Marketing with a phone Number

I grew up knowing the theme song to Empire Carpets. I could recite that companies phone number just like I could sing the Big Mac jingle. Problem is, that you can't just use a a few letters and a name anymore in advertising a phone number. Why? because of technology. I have a Blackberry. (next year it will be an iphone) The keyboard on Blackberry's don't correspond to the same letters as a traditional phone. So once again, I'm driving and I see the billboard for the window company and their offer of buy one and get one. And sure enough, I get stuck at the light. Again. And I thought, maybe I'll just give the company a call to tell them about their grammar issue. I reach for my phone, and I can only make half the call.

Make it as clear as glass.

I was driving by a billboard the other day and something caught my eye. No, not the design, which was uninspiring, but the content. The ad claimed "By one window, get one." Of course if I bought one of something I would get one of something. Did they mean buy one get one free? Half off? I had no idea. But it's important when crafting your message that you make it clear.

Not everyone is a designer

While some people can sing, dance AND act, the majority of creatives who make a living doing something creative tend to focus and specialize in a particular field. And while yes, some people who design may be incredible photographers, as we market ourselves professionally or as a business, it's recommended to not be a jack of all trades. Perhaps then some actresses who may delve into singing may want to rethink revitalizing an entire fashion house. While it's interesting that a brand like Ungaro "used" Lindsay Lohan's fame and packaged that as a "muse" (and please stop me with the quote speak) I think it's a telling sign that sometimes bad publicity IS bad publicity. There are so many talented fashion designers out there who really deserve to show in Paris Fashion Week. And while money can buy you style, it doesn't mean you have taste.

WTF

WTF-Wisconsin Tourism Federation needs to rethink it's name and it's logo in the age of texting. And yet this logo was approved and used. I can't believe that not only was there not someone on the board or a designer not savvy enough to know that the acronym means something. On top of that, with the incredibly sophisticated marketing that's going on with Michigan, the logo created is unsophisticated and uninspiring.

winterizing: Big Box Marketing as a "Local Business"

winterizing: Big Box Marketing as a "Local Business"

Big Box Marketing as a "Local Business"

This is a fantastic article about marketing and the spin that some larger corporations are saying that you're supporting "local businesses".

winterizing: Now you don't need a designer

winterizing: Now you don't need a designer

Now you don't need a designer

I was looking for an online printer and I came across this site. It explains why you no longer need a designer to do your cards. They offer a bunch of templates. Just pick your industry and go from there. Of course I had to look. If you're a dry cleaner, then there are all these choices to make. The designs are about as sophisticated as clip art from Word. However, I did come across another site recently that does have some fantastic design. http://inkd.com/
The only problem is two-fold. One, you're buying a template. That means that the business down the street from you can also do the same. Your brand? What brand? You're buying a design. A design that easily show up from a competitor. Try setting yourself apart with your services or products when from a visual point of view there is nothing to do that. What you have here is a better looking version of Word. Second, I have a problem with designers that take concepts that were done for a client and try to resell them. It's an ethics issue and one that I do not participate in.

umlauts

Recently I've noticed a trend in design. Maybe it started with the annoying graffiti style posters everyone for Bruno. We have enough graffiti in Chicago, so I'm not a huge fan of marketing designed to look like some punks took a spray can to a building. That aside, it's the umlauts that caught my attention. I remember as a young designer being fascinated by those two little dots over a letter. They made everything look so cool. But reality took hold. In this country, adding an umlaut is not as easy when you work on a computer. Plus, not everyone knows what one is. How it changes the pronunciation of a word. With that said, I hope this isn't something that continues.

Be careful when naming your organization

A fellow designer of mine from Indiana had mentioned that their local baseball team had undergone a new name and logo. The name is in reference to Johnny Appleseed, who is the local hero of Fort Wayne. They named their team The Tin Caps. Unfortunately, they're called The Pot Heads by everyone else.

What does your card say about your company?

Whenever I present to a client concepts the first thing I say is that I believe that design doesn't need to be explained. Now of course, I always have rationales for everything I have done. And I always talk about them, because that's part of the job. But the truth is that good design should communicate your message without the designer needing to speak a word. If an idea isn't understood, than it's not working. As designers we're problem solvers. And we use words and pictures to solve those problems. What's important is not what we tell you a concept means, but what your reaction is. Because if you don't have a reaction, then how can one of your clients? Your materials need to be understood so that when you're not around, they're conveying your message, your brand. Case in point: I received these cards yesterday from a client that I have just branded. A professional organizer. And what I really love is not only did she pull out her card, but a card of a competitor. With so much information crammed into a tiny space, with images all over the place, it was clear that we succeeded in conveying her goals. To create a space that works. a space you love.

