Corporate transparency in focus on crisis management

In these days when companies are reviewing and reinterpreting the forms of communication they maintain with their stakeholders and are seeking different ways to diversify them, corporate transparency is starting to gain a more solid footing in the modern business world and is starting to become a fundamental element in corporate communication.

The concept of corporate transparency, which we do not define with a narrow perspective such as only openly sharing the economic and financial status of the institution, covers the management of a very comprehensive process from the visibility of decision-making mechanisms to the transparent communication of strategic goals.

Globalization and digital transformation, the two most important concepts that continue to occur more rapidly than in the past, make the role of transparency in corporate reputation management even more evident.

Corporate transparency as the focus of the conceptual framework

If we need to briefly mention at the beginning, the concept of corporate transparency is a systematic approach that ensures that all activities carried out by an organization in any form are understandable, traceable and auditable by all stakeholders of the organization.

As I mentioned, corporate transparency is not only about making financial data public. From how decision-making mechanisms within the organization work to supply chain policy, from reporting the company's interactions with the environment to promotion and salary policies, data of very different scopes and dimensions can technically be made publicly available within the scope of the corporate transparency strategy.

Another concept that is conceptually intertwined with transparency and is often confused with each other is accountability. These two concepts are intertwined and it would not be wrong to describe the relationship between them as symbiotic.

To give a simple example, the transparency of an institution is a prerequisite for the managers who manage this company to be held accountable for the results of the decisions they make; this is of critical importance, especially if the company is publicly traded, to ensure that shareholder rights are protected.

The development of corporate transparency on a global scale

We see that the first demands for institutions to be more transparent emerged in the scandals we started to hear in almost every part of the world in the 1990s and in the financial crises that occurred in different periods.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which came into force in 2002 after the audit scandal involving Houston energy company Enron and resulting in the bankruptcy of the company, is important in terms of reshaping transparency standards in the field of financial reporting on a global scale.

This act is a law that brings comprehensive auditing and financial regulation to publicly traded companies and its main goal is to create legislation that helps protect all stakeholders from accounting errors and fraudulent practices.

Another standard that defines transparency on an international scale is the OECD Corporate Governance Principles and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The main purpose of these governance principles is to evaluate and improve the institutional framework for corporate structures and to provide guidance for investors, companies and those who want to improve their corporate development processes.

Thanks to blockchain-based management systems or artificial intelligence-supported production, planning, financing and reporting tools that are of interest to everyone today, there is no need to make a special effort to be transparent and the possibility of intervention in processes is reduced. Perhaps what needs to be understood is that digitalization has completely changed what we understand by transparency.

What is the importance of transparency in corporate communication and what are the fundamental differences between transparency and accountability?

I can count crisis management as one of the places where corporate transparency gains the most importance.

I see in practice that the importance of corporate transparency is increasing day by day in order to manage and protect reputation and to minimize the effects of crisis.

Crisis management requires the corporate structure to openly accept the current and experienced situation and to convey the correct information to its stakeholders in a timely, complete and continuous manner. This communication approach prevents the wrong people from circulating false information that will affect the course of the event and helps to protect its reputation by establishing public trust in the corporate structure by preventing the risks created by information gaps from negatively affecting the entire process.

If institutions try to hide the existence of this crisis in crisis situations or distort information about the situation / remain silent about the distortion, this will result in a loss of trust and reputation.

In many contexts, when we talk about improving brand communication, brand awareness and brand perception, perhaps the worst thing that can happen to a company is for its brand value to be damaged by incorrect crisis management.

Transparency also provides a competitive advantage among competitors in the same sector. Procter & Gamble’s Connect + Develop program is a strategy based on open innovation and joint development processes.

The main goal of this program is to ensure that approximately half of the new products and technologies come from the company’s suppliers. In this way, P&G aims to benefit from the talents of thousands of experts in the field from different parts of the world, not just its own research team.

Another company that has taken remarkable steps in terms of transparency is IKEA. The comprehensive climate and sustainability reports it has published with the aim of becoming a climate positive company by 2030 are an important and striking example. The data in these reports show that the brand acts with a responsibility that covers the transformation not only in its own products and operations but also in all its suppliers and customers.

Although transparency and accountability are complementary concepts in the institutional context, it is important not to overlook that their focuses are different.

Transparency, by definition, is the institution's open, clear, understandable and timely presentation of its ongoing activities, the decisions taken by its managers and the final performance to its stakeholders, while its main goal is to share information.

Accountability, on the other hand, is the institution's assumption of existing and emerging responsibilities expected to be fulfilled in line with the data and information shared within the scope of transparency policies and, in short, its acceptance of being responsible for its actions.

