But that’s not enough when you want to inspire people to change their behaviors or attitudes, or look at your company in a brand new way.

For tasks like these, you need to get into peoples’ heads and challenge them. And that can mean not doing what communicators are trained to do: connect the dots.

Drama Department

Sometimes you need to put your logo right under the audience’s noses. But sometimes, the objective is more subtle, or you want to create a little more dramatic effect.

As in the case of this logo created for Hero Productions by Bob Dinetz Design. The multiple steps involved in understanding the totally wordless story make the name more memorable, and the production, well, heroic.

In the end, it’s about engagement. When you let people experience the joy of putting two and two together for themselves, the result can be more meaningful to them and more valuable to your organization.

You’ve established a connection, an inside joke. They feel smarter, and the joke is funnier.

Here’s an example:

For one client with an entirely captive audience, we suggested that they do the “unthinkable” and not put their logo and company name on their brochure cover.

Instead we suggested posing a provocative question, whose answer directly circled back to the client’s mission. This solution was meant to grab the reader’s attention and get them thinking about the organization in a deeper, more powerful context.

In situations like these, it can benefit you to leave the obvious, bumper-sticker branding out. Let the audience do the work for once.