we call it the third wave, the Information Age, the Digital Era, or the
New Modernity, the name is relatively unimportant: each epithet merely reflects
a different aspect of the complex sociological upheaval which is resulting from
recent technological breakthroughs...The challenge for designersis to first
discover the new relevant benefits and qualities that products and services
should have if they are to fulfil the aspirations and dreams of consumers, and
then to find the most effective way of communicating them in the new market
place (Philips Design, p. 5, 1999).
Introduction: Research Question and Objectives

With this study, the main area being focused on is:
How does the implementation, future, and role of media relate to the
design management of effective design strategies and vice versa?
This focus area will be examined utilizing the following objectives in order to
inform this study through primary and secondary research:
Discuss the current trends and unique attributes of both print and
online mediums and how these provide the mediums with different
roles and reasons for use.
Show that print is not a fading medium, but rather the needs and
uses for it must shift due to the nature of media use and marketing
communications within todays society.
Prove that one media is not superior to another, but rather

communication strategies must consider the message and the role of
the media in order to be most effective.
Evaluate effective design strategies and understand the role of media

and consumer engagement within these strategies.
Understand how the use of design management of media in the

design strategy and process stages will better inform an effective
solution.
19
1.3 Research methods
To conduct this investigation, specific steps were taken as part of

the research design to ensure thorough evaluation of both design
effectiveness and media. While one worldview could be assigned
to this research, this is would not be appropriate as the beliefs of
the researcher lie within both postpositivism and participatory
worldviews: The reason for this is that there is a need to identify
and assess the causes that influence outcomes and a need to bring
about change in practices (Creswell, p. 7-10, 2009). In addition,
we can see through postpositivism that the research design focuses
on the hypotheses; this later assists with grounded theory (Saunders,
Lewis & Thornhill, 2009). With reference to the characteristics of
the researcher, evaluation of data and more, this leads us to find both
elements of inductive and deductive research approaches.
To best inform the research itself, design effectiveness had to be the

first area of investigation. Through review of the Design Business
Association (DBA) Design Effectiveness case studies, common
themes were considered to help inform the place for both design
management and media within this realm. These case studies border
a fine line between being primary and secondary research as that
segment of research reflect elements of both. Additionally during this
phase, the literature review was conducted and such things like design
effectiveness, design management and media were topics of focus.
While the area of media could focus on phenomenological

research for the evaluation of human experiences, this approach
to research would not fit the timeframe due to the need for long-
term observation (Creswell, 2009). In addition, while this research
Introduction: Research Methods

is concerned with consumer behavior to some extent, it seeks to
understand the characteristics and roles of media first. It is for this
reason, through grounded theory, it was established that a second
stage of research would begin through interviews with industry
professionals. With awareness of their backgrounds and expertise,
questions were developed that focused on their experiences and
personal knowledge to gain a clearer and fuller picture of the realities
to do with this research. To complement this information, survey
questions were designed and responses were acquired to obtain a
consumers point of view in relation to this research. It is important
to note that the design of this survey additionally allowed for
qualitative data collection from participants.
Qualitative research is dominant within this study as it seeks to

explore and understanding the meaning individuals or groups
ascribe to a social or human problem (Creswell, p. 4, 2009).
The survey information seeks to demonstrate further support of
the responses of the interviewees. And so, there is less focus on the
numerical findings within the analysis section. The gathering of data
worked towards the concurrent mixed methods approach through the
triangulation of existing literature, views of industry professionals,
and consumer preference to complete a more thorough investigation.
It should also be noted that due to the authors background as an art

director and designer, as well as her personal experiences, there is
some element of bias towards print media. However, this study does
not seek to prove dominance of one media or another, but rather
highlight the sustainability and uses of these mediums.
The diagram on the following page assists in illustrating the research

methodology.
21
LITERATURE
1 + +
SECONDARY
REVIEW
Design Design
Media
Management Eectiveness
2
REVIEW
ADD.
Review of DBA Design Eectiveness Case Studies
INTERVIEWS
+ SURVEYS
+ CASE STUDY
PRIMARY
COLLECTION
3
ANALYSIS
DATA
Develop Develop
Questions Questions Breakdown of
Role of Media
In-Person/ Collect
Phone Meetings Responses
4
FINDINGS
Analysis of Content and Findings

PRESENTATION
Discussion of Findings
SUMMATION
5 Recommendations
Conclusion
Figure 1: Research Design and Methodology
Introduction: Research Methods

23
Chapter 2:
Literature
Review
The intention of this literature is to explore the roles and application
of design management in relation to the uses and implementation of
media. The information is presented in three categories:
1. Design Management
2. Media
3. Design Management and Design Effectiveness
By evaluating these three areas we can begin to form connections
between the design management of the role of media and its
contribution to design effectiveness. Further research regarding
the value of design is available in Appendix A. While we have
information about such things like media planning and buying, this
research is unique in that it allows media to be recognized as a major
factor in the success of business solutions.
2.1 Design ManAgement
2.1.1 DEFINING DESIGN MANAGEMENT

When we begin to discuss design management, often there tends to be
confusion and a simplification of the discipline as the management
of design, with design being understood in a more traditional sense.
This misunderstanding has caused design and design management to
go unrecognized as a necessity by governments and businesses, globally.
What we have discovered is that there is no formal definition of design
management, but rather many meanings (Best, 2006).
In part design management can be understood as two things. The

first aspect relates to the simplified sensibility: The management of
design. However, it is the second aspect that has a deeper meaning,
LIterature Review: Design Mangement

which relates to recognizing what design is and how we can use it to our advantage (Marzano,
1999). As Kathryn Best states in her book:
The outcome of a design project can be seen in the products, services, interiors, buildings, software processes that
we come into contact daily. The management of these design projects is only one aspect of design management. The
activity of designing is a user-centred, problem-solving process, which also needs to be managed and therefore is
another facet of design management (2006).
So we can understand it as both the managing of design, but also as the designing of
management, linking such things as brand and corporate management, design, marketing
and design thinking.
Additionally, we can see design management as a way to utilize design as an available resource
to an organization and as a means for it to achieve its strategic goals and align itself wholly to
its corporate agenda (Best, 2006). Cooper and Press add to this by highlighting that design
management is in fact the response of individuals to the needs of their business and the
contribution they can make to enable design to be used effectively (1995). We can also reflect
upon design management at dual levels within the organization: managing at the corporate
level, as well as, the project level (Topalian in Best, 2006). This concept expands when we
look at the purpose of design management as a discipline.
Design management has a twofold objective:

1. To train partners/managers and designers. This entailsfamiliarizing managers
with design and designers with management.
2. To develop methods of integrating design into the corporate environment.
(Borja De Mozota, p. 70, 2003).
As depicted in Figure 2, by understanding the context and functionality of design that exists
both internally and externally of a corporate environment, managers can better recognize
how to support their intended outcomes and organizational goals. Furthermore, design
management is important to a business in that design can effect management strategically,
tactically, and operationally, both in long and short term situations (Borja de Mozota, 2003).
As shown in Figure 3 illustrates the use of design at different levels.
27
Understanding the context in
CREATIVE ENTERPRISE WITHIN
which design operates, helps
THE ORGANIZATION
design managers to identify
opportunities for new creative
projects, processes and
enterprises, and plan for the
Design Technology resources needed. It also helps
other decision-makers under-
stand what they need to
contribute, and how these
projects support their goals.
Marketing Management Inside an organization, design

typically exists as an in-house
team working alongside or
embedded within other functional
business units. Design can also
exist outside the organisation
as a consultancy or agency.
CREATIVE ENTERPRISE OUTSIDE

OF THE ORGANIZATION Source: Best, p. 15, 2006
Figure 2: Understanding the Context of Design, (Best, p. 15, 2006)
Design is a function, a resource and a way of thinking within organisations and one that can be active in strategic
thinking, the development processes and crucially, the implementation of projects, systems and services(Best,
2006).
As illustrated in Figure 4, design managers must be able to adapt to different roles based on
the needs of their environments, context and goals. For instance, we see the design leader as
a visionary, someone who provokes change and sees the possible benefits of design for their

Design is active at three levels
Design at the level of in any organization: strategic,
strategy, policy and mission tactical and operational.
At the strategic level, the overall

policies, missions, and agendas
Design at the level of
are defined and it is to these
tactics, systems and processes
agendas that design must connect.
At the tactical level, the teams,
Design at processes, and systems of specific
the level of operations, business units come into play.
tangibles and touch
At the operational level, design
manifests itself in the physical
and tangible products, services and
experiences the implementation
of projects and processes the
customer can actually touch.
Source: Adapted from Sean Blair, Spirit of Creation, cited in Best, p.17, 2006
Figure 3: Levels of Design, (Best, p. 17, 2006)
organization. Design managers create value for the organization by using design and design
thinking as resources to implement effective design processes and internal policies throughout
all aspects of a business. Finally, the designer is focused on creating and delivering solutions
to the client within the scope and quality expectations set at the start of the project (Best, 2006).
29
Design Leader Design Manager Designer
Vision Process Content
Managers of design often have to transend roles and adapt to dierent situations.
The design leader sets the vision for how design could be used within an organisation,
selling the vision to, and gaining buy-in from, key stakeholders, and decision makers.
The design manager ensures the design processes, procedures and internal functions are
adding value to the organisation, through the internal resourcing of design thinking into
and across a range of business units and projects.
The designer helps unlock the potential of a proposal, and crafts and delivers the solution,
to brief, on time and within budget, to satisfy the client and customer needs.
Source: Mike Crump, Design Manager, British Airways, cited in Best, p.17, 2006
Figure 4: The Function of Design for Different Roles,, (Best, p. 17, 2006)
2.1.2 Fields of DESIGN MANAGEMENT APPLICATION

While design management has strategic, operational and tactical levels of use it also has
various fields or knowledge groups of application. This means is that different aspects of
design management can apply categorically to operational, tactical and strategic levels within

an organization. We can define these stages of application as design strategy, design process, and
design implementation (Best, 2006).
DEsign Strategy
Application of design management as needed for design strategy reflects the more emergent
uses for design. Within this focus area, the identification and creation of proper atmosphere for
design is developed and encouraged. Design thinking, stakeholder support and engagement and
a reflection of design contributing throughout a business are key aspects of design management
for design strategy (Hands, 2009) (Best, 2006).
Identifying the problem and insights

By using tools and models of analysis, organizations can better recognize where design is needed.
For example, political, social, economic and technological factors can be acknowledged through
the use of a PEST analysis, while strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for a business
are reviewed with a SWOT analysis. Other such tools include scenario planning, competitive
analysis and paradigms of change. The use of these tools lends itself to identifying problems
areas, needs and contexts that focus on the best ways to impact long-term growth, create
opportunities for innovation, establish design strategy, engage stakeholders, audit current design
usage and utilize design thinking, in an effort to establish change within the organization (Best,
2006) (Cooper & Press, 1995).
User-Centered Design
Additionally, while organizations identify their internal and external contexts, they must
also consider the consumer and the client (Gowrie, 1990) (Wolff Olins, 1985). Within the
category of design strategy, understanding the audience and the market are equally important to
the success of strategy implementation, product development and value communication. This is
where such resources like research and development come into play in an effort to recognize and
interpret the needs of both consumers and clients so that businesses may satisfy them profitably.
Through insight based strategy development, organizations will be able to knowledgably and
31
relevantly promote their strategies to both their clients and their end users (Gorb, Design as a
Corporate Weapon, 1990). This strategy could also include change management and building
design into the organisations, effecting accountability, design teams, a multi-functional
resource base and communication to further enhance productivity and possible benefits
(Best, 2006).
LEVELS OF DESIGN STRATEGY
DESIGN DESIGN COMPANY

STRATEGY ATTRIBUTES GOALS
Product Styling, Aesthetics, To add value for consumer and

VALUE Quality, Standards, Added Value enhance company reputation.
Product Dierentiation, Product

IMAGE Diversication, Product Identity, Company image and strategy
Brand Identity, Brand Creation
Generate New Ideas, Idea

Culture for new ideas, creativity
PROCESS Communication, Interepret Ideas
and innovation
Integrate Ideas, Promote Products
Reduce Complexity, Use New

Improvement and reduce time
PRODUCTION Technology and Materials, Reduce
to market.
Production Time
Source: Trueman in Hands, p. 16, 2009
Figure 5: Levels of Design Strategy, (Trueman in Hands , p. 16, 2009)

Levels of Design Strategy
Both client and consulting organizations have a need to find the opportunity for design
internally and externally, given social, economic, political contexts. Through design
management, businesses are able to understand in what ways design and design strategies can
provide different benefits through such things as added value, image, process, and production.
As shown in Figure 5, design management allows us to ascertain in which ways we can strategically
utilize design attributes to achieve corporate goals (Hands, 2009) (Borja de Mozota, 2003).
Design Process
Through the design process, design is used to realize the strategy and make it accessible
through project development. It is here that design management helps to create brand value,
product differentiation, design-led experiences and effective creation of corporate and
consumer engagement. Furthermore, this contributes to brand reinforcement, competitive
advantage, strategic implementation and effective problem solving (Best, 2006) (Hands, 2009).
Within design strategy, key insights are gained to better inform the need for design, so this
also informs the best ways to establish a creative outcome and solution through design process.
For instance, through PEST, SWOT and competitive analyses, a business can identify its
problems, while through research and interaction, the needs of consumers and clients are
understood. These pieces of information help to develop the project brief and establish
collaborative design resources with which to develop and implement a solution.
The value of design lies in its multidisciplinary approach to problem solving,

its ability to manifest the strategic goals of an organization and its passion for
taking a user-centred approach to addressing wider needs (Best, p. 97, 2006).
Multi-Disciplinary problem-Solving, Partnerships and Design Leadership

By building partnerships and interfunctionality between departments, individuals, businesses,
customers and more, design can assist with the expanding the possibilities and realization
of concepts when brainstorming, mind-mapping, and prototyping (Cooper & Press, 1995)
33
(Brown, 2009). By allowing for design awareness internally and expanding the knowledge
and resources available, teams can allow for a range of design-based, innovative solutions to
complement the criteria of their design brief.
By using design leadership in an organization, design managers can use design awareness to
facilitate the creative process, brainstorming, product differentiation, brand promotion,
implementation thinking and more (Best, 2006) (Ambrose & Harris, 2010). This also allows
individuals to consider design as a craft, a conceptual process as well as a basis for visual
qualities; during the process stage, each of these elements must be considered; For example,
media selection and material usage are included in this.
Different materials have different tactile qualities and these can be harnessed by
a design and felt by the recipient. Use of alternative materials can add different
qualities to a design, perhaps making it more memorable or more of a luxury item
The use of different materials may also increase the longevity of the design product
The design thinking to employ materials at a higher level as a part of adesign
concept typically occurs as a part of the ideate stage given that in this instance, the
material is a fundamental design element (Ambrose & Harris, p. 158, 2010).
Creating Brand value and Expression

A major aspect of the design process is the expression of the brand with regards to brand
value, promise, and corporate culture. Through effective and design-based solutions, this
sense of brand can be communicated internally and externally by understanding the place
of design from strategy to process to implementation (Best, 2006). It is during the process
phase that these values, promises and beliefs can be expressed through the brand image,
allowing for design-led brand management (Olins, 2008). This in turn can allow the brand
to be user-centered allowing for a connection with consumers, extending a brand beyond
tangible benefits and allowing for a brand experience (Best, 2006).

DEsign IMPLEMENTATION
Design management affects many aspects of the projects production. The implementation, or
production phase, is where the design decisions that were made throughout the design process
are executed, including media, format, materials, and more (Ambrose & Harris, 2010).
During this stage, the design team must pass over their designs to experienced producers,
i.e. printers, programmers, etc., to the clients set expectations. Design management also
assists beyond project completion so that the end product can be handed off to the client
and maintained beyond the project life cycle, existing with guidelines and within daily
functional activities. This includes implementing the end product in a way that translates
globally and locally and can evolve based on changing contextual needs (Best, 2006).
Project Management
Project management, a major element within this stage, revolves around the management
and coordination of the implementation of both strategy and process, revolving around
the stakeholders, resources and team workers that are involved. There is a focus on
project management on the basis of balancing time, cost and quality to fulfill the clients
expectations. To balance these factors effectively, often times, compromises must be made
in order to see the strategy move forward through to project completion. This includes
changes brought forth from cost effectiveness, design reviews, risk assessment, and project
timing (Murray-Webster & Simon, 2007).
Materials and Media

Consideration of materials, media, and physical production or manufacturing is increasingly
important within the implementation of a project. As noted in the case of media:
The type of media used to distribute a design will have been identified earlier in the design process but media
choice may present different considerations during design implementation (Ambrose & Harris, p. 166, 2010).
35
Through project management, there is consideration to the balance of time, cost and quality
due to the use of materials and media. For instance, we can note that high production costs
are an example of one area that could affect the management of the project. On the other
hand, through design management, a clients objectives can be more clearly defined through
design policy and procedure, while production and manufacturing can be evaluated to
become more streamlined to reduce costs as well (Cox, 2005) (Best, 2006).
MEASURING THE BENEFITS

The success of a design project allows an organization to understand the value and performance
of their initiatives. While the benefits and success of a strategy is relative to the objectives, aim
and goals of a client or organization, design, if used effectively, will always have value (Pilditch,
1990). These elements can be measured through such things as return on investment, economic
and social results, brand awareness, press, awards, and more, but most often we see the value
of design and its benefits measured through quantitative data. Please refer to Appendix A for
further discussion on design effectiveness and the value of design. By recognizing the value
and contribution of design and design strategy to the objectives of an organization, a company
and/or its consultants can allow for improved processes, better company image and easier
communication (Best, p. 170, 2006). Additionally, by measuring the benefits of design
strategy, processes, implementation and more, an organization can better understand the use
of design as a tool for competitive advantage. Furthermore, linking such things like growth in
sales, increase in profits, shareholder value and more to design initiatives is something that
will allow high-level executives to understand the benefits of their investment in a way that
would create a more significant future for design within a company. In essence, measuring
the benefits allows us to recognize the design effectiveness of implemented solutions.
2.1.3 DESIGN MANAGEMENT and design effectiveness

As design is many things, design effectiveness can also be discussed in many ways. For the
purpose of this study, we are specifically looking at design effectiveness within case studies,
including some of the Design Business Association (DBA) Design Effectiveness award

winners, which will allows us to understand common themes with effective strategies and
media utilization (Appendix D).
As there are so many aspects within business to manage, it is hard to completely acknowledge
and monitor every area of business that contributes to success. However, through design
management as a discipline, we are finding that the utilization of design, effectively, through
such things like design thinking, multi-disciplinary teamwork, and insight builds the potential
for growth and success (Cooper & Press, 1995), (Brown, 2008). We can see the use of design
management within the design strategy, design process, and design implementation phases
of a project can allow for better design solutions that connect with consumers (Best, 2006).
Additionally, while we can understand and recognize both tangible and intangible benefits
resulting from design, we can recognize designs contribution directly based on such things
like statistical and descriptive information we acquire from client, consultancy, and consumer
interaction with processes, sales, services or communication strategies (Knapp, 2008).
As Peter Gorb writes in his essay, What is Design Management?:
It will never be possible to measure exactly the worth of design in financial terms, but
that is true of many of the resources on which managers draw. However, design has
always suffered from too much subjectivity; from a view of it as a soft activity linked
to the creative and the unquantifiable. Anything that we can do to point out where
to look in order to attempt some measurements will help to ensure that managers
use design more effectively, and above all treat it seriously (Gorb, Introduction: What
is Design Management?, p. 2, 1990).
Succinctly, we can see design management as a way to make managing design efficient and
effective. By this we mean making the best decisions and performing those decisions in the
best possible way, thus allowing for maximum benefit. In the case of this study, we are looking
at both elements of effective strategies and evaluation of medias current and future role with
these strategies.
37
2.2 MEDIA
2.2.1 AN overview of media

One definition regards media as:
Electronic or printed forms that are used to distribute a design (Ambrose & Harris,
p.182, 2010).
However, we can expand on this definition:
Media is a term that refers to technologies (print, radio, television, sound recording,
and such like) through which content created for groups of consumers is moved and
organized (Kng, Picard, & Towse, p. 7 2008).
In recent years, the categories of media have blurred, with the use
of guerilla marketing, mobile technologies, new substrates for
printing, experiential design, and more, the possibilities of media
implementation have expanded, just as the definition of types of
media has become endless. Companies are finding new and unique
ways to spread messages that are not reliant on the more traditional,
print or web-based medias (Ambrose & Harris, 2010). There is
a consideration that the concept of media has begun to evolve.
Additionally, transmedia and multi-channel strategies have now
come to the forefront and are a necessity for business. Print and
online media channels are still the most commonly used forms of
implementation and distribution (Birkenshaw, 2002). Furthermore:
Printed media and digital media work in combination to achieve more

than either would achieve separately (Birkenshaw, p. xviii, 2002).
LIterature Review: Media

According to experts of design thinking, media choices should ideally be decided upon
early in the design process, though they may see some reevaluations due to the evolution
of the project and needs of the client (Ambrose & Harris, 2010). This reason for media
consideration during the design process allows clients and consultants to use media as a tool
within design strategy, potentially increasing the effectiveness of the end product:
The functionality of different media provides the opportunity for designers to extend the
functionality of their designs beyond the traditional to include interactive relationships
between a design and a user (Ambrose & Harris, p. 166, 2010).
Within advertising, we see media at the core of a strategy, as messages and communications
are sponsored and are meant to speak to a target demographic in the hopes of creating sales
growth, brand value, or more (Donnelly, 1996). As the global economy changes, business
are carefully considering how they promote themselves and they are looking to media choices
to see how best to target their prime audience and measure success (Birkenshaw, 2002). To
expand on this, we can see that:
Economic and financial pressures affect choices about the kind of media and
means of communication available in society, the kinds of content in the media, the
way media organisations behave and operate, the implications of these factors on
culture, politics and society as a whole, and the roles of media and information in
economic and social development (Kng, Picard, & Towse, p. 10, 2008).
PRINT MEDIA
Print has been at the center of marketing, advertising and allowing for the fundamentals of
business and consumer interaction.
Print has long had a major role in communication promotional messages, but the targeting precision varies
between, say, newspapers (broad), through specialist magazines (narrower) to direct mail (individual)
(Birkenshaw, p. xi, 2002).
39
However, the uses of media are changing and with that the capabilities and expectations of print
are changing as well. We see that even printers and publishers, who rely on the incorporation
of print within design strategies, need to reposition their offerings in order to sustain their
business. With the emergence of the Internet and technological changes, we see a whole new
realm within media as well as a change in the role of print media. As McLuhan stated:
A new medium is never an addition to an old one, nor does it leave the old one in peace. It never ceases to oppress
the older media until it finds new shapes and positions for them (McLuhan & Zingrone, p. 278, 1997).
Current consumption and considerations of print media
With the advent of online media, it is easy to see that the use and role of print within
strategies is both changing and declining. Pira International was projecting slight decline
in advertising spend in the majority print media categories, as depicted in Figure 6. Pira
had additionally forecasted a decline in print between 2000-2005 from 64% to 61% with
the overall media market share (Birkenshaw, 2002).. While there is some accessibility to
different capabilities, like high quality printing, there has been little to differentiate printers
and publishers and with online capabilities continuing to emerge, there has been more
competition to the printing industries. As Birkenshaw states in his report:
Print as an advertising medium has been and still is very successful, but unless suitably adapted it will lack some
of the characteristics which are natural to some of the newer digital media. Print has long been losing market
share of advertising expenditure and this will accelerate unless suitable measures are taken (p. 2, 2002).
Analysis of Print Media
By evaluating information about the print media industry and consumption, a general SWOT
analysis can present a basic overview of the possibilities and challenges for print media. As
Figure 7 depicts, there are variety of areas where print media can grow or improve.
Reflecting upon this analysis, we can see that print medias strengths may lie in the personal,
craftsmanship nature of the media. Additionally, since the industry is part service-based, it
allows content creators to have a variety of options in the production methods of their end

Media Split of Advertising Expenditure (%) - Print
2000 2005
OUTDOOR/POSTERS 3.3 2.3
CATALOGUES/DIRECTORIES 6.5 5.9
BROCHURES 6.5 5.9
DIRECT MAIL 12.4 17.5
MAGAZINES - B2B 7.1 5.8
MAGAZINES - CONSUMER 3.6 3.1
NEWSPAPERS 24.6 20.1
Source: Birkenshaw, p. 14, 2002 (Pira International) Figure 6: Media Split of

Advertising Expenditure,
Print: 2000-05, (Birkenshaw,
p.14, 2002)
.
products. This creates versatility within the media with the consideration of format, scale,
size, substrates and more (Ambrose & Harris, 2010). Furthermore, the physical portability
and tactility of the medium is huge advantage, though we see more and more technologically-
based portable content (Warner, 2009). Considering the higher success of transmedia
strategies and despite the decline in market share, there is and will be a constant need for
print (Birkenshaw, 2002).
In terms of weaknesses, we can see that in many aspects, print media has become dated. With
such global markets, the sharing and disseminating of specific print-based information can
be difficult within the information age, unless accessibility and distribution is strategically
41
organized. Magazines and newspapers have also been flooded with competition and lower
readership, which has caused issues for the industry. Printing and publishing industries have
become stagnant, relying on their fairly standard offerings, which lack differentiation from
others in their category (Birkenshaw, 2002). While they continue to offer some high quality
printing opportunities, many companies have not expanded their service offerings; this in
turn prevents print from becoming a more versatile medium in the face of digital media.
Print also has many opportunities to maximize their strengths and suppress their weaknesses.
Print media has a variety of options surrounding it like format, size, material, etc. as well as a
level of personal touch and craft (Ambrose & Harris, 2010). For instance:
Non-standard formats offer opportunities for the designer to present information in

different ways and this, in turn, provides additional opportunities for information to be
communicated to a reader (Ambrose & Harris, p. 154, 2010).Whereas,
Use of alternative materials can add different qualities to a design, perhaps making
it more memorable or more of a luxury item (Ambrose & Harris, p. 158, 2010).
These options can be expanded upon with the development of new substrates, printable
textures, scent marketing, technological developments, e-ink, structural possibilities and
more, allowing for more service offerings (Kamenetz, 2008) (Ambrose & Harris, 2009). We
can also see that print media has a traditionally linear functionality with regards to providing
communication and information, limiting interactivity, choice and discovery. This can be an
area of exploration for the medium. Print has major growth potential and has a possibility to
explore sensory perception and experience through partnerships with companies developing
these new technologies.
Digital media has contributed to the decline in print media initiatives as web-based initiatives
require portions of overall media budgets. While economic downturn has contributed to the
loss in corporate media expenditures overall, we can see the steady increase in such things
like mobile phone based marketing, interactive television, websites and more contributing
to the reorganization of media spends (Birkenshaw, 2002). With consideration to on-going
environmental issues and debates, some companies could be scrutinized for distribution and
production of printed materials if not careful (Kamenetz, 2008).

SWOT Analysis of Print Media
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
- Craftsmanship - Production times
- Variety of choices format, size, scale, - Material consumption
substrates - Little dierentiation between service providers
- Printing is a service-based industry - Inexibility of changing end products
- Potentially longer life span - Less global & harder to disseminate
- Variable printing technologies - Shipping/transportation of printed materials
- High quality production capabilities - Physicality of content in the information age
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
- Sensory enhancement scent, texture, - Decline in corporate media expenditure
interactivity - Digital medias increase in media market share
- Transmedia strategies - Environmental eects of material consumption
- New substrates and materials
- Technological developments
- Dierentiation of oerings - growth areas
- Experiential design in print
Figure 7: Basic SWOT Analysis of Print Media, (based on current literature)
Online MEDIA
We must first clarify what we mean by online media, as referred to within this study by
distinguishing the terms digital and Internet, as they may become misinterpreted.
The term digital refers to a technology that stores data in binary form. This can be information allowing the
storage of text, photography, graphics, video, and audio. The term Internet refers to a distribution system for
information. (Kng, Picard, & Towse, p. 3, 2008)
43
Media Split of Advertising Expenditure (%) - Online
2000 2005
INTERNET 1.3 5.0
EMAIL MARKETING 0.2 3.2
Figure 8: Media Split of Source: Birkenshaw, p. 14, 2002 (Pira International)

Advertising Expenditure,
Online: 2000-05, (Birkenshaw,
p. 14, 2002)
This study will refer to online media as digital strategies that are disseminated via the Internet.
Online media has become a phenomenon, allowing for an increased globalization within the
economy by changing the face of communication across the globe. With the rapid increase in
consumption and emergence of new media, online strategies have become a necessity for
business. The use of digital media has been rapidly growing as a promotion mechanism, and
this in turn will increase overall media spends for advertising and marketing (Birkenshaw, 2002).
Current consumption and considerations of ONLINE media
Through distribution through the Internet, we can see that digital media is accessible, and
with the use of internet-ready phones and portable computers, online media can be utilized
in a variety of ways (Miller, 2008). Pira International correctly projected increases in
advertising spend, early in the decade, in various media categories, as depicted in Figure 8.
The market share of digital media, as a whole, was projected to grow from 2% in 2000 to 10%
in 2005 (Birkenshaw, 2002). To go further, Miller states that in 2007, online advertising
rose 34% above the previous year, reaching a total of almost $17 billion (2008).

SWOT Analysis of Online Media
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
- Quick information dissemination - Too much clutter and information online
- Easy changes to content/updateable - E-waste/compatibility issues
- Less physical material consumption - Less personal
- Easy to measure/monitor interactions - Issues with feature and content overload
- Ease of accessibility & viral capabilities - Needs awareness to drive to web
- Potential for low media spending - Lack of craft of web design
- Interactivity with consumer (reactive) - Can be too transient/short life span
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
- Mobile Internet marketing - Lack of dierentiation between sites
- Experiential web marketing - - Overcrowded/information overload
User experiences online for brand image - IP Law - Idea repurposing
- Social networking - Technology failures
- Viral marketing (sharing content) - Rush to create and publish digital content
- New concept of online identity - Reliability of online content
- Branded content online (reliability)
Figure 9: Basic SWOT Analysis of Online Media, (based on current literature)
Individuals are spending more hours using digital media, but more importantly, they are
using it as a means for entertainment and accessibility to content. Due to this we can see
such things like commodity fetishism, the idea that people use brands as signifiers to identify
their personalities within the online realm (Barthes & Lavers, 1972). In the case of online
media, there is a sense of virtual commodity fetishism, or virtual identity creation, through
recorded consumption of branded content through such networking and peer sharing sites as
Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn, and more (Evans, 2009).
45
Analysis of online Media
A general SWOT analysis, such as we previously saw for print media, illustrated in Figure 9,
presents an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for online media.
With the emergence of online media, the use of marketing and advertising strategy has
drastically changed. Online media has several strengths that have caused a major shift in
the way we communicate and do business. For instance, we can see that information is
easily disseminated through web-based strategies and has allowed for an increase in global
connectivity. With such things as viral content distribution, mobile and wireless technologies,
the accessibility to design strategies has increased through the use of online media (Miller,
2008). With businesses seeking to measure the effectiveness of their initiatives, web-based
media allows for easy and real-time statistics (Birkenshaw, 2002). Given a websites non-
linear nature, content providers can also track the patterns of consumer behaviour and allow
for versatility in how they allow for content navigation (Miller, 2008). Even more interesting
is that we can see that with consideration to media spends, web-based strategies have the
potential to interact with more people for less amounts of money and in some cases through
such portals as YouTube and social networking sites, media and distribution is virtually free
through self-publishing and user-generated content (Kng, Picard, & Towse, 2008). As we
begin to understand the accessibility and nature of online media, we can also recognize its
flexibility to change of content, especially given that there is less physical material consumption.
When we evaluate the weaknesses of online media, we can see many visible issues. Within a
society that faces content and information overload, it is often difficult for brands to have
a distinguished web presence (Marzano, 1999). With the global nature of the web, we also
find that many web initiatives are less local and less personal. We also see that with regards
to the visual nature of the web, the craft of this medium has not been defined. Instead we
see inadequacies of usability through features and at times, content overload (Neumeier,
2006). We also see that while online media works well with transmedia strategies, it relies
in many ways on other media channels to drive consumers to the web. However, many
organizations, marketers and businesses are simply inexperienced or uneducated about this
new realm of communication (Warner, 2009). Some of this relates to the pace that computer
systems, new media possibilities and web-based content are generated, with many computer
interfaces become outdated or obsolete with a six-year time period due to the nature of

e-waste accumulation (Swann, 2010). With technology changing at such a fast pace, we cannot
expect that all users will be able to access content as easily as the next user. Additionally, it
has been difficult for businesses and consultant to fully comprehend to media landscape.
Considerations such as these are imperative to the success of online strategies.
There are many opportunities with web-based media because it is relatively new. We see that
social networking has become a huge part of every day life, where peoples viewing and sharing
of branded and viral content is linked to their online identities. Online access through mobile
phones has increased the possibilities of web-based services for active lifestyles (Kng, Picard,
& Towse, 2008). In recent times, we have seen possibilities of experimental and experience-
driven interactive work to enhance the brand image (Miller, 2008), as well as a need to create
ease of use through well-designed navigation systems (Darlington, 2005). More and more
users are able to create their own websites through the arrival and assistance of self-publishing
and blogging sites like Tumblr, Wordpress and Blogspot, where they can publish their own
content. So we can see that as technological developments grow and increase, so will the
potential of web-based media.
With online content, we see that many of the threats to the medium relate to the concept of
the information age. In a realm where there is almost too much information and content,
there is an issue in terms of helping to differentiate content (Neumeier, 2006) (Marzano,
1999). Additionally, relying on technology can be problematic because if technology fails
then accessibility to content is limited or unavailable. Furthermore, we see that credibility
issues plague the web, as the option to create, develop and publish content has been made
easy, again through self-publishing. This allows unreliable information to flow from semi-
anonymous users across the web. We have even seen issues with intellectual property law as
through online distribution of everything from music to imagery to advertising seem to be
used as inspiration for new music, imagery and advertising. The Internet has spawned
the question: Who owns an idea? through the repurposing and redevelopment of existing
content (Carbone, 2009).
47
2.3 Design management,
MEDIA, and implementation
Designs are increasingly used across a range of traditional and new media, and
while certain parameters and functionality may have changed, the need remains
for design thinking to achieve consistency in its goal of imparting of a particular
message across different platforms (Ambrose & Harris, p. 166, 2010).
2.3.1 Managing Media with design

There are many designers and businesses that do not consider media
and implementation of important consideration with regards to
design management. The question becomes: Does media strategy
need to be managed through design? We can consider answers to this
question, when we evaluate the current state of societys interaction
with all types of media:
Were constantly being bombarded by messages from advertising and news media
that slowly but surely are ceasing to have any meaning. Every day the mass media
invade our thoughts with a constant flow of confusing images. These may appear
attractive, but in reality they simply cover a void. Were confronted by a Malthusian
glut of information, and the result is semantic and semiotic pollution (Marzano,
p. 12, 1999).
Furthermore, as Marzano has stated, digital technologies have

affected all aspects of life, products and services, regardless of their
role. This means that not only has the speed of information and
content distribution increased, but due to this, people have sought
simplification in any or all areas possible (1999).

So when we understand this reflection, we can consider medias part
to play within communication. Through design management, we can
potentially recognize more insightful and innovative uses of media,
such as print and online, in order to help businesses connect with
consumers, create competitive advantage, build brands, and stand out
amongst the clutter of information, strategically and effectively. With
consideration to strategy, process and implementation, organisations
can use design management reevaluate their intended results and the
ways in which media choices can assist their strategies, creating new
ways to enhance consumer engagement. As Birkenshaw states:
There is now more technology available to advertisers than ever and this is
leading new methods of creating ads, displaying ads and delivering adsPublishers,
advertisers, users of catalogues etc. and printers will need to develop new strategies
to make the most of the opportunities this environment presents (p. xi, 2002).
Furthermore, design management of media is increasingly necessary

due to the fact that:
Unless you act now to focus on the quality and consistency of the customer
experience you offer, your firm will be hopelessly lost in the turbulenceFor the first
time in the history of modern business, we have the wherewithal to detect customers
needs in near-real time and to adapt quickly to their changing desires (Seybold in
Birkenshaw, p. xxi, 2002).
By recognizing the role of media, clients and consultants alike can
formulate both their design strategy and design process so that both
the means and the message of their communications achieve the
maximum potential, thus becoming effective design solutions.
49
Chapter 3:
Analysis of
Findings
The focus of this chapter is to reflect on the research that was
conducted with regards to the objectives and aims of this project.
There are three main sections of evaluation based on interviews,
surveys, and case studies:
1. The Value and Future of Print and Online Media

2. Implications of Media Consideration on Businesses
and the Creative Industry
3. The Role of Media in Effective Design Strategies
Appendix sections C, D, and E contain a more in-depth presentation
of findings as well as transcripts, survey information and further
analysis to supplement this chapter.
3.1 The Value and Future of

Print and online Media
3.1.1 The value of print media

There are many key traits that allow print media to have its own
value and reasons for consumption. These can be grouped into three
categories based on the major identifiable characteristics as depicted
in Figure 10: Physicality, Impact, and Psychology.
These three main categories in which we can divide its traits and
values distinguish it from other modes of communication. This
is important so we can see the strengths and areas of connection
between the messaging and the consumer through print, especially
with the onslaught of new media capabilities.
ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS: Print Media

Categorizing the Key Traits of Print Media
PSYCHOLOGY IMPACT
VALUE
Figure 10: Categorizing the
Key Traits of Print Media
The valuable traits of print

media can be categorized
PHYSICALITY into three areas, however,
many of these characteristics
overlap or functionally relate
to one another. As they come
together, they create value
that makes print an undying
medium as well as help us to
realiza its need to shift its use.
The valueable characteristics of print media can be catagorized, however,

As theofdiagrams
many depict,overlap
these qualities the value and true reasons
or functionally relatefor the consumption
to one another.
of
As print media
they come lie in the
together, categories
they ofvalue
create the psychology, physicality
that makes print anand
undying
medium as
impact. well on
Based as the recognization
research of its need
and as shown, to shift
we see its use. like
subcategories
personal and emotional engagement, sensory perception, presence
and artifact, tangibility and more, which further highlight important
characteristics of this medium. When we further break down these
categories we see specific traits and values, which must be considered
when developing strategy and communication plans. In Figures 11 to
14 we can see the characteristics of each category and subcategory for
a complete overview. A more in-depth discussion of this breakdown
and evaluation can be found in Appendix E.
53
A Breakdown of the Values of Print
Personal & Emotional

Engagement
PSYCHOLOGY
Sensory & Subliminal
Perceptions
Figure 11: A Breakdown of the

Values of Print Media
Tactility & Tangibility
While many of the traits within
each of these categories over-
PHYSICALITY
lap, the main characteristics of Substrates & Printing
the physicality aspect of print Methods
lie with its tangibility. We see
that with psychology, we can
divide traits into two realms,
personal and emotional
engagement and sensory and
subliminal perceptions. The
value of the impact of print Creation of Worth,
resides in another two areas: Craftsmanship &
One is the creation of worth,
IMPACT Keepsake Qualities
craftsmanship and keepsake
qualities, while the other deals
with presence and artifact. Presence & Artefact
While many of the traits within each of these categories overlap, the main
characteristics of the physicality aspect of print lie with its tangibility and
tactility as well as production capabilities through the array of substrates
and printing methods available. We see that with psychology, we can divide
traits into two realms, personal and emotional engagement in addition to
sensory and subliminal perceptions. The value of the impact of print resides
in another two realms: One area is the creation of worth, craftsmanship
and keepsake
ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS: Print Media qualities,
while the other relates
to presence and artefact.

