JJSmith

Budapest, you are gorgeous! ❤️​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Feeling demotivated by the November Noir?​​​​​​​​​Confined within the walls of your studios, and eyes glued to screens?​​​​​​​​​
Yeah. That's how I felt before I stepped into the legendary world of Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in SoHo, London.

Oh, the music! It's like a language spoken by the soul.

They're not just entertainment; they're fuel for our imagination, igniting ideas and emotions that can transform our work and our perspectives.

Jazz, with its improvisation and spontaneity, teaches us to embrace the unexpected, to find harmony in the chaos, and to create something beautiful and new.

Where do you find inspiration? Let me know in the comments.

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I share everything I leant in my newsletter. You will get one practical branding or design technique every two weeks. Link in my profile.

I presented a keynote in this grand building last week.​​​​​​​​​Still feeling buzzing.❤️​​​​​​​​​

A silent witness to countless sunsets.

#2023

What are you reading today?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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Hello from Colorado. I'm Jiajia Aka JJ. Thank you for the following and all your great questions about brand and design. I appreciate you. 🙏

It's today. Hope you all had a lovely snooze. I'm off to create more valueble content to share with you next week. Stay tuned.

Have a wonderful weekend. ❤️

Why do most designs fail? ⛔
🔍 Let's zoom in from a visual aesthetic perspective. Most of the time, we ignore/forget to apply contrast!

So what's contrast, and how to apply contrast to your design?

🌟Contrast is one of the most widely used design foundations, and when used correctly, it is a very powerful tool.

Use this high profile campaign poster, for example.👇 It's designed in such a confident way that it cleverly guides the viewer's attention to the product's beauty and USP.

Hope this is helpful. If you have questions about brand & design, please let me know in the comment below. ❤️

Have a wonderful day.🌈

I love selling brands. I'm not good at selling myself.
👇 So here are some quick things about me and my work.

1. I've created marketing campaigns and brand concepts for iconic hospitality brands. My longtime employer, who also nurtured my commercial and marketing skills, PizzaExpress. Casual Dining Group. Cafe Rouge. Belgo... And I had the most incredible opportunities to grow with the finest industry leaders. Quite something.

2. I grew up in China until the age of 16 - Arrived in England with a one-way ticket to study visual communication and explore the uncertainty of life. I mention this because curiosity and gratitude change everything for me. I focus on the many reasons I have to be grateful - life and work get better.

3. I have an addiction to art & design. Typography, photography and colours are my storytelling catalyst.

4. This year, my mission is to help more kind and mission-driven brands to reach their goals. So far, I've created an awareness campaign for UK Sepsis Trust, branded the MarketingKind powered by the influential change-makers, and the Green Santa organisation inspires positive change for our planet.

5. I'm here to serve you by giving away 15 years worth of brand & design knowledge every Wednesday - simply because it's my passion to help you find your meaning and purpose.

6. To sum up my work. I help people fall in love with brands through thoughtful strategy, collaborative insight and hard work. Please DM me if you know any businesses/organisations that could benefit from my expertise. I'd be delighted to connect.

Me: I'm curious - Who is the target audience for your brand?
Client: Oh, everyone!
🚩💥🚩💥🚩💥🚩💥 ❓What would you say to this client?

I know most of my network have figured this out, but a few brands out there want everyone to pay attention and buy their product/services.

My thoughts are: your brand isn't for everyone. Some customers won't value it, others won't understand or resonate with it, others will believe they don't need your brand, and that's OK. 👇

💭 Thoughts?

❗"Make the logo bigger!" "Look at all that unused space. Let's add more text to fill up the space!"

❓Have you ever heard of these comments during a design project?

🌟This week, I share the great design secret -episode 2: White space, aka negative space, is simply an unmarked space in the Design.

White space does not necessarily have to be white, and it is not wasted space.

⬜ It's simply the space that gives your eyes a place to rest and focus on the most important elements in front of you.

Given the amount of busy information out there constantly distracting our brains, the key to getting undivided attention is simplicity, and that starts with the effective use of white space. Instead of being empty and ordinary, it is vital to visual communication.

Let me know if it's helpful.

Have a beautiful day. 🌈

❓ Do you ever look at a piece of design and think - Hmmm, it looks cluttered and busy. Elements to elements, everything on the page is fighting for attention.

🌟 So how do we ensure the designs communicate as effectively as possible.

👉 Let's start with hierarchy.

Visual hierarchy is essential in design because it defines the importance and sequence of elements within a composition.

Good design strategically uses visual hierarchy to attract the viewer to the "whole" composition and leads them through its "parts" by creating different levels of priority and intuitive flow.

🥕Tips
1️⃣ Don't just go with a gut feel of what looks good to you.

2️⃣ Consider the structure - define which part of the visual you'd like the viewer to see/interact with first.

3️⃣ Test. Test, Test.

Give it a go. Let me know if it's helpful.

Have a wonderful day. 🌈

🌟 Most marketing and business programs mention Maslow's hierarchy of needs when delving into consumer behaviour. Because they understand consumers build brands, not companies.