In short, you can summarize transparency as disclosing information and accountability as assuming responsibility for situations that arise as a result of this information.

Establishing institutional transparency, putting it into practice and transparency auditing

Transparency policies of institutional structures should be compatible with the fundamental values ​​of the structure and it should not be overlooked that this should be achieved with a comprehensive and systematic roadmap.

When determining the transparency policy, first the current status and institutional structure of the institution are thoroughly examined and analyzed, the gaps between the current status, the set target are determined, how they will be closed are planned within the framework of clear and explicit rules. This plan should include improvements, developments, investments and changes in the organizational context.

The transparency policy aims to provide stakeholders with regular, understandable information about institutional activities, decision-making processes and the use of resources.

Rules are created that encourage information sharing within the institutional structure, ensure data security and determine the standards of transparency. These should include decision-making processes, making financial and operational information suitable for sharing with the public, what ethical values ​​are and how accountability mechanisms work.

Having these in a clear and understandable form supports everyone working within the structure to adopt and implement transparency standards. The created policy texts are shared with all management, employees and stakeholders in written and multimedia form, ensuring that people are informed about them.

Transparency policies are implemented through internal and external audit mechanisms, the board of directors and audit bodies monitor the applicability of this policy, follow performance indicators, determine the frequency and format of data publication, and update the policy when necessary.

Why do institutions tend to avoid transparency?

Every company has trade secrets, strategies and data that provide competitive advantage that they want to keep to themselves, and there is nothing more natural than wanting to keep these to themselves, and corporate transparency is not just about wrapping all the data about the company in a cute bouquet and making it public with a pack of liqueur chocolates.

The existence of competitors is the main concern that pushes companies away from transparency. Another reason is technically a bit more personal; errors originating from the company's operation, the desire to hide the company's weaknesses and the possibility that financial problems that are not preferred to be visible may shake the trust of investors and stakeholders.

On the other hand, regardless of the sector and the type of model they work with, there are deficiencies in the corporate governance plans of companies. Especially in emerging markets, the fact that the boards of directors and the audit committees that will supervise them are not fully independent in their work and their effectiveness are limited is a striking obstacle to the establishment of transparency in the corporate culture. This limited area of ​​​​action also strengthens the tendency for companies to only make public the data they desire and that will strengthen and shine their image.

It is an important issue that the legislation has not been developed in a way that shows how and in what way financial and non-financial information will be shared and how it should be read and evaluated.

The most important thing to accept is that transparency will bring with it a cost, I have not even mentioned the bureaucratic work yet. The comprehensive reporting works required for transparency, the audits that need to be carried out, and the continuous and open sharing of information will take up the resources and time of SMEs.

It is important not to ignore that the transparency of an organization, regardless of its type, will reveal ethical problems and corruption, highlight the problems that need to be solved, and force those who manage the company to account for their work...

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A brief look at Camper’s digital marketing strategy, with a focus on silent video ads

One of the most important sources of inspiration for the brand, which is shaped by the dichotomy of tradition and innovation and blends industrial design with traditional handcraftsmanship in shoe production, is of course the Mediterranean.

Founded in 1975 by Lorenzo Fluxá on the Spanish island of Majorca, Camper is a brand that has managed to make a name for itself worldwide, continuing the tradition of shoemaking for four generations since its inception.

One of the most important sources of inspiration for the brand, which is shaped by the dichotomy of tradition and innovation and blends industrial design with traditional handcraftsmanship in shoe production, is of course the Mediterranean.

From village to city: a short brief history of the Camper

The Spanish island of Majorca has a good place in leather craftsmanship, and Camper's founder, Antonio Fluxá, brought the mechanization knowledge and experience he acquired from England, where the industrial revolution took place, to Spain, especially to Inca on the island, and established the brand's first infrastructure.

Lorenzo Fluxá, who took over the production facility from his father Antonio in the 1970s and represents the second generation, observed the social changes of the period well and renewed the brand in accordance with the dynamics of the new generation, evolving the product design, and the change combined simplicity with products suitable for city life with the theme of from village to city.

As of 2025, the fourth generation will manage Camper, and the brand maintains its production techniques while also investing in digital technologies. The development of more than 500 prototypes each season at the company's design center in Inca on the island of Majorca is an indication of the importance Camper attaches to creativity.

In fact, the collaborations made with other brands in the art and fashion world between 2014 and 2019, when Romain Kremer was the brand's creative director, are an indication of Camper's innovative approach.

Understanding Camper's corporate identity

Corporate identity is no longer just a logo and color palette these days, but also represents a strong integrity that reflects the values ​​the brand wants to maintain, its cultural stance and its responsibility in society. Camper supports this understanding not only with its visual identity, but also with its way of doing business and its sources of inspiration.

