HTTPS! Make the Internet Great Again

The time to secure your site is now. You may have heard you should convert your website to HTTPS, but you cannot wait any longer. Safety measures have recently become more rigorous, demanding companies increase their site security. Do not allow your brand to fall behind. Join the HTTPS revolution!

Sites that are not secure will fall to the bottom of the search results page…

Google just changed the game

Let’s talk about Google’s latest web browser update and release of Chrome 68. Beginning this past July of 2018, Google will clearly notify visitors when they have landed on a website that is not secure. With this update, Google aims to create a safer online environment and remain on top of their game, evolving with the demands and challenges of today’s digital landscape.

For the past several years, Google has moved towards a more secure web, advocating that sites use HTTPS encryption as opposed to not secure HTTP. The security measures your company takes reflects upon your brand. Taking the necessary steps toward protecting your customer’s valuable information helps shape and define who you are as a business and ultimately portrays the right image to the customer.

Reap the benefits of a secure site and build brand power

A green padlock in the corner of your page indicates you have encrypted your data and installed an SSL Certificate. It allows the site visitor to feel safe, bringing them positive feelings about your brand. It serves as a clear, visual cue that your website is protected and secure. The goal is to take responsibility and show your customers that you understand that they have entrusted you with vital personal information.

This is an opportunity to build brand power, prove authentication and establish trust with your audience. Consumers form an image and opinion of your brand based on many different factors. Your reputation is more than what you sell or the services you provide. It’s more than your customer service ranking or how fast you reply on twitter. Your company’s image is how well you value and appreciate not only your customer’s business, but also their well-being and privacy.

As a result of this boost in brand perception, customers are more likely to purchase from you, sign up for your weekly newsletter and become repeat customers who feel good about your business practices.

What exactly is an SSL Certificate?

 I know what you’re thinking. Is this certificate worthwhile or is it all for show?

Let’s start with defining what an SSL Certificate is. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. A web server is what a business connects with to present their website online and a web browser is what customers use to connect with web pages on both their phones and computers.

A web server and web browser work together to connect the customer’s computer to the company’s website. An SSL Certificate acts as a protective barrier, making it more difficult for entities to meddle with the information that passes to and from the browser and server.

A secure site will instill a feeling of confidence in your customers.

Encryption is your obligation

When it comes to safeguarding customer information, it is simply not enough anymore to avoid knowingly giving it out to other parties. You are obligated to protect this information from cyber criminals and data hackers.

Having a secure website is both important and necessary to your online business. Customers feel confident that their personal information is safely delivered and any data they receive from the website is not manipulated or tainted in any way.

Give your brand a boost and make Google happy

In addition to the functionality the certificate provides, Google is taking it a step further using HTTPS as a ranking factor. Sites that are not secure will fall to the bottom of the search results page, which may impact your number of site visits. The good news, Google is rewarding those who choose to encrypt their data by ranking it higher, bringing you more traffic and potential revenue.

Originally used only as a tiebreaker when all other variables were equal, it will now grant site owners a small boost in ranking. After running tests on using secure, encrypted connections as a signal in their search algorithms, Google wrote in their Webmaster Central Blog, “We’ve seen positive results, so we’re starting to use HTTPS as a ranking signal.”

In 2014 Google informed readers the signal was very lightweight, but warned, “over time we may decide to strengthen it, because we’d like to encourage all website owners to switch from HTTP to HTTPS to keep everyone safe on the web.”

Encryption helps keep the web safe and secure for all of us

All in all, encryption is important! Without an SSL Certificate encrypting the data passing between your business and your customers, both parties are at risk. A secure site will instill a feeling of confidence in your customers that you as a business, are doing everything you can to protect any personal information, resulting in a more loyal customer base and favorable standing.

Investing in cyber security is worthwhile. Regularly review and evaluate both your privacy policies and IT strategic plan and adapt them as necessary to meet the data security demands of today. Staying on top of these trends proves your company trustworthy and proactive.