PSYCHOLOGY
Static Until
Changed Creating a Sense
(By user - A sense of Ownership
of Co-Creation) (Physical interactions)
Comfort From PERSONAL & EMOTIONAL Can Be

Intimacy ENGAGEMENT More Local
(Sentimentality)
SENSORY & SUBLIMINAL Element of

Texture PERCEPTIONS Discovery
Ability to Subconscious
Interact with Relationship Creation of
Many Senses With Humanity Value Through
(Physical World) Craft
Figure 12: Psychology Traits of Print Media
55
PHYSICALITY
Easier to Read, Can be 3-D Can Interact In

(Architectural)
Browse and More Relaxed
Flip Through Environments
(Not at a computer)
Human Is An Actual,
TACTILITY &
Interaction Physical Object
(Touch/Feel) TANGIBILITY
Subliminal SUBSTRATES & Variety of

Packaging PRINTING METHODS Formatting
of Service Possibilites
(Shape, Size, Etc.)
Variety of Creation of
Substrates Subconscious
(Medium as part Discovery
of the message) (Through touch, etc.)
Figure 13: Physicality Traits of Print Media

IMPACT
Physical Piece
Sense of Iconisization of Culture/
Establishment of Brand Historial
& Reputation Evidence
Brand PRESENCE & ARTIFACT

Long-Lasting
Recognition Presence
Creating a
WORTH, CRAFT &
Artistry Keepsake or
KEEPSAKE QUALITY
Memento
Reflection of Making
A Premium or Display Messaging
Luxury Value Precious or
Cherished
Figure 14: Impact Traits of Print Media
57
As the diagrams depict, the value and true reasons for the consumption of print media lie in
the categories of psychology, physicality and impact. Based on research and as shown, we
see subcategories like personal and emotional engagement, sensory perception, presence
and artifact, tangibility and more, which further highlight important characteristics of this
medium. When we further break down these categories we see specific traits and values, which
must be considered when developing strategy and communication plans. In Figures 10 to
13 we can see the characteristics of each category and subcategory for a complete overview. A
more in-depth discussion of this breakdown and evaluation can be found in Appendix E.
3.1.2 The FUTURe of Print

There has been a long debate about the survival of print. Whereas in the past its use as
an effective and necessary communication medium has been questioned, through this
research and review of literature, it is most certain that print is not dead (Josefowicz, 2009)
(Birkenshaw, 2002). The question has not become whether or not it will survive, but rather
how its use must evolve in order to be an effective medium. As McAllister states:
I think there will always be a niche for [print], definitely, because there are some
things that you just cant express as well as or as fully as you can in print (2010).
And as Wise complements:
[Print] is far too interesting of an experience to have for it to vanish all together (2010).
The key to print lies in the creation of impact and with an increasingly digital society, there
is a true opportunity for print to fill a need that is lacking. As Wynn discusses, the way we use
print will have to shift, because there are a lot of social,...cultural,...and ecological pressures
to have much less printed media...much more tied into with what its trying to achieve, better
thought out, better quality, less of it, but the sort that youd almost want to keep. So less
disposable (2010). We can see that junk mail, flyers and more lie in the same category as
spam and people are in the habit of getting rid the things they do not regardless of whether

they are physical or virtual, simply due to the amount of information being processed in our
society. As Wynn further discusses, everyone is trying to be foreground becausetheres that
condition isnt there? Where [people] cant discern foreground from background, theyve lost
that cognitive ability (2010). So due to excess information there is a need for impact, which
begins to relate to the idea of quality and engagement.
While data suggests that people are printing more than ever, this is mainly to do with waste
caused by individuals printing documents that will only be kept temporarily. The key lies in
the fact that print media, as Wynn states, will become less and less prolific and this will be
because the printing industry will become more of a service industry, allowing for capabilities
with high quality, more on-demand and personalized production capabilities (2010). He
elaborates that:
Once youve got targeting and you can target people and you know where they live and you know where they
are so you can target them. It all comes down to the fact that printed media can be absolutely tailored to that
personbut in terms of that quality of it, you can put more quality in it because youre not expecting 99.9% of it
to go straight in the bin immediately (Wynn, 2010).
This is not to say that the standard flyer will disappear right away, but businesses that seek
to communicate a message and increase their brand value may still find print an extremely
worthwhile medium. While we can understand the need for print to create more impact
through its quality and craftsmanship, the power of print is as intertwined with its message.
In direct mail, the deal was, Id like if you open up my piece of direct mail for it to be
genuinely amusing (Wise, 2010).
Whats important for print is to at least have some kind of story to tell or a narrative
Thats important (McAllister, 2010).
Many individuals that participated in a survey about both print and online media stated that
they kept and engaged with things that had or developed a relationship with them (Appendix
D). So as we become able to target peoples preferences, lifestyles and habits, we may see less
overall people who may receive the same direct mail piece, but more people will receive it that
59
would actually be affected by it. Communicating with print will be effective, but increasingly
dependent on the message. Based on Wynns comments, we may potentially see the same
level of personalization for magazine subscribers. In his discussion of backcasting and the
development of technology for the future, he states:
Machines can produce a one-off, but at a very high quality. And thats what the media people didnt used to
be able to doone-offs were just too expensive to even contemplate. So what are the possibilities there? Its
completely open-ended (Wynn, 2010).
Through high quality production, the types of substrates that can be used, the options for texture
and craft can become endless as the industry continues to evolve and grow, but even more so as
companies and creative consultants begin to demand more of it (Ambrose & Harris, 2009).
We work on Kodak on the B2B side, so we actually know that its statistically proven
that by adding print to a digital campaign you get an overall stronger return on
investment (Roberts, 2010).
If more companies understand the value of print, they can maximize the potential of prints
future niche, helping it to find its way there. Through this research, it has been made clear
that print will not die, but rather its need will change once businesses understand its traits and
how it can enhance their messages. By combining the psychology, physicality and impact of
print media with a relevant message exploring its possibilities to be something long-lasting,
crafted or relevant, it can be a phenomenal tool for business so that brands can engage, respect
and stand out to its participants (Wise, 2010) (Wynn, 2010) (Roberts, 2010).
Lastly, the future of print will rely on consumers, businesses and creative professionals
understanding that print will become more of a high-class medium. As Wynn states:
I think luxury items are going to be the saviour of the worldWhat I mean by luxury product is the kind of thing
that people say work for it and the reason they say work for it it because once theyve got it, its something
theyd would hand down to their children. Now if you took that to media, you get to the notion of higher quality,
the kind of media that people dont want to throw away. To do with the quality and culture of it (2010).
This relates to the concept of brand artifacts: In a world where we have so many transient
brands, those that are quality, reputable and heritage-based will may need to use print to some

effect in order to emphasize the value and relevance of their brands. This will be able to allow
for a more physical existence in the minds of their consumers. Successful brands will continue
to float to the top as unnecessary and temporary brands fade away (Wynn, 2010).
Print media is a historic method of communication, but in a world where we have both clutter
of print and online, we will begin to see that less is more (Birkenshaw, 2002) (Marzano,
1999) (Wynn, 2010). The traits of print that have been discussed are its strengths; these
strengths must be utilized in an appropriate way, allowing it to bypass some of its weaknesses
and remain an effective form of communication. This will happen as industry professionals
become more aware, as their perceptions of the medium change and as technological advances
continue. It will happen when the time is right (Wynn, 2010).
3.1.3 The value of Online media

Currently, we live in a digital era, where information is produced, distributed and processed
at fast speeds. There is no doubt that digital communication will continue to be prevalent in
society both at present and in the future. However, while we have questioned print medias
existence as a medium and evaluated its need, it is less necessary to do this for online media.
What must be evaluated instead are the attributes that allow it to be an increasingly relevant
communication medium for business today and how it is an integral part of our modern
culture. Again we can funnel these traits into three main categories.
Similarly to the analysis of the attributes of print media, the characteristics and values
of online media were evaluated based on the conducted research. Three main categories
emerged, which helped to further define the main traits and advantages of this medium. As
depicted in Figure 15, these categories, which pervade through the Internet in different ways,
are experience, distribution and presence. With the lack of understanding by business about
how online content can properly be distributed and how the media itself can be utilized, the
many attributes and facets of online media must be further researched and analyzed. As shown
in Figures 16 to 19, we can see these three categories separating into subcategories that focus
on speed, versatility, shared content, interactivity and more. When we dig even deeper and
as depicted, we see that this helps outline individual attributes like dynamic user experiences,
61
Categorizing the Key Traits of Online Media
PRESENCE
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INTERNET
NTERNE
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Similarly toCategorizing
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We see that because of this online media actually has many facets created
because of this.
real-time statistics, branded content, and metaphysical existence of
brand, which help segregate online media, allowing it to continue to
be a phenomenon. These traits and values are further discussed in
detail in Appendix E through supporting research to provide a clearer
and more descriptive picture of the aspects of online consumption.
ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS: Online Media

A Breakdown of the Values of Online Media
Versatility
WW
WWW
WWW
W XPW
EXPERIENCE
E
EXPERIE
ERIE
Interactivity &
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WW
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W WW
W
ISTRW
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IBU
Globalized & Shared
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WW
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W W
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P
PRESE
RESE
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With16:the
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with the category of experience, we can see that these experiences can be versatile and interactive.
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63
EXPERIENCE
Malleability/Many
Multiple Forms Possible Functions
(Can mold content or site
of Engagement based on intended benefit)
Segmentation
(Broadcast, Retail, Many Facets
VERSATILITY
Social Media, etc.) Online
Ability to INTERACTIVITY & Respond to

Shape RESPONSE Stimulus
Opinions
Dynamic User Remembrance

Experience Atmosphere of Consumer
For Expression Preferences
Figure 17: Experience Traits of Online Media

DISTRIBUTION
& ACCESSIBLITY
Streamlined
Easier to Edit, Flow of New
Update & Real-time Stats,
Information Feedback &
Re-distribute
Measurements
Faster
Technology Fast Access to
SPEED Information
(Immediacy)
Easy to GLOBALIZED &

Rapid Flow of
Share SHARED CONTENT
Information
(Viral)
Free or Low Cost

Global Distribution &
Interaction Mass Self-Publishing
& Access Distribution Capabilities
Figure 18: Distribution Traits of Online Media
65
PRESENCE
A Wide Range Opportunities Directed

of Content & to Participate Presentation
Information & Navigation
Sense of CONTENT
Limitless
Control Information
The Need
Branded IDENTITY
For Online
Content & PURPOSE
Accessibilty
Branded Metaphysical
Information Online Existence
Exchange Identity of Brand
Figure 19: Presence Traits of Online Media

3.1.4 The Future of Online media
The Internet is a distribution channel through which we have seen a rapid influx of media
come and go. With the fast pace in which its usage has accelerated, the understanding of
online media has become confusing. Just as the Internet has become a mainstream part of
daily life, online media has become a means of promotion. This has caused not only clutter
across the web, but also difficulties for brands to find a means to stand out (Birkenshaw,
2002) (Marzano, 1999) (Roberts, 2010).
Its absolute clutter, a multitude of different messages, wherever anyone is online. Most would argue that therefore
its the right medium to use. The converts say that its really, really hard to cut through (Roberts, 2010).
The future of online media as a business tool relies on its ability to become relevant to
consumers and differentiate itself from the mass of information that is being transmitted
across the web. Part of this process is understanding what information is appropriate to
communicate online while understanding what facet of online communication is the most
appropriate to inform with (Roberts, 2010) (Washburn, 2010). This means that as businesses
seek to develop web-based strategies, they need to truly consider their need to use online
media as a vehicle for their various messages. Moreover, businesses need to understand the
value of being online and how that can truly build a relationship with consumers (Roberts,
2010). It becomes about having some nuance with relationships, whereas a daily e-mail
attempts to force communication (Wise, 2010).
The web is an integral part of our culture and with that businesses need to explore the facets of
this medium as they lack awareness because:
For a brand to be relevant to a consumer, it has to be part of the consumers culture

(Wise, 2010).
Through social media, businesses can be a part of the every day lives of consumers, but their
messages cannot be like billboards and call to actions. Instead, the emotion and image of a
brand must be construed so that a relationship can be built (Wise, 2010) (Washburn, 2010)
(Roberts, 2010). Even more so, brands and businesses must recognize their brand promise
and find ways to communicate it online without creating something truly unnecessary.
67
As Roberts stated with regards to the uniqueness of kodakmoments.com, the world does not
need another Flickr (2010).
What needs to happen with online content is that it must become a unique, engaging
experience that is relevant to the brand:
So few brands know how to come to you and to say, Im something for you to play with: Im part of your
currency; Im a puzzle to twist in a new way (Wise, 2010).
If brands, businesses and creative teams are able to create the right combination of value exchange,
then they will be able be successful (Washburn, 2010). This means that the Internet will always
be a home to hoards of messages, but digital
Creating Relevance Online in the Future
strategies will need to be relevant with both
the message, the target audience, and the
element of interaction in order to stand out
among the spam as depicted in Figure 20.
In the soft environment, things like the Internet, I

MESSAGE TARGET
AUDIENCE mean you can blitz millions and millions and millions
and millions of people for the price of one print run of
RELEVANCE
a hundred textsAnd people have lots of ways like junk
mail and filtering itThat stuff is just like pollution of
the Internet, in a sense (Wynn, 2010).
METHOD OF
INTERACTION Part of this relies on proper targeting
methods: instead of relying on such things
like surveys and more, marketing data and
data mining must be used more appropriately
With the clutter of messaging on the web and the speed at which so that it becomes less about accumulating a
we as a society consume content, messages will need to be relevant long database of email addresses, but rather
through the right combination of message, target group, and method
Figure 20: Creating Relevance Online in the Future harnessing the power of a relevant one.
of interaction in order to be effective and stand out.
With the clutter of messaging on the web and the speed at Surveyed respondents were neither a fan
whcih we as a socity consumer content, messages will need to be of e-mail marketing or online ads, both of
relevant through the right combination of message, target group,
and method of interaction in order to be effective and stand out. which have an element of intrusiveness or
clutter (Appendix D). In this instance, this

form of marketing becomes like garbage that needs to be unnecessarily dealt with. Instead, we
should see aspects of a brand that people would be interested in sharing or discussing. We see
that in a world where people are consuming information at faster rates, ideas and content that
interests people will always be disseminated. Virtual word of mouth is a powerful ally of online
media, especially in its ability to travel within likeminded social groups and connect people,
but in the end, we must create media worth spreading through this vast and full stratosphere
we call the Internet.
3.2 ImpliCATIONS OF MEDIA CONSIDERATION

(For BUSINESSES AND THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY)
3.2.1 Media and engagement in the Creative Process

There is an urgent need for brands to create smarter, hardworking, and engaging interactions
with their consumers. Creative professionals need to think more intelligently and elevate their
creative work; they need create solutions that engage their audiences rather then create one-
way messages (Roberts, 2010) (Wynn, 2010). They must also understand what is meant by
engagement and how engagement is a powerful tool and builder of relationships.
In the real world, we have a reputation. And a reputation is what other people feel and think about us. And
consequently and the reality is that there is always a gap between promise and reputation. Promise of what we
want to deliver as a brand and reputation of what people believe we deliver. One of the best ways to overcome
that is, I think, is when you can start to shape peoples own opinions(Roberts, 2010).
There is a new responsibility among creative professionals to understand this need and create
messaging that is designed for the consumer, to grace our lives, to inspire our imaginations,
[and] to put fizz in the culture that we live in (Wise, 2010). As Wynn states:
The true value-add is becoming far more important than just, Right you job as a designer is to make something
unique and newThats not enough anymoreDesigners have to have more responsibility. In doing so, a
designer has to be a more sophisticated animal, a much cleverer animal, a much more academically aware,
69
socially and culturally aware animal andthere will start to be a huge delta between what [we] call really good
designers and the designers that are just churning out stuff (Wynn, 2010).
This also relates to our perception of how design is used. Businesses can allow for smarter
solutions, by embracing the true nature of design beyond its traditional definition and as a
tool that encompasses art, problem solving, process, creativity and more (Cooper & Press,
1995) (Gorb, Design as a Corporate Weapon, 1990).
Brands need to allow for individuals to create their own stake in a brands image and personality,
whether this is through a well-crafted printed piece that a consumer feels the need to keep
and investigate or through the sharing of branded content online. The major element that we
must consider is that creative teams and their clients must use their minds to find those gaps
and niches to use media in a way that exudes their unique selling point and allows a consumer
to attach themselves to a brand story:
A lot of times advertisers cant figure out that theyre supposed to leave a little
something for me to do (Wise, 2010).
Furthermore,
It cant be just about communications, a one-way street of us telling you, the consumer. It has to be about finding
a way to better engage the consumer with it (Roberts, 2010).
3.2.2 User Experience

User Experience is key. The simple fact is that in todays global economy, competition is
severe and businesses need a way to create competitive advantage. This means not only
relating to consumers, but also using design in its various ways to create metaphysical benefits
through value creation and development of the brands image (Bayley, 1990) (Campbell,
2009) (Olins, 2008). Communicating with a consumer is not just about what products
or services are offered; it becomes about personality and the experience a consumer has in
their interactions with the brand. Alongside smart creative messaging is the need for unique
ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS: Implications

engagement, stimulation and a draw so that people welcome the experience and allow it to
become a part of their life or lifestyle. By doing this, there is a sense of respect, trust, and
appreciation for the consumer relationship (Neumeier, 2006). Understanding the user
experience is about recognizing how, why and where someone will interact with a message, in
addition to the actual experience of the message itself.
Being stimulated is different from being overloaded. So [Apple] made the user
experience key. In order to make the user experience key, you have to respect
people, incredibly so (Wise, 2010).
When discussing award-winning advertising agency, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Wise explained
their success:
What makes them so special? Nothing at all, except that they truly care about the people that the communication
is for. And they dont find it acceptable to bore them (Wise, 2010).
By understanding and centering goals and communication on the consumer, strategy, process
and implementation can become more relevant and therefore more able to be effective (Wynn,
2010) (Best, 2006). Creative professionals must understand the need to create a benefit of
a consumers interaction with their message, especially with special consideration to the way
they interact with that message (Washburn, 2010). This again relates to how products, services
in combination with messaging and media vehicles create value and trust and allow for the
existence of a relationship with a consumer. As Wise commiserates:
In the course of my whole life, Ive only had 20, 30 times when brand really meant something to me because
they were there at the right time in the right way and they contributed to the story of my life as it progressed. And
you could say that I had a relationship with them (2010).
Wise, with this statement, emphasizes the ability for brands to become iconic and part of our
culture, but in a way that integrates itself within a consumers daily life. While the moment of
engagement may last for a short period whether online or flipping through a printed piece,
the impact of that experience creates the foundation of a brand to become something we
relate to and allow into our lives. By understanding how a consumer relates to the brand and
finding a way to make that relationship the most engaging it can be, brands can continue to be
71
pervasive, fulfill their brand promise and connect with consumers (Roberts, 2010). Looking
back on Kodaks history, we can see one example of this, which became the rationale for
Kodakmoments.com:
The power, we know from all of the work weve done with Kodak, that when people take pictures and share
pictures, theres a strengthening of relationship, a strengthening of a bond between two people, just by sharing
pictures. Even if you just share them as a hard copy. So what was very interesting for us is when we probed deeper
into ethnographic studies here, its not the picture, its the story behind the picture that make it most valuable
(Roberts, 2010).
3.2.3 UNDERSTANDING EFFECTIVE MEDIA CHOICES

There is a lack of understanding of how media can be used effectively. Different medias can
provide different benefits dependent on what response and level of engagement is intended.
Even more so, media consumption is continuing to shift and change as our understanding
becomes richer and as new technologies are developed. Based on interviews with high-level
creative professionals, it is quite clear that many businesses today have limited about the
values and functionality of a specific medium. This in turn forces them to follow trends like
digital and social media, without truly understanding how their messages should fit in those
environments (Washburn, 2010) (Wynn, 2010) (Wise, 2010). As Roberts comments:
I think that if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. So if the
answer is always going to be digital then we will always give you a digital
solution and that isnt necessarily the right way to, as we talk about, engage
with your consumer (Roberts, 2010).
With its currently blurred role and shift in consumption, we see that media is intertwined with
culture. This requires even more insight about the lifestyles and preferences of consumers; it
also requires that creative professionals are immersed with mass culture themselves through
Facebook, magazines, etc. to better reflect how design solutions will interact with the people
that they are intended for (Wise, 2010) (Kng, Picard, & Towse, 2008) (Marzano, 1999).

At Faith Popcorn Brain Reserve, we talk about culture as a medium. And the
brand has to learn how to use that medium, in other words, it has to create. It
has to have the consent and interplay of what it calls its TARGET audience.
And instead it has to engage participants and it has to be present at the fair
and do something to lift the fair and lift the spirits of the people who are there.
To help it shine and sparkle. So for a brand to be relevant to a consumer, it has
to be a part of the consumers culture (Wise, 2010).
With the different possibilities with both print and online media, businesses need a better
understanding of both the individual characteristics of the utility and future of each medium
so that they may use them to create the right combination for transmedia strategies (Ambrose
& Harris, 2010). Currently, businesses and marketers have a lack of experience with this
(Warner, 2009). As discussed with Appendix E, we see, for instance, that online media has
a variety of different user experiences online. They create a level of segmentation whether as
exchange, broadcast or general communication mediums. So before a strategy can truly aim
to benefit business, it must also be relevant to the mediums it is communicated with. Agencies
and their clients must be immersed in what aspects of a particular media are or will be most
successful in engaging their target consumers. It is important to recognize that this research is
not promoting one medium over another, but rather understanding how each media plays its
part effectively in todays considerations of transmedia strategies.
3.2.4 Media, MEssage and PLace

Successful and effective design strategies rely on the right combination of media, message, and
place. Messaging must also be tailored to suit the media for which is intended for in order to
be worthwhile to interact with and be memorable. With so many options for media and
message placement, businesses must find ways to understand how to combine these aspects
of communication in a way that achieves the most value for both the consumer and the
business itself. We know that transmedia strategies are key because using one media on its
73
own is far less effective (Birkenshaw, 2002). So understanding the various roles of media in
communicating a message as well as how and where a user will interact is a necessary insight.
As Roberts elaborates:
We talk about engagement planningFind a way to provide the very best

combination of media where everything is media. To really deliver the best for your
investment, which is your consumer (2010).
This directly relates to many of the principles of Design Management in that we must gain
insight about our consumer in order to truly relate to them (Gowrie, 1990) (Wolff Olins,
1985). With so much information and messaging out there, we see that the vast majority of
media does not address a real need (Wynn, 2010). We could go so far to say that without
a need, there is little insight to gain about why a consumer would have interest. In many
instances there is not a need; this in turn assists in much of todays communications in being
even more disposable. So using design and insight can create the best combination of media,
message, relevance and place (Washburn, 2010). This allows for more successful and lasting
communication with consumers by helping the brand to create intangible benefits and a
brand experience that truly builds trust, value exchange, and reliance (Campbell, 2009)
(Best, 2006).
For instance, within the DBA case studies, Macmillan Cancer Support exudes this concept in
the way it uses media for different elements of its rebranding message. Placing printed pieces
within doctors offices allows people to have an element of comfort in a rather uncomfortable
setting where a patient seeks something to occupy their time. In contrast, Macmillan utilized
the web as an access point for people to join and interact with an online support group,
distribute additional materials like customizable fundraising materials, and more (Appendix
C). In this situation, we can see that Wolff Olins, the consultancy that developed and
implemented Macmillans strategy had an understanding of how to interact with the consumer,
or patient, properly through the insight about the environment in which to communicate
within, the message itself and needs of the consumer. This allows it to become a present,
constant, and relevant part of the consumers life. In another example, recalling the Marlboro
ads from decades ago, Wise points out that the success of the campaign relied on the fact that
they [used] the medium with a message that works in the medium, while other competitors,

like Winston, were still trying to catch on (2010). These examples are just two of many; The
DBA case studies provide even more examples of successful uses of media, messaging and
place. The bottom line is that this is a concept that should not be disregarded, as it becomes a
fundamental consideration throughout the stages of a project, from design strategy to design
process to design implementation (Best, 2006).
3.2.5 Pinpointing Relevant target groups

Messaging does not need to be accessible to all people, but rather the right people. By
targeting individuals more efficiently, the implementation of a project can maximize the
effectiveness of a chosen communication plan. Again, this leads to many of the concepts
discussed in design management and to restate a quote by Katherine Best:
The activity of designing is a user-centred, problem-solving process, which also needs

to be managed and therefore is another facet of design management (2006).
To add to this, we also see that research and development, design thinking and understanding
the actual needs of business relate to creating the proper messaging. We also see that a business
must understand its organizational goals and its corporate agenda in order to communicate
effectively (Borja de Mozota, 2003) (Hands, 2009). Once this has been realized, a company
must utilize research and development to understand its place in the lives of its demographic,
in addition to identifying a targeted demographic all together (Gorb, Design as a Corporate
Weapon, 1990). By doing this, messaging becomes relevant and less disposable based on whom
it is intended for:
Its not junk because its targeted. Now once, youve got targeting and you can target people and you know where
they live and you know where they are, you can target them (Wynn, 2010)
With businesses searching for a means to stay competitive and gain market share in an
increasingly expanding global economy, there is a reevaluation of communication strategies.
With new possibilities with media, companies must reconsider their exchanges with their
prospective consumers:
75
Theres nothing like losing so much market share to make you realize: Maybe my advertising should appeal to
the people for who its intended (Wise, 2010)
As Wynn has stated, for instance, print media will become less prolific and this will be
because organizations will need to target their consumers more effectively in order to have
relevance (2010). Wynn further discusses the need for messaging to be more personal and
germane because of the constant struggle to discern and concentrate on messages due to the
number of messages being put in front of society:
Now it comes to Gestalt and the psychology of peopleTheres that condition isnt there? Where they cant discern
foreground from background; theyve lost that cognitive abilityYou can only concentrate on so much at once
and it gets more and more and more busy, getting to the foreground (Wynn, 2010).
Again, this creates a need for a level of personal knowledge and engagement in order to
truly create impact or be able to convey information that has some importance. By doing
this, companies can assist consumers in focusing on the messages that really matter to their
lives (Wise, 2010). Additionally, by tailoring methods of communication, from content to
aesthetic to usability, businesses can attract the individuals they seek to build relationships with
(Washburn, 2010). And brands must be able to create an impact in order to stand out:
The pageant of life does not last very long. We come and we go. We are blades
of grass. While we are here, we have a few moments where suddenly everything
shines. And sometimes brands have the opportunity to contribute to that shine
(Wise, 2010).
In a world with so much transient and disposable information, brands must understand the
characteristics that exist within certain groups of people it seeks to attract; this allows it to
co-exist with and appeal to its demographic through effective use of media and messaging,
whether it seeks to fulfill a niche market or appeal to a mass audience. It must find its brand
promise and share it with those that matter in the best possible way (Roberts, 2010).

3.3 The RoLE of MEDIA IN
EFFECTIVE DESIGN STRATEGIES
By accessing the Design Business Associations (DBA) library of case

studies from their Design Effectiveness Awards, we can see common
themes within many of the design solutions. Additionally, we can
consider the role of media within these effective design projects
and how the use of media contributed to success. While seven case
studies have been focused on, all relevant print and online case
studies were evaluated and studied to recognize common themes. The
majority of these case studies were found in the Corporate Branding
& Identity and Print Consumer categories. While most of the case
studies focused on elements of print, many of the branding and
miscellaneous categories discuss elements of online media as well.
This allows for a reflection on both mediums and how they are used
distinctly. The highlighted case studies can be found in Appendix C
for more information regarding these projects.
As previously discussed, the relevance of strategies and

communication for consumers relies on the right combination
of messaging, media and place. By reviewing the DBA Design
Effectiveness case studies, common themes were identified among
a majority of the projects, regardless of demographic, product
or service and project brief. Of these themes, two reflected the
fundamentals of this research and support the ideology that media
is an essential consideration in the phases of design strategy, design
process and design implementation in order to be effective and
derive intended benefits.
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3.3.1 emotionalLY-Driven & Experiential ENGAGEMENT
The overwhelming majority of case studies focused on either telling a brand story or allowing
for some emotional or experiential connection with the consumer. Whether through visual
style, writing design or media implementation, the consideration of the best way to engage a
consumer through their personal connection or engagement with the brand is a foundation
with each of these strategies.
3.3.2 Strategic and insightful use of media

Another key theme that was highlighted was the consideration of the role of media within each
of these strategic design initiatives. Design was considered in every element in terms of how it
could benefit business, but also how media would be best used to emphasize the brand image,
disseminate information, change perceptions and engage consumers. The characteristics
of media were considered in relation to the intended benefits and outcomes. Media was a
consideration during the strategy, process and implementation phases; Where some solutions
did not require a change in media implementation, strategies revolved around how messaging
and brand image could make the used medium more effective.
3.3.3 APPLICATION OF COMMON THEMES (EXAMPLES)

To reflect on these themes, Tables 1 to 7, outline the seven, featured case studies in Appendix
C. By looking at these case studies, we can break down, very basically, how these themes are
aspects of these projects design solutions and how this has benefitted the project. We should
also recognize that by truly considering and incorporating media and messaging effectively,
these case studies successfully broke through the crowded marketplace and increased business
or brand value and interaction. Simply put, the point in evaluating these case studies is not
simply to highlight only medias role, but rather emphasize the need for an effective strategy to
consider all elements; media, messaging and engagement, as well as how this message interacts
with its audience.
ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS: Role of Media

CASE 1: BT Business Support
STORYTELLING/EMOTION/EXPERIENCE
- Creation of BT Business Squad/infestation experience and story to entertain sta
- Sought to excite and eectively engage sta about new BT campaign through humor
- Experiential campaign elements (cross-media) like faked crime scenes, humorous videos,
e-mail and more
- Messaging was not fed through the internal hierarchy so it was unintimidating and fun
USE OF MEDIA
- YouTube helped to distribute fake CCTV videos; e-mail used to send out brieng messages
- Microsite created to engage sta with messaging through a quiz to test knowledge
- Print supplemented the campaign through posters and oce dressings
- Using online media to remove the corporate hierarchy and allow for anonymity in messaging
ADVANTAGES/BENEFITS
- Generated high awareness of the new campaign internally and contextualized it; the range
of media made sure that all sta was reached and impacted
- Helped changed perceptions about how BT does business, but also reminded employees
of the brands commitment towards customers
- Allowed employees to embrace and feel ownership of the campaign promise and positioning
- Hierarchy/organizational structure did not get in the way of the reception of the message
through online distribution
Table 1: Case 1 BT Business Support (Appendix C)
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CASE 2: Another Place Magazine
- Hoped to change peoples perceptions of the Cornish holiday experience
- Creation of a compelling message by telling multiple stories vs. the facility to sell experience;
Using unusual and evocative imagery to create a higher level of engagement
- Form and layout encourages the reader to browse with an element of humor throughout
- The need to create something that would have a sense of value and want to be kept
USE OF MEDIA
- Using the comfort of the magazine to extend the essence of the brand and became an
element of packaged service or experience
- Creating an easy to read keepsake an item people want to keep, ip through and share
- More engaging than a traditional magazine because it like a book telling a story; there was
an emphasis of experience by telling several stories through a type of book format
ADVANTAGES/BENEFITS
- Transformation of how the hotel is perceived and the culture of Cornish holidays
- Created a year-round destination and dierentiated the hotel in a crowded marketplace
Used a new piece of communication instead of a traditional brochure in order to emphasize

experience and as a platform that could convey many dierent messages
- Ad space within the magazine allowed for production subsidization
- Overall increase in business, PR exposure, room rates, revenue streams and sta retention
Table 2: Case 2 Another Place Magazine (Appendix C)

CASE 3: Melbourne Writers Festival
- Looking to engage a new generation of young writers in the festival
- Make the even feel welcoming and accessible by reminding people about the joy of
writing and the thrill of imagination
- Creation of humor through the story of Pencil and villains, Rubber and Sharpener
- Encouraged direct engagement and interactivity of the event through print-based guerilla
USE OF MEDIA
- Posters produced on standard B/W oce printers to make missing posters more realistic
- Website was used to highlight speakers and events with the ability to edit information
- Education pack was created and distributed to help engage students and schools
- Printed materials enhanced the story behind the campaign through guerilla tactics
ADVANTAGES/BENEFITS
- Engaged a new audience and allowed for a new wave of interest and sponsorship
- Allowed for a low cost way to gain exposure in outdoor spaces and cafes, bookshops, etc.
- The kidnapping storyline was given life through posters, newspaper ads and outdoor guerilla
- Made the festival more accessible and less elitist; Challenged peoples preconceptions
- Website allowed information to be distributed on a larger scale, with plans to add video
streams and interviews from authors to further breathe life into the festivals brand
Table 3: Case 3 Melbourne Writers Festival (Appendix C)
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CASE 4: Macmillan Cancer Support
- Visual style that relates to daily life, not just a clinical world or sympathy, but empowerment
- Bold, human style of writing that creates a strong sense of support and relating to patients
- Creating an online support community so that users can share their stories and experiences
with one another
- Creation of visual/brand expression to help reduce fear and to better emphasize oerings
USE OF MEDIA
- Placing brochures in doctors oces while patients are waiting (for a sense of comfort)
- Distributing poster templates online creating easy accessibility and resources on the web
- Online community suport group, accessible at any time (forums, discussions groups, etc.)
- Downloadable PDF publications available online (easy distribution)
ADVANTAGES/BENEFITS
- Helping more people become engaged by reaching more people and creating more
accessibility through such things like the online support group and information distribution
- Visual style and placement of printed media increased inquiries and obtained information
- This change in brand image helped the ideal distribution and display tactics to be more
successful than previous initiatives
- Creation of impact through assertiveness and approachability through better messaging
and positioning as well as utilizing media in the best way, the rebranding was eective
Table 4: Case 4 Macmillan Cancer Support (Appendix C)

CASE 5: T-Mobile Bill Redesign
- Emphasis of brand experience The brand is brough to life on the bill through brand-inspired
language, color and imagery
- Reduction of helpline calls due to clarity and better presentation of information
- Quicker service due to the bills visual clarity for both customers and service agents
- Brief intended to make the bill a key part of the customers brand experience
USE OF MEDIA
- Easy readability in the printed format is extended by the redesign and sense of comfort
- Accessible digital copy available online for download for those who would prefer it
- Utilizing an everyday communication tool to extend the brand in a clear, comforting way
- Maximized the print capability of current technology and used layout and space eectively
ADVANTAGES/BENEFITS
- Allows the brand to reect honesty and a straightforward approach with its customers
- Reduced costs through unnecessary bill related helpline calls
- The bill redesign accomodates more complex price structures and embodies core values
- Key FAQ information is presented based on customer type to alleviate confusion
- The graphical elements, overall bill redesign and choice of medium allows both customers
and service representatives to access information with ease, legibility and comfort
Table 5: Case 5 T-Mobile Bill Redesign (Appendix C)
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CASE 6: All Bar One - Vino Voyage
- Selling vines not by grape type or provenance, but by mood and emotion; An eort to
encourage consumers to see wine dierently
- Coding wines based on ve moods through color, language and printed elements to
encourage people to be more experimental in their wine selections
- Creating an atmosphere, transitional signage, and relatability to connect easily to consumers
USE OF MEDIA
- Using printed materials and collateral to extend the idea of mood and emotion
- Creating value in new ways by using print to create a dierent description of the wine
- There is a creation of a packaged service of experience by adding characteristics to
a social atmosphere (this would not be successful with print)
- The use of print helps to increase saleability of the wine through atmospheric coding
ADVANTAGES/BENEFITS
- Design encouraged long-term changes to consumers habits and wider consideration of wines
- Through the creation of mood and atmosphere, people began purchasing more, possibly
due to even more relaxation and alleviating the decision making process
- Consumer buying patterns and behavior changed and resulted in higher wine sales and
higher-value wine sales
- Instead of choosing wines based on cost, the design strategy and supporting materials
made it harder to go to the default cost-based wine choices
Table 6: Case 6 All Bar One Vino Voyage (Appendix C)

CASE 7: NHS Pregnancy Planner
- The building of a relationship and trust by allowing pregnant mothers to visualize each stage
of their pregnancies
- Personalized engagement through an individual conection and story through NHS Choices
online content and information
- Creating a way to save time and create a constant, seemingly limitless resource for mothers
USE OF MEDIA
- Desktop application is linked to the web to drive mothers to reliable information, thus helping
to build a connection with NHS and expectant mothers
- Created a sense of journey with a huge online resource accessible with relevant information
for each stage of pregnancy
- Responsive based on the needs, wants and stages of a pregnancy
ADVANTAGES/BENEFITS
- It became a resource and created a presence online for NHS as a service provider beyond
clinics, hospitals and doctors oces
- Cut through the existing wealth of pregnancy information available to become a constant
information provider
- Due to the desktop applications link to the web, it helped drive trac to the site and
allowed more mothers to receive the proper information in a clear and directed manner,
while assisting in building trust and a relationship with them
Table 7: Case 7 NHS Pregnancy Planner (Appendix C)
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Chapter 4:
DISCUSSION
of Findings
Through this discussion of findings, ideas and concepts will be built
upon the analysis of findings in relation to design management,
media and effective design strategy. Here we will begin to understand
the application of design management principles to media and
effective design as well as future considerations.
4.1 The Shift in Media
As evaluated in the analysis section, we are beginning to see a need

for brands, businesses and creative professionals to reeducate
themselves on the uses of media. Furthermore, through research,
it is apparent that we see that the role of print media is shifting as
society continues to increase their consumption of online content
(Wynn, 2010). Given the fast developments of the Information Age,
society has not had a moment to truly process the new knowledge
about media that exists. The way we access and regard information
has changed. With that in mind, aspects of design management must
be applied to allow businesses to effectively understand the role of
media within their strategies, processes and implementation tactics
in order to better engage consumers (Roberts, 2010).
We see that with the phenomenality of the Internet and the rapid
rate at which content is being produced, there will need to be a new
perception of online content with regards to the way information
and value exchanges are distributed. We begin to see the idea of social
currency and value assigned to items that are not tangible (Boijens,
2010). In addition to this, we must consider the idea of online
media as a transient resource. Interestingly enough, this idea seems
contradictory: How can we reference information that may no longer
exist? While this concept has both positive and negative aspects to it,
ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS: Shift in Media

businesses must consider the timeframe, pervasiveness, reliance and longevity of the messages
they wish to spread, especially within a constant stream of messaging that can be difficult to
navigate through (Marzano, 1999).
Print media has had a tremendous role on communications. With the onslaught of what we
call the Information Age, there have been questions about the survival of print. As discussed
in the previous chapter, print is not dead, but rather its role as a form of media must and will
change. While we consider that print media will evolve into a luxury medium, we must also
reflect of the historical significances that revolve around it. We can say that print will shift
into new territory, but as we see the advent of online media as the wunderkind of the media
world, we see that print media is essentially reverting back to its role of a traditional media.
When we look at such things like the Gutenberg bible or prints role in history, it was as it will
become once again, a luxury medium. While this essence of luxury will pervade throughout
the mass market as printing technologies are further developed, we will see that selectivity
will still be key (Wynn, 2010) (Ambrose & Harris, 2009). This selectivity will not necessarily
reside in with those who have wealth, but rather those to which the message has relevance.
So while we have the phenomenon of the Internet, it could be construed that this shift to
the past life of print media is also, in some ways, a phenomenon. It, too, becomes a form of
social currency a social currency where value resides in a more physical, more human side of
connecting people to people.
4.2 The Design Management of Media
With the information and research findings presented in the previous chapters, we can
identify a need for media to be managed throughout the design strategy, design process and
design implementation phases. We must begin to understand the many facets of print and
online media as previously discussed. This must happen by asking the right questions from
the onset of a project. For instance, we must consider:
89
- How do people prefer being talked to or communicated with?
- How and where will consumers engage with messaging?
- What relationship does the brand/business seek?
- How does the brand wish to reflect itself? (Iconic, part of the culture, etc.)
Smarter decisions must be made and creative professionals must work with their clients to make
these decisions (Wynn, 2010). Messages must translate to media and the use of the media must
fit a need (Roberts, 2010) (Washburn, 2010) (Wise, 2010). As we know, the future of media
means a redefinition of traditional and new medias. This funnels back to the basics of design
management that we must ask the right questions in order to develop the right strategies,
work within our defined processes, and implement and produce our end solutions based on
the management decisions made in the other stages of creative problem-solving.
We can consider this further when we see such things like PESTLE and SWOT analyses, as
well as, insight, various forms of research and development and user-centered design (Best,
2006). With tools such as these assisting organizations in developing their project guidelines,
perhaps we can see even more possibilities to allow for effectiveness with the development
of additional tools. For instance, creative organizations must have trustworthy relationships
with their clients to analyze the reasons and initiatives for implementing a message instead
of catering to requests. As Wynn discussed with regards to Xerox: His organization could
add features to machine based on requests, but instead, his team evaluated the need to
determine the best course of action (2010). Evaluations and dialogues such as this must
occur if businesses seek to have relevant and effective messaging. Also, through this dialogue
and with the notion of trust, in the future, we as a design management community may
begin to consider new tools like a media analysis to add to our repertoire. While we can
recognize external and internal factors, there should be some recognition of the message and
relationship businesses seek to build (Roberts, 2010). A media analysis could be an extension
of consumer insight, but as medias use shifts, this analysis could prove to be essential in
creating relevance.
ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS: Design Management of Media

4.3 Cross-Collaboration &
Multi-disciplinary teams
As discussed in design management theory, we understand the need

to have cross-functional teams and systems thinking within business
environments (Cooper & Press, 1995) (Wynn, 2010) (Jenkins,
2010). The purpose of emphasizing this is not to reiterate what
is already known, but rather to elaborate on how this concept is
increasingly important with regards to media consideration.
Multi-disciplinary teams and cross-collaboration will allow for

experts in print or online media, ethnography, messaging, strategy,
and more to come together to create effective transmedia solutions.
The key here is that there may be some need to the separate the
roles of print designers vs. new media designers so that the values
of each medium can be examined and developed through better and
more developed skills levels. The issue remains that the roles and
expectations of communication designers have blurred In this
instance, while T-shaped people are a necessity, the core subject
areas of print design and online design may need to stay defined
and segregated in order to better understand values within design
strategies, create relevance and understand user experience.
In addition, we must consider the idea that effective design is a type

of system. By acknowledging that different pieces of the puzzle, like
media, messaging and user experience are elements that contribute
to the system, we can further understand effective design; we can
understand the need for the various team players to come together to
develop a complete, integrated and collaborative solution. Through
this research, we can reflect on the fact that effective design solutions
are comprised of many aspects that, when truly considered in relation
to design management, contribute to the benefits for business.
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4.4 User Experience
and Engagement
We know that insight informs consumers needs, wants and

preferences, but it also must begin to inform an understanding of the
idea form of user engagement and experience. As seen in the DBA
Design Effectiveness case studies, user experience and engagement
is a common theme and so it must be regarded with immense
importance (Appendix C). Thus, considering the values and qualities
of specific medias with regards to user experience is a useful aspect
of managing for successful, relevant and effective solutions. By
doing this, consultancies will be able to create the best possible
combinations of media, messaging and interaction to create more
relevant transmedia strategies (Roberts, 2010).
When we consider this, we must reevaluate our understanding of our

idea of the traditional model of communication. In the past, weve
seen that businesses have pushed their messages out to consumers
without regard for their opinions and their response (Neumeier,
2006). This model is dated and especially given todays society, there
must be an evolution of this model. As Neumeier has discussed:
When we solicit feedback from customers, the communication model has a fourth
componentWith every turn around the feedback loop, the communication gets
stronger and more focused. The new model is a blueprint for revolution. It
transforms marketing communication into a contact sport, and spectators into
full participants (p. 103, 2006).
As depicted in Figures 21 and 22 we see this difference between the
old and new models of communication. For the creative industry
however, this idea of user engagement, experience and response is
DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS: User Experience and Engagement

