Have you ever bought something just because of the packaging? There’s something about pleasing design that entices the eye and, when done correctly, places you a step above the competition.
Before beginning a design project at Martin Communications, we must understand three things: the intended audience, the message and tone, and how the piece will be used. There is a lot that goes into creating an effective design, a lot of which is unknown to most people (and even some designers!). We asked our Art Director, Michael Keesee, “What makes a good design?” and here’s what he said:
Visual balance and composition
In the Western world, we naturally process visual information in a particular way. A typical example is that we read from left to right, followed by top to bottom. Many similar principles like this must be considered when creating an effective composition, like consistent margins and spacing, the balance between shapes, and typographic hierarchy.
Knowledge of the audience
This is a critical aspect that needs to be added to the approach of many designers. You need to know the audience intimately to create something that resonates with them. This includes ethnicity, family situation, geographic area, and age. From there, the data can be cross-referenced with known design preferences for different demographics.
Awareness of cultural trends
Although a designer should always strive to create a timeless design, it’s essential to be aware of the latest trends in industries like advertising, photography, video, fashion, and interior design. This allows the designer to use, or not use, contemporary design approaches with intention and push the bounds of design aesthetics.
Once you have these answers, it’s time to trust your designer to do their thing.
Tips for working with a graphic designer
Most designers work best when focusing on completing one task at a time. This means providing all necessary details and assets at the outset to ensure they have everything they need to complete the task.
A good designer will abide by the tips listed above for what makes a good design, which makes it tricky to provide adequate direction without suppressing the skills that make a designer valuable. When working with the team at Martin Communications, we always recommend including answers to questions like:
What should the piece accomplish?
What message, approach, consequence, etc., should be avoided?
What tone or feeling should be imparted to the audience?
Make sure the designer you work with takes the time to learn the information mentioned above and think about the nuances that will set your product or service apart. Haven’t found the right designer? We’d love to get to know you and help elevate your brand.
Meet the head of our design department: Michael Keesee. He’s been making sure everything that leaves our hands looks good for the past three years.
Ensuring that every piece we create supports the client’s brand positioning and identity, he supports our design team in creating everything from traditional and digital ads to high-impact videos and responsive websites. As head of the department, he also fosters an environment of creativity, flexibility, and growth for the design team. “I also like to stay up to date on trends and best practices within design, media, and content creation,” notes Michael.
How MC approaches design
Before we begin a design project at Martin Communications (MC), we must understand three things:
The intended audience
The message and tone
How the piece will be used
“Once we have the answers to these questions, we can properly problem-solve to find the best design solution for the task at hand. We use our collective knowledge of the client’s market, consumer psychology, and current cultural trends to develop a piece that effectively communicates to the intended audience.”
“This is why working so closely with our media team allows us to have a leg-up compared to other agencies — both teams can collaborate on a given piece of creative for a holistic solution, rather than each doing their job within a silo and sending it down the line.”
Apart from the actual design work, Michael explains how his department operates: “Although we designers aren’t necessarily known for our rigid processes or attention to details, it’s exactly those things that allow us to be successful on the design team at MC.”
“We rely on project management software, a meticulously organized server, and our forward-thinking Project Coordinator, Ben, to ensure our tasks are dispersed evenly, files are stored properly, and everything is completed on time.”
Further describing the design team’s daily activities: “The designers are given several tasks per day — anything from t-shirt designs to animated digital ads — and are charged with interpreting the creative direction to develop an ideal design solution. They are then responsible for sending to me and at least one other team member for rigorous quality control and proofreading before sending to the Account Manager for that client.”
“Each designer has brand assets and style guides at their disposal, which makes it much easier to switch between clients for each task they’re working on. We prefer to partner with clients long-term, so everyone on our team is familiar with each brand’s intricacies.”
Before joining the team at Martin, Michael got his education at the Art Institute of York where he had the unique opportunity to learn from the first-hand experience of veterans of the design industry. After completing his education, he moved into the workforce. “I worked in an in-house marketing department for a group of large regional remodeling brands, starting as the only designer and building up a creative team of several designers and a full-time video producer over 10 years.” All the while, Michael also maintained a robust client base outside of his in-house role, specializing in hand-lettered logos based on market research and consumer psychology.
When asked about his current role at Martin Communications, he said, “I’d be remiss to describe what I love about my position without mentioning the culture of MC. It’s refreshing to work at a place where personal responsibility, innovative thinking, and true work/life balance are valued.”
