How much does a name matter? It has recently reached my notice that the designs that I would call Balloon Columns are being referred to by other artists as Stacks, Pillars and Towers. So to help me to clarify all the different names a little bit more, I asked members of the QBN Facebook group what they called theirs, and if they felt that the name was important?
Almost all those who responded said that they use the term Columns like I do. This isn't surprising, as they have all completed the QBN program and that is the term that they were taught and used within the program, and also it is the name that has been used forever by the balloon industry. However, some of the response from group members explained that all the different names are often used by their customers, and therefore for marketing and promotional purposes they also use them all to ensure that they do not miss out on any opportunities to promote their designs.
I have looked back through all the different resources that I received as part of the QBN program, and it actually clarifies that a Column is a straight, vertical line of balloon garland which to be fair does not represent the vast types and styles of decor that would come under the heading of a column today! Balloon décor styles have changed considerably over the years, and today there are new trends and styles of décor that were not shown or taught when many of us studied the QBN program. So, I decided to delve a little deeper to see if I can relate a name to a style of decor.
Instagram was the perfect go-to resource to assist me with my research, as I was able to see the types and styles of decor that are posted under each of the hashtags.
#ballooncolumns - 136,087 posts (3rd February 2021)
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| Elegant Sculptured Column by Sue Bowler |
#balloontowers - 11,264 posts (3rd February 2021)
#balloontower - 11.4 posts
The definition of the word "tower" is a "structure typically higher than its diameter," - therefore it is much the same as a column.
A lot of the designs featured on Instagram are pretty much the same as Balloon Columns, but with a real mix of styles and types of balloon structures.
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| Design by Dominic Cassidy and Keith Stirman - The Boys of Q Corner |
Pillars are often known as "a usually ornamental column", and it too has a close relationship to the term "column" and in fact describes the term well.
#balloonpillars - 8,567 (3rd February 2021)
#balloonpillar - 6,271 posts
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#balloonstack - 5,410 (3rd February 2021)
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| Design by |
From what I've observed, Balloon Columns, Towers and Pillars pretty much describe the same styles of balloon décor and it would be very easy to see why people would use all three names to relate to this style. The only one that stands out as being a little different are Balloon Stacks, as this name is typically applied to smaller air-filled arrangements that are on a cluster-style base.
Does the name that we use matter? From a marketing point of view, I would contest that all the terms being used are relevant, especially to a client base. When it comes to hashtags, why not use all three? You might find that customers relate to different names! For me personally, a Balloon Column will always be a column, especially because it's a term that I used when I first started working with balloons and it is a recognised name within the industry! However, I am certainly not opposed to anyone that uses any of the other names, as each of the definitions prove that they are all very relevant!
A big thank you to all the QBN members who helped me with my original question, it all makes perfect sense now 😄
Happy Ballooning!
Sue
Follow me @suebowler
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