The meaning of the word branding has been puzzling me for some time. I decided to find about branding while researching other designers' websites
in order to create my own website. I found that the word BRANDING was being used incorrectly to represent
their logo designs.

It seemed to me that it was misused
by many designers from what I thought branding meant.  So to me, branding
is an overall thought, that covers more grounds than just the logo; it is about getting your prospects to see you as
the only one that provides a solution
to their problem.

After a few weeks of research, I finally found an article, written by Vincent Grimaldi/Leading Brand Strategist,
that made sense to me and explains
the meaning of branding beautifully. Vincent says "Brands captures our imagination on a daily basis. Still, outside the world of brand managers, few truly understand the role of marketing and even fewer grasp the meaning of branding.... read full article

Vincent wrote about Nike as a great branding example.  I thus researched the company and found a great article which wonderfully explains the beginning
of Nike and Michael Jordan...
http://www.sneakerhead.com/jordan-brand-history.html

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Ana Balzán / LIGHTHOUSE Graphics
Creative Graphic Design Studio Working with You!
anabalzan.com
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Everywhere we go we see eBook reader devices, such as the Nook at Barns & Nobles, the iPad from Apple, the Kendal from Amazon, the Kobo from Borders, etc.

Recently I met Erica Gamet at Boulder Digital Arts where she was giving a presentation on eBook readers. Well, let me tell you: I have never seen anyone with so many gadgets!   Her excitement and persona just rubbed in so beautifully.  I asked Erica to give us an insight of what she thought about the eBooks and how she sees them in the near future.

Erica Gamet /
Adobe Certified Expert, InDesign CS5 / www.ericagamet.com

"I think 2011 is going to be the year of the eBook...especially with the explosion of the eBook reader and tablet market.
As a designer – and a tech-geek – I wanted to be a part of this exciting development. I think both traditional, printed books and electronic formats have their place in society. And while I don't think the printed book is going anywhere any time soon,
I see eBooks becoming the de facto standard in the next few years.

As a reader, I find myself reading more – especially as a leisure activity – than I have since high school. I find the ease of portability and the range of available titles to be quite refreshing and liberating. I am looking forward to seeing what the future of books will be...and whatever it is, I want to be a part of it."

I recently found in the Amazon website this very complete review written by Ron Cronovich. He explains in detail his experience with the Kindle vs Nook. If you are thinking on getting any of these devices, I recommend you read the below review.
Kindle vs Nook by Ron Cronovich.pdf

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Ana Balzán / LIGHTHOUSE Graphics
Creative Graphic Design Studio Working with You!
anabalzan.com
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Yes... doesn't this sound great!

I started using e-newsletters two years ago… However, I never imagined the impact and power
this marketing tool was going to have in the near future… Today!  
I suppose, I never had the time
or interest in learning about it.
I thought that being a print designer was enough, but things have changed. Even though,
the statistics say that printing
will remain a good source of advertisement, digital is way
up in the marketing world.

To provide you with a better understanding about the importance
of e-marketing, I thought it would be a good idea to give you the differences between e-Marketing and traditional printing.

e-Marketing vs. Traditional Print

Traditional print and e-marketing have one thing in common – it is very important to know your target audience.

e-Mail marketing / e-Newsletter is fast and inexpensive, so you
can send them more regularly than paper.You also have a more direct contact with your clients and prospect clients. You can place texts, graphics, visuals, coupons and direct links to your website, creating
more traffic. There are great quality ASP (Application Service Providers) such as Contact to Contact, Vertical Response, etc; these are businesses that provide computer-based services to customers over a network. ASP puts you in the customers' inboxes more accurately than regular email. So you'll avoid spam filters and be seen by more people. Furthermore, you will stay in touch with people that want to know more about your business and any special offers.

With e-Marketing you can also get more referrals with a touch of a
button and if the reader wishes, he/she can join your mailing list and become a customer. You can immediately track what the response of
your newsletter was by having complete statistics on how many people
opened your e-mail file, forwarded it, links that were clicked on, etc;
all this information gives you a better understanding of what your customers are looking for and you may better address their needs. Another advantage of using e-Marketing is the possibility of getting feedback by using polls; this gives you the advantage of getting fast
and inexpensive information about your company, products and sales. Lastly, it is totally green!

Traditional print however will always have its charm: the feel of the paper and its texture; the fact that you can keep it and store it in your favorite drawer; bring it to your favorite store to get that special sale;
or even share it with a friend. The downside to printed matter, as we know, is that it costs more (cost of creation, printing, and delivery). 
It is very difficult to track traditional marketing. You can hire marketing agencies that will do the research for you, however that will cost you
a good penny. Also, you will not get this information immediately.

To exemplify the current trend, take a look at the graph below which I found in an article from e-Marketer, dated September 22nd. According
to the article, online advertisement will have a tremendous increase between 2010 and 2014, giving the traditional printing a downfall that has been seen since 2009.

According to e-Marketer, “Online has already increased its share by 50%, from 10% in 2008 to 15% this year. By 2014, BIA/Kelsey (a firm that advises companies in the local media space through Consulting and Valuation Services, Research, Continuous Advisory Services, and Conferences) expects nearly one in four local ad dollars to be spent
on digital”.