In addition, he notes: “Coming from a background of brand-centric work, it’s fun to partner with so many different clients, getting to know their brand intimately and helping them better connect with the right audience.”
Outside of work hours, Michael’s passion for design continues. “Design is a huge part of my life and I’m almost always thinking about it. I have a Pennsylvania-themed store called Penna Shirt Co. (pennashirts.com) that has allowed me to hone my hand-lettering and illustration skills and learn more about e-commerce and digital marketing.”
Need help with design or ideas to refresh your creative? Reach out to us through the link at the bottom of this page; we would be happy to help!
Media planning is one of the key divisions of most advertising agencies, and certainly is an important department at Martin Communications (MC). The media department at MC is headed by Colleen Jones. For over six years, Colleen has been strategizing media placements for our clients’ advertising campaigns. She is our specialist in determining which media outlet is the best for our clients’ target audience, negotiating prices and optimizing budgets, and performing campaign analyses.
What is a Media Plan?
A media plan is a document that outlines the strategy of how, when, where, and why an organization will distribute its media content to their target audience.
“Lots of creative thinking goes into creating a media plan,” notes Colleen. “When assembling a media plan, we get or determine all the pertinent details (overall results/goals, budget, timeline, audience demographics, geographies, messaging, etc.) and gather research (which could be historical data based on past campaigns, Nielsen/Scarborough data, or information from other sources).”
“Then it’s a matter of pairing up these parameters and the data we have available to us with the myriad of media outlets available for a campaign. There was a time there were only so many media channels available to coordinate (print, outdoor, direct mail, TV, and terrestrial radio), but digital has changed the game. There are now so many different places to reach the same audience that it becomes a balancing act to find the most effective and efficient way to reach the key audience, stand out from the crowd of other advertisers, and drive results.”
Colleen is a fan of multimedia campaigns that incorporate both digital and traditional medias because she still sees the value of the latter for certain campaigns. “I’m also a fan of ‘flighting’ media if/when limited by budget to help stretch it out without sacrificing the different audiences or platforms.”
A long-time client who had a particularly challenging and important campaign recently told her, “I’m not surprised, but I am surprised, that you captured everything and also targeted at the same time.”
Martin Communications does media planning differently
When asked about what sets us apart, Colleen explains: “I believe our flexibility is what sets us apart the most. Nothing is formulaic or cookie-cutter – each plan is always customized. We don’t recommend media based off what media platform will be best for the agency’s bottom line, but what will be best for the client’s goals and budget.”
“Another thing is that it’s a true team effort. As a full-service agency, we have the benefit of being able to see the whole picture, not just focused on where the media will run or an artistic vision that isn’t able to be used in paid media placements. Our team, including representatives from account management, design, and media departments hold kick-off meetings and brainstorming sessions to ensure the media placements come together with messaging that suits the media environment, meets the clients’ goals, and maintains their organization’s branding.”
“Most importantly, every one of us is deadline-driven making sure we keep timelines on-track, so media is launched on-time. Our flexibility again comes into play if we have to shift campaign dates due to unforeseen delays or sometimes ending early due to overwhelming success.”
Learn more about our department head!
Colleen didn’t start out her career in media planning but came to it through working at a publishing company. “Working in the Events and Expo teams at Journal Multimedia (then-parent company of the Central Penn Business Journal, Lehigh Valley Business, and Pet Age magazine, Best Companies Group and some other publications/entities) with internal print and digital teams enabled me to understand the sales and operations side of media. But the really great thing about that background in events was that we had responsibility for marketing our programs beyond the internal media platforms, so I learned to place outdoor, TV, radio, and social media as well” explains Colleen.
“My two favorite things about my position are:
Every project requires strategic and resourceful thinking to find the best solution. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle to be assembled.
Media platforms are constantly evolving. Audiences are always looking for something new and different (think TikTok) and audiences on each platform are changing (Facebook was once 20-somethings and now it’s primarily those age 40+), so it’s part of my role to stay on top of these developments and introduce them to our clients and help them make the appropriate shifts. I love that we were part of the beta testing for Spotify ads when they became accessible a few years ago, and that we are now doing that with Hulu as it launches new levels of accessibility for organizations that might have less budget to work with.”
Colleen’s unforgettable selfie moment with a gentle Thai elephant during her adventures!
