Table of Contents

Acknowledgments x

Introduction xvi

Chapter 1

Much More than Just a Website: How Online Games, Cartoons, Apps, Infographics, and More Can Boost Your Business

1. The Color of Money: A Small Bank Makes a Large Impression with a Colorful Campaign 5

2. A Website Showcases a Sense of Touch: Strong Navigation and Ease of Use for an Online Showroom 7

3. Augmenting the Reality of Mobile Advertising: Sharing Brand Information Visually over Mobile Devices Through Apps 9

4. Celebrating Creativity with a Killer Smile: Creating a Viral Marketing Effect with an Online Game 11

5. Putting the “Self” in Self-Portrait: Finding the Right Photo to Express a Personal Brand 13

6. Luxury Property Shown in Many Different Lights: Focusing on Stunning Imagery to Sell Luxury 15

7. How Many Ways Can You Destroy Your Printer? Going Viral with a YouTube Video Contest That Plays upon Customer Frustrations 17

8. Making a Legal Case for Insider Jokes: Using Cartoons to Market to Your Target Audience 19

9. Changing the Script on Scriptwriting: Organizing a Virtual Community Around an Event to Maximize Participation 21

10. When Is a Cup of Tea More Than Just Another Cup? Stunning Photography on a Website Differentiates a Product 23

11. Just the Facts, Ma’am: Creating an Interactive Online Quiz Attracts a Target Audience with a Deeper Level of Engagement 25

12. Getting a Leg Up on the Competition: Gaining Media Visibility for an Arcane Industry Online, Through Puns and Fun on Your Website 27

13. Building an Appealing Design: Presenting Your Process in Your Website Showcases a Competitive Advantage for an Architectural Firm 29

14. A Visual Marketing Firm Uses Optical Illusions to See Things Differently: Showing Prospects What You Are Capable of in Multimedia 31

15. Breaking Through the Gray Noise: Using a Flash-Based Presentation to Generate Leads While Also Serving as a Leave-Behind Piece 33

16. Delivering a Unique Marketing Campaign: Combining Staged Marketing Events with Video and Social Media 35

17. Finding Your Identity: Standing Out from the Crowd with a Website That Lets Your Personality Show Through 37

18. A Renaissance for Today: Creating a Forward-Looking Logo That Reflects the Past 39

19. Good Service Is Earned: Making a Brand Statement and Creating Viral Content Through Infographics 41

20. Design to Put Your Best Foot Forward: Using Sharp, Detailed Close-Up Photography to Demonstrate Business Capabilities on the Web 43

21. Spicing Up the Ornament Market: Using Bright and Unique Online Ads to Build a Brand 45

22. A Reflection of Style: Incorporating Your Business Style into Your Logo 47

23. The Right Way to Start a Charity Today: Using Facebook and Blogs to Build a Community Around a Good Cause 49

24. Education Can Be Creative: Formatting the Standard “10 Tips” Article to Convey Professionalism and Authority 51

25. Dressing Down for Success: Appealing to Consumers with a Personal Video Demystifies a Confusing Subject and Builds Trust 53

26. A Legal Holiday: Using Electronic Greeting Cards to Position a Law Firm as Friendly 55

27. A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words: Creating a Visual Interpretation of What You Do in an Industry Known for Facts and Figures 57

28. Walking the Talk: Making a Website That Reflects the Principles Fundamental to Your Business 59

29. Traversing from Print to Mobile: Creating a Mobile App Version of Print for Customers with a Foot in the Mobile World 61

30. Promoting Logos with a Guess-That-Logo Contest: Tying in a Contest with E-Mail Marketing to Increase Client Engagement 63

31. Marketing to Parents: Tailoring a Website’s Look to Reinforce Your Target Niche 65

32. Leading by Example: Using Stock Images in a Downloadable Tips Sheet to Demonstrate That Marketing Can Be Easy and Inexpensive 67

33. Blogger Outreach in the Cloud: Using a Visually Inspired Word Cloud to Start a Conversation with a Blogger 69

34. An Illustrator Draws Up Timely Reminders for Prospects: Using Remarkable E-Mail Marketing to Keep Your Pipeline Full 71

35. Bringing the Topic of Skin Care to a Head: Messaging to Teens with a Clean Peppy Web Design 73

36. It’s Not All Business All the Time: Adding a Personalized Blog Header Brings Human Interest to a Business Website 75

Chapter 2

Images Are Everywhere in the Physical World : Signs, Banners, Giveaways, Packaging, and Experiential Marketing That Inspire and Persuade

