By: Josie Mills
What is Art?
Think about a website or advertisement belonging to any business you are familiar with. Do you notice carefully chosen colors, designs that are visually pleasing, or copywriting that voices the brand’s personality? These external communication devices can be defined as art, as their purpose is to be admired and influence others. In business, the role these devices play in generating value proves that running an organization is both an art and a science.
Copywriters, graphic designers, musicians, video editors, and many others find themselves to be the artists within the realm of business. These individuals happen to be tasked with one of the most important roles within the profession - captivating customers. In a world where the external stimuli customers are exposed to is at an all-time high, this job is becoming more vital to a business’ success and even harder to accomplish. But, just how important is art when captivating customers?
Creating Memorable Interactions
When was the last time you saw a design that did not resonate with you? How about reading a monotonous paragraph of copy on the homepage of a website? It is likely you cannot recall these pieces of information, as the business in question failed to grab your attention. Thus, with the lack of art in their communications, the company did not achieve their objective of building a connection with you.
Now, when did you last see a visually pleasing design? Saw a video or commercial that grabbed your attention? I am sure there was at least one memorable advertisement, commercial, website, or social media post that popped into your mind. Maybe it was the McDonald's jingle that has been grabbing the attention of viewers since 2003. The phenomenon of being able to recall these experiences goes to show just how important the use of artistic influence is in business.
When I did this exercise, one creative video I remembered was the following fly-through of Tesla’s Gigafactory in Berlin, Germany.
When I saw this video on my LinkedIn feed nearly a year ago, I was captivated. I watched the video a few times in admiration of the attention to detail and undeniable presence of Tesla. The artists creating the video could have chosen to utilize obnoxious music or an overbearing narrator. However, the creators understood how to communicate Tesla’s announcement in a way that aligned with the brand’s image and allowed the content to speak for itself. This choice shows the importance of art style in creating a brand presence within communications, as Tesla has always been more of a shower than a teller regarding their innovations, so their communications should - and do - follow suit.
Besides the content itself, the video is visually pleasing, minimalistic, and captivating. These characteristics directly align with Tesla’s brand image of complex innovation combined with user-friendly simplicity. Therefore, the presentation of the brand, information, and content itself can easily be defined as art - something to be admired whilst influencing others along the way. Hence, the utilization of this art is what grabs the viewer’s attention, leaves them watching until the end, and just might spur their interest in purchasing a Tesla.
The Benefits of Art
Given that I was able to quickly recall Tesla’s video when writing this article nearly a year later, artistic influence and design is imperative to creating external communications.
Communications created by artists are beneficial to consumers since they allow them to locate products and brand images that align with their preferences. Furthermore, these communications help businesses generate sales of the featured products and services, as customers are able to better connect with the brand in question. Therefore, by implementing art in business, value is generated for both the consumer and organization.
One company that has rebranded their artistic presence is Tupperware, a kitchenware brand that has been popular since the 1950s. Previously, the brand marketed its products via home parties and magazines. However, as marketing methods moved towards virtual platforms, the brand’s art style remained the same. This eventually led to an antiquated perception of the brand. With the recognition that art can make or break a consumer’s perception of a business, the company implemented modernized designs that revitalized the art style and brand image of Tupperware. This realization allowed the brand to swim - rather than sink - in the modern market.
Tupperware’s Visual Art Style Before Rebranding. Source: https://rebrand.com/distinction-tupperware/
Tupperware’s Visual Art Style After Rebranding. Source: https://rebrand.com/distinction-tupperware/
Today, it is apparent that a number of brands lack the art that is found in good communications, as it is difficult to recall most messages one is exposed to in a day. Yet, given that it is never too late to revamp a company’s communications with artistic influences, as proven by Tupperware, I believe more brands will adopt this approach in the future given its potential to generate value.
Therefore, Rome was not built in a day, and neither was the art compilation that is a business. For some organizations, I find that it is time to start the climb.
Sources:
Comments