Greetings!
We have been enjoying publishing this e-newsletter for awhile now. People ask me if it "works". That is an interesting question and I venture to say that I THINK it works. As I have preached for dozens of years, no one marketing vehicle works on its own. We are so bombarded with information from so many sources, that in order to break through that clutter, consistency and repetition are the keys. Finding interesting topics to write about isn't always easy, but keeping our company name in front of you, and providing you with (hopefully) useful information on a regular basis will, at the least, keep us in your mind. If you enjoy reading this and would like to share it (especially with people who may need our services) please forward it and then they can join our family too.
Call us to discuss your next project!
Warmest regards,
Jill
P.S. JTGD&A is a certified woman-owned small business and is on
the GSA schedule.
jill@jtdesign.com
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Marketing-Expense or investment?
Marketing is misunderstood. Many companies think of it as an expense, like rent or electricity bills. Marketing is an investment. And like all investments, it takes time to reap the benefits. There needs to be a fundamental buy-in by CEOs that this is an investment worth the wait. Because of the amount of messaging that hits us all each day (over 4000!) via the internet, radio, tv, postcards, direct mail, billboards, etc., it takes TIME for marketing to work. You don't purchase a home for $750,000 and expect it to be worth $1,000,000 in a few months! Marketing doesn't provide an immeditate return either. Repeated messages in multiple mediums (through your website, press releases, articles, trade shows, speaking engagements, presentations, ads, etc.) all add to the "interest" that will ultimately provide the return on the investment you have made.
Look at GEICO. They were a fledgling low-cost insurance company a few years ago. They "upped" their marketing campaigns, invested in entertaining and memorable marketing, sponsored a Nascar race, created video for You Tube and now, other insurance companies are waking up and realizing the value of marketing. GEICO's market increased from 3-10% since 1999. Not an overnight increase!
Marketing is a necessary business investment, as important as upgrading your computers and software. Don't underestimate the impact and importance it will bring to your brand and your bottom line. Patience is the rule when developing your brand and marketing campaigns. The biggest damage you can do--which we see often--is to start to create your brand with one firm, and then switch firms to create on-going materials. Once you select a firm to help with your marketing, be patient. If you've done your homework and selected a company you believe in, give them TIME to work.
It will be worth your investment!
If you are interested in speaking with us about creating and/or building your brand or marketing materials, please contact me at jill@jtdesign.com or call me at 301-229-1135 ext. 301
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Practical Guidelines for Corporate Graphic Standards
Creating a corporate graphic standard is critically important for establishing and reinforcing a company's brand. A consistent presentation and usage of all the elements of a company's brand is important and will reinforce that brand to both clients and employees. Additionally, unifying the look and feel of all marketing materials (and even offices) clarifies the existing connections and synergies that exist to present a strong, cohesive identity.
A properly designed corporate standard will:
- simplify and clarify information by standardizing
its presentation
- unify communications to reflect and contribute to the strength of the company's brand
- reduce cost through the use of common design standards
While consistency is the underlying goal, this should not be taken too far. Standardization should be absolute on logo usage, fonts, corporate colors and on materials such as stationery and business cards. But on collateral, broadcast and electronic materials, care must be taken not to design the company into a corner with inflexible formats.
Can we help you develop your corporate graphics standards? We are up to the task. Please call me at
301 229-1135 X 301 to set up a time to discuss your needs. The meeting is free of charge.
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Case in Point-AOL
 AOL created a video highlighting the twelve diversity groups within the company to honor employee similarities, respect differences and celebrate diversity every day. We were hired to design a brochure to house the video and to design the CD graphics. The video includes interviews of employees who describe some of the various activities that take place within the diversity groups. AOL fully supports diverse cultures and encourages participation. The brochure and CD design is a combination of elements of the various logos used by the groups and creates an interesting patchwork effect unifying all of the logos. We also incorporated patterns and textures that symbolize the nature of the groups. The overall effect is colorful, bright and eye catching.
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Getting to know Web 2.0
 Everyone throws around the term Web 2.0. They know about MySpace, FaceBook, YouTube and Wikipedia because of the publicity surrounding these, but I'm convinced most of them don't have a clear grasp on the range of technologies covered by this term.
Let's review the web services, peer-to-peer networking, blogs, podcasts and social networks that constitute Web 2.0.
Blogs - Also known as Web logs, these sites are online journals that allow the host or blogger to post comments, text, photos, graphics and links on a regular basis. Visitors to the site often can respond by posting their own comments. There are a number of blog types: photoblogs, videoblogs, podcasts, and even online portfolios called sketchblogs.
Collaborative Tools - Many Web 2.0 tools are services that will replace desktop applications. Google has rolled out a number of them, such as Google Docs & Spreadsheets. This service allows you to store documents and spreadsheets online and to allow others access for collaborative purposes.
Collective Intelligence - These are systems designed
to tap the collective rather than the individual for decision-making. The popularity indexes of Del.icio.us and Flickr are examples of the use of collective intelligence.
Mash-ups - These combine data or content from multiple sources into an integrated experience. HousingMaps is an excellent example of a mashup. It takes craigslist data and plots it on Google maps to show where real estate is available for rent or to buy.
Peer-to-Peer Networking - Sometimes called P2P, peer-to-peer networking is a technique for efficiently sharing files either over the Internet or within a closed set of users. Files are stored on many machines, not just on one server. This speeds access to the files. An example of a peer-to-peer network is Napster, the original music-sharing system.
Podcasts - These are multimedia blogs using audio or video content instead of just text and images. Podcasts often are distributed through aggregators like iPodder, Doppler and iTunes.
RSS - Often referred to as Really Simple Syndication, RSS allows people to subscribe to online feeds of information such as news, blogs, and podcasts. Feedster is an aggregator that distributes a wide variety of feeds.
Social Networking - This refers to systems where members may share information about their hobbies, talents or knowledge. LinkedIn is an example of a business-oriented social network. Gather is an example of a more personal one.
Wiki - Wiki is the Hawaiian word for "fast." A wiki, such as Wikipedia, is a collaborative publishing system that allows visitors to add, remove, edit and change content.
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Complimentary
60 minute Strategic Marketing Consultation!
Call 301 229-1135 X 301 or email jill@jtdesign.com TODAY!
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301-229-1135 x 301
Click below for our website:
Jill Tanenbaum Graphic Design & Advertising
Our services include branding, graphic design, marketing, public relations, multi media and website design, advertising, direct mail, signage and trade show booth design, publication and collateral design.
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