Though many of us at MC have received a late-night email from Colleen, she isn’t all work and no play. An extrovert through-and-though, she loves to socialize. “My favorite thing is spending time with people going to a brewery, getting dinner (I don’t like cooking and I’m definitely not good at baking), dancing (I take hip hop and tap classes, and enjoy a good Zumba workout).”
She is also a globetrotter, recently returning from a well-deserved break and trip to London, England. “I love to travel! My life goal is to make it to all seven continents, and I only have two left – Africa and Antarctica. I also have 20 U.S. states left to visit (believe it or not, I’ve made it to the farthest ones – Alaska and Hawaii). And every year my husband and I take a snowmobiling trip in the Adirondacks – maybe someday we’ll explore rides elsewhere!”
When you jump in your car, do you listen to the radio or plug in your phone and stream your favorite playlist?
Chances are, it’s the latter, especially with CarPlay becoming standard in newer vehicles.
According to a 2020 report by research firm Strategy Analytics, fewer people around the world are using AM/FM car radios due to various factors, including a marked decline in commutes to work. “2020 is the year that in-car AM/FM radio has hit the proverbial ‘iceberg,’” the report said.
Derek Viita, report author and Senior Analyst of Strategy Analytics’ IVX group, said, “While radio still has unique advantages, the pandemic has only worked to increase adoption of other media sources,” Viita continued, “some radio providers in the West are reporting that their ratings have nose-dived because many of those who listened on their commute have not rejoined from home.”
When you’re at home relaxing, do you dial into your favorite radio station on your boombox or open your favorite audio streaming app on your phone or smart device? Again, chances are the latter.
You might think, ‘well, 2020 was a few years ago’, however, a 2022 statistic states that 74% of U.S. internet users, or 222.7 million people, listened to digital audio. (That’s two-thirds of the U.S. population!) Of these digital audio listeners, 40% are using ad-supported versions. Though the growth of that market share will slow, the time each listener spends is rapidly increasing. In 2022, U.S. internet users spent nearly as much time streaming music and podcasts as they spent watching broadcast TV daily (which still accounts for the largest share of U.S. internet users’ time spent with media).
The road to audio streaming began in 1993 when the MP3 was introduced and the ability to download music through the internet was launched. More than two decades later, what began as having to purchase individual songs has turned into the ability to listen to all the songs you wanted, as long as you listen to the occasional ad or pay for the monthly subscription.
According to data from the Recording Industry Association of America, streaming grew from 7% of the U.S. music market in 2010 to an incredible 80% at the end of the decade. And according to research conducted by Edison Research:
Thanks to streaming audio’s ability to be highly personalized and dynamic, 43% of streaming audio listeners say the audio ads are more relevant to them.
And 42% of listeners stated that audio ads are more likely to capture their attention than ads seen or heard in other places.
Now, is there a time and place for traditional “terrestrial” radio, especially when, according to Nielsen, radio still reaches 86% of Americans 18+ every week? Of course, but that’s not what this article is about.
Reason 1: Targeting
Understanding your audience and figuring out how to reach them is crucial to advertising. Where traditional radio listenership relies on estimates, the innate nature of digital media provides advertisers with a better understanding of who’s listening.
Demographics, location, device usage, and listening habits are things that you can target with streaming audio.
As you can see, the targeting capabilities with streaming audio can be robust, enabling advertisers to meet consumers where they are at with messaging tailored to them. This precision in targeting is not available through traditional radio.
According to the 2023 released streaming statistics by Headphones Addict, U.S. users also almost entirely use streaming to listen to music. Here are the use percentages of music streaming services by age group:
Age 13-25 – 99%
Age 24-39 – 98%
Age 40-55 – 96%
Age 56-74 – 89%
Reason 2: Key Performance Indicators
Key performance indicators (KPIs) – are a way to track campaigns and know if they are providing results. For example, when running spots on traditional radio, you get a report back at the end of the campaign on the days and times your spot was broadcast, even with an estimated total reach. When you place an ad on a streaming audio platform, you gain insight into much more.
Like other digital advertising channels, data is available for the four basic performance metrics:
Impressions – The total number of ads served.
Reach – The number of unique people who heard your ads.
Frequency – The average number of times each person heard your ads.
Clicks – The number of times an ad banner displayed was clicked on, sending a listener directly to your website.
