Brand image matters. It’s how consumers see your brand, whether it’s positive or negative, and whether it’s a brand they want to be associated with. What’s your brand image? Hip? Edgy? Socially conscious? Are you the “go-to” destination for people who love adventure? While the brand image is critical, it isn’t determined by what you…
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When you see the logo of well-known brands like Starbucks, Target, and UPS, you instantly recognize the company and what that company is all about. That’s the power of a great logo. But no matter how well designed, logos need an update now and then. Color trends change. Design styles evolve, and businesses evolve, too.…
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If you haven’t added promotional products to your marketing mix, you are missing an opportunity. Promotional products like branded pens and refrigerator magnets, or even more unusual items such as branded toys or back scratchers, reinforce your brand every time the recipient sees or uses them. Branded promotional products also tend to be kept for…
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When businesses plan their direct mail or email campaigns, their goal is generally customer acquisition or retention. But what about branding? Marketing campaigns explicitly designed to build your brand are as important as those for customer retention and sales. Why is branding so important? Awareness. When people talk about your category of product or service,…
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What do all great direct mail pieces have in common? They engage people’scuriosity from the moment the mail piece gets into their hands. Here are five tips forcapturing readers’ attention as soon as they open the mailbox. Know your corners. On a mail piece, the upper right-hand corner is where oureyes go first. Use this…
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It’s okay to admit that buyers don’t get as jazzed about cleaning supplies, light bulbs,and toilet plungers as they do video games and stiletto heels. If you have a “boring”product, how do you use your next direct mail, email, or multichannel campaign toget customers excited about what you have to offer? Create the narrative. Don’t let…
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Gone are the days of debating the benefits of digital vs. offset printing. With the quality being nearly indistinguishable between the two, most marketers hardly think about it anymore. However, there are still production differences between digital and offset printing, and it’s always good to know what they are. Most digital presses use dry toner.…
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Studies consistently show that personalization works, but you have to get it right. Get it wrong, and customers will move on. This comes from Accenture’s “13th Annual Strategy Global Consumer Pulse Research,” which surveyed more than 25,000 consumers around the world. Accenture found that 41% of U.S. shoppers said they have disengaged with a company…
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When we think about adding color to marketing pieces, we often think about photos, charts, and graphs. But color can be added in many other ways, as well. These include highlight text, brightly colored banners, borders, and backgrounds, and symbols such as starbursts and arrows. Why think about more places to add color? According to…
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Good typography equals good communication. We have thousands of typefaces to choose from. What does your choice of typography say about you? Historically, typographers designed almost all of the classic fonts for specific purposes. Let’s look at the history of some of our favorite fonts. Venetian book printer Aldus Manutius invented italic type not because…
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