Old Communication Model
SENDER MESSAGE RECEIVER
New Communication Model
SENDER MESSAGE RECEIVER
RESPONSE/USER EXPERIENCE/FEEDBACK
Source: Adapted from Neumeier, 2006.
Figures 21 & 22: Old Communication Model & New Communication Model (Neumeier, 2006)
the key. In some ways, businesses must understand what the perception of the brand will be so
that they can more effectively inform their messaging and media choices. They must analyze
the response and reaction or, rather, insist that a reaction occurs so that consumers can shape
their relationship with brands through their own opinions (Roberts, 2010).
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4.5 Additional Considerations
Design management, media and design effectiveness are broad range

of subjects; It would be impossible to discuss every aspect of these
topics. However, there are relevant areas that should be discussed if
simply to begin a dialogue that should be evaluated through future
research. As discussed within this dissertation, the design management
of media assists with effective strategies, but we must also consider the
role of media within a cultural and social aspect. As Wise discussed, at
Faith Popcorn Brain Reserve, a top forecasting organization, there is
a stress on the idea of culture as a medium (2010).
As considered in the characteristics of print we see the idea of brand

artifact and documentation (Appendix E). The notion that brands
have become more transient through online media forces us as a
society to consider the concepts of longevity and remembrance of our
current culture. Societies remember what is left behind, so a question
to contemplate is: What do we remember as a society, if information
and brands become more and more temporary? In fact, we see now
that even books and music no longer have necessary physical attributes
to their existence. As the New York Times recently discussed, often
times, even books can no longer benefit from the free advertising
of their covers due to electronic formats (Rich, 2010). Instead of
collections of physical pieces of information, relics of our time and
place, we see the new occurrence of a type of digital obesity.
This can be examined further by looking at aspects of current culture.
For instance, we see value with vintage clothing or antiques and
similarly for branded documents and packaging from decades ago.
With this reflection, we can begin to understand the need for some
creation of heritage through the commodification of brands. In todays
culture, we see both the historical and monetary value of such things
like old Coca Cola advertising and dated magazines, which serve as
DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS: Additional Consideration

a historical record, but also as evidentiary assets related to the brands lifeline, foundation
and existence (Keane & Marks, 2010). If brands seek to create value and authenticity for
themselves through their corporate histories and brand stories, then they must have some
evidence of a story to tell; they must develop this as a part of their relationship with the
consumer. These stories must somehow pervade our contemporary culture and allow for a
more permanent sense of history to exist.
Again, these considerations do not necessarily apply fully to the scope of this research;
however, they are concepts to ponder because they relate to such things like culture, human
psychology, and sociology. In turn, the cultural, psychological and sociological aspects of
media consideration will continue to change. As they do, we must reeducate ourselves as
global and creative economy so that we again can understand medias role in effective design
strategy and its interaction with all aspects of society.
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Chapter 5:
Recommendations
5.1 Recommendations for today
From the completed research through a dialogue with industry professionals and
consumers, as well as the evaluation of case studies and literature, there are several
recommendations that can be made for businesses today to allow for successful
strategic and relevant communication initiatives:
Organizations may have media planners and buyers, but creative teams
must become smarter and incorporate media as a part of their creative
proess. While design deals strategy, aesthetic and more, designers must
not simply be designers, but effective solution creators. This means
that designers must continually re-educate themselves and recognize
that creativity also resides within form AND functionality. Designers
must understand that creativity resides in media implementation and
user experience and engagement as well.
While we see that much has been written about design management
theory, we have seen little application of these theories in regards to
advertising and communication strategies. In a broader sense, we must
begin to see the promotion of the application of design management
in this context. Examples must exist to allow more businesses to
understand the greater need for effective design when interacting
with their consumers. The DBA Design Effectiveness case studies are
an excellent example of application of aspects of design management,
however, little has been promoted about this in terms of academic
value, need, and the phases of design throughout the course of project
development. By developing education around how businesses
successfully apply such things as design thinking, cross-collaboration,
service design, systems thinking and more, we can highlight the need
for change and recognition and important of such things like media
consideration within business schemes.
Recommendations: Today
In order for creative agencies to consider media, there must be a revaluation of internal
procedures and client relationships. In many instances, the agency and client relationship
is one of the most important aspects of developing initiatives. Agencies must have the ability
to disagree with their clients opinions and choices when necessary, whereas clients must
trust their creative teams to be experts in what they do. Through this dialgoue and sense of
trust, agencies can not only properly serve their clients needs, but also gain true stakeholder
support in order to achieve intended benefits of both the solution and the relationship.
Based on experience, often times we see that projects are implemented simply because clients
demand it and agencies are too scared of losing business. If we seek to allow industry to
thrive, businesses and creatives must overcome this issue.
Multi-disciplinary teams are essential to business, but as this has been emphasized through
design management, we must also consider the base knowledge banks of our designers. With
regards to media, it may be that the creative industry has high expectations of designers today,
demanding designers to be experts in both print and online media with high levels of craft
and technical skills. It may be that this expectation is unrealistic; while we should seek
T-shaped people that can understand a broad spectrum of knowledge, there is a need
to allow designers to retain some element of specialty. As this research has demonstrated,
there is a need to truly understand aspects and values of different mediums. So instead of
forcing designers to be all-in-one packages, it would be better suited to allow different
types of designers to collaborate together to develop a solution that allows in the building
of a transmedia strategies.
Companies must embrace the concept that user experience is key. In agencies today, there
should be some recognition of engagement planning in the development of corporate
communication strategies. Organizations must recognize the need to adopt the new
communication model evaluated in the discussion section. Consumers no longer respond
well to messages that are simply pushed out into todays culture. This is partially and heavily
due to the overcrowding of information and messaging.
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5.2 Recommendations
for tomorrow
While the following recommendations are extremely relevant and necessary as

well as a focus of this dissertation, it should be acknowledged that they would be
better implemented after further research or initiatives occur:
As discussed within this dissertation, due to the shift of media, there

is an inherent need for businesses to evaluate their rationale and
value in working with specific types of media. Moreover, businesses
must ask the right questions before they assign a medium to their
messages. In this instance, the suggestion is that both businesses and
consultancies begin to formulate a method of analysis for media as
part of their research and insight collection so that they may be to
serve their consumers and clients in a more relevant, impactful and
poignant manner. This idea of the creation of new strategic tools for
the consideration of media may very well be an area of exploration that
the design management community must undertake as an addition to
existing theories.
In the future, as discussed, companies must recognize elements of

sustainability within the idea of brand history in order to thrive long-
term. While there is a need to be pervasive and be accessible to all
aspects of society and culture through such things like online media,
there is just as much important in the idea of luxury. Brands may not
always be luxury brands, but their history creates a sense of richness.
As time progresses, the relics of a brand become a form of luxury item
and a physical form of brand wealth. With digitization, information
is everywhere and increasingly transient. Through prints static and
Recommendations: Tomorrow
tangible nature, brands can pervade time by becoming timeless, historic and more physical. We
have seen this when we look at our own recent history and from this knowledge we can prepare
for the future.
The design management community must begin to understand that effective design is a
system. Design strategy, processes and implementation all have contributing elements that
when integrated successfully, most often, allow for the creation of dynamic and engaging
relationships between consumers and businesses.
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Chapter 6:
CONCLUSIONs
COnclusions
6 COnclusions
The purpose of this research is to evaluate the future role of media and
its relationship with design effectiveness. We see that in the past the
roles and consumption of different types of media have been challenged
and forced to change. Due to the emergence of the Internet, we again
see ourselves at another historical crossroads. Whereas some critics
have voiced the death of print, as we reflect on our own history, we
know this to be untrue. The reality is that the strength and existence
of media resides in the evolutions of its functionality.
There is a broad range of subject matter that could be incorporated

into this thesis, but it would be difficult to do so within a moderate
timeframe in a focused, direct way. Through the collection of data
from interviews, surveys, and case studies, a connection has been
made: The application of design management to the consideration
and implementation of media is an element of effective design. With
the pressure to stand out, we can see that creative organizations that
have created visible, measurable benefits for their clients do so by
considering messaging, relevance and their consumers interaction
with media.
The information presented is clear: Print and online medias have

specific characteristics, strengths and functions. They serve distinctive
purposes and they have varying uses. With the changes our culture,
society and industry have faced, there is a need to reevaluate our
methods, our knowledge and our concerns. We must recognize
implications and facilitate change. For the purpose of this research,
this change relates to our perception of print and online media, how
we use them, how they communicate information, how they interact
with people, and how they have value. By considering this new
knowledge, accepting this shift and recognizing this social crossroads,
we can move forward from it to allow for business to benefit.
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Chapter 7:
Bibliography
7.1 Primary research
7.1.1 Interviews
McAllister, A. (2010) Interview with the author, Phone, 4 August.
[Ann McAllister is a Creative Group Supervisor at Partners + Napier.
She has a MFA in Fine Art Photography and in an award-winning art
director/designer].
Roberts, J. (2010) Interview with the author, Phone, 9 August. [John

Roberts is the Chief Strategy Officer at Partners + Napier. He formally
founded and ran his own consultancy and has worked as a global
account director at Saatchi & Saatchi].
Washburn, J. (2010) Interview with the author, New York, 25 August.

[John Washburn is the Director of Digital Creative at Heartbeat
Digital. He has won many prestigious awards for his interactive work
and has been at the helm of several New York digital teams].
Wise, R. (2010) Interview with the author, New York, 25 September.

[Richard Wise is a former principal at Faith Popcorn Brain Reserve
and the current Chief Strategy Officer at Mirrorball. Prior to that he
led the direction and planning of Camel and more for over a decade].
Wynn, L. (2010) Interview with the author, Hertsfordshire, 23 July.

[Les Wynn is the head of industrial design and user experience at
Xerox Corporation. He has a MA in Design Management and has
helped to reshape Xeroxs design processes].
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Primary Research

7.1.2 Design Business Association CASE STUDIES
Absolute. (2008) Another Place Magazine Print - Consumer. Unpublished DBA Design
Effectiveness Case Study. Design Business Association.
Brandhouse. (2007) All Bar One Vino Voyage Print - Consumer. Unpublished DBA Design
Effectiveness Case Study. Design Business Association.
Boag Associates. (2007) T-Mobile Bill Redesign Print - Consumer. Unpublished DBA
Design Effectiveness Case Study. Design Business Association.
Elmwood. (2008) Melbourne Writers Festival Museums, Galleries and Visitor Attractions.
Unpublished DBA Design Effectiveness Case Study. Design Business Association.
Playgroup. (2008) BT Business Support Internal Communications. Unpublished DBA

The Team. (2009) NHS Pregnancy Planner Interactive & Digital Media. Unpublished DBA
Wolff Olins. (2007) Macmillan Cancer Support Corporate / Brand Identity Design and
implementation costs over 100,000. Unpublished DBA Design Effectiveness Case Study.
Design Business Association.
109
7.2 Secondary research
7.2.1 BOOKS
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Publishing SA.
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Bayley, S. (1990). Design, Commerce and Culture. In P. Gorb,

Design Management: Papers from the London Business School (pp. 59-66).
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Best, K. (2006). Design Management. London: AVA Publishing.
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Brand Value and Corporate Innovation. New York: Allworth Press.
Brown, T. (2009). Change By Design: How Design Thinking Transforms

Organizations and Inspires Innovation. New York: HarperBusiness.
Burns, R. (2000). Introduction to Research Methods. London:

SAGE Publications.
Cappo, J. (2003). The Future of Advertising. London: McGraw Hill.
Cooper, R., & Press, M. (1995). The Design Agenda: A Guide to Successful
Design Management. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons.
Creswell, J. (2009). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed

Method Approached (3rd Edition ed.). London: SAGE Publications.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Secondary Research

Creswell, J. & Plano-Clark, V. (2007). Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research. London:
SAGE Publications.
DeBono, E. (1999). Six Thinking Hats. London: Penguin Group.
Desmond, J. (2003). Consuming Behavior. Bastingstoke: Palgrave.
Darlington, K. (2005). Effective Website Development. Harlow: Pearson.
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Hall.
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Experience of Consumption. Oxford: Blackwell.
Gob, M. (2001). Emotional Branding: The New Paradigm for Connecting Brands to People. New York:
Allworth Press.
Gorb, P. (1990). Design as a Corporate Weapon. In P. Gorb, Design Management: Papers from the
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Gorb, P. (1990). Introduction: What is Design Management? In P. Gorb, Design Management:

Papers from the London Business School (pp. 1-9). London: Architecture Design and Techonology
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Halpern, R. (1990). Design for Profit. In P. Gorb, Design Management: Papers from the London
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Hands, D. (2009). Vision and Values in Design Management. London: AVA Publishing.
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Cambridge: Harvard Business Review.
Marzano, S. (1999). Creating Value by Design: Thoughts (Vol. 1). London: Lund Humphries.
McLuhan, E., & Zingrone, F. (1997). Essential McLuhan. London: Routledge.
McLuhan, M. (1964). Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. London: Routledge.
Miller, C. H. (2008). Digital Storytelling. Oxford: Focal Press.
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Neumeier, M. (2006). The Brand Gap: How to Bridge the Distance Between Business Strategy and Design.
Berkeley: New Riders.

Norman, D. A. (2005). Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things. New York:
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Continnuum.
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London Business School (pp. 13-23). London: Architecture Design and Technology Press.
Rodzvilla, J. (2002) Weve Got Blog: How Weblogs are Changing our Culture. Cambridge:
Perseus Publishing.
Rumsey, S. (2008). How to Find Information: A Guide for Researchers. Maidenhead: Open
University Press.
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Edition ed.). London: Prentice Hall.
Simon, H. (1969). The Sciences of the Artificial. Cambridge: MIT Press.
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Pleasure. London: Routledge.
Warner, C. (2009). Media Selling (4th Edition ed.). Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
113
Wolff Olins. (1985). The Wolff Olins Guide to Design Management. London: Design Council.
Yin, R. (2003). Case Study Research: Design and Methods. London: SAGE Publications.
7.2.2 Publications, journals and articles

Bessant, J., & Whyte, J. (2007). Making the most of the UK Design Excellence: Equipping UK Designers to
Succeed in the Global Economy. London: Imperial College Lonond, Tanaka Business School.
Birkenshaw, J. (2002). Future Roles of Print and Digital Media in the Internet Age. Pira International.
Lisbon: Pira International & Intergraf.
Campbell, E. (2009). You know more than you think you do: design as resourcefulness & self-reliance.
London: The RSA.
Cox, G. (2005). Cox Review of Creativity in Business: Building on the UKs Strengths. London:
HM Treasury.
Knapp, P. M. (2008) Measuring Design. HOW Magazine, Jan 28: 75-76.
Kotler, P., & Rath, G. A. (1984). Design: a powerful but neglected strategic tool. Journal of
Business Strategy , 5 (2), 16-21.
Pink, D. (2004). Breakthrough Ideas for 2004: The MFA is the New MBA. Harvard Business
Review, Feb 24: 21-22.
Sands, J., & Worthington, D. (2008). The Design Blueprint: High Level Skills for Higher Value.
London: Design Skills Advisory Panel.

7.2.3 Websites
Brown, T. (2007) Strategy by Design [Internet]. Available from: <http://www.fastcompany.
com/magazine/95/design-strategy.html> [Accessed 17 November 2009].
Carbone, K. (2009). Inspiration or Rip-Off? [Internet]. Available from: <http://www.

fastcompany.com/blog/ken-carbone/yes-less/inspiration-appropriation-exploitation-who-
owns-idea> [Accessed 12 March 2010].
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www.collectorsweekly.com/coca-cola/overview> [Accessed 23 August 2010].
Crawford, T. (2010) Publishing in the Age of Digital Piracy. [Internet]. Available from:
<http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/publishing-in-the-age-of-digital-piracy/> [Accessed 7
April 2010].
Dziersk, M. (2008). Design Thinking: What is That? [Internet]. Available from: <http://www.
fastcompany.com/resources/design/dziersk/design-thinking-083107.html> [Accessed 20
April 2010].
Design Business Association. (2010). Design Effectiveness Awards. [Internet]. Available from:
<http://www.dba.org.uk/awards/intro.asp> [Accessed 29 March 2010].
Evans, M. K. (2009). 33 Ways to Use LinkedIn for Business. [Internet]. Available from: <http://
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February 2010].
Fell, J. (2010). Print Magazine Advertising to Grow in 2010 Despite Popularity of Online. [Internet].
Available from: <http://www.foliomag.com/node/36169/print> [Accessed 7 April 2010].
Fitzgerald, K. (2007). The Resistance: Designers and Clients Go Head-to-Head. [Internet]. Available
from: <http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/the-resistance?pff=2> [Accessed 7 April 2010].
115
Ford, J. (2008) The Case for Design Effectiveness [Internet]. Available from: <http://www.
stepinsidedesign.com/STEPMagazine/Article/28827> [Accessed 31 March 2010].
Grey, A. (2009). Making an Impact: Measuring Web Design Effectiveness. [Internet]. Available from:
<http://www.developertutorials.com/tutorials/miscelleaneous/making-an-impact/> [Accessed
31 March 2010].
Heller, S. (2004). Blogs vs. Mags. [Internet]. Available from: <http://www.aiga.org/content.

cfm/blogs-vs-mags?pff=2> [Accessed 7 April 2010]
Heller, S. (2005). Too Many Grads or Too Few Competencies? The Design School Dilemma. Available
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[Accessed: 7 April 2010]
Interbrand. (2009). Best Global Brands 2009. [Internet]. Available from: <http://www.
interbrand.com/best_global_brands.aspx> [Accessed 17 August 2010].
Josefowicz, M. (2009). The Fallacy of the Print is Dead Meme. [Internet]. Available from: <http://
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April 2010].
Kamenetz, A. (2008). The Real Cost of E-Ink. [Internet]. Available from: <http://www.
fastcompany.com/blog/anya-kamenetz/green-friday/real-cost-e-ink> [Accessed 7 June 2010].
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<http://mashable.com/2009/01/29/stats-old-media-decline/> [Accessed 31 March 2010].
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Relph-Knight, L. (2010). Its Time to Stand Up and Argue the Case for Design. [Internet]. Available
from: <http://www.designweek.co.uk/its-time-to-stand-up-and-argue-the-case-for-
design/3008635.article
Rich, M. (2010). In E-Book Era, You Cant Even Judge a Cover. [Internet]. Available from:
<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/books/31covers.html?_r=1&src=twt&twt=nytimes>
[20 August 2010].
Schultz, J. (2008). Traditional Media vs. New Media Times They Are A ChanginQuickly.
[Internet]. Available from: <http://versantsolutions.com/share/blogs/?id=2147483820>
[Accessed 31 March 2010].
Thompson, O. (2010). Vertical Marketing. [Internet]. Available from: <http://www.

salesvantage.com/article/646/Vertical-Marketing-What-Is-A-Vertical> [Accessed 17
August 2010].
7.2.4 Lectures and attended events

Boijens, W. (Speaker). (2010, September 08). Evolving Your Design DNA. DMI Europe
Conference, London.
Swann, P. (Speaker). (2010, April 23). E-Waste. London Metamorphosis of Design

Management Network, London
Designing for the 21st Century [organized by Tom Inns] (7 December 2009) Reflections on
Design Thinking, symposium, RIBA, London.
Metamorphosis of Design Management Network [organized by Tony Kent and Tom Inns]
(23 April 2010) London Metamorphosis of Design Management event, RIBA, London.
117
Brunel University and Metamorphosis of Design Management Network [organized by Tony
Kent] (19 May 2010) Design Management Breakfast event, Business Design Centre, London.
Designer Breakfast [organized by Mike Abrahams] (28 January 2010) Sir George Cox lecture,
Bartle Bogle Hogarty, London.
DMI Europe Conference [organized by Patricia Olshan and Tom Lockwood] (6-7 September
2010) Transforming Design, Royal Society of Medicine, London.

119
Design Management
& Media:
APPENDICES
Contents
Case Study: Nitro Group
APPENDIX A
Design Effectiveness p. 125
APPENDIX B
Interviews p. 135
APPENDIX C
Design Business Association Case Studies p. 245
APPENDIX D
Surveys p. 285
APPENDIX E
The Traits of Print & Online p. 309
Appendix A:
DESIGN
EFFECTIVENESS
Defining design and recognizing its utility as a unique
and necessary tool for business.
Design Effectiveness
Design as a tool for business
Recognizing the utility of design

To first understand what the term design effectiveness means
we must first comprehend a broad definition of design. While it
is common to think that design reigns mainly over aesthetic or
product development, design is a single word representing many
facets throughout the creative industry, as well as within social and
economic realms. Design still encompasses its traditional utility
for aesthetic, form and artistic creation, but it is important to
understand that design can be used and is needed beyond that. We
can see this broader definition of design as illustrated in Figure A.1.
As Cooper and Press mention in their book, The Design Agenda:
Design is about the function, nature and appearance of things. Furthermore,

it is a creative activity concerned with problem solving and, in its broadest
sense, communication. But these things that designers create are more than
just products. Design is certainly concerned with objects or products, but it is an
activity which embraces a range of other disciplines, some of which are not the
slightest risk of being confused with art (Cooper & Press, p. 25, 1995)
By using design without confusing it for innovation, we can create

opportunities for business growth and the emergence of new,
industry-changing ideas (Gorb, Design as a Corporate Weapon,
1990). We find that design is a business tool; it allows for the
APPENDIX A: Design Effectiveness

PROBLEM A CREATIVE
ART
SOLVING ACT
A form of
Balancing aesthetic Manifesting
modern art
with functionality ideation & creativity
WHAT IS
DESIGN?
A SEGMENTED AN
A PROCESS
PROFESSION INDUSTRY
A way to manage, Figure A.1:
A group of activities An individual What is Design?,
create and develop
and disciplines industry on its own (Cooper and Press, 1995)
opportunity for innovation, the reorganization of business and competitive advantage. While
not often recognized, it is a necessary tool to help businesses thrive.
We can simplify our understanding of design to be not simply what is tangible, but what is
intangible. Again, while design does encompass elements of art and physicality, it is also a
means for problem-solving and process, a creative act, an industry and a family of professions
(Cooper & Press, 1995). Design transcends through many disciplines and definitions and
allows for problem solving at levels that are both physical and metaphysical (Campbell, 2009).
Whatever business one happens to be in retailing, transport, engineering, technology, the leisure industry
design is integral to the generation of profit. It is what differentiates you from your competition (Halpern,
p. 178, 1990).
127
Design is the process of seeking to optimize consumer satisfaction and company
profitability through the creative use of major design elements (performance,
quality, durability, appearance, and cost) in connection with products,
environments, information, and corporate identity (Kotler & Rath, p. 16, 1984).
Designers are often able to apply their visual and spatial fluency to systemic
problems and services as well as to the material world, as if systems and services
were things (Campbell, p. 3, 2009).
By understanding this, we can use design as we need to, in the best

ways possible based on our distinct needs. We must understand
and manage the utility of design, not just as a means for production,
but rather as a new perspective and understanding that touches
all aspects of society, policy and economy. Design brings together
creativity and innovation allowing ideas to become practical and
attractive propositions for users or customers (Cox, 2005).
Simply put:
Design is a major corporate resource...In order to emerge effectively, it needs to

be managed, just like any other corporate resource (Wolff Olins, p. 12, 1985).
Understanding Design Effectiveness

Although design is not an option, whether to use design effectively and with
intelligence is, indeed an option. The good, the bad, the ugly, are all designed
(Pilditch, p. 14, 1990).
What Pilditch states here is something that corporate leaders, managers
and designers must understand. The truth is that design is within
everything that we do, so making the best decisions with the most
insight will allow for effectiveness for business, thus allowing for
profitability, efficiency and corporate development (Wolff Olins, 1985).

In some ways, we could say that effective design is about reaching target consumers in a way
that is relatable and relevant. By gaining real insights, using qualitative and user-centred
research combined with a broader understanding of the possibilities of design, businesses
can spread their messages and increase sales.
To be effective, design must be appropriate to its audiencepeople have the freedom and choice to satisfy
their whims, in their own way. We must appeal to the illogical as well as the enlightenment in all of us; to
people with passions as well as paychecks to people as they are (Pilditch, p. 17,1990).
We should also consider that:
Designers are used to accommodating our behaviour, but how can they take a deeper role in influencing
it? Many designers study human factors and user-centred research; if they collaborated more with social
scientists psychologists, behavioural economists, ethnographers would it enlarge their understanding of
human decision-making and would they design differently (Campbell, p.2, 2009)?
This brings us to successful communication and development strategies that are measurable
based on a such things including return on investment and consumer engagement. Design
is an investment, but the measurement of business performance first relies on growth
in sales, then on price and perceived value (Borja de Mozota, 2003). Managers must
understand how to use design as a means to improve the quality, interactions with and the
results of many aspects of their business (Cox, 2005). This includes the integration of
design, not only through communication with an external audience, but also internally,
including internal procedures, cultures and relationships, as well as employees, teamwork,
and processes through which any outcomes are achieved (Cooper & Press, 1995).
It is important to emphasize that design effectiveness can occur throughout business,
whether it pertains to corporate culture, process, idea conceptualization, manufacturing,
engagement with society and more (Gowrie, 1990) (Cox, 2005). Through effectiveness,
we can create value, brand personality, corporate efficiency and a plethora of systematic
and metaphysical benefits (Bayley, 1990) (Campbell, 2009) (Olins, 2008). The key to
understanding design effectiveness resides in understanding how design can be used and
how businesses can benefit.
129
Design input into products, services, and environments has powerful leverage on gross margin. Thus design
pervades the managers life and work in a measurable way. To gain its full potential benefit, therefore, a
manager needs to know how best to use design and how best to understand its contribution. (Gorb, Design as
a Corporate Weapon, p. 70,1990)
Well-managed design across everything we dowould further differentiate us from our competitors. This in
turn would enable us to charge more for our productsincrease our profits and therefore our goodwill. This
would, of course, have a series of further beneficial knock-on effects in terms of share price, recruitment,
acquisition policy and so on (Wolff Olins, p. 12, 1985).
Figure A.2 further illustrates a basic understanding of how and when we may begin to
measure design effectiveness.
Effective Design as a Business Tool

The Impact of Design
Design is a necessity for business to grow and sustain itself and this is much to do with the
ability for design to allow for the opportunity for innovation and creativity in a way that is
useful to business. Design acts as a thermostat for innovation, responding to the voices and
views of customers, employees, capital investments, and all other factors that constrain, sustain
and shape a companys culture as well as its operations. Design is the driving force, not only
of change (which is inevitable), but more important, of the rate of change (Gorb, Design as a
Corporate Weapon, p.72, 1990).
While we can understand the benefits of design on the interaction of business with society
through such things like marketing strategy, products, services and goodwill, we must also
consider the internal corporate benefits. Companies will do better business by allowing for
design and design thinking to be a part of their corporate culture (Wolff Olins, 1985) (Philips
Design, 1999).
Additionally, we have seen evidence of success through design based on companies recognizing
designs contribution, as depicted in Figure A.3.

INFORMED DESIGN
INSIGHT &
DESIGN DECISIONS IMPLEMENTATION/
INFORMATION
DIFFERENTIATION
MEASURE COLLECT DATA: BENEFITS &

INSIGHT &
DESIGN ROI/GROWTH/ DESIRED
INFORMATION Figure A.2:
EFFECTIVENESS STATISTICS OUTCOMES
Measuring Design
Effectiveness
Figure A.3:
The Contribution of Design,
(Borja de Mozota, p. 40, 2003)
The British Design Council conducted a national survey in 2001 to find out
how design, innovation, and creativity had contributed to various firms. Below
are listed the percentage of companies that agreed that these attributes had
impacted on various aspects of company culture:
INCREASED TURNOVER 51%

IMPROVED IMAGE OF COMPANY 50%
INCREASED PROFITS 48%
INCREASED EMPLOYMENT 46%
IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS WITH CUSTOMERS 45%
IMPROVED QUALITY OF SERVICES/PRODUCTS 44%
INCREASE MARKET SHARE 40%
DEVELOPMENT OF NEW PRODUCTS 40%
IMPROVED INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS 28%
REDUCED COSTS 25%
Source: Borja De Mozota, p. 40, 2003
131
The statistics shown in Figure A.3 allow us to quantifiably recognize
how design can impact business growth. Furthermore, we can see that
the benefits of design permeate throughout an organization and that
design is now well established as a powerful tool in the hands of
managers who need to make and sell products or develop an effective
working environment, or communicate efficiently to consumers,
customers, shareholders and others. Most senior executives now expect
to use design resources in the development and communication of
business strategies (Gorb, Design as a Corporate Weapon, p. 68, 1990).
Additionally, with the excess production of goods and services being

offered, we must continually look at how design can create value for the
organization: Through change and differentiation, allowing for
sustainability, creation of brand value and competitive advantage. This
integration of design is on going and as future needs are created and
changes occur, the needs of design will also change (Marzano, 1999).
....We are living in a world in which our products/services are not much different
from our competitors. Effective coordinated design will improve the performance
and appearance of our products...and also help differentiate the whole company
and its products in a highly competitive marketplace (Wolff Olins, P. 12, 1985).
The Value of Design for the Brand

When we again look at intangible benefits of design, one area that
has become increasingly visible and relevant is the idea of the brand.
Communicating a mood, a philosophy, self-worth, and a sense of trust
has become a severely important area of focus where design is needed.
If a companys brand value is such a large part of its assets, why isnt it listed on
the balance sheet? Good question. But while companies ponder this, theyre already
using brand values as tools to obtain financing, put a price on licensing deals,

evaluate mergers and acquisitions, assess damages in litigation cases, and justify the
price of their stockAs brands become more measurable, companies are focusing on
ways to increase their value.
One way is to follow the example of currency: Use design to encourage trust.
(Neumeier, p. 12, 2006)
Essentially, we are seeing that companies must develop rapport with

their customers by connecting with them through their emotional
needs instead of their physical ones. By managing design effectively,
we can generate the insight we need to develop brands, value and
loyalty in a way that allows consumers a degree of reliance.
...As our society has moved from an economy of mass production to an economy
of mass customization, our purchasing choices have multiplied. Weve become
informationrich and timepoor. As a result, our old method of judging products
by comparing features and benefitsno longer words...the degree of trust I feel
towards the product, rather than an assessment of its features and benefits, will
determine whether Ill buy this product or that product. (Neumeier, p. 8, 2006).
133
Appendix B:
Interviews
Richard Wise
John Washburn
Les Wynn
John Roberts
Ann McAllister
Interviews
1. Richard Wise, Faith Popcorn Brain Reserve
2. John Washburn, Heartbeat Digital
3. Les Wynn, Xerox Corporation Europe
4. John Roberts, Partners + Napier
5. Ann McAllister, Partners + Napier
APPENDIX C: Interviews
Introduction
This section presents the five thorough interviews conducted with industry professionals both
in the UK and US. Individuals were selected due to their expertise with print or online media,
strategy, or design management, as well as their high standing positions.
Interviews are presented in the order in which they were conducted. Furthermore they were
conducted either in person or over the phone. Questions were developed and asked based on
the expertise, insight and experiences of each of the interviewees in order allow for a deep
investigation to provide a clearer picture.
137
BIOGRAPHY
Richard has been an asset to the marketing and advertising industry for over 20
years. He has a background in media and cultural studies from Syracuse University
and has a Masters in Cultural Anthropology from Universit Paris Sorbonne (Paris
IV). Early in his career, he worked for Saatchi Business on the Eastman Kodak
as an Account Director, successfully managing the worldwide launch of many of
Kodak Professionals product. Later on he spent over 16 years as the Director of
Strategic Planning at Mezzina Brown and Partners, (later known as Agent 16)
helping to develop brands such as Virgin, Apple, Absolut, Goldman Sachs and
Camel, by allowing them to better understand their social currency and new
engagement opportunities. At the time of this interview, Richard was a principal
at Faith Popcorn Brain Reserve , specializing in global, long-term ethnography
and trendscan for a leading healthcare company. His specialties in the industry are
brand strategy formation, digital innovation, social media strategy, cultural insight,
qualitative and quantitative research and program accountability. He has since taken
the role of Chief Strategy Officer at Mirrorball.
In his own words, he states that:
I use ethnographic observation to uncover startling truths about the roles

that brands play in self-expression, or, social currency.
As we transition from the age of mass media into the age of participation,
I help corporations and brands rethink the metaphors they use to guide
their marketing--right down to the brief which sets it all in motion.
Richard Wise
PrincipaL/Brand Anthropologist
Faith popcorn brain reserve
New York, NY
Interview TranscRipt
June 25, 2010
Introduction
Richard, Im looking to discuss effective design strategy and new ways
to utilize media in an effort to enhance these strategies. I am familiar
with some of the work you worked on at Agent16 and your expertise
in media strategy. Based on your work and experience, I wanted to
discuss your thoughts on the future of online and print-based media
as well as the ideas and concepts that revolved around some of your
Camel work.
CHEENA JAIN: Looking back on your Camel work, what types of

projects did you and your team work on? What did the client ask for?
Were these part of a larger marketing or communications strategy?
Richard Wise: Well, what attracted me to working on Camel,

prior to working on Camel, I was fortunate enough to work on a
very big piece of business at the Eastman Kodak Company, which
was professional film. The sales from that category and profits were
139
higher than Campbells soup and the soup spends a lot on its brand.
And Kodak Professional Photography had been treated like it was
just a trade budget. Just the fact that that was a trade campaign, shows
the torpor of the marketing mind. So we say: Oh..its a TRADE
BUDGET! So boom, Ive already dispensed of half of the exercise of
saying: Wait a second, who buys this film that I make so much money
from? What do they care about? Am I doing well with them? They
didnt do any of that. They waited for Fuji to reveal to them that they
hadnt done any of that. And Fuji began to clean their clock. For a
period of time, the company had realized that they had forsaken their
responsibilities. And that they were in a lot of trouble, because when
you lose a third of your market share in a year because youve been
lazy, it will wake you up. They had to do a lot of things to make sure
that the products that they brought to photographers, the distribution
of those products was improved, but what they really needed to
improve was how engaged they were. And so they began doing
advertising that professional photographers cared about. What they
had been doing prior to that was advertising that Kodak cared about.
So theres nothing like having your mouth full of your own dislodged
teeth to say, I better learn how to box. And theres nothing
like losing so much market share to make you realize: Maybe my
advertising should appeal to the people for whom its intended, rather
than to make my fucking boss happy. Right? So the truth is 95% of
all of the advertising in the world is designed to make someones boss
happy. Thats why 95% of all of the advertising in the world sucks.
Because it wasnt designed for you and me. It wasnt designed to grace
our lives, to inspire our imaginations, to put fizz in the culture that
we live in. It was designed to make someone happy. And what makes
that person happy is ego-happy. And what makes the ego happy is that
you and I live under its boot. So shitty advertising is another form
of tyranny: The tyranny of mediocre people, okay? So for a brief
period of time I was actually doing advertising that actual creative and
interesting people found interesting. So guess what a photographer
Theres nothing like
losing so much market share
to make you realize:
Maybe my advertising
should appeal to
the people for whom
its intended...
141
It had an oomph,
an impact,
a sense of creativity,
that wasnt Cannes Golden Lion creativity,
but that was artful

nonetheless.
Appendix c: Interviews
find interesting in a Kodak ad. KODAK COULDNT FIGURE THIS OUT!!! It was a good
photograph, it turns out. Professional photographers are interested in great photography and
an absence of a self-serving quote. Theyre like: We get it. He took it on your stuff. Got it.
Thank you. Shut up. You should have seen the stuff that Kodak was running: Oohh wee la la.
CJ: Ive seen some of it actually because I worked at Partners and we took on the Kodak
account and we had some of the old stuff and it was kind of crazy.
RW: True. So that gave me a taste of the real thing and looking around for what I could find
and I went to the most improbable of all places, which was Mezzina Brown, which was the
advertising agency for a loathsome advertising campaign called, Joe Camel. When I first saw
Joe Camel, I was in Rochester, NY and it reminded me of an advertising equivalent of Fritz,
the cat, Bob Crumbs anti-hero. It was sleazy, somehow pornographic, rude, crude, and
when I saw it, I also saw that it had an oomph, an impact, a sense of the creativity that wasnt
Cannes Golden Lion creativity, but that was artful nonetheless. So I was like, what the hell,
I interviewed on it and cigarette advertising had already begun to be demonized at the time,
as had smoking, and had a contrarian streak, so I decided to check it out. Some would argue
a moral blind spot. Im a libertarian and its hard to argue with the right of a legal product to
be allowed to advertise. And also, Im a little bit, as a person in advertising, aware of the fact
that advertising, a taboo product for children, is unlikely to do anything more than to banalize
the category. And thats why in countries where the advertising of cigarettes is outlawed, the
incidence of teen smoking goes up a little bit. Because the CAVALRY IS RESTORED TO ITS
TRANSGRESSIVE LUSTER! What intrigued me at Mezzina Brown and Partners was that they
look at their assignment as making pop culture. And they embraced the fact that they were in
a socially questionable category, running ads that are believed to be noxious to the interests of
society by its puritan peers. You had to earn whatever attention you could get. You had to earn
it. And also it had a very big budget. And the means that were excluded to them required them
to be smarter.
CJ: Right. They had a lot of legal restrictions. Its kind of like when you have free reign
sometimes its very difficult, but when you have restrictions, you have to think very smart and
logically: How can you get the message across effectively?
143
RW: Oh yeah. Now, I personally think that a television ad that says what can I do on behalf of
my brand, that puts a new fizz into the culturejust a little contribution to the effervescence
of a joyful life?, is a moment of relief. I really liked watching, when I was a student in Paris in
the 80s, Jean-Paul Goude did, um, ads for Le Couparet and for KodakKodakchrome. And
they were amazing pieces of art. Jean-Paul Goude was one of the, uh, art directors for Esquire
magazine, either after or before George Lewis and so hes very good at that pop iconography.
I loved it. And so, very few advertisers though, care enough to push themselves that hard. The
truth is theres nothing wrong with television advertising by itself, its what people do with it.
And the vast number of advertisers put about as much respect for their audience into their
advertising as the Soviet Union did for the rights of a free mind. And the truth is that most
advertising is conceived and executed by Soviets, not by bold explorers of a free world. Your
average corporation doesnt blow peoples brains out in a cellar, they dont beat people to
death and they dont send them into frozen wastelands to slowly die. But they have the exact
same thing in common that the Politburo had, which is an environment of FEAR! FEAR
EVERYWHERE! PARALYZING, SUFFOCATING, MIND DESTROYING FEAR! Thats a
modern corporation and its advertising budget.
CJ: Absolutely. I mean theres no room for mistakes.
RW: Of course not. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR MISTAKES! ITS NOT ALLOWED HERE.
Okay? As well as a whole other litany of things that sound supremely professional and come
from one placethey come from the EGO!! And the ego says how its supposed to behave.
But the ego doesnt know how to communicate. The ego is an autistic child. It has to have
these repetitive, controlling exercises and cannot bear the intolerable confusion of actually
communicating. Thats why TV is over. The advertising business made it untenable as a
proposition. And I watched Nikes football ad write the future, which a host of people had sent
to me. I dont have to read AdAge to find out what they did and I dont have to watch ESPN
to know what they did. Its all over the place. It takes my breath away. It makes my heart skip.
It makes my blood race. Its so indescribably beautiful and every brand, everywhere is sitting
right on the opportunity to do the same thing.
CJ: I mean you talked a lot about TV and broadcast, do you find the same thing going on in
some regards with print?
RW: Well, heres what we had to do. On Camel, we had Joe Camel and we decided to invent
some characters that would go with him. Camel had always been a squishy packaging vehicle,
so we wanted to comment on the box, because we believed that was where the category was
going to go. And thats indeed what happened. More people buy their cigarettes in boxes,
not the squishy packs. So we invented three other characters and named them and gave them
stories. Which one played the sax? Which one always had a porcupine hat? Um, and we called
them the Hard Pack, and we used them to promote the fact that Camel was now available in
a box. Of course we wouldnt call it a box. Camel cant come in a box, but Camels can come
in a hard pack. And so, we sport that launch in another strategy, which was to go to all of
the delis that typically give out a blank white pack of courtesy matches and then we would give
them branded Camel matches. And they would feature the other three members of the Hard
Pack. And they are like baseball playing card poses, right? Like Floyd with his sax, yeah!
Theres Max with his harmonica
CJ: Kind of creating a story around each of these characters
RW: Mm-hmm. That was the only vehicle that we used to promote the means
CJ: The matches. Thats it?
RW: Yeah. So what we began to discover waswe did it because a great brand always has more
to discover than youre ever going to find. So as we went out and listened to the market, we
began hearing from smokers about Floyd and Max and Ray.
CJ: Really? Wow.
RW: Yeah. Well, because it was interesting; it was Camel. It was sleazy. It was crude. But it was
also interesting. And it was part of the pop culture.
CJ: I suppose weve also got the benefit that people are getting free matches, so theyre
immersed in that experience of the brand and these characters as well. And theres this story
behind it so its this Camel World that theyve kind of come into, to a degree.
145
ANECDOTE
And so, we sport that launch in another strategy, which was to go to

all of the delis that typically give out a blank white pack of courtesy
matches and then we would give them branded Camel matches.
And they would feature the other three members of the Hard
Pack. And they are like baseball playing card poses, right? Like
Floyd with his sax, yeah! Theres Max with his harmonica
...We did it because a great brand has more to discover than youre
ever going to find...
It was sleazy. It was crude. But it was also interesting. And it was
part of the pop culture.
RW: Looking at print, there are a lot of different ways to use print, but in the case of a
cigarette brand, which is just trying to, when it advertises, in my opinion, is saying that the
company that makes me, believes in me. I think this is what Kevin Roberts talks about love
marks. If its something that is worth selling, its worth advertising and if its worth those
two, then perhaps its worth buying. Lets find out. Lets buy it. In other words, we assume
that if someone has been able to go through all of those steps to get to the point that its an
advertisement, thats one way of it being fted by society at large. So in our case, it was just that
plus saying that Camel was no longer the unique province of World War II veterans drunk at
a bar somewhere, wearing a white t-shirt going Ayyya fuckin boy! And then we showed it to
the grizzled World War II veterans and said, What do you think? And theyre like, Yeah,
you gotta do somethingbesides there are too many old people smoking. So we had their
blessing. So with print, therefore, the purpose of it is: In any environment, which generally
speaking, is an environment of inquisitiveness. Almost all print advertising is based on being
in a magazine, and the magazine is a space that seeks to stimulate inquisitiveness. There
are a few exceptions to that, but even if its Mother Johns and Utney Reader, its a different
kind of inquisitiveness. So, Im in an inquisitive environment, the
person who is navigating in that environment is getting this little
burst of NOW!, THIS!, THEM!, IT!, LOOK!, YEA!,
and each one hits you like a little hitch. So a good ad in that space
makes its little comment on the society that we live in. It does it in
a way when the brand is there and seems to now have a lens quality
to it. The great Absolut print campaign, possibly the greatest print
campaign of all time, did all those things Ive just described. It gave
me this little burst of Now!...
CJ: And it was refreshing, too.
RW:
It was refreshing and crystallized in headlining, in refining. And the brand was a lens.
CJ: And it was such a simple ad.
RW: Simple? Yes, but I dont feel dismissed. But a lot of times
advertisers cant figure out that theyre supposed to leave a little
something for me to do.
CJ: Right, there has to be some element of interaction. Interesting.

