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August 2, 2010

We’re Direct Mail Pros

Category: Design, Marketing — Tags: , , , , — Sarah @ 5:33 am

Everybody has a thing.

A butcher’s thing might be preparing a delectable cut of meat. A baker’s thing might be baking the perfect cupcake. A candlestick maker’s thing is, well, fantastic candlestick making. (Quick side note – although we’ve got a handle on the essence of each of their professions, we’ve never been quite sure why these men were caught rub a dub dubbing in a tub together.)

Anyway, what we’re getting at is this – things work out best when the right person does the right job. When the butcher needs a cupcake, he should consult the baker. When the baker needs a candle, he should leave it to the candlestick dude. And when that candlestick maker is hungry for a steak, he should pay the butcher a visit. And if they do, all three will find themselves satisfied and free to devote more time to their own businesses.

Our Thing? Marketing Materials

We love designing marketing materials. From promotional items to brochures to postcards, we’ve got our clients covered when they want to get their messages out there.

One thing we’re particularly fond of is writing copy for direct mail. Writing direct mail is an art that definitely benefits from the skills of a professional. For a direct mail letter to do its job, the tone, format, and content need to be just right – and we know just how to make that happen.

What a Professional Can Do

At imPress, we have a keen awareness of the audience for a direct mail piece and take these readers into consideration as we write. Through years of experience with this medium, we’ve picked up on a lot of tricks of the trade that increase the odds that our clients’ direct mail pieces will make an impact.

For instance, a strongly written “P.S.” can be hugely persuasive. While a reader might skim the body text of a letter, a “P.S” section that is succinct and packs a lot of punch is likely to be read in its entirety. So adding a good one can make your letter much stronger.

There Are More Writing Tricks Where That Came From

From your salutation all the way down to that all-important “P.S.”, we know the powerful, subtle cues to include that will increase the success of your piece. We know what to say and how and when to say it to maximize the effectiveness of your marketing materials.

The butcher certainly could pop some Betty Crocker cake batter into a muffin tin and buy a make-your-own candles kit from Michael’s, but he’s going to end up with stronger results if he leaves the cupcake and candle production to his friends. And when he needs to develop a great direct mail campaign with a high response rate, he’ll get the results he’s looking for if he leaves the writing and designing to us.

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July 26, 2010

World Cup Logos of Years Past

Category: Design — Tags: , — Sarah @ 6:18 am

Are you bummed out that the World Cup is over?

 

In addition to sweat, action, a groovy buzzing sound, and an excuse to skip work to go out for drinks, the World Cup also offers something else we love – logos.

 

Each World Cup tournament boasts its own logo. And each of these logos incorporate elements of the time period and location of the particular World Cup. We’ll guide you through a handful of neat ones.

A Walk Down Logo Lane

 

If you take a gander at the 1994 logo, for example, you’ll recognize the red, white, and blue color scheme that is a shout out to the good old USA, the host country that year. The red stripes are even drawn to look like the American flag and the blue soccer ball is strategically placed where the blue part of our flag would be. Crisp, bright, and very American looking. Nicely done.

 

Or check out the logo from the 2002 World Cup held in Korea and Japan. The contoured shapes in the logo remind us of similar shapes in the South Korean flag, and the logo includes plenty of red, which is found in the flags of both nations. The flavor of the whole logo is similar to that of traditional Asian art. And the feeling of divided pieces making up a whole works well for the first World Cup hosted by two nations. All in all, a sweet logo.

 

But our personal favorite? Mexico ‘86. The Mexican flag colors are in full effect, but the reason we like to look back at it is that it’s so scrumptiously 80’s. The stripey font makes us think of the 80’s Pepsi logo, which in turn makes us think of the Pepsi ads starring Billy Crystal. And then we get that happy little piano tune from the jingle stuck in our heads, and then we start thinking about Saturday Night Live from days of old…all of which is just marvelous.

 

Yes, it’s true…if we can’t be watching the World Cup, checking out former World Cup logos really is the next best thing. (Well, that, and devouring nachos like the ones we would have ordered if we were out watching a game.)

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July 22, 2010

Our Award-Winning Work

Category: Creativity, Design, News — Tags: , , , — Sarah @ 1:39 pm

There’s a little-known adage that we’re sure you’ve never ever heard before that goes something like this: “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

Since our blog posts are usually like 400 words tops, we figured we’d give you more bang for your buck today by keeping the text short but including a few pictures.