A Little Better, Never Perfect is the motto adopted by Camper and this summarizes the brand's understanding of environmental responsibility. All operational steps, from sourcing recycled rubber materials used in the shoe production process, especially the soles of the shoes, to optimizing the carbon footprint that occurs during production and logistics, are constantly being improved.

Investment in solar systems to supply the energy needed for use in various units of the headquarters in Majorca is another concrete and first-stage example of the brand's strategy of responsible production and use of local resources in production.

The Mediterranean is a wonderful geography that inspires many people on many scales, a unique ecosystem, and what would be strange is if Camper, born on an island in the middle of the Mediterranean, did not take inspiration from the Mediterranean.

When you pick up a Camper product, what you encounter is a minimal design and a design that is shaped and adapted to the needs of city life. Natural cork soles and cotton materials, which are frequently used in the models, are special elements both to provide comfort and to emphasize ecological sensitivity.

The brand's mission in many processes from the supply chain to after-sales customer relations is to delight people with a fun, sustainable and responsible walking experience. Adopting fair trade principles, supporting local, and not employing child labor at any stage of production are the main details that form the basis of the ethical systems created by the brand.

More than a retail store: Cultural encounter spaces

When you examine it in terms of marketing vision, you will see that Camper's shoe stores are different from the traditional retail approach that has become widespread.

The first of the stores developed with the concept of cultural encounter spaces was opened in Barcelona in 1981, and while opening new stores, the collaboration with the local, which is also included in the brand's vision, was emphasized in the interior designs and collaborations were made with local artists living in the region. There are many special and remarkable Camper stores designed with this perspective around the world.

Especially after the global pandemic that affected the world in 2019, we witnessed the change and transformation of e-commerce. Easy return and exchange operations became as necessary as providing an easy purchasing experience, and the Try at home service that Camper integrated into its online sales store is an important component in the effort to integrate both physical shopping and digital ordering experiences.

This is the opportunity to try on the products you purchased in your own place and return them if you do not like them or if they are not suitable, which many local retailers offer these days. While some brands only manage this from a single center, integrated with cargo companies, some also offer returns and exchanges from physical stores.

The rise of silent videos in digital marketing

With over 2.5 billion monthly active users today, YouTube is one of the most effective digital marketing platforms for brands. In order to reach their target audiences in the right way, brands on YouTube not only participate in integrated advertising networks with YouTube, but also publish native commercials from their own accounts, produce content only for this medium, and actively use the services.

Camper is one of these, and as a brand with minimalist design, functional, and sustainability-focused products, it adopts a simple and silent approach in YouTube ads. In short, these ads are what caught my attention when I came across them and pushed me to research the brand more.

"Silence in digital marketing" is not a very new behavior for consumers. Since the 2010s, people watch advertising videos with the sound off their devices, especially with the increase in mobile device use, in a large portion of video-based ads.

Camper's silent ad format, which was developed by anticipating this trend, offers a strong visual narrative to viewers of the ads instead of interaction with sound and focuses on the power of visuals.

Taking a quick look at the types of ads YouTube currently offers, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Camper frequently uses skippable video ads and bumper ads.

6-second bumper ads in particular are quite compatible with the brand’s minimalist narrative style. Considering people’s increasingly shorter attention spans, this ad length seems ideal for ad content that visually focuses on the product – for now.

What is seen in a short commercial prepared for Camper’s spring collection, which will be launched in 2025, is basically circular and repetitive images of pastel-colored shoes shown in slow motion in a silent environment, in front of natural light and a plain background.

Here, it is possible to get an idea about the shoes’ standing positions while standing and walking, as well as the designs of the shoes and the materials used in their production.

The absence of sound in the ad helps viewers pay more attention to the details in the visual, while the pastel colors of the products evoke calmness and peace in the human brain. The minimal narrative used in the advertising language technically supports a faster and easier perception of the message Camper wants to convey.

…

The silent advertising strategy adopted by Camper in its YouTube ads can be considered an important milestone in the ongoing evolution of digital marketing. This marketing approach, which is also compatible with the corporate identity built by the brand, can be defined as an innovative and global communication model that focuses on consumer experience.

If you interested in Camper and its branding, please visit following links:

• Life's a circus: A case study of branding of Camper shoes
• History - Camper.com 
  

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Remembering my “best travel buddy” and pushing myself out of my comfort zone through design and creativity

When I decided to create a new identity for Travego Firarda for its 20th anniversary, the first thing that came to my mind, even if it was imaginary, was that I had to decide what kind of music the band I would take on tour with Travego, whom I once described as my best travel buddy would make.