And at Agent 16/Mezzina Brown, I mean even towards the later
campaigns, there was direct mail going around, they were starting to
do web, and I think magazine stuff was actually slowly beginning to
be cut out. And there were some really interesting things that were
done there and I think the team was looking at such things, like really
engaging and creating that interaction experience through sensory
perception, which was something that you were really a proponent of,
if I recall?
RW: Uh huh.
147
CJ: Maybe you could talk about that and why you were so, you know, motivated to have that.
You stood by that quite a bit, I remember.
RW: Uh huh. Well the thing thats interesting about it, I really like to take every product that
youre ever going to work on and establish a thinking and tactile relationship with it. Think
with your hands, think with your nose, even your ears. And act quite obsessive about the
brand and see what it has to teach you about what makes it interesting to be alive. In the case
of tobacco, even non-smokers will walk into a tobacconist and go Mmmm, I love the smell
here. Tobacco, unlit, is very intriguing to smell and there are a lot of colors, I mean, varieties
of odor. There are also different colors to tobacco, but theres all these different: Mmm.
Its earthy. Its sweet. Its rooty. Its animalistic. Um. Is it cut grass? Is it a barn? Is it cedar?
What are all these things Im picking up. So thats one thing. The next thing is that is says on
the front of a pack of Camels, Turkish and Domestic. So Turkish and Domestic, indeed,
didnt mean anything to anybody. But it sounded kind of interesting. Sounded like there
might be a story around that. So it took me a long time to find this out, because nobody in
the fear-baked, horror ways of R.J. Reynolds, had time to care about such things. Except you
eventually meet some old coot who has been around the company since World War II and who
everyone ignores. Always seek out that person in a company and see if you can manage to sit
with him for a half hour, see if you can do it for a whole day and theres usually a treasure trove
that they can teach you. Um, I know that if I started working on Hersheys, I would try to find
some of the old guys in manufacturing and I would ask them about
CJ: So you can learn a little bit more about the brand story? Because I remember, you know,
after a point there was a lot of focus on the craftsmanship quality of Camel and the Turkish
and Domestic blends and one of the things that was going on with direct mail and both web
initiatives was really trying to communicate that story. And I think that when you were looking
at scent and other things, it was something that you guys were trying to communicate.
RW: Yeah, without using words. Now, what I picked up on was that people thought Turkish
was strong. I found out that it was flavorful and that it was lighter. And that was very
interesting to me. Now you generally cant sell someone the opposite of what they think, but
you can bend what they think. So if I go from strong to flavorful, okay, alright? So what we
did was, we said: You know what Turkish smells like? It smells light, clean and cedary. Isnt
that weird? And that Domestic smells earthy, rooty and wine-y. So just finding that out, and
finding that putting the two together is what makes Camel so flavorful would be a wonderful
way to seduce a Marlboro smoker out of the bland conformism of the popular Marlboro brand
and into the deeper, more mysterious life of being a Camel smoker. So we decided to give
them through our club ambassadors, a little tiny vial of the essence of Turkish and a little tiny
vial of the essence of Domestic. To put a little description of what theyre smelling, to even
suggest that they put one on one wrist and one on the other and rub them together, and they
would be doing what?
CJ: Combining. Or blending.
RW: They would be blending on their own body. They would be having sex with the Camel
family. And then their significant other would say: You smell good. Whats that? And
they wouldnt have to say: I just had sex with a Camel. They would say thats Turkish
and Domestic. Well that smells nice. I love it. So that is a very interesting way of
communicating. So Im showing respect and appreciation for the person that Ive talked to
because I gave them a neat little gift, just to hear my story. And who the hell wants to talk to
me when theyre out having a fun time. You should show them respect. Im going to thrust
myself in their social space: Can I please give you a free pack of Camels and tell you a little
something that youll enjoy tomorrow? Heres what it is. Youll be able to smell what makes
them special. Just keep this, will you? Little tiny box. Put it in my pocket. I wake up the next
morning, hung over, lying in bed next to someone whos name Ive forgotten. And here is this
gift that has come to me from Camel.
CJ: And it sounds very interesting in that these are things that translate. You have brand
ambassadors, but you could still also make this something that was print and you wouldnt
necessarily be able to do that online: Scent and having this tactility of it. There was stuff like
texture and things like that I think you were incorporating and with scent I think you were
considering doing direct mail as well.
RW: Yeah. But I think that specific concept is best given to in person. In direct mail, the
149
deal was, Id like if you open up my piece of direct mail for it to be
genuinely amusing. And, so we tried to give prospects to Camel and
Camel coverts, special experiences in the form of nightlife and so
you send them a thing that says: Were pulling back the velvet rope
just for you and heres where to go to find about it. And to help
you more enjoy this tranquilly, weve included a box of excuses that
you can use to get out of work, explain to somebody why youre only
semi-conscious if youre with them, etc. etc. etc. So its like very
fun gags and our experience showed that people appreciated being
talked to that way. Like if its your birthday, I dont just, you know,
call you up and leave a message that says, HEY! HAPPY FUCKIN
BIRTHDAY!!!!! I try a little, but some people do that. Its sad
but true...
...But I try and find something that has a little bit of preparedness, so that when
I give it to you, you go Oh my god! He cares about me He went through the
trouble to be witty. Okay? In a way thats obviously very specific to me.
CJ: Well, I mean, why do you think its so effective to engage

consumers in this way?. Is it really about building a relationship with
them for the brand itself? Is it simply about amusement? Is it simply
about experience? Or is it a combination of a lot of things? Whats
your take on that?
RW: The pageant of life does not last very long. We come and we go.
We are blades of grass. While we are here, we have a few moments
where suddenly everything shines. And sometimes brands have the
opportunity to contribute to that shine. And I talked to you before
about the fizz of life, the bubbles. I mean here we have this apple
cider and the bubbles in it are wonderful. At Faith Popcorns Brain
Reserve, we talk about culture as a medium. And the brand has to
learn how to use that medium, in other words, it has to create. It
has to have the consent and interplay of what it calls its TARGET
The pageant of life does not last very long.
We come and we go. We are blades of grass.
While we are here, we have a few moments

where suddenly everything shines.
And sometimes brands

have the opportunity to
contribute to that shine.
151
At Faith Popcorns Brain Reserve, we talk
about culture as a medium. And the brand
has to learn how to use that medium. In other
words, it has to create.
audience. With that angry, hostile word it uses. And instead it has
to engage participants and it has to be present at the fair and do
something to lift the fair and lift the spirits of the people who are
there. To help it shine and sparkle. So for a brand to be relevant to a
consumer, um, it has to be part of the consumers culture.
You can escape doing that if you want to. Most people wont notice
that you failed to show up. But in the course of my whole life, Ive
only had 20, 30 times when brand really meant something to me
because they were there at the right time in the right way and they
contributed to the story of my life as it progressed. And you could say
that I had a relationship with them. Its a dangerous metaphor because
as soon as you say that to a marketer, they begin to take it way too
literally. And they dont realize how tenuous the bond is between them
and their consumer. I have a relationship with the Eiffel Tower in an
Eiffel Tower Mailing Program. Probably is some butthead somewhere
who wants to get me on an Eiffel Tower Mailing Program and wants
me to be a friend of the Eiffel Tower on Facebook. We would live in
a far better world if brands knew how to think of themselves of Eiffel
Towers. Its kind of like
CJ: Like icons
RW: Like icons! I dont have to be so sweaty. My relationship with you. I would say that most
marketers are like psychotic ex-girlfriends stalking you on Facebook. WHY HAVENT YOU
ANSWERED MY EMAIL!!!!!, okay? And they approach relationships like psychotic girls
do. I remember, one of the butthead brand managers at Camel, had the emotional and social
IQ of Jeffrey Dahmer. He probably lit fires when he was a boy. He probably tortured animals
when he was a boy. And he definitely wet his bed when he was a boy. And so he told us what his
strategy was for Camel, which was that Camel was going to send ONE EMAIL EVERY DAY!!!
to its customers and he wanted them all DONE IN ADVANCE!!!!, okay? So it was just kind
of like: Now THATS a RELATIONSHIP! Yes it is. So is Jeffrey Dahmer drilling a hole in a
boys head. He definitely has a relationship with him, okay? But there doesnt appear to be very
much nuance in it. Now these same people who ruined television and television advertising,
have now become experts in social media. HAL-LE-LUJAH! Okay? And now theyre all going
to act like the same kind of assholes on Facebook like they did on TV.
CJ: So whats the next step?
RW: Well, the next step is, that I propose, is have some respect for people. If you think about
it, this patron saint of digital marketing, Steve Jobsif you look at the story on Apple and
what its all about, what trumps every other consideration at Apple is user experience. In fact,
Apple brought that term into popular vernacular.
CJ: And I guess its less about information overload and more about, you know, about
communicating things
RW: The first time I used Apple Macintosh, I realized this had nothing to do with utility.
At the end of the day, although utility was what would bring you to the table to have one,
that the second you fired it up and began using it, it was as good as, taking acid in terms of
being stimulated. And being stimulated is different from being overloaded. So they made the
user experience, key. In order to make the user experience key, you have to respect people.
Incredibly so.
CJ: You have to understand that theyre intelligent and that you cant just dumb things down, I
suppose. Crispin Porter + Bogusky has done a lot of, in editorial work, theyve done this whole
153
...Being stimulated is different
from being overloaded.
In order to make the

user experience key,
you have to
respect people.
Incredibly so.
idea of interactive fun things and theres even stuff done by MARS
recently that has scent on it. There are things that are just smart and
they communicate. They dont just expect people to be idiots.
RW: Mm-hmm. The great historian, Huizinga, Dutch, wrote about

the high middle agesthe culture of the high middle ages, which he
says weredespite the fact that the dental system sucked and that your
life expectancy was forty-eight, that people had more joy living in the
middle ages than weve ever known since the Industrial Revolution,
despite the considerable material comforts that we enjoy that they did
not. So he referred to, you know we have homosapiens and people
often forget that sapiens means, taste...man who tastes. And its
interesting that its also the origin of the word, wisdom.
To able to taste is to be able to have a mind. That which stimulates the senses,
stimulates the mind. The Greeks knew that. All the great artists knew that. Fuck
me if any martketer knows that. But HE referred to man of the middle ages as
Homo Ludens, which means man who plays. And that being playful defines
human beings.
The degree to which we do it; the amount of effort that we put into it.
Of course, when you watch two dogs playing and theyre developing
their hunting skills, it may not seem like us, but we play. God, do
we play and we play and we play. So few brands know how to come to
you and to say, Im something for you to play with; Im part of your
currency; Im a puzzle to twist in a new way. And again, I think they
dont do it right because they dont respect the people for whom its
intended, therefore stuff like Crispin Porterwhat makes them so
special? Nothing at all, except that they truly care about the people
that the communication is for. And they dont find it acceptable to
bore them. Um, thats a huge ambition and its the sad state of the
marketing industry that the overwhelming majority of its clients prefer
155
the Soviet approach to things than the collaborative approach to things. Thats the truth.
CJ: Do you think that clients and agencies alike would benefit from, maybe, having resources
that made them more aware of the possibilities with potential marketing or do you think
that they are very set in their ways? Or that, you know, had they the resources or, say they
understood more of what Crispin Porter was doing or they had resources to that, do you think
they would be apt to change, or no?
RW: Theres a famous story about Steve Jobs early on at Apple and someone with a lot of
technical skills is applying for a job. But so Steve Jobs interviews him and says to him, and
this is a bad example ofan example of not respecting peoples boundaries, and it was an
inappropriate and unprofessional thing to do, but I get what he did, which was he said: Have
you even had sex in the last five years? Weve all met that kind of person that you have to
ask yourself, like, suppose you had to say something to a girl to keep her from leaving you,
what would you say? Suppose you had to sing a song for your mother when she was sick, what
would you sing for her? Have you ever actually played on the fields of life? Have you ever had
to bring your own imagination into this? Have you ever succeeded in convincing somebody
of something difficult? Or did you figure out how to avoid doing that? And then you ended
up in student government? And now youre the brand manager. A lot of people get into
these positions because the leaders of the companies are sociopaths. They are narcissistic
sociopaths. So if you really care, then you would make sure that the people who help create
communication or instigate communication play a part in a dialogue thats taking place with a
consumer, that those people have a twitter feed, that they have a Facebook page, that they have
hundreds of friends, that when they go to parties, people like being around them, that they
know how to sing songs, that theyve done difficult things, that theyve backpacked through
the Himalayas, that they fell in love and lost, that they fell in love and won, that they wrote a
poem.
CJ: That they lived life vicariously really. Interesting.
RW: So if you change that, then you change everything, but its veryit goes back to the
personality of the people who are doing this.
CJ: Absolutely. And I mean, so thats something thats really interesting for a companys
organization and overall management style. In terms of maybe, the media element too, at
Faith Popcorn, youre doing some social media strategy as well. Where do you see print and
online going? Obviously, some companies dont really know how to use the medias properly.
Some people need to be educated in it. Some people need to restructure their organizations
all together. In terms of the overall industry of print and online, where do you see those
going? I mean, do you think they need to change the way theyre used or do you think that
theyre fine the way they are?
RW: Okay. When you go to a Grateful Dead concert, you see people walking around with
balloons that float up in the air. There may or may not be brand names or writing on those
balloons.
CJ: Right.
RW: Alright. So Im at a Grateful Dead concert and people have balloons. So what do
you and I do, Cheena, while were there? We would just sort of observe: Oh like thats
interesting. And whats the role of the balloon here? And were like, yeah a part of your
brain thats now going, Whats the role of the balloon here? Now pretty soon, I see
someone take the balloon and hold it up to their mouth and go (INHALE). And then they
go: WHOAAAAA! WHOOOOOHAAAA! So there must be something in that balloon.
Now if we were a marketer, we would now start thinking of ways to control the balloon. Or
we would hire somebody to count how many balloons there were. Or we would interview the
people having the balloons and we would say: WHY WHYNOUHTHE FOLLOWING
THINGS..A..B..C..OR D? But what we do when we really care about all this stuff, we
just go like: Ohh, theyre getting high... Okay? So then we find out whats in it and its
like, its a whippet, man! Okay? So then we remember, like, the term whippet. And we
categorize it in our minds, like, Okay, thats a term used for that. Right? And then we begin
asking ourselves, is that what that Devo song is about, by chance or is it about something else
entirely? Then we probably try one ourselves to discover what particular mind-numbing effect
it really has. And then wed see if theres a relationship between that and the music thats being
played at the concert. And then we keep our minds open for like, are there other bands that
do this, what is the relationship between whippets Okay? So same thing for when you go;
Wheres print? Well the question isnt so much wheres print? I think your own wonderful
157
mind that has already been partially destroyed by the education that youve received because
there are too many marketers impingent upon it. So the marketers, they always do this stuff,
where theyre like shallow, fear-based girls in a high school. And its amazing that they even
make it to Monday without all killing themselves like Heathers, okay? Or plotting somebody
elses death, okay? Because their minds, they go way too fast with it, so they go, OH OH! AY!
I! BUT ITS GONNA DIE!!!! Okay? So its like, okay, theres something happening thats
really interesting with it, but it is far too interesting of an experience to have, like a whippet
at a Dead concert, okay? Its far too interesting of an experience to have for it to vanish all
together.
CJ: Of course.
RW: So then, the question becomes, okay, if theres an ebb in how much of this is being
consumed because theres a certain amount of things is more entrancing to do on the
Internet, okay? Then the question becomes, what about it stands out? And what about it
stands out, in my opinion, is the polish and the finesse and the curation of the experience.
So what do these morons do, who are in charge of advertising? At precisely the moment when
suddenly magazines provide with a kind of relief, like a South Beach hotel gives me. In a South
Beach hotel, everything is curated. For one week, your life is simply beautiful. Okay? Even
though you feel fat, but thats okay, well just have melon and grapefruit. So the same thing
with the magazine; its like twenty minutes of South Beach if you can go with my metaphor,
okay? So what are we going to do now? Were going to put ads in there and make the ads look
like theyre social media. You moron. Okay? Its like: I...IYOU SAID SOCIALIWE
ONLYIAND I SAIDAND IT LOOKS LIKE FACEBOOK!!!! Its kind of like, dont
make a print ad, right? So its very interesting because I remember Mezzina at Mezzina Brown
and Partners telling me this story of what happened way back when Marlboro killed Winston.
Winston was the leading brand of cigarettes in this country. In the late 40s and early 50s, what
was the most powerful advertising vehicle that you could use in America?
CJ: Was it the magazine? 40s and 50s? Radio, maybe?
RW: RADIO!! Say it more CONFIDENTLY! RADIO! Because with radio you were right into
the brain. No reading required, right? Radio was the most mcluhanesque of the media, right?
And you sat there and ahhh, and it just gripped you, right? So Winston was on the airwaves.
The question isnt so much wheres print?
The question becomes,

what about it stands out?
And what about it stands

out, in my opinion,
is the polish and the finesse
and the curation
of the experience.
159
And(melodically) Winstonnnn tastes goooood! Like a cigarette
shoooulddd!! Right? So it was happy! And normal. And American
wanted happy and normal because a tenth of the population had seen
what human guts look like when they spill out of thewhats it called?
When your abdomen has been split open. Okay? So all these soldiers
came back from the beaches of Italy and Asia and France and you
know what, they wanted a nice, normal, happy life. And later when a
generation of snobs, who had looked down on them and their crew
cuts and their happy, Ozzie and Harriet lives, they did not realize
why they wanted such normal lives. We had such little compassion
for them. Well, so they were like (melodically) Winstonnn tass.
sigh This is such a relief. And so, along comes a new generation
and theyre going to be listening to Dylan and smoking pot and having
different types of experiences.
And a new medium has since come into existence. And so on that medium, six
Jews in New York ran a little company called Phillip Morris, a Yankee company
in a Southern category, tobacco. And theyll do anything to stand out and theyll
do anything to succeed. So they look at television and design to run a movie in
a cinematic medium.
So they go, and they take the music from the Magnificent Seven,
(melodically) Dum Da Dum Da DumDa Da Da Dum Da Dum
Dum Da Dum Da DumDA DA DA DUM! And they go, lets
tell a story with that. And so then they go and create the refrain,
(melodically) Baaaaadaaaaa da da daaaaa ba da daaaaa So now,
Ive got the wistful contemplative, huge horizons. And the mans face
is seeing the Arizona sun and there he is begged by all of this. So
they use the medium with a message that works in the medium and
meanwhile, Winston is (melodically whistling). And no one that lived
then can remember the Winston ads, they can remember the song
of the Winston ads at the time. They are radio ads that were put on
television. Marlboro did television ads that were made for television.
So, if a brand, an Crispin Porter would so agree with us, would simply ask itself,
what is the power of this medium? What do people use it for? And how can you
excel with it? You really want to do something extraordinary here. And you will
do just fine. And you wont have to worry about whether print is dying or not.
You only have to worry about: Did I use it well? And did it suit the purposes...?
And you know, if youre trying to learn the virtues of each medium,
it takes about five minutes and then youre done for the rest of your
life. So it turns out that print delivers all kinds of vertical audiences
and that it slowly accumulates an audience. Its very hard to do it really
super fast in print. Okay? Oh my god, that was complicated. It turns
out that out-of-home delivers a lot of eyeballs very fast. Its zoned.
It turns into learning what each media is good for and so the lessons
over very fast.
The hard part is that you may not want to use every single media and you make
an analysis of whats actually going to work.
The hard part is that you may not want to use every single media and
you make an analysis of whats actually going to work. But having
made that analysis and then having committed the money to it, the job
becomes what can I do really well here?
CJ: Right. Absolutely. Thats a good amount of information youve

given me. Thank you for your time Richard.
161
BIOGRAPHY
John has been working as an award-winning designer, art director, creative director,
and strategist for several years. Prior to becoming the creative director at Heartbeat
Digital, he was the head of interactive and digital departments at leading agencies
within the New York advertising industry. As Interactive Creative Director at RDA
International, he led his team to create work that resulted in several interactive
awards including the Interactive Media Awards, W3 and more. He and his team of
award-winning creatives went on to work on accounts like 2K Games, FX Luxury,
Korg, Sony Professional and Starwood (Aloft and W Hotels). More recently, he was
a founding member of the Nitro Group US (now SapientNitro) digital department,
heading the team as the Director of Digital Creative. During his time at Nitro, John
worked on accounts such as Footlocker, Kraft American Singles, Dove Chocolate
and Twix, helping to oversee digital creative and developing digital briefs and
strategies to compliment traditional planning initiatives. With his Twix digital work,
he and his team earned awards such as the FWA, Mobius Award and recognition
from AdCritic/Creativity Magazine. He has also collaborated on projects for several
leading agencies including Agency.com, Avenue A | Razorfish, Tribal DDB, MRM
Partners/McCann WorldGroup, CondNet (Cond Nast), and more.
While Johns background focuses on online and digital content, he states that:
I think of my work as creative cross-channel brand communications.
He has also spent some time as a professional musician, working in recording

studios as well as a construction worker, where he nearly lost some fingers.
JOHN WASHBURN
Director of digital creative
heartbeat digital
New York, NY
June 25, 2010
Introduction
John, Im looking to discuss effective design strategy and new ways to

utilize media in an effort to enhance these strategies. I am familiar
with your Twix Website project that you worked on at Nitro Group.
Based on your work, I wanted to discuss your thoughts on the future
of web-based media as well as the ideas and concepts that revolved
around your Twix work.
Cheena Jain: Looking back on your Twix website work, could you
please discuss the project brief and the clients expectations? What
did the client ask for? Did they originally ask for a web-based creative
solution?
John Washburn: Now that project landed on my lap. That

wasMars was experimenting with new media and they wanted to
do something with TV channel on demand kind of thing. And so
the idea that they were kicking around was to have alternate spots or
163
A screencap from Twixs inter-
active story website. At this
point, the consumer chooses
the direction of the story.
(image: John Washburn)
Creating top of mind of Twis

products on the website as
the user navigates through the
story online.
(image: John Washburn)
alternate cuts on their on demand channels so that TV would drive to their TV on demand
so they would have more spots. And like no one at Nitro knew what to do with that. So they
were like: Oh thats digital, so they gave it to me. And I was like This is bullshit, were not
doing that. Meanwhile, they were doing this campaign refresh around the existing pause,
moment of pause strategy. They were originally going to do an English language spot and
a Spanish language spot, so the production budget was enough money for two spots. So they
shelved the Spanish language media buy and they reallocated that money. And so I went in and
pitched. Instead of doing of just multiple spots, lets go onto the web and lets do sequential
storytelling. They had already sold in the script for the first one, which was like this guy
meeting this girl at a party. It sort of implies that they are going to or they could have this sort
of night. So lets tell that story. And its something that could do really well in an interactive
environment, just because, like, the whole Twix strategy is like: the guy says something
awkward, always theres this awkward moment, and then he gets out of it by taking a bite of his
candy bar. Like its a moment to think about it. So like, instead of having him kind of work,
just having the user pick what hes going to do. I mean its so obvious.
CJ: Its kind of like this whole idea of engaging the consumer through a story.
JW: Right. With consumer packaged goods. Its like we cant tell a differentiation story, we
cant tell a value story, we cant tell a superiority story. All were trying to do is do something
so that were top of mind when our target is stoned at the 7-Eleven, and like OhduhI
remember Twix. Literally. Thats all were doing. Like engagement, we can get them to hang
out and like play in our little world for a few minutes, then it counts like a deep engagement.
Its really deeper than TV exposure.
CJ: So why do you think this is more successful than say information-driven websites?
JW: For this product, for this target, theres nothing you can really say about the product. The
product benefit is when I eat it, it makes me feel happy. Twix, in America, was at the time,
the highest indexed second-favored candy bar. Not that everyone added up, like yes, 1,000
people were asked what theyre favorite candy bar is, it came in second. Its like when people
were asked to rank candy bars, it came in second the most. So, people liked Snickers, and then
they liked Twix, or they liked Kit Kat, then they liked Twix. So theres no hope of going for a
big market share play. Were just trying to get top of mind so that people will buy it sometimes.
165
CJ: And how successful do you think the website was? I think you won some awards, right?
JW: We did. We won a Mobius Award. We won an Ad Critic. And we won an FWA, which is
kind of a prestigious flash award. But you were asking about the client brief. The client never
asked for a website. We were just going to hang this on the back of the website. This little
experience. And the client was like: Our website is bullshit, this is awesome, lets just do
this. And we had no budget for it. Like we basically threw it in. We streamlined the banner
campaign a little bit, just to get more business. And I mean we did it for $10,000, which was
like not very much. And then the bulk of it was for the production budget.
CJ: So then it was very cost effective then?
JW: Well, I think we ate a lot of the cost.
CJ: I see. So do you think it was more about the agency getting it right?
JW: In that case, yes. Also, Mars,as part of agency consolidation, had moved digital to agency.
com and that engagement didnt start didnt start until the beginning of 2009, this is sort of
mid-2008. And it was part of a bigger agency strategy to try win back that business. We were
trying to do something really cool, but also something that would make it really hard for the
next agency to follow. Like there was a bigger sort of chess game going on. So we were able to
talk the people that count the money into ignoring that we wouldnt be making money on this.
CJ: Obviously, a lot of people use interactive websites, or websites that deal with experience,
but do you think it was more successful because it linked to the television spots?
JW: I dont know. I mean television wasnt a big driver of traffic. But, you mean did it link
thematically?
CJ: Well, I knew it was linked thematically. But do you think more people ended up going to
the website specifically because of the television spot?
JW: Well Ill tell you this. When TV launched, we were getting about 300 people a day to the
website from the TV, which is not very many. The day that we won the FWA, we got 15,000.
CJ: So it was the awards?
JW: Well, I mean the FWA doesnt hurt.
CJ: So it was only 300 people per day until you got the FWA?
JW: And then it was 15,000. And then shortly after thatAd Criticgot it like a few
thousand people the week that we won that. And then the online campaign launched shortly
after that. And then we were doing fairly well within where we were expecting to. Like the
media buy was built around a certain number of impressions and we were getting that.
CJ: I know you said that they had the campaign that came afterdo you think had they
launched everything together, any advertising and more drive to web, it would have been more
successful?
JW: I dont know. I think jumping across channels like that without any clearthe call to
action to the website was sort of tagged on. Theres also no consumer benefit to go. Theyre
going to go to the website to see more advertising. Were not giving them anything. Theres
no value exchange except for the fun experience. Getting somebody to go from their TV to go
online, whats in it for them?
CJ: Right, so its got to create value for consumers.
JW: Right.
CJ: So, in terms of your projects right now and this work, do you have any thoughts in terms
of key elements to consider in regards to online media, you know, moving forward? I mean,
where do you see the future of online media headed?
JW: Yeah, I mean in offline and digital television and everything, were getting a lot more.
167
There are a lot more developments that are possible because of
behavioral targeting. Like we can know a lot more about you as an
aggregate feature.
I mean the thing that digital can do is that it can respond to stimulus. If you do
an action, then it change what its doing.
Like with traditional, its called analog, whether its a billboard or bus
shelter, a TV ad or a magazine ad, no matter what you do, it doesnt
change that message. And the thing that makes digital powerful is that
that message can respond and change; we can do a totally a different
message. Depending on who you are, like that truck, which is
advertising Premium grade rice Nishi. Like it doesnt care whether or
not you like rice or hate rice, its just going to display that.
CJ: And it wont change, based on response.
JW: Right. So like, I mean its sort of a weird example, but like
passing that truck through a neighborhood where people really like
tortillas, you could switch to a tortilla message.
CJ: Right. So based on, you know, behaviors and preferences of

people. And I suppose the web is really good at collecting marketing
data.
JW: Yeah, I mean its shockingly bad when you think about it; What
were actually able to do in reality. Im constantly amazed at how
unsophisticated it really is. We rely a lot on surveys. So. Were saying
that based on a cross-section of likeits not a broad cross-section of
societyits a bunch of people who are willing to fill out surveys. You
ever filled out one?
CJ: Yes, they are kind of ridiculous.
...Whether its billboard or bus shelther, a
TV ad or a magazine ad, no matter what
you do, it doesnt change that message.
And the thing that makes

digital powerful is that
that message can respond
and change; we can do
a totally different message.
169
JW: They are ridiculous. And like people are notoriously poor self-reporters.
CJ: Because, its based on what you think
JW: What you want people to think about you. So, I think its still primitive. But the web is
an area where obviously we do a lot of activities, we shop, we look for information, we engage
with each other; we spend a lot of time on facebook. Were trying to use facebook in the way
that we use the rest of the web. And it doesnt really like work. Every now and again, the right
combination of value exchange, the right brand, or the right product, or the right cross-
section of that audience will sort of play in that space and it works really well. But then most
brands
CJ: They havent really activated it yet.
JW: No and also then theyre like: Ooh, lets broadcast on Twitter. Its like, Twitter is not a
broadcast medium. Its an exchange medium.
CJ: So its almost like a lot of clients or businesses dont understand how to use the medium
properly.
JW: No. I mean, they just dont. Nobody does.
CJ: I see. So how do you think that either we can educate people or how can online media
evolve? Or is it just that its not tapped yet?
JW: Well no. I think its less about education than it is about when our clients business is to
the extent that its possible for them to be, less organized in campaign cycles and they are more
invested in their customers, or consumers. When a brand is trying to build a relationship over
time, social media can be really effective. But if a brand is just trying to sell one more cheese
single, its not. Social media is never going to be appropriate for the cream cheese and the
Krafts of the world.
CJ: So its more about building relationships and creating brand
loyalty. Would you say that?
JW: Yes. But if the goal is brand loyalty then I think it will fail. But
if the goal is creating these value exchanges, like the subtext is: If you
look after your customers, they will be loyal.
If you think of it as...okay, what investment do we have to make in order to purchase

loyalty? You do have to think about it because you need to understand how much
of an investment to make and still make whatever profit you need to make to keep
your shareholders happy.
But like its different than like: Well run an ad and well have this
many impressions and whats the cost per acquisition of the lifetime.
CJ: So its almost like you cant necessarily think that way, its
something that you have to think about the full circle, or the big
picture.
JW: Yeah. And I dont know how that works out economically, but
I mean a good example isyou know, were all bored to tears with
Apple at this point. But Apple doesnt refine the styling on the iPhone
just to be like hey, this is sexy. It has become part of the brand value
and proposition. Its got stability and the aesthetic effects of usability.
They privilege usability above almost everything else. And then they
have this enormous brand loyalty. And, yeah, they do a lot of things
traditionally wrong. Like they dont communicate well. They are not
transparent. Like all those things you could say, I dont know, they just
make their little products and everyone loves them.
CJ: Yeah. One thing that Im also looking at, for example with print
is, its been a couple hundred years where the craft of print has been
171
I think there are some
really beautiful examples
of design online,
just as there are in print.
But like, the New York Post
still sells tons of issues every day
and its freaking horrifying looking.
formulated and looked at, and web has been this fast-paced, quick
thing. And I wonder, do you think that there is a craft of web? And
right now, we see a lot of things where its about content overload,
feature overload; its less about simplicity and more about as much
information as possible. And I wonder what you thoughts are about
that as well.
JW: Well, theres a lot of shitty print jam-chocked full of busy

information. And I think there are some really beautiful examples of
design online, just as there are in print. But like, the New York Post
still sells tons of issues every day and its freaking horrifying looking.
CJ: Well how do we get this to kind of move towards, less information
overload and more clear messaging?
JW: I dont know. I think the businesses where theres value in that
are doing that. Like I guess, I dont really see it as being a problem
exactly. To take a few specific examples; the New York Times, Amazon
and Apple are three fairly dense sites with information...
...But like the New York Times, when you just look at it as a static composition is
just overwhelming, as is the print edition, but if you look at it in a directed way:
Im looking for the top news story of today, or the opinion section, or the sports
headline. Its unbelievably quick, given the density of the information.
CJ: So its simple navigation focusing on what people are looking for.
JW: Yes. But I would say that given the density of what is presented at
once, its unbelievably simple. And Amazon.com is the uber Wal-mart
of the Internet: Everything that you could possibly want, all in one
place. It does a really good job of remembering you from the last time
you were there, it throws out things that are similar to what youve
173
bought before, it thinks it knows what your interests are, it thinks about what youve purchased
relative to other people whove purchased the same thing. Like a really simple, elegant Soho
boutique kind of approach would be totally wrong. You know and then Apple is likewell say
a photographer portfolio site, which would be a big huge image and really minimal navigation,
the aims and goals of what theyre trying to do is very different.
CJ: Focusing on whos going to be looking at it, like an art director wants to see the images
JW: Yes. Totally.
CJ: So then, for example, Ive seen the Issey Miyake websites, and I dont know if you have
seen it where the entire website is just this experiential element. Even Skittles, I dont know if
youve seen the Skittles website?
JW: Yes.
CJ: Its just like this blog of absurdities. Which is actually quite amusingand I guess thats
the benefitthat theres humor there. Whats your take on how websites can break through
the clutter of information, I mean theres so much information coming at us. Is it just the
simplicity? Is it just the value?
JW: Okay. What are you going to the website for? What are you hoping to get out of your
experience?
CJ: I suppose, for myself, it depends on what Im looking for on the website. If I want humor,
then humor or I want something that
JW: What would you go to Skittles for?
CJ: I went was because on Design Observer they said it was a really interesting website. So I
wanted to almost critique it and I found myself laughing really hard, thinking it was hilarious.
And I loved it because of that. I didnt expect to like it; I didnt think I would. I went there for
one reason and got a completely different benefit, which is kind of interesting.
Say a photographer portfolio site,
which would be a big huge image
and really minimal navigation,
the aims and goals of what theyre
trying to do is very different.
What are you going

to the website for?
What are you hoping to get
out of your experience?
175
Obviously better design is better design,
but like better design always relates to
what the intention of the thing is.
JW: Did you purchase any Skittles after?
CJ: No I didnt, but Ive still been thinking about it. And Ive been
telling people about it. And Ive been sharing the website with people.
JW: Okay, well thats fair. What Im sensing is that youre

advocatingI feel like youre sort of saying: Is there a simpler or
more like aesthetically focused web experience preferable? And I
guess my response is: It depends on what youre trying to do. And
obviously, better design is better design, but like better design always
relates to what the intention of the thing is.
CJ: So I guess, you know, the format of Amazons website works for
Amazon, just like Twixs, create-your-own-story method, there wasnt
any specific benefit.
JW: Theres no real website there. It was never meant to be a website,

it just ended up being a website. It was meant to be a piece of content
on a website.
CJ: And it was meant to be an experience?
JW: Yeah. Totally. That it ended up being the whole website, was like
a happy accident. We pitched it as like: Heres this little interactive
experience and how can this content slide together to create this richer, bigger experience?
Basically, with the goal of increasing the time of experience and its justifiable as the totally
Twix website because theres no Twix story. You know, the website we did for Dove at the same
time, we tell the whole story: the Mars story, we tell about artisans, cocoa
CJ: Because it called for it.
JW: Well, its like were trying to do sort of a value play on the product. Were trying to say
that this is a premium brand, so were looking at how all the different players position into
the space. And then also the strategy was really trying to position ourselves for natural search,
so in order to do that we needed a lot of textural content. And like we had keywords on a lot
of pages, so if somebody searched for cocoa or searched for any of the things related to it, we
would come up. And I mean like, the original strategy was that the site was just a repository of
all this stuff you would sort of syndicate out. So there was a big focus on trying to convey that
and credentialize that message. But we still tried to make it feel really nicely stated and elegant.
But it wouldnt be, couldnt be, dumb video content.
CJ: Yeah, it has to be something, again, to engage people.
JW: So instead of engaging 18 year old boys, were trying to engage 35 year old women.
CJ: So it again depends on who youre looking at, the plan itself, in terms of what they have
to offer, and then the amount of content.
JW: Yes.
CJ: Thank you very much, John. I appreciate all of your time.
JW: Youre very welcome.
177
BIOGRAPHY
Having graduated with a first class bachelors degree in industrial design
engineering from Leeds Polytechnic in 1982 and with a masters in industrial
design from DeMontfort University in 1984, Les Wynn went on to hold positions
in consultancies, as well as in-house design groups such as Nortel Technologies.
His current role is as a design manager for Xerox Europe, heading industrial
design, human factors, user interface and cover engineering departments. Les is a
recipient of the Royal Mail Student of the Year award in 1998 and the Wolf Olins
award in 1999, he holds an MBA in Design Management, with distinction, from the
University of Westminster (London). He is a Guest lecturer at Hatfield University,
Brunel University and DeMontfort University where he is currently external
examiner. Les was made a Fellow of the Chartered Society of Designers in 1994 and
a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2001. His specialties include design strategy
development, design team development, project management, user experience
design, design management, Design for Learn Six Sigma, and industrial design.
As a lecturer in Design Management, speaking to students around the world, he

states that:
This combines tangible industry experience with a passion for driving

forward the understanding of creative design as a tool and process for
providing sustainable commercial success.
Les Wynn
Head of Industrial Design
& Human Factors
XEROX CORPORATION EUROPE
Hertsfordshire, UK
July 23, 2010
Introduction
Les, I understand that you have studied Design Management and as

a part of Xerox, you have some understanding of print media, the
printing media and how the idea of service relates to both of these
areas. I would like to discuss some ideas about both the service aspect
of the printing industry as well as the role of print media in the scope
of the creative industry.
Cheena Jain: So the first question I have is: We currently live

in a society that revolves around the movement of content and
information. While we still use print within office environments and
publishing, in terms of the overall printing industry, how has print
been able to cope with this? In other words, what are the strengths
and characteristics of print media make it unique and valuable in this
information age?
179
I like printed media because
if youve got a piece of paper
in your hand thats printed,
barring there being
a fire in the building and
it gets burned, its there.
It cant vanish.
Les Wynn: Right. Thats quite a deep question. In my personal viewfrom what Ive come
across in Xerox is, there are lots of transient needs and wants of people, but values tend to
be slow moving. And theres been, you know, 30 years ago, 40 years ago, well as soon as the
digital media started to appear, lots of people thought about the paperless office and one day,
that eventually that will happen. I mean thats like most things in terms of technology, its
really, really easy to see the future will be like this. The trick is to know when that will happen,
yeah? And obviously weve all come across the graphs that say that there is more printed
media, now. We print more physical pages now, than we did last year. Okay, thats more do
with the fact that there is more information, theres a huge amount of waste to do with people
print things that they only want temporarily. Yeah? And then they throw it away, which is bad
for the environment; Bad for everyone. Quite good for Xerox, I suppose, but, you know,
Xerox, is working on the notion of reusable paper. You could put it back in and it wipes it
clean and then prints something else out. Now why is that happening? We have to look at the
business environment. Were business to business, so thats where Im coming from. And why
do people print things out. Its a generational thing. I print more things out than the younger
people in my team. So theres a comfort with the digital media being the reality. Theres a
link with artifact. Theres a very, very strong parallel with audio media, you know, and the
artifacts associate with that. So people buy a CD with a case and obviouslymy daughter
doesnt buy CDs, she will buy them off iTunes. Shes quite happy having notional ownership
of something she cant hold in her hands. You know, she hasnt got that feel of losing it. Of
course, my generation lived with the age of computers having information and then Oh my
god. Its crashed. Its blown up. Ive lost that. Right? And that ties in with how many different
formats people do it. I like printed media because if youve got a piece of paper in your hand
thats printed, barring there being a fire in the building and it gets burned, its there. It cant
vanish, just because some strange thing thats out of your control, barring a fire, obviously.
And that bit you could also look at as the reason why theres a proliferation that most people
cant remember who did the study, but the older you are, the less comfortable you are with the
ethereal nature of digital information. The older you are the less happy you are with it, the
more places you save it, okay? Every file I could get or create I probably save itIll save it in
my personal folder. Hmm. I better save it in the program folder as well. Well. I better save it
in this folder as well. And thats one of the problems with physical memory, you know, a chip
sort of thing. They get swamped. They get absolutely full as fast as you create the extra memory
with probably a piece of information thats been saved 10 times, 20 times. Im slightly going
off subject here, but it does relate to the notion of Why do people want this paper?
181
Because its solid and its not going to vanish. The other one is, of course, the
readability of it. You can flick through books; they are easier to read than a
single page that you have to scroll through.
Now that is going to change. Absolutely. You know, we can all
imagine. Its been there for years and years. The dream of a digital
book that feels like paper, and you can flick it as easy as paper, but
its got 10,000 books on it. You know, we call it an e-book reader
because its still a screen that youve got to go and think: Aw. I need
to find page 6. Have you ever read a book and youre halfway through
it and theres a characters name you think: Whatwhat was that
character? I did read that earlier. And its amazing how fast you can
flick through a book and pick out what name again and go Of course.
Its that bit. And go back forward. So searching engines get around
that. If you were reading a document, a PDF, you could put in a
name and it would search it out and then go back, but thats not quite
the same if youre reading a book. You dont want to have to be like:
OhHmm. Wheres that name? And sort of separate. Have you
come across backcasting before? Theres forecasting, so its where you
are today, and then you push forward. You say if this is the state today,
with incremental improvements and so on, thats where were going
to be tomorrow. Whereas backcasting is where you jump to where you
imagine it to be. Its almost like science fiction. You say, Well lets
face it, that will happen one day. It might actually be in 2000 years
time, but its likely to happen. And then you look backwards, you
know, the old notion that in hind sight it really easy to know what you
should have done? So you artificially jump to where you want to be.
There will be a point where digital media is so transparent to you,
youve got such faith in it, that the paperless office, the need to print
out will cease to exist as a need.
CJ: Well I guess, in terms of the future, if we were to look towards

