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I recently got a phone call from a local Wheaton company looking for business cards. They had gone to a larger local printer and had initially gotten good service, but it had been several weeks and they had had to contact the printer several times to even get a draft of their card, yet alone get anything finished and printed. Either the printer’s employee was just someone who didn’t provide good customer service, or the company didn’t think it was a large enough project to merit their attention. Either way, this client needed to go elsewhere.
Well, it turns out that this “little” business card project was actually only a very small part of what this client really needed. They also needed letterhead, a new website and potentially a mailing campaign in the near future. Additionally, they were in the process of creating a spinoff company. And this spinoff company needs all of its marketing materials, a logo, business cards, letterhead, website, brochures, postcards and vehicle wraps. And because this bigger company didn’t think they were a large enough client to merit their attention, who do you think gets to do all that work?
So whatever business you are in, remember the next time that “small” project comes in that it deserves just as much of your attention as your dream client, because the reality is that little client could in fact be your dream client.
There is an old adage for business dress – “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have”. The idea is that if you are already looking the part, it is easier for people to take you seriously and perhaps help you move along that corporate ladder down the road. Appearance plays a big part of how people in the business world are evaluated, and your dress goes a long ways towards how professional you appear and how seriously people take you.
The same basic principle applies to the look of your company’s marketing materials. If you are a one person operation that wants to land larger, more lucrative clients (or increasingly even some of the smaller clients), you need to do what you can to look the part of a professional organization. You don’t need to spend thousands on overly fancy corporate brochures, but the materials you do put out definitely need to be clean, well organized and professional in appearance. Handing out something that looks like you put it together at home doesn’t help the appearance of your company and it can actually hurt when you’re trying to land that client.
Your marketing materials, just like your wardrobe, should reflect the company you want to be.
I love the studio intros that movie companies have put together at the beginning of movies. You know… those little movie snippets with the various company names on them evolving out of some nifty graphics. Usually revolving around a logo. Some of the newer movie companies have truly come up with some great artsy and creative intros, which do bear looking at. But for the sake of today’s post, I want to focus on those of the older, more established movie companies.
(For a look at a variety of these intros, check out the following on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9PtpALF_3w&feature=BF&list=PLD25EE797D1D52470&index=6
If you’ve been watching movies for any length of time, you can probably recognize the intro to most of the main studios: MGM, Disney, Paramount, Universal, Dreamworks, Lions Gate, etc. And you will most likely continue to recognize these intros almost immediately, regardless of how much these intros have in fact been updated over the years. The reason for this is that even though these “video logos” have evolved – adding animation here, updating to new sharper graphics and colors there – the basics of the logo are still intact. Dreamworks, for example has taken the static picture of the kid fishing on the moon and added animation. Disney’s iconic castle logo has evolved into a flowing movie intro following a train to the castle, which is now beautifully done in 3D. Even the old MGM lion now actually roars and moves. The evolved intros are decidedly modern, and for the most part don’t look like they are up to 50 or more years old, but they are definitely rooted firmly in their iconic past. And thus, their brand recognition continues to build. (These intros are, in fact, so recognizable that as I was looking at the various intros on youtube, my four year old recognized them from across the room and could name various movies associated with each.)
For anyone looking to update their existing logos, it doesn’t hurt to take your cue from these movie giants. If you have an existing clientele who recognizes your logo, but still feel the need to update it (either to enter new markets or simply because it’s becoming dated), make sure it is really an update, but still maintains the brand recognition of your existing logo.
What are your favorite movie studio intros/intro updates?
The last couple months saw news stories about two major companies’ adventures in changing their corporate logos. One (GAP) didn’t go over so well and the company ended up scrapping the new logo and going back to the tried and true old one. While Starbuck’s new logo seems to be going over well. So what’s the difference? Apart from the actual designs of the logos, the biggest difference seems to be the reasons behind changing the logo.
For GAP, it appears the logo change was meant as a way to garner attention and bump up lagging sales. While a new logo can get your company new attention, it isn’t necessarily worth it just for that reason. The result of GAPs logo change was the customers and critics jumped online to pan it. Turns out it wasn’t the old logo that was hurting sales. In fact, people liked and were attached to the old logo, and turned off by the attempt to modernize the timeless, classic existing logo.
For Starbucks, the logo change is meant as a way to not only update the recognized siren logo, but actually give the company the ability to expand beyond just coffee. By updating the existing logo and taking out the text, the company is making the logo more versatile. And although the new Starbucks logo has its own critics, there isn’t nearly the uproar as there was for GAP. I think the reason why, is that in this case it’s a logo change that makes more sense. The old logo isn’t completely gone (it’s a revamp). And there’s a real logical reason for the change.
