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flux branding

Author: Karen Maxwell

Vampire Pizza

Posted on by Karen Maxwell

When most people hear the phrase “immersive experience,” they probably picture a creepy old mansion where actors in masquerade garb address you by a name that’s not your own. But the field of immersive content (also known as “experiential” content) is much more than in-person play pretend. There are nearly infinite possibilities for interaction, engagement, and exploration — which is why one LA pizza restaurant is using the power of immersive to keep customers coming back for more.

Ghost Pizza Kitchen on Melrose, in collaboration with Ravel, now plays host to “An immersive pop-up restaurant delivered to your door.” Vampire Pizza is a new dining experience that’s part story-telling adventure, part pizza party. When you sign up for Vampire Pizza, you will receive a themed meal from Ghost Pizza Kitchen, plus an invitation to enter a world of blood-sucking mischief and mystery. This is accomplished through a blend of puzzle-solving, completing challenges, and roleplaying, all from within the comfort of your own home.

Players partake in an expansive narrative centered on Belle’s Family Kitchen, an enigmatic restaurant run by real-life vampires. Cast as a vampire yourself, you will be presented with the choice to join your fellow creatures of the night in a revolution, or seek other paths while engaging with a diverse group of unique characters. Everything that players might need comes with their food in one neat box. While you eat, you can “discover [your] inner Vampire” together with friends and family. New installments will be released one at a time to form a narrative that gradually unspools month by month.

Boxes range in size for groups of either two or four “Vamps.” If your group is bigger, that’s even better; a four-player box is actually around $10 less per Vamp than its smaller version. Most importantly, a portion of every Vampire Pizza box sold will directly benefit the LEIA (League of Experiential and Immersive Artists). With all in-person events shut down during quarantine, some of LEIA’s most amazing creative minds have channeled their vision into this take-out, at-home format, and are passing on the profits to support others who are still out of work. Additional donations to LEIA can be made here. 

Vampire Pizza is a deliciously wicked experience for anybody looking to do more during dinner than watch TV. It donates funds to artists in need, and it creates a sense of community through a shared, one-of-a-kind gaming experience. While Vampire Pizza is currently sold out, it’s not too late to sign up for future chapters.

 

Guerrilla Tacos

Posted on by Karen Maxwell

Guerrilla Tacos started its journey as an illegal street corner cart, which evolved into a legit food truck, and then a brick-and-mortar location in the heart of the Arts District in DTLA.

Very few restaurants can claim that their so-called “street tacos” are anywhere near as authentic, but what happens to street-style food when the street itself is a no-go zone? Businesses across Los Angeles are grappling with the conundrum of the quarantine; adapting as best they can to these new circumstances.

For Guerrilla Tacos, that means working hard to preserve the top-tier quality of their food, while sharing it with customers on a larger scale than ever before.

At the onset of 2020, Guerrilla Tacos was providing what they call “Emergency Kits” to keep DTLA residents fed for the duration of the quarantine. Their signature offering, the Emergency Taco Kit, got a lot of attention. Now that we can pick up onsite or order delivery with Caviar or Postmates the “Kits” are no longer available, but they do offer other emergency items like toilet paper, a flat of eggs, or a pack of 60 tortillas.

Combine these items with their emergency margarita kit and you are set for a few days.

Guerrilla Tacos is a Flux Branding agency fave. We are sad to be out of the office for this extended period since Guerrilla is around the corner from our studio.

Here are some of our favorites that are easily available for delivery or pick up.

  • The sweet potato taco is sublime with roasted sweet potato, almond chile, feta cheese, fried corn, and green onion
  • Another veggie gem is the roasted cauliflower taco with dates, pinenuts, olives, parsley, burnt tomato salsa, and chives
  • For fish, our pick is the Baja fish taco or the jumbo shrimp tostada
  • And you can never go wrong with the classic pocho taco, a hard shell taco, ground beef pocho mix, chipotle crema, aged cheddar, pico de gallo, and avocado salsa.

