Strategy

Think Ahead for 2025: What Undercurrents Beyond Trends Brands Need to Know

Brand Strategy, Packaging Design / Annika Carroll

“Predicting the future” is not as daunting as it might sound. If you’re paying attention, the future is already here. For the past ten years, we’ve shared potential future scenarios brands and marketers should note as they consider new initiatives. Many of these potential futures have become reality: for example, in 2018 we explored a […]

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Website Design and The Blink Factor

Brand Strategy, Packaging Design / Annika Carroll

In the digital world, you have less time to form a lasting brand impression on a potential customer than it takes to blink. On average, a customer will form an impression about your brand in about 50 milliseconds. This makes having a good website design more than just a nice to have but an imperative.

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Future Of Cash in Retail Banking: Notes From Cash in USA Conference October 2024

Brand Strategy, Packaging Design / Annika Carroll

The Cash in the USA conference, held on October 22nd in Nashville, explored cash’s current and future role in retail banking. The conference was well attended, and presenters reflected the diversity of the industry sectors that manage cash within the banking industry. SLD shared insights on how cash and its management are no longer a

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The Impact of Exterior Signage on Customer Connection

Brand Strategy, Packaging Design / Annika Carroll

Exterior signage is your brand’s calling card to the world. It’s a simple element with a massive impact, a visual cue that tells people who you are, what you stand for, and what they can expect inside. In this blog, we dive into why exterior signage matters and how it works. A-Pillar of Brand Identity

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Elevating The Banking Customer Experience: Notes from the 2024 ICX/BCX Summit

Brand Strategy, Packaging Design / Annika Carroll

At the 2024 Networld Media Group Banking Customer Experience Summit in Charlotte, experts gathered to discuss how AI, sustainability, and evolving consumer behaviors are reshaping the customer journey across industries. From retail banking to tech-driven customer experiences, the summit highlighted the importance of aligning business strategies with customer needs in today’s digital age. Sustainability and

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How Dentists Are Leading The Way in Healthcare Clinic Design

Brand Strategy, Packaging Design / Annika Carroll

Dentistry is one of the most aesthetic of the medical professions, so it’s no surprise they lead the way when it comes to clinic design. Modern dental practices have moved away from the sterile, often tired-looking office spaces towards bolder and brighter settings that merge function, hospitality, and style. Ultimately, dentists have proven that interior

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Apple AI, Let’s Get Personal

Brand Strategy, Packaging Design / Annika Carroll

No topic has been more buzzy over the last year than advanced AI such as ChatGPT and Dall-E. Apple’s recent announcement of the launch of Apple Intelligence adds another opportunity for marketers to explore how AI could support better customer experiences. Apple’s devices and user experience have always accelerated shifts in customer behaviors – will

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Five Signs it’s Time to Update Your Packaging Design

Brand Strategy, Packaging Design / Melinda Deines

Sometimes it’s hard to know when to make a change, and when it comes to packaging design, there is no set rule. However, like any aspects of a brand, packaging can become outdated or ineffective over time. But knowing when to refresh your design can make a huge impact on how your products perform in

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How Private Labels Can Capitalize on Value-Based Grocery Shopping

Brand Strategy, Packaging Design / Matthew Wilson

In an uncertain economy, grocery stores have a unique opportunity to win over customers through pricing as food costs continue to rise. With the rapid expansion of private label brands across North America, grocers have been able to introduce excellent private label offerings that deliver both selection and value. With this rise, how can grocery

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How to Deal with FOP Warning Labels and What to Expect

Digital Experiences / Melinda Deines

In Canada, the new front-of-pack labels for foods high in sugar, salt, and saturated fats are the latest in a wave of packaging regulations attempting to help consumers make healthy food choices. In today’s blog, we’ll ask some of the SLD team to weigh in on how they’re working to address the new FOP regulations,

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Creating an Inclusive Environment that Appeals to Gen Z

Digital Experiences / Matthew Wilson

Inclusion has become part of the vocabulary of almost every retailer. While some have introduced inclusive aspects into their retail designs, many still have not met consumer expectations. Gen Z has consistently called for more inclusive environments, with 66% of respondents from our Inclusivity in Retail study indicating that inclusive retail elements enhanced their shopping

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Unlocking Consumer Insights: Best Practices and Tips for Effective Design Concept Research

Digital Experiences / Matthew Wilson

Before launching a new package, store design, logo, or brand design, it’s important to gain consumer insights and feedback. It’s never been easier to research design concepts: platforms like SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, and Pollfish provide sophisticated testing tools and access to consumer panels across the continent. However, not all research is created equal. To get the

