Tag Archives: marketing

The Importance of Color and the Pantone Color of the Year

POSTED BY: Arleen, FILED AS: Promotional Products, ON: Saturday, December 13th, 2014

pantone-marsala

Every year Pantone sets the trend for colors in print design, marketing and advertising, interior design and many other industries by announcing their color of the year. Well, Pantone just released the Pantone color of the year for 2015: Marsala Pantone color number 18-1438.

What is Pantone and the PMS Matching System?

Pantone “is the world-renowned authority on color.” They provide color systems for various industries and are most known for their Pantone Matching System (PMS). The Pantone Matching System is a way of standardizing colors in the CMYK coloring process. CMYK stands for the four colors used in full color printing. Layers and combinations of the CMYK colors create full color images and print. The colors are cyan, magenta, yellow and black. The PMS system provides the correct mixtures for color matching. PMS colors can also be translated into RGB. RGB (red, green, blue) are screen based colors. For example your television and computer screen use the RGB model.

Why is PMS matching important?

PMS colors are significant to the promotional products industry. We use Pantone colors on a daily basis when imprinting custom items with logos and marketing messages. PMS matching is important to corporations who have specific colors as part of their corporate identity. At times it is necessary to come “as close as possible” to the PMS color of the imprint. There are many reasons why you may not be able to get an exact PMS match. For example some reasons may be the color of the item that the ink is being placed on or PMS matching is sometimes not available. In many cases to save on cost businesses may choose to come “as close as possible” to avoid a PMS matching fee.

Why is Marsala the Pantone color of 2015?

Marsala is full of richness like fortified wine. It’s earthy and warm which gives off a feeling of satisfaction and comfort. Marsala is also an Indian spice and it is a bold and radiant color. As shown in the video, Pantone describes Marsala as robust, earthy, sophisticated, hearty, stylish and fulfilling.

The Importance of Color in Branding and Advertising

As mentioned above color is important to corporate identity. It helps you remember a brand such as the brown UPS truck, red Target shopping carts or the bright orange Home Depot work buckets. The brown UPS truck represents dependability. The red Target shopping carts convey a feeling of excitement and represent bargain shopping. Orange for Home Depot represents construction and building. A brand with consistent color across it’s marketing increases brand recognition by 80 percent.

Color is also a good way to categorize products or services. For example, you can easily differentiate FedEx express (purple and orange) and FedEx ground (purple and green) by their colors. Did you notice that both FedEx services use purple?

Color is important in branding and advertising because of it’s psychological impact. Use the right color to convey the right feeling. Color is also important for recognition.

How do you use color in your marketing? What do you think about the Pantone color for 2015? Do you like trying different colors or do have a certain color you stick to? What’s your personal favorite color? Will you use Pantone Marsala in your design or advertising this coming year?

How to Stimulate Creativity

POSTED BY: Arleen, FILED AS: Business Planning, ON: Saturday, November 22nd, 2014

As marketers, business people, developers, innovators, bloggers, parents and creatives we have to be on top of our game in order to stay ahead. Technology is always changing the way we communicate. We have to be fast thinkers in this instant world that we live in.

I enjoy watching Ellen DeGeneres whenever I need a good belly laugh. I came across this video with Ellen and Rebel Wilson the other day and thought it was a fun example of how in marketing or in life we can fall into situations where we need to do a little improvisation as well. I have also come up with a few ideas to share about how we can stimulate our creativity when we run into a block.
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In Marketing Timing is Everything: Nissan’s Second Royal Baby Tweet

POSTED BY: Arleen, FILED AS: Business Planning, ON: Saturday, September 13th, 2014

nissan-royal-tweet

Like when you are shooting the winning score seconds before the clock runs out or making the decision to have a baby timing is important. In marketing timing is everything. Being in the advertising specialties industry, I live at least three months ahead of everyone else. In this sort of business you have start marketing and planning before the idea even reaches your customers mind. Sometimes it’s a no brainer, for example, I wouldn’t start my holiday promotions in July. If your timing is too off you can miss the opportunity to connect with potential customers. Continue reading →

How Mentally Strong People Run the World

POSTED BY: Arleen, FILED AS: Promotional Products, ON: Sunday, May 18th, 2014

mentally-strong-people

Mentally strong people run the world. They are leaders, innovators and market creators. This is because they control their emotions, how they think and how they behave. It is this control that usually makes them successful in life and business. So what do mentally strong people do to climb the mountain of success?

10 Things that Mentally Strong People Do

1. Move On From Mistakes

When you are focused on a goal you don’t have time to feel sorry for yourself. We are all human and are going to make mistakes, but the biggest mistake we can make is dwelling on what went wrong. Examine it, make a notation so that the mistake is not repeated and move on. The time you spend feeling sorry for yourself is time you could have spent on a new venture.

2. Take Control

Ok, so maybe some would consider mentally strong people to be controlling but someone has to take the reins and steer. Once a mentally strong person has established that they are in control, they are often hard pressed to relinquish it to someone else. In order to have control over others you must first gain control over yourself and your emotions. This will alleviate the use of excuses which will gain the respect of those you manage and respect is an important aspect in any business relationship. Continue reading →

Rejuvenate Your Mind and Body to Get Back to Business

POSTED BY: Arleen, FILED AS: Promotional Products, ON: Tuesday, December 3rd, 2013

Lazy Fat Cat

For those of you living in the US, being with loved ones on Thanksgiving may be something you were looking forward to all year. For those outside of the US, I’m sure you can relate this to any festive gathering. Anyway, now it is over and you are left with the fallout. A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog on healthy habits during the holidays and I don’t know about you but I over indulged. Instead of beating myself up for it, I decided to do something about it and write this post in continuation on how to stay healthy during the holidays. It’s time to get off the couch like the lazy cat in the photo above and get back to business!

