$0 To $5 Million In One Year

Burn Baby Burn

The availability of inexpensive CD burners have made CDs the popular choice for transferring and storing information. From custom music mixes to inter-business file transfers, we are burning CDs for everything. But what's the most common labeling tool to keep things organized? A Sharpie -- we've all seen it and we've all struggled trying to decipher that labeling scrawl.

What does that scribble say about you? For private use -- who cares -- but for businesses, the impression is less than professional. But it doesn't have to be that way, professional looking CD labeling has never be easier. You will be hard pressed to find a less expensive way to increase exposure and expand company recognition. It may not bring you a truck load of business but it will draw attention and help you stand out from your competition. In today's tough market every distinction is advantageous. 

Listed below are simple steps to produce a CD label that will help get you noticed:

That's all there is to it. Just one caveat -- make sure your label design gives the impression you want. CornelsonDesign would be happy to help.

Below are some helpful product reviews and links to buy.

Marketing is like Fishing

If you don't fish, you will never catch anything. That's pretty basic. Marketing is similar: if you don't market, it's difficult to get customers. It is even more difficult in this slow economy.

The tendancy is to cut spending but should you cut marketing in a down economy? It's a question every business should ask. Often the marketing budget is the first to get slashed without asking if that is really the best choice for your business. What are the consequences resulting from marketing budget cuts?

I'm not much of a fisherman but sometimes fisherman say profound things: A fisherman and his son were preparing for a trip to their favorite lake. It was late in the season and the lake was pretty much fished out. The son asked his father, "Why are we going? We will never catch anything." The father replied, "Son, there's only one thing we know for sure, if we don't fish, we will never catch anything. But there are three things we can do to improve our chances: we can fish longer, we can fish smarter and we can use more poles then the other guys."

Marketing in a down economy is very similar. You can spend more time, you can do it smarter and you can do more of it. One good thing about marketing in a down economy is that your competition has most likely cut their marketing endeavors -- that means more opportunity for you.

Fish Longer: Invest more of your personal time marketing. Since your business has slowed, you should have more time to return to the grass roots of marketing. Connect with your customers and prospects face to face or with a phone call. It takes time but it costs little.

Fish Smarter: Market strategically: evaluate your efforts and revise them to achieve the greatest impact. Ask yourself this question: "Is there anything we can do differently that would bring greater response without stretching our budget?" Attitudes can change during a down economy, adjust your marketing strategy to connect with your prospects during these depressed times.

Use More Poles: Rather than cutting your marketing budget consider expanding. If there aren't many customers, increasing your marketing investment will give you a better chance of catching the ones that are there. Remember that your competitors are doing less, even if there are fewer total prospects you should be able to capture a larger share.

Marketing in a down market may not be easy. Your rate of return may be less but one thing is for sure, if you don't go fishing, you won't catch any fish. If you would like to discuss how your marketing could be more effective, contact Don Cornelson by phone or email. It won't cost you anything but it could make a big difference in your bottom line.

Color Talk. How Color Influences our Moods.

Provocative, Warm, Rustic, Regal; Bright Red, Golden Yellow, Earth Brown, Deep Plum. Every mood is filled with color. Every color triggers a mood. Understanding the power of color is essential in successful visual communication. Whatever message you want to communicate, color is vital because it delivers an instantaneous impression.

Leatrice Eiseman's book, Pantone® Guide To Communicating With Color, is a comprehensive study of the relationships between a color and its viewer. Eiseman tells us humans formulated feelings about color at a young age, "Our cultural background and traditions influence our learned response and reaction to color." These color traditions manifest as our own personal tastes and societal preferences. Eiseman predicts that "with shrinking barriers and increased communication there is a greater homogenization of color exchanges, especially as companies reach out to embrace broader markets throughout the world and old color concepts are changing and expanding." It is easy to see how the language of color crosses cultural boundaries. (Page 15)

Eiseman refers to color in the marketplace as the silent salesperson. "Color must immediately attract the consumer's eyes, convey the message of what the product is all about, create brand identity, and help make the sale." (Page 7) Color should compliment the words delivering the message. If there is a conflict, the viewer will become confused.

The following areas are high-priority when it comes to conveying a meaningful marketing message through the appropriate use of color. (Page 9)

Choosing the right colors for any project is critical to successfully presenting the message. Here are things to consider when choosing dominant, subordinate, and accent colors. (Page 62)

Color is important. It affects us on an emotional level -- preparing us to receive the desired message, or repelling us from it. If you want to develop effective messaging, the Pantone® Guide to Communicating with Color will help guide your color choices. Filled with illustrations and hundreds of color combinations it not only demystifies color theory, but serves as a practical guide for color usage. 

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