Thursday, November 18, 2010

identity of chocolatiers

Belgium chocolatiers




Galler Hans Burie Godiva Guylian Manon Neuhaus
False rumors about chocolate


Galler
Hans Burie




Neuhaus
Manon


Guylian
Godiva


Why Belgium ?

It happens time after time. People understand Europe the way they've been introduced to it--the usual tourist meccas, the attractions on a thousand postcards. Then they remember Belgium, the little country they passed through a few days ago. It seems beautiful, it's practically next door to Paris, London, and Amsterdam, and they have 24 hours to explore it before heading home. Two hours later, they are in love with Belgium !

Belgium the best-kept secret in Europe. Visiting medieval cities, quaint towns, Gothic cathedrals and town halls, castles, and carillons will keep you busy during the day. At night go to a pub; there are more than 350 delicious beers to chose from. The reputation of our gourmet food makes the French jealous and it is almost impossible to find chocolates as good as ours !

Belgium, a kingdom no bigger than Maryland, is Europe in a nutshell, multicultural and multilingual. Flanders in the north, a flatland criss-crossed by canals, is proud of its great art cities, Antwerp, Bruges, and Ghent. To the south in Wallonia, you will find the rolling hills of the Ardennes, numerous castles, and the cities of Liege, Namur, and Tournai. The capital city of Brussels is one of the world's great cosmopolitan cities, home to both the European Union and NATO, as well as a wealth of international trade and finance companies.

Belgium's history has always been linked to both commercial and cultural exchange, and much of its character is due to its role as the great meeting place of Western Europe. Traces of the Austrians, Spanish, French, and Dutch can still be seen in its architecture and in the lifestyle of its people. You will see superb examples of art and architecture past and present--Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Nouveau. Cities teem with museums, historical buildings, theatre, music, and festivals.

Much has been said about Belgium's hospitality and it's all true. Because of the country's location as an international center of commerce and culture, Belgians are at ease with travelers from all over the world. They are proud of their homeland, and anxious to help get to know it better. You'll find them always personable, cooperative, and courteous. The Flemish speak Dutch and the Walloons speak French. In Brussels, the capital, both languages are spoken. But to make it easy, everybody speaks English.

Folklore is an important part of life in Belgium. Carnivals, festivals, pageants, plays, and religious processions are held all year long. Almost any occasion is cause for a parade and almost every parade includes a giant or two.

Somehow, Belgium has maintained a low-key approach to all of this international sophistication. It is a country for connoisseurs, but connoisseurs who do not take themselves too seriously.

Chocolate Lovers

belgian chocolate

Belgian chocolate has been the food of champions, a lure for lovers, the indulgence of the rich and later, the favorite of the masses.

Visiting Belgium? Craving for quality chocolate? Unlike wine, beers and other fluids, Airlines have not yet regulated the amount of chocolate you wish to bring back to Chicago.

The Sablon - Zavel Square was always famous for Antiques shopping, fancy florist, porcelain stores and great restaurants. In recent years, the Royal Household supplier House of Wittamer was joined by Haut Chocolatier Pierre Marcolini and by Belgium's most famous and traditional chocolate shops: Neuhaus, Godiva and finally Cote d'Or celebrating 125 years of chocolate manufacturing in their first shop where you will find the entire collection.

Belgium produces 172,000 tons of chocolate per year with more than 2,000 chocolate shops throughout the country. Pralines in Belgium are sublime chocolate confections. A beautifully sculpted chocolate shell conceals a center of filling which explodes with a surprising texture and flavor in your mouth. Many chocolatiers still make their pralines by hand. Every town and even small villages have chocolate stores with luxurious pralines.

identity of chocolatiers

Belgium chocolatiers




Galler Hans Burie Godiva Guylian Manon Neuhaus
False rumors about chocolate


Galler
Hans Burie




Neuhaus
Manon


Guylian
Godiva


Why Belgium ?

It happens time after time. People understand Europe the way they've been introduced to it--the usual tourist meccas, the attractions on a thousand postcards. Then they remember Belgium, the little country they passed through a few days ago. It seems beautiful, it's practically next door to Paris, London, and Amsterdam, and they have 24 hours to explore it before heading home. Two hours later, they are in love with Belgium !

Belgium the best-kept secret in Europe. Visiting medieval cities, quaint towns, Gothic cathedrals and town halls, castles, and carillons will keep you busy during the day. At night go to a pub; there are more than 350 delicious beers to chose from. The reputation of our gourmet food makes the French jealous and it is almost impossible to find chocolates as good as ours !

Belgium, a kingdom no bigger than Maryland, is Europe in a nutshell, multicultural and multilingual. Flanders in the north, a flatland criss-crossed by canals, is proud of its great art cities, Antwerp, Bruges, and Ghent. To the south in Wallonia, you will find the rolling hills of the Ardennes, numerous castles, and the cities of Liege, Namur, and Tournai. The capital city of Brussels is one of the world's great cosmopolitan cities, home to both the European Union and NATO, as well as a wealth of international trade and finance companies.

