Author: Chona Fe Canlas - Writer. Artist. Designer.

Chona creates powerful content poised on the edge of innovation and the mainstream. She seeks out new concepts and strategies aimed to help businesses advance in branding, marketing & sales. She specializes in creative/technical writing, brand strategy and art direction.

A Work in Progress

Hi everyone!

People wonder what I do, how I do it and why (golden circle). My blog provides answers to these questions.

To get you started, here is a profile and business model that I have been developing for BLOX/Blox. Communications.

As BLOX –

  1. I do writing, art and design.
  2. I do it for enjoyment, for education and for the development of my brain.
  3. My work targets a specific niche that caters to creative and technical authors, digital artists and designers who are innovative yet mainstream, and who work passionately and effectively in their particular domains.

As Blox. Communications –

  1. I do branding, marketing and sales.
  2. I do it for guidance, for learning and for the development of my ideal customer/source audience (1000 followers on Instagram by September 2020).
  3. My work targets a specific niche that caters to brand experts, marketers and digital specialists who are innovative yet mainstream, and who work passionately and efficiently in their particular domains.

I’m excited to share this information with you and welcome any comments.

Let’s start!

PROFILE

Blox is an artistic identity that was developed in the early 2000s. Since then, it has become a moniker for Chona’s creative + technical work embodying explorations of (a concept called) Digital Presence. She explores its relationship to topics surrounding the business and execution of art in digital marketing.

It is important to focus on our direct connection to customer needs, emotions and competitive environments. Selling is often an important feature and for success, we should present fluent work for customers to engage with.

As a creative director, Chona dreams of influencing the corporate landscape, impacting HOW and WHY companies use art in digital marketing applications. For the next year or so, she plans to either upgrade her educational background or find a permanent position with an agency open to art, growth and creation.

In order to breed success, I understand that I must learn the ins and outs of working in an ad environment, how to manage marketing clients and how to fit in with the demands of a competitive and ever-changing industry.

 BUSINESS MODEL

This business model creates objective goals for  my work as a digital specialist, social media/brand strategist and creative director focused on Digital Presence. I would like to create projects that incite wonder, plus change. I believe my experience and approach can create long-term impact for clients engaged with today’s latest digital platforms.

I will ask you this about your business:

  1. How did it all begin?
  2. What does your business need help with today?
  3. What is the spirit of your company?
  4. How can we improve your Digital Presence?

GOALS

a) To develop BRAND IDENTITY via transparent, accurate & responsible communication.
b) To promote GROWTH + ATTENTION using state of the art processes and techniques.
c) To cultivate COMPREHENSION of digital presence using a Simpler & Larger approach.

MISSION

Simpler & Larger – To produce work that is easily understood and done, so that businesses can consider a greater capacity.

VALUES

1. INTEGRITY is a choice of being honest; it encompasses consistent standards & ideas that impact a greater picture.
2. TRANSPARENCY is how actions are observable; it brings clarity & accuracy to communication where multiple parties are involved.
3. BELIEF is trust and confidence in our audience and work; it promotes the realities of the digital landscape through careful management of the creative process & its outcomes.

APPROACH

I approach my work with professionalism, courage and open-mindedness. I break it down this way –

I) Be professional; make a statement.
II) Have courage to make large moves; understand the difference between path and journey.
III) Be optimistic; express gratitude – open-mindedness can create a tidal wave effect.

FOCUSES

Communications
Strategy Development
Art Direction
Branding
Advertising
Promotions
Digital Marketing
Design
Research
Social Media
The Customer Journey
Creative Writing
Technical Writing
Campaign Creation
Content Creation
Sales
Adaptive Learning
Analytics
AI

This document is updated regularly, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

8 – Swimming

The chlorinated water stung her eyes. Daisy continued to grimace, holding her breath and paddling her arms amid graphic stingrays and intermittently exiting, bobbing jellyfish. The clock’s numbers were vibrantly green and for everyone waiting in the pool hall, silence waiting for Daisy to come up again.

That should do it. One red bling and one blue, right? She dove down deep to retrieve the jewels, opened her sight side and slipped each bling around one elbow at a time. She started to feel pressure building up and the water was shifting to purple. She knew, she only had so long to carry herself back to the top.

The audience gasped. Would she make it up in time? Nothing was blinging. The tiny green flags that sporadically twitched began releasing scents of star anise. The animals started to exit. They’ve seen enough of this to know, they had won once again. Even Shady and Slime left carrying newspapers and bamboo fibre mugs filled with nothing.

Daisy was officially up and her yellow-lime, green suit still had a bit of light going off. She carefully pruned her wet hair and felt a bit of black grease on the surface. Her fingers vibrated, making her starved. Is someone going to bring me a ham and cheese biscuit? It didn’t seem like it. It seemed freezing. Off-putting, really. She shook her head in a frenzy.

