At MMG, we’re often heard saying “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” This applies to many things but it seems to come up most when we’re talking about design.
Just because you can use 12 fonts on one piece doesn’t mean you should
Just because you can auto tweet every 5 minutes doesn’t mean you should
Just because you can make your logo spin and catch fire on your website doesn’t mean you should
And so on….
Which is why this direct mail piece I received caught my attention. It’s a perfect example of this axiom. Check out the short video demo.
How about you? Are there places in your marketing plan that perhaps you’ve crossed the line a little? Are you guilty of doing more just because you can?
I see this a lot when a business owner tries to DIY their marketing. They just aren’t quite sure where the line should be drawn. Remember in most things — simple and clean will beat complicated any day.
I can’t draw a stick person by hand or on the computer. So I have always marveled at people who can really take design to a different level and go beyond pretty/cool to smart. That’s what brilliant logo designers do.
I thought you’d enjoy checking out some of these very smart logo designs.
If you look at the center of this logo, you can see two people enjoying a Tostito chip with a bowl of salsa. Great logos often have layers to them.
Like the FedEx logo. Do you see the “hidden” arrow within the logo? Look at the space between the E and the x.
This is the new Baskin Robbins logo. The old one had the number 31 with an arc above it. See how they’ve incorporated the 31 in the new design?
See the number 1 in the negative space between the F and the red stripes? Notice how the red section communicates a feeling of speed.
By now, you should be getting good at spotting the layers. Do you see the M and the B?
Two elements to notice in this simple logo. The yellow arrow connects the A to the Z (we have everything from A-Z) and forms a smile, to connote a commitment to customer service.
Toblerone is a chocolate company from Bern, Switzerland which is sometimes called The City Of Bears. Do you see the silhouette of a bear?
Okay…here are three for you to discover on your own.
My point? There are plenty of companies and websites that can whip up a logo. And some of them go beyond the trite and expected. But don’t settle for okay. Your company deserves better than okay.
Thought this will amuse you on this Friday the 13th. And for some of you, it might be a great solution to paying down that mortgage.
Want someone to pay your mortgage? No problem. Just let Adzookie give your home a paint job. Adzookie says it will pay the house owner’s mortgage every month for as long as the home stays painted.
Adzookie publicly launched the offer on its website Tuesday — and by late afternoon, the company had already received more than 1,000 applications, according to Adzookie CEO Romeo Mendoza.
Adzookie intends to paint its logo and social media icons onto participating homes. Houses must remain painted for at least three months, and the agreement may be extended up to one year.
Painting is expected to begin in a few weeks. The above photo, which is included on the program’s site, is a digital mockup. (No actual homes have yet been painted.)
The home billboard scheme could raise the company’s profile — but don’t expect too many homes to score the subsidized deal. Mendoza’s budget for the entire program is $100,000, and he expects to spend about $8,000 per house on the painting alone.
At the end of the agreement, Adzookie will paint the house back to its original colors. Leases and rentals aren’t allowed, nor are homes in cities with bylaws that would prohibit the bright painting.
This is an extension of the barn painting we midwesterners see as we traverse the countryside.
By 2013 — 50%of web traffic will come from mobile devices.
91% of mobile users consume social media on their mobile device.
The US population is approx. 306 million. 69 million of those people have smart phones today.
I’ve mentioned before that by 2020, the #1 way we will access the web is through our smartphones. That’s only 9 years away. Is your business getting ready for the mobile revolution?
Check out this video on the smartphone consumer and the mobile movement. Notice how their behaviors are already radically changing and we’re in the infancy of this trend.
Are you poo pooing this because you’re a B2B company? Better think again. Check out this free PDF from my brilliant pal Christina Kerley — filled with case studies, video links and more — all showing you how mobile is affecting B2B.
Remember how the web changed the way you did business, marketed your business and in some ways — literally changed who your customers were? Mobile is going to do the same thing. If you’re prepared.
Some brands are better suited at being playful than others. The same is true of their customers. With the pending arrival of April Fool’s Day, you may be thinking about pulling a fast one on your unsuspecting clients. Tread slowly…
While most people enjoy a good chuckle… you walk a fine line when it comes to practical jokes. Some people like to laugh but really hate it when the laugh is on them.
Last year, several big name brands shouted “gotcha” at their loyal followers and it seems like none are any worse for the wear.
Starbucks announced that in response to customers requesting more beverage sizes, they were introducing the 128-ounce “Plenta” and the 2-ounce “Micra.” Starbucks explained that the additions were a result of direct customer feedback from MyStarbucksIdea.com and a year’s worth of research.
GameStation added an “immortal soul clause” into their terms and conditions in which consumers surrendered their souls to the company if they chose not to opt out of the clause. GameStation collected a total of 7,500 souls who decided to skip the terms and conditions (or didn’t mind the new clause).
Coldplay revealed on their website that they had released a perfume called, “Angst.” The bottle was featured in the band’s online store but unfortunately it was all sold out. Frontman Chris Martin said, “This is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time. People like to smell nice and we thought we could help them out.”
What do you think?
Is this a gimmick that only works for big consumer brands?
Can you see this playing well with your customers?