So what is the lesson for us small businesses who do not have huge marketing staffs and budgets to figure out when to change our logos? One, make sure it’s a really good reason. Two, make sure that your clients aren’t super attached to the existing logo. You don’t want to alienate current customers. And three, don’t completely scrap the old logo if you do decide to change. By keeping elements of the old logo, you can help minimize upsetting current customers.
http://money.cnn.com/2010/10/08/news/companies/gap_logo/index.htm
http://www.thestreet.com/story/10964054/starbucks-new-logo-sleek-or-bleak.html
There’s a billboard I regularly drive by that is virtually unreadable. There are a few reasons, including the fact that there is too much text for a billboard you’re passing at… well let’s just say a bit over 70. But beyond that, an even larger problem is that you literally can’t see some of the text. The reason – the color. It’s got a tanish background, with a bunch of pale yellow or cream text on it. Were this a print piece, you might be able to work at it and read it, but in this large-scale, it’s not realistically doable. And in any case, who wants to have to work to read your message?
The moral… pay attention to the color of your text in relation to the background. If you’re using a light color for your text, make sure there’s enough contrast between it and your background. If there’s not, change the color. Or add an effect such as drop shadow (in moderation) or an outline. The same applies to dark text. If your text is dark, don’t put it on a dark background without some sort of highlight or outline.
While most of the ads or print pieces you put out won’t have the ability to cause car accidents as speeding motorists squint to try to decipher your text, you still don’t want to make it any harder for your potential customers to read your message.
What are some problems you’ve seen with billboards or other materials making them hard to read?
I spent this morning buying and then spreading mulch – again. Despite the fact that I spent several hours and sore back hours doing this just a few weeks ago, the beds are teaming with weeds. The reason… I was cheap. Instead of going with the 3″ of mulch the bags said it would take to fend off weeds, I used only half that amount. I saved money then, but ended up having to spend just as much money, with twice the amount of work and back ache. Cheaper isn’t always better.
The same holds true with graphic design. Say you know someone’s nephew who can “design” a logo in Word or put together a brochure. You might save some money on design fees, but is what you are getting worth those savings. You get that logo done in Word… chances are that it’s not the type of quality you’d get with a real designer. Also, you’ re not going to be getting a logo in the format you are going to need (high and low resolution, as well as vector). So in the end you’ll end up paying someone more to recreate your logo in the right format anyways.
If you scrimp on your other marketing materials, you might have all the information you want clients to see, but if it’s not designed well, chances are they won’t look at it. And so you may have saved money on the materials, but if they don’t get the message to your customers, and actually help market your business, you’re wasting your time.
Where have you been cheap that came back to haunt you later?
Is it important to plan out your marketing initiatives and the graphics you are going to need in advance? Short answer… Heck yeah! If you plan out your marketing initiatives somewhat in advance, you may potentially save work and or money on your graphic design.
I recently attended a short seminar on home based business best practices, put on by the Brighton, Michigan Chamber of Commerce. One of the topics they very briefly touched on was the importance of a marketing plan. While I won’t get into the specifics of marketing plans here, there are a few points on how your marketing plan should apply to your graphic design needs.
- If you know in advance that you are going to be putting out a series of mailers or ads, you can come up with coordinating graphics all at once … saving time and money. You can also potentially save on the printing costs by upping the quantity you are buying.
- By planning in advance you can work your mailers or ads together and be sure that they will graphically relate and have a bigger impact (coordinating marketing materials lead to more brand recognition)
- If you know in advance that you are going to be updating something large with your marketing – say your website – you can work with your designer on how to time the updates. Perhaps it makes the most sense to design anything you send out in the meantime to coordinate with what will end up being your website.
- And last but certainly not least, if you plan in advance that you will put out so many ads or so many marketing pieces, having the actual plan will force you to actually do it, thus keeping regular contact with your potential customers, and making sure you stay front of mind.
How far in advance do you plan your marketing initiatives? Do you include any graphic design updates as part of this planning?
Your business card can arguably be your most important piece of marketing material, yet many entrepreneurs really don’t take their card seriously. Maybe they are opting for a generic template from an online print house, or even printing even more generic cards from their home printer. What’s wrong with this? Well mainly it sends entirely the wrong message about your business. It says you’re not serious about your business. And while the following is a repeat from a post last year, after attending a couple recent business expos here in Brighton, Michigan, I feel it is definitely worth repeating.
