Color: What Signals Are You Sending to Customers?

As a marketing firm dedicated to helping business owners succeed, we wanted to create an informative blog based on how the public may perceive what you are putting out to them. This blog article will deal specifically with the marketable color of your business. You may ask yourself, “what does the color of my business have to do with anything, and what is it?”

Well, frankly, it’s the persona you present to the public through the color scheme choices on any of your marketing materials AND it has a LOT to do with your image. Color dictates how potential customers feel, react, and associate with your business upon seeing your logo, website, social media pages, or other materials. There’s a lot of psychological mumbo jumbo to it and plenty of research studies have been done on the topic. Don’t believe us? Google it yourself and see.

Lets take a quick look at some examples of color as well as the positive and negative emotion/image they present:

Red: Red colors often evoke passion, power, love, speed, energy, and if used correctly can create a strong subliminal call to action. The color red can also induce feelings of anger, increased heart rate, anxiety, warning, and aggressiveness. Other things we notice as we march through life and look around us, is that our brains pick up that red is almost always associated with sex, incorrect test answers, and domination.

Blue: Blue is often the favorite choice of color by many people in studies. There are many positives, but also a few negatives with blue. Blue is one of the safest colors to use in business as it represents honesty, relaxation, calmness, spirituality, and peace. On the opposite side of the spectrum, blue can also trigger depression, frigidity, sadness, and superstition. Think of blue skies, the blue sea, winter, water, and openness to better understand how blue works.

Green: What do you immediately relate to the color green? Yep…environment! Green is associated with growth, nature, admiration, vitality, and harmony. The color green if used too much can also lead to feelings of greed (think money here), fear, apprehension, envy, and materialism. Green is a great choice for businesses relating to science and nature, as long as its not overused.

Black: Oh, black, you mysterious classy gentleman of leisure! Black creates a huge range of emotion when used in business. It can create an aura of secrecy,  authority, sophistication, strength, negativity, and protection. Black is across the board on an emotional level of it’s own and should probably be used sparingly so you don’t come off to customers as too controlling or secretive. It is also the main choice of todays youth, probably having something to do with rebellion or ambition. When you think of black, think of tuxedos, darkness, space, fear, classiness, respect…the list goes on.

Yellow: Bright, joyous, serene, optimistic, fun, and warm. Yellow seems to have it all when used as a primary business color. However, as with all of the colors there’s always negatives associated with it too. Yellow can make you feel impatient, cowardly, anxious, and unstable. We relate everyday to yellow through yellow traffic lights, (don’t lie, you want to get through it as fast as you can too) the sun, fast foods, and caution.

Orange: Ah, a supporting color of yours truly, 77 Design Co. Orange is adventurous, valuable, warm, optimistic, creative, and enthusiastic. Too much orange though can leave us feeling cheap, pessimistic, aggressive, and angry with certain shades. Orange is a color associated with food and kitchens for some unknown reason…something we also love at 77!

White: The last color we’ll discuss is white. Now white is all of the colors combined equally, but it stands alone from the others. It represents openness, cleanliness, modernity, purity, and simplicity. White can become boring, empty, distracting, and too sterile if there is too much. Humans associate white with religion (when we think of walking into those pearly bright white gates at the end of life) voids, surgical rooms, and large bright corporate board rooms.

There are many other colors obviously to choose from and of course, all of the above mentioned colors give off different vibes and emotional responses when they are presented in different tones. A light blue will invoke a differing response versus a dark blue, for example. A solid mid red color will leave people with a different impression than a light pinkish-red would. These are all things to seriously consider if you are rebranding, starting up, or making any changes to marketing materials.

If you need any help figuring out what colors to use, or would just like to hear our opinions on what colors to use for what, drop us a line. We are here to help!

Analyze. Create. Achieve.

Customer Retention, Loyalty, and Win-Back With Direct Mail

As a business owner, you probably spend a lot of time and effort searching for ways to acquire new customers. But there’s actually more value in focusing on the customers you already have.

