How do you put a spin in uncertain times? That seems to be the $700 billion dollar question. Well, someone’s got to broach the sticky news with a little positive reassurance. Fortunately, we here at GoTryke come from the more informal world of the arts, where reassurance and branding are more about feeding the creative soul than reaching specified quotas. Plainly put, we never know what’s going to hit us next. That’s why we’re writing and designing and creating — because we can’t imagine a world without expression. We keep on trekking — by foot, wheel and ski. Others out there are more articulate about exacting this sort of message.

A new branding and design showPlatform is taking a stab at encouraging care tactics with a smart approach to the comfort zone. Read on:
In the current economic environment, it should come as no shock that consumers demand brands they can trust. Consumers want to know that the products they buy are made responsibly, safely, and honestly -and they will happily pay for that trust.

Corporate reputations are under siege for many reasons, cause communications key among them, since by the time a company addresses “cause” it’s often too little, too late. Generally such efforts find themselves out of alignment with the brand’s core values because they are tacked onto marketing programs at the end of the cycle rather than designed into the brand essence from the outset.

What’s needed today is a different approach that we call Effect Design. It flips the “cause and effect” equation and pays forward creative thinking to the benefit of people, planet and profits. Effect Design
marries brand purpose with creative thinking and business strategy from the start to deliverinnovative processes, energized products, empowered consumers and enhanced financials.

Imagine if environmentally-minded, huge Starbucks could capture the energy from every one of its millions of daily customers to help power its espresso machines? It would save the company energy costs, generate public awareness, and increase profits from a product innovation that can be sold, licensed, or shared with commercial partners. Or if much- loved Clorox took its “cleaner homes” mission into new at-home categories? Seriously: who better to sponsor anti-microbial countertops,
bathmats, or hand-towels?

The founding duo have an impressive background with some brands well-served by strong imaging. Glenn Geisendorfer, the co-founder of Seattle-based strategic design firm Platform, Inc., served as Global Creative Director at Starbucks, Group Design Director for theCoca-Cola Company and Design Director at Team Sports, Nike. Partner Gabe Goldman, co-founder of Platform Inc., has worked with Nike, K2 Sports, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Adidas, Jones SodaCo., Nordstrom, Levis, Ride Snowboards, Hasbro Toys and Quiksilver Snow/Rossignol .

Perhaps it’s time for restructuring of our corporate society. Some prescribe to the thought that our system has to crumble entirely to do so. It’s my hope that something better, like the Internet, take over naturally. People are placing bets on the car companies failing for a cleansing. I come from the school of building and not tearing down. As a dabbling historian, lest we forget mistakes to make them again? On the threshold of the North American International Auto Show, I like the idea of care tactics verse scare tactics. Corruption and greed is so 2007. The big biz buck stopped 2008 , and 2009 is a fine time to make things right.

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