37. A Packaging Design That Really Helps the Consumer: Avoiding Lingo and Using Customers’ Own Words to Stand Out 81

38. A Local Brewery Makes the Case for Better Beer Branding: Using Images from Your Business and Local Area to Brand Your Product 83

39. A New Spin on Making a Hit Record: Bringing Direct Mail Campaigns to the Next Level with a Mailer That Invites Recipients to Get “Hands-On” 85

40. Making the Most of Your 15 Minutes of Fame: Using Posters and On-Site Displays Together with QR
Codes and Social Media to Reach 24- to 45-Year-Olds 87

41. Handing Your Brand Over to Your Customers: Getting Customers Deeply Engaged with Your Brand to
Create Fanatical Loyalty 89

42. Free Stuff for Dogs and the People Who Dig Them: Using Beautifully Designed Packaging for Free Product Samples “Sells” a Premium Product 91

43. High-Tech Digital Communications from a 1970s Chevy Van: Marketing by Creating an “Experience” That Includes a Digital Billboard, Social Media, and an On-Site Presence 93

44. Designing Wine on the Inside . . .and Outside: Stimulating the Senses with High-End Packaging for
a High-End Product 95

45. A Campaign That Really Knocks Your Socks Off: Appealing to Customers’ Comfort Evokes Emotion and Differentiates a Commodity Business 97

46. New Beverage Design Creates Buzz: Simplicity in Packaging Emphasizes Purity in Ingredients for the Health-Conscious Market 99

47. Sustaining Good Design: Creating an Intentionally Retro Look Emphasizes Underlying Values 101

48. Hand-Drawn Promo Excites Young Brits Who Love to Draw: Giving Away a High-Quality Gift Increases Sales by Luring People into the Store 103

49. Sweet! Creating an Interactive Puzzle to Increase Booth Traffic at a Conference 105

50. Jump-Starting a New Package Design: Creating Quality Packaging Can Lead to Getting Carried by More Retailers 107

51. Rewarding Good Taste: Growing Your Customer Base Through a Clever Twenty-First Century Loyalty Program 109

52. A New Product Popping Up: Differentiating a Product in a Crowded Field Through Unique, Uncluttered Packaging 111

53. Too Big to Ignore and Too Personal to Discard: Using “Lumpy Mail” to Get Your Foot in the Door of the C Suite 113

54. Showcasing Talented Women: Creating a Calendar with Distinctive Photography for Yearlong Marketing 115

55. Get Your Clients Talking about You: Custom Designing Promotional Giveaways Makes a Big Splash 117

56. Breaking the Cutesy Barrier: Creating an Urban Chic Niche in an Existing Market with Displays and
Packaging 119

57. Waking Up Your Brand with a Little Pillow Talk: Creating a Follow-Up Campaign That Makes Prospects
Laugh . . . and Buy 121

58. Food Trucks, Today’s Eatery Trend: Creating Cravings by Using Typography on a Truck Wrap 123

Chapter 3

Power to the Print Item!: Posters, Brochures, Postcards, and Logos Still Pack a Punch in the Internet Age

59. Get Me a Doctor, STAT: Using a Witty or Humorous T-Shirt to Interject Fun into How People Perceive Your Business 125

60. Thinking Outside the Box: Using College Lingo on an Unconventional Item to Attract Cult Status and Build Business on a College Campus 127

61. An A Cappella Visual Promotion for Musicians: Attracting Your Target Market with a Banner Containing
Images and No Words 129

62. Getting a Bright Start in Branding: Using Three-Dimensional Displays Integrated with a Sales Presentation 131

63. Lunch Bags That Educate, Entertain, and Inspire: Maintaining a Strong Emotional Connection with Your Target Market Even as Your Brand Grows and Evolves 133

64. Making Friends Globally: Using Free Samples to Promote a Book and a Socially Responsible Business 135

65. Much Ado about Nothing: A Campaign with Clever Props and Giveaways Transforms a Hard-to-Appreciate Concept into Something Real and Tangible 137

66. Who Is Keith Beith? Capitalizing on a Unique Name and Interjecting Friendliness to Differentiate a Business 143

67. Face-to-Face Illustrations: Establishing an Identity That Allows Your Team Members to Express Themselves 145

68. Business Cards Get Social: Creating Business Cards That Mimic Social Media Icons Opens New Market 147

69. Changing Perceptions One School at a Time: Using a Marketing Pamphlet to Update an Organization’s Image 149

70. Meeting Artists in Their Natural Habitat: Creating a Series of Posters Conveys the Range and Variety of a Large Event 151

