The Dangers Of The Internet

When you own a small business, your advertising/marketing budget might not be very important, but this is a mistake. Just like any business you should make a reasonable investment in your image, which means safely buying facebook likes from a trusted provider, having a good-looking website and innovative logo among other things. There are more and more sites available for you to create fast, cheap visual identity materials: logos, business cards, postcards, flyers, you name it… Notice how I used the word “cheap”? I didn’t mean it as “inexpensive…” I really meant it as low quality, lacking the research and creativity your business or product deserves.

Not too long ago, I went to a street fair where two of the artisans were making furniture out of recycled wine barrels. They were selling quite similar products but both had unique characteristics to their work. I quickly grabbed their business cards and thought I would check their websites later. A few days later, I pulled the cards from my wallet and this is what I saw…

Did I take two of the same artisan’s cards by mistake? No, the names and numbers were definitely different, but which one was which? I had been so impressed by both of their work and now, looking at their business cards, I thought: “This is a joke…” I never called them, I never checked their websites. I was confused and disappointed.

So, how do you make yourself stand out from your neighbor who does the exact same thing you do? Well, you start with a unique logo. It gives your business more credibility and helps potential customers remember you. Don’t go online to create your logo. Sure, you will get it fast and cheap, but so will your competitor.
When you come to Migrate Design for your logo design, there’s a lot of communication involved, we talk, we ask questions. I spend quite some time brainstorming before I even grab my pencil… Pencil, yes! You heard right, the old fashioned pencil and paper.
Your logo starts in my brain, grows on paper and eventually makes it to my computer. I give you options and then I listen to you. It’s YOUR logo, not mine. YOU tell me if I’ve achieved what you were looking for. If you don’t know, that’s okay… I’ve been doing this for 20 years and I’m here to guide you and make sure MY creation fits YOUR needs.

Now you are ready for your business card. Don’t go online! YOUR logo deserves better than being pasted on a stock photography background. I will design and print your business card for you. We can discuss your paper preferences and make sure your card is as unique as your logo.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have two calls to make. I need to help these two artisans set themselves appart from each other, with two unique visual identities even if they’re doing the same craft! It’s possible!

Contact Migrate Design for all your graphic design needs, you won’t be disappointed!

Ongoing work for Look Magazine

I’ve been working with Look Magazine for over 3 years now! What started with only designing a few ads, has now developed into Migrate Design being in charge of all the ads’ creation as well as the magazine layout!

The main purpose of this magazine is to promote local business in various Southern California cities from Orange County to the Santa Clarita Valley.

Make sure to Look for the next issue in your mailbox and take advantage of the many offers inside to support small businesses!

You own a small business and wonder how you can boost your foot traffic and improve your sales? Contact Migrate Design to discuss the advertising options available to you.

Infographic Design For The Hass Avocado Board

I’m happy to announce Migrate Design’s new collaboration with Fusion Marketing.

Fusion Marketing is a leading “data to design” full service marketing agency specializing in retail intelligence for perishable and packaged goods.

One of my first projects was the creation of infographics for the Hass Avocado Board.

“A good infographic is worth a thousand words”

Fitness Photos

If you’ve browsed through Migrate Photos, you probably noticed that there weren’t many “people” pictures… Since I have a predilection for macro photography, I usually choose objects, flowers and insects as my subjects. I turned down quite a few requests from people wanting me to take family portraits because I just don’t feel comfortable with that kind of photography. I would end up with slanted close ups of hands, eyes and noses… and I don’t know if people would appreciate my perspective since most of them are very traditional when it comes to family pictures.

When my friend Sonia asked me to take fitness photos of her, I warned her: “I usually don’t photograph people, this is not my thing… and fitness photography is an art in itself that I know nothing about…”, but we decided to do it anyway. Just the two of us and a few pieces of equipment. No make up, no professional lighting, very basic.

Sonia’s body is a piece of art in itself, like a sculpture carefully defined, her muscles create lines and shapes that really inspired me. Here’s a little glimpse at the result.

Sonia Martin, “Fit is The New Sexy”™, is an athlete and fitness instructor.

The Importance of Advertising for Local Businesses

“A man who stops advertising to save money is like a man who stops a clock to save time.” ~ Henry Ford

Can you imagine what would happen if you stopped your clock just to give you more time? You might get the illusion of accomplishing more but ultimately, you would get left behind, especially in a world and era as fast paced as ours.

In today’s economy, business owners are sometimes reluctant to spend money on advertising, not realizing that it is the key to making their business move forward and increase sales. Worse yet, they are even not aware of the new openings for marketing that internet creates. One of the most overlooked promotional methods would be social media marketing, that is hiring a professional company like pistachioconsulting.com, who can greatly boost your popularity on social media and thus increase your sales.

Here are a few reasons why you should advertise.

– Not everyone knows who you are: Your business might have been established for years or just a few months, but chances are, people don’t know you yet. Families are moving in and out of cities and you need ways to let them know about you.

– Let them know you’re still in business: Just as people move in and out of cities, businesses open and close, especially in today’s economy. Regular advertising will let your customers know that you’re still here to serve them.

– Competition is fierce: You might see competition only as other businesses or products of your type, but really, competition is anything consumers are spending money on. Advertising will help you stand out from the crowd.

– Generate traffic: Steady traffic is the first step towards increasing sales and expanding customer base. Make your potential customers curious about a new product or service and offer them a discount. The more customers through the door, the better chance of a sale and a referral.

– Turn wants into needs: Convince people that they need your service or your product by creating catchy advertising and having a consistent presence, either in local magazines, mailers, billboards…

– Save your customers time and energy: Especially in today’s economy, you need to be there when consumers are ready to purchase. If they have been repeatedly exposed to your message, they won’t have to spend time researching, they will come to you when they need you.

– Keep your image strong: Your business is more likely to be chosen if you have provided a strong, reliable image that sticks in people’s head.  As I mentioned in a previous post, visual identity is key, make sure your advertising follows the trends of the moment.

– Move forward: Advertising is the perfect tool to make you stand out and help you move forward by getting recognition and increasing sales. Don’t see it as a cost but as an investment in your business.

There are many more reasons I could mention, but the bottom line is: advertising is important. It’s like an invitation for your potential customers to come see who you are and what you have to offer.

Contact Migrate Design to discuss the many advertising options available to you and your business.

Frostie Bottom Treestands Logo

Thumbtack.com has been a great resource for Migrate Design over the past year. It allowed us to establish new clients all over the United States.

The latest project was the creation of a logo for Frostie Bottom Treestands, located in Claremont, North Carolina.