Category: Design, Marketing — Tags: branding, logos — dave @ 11:14 am
How can you tell if your logo is out of date? If you’re still reading, there’s a good chance it is.
Logos that are really old work because they’re so incredibly recognizable. They can evolve over time, sure, but some larger companies keep the originals because they are the brand.
But that’s likely not you.
Here are some telltale signs it’s time to change your logo or at least investigate punching it up:
- You haven’t thought about your logo since 1995
- You haven’t thought about your logo since 2000
- You made your logo in Microsoft Word (or better yet WordPerfect) or Paint
- You use clip art you found on your computer in 1998
- The colors of the logo have faded because you’ve copied it so many times
- Your logo colors vary depending on who’s using it
- You forget why you used a pine tree in the background
- Your logo varies between your business cards, letterhead and e-mails
- Your logo only reflects only one division of your company
- You forget what your logo looks like
- You don’t have a “logo” per say
If you said “yes” to any (or all) of the items above, don’t feel bad. It’s actually very common.
While you’ve been focusing on growing your business, the marketing world has grown, too. And designs and tastes, just like fashion, have dramatically changed. And just because you can design a logo in Paint, doesn’t mean you should.
Many times the politics of a company, even a smaller one, can affect its marketing plans. If the boss or board of an organization has some attachment to an old logo or marketing plan, it can be hard to change direction.
Do you think your logo needs some refreshing? Does your manager need some convincing? Let our logo experts here at imPress help!
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Category: Design, Marketing — Tags: brochures, direct mail, eco-friendly, Marketing, marketing materials — dave @ 9:06 am
Your printed materials are often the first impression someone has of your business or organization. So how do you make sure you’re starting off on the right foot and appeal to a wide-range of demographics?
The answer is you don’t appeal to every demographic collectively, you appeal to each individually.
Today’s targeted mailing lists and amazing printing technology, combined with decades of experience here at imPress, can ensure a high return on investment.
First off, what are the goals of your piece? If you’re looking to raise money, for example, you don’t want to look like you spent a ton of money on your printing design with flashy colors on fancy paper.
You really have to know your audience. If you are an environmental group, you should use real recycled paper, soy-based ink and possibly have the piece produced with wind technology.
Perhaps you’re doing printed pieces that need to go to consumers that speak several languages? Why not do the same piece in multiple languages?
Targeting your audience
Technology has dramatically changed the level of accuracy you can employ to target your audience. imPress can help you increase your ROI by hyper-targeting your audience, tailoring the message and making sure your product is appealing to each potential customer on their own terms.
Say you’re selling pools. Our mailing lists can target the proper income level and age and even put your materials in the mailboxes of families with a certain number of children.
If you’re a real estate company, why blanket the entire region when you can send materials to targets that are broken down by how many years someone has spent in their house? Maybe you want to target retirees looking to downsize. We can do that, too!
Talk to imPress and we’ll help you spend those coveted marketing dollars wisely.
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Category: Marketing, Print, Uncategorized — Tags: marketing materials, printed materials, QR Codes — dave @ 8:48 am
You’ve probably seen them on billboards, in magazines or on your mail — those little black-and-white bar-code-like squares.
QR, or quick response, codes are a perfect example of how traditional print is marrying with web development to keep businesses progressing (or at least make them seem like they’re part of this century).
For some of you, QR codes may be old news, but don’t worry if you’ve never heard of them before. That’s why we’re here! The principle is similar to the bar codes you find on your supermarket items (remember how much fun the self-scan can be?). This time, though, the scanner is your smartphone.
Here are some ideas (remember imPress can help you set your own QR code (they’re free) and add them to all your printed materials):
A sign can only say so much. Perhaps you’re selling a home. How much can you write on a flyer or brochure without making someone’s eyes cross? Use a QR code and those who want to know more will scan the code and learn everything they ever wanted from a related website.
Trade show with a punch. Add some pizzazz to your trade show table or booth. Instead of overwhelming potential clients, show them how savvy you are with a QR code. They see your awesome printed material and when they want to know more, they are sent directly to your awesome site! (You do have an awesome site, right? If not, check out IntelliSites Web Design.)
Promo items that jump off the table. If you want to be noticed, add a QR code to your promo item. Entice clients to see more or link them to a web page with a contest. The possibilities are endless. It’s a great conversation starter, too.
Grow your Facebook fan base. Looking to add more friends to your Facebook page? Instead of just saying you have a Facebook page, link your potential clients directly to your page. They’ve already taken the first step so they’re that much more likely to become a fan since they’re already on the page!