the future and we have these ideas of the paperless offices and things
You know, we call it
an e-book reader
because its still
a screen that youve
got to go to and think:
Aw. I need to find page 6.
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like that, I mean in terms of collateral material and advertising materials, print will always
have some sort of presence in the world, whether or not it is as consumed or not. But, I
guess, is there some sort of element of craft in print that people really respond to. I know
that obviously Xerox deals with printing and day-to-day printing, but there seems to be some
sort of a need for, obviously as you said, physicality, but also looking forward, maybe looking
forward there may be a need for this older, traditional media as a form of craft. So I wonder
what you think about that?
LW: Well, print is a form ofwere moving slightly on from, Print is a personal thing that you
are printing for yourself to print as a means of communicating something to someone else.
And it used to be that printed medias primary purpose was to communicate information,
right? Like literally, what was written, the content. Okay? There will be a time where printed
media and you know, not sales literature, but you know the stuff thats communicating be one
person orwill become less and less prolific. Absolutely. Theres lots of reasons why. The
ethics of it. The ecology of it. Its just wrong. So what will remain in terms of print media,
the importance of it? I think its a communication of subliminal messages to do with texture.
Which feelhelps with the messages you put across. If youve ever seen a flyer and its slightly
glossy and its printed on A5 and its saying Local Kebab shop is giving a special offer on a
Friday. Right? It says a whole lot about that industry. You know its thin and its got that really
thin, shiny paper. And its saying that Im not a top class restaurant and after youve binged
for a drink and youre a bit drunkwell youd have to be drunk to eat a kebab and if you can
prove youve had ten pints of lager, you can have it for free, sort of thing. And then youve got
this printed mediaputting across its a hotel. And the quality and the craftsmanship of the
printed media then does have a textural quality to it. Its saying that this is what were about.
Were about attention to detail. Were aboutyou know, the fact that its not glossy, that its
slightly thicker, maybe it got matte varnish on it, maybe its got spot varnish on it, you know?
All those things. So it becomes the packaging of a service. And if you see it as that and not
just a piece of communication, then you would do it completely differently. If you look at the
packaging of products, like Apple products, theyve really gone really wrong with the iPhone
4. And so they started with the plastic cases that showed the product was important, you know,
keep it simple. And then the latest, not the latest, you know, the iPhone 3 and so on, which
have these white printed boxes and its such a tight fit that as it closes you can feel the air. When
you pull it apart, it goes: Fffffft. You know and theres noise and feeling and texture to it.
Its a really simple way of just the product on the top, straight on, no background, side view
of it on the side. IPhone 4 shouldnt have gone completely wrong. Because now at the top,
theyve got an absolutely typical three quarters shot. You can see the marketing people going:
Oh you know that band around the edge is a find. Its really important to show that. But
what about the screen. Okay, lets do a three quarters shot. But it doesnt quite fit on because
if you make it so small that it all fits on, you cant see the icons, so lets make it a bit bigger
and chop the bottom off. Thats still not quite right, so lets fill the entire top. You have to
see the packaging to know what Im going on about and see how irritating it is. Now what they
should have done, in the notion of simplicity, is get rid of all the pictures and have on the top
iPhone 4. I bet theres nobody buying an iPhone 4 that doesnt already know what it looks
like. Imagine that, but its packaging of a service, because the service doesnt have an artifact in
it. So then printed media becomes packaging.
CJ: I dont know youve really dealt with creative professionals specifically in your
interactions, but I wonder what do people find most interesting about print media in an
agency environment? Do they have certain things that they really seem to gravitate towards? Is
that something you know about?
LW: Im trying to see what youre getting at. I think theres a shift. Or theres going to be a
shift. There has to be because there are a lot of social pressures and cultural pressures and
ecological pressures to have much less printed media. Much more well thought out, much
more tied in to with what its trying to achieve, better thought out, better quality, less of it,
but the sort that youd almost want to keep. So less disposable. And so, the people that are
designing the medium and the peopleI mean weve got creative service here. Creative and
technical communications. Theyre saying that wethe digital world, enablesTheres two
ways that you can go. In the soft environment, things like the Internet, I mean you can blitz
millions and millions and millions and millions of people for the price of one print run of
a hundred texts. So theres that. And people have lots of ways oflike junk mail and filtering
it and that stuff is just like pollution of the Internet, in a sense. And thats your backstreet
dealer going: Forget printing, I can get you to ten billion people. Only two of them are
relevant, the rest really hate you for it, you know? So I think theresthe other side is saying
thatwell really clever people can analyze the sites that people go to. And thats what they
do. You know, you go on a site and you go: Oh this looks interesting And the more
sophisticated we get, we go: Well yeah, it actually is really interesting to me. Its not junk
185
because its targeted. Now once youve got targeting and you can target people and you know
where they live and you know where they are, so you can target them. It all comes down to the
printed media can absolutely tailored to that person. Right? So but in terms of that quality
of it, you can put more quality in it because youre not expecting 99.9% of it to go straight in
the bin immediately. I think media and graphics people are starting to realize this; so from
a printing perspective, were going to be becoming more of a services era. Quite clearly, the
paperless office will happen, but eventually. Its trying to get machines, which produce on-
demand, much higher quality output. So were not trying to compete with the Ricohs that are
still trying to go for the high volume, its so cheap and fast that it doesnt matter if 99.9% of
it gets chucked away. The reason that you then start to talk about print media the way Xerox
do it with IGen and even like online publishing and Lulu and thing like that is because those
machines can produce a one-off, but at a very high quality. And thats what the media people
didnt used to be able to dovery, very, very high quality, one-offs were just too expensive to
even contemplate. So what possibilities are there? Its completely open-ended. They can target
really well, you can have individually targeted elements, which arethey need something that
is extremely high quality because they dont want to play the numbers game. And people hate
the numbers game. I think theres going to be a huge backlash. There already is in junk mail,
in terms of online, and there will be in the printed. Dont you really, really hate those things
that you get in magazines? And theres a thing stuck in a magazine thats ado you ever look at
it?
CJ: If its engaging
LW: Wellllthe problem is, its like going down the high street, alright, and everyones trying
to shout out louder, you know? And it used to be that you go down the high street and all the
shops used to be pretty subdued and youre going to the baker because you knew you wanted to
go to the baker and theres one baker in the high street maybe two, but theres one. And you go
to the bakers and you buy your bread. And then it all got competitive and they started going:
Well, Im going to stick my sign out. Right? And the next one goes: Shit! Well Ive got to
stick mine further out! And the other one goes: Well I cant go further out, but Ill put it UP
and make it bright red! Right? So now you dont read it. You go down and its like, Ohh.
And you could argue, individually, that each shop is a beautiful piece of engaging design, but
swap andSo now it comes to Gestalt and the psychology of people. And it has to do with
You can put more quality in it
because youre not expecting
99.9% of it to go straight
in the bin immediately.
I think media and graphics people
are starting to realize this;
so from a printing perspective,
were going to be becoming
more of a services era.
187
that foreground, background. Everybody in print media, the Internet industry, the high
streeteveryone is trying to be foreground because lots ofTheres that condition isnt there?
Where they cant discern foreground from background, theyve lost that cognitive ability. And
invariably we go insanely because Id be looking at you, but that sign on the shop has a pull,
so its just likeoverload. And the only way that I can cope is it starts to go, Right. Alright.
Okay actually I am looking at the sign. Youre background now. Thats foreground And you
might be constantly be going, Foreground. Background. Foreground. Background. So you
can only concentrate on so much at once. And so you start toand it gets more and more and
more busy, getting to the foreground. It becomes impossible because theres just too much.
So would I look at it if it was engaging in a magazine? No, because my mind has decided,
absolutely, open a magazine, dont look at it, first thing I do is go to the bin, turn it upside
down, shake it around the bin. Im not gonna go, Oooohhhh. I hadnt thought of that. Thats
beautiful. I really, you know It is a new way of doing it. Not the old channels. But if it
came in to me and theyve started to do that because you get the letter, Mr. Wynnoooh its
to me! You open it and you go, Its a bloody flyer. Theyve already got it to the point where
they can put your address and your name. They put your name in the story. And thats now
pass. And youre like, Oh okits not like someones really knowing me But something
that engaged and it happened to be what Iwhat attracts me personally, not a group, like me,
but me. I hate pink, so if somebody sent me something that was beautifully crafted, but was
pink, I probably wouldntyou know
CJ: Well I guess that leads into the next question, actually. You started talking about on-
demand, higher quality things, so in the future, in what way can printers expand their service
offerings? And one thing that Ive been looking at is there an opportunity with such things
like, you know youve already mentioned texture, but sensory perception?
LW: Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah.
CJ: Online environments have audio and video and we could start bringing in scent into
LW: And taste
CJ: And taste, you know?
LW: If it looks like a pizza, tastes like a pizza, Mmm, Im gonna go
to that restaurant. Absolutely. I think that that is an area that will
expand. It can only expand if the bulk reduces. Theres already
you can already print scent, you know, scratch and sniff. Thats kind
of low end. Its like a lot of things; they get tarred with the brush of
Thats low end. Its really difficult to then drag you to something
thats perceived as a better quality level...
...But texture is something that certainly been important. And its always been
important. If you feel matte varnish compared to shiny varnish, you know which
one is better quality. And the thickness of the paper, so its different papers and
the media its printed on. So the ability to print on more forms of media is possibly
where its going.
CJ: Like they even have wood paper now and they have all these
things, which is really neat.
LW: We try out all sorts of things through a Xerox machine. The
engineers go out and there was one, where it was all jammed up. And
we went out to London, it was in a student thing and theyd run out
of paper and they couldnt afford to pay to get the extra paper, so
someone tried to put a McDonalds bag through our machine.
CJ: Do you think theres going to be, for example, the IGen, I went
to school in Rochester. Ive been to the Xerox campus over there. Im
very familiar with the printing technology there and I wonder if its
something where you guys could actually automate scent mechanism
in your machines? That it could become something of the future?
LW: Yeah. They all come out smelling rose though, at the moment.
Wax, our wax prints, its very easy to get scent into wax. Its very
difficult to turn scent on and off. Im going to produce this and Im
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Youve got to get rid
of the other stuff
and the good stuff
floats to the top.
It still becomes relevant.
going to highlight in Photoshop that thats a strawberry. And send it
on to the printer so that anything thats in the area, make it smell of
strawberries. And then tomorrow, make it smell like lemons. Now
thats going to be harder. Because were asking the machine, Ooh
lets take out the chemistry set, lets mix in the essence of strawberry.
And mix it in with lemons. So theres always going to be a special
run in the near future. Of course, in the spirit of backcasting, what I
have just described WILL happen. Now, it might not be in a hundred
years, or 200 years, but it might be almost certainly in a 1,000 years
you could do that.
CJ: Well Im sure youve heard of the e-ink technology. Thats pretty
fascinating that they have animating paper.
LW: Mm-hmm. I had this sort of thing that sort of says, in the spirit
of backcasting is employs science fiction writers. Because if someone
can think of it, it will happen, its only a matter of when. The fact
that people have to develop technologies and things and its like,
Oh weve got to lower just the cycle for getting things to market. I
actually think, No you dont need to do that. But all the time in the
world if you know when it will becomes relevant. So look at Dyson
and his vacuum cleaner, it took him 20 years to get it to market. But
in actually fact, the idea was good; it was waiting for its time. And so
things like scent and all that, just doing it wouldnt be enough.
Scent, texture...it will work at the point where the other things fall into place, where
people are much more happy with a digital world; it almost is the paperless world.
It by default is left behind as being a luxury media communication thing.
Not just being scented will make it stand out among the billions of
other things. Youve got to get rid of the other stuff and the good stuff
floats to the top. It still becomes relevant.
191
The true value-add is becoming far more
important than just: Right your job as a
designer is to make something unique and
new. I think thats not enough anymore.
CJ: The combination of media and the message.
LW: Media and the message and the fact thatpackaging of a service
and a reason to be in there. Its not just shouting loud at somebody
else. Its not just a media with enough novelty to go: Ooooh. Ooh
look. (scratch, scratch, scratch, sniff) Its scratch and sniff. Oh thats
interesting, isnt it. OkWhat was itit was just a little scratch and
sniff You know? Its that world of saying whats design about
fundamentally. And design in the future needs to be far more
relevant. And I dont mean that in a bullshitty, sort of tongue-
in-cheekyou know, everyone says it. I mean design, in terms of
designers taking responsibility for what theyre doing and develop the
true relevance of it. And the true value-add. And the true value-add is
becoming far more important than just, Right your job as a designer
is to make something unique and new. I think thats not enough
anymore.
CJ: Its almost like this whole idea that I am exploring, which is, for
example, in design strategy, we have clients that come to agencies
and say: Okay we want to make a website or we want to have this
message, but in design management, what weve been looking at
are such things as the design audit, the SWOT analysis, the PESTLE
analysis, but does anyone actually sit back and wonder why they are
using media in a specific way? Whats the end-user experience with the media? How are they
going to communicate the message? And I think, for me, I think it is very relevant that people
understand what media has to offer, the characteristics of media and also how that relates to
their end-user experience. Now I dont know if that is something that you agree with
LW: YES. I do. I think thats saying something similar to what I just said which is that youve
just got to be more intelligent about it. I used to be in a consultancy and things like that
and you get the client and you go, Ive done a wacky one, one they should use, and one
that theyve probably expected. And your goal is to get them to pick the middle one because
its pushing it a little bit, but you can be proud of it. Its in your folio, but the wacky one
is never going to happen. Its just there to derail them from picking the lower one. Its all
a bit formulaic. And its all a bit, sort of, just going along with it. I think designers have to
start thinking a bit more than that because thats just there to say, Im going to stand out.
And when youre presenting it, you look at it and in a shop front its brilliant, it really is
sophisticated, it matches their brand, has all the elements in it, youve got the profile of the
customers and they really fit. But then you stick it right in the middle of the high street and
frankly, its just more visual clutter. Designers have to have more responsibility. In doing
so, a designer has to be a more sophisticated animal, a much cleverer animal, a much more
academically awaresocially and culturally aware animal and I think there will start to be a
huge delta between what I call really good designers and the designers that are just churning
out stuff. Because if I wanted my machines to stand out, I could do it tomorrow. Tell you
what, well make every single machine absolutely bright red. Itll stand out. Is it the right
message? Is it going to get people pissed off because their office isnt red? Theres a whole
bunch of stuff around that. And one of the problems with media in particular, I think, is
prolonged time the wrong people have been in control of it in companies. So understanding
the impact of things like design and the ramifications of it is a different kind of discipline.
Really good designers are actually not designers anymore, theyre managing the experience, in
the true sense of, not some irritating thing that says, Were calling you X because thats cool!
When actually, thats been usurped by some people who seem to be just graphic designers who
are able to do really whizzy things: Ill tell you what, what we could do is sell your company by
mimicking the Avatar movie. And it turns intoand it animatesbrilliant! Wow. Wonderful!
And were going, Is it right for my company? Is it giving the right message? Is it going to
affect peoples opinions of how they live their lives? And Xerox, in particular, I look after
193
not the IGen, but the office experience. We now are starting to take
much more seriously the fact that the way we do things affects the way
people print in their livesin their business lives. And you have to
take responsibility for that.
CJ: In dealing with equipment and your specific division, what

are common requests, suggestions and dialogues that your team or
individuals at Xerox tend to deal with? Are there specific production
elements and techniques or things that people ask for or give you
feedback about that they might require?
LW: All the time. We have a specific group here whoweve got an
advantage, were business to business, which means its worth it for
us if say the Norwegian government come and say, Were willing to
buy 30,000 printers off you, but we want to be able to turn off the
security setting remotely. I dont know why they would say that. It
maybe is a feature. Maybe its software. Maybe its hardware, which
we dont do. But for 30,000 machines, were willing to do it. So we
have a process of the group here who specifically go in, when thats
happening, and discuss it with the potential client, work out what
the real need is, and the people in that group, grew out of my group.
Usability people, you know? Theyre behaviourists. Theyre cognitive
scientists some of them, not all of them, but some of them. You know,
lots of elements there, so theyre very good at going, I know you
want it to do that, but whats the need thats driving it. Because what
were really looking for from a selfish commercial perspective is, if
you blindly do what the customer asked, one, you might not give him
exactly what he wants, so hed be pissed off. They didnt articulate
it, its there fault, but they still blame you. But more importantly, it
might open up an opportunity to put a feature in that benefits other
clients and has a wider audience if we tweak it slightly. And the aim
is, of course, yes we have a process, we go in and we talk to these
clients, they work out the need, develop a requirement. Theres a very
I know you want
to do that,
but whats the need
thats driving it.
It might open up an opportunity
to put a feature in that benefits
other clients and have a wider
audience if we tweak it slightly.
195
established process. It goes into our request for change process, which then gets thrown to the
design teams, which then put it into their priorities. They can tag it as being very, very high
priority because if we can do it in two weeks we can sell 30,000 machines to get it. And it goes
through the process and requirements review board every week. This is really important.
Actually, this is worth this much to us. Right. Cancel that project or two weeks and get the
whole team on that and implement it. Do a prototype. Send it out. See if they like it. Change
it. And the idea is, of course, that then it becomes engrained. We did a lot of work for
Kinkos and they came up with a few things that said, You know the thing that would really
clinch the deal is if you could do this. And so we did it and actually, we ended up with a better
product than our existing model. So we dont just carry on with the old one. We incorporate
what they ask for in all of our future machines: Something that is an improvement. So I
suppose its something thats very, very close to co-creation, which is kind over an overused
phrase.
CJ: Being someone from Xerox, I know you do more of the B2B and you deal with more of
the office side of things, but printers that, for example, print collateral material, how can
they further engage their clients and be part of the strategic element from the beginning.
For example, when a client and a consultancy are working together to understand what their
deliverable is going to be, how can a printer engage its clients and be a part of that process,
specifically from the beginning? Is that something that you think could be an expansion of
their service offerings?
LW: How the printer can engage? The product itself or the service that the printerbecause
the printer needs to be invisible.
CJ: Right, but for example, having a dialogue between the consultancy, like if theres an
advertising agency and their client, do you think that its possible for a printer to be there
from the forefront to say, Okay we can do XYZ with print, we can we offer you these
capabilities
LW: No I dont think you can.
CJ: Why not?
LW: Because the aim of the printer, a successful printertheres two levels on a printer. When
I say printer, I mean a piece of hardware. It should be invisible. The thing that the client
wants is the output. Now the window onto that output is usually, in the current digital world,
the PC, the window onto it. Yeah? In a way, if they could press a button and even though its
printed down the corridor, it appears magically by holographic projection or telekinesis. It
appears on their desk. The output. Thats their ideal. Thats what will happen. They dont
really want to engage with the printer, you know? The want to engage with the capabilities of
the printer. That doesnt necessarily reside with the printer or the machine itself.
CJ: I should have clarified that. I wonder if, for example, theres a printing company and
they have printers and what not, if those professionals specifically, with insight from your
company, Xerox, could have a resource knowledge base of some sort and interact with the
clients and their
LW: Well, were talking about how do we market the notion of the machine, the print and its
mediaand okay lets use the example, suddenly our machines can do scent. Then it becomes,
how do you communicate that we can do scent? And we had a, if you look at the brand value
of Xerox, probably about 4 years ago, the brand value went up. It went up and then dropped
again. Now that blip, when you look at it is because relaunched all of our machines. Its
probably the first time in Xerox history that the industrial design team and the user interface
was all launched in a new look in one go rather than drips. We often go, Oh well this product
isnt up for redesign yet, but this one is. So this one becomes the next generation, new look.
And this one stays the same for ages. And theyre next to each other and you can order both
machines and theyll come looking different. So this one time, we got it all together. The
elements of that, which I personally think, could be construed bad on one sense, but was
excellent for the brand was a big, blue, rear wing on the product and the purpose of that, the
original design and driver for that was that were a copier company in most peoples minds.
Were fundamentally trying to engage with people to get them to say we email, we fax, we
print and we do all sorts of extra things with our printers. That blue wall on the back of it,
the original idea was that it would light up and show you that it could scan and it could do
it was advertising what the machine was capable of. Right? So one of the concepts was that you
would project onto that. So you could have it so that it registered thatit could recognize your
strawberries and every time it printed out, you could do a scented strawberry next time, you
197
The only time true
wealth and true value
is created is when
something is created
that addresses
a real need.
could imagineyou could do it in 50 years, 100, maybe 2. I dont
know. Then maybe that could be something that
CJ: Do you think people need that though?
LW: Absolutely. Nobody knows what our machines can do. Like if
we could print out 3-dimensional, holographic images, its kind of
a non-business problem. How do we communicate to our users that
thats possible. Its not the machine that would do it, its probably our
own media, digital media too
CJ: Its kind of funny too because a lot of people dont understand
online media. Marketers, in general, a lot of them dont understand
the uses of it, just like they might not understand the uses of print as
well or the capabilities of your machines. So its kind of interesting.
LW: It is an areaI would love to get our copiersthere I said it

our machines to create more value for the world, for society and
everything. As somebody who works at Xerox, I have a personal hatred
of media because the vast majority of itMilton, he did a bike and
he did the hydroelastic suspension on Minis in the 60s. But was an
engineer and basically there was a quote from himI wont get the
quote right, but basically what he was saying is the only time true
wealth and true value is created is when something is created that
addresses real need. Right?
The vast majority of media does not address a real need. Its a made up need
because shareholders need to put more rubbish into the world.
So mediaif you said, Theres a piece of media that really needs
to communicate that we should have better family planning or
something or that we need to get vaccinated. You can see media there
fulfilling a true need because its a health need that people die if they
dont get this message. And it goes back to all this stuff about design
199
for the real world, Victor Papanek and all that kind of thing. And
media is swamped. Its quite unfortunate that the vast majority of crap
media try desperately to stand out because Ooh this ones smelly
Oooh! It swamps the good stuff.
CJ: There was a time that Xerox was the dominant force in printing,
and you discussed this in our class too. This was until other
companies were able to produce the same technology. We see that
print was the main form of communication until we came upon the
digital era. Just as Xerox needed to transform how it sold its product,
is there a similar consideration to how print media should deal with
media consumption? You guys had to shift the way you did business.
LW: I think it is. Its kind of what I was saying earlier. I think one of
the saving graces of the world, and I hope Xerox and companies like
us become part of this shift which weve talked about the idea of less,
but better quality, is I think luxury items are going to be the saviour of
the world. Shifting back to the notion of luxury and now two aspects
of that, two polls: Luxury, which is Ooh Ive got a Prada bag. Prada
bag is not made very well. Its intended to be a fashion item. Its not
what I mean by luxury product.
What I mean by luxury product is the kind of thing that people say, I have to work
for it and the reason they say, I have to work for it is because once theyve got it,
its something that they would hand down to their children.
What I mean by luxury product is the kind of thing that people say,
I have to work for it and the reason they say, I have to work for
it is because once theyve got it, its something that they would hand
down to their children. Now that used to be the notion of Victorian
day piece of furniture made by Chippendale. It wasnt meant to be
in fashion for 2 years and then thrown away. You bought a piece of
Chippendale furniture and it was meant to be with you forever. Now
if you took that to media, you get to the notion of higher quality, the kind of media that people
dont want to throw away. To do with the quality and culture of it. I mean theres people
getting intoHave you read the The Language of Things?
CJ: No, I havent.
LW: Well theres a bit thats fairly close to the beginning and hes talking about the idea of
Apple laptops. My Mac blew up yesterday. It went up in flamesthe power supply. And Im
trying to rescue the hard drive out of it and put it into one of our other Macs that look the
same. The aluminum desktop with the mesh frame. And in The Language of Things, the guy
in there thats talking about it, he was in an airport and he sees the Apple slim line laptop and
he has to have it. And he buys it and the quality of it is putting across that this is a luxury item
(because you pay a lot more for a Mac), but its made of metal and its solid and its the kind of
thing thats like a hip flask made by a sort of Christopher Dresser. Im going to hand this down
to my children. I will never have to buy a laptop ever because this is saying that this is forever
and this is longevity. And then hes talking about the next year, you believe that youre going
to hand it and then you see the next one. And then he says, I HAVE TO HAVE THE NEW
ONE!!! My old one is rubbish! When my power supply blew up, theres this illusion with
Mac products that theyre going to be forever, theyve got this luxury feel like a Chippendale;
you can even take the side off really easily. Its like, This is all modular! You can upgrade
this. You dont need to worry about it. You can love it, cherish it. Its metal and will get a bit
dented, but thats part of it aging nicely. And you can swap it and upgrade it, but actually they
dont make power supply anymore. The hard drive from one doesnt fit in the other. Theyre
completely obsolete. They areI start to hate Apple because they are claiming to be this, but
theyre absolutely not. Whereas you could buy a laptop for $200 and think to yourself, Its
not going to last long, but thats okay because it does exactly what it says on the tin. A cheap
laptop that youre going to throw away. At least its honest. Whereas, Apple is saying, Youre
going to pay a fortune for this thinking its going to be forever, but actually youre still going to
throw it away a few years time.
CJ: Its a good point too. I mean you look at old brands, like from the 1920s and Xerox has
obviously been around for a long time. You know brands like Coca Cola, Interbrand has
that survey of the 50 best brands and one thing that I think is very unique is that they first
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Brands with longevity
tend to have artifacts.
Its amazing how people buy into it,
the notion of an instant brand
that looks like its Victorian
and they just accept it.
began as brands and there is evidence of it. You know, we have this
whole transient nature online, but you have the old ads. You have
the printed material that have become almost relics, but they kind of
assert the heritage of the brand and the quality of the brand. And its
very interesting to me that especially with this era where everything is
going digital, how do we create long lasting brands? And you know,
will all of the brands of today, still be the brands of tomorrow, given
the way information moves?
LW: I think its a very interesting point that you make that brands
with longevity tend to have artifacts. Its amazing how people buy into
it, the notion of an instant brand that looks like its Victorian and
they just accept it. Im sure they dont accept it for long, you know?
And thats where the brand luxury stuff, like the Prada bag that is out
of date so you throw it away. Its that luxury brand that is transient.
Theres got to be, in a cool economic climate, a backlash against it,
I believe. And I think that thats the opportunity for a company like
Xerox. For the last few years, weve been driven into the notion of,
Youve got to compete as a commodity. Its all about that print only
cost 2 cents, not 3.
I think as we reduct the amount of print and the quality comes back into it, weve got
to develop machines that last and fufill a more quality need in terms of their output.
I think theres a niche there. Its the only way as a Western brand that were going to
survive because we cannot compete on commodity.
Weve got too many big executives in Europe and America who are
basically an overhead. We know that a Korean CEO costs a lot less
than it does in America, you know? And we pay our CEOS and our
top executives and me and everyone is a tiny bit of slice that has
to get onto each machine. And weve got a lot of that overhead to
spread on those machines. The machine has to be made for less if
were going to sell it at the same price as say a Korean machine. It
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hasnt got the overhead. So what happens is there is a real danger
because our machines will cost the same or maybe even a little bit
more, but actually theyre lower quality because weve shaved it off as
a big overhead. Every company knows that so theyre all going, Lets
outsource to India. Lets outsource toand surely that will fix it. But
well still keep these big executives jobs over here because we were the
decision makers to go to India.
CJ: With Xerox, weve talked about this idea of service and there are
so many printing companies out there, but just for my benefit, but
in what other ways do you find Xerox to be a leader in the industry?
Where do you see Xerox in the future and how do you see it staying a
leader in the printing industry?
LW: I dont know. If you get an answer to that could you let us know?
It would be very handy. Obviously, the way we want to do it is weve
got to expand it and become seen as something different than just
attached to hardware. We still are to a great extent. The reason we
bought the company just after Christmas for $6.5 billion, which is
what were worthwe bought a company that is the same value as us.
And theyre a service company. My understanding is that it was started
by a husband and wife ten years ago and they had a service which was
to do with toll booths. And the strength in Xerox, hopefully, is that
we start to learn and the old guard retire and the younger people who
are a bit more with it and are open to ideas.
Its that openness to say that yes weve got to change to be a service and take on
board how that will fundamentally change what we do.
I hope that we still understand the value of hardware and product
because with any service, the window to that service is the hardware
people come into contact with; the interfaces that people come
into contact with. If you havent got that, I think its very difficult
to maintain a solid presenceits as you said, spot on, without
artifacts, I think you become very transient and people see you as very
transient. I think the way Xerox is changing and its symptomatic of
every big Western company Im sure, less people with more influence,
more people with expertise, decide what is a commodity activity
and what isnt. And commodity activities put them out to lower cost
resources. It is an intellectual property game now. It is about what
do we own that is uniquely Xerox and we are probably struggling
at the moment and thats why we bought the other company. They
understand how to own service and intellectual property and we
dont. We just dont. Weve struggled for years and years and years
saying were going to be a service, but overlayed our attitude to
hardware and we dont know how to deal with the real service. So we
bought it and thats the right thing to do. Its an exciting time to be in
Xerox for younger people who have not got preconceptions of what
Xerox is. It used to be engineering, print engineering, controlled
and it we carry on like that we wont survive. Theres much more of an
interest in systems thinking. Thats the other thing thats shifted, that
Xerox could potentially be better at if we got our act together with the
different divisions, is the fact that we think of systems.
Everyone talks about design thinking, but its really systems thinking. Its seeing
things as interrelated and interacting with each other.
Its conjunct analysis of all the elements within a system and

understanding that theres noise and how to mitgate that noise
within the system. Thats design thinking. Everyones coming from a
bandwagon of design thinking. Its just good designers, good people,
good developers, good innovators, good marketers. Ive always
thought joined up thinkingIve always sort of think to myself, if you
think about where innovation, creativity has really happened its always
at the boundaries in between disciplines, never within a discipline.
So its when someone from a different discipline come in. So Ive got
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my module manager and hes an engineer and actually the creativity that he has brought to the
group has been huge because of his different view. And its the boundary. If you look at all the
people who are truly great giants of innovation and thinking, like Einstein, he had a view on
everything. I bet theres no subject you cant find some pseudo quote about art and culture
and everything. And thats why he was genius because he could think across boundaries. What
that means is that you get some people that are totally expert in their one field and they look
at things from their one perspective and true innovation and creativity doesnt tend to come
from them. The people who dont really know all the details, but know enough about different
disciplines to know to backcast, to be able to jump forward and go, Thats whats going to be,
but I dont know how its going to happen.
CJ: Its like the whole idea in design management, like cross-collaboration and having the
broad knowledge base and the T-shaped people.
LW: Well thats where its all got to be at, true, clever people and all that. When I was at Nortel
Communications doing mobile phones, 25 years ago, I was doing slide phones and flip
phones and I remember being in a meeting in Nortel where they said, Its against the laws
of physics for phones to be that small. Because this is from a guy who does batteries and its
like, Well, if you want it to last two hours then it has to be this big. It will never ever happen.
Never ever. And then like Nortel went out of business; they went bankrupt. They still kept
making it out to be a brick and then Motorola came out with the flip phone. I did a slide
phone and the engineer said, Nope. Itll never last more than that. So its impossible. A slide
phone will never ever ever exist. And now they split, they twist, they slide out, theyre this big
and this slim. Its too engrained in their knowledge base, in the center of their thing, so they
couldnt get periphery to say, Hold on. If you havent got it, all this cant happen. Either we
do it or somebody else will. And every company has to sort of think of these things and from
a science fiction perspective and backcasting, jump there, If that happened and we werent
the people to do it, would it kill us? If the answer is yes, then we better damn well be the
people that do it. So 3-dimensional printing, you print it out and it looks 3-dimensional. If
that happened tomorrow, would we go, Oh my god, or would we go, Yeah stupid idiots. It
might be true. It might be. We have to decide whether it would kill us or not.
CJ: Well thank you so much Les. You were really, really helpful and I appreciate your time.
Either we do it
or somebody else will.
If that happened and we werent
the people to do it, would it kill us?
If the answer is yes,

then we better damn well be
the people that do it.
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BIOGRAPHY
John has been working as a strategic powerhouse for many years in both the
United Kingdom and the United States. A native Londoner, he studied at Cardiff
University before becoming a Worldwide Account Director at Saatchi & Saatchi,
where he spent 11 years working on accounts such as MTV and British Airways.
Following his time there, he became a board director at Clayton Heeley Jones Mason
before setting up his own brand consultancy. With Boom, Johns own initiative, he
worked with clients such as Orange, Baileys, Polaroid and Hasselblad as a brand
catalyst for business leaders who need clarity, purpose and to be thrilled by their
marketing communications. Currently, John is the Chief Strategy Officer at
Partners and Napier where he serves brands such as Kodak, THULE, Constellation
Wines, Bausch & Lomb, UPS and more. At Partners, John had led his team and his
agency to win several awards and obtain recognition through his strategic missions
for both the agency and its clients. During his time there and with his help, the
agency has successful grown both in clients and employees and has most recently
being recognized by AdAge as the runner up for Small Agency of the Year. His
development of a new type of briefing process at the agency has led to insight-driven
creative and exceptional creative work.
As he states:
My job is to ask the smart questions. And you need to ask a lot of
questions to find out which ones are smart.
JOHN Roberts
Chief Strategy Officer
Partners + Napier
ROCHESTER, NY
August 9, 2010
Introduction
John, youve been a part of the Partners team for a while and have
worked on a number of outstanding projects, some of which have
relied on how you and your team has used media. I would like to take
some time to discuss your rationale behind media choices in relation
to strategy.
Cheena Jain: A few years ago, your agency worked on a viral video
for Kodak, which helped to change the dynamic of the company
within the consumer electronics sector. And while this video was,
initially, to be shown at a conference, why was it effective strategy for
your team to distribute it virally online? What sort of impression did
it make for Kodak?
John Roberts: Ok. Good question. Heres the thinking for me,
Cheena. When we began on the brief for this video for Kodak, it was
never intended to be a viral video. I didnt believe that anyone really
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set out to say, Hey weve got to have something thats going to be
viral. What we wanted to do was, we had a very small opportunity in
the scheme of things to create a mark. And by that I mean that this
was the little metaphoric platform of the conference so that the CEO,
Antonio Perez, could stand up and start to shatter misperceptions
about Kodak. So the opportunity arose that at the conference, which
was full of the Digiterati. The D4, which is about all things digital,
had an audience that was made up of people that run the digital
industry. Antonio was invited on stage and we had the opportunity
to create a couple minute video which they said was not allowed to be
advertising, its not allowed to be overly promotion, but it has to be
something to scrape the ice. Hence the video. Now, once we found
out that once wed run the video, Antonio was then introduced and
it went down and created a storm. Walt Mosberg, who in the US is
the voice of all things digital, hes the Wall Street Journal digital editor.
He said, Antonio, this video, you were the star. It stole the show.
So then we seeded online. Very simply through YouTube. What we found was a
couple of things why it was important to success there. We found that with over a
million hits in a couple of weeks, we had actually touched a nerve there.
This was 3 or 4 years ago, so the reality was that the subject matter
of the video was a scene of a senior executive of a blue chip company
having a meltdown and going off script, going off his carefully
dreamed PR led script to saying what he really felt. That was very, very
germaine at the time when we released the video because all of the big
companies here were starting to get issues of illegality, questions of
fat cats: where they actually doing the right thing to the business, were
they doing the right thing for the economy, the economic meltdown.
But there was an actual suspicion of big companies. So this was a
breath of fresh air. And thats why I think it was so successful online.
Make sense?
There was an actual
suspicion of big companies.
So this was a
breath of fresh air.
And thats why I think it
was so successful online.
211
CJ: This wasnt initially meant to be a viral video, but distributing it online and making it a
viral video meant that you were able to talk to larger audience. Why do you feel it was the best
way to reposition the company, was it because of fact that no other company was sending this
message?
JR: Cheena, good question. Heres what I feel, we created a video and a lot of what I do as an
expert and consultant and head of planning at the agency is that I am responsible for helping
a client define and articulate their brand. What is it that we want to consistently deliver to our
consumers, to our customers that is differentiating and compelling. In the real world, we have
a reputation. And a reputation is what other people feel and think about us. And consequently
and the reality is that there is always a gap between promise and reputation. Promise of what
we want to deliver as a brand and reputation of what people believe we deliver. One of the
best ways to overcome that is, I think, is when you can start to shape peoples own opinions
through something like viral and the role of social media where you allow other people to
actually take up and communicate their own opinions about the company. Rather than us
literally pushing out the message.
CJ: I guess the consumers in general engaged with the content online through YouTube and
normally what Ive been looking at is that a lot of online content is interactive, inciting cause
and effect, reactionary relationships. This didnt specifically do that except that there were a
lot of YouTube comments and hits, so how was the actual content of the video successful
because you obviously distributed through YouTube and you guys got one million hits. There
was a drastic change in the way people viewed Kodak and I am very familiar with the case study,
but in terms of what Kodak saw as as benefits, what were some of the benefits of doing the viral
thing. Why did they find that to be such a big deal for them?
JR: A benefit of the film more than the actual distribution of the actual content was that
Kodak was given a slot on CBS Sunday Morning after this event because one of the editors
of CBS Sunday Morning had actually been at the conference, seen the film, heard Perez speak,
and allowed them the opportunity on national broadcast to talk about transformational brand.
Companies take a long, long time to change, right? Three years on, Kodak is still having
questions marks around commercial strategy and commercial viability. Its going to take time
Images of a senior executive
losing it from Kodaks Winds
of Change conference and
virally distributed video..
(images: Partners + Napier)
to turn that ship around, but we felt that the benefit to the client
was that all of a sudden they got a bit of a groundswell of opinion so
that no longer were they continuing to wane against a misperception
of Kodak is, the old school company thats going bust to Kodak,
youre the digital company. Its actually got a bit of a sense of humor
and sense of confidence built around themselves. Now, that did not
translate to a change in share price on Wall Street, but it did change
for our clients in terms of some of the conversations that they are
having with their vendors, their partners and the general public. So
that helped.
CJ: And obviously you guys have worked with Kodak for a long time
and you are continuing to evolve that brand. So how did you extend
further messaging into the interactive realm. Ive seen that youve
done the Kodak Momentum videos and the sitelets and so why did
you choose to use the web as a dominant medium for that message?
And how was it successful?
JR: So one of the interesting things to ask, one of the frustrating

things to ask is that too often, at times is to say weve got to be online
and weve got to be in social media. And the reason behind it is
213
A screencap of the homepage
of Kodaks new photo and story
sharing website.
(image: Partners + Napier)
One of many user-created

stories that link imagery with
emotion on Kodaks new site,
kodakmoments.com.
(image: Partners + Napier)
because everybody else is. What we try to remind ourselves and our clients is, Whats our
value? What value do we, as a brand, bring to interact with our customers in any form of
social media? My head of interactive, John Brown, often uses the simile that a brand in social
media is a bit like an insurance salesman at a party. The last thing you want is for him to start
selling you insurance. So what weve done is a number of things. Momentum youre familiar
with. Weve also, most recently, have created kodakmoments.com. This is an interesting area
for me in making a brand relevant in social media. What kodakmoments.com is, is an interac-
tive site where we started to create a role for Kodak as a curator of human emotions displayed
through imaging. Heres what I mean by that. The power, we know from all of the work weve
done with Kodak, that when people take pictures and share pictures theres a strengthening of
relationship, a strengthening of a bond between two people, just by sharing pictures. Even if
you just share them on Facebook or if you share them as a hard copy. So what was very inter-
esting for us is when we probed deeper into ethnographic studies here, its not the picture, its
the story behind the picture that make it most valuable. So on kodakmoments.com, what weve
started to do is that weve started to create a site where people can upload their pictures and
tell their stories. So if you go on the site and you click on any picture, you can then read the
story that the author created about why this picture matters to them. The world does not need
another Flickr. It does not need another photosharing site. So what weve done, using algori-
thims, the curation of all the pictures by the emotions that it causes and stirs with people. So
take a picture, share a picture, tell us your story, and then have it with the emotion that this
picture creates for you. And then when you go on the site, you can now actually start to look
at pictures from around the world. It started in the US, but its now starting to see globally,
pictures around the world. Pictures that cause people joy, pictures that cause people anguish,
sorrow, pride, and theyve got stories behind them.
CJ: Wow that sounds amazing.
JR: Well have a look. See what you think. But to me, thats a really interesting point of the role
of the brand and social media. Is to actually provide a curator of human emotions. Where you
can interact with different pictures.
CJ: And thats what consumer imaging is about.
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JR: Right.
CJ: Changing gears, while you have been at Partners, youve been a proponent of changing the
way the agency focuses on its briefing process. In fact, you developed training sessions and a
visually explorative book to disseminate this information. So I wonder, people do things on-
line and people make manuals and things like that. Why did you decide that creating a Brief
Book was the best way to inform the staff?
JR: Good question. Heres why I felt that the book was the best way. We needed to radically
change peoples behaviors. Understanding is one thing, but behavior is another. We really
needed to change peoples minds. Not just understanding what makes a great brief, but the be-
haviors of what they needed to do to see to deliver the best work. So what I wanted to do with
that was create a physical memento and a reminder of what they needed to do. So something
tangible like a book makes absolute sense. With the design of the book, do you remember, the
reason I wanted so much white space was because I wanted it to be a workbook. So that people
could scribble in things, either things that inspire them or that remind them of how to reach
an insight. Whatever it would be so that they would become more engaged and actually start to
be more committed because of the sheer action of actually created their own workbook. Hon-
estly, a website wouldnt do the same thing. For me, theres an emotional disconnect between a
keyboard and a pen.
CJ: Got it. Looking back at this, in what ways was the book successful in communicating your
message? Youve already answered this question, but so you dont feel that the information
could have been successfully implemented online? Or is it simply about the tangibility of it?
JR: Honestly, Cheena, I think that the information could actually be conveyed online. I just
believe that there are times when the power of print is more powerful than the stream. Its a
habit to have that book, to flick through it, to have on my desk, to have in on my bookshelf, to
remind myself that they are some tennisons in reaching for it and trying to write a great brief.
That, I think, just needs to be something more tangible than online. I can look back now and
think, okay, were in the process of updating our brief and updating your workbook, so we
need to think again of the best way to do that. But when I look at the work that the agency has
produced in the last 2 to 3 years, weve just been named one of the
Small Agencies of the Year, across the stage.
CJ: And thats amazing.
JR: Yeah. And honestly, the brief has a little bit of a part to play in
that. You never know if youve got a great brief until youve got great
work. Its not about the brief, but it has to create the platform to in-
spire people. And thats why I felt that the workbook itself as a physi-
cal, tangible thing was the best way to inspire the people that were
writing the briefs.
CJ: I see. And so, why do you think people prefer printed matter ver-
sus digital communication and vice versa? There are some clients that
also really prefer going the digital route and they dont know why they
are going the digital route. So how does this play into strategic aims of
what you guys do? Do you guys ever find yourselves where a client says
No, we have to go digital, but you guys arent necessarily sure why? I
wonder how all this funnels into how you work on a project.
JR: Good question. Let me see. I think that if all you have is a hammer,
everything looks like a nail. So if the answer is always going to be digital
then we will always give you a digital solution and that isnt necessarily
the right way to, as we talk about, engage with your consumer. Thats
true in the B2B space and the B2C consumer space...
...But there is a role in all forms of media in order to provide the most strongest
connection between your brand and your consumer at the right time. So, we work
on Kodak on the B2B side, so we actually know that its statistically proven that by
adding print to a digital campaign, you get an overall strong return on investment.
217
Its the communication of
the message at the right time
or the role of the media.
Digital is an absolutely
powerful tool to use,
but so is print.
CJ: Really?
JR: Yeah. And thats a combination of things, Cheena. Where its the
communication of the message at the right time or the role of the
media. Digital is an absolutely powerful tool to use, but so is print.
CJ: So in your experience, from what youve talked about, print and
online have specific strengths and characteristics that tie into commu-
nication strategy. Can you elaborate on these characteristics? What do
you think some of the strengths are of each of the mediums?
JR: Sure. So I think that online gives us the speed and the opportunity
to create at fast speed in terms of communication and messaging.
Reach and its pervasive. Everyone is online so much generally. The
down side is that there is a heck of a lot of messaging going on there.
I always equate the role of online to TV in the 1950s. Everyone was
doing it and no one really knew what they were doing.
So its absolute clutter, a multitude of different messages, wherever anyone

