About Colette

Colette StallColette Stall, Marketing Communications Manager at The Allied Group 
cstall@thealliedgrp.com | 508.698.2091 x3211 

It seems that half the world still thinks of creativity as a mysterious quality that only the other half has. I've worked as a creative professional in creative organizations since the 80's, and feel pretty lucky to have been surrounded, influenced and enriched by some really creative and talented people along the way. I firmly believe though that everyone is capable of tapping into their own creativity. As long as we're flexible thinkers, open to new possibilities and willing to venture beyond the comfort of the familiar and routine, our lives can be energized by lots of creative moments. And it's worth it! Because in addition to helping you 'get' better ideas, creative thinking leads to greater enjoyment of your work and the people in your life - and isn't that what really matters anyway? I'm really glad that I now get to develop and manage the creative, marketing and design projects for The Allied Group.
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Orange you glad I didn't say mauve?

Friday, January 13, 2012 by Colette Stall
Pantone swatch And the winner is ... ORANGE!  Yep, It's going to be a tangerine trees and marmalade skies kind of a year since Pantone picks orange as the top hue for 2012 - and not a moment too soon either.
(See below from 'Today Style'):
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The world doesn't need more gray, and the blues are covered, too. What consumers need is a jolt - a shot of energy and boldness, all of which comes from Tangerine Tango, the reddish-orange hue that Pantone has announced as its top color for 2012.

"There's the element of encouragement with orange,  it's building on the ideas of courage and action - it's that we want to move on to better things. I think it would be a disservice to go with a relaxed, soothing color now," said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, the research division of Pantone Inc. which creates color standards every year.

“Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” said Eiseman,  “It marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

"Consumer spending is a big player in reviving the economy and it needs adrenaline," said Eiseman. "Orange is a more urgent call to action than last year's hot-pink hue Honeysuckle, which was also supposed to channel cheerfulness coupled with nostalgia.

The annual forecast for 2012's dominant color takes into consideration what Pantone thinks shoppers want and need. Those are influenced by the designer runways, fabric shows, news events, pop culture and consumer habits. "Part of what we do is look at the zeitgeist," Eiseman explained. "We have to look at everything in the world around us. It's not an arbitrary choice."

"Color is really emotion," says Beth Eckerstrom, director of trend and product development at Crate and Barrel. "Everyone thinks it's a physical thing, but it's really emotion."
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So there you have it. Don't forget to consider orange and The Allied Group as you plan your marketing and communication strategies for 2012. I know I'm ready for a little boldness, energy and a move toward warm and brighter things ... how about you?!

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