Let's Learn About #LogoDesign History!©2018, Colleen Eakins Design

Let’s Learn About Logo Design History

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Logos are everywhere and remain a mainstay of branding. These powerful images and graphics communicate messages in a concise way designed to help influence consumers when making purchasing decisions.

Although many logo designs are simple, the way in which these identifying emblems get created is a fascinating combination of art and science.

Anyone who looks into the history of logo design learns quickly that much skill and thought goes into the undertaking. The fundamental concepts of logo design go all the way back to the Victorian era. During that period, designers were stepping up their games and creating symbolic illustrations to engage with and influence society. These symbols, like Coats of Arms, were frequently used to identify noblemen and other prominent people in the civilizations in which they existed.

Over the centuries, the concepts introduced by early designers continued to evolve to meet the needs of a progressing community. Images that once helped residents distinguish who ranked highly got transformed into concepts that represented governments, corporate entities, and organizations worldwide.

Logo Design During the Industrial Revolution

While the use of emblems, graphics, and symbols dates back to early Egyptian times, the Industrial Revolution is when the use of trademarks, logos, ideograms, and watermarks started getting mass adoption in the business community. The introduction of printed news and other materials made way for advertisers to spread messages and build their businesses – using symbols and convincing copywritten materials. Many of these early logos had simple designs, based on the printing and design technologies that were available during this period.

The advancement of typography and printing technology introduced a brand new way for business owners to connect with potential clients. A logo or a Masthead helped contribute to building brand recognition, even back in these early days. Business owners were empowered to advertise their goods and services to a broader audience of news readers in markets throughout metropolitan and developing rural areas.

As innovations in the printing and visual arts space advanced, the ability to print more elaborate and intricate designs opened up a new world not only for business owners, but for everyone who had an interest in reading about current events, local news, as well as books for entertainment and enlightenment.

These early publications helped form opinions and were the foundation for today’s more sophisticated and multi-channel advertising and marketing campaigns.

Logo Design In Present Day Applications

Fast forward to present day. A majority of companies and organizations use a logo or ideogram as a representation of their business interests when conducting enterprise, advertising, and running marketing campaigns. In some cases, a cogent logo may contain both an ideogram and the company name known as a logotype. A logotype emphasizes the name over the graphic, creating a unique design through the use colors, copy, and other graphic elements.

For multinational companies, the use of ideograms and symbols could prove more effective than plain written names, especially in cases when the logo gets translated into alphabets in increasingly globalized markets. It’s always worth noting that language barriers and cultural differences could make it so a logo or brand name does not translate easily – or as intended – across demographic groups.

For example, the Chevy Nova. While the car was wildly popular with American consumers when it was in production (before the Internet,) it struggled to make progress with Latino consumers. The simple reason for this issue was the use of the word “Nova.” When translated into Spanish, Nova literally means “no go.” As you can imagine, the choice of this brand name would not appeal to consumers who associated a new car purchase with a product that wouldn’t ‘go,’ as it were. This is a case when a little extra research could have quickly found the negative connotation associated with the language. However, since this branding and marketing faux pas happened quite some time ago, we can take a lesson on the importance of analysis when choosing a name for your branding efforts.

The Past and Future of Logo Design

The history of logo design is an interesting topic, and one that should get examined for further insights into how this media changed the world. Over the years this concept evolved from a way to identify dignitaries to a mainstream methodology for organizations and companies to set themselves apart from each other and their competitors.

When you’re talking about building a business, you’ll quickly learn that branding and logos work in synchronicity. You shouldn’t have one without having the other! By using your branding elements throughout all of your campaigns, you’re taking steps to build brand recognition in a cross-platform format.

In today’s digital age, business owners have more venues available than ever before to make a positive impact with potential clients. By keeping your branding and logos cohesive across your digital assets including your website, social platforms, and email marketing. Further, your branding and logo should get utilized on all printed assets including business cards, letterhead, marketing materials, product labels, internal and employee documents, and packaging.

If you offer a physical product, ensuring that your goods carry your logo and branding, along with a favorable packaging design for your items makes them more marketable when selling both online and offline.

Starting with Your Best Foot Forward

You’ll want to be sure to work with an experienced designer who understands the fundamental and advanced elements of branding and can provide creatives for all your needed purposes. By doing so, you assure that your products look fabulous when they are put on display or arrive at your customer’s doorstep.