Each year, Earth Day brings renewed energy, attention and commitment to environmental issues and ways we as individuals and organizations can better protect our planet’s valuable resources. The global celebration serves as a reminder to incorporate sustainable practices into our personal lives and business models. According to Earth Day Network, this year’s Earth Day was dedicated to ending plastic pollution.

In the advertising and marketing world, Earth Day is not only an opportunity for companies to showcase their green initiatives, but a chance to connect with consumers on an emotional level, helping build positive brand energy.

This year Chicago businesses of all sizes took the time to make April 22^nd part of their PR and marketing strategy by communicating brand values and championing Earth Day.

Divvy, Chicagoland’s bike share system, launched a weeklong promotional event offering free rides as a kickoff to Earth day and the annual Divvy Week. As an incentive to get cyclists to try the environmentally-friendly transportation program, 24-hour passes were made available at no cost to riders, thanks to Naked Juice sponsorship.

Taylor Farms, a Midwest favorite when it comes to fresh, flavorful salad kits, used Earth Day to remind their audience that they strive to grow green all year long and remain committed to sustainable practices that work to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by using clean, reliable and affordable energy. Taylor Farms also utilized Twitter to launch a contest asking their audience to share a picture doing something good for the Earth using hashtag #GoToGreens for a chance to win a reusable tote bag filled with goodies and a shipment of organic greens.

#SheddTheStraw! For Earth Day this year, Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium asked the community to follow their lead and say no to plastic straws provided with cold beverages. The Shedd announced their removal of them throughout the cafes as part of an organization-wide commitment to reduce single-use plastics in their operations. Is 500 million plastic straws a day worth the sip? This is what they are urging Americans to contemplate. The Shedd also released a special Earth Day promotion in collaboration with Strawesome, a family-owned company who designs reusable glass drinking straws and stands by the motto, “plastic sucks.” We already carry reusable grocery bags and drink out of reusable bottles, so why not add a straw to the mix?

Out with the old and in with the new. The Chicago White Sox joined the Shedd Aquarium’s initiative. Beginning on Earth Day, this MLB brand has now stopped serving straws with drinks for the rest of the season at Guaranteed Rate Field. Guests will be provided biodegradable straws upon request. This black and white team just got a little greener.

Chicago Line Cruises, best known for their engaging, witty and informative architectural river tours, chose to extend their celebration and appreciation for our Earth all summer long. This summer 2018, Chicago Line Cruises partnered with The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and city organizations to launch a series of five Eco Boat Cruises. Experts in ecology, planning and design will discuss topics such as the Chicago Region’s ecological significance on a global scale, achieving ecological balance and delivering conservation in an urbanized world and fresh water as social justice through balanced urban and economic development. Sail down the branches of the Chicago River now through October.

Your company’s narrative, told through a PR sustainability strategy, helps customers buy into your organization by inspiring them and creating a meaningful connection. Brand loyalty is an emotional act. Next Earth Day, and every day, consider ways you can make a difference while making connections in local and global communities.

Optimizing PDF files for search engines

By now, you’ve probably heard all about search engine optimization (SEO) and how it affects your visibility on the internet.

Essentially, the strategy of SEO comprises a set of best practices and techniques that maximize your content’s potential for being found in an organic search result. It is the process of making your information as appealing as possible to both search engines and web users alike. You can apply SEO thinking to everything from headlines, copy, images and even downloadable PDFs on your site to improve click-through rates and conversions.

What is a PDF?

PDF stands for “portable document format.” The PDF format was created to maintain document layout structure as the files travel through and are interpreted by different operating systems and computers. Basically, PDF files function as a near universal means of consistent electronic communication; almost everyone has a PDF reader on their device.

Companies will post PDFs to their websites to maintain the visual layout for catalogs, instruction manuals, white papers and even Power Point presentations. Uploading a PDF is less expensive than recreating the layout in HTML, and the PDF format will ensure the file will print on a desktop printer exactly as it is shown on screen.

[Pro Tip]: When creating or repurposing a file as a downloadable PDF, it’s a good idea to include navigation and related links to other areas of your website to keep the interaction going.

