As marketers, brand strategy has never been more important. The color schemes, logos, Web design, typography and other design elements that we choose can immediately orient customers when they arrive at our pages. When used properly, these aesthetic choices also reinforce our core value proposition. Despite the importance of branded design, it is important to realize that we cannot allow our design choices to create obstacles or friction in the minds of our customers and prospects. In this Web clinic, our research team shared strategies for finding a balance between branded design and page clarity, including a test that helped boost subscriptions by 51%.

1. Branded Design Tested:
How simple changes in page element aesthetics led to a 51%
increase in subscriptions

2. We’re sharing on Twitter!
#WebClinic

3. Pamela Jesseau
Senior Director,
Marketing
MECLABS Institute
Austin McCraw
Senior Director,
Content Production
MECLABS Institute
Today’s Speakers

4. Experiment: Background
Experiment ID: TP11081
Record Location: MECLABS Research Library
Research Partner: Protected*
Background: A regional marketing commission.
Goal: To raise awareness of local activities and events, increasing number of travelers and
tourist spending in [City].
Research Question: Which sign-up page will generate the most response?
Test Design: A/B split test
*Note: Test has been anonymized to protect partner confidentiality.

5. The control

6. Control
The control

7. The treatment

8. The treatment

9. Control Treatment
Side-by-side

10. Experiment: Results
Treatments Conversion Rate
Percent Relative
Change
Level of
Confidence
Control 56.4% -- --
Treatment 37.3% -33.94 99%
34% Decrease in conversionsThe treatment decreased conversion rates by a relative 33.94%.

11. Experiment: Results
Treatments Conversion Rate
Percent Relative
Change
Level of
Confidence
Control 56.4% 51.37% 99%
Treatment 37.3% -- --
51% Increase in conversionsThe control outperformed the treatment by a relative 51.37%.

12. Why did the branded treatment lose??
Key question

13. Research across many brands

14. Today we are going to review three elements
that determine a brand’s effectiveness.
Today’s focus

15. ELEMENT #1:
Fostered conclusions

16. Fostered conclusion
1. A brand is the aggregate experience of the value proposition.
2. A brand represents the sum total of experiences in the market place, particularly
those that connect to you.
3. Brands exist in the mind. It represents a form of mental shorthand for a particular
set of fostered conclusions.
4. A brand does not make a promise; it creates an expectation. The strength of the
brand is derived not from declaration but through expectation.
Key principles

17. Fostered conclusion
1. Brand is the aggregate experience of the value proposition
2. Brand, represents the sum total of experiences in the market place, particularly
those that connect to you.
3. Brand exists in the mind. It represents a form of mental shorthand for a particular
set of fostered conclusions.
4. Brand does not make a promise; it creates an expectation. The strength of the
brand is derived not from declaration, but through expectation.
Key principles
To see a more in-depth Web clinic related to these
principles and value proposition visit:
MarketingExperiments.com/brand

18. What are the fostered conclusions?

19. What are the fostered conclusions?

20. What are the fostered conclusions?

21. [City] is uniquely …
• Culturally diverse
• Creative/Artsy
• Historically grounded
• Fun/Never boring
What are the fostered conclusions?

22. ELEMENT #2:
Short-hand symbols

23. Short-hand symbols
1. A properly developed brand leverages short-hand symbols to stimulate a
connection (auto-suggest) to a desired, fostered conclusion (the value
proposition in action). Short-hand symbols typically take three forms:
• Voice – The written and/or spoken tone/personality of the message
Key principles

24. Voice

27. Voice

28. Voice

29. Voice

30. Voice

31. Voice

32. Short-hand symbols
1. A properly developed brand leverages short-hand symbols to stimulate a
connection (auto-suggest) to a desired, fostered conclusion (the value
proposition in action). Short-hand symbols typically take three forms:
• Voice – The written and/or spoken tone/personality of the message
• Style – The design approach/elements (colors, shapes, etc.) of the format
Key principles

33. Style

34. Reductive design approach
Style
Front-facing

35. Geometric shapes
Style
Straight hard shadows

36. Style

37. Style

38. Short-hand symbols
1. A properly developed brand leverages short-hand symbols to stimulate a
connection (auto-suggest) to a desired, fostered conclusion (the value
proposition in action). Short-hand symbols typically take three forms:
• Voice – The written and/or spoken tone/personality of the message
• Style – The design approach/elements (colors, shapes, etc.) of the format
• Marks – The iconic mark(s) associated with brand (logo, face, name, etc.)
Key principles

39. Examples of marks short-hand symbols
• Many brands have developed
marks, which immediately evoke
the essence of the brand.
• Marks can range from the logo
mark itself to a specific name like
a founder or CEO.

