Thanks to the New Hampshire Brand Project for having me on their WSCA radio show yesterday, October 28, 2016. I'll post audio in the future, but in the meantime here's a blog by Rich Collins about our talk - covering some of the many reasons NH is a great place to be a creative professional and start a business, and why my career mantra has always been...aesthetics matter!
Text below, or view the article on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/aesthetics-matter-rich-collins
This week on the NH Brand Project live radio show, hosts Michael Cameron, and Co-Hosts Rich Collins speak with the Creative Director and Marketing Strategist of Andree Van Oss Creative.
Andree has a number of fingers in the New Hampshire entrepreneurial pie, having started the Buff & File Nail Bar (a manicure and pedicure salon) in downtown Portsmouth. She also engages in freelance graphic design and marketing and manages business identities through Van Oss Creative.
“Aesthetics help people make buying decisions,” says Andree, and companies need to focus staff and energies on an individual or a team who can be the designated “Keeper of the Vibe.” By this, she means staff who can design, develop and promote a consistent look/feel/experience that consumers recognize and relate to, that tells the brand story. While it is important to manage and curate social media for sharing “the Vibe” – the real experience a customer has is uniquely their own, interactions with the staff, the customer service, the products – even the packaging. Just think about Apple, and you suddenly understand. The big picture around a company brand is partly aesthetics – look attractive and people will, in turn, become more attracted. Attractiveness being anything from quality craftsmanship to clean record-keeping systems. This explains the draw of local towns like Portsmouth, Conway, and even her hometown of Hollis – there is pride in aesthetics, the people, and the community.
It is no surprise that someone with a graphic design background believes aesthetics matters – and in a town like Portsmouth that is chock full of creative agencies – this idea proves itself a winner time and time again. Companies are investing in their presence both when engaged with consumers face to face as well as their online or “Carryover” presence that exists in the periphery. Establishing an attractive, engaging, warm and inviting company culture seems to be working.
Andree invites you to check out her website and work at http://www.andreecreative.com/