amy crissman

For instance…

• Anybody can play cards. But not everyone wants to play cards.
• Anybody over 16 can learn to drive a car. But not everyone wants to drive that big SUV you are trying to sell.
• Everyone should wipe their butts after using the bathroom. Sorry you get the point.

As a branding consultant, I often hear over and over and over again. Well it needs to appeal to EVERYONE! Sorry but you will never get everyone. Eat, sleep and poop is something all people have in common, but even those vary from person to person on, how, where, what… Those habits change dramatically from culture to culture, male to female, young to old, personality to personality and disorder to disorder.

Market = A specified category of potential buyers (source: www.merriam-webster.com)

Narrow Your Scope

Find that specific person who is most likely going to want what you have. Design your message and product so that he or she loves it, talks about it, couldn’t live without it. Then find people similar to that person. And BAM! You have a market.

Otherwise you end up producing a boring, waterdown message that no one gives any attention to. The result of pleasing everyone makes no one happy…

Get to know your customer! Get to know who really really really wants… could use… and would love… what you are offering. Find your market. And NO… its not EVERYONE!

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It’s not like I thought this would be easy or simple. I have studied business, worked as a freelancer and grew up in a home with a family owned business. I know that it takes a lot of diligent work to start something.

This new web startup has delivered on that promise: a lot of work and tons of preparation.

What I’ve learned so far…

Ideas are like rubber bands; they reach their full potential when expanded around the problem to create an answer. Stretching an idea takes great humility. I have to be willing to change my idea, which means admitting that my original idea might be flawed.

Ideation process:

Learn from others who have built great ideas:

It would be arrogant for me to overlook the hard work of others and think I know best. “It is my idea after all, isn’t it?” Two of the many books I’ve read on startups are: The Web Startup Success Guide by Bob Walsh and Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki. In addition to these great books, I’ve gobbled up blog after blog after blog of successful entrepreneurs.

Visualize one, two or five years after launch:

When creating a new idea and business it takes a lot of vision, but sometimes I think entrepreneurs live in a fantasy of what they hope the business will be like. It’s true launching an idea into a real business is an exhilarating thing. Businesses are like babies, amazing, fun, exiting, full of potential, and a lot of work. Some of that work is not so fun. I better have passion and love for what I’ll be doing day in and day out for the first five years as I build profits before I get started. Will I have enough drive to do what it takes? Will the rewards pay off without it killing me first?

Establish the market:

How horrible it would be if I spent hours, days, years creating this idea, and later find out that no one wants it? You’ll want to know without a doubt that many people are willing to spend money on it. 
Taking time to understand the market will allow you to sculpt your idea into the most viable product, rather than assuming they will buy in.

Plan it out:

As a designer I would prefer to just sit down and begin the layout, look and feel. What a mistake it would be. A lack of planning limits creativity. Planning how each feature and user will interact with the product will, in the long run, form a stronger relationship between the product and user.

I am still in the ideation stage of this new startup. If I like what I find during ideation, I will move forward with this project. My intention is to blog my start up and post tips in hopes to help others launch or decide not to launch their crazy ideas.

No Comments | In: startup, Web | | #

complacent vs. driven

Que sera sera—what will be will be. Many just wish and hope that someone will knock on their door, find their amazing website, and send them an email saying, “I just can’t wait to do business with you. When would you like to meet?”  That email just isn’t going to come unless you are intentional with your communication.

People who encounter your company or product will determine what they think about you. You won’t even need to say a word or purposely communicate a message for someone to build an opinion about you. And the normal tendency for people’s opinions is that they usually tend to be negative. So it is important to influence that opinion with intentional communication through branding and marketing.  That way, those around you will get the message you want them to have about your business, and form positive opinions.

Don’t let your brand become powerless, predictable and outside your control. You have the ability to create such an effect with your brand that you can choose your customer and your message. Customers decide where to shop; your brand influences them to pick you.

No Comments | In: Advertising, Branding | tags: Branding, choice, communication. | #

Hair defines lifestyle. Hair communicates personality.

When hair is left to an amateur you’ll probably end up with something whacked out that sticks up and looks crazy or have that same old bowl cut. It must be crafted and styled by a professional.

You should never cut your own hair.
Why should you do your own brand?

Brands communicate worth, define your identity and speak to your audience before they see you or use your product. Say no to templates, the same old, that “bowl cut,” and find a professional to sculpt your brand.

No Comments | In: Branding, Uncategorized | | #

“Do what you want, you’re the creative director.”

A dream project—where no one is telling what it should be or what they think would look best. It’s all up to me. How I’ve yearned, wished and searched for such a project where I could do whatever I want. So many times throughout my career I would feel hindered artistically by another manger, client, or creative director and wished I could just do what I thought would be best.

And here it is! I have my own project—where I develop the idea, write the copy, design the art—but here I sit with so many inspirations and ideas of what I could do that I find myself unable to do anything. Because I know that anything less then perfect, awesome, and amazing won’t cut it.