71. The Omaha Cow and Snowboarding: Using an Iconic Symbol Updated with Current Culture to Create an Au Courant Logo 153

72. Translating a Global Brand into Local Currency: Making an Existing Brand Design Resonate in a Different Country 155

73. Getting to the Point in Acupuncture: Combining Professional Design with Do-It-Yourself Execution Keeps
Expenses in Line 157

74. An Image Consultant Makes a Great First Impression: Differentiating a Personal Brand by Conveying Your Personality 159

75. A Recipe for Success in Publishing: Using Beautiful, Evocative Images Reinforces the Essence of a
Publication 161

76. The Art of Making House Calls: Using Simple Logo Imagery That Marries Traditional Values with a Modern Business 163

77. An Unorthodox Community Campaign Promotes Kindness: Using a Powerful Name to Drive Action 165

78. A Communications Firm Stands Out: Using Unconventional Visuals Instead of Cookie-Cutter B2B Design Gets Attention 167

79. Is Your Name Defi ning You . . .Negatively? Renaming a Business Leads to More Sales 169

80. A Condo Development Has Historical Charm: Incorporating Heritage into Marketing Visuals to Emphasize an Offering’s Key Selling Points 171

81. HR with a Personal Touch: Using a Descriptive Name and a Caricature for a Consulting Business Sets You Apart 173

82. All That Jazz, Funk, Blues, Pop, and Hip-Hop: Making Modifications in Your Imagery Can Appeal to a Younger Audience 175

83. Communicate Issues Boldly: Using Bold Graphics to Drive Home the Importance of Messages 177

84. Eat or Be Eaten: Appealing to Local Tastes and Cultural Understanding in a Local Marketing Campaign 179

85. Clothing for the Cosmopolitan Outdoorsy Type: Expressing the Importance of Form and Function for a Brand in Print 181

86. Capturing the Legacy: Creating a Commemorative Book with High-Quality Graphics Conveys an Organization’s Values 183

87. All for One and One for All: Repurposing Marketing Collateral on a Very Low Budget 185

88. Evoking Mood Through Design: Using Custom Invitations to Make Your Business Entertainment Last Beyond the Event 187

89. High-End Rewards: Offering Upscale Coupons Grows Loyalty, Prevents Cancellations, and Sells Add-Ons 189

90. It’s a Family Affair: Making Your Business Story Come to Life with a Beautifully Designed Print Piece 191

91. An Industrial Business Bucks the Trend: Expressing Quality Through Color and Design Becomes a Competitive Advantage 193

92. Sharpen Your Sights: Using Clever Advertising That Makes Viewers Stop and Think about Their Needs 195

93. A Program for All Seasons: Creating an Overarching Marketing Theme for the Entire Year 197

94. The Express Lane for Sales: A Visual Pitch Book Captures the Sales Process and Trains an Ever- Growing Sales Team 199

95. Three-Dimensional Business Cards: Expressing Your Creativity on Your Business Card 201

96. What’s a Symchych? Accentuating a Hard-to-Pronounce Name Can Be a Winner 203

97. Technology Can Be Sexy: Poking Fun at Your Industry’s Stereotypes Makes It Easier for Customers to Relate 205

98. Making Saving Look Good: Delivering Vouchers and Coupons That People Want to Save 207

99. Good Design Flows from Product to Marketing: Creating Postcards That Are “Saveable” to Keep the Sales Pipeline Full 209

Credits 211

Index 223

About the Author

DAVID LANGTON is a visual communication designer, blogger, and author on visual design. He has more than 20 years experience providing conceptual direction for Fortune 500 companies and small businesses. He is cofounder of?Langton Cherubino Group, a communications design firm, based in NYC, dedicated to improving the way that businesses and their audiences interact.

ANITA CAMPBELL is CEO and founder of Small Business Trends, smallbiztrends.com, an award-winning website reaching over 300,000 small-business owners each month. She hosts a weekly Internet radio podcast show featuring interviews with small-business owners and entrepreneurs and owns BizSugar, another small-business social media site.

Reviews

Offers a host of techniques and strategies for capturing the attention of potential customers . (Web Designer, 15th January 2012) This book deals with the whole spectrum of marketing tools, including marketing apps, creative ways to use social media, websites and blogs. (The Market, March 2012)