Another advantage of working with an expert in the graphic design field is they are able to produce corresponding digital assets including banner ad creatives, infographics, whitepapers, and light papers.

Further, they can lend creative juice and insights into your logo and branding project, so that you get the best possible results from your investment in yourself, business, or organization. Ready to put your best foot forward? Contact us today to get your project started!

Digital Marketing Trends

Projected Digital Marketing Trends For 2017

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A new year is here, and that means it’s time to speculate about what digital marketing trends will emerge! There’s no question there will be some new trends to follow, but much of what will happen in 2017 has already been happening!

Classic strategies don’t change much from one year to the next, but strategies and tactics indeed evolve. By the year 2017, everyone is aware of the fundamental nature of mobile marketing. Web developers have been noticing a shift to mobile device access for years. Now, it appears as if Desktop users are nearing extinction! That means Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) and other technologies will proliferate rapidly.

AMP Is Worth Implementing

Google and Bing are always looking for ways to increase speed for their users. One way they can do that is by showing AMP pages in their search. These web pages display fast in mobile devices by stripping many additional HTML elements. Users want answers fast and search companies are delivering quick results. Anytime you can stay abreast of technological advances; it pays to do so! AMP and HTTP2 are two enhancements for your website technology and a digital marketing trend to consider.

Virtual Reality Is Going to Grow

One digital marketing trend we saw emerge toward the latter part of 2016, was virtual reality. Depending on your vertical, virtual reality may play a large role in your digital marketing efforts. It’s not hard to imagine the numerous potential applications for just about every sector. Millions of people are purchasing VR technology, and they’ll want to use the pricey equipment to its fullest advantage. If your organization can come up with a slick way to deliver content or a user experience to this emerging technology, you’ll see a sudden boost in sales.

Big Data Keeps on Growing

There’s an interesting thing about data. The more of it anyone amasses, the more useful it becomes. Companies are relying heavily on mining Big Data as much as possible to guide their marketing. Being able to predict results accurately means you can spend marketing dollars much more wisely. Big Data has been contributing a lot to the top end for large organizations. Next up we’ll see small and mid-sized enterprises catch up. Amazon Web Services have some Big Data options that marketers will build applications for to help the ecosystem grow.

Multi-Channel Marketing Continues to Dominate

Companies have to craft specific messages for the various crucial social networks. If they don’t, they’ll find the effectiveness of their overall campaign diminishes. Having to do this requires more work and money, but the results make it a mainstay. It’s not enough to manage a Facebook Page. You should also represent your company on Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have a business where creating visuals is easy, consider the benefits of Pinterest and Instagram. There’s no one size fits all strategy that will work for any small business’ marketing plan, but it is a digital marketing trend that is still a staple.

Social Analytics Become Essential

Analytics help marketers correctly interpret social media information. Analytics may not mean much when you first start, but when you’re running multiple campaigns with high budgets, they are unavoidable. It helps to see what content matters most and who your most influential followers are at all times. Social analytics dashboards range in features, but all of them give you profound insights into how you interact with customers and prospects. For those who are waging campaigns across multiple channels, this type of knowledge is hugely important.

Video Never Slows Down

By now you’re probably investing heavily in video content. That digital marketing trend will continue in 2017 and beyond. People love the format of video. If you introduce a video marketing campaign to your inbound marketing efforts this year, expect a boost in your activity. Attracting viewers on Facebook and YouTube is easy. Facebook has been granting precedence to video content for months, and that will go on for quite some time. Now’s an excellent time to dive in with both of your feet and start pushing engaging video content. There are still many of your competitors who haven’t been producing videos. Beat them to market and win new fans and customers.

Distributing Your App Helps Growth

2017 may be the year to advertise your app to a broad market. The app ecosystem is so large that it’s still possible to find low-cost advertising that works. It’s worth experimenting by targeting those who are already using related applications. You may be able to poach the exact type of customer you want at an affordable cost. Have your digital marketing agency come up with a strategy that takes the vibrant world of App Discovery into consideration. Investing in an app once is never enough. It matters that you continue to improve your offering and that you advertise it far and wide. Rewards for companies that stay consistent with their marketing are high.

The classics won’t change this year. In marketing, that means to have a strong brand and a coherent message. If people can quickly identify what your company sells, you’re on the right path. It might be worth discarding older marketing material and coming up with fresh new ideas. If you aren’t into doing it yourself, many professionals can assist. People who work with digital marketing every day develop a strong sense of what works. Once you plug your existing efforts into a digital framework, you have a chance to really take off!

