This is the place for the latest CustomXM activity, some favorite client success stories and banter regarding print, marketing and signage that you might find interesting.

Photo of logo and brochure design for Ben E. Keith's 2015 Mid South Food Show

Ben E. Keith Eats Up their Food Show Branding

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Ben E. Keith, a distributor of food service products and premium alcoholic beverages, located in North Little Rock, Arkansas, hosts an annual Mid-South Food Show. The one-day show featured technology demonstrations, over 150 of their vendors showcasing their latest items, an American Culinary Federation Culinary Competition, guest speakers, and even a party the night before.

They wanted a special look for this years event. It was important that the look communicate their overreaching focus of simply providing customers with fundamental tools they need to succeed. They also desired an fun, creative and edgy look that fell in-line with the spirit and goals of both the company and the event.

The solution was a logo that literally spotlights a spoon in front of an audience. The logo would be used on specially die-cut hexagon shaped brochure that would be distributed to customers during food deliveries. They also used JPG images from portions from the design to promote aspects of the event in their client email campaigns during the weeks leading up to the event.

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Historically, the speaking portion of the event had not yielded a great deal of interest from participants. However, this year they had made a special effort to acquire speakers they thought would generate interest and likewise wanted to be sure those seats were filled. Because of the time constraints of the show, the keynote speaker would present one hour before the published event start time. The night before the event the staff cut-off the portion of the leftover brochures that featured the speaking schedule on one side and the cover graphic on the other. They handed those out to guests at their party the night before in an effort to drive traffic to both the early speaking event and the mid-day presenter. The result was great. Both the speaking events and the food show was well attended. They indicated that not only was the design creative and very fitting for the event, but that the hexagon brochure design was also key in getting attention and sparking conversation. Their only wish is that they had utilized the logo design in more of the event’s promotional items like tee shirts and banners.

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The $1,000,000 News Conference

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With the announcement of a $1 million dollar grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, The Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub needed a polished and attractive backdrop for the press conference stage.  Not only would it be in the spotlight of the media, but also be host a number of important local, state and federal leaders.  SignsXM provided them with a 9’ x 7’ step and repeat backdrop, as well as two 3’ x 6’ foot retractable banner stands. customxm_hubconference_casestudy2

“In addition to helping us prepare for a major news announcement, we looked to the creativity of CustomXM to give our new location a sense of permanence. The interior and exterior signage and graphics they produced accomplished both with great success.”  – Warwick Sabin 

SignsXM also provided The Hub with window decals to add additional exterior branding to an exterior that is still a work in progress. A large acrylic contour cut Launch Pad sign greets the guest from the entrance facing Broadway.

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“The banners and backdrops created by CustomXM not only allow us to brand internally, we also use them for events and activities outside of the Innovation Hub.” – Warwick Sabin

The $1 million dollar grant will allow the Hub to complete building renovations, including establishing the Silver Mine co-working space.

 

Can you Sell? Apply Now! Hurry, while supplies last.

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We are looking for a new sales rep!  Our highly energetic, and sometimes photogenic sales rep, Charlie, is moving back home to Denver, Colorado. He moved to Little Rock nine years ago after accepting a track scholarship from UALR. We were fortunate to have him on our team for the last 3 years as he has excelled in selling print, signage and more for our North Little Rock company. But he is leaving, and we need to keep his sales mojo going. Quickly!

We could go on and on about what Charlie did and what his job involves, but since he always had a way with words, and video, we will let him have the honor of doing so:

Straight and to the point. With a little humor mixed in. That’s Charlie, and that’s what we are looking for to fill this position.

Interested?  If so, please do this:

  • Watch the video a few more times.
  • Pay attention to the 3 individuals Charlie refers to during the video.
  • Make your own short video (less than 2 minutes) and in it, you need to SELL. Pick one of the individuals shown in the video, and sell them something they could use. Sell them something that could benefit them, and something you are passionate about.
  • Post the video and send the link to [email protected], use the subject heading: You’ve got to see this!
  • Feel free to include your resume and any questions you may have along with your video link.