40. Marks

41. Marks

42. Marks

43. Marks

44. Marks

45. What short-hand symbols is [City] utilizing
to foster the desired conclusion?

46. Come down and experience [City] …
Follow your [City’s Abbreviated
Name] …
Ole! Put on your red cape and sash
and get ready for the fun run of
your life …
What are the short-hand symbols?
Voice:
• The intentional voice
for this organization is
laid-back and fun, yet
knowledgeable.

47. What are the short-hand symbols?
Style:
• The company leverages
font, colors, textures,
imagery and tilts as short-
hand symbols.
• This style is attempting to
communicate cultural
diversity, creativity and
fun.

48. What are the short-hand symbols?
Mark:
• There are essentially two
key marks for [City]: its
abbreviated name and
the emblem associated
with the city.
Abbreviated Names: Emblems:

49. The treatment employs
all of these elements.
Why did the branded
treatment lose?
Key question

50. ELEMENT #3:
Proper application

51. Proper application of short-hand symbols
1. All marketing should influence a decision. It is not enough to have a codified
brand with short-hand symbols.
2. We must ensure that our defined elements of our brand help, rather than
hinder, people when it comes to making the right decision.
Key principles
C = 4m + 3v + 2(i-f) - 2a

52. The treatment
Treatment
• First, notice how the
treatment integrates
many short-hand
symbols of the brand.
• Imagery
• Colors
• Fonts

53. The treatment Treatment
• Notice how much
difficulty was created by
the additional layer of
brand symbols:
• Images become hard to
discern
• Headline becomes difficult
to read
• Contrast makes it more
difficult to read
C = 4m + 3v + 2(i-f) - 2a

54. The treatment Treatment
• Notice how much
difficulty was created by
the additional layer of
brand symbols:
• Contrast and fonts becomes
very difficult to ready
C = 4m + 3v + 2(i-f) - 2a

55. The control
Control
• Notice how the control is still
using many brand elements
but in a much more balanced
way:
• Utilized simpler imagery and
same style
• Used more readable font for
important copy and bolded
key words
• Removed contrast in primary
texts
C = 4m + 3v + 2(i-f) - 2a

56. The control
Control
• Notice how the treatment is
still using many brand
elements but in a much
more balanced way:
• Simplified the form
(same number of fields)
by making it black on
white and using a more
readable font
C = 4m + 3v + 2(i-f) - 2a

57. Control Treatment
Side-by-side
51%INCREASE IN CONVERSION

58. Summary: Key principles
1. Key Principle #1: A brand does not make a promise; it creates an expectation.
Brands exist in the mind, representing the sum total of customer experiences in
the marketplace.
2. Key Principle #2: A properly developed brand leverages short-hand symbols to
stimulate a connection to a desired fostered conclusion. These short-hand
symbols come in the form of voice (tone), style (design) and mark (logos,
symbols, faces).
3. Key Principle #3: All marketing should influence a decision. We must ensure that
our defined elements of our brand help, rather than hinder, people when it
comes to making the right decision.

60. July Web clinic preview

61. #WebClinic
Next Clinic: Control
Email design
• The control uses a traditional headline

62. #WebClinic
Next Clinic: Control
Email design
• The control uses a traditional headline
• The body of the email features bulleted value copy

63. #WebClinic
Next Clinic: Treatment
Email design
• The control incorporates a seasonal headline

64. #WebClinic
Next Clinic: Treatment
Email design
• The control incorporates a seasonal headline
• Halloween-themed imagery and seasonal
modifications to the value copy are featured

65. #WebClinic
Which treatment won?

66. #WebClinic
Live July 8th at 4 p.m. EDT
• The exact changes that resulted in a 25% change in clickthrough rate
• Why those changes affected performance
• How you can apply the same principles to your pages
• Key strategies when incorporating seasonality
Join us for the next live 35-minute Web
clinic to discover:
To see the results
To join live, register at the link below:
MarketingExperiments.com/seasonality
Customer Motivation