❓But how to develop a brand using Maslow's theory?

🧠 It's all about human psychology, and how it affects consumer behaviour is the foundation of brand building. What do consumers need? Do they really need those things or do they just think they do? What drives them to take action?

👑 Some big brands know this, rather than promoting their product/service to your basic needs, they strive to reach the top level of the Self-Actualisation pyramid. In doing so, it helps the brand become relatable and authentic.

If you are on the brand-building journey, there are three things to consider:

1️⃣ Does your brand "embrace the facts and realities of the world"?
2️⃣ Is your brand spontaneous, agile, and creative?
3️⃣ Does your brand solve a problem, whether for individuals or societies?

❤️ Hope this is useful. DM me if you have questions. I'm always happy to help.

Have a splendid day. 🌈

'How do I choose the right colours for my brand❓' Clients often ask me.

🌟 Good question...

🎨 Your brand's colours can tell more than you can imagine about your business. The psychology of colour can help your business establish trust and familiarity by expressing the right emotions.

🧠 Let's start with how people respond to brand colours. Here's an overview of what differentiates each colour and how your brand can pick the right mix of them.

Which colour represents you or your brand. Please comment below.

Have a colourful day. 🌈

❓Clients often ask me - why do I need a brand strategy when I just need a smart logo?

💁🏻‍♀️ Here is why - Strategies are crucial because they provide direction. Without some proper up-front thinking and a solid brief, you're always going to be on the back foot. Brand strategies provide the blueprint upon which an incredible identity system can be built. Usually, a strategy will involve collaboration between clients, designers, and other essential partners in the company. It's a space where everyone thinks together and align the brand purpose, mission, vision and goals. Without a solid framework on which to build your brand, you'll find your logo designs simply don't stand up to the test of time.

🌟 If you are thinking about brand or rebrand your business. Below content are designed just for you—part 2: 👉 How to grow your brand. Let me know if you find this helpful. DM me for more questions on brand & design. I'm always here to help.

Have a wonderful day.

As Robert Kiyosaki once said: "If you're not a brand, you're a commodity ".

❤️‍🔥 If you know me, you'll know how passionate I am about branding.

📈 I (and many other brand gurus) believe that branding is one of the most crucial elements of running a successful business. For instance, did you know that 77% of customers make purchases because of a brand's name? How about this one, 82% of investors are guided in their decisions by the strength of a brand's position in their chosen market.

❔But do you know if you have a strong brand foundation to stand out from this competitive market?

✍️ This week, I share some thoughts on how to grow our brand in this blog. Let me know if you find it helpful.

👉 Links in bio

🌈 Have a wonderful day.

Branding is who you are, your company's identity, personality, and values. ❤️

💹 🎯Marketing is all the tactics and goals used to communicate that identity, build relationships with consumers, and drive sales. Your brand will be the foundation for all your marketing efforts and every way you connect with customers. A great brand can't live without effective marketing.

🐄This week, I share 8 key takeaways from the marketing book - Purple Cow, Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable, written by Seth Godin. The idea is to build things worth noticing right into your products or services, and he offers practical tips to 'remarkabalize' your brand through innovation. Let me know if you find the below slides useful. 🌟

Have a wonderful day. 🌈

During my recent brand strategy workshop sessions, I found some of my clients facing the challenge of targeting the right customers for their business. The key is to understand your minimal viable audience - the smallest potential market you must serve to maintain your business plan and make sure it survives. If you aim for mass (another word for average), you'll probably create something average, and which gets you not very far.

I hope the below slides will give some clarity on how to target your minimal viable audience successfully. ✨

Have a wonderful day!❤️

🌎 Today is World Sepsis Day.

❗ Every 3 seconds, someone in the world dies of sepsis. In the UK alone, 245,000 people are affected by sepsis with at least 48,000 people losing their lives in sepsis-related illness' every year. Nevertheless, so many of us don't know the symptoms to look out for. That's why we created social media campaign to help you and the world be aware of this life-threatening condition. To learn more, please see the below slides. For help and support - sign up at https://sepsistrust.org/

💪 It's time for us to fight back. Please help us to spread the word.

THANK YOU!

❤️ As a purposeful creative firm - our mission is to help people and brands who do good, do better through the power of branding & design. Because making a positive impact for humankind and our planet is what we live and breathe.

🌟 Recently, we collaborated with UK Sepsis Trust to strategise and create a social media campaign called .

❗ Every 3 seconds, someone in the world dies of sepsis. In the UK alone, 245,000 people are affected by sepsis with at least 48,000 people losing their lives in sepsis-related illness' every year. Nevertheless, so many of us don't know the symptoms to look out for. That's why we need to be . To make the campaign shine brighter, we built the concept through emotional stories to inspire action and powerful visuals to deliver strong messages for people to learn and recognise signs that might lead to this life-threatening condition.