Thanks, and happy selling! We look forward to seeing you.

Add Some Bling To Your Storefront

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We all know the secret to retail success – Location, Location, Location.  Let’s assume you have your perfect location, you secured your ideal piece of real estate, so now what?

You must now let the world know – tell your customers who you are and what you are all about. And there is no better, more cost effective way to do this with exterior and interior graphics.  Here’s why:

  • The brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than text.
  • Signs do more than just look pretty – they work hard 24/7. And the best signs do this:
    • They Inform
    • They Sell
    • They Educate
    • They Entertain

Retail signage and graphics tell a story, leave an impression and set a tone. The proper signage inside and outside of a store can inspire confidence with customers and employees alike.

So here are few tips to help with your retail sign efforts:

  • Use photos in your design.  According to a DMA study, using a photo creates a 300% greater recall than ads without photos.
  • Try to keep headline copy to seven words or less.
  • Pay attention to color contrast. Certain color combinations are very appealing for readability – Black on Yellow; Black on white and vice versa.  Signs with grays, pinks, light blue may not attract the same attention as stronger color combinations.
  • Keep your message simple.

The graphic at the top gives several examples of effective, affordable uses of exterior signage. But remember, interior signage such as Sale signs, floor graphics, POP displays are equally effective and affordable.

And get this – Full priced merchandise that has signage outperforms sale merchandise that doesn’t have a sign by 18% (in a study performed by the Institute of Retail Management).

Take a look around inside and outside your store.  Does your signage set the right tone? Does it inform, educate or entertain.  Most importantly, does your signage sell?

If not, we can help.

Need photos of interior or exterior graphics? Go here.

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Paul Strack [email protected] @pstrack

State Senate Approves Bill to Wrap Capitol Dome

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The Arkansas Senate this morning approved HB – 4115 that would allow for the Capitol dome to be wrapped by a North Little Rock sign and graphics company.  Proposed by Rep. Sidd Fitch (Mound City), this bill allows for the dome to be completely covered by either a camouflaged or metallic adhesive graphic. Rep. Fitch indicated that after reviewing many choices, the Dome Restoration Committee Members (DORCs) decided on these two final options. “We had nicknames for both versions – Camo Capitol and Chrome Dome,” said Fitch. The bill was written in such a way that final approval of the design will rest solely at the discretion of Governor Asa Hutchinson.

“At this point, I haven’t made a decision as to which version I will approve” commented the spokesperson for Governor Hutchinson. “On one hand, I like the Chrome Dome and its ability to reflect its surrounding environment. The longer I stared at that reflection; it was almost as if I could gaze into the soul of the Legislative session. Then I realized it had no soul.” When asked about his thoughts on the camouflaged version, Hutchinson’s spokesperson responded, “I like its ability to help our State Capitol remain under the radar. I may suggest to our friends in Indiana that they may want to consider this technique.” He also commented that the Camo Capital fits well with Arkansas’ constituents who enjoy hunting, fishing and in partaking in the best that the Natural State has to offer. Buford Smith, owner of BS Gun & Tackle Emporium, fully supports the camouflaged plan, saying that “now Arkansas will be able to compete with them Duck Dynasty boys from Louisiana.”

Artist's rendering of Chrome Dome.

Artist’s rendering of Chrome Dome.

Not surprisingly, this bill has already been met with some vocal opposition. Some lawmakers expressed concern that the Chrome Dome would already violate SB-79 –the Personal Rights Protection Act currently under review. Due to its photogenic reflective nature, Chrome Dome would garner the attention of many passersby, all of which will be in possession of cameras. The natural tendency will be to take photos. However, since SB-79 was recently vetoed by Governor Hutchinson, people appearing in the reflection no longer have to be removed from the photos if they did not give prior consent. The Chrome Dome is still an option.