My mouth is watering as I write this.

All of these options provide a superior long-term solution to quarantine dining than one-off take-out meals. Guerrilla Tacos may not be street food in the most literal sense, but its dedication to keeping DTLA fed with authentic Mexican cooking makes it worth a curbside visit. 

Brand Your Purpose

Posted on by Karen Maxwell
Setting a clear purpose is one of the fundamental aspects of defining a brand.

My tendency is common among business owners. To ensure consistently high quality, I scrutinize the smallest detail. The thinking process is common sense– prevent potential problems by personally supervising every expression of our brand. But the truth is that approach isn’t sustainable. It simply requires more effort than any one person can deliver. Holding onto control of a brand cannot be maintained without simultaneously limiting it. In order for a brand to truly thrive, it needs to grow unencumbered. But it needs guidance.

 

By taking the time to establish a solid foundation of common understanding, growth can occur naturally without the need for constant control. It’s precisely what a well-defined brand can accomplish. Branding isn’t just for marketing, it sets in place a consistent position that everyone in your company can learn. The brand becomes the guide, relieving any one individual from that burden. As a result, new freedom of expression is facilitated across your enterprise. 

 

Setting a clear purpose is one of the fundamental aspects of defining a brand. It’s a powerful process. Often associated with spirituality and destiny, purpose is most impactful when aligned with a higher calling. Since people are motivated by meaning, your corporate purpose must appeal to the hearts and souls of all your stakeholders. 

At FLUX, we begin any serious branding initiative by writing a Brand Platform. It’s a poetic piece with very specific language that sets the foundation for a common understanding of your brand’s purpose and principles. The Brand Platform makes it easy to communicate the unique characteristics  of the brand to everyone inside and outside your company. 

 

Great design takes brand intelligence and transforms it into visual expressions that are easy to see from afar. Brands help light the way, becoming beacons that are familiar guide-posts to allow people to navigate without instructions. When brands are crafted from purpose, they perform a great service to both consumers and team members alike.

With a brand as a beacon, tremendous growth can be accomplished through company-wide stewardship, not just the efforts of executive managers. This allows leadership to focus on higher-value growth activities by relaxing the need for control. That’s the way to step away from your brand without fear of diluting its equity.

Your brand is not your logo– it’s simply an image that represents it. By focusing the brand on your true purpose, it’s easier to understand the full potential the brand can deliver. And why the most successful companies have made branding a top priority.

Flask & Field

Posted on by Karen Maxwell

 

It’s no secret that liquor is helping a lot of people endure the challenges and frustrations of a multi-month shelter-in-place order. For experienced drinkers—and we mean that in the nicest way possible—there are still plenty of minor annoyances to overcome; access to quality booze, for instance, or all of the necessary supplies that ought to accompany it. Even before the quarantine began, this was the struggle that inspired entertainment attorney Miriam Yoo to open Flask & Field: “A modern destination for the discovery of wine, spirits, art and design.”

As DTLA’s premiere female-founded (and operated) source for liquor and adjacent goods, Flask & Field had already begun making its mark, even before quarantine. Their distinct offerings include curating collections of wine and spirits for everything from parties to private pantries, as well as a multi-tiered (and multi-perk) wine club with four new eclectic, local wines available for members every month. Other items featured at Flask & Field are box kits of cocktail supplies—including specialized kits for events like Mother’s Day and more—elegant decanters, mixologist equipment, and so much more. While these are still for sale during quarantine, Flask & Field has also come up with new ways that they can keep at-home sippers engaged with their products.

 

On Flask & Field’s Facebook page, they have begun to host a number of live events that bring viewers together over a bottle of rosé. One recent event was a wine-pairing party, led by Yoo, which offered audiences both a chance to learn about the best snacks for eating with certain beverages, and a casual discussion of life under quarantine — particularly, how to stay sane with the help of a well-mixed drink. Other live-stream events include professional wine tastings/lessons, spotlight interviews with wine club members, and even (virtual) visits from unbelievable guests like Academy Award-winning actress Diane Keaton. Social media keeps Flask & Field connected to their following of Angeleno tastemakers, but also helps them express the uniqueness of their offerings in a personable, authentic way.