Although my relationship with music is mostly with the music of people who produce in pop tones, I imagined that the music produced by Frost & Sun, a band that I created by making extensive use of artificial intelligence for Travego Firarda’s 20th anniversary, would also be out of the ordinary for me.

It would be right to state at the outset that almost every element in the Travego Firarda project, which I tried to reinterpret specifically for its 20th anniversary, was a kind of departure from my comfort zone.

In addition to the fact that I paid attention to the members of the band named Frost & Sun being Northern and looking like individuals with a northern phenotype, as I shared on the images produced by Google’s Imagen 3 artificial intelligence, I was very excited about the possible results that would emerge when these people, who I imagined living in colder and harsher conditions due to climate conditions, came together with the tones specific to the people living in the south and having warmer blood in their own geography.

The basic idea behind the emergence of Frost & Sun was, in short, a northern rock band touring the Mediterranean coast, presenting the music with Mediterranean tones in their own way. Therefore, the band’s name was shaped with this motto; Frost meant “frozen” while “sun” meant the sun, and Frost & Sun would melt the ice while touring the Mediterranean coast.

When creating a visual identity as a designer related to rock music culture, we mostly use dark colors, and using palettes consisting of dark colors in this work seems like a bit of an easy way out to me. Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know.

Although the origin of these palette choices consisting of dark and dark colors is dominant in the story of the emergence of rock music, rock music's stance in a harder place compared to acoustic and pop music, the psychological effects of this stance and the symbol of belonging to the rock subculture are also somewhat.

Colors such as black, gray and dark blue are important colors used in visualizing themes that are directly related to rock and - maybe we can include metal music in this - a kind of show of power on stage, a symbol of rebellion and even passion.

When working on the communication of any brand, we make certain choices in color selection to match the expectations of the target audience. Rock music is also a music genre that adopts dark colors as an identity symbol, the subject is actually quite simple and understandable in this respect.

I actually lived on the Mediterranean coast for about ten years and currently live in Izmir, a city on the Aegean coast that is considered by some to be a part of the Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean region really has a very rich cultural diversity and the natural beauties that we encounter as people living on the coast of this sea, of course, directly affect design, architecture, music and even communication.

When we say Mediterranean, we talk about bright sun, a clear blue sea and a lively nature; a salty, humid and sometimes cool breeze blowing from the sea in the evening, accompanied by lively, light and warm music. Therefore, the color palette of the Mediterranean consists of lively and bright colors. and usually colors inspired by nature such as orange, yellow, blue, green and purple find their place in color palettes when doing works related to the Mediterranean. These colors are very good at being energetic, cheerful and full of life and evoking positive emotions.

While choosing the color for the band Frost & Sun, which I imagine as a northern music band and that wanders around the Mediterranean coast singing songs to melt the ice, the main reason I moved away from the dark color palette that I can define as conventional and traditional in rock music is actually the vision I drew in relation to the music band and the mission I wanted to impose on the band.

The imaginary music album called "Mediterranean Essentials", which I used in the band’s PR and includes northern interpretations of the most well-known songs in the Mediterranean, is also a part of this comprehensive dream. One day, I really want to spend time preparing the communication materials for this album, and who knows, maybe with the help of artificial intelligence, I will somehow be able to make you hear the music playing in my head. What a surprise it would be for all of us. :)

If I were to return to the main subject... As someone who has lived on the Mediterranean coast, I know the intensity of emotional expressions in Mediterranean music, and the colors of a band that makes music in this region should be at least as interesting as the phenotypes of the people who make up the band, and unexpectedly in a band that defines its music as Rock, in colors that create a twist.

I can explain the main reason why lilac and hyacinth purple, freshly mowed grass and pine green, sunshine yellow and pomegranate red are included in the communication of Frost & Sun's Mediterranean tour in this way.

The salmon color, which I did not mention and used most dominantly in the color palette, also comes from salmon, which is widely consumed in the band's home country, and this can be considered as a signature I have put on the design, which is related to my main profession, aquaculture engineering.

While closing the topic here about Travego Firarda and the communication I prepared specifically for its 20th anniversary, I see no harm in mentioning it again; The Frost & Sun concert tour communication example, which I developed entirely using artificial intelligence, also represents a kind of stepping out of my comfort zone for me.

At the same time, I tirelessly dream of a world where people living in different parts of the world can understand each other better and more easily using music, a universal means of communication...

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Will Korean be able to attract attention again on the city's most expensive billboards with its new cool image?

In March 2025, Korean Air, which has used the same corporate identity for nearly forty years, completely renewed it in line with the changes and transformations experienced by aviation and displayed its new design on a new-generation Boeing 787-10 aircraft during a night called Rising Night in a hangar at Korean Air's main base in Seoul.