is online. Most would argue that therefore its the right medium to use. The
converts say that its really, really hard to cut through.
Print media has a fantastic couple of qualities that online will never
have. Its tactile. Weve been looking at some work, not that weve
done, but through Gillette. Theyve run a US campaign using print
to talk about their smooth gel. Theyve used a new printing technique
where you can actually have 3-dimensional print. Theres a picture of
a guy and its got a scratchy chin and if you touch it, it feels like sand-
paper. And then you turn the page, theres the same guy, post Gillette
Cool Shave, of course, and hes got the smoothest skin of all. Thats
a beautiful, really tactile engaging use of media. You cant do that
online. No physical execution.
219
It cant just be about communications, a one
way street of us telling you, the consumer.
It has to be about finding a way to better
engage the consumer with it.
CJ: So in what ways has the consideration of medias role within
communication strategy lead to effective design and advertising
strategy? Again, this is like looking at how people choose their media.
As weve talked about in the briefing process, you look at insight, the
big picture, etc. Moving forward, with the way media is changing and
the way people use media is changing, do you think that there will be
a place for people to start considering the role and characteristics of
media from the get go, even before the start of a formal project?
JR: I hope so. I absolutely really do hope so. Thats one of the reasons
we just employed a director of engagement planning. The role of the
director of engagement planning is because most big agencies cater to,
is communications planning, etc. We talk about engagement planning.
Effectively in my mind, they all intend to do the same thing: Find a
way to provide the very best combination of media where everything
is media. To really deliver the best for your investment, which is your
consumer. So Jen, our director of engagement planning,her role is to
understand not just to traditional media or paid for media, but then
also, for example, social media, or online, events, promotions. And to
aggregate and build a really strong plan that engages the consumer. We
chose that term because, for me, thats a really significant way to effect
change in everything we do as an agency today. It cant just be about
communications, a one way street of us telling you, the consumer. It
has to be about finding a way to better engage the consumer with it. As I mentioned, kodak-
moments.com, which is for intensive purposes, has no commercial value whatsoever. Were
not trying to sell you a photo. Were not trying to sell you a camera. Were just trying to get
you to think about and to engage in the power of pictures and sharing pictures and your stories.
CJ: So its kind of like understanding the end-user experience and how people are going to
engage with the message and the media that youre using. Once you understand how theyll use
that, you can implement a strategy that would effect them in the best way. Is that correct?
JR: Thats it. You got it. As weve talked about, were evolving our creative brief right now, so
that our brief includes specific reference to the role of media and engagement planning and
also the role of retail, the shoppers space. This is something that Jeff Gabel, our Chief Creative
Officer, is driving. And he and I are really keen on people understanding more around the
consumer. So theres someone that Im trying to influence to feel more positively about my
brand and my services. Im doing that in a space where, naturally, you may not be about to buy
them. So what happens when you do go an buy them, whether you walk into a retail store or
whether you go online and fundamentally the role of communications and changes is that you
are no longer a consumer, you are a shopper. So what happens when you become a shopper is
a number of different things that happen baring by the brand and circumstances, but you start
to become much more rationally driven. Looking for a question of, for example, value. Looking
for the information you need to make that final decision of rational choice.
CJ: So it ends up being a combination of atmosphere, how youre communicating with the
consumer and what youre communicating to the consumer so that they end up becoming and
transitioning into the shopper.
JR: Yes.
CJ: Youve been really thorough about answering all of my questions. I really appreciate
all of your time.
JR: Well, Cheena, I hope it was a bit of help.
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BIOGRAPHY
Coming from a unique background, Ann has a remarkable sensibility when it
comes to design. With an undergraduate degree in Studio Art and Art History and
a Masters degree in Fine Art Photography, she is immensely passionate about the
artistic end of communication and advertising. As both Senior Art Director and
Creative Group Supervisor at Partners and Napier, she has crafted elegant and
award-winning pieces of work for clients such as Constellation Wines, Rochester
Advertising Federation, Kodak, St. John Fischer College and more. During her
time there, she also implemented a volunteer-based reading program to read to
schoolchildren. Prior to Partners and Napier, Ann worked as the Director of
Creative Services at Chromagen and as Freelance Illustrator, creating images for
clients such as Conde Nast Publications, Redbook, Parenting Magazine and more.
More interestingly, in her spare time, Ann is a partner and owner of McAllister
Farms in Marshall County, Iowa and is a member of the Betties, a female cycling
club in Rochester.
Anns knack for detail in all aspect of her work is a means for creating something
attractive and impactful. As she would say and as she would want people to say:
Dont you just love it!?
Ann MCALLISTER
Creative group supervisor
Partners + Napier
ROCHESTER, NY
August 4, 2010
Introduction
Hi Ann, I am familiar with your background and expertise in art,

photography and design. I was hoping to discuss with you some of
your thoughts about the craft of print media, the artistic elements
and your work methods.
Cheena Jain: You have worked on mainly print media projects

in the past; in what ways do you appreciate print media over online
media?
Ann McAllister: The fact that its tangible. You can touch it. You
can feel it. Even though with print media theres a 2 dimensionality
to it. Theres a little more accessibility to it. When you have it and you
can store it and save it and it will always be there physically for you.
As opposed to a computer or anything, theres less of an accessibility
and tactility to it.
223
I like printed media because
if youve got a piece of paper
in your hand thats printed,
barring there being
a fire in the building and
it gets burned, its there.
It cant vanish.
CJ: You are always very interested in the details of your project, from the typography to the
type of vellum paper and texture, why do you think these details are important to a project?
AM: I think paper makes a huge difference. For instance, I think the best example that I can
show you is that I did this wedding invitation and I think the best way to describe it is when
you go through the creative process in coming up with a concept for this invitation. So I can
talk to you about Courtney and Kevins wedding. So, for instance, when she asked me to do
the Adirondack wedding, I thought that it had such a rich and deep kind ofwell I guess
the potential there is huge because the Adirondacks have so much to it like nature and trees
and theres a color palette and a woodsy-ness to it. The experience of being at the camp. I
mean shes having a wedding at a camp and its a destination wedding. So people are going
to experience 3 days up in the Adirondacks at her private camp. So thats what we needed to
express through this wedding invitation. The first piece that we did was a save the date. And
the save the date is a postcard of a topographical map of where her cabin is on the lake. And
its called Brantingham Lake, so theres a very special place. And so we did it kind of like a
vintage postcard and we picked a beautiful paper that was 120 lb. stock like the cover weight
and it has a really nice cotton finish. So theres a nice vellum to it and its very organic. So we
made it like a postcard so it looked a little more vintage like its coming from a place. So you
already immediately with the save the date get a sense of place. The map. And on the map we
have this handwritten asterisk of where the cabin is and the cabin is called Camp Bonnie Brae.
So immediately theres a sense of place when you get this in the mail and it was to 150 people,
you know, a relatively small group of friends. And the responses that they got was that this
was highly unusual for a save the date for the wedding. Usually its a generic typeset, formal,
maybe some flourishes on it and people werent really expecting what we did. And it was a
nice pleasant surprise. And what I did was mixed handwriting calligraphy with Adobe Caslon.
I decided to use Caslon because thats been used a lot in many of the Adirondack journals
and books that have been published. So there was something there thatabout Caslon that
had this classicness from the 1900s, like the early 1900s and the heyday of the camps in the
Adirondacks, where it was really really popular to go and spend weeks or weekends there. I
also used this typewriter of my fathers, this old typewriter also to mix with the handwritten
typography and the Adobe Caslon. They said pick like three fonts out and I really chose my
paper well. And then the paper is like this white, but its a natural white, its not too creamy or
ivory, but it just has the right color to it. So the palette kind of derived from the topographical
map, so theres brown, theres fresh kind of leafy green and this blue for the water. And
225
The Save the Date card for the wedding, featured a topographical
map of the wedding location. This card was sent out to guests
prior to the invitations, but fit in with the rest of the invitation
cards that became a compilation of 5x7 cards giving guests both
directions and schedule information for the wedding.
(image: Ann McAllister)
Letterpress is very distinct due to the impression of the image and

text on the paper as well as due to the overall detail and richness
of the printing method. This example depicts the quality and the
craft element of this style of production.
(image: Allan Peters)
those are some of the colors that I think of when I think of the Adirondacks. So all of that
was incorporated in one of my mood boards. I was also influenced and wanted to bring in
something and its sort of serendipitous, the arts and crafts movement of the1900s, where in
England, youre familiar with William Morris. Well a lot of his work was really popular at the
time of when the Adirondacks were at their heyday. And so I picked this old wallpaper pattern
and scanned it in and it was a William Morris paper. And I used that pattern as well as the
topographical map pattern because I felt that both of them kind of had a relationship. Theres
that organic, curvilinear shape of the topography of the hills, mountains, and Adironacks,
but also this celebration of nature that William Morris has. And whats funny about it is,
when I showed Courtney the invitation design and the wallpaper patterns, she said it was
almost the exact same pattern they have in the cabin and that they use that for their dining
room furniture and their antique arts and crafts furniture. And that fabric is in the same style
and the same arts and crafts time period. So that meant a lot to her. When we chose paper
and when we kept in mind that this was a destination wedding, we were going to send the
invitation out and it wasnt just cards, it was a packet or a package. Because they are going to
have a 3-day weekend, the guests will have a 3-day weekend, so we had to incorporate not only
the invitations, but also we had to incorporate the rehearsal dinner because many people were
coming from out of town and were going to be at the rehearsal dinner as well. And then we
had a schedule of events. I designed a map. I designed five different cards based on directions
on where theyd be staying around the lake. They wouldnt all be staying at Camp Bonnie Brae,
but they were staying at various camps on the lake and an island. So everyone had an assigned
place where they were staying so there was one central map that I designed and then there were
five different direction cards because those were important pieces of information that they
needed to always have access to. So everything was bundled and everything was the same size,
5x7. The map that I designed was folded to 5x7. Everything was in the format, including the
save the date.
CJ: So it was almost became like a guidebook of sorts.
AM: Yeah, it is sort of a guidebook, but they are all separate pieces like cards. And all these
cards were put together and then I took what was in the save the date, the topographical map
and printed that on Eames Architecture White paper the Architecture paper has this onion
skin, organic feel to it, kind of like a vellum. Printed that and its a three-panel wrap and
that wrapped all of the contents of the invitation. And then I created a belly band and the
227
belly band wrapped around it. And on the inside of the belly band, I had the William Morris
pattern and on the outside I had Courtney and Kevin. Now the one thing that I did was
that I had four different designs and she picked the one she liked. I was more drawn to hand
calligraphy and the really beautiful flourishes that you see in engravings in the old books from
the 1800s. Thats what was my influence. She wasnt so keen on that. She wanted something
a little simpler. So I asked her what she did up in the Adirondacks, What do you and Kevin
do up there? And she said Usually we just relax and have a beer together. So what I did was
drew two Adirondack chairs facing each other. And I made that as kind of a little logo. Ive
used different icons throughout, but their little brown Adirondack chairs and the brown type
says Courtney and Kevin underneath it. That was like their little signature and they are facing
each other. And she loved it because she said, Thats what we do, we sit on the docks. My
favorite time is to have a beer with Kevin and sit on the docks and talk.
CJ: Obviously, this is a wedding invitation so traditionally people receive a physical element,
but you have so many details in the project because A) its the idea of actually handling this and
B) it sounds like the way you packaged this whole thing, it almost became like a gift to everyone
who got this invitation.
AM: Yeah. What an interesting point. Well I wanted to make sure that there was enough
variation in each piece that everything wasnt just a one note. So thats why I integrated the
William Morris pattern. I integrated the topographical classic Adirondack maps, which
were accessible from the New York State government and I could access them and they dont
charge anything. The other thing I did was I found a watercolor of a lake on Getty Images
and I purchased that for a low price because it was such a short, small little run and it wasnt
for commercial purposes. So I purchased that. And its a watercolor of a lake with a dock.
And in Brantingham Lake, specifically its on the Western part of the Adirondacks so there
are very flat hills, very low hills. And this particular watercolor has the same palette as the
topographical map. So you have this beautiful organic sense of place with this lake scene. So
this adds another dimension to your experience to the package. I wanted the package to be
opened up and everybody could experience it in a multi dimensional way. And as you said, its
a gift. So I said to Courtney, You know, I want to get good paper, because thats important.
I think we can digitally print some stuff because our budget will not allow for letterpress for
everything. But we did decide to do the invitations as letterpress on a 5x7 card with two
colors. Her favorite colors were the brown and the blue for the water.
And so I celebratedI guess what you do when you do typography,
you celebrate a typeface. I celebrate Adobe Caslon Pro because of all
of the alternates and the glyphs and even some of the little dingbats.
And what I did, if this is going to be letterpress, Im not just going to have Courtneys
parents wish the honor of your presence blah, blah, blah... I didnt want that. What I
wanted was the story of how they met.
And I wanted to integrate the story of how they met. So I hired a
copywriter, VJ, I hired Cindy to edit, and I asked Courtney to write
her story of how they met. And that was 7 years ago. And the story
goes from top to bottom of how they met. And youll see the PDF. I
can read it to you. Should I read it to you?
CJ: Yes. Absolutely.
AM: Okay. So this is the first thing, when they open the package,
the first thing they see. So it says: In the fall of 2003, she and he
meet on a blind date. And on both sides of that little statement it
says: She moves from New York City to Rochester. On the left it
says and then on the right it says: He moves from New York City
to Rochester And two little birds come flying together. And in
the fall of 2003, she and he meet on a blind date. Afterwards, she
agrees to a second date. Relieved shes six feet tall. Everyone knows
Courtney is really tall; she just has a short name. And the next section
is: About a year later, on a snowy evening outside of a New York City
restaurant, she says I love you. He says I loved you all along. And then
in August 2009, she takes him to Camp Bonnie Brae, a special place
in her heart. He ends up on bended knee. She laughs. She cries.
She says yes, yes, yes! Please join she and he, as they become we in
the place they love the most. Youre cordially invited to Courtney
and Kevins wedding, Saturday, August 28th at First Presbyterian
229
Church, Melville, NY. Instead of a reception card, we just decided
to write Fun, food, and music immediately following at the Maloney
Tescourt at Brantingham Lake. So on the wedding invitation theres
just all this type treatment and then on the back, I have a full flood of
the William Morris wallpaper print and then on top of that, theres a
diagram drawing, which is like an 1800s drawing design of a canoe.
And the canoe has some of this calligraphy on it that has some of
this little scripture on it. So its a canoe for two. So it says, Figure 1,
Canoe for two, and its on this blue background. And what I thought
was interesting was that the William Morris, theres a lot of fluidity to
his drawings, and it all felt like water. I have a tone on tone blue and
then I have a darker tone blue of a drawing on top of it...
...So theyre taking a journey together. So theres a symbolism involved with the water,
taking a journey. And canoeing is one of their favorite activities up there, but its also
the canoe for two; traveling down a river together, like a journey.
CJ: I know how much you like putting in this artistic side, but why
do you think thats so important. We have print media and online
media and what Ive found in my research so far is that theres a lot
more craft and a lot more artistry in a lot of the print media. I guess
I wonder why you think that this is so important to have, especially
nowadays, where information is moving so fast.
AM: Right, but can you imagine experiencing this the same the
same way with tactile paper and a package that you take with you.
Youre going to the Adirondacks. The Adirondacks doesnt have GPS
accessibility. Its pretty tough. And also, theres something very sensual
about it. Theres something sentimental. It wouldnt be as sentimental
if it were online, if they got an email announcement.
It wouldnt be cherished. Theres something about it that encourages
you to cherish this, that its special moment, a special three days. And
its psychologically and emotionally much more impactful when you
Theres something very sensual about it.
Theres something sentimental.
It wouldnt be
as sentimental
if it were online,
if they got an
email announcement.
231
physically open this package as opposed to having it on the computer.
Theres a distance between you and the computer screen when youre
not touching or feeling the experience of this invitation.
CJ: And its not something that you necessarily think that could be
translated online.
AM: No. It wouldnt have the impact. It wouldnt have the immediacy.
The letterpress is so beautiful and tactile. Even digitally printed, it wouldnt have
as much impact as it does with the letterpress. When I picked up the letterpress,
I looked at it and I stared at it for an hour because of the way it was printed.
It wasnt because of my design; it was just the way my design translated
to the letterpress onto this beautiful, thick paper that had this little
bit of an impression to it. The colors of the inks were really rich and
everything was just beautiful. And whats interesting was that all of
Courtneys friends from New York, who arent really designers or
anything, they responded to the save the date by calling her and said
that it was incredible and they wanted to keep it on their refrigerators
and they want to keep it on their refrigerators. They said that they had
never seen anything like it. And as you said very perceptively, Its like
a gift. They received these as gifts and I said that Id rather invest the
money in printing and make it like the gift, the invitation, rather than
try to do little wedding favors at the table and she totally agreed. She
wanted this to be the favor, the little story.
CJ: Like a little keepsake.
AM: Yeah. It is a keepsake. You make it letterpressso obviously

with interactive and online, thats not keepsake. Theres nothing to
physically hold and keep.
It is a keepsake. Obviously with interactive
and online, thats not a keepsake. Theres
nothing to physically hold and keep.
CJ: So do you prefer print media to online media? What do you think are the strengths and
weaknesses of each of these media types because youve already talked a little bit about print
media, but whats your preference? And where do you think the strength lie in each one?
AM: When youre telling a story, when youve got something that you want a person to
experience tactilely, thats when you need print. When you want to express something thats
more animated, something thats more film-like, something that has a timeline of movement
and motion, I think interactive is better. You know what I mean? Those are two completely
differentif youre telling a story. Im working on a story about my brother, Sam, and Im
going to do a film. I talked to this friend of mine who is at that big motion picture film special
effects house. He was telling me about it, you know you can shoot digital and add the effects to
it, but most of that is translatable to web. Anything that is animated, that can give a person and
experience of exploring, thats good to do for web. Like for instance, for AXA, theres this big
national theatre festival that were working on. I helped manage with Mike Governale, these
interns to do this website. And you cant do anything in print what you can do on this website.
Because on this website we created a stage and we had curtains and the curtains open as you
enter the website. And there are spotlights and sorts of things that you can explore throughout
the website and so in that sense, for the theatre festival and all that I think that this website is
better than like sending out direct mail pieces or other things.
CJ: So its almost like each of the different medias have specifically different uses; they have
different needs and its almost like you have to understand why youre using them.
233
Because its a festival, things are
changing and there are more
additions to the schedule.
Having the website done now

allows the host to edit it and to
change it and make updates.
So thats why that medium is
perfect for a festival or something.
AM: Right. For festivals and for like Courtneys wedding invitation we
wanted to give a sense of place. So for this national theatre festival we
wanted to give people a sense of place of Rochester and the theme is
Rochester: Where the stars align.
So making a rich website where you open the curtains, you can click on an area
where you can buy original limited edition letterpress posters, was important. So
there are lots of little accessible nuggets on this website that you can find to get you
into the mood and the spirit of this festival.
We also have links to other places. We also have on the website, the
reason we call it Where the stars align, and you rollover on the stars
is because you see that there are so many actors that come from this
area like Robert Forrester, Mimi Kennedy, Humphrey Bogart, theres
Jack Holloway, and Rene Fleming. There are so many stars here. And
nobody realizes that, but thats what you can do with that website.
CJ: And you can distribute it to a lot more people.
AM: Right. And then because its a festival, things are changing and
there are more additions to the schedule. Because the festival is in
June, so having the website done now allows the host to edit it and to
change it and make updates. So thats why that medium is perfect for a
festival or something.
CJ: Yes. That totally makes sense. Right now, it seems that a lot
of clients want to focus on web and web content. With all this
technology, do you think there will always be a need for print media
within the creative industry?
AM: I think there will always be a niche for that, definitely, because
there are some things that you just cant express as well or as fully as
you can in print. And you know, think about it, think about fine art,
235
Think about fine art, think about why its so
important that people collect art in galleries
and museums. Why is that so important?
Thats print media, or its tangible. They are
objects, its not just virtual.
think about why its so important that people collect art in galleries
and museums. Why is that so important? You know, print medium,
Thats print media, or its tangible. They are objects, its not just
virtual.
CJ: Or transient
AM: Right.
CJ: What aspects of designing print do you find the most fulfilling?
And why? Youre so passionate about it. You pay so much attention to
details. So whats the most fulfilling aspect of it for you?
AM: I think its like wanting to get a better piece every time. I think
its the creative process thats the most fulfilling. I think its the
problem solving between point A and point B. And then once you
have it printed, sometimes you look at it and you say, Okay, Im
going to move on to my next project. So Im more excited about
the possibility of something. So thats why that creative process is
really interesting. And when you look back on the print and its done
and you say, Okay, thats nice, and you celebrate it for maybe a month or so. Then you say,
Okay, I can do better; I want to move on. Does that make sense?
CJ: Yes. Its like that whole motto: Designers who are complacent with what theyve got then
they arent true designers. Theyve always got to evolve themselves to a point.
AM: Yeah. Whats important for print is to at least have some kind of story to tell or a narrative
or something. For me. thats important. And iyou have to carry that narrative and the story.
Theres an experience you feel when you look through that piece.
CJ: Obviously, that means that people are responding to the story and when you add the
details, like you do in the crafting of it, it just enhances that story I suppose.
AM: Yes. Yes it does. So theres a lot of things that are maybe, people are left conscious of.
They see it and feel it and they dont know why they like it, but theres something there that we
tapped into because of those little extra details.
CJ: Its almost subliminal.
AM: Yes.
CJ: Whereas, I guess online, you can have elements of subliminality, but when you add texture
or those extra hints of color youre not necessarily dependant on technology so much so as a
person physically interacting with something. Interesting
AM: Mm-hmm. I think interactive and all that stuff, I think motion and online is important
to have. To take advantage of some of the aspects of discovering with your mouth and
understanding how the user can explore, by giving them reasons and ways to explore through
something to really add depth to that interactive piece.
CJ: Well Ann, you are wonderful for talking with me. I really appreciate the insight youve
given me. Thank you so much.
237
Appendix C:
DBA CASE STUDIES
BT Business Support
Another Place Magazine
Melbourne Writers Festival
Macmillan Cancer Support
T-Mobile Bill Redesign
Vino Voyage
NHS Pregnancy Planner
APPENDIX D: DBA Case Studies
Introduction
Through the Design Business Association (DBA) Design Effectiveness Awards, there is
greater evidence and understanding of what design effectiveness and the application of design
for business growth. This section presents several case studies that were focused on to evaluate
medias role in design effectiveness.
Case studies were evaluated from the past three years, from 2007 to 2009. From the library
of case studies, the primary areas of focus were Corporate Rebranding, Consumer Print,
Digital Media and other case studies where media was shown to be influential. Though only
seven case studies were selected for the purpose of this research, it should be noted that all
case studies within the aforementioned categories were reviewed and analyzed. The case
studies presented have been minorly edited for this appendix section, to focus on the most
relevant information for the purpose of this thesis. Additional information and case studies
can be acquired through the DBA.
241
BT Business Support
Internal Communications
BRONZE - 2008
Design Consultancy Playgroup UK
Executive summary
Staff at BT Business were amongst the first to find out that Dragons
Den star, Peter Jones along with The Gremlins would be fronting
the new Do What You Do Best campaign. Playgroup designed the
humorous employee engagement programme to ensure that the
extemal brand promise would be delivered.
The campaign positions BT Business as IT and communications

support experts for SMEs, and is a continuation of the 2007-8
Gordon Ramsay campaign. This phase of the campaign seeks to
continue building trust with customers byexplaining how BTs service
has changed with features like: 2417 support a single point of contact
for your move and answering calls within 30 seconds. Playgroups
task was to ensure the external brand messages were delivered to staff
through engaging communications.
Playgroup had to communicate to an audience of 7,500 staff. The

structure of the workforce was diverse; including those in call
centres, offices, and also a high proportion of staff working from
home. Across the 50 BT buildings and home-based employees,
staff worked in service, sales, marketing and product functions. In
some instances those dealing with SME customers were in other

organizational divisions outside of BT Business, therefore motivating them to deliver the BTB
strategy was an additional challenge.
The audience was tough, they were already experiencing communications overload and so
cutting through the clutter was a key objective. Communicating the relevance of the campaign
to the non BT Business segments was also a challenge.
Typically BT rely on digital communications such as emails and intranet to reach such
large audience, Playgroup wanted to create an experience to really engage employees. The
integrated cross-media campaign used entertainment as a hook to capture attention.
Project Overview
Outline of project brief
Generate high awareness of the new campaign and how it fits within the wider strategic context.
Create clear understanding of the campaign messaging and what it means to customers.
Ensure staff were reminded of the attitudes and behaviours required to support the
campaign promise.
Staff should feel excited about the campaign and proud that BT Business is taking the lead
both internally and externally in changing perception about the way BT does business.
Description
The communications were designed to immerse employees in the messaging through
experiential campaign elements. Through entertainment the audience were activated into
adopting and understanding the new campaign messages. This was achieved by:
A SMS sent to nominated activators from MD Bill Murphy, activators were identified as
people who could act as ambassadors for the campaign and BT as a whole. They could cascade
messaging by having direct connection with their teams, having a much stronger impact than
communications being fed down through hierarchy.
243
Activators gathered their teams to view a humorous video briefing from Bill Murphy, during
the video briefing he introduces Peter Jones as the new celebrity entrepreneur and he is then
attacked by the IT gremlins.
Activators set up faked crime scenes of gremlin attacks on IT equipment throughout offices in
the UK creating chaos throughout the group and stimulating word of mouth.
Employees received an email detailing the cause of the problem; they were directed to a video
viral on YouTube. CCTV had picked up the Gremlins causing havoc throughout offices
overnight!
Outdoor advertising and internal office dressing.
Staff attended conferences that were blighted by faked technical failure. The BT Support
Squad jumped from the audience to fix the issue.
DVD packs were delivered to all staff, including the making of the TV campaign, summary of
the strategy and an activation card.
The activation card contained a unique log-in code to the microsite where staff played a quiz
answering questions on campaign messaging. Upon passing they were recruited to the BT
Business Support Squad, qualifying them to deliver on the campaign promise. By answering
questions correctly you saved IT equipment from destruction by the Gremlins who are using
microwaves, blenders etc to ruin equipment.
Overview of the market

A 2005 FEIEN survey showed that the five biggest barriers to effective communication were:
1. Low management commitment to communication (76%),
2. Lack of time (65%),
3. Ineffective organisation structure (59%),
4. Insufficient communications skills (50%)
5. III-defined communication goals (44%)
The campaign overcame these barriers as highlighted in Summary of Results section

Outline of design solution
As a company in the business of communication, it was important to
recognise the advantages of peer-to-peer communication. Utilising
the latest new-media techniques meant the campaign was quickly Project
disseminated, and with it not coming from hierarchy, it became
engaging and un-intimidating. No longer were sales messages being
Launch Date:
fed through a management structure, but instead staff were actively April 14, 2008
involved in the education process through entertainment, which
resulted in BT achieving genuine buy in to the brand positioning.
Summary of results
In response to the 2005 FEIEA survey mentioned in Overview of the
market the campaign overcame the barriers outlined i.e.:
High commitment was displayed by the activators who felt motivated

by being in the know up from and being a crucial part of the
campaigns success.
The experiential activity meant staff were not forced to set time aside
to learn new sales messaging but naturally found themselves immersed
in the new brand proposition.
The communications were cascaded via online and experiential tools

so that hierarchy and organisational structure did not get in the way
of the communications being received by the target audience. There
was a high focus on interactivity of the communications e.g. the ability
to leave YouTube comments, play the educational game, feedback to
your activator. This worked well as it moved away from one way to
two-way communications.
245
(Right) A poster from the BT Internal Communications program
based on the Gremlins attack theme.
(image: DBA Case Studies/Playgroup)
(Above) Surveillance footage from supposed CCTV cameras of

the gremlin attack disseminated via YouTube.
(image: Playgroup)
(Right) A screenshot of the online quiz that employees must pass

in order to become part of the BT Business Support Squad.
(image: Playgroup)

BT had decided to invest in the communications, Playgroup developed a full communications
plan and designed campaign elements, copywriters and script writers ensured that messaging
was delivered concisely and effectively.
Communication goals were clearly defined, culminating in a quiz on a specifically designed

microsite to ensure staff understood the objectives of the campaign
To establish whether the campaign had changed staff attitudes and generated motivation for
the Do what you do best campaign a detailed qualitative questionnaire was conducted,
reinforced by a quantitative study in regards to the take-up of the activity.
The uptake of the campaign is outlined below:

CCTV viral on YouTube - the viral received 2,641 views (at 3rd June 2008)
Attendees to the conferences - 380
Email campaign audience - 3,500
Internal microsite - 1,356 visitors to the site, of those, 836 completed the quiz, i.e. 61%
DVD packs - 7,500 packs were delivered which included the making of the ad, messaging
brochure and activation card to login to the micro site.
Conclusion
The evaluation demonstrated that the innovative and involving programme was well received
by staff, thereby facilitating change in the staffs attitude towards the Do what you do best
campaign. Furthermore it also indirectly educated staff on the new brand positioning and the
key messages that were to be delivered to clients.
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Another Place Magazine
Print - Consumer
Silver - 2008
Design Consultancy ABSOLUTE
Executive summary
Another Places most striking achievement has been to transform
how the hotel is both perceived and used by visitors. This principal,
over-riding change has prompted a whole stream of benefits: to
the businesss bottom line, to its year-round viability, to the local
economys sustainability, to the hotels profile, to the entire culture of
Cornish holidays.
Reduced to its core, the brief was to create demand for holidays and
short breaks in the so-called shoulder months (October to March).
Another Place far outstripped this target.
Its effect on room occupancy was dramatic: in 2007, shoulder month

bookings - particularly in the October - December quarter - almost
doubled the market average (None of this, by the way, involved
compromising the hotels distinctive, high-quality offering: in 2006
and 2007, room rates rose by 24% and 12%, respectively.)
Crucially, the rise in year-round figures flattened out seasonal peaks

and troughs: there was now an unanswerable case for year-round
opening. This benefit went beyond the economic bottom line. In a

sector notorious for temporary, seasonal work, the hotel set about creating a sustainable local
workforce and, from 2004/5 to 2007/8, doubled the number of permanent employees.
A benign domino effect ensued. The hotel led the way in reinventing Cornwall as a high-
quality, short-break destination. Such success didnt go unnoticed; PR campaigns launched
on the back of Another Place secured interest from national media. Its profile also helped to
create extra revenue through sponsorship, in the form of global brands wishing to associate
themselves with the hotel.
The hotel was named Best Tourism Experience at the recent South West Tourism Awards
but, transcending awards, Another Place has had an enduring impact on the hotels business,
on the local economy and on tourism in Cornwall.
Project Overview
To change peoples perceptions of a Cornish holiday experience
To deliver a piece of communication which reflects both what the hotel stands for and how its
repositioned itself
To differentiate the hotel in a crowded market place
To help create a year-round destination
Description
The Hotel at Watergate Bay has been in the Ashworth family since 1967. It was successfully run
as a seasonal family hotel for the traditional, bucket-and-spade holiday. By 2001, the hotel
found itself competing in a difficult and ever-declining market, and the decision was taken to
re-position to take advantage of the short break market. A key part of this strategy was to open
the hotel year round. Absolute were commissioned to interpret the new vision and values of
the hotel through a number of key projects, including print communication.
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Overview of market
Cornwall has always been a popular tourism destination but the
traditional seaside summer holiday - has long been in decline. South
West Tourism set out in 2001 to develop a strategy (called Towards
2015) for tourism in the region, which identified the growth for
short breaks in the UK:
Apart from the trend towards overseas holidays, there has been a substantial switch
within the UK towards spending on short breaks and additional holidays away from
the traditional, long main holiday. The outcome is that spending on short breaks is
likely to grow by 53% over the period to 2011, while spending on long holidays will
hardly change over the same period
Although the forecast showed the future opportunities for the South
West, the market in Cornwall had particular challenges to overcome to
be able to attract the short break market.
Compared to the regional average, Cornwall has low levels of business and overseas
tourism, but a very high dependence on holiday visitors, especially long holidays.
Long holidays are hugely important to Cornwall, accounting for 2/3 of domestic
nights and spending. The short holiday sector is relatively small, reflecting the
relative isolation of the county from centres of population.
Project
Launch Date:
Dec. 2005 Outline of design solution
To differentiate the hotel from its competitors and to create a
compelling message for a new audience, it was clear a traditional hotel
brochure would not work.
The aim was to emphasise the experience rather than the facilities
and, to convey the required aspirational element, we needed a
platform that could convey lots of different messages; hence the
decision to create a magazine.

Another Place is a tongue-in-cheek take on upmarket, design-savvy lifestyle magazines. A
strong client relationship allowed us to fully develop the concept and to create something
unique, not just for Cornwall, but also nationally.
The magazine form and layout encourage the reader to flick through, and the thread of
humour running throughout creates an enjoyable read.
By using unusual and evocative imagery, the audience is engaged more directly than it would
be by a traditional brochure. (In fact, in the whole magazine, there isnt a single picture of the
hotels rooms, restaurant or reception.)
These elements in combination helped us create something, which would be at home on

the coffee tables of the target audience, becoming a talking point and creating a pass-on
readership.
The finished product became the first and main tool to communicate the fact the hotel had
repositioned itself and was open all year round.
Summary of Results
Overall effect - achieving a year-round destination
Increase in Room Bookings
Increase in average Room Rate - This has also seen an increase year on year with 2006 seeing
a 24% rise and 2007 a 12% rise.This increase in room rate also underlines that the hotel is
not using discounted rates to lure people in the off season, which helps emphasise the impact
of Another Place. (Data supplied by Watergate Bay booking system, Hotel Perfect)
Sustainable workforce and improved staff retention
Significant PR exposure
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The magazine was meant to be something that relaxes you and
something you would be inclined to keep on your coffee table.
(image: DBA Case Studies/Absolute Design)
Images from the designed spreads from Another Place magazine.

(images DBA Case Studies/Absolute Design)

Other influencing factors
Another Place is mailed to a specific database (ofexisting clients and potentially new ones), so
can be classed as a direct mail piece and as the main point of communication.
Below are advertising activities, which can be classed as other influencing factors.
Email marketing to customer database (10K) - The hotel emails its own database of previous
customers approximately once a month. This is often to remind them of special offers, but is
also used to let them know of events in the Bay
Travelzoo - The hotel uses Travel Zoo no more than three times a year to promote special
offers to a large, external database
Google adwords - Google adwords campaigns run on the hotels behalf throughout the year,
aimed at promoting all aspects of The Hotel 5- Extreme Academy
Local lifestyle magazine advertising - A monthly advert for The Beach Hut goes in Inside
Cornwall, but the hotel doesnt consider this to have much impact on hotel bookings
Online strategy - Cornwall online/chycor/ eat out Cornwall/SWT brand cluster sites/Visit
Cornwall/Adventure Cornwall/Adventure Holidays. The hotel advertises on several external
websites, although the nature of much this results in business for The Beach Hut or The
Extreme Academy rather than for the hotel
In terms of a PR campaign, Watergate Bay has been successful in gaining strong media
interest, which has obviously affected the hotels success. However, Another Place was the first
piece of communication journalists were sent to attract them to write about or visit the hotel,
so this needs to be taken into consideration and is discussed in the summary of results.
253
Melbourne Writers Festival
Museums, galleries
& Visitor Attractions
Silver - 2008
Design Consultancy ELMWOOD
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Box office sales in 2007 rose by 43% from 2006
The Melbourne Writers Festival is one of the citys key cultural events
of the year attracting writers and delegates from all round Australia
and beyond.
Seen as exclusive and elitist, the events organisers wanted to reach

a younger festival-going audience and needed to attract a new
generation of writers and crucial sponsorship opportunities.
We realised that it would be essential to break down the

preconceptions about who could attend the festival and to make it an
appealing date in the Melbourne arts calendar for as many different
people as possible.
Elmwoods two-year campaign put smiles on faces. It reminded

people that writing is fun, and should be shared and celebrated. The
work engaged a whole new audience and proved a catalyst for a new
wave of interest and sponsorship for the event.

The 2007 festival saw the highest attendance figures on record.
Hits on the Festival website jumped a massive 200% on 2006 figures.
But most importantly for a cash poor arts event, sponsorship grew 81 %, with the number of
major cash sponsors going from 3 to 11.
Project overview
There were a number of objectives The Melboume Writers Festival wanted to achieve:
To engage a new generation of young writers in the Festival
To get noticed in outdoor media, and locations such as cafes, bookshops, clubs and venues
To make the event feel welcoming and accessible to all
To deliver a brand that would provide sponsors and potential sponsors with confidence and opportunity for stronger
partner recognition
And ultimately, to increase attendance
Description
Since its inception in 1986, the Melboume Writers Festival has grown to become an
important forum for the debate of some of the major political and cultural issues facing
Australia today.
The Festival has grown into a significant national and intemational event. 2001 saw it featured
in major national media as well as in publications as far away as the South China Morning Post.
In 2007, the 10-day event was attended by 40,000 visitors and over 300 writers, including
Noel Pearson, Geraldine McCaughrean, Rebecca Sparrow, Karin Slaughter, Deborah
Robertson, Graeme Blundell, Phillip Adams, Mark Crick and Louis Sachar.
255
Overview of the market
Melbourne is famous for its vibrant calendar of sporting and cultural events. The former
include The Melbourne Cup Camival, The Australian Grand Prix, test match cricket and
Australian Rules Football.
Notable arts events include festivals covering everything from fashion to comedy, and from
performance arts to design. With something going on virtually all year round there is plenty of
competition for share of wallet.
Writers festivals are also held in other cities of Australia, such as Brisbane, Adelaide and
Sydney. Whilst they might not compete directly with Melbourne for attendance, they strive to
attract the best speakers to their respective events.

The first stage of the Pencil campaign began life as the launch vehicle for the 2006 Festival.
The Pencil concept was a simple one, and came to life during a workshop with our client. Its
aim was to remind people about the joy of writing and the thrill of imagination. The concept
was brought to life across outdoor media, in-store posters and newspaper advertising.
Not only did the work achieve the aim of getting the Festival noticed by a whole new
generation of attendees in 2006, it also attracted a new range of sponsors that would set up a
successful 2007 event.
Phase two of the campaign, which began mid 2007, built on Pencils new found fame and told
an intriguing story of Pencils sudden kidnapping by bad guys, sharpener and rubber.
The posters were designed to be printed/photocopied on any black and white printer, keeping
production costs low, and capitalising on guerilla marketing opportunities.The campaign
launched the 2007 Festival, driving traffic to the MWF website and building awareness of
speakers and events. An education pack was also developed and used in schools to get budding
young writers excited and involved.

Summary of results
These results look at growth over the two-year campaign. No accurate
figures are available from 2005, but attendance figures were about the
same as 2006. Taking this into consideration, it is clear that investment
really began to payoff in year two:
Box-office sales increased by 43% on last year - once again the highest sales on record
- from $289,814 in 2006 to $414,119 in 2007 Project
Attendances increased by 14% from 35,000 in 2006 to 40,000 in 2007-the Launch Date:
highest attendances on record Feb. 2006
Book sales increased by 26% on 2006
The schools program attendances increased by 7% on 2006
Website hits increased by 201 % on last year - from 154,295 in 2006 to 463,912
in 2007
Sponsorship income has grown by 81% in two years and the number
of major cash sponsors that the organisers have a good relationship
with has grown from 3 to 11.
Humour has been key to the campaigns success. Not only has it
successfully challenged peoples preconceptions about the festival, it
has also encouraged direct engagement and interactivity with the event.
Awards
Pencil was pleased to pick up a prestigious international Mobius award
in 2007.
257
One of the printable posters,
tacked on to a recycling bin.
These posters helped create
an experiential element to the
campaign in an extremely cost
effective manner.
(image: DBA Case Studies/Elmwood)
A look at before and after the

design of the campaign

The series of black and white
printable posters, ready for
guerilla distribution.
259
MacMIllan Cancer Support
Corporate/BRAND Identity -
Design & Implementation over 100K
GOLD - 2007
Design Consultancy wolff Olins
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Wolff Olins rebrand of Macmillan included:
Defining the organisations ambition
Creating the brand idea to deliver that ambition
The personality and tone of voice to help change perceptions
Changing the name to clarify its new role
Creating a visual expression to give the brand cut through and reduce fear of talking
about cancer
Designing many communications materials
Since launch in April 2006, the new Macmillan brand has surpassed
expectations in the key areas identified for change and growth.
1. Helping more people

To achieve its ambition, Macmillan needs to be accessible to everyone
and resonate in their daily lives. Crucially it has to remove the fear of
talking about cancer.

2. More people helping
To reach everyone Macmillan has to get more people engaged to help each other.
3. New services
The rebrand has enabled Macmillan to focus on new services that deliver the greatest impact
to more people.
4. More impact
The new Macmillan brand style is designed to carve out an ownable space in a very crowded market.
5. More money
Fundraising income up 5%
6. All with less spend

3.5% reduction in Macmillans cost to income ratio due to less marketing spend
Project overview
To help the charity respond to fundamental changes in both the market and the organisation
itself. Macmillan needed to change perceptions of who and how it could help; improve
awareness of, and access to, its services; and attract more fundraisers and supporters from a
more diverse base.
Description
Macmillan was known for providing nursing care for people with cancer. Its nurses were often
perceived as angels of death caring for people during the terminal stages of cancer and, as a
result, many people were reluctant to seek help from them. The holistic nature of Macmillans
work for people affected by cancer, as well as its history of pioneering new forms of support,
remained relatively unknown.
261
Overview of market
More people are living longer lives with cancer. (There are 1.2 million
people living with cancer in the UK today, and an estimated one in
three of us will be diagnosed at some time in our lives). The needs
of these people, and their families, friends and careers are changing.
The old gaps in clinical cancer care are increasingly being met,
but new gaps in social, emotional, and financial support are not
particularly outside the hospital environment.
The NHS is Macmillans main partner in delivering cancer services,
but the nature of cancer care is changing. In the future, Macmillan
will need to deliver more services outside the hospital and find new
partners to work with to achieve this.
The charity landscape is changing too. It is increasingly competitive -
there are 800+ cancer charities in the UK, and other large national
charities enjoy marketing budgets many times greater than Macmillans.

Wolff Olins developed the Macmillan brand around the idea of life
Project force - where Macmillan is both a source of support for people living
with cancer and a force for changing the cancer care system.
Launch Date:
April 2006 Wolff Olins recommended a change of name from Macmillan Cancer
Relief to Macmillan Cancer Support to better reflect what Macmillan
offers.
The starting point for the brand expression is the belief that we are
all affected by cancer and we can all help. By supporting Macmillans
work, we are Macmillan. The logo which Wolff Olins created clearly
expresses this - simply made up of the words We are Macmillan
Cancer Support written in a bold, human style.