Down at the discotech, animals mingled with Others and creatures of all kinds. This particular store had been up since 1915, although only known to mankind since 2020. It became an entranceway for exportation. Stuff like new bed reclines or barbecued pork chop muffins. A discotech was not so much for dancing anymore. It was a space for replacing products that required an elevated service.

Daisy only visited once a year. She brought two blings, hoping to exchange them for sweet lemons and grass seed. When she would be able to return home, she would plant both, growing an aromatic space conducive to Each Other showing their faces once again. She missed them. When they left, there were no more sarcastic antics, there was only commenting.

Seventeen clutched her way through the jungly roughage, trying to bring sight back to her millions, in a way so they could both understand. Their relationship was deep, so deep that they barely communicated anymore. Thoughts were transmuted through IT or in sets of threes (the three most dominant voices in Daisy’s mind – Being, Artha and Manipura). It was hard to decipher love during digital warfare. She was right across from him, but they were a thousand years apart. He looked away, confused and horrified.

She sweated once. The mirror sang. They both waited for the reflection of Being; the union of Elevententeen.

Fighting is not complicated, it’s wrong. We should not resort to id. So, where does our ego belong?

7 – Breathe Life

The train made its usual stop at Chon. Chon was the last remaining urban centre, where transforming humans dabbled in post-consumerist delights like colourful French macarons and antique Balenciaga dad pants. It was a place for fun and rest.

Daisy sat up. She was awake for the last little while, finishing her sandwich and still wondering about Mr. Beaver in the hat. He was gone, probably somewhere between Life Space and Elevententeen. She was happy to be at Chon. She wondered if her best friend from Calgary was there. It was Linz, she worked for WestJet, a now defunct flight carrier that was sold off to Indigo, a distributor of Paradise Colours. Really, the world was so different now. The practice of social media marketing was a language in and of itself. Depending on one’s digital cognition, it could provide sustenance to an audience or increase the relativity of binary disease. After all this time, survival of the fittest was still the game. Humans didn’t want to be sick. They didn’t want to be dead or alive. They wanted to be living, breathing real air and doing regular chores.

As she stepped off the bus (she’s been off the train for A Day now), Daisy headed to the Nike outlet, so she could change her clothes into something more beguiling. Her mind thought of lime green, neon orange polka dots and always-always white eyelet lace. Daisy picked something out. While waiting, she made her third eye blind to prevent identity thieves from crushing her steez, then headed to the wall of bags to pick something out to put it all in.

Afterwards, she stopped at Yoga Passage. It was that time of day again to reset and recharge. Yoga was literally a moment to decompress. Everything left your body as your soul lay suspended in a hue of neon pink. Rearranging locations and transformations, so you could see properly. Daisy practiced yoga once, when she was young and did not finish her teacher training practice. Alice from Wonderland stopped a sour pursuit of a man named Justin Patterson, as he would have led her to full-fledged inebriation. The relationship was stopped by a major car alternative.

Lying in Savasana, Daisy fondled her mat, remembering that life filled with creativity and ideas can shut places to smithereens. She closed her lids and drifted off into space. She could see letter z’s italicized, drifting into time followed by baby emoji apples and puffy digital rainbows. It was the stuff of her man-made dreams. Visions, they come in Elevententeen.

Do you see orange or blue?

6 – The Train Naps

Daisy was out, then she arose. She could feel the left side of her neck, bent out of shape and sore from sleeping on it bent. And the train was still moving across moist carpeted land or moss coloured greenery, however you wanted to see it. The trees, they looked like LEGO pieces. She didn’t quite understand when she transitioned back, but she was glad to be here, smelling the faint stink of a ham and cheese biscuit.

You don’t actually want to see the workings of Elevententeen. What’s behind it is extremely frightening. The framework is made up of spider-like grids, when you see it, they move and pulse like a living thing. Daisy shuddered at the mere thought of it. She quickly patted her yellow eyelet dress to ensure it was still in existence. Another way to halt the screams (screams occur when your brain computes the framework) was to enter Elevententeen with a very specific wardrobe, preferably containing bold colours, pattern and texture.

Sighing, Daisy remembered what it was like in social media school learning about plain stuff. Graphic art and design attributes were existential now, they served no purpose. People only wanted multi-dimensional graphics, that breathed and pulsed and held meaning. I guess altering genetics in 2019 completely erased the human need for new things and surprisingly, technology. It no longer occurred. It was too fickle and rambunctious; nobody cared. It was now about Artha, Manipura and finding pure bling that could get you back through the framework unnoticed.

