Home Good Reading Articles
Good Reading Articles
Toronto Shopping Stuff PDF Print E-mail
Bargainista
Bargainista ... where people who love shopping connect A Toronto-based blog about anything and everything related to shopping, customer service, bargains and a dash of social media thrown in for good measure.
  • Why retailers need to get their stories straight before calling customers
    You may remember last fall when I wrote about my new winter boots. Well the good news is, they got me through most of the winter - and I wore them almost every day. The bad news is they leaked a bit, I couldn’t remove all of the salt stains and two weeks ago, the zipper on one boot broke.

    The other bit of good news is La Canadienne guaranteed them for six months. So, I called Davids. The sales associate told me to bring them in and they’d fix the zippers (the other one was on the verge of breaking too) or I could contact La Canadienne directly to complain and ask them to honour the guarantee.

    I thought it was a bit strange Davids wasn’t going to act as intermediary between the customer and the supplier. I wanted my boots back asap so I opted for the zipper repair.

    On Monday, the sales associate called to say her supervisor said the cost of repairing the zippers was too high so they’d gladly offer me a refund or a credit note. Of course I opted for a refund. I was delighted and assumed I could show up at any time and get my refund.

    This morning I went back to Davids with my receipt and repair tag. The sales associate who had been helping me was there. When I asked for my refund, she promptly said “Oh, you mean your store credit.” I don’t think so. I’m not a regular Davids’ customer but I’ve learned their Yorkdale location has some stuff in my price range. (You may remember I bought the boots their because of the inferior service at their sister store.)

    She went on to say she may have made a mistake. She’d to check with her manager first and would I come back when the manager’s here in a half an hour.

    Me: "Sorry, no. I’m here now. I have to pick up my son in a half-hour and you need to honour your word. If you made a mistake, you'll need to take responsibility.”

    We had a brief discussion ending with me saying, “I don’t want to escalate this but I will if I’m left with no choice.”

    She was a bit dumbfounded, picked up the phone and unsuccessfully tried reaching her manager. I told her I’d be back in five minutes for my refund.

    When I came back, I got my refund. She and the other sales associate were a bit patronizing but said they wanted to make me happy.

    What am I missing here?
    I bought a pair of boots with a six-month guarantee.
    The boots didn’t live up to that guarantee.
    I took them back to the store.
    The store offered to repair the zippers or gave me the option to contact the manufacturer directly.
    A day later, the store called to say the repair would be too expensive and they’d be happy to give me a full refund or an exchange for something else (they didn’t have any more of the boots in stock.)
    I opted for the refund – they’d be getting a refund from La Canadienne wouldn’t they – so what’s the big fuss?

    Why did they give me a hassle?
    I wasn’t asking for anything unreasonable. I went to the store this morning expecting them to deliver on their promise. All this would have been prevented had the sales associate confirmed all the details with her supervisor before calling me. Even better if she would have sent me an email confirming the details.

    At the end of the day, Davids’ reputation for stellar service is a bit tarnished and I’m SOL for winter boots. We’re probably still in for more snow before the season is over so, I’m expecting a couple days with cold wet feet.

    Related articles by Zemanta
    Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
  • Adventures in homemade baby food
    In this week’s baby bargainista column, Rebecca Atkinson shares her experiences making homemade baby food for her lovely daughter.

    If someone had told me six months ago that I would have cut out pretty much all processed foods from my diet, and that I would be making almost all of my own baby food from scratch, I would have told them they were crazy. But here I am, doing exactly that.

    I didn’t originally set out to go au natural but as I’ve mentioned in a previous post, my six-month old daughter has some pretty severe food intolerances (that we hope she’ll outgrow by her first birthday). It seems whenever I eat dairy, soy, tomatoes or berries, she throws up... a lot. So as a breastfeeding mom (and because there are NO formulas that are completely dairy and soy free), I’ve had to eliminate them from our menus. Because we were able to notice a very tangible difference, I have no plans to go back to my original eating habits until I stop breastfeeding.

    Now that it’s time to start her on solid foods, I discovered very few (read hard to find unless you travel far and wide) dairy- and soy-free baby cereals. So with no other convenient options, I decided to make my own.

