Momentum 18 Web Design Boutique

Branding News

Momentum 18 — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 21:19:51 GMT

February, 2014

Major Exposure: Momentum 18's branding for Island Training graces the cover and inside spread of the 2014 LL Bean Business Catalog – Yey us!

Logo Design: Momentum 18 Rebrands Popular Southern Company

Momentum 18 — Fri, 27 Dec 2013 20:29:09 GMT

Momentum 18 completes Phase I of rebranding the popular southern brand - Capitol Coffee. You can see the completed logo design here on the logo design page.

How To Brand Your Business

Momentum 18 — Sat, 21 Dec 2013 14:27:39 GMT

Small and Mid-Size Business Branding Fundamentals

By Matt Chansky

5 essential tips to develop or improve your company’s branding

One hears all the time how in business, good branding, creates trust. Why is that and what does it mean for your business? Good branding tells the consumer about your priorities. It tells them that you care about your appearance, you have a sense of organization, and your unique qualities. When you present yourself with good branding, you will receive in return a metaphorical (or sometimes literal) handshake from your consumer/client—that’s trust. And trust makes it easier to sell your products or services.

1. Differentiation. We can say that there are two types of branding – visual (graphics) and tactical (perception). Your visually branding should differentiate itself from your competition. And your tactical branding should focus on what is special and unique about your business and communicate this perception to the consumer/client. There’s no point in following any other tips if you haven’t got this first part down correctly.

2. Consistency. If you are not sure what consistency means, think of it this way: your company is a team. No matter where you play (business cards, brochures, ads, web designs, social media) you need to wear the same uniform each time. So for example, make standards and uses rules for your logo – don’t stretch it, don’t change the colors, don’t change the typography, don’t float it over busy backgrounds, etc. And your brand messaging, the same thing applies – decide on one message and stick with it. Repetition and consistency are key for brand recognition.

3. Authenticity. Your marketing materials and even your employees will project your brand to clients and consumers. Since a brand is a direct representation of your company as well as what your brand promises to deliver, it will only succeed if it’s based in truth/authenticity. A great advertising pioneer once said, “Nothing kills a bad product faster than good advertising.” Let’s re-write that equation this way: there’s nothing worse than great branding for an unsustainable brand promise.

4. Connectivity. When people talk about branding, they often use the phrase “make a brand connection.” Know your target market and learn to speak their language. Whether you are selling services or products, the visual branding and tactical messaging must be crafted to appeal to the buyer in an authentic and relatable manner. So make sure you have the right "brand tone."

5. Ambition. Apple, Nike, Starbucks, and ESPN are examples of companies that aimed high. They didn’t try to be slightly better than the competition, their goal was to lead, in their cases, the world. If you are a small or mid-size business, adopt the same ambition for your brand. Your ambition is for your brand to lead your niche. Ambition is the magnetism and glue that will oversee all the parts of your visual and tactical branding. Ambition is the enemy of “ordinary” and “inconsistent,” use it wisely and your brand will achieve new heights.

If developed properly, great branding can celebrate your company, unite your employees, and increase profits.

How To Rebrand Your Business

Momentum 18 — Sat, 21 Dec 2013 14:20:37 GMT

Rebranding Tips

By Matt Chansky

The Definition of Visual Branding

Branding starts with mission and vision statements that get at the core of the company and communicate to the designer the company's DNA to set the "brand tone." These statements describe what this company does and why it should matter to their audience and what sets them apart. If it is a very ambitious business, the statements will also allude to the impact the company wants to have on their world or even the world at large. Generally the company name and certainly the company tagline should also work in concert with the mission and vision statements. And don't forget - even a company of one or two people should follow this format, otherwise you are making moves that are haphazard. Visual branding only makes sense after these foundational words are developed. The logo is the both the cornerstone and gateway to the brand and it gets the most early attention for brand development. The logo will influence the entire branding system of colors, patterns, shapes, tone and style, typography and on an on. Thus the logo receives so much attention, it sets the visual branding system in motion allowing for the other collateral (print and web) to be developed consistently.

