Head-smacking Marketing Tip for Design Studios: Personalized Tradeshow Giveaways.
With the economy having taken quite a blow in recent months, many design companies have found themselves falling under. Clients are unwilling to pay debts, new clients are reluctant to spend money, and employees are getting restless. Luckily, if you are part of, or own a design studio then you can take measures to prevent the economy from hurting your business. Just go to tradeshows.
Tradeshows happen all year round so finding one in your area is easy. Usually the price for setting up a booth a tradeshow is minimal and with charismatic people the return on your investment will be high. Take for example, you go to a home remodeling tradeshow as a design studio, while everyone will most likely deal in home remodeling services or products you’ll find that as a design studio you’ll be poised ina position where people will want your services. You can easily offer people branding services that can give them an edge over their competitors. At this point, it’s merely a matter of getting them into your booth.
One of the easiest ways is that when you register for a tradeshow, you usually have the option of adding trade show giveaways into goodie bags that tradeshows usually distribute to all people coming to them. This means that no matter what, people will leave with an item of yours increasing their likelihood of remembering you. The downside to this is that it usually costs considerably more than setting a booth. Don’t have the money? Try personalized pens. Small items like these can be bought wholesale at low price and everyone likes free pens. Giving away anything at your tradeshow booth will increase the likelihood of people stopping by, and it serves as a great ice breaker. “Hey you want this free t shirt? Great! Here’s a little about what we do…”
Kindle 2: The unboxing, part 2
So yesterday, I posted something on the Kindle 2’s packaging. Unfortunately, as it was a gift I could do the actual unboxing, but it is revealed today.
Removing the ultra light box from its paper slip, the container is a simple molded carton stamped with the product name. Simple enough. No excess use of material, no fancy glossy paper, all recyclable material to be environmentally friendly.
The Kindle 2 has a nice and simple keyboard, with pleasing “round button” tactile quality that didn’t exist in on the first keyboard. It also comes without the awkward shape of the first Kindle, finished in back with a sleek brushed metal.
And finally after removing the Amazon Kindle, one would then begin to reap the benefits of the ebook reader with its beautiful free web access… an attractive quality for even those who don’t do the ebook thing.
[Image from http://xkcd.com/548/]
The Kindle 2 can be found at Amazon here.
Kindle 2: Packaging may make you go “ooooooo”
So I received Amazon’s Kindle 2 today, though it’s not mine, I’m seriously considering getting one just so I can experience the un-boxing of my own. However, because this is a gift, the un-boxing of the product must wait! I did get to remove the Kindle 2 box from the .. um.. box. You’ll understand when I get to the photos.
Here’s what happened. I got this light little Amazon box, and when I opened up the cardboard box it was shipped in, I was greeted with a lively graphic of glossy black letters sprinkled across a matte black interior. Still can’t help but run my finger across the forms of the glossy alphabet.
Then removing the actual Kindle 2 packaging, I found more of the delightful letter splatter in the bottom of the box, encircling the recycle icon.
… And it becomes evident that the Kindle has gone green.
If you remember the first Kindle, you’ll remember a chunkier box that looked something like this:
[Image from http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2008/03/amazon-kindle.html]
Kindle 2’s packaging is greener. It’s obvious that the environment was taken into consideration. The thick, bulky box of the Kindle 1, is now replaced by a lightweight black material similar to that of an egg carton that houses the Kindle 2 in its belly (I’m guilty of trying to remove it without actually opening it, but to no avail).
The same glossy letter splatter is found on the smooth paper cover enveloping the rounded case, creating in the center a badge for the name “Amazon Kindle”. This paper wrap seems flimsy, but is actually acting as a kind of security system (at least for me in this case) as well the decorative element of the packaging.
And here is where it stops. I can go no further until this gift has been opened. AH! THE FRUSTRATION! This post is to be continued when the gift has been opened and held hostage momentarily by me and my camera. Stay tuned for the unveiling…(tomorrow?)
Chinese Democracy: About F*#king Time
About f*#king time. Seventeen years ago, a band called Guns N’ Roses released their last studio album of original content. After some infighting, in 1994, Axel Rose began work on the bands next album: Chinese Democracy. It will be released November 23rd of this year. I repeat: About f*#king time.
The cover shows a parked bicycle, that looks like its made for transportation of goods, with a large basket on the back. Guns N’ Roses can be seen spray painted on the wall next to the bike. The entire image is sepia toned that gives it an old, classic feel. The location pictured is dingy enough to give a 3rd world vibe or at least a one of a developing nation like the one depicted in the title. The title of the album and name of the band is sideways and pushed to the dark mauve colored boarder off to the right.
The overall feel the cover gives me is that this is trying to say it is a classic album. Thematically it fits the title and we’ll see if it fits the music as well. Either way it looks great.
Chinese Democracy will be sold exclusively at Best Buy on November 23rd for $11.99 on CD and $19.99 on vinyl. You can pre-order now.
Once last time: About f*#king time.
Playful Patterns – Nantaka Joy
It’s becoming commonplace that I don’t actually find these links to amazing artwork and design on my own, but that I get linked to them by other creative fluff members or one of our many subscribers ( I say many because we’re so popular I can’t be bothered to keep track). This time around I was given a link which took me to the impressive work of Joy Deangdeelert Cho and her line of creative print design under the studio name: Nantaka Joy. Her Work has been featured in mainstream magazines such as: How, Home Companion, Wedding, Craft, and Lucky.
Above is a picture of her “Ombre Lace Grey Tiny Card” which is an excellent example of her creative textile design which features a visually stimulating juxtaposition of foil and playful patterns as the cover to a normal sized note card. The note card, obviously meant for meaningless scribbles, gives anything that a person has to put down with ink significant meaning. Her work instantly transforms anything written within the notecard into a keepsake no matter how inane.
Another example of her famous ‘playful patterns’ can bee seen with her “A Note – Agate Grey” which features an interesting “textural combination of…high and low elements” (Nantaka.com) Lineart has always been a creative artform which only recently held attention in the high art and design spotlight. If you go to the MoMA store anytime in the next couple of weeks you’ll notice a large collection of line art stationery for sale. Though Cho isn’t featured at the MoMA (yet) that doesn’t mean her work doesn’t deserve museum treatment. Below is another piece of her work which came out five days ago: “Woodcut Floral File Folders – NEW!”
If you’re still reading this post you shouldn’t be. You should be over at her website taking a look at the rest of her work because I’m sure my descriptions of her wonderful work don’t give her enough credit.
