Listen to the company that listens

[1] Quark’s recent identity makeover has been quite noisy, especially when we talk about at their [2] logo controversy. The unfortunate logo-related event occurred not much after the marketing mistake of mailing out postcards that tried to make [3] Adobe a crying like baby against the all mighty Quark.

However in the midst of all this noise, some people might overlook the fact that Quark has changed their marketing strategy and has improved in those areas considered by some to be the company’s weakest points—one of them being customer service.

A New Quark

Logo aside, the new site mirrors the refreshed viewpoint that Quark is trying to portray. The overall feel is one of increased communication between the company and its customers. However the site we all know, [4] http://www.quark.com, is not Quark’s only means of conveying that user-friendly message. A new site promoting the new Quark [5] can be found here. This Flash based site has a completely different feel from the main site. The main focus of this new site is to promote how Quark listens and has a few helpful resources for QuarkXPress users such as the QuarkXPress Insider—A Guide to QuarkXPress Tricks and Tips and the Guide to Outputing QuarkXPress 6.5 Files.

Some people might object—after all this is just publicity, but has Quark really changed? Recently I had my own experience with Quark’s customer service and, I must admit, it certainly was a pleasant one. I never really dealt with Quark’s customer service before, but my impressions after my dealings with them are positive. They helped me solve a couple of queries I had regarding my account swiftly and efficiently. The answers were professional and fast, while problems were solved quickly and to my satisfaction.

The Bottom Line

Hate it or love it, Quark is changing. Their marketing has shifted 180° from a “look at who is the best” viewpoint to “the company that listens”. Quark is striving to regain the trust of its customers and a reputation that over the years has slipped far down. But what about their software? The truth of the matter is that QuarkXPress has been the industry standard layout application for years and, because of this, Quark has slacked on this false certainty that the top was theirs and no one could take it away from them. But they had to think again. They didn’t look back when it was time and now they have to look at who is in front of them.

Quark cannot afford to also slack on their release of QuarkXPress 7. It better be good. Not just an equivalent of InDesign CS 3—it has to be way superior. Quark has a chance to go back to the top but it’s one chance. They can make it, but if they don’t play it well, they will keep going down that slide.

Related articles

[6] Quark’s New Face on Designorati:Desktop Publishing.
[7] An Old Friend Gets New Clothes on Designorati:Creative Culture.
[8] Quark’s Extreme Makeover: Online Designers React on Designorati:Creative Culture.
[9] Something We Should Learn From Quark’s Logo Controversy on Designorati:Creative Culture.
[10] Online Survey Suggests Adobe Creative Suite 3/QuarkXPress 7 Makeup? on Designorati:Graphic Design.
[11] InDesign CS3/QuarkXPress 7: A Survey Worthy of James Bond on Designorati:Desktop Publishing.