Rebranding 101

1. Small to mid-size companies should consider rebranding if their aspirational goals dramatically shift, the original branding no longer looks relevant, if your positioning has changed, or if you are planning a major expansion.

2. Brands need to be refreshed to stay relevant, you will need to think carefully if this can be achieved without, for example, without changing your logo. Your following expects that your website design or printed collateral will go through “upgrades” to stay vital and current. Changing your logo, if it was developed and marketed properly, should be a measured strategic decision.

3. Allowing for big changes to your logo can be an informative and rewarding exercise. You’ll get in touch with your core values once again and step outside the daily focus of your job requirements. Obviously the more well-known your brand is (even if you are a small business) the more consideration you should give to changing your logo. More dramatic changes to your logo and/or branding colors are often tied to larger internal company initiatives, i.e., expansion, restructuring, major repositioning. These are “big marketing” catch phrases, but from the small family-owned business to large corporations – the same rules apply.

4. Considering a little BOTOX for your logo rather than invasive surgery? In all likelihood you can expect that your tweaked logo will meet with little fanfare from your client base. Companies typically entertain small changes because they are nostalgic about history, afraid of big changes, there is internal corporate resistance, or if you are lucky because your logo is still close to relevancy and it just needs a touch of modernization. You’ll need to assess the risk/reward. The test will be to weigh your logo against your core values, the current health of your business, and your company’s future direction.

5. When deciding on a design firm or designer for your branding, look for a company that has a track record of achieving success. If a company doesn’t have experience with your niche, that could be a plus in that they should offer fresh ideas provided that they also like being students of different brands. If you should find an agency that has lots of experience within your niche, you’ll probably enjoy good communications and can expect a trusted result.

6. Believing in your rebranding is crucial. Internal perception of your rebranding must be authentic. If there is internal excitement about your rebranding, it will become infectious. A rebrand has the power to reinvigorate the sales force, marketing efforts, and company esprit to corps.

7. Client perception of your rebranding is also crucial. It is not generally advisable to ask your clients’ advise on designs or new tag lines. However, it is healthy to get feedback from individuals outside your office. In the end, if you like your design team – trust your design team.

If developed properly, a rebranding can celebrate your company, unite your employees, and increase profits.

Common Rebranding Mistakes You'll Want to Avoid

1. The higher they climb, the farther they fall. Pepsi, The London Olympics, and Yahoo! have all been hit hard by negative rebranding feedback. This is extremely rare for smaller businesses, which oddly enough, do a better job from A to Z than many large corporations. Two pre-existing conditions that doom the rebranding process are 1) Not trusting the designers and instead designing by committee and 2) Having a leading executive that thinks he/she knows more than the creatives.

2. A mistake you will want to avoid is thinking that the process will be easy. Maybe you are handy and you buy a book about building a deck and buy good looking supplies from Home Depot and put it all together and think you are genius and can do anything. Wrong. A rebrand starts like every other creative process with nothing. There are no directions. There are no lovely supplies to put together. Your creative team will have the ambitious challenge of turning a blank piece of paper into the cornerstone of your business for years to come.

3. After the rebranding process is complete, don’t mistake of thinking that you are done. Think ahead as to how best to roll-out and introduce the new branding. This is a newsworthy event in your company’s timeline. This is an opportunity to connect with your customer base and make inspirational speeches to your employees.

Branding Vs. Promotions – Where Should You Focus?

Momentum 18 — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 22:42:14 GMT

Branding Vs. Promotions – Where Should You Focus?

By Matt Chansky

The Long-term Vs. The Short-term

Let's make some clear distinctions at the outset that should be "no-brainers." Branding requires long-term consistent investment and nurturing. Promotions are about short-term and immediate conversions (sales).

Brands are constructed with three main braids of steel for long-term stability and credibility.

1. Strong and consistent "visual brand identity" logos, taglines, and marketing collateral (brochure, website, ads, etc).