    To my surprise, I discovered it’s quite easy (as long as you have a food processor), and I feel better because I know exactly what I am feeding my child. Once I realized how easy cereals could be, other “first food” purees from scratch became simple too.

    I will admit I don’t make everything myself (like applesauce), but making the majority of her food at home gives me peace of mind and saves me money in the long run!

    Here are a few tips:
    1. If you’re going to do this, talk to your paediatrician and/or GP. Since many cereals are fortified with extra vitamins and minerals, you should make sure your child isn’t missing anything essential. In some cases simply taking some extra vitamins if you’re still breastfeeding is all you need to do.

    2. I find a coffee grinder better for grains (like rice) as the food processor takes time and patience for smaller grains.

    3. When cooking vegetables, steaming or roasting them is preferred to keep all the nutrients you’re trying to get into your baby.

    4. Bananas and avocados do not need to be cooked and can be mashed with a fork before feeding time.

    5. Wholesomebabyfoods.com is a great site that has more tips and guidelines, including feeding charts and recipes.

    Related articles by Zemanta
    Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
  • The lost iPod: what would you do?
    Today while I stopped into Home Outfitters for a few minutes, I found an iPod Nano on a shelf inside a charging station valet. There were small, messy fingerprints all over but no other identifiable information. Obviously it was misplaced by a child who was probably crying somewhere in the mall. Maybe her parents were busy trying to retrace their steps.

    I couldn’t just leave it there. I asked a couple salespeople if they knew of anyone looking for a lost iPod. They didn’t. I was on my way to the checkout. So, while paying, I gave the cashier the iPod and asked her to take my name and number. I left clear instructions asking her to call me if the owner didn’t come back to claim it within a week or so. Why? I wanted to make sure someone working at the store didn’t take it home. There had to be some way to find the owner even if she didn’t come forward.

    After I had made my decision and returned the Nano, I put the question out to my friends on Twitter. Here’s what they had to say.

    As you’ll see, most of them would have done the same thing. One person suggested doing nothing. Daniele Rossi and Dave Jones suggested taking it back to Apple since they could probably trace it back to the owner. Great tip, I hadn’t thought of that.

    What would you do?

    Related articles by Zemanta
    Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
  • Announcing PodCamp Toronto 2010
    Perhaps you’re wondering why I’ve been so quiet lately. I haven’t disappeared. Like the rest of an amazing group of volunteers on this year’s organizing team and sub committees, I’ve been busy helping to put the pieces together for PodCamp Toronto 2010 – an unconference for podcasters and other social media enthusiasts – February 20 and 21.

    Our new website launched Sunday night and already almost 250 people have registered from all over Eastern and Central Canada as well as the United States, to attend this free event. Sponsors have been incredibly supportive and without them to cover the costs, PodCamp Toronto would not be free.

    But one piece is still missing: the sessions. If you’re passionate about something or you have a unique point of view you’d like to share with the community, consider presenting. A session registration form will be added to the website soon, promise. And if there’s something you’d like to see me speak about, leave your suggestions in the comments.

    What?
    PodCamp Toronto 2010
    It’s the largest unconference for podcasting and social media in Toronto.

    Have something to share?
    Consider presenting. Sign up will be available soon.

    When?
    February 20-21, 2010
    You can register by signing up here.

    Where?
    Rogers Communications Centre
    Ryerson University (map)
    Toronto, ON

    How much?
    FREE!

    Stay informed:
    Check out the website
    Subscribe to the blog
    Follow @PodCampToronto on twitter
    Join the Google group

    Related articles by Zemanta
    Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
  • Should retailers be responsible for all comments made by their employees?
    Yesterday I purchased a pair of Vans KISS Sk8-Hi Skate shoes for my son. I’m not sure about you but buying footwear for either of my sons is such a chore. So, when we were shopping with my nephews for winter boots and L’il Spo just had to have these shoes, I obliged on one condition. I needed to know they could be returned. Yes, they could... for a full refund within seven days as long as he didn’t wear them outside and we kept the bill. Why? Because I know he tends to get suckered in by the appearance and often complains about the fit when he gets home.