Newsletters-what they may look like

Every day I get the Hungry Girl email. Right now I'm thinking it's a bit to much, so I will probably unsubsribe. Something to consider when sending out mass emails. The other issue, which I mentioned on the previous posting, is how they may appear on different email systems.

Bit of a control freak

Today I sent out my second newsletter. And while my first thought was to use a service such as constant contact, I wanted control over the design. The problem is, that you can't send out pdfs using the service. What they offer is html with the ability to customize and add images. And while I tested the service out, the problem is that you can't control all the different email clients and the way that they're viewed. So what did I do? Just like I would for a client, I needed to come up with a solution. For me, it was important that it appeared a certain way. Also, I wanted to give a brief overview of what was in the newsletter. So while the original is posted on my site, the email version had links. A second piece was created, a gif, that allowed for the best image options while still keeping it under the required size.

Aha Moment Campaign

I read about how Oprah's lawyers were suing Mutual Of Omaha for using The Aha Moment as their newest campaign. So of course I had to check it out. It's really fantastic. From the home page are individual stories. I couldn't help but start going through them.

Printing business cards

Today there are so many options in printing. From online to conventional, the choices are endless. So are the options and prices. While I've had my own cards printed through vistaprint.com and have been very happy with them, sometimes going the more traditional way has it's benefits. These cards were printed with two Pantone inks, metallic silver and an embossing. The benefits for printing with Pantone inks is that it's a perfect color match. While that may cost a little more, these cards were designed for a specific audience. Like all good marketing, you need to take into account who you are trying to appeal to.

Looking for a little inspiration? Check out these amazing designs.
http://cardobserver.com/

Finally Truth in Advertising

Finally some truth in advertising. I couldn't help but pull over yesterday on my way up north for a little road trip and take this photo. The honesty was refreshing.

What's in a name?

Last year I attended a conference for independent designers. About 400 like minded individuals attended. As we sat at our oversized conference table of about 15, we handed out our cards and introduced ourselves and our company. Now talk about a tough crow. We know cards. We all design them. But the name of everyone's business was what intrigued me. We would later have an entire break out section about naming alone. I had a meeting with one of the panelists who told me to change the name of my company. I listened to all his advice but that one. A year later I only remember the name of one other studio: Anne Likes Red.
Playful, unique and a nod to what she does. So in the era of google and yahoo, companies like A Hundred Monkeys do it really well. And of course, love the name.

Turned off by a tag line

A tag line has a purpose. It can act as a descriptor for your business. And when a business uses a name (ie winter and construction) which says nothing of what you do, then a tag line is even more needed. Sometimes a company's tag reinforces the philosophy (ie Nike: just do it). A couple of weeks ago I drove past a bar in River North. As usual, signage always catches my eye. And the name I found appealing. Stone Lotus. The lotus flower has a lot of meaning in yoga. And using stone was an intriguing mix of organic and cold. But what really stood out was the tagline: Lounge, Restaurant and Liquor Spa. I was immediately turned off. Liquor is not a great word to begin with. There's something unsophisticated about that. It reminds me of a cheap corner store that someone runs into to buy beer to watch a game on a sunday. Or a bottle of something stronger. But spa? Spa to me means escape. Relax. Get away. So when you put Liquor Spa together it says escaping with alcohol. And not in a good way. The funny thing is, buy the looks of the inside, it looks like a beautiful space. But with events like Booty Camp, I probably wasn't their market anyway.

Good design doesn't need to be explained

I see that the Art Institute of Chicago has a new logo.
And while I envy the design studio that got that project, I am not a fan of the end result. It looks like a typo was made. And while I read the rationale, there seems to be a disconnect. Perhaps is the Roman U was done in a completely different type face, it would seem more deliberate. Good design doesn't need to be explained, it needs to be understood.