This change, which took place after the acquisition of Asiana, which operates in the same country, can be defined as a modernization aimed at the goals of Korea's national airline in the global market.

Noteworthy elements in Korean Airlines’ old corporate identity

The design, inspired by the national colors of Korea and which has made Korean Airlines one of the most recognizable brands in Asia and even the world in the quarter-century since its first appearance, had several elements that made the planes carrying this template distinguishable at international airports where they landed and took off.

The first of these was the logo inspired by the Taegeuk symbol, which is also found on the flag of the Republic of South Korea. This logo, which uses blue, red and complementary white, was one of the most important promotional symbols of both the airline and the country.

If you have seen a Korean Airlines plane on Instagram or on an airline you have visited, you will have noticed that the upper part of the plane’s fuselage is painted sky blue (or powder blue). The color palette, in which blue is the dominant and widespread color, made the airline’s planes instantly recognizable. The shade of blue called Spritzig (#71CBEB) has managed to become synonymous with the brand at airports where Korean Airlines lands worldwide.

If i was to make an evaluation in terms of design, the typography used in the old logo was quite striking. It was a classic, strong, serif font that reflected Korean culture and gave the airline its own personality. Even though more than forty years have passed, it would not be wrong to describe this logotype as still dynamic and perhaps modern.

The most frequent criticism made by those who design and work in the field of communication in the modern era about the Korean Air logo was that the Taegeuk symbol resembled the Pepsi logo. Although it was noted that this could cause confusion in brand communication in some markets, the symbol comes from Korean history and is believed to represent balance.

Why do brands feel the need to change their corporate identity designs?

Keeping up the age

Just like people, brands also want to keep up with the dynamics of the age, stand out from their competitors and gain an advantage in competition, and strengthen their ties with their target audiences, and corporate identity covers all the strategies a brand uses while doing all these things.

Adapting to the tech

Other important reasons include adapting to technological developments, being where the changing generation is, catching up with intercultural differences, and ultimately, the motivation to redefine and strengthen the position in the market.

Technological advances take societies with them, even change and transform them, and brands do not want to be left behind. This is similar to feeling the need to constantly update your mobile phone and tablet in order not to be exempt from published updates.

Catching the Gen Z

Minimalistic approaches used in design, interactive content and color palettes compatible with use on social media are among the criteria that brands pay attention to when renewing their corporate identities in order to meet the expectations of the young, short-attention-span and always alternative audience defined as Generation Z.

Expanding product range

On the other hand, the range of products and services offered by brands is expanding and the ability of corporate identities to cover new product or service groups is insufficient. These changes in corporate identity make it easier for consumers to perceive the new areas that brands are focusing on, while maintaining consistency in marketing communication.

Changing ownership of companies and rebirth of a brand

It is also frequently witnessed that corporate identity changes are made after company mergers, acquisitions or separations. This is a message of rebirth and this change is seen as a necessity in line with the vision and mission of the newcomer depending on the changing ownership.

For example, if a small company acquired by a larger company will not be assimilated into the larger company, it is deemed necessary to revise its corporate identity in line with the larger company, while the brand’s colors are transformed towards a more universal one, the tendency to add symbols containing cultural signs to the logo is common.

Brands do not hesitate to revise their corporate identities in order to stand out from their competitors. If there is a high similarity between the logos of brands operating in the same sector, consumers’ decisions may be negatively affected. Therefore, it is important to understand the psychology of colors and interpret typographic elements correctly when choosing colors.

Another criterion that is as important as design is the communication of the change process, and explaining to consumers why this corporate change is being made is an action that will reinforce the transparency and reliability of the brand.

You can think of the change in corporate identity as the result of brands evolving over time, like a living creature.

If Korean Air and Pepsi were in the same industry, it would probably be a problem that they have similar logos, and one of them would eventually change their logo.

Becoming "Korean"

The brand’s corporate identity has been modernized and renewed by global creative consultancy Lippincott who has worked to Delta, Southwest and Aer Lingus too, while maintaining its commitment to Korea’s cultural heritage and national identity.

The most important component of Korean Air’s new corporate identity is the renewed logo, around which the entire design is technically shaped. The simplification of the traditional Taegeuk symbol, which has been compared to that of the soft drink brand Pepsi, is the most important innovation worth mentioning.

The logo has been stripped of the red and blue used in the previous generation and drawn only in a strong and dark blue bearing the name Dark Sapphire (#051766). You can still see same traditional symbol here, but this time it is dominated by more negative space. This change is perhaps the most important step that encourages the corporate identity to be thought of differently.