    Last night I checked them out on the Getoutsideshoes.com. Surprise, they were on sale for less than what I paid in the store. I called them right away and very politely told the woman who answered the phone. She was most apologetic and said sometimes the “north” store doesn’t have its systems up-to-date but that I could come in and get a price adjustment. The refund policy would still stand. Today I went back to the store, presented my bill and got a refund for the difference between the regular and sale prices. Painless.

    Sounds great, right? We’ll not really. Getoutside is right on when it comes to customer service policies. The staff could have been more helpful though. They weren’t very attentive when we needed help – there was plenty of staff – the store is set up in a self-serve manner but we were shopping for kids’ footwear and stores selling to kids need to be more accommodating.

    But that’s not the issue that concerned me most. When I called back last night, the woman I spoke to was lovely and accommodating. She wanted me to know it was an honest mistake. The problem was how she said it – she said, “I wasn’t trying to gyp you or anything.” Yikes! I never assumed she was.

    There’s no excuse for racist remarks even when said out of ignorance. Regardless, that type of comment never sits well. I think it reflects as poorly on the store as it does the employee. What about you?

    Related articles by Zemanta
    Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
  • Bargainista’s list of 2009 Boxing Day Sales
    This list will be updated continuously so check it often. You may also want to click through to Bargainista’s comprehensive list on Twitter.

    If you find a sale that isn’t listed here please add it by leaving a comment or e-mail me and we’ll do our best to post it quickly.

    Sumaya is helping out this year. The ˆES or ˆSK at the end of each tweet represents our intials.

    Subscribe to RSS headline updates from:
    Powered by FeedBurner




    Related articles by Zemanta
    Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
  • HoHoTO Hangover Auction - the Daily Bread Food Bank
    On Wednesday night I attended #hohoTO - the third event in a series initially conceived on Twitter by some hardworking Toronto folks a little over a year ago. Last year everyone thought it was incredible the community raised ,000 within a matter or days. In August, the tally approached ,000.

    This time around, thanks to almost 700 people who bought tickets and a truckload of sponsors and prizes raffled off at the event, almost ,000 was raised for the Daily Bread Food Bank. But see, that’s the hitch. Not quite ,000 was raised and there are still some prizes that weren’t claimed at the event. So, what’s a savvy organizing team to do? Have a HoHoTO Hangover Auction on Twitter, of course.

    You can share in the fun and holiday cheer Tuesday, December 22, starting at 8 p.m. ET. All you need is a Twitter account and your chequebook. Besides, doesn’t it feel good when you can do your holiday shopping and help others in need at the same time? See you there!

    Related articles by Zemanta
    Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
  • Tis’ the season - part 2
    I hope you enjoy this second of two-part guest post from two savvy shoppers I work with at iStudio’s sister company. None of their suggestions are from client companies. Lauren and Lauren are in PR, both work at Fleishman-Hillard. They occasionally spend lunch window shopping and wishing to be begifted. Happy Shopping!

    6) Sarah Jessica Parker brought back the flower accessory and Club Monaco has run with it making the flower accessory accessible for every woman. Whether you want all black, or a punch of colour these headbands are the perfect touch of femininity. Wear yours out with the girls, out with the boy, or in the office.

    7) So we’ve just dealt with our first blast of winter…what a perfect time to break out those Sorel boots. Functional, yet with a touch of style, these boots were made for the Canadian women walking to work, the grocery store or just a night out at the movies. These boots can be found almost anywhere, but they go fast so make sure you get yours early.

    8) We all know that accessories can totally make an outfit. What better time of year to spice up your favourite pair of boy jeans or that little black dress? Hidden on the top floor of a converted house in Yorkville, Betsey Johnson’s jewelry line is so unique there’s something for everyone and every occasion.

    9) Let’s be honest, we live in Canada and its cold. We love long scarfs that not only keep you warm but that look great. Burberry does a great job with scarfs, and who doesn’t love matching ear muffs to create the look. While Burberry isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, GAP also has long and great scarfs in different patterns.

    10) With all this shopping it’s time for a quick break for High Tea at the Windsor Arms Hotel. Classy all the way, this afternoon delight will put a smile on anyone’s face. And who better to share an afternoon tea in the laps of luxury than with your fave lil sis who is probably the only other person out there who gets just how important all these things are.

