With the ever-changing demands of the design world, it seems as though some things become after thoughts. Being a graphic designer requires discipline, diligence and the driven attitude to evolve with the new trends of today’s market. One piece of the puzzle is designing for the web.

Web design isn’t just a cookie cutter template anymore. It has become a major part of designer’s day to day responsibility. With a great IT and Interactive Media department, there are VERY few limitations to what can be achieved. In a world filled with competition, it is optimal to elevate yourself and/or your product/service above the rest. The attention span is becoming shorter and shorter. The general public can decide within the first 8-10 seconds if they want to pursue your service. Sometimes it’s faster than that.

Being able to make an impact within a short time frame is not an impossible task…difficult, but NOT impossible. So, what is it that people want to see and what am I rambling about?……Product. Presence. Placement. Simply stated, less is more. Being able to open a site that has been effectively designed and structured is key for success.

Gorgeous without the garbage. Keeping things simple does not mean, as a designer, that quality and detail have to be sacrificed. Depth of field is a great way to draw attention to what you’re presenting (ie, drop shadowing, layers, etc… essentially making something simple seem like a little more, without being over bearing). Pulling the viewer in and keeping them reading is the name of the game. Web design is not a fly-by-night operation and takes a great deal of thought/planning to achieve the best possible outcome for your client. Put your best foot forward and design around the strengths of your client (Placement of their main product/service) and accentuate them with clean, effective design.

Open your creative flood gates and take a minute to think about just how UN-tapped the world of designing for web really is. Tables and rectangles are a thing of the past, as it relates to web design. Clean, beautiful layout is where it’s at! DCC Marketing not only produces beautiful site layouts, but we are very fortunate to work with a fantastic IT team that makes our website designs refined and fully functional.

Web design is a whole new ball game and it’s within your reach to hit a grand slam every time (cheesy baseball reference, but it works).

Amanda Drain- e-marketing & Communications Specialist

When developing an advertising campaign, consider Out-of-Home advertising as it offers a variety of different media products, schedules that will fit almost any budget.

Out-of-Home advertising is advertising that targets consumers when they are out of the house. This can include non-traditional advertising media, such as: Outdoor Billboards, Transit (Buses/Trains/Taxi Toppers), displays in retail locations, such as in a mall or displays in waiting areas, such as a doctor’s office.

Benefits of Out-of-Home Advertising

Out-of-Home Advertising is an affordable way to reach consumers by having an on-going, consistent presence in the marketplace. In the case of bus/transit advertising, this offers an advertiser their own mobile billboard (with eye-catching creative) that can be seen around town, including residential and commercial areas.

Compared to traditional media of Television, Radio, and Newspaper, Out-of-Home Advertising also offers more exposure for dollars invested. Outdoor billboards are a common, popular form of out-of-home advertising and some tips are outlined below for choosing a location and for messaging.

Considerations for Choosing an Outdoor Billboard Location

High Traffic Area – this is an area that is traveled on frequently which means more people will see and act on your message.  Please do not confuse high traffic areas with very busy/congested intersections. These busy areas are not always a good place for your message as people will be focusing on other things (hopefully their driving) and your message could get lost or not be seen.

Easy to see – select a location with unobstructed views

Tips for Outdoor Billboards and Transit Advertising Messages/Creative

• Short, to the point/Well-targeted messages
• Easy to Read
• Use Big Letters and Few Words
• Having a Call-to-Action or free offer will help boost response rates
• Large Powerful Graphics
• Include website address or phone number – your customers need a way to reach you.

If Out-of-Home is considered Non-Traditional Advertising, what is Traditional Advertising, stay tuned for my next blog post…

 Let me try to paint you a picture.

Starting at 8:00 a.m. each morning my phone begins to ring. We have six account executives and five graphic designers. Each of these executives wants a designer, and it is my responsibility to act as the proverbial gatekeeper. For each account executive there is a client who needs an ad, flyer, emailer, logo, poster, or website design, and I must ensure all these tasks find their way onto the day’s “to-do” list. On any given day there can be as many as 30 projects on that list, so my job as agency coordinator is to sort out what is truly urgent and relay it to the graphics team. The list is constantly evolving, even after a designer receives it. The ability to communicate effectively is essential.

You will figure out something very fast when working as an agency coordinator. If you do your job well and handle work flow smoothly, then no one will ever know. Projects will be completed, work will be timely delivered, and clients will be satisfied—all is right in the world. However, if you don’t communicate effectively, then work will begin to slip through the cracks, and everyone will take notice. Again, communication is imperative.

The job of the agency coordinator is to make everyone else’s job easier and when that happens we can push more work through and satisfy more clients.  When you treat every client like they are the only client, keeping things in priority order is imperative. 

