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It’s probably one of the most talked about topics of late in the business world—sustainability or becoming a leaner, greener company. There is a lot of information out there to help companies become more sustainable and profitable, but what key strategies make a sustainability program most successful?
Companies of all sizes are feeling increased pressure from employees, customers, and the market to develop an effective corporate sustainability strategy and act in an environmentally responsible manner. However, a company looking to implement a sustainability program for the first time faces a number of challenges: determining priorities, setting goals, and measuring results, just to name a few.
WALNUT CREEK — It’s a downtown divided; north versus south, with Mt. Diablo Boulevard its “Mason-Dixon Line.”
The split between the updated mall and newer shops to the south and the hodgepodge of older businesses and ethnic restaurants to the north is clear, says branding expert Roger Brooks. A fractured downtown can’t thrive, much less bill itself a regional retail destination, he said.
“It’s ridiculous; you should be joined at the hip,” said Brooks of Walnut Creek’s downtown.
To make Walnut Creek’s downtown a brand name, the business association should ditch the slogan “Escape the Ordinary” and build its brand as a tony shopping mecca with choice eateries, a true culinary destination.
The Host Country of every Olympic and Paralympic Games tells a unique story of culture and imagination through design and artistry. The Vancouver 2010 graphic identity seeks to unify and beautify the Games with a consistent look and feel throughout all its environments and communications. It will also allow VANOC to leave a mark in memories and in photos. Seen on the design of vancouver2010.com, brochures and publications, merchandise and uniforms, the graphic identity elements appear on buildings, street signs, banners and venues, dressing the city and venues in colour during Games time.
Keyboard shortcuts save so much time and also give your hand a break from the mouse! Give them a try. PC users just use the control key (or alt key) instead of command.
Command-J
Brings up window where you can select which page to jump to.
Command-2, Command-4
Zooms to 200% and 400%.
Command-K
Brings up the preferences window.
Command-TAB
Allows you to switch to other applications or Finder.
W
Shows design in preview mode (without frames or pasteboard).
X
Allows you to switch between fill and stroke in Swatch menu.
E
Selects the Free Transform tool.
Option-Double Click
On any placed image will open image for editing in original application.
Enjoy! And, feel free to share any other time-saving shortcuts that you’ve discovered.
© Copyright 2010. Banana Creative. All rights reserved. Would you like to reproduce portions of this article? Please contact
Despite the recent popularity of email marketing and social networking, old-fashioned snail mail marketing is proving to be the key to boosting business. Instead of eliminating or slashing budgets for direct mail, companies should use it to complement other aspects of their marketing approach.
This just in from Marketing Sherpa:
In reporting on this consumer study of social media use by consumers, we make reference to a group we’re calling “Max Connectors” — those people with more than 500 social connections. They exemplify the new social consumer, and they’re especially valuable targets for marketing, at least in theory, because they can spread a positive brand or product experience so widely.
The motivations for consumers to track brands and companies through social media are generally predictable. However, there are exceptional aspects. Unlike our motivations for email or catalogs, getting a first or early look at features and products is at least as strong a motivation as beneficial pricing (that’s especially true of Max Connectors).
Another unique driver of social connectedness with companies is to “get to know” the company. Although other aspects of the Internet have already opened this arena up to scrutiny, social media accelerated the ability of individual consumers to monitor, communicate and comment on companies as citizens.
In today’s environment of protecting the bottom line, some companies are making the decision to outsource work overseas. And for some, offshoring and outsourcing overseas has proved beneficial. But, before you decide to move your graphic design or web development work overseas, carefully consider the risks and challenges this may present.
2. Time zone.
Most communication with an overseas contractor will need to be done outside of normal business hours. When you are in the office, the contractor will be in bed. For example, India is 13.5 hours ahead of California, so if you need to talk with the contractor, calls must be made between 8pm and 3am. Urgent requests may take longer for a response.