    Related articles by Zemanta
    Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
  • Bargainista interviews Matt Kantor from Little Kitchen
    Matt Kantor is the Chef/Owner of Little Kitchen, based in Toronto, cooking dinner parties and teaching professional culinary tricks and techniques in people’s homes and other private venues.

    What inspires you?

    Two things: making people happy and creating tasty food with interesting textures and flavors. The best thing for me is developing a dish with unusual combinations of flavor and texture, and watching my guests’ faces light up when they take a bite.

    Where did you train to be a chef?

    I attended Culinary Institute of America, but the real training was working at some world class restaurants and with some great cooks in the US and briefly in Europe. I also do considerable research. I eat out constantly, trying to see what people are doing in Toronto. There are some really good chefs in this town.

    Why do people invite personal chefs to their homes?

    I think the main reasons are to experience something that is different but also customized to their tastes. In some cases, it's easier than getting a babysitter, and it’s also a way to entertain without spending all the social time behind the stove.

    How much does it cost to hire Little Kitchen for an evening?

    It’s really dependent on what kind of experience you want, because we do customize the experience to your tastes. The number of people, the number of courses and the kind of food will determine the cost. As I am just launching this endeavour, I am keeping the prices on the low side. Compared to going out for a similar level of quality, I think it’s a good value, and the interactivity can be a good learning experience if you want to pick up some cooking tips.

    What is the most interesting dish you've ever prepared and why?

    I’ve done a good amount of avant-garde and contemporary food in my day, but I love working with pasta and rice, because both make such a great canvas for working with so many different flavors that cater to people's needs. Risotto is a good example of this: beets, mushrooms, cauliflower, sea urchin, squash, asparagus, chocolate...the list goes on.

    Why Twitter and Facebook? Are they helping you build your business? How do you know?

    In general, knowing that SocialMedia is helping you build business is not a clearcut thing – which I am still discovering – it’s new to most of us. I rely on analytical tools on all my software to track engagement, but its ultimately about developing good relationships and engaging with the people you want to work with. For larger companies, a good suggestion is to work with a communication strategist to identify marketing channels and create a communication plan.

    photo credit:
    Matt Kantor by lexnger on flickr

    Related articles by Zemanta
    Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
  • Tis’ the season - part 1
    I hope you enjoy this two-part guest post from two savvy shoppers I work with at iStudio’s sister company. None of their suggestions are from client companies. Lauren and Lauren are in PR, both work at Fleishman-Hillard. They occasionally spend lunch window shopping and wishing to be begifted. Happy Shopping!

    Whether you’re celebrating Chanukah or Christmas or anything in between, this is the season to spread the joy of giving. Since we know this is the season of giving, let’s not pretend we don’t want anything, when we really do. If you’re going to give – give right. Here is the list of our holiday top 10 picks and for you gentleman reading, the way to any lady’s heart. If you get really excited and carried away, don’t worry – Valentine’s Day is around the corner.

    1) The longing of every woman who loves shoes – Christian Louboutin. Maybe not a unique find that no one knows about – but they’re hot and we all know it. C. Louboutin is a French designer who started designing in 1992 after being inspired by a piece of art in a Paris museum. 17 years later we have GORGEOUS shoes with a red sole you can’t and don’t want to miss If anyone is interested, I’m at size 6 and she’s a size 7, and we have been eyeing the black suede pumps for 8 months, two weeks, three days, five minutes and 10 seconds. But whose counting.

    2) We are fairly picky when it comes to underwear. And not to divulge too much, but our favourite is Hanky Panky. Not only do they come in every colour imaginable, they’re lace, one size fits all panties/thongs that don’t dig in where they shouldn’t! Who could ask for anything more? While they’re a little expensive, what do you wear more than underwear? They’ve also gone e-commerce and can be bought online. P.S. I’m wearing black boy shorts and she’s wearing the hot pink low rise thong.