Online print houses can be a great money saving option for entrepreneurs – if they’re used for printing. However, far too many small business people are using these services to also “design” their marketing collateral. Your marketing collateral should reflect YOUR business and personality. This is especially true with your business card. While a stock photo of an outdoor scene might be pleasant enough, it is incredibly generic – only saying something about you or your business if you happen to be an outdoor outfitter.
A business card with a generic background blends into oblivion with your potential clients. Nothing makes it stand out from the crowd, and even worse, it sends a subliminal message that your business isn’t a serious, “real” business. Think about it, let’s say you get two business cards from a potential service provider – say a financial planner. One of them has a stock photo in the background while the other one has a unique, professional logo or graphic. Which one are you going to take more seriously? Which one looks like it’s associated with a legitimate, established and experienced business professional? Who are you more likely to trust and do business with?
Another downside of using the ready made templates – chances are someone else is using the same one. I was recently at a Brighton networking event where I received the same card, from two individuals in two vastly different businesses. And the design of the card didn’t say anything meaningful about either of them.
Putting together a professional, unique business card doesn’t have to break the bank for a new small business, but it does need to be something that has some time and thought put into it. Pay the small amount extra to upload your own logo or images to that online print house. Strongly consider working with a graphic designer. The one time expense to come up with a card that truly says what you mean to say to potential clients is more than worth it – especially considering the negative message that you might otherwise be portraying.
In today’s highly competitive marketplace, we all need every advantage we can get. Do you want to be the one with the card that blends into the background? What are some of the worst business card “sins” you’ve encountered?
What do you do graphically if your company serves a variety of markets with very different demographics? Probably your best bet is to develop separate marketing materials. While it might be tempting to put everything you do for everyone you do it for into one piece for simplicity sake (and to save a little money), in the end you risk not hitting the mark with any of your audience. I also look at this as the “jack of all trades, master of none” phenomenon.
As an example, Howell, Michigan photographer Noreen Owens recently came to me looking for brochure design. She wanted to reach high school seniors for senior portraits and she also does specialty themed photography of smaller children. Although she is providing basically the same service (portrait photography) to each market, there is a different twist and need for each client. She already knew she was going to have to do two different brochures so we started there.
Both types of portraits are ultimately going to be paid for by parents, but the actual target market is different. For the senior pictures, she needed to actually appeal to the seniors who would have a large say in who took their pictures. The brochure design needed to be a little edgier and contemporary to appeal to teenagers’ sense of independence and individuality. For the children’s portraits, the target audience is the parents, particularly the moms. This brochure needed to be classy while also appealing to the emotional and sentimental side of the mothers.
For the senior brochure, I developed a folded brochure featuring a mix of senior portraits ranging from traditional to fun – which showcases the variety of styles seniors can find with Noreen. These photos were put on an industrial, painted metal background image with screws scattered about the page. I also chose an industrial, chunky font for the main headings with a contemporary font for the body text.
For the children’s themed photography brochure Noreen wanted a multiple page, small square booklet. The book is arranged by month, featuring the different themes she has developed (bunnies in March, ducks in April, snowmen in November, etc.). The background of the brochure is a nice stationary type paper image, with the appearance of a ribbon across the page for photos to be placed on. The effect is of a formal photo/memory book.
In the end, Noreen was happy with both brochures that accurately reflect her company while also appealing to her different target markets.
Cover of themed children's portrait brochure
Cover of Senior Portrait Brochure
Interior of Senior Portrait Brochure
I have a new small business client based in Brighton, Michigan who is looking to develop a brand and wanted to know if I consider a logo to be a brand. Quick answer… No. Longer more explanatory answer… Your logo is not your brand, but rather a representation of your brand. It’s the visual representation and something that is used to convey your brand and gain recognition for it.
So what’s your brand? Businessdictionary.com defines branding as the “Entire process involved in creating a unique name and image for a product (good or service)” . This is an okay definition, but the one I like a lot better is from John Williams at Entrepreneur.com. His definition is that your brand is “Who you are, who you want to be and who people perceive you to be” .
Everything you put out from the product/service you sell to your marketing materials to the way you answer your phone should support your brand or how you want to represent your company and how you want customers to perceive it. Your logo is only one part of this (albeit a very important part of it).
When developing your logo, it is crucial that you know your brand, your target market, your business personality and how you want to be perceived. The logo should accurately reflect this. Which is why it is important to work with a graphic designer you trust and connect with. Having a logo put together by an online printer who offers free logo design most likely won’t accomplish what you need your logo to be.
How do your logo and marketing materials reflect your brand?