Wolff Olins aim was to create a visual style, which resonates with our daily lives in schools,
workplaces and high streets, not just in the clinical world of hospitals and GPs surgeries.
In addition to the logo, Wolff Olins created a unique and highly recognisable font
Macmillan Headline, which can deliver strong campaigning messages and sensitive
information equally well. The distinctive and bold silhouette style of imagery gives
Macmillans communications universal appeal, and cuts through the sympathetic photograph
camouflage of traditional charity communications.
As well as creating the brand expression, Wolff Olins designed more than 40 applications
too, from service information leaflets and posters to web sites and livery for the mobile
information unit.
Summary of results
The Macmillan rebrand has transformed the organisation from one that was unclear about its
direction to one that has clarity about what it needs to do to achieve its ambition - to reach and
help everyone affected by cancer by 2010. In the words of the Macmillan CEO, the rebrand
has changed Macmillan into an organisation that is no longer frightened of change.
Specifically, the new brand has achieved and surpassed - expectations, in all the areas that
Macmillan needs to change and grow to achieve their ambition.
3. New services
4. More impact
5. More money

To achieve its ambition, Macmillan has to feel accessible to everyone and resonate in their
daily lives - in schools, workplaces and high streets, not just in the clinical world of hospitals
and GPs surgeries. Crucially it has to help break the taboo and remove the fear of talking
about cancer.
263
Since launch, the redesign of the Macmillan brand has lead to a significant increase in the
number of people approaching Macmillan for support. Overall in 2006, Macmillan reached
and helped 21% (or 74,654) more people than in 2005.
Wolff Olins new design for Macmillan service information leaflets, has led to a large increase
in the number picked up in GP surgeries and clinics. The Macmillan leaflets now have 50%
higher than the average take up than other service leaflets on display in these venues. 2 (The
methods of display and distribution have not been changed.)
The redesigned Macmillan website has seen a 26.5% increase in visits, from 724,954 in 2005
to 916,900 in 2006.

Macmillan believes that we are all affected by cancer, and we can all do something to help,
whether thats raising money, raising awareness or supporting each other. In order to reach
everyone living with cancer Macmillan has to get many more people engaged to help each
other. The look and feel of the new brand are deliberately rough and homemade, so that
everyone can feel like they own it and everyone can get involved.
3. New services
The rebrand has enabled Macmillan to focus its resources on those services having the greatest
impact for people affected by cancer, guided by its ambition, its role as a source of support
and a force for change, and the aim of getting everyone involved.
To deliver its ambition, Macmillan aims to enable more people affected by cancer to support
each other. To achieve this Wolff Olins helped Macmillan launch a new section on its website
where people affected by cancer can share their experiences. Since its launch in May 2006 the
share section has received 95,000 visits. There have been 7,352 registrations and there are
1,393 topics under discussion. The share section of the website now receives 15,000 visits
per month, including 4,000 new visitors each month.
[The website] has helped me enormously. When I come home to my empty house, the first thing I do is look at
your site. It has almost become a friend in such a short time. I feel I am not alone and there are others out there
who understand exactly how I feel.
- Maggie, Macmillan website user

At launch, Macmillan also introduced a new brand template system
designed by Wolff Olins (be.macmillan.org.uk). It enables local
fundraisers and volunteers around the country (the vast majority of
whom have no design skills) to create their own Macmillan branded
publicity material for the thousands of local fundraising events they
run each year and for Macmillan professionals to promote their
services as never before.
To date, 531 templates have been designed and 5,543 new items
created. The increased consistency of approach and ease of use has led
Website:
to a far greater reach for the Macmillan brand.
be.macmillan.org.uk
The increased efficiency has led to a significant cost reduction, which
contributed to the reduced marketing spend in 2006.
4. More impact
The new Macmillan brand style is designed to carve out an ownable
space in a very crowded market. The redesign helps make Macmillan
more assertive when talking to partners and government, while
making it more approachable to the general public.
5. More money
In 2006 Macmillan recorded a record fundraising income up 5% for
like for like activity. Among other things, the new brand has positively
impacted on income from corporate partners.

In 2006 there was a 3.5% reduction in Macmillans cost to income
ratio, from 32.7% in 2005 to 31.6% in 2006) due to reduced
spending in the Fundraising, Communications and Support
departments.
265
The Macmillian Cancer Support website functions in many ways,
but with a foundation of support. Fundraisers have access to
poster templates and how to information. Cancer support
members have access to support online through Macmillans
online community.
(image: Macmillan Cancer Support)
One of the many redesigned pieces of communication that are

either physically distributed in doctors offices, mobile units or in
digital formats, online.
(image: Macmillan Cancer Support)

Research resources
Many of the success measures quoted in this document are taken from Macmillans annual
report - We rise to the challenge. What we achieved in 2006, which is a detailed appendix to
the key statistics contained in their annual accounts.
In addition, heads of department have contributed their results, and these have been verified
by the Deputy Director, Fundraising.
An independent quantitative research study was conducted with Peers. NFP
Synergy research (Charity Parliamentary Monitor, July 2006).
NFP Synergy research (Charity awareness, March 2007).
267
T-Mobile bill Redesign
print - consumer
silver - 2007
Design Consultancy boag associates
Executive Summary
Customer ratings put T-Mobiles old bills last in the market. The lack
of clarity meant that bill related queries were the most common reason
for customers to call T-Mobile. The new bill designed by Boag
Associates and Tullo Marshall Warren (TMW) has made T-Mobile the
market leader in quality and bill clarity. The bill redesign has improved
customer satisfaction and has had an astonishing commercial impact.
T-Mobile identified that contemporary mobile usage and increasingly
complex price plans demanded a flexible redesign.
Drawing on research with T-Mobile customers, BoagAssociates
developed written bill content, and made recommendations for
structure and content across the pages (e.g. moving the helpline to
page 1, and making better use of page 2).
TMW carried out the brand design implementation and customer
feedback was obtained on the new structure and design. Boag and
TMW then generated specifications and designs to cover all bill types
and the new bill was launched on 14 November 2006.
Bill clarity satisfaction in SPAs customer satisfaction tracker* has seen
an increase in line with the objective of 10 percentage points to 55%
with a 12 month period. The industry average in June 2006 was 48.2%.

Unnecessary bill related helpline call volumes reduced as T-mobile saw a decline in customers
propensity to call. New customer propensity decreased from 31% to 22%.
The clarity of the new bill has meant both customers and customer service representatives are
able to handle calls more quickly.
T-Mobile has measured an overall reduction of full time equivalents** (FrE) employed in
customer services by 28 heads as a direct result of the bill design improvements. The target
was 18.
And T-Mobiles new bill sets the benchmark as the first UK major mobile telco to provide
visual snapshots of usage in graphical form (e.g. pi-charts).
Project overview
T-Mobile bills were the worst in the market when it came to customer satisfaction with bill
clarity. This lack of clarity meant that bill related queries were the most common cause of
customer calls to T -Mobile. Therefore, Boag Associates were commissioned to work with
TMW to redesign and maintain a new consumer bill with the aims of:
Increasing bill clarity satisfaction score by 10 percentage points within 12 months
Reducing the number of unnecessary bill-related helpline calls, and thus enabling T-Mobile to reduce the FfEs
employed in customer service by 18
Making the bill a key part of the customers brand experience.
Description
The bill is a multi-sheet A4, single colour laserprinted document, overprinted on pre-
printed base stationery.
The project required the design and production of master design files; print specifications;
master text for all bill content; and designs for the various bill scenarios resulting from all the
different price plans, bundles, or call types that T-Mobile make available.
269
Overview of market
General market conditions
The design of early mobile phone bills reflected relatively straightforward mobile phone usage
and price plans. Vodafone raised the bar in 2005 with a significant bill redesign. T -Mobile
wanted to make its bill easier for customers to understand - reflecting the proliferation of
increasingly complex price plans and call types.
Bill clarity has been a key focus of the Regulator and the British Standards Institution so
T-Mobiles new bill responds to BSIs recommendations.

Clear, logical, transparency
The bill has a clearly presented account summary on the first page
Allowance usage information is presented in graphs
Credits and debits are presented in a straightforward way
The month to which the bill relates is indicated in large bold type on the front page, to aid
reference and filing.
T -Mobile brand experience

The brand has been brought to life on the bill
The clear organization of information demonstrates T-Mobiles honest and straightforward
approach to its customers.
More customer-facing information

Last months and this months bill totals on page 1 help customers track their usage pattern
Summary and itemised usage listings are sub-divided into within and outside of allowance,
helping customers see what they are being charged for outside of their price plan, and helping
make the claiming of expenses more straightforward.

Online experience
Provides a PDF bill for Customer Service staff and for customers via
the T-Mobile website
Financial benefit
Maximizes print capability of existing technologies
Has improved utilization of pages in terms of space, layout, and
information delivery.
Project
Signposting Launch Date:
For accounts with multiple handsets, there are simple and clear signposts
to each handset using large telephone numbers at section divisions Nov. 14, 2006
No matter where you are in the bill, you have a familiar structure to
refer to running heads on each page, for example.
Summary of results
Bill clarity satisfaction in SPAs customer satisfaction tracker has seen
an increase in line with the objective of 10 percentage points to 55%
within a 12 month period. The industry average in June 2006 was 48.2%.
A review conducted 3 months after the bill launch has seen a
reduction in propensity to call:
New Customers propensity to call reduced from 31% to 22%
All other value customers propensity to call reduced from 19% to 18%.
Unnecessary bill related helpline calls have declined as measured by the T-Mobile
call centre.
The clarity of the new bill has meant both customers and customer services
representatives are able to handle calls quicker
271
T-Mobiles bill redesign allowed for a be information to be pre-
sented to the consumer in a clearer way. The bill, as we can see
before and after, is more modern and straightforward.
(image: DBA Case Studies/Boag Associates)
In the call details, we see the first usage by a telecom company

presenting graphical information for the customer to further allow
for clarity within the bill.
(image: DBA Case Studies/Boag Associates)

Legacy print capabilities are now maximised without the need for further expenditure on printing technologies.
The bill uses space across the pages more efficiently.
The bill design incorporates the T-Mobile brand and embodies corporate values.
Every quarter, the bill imagery is updated to reflect T-Mobiles dynamism. This flexibility in the design means that
the bill is living and breathing the brand.
By moving the address to its traditional position at the top of the page, T-Mobile can now use standard envelopes
rather than specially designed/manufactured envelopes.
Research resources
http://www .ofcom.org. uk/media/news/ 2006 / 08 /nr_2006081O
SPA Customer Satisfaction Tracker
British Standard BS 8463:2005, Specification for customer billing practice, London, BSI, 2005
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full-time_equivalent
273
VINO VOYAGE
print - consumer
silver - 2007
Design Consultancy BRANDHOUSE
Executive summary
This is a paper about how the original continental brasserie-style
chain of city bars used design to create a way of selling wine that had
never been seen before.
It is about taking a fundamental insight into human nature and
designing around it a way of selling wines not by provenance or grape
type, but by mood and emotion.
It shows how this approach to design significantly increased the value
of wine sold, and how this increase was sustained over a considerable
period of time, by encouraging guests to see wine differently - to look
beyond their usual repertoire of relatively low-priced long-term
favourites, and, as a result, to sample more of All Bar Ones range
of high-quality fine wines.
Project Overview
Description
Encourage people to chose more widely from All Bar Ones fine
wines.in the original, sociable, metropolitan brasserie-style bar for
young professionals.

Overview of the Market
The bar market is crowded and competitive. All Bar Ones
distinctiveness was being eroded as rival bars copied its style
and appearance.
Habit and inertia amongst drinkers were making wine a commodity,
with people choosing the same varieties wherever they happened to be
drinking - typically one price-point up from the cheapest basics on
the list.
All Bar One has always prided itself on the unrivalled breadth and
quality of its wines. The heart of the issue was not to get people
to drink more wine, but to get them to choose more widely from
amongst the bars higher-value and less well-known wines.
Outline of Design Solution

All Bar Ones design approach was built around a way of classifying
and portraying wines noone has ever tried before. Fine Wine has its
own style and language, and its own palette of muted and expensive
colours from the cellar and the vineyard, and from the aspirational
world of the connoisseur. Project
But the reasons why youd choose to drink a fine wine at home, or Launch Date:
with fellow enthusiasts, are not the same as why youd make that Apr. 24, 2006
choice at All Bar One.
You drink wine at All Bar One for a whole range of reasons not
covered by the experts tasting notes. You drink at All Bar One for
conversation; for sociability; for atmosphere; for the surroundings.
You drink there for the emotional experience - for the feeling of
having enjoyed a good time in pleasant company.
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This was why we designed a new approach to All Bar Ones wine offering, built around the
emotions. Its called Vino Voyage, and it offers wines to match your mood. The design is
stylish and sophisticated. Impactful in its simplicity and revolutionary in its use of colour,
with a look, a feel and a logo that wouldnt be out of place in a high-street clothing store.
At its heart is a modern colour-palette that codes wines by five moods (adventurous, relaxed,
sociable, refined and passionate), rather than by traditional classifications. It breaks down
settled patterns of choice and makes it harder to go straight to the default second-most-
expensive on the list.
All the supporting materials were created to reinforce this new way of choosing wine.The
wine-list wasnt a wine-list, but a browsable wine-mood book instead, with stepped pages
allowing all of the moods to be seen at a glance. We developed colour-coded bottleneck tags, so
that the moods could be seen from the other side of the bar, and glass-stem labels, so that on
tasting trays the most visible thing would be the mood. Everything was designed to emphasise
the dominance of mood over origin, style, colour, grape variety and price, and to encourage
customers to experiment and to choose more widely from All Bar Ones range of fine wines.
Bottleneck and stemware tags help identify the communicated

mood and emotion of the wine in the Vino Voyage campaign.
(image: DBA Case Studies/Brandhouse)

Summary of results
Design measurably changed the way people bought wine at All bar One.
It sold more wine, even though this was never the aim
Vino Voyage was always intended to change the type and price of wine chosen by customers,
rather than the amount. Nevertheless, it ended up selling more wine as well. Before Vino
Voyage, volume sales were tracking at just over 2 1/2% up on the previous year. Vino Voyage
pushed that growth up over the 3% mark.
The aim was to sell higher-value wine The value growth doubled
What Vino Voyage set out to do, and what it did measurably and significantly, was to increase
the amount of money people were prepared to spend on wine. The result was that year-on-
year value growth doubled to over 8%.
Long-term changes to long-established habits

As a result, the rate of growth in the average price paid per bottle tripled. People who had
until that time been perfectly happy with their stable and settled repertoire of a handful
of modestly priced favourite wines, began to choose more widely from a broader range of
higher-priced fine wines. Despite the fact that there were no price-rises across the range, the
average price paid by a customer for a bottle of wine at All Bar One jumped to 4.5% above the
previous years prices. This increase was more than triple the slow price growth seen before
the new approach began, which had been tracking at around 1%.
This growth was SUSTAINED AND CONTINUOUS, and, in some months, was far higher
than the 4.5% average.
Research resources
All Bar One sales figures
277
NHS choices PRegnancy planner
online/Digital media - viral
bronze - 2009
Design Consultancy the team
Executive summary
This is a demonstration of how design can deliver a paradigm shift
in the way people use public services. Its an example of how we are
pioneering a new way of reaching citizens on health topics, beginning
with pregnancy, by innovating a desktop application used by women
to help them through pregnancy. Its a design first so difficult to
compare, but the results speak for themselves.
Pregnancy is a time of excitement, anticipation and anxiety when a
whole new world opens up for expectant mothers and their partners -
birth-plans, breastfeeding, childbirth classes, midwives, contractions
- the list goes on. At the onset of pregnancy everyone has a word
of advice from family and friends, but who do you trust? And then
theres the Internet. Google pregnancy and thousands of charities
and organisations push their opinions and guides. Amongst all this
noise, mothers need trustworthy information.
NHS Choices (www.nhs.uk) has a fantastic asset - authoritative and
accurate information for pregnant mothers. However, the number
of women finding and using that content was felt to be too low. NHS
Choices needed to find a new way of providing expectant mothers
with the information they needed, instantly and personally.

Supporting an on and offline awareness campaign, we also developed a desktop application
that contains instantly updated information that expectant mothers need day by day. NHS
Choices now has a direct and persistent relationship with a key audience of mothers - and a
fantastic connection into the wider familys health.
The NHS Choices pregnancy campaign ensured:
38% increase in the number of pregnant women visiting the Pregnancy Care Planner section of NHS Choices site.
62,163 people (7% of the pregnant population) clicked through to the site from online banner ads in the first 3 months.
The application is so popular with an ongoing acquisition rate of 2,369 new mothers per month without paid for
media, this equates to 28,428 new relationships/year who can be targeted with other health information.
A very low cost per click of 1.35 compared with other campaigns of this type (3.47) which is a 61% reduction
in cost per acquisition.
Due to the success of this campaign and the positive reactions to the pregnancy planner from
both midwives and pregnant women, NHS Choices has recommended that a similar online
campaign is repeated every six months to engage new audiences.
Project overview
What is NHS Choices?
NHS Choices is a comprehensive information service designed to help people take control
of their health. Key to the service is that it helps people understand and navigate the choices
available to them, from lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking and exercise, through to
the practical aspects of finding and using NHS services in England, at you need them.
What is NHS Choices Pregnancy Care Planner?

The Pregnancy Care Planner is a free service that contains everything an expecting mother
needs to know to have a healthy and happy pregnancy. The Planner is made up of over 250
pages of NHS-accredited information, including videos and interactive planning tools. Users
are guided through the information, helping them to choose the best maternity services in
their area.
279
Communications objectives
The challenge was to cut through a noisy market of competing information providers and
opinion leaders, to engage an important audience to use the NHS Choices, specifically the
Pregnancy Care Planner site. Key objectives were:
Strategic
Help people to save time and build relationships with them
Encourage mothers, children and families to proactively grasp health information
Tactical
Improve the number of unique visitors to nhs.uk/pregnancy within 6 months
Through active online and offline promotion of nhs.uk/pregnancy, increase the number
of unique users.
Audience profile
Expectant mothers
Challenges faced
Competition for share of voice The marketplace for pregnancy information and services is
very busy, with lots of competing providers and conflicting opinion.
Finding the information. NHS Choices had a large amount of high quality, trustworthy
information however it was spread out across the NHS.uk site. The content or site structure
couldnt be changed or adapted to make it easier to find.
Outline of Design Solution

To raise awareness of the NHS Choices Pregnancy Care Planner, The Team designed a new
tool - the Pregnancy Application, a landing page for this application, as well as a targeted
online advertising and network-inspired campaign to drive traffic to the page.

Creative rationale
As NHS.uk needed to change the behaviours of mothers to make them
better informed and healthier, our creative was designed to captivate
them by allowing them to visualize each stage of their pregnancy. The
rationale was that theyd be drawn to look every day, allowing us to
gently nudge them towards health and lifestyle messages.
Pregnancy Application
What pregnant mothers needed was a personal, easy to use Project
information source containing everything from authoritative advice
to contacts and planners. Instead of fighting to get the user, we took Launch Date:
value directly to their desktop through an innovative pregnancy Feb. 12, 2009
application. http://www.birthdownload.com/index.php/pregnancy-
software/
Once the user had logged their due date, the widget was set to load
automatically with PC start up and provide articles and imagery suitable
to that weeks stage of pregnancy. The application drove users back
to a variety of content hosted on nhs.uk/pregnancy. As it was to be a
persistent presence on users desktops, the application was easy to use.
Online communications
To promote the application, a nine week online campaign was
executed from 12th Feb-19th April 2009 using the following ad-
serving techniques:
In-text ads were placed with Vibrant which places the ad based on what the audience
is reading about at that moment of time, rather than the site theyre on.
Semantic Targeting using AdPeppers iSense tool to place ads against relevant content
based on linguistic rules.
Low cost and high reaching ad and media networks with relevant content
281
The NHS Pregnancy Planner is a partner in each expectant
mothers journey, but it also links with the website content and is
promoted effectively though online banner advertising.
(image: DBA Case Studies/The Team & NHS Choices)
Download holding page

We designed, built and hosted a landing page containing information on the application and
the download/install functionality. We also delivered a banner to sit on the homepage of nhs.
uk/pregnancy, to drive visits from within NHS.uk to the holding page.
Summary of results
Improve the number of unique visitors to nhs.uk/pregnancy within 6 months:
38% uplift in visits to the pregnancy information on the NHS.uk site during the campaign.
The application is so popular with an ongoing acquisition rate of 2,369 new mothers per month without paid for
media, this equates to 28,428 new relationships/year who can be targeted with other health information.

Through active online and offline promotion of nhs.uk/pregnancy, increase the number of
unique users.
During the campaign, 62,163 people (equating to 7% of the pregnant population - 900,000 new mums a
year) clicked on the online banner ads and 28% landed on the NHS Choices site.
The online banner ads drove 75% (46,796) of these visits, with others coming through paid search.
10,059 women downloaded the application (equating to 6% of the pregnant population).
Even now the campaign has ended and the application continues to be downloaded at a rate of approximately
2,369 a month. The NHS has a growing database of 62,000 mothers at a rate of who can be targeted with
other health information.
Conclusion
This innovative way of building relationships with health consumers is now influencing the
NHS Choicess engagement strategy. There are two impacts of this project.
Tactically this is a highly successful and efficient way of reaching this audience on this topic.
The solution creates a model for other applications on other topics - diet, exercise, smoking etc.
Strategically NHS Choices can now build personalised relationships with the family and health
decision makers - the mum in the house. A whole new world is now opening up for NHS
choices to influence and change peoples behaviour.
Research resources
NHS Choices: Pregnancy Planner campaign report (May 2009)
Mediacom Interaction: NHS Choices Pregnancy Planner post-campaign analysis (June 2009)
ComScore: (Nov 2008)
283
Appendix D:
Survey results
Sampling quantitative data from a variety of consumers
regarding the perception of media and their preferences.
Introduction
This section presents data collected from respondents with regards to media consumption
habits and preferences. Over 100 individuals responded, with participants ranging in age
and backgrounds. It should be noted that while survey participants included some creative
professionals, participants came from a broad range of professions including medicine,
business, market research, law, engineering, social services and more.
The survey was conducted through an online survey collection site and distributed via E-mail,
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Presented data included comment sections as needed so that
individuals could elaborate on their choices, providing a more thorough picture of consumer
behavior. The majority of relevant comments are presented with any quantitative data.
APPENDIX E: Survey Results

Q1 4. Because when I look at certain keepsakes it
bring emotion to my memories
Do you ever save movie, concert or live 5. When I see them, it reminds me of the
event tickets as keepsake mementos? details of the movie/concert/live event.
6. More the memory of the event actually...
with family, a boyfriend, a special night,
a funny night, a night that exploded into
something else..
7. Just to remember where I had been to.
YES - 92.2%
8. Its a physical reminder of where Ive been,
NO - 7.8% what Ive done, and what Ive seen.
9. I wanted to save them so I would have a
memento from all the movies I saw in college.
10. I keep a memory box that I dig through
every so often. It is nostalgic to find keepsakes
like tickets and things.
11. I like remembering that moment/I like
Sample FILL IN comments creating a wall collage with postcards and tickets
Why? (Explain your reason)
12. Sometimes I do let these types of items
linger in my domicile, but eventually toss most
1. To remember what I saw and when. of them and lose the rest. The memory of the
2. Specifically concert. its not often that events I enjoy is usually strong enough for me
you get to see an artist and their is sentiment that I dont need a memento to remember by.
attached to remembering the event and maybe 13. I like to have something to remember the
the people you went with. experience by. The tickets are free and 100%
3. Souvenirs proof that you were there.

287
24. Sentimental value.
SAMPLE FILL IN comments
Why? (Explain your reason) 25. Because they are keepsake momentos, to
remember that event that I may have shared
14. I imagine sometime in the future I might with a special person or group of people.
make a scrap book, or i might find one one 26. Memories, and a sort of bragging right.
day while tidying my room and itll make me
happy reminding me of the concert 27. Just nice to have evidence of certain
events or moments. Nostalgia.
15. Datestamped momento
28. It feels too special to throw away. Often I
16. I only save those where I attended the just keep them on my counter for a couple of
event with my boyfriend. weeks THEN I throw them away.
17. Physical evidence of an experience. 29. I only keep the concert tickets. I keep
them inside my sketch book/diary and add
18. Like having a record of my experience.
some notes. Its fun to look at it again after a
Having evidence that I went.
while...or after a few years! Its a fun way to
19. To have something tangible that can remember a great gig, a great night out with
remind me of my memory of the concert friends... Its all about good memories!
20. Its a stand in for a photograph - a 30. As someone who never takes photographs,
memento (proof) for the experience. at times this starts a memory relapse.
21. I like to collect things. 31. To bring back the memories of that event.
22. Im sentimental. I view them as a pieces 32. I dont see the link behind material
of ones life history. Events in ones life that reminders and memories. I just need
could easily be forgotten. Like photos they act the memories.
as an emotional trigger for youhow you felt
at the moment of that event. 33. Dont want to get rid of them, nostalgia.
23. I save them as a wonderful reminder of 34. Reminder of a special time; like old ones
how much I enjoyed myself and to keep doing falling out of bags, wallets etc to remind me
things I enjoy in the future. of things Ive seen/done in the past

35. Usually if I really enjoyed the event, or if 44. To remember i went, show others i went
it had special significance e.g. a birthday or I
went with a boyfriend. 45. So that ten years later when Im cleaning
out my room, I can remember that I once saw
36. More so concert, play or live events. Not Dido live. And tailgated for it.
so much movies, because i dont really watch
movies. haha. (probably just gave myself away) 46. The tickets themselves are dear to me. Its
the memories that come back to me whenever
I do so because those are great moments that I see the tickets. I like being reminded of
i want to remember. those performances good times from the past.
are one of a kind, something that yes will
be repeated, but the same exact performace 47. I guess Ive never been one to save
- highly unlikely. and theyre inspiring. so mementos. My memory serves me well
when i look back at those tickets not only am enough, and I already have too much clutter
i reminded of the great time and friends that in my life.
accompanied me. But thinking back on them 48. I only save the tickets for something
can inspire me in so many different ways - ive been waiting to see for a long time,
from work to social life. that means a lot and is memorable to me.
37. I get tickets signed if I meet the band, it is eventually i throw them out, over time.
a good reminder of positive experience. 49. A ticket (or ticket stub) from an event
38. I had a great time, so why not. is a physical way to prompt the mind to
recall memories of the event. Its a tangible
39. I just turned 10 years worth of them into reminder of the experience. A bonus is
an art piece for my coffee table! that the ticket is already given to you (no
additional purchase necessary) and since its
40. My memory is poor. I am also a pack-rat usually paper or cardstock, it wont take up
41. Memory of a special day or momnet much space.
42. Its fun to look back at them years later, 50. To include in a scrap book.
and remember the experience.
43. So one day when Im cleaning I can say

to the wife. remember this?
289
Q2
If you received tickets in the mail and they were printed on receipt paper, how would
you feel about it?
37.5% IT DOESNT MATTER TO ME AS LONG

AS I HAVE ACCESS TO THE EVENT
I WOULD BE SLIGHTLY DISAPPOINTED,

23.4% BUT IT WOULDNT MATTER TOO MUCH
10.9%
I WOULD HAVE WANTED THEM TO BE
PRINTED ON BETTER QUALITY PAPER
34.4%
OTHER
Sample FILL IN responses

Other (Please specify)
1. As long as the material didnt rip as easily and as long as there is some design effort in it
wouldnt mind
2. Receipt paper fades within a couple of years max.
3. Id be major bummed. I hate getting electronic tickets that you just print too!
4. I would not like it because I would be more likely to toss them by accident..
5. Generaly you print them on your printer sooo... Its already on cheap paper.

0%
20%
60%
80%
40%
100%
Speed
Q3
Ability to search
87.1% 87.1%
Easy to Share
79%
Other (Please specify)

Accessibility
75.8%
Constant flow of
new information
69.4%
1. The ability to be anonymous.

Unlimited Information
Sample FILL IN responses

Audio/Visual Content
61.3% 59.7%
Flexibility navigating
through content
46.8%
Interactivity of content
43.5%

Reliability of sources of
content (blogs, news, etc.)
Using technology as
an access point
35.5% 33.9%

Dynamic content (interacts
with your preferences)
32.3%
I do use twitter.
2. Convenience
Reading content online 30.6%
Ability to identify self

online through content
24.2%
(Social Networking)
What do you appreciate about online content? (Choose all that apply)
Transient (temporary)
nature of information
16.1%

Personal nature of
online content
11.3%
Other (please specify)

8.1%
Online banners and ads

0%
3. Identifying myself through online content

is creepy. I dont have a facebook anymore but
291

Q4
What do you appreciate about printed materials? (Choose all that apply)
79%
80% 75.8%
67.7% 67.7%
62.9% 61.3%
61.3%
60% 59.7% 58.1%
40%
29%
22.6%
21%
20%
9.7% 9.7%
1.6%
0%
Texture
Physicalally reading
printed content
Can be very crafted
Can be very
personal or local
Can be 3D (having
architectural elements)
Easy to flip or
browse through
Lack of
technological factors
It is a static piece
of information
Lack of interactivity
Can become
a keepsake
Being able to interact

with it in a more
relaxed environment
Other (please specify)

It is physical piece
of information
Easy to share
with others
It takes up space
Sample FILL IN responses 4. I worry that online resources might get lost
Other (Please specify) whereas you can keep physical information
somewhere safe and refer back to it without
1. Books are more durable than Kindles, etc. it changing. Also I like writing on printed
materials e.g. making notes especially on
2 . The durrability of a well taken care of book. study materials.
3. Its been more carefully prepared than 5. Having something tangible in my hands.
most online content something to take notes on, jot down ideas

PREFERRED CHARACTERISTICS OF ONLINE CONTENT (% of people)
Speed 87.1% Using technology as 33.9%
an access point
Ability to search 87.1%
Dynamic content (interacts
32.3%
Easy to Share 79% with your preferences)
Accessibility 75.8% Reading content online 30.6%
Constant flow of Ability to identify self

69.4% online through content 24.2%
new information
(Social Networking)
Unlimited Information 61.3%
Transient (temporary)
Audio/Visual Content 59.7% 16.1%
nature of information
Flexibility navigating Personal nature of
46.8% 11.3%
through content online content
Interactivity of content 43.5%
Other (please specify) 8.1%
Reliability of sources of
35.5% Online banners and ads 0%
content (blogs, news, etc.)
PREFERRED CHARACTERISTICS OF PRINTED MEDIA (% of people)

Can become a keepsake 79% Can be 3D (having
59.7%
architectural elements)
Texture 75.8%
Easy to flip or browse through 58.1%
Physically reading
67.7%
printed content Lack of technological factors 29%
Can be very crafted 67.7%
Easy to share with others 22.6%
Can be very 62.9% It is a static piece
personal or local 21%
of information
It is a physical
61.3% It takes up space 9.7%
piece of information
Other (please specify) 9.7%
Being able to interact with it
61.3%
in a more relaxed environment Lack of interactivity 1.6%
293
Q5 2. Feels more luxurious.
3. I dont need keep the marketing paper as
Would you prefer to learn about a luxury physically. electronic version is enough
hotel through well-designed e-mail
marketing or by receiving a well-designed 4. I book all hotels online or by calling on
printed hotel brochure or booklet mailed the phone and I can archive this information
to your home? better online and forever.
5. Easier to take with me and adds legitimacy
6. Really neither...unless it is free. The
brochure is a waste of trees and money, for
BROCHURE something I havent commited too, secondly
OR BOOKLET why would the email marketer have my email???
49.2%
7. Im more likely to look at it in email form.
Yes, there are times when I discard emails,
E-MAIL but more often than not, I check them. I
MARKETING think the printed materials could be useful,
50.8% but I think theyre a waste of resources.
8. Feels more upscale
9. I think the best approach would be email/
internet marketing with the ability to request
a brochure. Internet marketing without a
Sample FILL IN comments brochure may not communicate a true
luxurious budget, and a mass produced
brochure without internet marketing seems
under-meditated and wasteful of capital
1. Having something physical to search through and resources.
and to quantify the quality of the place. They
are willing to put in more resources to give a 10.Nothing beats a beautifully crafted piece. I
good product if they are a luxury hotel will look at it over and over.

11. There is a lot of junk mail that bombards 17. Because if it doesnt interest me and I can
us. E-mailed promotions tend to get tossed just delete it.
before even being viewed. Plus it means that
the hypothetical company has my e-mail 18. Email feels cheap. Very spamish in a
address and is cluttering my inbox with items world where all the emails you get are about
that may not be relevant. penis enlargement whats another mail about
a hotel?
12. I usually over look mass emails....if they
even get through my spam fiilters. I also usually 19. Online media and advertising can seem
check emails on my iphone, so the design cheap, while printed materials (when done
usually gets lost a bit when viewing it on my properly) exude craft and quality.
phone. and since im usually on the go while 20. As long as the booklet is small enough I
checking emails, that would definitely be one would file it in my Travel folder. I usually get
that i would skip over till later....and later rid of Email that is advertising something.
usually never comes for those kinds of emails.
21. I like traditional advertisement. I think
13. Because sometimes internet pages when things are printed on paper people tend
advertising these sotts of things can get to be more trust worthy of the information.
confusing and can sometimes look tacky
if they have advertising all over them. A 22. I would probably delete any emails
brochure can be kept for next time you plan because I would assume they are junk mail.
going away or as a memory. Also you can If I received a booklet in the mail, I would
peruse it at your leisure - on the train, while probably open it up to look though it
waiting for the bus, etc.
23. Because now a quality printed brochure
14. I tend to delete all unsolicited email is hard to come by, (spam) emails hit our
without a thought. There is at least a chance I inboxes in the hundreds every day.
might look at a physical brochure.
24. Only if I asked for them to send it. I
15. Because when I delete the spam, at least would rather receive advertisements through
there wont be wasted paper. email so that I can delete them and not waste
paper and postage. I would rather have a
16. I get so many emails each day. I think a booklet if I really wanted to know about the
printed piece that was well made would stand hotel and remember details about it.
out to me. Id be more likely to read it.
295
31. Not something Id cherish--just want the
SAMPLE FILL IN comments info (well designed a bonus and selling point)
32. I would be more impressed by a hotel
25. Flyers are waste that needs to be discarded that could afford a quality printed brochure.
appropriately, and I will never look back at it. I would be likely to look at it at home in the
26. E-mail because if I like it, I can go right same way that I would spend time browsing
to booking a room. through a magazine and it would tempt me
to book.
27. I prefer to flip the pages! To read it in the
sofa/bed and to share it with other people. I like 33. I find that I, personally, engage with
the possibility of carry it around very easily. random direct emails much more than i
do with the snail mail version. When im
28. It is more personal, can be read and checking my email over lunch im much more
reviewed anywhere, and can be reviewed more likely to check something random, that i
than once without having to find it on your didnt necessarily sign up to receive, but got
computer or in your e-mail. The brochure on a mailing list for and received anyway. It
can also be placed anywhere, as a reminder to feels easier to browse, doesnt take up real
review the content, e-mails tend to be read space. i dont have to walk it to the trash, can
once, if read at all, then get lost amongst the just delete with the simple click of a button.
other hundreds of e-mails typically received
by everyone. A brochure is a constant reminder. However, if it was mailed to my home, and
was something that was designed very well,
29. I would not look at the email and consider with the ability to intrigue me then I would
it spam and delete it as i would like to keep probably skim through it, but inevitably
my inbox clear. i would keep a well printed throw it out...probably after my boyfriend
brochure and browse though it when I can or took it to the bathroom for random reading
when I want. material though.
30. Since Id only be staying at the hotel 34. Because then it might have interactive
temporarily, the brochure/information is links to other information. Also, I would be
temporary to me, therefore its a waste of able to look up other things (plane tickets,
paper/resources to print a brochure. tourist attractions, etc).

35. I associate luxury with relaxation and I 42. I prefer printed materials
can sit down and read a brochure. Email/
computers work to me 43. An email doesnt take up physical space
and waste trees because most people just
36. Unless i have a chance to preview the throw it away.
brochure and decide i want a hard copy.
Otherwise... its junk mail 44. I say brochure, but Im torn. i think its a
bit of a wasteful proposition
37. I mostly ignore much of the e-mails that
market new products, so the likelihood of 45. I would prefer both but that was not an
me wanting to find out more about a product option. when starting to research I would
through e-mail marketing is low. want the email, but to spend a lot on a luxury
hotel, especially if it was for far away in an
38. If theres anything else I would like to unfamiliar area, I might want a brochure.
know about the hotel, there is a better chance
of me finding it on a website. I could also just 46. I dont like clutter. And its not
click contact and e-mail straight from there environmentally friendly, and wouldnt be
and have my answer question immediately. a meaningful piece of communication
39. More content can be contained in an 47. E-mail doesnt waste paper.
email than could be contained in a brochure. 48. I cant conceive of this not being spam to me
An email can link to a website with many
pictures, videos, and user testimonials. A 49. To be honest, neither. I hate those. But
brochure can only have the small amount that if I had to choose, email because then I can
fits in a small booklet. easily delete it.
40. I feel I can get a better overall view of a 50. I dont need keep the marketing paper as
hotel from a interactive medium, brochures physically. electronic version is enough
are one dimensional
41. I prefer to receive as little post-mail as
possible. E-mail wont require a network
of vehicles traveling distances, increasing
pollution, racking up additional costs
(labour, S&H, cost of materials, etc).
297
Q6 3. I am nervous that I may forget about an
emailed bill
Do you prefer having a physical copy 4. I dont like the clutter of the physical paper.
of your phone, credit card, and other bills
or do you prefer an e-statement? 5. As long as I could go back into my history
of each record, as far as I wanted to, not
just be limited 6 months or 3 years back in
access...
6. Simplicity/convenience. I have my Gmail
PHYSICAL tab open 99% of the time. The statement
COPY arrives and I either pay it right away (online)
36.1% or I star the message. Theres no way I can
forget to pay it because Ill see the star all
the time.
E-STATEMENT
63.9% Also, what if Im on vacation and dont have
access to paper mail? With email, I can
receive my statement anywhere/any time.
7. Doesnt waste paper
8. I pay everything online/over the phone
anyway. Email can go unchecked for days, but
Sample FILL IN comments the best option would be text messages of the
Why? (Explain your reason) MOST IMPORTANT bills sent to your phone.
1. I like having physical records that I can 9. Doesnt kill trees on a monthly basis I
reference if needed. suppose. Not to mention its easily accessed
and general has a direct link that one can pay
2. I hate getting paper bills - I usually never from instead of having to mail a check or call
open them bc I do it all online now. I have in a credit card payment.
a huge stack of unopened bills that i will go
through one day. 10. I dont trust the internet.

11.It is a momentary check that once stored 21. Too much paper
online in my bank account page can be
accessed any time 22. There is no need to keep them, it is a
waste of paper, and I can get all the info I
12. On the internet it seems to organise itself need and more online.
chronologically for me. You dont have to
look at it or deal with it or tidy it away its just 23. It comes every month and all I have to
there in case you need it do is scroll through a website to make sure
nothing looks weird.
13. Im afraid I wont remember to pay the
bill otherwise, so I have to have a physical 24. Sometimes I need to send copies of these
copy sitting on top of my laptop until its paid. to other people for legal purposes, and it is
faster to find it online and attach to an e-mail
14. Less paper, less clutter. than it is to find the paper copy somewhere
and then find a copier, envelope, and stamp
15. I go through emails and stuff so fast, I feel
to physically mail or to find a fax machne and
like Id forget, plus having a physical copy
hope the fax is hooked up on the other end.
helps me remember because I can keep it on
my coffee table or on my fridge. 25. Who wants paper bills? Its just one more
piece of clutter and I try to live simply.
16. Its better to have physical document.
Filing, storing, refering to. 26. Less paper and less mess in my desk! Its
personal and expected information so... its
17. So many piles of paper in my kitchen. like enough to look at it on a screen.
to minimize the mess
27. Waste of paper. Constant mover so
18. It actually feels like you are doing address differs, email barely changes.
something for paying bills, especially if you
pay them over the internet. 28. Eco friendly, easy to manage those bill
online/computer
19. I like to receive the statements in the mail
(its a nice reminder) but i manage and pay 29. Dont like clutter and having to store
online. So, Im kind of in between them, not environmentally friendly
20. If there is a problem, it can be presented 30. Not sure why. I like having the paper copy
as evidence of the bill or statement. even though I never open it.
299
39. If I can view and pay the bill online,
SAMPLE FILL IN comments theres no need to use paper. Again, I feel
Why? (Explain your reason) its wasteful.
31. Saves time, I pay online, and it stops 40. Reference, reminder- without the
me having to shred potentially dangerous responsibility of remembering, or possiblity
information, such as account numbers. of losing, privacy
32. I can access it quickly when I want, I 41. With an e-mailed statement, I can save
dont feel obliged to look at it (physical bills a pdf for review later, and chances are it
can be depressing as they just arrive without will reside in my e-mail inbox indefinitely
warning!) and I dont need to store it. as a backup. I also prefer to receive as little
post-mail as possible. E-mail wont require
33. Nooo thank you. way too much paper a network of vehicles traveling distances,
to have to deal with. i just end up throwing increasing pollution, racking up additional
it out anyway. e-statement, its there when i costs (labour, S&H, cost of materials, etc).
need it, not sent to me regardless.
42. I prefer a physical copy, since it is easier
34. I opt for the e-statement for the to access and I dont need a computer or
convience and to encourage more of a phone to view my statement. However, it is
paperless environment. easier to track and store e-statements.
35. I feel more secure having a physical copy. 43. An e-statement feels less real (ha).
36. I dont want to keep old bills piling up on 44. I like getting physical copies of bills just
my desk reminding me how much Ive spent. because if for some reason Im unable to pay
Instead, an electronic bill is quick, can access a bill online, I can send a check in using the
it in my personal inbox, and after its done, I envelope that came with the bill. The hard
can just erase it or put it neatly tucked away in copy is like a back up plan for me.
an e-mail folder, never to look at again.
45. Most things I have an e-statement to
37. No need for paper bills. I pay my bills reduce paper clutter, but for a few important
online so I dont need the extra trash ones I get the physical copy.
38. E-statement takes up less space.

