I worked at Gap for the better part of two and a half years. I survived Christmas rushes and shortages of puffy winter coats with fur collars... I volunteered while they re-designed the stores in my market... I still own many of the clothes I bought with my employee discount. To some extent I'll always have a special place in my heart for The Gap. That's why, when I saw the new logo for the first time yesterday my heart sank.

With that said, it's not a surprise to say that Gap has been undergoing an identity crisis for the better part of the last decade. You walk in never knowing if you'll be met by trendy ripped skinny jeans or a good 'ol pair of normal jeans and a white t-shirt. Not only are their styles a mess, but so is the pricing. Why would I pay $30 for a t-shirt when I can walk 5 stores down and buy one at Banana Republic for the same price. They're not the neighborhood low price pals like Old Navy and they aren't aiming at the ladder climbing middle to upper class like Banana Republic, so who are they?

The battling logos. In one corner we have the "Classic", in the other "Hot Mess":

Also here is my new "Crap" logo, if you'ld like to make something equally craptastic please click here.

Maybe this is a PR stunt, maybe they're back peddling with their crowdsourcing initiative, maybe it's an attempt to boost sales and recreate the brand. We'll probably figure that out in the next few days. Either way it's caused a lot of discussion, some heated words and a few spoof Twitter accounts @oldgaplogo and @gaplogo. Just a sampling:

Do I smell a remake of the Tropicana disaster?

This week, more than others, stood out to me. Maybe it was the rain or maybe it was some lucky streak striking my RSS feed. Either way, I wanted to share a few things that caught my eye and stuck in my mind this week. Enjoy.

1.) Gwen Bell - "The Balanced Brand"

To make a great brand it has to be easy to grasp, easy to share and easy to love. Great post about building a "balanced brand".

2.) Brain's on Fire - "The Love Letter Challenge"

When was the last time you wrote a love letter to the brands that impact your life or even a love letter in general? Time to change that.

3.) Altitude Branding - "Quit Pulling Your Punches"

A great post on backing what you say and ditching the disclaimers. If your thoughts or opinions are worth sharing online or off, stop dilluting them with disclaimers and apologies. Stand up for your words.

4.) Copy Blogger - "The Three Surprisingly Simple Keys to Success"

“You need talent, luck, and persistence. Pick any two.” It's a tough to pick two but totally attainable. A great post about reaching success in whatever endeavor inspires you.
 

*Photo credit:  Tim Caynes Flickr Stream

Taco Bell introduced it's "Drive Thru Diet" recently and has consumers and critics buzzing alike. Driving through to drop 54lbs. as Christine, Taco Bell's "it" girl explains, seems a little hard to fathom from your run of the mill fast food chain, but Taco Bell takes the claim to a whole new level. Considering it's a fast food chain know for its "4th meal", drunk food and wrap around the block lines at 2:00am, I'm not so sure that this Taco Bell diet is even borderline believable. Remove the cheese and delicious sauce, add on some "salsa" (aka onions and tomatoes) and call it a healthy option. Healthier? I suppose, but healthy? I don't think so.

Check it out: http://drivethrudiet.com/christinesstory/mediagallery

PS - Total Subway ripoff. This is creative marketing at its worst!

By Megan Stout

This one might be a little out of the circle of comfort, but let's be perfectly honest sometimes that's the best place to be. You know what catches my attention? Humor, comedy, hilarity, and the likes. You know what else catches my attention? Condoms. Combine the two and you have a winning combination... like the commercial below.

I may not want to buy their condoms, but I'm sure as hell going to remember that when I walk by them in the store. Humor is something people talk about, something they're more willing to pass on, something that sticks in the minds of consumers... but is it actually something that sells products and clears shelves? I'm not so sure. Take the Pringles banner ad for instance. 

Hilarious, witty, entertaining, and something I most definitely shared with those around me. But, did it inspire me to purchase more Pringles? Will I think of it while I'm in the chip isle deciding which artery clogger I'd prefer? Probably not. Which leads me back to my original question. What is humor's role in advertising and is it something that leads to product sales, increased brand awareness, accumulation of market share? I think the jury's still out on this one.

By Bethany Grabher

I was a swimmer in college, and I loved it, no reason to complain.  It paid for my school, set me up with a group of friends, kept me shape, kept my academics in check, cultivated my competitive nature, and exposed me to a variety of experiences.  Swimming was great, but looking back, I realize that I was trapped in a silo (I've been dying to write a post that over uses the word "silo").

While other students jetted off to Spain or Costa Rica for a semester abroad, took one resume-building internship after another, or bought a season ski pass and didn't miss a day on the mountain, I was in the pool.  My stroke technique was strong, my times were fast, my muscles were big, and I never stopped smelling like chlorine.  I was a good swimmer, and being a good swimmer has given me plenty of advantages.  BUT, I haven't practiced my Spanish in Spain, made professional connections in New York, or become a snowboarder who can show off. 

