November 2009

In this issue:

From the Editor:

It's easy to create a more professional look for your business. In this issue, we'll take a look at why you should keep a consistent design message across all your sales materials. It's the best way to gain maximum impact for minimal effort.

As always, remember to Surf Safely - use your anti-virus and firewall's!

- Michelle

“Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia. ~Charles Schulz”

"A Consistent Boost for Your Business"

by Miles Burke
tribune@sitepoint.com

Many of us have been guilty of the following scenario: it's 4pm on a Friday, and you need to send out an important document. You seem to be out of letterheads, so you grab any old JPG of your logo and place it electronically.

Or perhaps instead, you have to put a quick presentation together. You're unable to find the right template, so you start from scratch.

I hope that in the back of your mind, alarm bells are sounding! Nothing screams amateur more than a plethora of different logo treatments, inconsistent colors, typefaces that change with each business card, and the like.

You should always aim for consistency, irrespective of whether you're a solo operator or multinational organization. Maintaining uniformity across all your materials -- online and offline -- ensures that you build brand recognition while cultivating a more professional look.

There are five areas of design you need to consider when working towards a uniform message. They are:

1. Logo
2. Typefaces
3. Supporting Graphics
4. Use of Color
5. Writing style

Keeping your logo consistent is easy enough. You should start by reviewing all your existing materials, such as your web site, electronic files, business cards, signage, and so on; ensure that the colors are right, the logo is exactly the same in every application, and that it all looks cohesive.

I strongly suggest having various versions of your logo in an easy-to-access location, ready to send when a supplier or employee requires them. As a minimum, always have a PDF, EPS, TIF, and low resolution JPG of any logo image. The PDF should show the logo at various sizes, as well as contain a few basic information panels; for example, CMYK and RGB values of each color making up the logo, and typefaces used.

Ever need your logo in reverse, or as a mono version? Have your designer create these in all formats as well, so there's no confusion as to which way it's used. Now, every time your logo is required, you can provide the same files to everyone, eliminating any misrepresentation of your brand.

The same applies to typefaces. List all your common typefaces, as well as the weight, line heights, kerning, and any custom alterations per face. Remember though, that most commercial typefaces require you to avoid arbitrarily sharing these typeface files with others!

Supporting graphics and color should be treated the same way also: have various file types and all the information ready when you need it.

Consider creating a Brand Guidelines document that details how your identity and graphics are treated. For a fantastic pool of examples, check out Tony Spaeth's excellent IdentityWorks list of guidelines and standards manuals.

With a little work and some focus, your organization will look more professional and consistent in no time at all. Best of luck with your efforts!

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Tips and Tricks

HARO

Have you heard of HARO? Help a Reporter Out is a publicity-lead mailing list created by Peter Shankman. Once you sign up, you'll receive daily emails listing the sources journalists and various media outlets are looking for to support their stories. The requests cover just about every industry and professional, and all you need to do is respond directly when you find an appropriate opportunity. It's a great way to gain attention, generate targeted exposure, identify yourself as an expert, and promote your business ... for free! 

Just for Fun or Useful Links

Mental Floss

Floss keeps your teeth and gums healthy but it can also keep your mind sharp.

MentalFloss.com is a site dedicated to fun facts, trivia and other interesting tid bits.

MentalFloss.com

The Bargainist

If you want a simple reliable listing of the hottest online bargains, sales, coupons and freebies then bargainist.com is for you.

Just check back often - the site is updated several times a day.

bargainist.com

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