Axxis Buzz

I received a query this morning from my good friend, Zach Ferres, owner of BounceHost, an IT, web development, and hosting company. Zach is refining his company’s service offerings, and this has led him to re-branding. Zach has sent his design requirements to several designers, and has been having a hard time deciding which logo he should choose. I have been privileged to be included in his decision process, and follows is some of the advice I shared, which you may find useful.

“Hi Zach,

When I design a logo I think of the following things (among others) that may help you in your decision:

• Does the proposed logo strongly relate to your company, products, or services?
• Does it convey the brand image of your company, product, or service in an accurate way?
• How quickly and easily can it be interpreted by the viewer?
• Especially with small companies on a budget, will it reproduce well in black & white for inexpensive printing without losing the idea?
• How will it be used? Web, print, signage, billboards, vehicle signage, t-shirts, hats, etc… Is it simple enough to convey what you do and brand image quickly if it’s on a billboard or vehicle sign, viewed at 50 mph?
• If it might be used on an embroidered shirt or hat, can it be reproduced in that medium easily…without killing your budget?
• Will it detract from the medium it’s used in? Will it complement the message or overtake it?

You are suffering from choice overload. You are going about it the right way, given that you now have so many choices… the process of elimination is important. Narrow it down to 2 or 3, and let the remaining ones lurk on your taskbar or print them out. Walk away. Several hours or a day later, look at them quickly, and see what you gravitate to immediately. Your first impression is probably the best (your customers aren’t going to give it more thought than that).

Cheap Market Research:

Show your choices to others, and take only their very first impression. Email the two options to customers, put them on your Facebook page, take a vote. This will give you opinions and make your customers feel important and invested; you are engaging them, and this is always good!”

If you’re in the same decision process, putting your favorites into a design mock may be very helpful. What does it look like on a business card or on a web page? This can often lead to design considerations you may have overlooked! This will also lend perspective. Remember, your logo is important, but it’s only one part of the marketing materials you will use. Don’t let it get lost, but don’t let it take over and eclipse your message!

Do you want to vote on Zach’s new logo?

Here are my favorites from his choices:

•    Paper Stock:
The higher the number, the thicker the stock.

100lb. paper stock is heavier than 80lb, and so on.
13-14pt stock is where business card or post card stock should start, as it gives a higher-quality feel to the hand.

•    Paper Finish:
A GLOSSY finish is great for many reasons; graphics pop, it’s practically impervious to dirt and oily fingerprints, but glossy finishes will not take an ink pen unless it is a permanent marker. If you choose this finish, you may want to consider carrying a fine-point Sharpie just in case you need to jot a note.

A MATTE finish has a nice feel to the hand, graphics print very well, it resists staining, and it’s writable. Hands down, this is my favorite business card finish.

UNCOATED stock is perfect for those who need a very conservative and traditional business card. It is the easiest to write on. Graphics and photos won’t appear quite as brilliant on this stock. If you’re producing a piece you want to last, consider a coated stock.

•    Bleed:
A “bleed” in any kind of printing is when the graphics or photos extend right to the edge of the piece. When designing, the artist works with a slightly larger artboard, and the final piece is trimmed by the printer.

•    Photos and Graphics:
For best printing results, graphics should be 300 dpi (dots per inch). Lower quality graphics may appear blurry. Ideally, it is best to provide original vector graphics to your graphics person for things like your logo, but they may be able to work with a PDF, JPG, or TIFF.

Have any questions? Feel free to email or call!
khill@axxisdesign.com 614.507.0705

3 reasons to simplify your marketing designs.

 I stood by my client as he proudly showed me the two-page spread he’d bought in the local yellow page directory, and cringed. He’d allowed the yellow page salesperson to turn the design and messaging over to their graphics department. He’d given them a laundry list of things to include, and they had dutifully followed his instructions. I was looking at the result: a very expensive, semi-permanent representation of his business that was so full of “stars” proclaiming “Call NOW,” Lowest Rates,” “First-Time Buyer Programs,” that it was impossible to read the core message. Was there a core message???

It’s tempting. You buy space for an advertisement, you’re sending out a mailer; you want to get the most bang for your buck.

Your designer comes back with something that’s good, but you want more. It doesn’t tell the whole story of what you do, how well you do it, or why your customers should buy from you. You send the designer back to the drawing board to add more content. Maybe you send the designer back more than once. You’re happy when there isn’t  a snippet of empty space waiting to be filled with a sales pitch, and sign the order.

Your results are less than stellar, and here is why:

1. You assaulted and confused your audience with so much information and so many sales pitches that they couldn’t make sense of it, or they felt pushed and tuned out all of your message.Solution: Sticking to ONE major message in an advertisement or marketing piece allows that message to shine. Instead of throwing in the ‘kitchen sink’ of reasons why your prospects should do business with you, give them one GREAT message, make it memorable, and back it up.
2.  Too many visuals. Remember the saying “a picture paints a thousand words?”Solution: Pick your graphics carefully. They should engage your audience immediately, while providing a strong relationship to your written message. Chosen well, the thousand words don’t need to be included!  Limit the number of graphics: use only one main graphic to reinforce your point, if possible. Additional graphics may include your logo and other visual cues that convey information instantly, such as the credit cards you accept, or BBB membership.
3. You overdid the call to action. While many marketing pieces seem to forget that a call to action is essential, your piece is so full of them that your audience can’t decide what to do, or what to do first, and they abandon your message completely.  Solution: DO have a call to action, but don’t expect your viewers to commit the next week of their lives deciding which action they need to take or which action they should do first.

The old KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) method works best when you’re marketing, both visually and in copy.

Have a well-defined goal and stick to it.

Use your website (you do have one, don’t you?) to give the whole story, and make sure your marketing piece directs your audience there. Your website should be used to expand on your message, tell the rest of the story, convert browsers into buyers, so use different marketing channels for the purpose that makes each most effective.

Remember, people don’t want to be sold, they want someone to make it easy to buy.