A metric unique to streaming audio is the Audio Completion Rate. This is the percentage of ads served that were played to the end.
The benchmark for audio completion of ads on Spotify is 91% — in traditional radio, you can’t account for if someone changes stations when commercials come on (and where you only know when the spot was played and their estimated listenership).
With the ability to track, respond, and modify approaches for target audiences, streaming audio makes optimizing easier and allows for a more effective campaign.
Reason 3: Cost
Though you can allocate the same amount to traditional radio and streaming audio, what you receive in return is vastly different. Many streaming platforms have minimum spend requirements of just a few hundred dollars ($250 is the minimum for Spotify). In contrast, the necessary budget for traditional radio depends on your market but typically is in the thousands.
With the ability to target more precisely, obtain accurate reporting, and maximize your budget, streaming audio is worth considering for your next targeted campaign.
If you would like to learn more about streaming audio or adding it to your marketing efforts, contact us today, and we would be happy to help!
The New Year is a great time to step back and reevaluate all you accomplished the year prior and make goals for the coming year. Performance goals for the year are a great way to stay accountable and keep business going – but when was the last time you looked at your branding?
Your brand is not only your name, but your first impression. It identifies and sets you apart from the competition. The perception your company gives off should be strong and positive, from your logo to your mission statement and throughout all marketing communications. A fresh, consistent style that represents the brand’s unique character will help to attract customers and build trust. Think about it: if you had to choose between two vendors, would you go with the one whose website is stuck in the past, or the one with a more contemporary look and feel? Even if the first company outperforms the latter, the lack of update will make anyone think twice. Updated and consistent branding increases how professional your business appears.
“The real power of a good brand identity is when it speaks to your brand’s personality, mission, and value in your market, making your business more memorable in the minds of consumers.”
Michael Keesee, Art Director, Martin Communications
Most businesses rebrand every seven to ten years. A rebrand is more than just updating your logo; and there are several items to consider if it’s the right time to do so.
1. Audience
Has your audience changed since you started your business?
Your main customer group could have started as one demographic, but through the years changed to another entirely. From age ranges to customer values, purchasing habits can change over time, transforming your core demographic along with them.
If you are concerned your brand isn’t resonating with your audience, you’ll want to figure out a better way to connect to them. From design elements to your brand voice, minor tweaks can help you better speak to your target demographics.
2. Change
Has your business changed its core offerings since it began?
If your business is in a different place from where you started, you might need to reposition yourself in the market to meet the expectations of potential buyers.
Maybe you need to change your name to something more inclusive or update your messaging so customers coming across your business better understand all you offer.
3. Growth
Have you outgrown your brand – not just looking at where you are today – but where you want to be in the future? Are you trying to expand or target a new customer group?
When expanding, be sure to ask yourself: Does my brand resonate with a wider demo group? Will it make sense outside of my current market?
Rebranding can help you prepare your business for a new target market, allow you room for your business to grow, and ultimately earn trust from new customers.
4. Outdated
How long ago was your last rebrand? The most obvious sign that it’s time is if your brand is outdated.
Unfortunately, in our fast-paced world, things get old quickly. Industries evolve, and you want to avoid being considered lackluster and outdated, especially compared to your competitors.
To stay on top of what your competitors are doing, keep an eye on the latest news in your industry and on occasion, what your competitors’ branding looks like – have they updated anything lately? If you feel like you’re falling behind, rebranding can help you regain ground.
5. Reputation
Scandals or bad reviews can be hard blemishes to remove from the public eye. If there’s no reasonable way of righting the situation, a rebrand may offer an easier way to start over than trying to sort out the existing problems.
Smaller brands can also unknowingly infringe on more prominent brands with similar names or logo designs . As a small company grows, it can catch the attention of larger brands that may claim ownership of certain graphics, colors, or wording. Rebranding can save you from the fees and time commitment of going through the legal process.
If one or more of the items above apply, chances are it’s time to rebrand. However, a complete rebrand may not be necessary. Sometimes a few simple updates are just what your company needs. Consult a marketing agency to find out what’s best for you and your company’s situation.
Tell us about your challenges, your hopes, and your expectations. We’d love to help you better connect with your audience, so schedule a rebranding meeting with us today!
