“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward.

And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.

Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

- Apple “Think Different” Campaign

Photo credit: AP Photo/Paul Sakuma

My mother is obsessed with her iPhone. While she taps away on her touchscreen all day, she asks me why I don’t trade in my “clearly less superior” iPod nano (5th generation) for Apple’s newer flagship device. My typical response is that my iPod is my music device and nothing more, and that’s the way I like it, thank you very much.

But then people started using Facebook from their iPhones. Then Angry Birds became popular to play on-the-go. Now, all of my friends have started playing Words with Friends (appropriately).

But me? I’m still here with my iPod. And I’m starting to think my mom has a point.

We are approaching an age of the all-or-nothing device. Phones aren’t appealing to consumers unless they can offer Internet access, Skype capabilities, a slew of apps, e-mail, a GPS, video players, and music, just to name a few features. The basic iPod, which is only a music (and sometimes video) player, simply can’t compete anymore, and so its brand is suffering a slow demise.

The iPhone, on the other hand, is so adept at meeting every technological need that Apple is willing to let the iPod brand be exceedingly eclipsed by the iPhone brand. Why would Apple invest time and money to revive an increasingly irrelevant iPod brand, when it can minimally advertise the lucrative iPhone and garner massive earnings?

By choosing to essentially leave its iPod brand strategy alone, Apple’s sales are starting to reflect iPhone domination. Where iPod sales superseded those of iPhones by $13 million in 2010, that amount shrunk to only a $3 million difference in the first quarter of 2011. If the sales gap diminished that much in just one year, the outlook seems very favorable for iPhones.

The iPod brand’s last saving grace could be its highly established brand image. Like it or not, iPhones will always have their roots from the iPod brand, both in name and in likeness – and many people will always refer collectively to the products as “iPod” devices. Even so, it will be difficult for iPods to hold their own in the coming years against their all-encompassing, digital successors.

Contributed by Allison Meeks

From new sizes to a new logo, the Starbucks brand has seen many changes in the last year. Following the introduction of wine and beer to its menu options, Starbucks has also extended its food offerings.

Starbucks is introducing a line of “ bistro boxes,” in snack and entree sizes, priced from $4.95 to $6.95 and all under 500 calories. The initial entrees are chipotle chicken wraps, sesame noodles, chicken lettuce wraps and salumi and cheese. The new menu items reflect a ramped-up emphasis on food at Starbucks, which has generally focused on breakfast sandwiches and pastries.

From booze to bistro boxes, Starbucks has moved far beyond the classic cup of joe. The Starbucks brand started with a focus on coffee. Baristas were trained in coffee knowledge and served high quality coffee due the strict control over the quality and processing of the beans. Aroma, atmosphere, flavor and store design stimulated all five senses and contributed to an overall “Starbucks Experience.”

Though food items are nothing new, previously served pastries acted as complements to the coffee. As the menu at Starbucks keeps growing, edible items are standing out on their own. I don’t want to wash down my chipotle chicken with a vanilla latte. Add other innovations such as books and music to the mix and it’s no surprise  Starbucks dropped the word “coffee” from its name and logo.

New ideas and expanded menus don’t appear to be a problem for Starbucks loyalists. With corporate restructuring plans in place and new stores opening in India and Vietnam, expansion of the Starbucks brand doesn’t seem to be slowing any time soon.

From color scheme to font, companies place great importance on compelling package design for their brands. Now, one of the most overlooked parts of a package—the barcode—is getting an artful makeover.

Consumers are influenced by the entire experience of a product. That experience begins with packaging. A package is more than just a container. It is an asset that can motivate a purchase, making the outside just as important as what’s inside.

“Little clever barcodes seem to be all the rage across a variety of products in the consumer packaging world,” said Nick Irwin, Senior Graphic Designer at Addison Whitney. “Although, I do see it as a superfluous and trendy, it’s good to see these quaint design elements because each barcode is individualistic and can really fortify a brand message if done right.”

Form meets function as traditional black and white lines and numbers are taking the shape of famous buildings, blades of wheat and bubbles. According to the Wall Street Journal, the trend is popular with smaller companies, but one of the world’s largest food companies, Nestle SA, is even trying out vanity barcodes on some of its brands. For example, Nestle’s Juicy Juice Sparkling Fruit Juice Beverage has bubbles rising up from its barcodes, and its Skinny Cow low-calorie dessert line features barcodes shaped like a cow’s spot. Consumer-goods companies hope these vanity barcodes will better connect with customers and help their product stand out in a crowded marketplace.