If you’re looking to slake your thirst while supporting small female-owned businesses in DTLA, there are few better stops that Flask & Field. Order online for delivery and curbside pick-up, and then check out their Facebook page to drink along at home.

The Science of Opinions

Posted on by Karen Maxwell

I’ve worked in dozens of creative industries for several decades. It’s involved presenting a lot of creative work, followed by discussions with clients and stakeholders to get their feedback. They quickly form their opinions, react, then deliver a judgement. Love. Hate. Joy. Bewilderment. Maybe it’s more than just a matter of taste.

> Is there science behind it?

 

Traditionally, financial results have been used as a makeshift way of keeping score.  But in the creative world, some of the best artists, designers and creative minds have struggled to find financial rewards and failed miserably during their lifetimes, only to be discovered posthumously. So if financial success isn’t a fair measure of what’s creatively valuable, and subjective taste is unreliable, what can we count on to help us determine the basis for “great creative?”

 

At Flux, we have developed a framework that can be examined, analyzed and defined.

 

At Flux, we’ve developed a framework that can be examined, analyzed and defined. It explains why we react positively or negatively to creative content, and is extremely valuable for brand strategy. Applying this framework informs the creative process, helping us craft messaging, artwork, programs and experiences that predictably resonate with an audience. Although artistic exploration isn’t scientific, the reactions to creative deliverables for branding can be predicted using this science. If our observations are accurate, it’s a powerful tool that you should be familiar with.

 

This hypothesis has increasingly provided a methodology for us to analyze and improve the creative we produce in our studio.  By approaching our work from a scientific standpoint, we’re able to strategically develop creative work that’s infused with intelligence and designed to generate positive reactions

 

How we do it at Flux.

> Critical success factors:

 

We utilize this formula in our work, and continue to conduct informal trials as we refine it. Great creative work comes from big ideas, big thinking and big risks. Playing it safe reduces volatility, but it limits upside. That risk/reward analysis is all too familiar, but continues to remain a factor in everything we do.

In applying the fundamentals of this science, it’s essential to know your audience. Having a clear picture of your customer’s persona makes it possible to appeal to their financial, cultural and conceptual preferences. Our framework requires psychographic understanding to be effective. Predicting opinions using our hypothesis is best when it’s targeted to a specific audience.

There’s much more to discuss about these three evaluations, which will be featured in future essays. Feel free to consider the framework and drop me a note with your thoughts. It’s a topic that ignites my passion, and I’m always happy to receive constructive feedback.

The Spirit Guild

Posted on by Karen Maxwell

> Buy Hand Sanitizer 

Gin can be a bit of an acquired taste, which might explain why it has spent decades lagging behind other liquors like vodka, tequila, and whiskey in terms of both popularity and sales. According to data shared in Business Insider, not a single one of the 50 states ranked gin as its top spirit; in America, gin is even less popular than syrupy digestif (and perennial college favorite) Jägermeister. However, the wheels of change are churning rapidly in the other direction across the world. The U.K. Wine and Spirit Trade Association reports that the number of British gin brands has doubled over the past ten years, and total sales are up nearly 50% since 2017. We are in the middle of a gin renaissance, and homegrown DTLA distillery The Spirit Guild is riding that wave with aplomb.

If you try to visit the Guild’s sleek Arts District tasting room for a tour (and a sip) you’ll find their doors are shut. The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken them to their core, like it has for so many other brick-and-mortar businesses across the country. However, just because The Spirit Guild no longer lets you get a glimpse of the gleaming copper vats where its gin is distilled doesn’t mean that they’ve closed up shop completely. Quite the opposite — in this time of struggle, The Spirit Guild is using their resources (and delicious offerings) to uplift their downtown community. 