On average, it takes around four hours to write a blog, and depending on how much research is involved, that time could go higher, or even double. With content being important for SEO, social posts, and garnering trust in potential clients, it’s no wonder content marketing has become such an important aspect of everyone’s marketing strategy.
con·tent mar·ket·ing NOUN
A type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of online material (such as videos, blogs, and social media posts) that does not explicitly promote a brand but is intended to stimulate interest in its products or services.
The challenge? Keeping up with the always-needed content and finding the time in an already busy workday to write. After writing several blogs over the years, I have realized that having a plan in place drastically helps with writing blogs but also picked up a few tips along the way to make writing even more of a breeze.
10 tips I use to help speed along the writing process:
1. Create a list of several topics that you can pull from for future blogs.
I’ve found nailing down the topic to write about can take time. Knowing where to start helps reduce the time doing initial research or brainstorming. Bonus points if you can place the topics in a content calendar, so you know which topics are needed each month, spending even less time brainstorming.
2. Before starting, have an end-goal in mind.
What is the purpose of this blog? Do you have a CTA (call to action) you want to drive people towards? Knowing the direction you want to take people in will help you craft and focus your message, eventually helping to streamline your editing and approval processes.
3. Block off your time.
If finding time is the hardest part, start off by giving yourself an hour, and limiting the time you research to 10-15 minutes. You can lose yourself in researching when it’s more important to get writing. You can further research a topic along the way if needed but getting your writing flow going is what knocks that blog out faster.
Limit distractions, make sure to block off your time in your calendar and silence email and phone notifications, if possible, to direct your focus on writing.
And, if you’re like me, the sense of urgency you get by giving yourself an hour helps get the words out quicker.
4. Have a template or outline.
Do you remember the format for writing essays in school? Intro, supporting paragraphs, conclusion. Having an outline in mind when writing can also help keep your thoughts focused and concise.
If writing on topics in a related series, use a similar intro and conclusion for each for consistency while also saving time.
5. Use resources to your advantage.
Depending on the type of blog you’re writing you may want to quote someone or reference other resources you found in your research. Quoting a chunk of text helps to add volume to the blog, helping it get written faster, but also shows you’ve done your research and are providing the reader with the pertinent information they need in one location, making it easier for them to learn about your topic. Make sure to give credit where credit is due – no one likes a plagiarizer.
6. Write like your life depends on it.
It most likely doesn’t but refrain from constantly going back through and editing while you work on getting the words out. I like taking a stream-of-consciousness approach to writing to get all my thoughts out before going back through and editing them.
7. Now you can edit.
Once you have all your thoughts written down, go back through and edit. Make sure your points are there and the topic has been sufficiently covered for the reader to understand what you’re getting at.
You can also ask that coworker with good grammar to read through and edit to get another pair of eyes on it. Fresh eyes are always a good thing (and can save you some editing time).
8. Headlines and accompanying images should be decided last.
I like writing out a tentative title, adding options to it as I write and see where the article is headed, but I wait to finalize it until I’m done writing and have the overall scope in mind.
Save finding the image for the end when you know what the title and blog content will be. Knowing the final content will help direct the image that is needed, and you won’t waste time in the beginning finding images that don’t quite fit in the end.
9. AI generated blogs – yep, that’s a thing now.
Don’t have time to even block off for writing? You can use an AI blog generator like Shortly or Simplified to get your content written in, as they claim, as little as 60-seconds.
From first glance, yes it looks like it helps get you started with content, but I imagine more time will be needed to edit the copy to match your company’s tone and brand standards than they lead on.
10. Trust an expert.
The purpose of this blog was to give you the tools to write blogs quicker, however we have also arrived at my CTA.
If you don’t have the time but want to make sure there’s a real human who understands your brand and voice, trust a writing expert (like me) to get the job done for you.
Want to save time by having someone else write content for you? We can help. Reach out today!
If you need some help with your advertising, customer communication, or media management, get in touch with us. We’re excited to learn more about your business!
If you need some help with your advertising, customer communication, or media management, get in touch with us. We’re excited to learn more about your business!
If you need some help with your advertising, customer communication, or media management, get in touch with us. We’re excited to learn more about your business!
If you need some help with your advertising, customer communication, or media management, get in touch with us. We’re excited to learn more about your business!
If you need some help with your advertising, customer communication, or media management, get in touch with us. We’re excited to learn more about your business!
If you need some help with your advertising, customer communication, or media management, get in touch with us. We’re excited to learn more about your business!