Knowing this, it’s vital to focus your marketing efforts on reaching these customers. Direct mail can help you do just that-retain existing customers, inspire their loyalty and even win back the ones you’ve lost.

Direct Mail Campaign for TAG Development franchisee of Subway and Auntie Anne’s in Greensburg, PA.

Retaining Customers with Direct Mail

Retention is a good starting point for a direct mail campaign. Repeat business both drives incremental purchasing and spurs more recommendations to others from these frequent customers. Not to mention, it costs less to retain customers than it does to acquire new ones.

Imagine you own an outdoor-gear store. Your customers like to go on adventures, so use direct mail to remind them of the fun they’ve had while using your products.

35%Targeting customers who have purchased from your business in the past can boost sales up to 35 percent.1

In this case, it might be helpful to appeal to their senses with beautiful outdoor imagery to recapture the sense of accomplishment they might have felt in association with your business.

Chances are, you already have some information about your customer. The key to creating mail that drives your customers to buy again is knowing your audience and providing information about the products or services they care about. If a customer has purchased cycling gear in the past, you probably want to show them the best you have to offer in cycling apparel or bikes, rather than, let’s say, winter jackets and snowboards.

In order to retain customers, make sure your direct mail is targeted, has a time-sensitive offer and a strong call to action. This will strengthen your brand connection and motivate repeat visits.

 

Gaining Loyal Customers with Direct Mail

Direct mail can also help with creating loyalty. Because while returning customers are great, it’s your superfans who purchase frequently and spread the word about your business.

Let’s say you own an apparel store. It would be important for you to showcase the latest styles and create a customer base that comes back each season. These loyal customers are valuable because nearly 80 percent of an organization’s revenue is generated by the top 20 percent of customers.

Mail can be a cost-efficient, effective and measurable way to keep in contact with your customers and grow your base of loyal customers. Create mail that makes them feel appreciated and rewards their loyalty.

Use these three ways to refine your loyalty mail:

  1. Assess available data to create the right messaging.
  2. Choose a motivating reward that targets your most passionate fans and inspires them to act.
  3. Integrate with existing marketing to guide customers to your website or social media to redeem offers, make purchases or sign up for your company’s newsletter.

That’s why building a loyalty program can drive sales and reward your biggest fans. A simple brochure can act as the perfect entry point: part content, part exclusive offer.

Show them what you have to offer and give them an incentive to become a loyal customer.

A URL can lead customers to your website where they can redeem the offer, join your program and-more than likely-make a few more purchases along the way.

Winning Back Customers with Direct Mail 

You know those customers that shopped once and then disappeared? You can win them back with direct mail.

For example, if you own a home decor store, you wouldn’t want to lose a customer’s business after they only purchased one item. Ideally, they would come back when decorating their entire home. Customers leave your business for a reason, so just letting them know about your new stock of picture frames won’t be enough.

Using direct mail to reach lapsed customers can be highly effective in grabbing customer attention, sending specific messages and reaching a highly targeted group of customers. To do this, you need to send a message that grabs customer attention, addresses the reason they left and then makes it easy for them to return.

Personalized messages that show you want to understand why they left can be very effective.

Including a Business Reply Card will motivate customers to respond to a short survey in exchange for a reward.

You can also ask about their shopping experiences and leverage this feedback to improve your business and better identify customer issues in the future. After gaining a better understanding of why your customer didn’t return, you can remind them of what they’re missing and then provide an incentive to win back their business.

In Conclusion

There are many tactics for converting the customers you have with direct mail. You can remind customers of their visits, offer loyalty incentives and gather the information you need to improve their experience. By using direct mail for retention, loyalty and win-back, you can inspire customers to continue coming back, again and again.

 

 

1.“Holiday Marketing Case Study: Boosting Flower Sales with Direct Mail.” USPS Delivers, www.uspsdelivers.com/holiday-marketing-case-study-boosting-flower-sales-with-direct-mail/.

 

Mailers-EDDM’s, What Are They and What Can They Do For Your Business?