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Key Takeaways from the WBR Future Branches Conference: Strategies for Branch Evolution and Customer Engagement

Digital Experiences / Matthew Wilson

The WBR Future Branches Conference in Boston on June 24-25 brought together banking industry leaders to discuss innovative strategies for branch evolution, customer engagement, and leveraging technology. Prominent speakers from national and regional banks and credit unions, as well as industry experts and bank executives at various levels, shared insights on transforming branch networks and

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Why Prioritizing Physical Accessibility In Retail Will Create Brand Loyalty

Digital Experiences / Matthew Wilson

Creating accessible environments is crucial. Retailers invest billions of dollars annually to optimize their retail spaces for customer appeal. However, many do not prioritize inclusive design. Our comprehensive white paper on inclusivity in retail highlights that an accessible store is not just a legal obligation but a strategic asset that enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty

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Is Retail Banking Ready For AI-Driven Advice?

Digital Experiences / Matthew Wilson

Since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, generative AI has been a popular topic of conversation. Microsoft’s Copilot, Google’s Gemini, and Claude followed, as ChatGPT ignited an AI race. What was once science fiction is now a reality, with AI assistants that can respond to almost any question. Since their introduction over a year

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How will AI be Regulated? What Brands Need to Know

Brand Strategy, Communications, Organizations, Retail, Thought Leadership / Melinda Deines

Lawmakers around the world are scrambling to regulate advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The European Union (EU) recently passed the Artificial Intelligence Act, while President Biden has signed several executive orders regarding advanced AI. Canada’s Bill C-27, not yet passed, attempts to regulate AI but has come under heavy criticism for being insufficient. As retail

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The Best and Worst Brand Stories of 2023

Brand Engagement, Brand Strategy / Matthew Wilson

It’s always fun to wrap up a year with a retrospective on the most interesting brand stories. However, 2023 was not exactly a fun year. With the overwhelming number of gravely serious events unfolding around us, good news has been hard to come by. In our look back on 2023, we won’t avoid some of

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The Future of Seamless Banking and Financial Advice: EU/UK vs. North America

Digital Experiences / Jean-Pierre Lacroix

Shikatani Lacroix Design (SLD) was invited to speak at the ebankIT Summit in Portugal on the future of seamless advice and its impact on customer loyalty in the banking sector. The presentation was based on a consumer study with a detailed comparison of the banking industry in North America and the EU/UK. It revealed nuanced

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Indie Brand Launch Kit: How to Set Your Brand Up for Success

Brand Strategy / Matthew Wilson

Starting a business is like building a house – there are some fundamentals you must get right to ensure it stays standing and provides a foundation for the future. From building a business case to naming and branding, this toolkit will help entrepreneurs and indie brands build a solid foundation. This easy-to-follow worksheet will help

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Building Brand Trust in an Age of Deep Fakes, Bot Factories & Angry AI

Brand Strategy / Melinda Deines

In 2021 we launched a consumer study series to understand how misinformation impacted consumers. We discovered that despite an emerging skepticism, there was a high level of optimism as the pandemic appeared to be subsiding and life was finally “returning to normal.” Today, inflation, the war in Ukraine, climate-related extreme weather, and political division unfolding

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Think Ahead for 2025: What Undercurrents Beyond Trends Brands Need to Know

Website Design and The Blink Factor

Future Of Cash in Retail Banking: Notes From Cash in USA Conference October 2024

The Impact of Exterior Signage on Customer Connection

Elevating The Banking Customer Experience: Notes from the 2024 ICX/BCX Summit

How Dentists Are Leading The Way in Healthcare Clinic Design

Apple AI, Let’s Get Personal

Five Signs it’s Time to Update Your Packaging Design

How Private Labels Can Capitalize on Value-Based Grocery Shopping

How to Deal with FOP Warning Labels and What to Expect

Creating an Inclusive Environment that Appeals to Gen Z

Unlocking Consumer Insights: Best Practices and Tips for Effective Design Concept Research

Key Takeaways from the WBR Future Branches Conference: Strategies for Branch Evolution and Customer Engagement

Why Prioritizing Physical Accessibility In Retail Will Create Brand Loyalty

Is Retail Banking Ready For AI-Driven Advice?

How will AI be Regulated? What Brands Need to Know

The Best and Worst Brand Stories of 2023

The Future of Seamless Banking and Financial Advice: EU/UK vs. North America

Indie Brand Launch Kit: How to Set Your Brand Up for Success

Building Brand Trust in an Age of Deep Fakes, Bot Factories & Angry AI

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