The removal of color is clearly a result of the simplification effort, and on the consumer side of the airline, you used to see Spritzig blue, Microprose Red red, Ruri Blue blue, Silver Polish gray and complementary white.

The micropose red and Ruri blue KOREAN AIR logotype was also in the Taegeuk symbol used as O. In the renewed corporate identity, the logotype has gained a more Latin character and European form by getting rid of the Far East connotation with its soft forms, distinct curves and brush strokes, and in the design placed on the outside of the aircraft, the AIR part has been removed and only the KOREAN shape has been worn on the aircraft. The red and dark blue are now only seen in the Korean national flag placed on the tail of the aircraft. 

Perhaps the most obvious heritage that Lippincott has not given up is the blue color that distinguishes Korean Air from other airlines. The Spritzig blue color that resembles the sky has been replaced with another blue called High Blue (#53aae2) and metallic paint has been used to make the aircraft body shine in different light conditions. The Silver Polish gray color that separates the blue and white colors on the aircraft body is no longer there and the body looks directly white after the white color.

It would not be wrong to say that the gray, which extended from the nose to the back of the aircraft in the previous design of Korean Airlines, gave the aircraft dynamism and brightness. By painting the main body color of the aircraft with a metallic paint, the dynamic image that was actually desired with gray is achieved again, and by spreading the effect to the entire body, both more strikingly and by achieving a more premium image.

It must be admitted that we all love the perception of metallic parts and colors in the vehicles we use, which is directly related to durability.

Speaking of the effect spreading to the entire body, it would be wrong to close this topic without mentioning the fluidity of the body design and there is also a connection between the design on the aircraft and the “aircraft”, which is the main focus of the flying business.

The changes made in the aircraft designs of Boeing and Airbus, which we can easily count among the main aircraft manufacturers, directly affect the corporate identities that brands place on these aircraft, and more efficient and less consuming aircraft that leave less waste. This is actually a direct result of the transformative and progressive power of technology. 

I was inspired by this fluidity when creating the main philosophy of an airline branding - Air Equinox, study that I worked on and published in the past. Many national brands now make a special effort to make their planes appear to float even when they are on the ground. This includes Emirates, Qantas, TUI, and even KLM, whose new Korean on-board design you will hear a lot of comparisons about in the coming days.

It is certain that the natural-looking curve of Korean’s two-tone body adds a movement reminiscent of the Sangmo Nori dance to the most minimal image possible.

Minimalism is quite common among luxury brands these days and it is clear that airlines such as Korean, Qantas, Turkish Airlines, BA are trying to position themselves in a higher segment compared to low-budget airlines. On the other hand, the target audience is also changing, brands are now trying to approach young people more. Displaying logotypes and even logos on aircraft bodies with a simpler and larger approach is an important element that allows the brand to be perceived more clearly, especially in airports and other corporate identity materials.

I don't know if we will get used to it and accept it after a while, but I am on the side that does not find the new version of the Taegeuk symbol strong enough.

Although the design, which used to be filled with red and dark blue and balanced with white, distances the symbol from the chaos around it and makes it stand out wherever it is placed, the inverted version, which focuses on the gaps of the previous logo, looks like a complementary pattern on the tails of the aircraft instead of being a main design element.

Therefore, Korean's new design-painted aircraft will probably be harder to distinguish at airports, especially at stations where they are parked side by side with KLM's aircraft.

...

It wouldn’t be wrong to describe airports as the most expensive billboards in cities, and this also applies to airlines. Transportation companies are always looking to design the tops of their planes in the most eye-catching way possible, and we will all see how effective Korean will be with its new identity.

This change, especially after the merger with Asiana Airlines, is clearly not an effort to change the image of Korean Air as an airline that only operates flights from Europe to the Far East; like many subsidiaries preparing for the future, Korean is taking steps to appeal to a newer and younger generation.

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Korean Air, which has adopted a more minimal design with simplified design elements and reduced colors, has a more sophisticated communication language compared to the past.

Although Korean’s minimalization has eliminated some characteristic details that have become synonymous with the brand throughout its history, it is certain that it will effectively support the airline’s growing position on a global scale and allow it to establish strong bonds with its current passengers and new ones… 

Korean Air old livery photo by David Syphers, other photos from Lippincott.com

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If you want to read something about this subject, please visit following links:

1. Korean Air Gets Its First Rebrand Since 1984 - octet.design
2. Korean Air just made huge changes to... - the points guy
3. The New Korean Air - Awardfares
4. Korean or Korean Air? - The Design Air
   

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Why perfection can't exist in design: Exploring the limitations and subjectivity of creative excellence

Look at anything you see around you; a building you see through the window, a roller blind, your car, a bus passing by, the screen you are reading this text on, even this software itself.