Welcome,

Today’s blog will consist of some marketing information about EDDM’s (Every Door Direct Mailers) that could be beneficial in your industry. First off, EDDM’s are a designed and printed piece that is then mailed to an area of either residential homes, commercial businesses, or both. They usually offer a discount, coupon, or simply serve as an informative piece to raise awareness about a new local business or cause. Surely, anyone reading this have received EDDM’s at some point or another within their daily mail.

EDDM’s can be either extremely useful in raising brand awareness and attracting new customers, or they can fall flat and not get the response intended. Some will produce mixed results. The advantage of spending a portion of your marketing budget on EDDM’s is that you are already in the hands of your intended customers once they pick up the mail. It is here that you need to make the biggest impact!

Have you ever grabbed the mail, saw the EDDM  <insert crumbling paper sound here>

then promptly tossed it straight into the garbage like we have? Probably. Let’s think on that for a second. Why did you do that?

Was the offer/discount not up to your standards? Didn’t need the service(s) listed? Hate the “junk mail” in your mailbox? Or is there something more to it than that?

Psychologically speaking, (and admittedly we are not psychologists here at 77, however, we have done tremendous amounts of research on the psychology of marketing) images and the overall visual appeal of the design are what immediately attract the eye. The human eye reacts in certain ways to specific images, colors, and fonts subliminally sending signals of interest to the brain which determines whether or not we’ll scan or read through something. These subconscious reactions pertain to web pages, brochures, social media posts, and almost every single marketing piece of your business. This is also likely one of the main reasons EDDM’s get tossed so quickly. A hastily designed mailer without attractive offers or professionally looking images stands less of a chance of hitting it’s mark than something that is put together creatively. Put all of this together and what many businesses, including some of the larger corporations with the budget to consistently flood homes with mailers, don’t understand is…people want to relate! They need a reason, or at least an identifiable image, to understand the business and the offer that is right in front of them in their hands.

If we see a stock template design (you know it when you see it,) a stock image (example: a photo with dopey white guys that don’t work for you in suits shaking hands in a board room that isn’t yours,) unattractive logo design (multiple color variations and /or a complicated design that is hard to understand,) we are OUT! It’s gone within seconds. This is something often discussed in detail behind closed doors at 77 about a great many marketing techniques. If it looks like the company didn’t take the time to create unique and aesthetic pieces to attract our attention, what are they going to do for us or our business that differentiates?! It’s a valid question, and many consumers feel this way.

EDDM’s need to be simplified, identifiable, yet powerfully visual with a superb offer in order to have the most potent impact on it’s intended customers. An EDDM also needs to match the same branding look and feel as your website, social media pages, or other printed hand outs and business cards. Everything needs to be flush. The offer should be quite visible and leave no room for confusion. Some ideas of identifiability for the images could include:

  • your product viewed from a different perspective others may have never seen
  • your team
  • A “WOW” image, something that will draw the eye to immediately
  • your office space
  • or even the process of production or service you offer

Without giving away anymore of 77’s inside trade secrets  😉 we’ll end this blog with simply saying if you, or a business you know, has any questions about a current direct mail program, or interest in starting one, give us a call. We’ll be happy to put you directly in touch with the customers you are looking for, find the best ways to get the most returns…and make it as attractive as possible!

Analyze. Create. Achieve.

 

 

 

 

 

Small Business Startup and Marketing

Small Business Startup and Marketing

So what’s been happening at 77 lately? TONS! Recently at 77 Design Co, we have been working hard to help several small local businesses devise full scale marketing plans that are both cost effective for them, and entice new customers to their products. We will be promoting and marketing these businesses in the near future, so stay tuned! You WILL want to know about them!

These marketing plans cover the whole gamut of supporting and necessary needs for a business to get off the ground running. Some of the services in these plans include:

*web design (several hours per month of support)

*blogging (1-4 per month for the ever changing website)

*photography and video (several hours per month)

*graphic design (several hours of design support for new brochures/cards/logo/mailers)

*social media management (an agreed upon number of monthly posts with trainings included)

*SEO help (support and training for best practices)

The monthly marketing plans we’ve offered have been greeted thus far with open arms. They also cover a wide range of important marketing aspects that are usually purchased separately, which typically means more expense 💵 too. These programs cover it all and help our customers reach their customers as soon as they open their doors. We love to help small business thrive!

