Advertising Agency Blog - Inspired 2 Design, LLC

Hype, Buzz, Press, Boost, Plug, Talk - all powerful words for advertisers. The old adage says that talk is cheap, and we concur. In fact, the best talk is free! Getting it, however, is another story.

Take the democrats. For the past few nights they’ve been buzzing away in Denver. They’re hyping themselves up and they hope to be hyping the rest of the country too, all for their candidate (who’s already the nominee for all intents and purposes). It’s really a formality, a tradition, that means nothing but free campaign advertising. With over 50,000 in attendance each night and millions of Americans watching on TV - all major networks mind you, they capitalize on the news coverage by touching over 21 million households. Even more (26 million) tuned in to see Hillary Clinton appear (and the democrats claim party unity, funny.)

No matter which side of the aisle you’re on, this type of press is something money cannot buy. There’s much to be learned by business owners if they closely watch politicians at work campaigning. Next time you see, hear or read a story covering a candidate running for office, zero-in and scrutinize what’s really at the root. If you’re keen, you’ll see how there’s room for everyone in-the-know to work the system, and create the much-desired buzz.

Vision is probably the one common quality every successful company has. If you’re wondering why your business is not experiencing growth, or is just “getting by”, it may be time for an eye exam.

Checkpoints:

1. Clarity: are you clear on who your target audience is, and what your core competencies are? Do you weigh all decisions against your company mission to confirm you’re in sync?

2. Focus: is your company fine tuned and sharply attuned to the marketplace and the trends? Are you focused on the real or the imagined return on your investment?

3. Direction: are you consistently looking forward? Are you an innovator? Keep in mind that what worked yesterday may not work today, and what works today may not work tomorrow.

4. Optics: are you seeing the glass half empty or half full? Companies that are playing it too safe in economically challenging times may find themselves still in the hole when the economy changes. Taking risks and trying new things in your marketing, your advertising, and your business strategy will better prepare you for what’s to come.

Remember, when you’re standing at the bottom, you have no where to go but up.

Inspired 2 Design helps small businesses perform their vision checkup. Contact us for more details.

The perception of color is a critical consideration prior to finalizing a marketing strategy. While color trends are important to consider, the basic meaning of colors is timeless, and will outlast any fleeting feelings you may have about what colors to include in your logo, collateral, website, signage, office or storefront paint, etc. Here’s a brief overview:

Red is associated with energy, power and determination - which is why many countries include it on their flags and seals. It can also indicate friction, danger or even war. As an emotionally intense color, red also indicates passion and love. Red attracts attention, so it’s great for call-to-action graphics.

The color of sunshine, yellow implies joy, happiness, intellect and spontaneous energy. Yellow is very effective for attracting attention, so use it to highlight the most important elements of a design. Combine yellow with bold, dark colors for best effect. Avoid using yellow as a tint - it’s just nasty.

Typically associated with sunshine, warmth and health, orange represents enthusiasm, happiness, creativity and stimulation - especially appetite stimulation which is why restaurants and food companies use it. Orange has high visibility, so it highlights important elements of a design.

Green is the color of nature and symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness and yes, money. Use green to indicate safety and eco-friendliness.

A cool color, blue is associated with depth and stability and symbolizes trust, loyalty, intellect, confidence and truth. Use blue to promote cleanliness, air, sky or water and sea, and technology. Dark blue is a favorite of corporate America.

A combination of blue and red, purple symbolizes power, nobility and luxury. Many associate purple with creativity and mystery or magic. Different shades of purple can be used to target children and adults.

White is the color of light, goodness, innocence and purity. Use white as a resting spot for the eye in design.

Associated with power, elegance, formality and mystery, or even the unknown, black helps depth perception and is perfect for contrasting with all other colors in design.

This list is by no means exhaustive, so if you’re not sure about your color scheme, tints, shades, or even the differences between CMYK and RGB colors, contact Inspired 2 Design.