Is the risk of it backfiring worth taking to create big buzz?
Last week, we talked about how we keep our brains firing and stay creative. Many people offered the tip of reading and absorbing other people’s smart work. That goes for design work as well — whether you are a writer or artist.
One of the best examples of outdoor creative is this brilliant outdoor campaign. Along the “outdoor” theme…here are some very clever and compelling visuals applied to public spaces/buildings.
I’m all for being fresh and innovative in your creative approach. And when you sell something like vasectomies, you are no doubt even more challenged.
So I’m intrigued to get your opinion about a local clinic’s latest advertising message.
Here in Iowa, the Iowa Clinics is, according to their own website, “the largest physician owned multi-specialty group in Central Iowa with more than 140 physicians and healthcare providers practicing in 37 specialties. The Iowa Clinic serves a population area of 1.1 million, averaging 400,000 patient visits each year.”
So a large practice with many top rated physicians. They’re regular advertisers and like many healthcare providers, their marketing tends to be about what you’d expect. But not their most recent TV spots.
To paraphrase their entire spot — when you get a vasectomy, you have to take a few days off, sit on the couch and recuperate. So why not time your vasectomy so you can enjoy March Madness?
What do you think? Good idea? Will it move people from the thinking about it stage to taking action? Bad idea? Is it tacky to tie a medical procedure to watching a sporting event?
I can’t wait to get your take — so please jump into the conversation in the comments section.
Note: As I discovered, this is clearly not a new approach. Here are some other articles about the combining of the two:
You write. You design. And most likely, you do it on command. There’s no waiting for a muse. You have a deadline.
As we talk more and more about content marketing and the power of using our expertise to impact search engines and woo potential clients — we have to write even more!
So how do you stay fresh? How do you create when you don’t feel particularly creative? I’m going to share a few of my favorite techniques but I am hoping you’ll jump into the comments section with your own tricks of the trade.
Read: I try to keep my brain well fed. I read/skim about 100 different blogs a day, try to read a book a week and check out several newspaper websites every day. Surprisingly, this doesn’t take as long as it sounds — my iPad has apps that collect and coordinate it all so I just have to quickly flip through and see what catches my eye. (I readthesesmartpeople, you shouldtoo!)
Write/Design every day: I try to stay limber by never putting down my proverbial pencil. Sometimes I am at it for hours and other days, maybe only 30 minutes. Even if it’s just answering e-mails to friends — I rarely take a day off.
Tunes: There’s something about music that fuels me. It’s an energy that I can channel into my writing. I’ve discovered that I turn to different styles of music depending on what I’m writing and if I need a boost or need help staying focused.
Fresh air: When I am really stuck, I head outside. (Unless it’s ugly hot) The crispness of the air and just stopping to close my eyes and inhale deeply refreshes and calms me when I’m feeling jittery about a deadline or am stuck in some way.
Partake in witty banter: One of the best parts of the Internet for me is that there are playmates available 24/7. I can hop on Twitter or Facebook and find someone smart to chat with. Smart people bring out the best in my thinking, writing and outlook.
For many of you, my blog comes via your e-mail inbox or RSS feed reader. So you probably haven’t even noticed that something is looking a little different.
I decided it was time to give Drew’s Marketing Minute a fresh look and take advantage of some of the most current technology (plugins etc.) as I made the leap from Typepad to WordPress. We’re still making some minor tweaks, but for the most part — I’m excited to share it with you.
The whole world is abuzz about Groupon. And who doesn't love $10 worth of Cold Stone Creamery ice cream for $5? But is Groupon right for your business?
Groupon and other social-coupon sites (like LivingSocial and SocialBuy) all work the same way — a specified number of people have to pre-purchase the coupon for the deal to be activated. In theory, that's how everyone wins. Groupon makes a prescribed amount, the buyers get a super deal and the retailer gets a guaranteed influx of cash and in theory, new customers.
But…is it right for you? Here are the big pros and cons, as I see them.
Pro:
Big advertising boost. Groupon subscribers number in the tens of thousands or more in most cities. This is a very efficient way to generate a significant word of mouth buzz, especially if you get creative in your offer.
Exposure to many new customers. It stands to reason that you're going to see a lot of new people coming through the door. Impress them and hopefully they'll come back again and pay full price.
A way to test a new product or service. Want to know if the market is interested in something new? If the Groupon coupon tips — you might well have a winner!
Con:
Does the math work? Keep in mind that Groupon takes a pretty good sized cut. Half the rate charged plus 2.5% interest per transaction. (Here's a Groupon ROI calculator you can use). So depending on your cost of goods and how many people actually redeem the coupon, you could lose your shirt like Posie's Cafe.
What does it do to your customer/vendor/employee experience? Can your business handle a huge influx of buyers? How will the increased traffic impact your loyal customers? Your vendors? Your employees? Be sure you take all of that into account before you sign up.
What does it say about your brand? Do you want to be seen as a deep discounter? Does offering a 50% off price say something about your quality, margin or pricing strategy? How will your regulars feel about the fact that they've been paying full price all this time?
Lots of opinions out there but really, it's something you need to examine for your specific business. Use the ROI calculator, weigh the pros and cons… and make the call.
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