Comicmercial - Phrustrations

This fall we are trying to do more advertising in different publications. We have come up with an idea, and we are calling it phrustrations. Phrustrations is just a way for us to share some of the stories that we have heard from our customers over the years about what their situation was, and the frustrations they suffered while running their business regarding web design, graphic design, marketing, advertising, and other services we offer.

So we are taking those stories, adding some humor to it, and running them as what I would call a “comicmercial” . Our idea is to run at least 6 of them and see how their work. I am not saying this comicmercials are new, but they are certainly a different way to advertise, but as usual in marketing “different” often implies risk. The risks that I can see right off the bat are the following:

• People who are not interested in comics won’t even glance at your ad.
• Even with a strong/clear call to action, people may still confuse them with a regular comic strip.
• People may think you and your company are childish or foolish.

As I said is something we are trying to see if it works. If they don’t make the phone ring at least we hope we would have made some people smile.

You can pick up a copy of this week’s El Paso Inc and see it by yourself on the 5th page.

What do you think? Will they work?

Think twice before you ask your cousin to do your logo

The image of your business is very important and, as the saying goes “First impressions always count”, the same is true for your logo and business image. People will make assumptions about your business just by looking at your logo, website, brochure, etc. Remember that a logo is more than just a pretty picture. It is a message you are sending to your prospective clients about how the world is set to see your business, and it should make your company memorable and recognizable. An amateur logo design may cost you way more than you feared so: here are some reasons why.

1. Your business may look unstable and not professional. As a result, clients may feel insecure and unconfident about doing business with you. Would you do business with some company if you were not sure whether they would still be doing business by the end of the week?
2. Your amateur logo/image may confuse people about who you are as a business. Unprofessional and incoherent marketing materials send mixed signals to your prospective clients, and even make them think they are getting marketing materials from different companies. They may also think that you don’t care about the way your business looks and therefore the quality of your work.
3. It can make you look as a very small business. What do you think about those free VistaPrint or template-based business cards? If your business cannot afford its own business cards and/or marketing materials and it has to go for the free or cheap ones, it may be understood that you are not getting business through the door, and that you cannot perform or meet what it is required.
4. It may just go completely wrong. We’ve all seen logos go just completely wrong. Just type “Logos gone wrong” into your favorite internet search engine. If something like this happens to your business reputation, the amount of time and money that you will spend “fixing” your image will be way more than it would have been to get a professional logo design in first place.

These are just a few reasons why you should get a professional to create a custom logo for your business. Instead of spending hours thinking about what to do and figuring out how to do it, you should spend your time running your business and creating your more important asset: a client base.

If you have never designed a logo, a website, business cards, or other marketing material, and it is not part of the services your business will be offering, please don’t start now. It would be like pulling your own wisdom teeth without being a dentist, or trying to repair your car without being a mechanic. Statistics show that half of new businesses fail in the five first years. Experts say that a common reason is sloppy and ineffective marketing. You will spend an awful amount of time learning how to do it and getting it right, instead of getting more clients.

Not convinced about your current logo? or do you need a new logo and marketing materials? Contact us so we can help you grow your business.