All of these are products of design. So, do you think these designs are "perfect"? ​​They may not be for me, they are okay for you, they are perfect for someone else.

As people working in the design world, we always seek perfection, no different from the focus of our work and design, and perfection is always an attractive but unattainable ideal.

Can you define perfection without giving away your own opinion?

From any architectural work to men's underwear; from how a product looks from the outside as a remedy for a wound to the interfaces of digital applications, designers want people to establish deep connections with the products they design, and they want these products to function flawlessly. This is actually a race, and the products around us are the ones who have already won this race.

Since those involved in design are constantly thinking and trying new things, and the results are better, beautiful, functional or just plain pleasing to the eye than the previous ones, it usually doesn’t seem possible to reach this absolute perfection that I am trying to talk about.

Another example from a familiar perspective, I see and hear that Apple’s minimalist product design approach is admired and even praised by many people due to its clean and stylish lines. However, on the other hand, some people find this minimal design language too sterile, impersonal and cold. I know people who think in both ways.

I would like to give another example from a completely different area. Fashion. While the eye-catching products of design-oriented and made-to-order (MTO) brands such as Altan Bottier or TLB Mallorca seem perfect to some people due to their designs, shapes, models, molds and the fact that traditional methods are incorporated into the production model.

The new generation may find them impractical and uncomfortable, and flashy for daily life. Which of the perfection approaches here is correct? Sturdy and stylish shoes made of good quality leather materials or sneakers made of mainly plastic-based materials?

Here, even I personally cannot describe to you without highlighting -albeit unintentionally- the things that express perfection to me, I cannot even describe to you without somehow dictating my already held opinion.

I would like to give another example from a very different discipline. While in traditional Japanese design we talk about simplicity, the use of natural materials and an unadorned narrative, on the other side of the world, for example, in Baroque design there is a magnificence and plenty of ornamentation.

So which of these do you think is perfect? ​​The Japanese approach to design, the Baroque approach or the Scandinavian design?

Perfection defines a perception that varies from person to person and does not seem easy for everyone to find a common denominator for a product that emerges.

In architecture, the Parthenon in Greece is an example of a building form that seems perfect to some with its classical proportions, while the Taj Mahal can very well represent perfection in architecture with its detailed workmanship and symmetry. Which is it, Roman or Indian?

Comparisons on this subject could go on forever, so I'll stop giving examples here for now.

Describing perfection subjectively

What I want to talk about here is that the definition of perfection is constantly changing under the influence of subjective tastes, what the culture we live in has shown us in the past, the functional needs of the product and the variability of other developing technologies related to design.

Speaking for myself, when I design a wrap on a bus, in the websites I prepare, in printed materials, in corporate identity materials or, in a simpler example, what I always have in mind is to find the simplest, most readable form of the message I want to give. Most importantly, I want to be able to tell what I want to tell without giving people a puzzle to solve.

That's why I try to do this job with sharp lines, as few shadows as possible, plain fonts and appropriate colors.

In my opinion, this is the form a corporate structure should use when communicating, but you must have seen the graphics Spotify used at its traditional Wrapped event at the end of 2024, I think it is a form of communication that never suits a company like Spotify, but according to Spotify's corporate communications team, it has been accepted as perfect.

What we consider perfect today is not certain that it will be valued the same tomorrow. The best example of this is perhaps Web 2.0.

Web 2.0, which entered our lives with a design approach that allowed users to interact on websites and made this task easier, represented a brand new form that made room for user-generated content such as bright colors, rounded corners, glassy surfaces, distinct gradients, large buttons, forums and interactive content management systems.

However, when designing the interfaces of websites, we are now influenced by other trends and tend towards simplicity.

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I think designing itself is an effort to seek perfection; but keeping what already exists, what works for us and the new perspectives that come with it in a constant state of motion seems more inclusive, adaptable and meaningful in terms of the act of designing.

We will continue to seek perfection and the journey on this path will never end anywhere in the world. At the same time, this search will also be what moves the world of design forward and stimulates creativity.

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The evolution of e-mail marketing: Why SPAM is no longer an obsolete method on digital communication?

As the number and variety of tools we use in digital marketing increases, we have also realized the importance of a tool we have traditionally used for a long time; e-mail marketing.

The most important issue we had to deal with in the past regarding e-mail marketing, which has now taken a fundamental place among modern digital marketing tools, was SPAM. In other words, the e-mails we sent were somehow perceived as unwanted and ultimately prevented from reaching the end consumer.

