This time Max Keiser and co-host Stacy Herbert look at the scandals of the Nobel Prize winner that threatens the world; the US paying more than Buffett, and the big ambitions behind 12000 calories per day. Keiser also talks to Helen Skopis of Athens International Radio about the Greek debt crisis.
Aug
30
Aug
20
If youre in the business world, youve probably heard of the acronym KISS. What does it stand for? Keep it Simple, Stupid.
Too many times, business owners decide to write their own company materials, whether it is their main website copy, their promotional materials or even their business plan. Often, they can be too close to the business, as they have been a part of it since its inception. The mistake that can be made is that they say too much in their message and they lose potential business because of it.
As I posted in the previous blog, you want to make sure that you can fit your company message on the back of a business card. If you cant, its too complicated to explain to your target market in an advertisement. Customers like uncomplicated products with a simple value proposition.
When you are looking at another companys information, its easy to see when you are being shown too much information. You can feel it. You glance at the page and feel overwhelmed. You cant grasp the general message. As a result you put down the written material, close the browser window or tune out or mute if youre watching a commercial.
The same can be said for your company brochure or packaging. I know you want to get your message across, but the key is to pique peoples interest, not tell your entire company story.
If you have ever purchased anything from Apple, Im sure you felt the difference in the experience. When you opened your quality packaging with minimal copy on it. It felt sleek; it felt special. Rather than sporting a bunch of bright stickers demanding your attention, with a lot of hype, all of their product packaging is just simple and streamlined. (Now Im sure you windows users are immediately turned off by what I just said but until youve had that experience, please give me the benefit of doubt) Less is more.
When it comes to your own business, it can sometimes be easy to forget that you may be saying too much. Its understandable. This is your baby and youve got a lot to say about it. Youve invested long hours and good money in this thing and you want to make sure everybody knows how great it is!
I myself am guilty of the very thing Im preaching about. Ive got a lot to say! Ive got things I want to show people and I have a tendency to want to include everything. I have to constantly check myself to try and make sure that Im not going overboard.
In the next post Ill look for some examples of too busy to show you.
Joanne
Aug
19
businessbirmingham.com ‘Doing business in Birmingham’ is a new short film which positions Birmingham as a global business location. It draws on the experiences of successful individuals and organisations in the city, and provides an over-arching proposition to investors of Birmingham as an international business hub. Why Birmingham? An accessible network of business contacts Private and public sector relocation successes Delivering best practice from the private sector Scale to provide greater experience and choice Being connected at the heart of the transport network Nurturing and retaining talent from the city’s universities Heritage of research and innovation business link-ups Youngest and most diverse major city Succeeding on sustainability Sustainable property stock that supports a smarter workplace
Aug
11
Disclaimer : Article sponsorisé
Pour fêter le retour de l’été, la célèbre marque kronenbourg lance une nouvelle campagne marketing avec une série de visuels créés par l’agence Fred & Farid.
Avec cette campagne qui sera déclinée tout au long de l’année, Kronenbourg entend revenir sur des valeurs simples et s’imposer comme « la bière des moments authentiques » partagés avec ses amis, avec ses proches, en toute simplicité. L’idée de base de la campagne est d’illustrer ce qu’est un « moment vrai Kronenbourg » : se rassembler autour d’une bonne bière et se dire que l’on partage plus qu’une bière !
Les visuels sont donc naturellement tournés vers les moments de convivialité que procure la fameuse bière. On retrouve ainsi :
- Un café cosy (pour les soirées entre amis)
- Un bar de plage (parfait pour les vacances d’été qui ont commencé…)
- Une terrasse de bar (qui sent bon les vacances avec la vue sur le couché de soleil…)
=> Lire la suite!
Aug
11
That question is a tough one. Many designers feel adamant about not providing mock-ups because the time and effort spent on conceptualizing and designing is time that they should be paid for. I couldn’t agree more.
However, consumers want to make sure that the designer they hire can get the job done for them. Often times designers who claim they understand what the client is looking for and can deliver, fall short. This is a valid point too.
We’ve had potential clients ask for design mock-ups from us in the past. We’ve experienced both positive (getting the job) and negative results (loss of income) from doing so. As a result, we decided to make it our policy not to do mock-ups until hired because the risk outweighs the benefit. It’s a difficult balance as sometimes we aren’t chosen for jobs because we won’t provide a free watermarked mock-up. On the other hand, we’ve had potential clients contact us (because of our affordable pricing) with a watermarked mock-up that another designer had created which they wanted our designers to copy. Keeping that in mind, we decided it wasn’t in our best interest to offer them.
I read an article the other day from a consumer who purchased a logo design from a designer and the sole deciding factor was that they were provided with a mock-up before an agreement was made and that made the designer stand apart from the other design firms in the running.
I also read an article from a designer furious at other designers for providing mock-ups. He was angry because he felt that it was destroying the industry of graphic design. His gripe was that designers are working for free without the guarantee of being compensated and that the practice can also result in copyright infringement.
I wrote this post today because I want to hear your opinion.
Small business owners, please weigh in, tell me what you think! Should designers provide you with mock-ups? Do you feel that it is standard practice in business today?
Designers, are you providing mock-ups to your potential clients? Do you think it is increasing your sales? Or hurting your bottom line?
Please post your comments, or if you don’t feel comfortable sharing in public, please feel free to take the anonymous poll in the upper right hand corner. Or, if you’re one of my regular readers, email me. I’d love to hear what you think!
As always, thanks for reading…
Joanne