Once the final design is approved, CustomXM, a printing and design firm in North Little Rock, will produce the graphics and apply to the dome. CustomXM president, Paul Strack explained, “This is an exciting project for us all. Since the current legislative session has been quite uneventful, we are proud to do our part to help call attention to our beautiful State Capitol.” Strack also explained that in order to comply with eco-friendly guidelines, all materials will be made from recycled products. “It will be the first time we will employ our newest production technique call ‘rehoming’.”  This is a new process that takes ridiculous and nonsensical legislative bills from the current session and transforms them into something of value. Strack indicated that there would be more than enough bills to complete this project.

Once ratified, the contract terms extend from April 1, 2015 through April Fools’ Day, 2016.

 

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Paul Strack [email protected] @pstrack

What’s New Wednesday – Can You Spare a Fiverr?

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How much would you pay to have not one, but two cows dance in front of your logo?

As you think about that, consider this –

Today we have the luxury of being able to purchase anything, absolutely anything, from our laptop or phones. And this omnipresent availability has driven our price expectations and realities to incredibly low prices. But even at that, what would you expect to be able to purchase for five dollars?

Surprisingly, and maybe even frighteningly, quite a bit. Maybe you’ve heard about Fiverr.com. As defined by Wikipedia, Fiverr is a global online marketplace offering tasks and services, beginning at a cost of $5 per job performed, from which it gets its name. The site is primarily used by freelancers to offer a variety of different services, and by customers wanting to buy those services. Over 3 million services, over 100 product categories, all starting at $5. Is this a great country or what???

A quick review of the Fiverr web site will show you that most of the services offered tend to cater to those desiring some sort of creativity – graphic design, copy writing, branding, stationery design and even legal services. Well, I certainly appreciate a creative lawyer.

But for $5.00? Really?

Okay, in the spirit of full disclosure, let me say just a few things:

  • We offer creative services (duh), and charge much more than $5.00.
  • We often use local designers and other freelancers and they charge more than $5.00.
  • I appreciate a bargain.
  • I’m willing to try most anything once.
  • And I have used Fiverr.com not once, not twice, but three times.

And I feel really good about it.

Our First Fiverr Foray Featured Fingers. Just take a look…

We had so much fun with that one, we decided to get more fingers and hands involved with Play-Doh:

And finally, we decided to splurge and celebrate the fact that we are, All About That Print.

But does this whole cheap-creativity-on-demand undermine our services, and those of other artists, designers and creatives?

Hardly.

Here’s why –

  • Few, if any of these “gigs” cost $5.00. Most all of them have add-ons. My Finger Fiverr was in fact $5.00; the Play-Doh video was $25.00, and as far as the All About That Print video, I rewrote the lyrics – Fiverr provided the music and vocals for $85.00. We produced the video in house.
  • These gigs are what they are – inexpensive and expedient. They may serve a specific purpose, but you do need know what you are looking for.
  • And you absolutely must remember, as in most all things, you do get what you pay for.

So if you need to have cows dancing in front of your logo, by all means, use Fiverr. But if you need true creativity, a concept, a cohesive design, or a true marketing campaign to tell your story, you will need to look elsewhere. Preferably here.

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Paul Strack [email protected] @pstrack

Not Quite Fifty Shades of Grey, But Close

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Today is THE day!

Never has there been so much anticipation over something we expertly deal with on a daily basis.  It’s important that we do talk about this and eliminate all our fears and anxieties.

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  • While we don’t have exactly 50 Shades of Grey to choose from, we do offer a wide variety of exciting options.
  • We don’t require contracts for most of our services, although we are happy to produce them, even in multiple parts if requested.
  • We do offer online submissions.
  • If this is your first time, we know you may feel apprehensive about some of our services, but our quality team of customer service experts encourage you to sit back, relax, close your eyes and allow yourself to become totally satisfied.
  • Yes, we do offer a complete bindery service.
  • Often, our creations are quite stimulating.
  • When you entrust your print, marketing and signage services to us, you will no longer feel the need to be chained to your desk.  Get out and explore the world!
  • Our goal is to help you dominate your industry.

