Sizzle or Fizzle?

You only have one opportunity to make a first impression – and often your business card is it. Does yours sizzle or fizzle?

Your business card is more than a name and number. In an instant it projects an image – and when it comes to your company's image, "good enough" just shouldn't be.

At Visage Creative we take a sincere interest in our clients' needs and success. We know your business is important to you. And, we REALLY don't want you walking around with cards that fizzle.

So, from April 1 through April 30, 2008, we're offering an incredible business card makeover deal that includes 1000 full color printed business cards for only $195.00 (that's a $327.00 value). Schedule your makeover today – call us at 480.471.6393.

© 2008 Visage Creative Business Services, Inc.

Three Savvy Saving Strategies

Three ways to slash spending without skimping on style:

Co-print with another business
In the world of printing, bigger is often better. Coordinate with another business that's needing a piece similar to yours. By having your pieces printed together on a single print run you can split the cost with your "print partner."

Make your words timeless
Show off your product or tout your services while avoiding information that is dated or likely to change -- thereby avoiding the cost of printing updated pieces. For instance instead of "18 years in business" you could say "In business since 1990." You might also consider leaving pricing off your piece, and use a less-expensive pricing insert that you can change as your prices change - without reprinting the entire piece.

Scrutinize samples or proofs
Before giving the go-ahead to your graphic designer or printer, double check even the most basic information such as phone numbers and the spelling of names. Take that extra moment to make sure everything is accurate and laid out the way you want it. Re-proofing, re-printing and re-revising all mean re-spending!

© 2008 Visage Creative Business Services, Inc.

List #1 | Things We've Designed

Here's a list of just some of the items we've design for our clients over the years...

• Ads
• Auto signage
• Banners
• Beverage cans
• Book covers
• Brochures
• Business cards
• Business identity
• Calendars
• Catalogs
• CD covers
• Coasters
• Coupons
• Cups
• Event programs
• Fingernail files
• Fliers
• Food product labels
• Gift certificates
• Gift tags
• Greeting cards
• HTML emails/newsletters
• Invitations
• Journal books
  
• Labels and stickers
• Letterhead
• Life size tradeshow cut out
• Line cards
• Lip balm
• Logo re-creation
• Logos
• Magic Cube
• Magnets
• Menus
• Mouse pads
• Movie slide
• Mugs
• Name badges
• Newsletters
• Note pads
• Pens
• Photo editing
• Photo restoration
• Postcards
• Posters
• PowerPoint presentations
• Presentation folders
• Product concept renderings
• Salsa labels
• Scarves
• Shirts
• Signage
• Snack wrappers
  
• Stress balls
• Tattoos
• Tote bags
• Turkey boxes
  
• Web sites
• MS Word forms and templates

Tips to Take to Your Designer

Here are some hints for effective communication throughout the design process:

1. If you don’t already have a designer that’s willing to listen to your input, create exceptional designs and work with your budget, contact us.
2. Talk to your designer about your business - what makes it unique, what makes it better than the competitors, what your customers say.
3. If you already have an idea of what you are looking for, do your best to communicate that from the outset.
4. Show your designer any current/previous marketing materials. Discuss what you liked and disliked about each piece and whether there are any you will continue to use.
5. Give constructive feedback. Once you see a concept, take some time to think through it. Consider how well it will work as a representation of your business. Let the designer know what you like and dislike in an open but courteous manner. Giving the designer well thought out reasons for your feelings will help him or her get closer the next time to what you had envisioned.

© 2007 Visage Creative Business Services, Inc.

Branding Basics | Part 2: Selling Your Brand

In Part I we discussed the importance of creating a company identity in the minds of your clients and potential clients – in other words, branding to sell. This article is about the next step – selling your brand. When you’ve established good, consistent branding, you can focus your marketing not only on the product or service you’re selling, but also on the customer experience - the feeling evoked by your branding.

Selling your brand means more than simply selling products or services. It’s selling customers on who you are. Getting them to buy into your image greatly increases the chances they will return.

Let’s say you sell office supplies. This may seem straightforward, but, like in any industry, there’s always a way to differentiate yourself. If you have set yourself apart by selling higher quality merchandise than your competitors, your marketing materials should have a more elegant look. Your brochure might resemble monogrammed stationery. If, on the other hand, you want to market yourself through your low prices, then your materials will emphasize price and bargains. Marketing material should be nice, but “no frills.”

Of course, price isn’t the only way to differentiate yourself - there are a million more strategies. For every strategy, there is at least one great marketing approach. The secret is to give potential clients a sample of your company’s style, a taste of what they can expect, and current clients a reminder of why doing business with you is so great.

© 2007 Visage Creative Business Services, Inc.

Christmas in July

Soup kitchen and food pantry supplies often dwindle during the summer months when the Holiday food drive season is long past. Hunger, however, doesn’t go away. In answer to this problem, United Food Bank is conducting a summer food drive, “Christmas in July,” and Visage Creative is excited to participate. Ten percent of our design proceeds from projects started between May 15 and June 30 will go towards the purchase of food to be donated to the United Food Bank.

You can make a difference for people in need in our community simply by starting a new project from May 15 to June 30. Is there a marketing project you’ve been meaning to get to? This is the perfect time! Give us a call today to schedule your next project, and feel good about contributing to a great cause.

You can also help by spreading the word.

© 2007 Visage Creative Business Services, Inc.

The Power of Space

There is a common misconception that good use of space is coating every inch of your marketing materials with data. However, even design needs room to breathe.

Think about it. When wandering through a big city maze of concrete and dizzyingly tall buildings, we crave large expanses of sky. In a crowded schedule, we crave an unoccupied moment. Amidst the noise of daily life, we crave silence. A business card crammed with information and images will leave the recipient craving visual respite. If a website, brochure or other marketing piece is too crowded with information, it loses impact. Often, nothing stands out and the piece will be overlooked completely.

A well-designed marketing piece, on the other hand, will include plenty of space and only elements that enhance its purpose. Take web sites, for example. To make the biggest impact, the information must be organized in way that is easy to navigate and visually appealing. This is something we at Visage strive for. However, you don’t have to take our word for it. The following links will take you to some well-known companies that illustrate this principle beautifully:

• Google
• Nike.com
• Tiffany & Co.
• Kenneth Cole
• FranklinCovey

We also have some great examples in our gallery.

© 2007 Visage Creative Business Services, Inc.