    3) FACE atelier, a Canadian makeup brand, is a makeup artist and celebrity favourite – worn by Lady Gaga, Rachel Ray and Fergie! The lip glazes – Peach, Flamingo and Cameo, are apparently amazing. Non sticky and cover perfectly. I’d like to see one of each in my stocking on Christmas morning. Lucky for the other Lauren, FACE atelier is her mother’s company and she’s been in the know for years! For me, I’m working to catch-up.

    4) Like most women, we like perfume – you know… that extra touch to finish a look. But who wants to wear a scent named after Paris Hilton– not us. We want something more personal and voila – Aromachology, a NEW custom perfume line. It works by filling out a personality profile, and then the ladies of Aromachology blend a custom scent based on your personality. While we may have the same name, we definitely have different personalities. I think I would be Clean and Fresh, while Lauren is probably Exotic and Spicy Oriental. Check out Aromachology at The Bay on Queen Street from December 18-24.

    5) Holiday season brings a lot of evening outings… and what does every girl need for an evening out? A trusty clutch. Sometimes less is more and that’s why we love the simplicity yet modern and classic look of M0851 envelope clutches. Hidden on a small side street off of Bloor Street, these clutches come in all colours and we dare you to just walk out with one.
    To be continued...

    Related articles by Zemanta
    Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
 
Branding: Tips for Developing Your Company’s Brand PDF Print E-mail

Branding: Tips for Developing Your Company’s Brand

Building a brand is a necessity for any successful business. There are, however, suggestions that can assist you in getting the most out of your company’s brand.

Create something original. You may think that everything that is anything has been done before, but that is not true. Possibilities for developing an original brand are endless. Moreover, customers want to see something new and different. In addition, there are serious legal consequences for stealing or borrowing from an existing brand. Make your brand your own.

Remember the concept of continuity. The public must be exposed to your brand over a period of time before they begin to form associations in their minds. When they continuously see your image, logo, and company name, they will start to remember and begin to become aware of your brand.

Consistency is essential for building a brand. Spend some time during the invention process fine tuning the way you would like for your brand to appear. Seek professional opinions and assistance for the design concepts. When you focus on your wishes early on in the beginning, you can avoid having to make changes later. Stay consistent with your logo and brand. Consumers need to see the same visual images to make those connections to your company. Select the colors, fonts, pictures, and messages that you really want and then work to promote your ideal brand.

Promote your brand through promotional products. Giving away promotional items like yardsticks, CD cases, pens, back scratchers, and ice scrapers serves many purposes. The more exposure you create for your brand, the more likely people are to remember it. And, studies prove that the public is more likely to do business with those that donate promotional gifts than companies that do not.

Use word of mouth advertising to your advantage. People talk about businesses they interact with regardless of whether the experience was good or bad. Work this concept and encourage people to talk highly of your business. Hold drawings for major prizes whereby customers register to win through signing up on your web site. When mailing promotional material for existing customers, send a few free items instead of just one. Promotional products get passed on to other people. When imprinted flashlights, screwdrivers, water bottles, and beverage can holders move from one household to the next, you can be sure that your advertising is spreading with the items. This stirs conversation and individuals begin to ask about your work and the quality of it.

Change only when it’s necessary to maintain your image. While a good brand that is working well for a company can function for years, even decades, some brands over time need to be tweaked. Styles, attitudes, and trends change. Rather than playing with a brand’s image over months or years, do an assessment after a lengthy period of time. What in society has changed that could be reflected in your brand? Is it fashion, money, ingredients? Try not to scrap the entire brand, but maybe work on updating a portion of it.

Show your creative side. Formulate a slogan, a picture, or a theme that really catches the public’s attention. Use humor. Tug on the heartstrings. Demonstrate an artistic uniqueness. Ponder your company’s image and generate something that will support your intentions.

You must protect your brand. After you have spent the time and effort to create the brand that you are proud of and feel passionate about advertising, safeguard it. Speak with your attorney. Take the steps required to register it as a trademark. Importantly, this enables you to maintain your brand legally. You, then, have the power to decide how your brand will be used. Also granted to you are the rights of defending your brand from the possibility of it being stolen.