Search engines will generally crawl and index your PDFs like any other page of your website, so you should take advantage of all the SEO opportunities.

SEO for PDF

Search engines will automatically pull information from your content to create a “snippet” that will post on the search engine results page (SERP). Not only does optimizing your PDF files help search engines better understand what your content is about, it also allows you to create a more compelling snippet for the humans searching for your content.

PDFs that appear in a search result will look similar to a web page result, but there will be a small [PDF] included, like this:

1.) Creating a PDF

You can create a PDF using several sources, including Word, PowerPoint, InDesign and Photoshop. However, if you’re creating the PDF as a corporate communiqué, it is very important that the design is on brand, on message and coordinates with existing marketing efforts.

2.) Naming your PDF file

Your PDF file name will appear on the SERP as part of the target URL. Be sure to include your best keywords and separate words with hyphens or underscores underscores (e.g. Search-Engine-Optimization-for-PDF-Files.pdf).

3.) Adding descriptive metadata

After you’ve created your PDF, open it and select File>Properties from the pull-down menu. This will open the Document Properties window. The first tab is your file Description, which will help describe your content to search engines and provide the information presented on the SERP.

File: This section will be automatically filled with the file name assigned when the PDF was created.

Title: Include your best keywords here, as well. This is what will show most prominently on the snippet created by the search engine. The title is what should entice people to click through to your content. Keep it under 50 characters.

Author: This section can include your name, your company name and/or your website URL.

Subject: Use this section to create a brief summary of what your content is all about. Search engines will generally use this section for the meta description on the SERP. Again, this should be an enticement for a searcher to click through to your content.

Keywords: Add descriptive words and phrases that directly relate to your content and could be used in a search query. Try to be as focused as possible, limit yourself to three or four words or phrases and separate them with commas or semicolons.

You can click on the “Additional Metadata…” button for a lot of other data fields, including copyright and contact information, but completing this section is sufficient for SEO best practices and creating a clean layout of relevant, enticing information on the SERP.

Frustrations in Facebook Marketing

Facebook has announced major changes to the way their News Feed algorithm would be prioritizing posts in the future. This announcement is in response to criticism that Facebook’s current algorithm may have prioritized misleading news and misinformation, consequentially influencing the 2016 American presidential election and fueling political discord around the world.

Posting to his Facebook page, Mark Zuckerberg wrote, “I’m changing the goal I give our product teams from focusing on helping you find relevant content to helping you have more meaningful social interactions.”

This change would effectively prioritize posts made by friends and family, while reducing the appearance of non-advertising content posted by business pages. Facebook has assured paying advertisers that their content would remain unaffected by this change.

Facebook’s history of declining organic reach

Marketers have long been aware of the decline in Facebook’s organic reach, or the ability for your post to appear in the news feed of someone who likes or follows your page. Over the past three years, organic reach has declined to about 2 percent. It is likely that organic reach to eventually arrive at zero; for all intents and purposes, we’re pretty much there already. So, this announcement may seem more like revisionist history than genuine altruism.

However, it’s hard to fault Facebook’s allegiance to their audience. Ostensibly, this move will put the most relevant and desirable information in front of their users, keeping them engaged and on the site.

The continued attraction to marketers is obvious. Facebook remains the largest and most popular social media platform on the planet. In the third quarter of 2017, there were 2.07 billion monthly active users. There is a lot of tempting potential in those numbers. Even a one percent reach would mean access to more than 20 million people, possibly including CEOs, business leaders and decision makers, right? However, the days of easy access are long gone, and Facebook has clearly evolved into a pay-to-play format.

Should businesses stop posting unpaid content?

No, definitely not. However, it may be time to analyze statistics to see if changing the format of posts can support a decrease in the quantity of posts. Currently, Facebook is pushing Facebook Live and Native Video, so these content categories are receiving preferred placement. If Facebook is a significant venue in your marketing mix, now would be a great time to start researching and investing in these types of communication.