This only looks expensive

Like everyone else, I need to focus on how I spend my dollars. And that includes my own marketing. I needed a brochure. Some sort of leave behind after a networking event. Or something to introduce myself to new clients. And while there are some printers that can print one for you relatively inexpensively, I have an issue with the paper. But that's me. I always have issues with paper. It's one of my passions, and one that my professional organizer told me to stop buying until I started using some of the one's I already had. But that's another posting. This one is about MY brochure. I needed to get creative. Think outside the box. (I still don't like that expression). But the truth is, I needed something different. Low costs, creative, that printed well. Running anything off my printer is like throwing away money. So what did I do? I upload six photos on the Walgreens and CVS website. I picked them up an hour later. At Walgreens. CVS had no record despite the three confirmation emails. I came home and bound them. Total time: Designing, Driving, Production: 5 hours. The result: priceless. No, not really. 66 cents.

Pretty good article about logos

Name calling

What’s the point of titles anymore? Are they really an indicator of success? Talent? Years in business?

I’m asking this because I have no idea. I’ve been called a lot of things in my almost twenty years as a designer. And it’s not what you’re thinking. I’ve been an art director, associate creative director, senior designer. It used to be that titles had relevance. That you couldn’t become a senior designer without first being a designer. That art directors often came after designer. But now, I see job postings (yes, even in this economy) for art directors with two years experience. Two years? I was doing production work two years after college. I didn’t like it, and was actually fired for it, but still. I had to pay my dues. And I did. I worked long hours. I commuted. I got paid a salary that barely paid for a 450 square foot apartment.

But that was than. Now I come to the table a seasoned professional. I’m paid for my experience and the work that I can deliver. Call it what you will. And I mean that.

winterizing: For my husband

winterizing: For my husband

Urban Decompression

Last year my husband did a career switch. From twenty year in sales, he went back to school to become a licensed clinical massage therapist. At the time some people thought it was a crazy idea. But as someone who gets headaches, I was more than thrilled. It turns out, I do not get massages on demand. But I do get to design all his marketing materials. Last week we relaunched his website. With more of a focus on what's going on with the economy and the benefits of companies using massage as part of their overall wellness program. Why am I blogging about this? Because I think it's important, no matter what your business, that you keep up with what's going on. That might mean tweaking your message a bit, enhancing your story with different visuals, or even creating new marketing pieces. But no matter what, you need to stay relevant. If you're product or service isn't something that people need, than find a way to make them want it. I know I always want a massage. I just need to find a way to get one.

Domino Magazine. I will miss you.

It saddens me that Domino magazine just went under.I find it one of the greatest magazines out there. Every month I look forward to it. I find it not only inspirational but attainable. Unlike Architectural Digest, which always looks like no-one ever lives in those places. And if they do, they don't have kids or pets. There's something so inviting about the spaces shown in that magazine. And it always renews my love (and fear) of wallpaper.

Love and branding

An interesting website from Saatchi and Saatchi about our relationships with certain brands. I agree that it's more of an emotional response we have to certain brands. Of course, if I didn't feel that way than I shouldn't be in this business, but that's for another blog.

Momo color exhibit

Have you seen the Moma exhibit on color? An excellent example of beautiful use of flash and color. But I have to say, anytime I get directed to a museums website, I always end up in the online store.

update to resume

It wasn't an easy task. But after spending the weekend, finessing, reviewing and otherwise pondering the last almost twenty years of my life, I was able to finish my resume.

Will we ever stop updating our resume?

Next week I will be talking to DePaul students on going out in the design world. Which has forced me to examine some of my own design tools. One being my resume. I'm a huge proponent of walking the walk, so this week I've decided to update my resume. How do I sum up the past 17 years of my life on one 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper? After doing research, I found that it's recommended. No fancy designs, don't turn it horizontally. But as a designer, our resume is a visual tool that also represents the kind of work that we do. Which is probably why I find it challenging. My goal-to have it finished this weekend. But when I've been doing this for 25+ years, I'm going to go to two pages.

Support winter and construction in the 2009 StartupNation Leading Moms in Business Competition

Support winter and construction in the 2009 StartupNation Leading Moms in Business Competition

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Twitter-what is it?

Social networking, blogging, facebook. And my Blackberry. Man, I love my Blackberry. I just read an article about businesses marketing themselves on Twitter. So I thought I'd give it a try. But I have to say, it's getting a bit overwhelming. While I try to post things that I think are interesting or funny, who knows. Everyone's sense of humor is different. And when did it become ok to follow people? I thought that was stalking. So as I try out the "newest" social networking tool, I have to wonder, do all of these connections make us closer to each other, or farther apart. While I know the day to day of some of my "closest friends", I'd much rather go out and join them for a cup of $4 coffee.