Belgium's history has always been linked to both commercial and cultural exchange, and much of its character is due to its role as the great meeting place of Western Europe. Traces of the Austrians, Spanish, French, and Dutch can still be seen in its architecture and in the lifestyle of its people. You will see superb examples of art and architecture past and present--Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Nouveau. Cities teem with museums, historical buildings, theatre, music, and festivals.

Much has been said about Belgium's hospitality and it's all true. Because of the country's location as an international center of commerce and culture, Belgians are at ease with travelers from all over the world. They are proud of their homeland, and anxious to help get to know it better. You'll find them always personable, cooperative, and courteous. The Flemish speak Dutch and the Walloons speak French. In Brussels, the capital, both languages are spoken. But to make it easy, everybody speaks English.

Folklore is an important part of life in Belgium. Carnivals, festivals, pageants, plays, and religious processions are held all year long. Almost any occasion is cause for a parade and almost every parade includes a giant or two.

Somehow, Belgium has maintained a low-key approach to all of this international sophistication. It is a country for connoisseurs, but connoisseurs who do not take themselves too seriously.

Chocolate Lovers

belgian chocolate

Belgian chocolate has been the food of champions, a lure for lovers, the indulgence of the rich and later, the favorite of the masses.

Visiting Belgium? Craving for quality chocolate? Unlike wine, beers and other fluids, Airlines have not yet regulated the amount of chocolate you wish to bring back to Chicago.

The Sablon - Zavel Square was always famous for Antiques shopping, fancy florist, porcelain stores and great restaurants. In recent years, the Royal Household supplier House of Wittamer was joined by Haut Chocolatier Pierre Marcolini and by Belgium's most famous and traditional chocolate shops: Neuhaus, Godiva and finally Cote d'Or celebrating 125 years of chocolate manufacturing in their first shop where you will find the entire collection.

Belgium produces 172,000 tons of chocolate per year with more than 2,000 chocolate shops throughout the country. Pralines in Belgium are sublime chocolate confections. A beautifully sculpted chocolate shell conceals a center of filling which explodes with a surprising texture and flavor in your mouth. Many chocolatiers still make their pralines by hand. Every town and even small villages have chocolate stores with luxurious pralines.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

The Role of a Visual Vocabulary in Brand Identity Design

Visual elements are a major part of your business's brand identity design. The keystone of that design is the logo, but in many cases, the logo isn't enough to convey all of your brand attributes. A visual vocabulary is a way to reinforce and add to the messaging that is contained in your logo.

A company's visual vocabulary consists of the secondary design elements that are
used in conjunction with your logo to form your brand identity. The visual
vocabulary is composed of font styles, colors, shapes, layout conventions,
backgrounds, photographic library, text treatments (such as taglines) and even the
type of paper you choose.

These elements should be used consistently throughout your stationery set and
marketing collateral and have the following 9 advantages over use of a logo and
text alone:

o The elements of your visual vocabulary become a graphic language, which takes
your viewer deeper into your graphics and materials. They add visual interest and
continue to tell your business's story. They are another way that you can
communicate about your business with potential clients and prospects, aside from
the actual words and text about your business.

o Graphics in a visual vocabulary are a method of communication that's more
quickly understood than text alone. A viewer can absorb the meanings of colors,
symbols, photos, shapes and even font types much more quickly than by reading
text. So, in cases where time is of the essence - when you're marketing to busy
people, creating motion graphics such as animations or commercials or designing
items that people will quickly pass by, such as car graphics or billboards, this is an
important consideration.

o Many people have a deeper emotional connection with graphics than they do with
text. Customers will be more likely to form an emotional bond with your brand and
company if you use more graphics, as opposed to just using your logo and text on a
letterhead, business card, datasheet or brochure. Color and photography are two of
the most effective visual vocabulary elements to use to affect this emotional brand
connection.

o You can communicate some of the "personality factors" of your business through
your visual vocabulary. You can make your company look more professional or
people-oriented, more contemporary or traditional or communicate any of your
company's values by varying the shapes, colors and fonts used as the surrounding
visual vocabulary. So, if you choose your vocabulary elements carefully, the story of
the personality of your company can be told through those elements.

o Using a visual vocabulary consistently throughout all of your corporate materials
will automatically make your materials look more coherent, credible and
professional, through the repetitive use of consistent elements.

o The right combination of visual vocabulary elements can also make your materials
more eye-catching. When your materials are in competition with others - in a stack
of proposals, on a table with other brochures or even a postcard coming out of a
crowded mailbox - they'll have a better chance of getting noticed when they are
designed with stunning and unique visual vocabulary elements.

