Welcome to all of you who have joined us since the first issue. You are now among the more than 1,300 business professionals who are actively increasing their marketing and advertising effectiveness by reading this letter.
If you know of anyone who might benefit from this newsletter, please pass it along.
Best regards,
-John Libonati, Editor
Clip Art Is No Substitute for Original Design When Branding
By John Libonati
It is no secret that effective graphic design can be expensive. Developing a visual image that accurately communicates a marketing concept takes time and a particular expertise. The more complex the concept, the more complex the design, the higher the cost will be.
On the surface, an alternative to original art might seem to be clip art. Clip art is royalty-free illustration that you can use in your designs without getting permission or paying a fee for usage. Clip art comes in both printed and digital form. But effective marketers beware, clip art should never be used when your objective is differentiation.
Because it is free, clip art is used everywhere, especially in newspaper and magazine ads. While reading through a recent issue of Sail magazine, I noticed a yacht dealership's logo was the same clip art used in a number of competitor advertisements. The dealership, or its designer, had applied a watercolor wash to a popular photograph to make it look somewhat different from the original clip art. It didn't work. Instead of differentiating themselves from their competition with an accurate visual image of their company, they cheapened their image and possibly helped their competition sell its ads.
By using clip art, the dealership undoubtedly 'saved' money to create the logo. But, even if they created no other marketing materials, they still had to pay for company stationery printing, design of their magazine ad and ad space in a national magazine. If the final result was confusion and a cheapened image, then how much did they really save?
Choose original art to differentiate you from the competition. The increased sales from your well-branded image will improve your bottom line much more than the small amount saved by using clip art.
John is Partner at Ascension Design, a full service graphic design firm in Ambler, PA.
Contact John at 215-591-1010 or john@ascensiondesign.net
6 Tips for Successful Email Marketing
By Brian Donohue
Solicited email is one of the most powerful methods of online marketing. However, as with any other advertising medium, there are right ways and wrong ways to do things. Here are a few suggestions of ways to increase both your readership and the value of the publication itself:
Publish Hints and Insights
Just like I'm doing with this article, you can tell your readers about
better ways to get the job done. Share your experiences; both the
successes and failures. Then, ask them to share theirs...
Install a Web Bulletin Board
At the end of each article in your email newsletter, include a link to a topic about your article. Readers can discuss the article and interact with others, including you. This is your chance to interact with your customers (or potential customers). Every reader who participates in the discussion is a sales lead for you!
Link to Your E-commerce Shopping Cart
Publish email circulars (sales flyers). Feature a few key product promotions and link directly to the products' information pages on your website. You can even include "Buy" buttons right in the email flyer.
Use Web Statistics Reporting Software
You'll want to track where your readers go after they read your publication. If an article or advertisement links to a page on your website, you can track the number of people who clicked to that page, how long they stay, what they purchased, etc.
Listen to Your Readers
It is important to give your readers a way to get in touch with you. Always list an email address for the publication's editor, an email comments box, and an unsubscribe link (now required by law).
Ask For Referrals
Ask your readers to forward your newsletter on to a friend or co-worker. If they find your publication useful, you have a new reader! Word of mouth can potentially bring you many subscribers and it costs you nothing, but you have to remember to ask.
In addition to the tips and techniques above, here are a few popular software packages that will help you get the most out of your email marketing efforts. These software packages are affordable, powerful, and work well together:
Mass Emailing Software - HelixMailer(tm) www.helixpoint.com HelixMailer(tm) is perfect for small businesses, non-profits, and companies who may have a tight web budget due to the current economy. It is feature-rich, completely expandable, and can be integrated into your existing database-driven or e-commerce website.
Web Bulletin Board - Ikonboard(tm) www.ikonboard.com
Free for most uses, expandable, and packed with features.
Web Statistics Reporting Software - WebTrends(tm) www.webtrends.com
The best web stats reporting software on the market.
Eliminating Distortion - a.k.a. Getting Your Point Across
By John Libonati
A marketing promotion piece, whether a TV ad, logo, brochure or newspaper advertisement only works if your audience understands your message, remembers your message and acts the way you intended them to act. Distortion is the name for what happens when the message your audience receives is different from the message you though you created and transmitted.
A couple years back, Pepsi ran an ad showing a sneaky Coca Cola deliveryman spilling all the Pepsi cans out of the refrigerator section of a convenience store while reaching for a Pepsi. Pepsi spent millions of dollars creating and placing the ad during the Superbowl. Consumers saw the deliveryman's red and white Coca Cola hat and thought the ad represented Coca Cola. How many people do you think bought Coca Cola as a result?
Combat distortion. When choosing a design for an advertisement, think of the message you are trying to get across. Does it differentiate you from your competition? Are the concepts behind the design clear? Will people remember the message? Here are a couple quick guidelines: Keep it simple. Keep it brief. Test your piece before releasing it. Make your logo and contact information the most prominent items throughout the piece.
John is Partner at Ascension Design, a full service graphic design firm in Ambler, PA. Contact John at 215-591-1010 or john@ascensiondesign.net
This newsletter was sent to you using the HelixMailer(tm), an affordable
mass-emailing program that allows you to quickly send out your
advertisements, newsletters, etc. HelixMailer(tm) helps you to bring in
customers and keep them coming back!
Everyone who has experienced 3-D, panoramic, zoom-in and animated images knows they can boost customer interest and sales. Now, MyAdvantage3D, an easy-to-use and cost-effective web service, allows you to create and link dynamic images into your mass emails and website to grow your business.
Graphic Artists Guild National Conference Comes to Philadelphia
Come see this excellent education and networking opportunity for
professional and student designers, illustrators and other graphic artists at every career level. Activities will include a luncheon, displays, workshops, presentations, dinner and a dance party with a live band.
Saturday, October 26th starting at 10 am at the Crown Plaza Hotel, 18th and Market, Philadelphia, PA
Additional details including pricing and registration form are located at: www.gag.org/convention2002
You decide our next issueís topics! Choose from the below list or note topics you would like to see covered and e-mail us with the word 'topic' in the subject line at editor@ascensiondesign.net.
Subjects include anything related to advertising, graphic design, marketing strategy, website development, illustration, photography and media placement.
Your input determines how our newsletter evolves. We will adapt the newsletter to your needs. Please send your comments and suggestions to editor@ascensiondesign.net. Thanks!
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