As long as people have been selling things, they’ve been finding ways to attract customers. In other words, marketing goes a long, long way back. But did you know that some of the most important innovations in the history of marketing came from France?
Since we’re originally from Paris ourselves here at Calaméo, we took a look at five modern marketing innovations Made in France. Read on to learn more (and grab our très chic infographic to share)!
Free shipping (1852)
Before we dig in to the first innovation on our list, try to remember a time without free shipping. Does it seem like we were still paying those painful “shipping and handling” fees only a few years ago? Although free shipping feels like a 21st century necessity, customers of the French department store Le Bon Marché were already enjoying it in 1852. Any purchase over 25 Francs would be delivered to your home—at no extra charge.
And that’s not all. Le Bon Marché was the birthplace of a shopping revolution, thanks to new techniques such as newspaper advertising, in-store lounges and hands-on product displays. One last very modern feature to mention? A generous returns and exchanges policy.
Michelin Guide (1900)
Another of today’s marketing trends with a surprisingly long history is content marketing. Many trace its origin to France in 1900, when a tire company called Michelin published its first guide to the restaurants of France. With its free Guide, Michelin was hoping to encourage more French people to get behind the wheel and go grab dinner somewhere new. More hungry drivers traveling meant more tires to sell and marketing history was made.
Over the years, the Michelin Guide has evolved and grown into a powerful standalone brand. The coveted three-star rating still indicates that a restaurant is “worth a special journey” to visit. And content marketers everywhere are still trying to repeat its success.
Eiffel Tower ad (1925)
By the early 20th century, outdoor advertising was booming. Posters covered city walls, shops put up signs and billboards were appearing all over. More importantly, lots of these signs began making use of electricity to catch people’s attention in the 1920s. But something totally new was French automaker Citroën’s renting out the Eiffel Tower to use as a giant, electric ad. In 1925, the brand lit up the landmark with more than 250,000 bulbs spelling out CITROEN down the iconic structure.
This innovation capitalized on a famous monument, Paris’s century-old “City of Lights” nickname and new technology to make Citroën a part of the skyline. Plus, it created a true event: the ad illuminated the Eiffel Tower every year until 1934.
Online news (1984)
The history of marketing in France took a big step forward in 1984, when media companies first started publishing news and other types of content online. However, it wasn’t quite the “online” that we know today as the internet. Although the world wide web was born in the 1960s, another kind of network was developed in France: the Minitel. Accessed via telephone, Minitel terminals let users connect to an entire ecosystem of online information and services.
Almost as soon as Minitel became available to French consumers, media companies like the newspaper Libération published content to the service. While the Minitel network was closed in 2012, French marketers proved that they were ready to experiment with new channels, monetization and technology.
Beauty AR (2017)
In the same vein, the last French marketing innovation on our list has to do with using technology to connect with customers. Released in 2017, the “Virtual Artist” feature on French beauty company Sephora’s app takes advantage of shoppers’ mobile phones to help solve a difficult problem: how to try out new makeup outside of the store. Using the app’s augmented reality tech, beauty fans can virtually apply different products and shades—then shop what they love.
Because the Pokémon Go phenomenon had already gotten quite a few users acquainted with augmented reality on their phones, Sephora’s Virtual Artist came along at a great time. And the beauty AR trend is still going strong today.
That concludes our quick look at milestones in the history of marketing from France. What’s next for marketing innovations: virtual reality, the 5G network or voice? Only time will tell what the next entry on our list will be. Until then, click here to download our infographic to save and share.
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At the end of 2023, whether on Facebook, Linkedin or Instagram, many brands (and influencers) have noticed a drop in reach and engagement on their social media. A consequence of channels saturated by the amount of content published every minute. So what kind of content should be created in 2024 to keep communicating effectively? Follow the 5 key trends we’ll be presenting in this article to help you overcome the decline in your social media metrics.
1. Dark social
In 2024, it’s important to offer content that can be shared privately. To do this, your content needs to be so well matched to your target audience, that they’ll share it with their acquaintances in a private message.
You can also offer private experiences between your brand and its customers, such as exclusive groups or private discussion channels.
Video is still king. But by 2024, vertical videos are expected to be longer, lasting several minutes. Note, however, that even longer videos need to be well-paced. Internet users must have no time to get bored.
💡TIP: Use these formats preferably in 2024: stories, vertical videos and live broadcasts.
3. Useful content
Whether to inspire or to inform, content must be of real use to the viewer. Empty or narcissistic content is no longer interesting. You need to offer content with high added value if you want Internet users to be interested in your brand. Don’t talk about yourself, talk about your audience: their needs, their expectations, and offer them content that inspires or educates them.
💡 TIP: To create content that’s useful to your audience, you first need to clearly define your target.