Also, you should analyze your approach to potentially increase engagement. Instead of simply preaching to your audience or making blanket statements, use your posts to create a sense of community, no matter how small. Nurture your community members, encourage interaction and challenge them to engage. For instance, Facebook recently introduced the ability to create audience polls using GIF animations.

Don’t forget your page is also an informational resource for potential clients and future employees. People may use your Facebook page to research your company’s values and corporate culture. In this respect, your Facebook page is an invaluable source for branding. Use your page to champion causes and promote ideas that are important to your business.

Marketing effectively with Facebook

Facebook advertising isn’t necessarily the right move for every company, and your efforts and investments won’t necessarily be justly rewarded with a flood of conversions and ROI. Facebook ads are a great way to generate warm leads, but this effort usually needs to be augmented by additional nurturing through a full-scale marketing funnel. Like all other marketing avenues, you should research the pros and cons to make an informed marketing decision.

If you’re going to use Facebook as a part of your marketing mix, you’re going to need to accept the fact that you don’t own the platform or your audience, and you don’t make the rules. You must determine what you want to achieve and then consider how Facebook’s business goals, both now and in the future, may impact your plan. Following and maintaining an understanding of how Facebook approaches their user experience will help you to get the most out of your Facebook marketing experience.

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Why should I care about the color of the year?

Pantone just announced their 2018 Color of the Year is Ultra Violet.

So what?

It’s not like they’ve discovered a new color. I had Ultra Violet as an option in my big pack of crayons when I was in preschool.  Not to mention the billions of years that Mother Nature held the monopoly on this particular hue.

It’s not like companies around the world are going to scrap or revamp their brand guidelines to incorporate Ultra Violet. Designers likely won’t push to use this until-so-recently commonplace shade into projects just because Pantone tacked on a bunch of inspirational adjectives.

Then why? Why is it important to champion one color over another?

Selecting the Color of the Year

Pantone is widely regarded as the world’s foremost authority on color, and their color-matching system is seemingly ubiquitous. Since the turn of the century, their color experts have annually selected a color that represents the perceived zeitgeist, while factoring in prominent design trends. A trained cynic would point out that this type of selection is about as quantifiable as the Applause-O-Meter, and that the Color of the Year is nothing more than a marketing stunt to maintain relevance. However, I believe there is more at stake here.

The color of the year may be arbitrarily selected and then assigned some flowery descriptors, but its function is far more powerful.

Changing color perception

Color has a tendency to fade into the background of our lives, despite the obvious influence the entire spectrum holds over our mood and identity.  In bringing one color to the fore, Pantone reignites our awareness of all colors and the role they play in shaping our perception of the world.

Take this opportunity to join the conversation. Talk to someone about how Ultra Violet, or any color makes you feel. What memories do you associate with yellow, where does pink end and red begin and what is your favorite shade of black?

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Get to Know Your Agency: The Production Artist

There are many advantages to working with a design agency, but none are more prominent than access to a skilled production artist.

The production artist ensures the designer’s work is able to function within its final application, whether it’s a brochure, a web page or a printed advertisement. This process involves a review of every aspect of the designed file. Adjustments such as copy edits, photo retouching, recreating components, color correction and repairing broken links all help sustain the designer’s vision and maintain brand standards.

These checks can also end up saving a lot of money. Just because a file looks perfect on the screen, it doesn’t mean it will translate perfectly in print. There are many things that can go wrong on press that the production artist works to prevent.

Missing image or graphic links

The images that appear in a layout are actually often linked to other files. If the final file is not properly packaged, these images will appear as broken links. This issue could hold-up a project, causing delays and blown timelines.

Low-res images

Low-resolution images will bottom-out the perceived value of any piece, taking the brand with it. High quality printing requires images at 300 DPI when scaled to 100 percent. Pixelated photos or graphics could cause you to miss your ad deadline. In printed collateral, it could result in a costly reprint.