I never really make it outside of my swimming silo.  This has lead me to wonder:

Is it better to focus your efforts on a singular discipline, and become incredibly skilled in that area, OR is it best to be exposed to many disciplines, and be a little skilled in many disciplines?

I'm torn.  After ready Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers (which you should read) and pondering the 10,000-hour rule, it would seem that ruling a single discipline gets you farthest and creates the situation for securing “success”.  However, as I grow into my professional role, I find that we easily are assigned (or assign ourselves) to silos.  Marketing, PR, Management, Social Media, SEO.  It's easy to end up specializing, labeling, and forgetting about the other disciplines. 

As a marketing professional, I strive to be well rounded.  I want to be good at all of it -- but is that the wrong route.  Should we confine ourselves to silos?  Does that make a better professional?

By Bethany Grabher

As the Whole Foods haters group on Facebook grows to over 22,000 fans, I wonder if  we've lost perspective and have become a society that focuses on punishing people who speak their minds.  Rather than focusing on the actual issues, all too often, we punish those who disagree with us.  It's becoming taboo to believe in something and stand by your beliefs publicly.  It's naive to forget that all of our opinions, politics, religious affiliations, and casual conversation are put under the microscope --- it's bold, courageous, (although a bit stupid) to not care.

Yes, John Mackey, Whole Foods' CEO, may have overstepped his bounds.  In his position, he most definitely know that his words (especially when printed in the WSJ) will be scrutinized...especially if they're controversial.  And yes, this is a PR headache for Whole Foods.  But, is a boycott taking it too far?

It seems that  if you're not boring and bland enough, someone's going to take issue - and build a campaign against you.  What a waste of resources, brainpower, and time.  Boycotting Whole Foods isn't going to fix healthcare, it's  - and what is John Mackey and Whole Foods going to take away from this experience?

It takes courage to stand for something on your own.  I have much more respect (even if I disagree politically), for someone who's not afraid to have an viewpoint.  We don't have to agree with anyone's opinions, but we don't need to punish them for having a independent mind.

No matter what your profession, political party, or religion there should be some appreciation and understanding regarding the differences in personal beliefs.  AND, we must realize that every now and then, someone's going to have the guts to share their thoughts.  We encourage people to keep their opinions to themselves, but every now and then, something's going to slip out.  We can handle this - we just need to appreciate that America is an ice cream shop that offers a multitude of flavors.

*I fully realize that there is a fine line between what is appropriate, there are viewpoints, beliefs, and affiliations that are malicious and harmful and I do not advocate celebrating them.  I believe there is a line between protecting our society from harm and stifling individual thinking.

By Bethany Grabher

The amount of attention that crowdsourcing has been getting recently has been overwhelming.  Some of the projects, artwork, and movements that crowdsourcing has created have been no less than amazing.  I am in awe of what can be done with collaboration, and am truly excited by the possibilities that crowdsourcing presents as growing medium marketing and communication industry.

However, there is a part of me that is a bit freaked out by it all.  Some of the commentaries on crowdsourcing get a little nuts and make collaboration sound a bit like socialism or communism (that’s co-mmunism).  My mind immediately starts flashing back to the likes of 1984, The Fountainhead, The Lottery, and Atlas Shrugged.  I start to worry about how much power we’re putting in the hands of the many.  It seems that it is becoming increasingly easy to defer to the crowd.  Is this the easy way out?  When we crowd source are we removing responsibility from the individual, providing safety in numbers?

In talking about and applying crowdsourcing, viral sourcing, co-branding, collaboration, and co-sleeping (kidding), we cannot forget about the individual. The greatest power for change and innovation lies within one’s self, not within the mob. True empowerment and action is self-propelled.  We cannot simply divert to brainstorming meetings, group projects, survey data, and the opinions of the crowd.  There must be balance. 

To be clear, I do understand the amazing value of teamwork, community, and collaboration.  I just start to worry that in this digital age, the individual spirit is being devalued.  Let’s not forget to celebrate the individual and the great innovations, ideas, and inventions spawned by those who’ve acted on their own, and more importantly, the power the individual has in the marketplace. 

It's taken a little while to decide how exactly this Posterous will be used. Finally, there is direction!

This Posterous is to be a place to share the experiences & lessons, the tribulations & victories, and the questions & insights that exist on the road to professionalism. We are all marketing/communication/PR professionals who are still learning and "developing", but we're ready to start cultivating a point of view and sharing in a public forum. Collectively we're learning to assert ourselves, contribute to, and navigate through the ever-changing world of marketing communications. We're committed to learning and doing things "the right way" which we've learned is synonymous with "the hard way".

We are constantly bombarded by the advice and opinions of others in our fields. The more we ingest, the more we find the need for a place to write down our own musings and develop discussions that feed our curiosity and motivation.

We hope you enjoy and share your thoughts and insights with us.