The Marmite Effect... TW Logo, love it or hate it?

[jediknight129]

I dont think the logo will affect a ban tbh, you could call it the fluffy bunny inhaler company and someone would whinge because it doesnt punish smokers, as for the extremist christian drama thats about as silly as the tracts against D&D or catholocism. if people are swayed by a logo then....

would I buy logo free, probably. but giving a logo that much power is I think silly.

[Puff]

Posted by: a.e.o.n.:                January 04, 2012, 11:12:27 PM »   

...and he does look like he's chuffing on a doobie.

  pmsl

I think it's real tacky and orible, that's why I bought my Tornado from Tecc....but I bought a white one and they go yellow  but it's still better than having a logo that looks like some kids toy you're sucking on. 

Tina

[DKR]

I dont think the logo will affect a ban tbh, you could call it the fluffy bunny inhaler company and someone would whinge because it doesnt punish smokers, as for the extremist christian drama thats about as silly as the tracts against D&D or catholocism. if people are swayed by a logo then....

would I buy logo free, probably. but giving a logo that much power is I think silly.

I think you are underastimating the power of details. Anti e-cig groups will use every argument to undermine the credibility of e-cig companies. Why give them tools of any sort to help them.

And if people are swayed by a logo... then change the logo to get more people. Thats what I think. Get as many supporters as possible which should help the company and vaping in the long run. If the logo and the font used were less provocative, there would be only one correct answer to the OP's poll. Now however we are divided into 2 poles, both with valid and correct arguments. Unite us!

And I am positive a lot of buyers decided to go for another brand because of the logo which is a shame. TW definitely does deserve better than to be judged because of a simple logo or font, but we live in a world where marketing, visual appearance... play a major role in becoming nr1 and especially in maintaining that spot.
If 2 seemingly identical products are sitting next to each other on a store shelf, people will decide purely based on their visual differences. And you just HAVE to design your product so its visual appearance attracts a larger group of people in order to beat the competition.

Try to look into the future. If e-cigs really are the future of smoking, there will be more and more companies making them. Companies that are already on a market have a head start and they need to make sure they use that into their advantage which includes making their products visually attractive to masses (and avoid as much criticism as possble) and then promoting that brand image so other companies will have a hard time promoting it to the same level.
To give as an example the best selling analog cigarettes brand image (we all know which one)... Its hard not to like it and the same poll for their logos and font would probably be "95% YES 5% NO". Its just not disturbing or provocative in any way and even if you are an extremely religious person, or a CEO of a billion dollar company for example... you will not hesitate to buy that brand

Oh 1 more thing. If you combine answers 2 and 3 at this moment, there are more people that have doubts about the logo than there are those who have nothing against it (31-28) And that says a LOT!

[cyborg]

It’s the same as everything in life, if someone loves something someone else hates it.
Its now standing at 43 – 57  so it has the likeits now have the top vote  .
The trend In most poles is that people who are against thing usually want to express there opinions whereas people who are for things generally don’t make a fuss until its to late to sway a decision.

[DKR]

It’s the same as everything in life, if someone loves something someone else hates it.
Its now standing at 43 – 57  so it has the likeits now have the top vote  .
The trend In most poles is that people who are against thing usually want to express there opinions whereas people who are for things generally don’t make a fuss until its to late to sway a decision.

And you think 43-57 is a good result? You need to be aware that this poll is extremely biased anyway. It is made on TW forums and people participating are obviously people who are less bothered or not bothered by TW logo to begin with, otherwise they wouldn't be TW fans. And it is STILL only 43-57.
Now try to be very objective and think of what the result would be if the poll was completely unbiased or if the poll results included votes from people that never ordered anything from TW because of the "offensive" logo.

Damn... life is like politics. Winning an argument is a main goal of an average person in this world. Even if it means ignoring all good arguments from opponents.

I'm trying to be diplomatic here. I stated earlier that poth poles have valid arguments. And that we should be united. And its not as simple as your statment "...the same as everything in life... if someone loves it someone else hates it." You can influence that ratio and work it in your own favor.

[cyborg]

I'm also trying to be diplomatic, merely an observation, as to winning an argument, what argument ?

I didn’t say it was a good result only pointing out that as the logo on all the new equipment is a lot less visible and not the big red head, rather a very small white one.

My conclusions stand as your post shows at first the against won the poll = logo change.
After the change the like the old one came out on top = to late.

To me this validates my point that the haters of things kick up a bigger fuss than the supporters of things and in general win most polls.

My statement " the same as in life if someone loves it someone else hates it” is for the best part true and usually  influenced by the against party as this poll shows.