The scariest part of being an agency coordinator? Sending out the project list each morning to have an account executive see that their item is a little further down the list than they think it should be. I’m starting to understand why my phone came without Caller I.D…

In this Adobe InDesign CS5 workshop, you’ll learn how to use this popular page layout software to design and create professional-quality layouts. Learn basic to intermediate lessons, tips and even a few tricks to keep your skills up-to-date, and to improve your overall capabilities and workflow.  Learn to employ master pages, style sheets, layers, color usage, typography, and more to help keep your layouts and collateral consistent and easier to manage.

You are encouraged to bring your laptop with InDesign software loaded as it makes learning the program more effective if you are able to work through the lessons along with the trainer.

InDesign Workshop
$150/pp
Monday, April 23, 2012
9a-12pm
DemirCo Place-225 N. Water Street
Decatur, IL  62523
2nd Floor Conference Room

To reserve your space:
Call 217-421-7580 or email contact@dccmarketing.com

Jeniffer Stump -Graphic Designer

When the Internet started to really take off, I was in college and working part time in retail. I remember at that time there was lots of speculation and worry about online merchants. Many predicted that technology would eliminate the need to “go” shopping in-store altogether and the days of the “brick and mortar” storefront were limited, while others thought it was all a just a fad that would slowly fade away. Now it’s true that some storefronts did close, and some cyber concepts did fade away, but the profitable retailers of today were able to take their goods online and run with them while also remaining successful on the mall level.  What is the secret?  I would say partly it’s the ability to embrace today’s constantly evolving technology and grow with it, but most importantly, a good old solid and consistent brand.

Businessdictionary.com defines the term branding as “The process involved in creating a unique name and image for a product in the consumer’s mind, mainly through advertising campaigns with a consistent theme. Branding aims to establish a significant and differentiated presence in the market that attracts and retains loyal customers.”

I love this definition because it simple, yet so true. Now, I know this term isn’t a new one – but some out there might ask what exactly constitutes a brand. Some would answer that it’s the color scheme, design or logo, perhaps a tagline of a product or company, and that is true. Logos, color palettes, design direction – those are, in a big sense, the main foundation of a brand. But a brand is really about that all around experience. It’s the feeling generated by the company, product or service – the perception of its value.  It is that unique identifier that makes a consumer choose it over something similar.

The successful brand takes those unique ideals and exemplifies them for consumers to learn and love. One of the best ways to make that happen successfully is through consistency. The more unified the approach in getting a presence or product known, the more productive it can be. This is where new technology can come into play as well. No more relying on just that “SALE” sign in the window – now there are tons of ways to grab that shopper’s attention.  I think that’s why the retailers that have thrived and continue to grow even in these tumultuous economic times have been able to do so. They have taken the feel and experience that was once only found in their stores to a whole new level. Now their niche in the market isn’t limited to one geographic location or even demographic, but even new shoppers can feel at ease because they KNOW the brand. They’ve not only shopped the store or catalog, they’ve seen the logo, heard the ads, watched the YouTube video, gotten the e-newsletter, seen the products on Pinterest, read a blog about it… They know where to go and what to look for because one big ball of brand has just been thrown at them.

What’s exciting to me is that is that this can be followed on any level – whether your business is a Fortune 500 or a mom & pop doing craft shows. Anyone and everyone can benefit from creating a brand and making it known. The best way to achieve that is with one solid and consistent brand identity – so that that consumers know it’s your product or service before even opening the email. If you don’t know where to start, there are a lot of resources out there that can help. In fact…I know of this really good agency with one stellar graphic design team…  

Kendall Briscoe-Senior Account Executive

Before DCC, I worked as the marketing and public relations director for two different community colleges over a five year time span.  During that time I had agencies call on me but I never understood why I needed them. If I hired an agency, why did the organization I was working for need me? I thought I was hired to do the marketing and PR and using an agency was an expense I couldn’t justify. Awwww….was I wrong!

Having an agency is a great way for an organization to expand their marketing and PR efforts. Instead of hiring one staff person with an advanced skill set in one area of marketing/PR, a company can hire an agency with multiple individuals that hold varying skill sets. Organizations that get the best bang for their buck by using an agency have an internal marketing team that works directly with the agency. The best agencies ingrain themselves into the company they are working for – learning what makes that company profitable/successful! Gone are the days that an agency is able to JUST create pretty pictures – now agencies have to help drive the strategic marketing initiatives that directly impact that company’s bottom line.

I have adjusted my mantra a bit as I have learned that not all agencies are created equal. Look for an agency that is high touch and business minded. Make sure they spend the time learning your organization inside and out and that they know how to create and execute a marketing strategy – get references and make phone calls to verify!

The next time a marketing agency representative calls or emails you, follow-up with them and find out if they have the desire to commit to your organization and become an extension of your team!

Ryan Rinchiuso-Advertising Agency Account Coordinator

Remember as a kid when you sneaked a peek at your Christmas or birthday present early?  At the moment it was exciting and cool because you got an early peek at something that you weren’t yet supposed to see.  Then the big day rolls around and the moment where you unwrap is anticlimactic because the surprise is gone.

