04/27/2020
Marc Balet is interviewed concerning the current environment, and how brands should move forward:
It seems like much of the world is on pause, so why should companies be moving forward? How does anyone know what the new environment is going to look like?
There is no global pause for online services. The competition is stronger than ever.
It’s going to take a while for a new environment to fully form. In the meantime, it’s best to stay in the game.
But in-person business has ground to a stop — why should companies spend money on developing an online business or profile?
It’s best to use whatever assets available to you now in the most strategic way. Shopping online is the only game in town for now. At MBG.NYC, we look to help small, online companies refresh and renew their online presence in a marketplace saturated with larger sites getting the most attention.
Why are you the right people for the job? Why shouldn’t companies go with the largest agency they can afford? Isn’t bigger always better?
MBG.NYC is a small, yet nimble agency. Over the years, we have helped many brands with design and online marketing. The larger agencies will cost more and (no surprise) the smaller brands will easily get lost in the mix. Bigger is better in some life instances, but not this one.
There is no way companies can create new images today and stock images can be mundane and expensive. How can you create new looks?
Below is a before-and-after for a company we have been working with. On the left, this brand began with a very corporate and uninspired series of boxes. The layout is bone dry and easily passed over. There is nothing on the screen that entices us to notice it and and explore.
MBG.NYC redesigned its logo, created a specific color palette and type treatment which we will use for packaging and all brand communications. The overall design is more enticing and modern.
What in your career personally has prepared you for this moment?
Andy Warhol hired me right out of school to be art director for Interview Magazine. Soon, with his help, I began freelancing for a myriad of big fashion brands including Armani, St Laurent, Lagerfeld, Barneys, Nike, Escada, Express, Southpole, Enyce, Jockey and many others. Experience has its advantages. Using the knowledge of many years in the business, I have been helping start-ups and small brands to secure a larger audience.
I started in a period of jumping in and getting it done. Warhol’s budgets were almost non-existent, yet I managed to help create a “look” that has lasted and been copied to this day. It’s an exciting challenge to create something new out of just what’s available. It’s time to try it
