Archimedia Studios

Are all those Facebook “likes” worth it ?

Want to get exclusive content on our brand Facebook page? “Like” us! Want to participate in our fun new contest? “Like” us! Want to take advantage of the discount? “Like” us!

This is the new hot tactic used by marketers nowadays to get their fan count up. They are constructing the “like” walls. A number of big brands, such as Macy’s, 1-800 Flowers, Bud Light, and Gap, practice it.

The logic behind this thinking is simple: We provide valuable incentives in return for the larger community on Facebook. Sounds fair, right? However, you are then faced with the dilemma: Do you want more Likes or do you want more advocates in your community who would have liked you no matter what monetary incentives you are trying to offer?

There are a lot of people out there who are looking to get a quick coupon or discount. After all, who doesn’t like free stuff? There are a number of businesses that offer a cool discount a day/a week on their Facebook page. It seems to work for them. But are they truly building relationships or are they just using their page to broadcast the deals and sell products? Unless you are prepared to offer your community a constant flow of coupons and discounts, the success of any single promotion will be short-lived. I would also question the quality of your fans and if they are truly present on your page. What you want is to build a community of advocates who truly participate, which means a consistent dialogue, smooth feedback loop, and your fans sharing their stories and their experiences with your brand. If you have a large community that is quiet—is it a good thing?

It used to be that un-liking a page was hard; it required several steps and was confusing. Now, it is as easy as clicking the unlike button. A number of brands reported a huge drop-off rate post-promotion. Consensus is that that drop-off rate is on average 50% after the promotion is complete. Meaning that those promotions don’t work. Meaning that you are diluting your fans and depreciating the value of your community.

So instead of “like-gating,” why don’t we provide our fans compelling content and relevant messaging? Why don’t we make it easy for our fans to interact with us and our content? Why not post happy holiday wishes, short trivia questions, interesting polls, and fun videos to help us say communicate our message and truly hear theirs? Why not make it easy and fun for them to share among their friends? And if we must build the “Like walls,” why not be very selective in how we do it?

If you are not creating valuable customer relationships, then does the fan count matter?

An Ode to Creativity

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes.
The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them. 
About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.
Maybe they have to be crazy.
How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?
 While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. -Apple

Don’t make these common graphic design mistakes!

No matter what your experience level, there comes a time that you have to rush a job. And when that happens, it’s easy to fall victim to common graphic design mistakes. The following are five of these design faux pas.

  1. Not considering the message
    The whole purpose of design is to convey a specific message. Often, we tend to get ahead of ourselves, thinking about the images and treatments we want to use in the design. If we simply take a moment to consider the overall reason for the design, we will produce a better product for our clients. Take a couple of minutes to brainstorm and sketch. Come up with several concepts that provide a visual illustration for your clients’ message. It’s worth the extra time investment!
  1. Not considering the audience
    Perhaps you’ve had a great idea you’ve been mulling over for a while; or, you’ve just discovered a great new source for images that you’ve wanted to try out. Either way, sometimes we have a great idea or resource we use on the first project that comes our way. Before you jump on an idea, think first about the audience that will be seeing the end design. Are they young or old, student or professional, conservative or liberal? These and other descriptors should shape the colors, images and other elements you use in your design. If you are unsure about the characteristics of the intended audience, schedule a time to review these details with your client. They should be happy you’re taking this into consideration.
  1. Not considering the usage
    Before you start your design, ask your client what mediums they will be utilizing. This is especially important when designing a logo. It may look fantastic on a billboard or window display but become hard to read when shrunk down for a hat, stationary or pen. Likewise, color choices may not translate well depending on how and when the logo will be used.Once the logo is designed, try it out on different colors and in different sizes. If it’s not translating well, make some tweaks (or start over if necessary). Companies want logos that last, so if you don’t take the extra time up front, they may have to invest quite a bit more down the road when they discover their logo isn’t as versatile as they had hoped.
  1. Not allowing for breathing room
    White space is our friend. Embrace it. Love it. Use it. It’s easy to fall into the clutter trap of design. There are so many captivating images we want to use to convey the message. The best way to circumvent this pitfall is to take the time to edit. Once you’ve finished your design, take a break. Walk away from your workspace so you can come back with a fresh eye. It’s also good to have a friend or coworker that you can have evaluate your work.
  1. Not evaluating the fonts
    Fonts, they can be our best friend or our worst enemy. Many designers fail to understand how much a font can convey. If you haven’t already done so, it’s a great idea to take a typography course (or two) so you can understand the value of the different style of fonts. Another mistake that can be made is using too many different fonts. It’s important to have unity in your design. Your fonts should work together to paint a common feel and image.

Sell the sizzle not the steak

Our best advice to young designers working on advertising design concepts is “Sell the sizzle not the steak”. An old concept that still hold validity in today’s advertising world. What this means is , don’t just concentrate on the features of a product, concentrate on how they make the users life better.

Common Marketing Blunder – Addressing Product Problems With Marketing

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a company with a problematic product try to “fix” it by running advertisements or by “repositioning” the product.  In most cases, the real problem is usually either lousy quality or lousy service, both of which are toxic to brand equity.  There is no amount of marketing that can overcome such problems. If your ads pretend the problems don’t exist, you’re making things worse, because the customers know that the problem is there and will simply become vociferous about it.  The only way to fix a product problem is to fix the product and then wait  until your reputation recovers.  Spending money on marketing in order to change a negative perception that’s grounded in reality is always a huge waste of money. Your customers are more aware than you may think!

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