 

Now available in 16 oz bottles. Buy yours today and throw in some gin to support this local Arts District business.

A dwindling supply of hand sanitizer is just one of the seemingly-small, but genuinely pernicious side effects of the pandemic. With so much being bought up by individuals, essential institutions like hospitals are dealing with sanitizer shortages that put workers and patients in peril. That’s why the Spirit Guild has begun using their top-tier equipment to manufacture hand sanitizer, as well as gin and vodka. Most of this sanitizer has already been allocated for use by institutions, but  production has ramped up and 16 oz bottles are available for the general public too. Get yours today!

The Spirit Guild products are still available for purchase online, with the intention to open up curbside pick-up and delivery options in the near future. These offerings include their Astral Pacific Gin, which puts a twist on traditional botanicals with a dash of pink peppercorn—native to Southern California—and two types of juniper, as well as Vapid Vodka, which is distilled entirely from a base of clementines. A dollar from each item sold will be donated to the US Bartenders’ Guild; supporting emergency relief grants for local businesses and professionals affected by bar closures nationwide.

One day soon, The Spirit Guild hopes to welcome loyal patrons back into its tasting room and production facilities. Until then, producing hand sanitizer and supporting other businesses through strategic grant donations are two powerful ways that this DTLA brand has chosen to use the quarantine for positive change. 

Take Out / Take Over

Posted on by Karen Maxwell

The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken brands and businesses across the world to their core. Our own team has transitioned to working from home in order to stay safe and healthy, but not every small business has the ability to do so — in particular, restaurants and bars are being impacted by a quarantine that cuts off their main sources of business. However, while you may no longer be able to sit down for table service, that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy local DTLA products and services. The streets may be empty outside, but the home fires are still burning at many of Flux’s favorite eating establishments.

To help you stay connected and support local businesses, here are four offbeat picks from the many restaurants and bars that are still operational for take-out/pick-up in DTLA. Order online or with an app to help them stay financially solvent, while digging in to some of the best food and drinks our city still has to offer.

MEZCALERO

From 11 AM to 10 PM, DTLA residents can enjoy delicious tacos, burritos, and appetizers from this sleek Broadway establishment. Perhaps even more appealing than the food is Mezcalero’s ambitious drinks offerings; in addition to beer, wine, and liquor, they are also offering their own speciality cocktail kits for take-out or delivery. Just mix the pre-packaged ingredients together with the included booze to whip up a fresh margarita, a spicy Burnt Offering, or a deliciously herbal Oaxacan The Garden.

Offering their own speciality cocktail kits for take-out or delivery.

MILK+T

Just because there’s a pandemic doesn’t mean your boba cravings need to go unanswered.  MILK+T made its name as LA’s first self-serve boba brand, and while this DIY approach is clearly off the table during a quarantine, their range of sweet, creamy, and refreshing iced beverages is still available for pick-up and delivery via Postmates. Whether you want one of their classic Milk Teas, a chocolatey Guilt Trip, or a crisp Bombsquad made with handcrafted syrup, MILK+T keeps the boba flowing across downtown.

LA’s first self-serve boba brand!

WILD LIVING FOODS

Part restaurant and part grocery store, Wild Living Foods was created to “provide our community with the most healing plant-based living food possible.” With a diverse menu that includes warm chia porridge, brazil nut hummus, and marinated kelp noodles, as well as hearty vegan takes on burgers and pasta, this is the ideal stop for anybody hoping to eat healthy throughout the pandemic. Plus, it offers terrific organic ingredients for your own home cooking.

Healing plant-based living foods.

RICE & NORI

Onigiri are a small, soft, but hearty Japanese snack that takes center stage at Rice & Nori. With fillings that range from shiitake mushrooms to spicy tuna to SPAM and eggs, these delicious rice balls are the perfect treat for DTLA residents looking to expand beyond ramen and sushi. Also offering premium sashimi, truffled edamame, and house-made Japanese pickles, Rice & Nori is available for pick-up and delivery every day until 8:00 PM.