2. Superior customer/client services.

3. Most importantly, the brand must consistently deliver on its promises or exceed expectations at every point of contact that the brand interacts with the customer.

The distinctions between businesses are trending toward parity. So it is very important that you are attentive to your three braids of steel. You can read in thousands of articles about branding about how brands create emotional attachments and cult followings in some cases. But let's be realistic, for smaller brands let's not put so much abstract emphasis on "an emotional connection." Let's use the word "trust" instead. If you, as a non-household name brand can build an authentic trust, then you have succeeded with your brand.

Promotions are a completely different train of thought, they are essentially about "right now." Focusing on sales promotions increases sales and interest in the short-term, but if you lose sight of also building a strong long-term brand, creating a culture of promotions for your business has the potential to decrease profit margins and dilute brand equity. You must pursue a balanced approach. We live in a time that is increasingly built around the psychology of saving, so don't get me wrong - promotions should be acknowledged and considered as a marketing tool. The part that some companies miss that I'm emphasizing here is the trap door in systemic promotions.

In my experience, for most companies, particularly small to mid-size companies, to think that you could only grow through long-term branding and without any kind of promotions would be a kind of brand arrogance. Even offering an occasional customer-loyalty discount is a kind of enticement that is in the promotion category. When you approach your promotion planning sessions, try not to think of them in a panicky "how do we increase sales tomorrow?" kind of way. Try to think of promotions as part of your overall brand strategy. For example, maybe there are certain kinds of smaller promotions that could get people in the door for the long-term. And try to plan out your next move.

The take away is that you need to be careful about losing your brand in the midst of all of your promotions. You must not let customers forget what is so good about your company. There must be a balance in focus that examines the value of a promotion strategy. When you plan your promotion while maintaining sight of your long-term branding, it can only help to clarify your marketing messages.

How To Avoid Common Business Mistakes – Notes for Effective Leaders

Momentum 18 — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 22:38:17 GMT

Common Small Business Mistakes and Cures

By Matt Chansky

Notes for Effective Leaders

Wouldn't it have been great if you received road map and formula for success when you incorporated your business? Every small business makes mistakes in the journey to success. Great football players fumble, great tennis players double-fault, and great coaches don't win every single game–it doesn't take away from their greatness. Stay alert to the pitfalls by planning ahead and taking steps to avoid common mistakes. Most of all, learn from your mistakes.

Can You Relate To Any of These Mistakes?

1. An over-reliance on the "vision" and an underdeveloped plan to get there. Your goals are the easy part to define. Work tirelessly on a disciplined strategy toward achieving these goals and stay in-touch with the fast-paced times we live in.

2. Not sustaining your passion for your business through the tough times. We all have times that "test us." This is the time to dig down deep and remember why you are in business in the first place. Renew that hunger for success and passion for what you do. Remember, Thomas Edison had about 1,000 failures before finally inventing an electric bulb that worked.

3. Coasting when things are going well and becoming lax about sustaining an aggressive business model.

4. Not diversifying. You should always have new plans and look for new ways to expand on your initial offerings.

5. Not budgeting enough money for branding, advertising and marketing. Business owners frequently fail to set aside adequate funds to get the word out and look credible.

6. Not setting your business apart from the competition. Actively make your product or service distinct from your competition and use this distinction as part of your marketing and advertising.

7. Neglecting loyal existing customers. Word of mouth is powerful free advertising, so keep your good customers happy and content. Always try to improve customer relations. However, if a customer becomes a major distraction to your business, find a diplomatic way to let them go and move on.

8. Not being focused on efficiency. Time is money, so let others help you reach your business goals if they can do a task better and faster. If you know the best possible way to do something, teach those around you. This will free up your schedule to focus on business growth.

9. Doing things on your own, when you need help. Sometimes we let our ego cloud our judgment and we don't realize that we would have been better off hiring an expert. While often times cost is the true inspiration for doing things on our own, there are times when doing things on our own proves to be costly.

