Complexity vs Simplicity

The amount of effort it takes to read or perceive all the elements of a logo can make or break a design. Too much detail can be a bad thing. If a viewer decides that your logo is too busy they will create a negative association with your brand.

There is less guidance on directions to take when it comes to over simplifying a logo. The success of a simple logo is not as easy to predict and may need in depth testing to truly see the differences in consumer preferences.

What are you trying to convey about your business? What is the most straightforward way to get people to recognize your logo as one that represents your industry?

Trendy vs Timeless

As there are fashion trends there are logo trends, and it isn’t always in your long term interest to follow them. Creating a trendy logo that follows the style of others can lead to viewers confusing your logo for theirs.

Many established brands periodically toy with their logos, and often they do them in the styles which are trending at the time. This is a practice that works for the well-established but can lead to poor results for those still in the growth phase trying to gain recognition. Be true to your own business and avoid being swayed.

Interpretations of Different Fonts

Font style is an important factor in the messaging of a brand, and is usually one of the first things a viewer will take note of. Different styles convey different tones, from classy and elegant to playful and trendy.

A lot of time can be spent on choosing just the right font, so here is a guide for five broad categories of font style to help narrow it down a little bit:

Serif Fonts

Traditional styling

Commonly perceived as more trustworthy and respectable

Conveys authority and grandeur, confidence

 slab serif variation gives more attitude and modern feel

 Sans

Emphasis on clean looks and control

Perceived as a more engagement friendly

Seen as a honest presentation

Script

Personable, elegant, historic

More likely to inspire an emotional reaction

MUST BE LEGIBLE

Modern

Straight to the point

Easy to perceive

Conveys intelligence and style

Doesn’t attempt to be showy

Display/ Decorative

Unique to the maximum

Custom

Highly stylized

Vast range of potential responses from viewers

Entirely dependent on company preference as to what is being demonstrated.

Vector vs Pixel Graphics

Create a logo that can be used at any scale that experiences no image distortion by using vectors. Vectors do not follow the same principle as pixel driven design. Vectors are put in place with parameters such as beginning and end points, line width, color or filling patterns.

Because of the different way that a vector made graphic is defined, these designs will be in a smaller file size.

Maintain a sharp outline without having to worry about the resolution of a traditional pixel driven design.

Originality

The world of art is a complex and confusing one at times. Copyright laws and trademarks sometimes make the process of creating a new logo daunting. Theft is not tolerated but to take inspiration from others is a common practice.

Putting in the time and effort of creating a new logo devoid of other companies influence is a sure way to prevent any sort of legal trouble on your end.

 Abbreviations/Variations

Variations of your logo are an important part to think about in terms of implementing your logo across you business and products without just copy and pasting.

The Primary logo should have more details and elements in it that convey the personality of the brand. Primary logo should be formatted in the landscape orientation because a lot of the time it’s being presented as a header along the top of a page, on the side of building etc.

The Secondary logo is a simpler design that has less going on, but still recognizable to the consumer as the logo to the company. Your secondary logo should be easier to read and used in situations where the audience might not have as much time to take in the information presented.

Many brands use more than two variations on their logo, with each being identifiable regardless of how complex or simple they are.

Hot Off the Presses

Creative Composition is taking a leap forward in the printing industry in Northern California with the installment of a Speedmaster CX 75 Heidelberg Printing Press.

Why did Creative Composition choose Heidelberg?

There are several reasons Heidelberg is world renown as one of the finest press manufacturers. Their quality is unsurpassed as the stability of the system creates accurate color through the run. This machine is highly automated and sets up fast and runs quickly allowing us to provide competitive pricing. Its flexibility ranges from light weight papers up to heavy board. The press has a large sheet size so it can run 6 up in the standard 8.5”x 11” format, as well as posters, packaging, labels, presentation folder and more. This means Creative Composition can produce a very wide range of products and pass on efficiency to our customers.

What does this mean to our clients?

• 15,000 impressions per hour – It’s very FAST! That means faster turn times for those HOT print projects.
• Make-readies in 10 minutes or less – Again, it’s incredibly fast! Multiple press OKs will now be done in a fraction of the time.
• Color stability through the run – This press has the most advanced print technology in the industry. The press scans the color as it’s printing to ensure the run is consistent, whether you are printing 1000 or 100,000.
• We have a coating unit to add the finishing touches like aqueous or varnish to make you project pop.

