Category: Creativity, Promotional Items — Tags: Halloween, holidays, promotional items, promotional products — dave @ 11:37 am
No, it’s not too late. And no, it’s not too early, either.
One reason retailers love Halloween is because they get two rushes of purchases. The first is from people wanting to stock up ahead of time. The second is from last-minute shoppers, but also from those same first-round customers who ate through their rations weeks back.
But the holiday is not just for grocery stores and costume shops.
Halloween brings with it unlimited opportunities for you to get the word out about your products or services by using promotional treats.
How about advertising on Halloween candy bags and pails?
You could put your logo on flashlights or safety armbands for kids and adults.
Are you a school or dentist’s office? How about putting your logo on a packet of customized safety information for kids?
Not for kids
Even if you’re not interested in the above ideas, how about a classy candy bar? You’ve probably seen them given out as wedding favors.
Why not put your logo on a Halloween candy bar for your clients?
Need help getting ready for Halloween? Let the experts at imPress Printing lend a hand.
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Category: Creativity — Tags: Creativity, Design, inspiration — dave @ 9:09 am
Get Creative!
Here at imPress I developed a concept I like to call “Food For Thought Lunches.”
Every so often, I round up any staff members interested in participating and bring in a creative, fun, or thought-provoking exercise to share with the group over our lunch break.
Some days it’s a crafty project, other days it’s coloring pages, short writing projects or list making. Regardless of the task, the lunches are a fun mid-day stress reliever, a great teambuilder, and an awesome creativity boost
So how can you implement something similar for your staff? I suggest grabbing a creative exercise book and using that as a starting point. I love “Caffeine for the Creative Mind: 250 Exercises to Wake Up Your Brain.” by Stefan Mumaw and Wendy Oldfield.
Here is one sample exercise from the book, “Does This Dress Make My Brain Look Fat?”
And here is what some of our staff came up with…
So grab your crew, grab some crayons and markers, (and your lunch, of course!) and GET CREATIVE!
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Category: Creativity, Design — Tags: Creativity, graphic design, personalized products, self-expression — dave @ 7:35 am
Since we’re artsy design geeks, freedom of expression is a big deal to us. The fact that we can help businesses show their true colors is what gets us going in the morning. We live for the opportunity to design printed materials and select promotional products that help businesses communicate their personalities to their clients.
Although it’s super fun to help businesses express themselves, we can’t help but wish that once in awhile we could do the same for some individuals. How cool would it be to help some dude bring out his crazy side by styling his hair into a green mohawk, or help another guy display his inner child by tattooing Elmo on his arm?
The Next Best Thing
Realistically, we don’t see ourselves moonlighting as hairstylists or body artists any time soon. So we thought we’d use today’s post to direct you to a couple of websites that feature products that can help you express yourself. (We figured if we can’t ink anybody up, at least we can show you guys some less painful ways to show the world what you’re all about.)
One such website we’re into is imakemycase.com, a site that lets you create a personalized smartphone case. Whether you want to start from scratch and upload your own original design, or put your own spin on designs already out there, you’ll end up with a durable and unique case for your phone. Show off your individuality every time you talk, text, play with apps, or surf the web with that smartphone.
Or every time you wear your kicks. You can be sure never to have the same shoes as the guy next to you if you buy your next pair at NikeID.com. Here you can count on Nike quality shoes designed completely by you. You pick the style and the colors of each element of the sneaker, and you can even add a word to the back of each shoe. Your sneaks can tell the world whatever you want them to if you buy them from this site.
And that’s just the beginning. There are a number of sweet sites out there that can help you express yourself through personalized stuff. If you’re ready to let the real you be known, there are a bunch of great companies out there waiting to help you.
Of course, if you feel that your personality is sufficiently expressed but your business is ready to make itself known, then go no further – imPress Printing is all you need to make that happen.
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Category: Creativity, Design — Tags: apps, business apps, fonts, iPad — dave @ 7:49 am
Remember what it was like before many of us carried a combination fake glass of milk / flashlight/ sound effects maker in our back pockets or briefcases?
The iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad and their apps have changed the way the world spends its free time. But these devices have a lot more to offer than just a touch screen and the ability to keep you posted on the weirdest ebay auctions.
Making Working Fun
That’s right. Don’t forget that your favorite toys have a lot to offer the business world too. (That’s why you bought your iPad anyway, right? Or at least that’s what you told your accountant…) But seriously, from Bento to FedEx Mobile, there are apps for these devices that can keep things running smoothly at your business.
Today we want to share a cool iPad app that designers use for work but that is so entertaining, you could also use it for fun. It’s called iFontMaker, and it’s just what it sounds like – an app that helps you to develop fonts. We sometimes use it to make creative custom fonts that we can incorporate into the marketing materials we design for our clients. (This keeps us from getting stuck in the rut of overusing those overused fonts over and over and over.)
The app lets you pick existing fonts to trace, edit, tweak, and shape until you’ve made your own version of every letter. Then you can actually convert the letters you’ve drawn into a true type font, which can be imported to other applications. It turns out that it’s pretty neat-o to type in what looks like your own handwriting. (Or in the crazy bubble letters you’ve been perfecting since fifth grade.)
If you have a minute and are looking for a creative outlet, give iFontMaker a whirl (and some loops and swoops) and we’re sure it will bring you quite a few moments of ‘appiness.
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Category: Creativity, Marketing, Print — Tags: coupons, PURLs, QR Codes, smartphones, YouTube — dave @ 11:32 am
Let’s pretend you’re the big boss of a company. (Unless you already are the big boss of a company, in which case, just continue being you.) And let’s also say you have to hire someone. You’re looking for someone creative with some fresh ideas to spice things up in your office.
And let’s say you receive this resume
This dude’s hired, right?
This brilliant idea superstar came up with a really cool way to use a QR code to make a boring piece of paper like a resume come alive.
Get Their Phones Dancing
Since a QR code can bring someone’s phone just about anywhere, there are a ton of ways you can use them in marketing. And something like this guy did is fantastic because it uses creativity to take the hipness of QR codes to new levels.
If you want your marketing collateral to stand out as much as Victor Petit’s resume, we’d be happy to show you other ways to use QR codes to make it happen. We went over a few ideas in a previous entry, but to be honest, the sky’s the limit. If you want to use a QR code and a YouTube video turn your printed postcard into a movie, we can make that happen. If you want to bring each recipient of your direct mail to a PURL, we’re on it. If you want a coupon to pop up on your targets’ phones when they scan a QR code, no problem.Or if you want something totally out of left field, you got it.
But please imPress Printing know if you want to give your marketing materials a QR code makeover.
After all, if QR codes can make a resume fun, they can bring the fiesta to just about anything.
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