Unseen is Unsold

A number of years ago when I worked in the construction products industry, I recall receiving a promotional mailer for our company to advertise in a magazine for architects? If memory serves me, it was Architectural Record by McGraw-Hill. The simple promotional message in the flyer’s headline read,“Unseen is Unsold”. It also showed a serious looking gentleman (presumably an architect) sitting in a chair with his arms crossed. The copy next to the side of him said: “I don’t know you. I don’t know your product. I don’t know your company. Now what do you want?”

The point of the promotion was to get companies to realize that generating pre-sales call visibility by advertising in Architectural Record about who they were, what they sold, etc., prior to calling on an architect who could specify their products, would make them more successful.

That simply idea, Unseen is Unsold, probably has more relevance today with smart phones, the internet and social media all bombarding people. Getting attention is tough and a brand only has a millisecond to make the connection.

This is why visual branding is so critical today. Visual Branding is one thing that can make an instance connection to customers and loyal brand fans. It has rich meaning without requiring long attention spans.

For example, if you have been to Las Vegas, or seen a commercial for Las Vegas, or saw the movie, Hangover, the Las Vegas sign is the symbol of all things Vegas. Every person who sees this visual brand image, whether they ever been to Vegas or not, thinks of Las Vegas as THE place to go for a wild, crazy, fabulous party time every time they see the visual brand.

Likewise your visual branding is often today’s first instance impression that can evoke reaction to motive your customers. Strategically considering where your customer’s see it, whether on their phones, tablets, computers or dare I say, the real world, can make all the difference as to what they do next after they see it.

And if you don’t do any visual branding, well then maybe it's time for a trip to Vegas.