There were no humans on the train today, only empty seats and a refined beaver quietly sipping Earl Grey. “Well, he looks…dry…and  relaxed…so he must have come from the land.” The beaver heard and adjusted his frames while cocking his head North East. He wanted to see if he could grab the newspaper from thin air instead of having to hold it in his hands. Paper was so archaic, he thought. Daisy wasn’t sure if he noticed her. Her heart skipped a beat and she stopped for a moment memory, as he again adjusted himself out of what looked like discomfort. Inhaling a deep breath, they both fell deeply asleep. The reflection on the mirror was blank. Someone had switched time and space, again. What was going to happen?

Logo Design

Hi everyone! Here are a couple of funky collages containing recent logo work designed for Blox (Blox. Communications requires a corporate image, so more on that later).

The Blox logo is a study on minuscule composition, where the subject matter is paradoxically enlarged in comparison to the traditional meanings we normatively attach to logos. Each logo is a project in itself, undertaken with massive charisma as the final piece must speak to the idea of liberty in design and the humour found in the seriousness of brand identification.

A logo thus indicates fun. Why does it have to be the same every time? Can our audience begin to understand the concept of change? And can this change be something ethereal and definitive, because gosh darn, it compels you to say, “I don’t understand?”

So then, we must connect our audience to basic things that work underneath context to bear a logo with simplistic meaning. Visual design elements are a foundation to understanding the essence of a statement. The viewer will say, “Oh, that green and that red are complimentary. This works for me.” Or, “That paint pouring down resembles the shape of that banana. Why is there a banana in this?” WHY is there a banana in this logo? Peel. Peel away the layers, to find a tasty meaning. “The peony, is it for me?” Well, doesn’t that make you feel nice? 

We must find ways to evolve harmlessly. It doesn’t hurt anyone to have fun. But it hurts to see thoughtless design. But, who am I to judge? The show must go on (onto the next logo) and the work will still appear on a van. Have a look and edit it in your mind. Make it better. Make it run and most importantly, try to consider a logo as a gift from the world of design. 

Which is your favorite? What type of imagery would you like to see? Colours?

 

collage (13)

collage (9)

Hub Concept

Hi everyone! This post applies mainly to web design. Find strength in your structure and harmony in your layout using The Hub Concept.

Composing Experience

The Hub Concept is a compositional structure that creates an effective visual centre of information. By strategically composing numerous content and design elements in a way that reflects the brand’s motives, viewers can become a part of the total, encompassing experience (the experience is a motivating force that captivates the audience).

At VanWhistle Media, this concept was used to develop the website for 360 Integrative Medical Centre. Their modern facility approach focuses on providing customers with an immersive centre of services, so it made sense to parallel  their mission by ensuring that the structure of their website was also, an effective visual centre of information. When used alongside the 3-click rule, The Hub Concept can decrease bounce rate and increase viewer satisfaction (or the motivating forces that captivate your audience).

The Hub Concept can be applied to other areas of advertising and digital marketing. For example: billboard/banner design or social media post formats.

Just Like School

Always think of building fortitude (through strength in your structure and harmony in your layout) with determination. The key is to apply your original ideas in their fullest state. You need to make notes mentally or physically, so that you can remember what your original intention was. Then, research and find connections. Clarify your original ideas, don’t change them necessarily, make practical and structured edits, so that the real (fullest) idea can come into fruition.

Determination builds character and so it will do the same for your website. Don’t think about making things the same as others; think about defining your business’ identity through formatting and careful, structured planning. The Hub Concept represents the full evolution of your content and design elements working together, with integrity + synergy.

Then, you arrive at the next level, acquiring a Simpler & Larger capacity. The way it feels is that things should start to roll off your shoulders and you will probably feel more calm and relaxed. We don’t need to feel pressure or anxious at all. It will come together naturally. Even during the next stage of criticism. The power of The Hub Concept is that, it is all there – explanation and  information. We don’t fall, we slide down! Hear what they have to say, and believe me, room will remain.

Do you have other examples of this idea put to work? Let’s hear about it! 

 

 

Digital Presence

Hi everyone! Let’s get right to it!

Digital  presence. As marketers, we want to talk about it. We want our clients to be aware, so they can be responsible for their own success. We want to give them a model to follow so that they can apply their ideas, optimize process and make streamlined business decisions more effectively. One way to understand how this can work, is to follow a simple model that outlines four core digital marketing services + concepts, working alongside a digital marketing strategy (Digital Presence Business Model).