SEO and Branding Tip Center

Momentum 18 — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 14:36:07 GMT

Momentum 18 has added a new section to our website. It is loaded with FREE SEO tips, social media tips, DIY Adwords Tips, and lots of branding tips. Designed to keep with the challenges of the rapidly changing online landscape. Geared toward the small and mid-size business.

New Logo Designs

Momentum 18 — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 14:34:43 GMT

Momentum 18 has updated the logo design portfolio with three new logos.

Print Ad Award

Momentum 18 — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 14:27:38 GMT

New Award: Momentum 18 was awarded a Platinum MarCom Statue for the RESPIT print ad design. The print ad combined traditional print techniques with a modern infographic to create a visually impactful and informative ad that succeeded for us and our client.

Logo Design News

Momentum 18 — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 13:24:56 GMT

Logo Redesign Highlights: This fall Momentum 18 welcomed new client Electrical Equipment Company (EECO) for logo redesign and rebranding. EECO is one of the nation's leading electrical equipment companies with several hundred employees. Their previous logo had been with the company for decades. Momentum 18 was humbled to be tapped for the redesign job and is so pleased that EECO was thrilled with the results.

New Web Design

Momentum 18 — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 16:54:23 GMT

Things to know about the new Momentum 18 website: In Safari, if you hover over the Momentum 18 sports car, the wheels will rev three times before taking off. Fun for the whole family.

New Web Design

Momentum 18 — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 16:53:20 GMT

Things to know about the new Momentum 18 website: The about page has a phone with texts.

New Web Design

Momentum 18 — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 16:52:18 GMT

Things to know about the new Momentum 18 website: The SEO page has a humorous (and informative) SEO Infographic.

Award-winning web design

Momentum 18 — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 16:50:18 GMT

The Momentum 18 web design and the Lambeth web design recently won VEMA Awards. Both projects were website redesigns and the origlnal designs were also developed by Momentum 18.

Logo Design Chosen for Major Catalog

Momentum 18 — Sat, 17 Aug 2013 12:45:48 GMT

Excited to announce that the logo redesign for Island Training completed earlier in the year was chosen by LL Bean for their upcoming Spring Business Apparel Catalog. Earlier in the year, the website redesign won an American Web Design Award. You can view samples of their branding on the new Momentum 18 web design.

Print Ad Design

Momentum 18 — Sat, 17 Aug 2013 12:41:26 GMT

Excited to announce the completion of the RESPIT full page ad design for their national campaign. The ad draws from infographic trends to display the details in a visual catchy way. The ad still maintains the impact that one wants from a full page ad. You can view the ad on the branding highlight page of the new website design.

Web Design Promotion

Momentum 18 — Sun, 26 May 2013 23:04:19 GMT

Offering 25% discount to new web design clients on their first web design project. The promotion ends July 15th, 2013.

Award-winning Web Design

Mometum 18 — Sun, 05 May 2013 15:20:41 GMT

Award-winning Web Design: Pleased to announce that the Lambeth Plastic Surgery web design rebranding has won a Platinum Hermes award. There were a few other wins, but this was the highlight. Many many thanks to the Lambeths for allowing me to manage their branding from its infancy, over the years, and today.

Award-winning Web Design

Momentum 18 — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:39:07 GMT

Web Design Award: Pleased to announce that the Island Training web design has won an American Web Design Award. It will be featured in GD USA Magazine later on this year. Many many thanks to the Island Training team for their trust and creative freedom.

Website Redesign

Momentum 18 — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 18:30:41 GMT

Very pleased to announce the website redesign for Lambeth Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics. The clean and bold home page design features a neat slide show that slides down from the top. There are lots of nuances such as the little couch in the footer to promote a feeling of comfort and nudge medical web design to a higher level.

Website Redesign

Momentum 18 — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 13:30:35 GMT

The vision behind the Accelogix website redesign was focused on growth and credibility. Their original web offering did not nearly positively reflect their credibility or positioning in the market. Matt's job was to create a website that would allow Accelogix to compete with the largest competitors in their niche, as well as boost the credibility of their brand with their current client roster. The website also includes a gorgeous blog design.