Give us a ring if you know a new business starting up.

Analyze. Create. Achieve.

We Want Your Marketing Problems

We want your marketing problems. Yep, you heard that correctly. Bold…but true.

When Rob and I started this venture together, we identified a host of issues that both of us, individually, have ran across over the years that we have been in business. I will not say we’ve seen it all, but we have definitely seen our fair share of problems in the creative/marketing world. Everything from web designers bailing on their clients never to be heard of again, to improperly designed logos, to incorrect photo files delivered to customers, and a whole lot in between. Too many times creatives take the money, create sub par products then disappear or never correct the problems. This is unprofessional and irritating to the clients that have come to us with these issues, but it also annoys the hell out of us too. It’s a black eye on the industry.

Let me also say that this is not completely across the board. There are amazing graphics, photographers, and web creatives out there that do top notch artwork and understand that they need to give clients the highest quality of work and service. We love meeting these people! If you are reading this and feel like you are a highly creative, responsive, and responsible professional in one of these fields…drop us a line. We’d be excited to chat with you and see how we could work together.

If you are a business owner that has fell into one of these traps…we are sorry. If you spent way too much money on something that didn’t work or didn’t work very well, again, we are sorry.  We are also here to help find the solution.

Is your website outdated or not designed to your liking? Do you only have web sized files that a photographer delivered to you and are unable to use any images for print? Are the photos not very well focused or even eye catching? Is your logo pixelating and distorting when you try to add it to a larger sign, or even on the web? Did the person who made your website make it and then never return calls or emails? Not sure what to do with your business social media pages, or how to operate them to maximum efficiency? Was the cost associated with any of your marketing efforts beyond what you wanted to spend? Need a way to get customers to see what your product or service is REALLY all about? Don’t feel that the marketing company you used in the past completely understood your industry and business?

If you answered yes to any of the above or similar questions give us a call. We’d love to help with a free consultation.

We listen. We offer free advice. We dig deep into your business to learn as much as we can about it. We act quickly. We are not your typical marketing service. We have all the tools and know how to fix your marketing problems!

Analyze. Create. Achieve.

 

Let a Fresh Set of Eyes Take a Look

Crossword puzzles are frustrating. You get your first few words with ease, but soon you cannot see any new words at all. Your eyes have adjusted to the random letters and fail to see obvious words. The solution you ask? A fresh pair of eyes, a professional crossword solver. At 77 Design Company in Murrysville, we are your professional crossword solvers.

Okay, maybe not the greatest analogy, but crossword puzzles are a lot like small businesses; someone who runs the business day to day can easily and understandably miss small mistakes. That may cause his or her business to fall short of expectations. At 77 Design, we offer business consultations to help improve those small, but powerful, pieces of your business. We’ll come in and visualize the business with a fresh set of eyes and offer suggestions for improvement. Increasing awareness of employee activity is also another great example of what a business consultation with 77 Design can do for your company.

One example would be when an employee answers the phone. If you do not put an emphasis on phone training your employees…you may want to start! They are the first impression of your business given to a potential customer. It could happen that unbeknownst to you, or your employee, they may answer your business’s phone 70% of the time with a monotone or less than enthusiastic tone. They may answer the other 30% of the time with a happy and excited voice, depending on the day they are having or even the time of day. You could potentially lose 70% of those possible sales because potential customers talked to a more enthusiastic and excited employee at the business across the street who they liked better. Happy employees=happy clientele. Positivity, enthusiasm, optimism, and helpfulness are all contagious within your organization and that spreads to your customer base.

We can not only help to visually market your business better, but also advise you and your staff on best practices that will improve the quality of your brand, employee morale, and its sales.

If you’re unaware that you’re losing these clients, because that 30% of the time is the only thing you see then, 77 Design Company in Murrysville, PA will spot these issues immediately and find solutions that work for your individual business. We are in the business of helping business!

 

Analyze. Create. Achieve.