Here’s a brief synopsis –

The Digital Presence Business Model simplifies the functionality of four core digital marketing services. When I developed this model for VanWhistle Media, the four core services used were – web development, social media management, SEO and branding. Following another model called Simpler & Larger, we connect the services to a few simple ideas as a way to keep a primary focus. Simpler & Larger is a basic notion that work should be easily understood and done, so that the business can consider a greater capacity. The harmony between concept and functionality makes it easier to apply the services each step of the way. And used together, the services become intact, stable and strong. Your brand’s core attributes will become more refined and you will begin to see fluidity and consistency throughout your total business approach.

image

The 4 core services and their core concepts are:

  1. Web Development – IDENTITY (analytical, logical, objective); left-brained; efficiency
  2. Social Media Management – IMAGE (intuitive, thoughtful, subjective); right-brained; passion
  3. Branding – CORE (central, definite, overall); heart; innovation
  4. Search Engine Optimization – FOOTPRINT (forward thinking, capacity, evolution); brain; mainstream

I am currently using a variation of this model to explore social media as a tool to establish/solidify brand strategy/identity. Using the brain, we can equalize the impressions we create based on our personalities and emotional predispositions. This is in development, but if you would like to hear more about it let me know! Also, check it out on my Instagram account – @chona_canlas.

Brand Names

Hi everyone! Branding is about consistency. Consistency in the words and language used to describe what you sell and do. Plus, if we can make personal connections to our messaging (visual communication), our audience will see better (think Visual Transparency).

Okay, let’s ride.

If your brand delivers quality products and/or services, creates exceptional digital exposure and aligns with your customers’ values, then we will begin to associate your brand with positivity (reciprocal awareness, ideology, experience, emotion etc.).

Wow, this website shows their products in a sensible order / the product descriptions are detailed and personalized / this makes me think of the wool bucket hats my Grandmother made / I want to contact the store right now to see if they have the hats in stock. And so on and so forth. The buyer’s process is attentive. What we need to ask is – is the seller’s process absolute?

Timing differs from various perspectives. In marketing sales, process and planning may not always be aligned. We need to find ways to guarantee customer conversion, but how can this be done?

Like the beautiful calico print top you wore when you were three or like the rain splattered window you peered out of on your way home from piano lessons, our audience develops brand identity in the same way we develop thought processes. Hup 2 3 4, hup 2 3. I would even argue that the buyer’s process is creative and the seller’s process is technical.

Can we then leverage creativity in a technical way to ensure customer conversion? Perhaps a topic for Kevin David!

For example, we (Sellers & Buyers) make the same, dedicated connections when observing a special life experience. Then, this can be observed through products and services. We recall brand names and in the long-term, we remember who you are for what you can bring to the table. Then, the name you have chosen to attach to your products and/or services will become synonymous and eventually engrained in time.

Time is of the essence and proves that business can have longevity! Seems really obvious, but it isn’t.

This is the importance of material and conceptual brand development (transparency) — when our audience can automatically associate a brand name with positive things, they become our friends for life! And that’s the brand speaking. This is the beginning of things of ‘internet of things’ (IOT) or one aspect of artificial intelligence (AI) – visual communication, visual transparency and straight-up old transparency.

Post brought to you by the McDonald’s and Tim Hortons billboards on McBride Ave (heading north). 

🙂

Sensory Marketing

Hi everyone! Do you think about what you’re doing when you dive into a pool? Most of us are probably counting down or counting in (up people). Let’s explore sensory marketing!

Per @AlisteMarketing, sensory marketing is a method of selling products. It is a form of marketing that influences our perception of brands using multi-sensory experiences to establish positive emotional connections. 

For example, in web development and social media management you can combine the IDEA of audial, visual and tactile cues (think of ‘3D forms’ that impart tangibility and distinctive qualities to your content and design) to produce a highly memorable experience. This will help build anticipation of the service and/or product you are representing.

I say idea because the future of branding will remove all literal association. It won’t be required in our digital age. With the concept and on the other end, a way to serve it up, born is a style of marketing that encroaches art. This won’t be fear-based and cannot be avoided by the mainstream. Marketers will simply use the most base and recognized forms of digitization to attract a target audience.

So to expand, our senses make it REAL. As in, AI. A sense is a cue to uncover a more elaborate idea. For example, I smell cinnamon.  I am now picturing Cinnabon. Drive by. What’s more powerful? Seeing a Cinnabon sign or smelling their cinnamon? Our senses tell us what we want and what we don’t need.

Again, this is attached to our personal experience. What we didn’t have growing up. What we had too much of as a child. The ultimate irony with sensory marketing is that it removes attachment to the branding experience, but we still invest in the product! This is ubiquity — there; not based on want, but desire.

Bottoms up!

Sensational Language

Hi everyone! What you see is what you get. Or is it?

C3E132CA-A3DC-45F2-8249-EBFDE04FE314Design will always suggest a certain power. As marketers, incite wonder and change. Use words, use language. Have us look, have us see. Sensational marketing. What would it be?

Questioning guys, questioning!