In e-mail marketing, along with the change in the way the relationship between consumers and brands is established, our traditional bulk e-mail protocols and the methods of delivering this content to the end user have also changed.

What is spam and does it have a negative impact on email marketing?

When you think about it in terms of e-mail marketing, SPAM usually defines e-mails that are not personalized, are intended to reach a very large audience at the same time, and are generally not requested by the user.

It would not be wrong to say that, the most important thing that defines an e-mail as SPAM is the e-mails that are not requested by the recipient.

Although today’s email service providers (ESPs) have put a lot of thought into filtering and blocking these, spamming has not completely disappeared and has adapted to today by changing and transforming like many other things.

How do service providers try to combat spam? 

Almost all of us have ESPs such as Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo, which are often free or have a subscription fee, they have strict policies to protect those who use their systems from SPAM.

The first method ESPs use to detect spam is content analysis. This involves scanning the content of e-mails for certain keywords, suspicious looking links and other risky content.

Another thing ESPs monitor is the reputation of the IP address and domain from which the email is sent. An e-mail from an IP address or domain extension with a bad reputation is more likely to be marked as SPAM. 

Although you don’t see this side of the system today, ESPs do a lot of analytics tracking underneath the systems we use to send and read e-mails. These metrics include email opening rates, time spent in the e-mail, and the rate of clicking on a link in the e-mail, and the evaluation of these rates themselves are important criteria that affect the sender's reputation.

Some of the authentication protocols of ESPs

Despite these measures developed by ESPs, spammers are constantly looking for the necessary methods to bypass these filters and reach end user accounts, and they are trying to keep this war alive by developing new strategies.

The ESP you use have associated your email addresses with you more than you think today. It is inevitable for ESPs to take some precautions in risky situations by verifying identities with authentication protocols such as SPF, DKIM and DMARC.

• SPF is a protocol that prevents servers from perceiving an e-mail you send as SPAM, an SPF TXT is added to the DNS record.
• DKIM is a protocol developed to prevent email forgery. It helps to prevent e-mails from reaching the inbox of the recipient and to inform the e-mail server that the emails received are legitimate.
• DMARC is a protocol that allows you to inform what to do when you receive an e-mail whose identity cannot be verified when scanned by SPF or DKIM.

What is the inbox rate and why does an e-mail end up in the spam folder?

It would not be wrong to say that, the most critical metric in e-mail marketing is the inbox rate.

This is the percentage of an e-mail sent by someone that successfully reaches the inbox, not the spam folder, which we can also define as a gray area in the email box. Inbox rate is defined as the percentage of e-mails that successfully reach the recipient's inbox, not the spam folder.

Inbox rate is a critical metric in email marketing and shows the percentage of emails that successfully reach the recipient's inbox, not the spam folder.

Why does an email you send end up in the spam folder?

• Permission to send an e-mail may not have been obtained.
• Overly promotional language may have been used.
• Too many external links in the e-mail.
• The e-mail was sent from a blacklisted IP address / domain.
• Due to low interaction with the sender and the high number of unsubscribe requests, the ESP may detect that you do not want to receive the email.
• The sender's identity may not have been verified.

These factors are important keys for digital communicators doing e-mail marketing to improve the strategies they follow to avoid spam filters.

How does spam affect email marketing?

SPAM activities have been around for a long time in e-mail marketing and despite the high potential for return, it is a method that carries its own risks.

E-mail campaigns are a great way to reduce costs and expand reach in marketing activities, but only if you can avoid SPAM filters. For this reason people-who-are-spammers are constantly developing better targeting tactics and trying to send more personalized e-mails.

Spamming seems a profitable method in digital marketing; but only in short term. In addition to damaging brand reputation, it carries risks such as blacklisting of the domain by ESPs with penalties foreseen under regulations such as CAN-SPAM and GDPR. 

This should provide us with the necessary motivation to focus on more specific audiences and quality content instead of fast and widespread ones when doing email marketing.

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E-mail marketing is a dynamic and, frankly, niche area within today’s digital marketing activities. Spamming is still a controversial topic in many circles, but it is still a method included in marketing strategies.

We all want to achieve long-term success in what we do and to have balanced communication between our solution partners. Therefore, correctly understanding the current status of spam policies, the mechanism by which the sent e-mail lands in the inbox, and what defines an e-mail as SPAM are among the things we need to learn in order to both increase our performance in e-mail marketing and reduce the complexity of the job.

Although spam has a negative connotation primarily due to its literal meaning and perception, the existence of the mechanism and its adaptability are also a factor that triggers the evolution of digital marketing tactics. What is important here seems to be the behaviors of businesses in their e-mail marketing approaches and their ability to stay within ethical boundaries while creating their campaigns…

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