Photos are drastically enlarged or reduced

Photo files have a limited number of pixels. A 300 DPI image scaled down to 25 percent is 1,200 DPI at final output. That same image enlarged to 150 percent is 200 DPI at final output. Photo links should be placed at 100 percent size at the proper DPI for final output to prevent image distortion.

RGB and spot colors in print

RGB (red, green and blue) is the standard presentation for computer monitors. Print requires a CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) color-build or spot colors to ensure color accuracy. RGB files might not reproduce accurately on a four-color press. Correcting this oversight will prevent delays and additional costs.

Spot colors are often used to reduce variations in color tone from print run to print run. If a spot color is accidentally included in a CMYK project, that four-color run becomes a five-color run and the cost will increase. The printer may or may not catch this, and there will be additional charges involved with converting the color.

Messy files

Stray unused fonts, colors, text or images that remain in the file can cause a lot of headaches for printers and publications. These extra components can add unwanted size to the file and interrupt a proper rip (translation of the file), resulting in errors in the final printed piece and interrupted timelines.

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Gray areas in gray matter

The brain is highly complex. It’s the only organ that named itself. Think about it.

There is a longstanding belief that says the left side of the brain controls logical thought and the right side of the brain controls creativity. Scientists are left-brained. Artists are right-brained. Make sense? Not really.

Nearly all tasks require a combination of logical and creative thought. That’s how we think. That’s how we interpret the world. Scientists use creative approaches to solve technical problems and artists employ logic to organize and visualize thought. Marketing is no different.

Great marketing and great design are the product of strategic thinking and emotional connection. Effective communication considers many factors and is as scientific as it is artistic.

Consider these questions from a logical “left brain” and creative “right brain” perspective. How are the answers different and where do they overlap?

• What does my audience want or need?
• What are the primary and secondary messages?
• How does this support the overall brand?

Marketing to the whole brain

Did you ever notice how sarcasm doesn’t really work in an email? When you hit send, you might be left wondering how the recipient will interpret, or misinterpret your message. Without proper context, you could be communicating less or more than you intended.

Thank goodness for emoticons, right? 😛

Marketing addresses the needs and wants of your audience. The copy is what you want to say and design provides context to shape interpretation and create your corporate voice. Initial reactions are often emotional and can be based on design alone. Give your audience a reason to interact with your brand and invest in your company.

Consistent branding, descriptive copywriting and creative design help bridge the gap between the marketer’s “why” and the consumer’s “why do I care.” No matter the medium, you have only seconds to capture interest, engage the viewer logically and emotionally and make sure the intended message is received.

Here’s a brand design we did for Joseph Antognoli & Company that used association and emotion to secure a stronger bond with customers and dramatically affect the bottom line.

Strategic emotion

The essence of great copy and design is effective communication. It allows your audience to better understand and associate with your brand, even if it’s only on a subconscious level. This is why creative and thoughtful design is so important to marketers. By helping inform, persuade and motivate, great design engages the whole brain and creates brand energy.

What is content marketing?

The purpose of content marketing is to provide valuable, free content to your target audience to improve their lives and/or simplify their jobs. Instead of focusing on a product or service, content marketers examine common consumer pain points and passions and offers relevant advice or entertainment to targeted personae through select media.

The idea is to attract, acquire and engage in a way that genuinely interests a target audience in order to move them to the next level of the sales funnel. Content marketing can forge initial connections by demonstrating similar interests and values. Additionally, it can demonstrate industry thought leadership, building a level of trust and authority that usually comes from a protracted sales cycle. And all of this can take place before you actually speak to the prospective client.

Why content marketing?

Think about it like this: not everyone is interested in learning about a blender right now, but most people are curious to see what the Blendtec blender can do to an iPhone in the popular “Will it Blend?” YouTube series. The takeaway is a dramatic demonstration of the Blendtec blender’s power in a package that sends my inner 13-year old reeling and ready to share.

The growing power of the consumer

Consumers have more control over the buyer’s journey than ever before, often moving themselves through the various stages of awareness, research, consideration and decision before a salesperson speaks with them directly, in both B2B and B2C environments. They are collecting information and forming opinions, with or without your help.