Use specificity. Throughout the history of advertising, many brand names, after time, become watered down to encompass the gamut of similar products. Consider that Kleenex is used by many to describe tissue. Aspirin used to mean a specific product as well, not just pain reliever in general. While it is in some way an honor that your creation has the potential to become so widely known that people throw your terms around loosely, you should maintain the exclusiveness of your work. Aim to distinguish your product from other like products through your verbiage, quality, and packaging.

Building a brand that works takes time. Following the proper marketing techniques that have been established over time can speed your process. In the end, it doesn’t matter how big or small your business is. Any company has the potential to market a brand and make it a success.

 
The Difference Between Printed Pens And Executive Gifts PDF Print E-mail
The Difference Between Printed Pens And Executive Gifts

Chances are that when you think of executive business gifts, printed pens are not the first thing that springs to mind. Most often when someone mentions printed pens, the pen that springs to mind is made of plastic and will probably leak the first time you put it in your pocket. The truth is though, that the difference between printed pens and executive gifts is really not all that huge.

Both printed promotional pens and executive gifts serve essentially the same purpose – to foster good will with your customers, and promote your business. The biggest difference lies in your company’s relationship with the gift’s recipient. Executive gifts are meant to woo your very best customers – or those that you hope will become your very best customers. They are the gifts that are reserved for the top 20% of your mailing list, or as special thank you gifts for those promote your business. Would you trust printed pens to deliver a marketing message that could be worth millions to your company?

Why not when the pen in question is sleek, stylish and comes complete with a lifetime guarantee and a name like Quill, Balmain or Parker? Beautiful pen sets have always been a treasured gift for executives and businessmen. High quality metal printed pens and pen sets are traditional gifts for many occasions, and carry a high perceived value when given as incentives or thank you gifts to your best customers.

The question that many marketing directors struggle with when choosing printed promotional pens as executive gifts is the placement of the company branding. After all, if a pen is meant to promote your business, it should carry your name or logo. At the same time, executive gifts should seem more like gifts than like advertising. There are several solutions to the conundrum.

1. Choose a style of printed pens that allows for subtle placement of your brand name or logo. One very popular line of printed pens from Quill features a slanted oval top that’s the perfect spot for your corporate logo – subtle, discreet and different. Other options may include tone on tone printing or laser engraving.

2. Instead of printing your name or logo on the pen itself, have it printed on the presentation box, case or a gift tag. If you’ve chosen a distinctive pen, it will speak for itself. Your clients will remember where they came from.

3. Choose metal printed pens with coloured barrels and have them printed in a darker or lighter shade of the same colour as the metal. The effect will be subtle and professional rather than tacky.

4. Don’t print slogans or contact info on printed pens meant as executive gifts. The only printing on them should be your company name and perhaps the name of the city. Anything more than that tips the balance from gift to advertisement, and that’s a balance you don’t want to tip with an executive gift.

Printed pens are more than just promotional items and giveaways. When you choose high quality pens and subtle messages and branding, they can become the ideal executive gift.

For further information check out our promotional gift shop today!
 
Branding with Promotinal Products PDF Print E-mail

Branding With Promotional Products


Branding can be quite powerful. Most new businesses fail within their first five years, and in many cases, the reason is because the product or services was not branded. When no thought goes into branding, your customers can’t pick you out in a crowd. One of the easiest ways to help brand your company is to use promotional products.

What is branding anyway? Simply put, branding is setting your products or service apart from others within the industry. It’s the way you create certain thoughts and feelings in a consumer when you say your company name. For example, McDonald’s has been branded to be a happy place catering to families. Recently, they’ve also begun branding McDonald’s to have healthier fast food options, especially for children. With their various ad campaigns, product choices, etc., McDonald’s hopes to be the first place brought to mind when someone wants fast food. Branding also means a recognizable logo (the arches) and even colors (red and yellow).

Of course, not everyone can spend millions of dollars branding their business like McDonald’s does! Promotional products and promotional items are a great way to help this branding because they are affordable and fun. If you want to brand your company in a way in which to show consumers that you are fun-loving, you might use promotional products that make noise, contain lights, and change colors. On the other hand, if you want to convey an image of being practical, promotional mugs, promotional pens, and other such products can help you.

