Pic by FotoRita on Flickr

Why has it taken me so long to write this? WOW! Finally I have posted it.

So I had a dilemma, and I had some good responses that made me think. I want to thank those who talked to me about the topic.

Here is the initial question: Is there a way to determine who I should and shouldn’t give advice too?

Right of the bat, I was kind of surprised by peoples responses, and I started noticing a trend. In general the people all seemed to feel that advice freely given (without knowing the context of said advice) was viewed negatively. I don’t know for sure, but I feel that if I had labeled the post differently I may have received different answers. For example, think of what you might have said if I titled the post, and built the discussion around a different word such as:

• Giving Counsel
• Giving Recommendations
• Giving Suggestions
• Giving Tips or Pointers

All of these are different in their own way, yet each are synonyms to each other. I know it is all semantics, but I wonder how different your answers would be in how to appropriately give your “piece of mind.” Do you think it would change at all? Also, do you agree or disagree with me that out of these terms, advice has a more negative connotation that the rest?

Concerning Advice

Most everyone (small sample of course), said that you should ask to give advice, never just throw it out there.

Because of the idea that advice may be seen as negative, it makes more sense that people are very closed and not too accepting to advice when it is freely given. I feel it is for that reason people prefer if you ask before giving advice.

En Fin

Overall, I feel that I need to take it upon myself to become more aware and conscience of how liberal I am with what I have to say. It seems that it is appropriate to ask if I may share my ideas. Whether the matter is huge or just a trifle, I suppose asking would be appropriate in all circumstances. That is my conclusion of my dilemma. Let me know whether you think I am getting it, or I am completely off base here, I may need to update my thought process again.

Thanks again for participating,
DRM2

Photo by melodramababs on Flickr

I give advice. I give suggestions. I give support. I give ideas.

However, it has recently come to my attention that not everyone appreciates how openly I give. Does this surprise me? Why, YES IT DOES!

The Dilemma

So my dilemma for today is this: Is there a way to determine who I should and shouldn’t give advice too?

• Does it matter their personality type?
• Does it matter whether they are management or subordinate in my relationship with them?
• Is gender an issue?
• Or does it just depend on the individual, and I shouldn’t care if they don’t want to hear it, I should give it to them anyways? (my current view point)

As always, I know “Depends” is going to want to be said. I also know that timing may be the key to everything. However, with out those factors involved what else should be determined?

I’m a Communications Major For Cryin’ Out Loud

Human relationships have always been a fascination of mine, particularly human communication methods. So I am genuinely interested in what you have to say on the topic. Later this week (I promise), I’ll give you my in depth take on the topic.

Thanks for participating,
DRM2

View the Dilemma

As I was thinking of the examples I presented on artistic branding, as well as other companies that later came to mind; I wanted to see if there were any similarities I could find between them. With all of the brands I was choosing, I noticed a trend forming. Ultimately, I think I figured out where to draw the line between a tight hold on a companies brand, and bringing on some artistic evolution.

All of the brands that I can think of that have very open artistic adaptations, are all in a sense social icons. It seems they have broken the “cool” barrier for consumers. And as I put more thought into this, I believe that it is because their brands have been opened to mass trendiness that their logos require artistic adaptation to remain “cool.” Volcom, Harley Davidson, and Coca-Cola are all great examples of companies that have reach beyond corporate identity and are pushing into the social sphere. So when all is said and done, not every company should be liberal with their logo layouts.

I really believe that if a company is not on its way to becoming the next trendy icon, and I know it is tough to admit this sometimes, but it is probably best to remain very strict on logo usage. However, not all hope is lost, I do think it is appropriate for the company to have a style guide adequate for a broad range of options. For example, you should have these versions of your logo:

• primary
• reverse
• grayscale
• without company name
• horizontal
• vertical/stacked

This way you are not limited in your branding, and can appropriately used your logo in all of your marketing materials.

A final word – When it comes to branding I always like to see how Apple does it. Because I idealize Apple Inc. and their marketing, I believe they make for a pretty good barometer. I think it is safe to say that Apple has successfully broken into the “cool” social sphere of consumers. However, I have noticed that they still remain very closed about the artistic use of their logo. Maybe true “logo zen” is when a company can make its brand a culture icon without artistic adaptation. Just a thought! -DRM2

With my Dilemmas, I am simply going to post a debatable question. Then I’ll point to a few references, and hope that I get some decent participation in the comments. These posts will definitely be better if we have people participate. Next week when I write, I’ll add my take on the dilemma. It is pretty simple.

David’s Dilemma

How liberal are companies supposed to be with there brand. Meaning, should you use your logo for artistic purposes in an effort to support and further your brand identity?

Get my take on this dilemma >>

Here are couple of references to what I mean about artistic/liberal brand usage.

• Volcom
• Coca-Cola
• Harley Davidson

Each one of these examples are company owned websites that have a different version of the logo in multiple places on the page. The Harley Davidson page I think best suits this argument. On that page alone they have 10 different identities or logo usage, and each one is artistically used.

Please comment and let me know if you think that artistic usage of a brand is acceptable or should you be very specific in the manner which it is used.

Thanks for participating in my dilemma.
Enjoy! DRM2

Get my take on this dilemma >>