Digital is becoming an everyday use. We use phones, text, e-mail, WebPages, blogging, e-pubs, etc. Is e-Marketing the way of the future?   We do not know, but it is here to stay for awhile!
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Ana Balzán / LIGHTHOUSE Graphics
Highlighting your path to success!
anabalzan.com
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1) Permission (very important) – Make sure you have permission from your
customers or prospect customers to receive a newsletter from you. However,

there are some people you can contact without permission, those are your family
and your 
friends… and, they probably know some one who knows someone else!  Co-workers, employees, and vendors are all important to include since they should be informed of any news!

2) Welcome message - When someone subscribes, make sure they receive a welcome 
letter. Also, you should ask them to save your welcome message for
future reference. 
Many people forget that they subscribed to certain email newsletters. Otherwise, they 
may accuse you of spamming and report you to
your Internet Service Provider or to 
an email marketing company.

3) Subject line – Choose your From field name (name of you company or personal name) 
and stick to it, be consistent. This is an example of how you should place your 
Subject Line: 
[name of you company or personal name] Article Title, Issue No., Date
I am including a link to Constant Contact where you can read about subject line
• 5 Tips for Writing Subject Lines that Will Get Your Emails Opened

4) Content – Include quality content instead of quantity. There is so much you

can write about, show a video, podcasts or images. Listen to your customers, 

their problems and concerns. Write tips, company news, special offers and events, 
announcements, products, etc.

5) Link your e-newsletter to your website - Bringing readers to your site will
give 
you more exposure.

6) To increase your list of prospect clients – Make sure you have a sign up
box on 
your website for your e-newsletter.

7) Images or videos – Always include them. Readers love to see visuals.

8) Unsubscribe option – Include it in the beginning and at the end of your 
e-newsletter.  Make sure people can unsubscribe so they do not send you
to spam.

9) Planning – It is key to the frequency and on time delivery of your newsletter.
How often are you sending the newsletter? Plan the topics ahead and know that 

they can change; be flexible. Take into account Holidays and special sales. Remember 
that to prep content takes some time; be realistic.  Determine content source; have a 
section to reference past contributions & future ideas.

10) Revise – Your content many times to make sure it is free of misspelled words 
and that all links go to the proper place.

Great link to read before you send your e-newsletter;
•  Checklist - 25 Questions Before You Send

I hope these tips help you in the production of you e-newsletter. If you are interested in having me help you build your initial e-newsletter, please give me
a call. Thank you!
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Ana Balzán / LIGHTHOUSE Graphics
Highlighting your path to success!
anabalzan.com
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I have been reading article
after article about marketing your business for this Holiday season and all the articles
have one thing in common: they are all talking about digital advertising and its advantages.




Michelle Keegan, Constant Contact e-marketer expert, wrote that a survey done
by "DoubleClick.com2 reported that 66% of online shoppers plan to use internet
to purchase during the coming holiday season; and BizRate.com3 estimates that
a whopping $8 billion will be spent online between November 25th and December 25th."  It seems that costumers are pushing for easier and convenient ways to purchase on the Holidays and digital is becoming the everyday use. 
 


My research brought me to various ways to advertise your business.
 


1) Website and e-newsletter - Make sure your website is easy to browse and that your products photos and description are just as the original product.  Nothing worse than deception in order to loose a client for ever! Affluent customers are expecting the retailers to go above and beyond for them. Also, static photos are
not enough; they want to be entertained and have a full vivid shopping experience
in your site.
 


•  Catering to Affluent Shoppers Online



• 'Tis the Season - Eight Holiday Tips 



2) Social media (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc) is being used more
frequently to talk and discuss brand names and clients’ experiences with the product. According to e-Marketer  data from Aberdeen Group, August 2010, "more than half of retailers felt they had been pushed into using social media because more consumers were using it as a primary shopping vehicle.
The second-largest pressure causing them
to adopt social media marketing was increased use by the competition."  I suggest you use every possible mean to bring more traffic into your store or business. And, right now, social media is free. Below you can find 2 graphs from e-marketers' research on "Leading Pressures Causing Retailers to use Social Media, Aug 2010"
and "Retailers' Key Performance Indicator for Social Media, Aug 2010."
 


• Consumers Force Retailers to Adopt Social Strategy


3) Messaging and Mobile Media using SMS or text messages. Last year Sonali Shah, Director of Corporate Development and Strategy at VeriSign Messaging and Mobile Media, wrote that as the Holiday season draws near, "retailers are focusing on how to meet sales targets and drive traffic, in spite of the continuing recession. The mobile channel can help do both increase revenue and engage customers and mobile messaging will play a key role in most mobile campaigns."  SMS messages can be sent without too much planning
and can be customized. If you wish to read more about this topic, please find 2 links below.
 


• Key SMS marketing tips for retailers’ holiday campaigns

• Location capabilities provide better targeted mobile advertising
 


4) Mobile coupons "while still nascent,  is becoming an increasingly
effective way
to bring people into the store and increase sales", according to InsightExpress. 
This article has great information and graphs that puts men between 25-35 years
old as the group that uses their phones the most to finding reviews, compare
prices, make purchases, find coupons, etc.  
 

• 10pc of consumers driven in-store by mobile coupons: study

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Ana Balzán / LIGHTHOUSE Graphics
Highlighting your path to success!
anabalzan.com
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