Hiring a printing company is an important process
Published August 1, 2012 | 
Printing has come a long way since the 1930s, when this photo was taken. There are many printing options available for quality print marketing materials. (Image courtesy of Flickr user Seattle Municipal Archives)
Any company willing to invest in well-designed and carefully thought out marketing collateral should also consider carefully the printer it uses to produce successful print marketing materials. A high-quality printer with trained staff who can advise their customers on the best materials, ink and other printing options to fit their needs is well worth the time and financial investment to investigate.
People often choose a printer based on the lowest price for last-minute work. While cost and ability to get the job done in a hurry are both important, taking time to research the various options or printing companies is time well spent. One common belief is that the bigger the company, the less expensive and higher quality the printed product, but that’s not always the case.
Choosing a large national chain is sometimes sufficient, but they often do not offer as many options or are not capable of providing the same level of service as locally-owned printing companies. The Belford Group has relationships with several printing companies at the local and national level that we can choose from based on our client’s specific needs. Continue reading
Famous mascots keeping up with new social media trends
Published June 18, 2012 |
Everywhere we look we find a wide range of brand mascots that have an identifiable character, funny catchphrase or catchy jingle. Some of them we remember from our childhoods and others have just recently become prominent within the minds of consumers, but what do mascots do for brands?
By having a mascot it allows a brand to be distinguished in even the most cluttered advertising. Over the years they have served as the backbone of companies that are striving for a quality social image.
Here are some of the brand mascots that have stood out in our minds throughout time:
Now that these brands are established within the market, what can they do to keep up with the competition through social media?
Posted in Branding, Services, Social Media | 
advertising, Branding, Brands, Business, Company, market, marketing, Mascots, Social, social media, target audience | 
Leave a commentPrint marketing that stays out of the trash
Published June 11, 2012 | 
There are ways to keep print marketing pieces out of the trashcan. (Photo Courtesy of Flickr User Jaaron)
Anyone with a mailbox has received junk mail. From advertisements offering deals we don’t care about to companies flooding our mail box with print marketing items that are so boring we don’t even know what they offer.
If done correctly, using direct mail marketing to create buzz and promote a business can create a positive response. On the other hand, if done incorrectly the ad can land itself in the trashcan very quickly and leave a bad impression of the company in the recipient’s mind. So what are the tricks to keeping direct mail out of the garbage? We recently shared ideas for keeping your email newsletters from going to the trash. The same is possible with print marketing pieces that are direct mailed. Here are some simple tips for direct mail to be effective. Continue reading
Posted in Marketing, Services | direct mail, junk mail, mail, marketing, print marketing, tips | Leave a commentQR Codes Merge Online, Offline Worlds
Published February 20, 2012 | We’ve all seen those funny looking little square boxes with either squiggly black lines or some kind of artistic array of black splotches.
What looks like it could be an elaborate form of a psychiatrist’s ink blot is actually a sophisticated piece of technology that opens countless doors for marketing, customer relations and just some plain old fun.
Those little boxes are called QR (quick response) codes. They are a two-dimensional barcode with encoded information such as a website address, text, or lots of other pieces of information. QR codes can be read by a QR code scanner (imagine that!) including QR scanner apps that are available in most smartphone app stores. If you have a smartphone (and the right app), all you have to do is click a picture of the QR code and watch the magic happen.
Continue reading
Posted in Branding, Graphic Design, Marketing | Branding, event marketing, marketing, offline, online, online ads, QR codes, want ads, website | 2 CommentsMarketer We Love: Anthony Clark, Realtor
Published February 14, 2012 | 
Real estate agents by their very nature need to be “people people” and Realtor Anthony Clark clearly “gets” that. Clark’s use of social media is just what it should be (and is a lot like him): fun and informative. It’s also what earned him a spot on The Belford Group Blog as a “Marketer We Love.”
Continue reading
What is GOOD graphic design?
Published November 28, 2011 | In our blog title What is … Graphic Design, we talked about how graphic design:
- Has a specific function;
- Should convey a clear message that is easy to read; and
- Should be attractive to the eye.
But how do you know if your company’s graphic design accomplishes what it should?
A few questions
Take a look at your printed materials and at your website and ask yourself if your graphic design has these elements: Continue reading
What makes good Branding?
Published October 31, 2011 | In our last blog about branding, we talked about just what this word “branding” means, at least in the verb form. We talked about how it’s important to have a consistent image across all forms of communication, be it printed material, signage and other visual representations of your business.
But what makes a good branding package (and how does The Belford Group accomplish this?)
A good branding package:
- Remains consistent across all forms of representation from the logo to printed materials and use in ads;
- Evokes a positive emotional response from your target audience;
- Motivates people to purchase your product or service;
- Gives a sense of business credibility;
- Conveys your corporate culture; and
- Encourages customer loyalty through recognition.
“A brand that captures your mind gains behavior. A brand that captures your heart gains commitment.” –Jeffrey Sinclair
What is … Marketing?
Published September 19, 2011 | In recent weeks, we’ve been looking at each of The Belford Group’s service area and sharing more what each service includes, what it means for our clients. This week, let’s look at the big picture… Marketing.
Vicki Banks uses custom business cards, other custom print materials and a custom website to market her real estate business.
So, what is Marketing?
Continue reading
Posted in Branding, Graphic Design, Marketing, SEO Consulting, Services, Social Media, Web Development | Branding, business card design, business graphics, design elements, Facebook, Google Analytics, Google results, graphic design, how do I market my business, increasing website traffic, Location-based services, marketing, marketing services, northwest arkansas, print marketing, SEO, social media, using social media for business, website consulting | 2 CommentsWhat is … Branding?
Published September 6, 2011 | It’s pretty hard to go just about anywhere without hearing the word “branding” isn’t it? It seems to us that the same word is being used to convey several related ideas so we decided to share our thoughts on branding and how we use it in our business. Continue reading
Posted in Branding, Services | Branding, Collateral Material, Courtesy Care, logo design, marketing | 4 Comments
Recent Comments