No matter what specific products you choose, remember that uniformity is key in branding. In other words, take your logo and past use it on everything. This is not the time to be creative. If your company headquarters has a purple sign, make purple key rings. If you use the slogan “Your one-stop shop” in your radio advertisements, print this same logo on your pencils.

After all, there are probably at least 10 other businesses competing with yours. You want certain colors, logos, fonts, slogans, and so forth to be unique to your company—and you want consumers to identify these things with you. That’s what branding is all about. By using promotional products to reinforce your design choices, you can build your branding efforts.

Also note the promotional products and business gifts can go where you cannot. You can’t always travel the country with your products, but you can send an employee armed with promotional products to conventions and fairs around the world. Customers who normally would not think about your business will soon be calling your for shipments, simply because the promotional products you’ve released have reached them. Branding is so powerful that you may find people begin simply to refer to you by your branding techniques. For example, if I said I was looking for some golden arches, you would probably assume I meant McDonald’s! Use promotional products to have the same effect in your community. Branding is an important aspect of any business marketing and promotional products and corporate gifts can help.

For additional information on adverting promotional products, promotional items and business gifts, check out our online promotional product shop today!
 
Ellements of a Strong Logo PDF Print E-mail

The Ellements of a Strong Logo

They come in so many different shapes and styles. Just think for a moment about how many companies have a logo for their brand? I’m sure you can name enough to cover all ten fingers in the span of a few seconds.

No matter where you go there are logos everywhere, and with this massive number comes countless different varieties. And yet, all of them have a few basic elements in common. At least, all the successful ones do, and in order to make your logo work, you need to know why all of the others have done such a great job at establishing a company.

First, and by far most importantly of all, you need to make a memorable design. Not that simple, is it? How do make a memorable design?

Keep things basic. Take a moment to look at some of those logos you know of. Car logos are a prime example because every car has one embedded on it. What do all these logos have in common? Each of them has a very simple look, usually made from only a few lines or a single image, and that’s all.

This simplicity helps a person to easily remember what the logo looks like. It also makes your logo immediately recognizable. A complicated image won’t be as easy to spot as a sleek, simple design.

A great logo is also something that can be altered to fit anything it needs to. After all, you should be sure to put your logo on everything you can, including your color printing, your building, and any free items you might want to hand out.

Next comes coloring. There are a lot of logos that have a specific color theme, but something to note is that the color shouldn’t be necessary for the logo to be effective. What does this mean?

Take the Target logo as an example. The logo is simple and reflects the name of the company: it’s a mini bulls eye. Now, the typical color scheme is solid red, but if you alter the color, such as make it blue, it doesn’t take anything away from the logo itself. It remains an easily recognizable bulls eye. The same goes for Microsoft’s windows logo. While it’s given multiple colors, even if you look at it in black and white you can still recognize the logo and the company.

Design your logo without any color in mind, and get an image that works great no matter what color it is. That way if you’re using color printing you can be sure to put on a colorful logo and if you’re using plain printing your logo will still work in black and white.

As simple as most logos are, that doesn’t mean they’re easy to design. Sometimes the simplistic things can be the hardest to get right, but if you know what makes a logo great, you’ll be on the right track to make a memorable one for your company’s image.

 
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 Next > End >>

Page 1 of 4

Business Promo Items

Click for more info
Vinyl Covered Pocket Planner
Vinyl Covered Pocket Planner
$1.94

White Ceramic Mug
White Ceramic Mug
$3.01

Cruiser Mug
Cruiser Mug
$3.77

BriteLites Flashlight Key Ring
BriteLites Flashlight Key Ring
$3.02

Squiggle Pen
Squiggle Pen
$1.83

Translucent Travel Mug
Translucent Travel Mug
$5.39

Magnetic Stickup with Monthly Pad
Magnetic Stickup with Monthly Pad
$1.30

Holiday Card with Personalized CD
Holiday Card with Personalized CD
$5.39

Lacquered Metal Pen
Lacquered Metal Pen
$3.77

Stainless Steel Travel Mug
Stainless Steel Travel Mug
$5.94

Get This Feed

Advertisement

Neighbourhood Shops, NHS designed by NHS Naughty Northerners