This is only my view after many years observing life's love hate relationships and the resulting outcome. 

Sorry if you disagree.

[lordy]

I'll wade back in on this one!

I said I have personal reservations about it because I'm one of those dodgy christian folk - however if I had that big an issue, I'd be shopping elsewhere.

I'm far more interested in product performance and customer service when it comes to who I do business with. I also know the huge cost of changing direction when a company undergoes a rebrand - especially when the branding is on all products and other collateral.

As a cost/benefit exercise, TW has a great reputation for all the right reasons and there's no need to rebrand as a result. If the business was trying to overcome a poor reputation it would be a different story but there's no bad press to overcome.

Is the logo enough to put you off purchasing? Well if you're shopping here and you have TW products in your arsenal then obviously the logo isn't too much trouble for you.

[tez77]

I guess since I started the poll i'll chip in again

It's just a bit of fun to see what others think of the logo, were not trying to change anything. If that were the case TW would have run a poll themselves.

I totally agree with Cyborg, if someone loves something then someone else is going to hate it.. hence the title "marmite effect". Its what gives us choice, if everyone loved blue, there would be no red cars on the road.

Personally I can't think of anything worse than bacon flavour e-liquid but somebody (Canadians probably ) must like it as it's available to buy.

[cyborg]

Forgot about the Marmite I love the stuff especially the Matured Extra Old with the stronger taste. 
Nothing like a love hate debate to stir things up.

[tez77]

Forgot about the Marmite I love the stuff especially the Matured Extra Old with the stronger taste. 
Nothing like a love hate debate to stir things up.

+1

I'm a lover too, where can I get marmite flavoured liquid? now there's an idea

[cyborg]

Someone did post a recipe for Marmite but I cant find it now   

[DKR]

Oh well... I guess I need to post my final thoughts before I can rest in peace

There is obviously a bigger picture to look at. It is not unexpected that the existing TW fans will probably like the logo in majority. I am only trying to contribute to this thread so TW as a company will have a very good feedback from it's community, which in turn will help TW to evolve, adapt and overcome. And both sides of the story need to be taken into observation very carefully.

What I am stating in this topic is a result of all the experiences I have gained through years of working in an extremely sucessful global company and their approach to marketing, design and the story behind the products and the brand itself. I just know how maximizing sales works and what one must do to increase it and especially what a brand must do to gain loyalty and trust. And being too provocative can backfire (sure people might say: "hah a little harmless devil... how provocative is that?" Well... its more provocative than i.e. a cowboy or cute blonde or other neutral logos that pop into my mind, which can be visually appealing as well if you know what I mean...)  Finding a middle way is usually the best. So you are attractive to a wide majority of people in the first place and only then you can spice it up a bit.

And I am not a hater, I am also not influenced by religion nor am I a hardcore heavy metal underground band drummer or a satanist. The only thing I am is a regular guy who smokes too much and needs to cut down. Through my comments I am only trying to be helpful in showing that there are also negative effects of something looking "too" cool or provocative or whatever.

People need to trust you the moment they see your company and not only after investing a massive amount of time into researching on the web for reviews and feedbacks (as I have done). I did after all order e-cigs and acessories from 3 different brands before I decided to try TW if you know what I mean... If my funds were limited I could not even afford to test TW products at the end. And guess which part delayed my order...
Hopefully TW will now end my investigation tho

[pufferfish]

Forgot about the Marmite I love the stuff especially the Matured Extra Old with the stronger taste. 
Nothing like a love hate debate to stir things up.

+1

I'm a lover too, where can I get marmite flavoured liquid? now there's an idea

If I remember correctly (hmmmm, not sure about that) the recipe went something like:
roast beef about 60%
cafe Brasiliano about 40%
and a dash of Diablo Poco

any advance on that anyone?

 

[lordy]

DKR I know where you're coming from... please see my earlier post (underlines are for emphasis):

As a marketer I know a thing or two about branding. The general rule of thumb is that it doesn't amtter what the logo looks like, it's the associations the logo brings with it. If people have a great 'brand experience' the logo becomes revered. A good logo gives an illogical reason to purchase - IE, it's not just about price. In all of those ways, Totally Wicked is doing an awesome job! The customer service is second to none, the products are great... I've never had a problem recommending TW to anyone and have always had 100% confidence in doing so.

HOWEVER, when the brand image is taken from another image with negative connotations, it's always going to be an up-hill-struggle getting positive associations from those who have an immediate disposition to the central imagery. The devil? Personally as a Christian I wish the logo reflected the core strengths of the brand (that TW is a company that treats other people the way they'd expect to be treated themselves - with excellent products and service) as opposed to being 'edgy' for the sake of it. However, negative brand associations can really burn into the brain whether you want it to or not - take the 'GoCompare' guy as a perfect example. The 'devil' logo is the antithesis to what the company represents and for that reason I'd like to see things change.