4. Entertaining content
The other type of content you can offer your audience to improve your reach is entertaining content. Choosing the angle of entertainment and humor is an excellent idea in 2024 since “making people laugh” or “entertaining people” means creating an emotional bond with your audience, who will be able to remember this when choosing between you and your competitors.
💡 TIP: Be careful, not all types of humor and entertainment will suit your brand, or your target, it’s up to you to find the one that fits.
5. User-generated content (UGC)
This latest type of trendy content underlines the need for authenticity. With UGC, the consumer speaks directly to the audience. And what better way to convince a consumer than with the opinion of another consumer? Content of this type allows you to play on your audience’s identification with the creator of the UGC.
💡 TIP: There are now many freelancers specializing in UGC creation.
Conclusion
It seems clear that the basis of content trends for 2024 is the same: it’s all about knowing your target audience. With a clear idea of your target, it will be very easy for your brand to create useful, entertaining and shareable content to boost your social networks.
You can’t have missed it: in graphic design, the color blue is everywhere. It’s even the most popular color for logos! So, from turquoise to sapphire, cobalt to azure, let’s investigate why blue is so ubiquitous.
Here is a quick summary of the themes that we will cover in this article:
Let’s start with an accurate definition of the color blue.
Blue: a simple primary color?
As we learned early on at school: blue is a primary color. However, it’s not quite that simple. In the additive color model (or RGB for Red, Green, Blue), which is used to define the colors diffused on our screens on websites and digital communications, blue is indeed a primary color. Yet for printed materials, the primary blue shade used is actually a cyan tint (blue-green). The printing industry uses the subtractive color model, or CMYK for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black.
The many hues of blue
Blue is a chromatic color, composed of hundreds of shades between green and violet.
Although blue is considered a cool color (as opposed to a warm red), shades of blue can be warmer or cooler depending on their undertones. The undertones are the secondary colors that are mixed with your blue: a little green will give you a peacock blue or teal, for example.
In addition, saturation also plays an important role: from a dull hue (blue-gray) to a vibrant hue (electric blue).
Finally, brightness will also determine your shade of blue: from a deep, dark shade like midnight blue, to a light shade like sky blue.
So, if you used to say that blue was your favorite color, you can now be more precise! As we have just seen, the range of blue is very wide. You probably have a preference between navy blue, pastel blue and electric blue!
💡TIP: The choice is yours! Be creative when choosing a shade of blue, don’t use a shade that is too close to your competitors’.
Blue and civilizations: history and perceptions
Now that we have defined the color blue, let’s begin to answer our question about the ubiquity of this color in graphic design by focusing on its history and its relationship to past and present civilizations.
A short history of the color blue
The birth of “blue”
This may surprise you, but blue was only born in the Middle Ages. Before that, neither its name nor its concept had been defined. In other words, blue was not a notion that existed at that time for human beings. However, this does not mean that there were no blue objects, just that blue was not considered a color in its own right. Anything blue was described with the colors that existed at the time. It’s very difficult to conceive of in this day and age!
A history of pigments
Blue is rarely found in nature, and natural blue pigments are therefore scarce. As a matter of fact, the only natural blue pigments come from indigo (a plant), pastel (a plant) and lapis lazuli (a mineral).
Civilizations quickly learned how to create synthetic blue pigments. The first of these was invented by the Egyptians in ancient times, called Egyptian blue. Prussian blue, Cobalt blue and Phthalocyanine blue are some other examples of synthetic blue pigments.
It is interesting to note that although blue did not yet have a name, human beings already seemed to be fascinated by this color to the point of trying to create pigments.
Blue and perceptions
Past perceptions
Today, blue is a color that is part of our daily lives, but this was not always the case. In ancient Rome, blue was despised: it was a symbol of ridicule and even associated with barbarians.
From the Middle Ages, the color took on a divine connotation and it started to appear on many religious works of art. It then became the color of the monarchy (of divine rights) a little later.
Finally, in the 20th century, all of humanity embraced the color blue when blue jeans came into fashion.
Current perceptions
As we have seen, depending on the era or culture, the feelings and connotations associated with certain colors can vary. Let’s take a look at current perceptions around the color blue.
In English, we say “feeling blue” to describe feelings of depression, but when we have “blue skies ahead” it means that we are optimistic about the future. In French, “être fleur bleue” means to be romantic or sentimental, and “avoir une peur bleue” means scared to death! So, blue can evoke several disparate images depending on the language.
Here are a few examples of different perceptions associated with the color blue:
Current universal perceptions
confidence
security
eternity
calm
peace
freedom
nostalgia
Specific cultural perceptions
nobility, royalty: royal blue, to have “blue blood”
workers: “blue collar” laborers, as opposed to “white collar” office workers
💡TIP: Although the feelings commonly associated with the color blue are calm and confidence, it is always a good idea to check the perception of each hue you plan to use in your communications against your target audience and their culture.