3. Risk of stealing intellectual property.
Companies will continue to trade off the benefits of low-cost labor for the risks of intellectual property theft without fully understanding the implications. Product knowledge gained by a contractor can be passed on to a competitor and also retained by the contractor. Source code developed by the contractor at the client’s request is kept by the contractor. This leads to serious issues with regards to licensing and copyright. India has recently taken steps to tighten laws around data protection for foreign work handled by Indian companies and for instilling harsher penalties for data breaches. However, there are far more countries that do not regard intellectual property protection as a priority.
4. Differing work ethics and quality standards.
Because of communication and cultural issues, often the finished product does not meet with existing quality standards. Outsourcing a project requires a great deal of trust and the quality of work varies considerably. Errors can range from simple spelling/grammar issues to major programming problems. Since the contractor will be working for a fixed price, motivation will be to decrease their expenses and time spent on the project in order to turn a profit.
5. Differing business policies and terms.
When working with overseas contractors, it may be difficult or impossible to have your contract terms honored. If a contract is signed, there may not be any recourse for delivering a poor product. Each country has their own business policies and terms, so it may be beneficial to do research before engaging in any contract work overseas. Also, if the outsourcing company requires you to sign their contract, be aware that anything not covered in the contract will be the basis for you to pay additional charges. In this case, it may be in your best interest to hire a lawyer to review their contract before signing.
Though it’s tempting to take advantage of lower overseas labor costs, it may be a good idea to rethink your strategy. Depending upon your needs and expectations, hiring overseas contractors for graphic design or development work might end up costing more in the end, and could add new challenges to your plate.
Feel free to share any experiences you’ve had in working with overseas contractors and/or companies.
© Copyright 2009. Banana Creative. All rights reserved. Would you like to reproduce portions of this article? Please contact
We’ve always put the environment first in every aspect of our business, but now it’s official! On November 3, 2009 Banana Creative was recognized as a Bay Area Green Business. The Green Business Program verifies that businesses meet higher standards of environmental performance.
This includes general actions like:
And more specific, business-related actions like:
Even though a lot of the requirements had already been implemented, this certification was no small feat. In fact, to qualify, Banana Creative was required to implement over 89 initiatives. But, what’s good for the environment, is good for business! And, we are excited to incorporate and share our greener way of doing business with you.
For more information about becoming a green business, and a complete listing of Green Businesses visit www.greenbiz.ca.gov
© Copyright 2009. Banana Creative. All rights reserved. Would you like to reproduce portions of this article? Please contact
As we discussed in my last posting, strong brands don’t only belong to companies with big budgets. A brand is built upon the knowledge of who you are, the key value you provide, and communicating this clearly all of the time. For a company, talking the talk AND walking the walk, is what makes a strong and successful brand. Fortunately, this does not always involve a lot of money.
Use these secrets that I’ve learned over the past 19 years from helping companies build their brand from the ground up.
Be believable. A strong brand only makes promises that can be kept. Try to avoid overpromising or making claims that your customer knows are too good to be true. People today are savvy and naturally skeptical when it comes to marketing. So, be real when you are communicating your brand.
Be unique and interesting. Sometimes this takes courage, but allows your brand to stand out amongst your competitors. Your differentiation factor must also make a difference to your customers. Don’t harp on expected attributes like quality or service, but focus on what gives your company flavor and personality.
Consistently communicate your brand. There are many different business marketing channels that can potentially fuel your business—print, web, social media. But, your brand must remain consistent across all of these channels. A strong brand also communicates the same promise at every touchpoint, both internally and externally. Being consistent in how you communicate and visually present your brand, establishes recognition and eventually response in your marketplace.
Stay who you are both inside and out. If your brand promise is what makes you believable, unique and relevant to customers, then it makes sense to use your brand as the key part of your business strategy. This doesn’t mean you cannot refresh the design and look and feel of your marketing communications (in fact, you should!), but just make sure you keep the heart of your promise.
Instead of focusing on shrinking marketing budgets and skyrocketing costs, use these secrets to make an honest assessment of your brand. You will discover that it really comes down to one big secret: A strong brand means living it.
Would you like to share something that has helped build your brand?
© Copyright 2009. Banana Creative. All rights reserved. Would you like to reproduce portions of this article? Please contact