No matter what digital marketing trend you decide on, make sure you follow up with your clients! Whether you use email alone or call or text them doesn’t matter. You’ll find those who have dealt with you in the past can be excellent sources of revenue. Sometimes all it takes is a simple reminder that you’re out there and can help them. That triggers a process that ends with them seeking you out for more services! Adding more people to the top of your sales funnel and selling more to those who are already customers will help you get excellent returns.

Extraordinary Business Branding Is Easy!

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One of the greatest things about launching your business is having the opportunity to build your very own business branding from the ground up! For many entrepreneurs, this means that creativity plays a critical part, especially in the case when the new business is getting built on a bootstrap budget.

Despite what you might think, working within a bootstrap budget doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice any of the branding elements that the big companies have!

Custom Logos and Slogans

Once you have an idea, product, or a service offering in mind, one of the first steps in establishing your company brand is creating a custom logo and a supporting slogan. Your logo is the tie that represents your entire business entity, so getting a logo that’s clear, concise, and easy to read is essential to your overall success. It’s what makes your product or service offerings different from everyone else in your industry, so getting a print ready logo takes you on the road to success! Powerful branding does amazing things for your business operation, and your logo should get added to everything from your custom letterhead, business cards, website and social media assets, product packaging, and promotional items.

Your business Slogan helps reinforce your logo and may also get used in creating more brand clarity in your small business or startup. Typically, brand slogans tend to be relatively short with an aim for being memorable. Slogans that may ring a bell with you include “Eat Fresh!” (Subway) “I’m Lovin’ It” (McDonald’s) “Be Your Way” (Burger King.) All of these slogans are part of an overall larger marketing campaign to build brand loyalty and recognition.

By combining both your Logo and Slogan together in a cohesive design, you are taking the necessary steps to create a brand that’s destined for success!

Clever Business Branding No Matter Where You Are!

These days, entrepreneurs work more fluidly than ever before. Access to wireless Internet has enabled business owners, entrepreneurs, and freelancers with the ability to work from nearly anywhere, regardless of whether it’s their home office, their favorite coffee shop, a public library, or another preferred location. When working from these places, here are a few smart ways to help build your brand with the people who see you.

Put a Decal With Your Logo On Your Laptop Computer – If you are working in a public space where people are passing through or mingling, a custom Laptop Skin is an ideal way to turn your laptop workstation into a valuable piece of marketing material!

One thing that you can be sure of is that your notebook will stand out just because it looks nothing like all the run of the mill laptop computers that everyone else is using, and it couldn’t be easier to customize your laptop skin with your logo or other custom creative for your notebook computer. Don’t be surprised if you suddenly start gaining more clients and inquiries just by showing off your logo when working remotely from your home or office.

Turn Your Vehicle Into a Mobile Marketing Machine – If you’re like most people, the chances are good that you spend a significant amount of time driving to run errands, to meet with clients and for personal reasons.

Did you know that you could turn these trips into a valuable marketing campaign by investing in a customized vehicle wrap or a door magnet that boosts your brand name and your contact details? Both of these business branding options are cost-effective and offer tax incentives for their role in your business use.

Information that you should try to have printed on your vehicle wrap or marketing magnet include your business phone number, your website address, your company logo, and a QR code. Anytime that you’re out, you’ll have the opportunity to advertise your brand seamlessly, and the next traffic jam you’re stuck in could offer the chance for you to connect directly with potential clients while they, too, are stuck in traffic.

Embroidered Shirts – While the chances are good that you’ve put your days of wearing another company uniform to work behind you, as a small business owner or a startup company, there are a lot of advantages in investing in embroidered shirts or other types of apparel for yourself and others in your Organization. Depending on your product or service line, custom printed or embroidered shirts, hats, aprons, and other garments help identify your staff and help build brand awareness. For service oriented businesses, customized shirts help your clients recognize who your employees and staff members are which is of particular importance if your business entails you visiting or going into the homes of existing or potential customers.

Business Branding Done Right!

You and your employees are an extension of your brand. Leaving a positive business impression is one of the secrets to success. Several things must be done to put your best foot forward when it comes time to create the most effective branding strategies. Never before in history have consumers had to sort through endless offers, marketing messages, and other incentives to purchase products, for everything they need. Most people today value simplicity and information that’s easy to comprehend, so the more straightforward your marketing efforts are, generally the better your results are likely to be. People are always looking for products and services that make their life easier and better, so if you can deliver such products and services – and do it well – a creative and comprehensive branding and marketing campaign pays off in spades!