It’s like when you go out to eat and someone says, “I’m buying, order anything you want.” The choices seem endless. Do you go with the most obvious and least expensive choice or do you risk it and choose the one that might cost more but will have the taste you crave?

My heart says, “Take the risk!”
My rational says, “What if the audience doesn’t like risk and they want comfort and familiarity.”

Now as I write this, I know the obvious choice. Take the risk. That is what I’d advise any other client. Don’t be afraid. People like risk, especially when it produces positive results.

So, here I go. I will GO CRAZY… and create from the heart.

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I took advantage of an opportunity to visit Chicago this weekend. While my husband sat indoors at the WindyCityRails conference, I spent the day absorbing the arts and culture of Chicago.

The walk through Millennium Park was the beginning to my first stop—The Chicago Art Institute. I felt in awe at not only the inspiring architecture of the area, but the beauty of so many people from different walks of life enjoying the outdoors. The Chicago Art Institute seemed so vast when I entered that I had a “not-really-sure-where-to-begin” moment.

Emotions of Art

Sky Above Clouds IV by Georgia O’keefe lured me in. I stood at the stairs for quite some time, imagining my self in the clouds. I was reminded of all the travels I’ve done over the course of my life and how that view was always the beginning (sometimes the ending) to most of my adventures across this world. As an artist, I saw how I can use simple moments in my life to build my art and design from and to not degrade little experiences into nothing.

The Basket of Apples by Paul Cézanne sent me back to 8th grade painting class to one of the first paintings that I studied. I remember the day we had to make our own basket of apples still life. The values of color and contrast was a learning curve for me at that time. Still Life seems to be one of the simplest forms of artwork, but yet it demands so much from me as an artist because I control the manner to which all that detail is expressed.

But the Robert Gober collection, especially the September 12 piece, brought tears to my eyes. It was ironic that I was viewing this on September 12. It was a sober moment for me as I reflected on the individuals that loss their lives because of 9/11. After reflecting and absorbing the beauty from the Impressionists artists, the intense emotions from Jackson Pollack piece, The Key and It’s a New Age by Sue Williams,  was so overwhelming that my heart wept.

I loved this experience of being so consumed by other artists’ work that my own feelings became intertwined with their work. I feel that is the greatest accomplishment any artist can make. Where an emotion is so strong that a tear falls, a gasp sounds, feet jump, and laughter sounds out-loud because of the emotions evoked at that moment.

It was a great day in Chicago.

No Comments | In: art, design | tags: art, beauty, museum. | #

“Limit your exposure,” the most memorable spot during Mad Men.

Normally I’d say the same of television sponsors who repeat their same crap during each commercial break. But I have to say, I’m impressed by how purposeful, creative and non-repetitive the BMW spots were for the frequency. Each BMW spot told something different, it had a new way of saying the same thing—BMW is all about performance, “Ultimate Driving Machine.”

Is it true diesel can be a interim solution to our carbon-energy crisis? That is one BMW concept that made me ponder. I would never have thought this to be believable, except the credibility of BMW, who sold it well and I believe them. Diesel and BMW were never two words I thought I’d hear at the same time. Finally, a private company making an innovative change.

Maybe someday, I’ll drive a BMW.

No Comments | In: Advertising, Media | tags: BMW, Diesel, Mad Men, Media. | #

what are you eating?

This last year I’ve found myself starving. I was dying on the inside. I felt myself withering away. Not physically. But my artistic talent. I was smothering myself with all the clutter that owning a business brings. I seemed to have stamped out the love of art, the love of building a brand community, the love of being me and expressing my talent.

For those of you who don’t know me, I love the Food Network. I watch it way too much. But I tell you I am so inspired by those chefs. I was watching Chefography the other day and I began to realize that Chefs that make it— live their passion, they have to keep learning… breathing… eating… that passion.

You’ve heard the phrase, “You are what you eat.”
Do you eat what you love?
What do you crave for?

I realized that I stopped feeding my soul with art. I stop nourishing myself with design. The day to day tasks starved out my passion to help companies reach their market.

I will no longer let myself die of starvation. I will not let myself go hungry again.

I will eat up // drink up // and consume beauty, design, art, marketing each and every day.

Cheers!

2 Comments | In: Branding, design | tags: art, consuming, design, passion. | #

MetLife Blimp

Today outdoor media greeted me indoors. I sat at my computer and was distracted by this large white blimp floating past my window. I smiled; it brighten up my day. Not everyday you see a blimp. I’m not sure what it is about a blimp they always seem so exciting, like there is this urgent message that you must see and respond to. In reality, all it said was MetLife. Slightly disappointing since, I already use MetLife.

The message: when you have an urgent need, MetLife will be there and make it more fun.  Although it is very indirectly communicating it, the message is there. I think it works.

No Comments | In: Advertising, Branding, Media | tags: blimp, Media, message, outdoor. | #