As we mentioned a couple of posts ago, two imPress team members recently won NORI awards for some print pieces they designed.  Check out some pics of their award-winning designs.

Michele designed this NORI-winning brochure for NYSID

Michele designed this NORI-winning brochure for NYSID

Erin designed this NORI winner to promote Burst Marketing

Erin designed this NORI winner to promote Burst Marketing

Thirsty for more?  You can check out more of our creations in our portfolio online.  Or come visit us in person if you want to see, touch, and smell the real things.

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July 12, 2010

The Wonders of Repetition

Category: Marketing, Print — Tags: , , , — Sarah @ 5:52 am

If it’s cool with you, we’re going to start off with a little experiment today.

If you’re ready to play along, we need you to read the following list. Ready…go!

Goldfish

Tonsils

Winter

Goldfish

Door

Thermometer

Goldfish

Noise

Goldfish

Golf towel

Goldfish

Fork

Bologna

Goldfish

Spider

Goldfish

Stapler

Tree

Goldfish

Goldfish

Goldfish

Okay, without looking, name the first item from the list that comes to mind.

Was it “goldfish”?

We thought so. And if we could follow up with you tomorrow and ask you the same question, we’re 98% sure the only thing on the list you’d remember is “goldfish.” (And maybe “bologna” as well, if you’re particularly hungry.)

Repetition Makes It Stick

Our silly experiment is our attempt to remind you how important repetition can be in making people remember your business. It goes without saying that any advertising you do is better than no advertising at all. But sending the same people multiple mailers is definitely the way to go if you want to make a lasting impression.

That’s why we encourage our clients to think in terms of mini direct mail campaigns. We can develop a series of mailers that build off of one another and repeat your message to their recipients. That way, even when the first postcard has long since been recycled and turned into newsprint, you have more mailers up your sleeve to remind your targets that you’re still around and ready to do business.

To sum it up…

Repetition keeps your brand alive in your targets’ minds.

Repetition keeps your brand alive in your targets’ minds.

Repetition keeps your brand alive in your targets’ minds.

Repetition keeps your brand alive in your targets’ minds.

Goldfish.

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July 6, 2010

It’s All About Touchpoints

Category: Marketing, Promotional Items — Tags: , , — Jay @ 7:21 am

Here’s a creepy but true fact: anyone you’ve ever come in contact with could be thinking about you right now.

Yes, as you sit and read this blog, it’s quite possible that the whiny kid who sat behind you in third grade, your sister’s roommate’s dad, and your eccentric former neighbor all have the image of your face in their minds. And you know we’re right about this because chances are, some random folks from your past are crossing your mind right now.

Of course, people from our past are much more likely to resurface in our thoughts if something jogs our memories. If we come across old photos, gifts we received, or e-mails from waaaaay deep in our inboxes, we’re apt to remember some faces from earlier days.

Cross Your Clients’ Minds

While the thought of your ex-significant other daydreaming about you might make your skin crawl a bit, the fact that human brains store so much information about the past is actually a really good thing marketing wise. At this very second, one of your clients might be randomly thinking about you or your products for no reason at all. And if you’ve given your customers a nudge by sending them something that will jog their memories, the chances are even higher that your business is on somebody’s mind.

How Touchpoints Make a Difference

In marketing lingo, any contact a customer has with your brand is called a “touchpoint.” Your goal as you market your business should be to provide your customers with enough touchpoints to get them thinking about your brand regularly.

Promotional items are particularly useful for providing touchpoints because people tend to hang onto them for awhile. If you give a client a high-quality water bottle or coffee mug, that client could be seeing your company logo several times a day and thinking about your business frequently. And this could theoretically go on for years if your client keeps on using your free gift.

Money Well Spent

Since one promo item can provide numerous touchpoints, it would not be unreasonable to expect thousands of thoughts about your company to result from giving out just a handful of promotional items. And getting your clients thinking about you is the first step toward making sales. This means that a marketing campaign involving well-chosen freebies is definitely worth the initial investment.

Okay, we’re all done here. You can go back to your reverie about that hottie who had a locker next to yours during your freshman year.

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