If you have more questions about setting up a business branding campaign for your new, existing, or startup business, discussing your project with a branding expert like Colleen Eakins puts your business on track for higher visibility and greater returns on the investment in your business. Fill out the form here to start the discussion today!

Building the Brand You’ve Always Dreamed Of

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If you’ve been around the block even one time, you know how important branding is. You find brands everywhere you look – just drive down the busiest street in your town and you’ll see for yourself! As a small business owner, building the brand you’ve always dreamed of and establishing your market share is the key to your success!

Depending on the product or service you offer, and the scope in which you see yourself operating, you’ll need to make some big decisions on how best to position yourself. The more you understand your target demographics, the better you’re positioned to market effectively to them. By making the experience that consumers have with your brand more meaningful, customers are likely to be more loyal to your brand.

Selecting Your Name, Making a Statement and Building the Brand

If you are just getting started with your business venture, the first couple of things you need to do is decide what ‘name’ will represent your commercial efforts. There is no exact ‘cut and dry’ solution to selecting the ideal name for your company or Organization, so it is always a good idea to brainstorm some naming possibilities. Don’t be afraid to talk about your project with your business partners, friends and family members to drum up some ideas. If you are coming up short, working with a branding expert is another way to launch your brand effectively.

Measuring Your Brand

Once you’ve officially launched your brand, the next step is to measure your market share actively. These days, you’ll find no shortage of tools to evaluate and track the strength of your brand, as well as your brand equity. You’ll know you’ve reached the pinnacle of success when your brand name is used to replace the generic term for the product! Think Kleenex or Q-Tips. Obviously, this isn’t something that happens overnight, so if you are aiming for this business goal, you might have to use a long-term plan to get to this point, and your branding will inevitably be one of the biggest pieces of solving this business puzzle.

Promotional Products for Building the Brand’s Awareness

Nearly everyone appreciates getting something free from time to time. If part of your business plan includes being an exhibitor at local or industry-sponsored trade shows or conferences, investing in meaningful, personalized, promotional items is a cost-effective way to keep your brand name in front of people who could potentially be your customers. Things like Pens, Styli, USB Memory Sticks, T-Shirts, Water Bottles, Tote Bags, and Printed Materials with more information on your company are a relatively inexpensive ways to market your brand and build goodwill. Instead of attendees forgetting about your brand as soon as they leave the venue, they have something they can use with your brand name or marketing message imprinted on it directly, so they can refer to you when it is convenient for them. While they may not buy from you directly that day, they have a way to connect with you again at a later time when they’re ready to buy!

In the modern marketplace, companies of all sizes must compete against one another to garner the attention of consumers. Establishing your brand is critical to getting the coverage and business you need to succeed. The more efficient you are at providing a product or service that commands brand loyalty, the better! Once you’ve become a trusted provider, the higher your chances of repeat and referral business.

Digital Marketing and Branding Go Hand in Hand

Technology and the extensive use of Internet Technology have made it easier than ever before for people to connect and sell online. With the proper branding elements in place and a professional web presence that includes a branded website domain, a managed Social Media Presence and eCommerce capabilities, business owners and entrepreneurs can start on a level playing field, which was more than what was possible even twenty short years ago.

As a general rule, a website that supports your brand should be user-friendly and mobile-friendly to be viewed correctly on display screens of all sizes. These days, more and more people depend on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones to access the Internet, so you’ll want to be sure that you have a responsive design in place to cater to website visitors who are using these devices to browse your site. Another technical aspect to have in order is having your site hosted on a fast web server. No one likes to have to wait for more than a couple seconds for a website to load, so every extra millisecond counts! All you need to do is think of how many sites you’ve hit the “Close” button on because it was taking too long, to understand what we’re talking about here!

Do You Need Help With Building the Brand and Putting It All Together?

There is no doubt that branding is a complicated process to put together on your own, especially if this isn’t one of your business strengths. But there is no reason to worry when you can work with branding experts like Colleen Eakins, who specialize in these aspects of business development. Head on over to the contact page to get in touch with Colleen and get started building the brand you’ve always dreamed of!