Here are 10 ways to put you rejuvenate your mind and body to get back to business after a big holiday.

1. Be Thankful

Ok, you over indulged, so did I, forgive yourself. Don’t feel guilty about it. Instead be thankful for the time you were able to spend enjoying yourself, family and friends. This is a great opportunity to show others how thankful you are too. In business and in your social life, a personal gift is a memorable way to say “thank you”.

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KFC Attracts Customers on the Go with Promotional Cups

POSTED BY: Arleen, FILED AS: Brand Awareness, Travel Marketing, ON: Wednesday, October 16th, 2013

Consumers like convenience and never before has fast food been so popular. There are drive-thrus so that you don’t even have to leave your car and not just for fast food. I have seen drive-thrus at pharmacies, dry cleaners and even supermarkets. Most Americans usually are on a tight schedule and want convenience where ever they can get it. But convenience is not all they are looking for. It is no surprise to most of us that many Americans are hard pressed to find time for home cooked meals around the dinner table and often turn to fast food as an alternative.

KFC Go Cups

Photo from kfc.com

Although American’s are purchasing fast food in record numbers, more and more they are looking for healthier options. KFC recognized this and made an effort to bridge the gap between fast food and healthy options by introducing their new Go Cups. Designed to fit into just about any car cup holder, the Go Cup holds smaller portions often referred to as “snack-sized” and comes with five different food options. The Go Cup doesn’t only just fit into your car cup holder, it separates the food you ordered; chicken from fries for example. The most interesting fact is that KFC has not only found a way to make their customer’s meal more convenient while they are driving but it also passes on savings to the consumer because the Go Cup meal options cost almost half the price of the least expensive full meal on KFC’s menu. I know, it may sound like I am writing this piece to advertise KFC’s new Go Cup but that is not the case. Reading about the new addition to KFC’s menu caused me think about how often businesses are looking for a way to keep their brand relevant and often the answer is innovation and risk taking, KFC has done both.

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A Look at Bike Share Programs and What We Can Learn from Them

POSTED BY: Arleen, FILED AS: Brand Awareness, ON: Wednesday, October 9th, 2013

Who would have thought that going green, you know, being more environmentally considerate, could be good for your business in the short term? Well that is exactly what you could get with advertisements on none other than a bike. If not there yet, than sure to come to a city near you is a bike share program that is quickly popping up in most large US cities. Coast to coast and north to south, many cities are adopting bike share programs to not only help keep down fuel emissions and gas cost but also to promote good health. While all of these reasons are great on a personal level, we can learn a lot from this program on a business level also.

Bay Area Bike Share launch in San Jose CA

Bay Area Bike Share launch in San Jose CA – Flickr: Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious

First started in The Netherlands (Amsterdam) in 1965 the project that had nothing but good intentions soon failed do to vandalism and stolen bikes. Like most things, as technology evolved so did bike sharing programs internationally. As a solution to the vandalism/theft problem, Portsmouth, UK, installed electronic bike racks in the 1990’s. In addition to the electronic racks were smart cards which for a small fee allowed a renter to access the bicycles without anonymity. If the bike came back damaged in any way or didn’t come back at all than the renter was charged a fee for the damaged property. The other component to the program that aided in its success was the installation of cameras that monitored the bike racks 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Once the program was proven to be a success with some minor changes, it was slowly but surely adopted all over the world. China, Australia and the US now have bike shares programs. In preparation for the 2012 DNC (Democratic National Convention) the city of Charlotte installed bike share racks all around downtown Charlotte, NC so that the millions of people that swarmed the city would have transportation options. So what can we learn from this program in terms of business? Continue reading →

How To Reboot and Get Back to Business

POSTED BY: Arleen, FILED AS: Business Planning, ON: Tuesday, August 20th, 2013

As the summer is coming to an end I can’t help but feel a sense of rejuvenation. It’s Back to School season which, for me, feels like a new start. Similar to how a New Year feels. During the summer, for some of us, business slows down and all anyone ever wants to do is relax and enjoy the sun. But now as we approach the end of August things start to change. It’s time to get back to business and so like me you probably need a reboot. Now is the best time to evaluate and plan how you are going to handle the rest of the year and make the most out of it. So, in today’s post I have put together 8 ideas on how to reboot and get back to business.
Reboot and Get Back to Business

8 Ways to Reboot Your Business

1. Out With The Old, In With The New
Hopefully your business is exactly where you always envisioned it would be. You look at your business and you see all of your hard work paying off and the goals you once set for yourself accomplished. Whether or not that is the case, there is always room for improvement. Set new goals that will keep your business relevant in an ever changing world of business. What are you willing to leave behind, what are you willing to change? The answer maybe just what your business needs to continue to be successful for many years to come.
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How do you turn Insomnia into Branding?

POSTED BY: Arleen/Susan, FILED AS: Brand Awareness, ON: Friday, April 12th, 2013

Insomnia BrandingSleep helps the brain. Chronic sleep deprivation can cause weight gain. Lack of sleep can also affect your mood. How can you turn those bouts of insomnia into creative ideas for promoting your company? We are going to help you make use of your insomnia by using that time to come up with brand ideas.

Branding is an important component of all sales, advertising and marketing techniques. Branding is what makes you distinctive. It differentiates you from your competition. Branding is the very foundation of marketing and advertising.

Sounds like this would work. I have been there and done that. There are over 64 million Americans who struggle with sleep. A study by the Department of Health and Human Services states by definition, insomnia is “difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, or both and it may be due to inadequate quality or quantity of sleep”. This equates to 1 in every 5 Americans. Turning to sleeping pills is not the answer and after a certain period of time they do not work anyway. I have to say that I am one of many who does not sleep. Here are ten things that we are told to do to help with sleep. Continue reading →