We really think the world needs to know more about this, so please help us to spread the word. It's time for us to fight back. 💪

📖 Since I launched my creative firm, my networking, marketing, and business skills are the most significant growth I noticed. Instead of commute to London every day, I use the time to read and study. Slowly, companied by books, coffee and bad hair, something magical happened. ✨

The week, I share some benefits of 'Never Stop Learning' in this blog post.

👉 Link in Bio

I'm curious about what you've been learning lately? Please comment below, and I'd love to hear your progression stories.

Have a beautiful day.

"The early bird gets the worm" Morning is the time to study. ✨Thank you for the sheer brilliance of the Brand Strategy Course.

💰 Benjamin Franklin once said: "Money has never made man happy, nor will it; there is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more of it one has, the more one wants."

🎯 Money is not my goal and does not motivate me. It's just a benchmark of where I am. My purpose is to make a positive difference in the world, and helping people and brands who do good, do better. 💓 Since I repositioned my company to align with this belief, I noticed some changes, which I share in this week's blog - Lessons I learnt from running my creative firm 💡 Episode 5: Don't focus on making money. Focus on making meanings.
👉 https://jjsmithbranding.com/blog/foucs-on-making-meanings

🌟 What's your purpose? How are you making meanings for the world? I want to hear your story, please comment below or DM me. Let's create beautiful meanings together.

Have a meaningful day.

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❤️ I use to love the idea of being original - to be the first one to share that story no one has ever heard of, to create that emotion of anticipation and thrill that no one has ever felt before. I wanted to be The Original Special One.

💣 I adapted this mindset to all my creative work - from ideas, executions to content strategies. It was exhausting, and the results were disappointing. Eventually, I found myself stressed and falling deeper into the rabbit hole of creative block. 💥

✨ This week, I share the fourth lesson I learnt from running my creative firm: Nothing is original. Links in bio.

❓ Have you ever battled with the idea of being original? I love to hear your story. Please comment below.

✍️ Lesson 2: Wolves don't lose sleep over the opinions of sheep.

I share my hard-learnt valuable lessons of running my creative business in this blog post. ⬇️

https://jjsmith.work/blog/lesson2-mindset

If you are on a similar journey as me or about to embark on a new chapter. I'd love to hear your stories. Let's chat.☕

It's been 7 months 21 days since I launch my brand & design firm. The thrill and energy I have from the moment I woke up are still pure and vibrant. Every day is a new beginning filled with achievements, challenges, change and growth, and I love every minute of it. 🤸‍♀️🌈💓

However, running a successful business is never easy. My daily tasks are filled with account management, client meetings, negotiation, marketing, content creation, networking, planning, studying, etc... Of course, problems and mistakes are inevitable. In the next few weeks, I'm going to share my hard-learnt valuable lessons of running my creative business in this series of blog. 💪 I hope my failures could inspire you to take action and make a positive impact. 🌻 And if you are on a similar journey as me. I'd love to hear your stories. Let's chat. ☕

Ready? 💡

Lesson 1: Fail Better.

https://jjsmith.work/blog/fail-better

Good ideas come along all the time and help people solve minor problems in our daily life. Great ideas appear less frequently and require a little more process to execute. Often they are unexpected moments of inspiration captured on napkins. ✅ These ideas are like candy floss, you bite into it and they are gone. Instead of pressuring yourself and chasing them, what if you let them find you? Below I share the tips and processes to create bright lightbulb moments. 💡Give it a try, and let me know if you find it useful.

This is the face chart I created during my branding discovery journey. For those who know me, does this visual match my image in your mind? This thinking session helped me define my voice, purpose and celebrate all the wired parts about me.

If you are thinking of creating a positive change for your brand. I encourage you to start with the face chart, imagine your brand is a person - think about what's her/his passion💓, physical attributes💪, things that she/he is good at🦄, and what's quirky (not normal) about her/him👽?

I'd love to hear your stories and helping your brand shine brighter, please DM me - let's chat.

I'm super excited to share with you my recent branding project - Industrious Code: a group of specialists in recruitment for the fast-paced tech economy and utterly unrelenting in the pursuit of great talent. They are passionate about people, everything they do exemplifies their commitment to diversity and inclusion. They put people – all people – first.

My goal was to align and develop the clarity of thinking with the team, deliver a brand strategy that focuses on purpose, promise, and a plan to launch & grow - This set a strong foundation for our creativity and imagination to flourish.

The identity is inspired by technology and modern computer science, design to connect knowledge and experience with the future. Please see below the visual story slide.

🌟 Btw, If you are thinking about launching a product or service, maybe you need to get some ideas out of your mind. I'm here to help, please DM me and let's chat.

I'm a bit of a learning machine. 🤖

It's in my DNA - My grandfather went to three universities determined to delve into Chinese literature. He then devoted his whole life to teaching literature and developing the Chinese dictionary. Forever learning and progressing is my way of living. 🌈

I love books for the opportunity for growth and development they give to all, offering the ability to experience people, places, and mindsets you may never see in reality. ❤️

During the lockdown, reading and studying became my everyday routine. Below I share 8 books that helped me 'thinking differently' and feel better. Hope they could help you in some way. 🪄