Q7 4. Interactive, like clicking buttons
5. I feel like I see all the options on a website.
Do you prefer browsing for items to buy
6. I am not a shopper, so I will only look at if
on a retail website or in a printed catalog?
it comes to me.
7. Again, its a matter of convenience. I spend
most of my time online, so it makes sense to
browse online. I can bookmark things that
I want (either directly through the Internet
browser or on sites like Delicious) and ignore
what I dont want.
WEBSITE
82% 8. I feel like the pictures of the items are
CATALOG
18% more vivid online
9. Easier /more information /less wasteful.
10. Can be accessed instantly/when needed;
no need to leave any current position
and find a catalog; very mobile and easily
compared to similar websites
Sample FILL IN comments 11. The availability of all items in usually

Why? (Explain your reason) listed online and you can check quality and do
comparisons on the spot if youre so inclined.
1. Either or - I selected catalog because its 12. Easier searching bc u can specify how/
easier to flip through. what you are looking for rather than having
2. The volume of inventory and more likely to flip through a whole catalog. I also like the
to purchase online as opposed to through up to date nature of online shopping in
a catalog respect to changing prices, sales etc.
3. If you want to make an immediate 13. Catalogs pile up, and the content becomes
purchase, its right at your fingertips. out of date.
301
23. There is so many options and content
SAMPLE FILL IN comments now that its easier to narrow your search via
Why? (Explain your reason) a retail website than flipping through a 1,000
page catalog.
14. Its quicker on the web, real time, I can
browse multiple sources 24. Online - a quicker and more convenient way
15. I would never buy anything from a catalog. 25. Its easier to search for something that I
want and most of the time I like to actually go to
16. Just easier to look through more stuff. the store any way. I rarely order retail online.
Catalogs arent updated as much and its just
easier to go through so much stuff. 26. Easier to browse, search and buy online
17.Speed and comparison shopping 27. I only browse to see what they have.
Websites allow you to do that faster
18. I usually throw out advertisements. a
website takes up less space. I browse a lot 28. I use Amazon a lot to buy books and
before purchasing so space is important. music. With this kind of items you cant be
wrong... a book is a book. But for clothes or
19. Easier to find what youre looking for if other kind of items I prefer to browse on a
looking for something specific. can also find website and then go to the store to see/feel/try
deals easier that way. and then buy it or not. I dont spend much
time browsing for items anyway.
20. I look at whats on the website and then
go to the store to see it in person. I recycle 29. Easier to sift through collection/order
catalogs as soon as they come in the mail.
30. A catalog can be reviewed and set aside as
21. I like to be able to flip through a tradional many times as needed, without all the hassle
paper catalog. I think seeing items online of having to turning on computers, logging
sometimes does not always appear true to into websites or waiting for pages to load.
what the item(s) actually look like as they
would in a catalog. 31. Catalog may not be up to date, wont have
access to last minute salesand price drops,
22. Catalogs are wasteful. and I like that I can and doesnt allow me to quickly check prices
customize my search for things online. at other stores.

32. You can fold pages or circle images and 39. More and more, retailers are offering an
decide, making a more informed decision unparalleled experience of interactivity with
their products these days, versus a flat page.
33. Instant purchase, easier, can read reviews Some retailers offer 360 views, virtual
34. I like looking at clothes online at work. It try-on systems where you upload a photo
is quick to order online so if I like something of yourself and superimpose the product
I see I can snap it up. Its a good way to onto your photo. Plus, when youre done
quickly check out and compare different browsing, you close the web browser rather
products from different shops. than having to recycle (or trash) a brochure.
35. Both. If i see it in the catalog ill then 40. Most websites are not intuitive enough,
go online to check it out - they may have and I get frustrated fast.
different images/views of it. and i never 41. Able to view a larger selection. Can
buy anything out of a catalog. always online enlarge pictures. Can search internet
or in store. some items, like furniture, I for other pictures while browsing. More
prefer to see it in a catalog. feel like a more information in general.
real dipiction of the product. for all of my
clothes/accessories/shoes, i browse those 42. Speed and ability to search competitors...
mostly online.
43. Speed at which I can find what I am
36. Searchability. I willl toss the catalog. looking for.
Theres no sentimentality.
44. I tend to look at clothes online a lot.
37. Built in limitations, shopping with You can just get a better look at the detail
internet catalogues seem endless- take too online by enlarging pictures and seeing it
much time up- open up opportunities to on different models. I like being able to be
get lost comparing, ending up with far flung interative, and a catalog just seems so static
merchants, etc. (for shopping).
38. It is easier to view product information. 45. The ability to zoom in or have other views
There are usually multiple views of an item of a product is helpful as opposed to a picture
online, whereas catalogues have a limited of a product in a catalog. Also, customer
amount of space and cant show 4 views of reviews of a product could be available on the
every item. same website.
303
Q8 Sample FILL IN Comments
Would you be more likely to keep a
(1) high quality, well crafted printed 1. I usually throw away crappy mail, but if
piece that was sent to your home something stands out, I tend to hold on to it,
instead of a (2) traditional piece of at least for a bit longer.
promotional/direct mail?
2. Again, how much are you willing to invest
to catch my attention. It also speaks to your
(1) - For example, a personalized book with a handsewn companies success and its creativity.
binding, or a beautifully designed item with textural
qualities, etc.
3. I value printed pieces that have been created
(2) - A standard postcard, brochure, letter, catalog, etc. with attention to detail and brand image
4. No matter what is received, if I have no use
for it and I feel no attachment towards it, I
will throw it out.
5. I tend to keep magazines to flick through
while I am watching television or to read in
the bath. I keep quality printed catalogues in
YES - 88.5%
the same way e.g. Lush catalogue.
NO - 11.5%
6. Craft also provides a residual pleasure
7. If it was a well crafted item, it is not meant
to be thrown away. Otherwise, I throw away
all advertisements.
8. Quality matters. Content also matters.
9. There would be a good chance it is not
a piece of mass produced junk-mail and
it might actually be something that I am
interested in.

10. I usually dont even look at traditional direct mail. It is burned in my head as junk because
I get so much of it. I really appreciate it when I get something that is out of the ordinary
and it usually hangs around...I also usually talk about it and show it to alot of people if it is
really innovative.
11. It depends on who has sent it to me, i would rather keep a postcard or letter from a friend
than a fancy book of advertising. If I was to keep something, I would however definitely be
more likely to keep it if it was prettier
12. If it has a special feeling to it, Ill most probably keep it...but it also depends on the
product/service that is being promoted. I dont tend to keep traditional pieces of promotion.
13. I tend to throw away a lot of the promotional/direct mail I receive, because I associate a lot
of the standard mail I receive as junk. Even though there could have been something I really
needed that was in a traditional mailing, I probably would have associated it with junk mail.
I appreciate something that has been well thought out and has some sort of craftsmanship
reflected in the piece. This is what will capture my attention. I think we receive a large of
influx of information each day and to receive something that reflects something genuine or
unique doesnt happen too often these days.
14. Yes, because it shows that someone put actual work into it. I think its a lot harder to throw
something away when youve realized that someone has created a thoughtful piece instead of
finding stock clip art and printing it for mass distribution.
15. The information on a computer is easier to dispose. A lot of times I can recieve an
advertisement via email, read, delete it and then forget about it. When I receive an item via
traditional mail at my home Its a physical item I can read at my leisure and Im more inclined
to keep it.
16 If it is still promotional content and the content is transient, then I will eventually discard
it regardless, and I would rather not have more stuff to discard.
17. Hard, creative, and possibly highly artistic work vs a piece of junk mail... If I got both one
would be recycled immediately and one would catch my intrigue and let me know that whoever
sent this high quality, well crafted piece is skilled.
305
25. Possible sentimental value and more
Sample FILL IN Comments personalized feeling
26. Standard items would be trashed as
17. Id be much more likely to save something soon as I read them. I might keep something
unique than something mass-produced. more interesting.
18. Someone took their time making this 27. Because Id appreciate the design.
thing and I respect that. 28. It is more like a piece of art or something
19. Thats something thats more like art that depicts luxury and I want to show it off to
than commerce other people.
20. The high-quality aspect seems to be more 29. Yes to a high quality, well crafted piece.
of a keepsake item. It feels more personal. i appreciate that more
thought and time was put into the production
21. It would be too beautiful and unique to of it. and if it really looks good i might even
throw away. keep it as a coffee table piece.
22. Obviously, Id be more likely to keep the 30. I know it would have more value. It would
item that looked like it was made with more care. probably be more attractive and enticing
to read as well. Also, many brochures are
23. I love to collect pieces that are like art.
difficult to read. A well done item would be
I throw away anything like junk.
easier to read and have more information.
24. Because I can appreciate good design
31. I tend to only keep things that I have
assuming that its good design.
personally experienced.

Q9
How much do you trust information (about services, products,
news, etc.) from these media outlets?
This chart is based on the
5 average ratings, with the
rating scale being 1-5 with
4.24 regards to degrees of trust:
4 3.93 3.91
3.69
3.44
3.15 3.14 1 - I do not find the
3 2.80 2.76
information reliable
2.21 2 - It seems credible, but

2 2.53 I feel like it is dishonest or
too gimmicky
3 - I still have a few doubts

1
and despite the gimmicks it
seems credible enough
0 4 - Im fairly comfortable
Online Retail Shops
(Amazon.com, Apple.com)
Branded Online News

(NYTimes.com, etc.)
E-mail Marketing
Magazines/Newspapers
Catalogs
Brochures/Booklets
Letters
Blogs
Flyers
Postcards
Promotional Books
Branded
with the information here
5 - I completely rely on the

information here
TRUST CHARACTERISTICS OF MEDIA TYPES (Based on rating scale)

Blogs 2.80 Branded
3.91
Magazines/Newspapers
E-Mail Marketing 2.21
Catalogs 3.69
Online Retail Shops 3.93
(Amazon.com, Apple.com, etc.) Flyers 2.53
Posstcards 2.76
Letters 3.15
Branded Online News 4.24
(NYTimes, etc.) Promotional Books 3.14
307
Appendix E:
The TRAITS of
Print & Online
A thorough evaluation of the qualities of each media
reflecting on the strengths of each to better inform
the usage trends of strategies.
The TRAITS of Two Medias
Understanding media strengths
There are many values and characteristics of print and online media.
This section presents additional research findings to complement
aspects of the Analysis of Findings chapter of this dissertation.
PrINT MEDIA
As discussed in the analysis section we can break down the value
of print into three main categories as depicted in figure x. These
categories will be further discussed to establish a clear understanding
of the key attributes of this medium.
PHYSICALITY
Tactility & Tangibility
The tangible, tactile characteristic of print is one of its most
valuable qualities. It connects consumers with a brand in a very
real and physical way by becoming an element that interacts within
each persons individual reality. While texture is a part of this, it is
discussed later on.
With regards to print media, Ann McAllister states that she appreciates:
The fact that its tangible. You can touch it. You can feel it. Even though with print
media, theres a 2-dimensionality to it, theres a little more accessibility to itit
will always be there physically for you (2010).
APPENDIX E: The Traits of Print and Online

Categorizing the Key Traits of Print Media
There are times when the power of print is more
powerful than the stream. Its a habit to have that
book, to flick through it, to have on my desk, to have it
on my bookshelf, to remind myself that there are some
PSYCHOLOGY IMPACT
tennisons in reaching for it (2010).
VALUE Depending on the message or content and the
level of engagement, printed communications
can become something of value to the
PHYSICALITY
consumer. This relates to the reason why
people save things or collect the printed
word. It is because it is something they would
prefer to experience over and over again in a
way that is tangible to them. It is something
The valueable characteristics of print media can be catagorized, however,
many of these qualities
As depicted overlap or
in the Analysis functionally
Section, Figurerelate to one another.
9 categorizes traits. they want as a constant, always accessible piece
As they come together, they create the value that makes print an undying
medium as well as the recognization of its need to shift its use. of valuable information or something to enjoy.
Think about fine art; think about why its so The readability of print and its comfort over
important that people collect art in galleries and other forms of media is an asset as well; it is a
museums. Why is that so important? You know, print quality that is tied together with its physicality.
mediumthey are objects, its not just virtual (2010). Whereas we put emphasis on the interactivity
of online communication, the physicality of
In an increasingly transient world, where print allows for deeper interaction.
information is continually existing and
fading away, the concept of a physical object It does relate to the notion of Why do people want
that documents something or is easier to this paper? Because its solid and its not going to
process and interact with creates enormous vanish. The other is obviouslythe readability of it.
potential for print. The nature of human You can flick through itbooks are easier to read
interaction with everyday things allows for than a single page that you have to scroll through
printed communication to also feel natural (Wynn, 2010).
and belong. John Roberts begins to discuss As depicted in Figure X, respondents rated
the strength of physicality and its importance the physical elements of print among the
for print when he states: highest favorability.
311
PREFERRED CHARACTERISTICS OF PRINTED MEDIA (% of people)
PHYSICALLY READING PRINTED CONTENT 67.7%

IT IS A PHYSICAL PIECE OF INFORMATION 61.3%
ABLE TO INTERACT IN A MORE RELAXED ENVIRONMENT 61.3%
CAN BE 3D (HAVING ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS) 59.7%
EASY TO FLIP OR BROWSE THROUGH 58.1%
Based on the survey results in Appendix D
Figure X: Preferred Characteristics of Printed Media (Appendiz D)
Substrates & Printing Methods
Through the tangibility of print, we can recognize that the substrates and elements of production
can also communicate. Depending on how a printed piece is implemented through such things
as size, shape, printing, and more; the medium can indeed become part of the message as
Marshall McLuhan might suggest (Gordon & McLuhan, 2005). Through the use of different
substrates and production methods, print media has a variety of customizable options that
provide it a unique edge (Ambrose & Harris, 2010). When we discuss the idea of texture and
subliminality, we see that this is brought forth through the actual implementation process.
If you feel matte varnish compared to shiny varnish, you know which one is better quality. And the thickness of
the paper, so its different papers and the media its printed on. So the ability to print on more forms of media is
possibly where its going (Wynn, 2010).
With new printing techniques and uniqueness of crafted methods like letterpress, print is
capable of being anything but traditional (McAllister, 2010). Rather it creates the need for the
consumer to explore a piece of communication and consciously or subconsciously discover

the symbolism and depth in each production decision. For example, in reference to a Gillette
Cool Shave print ad campaign, he and his team have been looking at, Roberts discusses unique
printing methods:
Theyve used a new printing technique and its got a scratchy chin and if you touch, it feels like sandpaper. Turn
the page, theres the same guy, post Gillette Cool Shaveand hes got the smoothest skin of all. Thats a beautiful,
really tactile engaging use of media. You cant do that online. No physical execution (2010).
The idea of high quality printing and the ability to print on more types of substrates is
becoming an extraordinary asset to print and is allowing for even more service offerings
(Wynn, 2010). In a world where objects and what is consumed becomes a sign, print media
through its use, can signify luxury, prestige, craft, quality and other such meanings simply
through its physical form (Wynn, 2010) (Barthes & Lavers, 1972).
Psychology
Personal & Emotional Engagement
Print is a personal thing that you are printingas a means of communicating something to someone else
(Wynn, 2010).
The truth in this statement also relies on the idea that print media has traditionally been a
more local media. This can be substantiated by the fact that the ability of print media to be
local or personal was considered a favored characteristic by 62.9% of surveyed respondents
(Appendix D). As we know, with a global society, there is much more of an insistence to mass
communicate and allow websites to serve as solitary access points. In many instances, the
personality of a brands image online is also a singular one, a singular frame of reference for
the consumer, while print can in the future have the ability to be more individual and targeted.
Explaining his rationale behind choosing print media, Roberts maintains that the reason he
wanted so much white space was because [he] wanted it to become a workbook. So that people
could scribble in things, either things that inspire themwhatever it would be so that they
would become more engaged and actually start to be more committed because of the sheer
action of actually creating their own workbook (2010). When we consider this, we can see
313
that, again, due to its physicality print retains another asset. This
is in part because of the possibility of ownership. For instance, if a
book or an advertisement becomes something that you can physically
interact with, you allow it to be a part of your actual world regardless
of location, time and space:
For me, theres an emotional disconnect between a keyboard and a pen (Roberts, 2010).
With this statement, Roberts attempts to explain that it is more

emotional and personal to interact with something in reality than
through a computer interface. A printed piece of communication
will never change unless you change it, again allowing a sense of co-
creation and ownership.
Moreover, we see that print media has the ability to provide comfort
that many other medias cannot. To allow anything in your intimate
space allows the media itself to be personal. This relates to the idea
of touch and, for example, that the texture of a paper combined with
the right message can bring emotion. Again, referencing her recent
project, Ann discussed the importance of the printed media stating
that:
It wouldnt be as sentimental if it were online, if they got an e-mail announcement.
It wouldnt be cherished. Theres something about it that encourages you to cherish
this its psychologically and emotionally much more impactful when you physically
open thisas opposed to having it on the computer. Theres a distance between
you and computer screen when youre not touching or feeling the experience of this
invitation (McAllister, 2010).
We can see this sensibility in our everyday world with the interaction
of people and magazines. A physical magazine is something you
choose to interact with in your own sense of place. It provides its own
measure of comfort and the atmosphere of relaxation (Wise, 2010).

With regards to print media, the bottom line remains that:
There will always be a niche for [it], definitely, because there are some things that you just cant express as well or
as fully as you can in print (McAllister, 2010).
Sensory & Subliminal Perceptions
I like to take every product that youre ever going to work on and establish a thinking and tactile relationship with
it. Think with your hands, think with your nose, even your ears. And act quite obsessive about the brand and see
what it has to teach you about what makes it interesting to be alive (Wise, 2010).
When we reflect on this statement, we must consider, in a deeper way, what it means to
be alive. What this means is that very simply, that human beings exist in a physical world.
While we have the advent of online personas and virtual worlds, we still control and exist in
a physical environment, which continues to exist irrespective of the online world. In this
instance, with our five senses, print can appeal beyond the visual elements to things like
texture, scent, taste (Wynn, 2010) (McAllister, 2010) (Wise, 2010) and even audio due to its
connection with our physical environment. When asked about characteristics print media,
75.8% of respondents stated that they appreciated its textural quality (Appendix D).
When we look deeper, we see that print has a subliminal characteristic to it through such
things like sensory perception:
Theres a lot of things thatpeople are left conscious of. They see it and feel it and they dont know why they like
it, but theres something there that we tapped into because of those little extra details (McAllister, 2010).
So what will remain in terms of print media, the importance of it? I think its a communication of subliminal
messages to do with texture (Wynn, 2010).
Through this, print can assist by increasing brand value through the brands image and due to
its tendency towards vertical marketing, it can also assist in customers willingness to pay more
for a product or service (Thompson, 2010). It helps to create the perception of quality, luxury
and service (Ambrose & Harris, 2008). As Les Wynn discusses, the details, subliminality and
craftsmanship involved with printed materials create a deeper message about a brands identity:
315
It becomes
a packaging of
a service.
And if you see it as that and not
just a piece of communication, then
you would do it differently.

It becomes the packaging of a service. And if you see it as that and not just a piece of communication, then you
would do it differentlyIts a packaging of a service because the service doesnt have an artifact in it. (2010).
And with more detail, we create the possibility of more interactions and perceptions, whether
consciously realized or not. Each detail is something new to find or become aware of,
intriguing the senses.
We can further understand why this is such a valuable element to print, as Wise discusses in his
mentions of Dutch historian, Huizinga:
You know we have Homo Sapiens. And people often forget that sapiens means, taste...man who tastes. And
its interesting that its also the origin of the word, wisdom. To be able to taste is to have a mind. That which
stimulates the senses, stimulates the mind. But [Huizinga] referred to man of the middle ages as Homo Ludens,
which means man who plays, and that being playful defines human beings. The degree to which we do it: the
amount of effort that we put into it (2010).
With sensory marketing tools such as scent marketing, audio branding and more, print, too, has
the ability to expand the area of sensory branding through such things as texture and scent in a
very intimate way. Few people recognize that print does and can have an element of discovery.
Impact
Creation of worth, craftsmanship & Keepsake Quality
Printed media, being physical in nature, has the ability to become something highly regarded
by creating something that can be precious and cherished.
Obviously interactive and online [media], thats not a keepsake. Theres nothing to physically hold and keep
(McAllister, 2010).
With many consumers, this allows a piece of communication to stand out. Through the idea
of craft and detail, the artistic and premium nature creates a need for consumers to want
to hold on to this physical piece of information. When surveyed about characteristics of
printed materials, the idea that it could become a keepsake was the most valued, with 79% of
respondents stating that they appreciated this quality (Appendix E).
317
John Roberts explained his choices for implementing a new training protocol in his agency
through a traditional book format. He explained that:
We really needed to radically change peoples behaviors. Understanding is another, but behavior is another
So what I wanted to do with that was create a physical memento and a reminder of what they needed to do. So
something tangible like a book makes absolute sense (Roberts, 2010).
The keepsake nature of some printed media that is produced is a tremendous advantage and
quality of the medium. To further substantiate this claim, 92.2% of surveyed respondents
that they do, in fact, keep movie, concert or live event tickets as keepsakes. While ticket stubs
are necessarily traditional communication devices like posters or programs, respondents
explained that they kept them as a reminder of a personal experience, as something that they
would like to display, as something that was special or emotional and/or as a piece of reality
(Appendix D). In addition, allowing print to be valued as a keepsake ties into the idea of
brand artifacts as well as quality of service and luxury. Depending on the product or service,
this could be of extreme value for a brands image:
The quality and the craftsmanship of the printed mediait does have a textural quality to it. Its saying that this is
what were about. Were about attention to detail (Wynn, 2010).
When asked if they would be more likely to keep a beautifully designed or crafted promotion
instead of a traditional postcard, catalog or brochure, 88.5% of people stated that they would
(Appendix D). When asked why, comments included:
I value printed pieces that have been created with attention to detail and brand image.
Craft provides a residual pleasure.
It would be too beautiful and unique to throw away.
I really appreciate it when I get something that is out of the ordinary and it usually hangs aroundI
also usually talk about it and show it to a lot of people if it is really innovative.
How much are you willing to invest to catch my attention. It also speaks to your companys success
and its creativity.

The craft of print has been always been an enormous asset to the
medium. Just as we have an appreciation of methods of artistry, print
has become the medium with which to distribute craft and quality.
This leads to a more impactful experience and interaction with a brand
and its message. When asked about the future of print, Wise states:
The question becomes, what about it stands out? And what about it stands out,
in my opinion, is the polish and the finesse and the curation of the experience
(Wise, 2010).
PResence and Artifact
It turns out that print delivers all kinds of vertical audiences and that it slowly
accumulates an audience. Its very hard to do it really super fast in print
(Wise, 2010).
This is increasingly important in our current competitive marketplace

in that, for instance, vertical marketing can assist in brand
recognition, credibility, better reception, and less competition
(Thompson, 2010). Additionally, through targeted marketing of
print through consumer insight, we can see opportunities arising
within niche markets. And as Les Wynn states:
There are lots of transient needs and wants of people, but values tend to be slow
moving (2010).
To add to this point, whereas online media seems fleeting and

dynamic, the ability to be static and constant can be seen as an asset
for print. It allows consumers to establish and identify confidence
behind a product to its company through a combination of effective
messaging with the effort of the printed medium:
319
Looking at print, there are a lot of different ways to use printif its something that is worth selling, its worth
advertising, and if its worth those two, then perhaps its worth buying. We assume that if someone has been able
to go through all of those steps to get to the point that its an advertisement, thats one way of it being fted by
society at large (Wise, 2010).
This leads to the idea of print medias ability to create iconic artifacts for a brand. With
increased competition and an oversaturated business market, brands must be able to
sustainability through their relationships with their consumers (Marzano, 1999). We see
that in the past, noting Interbrands ranking of the Top 100 Brands of 2009, that many of
these brands have history behind their brand, including physical evidence or iconic printed
advertising that creates a foundation for their heritages, for instance with classic Coca Cola
ads of the early century (Interbrand, 2009). Most brands within the luxury or apparel sectors
continue to use print advertising throughout their campaigns.
As Les Wynn states:
Brands with longevity tend to have artifacts. Its amazing how people buy
into it, the notion of the instant brand that looks like its Victorian and they just
accept it. Im sure they dont accept it for long (2010).
So it is increasingly important to allow brands to become part of the culture (Wise, 2010).
While culture has begun to revolve around online media, there is still a need to create a
foundation for brands and allow for the creation of brands history. Where information is ever
changing and ever fading, print is a means to document a brand in an archival way.
In reference to a Camel campaign he worked on a while back, which incorporated iconic

Camel characters printed on matchbooks, Richard Wise discusses the memorabilia aspect of it:
We did it because a great brand always has more to discover than youre ever going to findit was Camel. It was
sleazy. It was crude. But it was also interesting. And it was a part of the pop culture (Wise, 2010).

If its something
thats worth selling,
its worth advertising.
If its worth those two,
then perhaps
its worth buying.
Thats one way of it being
fted by society.
321
Online MEDIA
Again, as seen with print media, figure x depicts the breakdown of
online media into three main categories. An in-depth analysis of the
traits of this media will be presented based on these categories.
Experience
VERSATility
Online media is something of a phenomenon. With something that

is not tangible, there is an ability to take on all sorts of shapes, roles
and purposes. The Internet as mentioned in the literature review, is a
distribution mechanism (Kng, Picard, & Towse, 2008). What people
are beginning to learn and what has not been formally discussed is
thereis almost a separation of online media into categories, if not
different mediums, dependent on the sought after benefit. For example,
as John Washburn discussed, theres confusion about such things like
Twitter, which is an exchange medium (2010). John Roberts discussed
using YouTube to virally broadcast a Kodak corporate video (2010).
We see a multitude of facets of the World Wide Web. With the nature
of interactivity and response, which will be discussed later, a confusing
strength that lies with online media is its capability to be many things,
whether its a simple website providing information, social media
sites that allow for virtual identity and information exchange, retail
environments that create point-of-sale advertising and purchasing
capabilities to such things like broadcast platforms on self-publishing
domains or truly experiential, discovery-based content (Miller,
2008) (Washburn, 2010). Many websites exist that speak to specific
functions whether its exchange, broadcast or communication.
I think interactiveand online is important to have: To take advantageof

discoveringand understanding how the user can explore, by giving them reasons

Categorizing the Key Traits of Online Media
and with websites being created with new

PRESENCE functions every day, we must constantly be
educated about what form a specific digital
strategy should take. Indeed, many places
online have been able to fuse many functions
into one website successfully, providing
THE EXPERIENCE
INTERNET
NTERNE information, interactive content, experience,
broadcast and sales within one access point
and successful navigation (Miller, 2008).
Discussing her recent project, McAllister talks
about the various elements of the website:
DISTRIBUTION
There are lots of little accessible [areas] on this website
Similarly to print media, we can breakdown the charateristics of online that you can find to get you into the mood and the
mediaAsinto categories.
depicted These
in the characteristics
Analysis overlap14
Section, Figure ascategorizes
well, however,
traits.
the outcome can vary depending on what the intended purpose is. More so, spirit for this festival. We also have links to other
these are less tangible traits that exist across the web in dierent ways. placesYou [can] rollover on the stars [and] you see
We see that because of this online media actually has many facets created
and ways to explore through something to really add
because of this. so many actors that come from this areaAnd nobody
depth to that interactive piece (McAllister, 2010). realizes that, but thats what you can do with that
website (McAllister, 2010).
It would be impossible in the course of this
research to document all of the segments of Regardless, online media is everything and
online media, but these different possibilities anything you make it. This allows consumers
are a strength that must be more clearly to have varying types of experience; rather,
defined. There is, as many have stated, a lack an experience online is relative to why an
of understanding of the capabilities of the individual has chosen to access it (Washburn,
medium. As Roberts states: 2010). This versatility is a tremendous
strength as it creates endless options for both
I always equate the role of online to TV in the 1950s. the consumers and the content creators with
Everyone was doing it and no one really knew what regards to what the reception will be. And as
they were doing. So its absolute clutter, a multitude of Wynn has states about the future:
different messages, wherever anyone is online (2010).
If you think of it, it will happen.
In some ways we have a base understanding,
but with more technological developments
323
Interactivity & Response
The thing that digital can do is that it can respond to stimulus. If you do an action, then I can change what Im
doingThe thing that makes digital powerful is that [the] message can respond and change. We can do a totally
different message (Washburn, 2010).
An asset of online media is its ability to create a dynamic user experience. While some content
online changes as you interact, we also see the notion of sharing and exchange being an
integral aspect of the medium. As Roberts mentions, one of the best ways to differentiate is
to be compelling and deliver the promise of a brand is where you can start to shape peoples
own opinions through something like viral and the role of social media where you allow
other people to actually take up and communicate their own opinions about the company.
Rather than us literally pushing out the message (Roberts, 2010). This allows for a give and
take relationship of a brand and its consumer, developing a relationship through feedback,
response and exchange.
Through this, brands can create different types of interactive experiences or content, further
defining themselves through virtual identity and consumption. Where brands are seeking to
find a way to differentiate themselves, doing it successfully creates an opportunity to engage
or stay in the mind of the target consumer (Marzano, 1999) (Washburn, 2010). When
explaining the rationale behind his teams new initiative for Kodak, kodakmoments.com,
Roberts states:
To me, thats a really interesting point of the role of the brand and social media. Is to
actually provide a curator of human emotions (Roberts, 2010).
Again, the idea behind this is that brands through a versatile environment can create an
atmosphere for interactivity, expression and sharing.
The other element that utilizes response is the idea of creating a story and often times non-
linear content for a consumer to engage with (Miller, 2008). A message can change based
on the preferences and movements of the user instantly, creating a more influential message
without the need to re-implement a strategy (Washburn, 2010). For instance, discussing the
choice to change media strategy for a specific project, Washburn explains:

So I went in and pitched. Instead of doing just multiple [television] spots, lets go onto the web and lets do
sequential storytelling. They had already sold in the script for the first [spot], which was like this guy meeting this
girl at a partySo lets tell that story. And its something that could do really well in an interactive environment
Instead of having [the character] kind of work, just having the user pick what hes going to do (Washburn, 2010).
By doing this and incorporating the product as a major element within the story, Washburn
explained that instead of creating a specific consumer benefit, but rather a fun experience,
that the site was meant to be top of mind for the target audience (2010).
Furthermore, we see that interactivity is a fundamental trait in many successful online retail
environments. Through recognition and retaining consumer information, a website can
respond to the history of the user to create a more friendly and profitable sales environment,
including customer reviews and purchase histories. One example is:
Amazon.com is like the uber Wal-Mart of the Internet: Everything that you could
possibly want, all in one place. It does a really good job of remembering you
from the last time you were there, it throws out things that are similar to what
youve bought before, it thinks it knows what your interests are, it thinks about
what youve purchases relative to other people whove purchased the same
thing (Washburn, 2010).
So again, in this type of online environment, we see that the ability to interact with a
consumer and respond with that information, allows the content to become more relevant to
the user based on their history with the site.
DISTRIBUTION & Accessibility

Global & Shared COntent
With seemingly limitless boundaries the Internet is an effective method of mass distribution.
With online media being accessible across the globe through computers, mobile phones and
portable media devices, web content is available practically anywhere, just a short click away
325
from millions of Internet users (Miller, 2008) (Kng, Picard, & Towse, 2008). Deciding to
distribute an existing corporate video virally, online, allowed Kodak to broadcast its effective
messaging successfully to the public:
We seeded it online. Very simply through YouTube. What we found was a couple of
things why it was important to success there. We found that with over a million hits
in a couple of weeks, we had actually touched a nerve there (Roberts, 2010).
Allowing content to be distributed and shared among people throughout the world creates
an atmosphere where people and brands are able to connect with one another. This type of
mass distribution is much harder to do with print media at a high-quality level. Depending
on content and the unique point of interaction, online media can enhance brand image on
a larger scale, while retaining the opportunity for a consumer to engage in their own way. We
also see the opportunity for self-publishing as well as virtually free or low-cost distribution
capabilities, which is an increasingly valuable asset to companies looking to acquire and
distribute their messaging (Miller, 2008). Successful online content that differentiates itself
from the rest tend to become something that spreads through word of mouth with individuals
sharing content and continues to distribute itself after its initial launch. Discussing a recent
project, Roberts states:
The world does not need another Flickr. It does not need another photosharing site. So what weve done, using
algorithms, is the curation of all the pictures by the emotions that it causes and stirs with people. So take a
picture, share a picture, tell us your story, and then have it with the emotion that this picture creates for youIt
started in the US, but its now starting to see globally, pictures around the world. Pictures that cause people joy,
pictures that cause people anguish, sorrow, pride, and theyve got stories behind them (Roberts, 2010).
With the rapid flow of information in todays society, the accessibility to limitless online
content and information is a tremendous asset. When surveyed, respondents tended to favor
accessibility (75.8%), unlimited information (61.3%) and share ability (79%) as the top traits
of online media (Appendix D). Furthermore the ability to distribute so easily, lends itself to
the possibilities of sharing content virally, further disseminating and exchanging a brand,
its value and its image, thus building a relationship with consumers (Washburn, 2010). In

Take a picture,
share a picture,
tell us your story,
and then have it
with the emotion
that the picture
creates for you.
327
a sense, we could consider the accessibility and distribution aspects
of online media as means to creating intangible benefits and value
exchanges between person to person and more importantly, in this
context, between businesses to consumers and society.
Speed
Speed is a term that can have many meanings, however, in all cases
we find that these meanings are all valuable traits to online media.
We can breakdown this idea of speed into three areas: First, we can
recognize the speed in which we can access information as one facet
of this characteristic. The technology that allows individuals to access
the Internet has continued to improve and accessibility is now faster
than ever. As Roberts states:
I think that online gives us the speed and the opportunity to create at fast
speed in terms of communication and messaging. Reach and its pervasive.
Everyone is online so much generally (2010).
In some ways, it has become second nature to have such immediate

access to vast sources of information and subject matter. Speed and
the ability to search were both the highest favored characteristic of
online media among 87.1% of respondents (Appendix D).
Second, the ability to edit and re-distribute new or edited information

also exhibits this characteristic of speed. In contract to print media,
where new information must edited and then go through another
comprehensive production process, online media has a very stream-
lined flow of information. We see this with such things like Twitter,
social media, Wikipedia, retail sites and other web content. With
regards to one project McAllister was involved with, the ability to
update content was particularly helpful:

Because its a festival, things [were] changing and there [were] more additions to the schedule. The festival is in
June, so having the website done now allows the host to edit it, and to change it and make updates. So thats why
that medium is perfect for a festival or something (McAllister, 2010).
Website creators and users, when possible, have the ability to create new or edit content and
distribute instantaneously as needed. With the idea of response, changes to the website can
also be pre-programmed and these changes can be initialized as a response to a persons
activities on a site (Washburn, 2010).
Speed also comes into play when we begin to measure and track consumer interaction with
content and the rapid flow of new information. Through real-time statistics businesses are
able to measure elements of effectiveness on their websites. This is useful because monitoring
activity, behavioral targeting and recording length of engagement are possible measurement
tools, which provide constant feedback (Miller, 2010) (Washburn, 2010). With the
constant stream of new information, we see the speed also relates, to the speed at which new
information is created and processed. This is an appreciated trait among users, with 69.4%
of surveyed participants valuing this constant flow of information. Again, this strengthens the
idea of online content being valued as a source of knowledge and information. Recounting
one project Washburn explains that searchability was an asset to the media strategy:
The strategy was really trying to position ourselves for natural search, so
in order to do that we needed a lot of textural content. And like we had
keywords on a lot of pages, so if somebody searched for cocoa or search[ed]
any of the things related to it, we would come up. And I mean the original
strategy was that the site was just a repository of all this stuff you would
sort of syndicate out. So there was a big focus on trying to convey that and
credentialize the message (2010).
We see that this allows the Internet to function as an easy to use resource to the broad range
of people that use it. Additionally, as described in Washburns strategy, it is a means to direct
traffic to specific online content and build trust.
329
Presence
COntent
As previously discussed, online media can be extremely versatile and through its versatility
we can see that the Internet houses an array of different types of subject matter that take on
their own, individual shape based on what the communicated benefit, need, or expectation is
(Washburn, 2010).
The web is an area where obviously we do a lot of activities, we shop, we

look for information, we engage with each other, we spend a lot of time on
Facebook. Were trying to use Facebook in the way that we use the rest of the
web. And it doesnt really work. Every now and again, the right combination
of value exchange, the right brand, or the right product, or the right cross-
section of that audience will sort of play in that space and it works really well
(Washburn, 2010).
We see that with the range of content available, whether it is audio or video, an experience,
or information, creates endless opportunities to participate. This participation is enhanced
by the ability of users to access content online and make it their own through additions,
modifications and more, then re-distribute variations through their own accord (Carbone,
2009). This in turn creates more shareable content and even more possibilities. It also
creates another level of engagement through the web, where people are attaching their own
value to online content. We see that through music sharing and broadcast sites like YouTube,
the Internet is a source of entertainment, as much as it is a source of information. Audio and
video content is a valued aspect of online media, with 59.7% of respondents expressing their
favor of it (Appendix D).
As discussed earlier, there is a definite appreciation for the limitless information online.
Based on the content of a site, we see that these sites can, in turn, have elements of designed
usability through the directed presentation of their information, essentially, to assist with its
intended purpose (Miler, 2008).

To take a few specific examples: the New York Times, Amazon and Apple are three
fairly dense sites with information. But like the New York Times when you just
look at it as a static composition is just overwhelming, as is the print edition, but
if you look at it in a directed wayits unbelievably quick, given the density of the
information (Washburn, 2010).
This can provide even more of a sense of control to both the content
distributor and the user.
Identity & Purpose
With the ability to be online, there is value in having and identity
online. Where almost every person, brand and piece of information

has some element of online existence, it is pertinent for businesses
to have a viable access point online (Birkenshaw, 2002). The
malleability of this online identity falls upon the communication
decisions of the business itself.
Too often, at times [we] say weve got to be online and weve got to be in social
media. And the reason behind it is because everybody else is. What we try to
remind ourselves and our clients is, Whats our value? What value do we as a
brand bring to interact with our customers in any form of social media? Social
media is a bit like an insurance salesman at a party. The last thing you want is
for him to start selling you insurance (Roberts, 2010).
The consideration here is the sense of purpose of a brand. With

online identity and virtual presence, a brand can create a metaphysical
existence of itself that attempts to subtlety convey its goals, products,
image and more. Depending on the message or experience, we can see
an even greater existence of brand value online, one that is easily
331
With a younger
demographic,
theres a comfort
with digital media
being the reality.

disseminated, accessed and embraced, as mentioned by Roberts with his Kodak viral video
(2010). While the Internet has been highly regarded as a promotion mechanism, we see that
with a generational shift, brands now have some aspect of livelihood through their online
identities and purpose (Birkenshaw, 2002) (Roberts, 2010) (Washburn, 2010). As Wynn states:
Its a generational thing. I print more things out than the younger people in my team. So [with a younger
demographic], theres a comfort with digital media being the reality (2010).
The relationship of a consumer to be inquisitive assists in the creation of this new sense of
comfort online. The ability to host various types of content allows the brand to find ways
to become relevant through such things like social media, web experiences, broadcast and
content sharing (Washburn, 2010).
There is a role of all forms of media...to provide the strongest connection

between your brand and your consumer at the right time (Roberts, 2010).
Again, this relates to the idea of distributing relevant content where everyone and everything
has a presence. We can easily say that in the realm of online media, virtually, nothing is taboo.
333
Vandna Cheena Jain
Concept & Design
cheena.jain@gmail.com

Design Management &amp; Media

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Design Management &amp; Media

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Design Management

VanDna Cheena Jain

VanDna Cheena Jain

I wish to express my sincere thanks and regards to Dominic R. Stone

Vandna Cheena Jain

September 13, 2010

Given the overcrowded marketplace, globalization, current socio-

1. The value and future of print and online media

Supplementary analyses and research are presented in the appendices

- A breakdown of aspects of the design management discipline.

As stated previously, this research examines three main focus areas.

The context of this research aims to be useful in many regards:

Figure 1: Research Design and Methodology p. 22

Figure 2: Understanding the Context of Design p. 28

Figure 3: Levels of Design p. 29

Figure 4: The Function of Design for Different Roles p. 30

Figure 5: Levels of Design Strategy p. 32

Figure 6: Media Split of Advertising Expenditure, Print: 2000-05 p. 41

Figure 7: Basic SWOT Analysis of Print Media p. 43

Figure 8: Media Split of Advertising Expenditure, Online: 2000-05 p. 44

Figure 9: Basic SWOT Analysis of Online Media p. 45

Figure 10: Categorizing the Traits of Print Media p. 53

Figure 12: Psychology Traits of Print Media p. 55

Figure 13: Physicality Traits of Print Media p. 56

Figure 14: Impact Traits of Print Media p. 57

Figure 15: Categorizing the Traits of Online Media p. 62

Figure 16: A Breakdown of the Values of Online Media p. 63

Figure 18: Distribution Traits of Online Media p. 65

Figure 20: Creating Relevance Online in the Future p. 68

Figures 21 & 22: Old and New Models of Communication p. 93

Table 1: Case 1 BT Business Support p. 79

Table 2: Case 2 Another Place Magazine p. 80

Table 3: Case 3 Melbourne Writers Festival p. 81

Table 4: Case 4 Macmillan Cancer Support p. 82

Table 6: Case 6 All Bar One Vino Voyage p. 84

Table 7: Case 7 NHS Pregnancy Planner p. 85

2.3 DM, Media & Implementation p. 48

3.2 Implications of Media Consideration p. 69

3.3 The Role of Media

7.2 Secondary Research p. 110

As a designer with strengths in print design, the author felt

We see that media has a tremendous role in the interactions between

Within the past decade, we have seen a shift in media consumption

This research aims to discuss how the consideration of media through

The Value of Design

All businesses need to communicate, and they do so with man-made things

Introduction: Aims of Research

The Specialty of Print and Online Mediums

Design and Media

In the past decade, we have seen a shift in media consumption and

Introduction: Research Question and Objectives

Prove that one media is not superior to another, but rather

Evaluate effective design strategies and understand the role of media

Understand how the use of design management of media in the

To conduct this investigation, specific steps were taken as part of

To best inform the research itself, design effectiveness had to be the

While the area of media could focus on phenomenological

Introduction: Research Methods

Qualitative research is dominant within this study as it seeks to

It should also be noted that due to the authors background as an art

The diagram on the following page assists in illustrating the research

Review of DBA Design Eectiveness Case Studies

Analysis of Content and Findings

Figure 1: Research Design and Methodology

Design Management & Media

Design Management & Media