What does this have to do with a marketing blog?  Well, as those little boys that peek at their toys grow up and their Christmas moves from Dec 25^th to the end of January/early February when our wonderful nation comes screeching to a halt one magical Sunday evening to celebrate the Super Bowl in all its glory.  Over the past 30 years  the Super Bowl has transformed into a game crowing the champions of the NFL into an American institution.  The Super Bowl is now not just about a 3 hour game, it is about the 6-hours of preshow before, a big spectacle of a halftime show and those wonderful, and memorable commercials.

Sometimes, especially when the game is a blowout by the 2^nd quarter, the most entertaining things going on that day were the commercials.  It is the one time of year when people DON’T change the station when the commercials come on and they are actually looking forward to them.  With a cost of $3.5 million the agencies in charge of the commercials KNOW that they have to make an impression or waste a lot of money.  What these means for consumers is that they are guaranteed one day a year of talking animals, big celebrities and a lot of silly antics during every commercial break.

For a Super Bowl junkie like myself the anticipation of the commercials was almost as exciting as the game.  It was fun waiting for the next spot, what would the next commercial be?  Would we see a Pepsi commercial with a famous rock star or a preview of the big summer movie?  Then a few years ago that fun was partly taken away when many forms of media started publishing who had commercials when in the game.  Now a little more of the fun and anticipation are gone for these commercials because they have been posted online a week before the game.

Do you want to see Ferris Bueller in a Honda spot go ahead and Google it and enjoy.  It is not only Matthew Broederick that you can spy early; there is the new Volkswagen Star Wars commercial (now starring dogs!), movie previews and a healthy sampling of Seinfeld.  I am a Super Bowl purist (I don’t know if that is a thing, but if it is not I am coining the phrase now) so I have avoided all these commercials with a fiery passion.  I want to experience the commercials first hand on the big night, I don’t want that feeling of been here/done that.  Why would the businesses want to spoil that fun for us by releasing early?

    After I thought that I quickly realized because it gets the ad seen MORE.  No one is still going to change the channel during commercials so even if you saw the ad online, you will be one of the many millions watching it again.  Is it as exciting as the first time? No, but do the businesses care about that? Not so much.

It is said that for a message to stick with a person they have to see the commercial at least three times.  These companies debuting their commercials early are already 2/3’s of the way to accomplishing this goal by the end of the Super Bowl because it was watched online and then again during the Super Bowl.  Repetition is the name of the game and people are doing the job for the companies.  We are watching the commercial again and again and if they are good we are emailing them and sharing with all of our friends online.  A video can spread a lot quicker in these days with Social Media, email and Youtube and it just means more eyeballs for the companies selling their wears.  For instance, that Matthew Broderick starring commercial already has over 10 million views for an ad selling a Honda.  This is brilliant if you ask me because those 10 million views aren’t even the main course they are just the appetizers.

So if you see me clapping me hands over my ears and yelling pay no attention to me.  I am just trying to keep my own silly tradition of watching Super Bowl ads alive and kicking.  Agencies and companies have found out a way to spread the money spent on the ads a little bit further and they are not going to change course.  While I might wish the ads had a tag that said, “don’t open until Super Bowl” I know that it won’t happen.  While I might have come to this realization, don’t get me started on the practice of filming an ad to tease an ad that teases a product,  some things I will never understand.

Chris Herbert-Public Relations Director

A brand is the most visible part of a business and many companies spend millions of dollars to protect the integrity of that brand. It’s kind of like looking after a toddler.  Once a child starts crawling parents have one eye on the child at all times.  When the child gets too close to an open staircase, a hot stove or the china cabinet, parents react immediately to avoid disaster.  Many take precautions like baby gates, anticipating the possibility of an accident and protecting the child from elements or areas that could be harmful.

A brand too needs to be protected, cared for and kept from harm.  Like caring for a small child, if protections and strategies are not put in place, it only takes one good slip to bruise or tarnish a brand.

Recently, home-style cooking icon Paula Dean announced she has diabetes. It wasn’t the disease that put her under fire with consumers and the media.  It was the fact that she kept the illness quiet for three years, all the while promoting down home, sugar-filled recipes to her fan base.  In addition, when she decided to go public with her news, she also announced she was working on behalf of a drug company that makes a medication for diabetes.

Dean is taking a good amount of criticism from fans and media, being called a hypocrite and tearing down a brand that she spent a lifetime building.  Now I’m sure Paula has a great (and very expensive) team of PR and marketing people working to message her way through this and reposition her moving forward.  She’ll take some lumps in the short term, but Paula will likely recover.  Hindsight being what it is – you have to wonder how the situation would have played out if she announced her news three years ago and launched a new line of healthy recipes, cook books, videos, etc.

A big part of the game in maintaining a strong reputation and protecting brand integrity is thinking one step ahead at all times.  Be proactive in protecting the brand you’ve built and when stuff hits the fan, be prepared to defend and protect.