Blue in art
We couldn’t talk about blue in graphic design without also mentioning blue in art. Of course, graphic design draws inspiration from art! We can find blue in many works of art: from Van Gogh’s Starry Night to Hokusai’s The Great Wave to Andy Warhol’s Colored Mona Lisa.
So, while we will only cite a few interesting examples of the use of blue in art below, there are certainly many others.
The Jardin Majorelle
Have you heard of this villa and garden in Morocco, painted entirely in a special cobalt blue shade? It has become a very famous destination because it is so unique.
French painter Jacques Majorelle was inspired by Marrakesh and built a villa with its own botanical garden in the 1930s. But he did not stop there, he also created the “Majorelle blue” color and decided to paint the walls of his villa with it.
This garden has become a huge source of inspiration for artists and creatives, notably for French fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent.
💡 REMEMBER: Use blue in bold, new, unexpected, and inspiring ways.
Yves Klein: IKB blue
Let’s focus now on another inventor of blue: Yves Klein. He is the creator of IKB blue, or International Klein Blue, a shade close to ultramarine blue. He is a visual artist who used his invention, the IKB, in many works, including monochrome, meaning using only this color.
💡 REMEMBER: You can use blue as a trademark, a unique blue that makes you recognizable.
Picasso: the Blue Period
Our final example of the use of blue in art is Picasso’s Blue Period from 1901 to 1904. Deeply affected by the death of a loved one, the young painter began to paint in shades of blue to express his grief.
💡 REMEMBER: Colors can relay messages and express feelings.
Blue in graphic design and brand visual identity
After our extensive theoretical overview on the color blue, which we hope will have convinced you of its importance, let’s move on to a practical study: how do brands use blue? Plus, how to use it well in your brand identity and, by extension, in your digital publications on Calaméo.
Because blue is humankind’s favorite color, it seems obvious that using it in your designs is a good idea since it will appeal to a very large portion of your clients and prospects. In addition, there are many positive associations with this color: confidence, peace, calm. People will associate your brand with these qualities instantly.
So, just by using blue in your brand style guide, the public will have a positive perception of your brand.
For the user experience
In graphic design, it’s important to focus on the user experience and make it as pleasant as possible for everyone. Blue being the color least affected by color vision disorders, it is a good choice for your graphic design.
Examples of blue in brand style guides
To help you use blue in your visual identity and in your communications, here are some interesting examples of the use of blue in brand style guides and good ideas to inspire your creativity.
Ikea: unmistakable
How can we talk about blue in graphic design without talking about Ikea? Ikea uses two strong colors that stand out and give a unique and recognizable visual identity. It’s probably the only furniture store that you are able to recognize from afar, wherever you are in the world, thanks to its blue and yellow sign and blue exterior.
💡 REMEMBER: Partner two strong colors that contrast, such as complementary colors, for a big impact. For example: combine blue with orange or yellow tones.
These distinctive colors reflect those of the Swedish flag. This choice reinforces Ikea’s brand identity: from the names of the products to the types of dishes offered in their restaurants to their brand style guide…all of these elements emphasize the company’s origins.
💡REMEMBER: Use specific colors to reinforce your brand identity.
Major players on the web: all in shades of blue
Among the major Internet companies, almost all of their logos are blue. You can see some examples above. What at the beginning was perhaps a strategic choice seems to have turned into a trend. We can imagine that the choice of a blue logo of the first entities on the Internet reflects the desire to have an image of stability and confidence in this new virtual world that seemed ephemeral. As a result, blue logos are now associated with tech and web companies.
💡REMEMBER: Study your competitors and their brand style guides; if they all use the same codes, there may be a reason.
Calaméo: blue for emphasis
Finally, we wanted to tell you about our use of blue. Although blue is not our main color and does not appear in our logo, we do have a very specific use for it. We use blue to highlight and emphasize important messages. As you can see, on our blog the links are in blue and stand out.
💡REMEMBER: You can use a shade of blue in your graphic design without it being a main color. Do not hesitate to give it a specific function.
In this respect, many brands use blue in their visual identity, and the color performs different functions for each. From main color to accent color, it is a matter of finding the best way to incorporate this color in your style guide so that it completes your brand and identity.
Blue is a fascinating color: its history, its many uses in art, and all its different meanings and connotations. That’s why blue has become an essential color in graphic design.
Don’t hesitate to use it in your brand identity and in your digital publications. Blue used with ingenuity, in an original shade or in combination with unusual shades, will make you stand out and will make your content unforgettable.