American entrepreneurs may have a well-earned reputation for risk taking, but once we have a modicum of success, we tend to turn into a timid bunch—or maybe the better term is reluctant. We’ve figured out what works on our own for initial growth, so we start relying on that status quo experience, often refusing to recognize changes appearing on the horizon, reluctant to see what’s right in front of us.
The temperatures are finally rising and it is starting to really feel like spring around here! I don’t know about you but I am extremely excited to hear the sounds of birds chirping and am thoroughly enjoying watching the trees and flowers start to bloom. It makes me smile. There is just something about spring that makes me feel refreshed. Maybe it’s the annual spring cleaning that happens around my house every year.
While we write much about the audience we serve, B2B professional services and advisory firms and nonprofits, we can learn much from the consumer branding all around us. Today we look at some food establishments. Remember, branding is not just a logo, a color scheme or graphics on your website. It’s a compilation of those things and more. Visual branding (logo, imagery, color scheme) is important but branding is also about messaging and how your audience feels about your business and the perception that prevails. If your company sends a message and makes a promise (we have the best crabcakes in Baltimore!) and delivers on that promise, your establishment is building brand trust.
For Orioles’ fans, opening day in Baltimore is like Christmas come early, and this year’s opening day did not disappoint. While the few weeks running up to opening day were snow ridden, March 31st brought warmer weather for Orioles and Red Sox fans alike. With the O’s victory over the Red Sox (2-1), many believe this could be Baltimore’s year.
Your Facebook page’s organic reach is about to plummet — even more so than it has in the past six months, down to a lowly 1-2%, actually. That means if you have 1,000 Facebook likes on your page, only about 10-20 of those fans will even see your posts! While organic reach has long been declining, it has significantly declined since the fall of 2013. Read more on Social Media Today.
With today being the official start of spring, I thought it would be only be fitting to talk about BUNNIES. Although, with the harsh winter temperatures we are still experiencing, I am not sure we will be seeing baby rabbits anytime soon, but they are certainly on the horizon to come!
There aren’t many organizations where the leader is just as famous as the brand itself. Sir Richard Branson, the Founder of Virgin Group, a collection of more than 400 companies, the most notable of which: Virgin Records, Virgin Mobile, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin America, has created an energy and excitement around the Virgin Brand that is unparalleled. Virgin Group has created more billion-dollar companies in more sectors than any other company.
A large part of creating a great blog and engaging social media posts is having great content. If your company is creating useful, relevant content that your audience wants to see, share and interact with, you’ll grow your audience, see more engagement and establish yourself as thought leaders in your field. Not to mention all the SEO benefits. Some of the best ways to create content are through images, videos, screencasts and webinars. If you don’t have design skills, you might have been using MS Paint, Word or PowerPoint to create anything visual. Please, close Paint and take a look at our article on Social Media Today, “The Ultimate List of Content Creation Tools for 2014.”
Over the years, I’ve watched “green” printing practices evolve from being an afterthought to becoming a fact of life, an expectation. Like it or not, sustainability has become an underlying theme that has grown in importance throughout the last decade. Clients today expect and demand sustainable choices. And, as the designer, I have the power to help clients find better solutions which will help them reach their sustainability goals without having to sacrifice or compromise on the “wow-factor.” Eco-consciousness doesn’t have to get in the way of the quality or creativity of the final product. There are many ways to approach a responsibly printed solution that you can be proud of.
Check out these quotes on Branding and Design, and more, on Pinterest!
Continuing from our post, Digital Marketing Predictions for 2014 Part 1, we’re taking some time to reflect on digital marketing trends of this year and what might become the core practices in 2014.
I can’t believe another year has passed. So many great things happened in 2013 (especially with the arrival of my little munchkin) but l am really excited for the new opportunities and the clean slate that 2014 brings. I think that with the change of the calendar on January 1st there is also a change in perspective for most people. It is a time when we commit ourselves to new goals and self-improvement with a positive attitude. We can shed the disappointments of the past and start fresh.