Essentially, content marketing is marketing communication enacted to address the ways that the modern consumer proactively seeks and consumes information. Put enough breadcrumbs out there and someone is bound to consume their way back to you, or at least discover that you understand how their industry’s bread is made. The fact that the content is unique, entertaining, free and comes with no strings attached makes it near irresistible.

“Best way to sell something – don’t sell anything. Earn the awareness, respect and trust of those who might buy.” – Rand Fishkin, Moz founder

What’s old is new again

Disciples and detractors alike are quick to point out that content marketing isn’t new. In 1732, Benjamin Franklin began publishing Poor Richard’s Almanack, an entertaining collection of weather reports, puzzles and household tips, to promote his printing business. In 1904, the Jell-O Company distributed free copies of the Jell-O Recipe Book, to dramatically boost product awareness and sales. Still others say that, given the hyper-advanced and rapid-fire state of modern mass media, citing these examples doesn’t make sense.

Marketing and branding expert Mark Ritson feels that content marketing is an unnecessary rebranding of basic tactics marketers were already using, and that all the definitions of content marketing “seem to describe marketing communications” and often place too great an emphasis on creating content for the sake of content.

You can read his article here.

Digital media and the marketing landscape

Content marketing, as a distinct and packaged discipline, was essentially created to engage the self-publishing aspect of marketing that became so powerful as digital media began to take hold. Marketers began to think like publishers and messaging – in order to pique and retain reader interest – evolved to focus on the audience rather than the product. Instead of direct promotion, content marketers sought to indirectly engage consumer interest.

At its core, content marketing requires a deep understanding of the customer and how their information needs to evolve along the buyer’s journey, and a proactive approach to answering their most important questions.

However, if a content writer or manager is instructed to “create content” without an understanding of the overall acquisition and nurturing strategy, of course you’ll end up with countless articles on Pokémon Go and ever-increasing desperation in numbered lists of How to Love Millenials that will likely do more to damage your brand than attract consumer action.

When to use content marketing

Content marketing begins and excels at the awareness stage, but it doesn’t end there. To understand, check out my definitions:

• Content is any archivable communication delivered to a target audience.
• Content marketing is the strategic creation of communication to meet a marketing goal.

Some people think that marketing is for the promotion of the company and product, relegating content marketing to lead attraction and top-of-funnel nurturing, but that’s really only part of the equation. As I mentioned before, the purpose of content marketing is to provide valuable, free content to your target audience to improve their lives and/or make it easier for them to do their jobs – that doesn’t mean that your message can’t eventually evolve to include product when the time is right, or that content marketing couldn’t give way to another nurturing strategy.

Sound content strategy is based on market research and great content marketing works in service of overall marketing goals. Different messages can be created for different personae identified in the market research phase, and those messages will change as the audience moves through the sales funnel.

So, in some instances, content marketing is used to create awareness, in others it is used to nurture leads and even close sales. It is vital to remember that the strategy of content marketing considers the entire progressive message and allows an uninterrupted consumer path to purchase.

Content marketing, to Mark Ritson’s point, does entail existing aspects of marketing, which may lead to confusion in how best to use it and at what point it should be implemented. But, I think that the package could be worth more than the sum of its parts, provided the overall marketing strategy isn’t lost in the shuffle.

So, it turns out the new danger of content marketing is actually an old pitfall of marketing in general: being too clever for your own good and allowing function follow form.

Designing communication

Great design requires a lot of information, thought and planning. Graphic designers make choices in a layout that will benefit and emphasize your intended message. The more information you can provide, the better informed their decisions.

Design is communication, and your designer is your interpreter. Here are some of the guiding principles used to shape your visual message.

Balance and proportion

The human brain craves symmetry. An orderly arrangement of items makes them easier to understand, remember and recall. In design, when everything is working together to deliver a message, the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Individual elements are proportioned and harmonized to create a balanced layout that speaks clearly to the viewer.

If an item is added to the layout late in the game, your designer might suggest adjusting other components of the layout for the sake of balance.