Want to try something but need some advice? Let imPress help!
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Category: Marketing — Tags: branding, Marketing, rebranding — dave @ 8:17 am
Rebranding is a word that scares a lot of business owners (and, we would imagine, cattle as well). As exciting as it can be to change your image, it is also a venture that can require a lot of energy and resources. And we know that some business owners get nervous when they hear about big companies that tried to rebrand and just ended up ticking off their customers.
Like Tropicana, for instance. You may remember a few years back when Tropicana opted to ditch their classic “straw in an orange” look in favor of a “nondescript glass of orange juice” look. Sales went down, people were outraged, and ultimately Tropicana reverted back to their old packaging. This article from Business Insider shows the old and new Tropicana packages and tells the stories of this and some other unfortunate rebranding attempts.
Even though it didn’t work out for Tropicana, rebranding does wonders for many companies. Here’s the thing – it really works best if there is a good reason to go ahead and do it. Let’s say you’re trying to reach a new market. Revamping your brand so it caters to that new market would make sense, right? Or let’s say your company’s mission and daily operations have drastically changed since you developed your original marketing materials. Shouldn’t your marketing match what’s really going on at your business? Rebranding should be much less about a new style and much more about an accurate feel or message.
Rebranding for a Reason
Take the recent rebranding that Keds has done. Most people thought of Keds as shoes that were meant to be sported by middle aged women, but the company wanted to introduce their brand to a younger generation. Their solution was the “How Do You Do?” campaign, which incorporates style, artist designs, a cross-country tour of college campuses, and the ability to create your own shoes. The Keds brand does seem more modern and fresh now, but these updates weren’t made just for the heck of it…they were made with a new market in mind.
Or look at Starbucks. Their recent changeover to a new logo might not have been popular with everybody at first, but it’s likely to be successful in the long run because the logic behind their decision to rebrand makes a lot of sense. The old logo, which incorporated the words “Starbucks Coffee,” did not accurately represent the company that Starbucks is becoming now that coffee is just one of many menu items. By making a subtle logo change, Starbucks is able to show that they’re more than just a place to grab a cup of coffee.
So rebranding is really nothing to be afraid of…if it’s for the right reasons. If the way your company runs is changing or if your targets are changing, then so should your brand. Have a chat with the crew at imPress Printing, and we’ll help you align your brand with your business.
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Category: Marketing, Print — Tags: advertising, direct mail, e-mail, print marketing, websites — dave @ 8:31 am
It’s much easier to show up unannounced in somebody’s mailbox than it is to show up unannounced on somebody’s computer screen.
Now, mind you, we’ve got all kinds of love for well-designed websites, and we can’t say we don’t enjoy a well-crafted email. But even though lots of people are using those internet-based marketing techniques to get their names out there, we can’t help but see the advantages that printed mailers have over web marketing strategies – especially when you’re trying to bring somebody in for the first time.
Introduce Yourself With Print Marketing
Websites and e-mails have got nothing on print when it comes to reaching out to new clients.
Let’s be honest…your clients have to actively try to end up at your website. The computer user is running the show when he’s surfing the web. So if he’s not searching for, say, a website that sells bubble bath for dogs, there’s no way he can end up on such a site. You could have the best dog bubble bath website on the world wide web, but you’ll have no visitors if no one takes the time to look for it.
And as far as e-mail marketing goes, we guess it’s possible to send unsolicited e-mails to random addresses. It’s just not very effective. That delete button gets a workout whenever people receive e-mails from addresses they don’t know…and those people tend to get a little skeeved out that a company somehow uncovered their addresses. Not to mention that there can even be less than thrilling legal ramifications of sending out such e-mails. In a nutshell, it’s just not the best plan.
Mailing addresses are another story, however. They’re a matter of public record, so people are more open to receiving communications they don’t expect when they’re delivered to their actual mailboxes. And unlike an e-mail, the recipient can’t press delete. Most people do at least a quick scan of their snail mail before deciding whether to junk it or keep it. So a mailer with the right design has a decent shot at sharing its message – at least when compared to an unsolicited e-mail.
Now, we’re definitely not saying that this direct mail should be the end of your communications with them. We’re just saying it should be the first. After you get their attention with a super stylish mailer, we do recommend referring them on to your website. And once they’re there, feel free to legitimately collect their e-mail addresses and continue the marketing via e-mail. After all, websites and e-mails are groovy things. They just have trouble starting the dialogue.
So let print handle the introductions, and let imPress handle the printing.
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