Strengthen Your Business Position | Remote Freelance Workforce

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As a small or medium-sized business owner, one of the biggest challenges you face is growing your company in a manageable way. If you are like most other entrepreneurs, you wear many hats in the daily administration of your operations. Regardless of whether you are proficient in handling all facets of your business or not, getting the assistance of a well-qualified freelancer is an effective way to delegate authority and strengthen your brand position.

As an industry leader, it always makes sense for you to focus on the activities that you excel at and are most profitable for your organization. These days, building a brand name is more complex than what it was even 10-years ago. It’s essential to have a tested and robust marketing strategy in place that includes Content and Social Media Marketing to keep your friends, family, and fans’ in the loop about your business activities, as well as keeping search engines happy with new, exciting, and relevant content.

Are You Short on Time and Talent?

If your answer to this question is ‘yes’ you can take comfort in knowing that freelance contractors are a viable solution for solving all of your problems. In recent years, there has been a significant shift in how many people approach their work. More skilled workers than ever before now use Freelancing as a way to augment their incomes and in some cases, even earn a full time living from their efforts. Here are a few ways that you can utilize the talent and time of others to strengthen your business operations:

Web Design and Development – Internet technology is always changing, and there is no doubt that keeping abreast of all the changes that could impact the effectiveness of your website can be formidable. The good news is that there are plenty of experienced freelance web designers and developers who are proficient and motivated to help you with all of your web design and development needs.

Regardless of whether you need to make your website ‘mobile friendly’ with a responsive website design, you need help with adding email opt-ins, or a complete overhaul of your WordPress is necessary, outsourced freelance web design and development specialists are there to make short work of your project. These experts are also handy if you have a custom coding job or another type of project that falls outside of your skill set, or you have time constraints that limit your ability to work on the assignment yourself.

Custom Content Creation and Copywriting – There is nothing stronger than carefully crafted content and copy in conveying your branding or marketing message. If you struggle to find the time – or the words – to deliver your message eloquently, freelance writers and copywriters help you communicate your message in a persuasive and professional way.

These professionals can play a significant role in helping with content marketing strategies for amplifying the growth of your business through creating digital marketing assets such as white papers, infographics, print and web ready marketing materials, and consistently providing fresh content for your blog. If you have a very specific job in mind, you always have the option of hiring a freelance writer who specializes in SEO optimized content, writing press releases, or finishing the type of copy you need.

Virtual Assistants – If you find yourself behind when it comes to completing administrative tasks, hiring a freelance virtual assistant is an ideal way to get caught up and stay on top of your duties and responsibilities.

Virtual assistants are ideal for helping with jobs such as responding to customer emails, conducting Internet research, scheduling appointments, handling support tickets or live chat duties, preparing reports, sorting spreadsheets and other types of data, and managing calendars for you and your team to coordinate and collaborate more effectively.

Marketing Teams – For many small and growing businesses, one of the most cost-effective ways to increase their marketing reach is by hiring freelance marketing professionals. They are helpful for doing short-term project work for product launches, working with media outlets to boost the coverage of your brand, your products or services.

They are also able to tap into the strength of their network and skills to adeptly spread your brand message, which helps boost sales and awareness of your offerings. Your team may intersect in providing both offline promotions and online advertising on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and others.

Bringing It All Together

After you’ve assembled all the key members of your outsourced staff, the next step is getting everyone on the project aligned to meet your business goals. Luckily for you, collaboration software has made it easier than ever before for people to work together, regardless of where they live in the world.  Another benefit of using Collaboration software is the fact that many of them are cloud-based, meaning that users don’t have to download software to their workstation. Instead, it is remotely hosted, and your team can log in to your workroom to update on the status of your project from anywhere, so long as they have an internet connection.

Beneficial to everyone on your team, you have the freedom to hire from a talent pool that can deliver the support and help your business needs from the comfort of their home or another preferred workspace. You reap the benefit of not having to get a larger business office for your team to work at because their ‘meeting space’ is hosted securely online.

Other types of software that come in handy for getting your team organized and on the same page is conference calling (with or without video) and document sharing software that enables all selected team members to work together throughout the creative process until the project gets completed. Members assigned to the project can make suggestions in the document without making changes to the original, allowing for the creation of a “mastermind” in the creation and implementation of the end product.

If you are interested in learning more about how delegating authority can methodically increase your business capacity, please feel free to reach out and start a conversation with me today!