o Forty percent of viewers better remember visual elements. A visual vocabulary will
increase the memorability of your materials as well, since people will have more
visual elements to remember in your materials.

o Elements of the visual vocabulary can reinforce your logo to help quicken the
brand recognition building process. One common way that we do this is to use a
large version of the company's logo, or a portion of the logo, as a watermark on the
letterhead, business card, envelope or website. Not only does this vocabulary
element effect add visual interest, but it will help to speed the time that it takes for
your potential customers and existing clients to recognize and remember your
brand.

o A visual vocabulary becomes a tool kit from which you can easily pull visual
elements to create new marketing materials. If you have a business card and
brochure and need to create a post card quickly, then many of your visual elements,
such as color scheme, font styles and even layout and photograph choices can be
pulled from the existing marketing materials and rearranged to create a new piece.
This is especially convenient when you have a short time or low budget to produce
new marketing materials.

The bonus function of a visual vocabulary is that when you're doing a special
promotion, launching a new product or extending your services or product line, you
can vary elements of the visual vocabulary or even develop a new set of visual
vocabulary elements, to make the materials for your new promotion stand out.
While consistency throughout a campaign is important, the elements of your visual
vocabulary aren't as set in stone as your logo. This is especially effective when you
work just with the colors and drawn elements and leave the text and tagline
treatments the same. That way, your materials will still be partially consistent with
your other company materials, but you can give your new product or promotion's
materials a voice of its own.

Adding some visual vocabulary elements to your brand identity makes
communicating with your audience easier, quicker and more emotionally charged.
This gives you a highly effective way to increase your visibility and memorability.
When used correctly, they can increase your credibility as well. They even can help
add some personality to your brand identity and can make future marketing
materials easier to develop. And, unlike your company logo, you can modify the
visual vocabulary elements you use from time to time to spice up your business
communications.

About the Author

Erin Ferree, Founder and Lead Designer of elf design, is a brand identity and graphic design expert. She has been helping small businesses grow with bold, clean and effective logo and marketing material designs for over a decade. elf design offers the comprehensive graphic and web design services of a large agency, with the one- on-one, personalized attention of an independent design specialist. Erin works closely in partnership with her clients to create designs that are visible, credible and memorable – and that tell their unique business stories in a clear and consistent way. For more information about elf design.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Erin_Ferree

please visit: Logo design at http://www.elf-design.com

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Belgium chocolate stores



Belgian chocolate

La Belgique Gourmande located on rue de la Colline (the street leading to the Grand place) is just one of the two thousands stores in the country selling chocolate. Wherever you may be in Brussels or Belgium you can be certain never to be far from one. Export numbers for these much in demand truffles and pralines amount around 200 000 tons yearly alone.

Handmade Belgian chocolate store

Close up on the pralines and truffles

Various kinds of chocolates

A Fountain of melted chocolate is seen just under the store sign


Monday, November 8, 2010

gift giving- chocolates

People never outgrow their sweet cravings therefore if you are in search of a great gifting idea then chocolates can be the best for all occasions and times along with all ages. Chocolates make an unforgettable impression. With a savory and delicious history that gives these little nibbling a special flavor, chocolates are those special things in life that are always in demand by one and all. From Fresh Belgian Chocolates to the nutty cocoa treat chocolates are all that one desires when the sweet gratification takes over ones senses.

A chocolate sweet treat is always accepted and it is for this reason that it is the best token or gift that one can present to someone on any occasion whether it a holiday, birthday, a corporate event or even a grand occasion. There are still many people across nations who celebrate various events with chocolates as it is considered a sign of happiness and prosperity.
People use these sweet somethings to woo their loved ones because of the lusciousness of the taste and full bodied feel of chocolates.

Nowadays one has a variety of options to access when picking out a box of chocolate from the box of bespoke personalized chocolates which add a self element to the entire gifting idea with beautifully wrapped quality chocolates with that rich flavor. There are Chocolates Wedding favours specials which can be sent out as favors to guests who are attending the occasion. Nothing can compare a chocolate as a wedding favor because of the taste and remembrance that it will bring along with each tasty bite into the piece. Also Chocolate baskets can be sent as a gift leaving the recipient overwhelmed.

For Christmas, what could be more fun than themed chocolates? You can find them in various shapes like dreidels, snowmen, and even Santa.

These range in sizes from small to large enough to weigh several pounds. They would make fun office exchange gifts. In fact, you can find holiday chocolates for all of the major holidays. Easter is another popular time to give candy gifts and you can find them in fun shapes like Easter eggs and bunnies. Chocolate gifts don't have to be small to be fun.

For the person in your life with a big sweet tooth you can give them a candy bouquet. These look just like flower bouquets but instead of being made of flowers, the arrangement consists of different types of candy bars and candy.