Graphic design is a language for living. There needs to be a reason for everything and people take for granted that they are affected by graphic design hundreds if not thousands of times per day.
16 Trending topics for branding + business in December
- Here’s how brands sell trust subconsciously: http://ow.ly/85yvO
- 5 tips to turn any event into a networking opportunity: http://ow.ly/7Y104
- Why the best brands eventually leave their names behind: http://ow.ly/84iLK
- How to: use Twitter as a lead generation tool http://ow.ly/81K9Z
- Branding: how it works in the social media age: http://ow.ly/81JY6
- 5 tips for writing your 2012 marketing plan: http://ow.ly/80Law
- Meet the man behind tech’s most recognizable fonts: http://ow.ly/7Zi8H
- Google + brand pages get a holiday update: http://ow.ly/85yFi
- How to give online shoppers confidence in your website: http://ow.ly/84iV2
- 5 things you should stop doing in 2012: http://ow.ly/81MDJ
- 5 ways to improve creativity today: http://ow.ly/80KOI
- 5 trends that will shape business in 2012: http://ow.ly/7Y0Gy
- 4 biggest social networking mistakes of 2011: http://ow.ly/7WQn5
- 6 questions you have to ask in interviews: http://ow.ly/7RQvQ
- Top 10 Worst Logo Makeovers and Lessons We Can Learn From Them http://bit.ly
- 7 things every employee must know about marketing: http://ow.ly/7MDEx
Posted by on January 2, 2012 Speak Your Mind
6 Trending stories for branding + business
5 ways to include your customers when changing the brand: http://www.openforum.com/articles/5-reasons-why-you-should-include-customers-when-pivoting-your-brand?extlink=em-openf-SBdaily
6 steps to providing social media support for executives: http://mashable.com/2011/10/24/social-media-executives/
Why it’s so important to keep ahead of trends – the Kodak story: http://www.openforum.com/articles/how-not-keeping-up-with-technology-trends-led-to-kodaks-demise?extlink=em-openf-SBdaily
Absinthe Case Study – structure and graphic design to embody the brand. http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2011/10/19/absinthe-case-study.html
How to elevate your senses – from the Dr. Oz show: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/5-day-full-body-recharge-plan
Customer experience leads to happy customers! http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-marketing/customer-service/three-crucial-steps-to-happy-customers/article2204207/
Posted by on October 31, 2011 Speak Your Mind
Seasonal Branding for the first day of fall
Today is the first day of fall, and we are noticing seasonal changes in brands. Starbucks launched a campaign to offer their Pumpkin Spice Latte to one city before all others. In addition to special product offerings, Starbucks changes the cups they use on November 1st. Starbucks also creates a buzz around their seasonal changes, and encourages consumers to be excited about product offerings. The ad campaign, and excitement that Starbucks generates in the fall creates brand momentum and leads to higher sales in the fall and winter months. 
Launching a seasonal campaign can add value by giving a brand a fresh look and feel, while expanding a brand’s personality. For example, our Miss Details Design mark is dressed in different outfits according to seasons. A seasonal campaign can also increase sales in slower months, as Kleenex did with their fruit-shaped boxes for summer shown here.
But, if a company takes seasonal branding too far it can harm the brand. Changing too much, too quickly can confuse the consumer and dilute brand image. When a brand adds seasonal elements to its website, it may be frustrating to the consumer by making the site more difficult to navigate or understand. Brands should avoid effects like a downpour of snow that covers the site’s content, altering a logo so that it is completely unrecognizable for seasonal purposes. It is important to remember that people want change, but not too much at one time.
Please, let us know if you need seasonal marketing material for your brand!
Posted by on September 23, 2011 Speak Your Mind
Branded table tents
As we mentioned Wednesday, table tents must have the same look and feel as the rest of the marketing materials that a restaurant uses. Kona Grill uses their table tents for seasonal promotion, and continues the theme in their email campaigns. For example the table tent below is used to promote their “Slim Chance” menu which offers low calorie food and drinks for a limited time. Although the table tent insert uses different imagery than the email campaign (also below) they feature the same style of photography, and the same layout for the campaign name. The style of the [slim] chance is mirrored on the Kona Grill website, in the regular menus, and on the Facebook page.
Table Tent
Email Campaign
Posted by on August 19, 2011 3 People spoke their mind... How about you?
August Calendars
It’s the beginning of August, and you know what that means- more calendars! This month we will be featuring two images from orchid enthusiast Yvonne Brodkin and one image for our animal lovers out there from Cactus Canine. Most screens will use the size that is shown in the image, just click and then right click the larger image that appears and set as desktop background!
About the images
Closeup of a gorgeous fuchsia orchid.
Blooming white orchid.
Meet Max, the loving dog in need of a home. Click here for more details.
To enjoy (instructions): Click the image of the wallpaper you’d like, and a larger version will open in a new window. Right click on this image, and select “Set as Desktop Background”. If that size doesn’t fit, click on the link that’s the right size for your screen and then right click the bigger image. You’ll never forget what day it is!
Enjoy and look forward to more calendars next month!
Posted by on August 1, 2011 Speak Your Mind
Is your logo visible
Just a quick tip for you today, we want to make sure everyone sees your logo in the perfect light!
Logos come to you in various sizes. It can get a bit confusing to match the right size with what you need if you don’t know where to look. Here is a quick guide:
- 300 dpi is used for high-resolution print marketing. This ensures the logo is crisp and sharp.
- 72 dpi is used for web screen. The files are smaller and much quicker to load than a high-resolution image.
Using the right logo format helps create a consistent and professional look, and ensures that people see the best quality image associated with your brand.
Posted by on July 27, 2011 Speak Your Mind
4 tips to increase profit with drink menus
- Define your liquor cost. Restaurants calculate liquor costs many different ways – some include juices, garnishes, and Red Bull while others only account for beer, wine, and liquor. After you’ve defined what contributes to the cost of liquor, determine where you make the most profit, and where you are losing money. A helpful tool is the BCG matrix.
- Educate your staff. Train your staff and give them the confidence they need to sell specialty drinks, wine, and beer. If your servers and bartenders can make a guest familiar with the taste of a new cocktail or type of wine, the guest will be more likely to venture out of their comfort zone and try something new. Your staff should be using the menu as a jumping – off point, and play off the descriptors in the menu. Remember, these descriptions should use words to paint a picture and engage the senses.
- Promote. Make it easy for guests to see what special drinks you offer. Instead of having a separate drink menu available upon request, use table tents and other visual aids to promote your money-makers. Force people to see your unique concoctions. If you are supporting a cause, create a specialty drink to create awareness and promote your brand. Ling and Louie’s in Scottsdale created a Second Base Cooler in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Along with a very cool t-shirt and menu this drink showed off their mad mixology skills, and shows how their very “not boring” brand uniquely supported a wonderful cause.
Another way to promote your yummy drinks is through social media. Post pictures, and see what people like and dislike. A photo of a happy hour margarita might just be what you need to get that extra business on Friday afternoons. You can also use social media to give guests a behind-the-scenes look into how drinks are made. Kai Restaurant at The Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa has a special section on their Facebook page: KAI-Tails – From our Mixoligist where they describe each new cocktail and how locally sourced ingredients creatively blend with choice spirits. 
4. Placement and organization. “The menu is the heart of the restaurant. It embodies the restaurant’s demographics, concept, physical factors and personality,” (from this blog on menu design). Use your menu to create an experience with your guest before they even sip on your drinks. Incorporating tactile elements in menu design for a sensory appeal can help give guests a sense of the cocktails also.
Any tips or tricks you’d like to share?
Posted by on July 25, 2011 Speak Your Mind