Spacing

It’s important to allow elements in a layout room to breathe. A design that is jam-packed with text and visual elements is difficult to process mentally, and some viewers may simply not bother.

Your designer may mention the importance of preserving “white space.” This negative space reduces clutter and allows the brain to process elements more efficiently.

Movement

Designers also consider how the viewer’s eye will move across the layout. Beyond simply being eye-catching, good design will guide the eye organically through all the necessary information, with special focus on the call-to-action.

Your designer will likely consider movement to help emphasize primary, secondary and tertiary messages.

Contrast and emphasis

Contrast comes from juxtaposing different elements. Contrast adds visual interest to the page and can be used to emphasize messaging. Too much contrast will result in competing elements and the viewer won’t know where to look. Again, it goes back to balance and proportion.

If your layout has multiple points to communicate, your designer might use contrast to create a hierarchy of visual importance. Our team used contrast in design to great effect when we worked with Marvolus Manufacturing to develop their new brand segment.

Efficiency

It’s usually best to communicate simply and concisely. One layout can’t hold all the information about your company. A graphic designer can help you figure out what needs to be included to convey this specific message, intrigue the viewer and lead them to the next step.

Your designer might suggest paring down copy and reducing elements to keep your layout and message focused.

Copy and Lorem Ipsum

It can be tempting to dive right into design, even before the copy has been finalized. In these instances Lorem Ipsum, placeholder copy, can be used. However, designing around placeholder copy diminishes the value of the design, as well as the potential connection. Without the basis of meaningful copy, design is more decoration than significant communication.

Figure out what you want to say before you try to say it. Work with your designer to establish a theme, tone and, whenever possible, finalized copy.

When you work with a graphic designer, give as much information as possible. Excellent input enables excellent output. Communicate your visual and editorial standards, as well as the goals of your tactic and overall campaign. And, be sure to ask about the choices your designer made for your layout.

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If you have any questions for our designers, feel free to contact us.

When you hear “great marketing design,” what comes to mind?

A memorable campaign? A visually-striking ad? A clever billboard? What stood out and made you take notice?

Great marketing design is a marriage of form and function that clearly communicates why and how to become a customer. It employs copy, photography, graphics and strategic layout to support the overall brand while making an individual connection. It is effective visual communication that creates brand energy.

Keeping marketing on track

Great marketing design requires strategy and strategy requires information. We like to learn as much as we can about our clients. So, we do a lot of research and ask a lot of questions. From an ad to an entire campaign, these questions help keep things focused, inspire innovation and prevent the unexpected.

Does the marketing communicate the intended message?

Keep things clear. Make sure the main message doesn’t get buried by trying to say too much in one communication.

Does the marketing piece meet the intended goals?

Keep your desired response in mind. Make sure the task you’re requesting of your audience is obvious and attainable. If available, refer to your original creative brief.

Does the marketing support the brand?

Know and stick to your brand guidelines for consistent communication that inspires brand energy.

Was usage considered when the marketing piece was being developed?

Consider any special requirements based on how, where and by whom the finished project will be used.  Does it need to be durable?  Will it be written on?

Is the marketing piece unique?

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel with every communication but, when the opportunity presents itself, make a statement, differentiate and stand out.

Is the conversation intuitive?

Be sure to include clues and context so the reader knows what you want them to do next. Always give your audience the clear ability to continue the conversation.

Is the marketing an honest representation?

Make sure you are accurately representing your services and capabilities. Don’t start a relationship based on dishonesty.

Does the marketing speak to the intended audience?

When creating copy, be sure you are speaking the language of your audience. Don’t use industry jargon unless appropriate. Make sure visuals are relevant to the message.

Does the layout make sense for the medium?

Consider where and how your audience will encounter your communication, as well as how much time and attention will they be willing or able to give at that moment. Adjust your content accordingly.

Does the marketing make a connection?

Make sure your communication delivers a message of brand strength, need fulfillment or pain avoidance.

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Questions, questions, questions! If you have any questions for us, ask away on our contact page.