An open house is to be announced sometime in 2021 when we can all safely get back together. We would love for you to join us on a tour through our manufacturing facility as we show you how printing projects comes to life. If you don’t want to wait, call Mark Hendry at 530.924.2408 for a private tour.

In Closing

We look forward to serving Northern California businesses with best-in-class printing, direct mail advertising and marketing. If you have a project you have been thinking about and would like to get a quote please reach out to us www.creativecomp.com.

Special thanks to PG&E, Santos Construction, JT Martin Construction, and Egan Electric for their help in getting this press on our manufacturing floor.

 

What is Informed Delivery?

Informed Delivery is a new service that allows consumers to digitally preview incoming direct mail before it arrives. The post office send pictures of each mail piece, also known as the informed delivery daily digest, on the day the direct mail arrives. The digest also includes tracking information  for any package you are receiving. Consumers have to sign up for the USPS Informed Delivery service before they can start to receive mail updates. Although it was originally only available in certain areas, it is now a widely available being used by over 26.5 million Americans and counting.

*Informed Delivery allows users to interact with their incoming mail and packages in one convenient online location.  Users will receive email notifications containing grayscale images of the exterior, address side of incoming letter-sized mail pieces that are arriving soon.

Why do I need Informed Delivery?

Individuals are signing up for Informed Delivery more now than ever. Why? Mail theft is on the rise as well as extended waiting periods of receiving mail. This, in large, could be due to the hit of COVID – 19 and the influx of online ordering. With that being said, here are a few perks that come with Informed Delivery.

• A sample of the mail to be received that day will be emailed at 7:45 Am every day.
• Images are clear and shows recipient information which is valuable to a multiple member household.
• In the online portal, mark mail that was not received but had a preview for.

Click here to sign up for Informed Delivery.

Marketing and Informed Delivery

A main reason Informed Delivery gives hope to direct mail marketers is due to its forced interaction with Informed Delivery users. 70% of subscribers open their mail daily increasing the chances of impressions on your Direct mail that would have other wise been thrown away. Add timelessness into the mix and businesses have the opportunity to target customers at the beginning of their day, perhaps at time where they are more likely to make a purchase.

Features of USPS Informed Delivery

Informed Delivery also includes the following features for businesses:

• Create a Campaign via the Mailer Campaign Portal: Once you have gained access to the Customer Gateway, you will be able to create an Informed Delivery Interactive Campaign.
• Pre-Campaign Analysis Report: From the Customer Gateway, you will have the option of creating a pre-campaign analysis report. This makes it possible for your business to evaluate how many people on your consumer list are already using Informed Delivery services.
• Representative and Ad Image: An Informed Delivery campaign consists of a representative image and ad image. The representative image can either be a picture of the mail piece or different artwork that looks more like a banner image. In addition to the representative image, there will be a smaller image called the ad image. Think of this as a Facebook ad. It is similar in size but will contain the offer of call-to-action (CTA).
• Call to Action: Next to the ad is the CTA text that contains a link to the landing page that you’re pointing the end user to. Keep in mind, if you’re currently tracking in coming traffic to your website through analytics, it is important to include UTM tracking with in your link. This will allow you to see informed Delivery as a traffic source.

Benefits of using Informed Delivery for Marketers

Marketers are looking for a way to pair direct mail and digital, and on the most basic level, Informed Delivery is it. The ability to show an ad to a consumer that you know is getting your direct mail piece is pretty powerful. Many of those in direct mail marketing know how important it is to track open and click-through rates. Through Informed Delivery updates, it is possible to track these for your direct mail campaign. Another great feature that Informed Delivery offers is the chance for your Direct Mail Campaign to stay live. This means that weeks to months after your direct mail piece is delivered, users can access their portal and click back on the live mail piece.

Informed Delivery is a free feature that is offered by USPS. Take advantage of it now!

Key Takeaways

Informed Delivery….

• Used by over 26.5 Million Americans.
• Gives insights into open and click-through-rates for marketers.
• Provided as a free service, for now, by USPS.
• Bridges the gap between direct mail and digital marketing.

We can help!

If you are currently using direct mail and not taking advantage of Informed Delivery for your direct mail – we can help.

Call Mark today!

Mark Hendry
VP Sales/Marketing
530.924.2408
mark@creativecomp.com
www.creativecomp.com