Its all about the Onigiri.

Are you Contagious?

Posted on by Karen Maxwell

 

Brands that go viral can trend globally faster than ever.

You don’t want to get Covid-19, but you certainly want your brand to spread like a coronavirus —without deadly consequences, of course. In terms of branding, “viral” spread refers to communications strategies that leverage pre-existing social networking and other technologies to produce increases in brand awareness that achieve business objectives (such as sales) through self-replicating processes, analogous to the spread of viruses.

Ideas that are contagious get people talking and sharing. Social media accelerates the process, with one to many messaging connections that are hungry for a steady stream of contagious content. When messages are trending, they spread extremely quickly without expensive advertising.

> Why do things catch on?

This question was studied by a Wharton business school professor, Jonah Berger. He is an expert on word of mouth, viral marketing, social influence, social contagion, and trends. His 2013 book “Contagious: Why Things Catch On” is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller

 

>Meet the $100 Philly Cheesesteak.

Made with Kobe beef, shaved truffles, lobster tail, triple cream Taleggio cheese, caramelized onions and heirloom tomatoes and assembled on a homemade brioche bun, they repositioned Philly street-fare into a must-try classic. The $100 Cheesesteak put Barclay Prime on the map, generating word of mouth buzz that elevated their brand above the competition. 

It was an idea that was contagious. Sadly, the example wouldn’t succeed today because of social distancing. But it illustrates his thesis on what makes things contagious.

 

>Here’s an outline of Berger’s theory on what’s contagious:

Social currency-

We share the things that make us look good. Because of an inherent interest in elevating our own social standing, it’s easy to achieve it by sharing expertise in almost anything. People leverage things that are remarkable, showcase insider information, and provoke reactions to raise their social currency. Social media has changed the game, making it faster than ever.

Triggers-

Top of mind, tip of tongue. By relating your brand to something frequently seen elsewhere, people are reminded to think about you whenever they encounter the trigger. Cues that provoke the trigger should be plentiful. Grow the habitat so that the cues occur more frequently if possible.

Emotion-

When we care, we share. The specific emotions that affect sharing most are associated with passion. When people feel outraged, enthusiastic or dutiful, it’s likely they will share the sentiment with others. Kindle the fire so that the flames of passion are fanned by messages related to your brand.

Public-

Build to show, built to grow. Viral spread requires visibility. Find ways to make the private public by uncovering the trends that are fueled by your brand. Create sticky residue that hangs around as long as possible after customers interact with your brand. 

Practical value-

News you can use. Help people help others with practical information that solves a problem or eases decision making. Make sure the context for the content is  relevant to your brand, or else you run the risk of shifting focus elsewhere. 

Story-

Information travels under the guise of idle chatter. Draft a narrative that becomes your Trojan Horse to carry your brand unnoticed into conversations. The element of surprise when your brand emerges adds social currency. The story must be relevant to your offer to ensure your brand is memorable, and not the story alone.

Berger’s work is a sequel of a sorts to Malcolm Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point.” Gladwell profiles how things go viral – fueled by the efforts of a special subset of people he dubs salespeople, mavens, connectors. “The Tipping Point” broke new ground on understanding audience dynamics, and set precedent for targeting evangelists who are intermediaries that influence customers. Berger takes it further with an explanation of why content goes viral.

Taking your brand viral isn’t as simple as a checklist. It’s more than the mechanical result of following these rules. We use it as a framework to guide creative development, and employ these tactics selectively. Think of these as ingredients that can be combined in unique ways. Craft your own recipes to deliver tasty messages that are snackable, sharable and irresistible.

When it comes to health, we’re not taking chances. we don’t want to subject ourselves to exposure other than what’s absolutely required. While working from home,  we’re all adapting to an unprecedented change of lifestyle. 

But when crafting brands, we’ll still position clients to be infectious. It’s the intelligent way to leverage an explosive opportunity, take advantage of low-cost communications, and spread your brand around the world.