Contact us, we’d love to engage in some one-on-one conversation.

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Paul Strack [email protected] @pstrack

 

Office Depot is Gone, Should I Buy VistaPrint?

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The good news is that for printing services in the North Little Rock area (and Little Rock area too, I suppose), I have one less competitor to worry about. With the recently announced buyout of Office Depot by Staples, I should now rest easy knowing that some of my competition is going away, right? Since this merger will result in fewer big-box office stores, those businesses needing printed collateral, stationery, marketing materials, banners and posters will now be more willing to visit us, right?

But wait, what about VistaPrint? They keep growing, and continue to expand their global reach and online presence. Certainly they are a competitor. And in this soon-to-be-released commercial, they do a wonderful job of storytelling. It’s the classic story of the prodigal son returning home, and the subtle product placement is nicely done:

Okay, wipe away those tears and continue reading.

Have I lost business to Staples, Office Depot and VistaPrint? Certainly. Have I lost sleep over what these behemoths have done to our industry. Certainly not. (I’ve lost sleep for other reasons, but maybe those are for another day.)

I know that as big and as inexpensive as these competitors have become, they can never replace what we have at CustomXM. In this touching tale of “The Postcard,” I, as a business owner and marketer, have questions arising from the story of Barrett & Son Bakery:

  • Who consulted with them on their branding?
  • Who assisted with the design of their logo?
  • Who installed some of their banners and signs?
  • Who advised them on the need for consistency in their marketing efforts?
  • Did they purchase a database, or was EDDM a better solution for their postcard?
  • Surely they incorporated the use of social media as part of their marketing efforts?
  • And most certainly they developed a cohesive strategy and plan to implement all these efforts, right?

I certainly agree that the online and mega-mortar providers do a good job in fulfilling many business needs, especially if these needs relate to commodity items. But certain customized products and services require more than a simple SKU. They require conversation, a dialogue, maybe even a face-to-face meeting. They require the personalized attention that our team at CustomXM has been providing for over 48 years.

I enjoyed The Postcard video. But more than that, I enjoy the never-ending stories we help create for our customers, and we’ve been doing this for 48 years! But let’s face it, the story of Barrett & Sons Bakery is most likely fictional. That’s where we have the upper hand on VistaPrint and the others. We are proud to share this story of a REAL Bakery, now in its 3rd year. What we lack in video and audio quality as compared to that of The Postcard, we certainly make up for in passion and snarkiness. And please note that this video was made months before The Postcard.

Once again, wipe away those tears and let us know how we can help tell your story.  And we can even let you buy business cards online, too (500 full color for $58.00)!

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Paul Strack [email protected] @pstrack

Can This Be Write?

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Riddle me this…

  • Upon entering his freshmen year at college this past fall, our son was required to purchase an iPad for a particular class.
  • When our daughters began high school, we were required to purchase new laptops through the school for use with various components of the curriculum.
  • Recently, our 22 year old son, a senior, was taken aback by a professor’s request to NOT take classroom notes via a laptop or tablet. In fact, all electronic note-taking is prohibited in this professor’s class.
  • And now J.C. Penney is resurrecting its print catalog.

I’m confused.

I have always been somewhat of an early adopter, and have embraced technology whenever possible. Yet, my livelihood is dependent upon the use of that ancient form of communication – print. Needless to say, as we begrudgingly continue to one day become that “paperless society”, I can’t help but grin at recent developments to the contrary.

Again I ask…

If we are encouraging our students at the collegiate, high school, elementary and even earlier to immerse themselves in all things digital – especially the tools used to advance their education – how do professors justify removing these same tools giving similar reasons?

If online shopping continues to grow exponentially, why would a major retailer bring back a dinosaur of a catalog?