That being said, the comics and other creative coming out of Pillbox HQ all go to re-invent the central imagery to mean something entirely different. This is a great strategy - however it's pivotal to ensure that this supporting material gets out there.

There endeth my sermon

[DKR]

Well Lordy I have to say your thinking is similar to mine and I agree with you. English is not my first language so I guess I just couldn't put all my thoughts into 1 short, meaningful post 

I did not know there will be comics and other supporting material. Sounds really fun and it will really add a lot of depth to this brand. But I still think a logo like this can have a negative impact which shouldn't be neglected.
Hmm... maybe aTotally Wicked brand can have a nice logo that majority will like and then it can be spiced up a bit by having a special thematic range of Mr. Wicked products or accessories with this logo for example for those who really like to stand out

Anyway... it will never happen but I think that could be a solution

[cyborg]

Is the link to the comic not working now ? 
http://issuu.com/alainhr/docs/wicked_comic
I think that was it but its not working for me now.

[jediknight129]

meh if I ant to I can find people offended by any logo from the American Red cig companies KKK label to something as innocuousness as the coke label. bcause one group makes a statement that doesn't mean much,

as for the waaaaaaah the TW logo will get ecigs banned ZOMGZ!!! mentality I call BS. antis will try any tactic they need to ban something. if its as silly as the logo is satanic then thats a nice easy argument to take apart in rebuttal and make them a laughing stock.

[DKR]

This logo compared to no logo or to a neutral logo raises more eyebrows. And you obviously don't understand that this is a bad thing.
And the logo obviosuly won't be the sole reason for any ban. But will it help?

I mean seriously... imagine who you will be going against. For example in USA its the FDA, American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association... and other "trustworthy" organizations with good public support. And you would present yourself with a company which has a devil face in it's logo, on website,  ads...?  You call that a BS? 

Their sole intention will be to make e-cig companies look bad in public eyes. And even from a perspective of government officials who will be making this decision... You think a devil face is something that fills people with trust? Its all in the fking details.

Good job thinking outside of a box dude.

[lordy]

The fact that passions are running this high maybe says a lot!?   

[jediknight129]

I want the antis to be fixated on the logo, its an easy argument to destroy, we want them to put forward stupid arguments that we can destroy so that we as vapers are in control of the conversation. same as why I dont use the word ecig,  I use vaporizer because controlling the language controls the debate.

[Lettie22]

I'm with you jediknight -- I use "vaporizer" or "nicotine inhaler" or "ANDS" (alternative nicotine delivery system)!   

[8Ball]

Yes, and there are some other monikers to choose from.....      I seem to remember one that Jeff came up with ( I think it was Jeff)..... but that's one that I'm not going to repeat (and if I won't repeat it you know it's got to be bad!).

[pufferfish]

Are you talking about your Personal Electronic Nicotine Inhalation System, Nick?

[8Ball]

Mine?  erm, no?   Wasn't my acronym in the first place.  I was just sayin'.....

[jediknight129]

thats a good one wonder what else we could do.I have a few really crude ones as well.

[mikethepipe]

Most of the gear i have purchased from TW have not had a red devil logo on them. It's on the boxes but nothing on the product.

[MonkiMonster]

I think it's appropriate.  What else is the logo going to be?  A horned cherub, perhaps?

[Lettie22]

Hee hee Pufferfish thanks for sharing!   I loved that one:   "Personal Electronic Nicotine Inhalation System," whether it was Nick or Jeff who came up with that!   

[King of Villains]

I absolutely ADORE the Mr. Wicked logo!  I was upset that it wasn't actually screened ONTO the 510 atties rather than etched on the ring...same with the dual coil cartos...I wanted the Triple Coils because the logo was there, but couldn't use them with my 510 batts.

I wish they'd put the screen of it on the 1000mah Tornado batts.  There should be a click option in the dropdown when ordering "Add logo for $1.00".

Not trying to sound mean, but people really need to get over pretentious reservations about logos, symbols and such.  Again, not trying to be mean or hateful, but most of the social problems that we can see today are too closely tied in to people "being offended", most often times by things which shouldn't even concern them.

If this is the extent of problems in your life...a devil's head on an e-cig...then I envy you.

[lordy]

King of Villains, you're ALMOST right. People being offended is nothing new - the difference is the scale of the reaction to the things we find offensive. Everything is like a bipolar explosion these days! It's tolerance of opinions we find abhorent that has gone out the window.out the window.