A scientific response could be that neuroscience studies show that physical media such as print leaves a deeper footprint on the human brain than the virtual. I think this suggests that if I write down my grocery list I will remember it better than if I type it in my notes on my phone (with the underlying assumption that I leave both the list and my phone in the car).

But I never did like science. So let’s explore further.

 

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Learning & Literacy

Recent studies continue to indicate how in spite of all the tech tools available to us, print, paper and yes, even handwriting deliver proven benefits and continue to play an essential role in education and development.

  • Elementary students who wrote by hand are found to write more quickly and wrote more complete sentences than those who do not.  (More info here.)
  • Children remembered more details from stories they read on paper than ones they read in e-books. (More info here.)
  • While laptops are commonplace in university classrooms, one of their drawbacks is the distractions they offer. Some research has shown that multitasking on a laptop poses significant distraction not only to the user, but to fellow students as well.

 

Catalogs

Catalog to Internet Sales

J.C. Penney has struggled over the years. It has continued to try to crawl its way back from recent sales declines. So why do they decide to bring back this antiquated, phone book style medium? The answer, it appears, is that in some instances, “if you build it, they didn’t come.” When Penney’s decided to discontinue the Big Book in 2009, it was anticipated that catalog shoppers would migrate online. But it didn’t actually pan out that way. The company eventually learned that a lot of what they thought were new online sales were actually catalog shoppers using the website to place their orders.  And after a half-decade hiatus, it is bringing back its catalog.

Now, retailers are rediscovering the books as a branding tool that can drive sales. According to Kurt Salmon, 31% of shoppers have a catalog with them when they make an online purchase.

What then, does this tell us?

Print drives sales! And print helps you learn and remember!

As if you and I didn’t already know that.

Now where did I put that grocery list???

 

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Paul Strack [email protected] @pstrack

 

What’s New Wednesday – Negative Space

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If you are familiar with any visual or graphic design related topics, you probably have heard or even used the phrase, “white space is our friend.” White space, or negative space, is simply that: an unmarked portion of a related graphic, print, canvas or other medium where images or text do not appear. I’ve recently come across an interesting use of negative space that is more literal in nature. It is space so negative, that it doesn’t exist. In theory and in reality, it is full of holes.

Vinyl banners have been a mainstay for outdoor announcements and signage. You see them everywhere – grand openings, auto dealerships, community and sporting events. Banners and signs like these are affordable and effective sales tools. They begin working the moment you put them up, and don’t stop until you take them down. And when the need arises for these to be outdoors for an extended amount of time, or depending upon the height at which these banners will be displayed, you may notice banners with half-moon slits cut into them. This is done to allow the wind to pass through the banners. After all, most advertisers would prefer that they remain banners, and not 6’x10’ sails.

But this may not be the most attractive answer to this problem.

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Wind slits in banners – a shotgun approach?

Fortunately, an esthetic and functional solution exists, and it’s a wholly pleasant improvement to the situation that involves negative space. Or it’s a holey improvement. Mesh Banner material, a digital media that is 60% material and 40% air (give or take) provides a solution that has some rather eye-catching benefits. This material holds full color images in a stunning fashion, and actually blends into the environment with a near translucent effect depending upon where the direct light hits it.

Mesh banner along walkway at Rockwater Marina.

Mesh banner installed along walkway at Rockwater Marina.

Until recently, I was under the impression that this material was best suited for outdoor environments only. But a visit to JCPenney in North Little Rock showed me how effective this material can be indoors too, especially in the retail environment. In the photos below, you can see how this mesh banner provides an artistic product backdrop when the primary light source is in front of it. Yet, it can appear nearly translucent allowing for product display behind it when the stronger light is behind it.

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It becomes a very affordable, yet highly effective piece of interior display design.

So if you are looking for an effective way to get your message across, don’t make your audience read between the lines. Instead, let them look through the holes.

 

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Paul Strack [email protected] @pstrack