So, you’ve seen other brands reap the benefits of investing in a social media presence, but you’ve yet to push the gas and get your brand going? Maybe you’ve tried to implement a social media strategy, but lack of time and knowledge has gotten you nowhere.

Don’t find yourself stranded with no place to go – Powell Creative is here to jumpstart your brand’s social media strategy and give it the necessary boost for online success.

Whether you want Powell to take the wheel and drive your social media campaign, or you just need us to take the passengers seat and navigate you along the way, we guarantee that within our new package options, there’s a plan that works for you and your company.

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One of the most vexing things about logo design is that brands often feel like the more complex the design the better. It¹s often assumed that logos should be as colorful and detailed as possible when, in fact, the most memorable logos are simple. The impulse to create an illustrative, ornate logo is a dangerous one and should be ignored whenever possible.

Think of the best, most iconic logos. Nike, McDonald¹s and Coca-Cola probably come to mind. All three of these designs are simple, controlled and use almost exclusively single lines and text to create a memorable brand image.

When designing a logo, try to focus on duo-tone color schemes and text only. See what you can produce limiting yourself to simple elements at first instead of incorporating every design trick you¹ve ever learned.

Remember, complexity truly is your enemy.

A complex logo takes time for consumers to comprehend and appreciate. A logo concept should always be simple enough that people absorb it without having to think too much about it. You want to attract the attention of your audience, not confuse them.

It¹s also important to remember that the design of your logo must be flexible and translatable. A logo design that is sized to fit on your shirt pocket might not look so great when it¹s blown up on a billboard. On the other hand, an extremely detailed logo that was designed to be billboard-size may be indecipherable when scaled down.

When creating a new logo or even redesigning an old one, there¹s one thing to remember: simplicity is key. With that in mind, Powell Creative always creates memorable logo designs for our clients. The logos we create are easy on the eyes, uniquely designed and contribute to your company¹s overall brand identity.

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Think again.

Many B2B organizations underestimate the power of social media marketing. They miss out on the opportunity to increase awareness of their brand, generate leads and build relationships simply because they think it’s only a B2C zone.

According to InsideView, 41% of B2B companies report generating leads via Facebook, and companies that use Twitter report 2x the amount of leads per month since creating an account.

WARNING: If your B2B brand has yet to integrate social media into your marketing strategy, you need to jump on board and jump on board fast.

Every brand has a story to tell, and social media networks provide the perfect opportunity to do just that. Maybe it’s a conversation on Twitter, a connection on LinkedIn or a picture posted on Facebook that helps create an online presence for your brand. Social media humanizes B2B companies so followers feel more connected to your brand.

In the world of B2B, social media networking allows your brand to develop and strengthen relationships with customers, prospects and industry influencers. Chances are anyone who ultimately plays a role in the decision-making process is using some form of social media. The more your audience feels that they’ve connected with your brand, the more likely they are to recommend your services.

Many B2B organizations fail to launch a social media campaign simply because they don’t know how to get started. Powell Creative helps clients sort through the available social media networks, and make sense of how they work for you and your brand. Don’t let the intimidation of a new media tool prevent you from being seen and heard. Your virtual campaign is just a tweet, post or photo away.

The post Socializing Your B2B Brand appeared first on Powell Creative.

CLIENT: Aerospace Optics

First, the client and the Powell team sat down and conducted a discovery session. Our initial task was to develop a new ad campaign that would appear in industry-specific publications for Aerospace Optics, the exclusive manufacturer of the VIVISUN brand of push-button switches and programmable displays for airplanes and helicopters. The creative team, along with the client, developed a list of ‘must have’ targeted messages that would need to be communicated through this campaign. From there, Powell Creative discussed how best we could leverage the message; grab the audience’s attention and stand out in aviation-specific publications. No concept was left unexplored in ensuring that the campaign would promise a successful series of print ads. From there the idea of ‘Origami’ was born!

The Powell team called for all hands ‘on deck’ as we searched for the Origami-style aircraft that best-represented the client and the message. Each aircraft was meticulously built in-house, designed and modified to fit the needs of the campaign. The imagery was then coupled with whimsical headlines written to draw attention to the ads. From concept, through design and production, Powell Creative provided Aerospace Optics with a national print ad campaign that is memorable, credible, targeted, and promises to help their custom VIVISUN product ‘fly’ off the shelves.

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Serving their first biscuit in 1951, the Loveless Cafe has become a Nashville institution.

Pinterest potential easy to see–it allows you the ability to define your brand’s visual style. For an example of a local brand that’s doing it right, let’s take a look a Nashville hotspot that is spreading their content to a new audience on Pinterest, the Loveless Cafe.

The Loveless Cafe is a Nashville icon that first opened it’s doors in 1951 and is widely known and celebrated for their hot biscuits & country ham. In addition to their famed menu, the restaurant is known for their venue, The Loveless Barn which hosts concerts, parties, and weddings. For a restaurant with such a legacy, the staff has boldly embraced social media strategy that brings the tradition of Loveless to the next generation of patrons.

As Jesse Goldstein, Loveless Cafe’s Brand Manager points out, the decision to jump into social media wasn’t an easy one. “As a 60+ year-old institution, we were very hesitant to step into the social media arena, as tweeting just did not seem like the kind of thing an old down-home cafe would be doing.  Eventually, as SM became more prevalent, we realized that not only did we need to participate, but there was a conversation happening about us without us.”

It was from there that Goldstein realized the value that Pinterest could offer Loveless. “As a brand, the Loveless Cafe is one that relates to the core values of individuals; food, family and togetherness.  When we joined Pinterest, it had not quite fully hit the mainstream, but it was apparent that as a visually-driven media, it would be an ideal way to communicate who our brand is, both in traditional ways such as recipes, and in non-traditional lifestyle aspects.” Loveless posts recipes made famous by the Cafe in addition to other Southern staples. Other boards host Southern sayings, rich with classic lines like “Hey Y’alls” and “Kiss My Grits,” while others are filled with decadent party ideas fit for any shindig hosted south of the Mason Dixon.

Loveless succeeds because it posts a mix of content that customers want to see.  They post a mix of both in-house created content (such as Loveless’ recipe for Red Velvet Pancakes) and content from other sources. Their promotional content fits in seamlessly into their page, causing their followers to feel like they haven’t been advertised to. Goldstein says that more people are visiting their site from Pinterest than they could have ever imagined.

Daniel Hunley is the Social Media Coordinator for Powell Creative, an award winning Branding, Design & Interactive firm in Nashville, TN.  He’s one of the most followed Pinterest users in the system with over 1.7 million followers and named one of the top lifestyle Pinners by Time Magazine. He can help your organization craft a Pinterest strategy that will resonate with your current and potential customers. Give him a call at 615-385-7736 ext. 15 to talk about how Powell Creative can help your social presence grow.

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Powell Creative just completed a new logo design for our client Iroquois Dentistry. The logo creative process with this dental practice in Nashville’s Belle Meade area was a fun one!

The Powell Process: First, the client and the Powell team sat down and conducted a discovery session. Our initial task was to develop several new branding/name ideas for the dental practice. There was discussion on whether the new practice name should be ‘ The Dentists of Belle Meade ’ or ‘Iroquois Dentistry.’ The decision came down and Iroquois Dentistry became the final, approved name. We then learned about the client’s business goals, discussed their target audience, and quizzed the client about perception and their desired design direction for the logo (traditional, contemporary, edgy, colors, etc.). We always want as much input from the client as possible prior to starting the logo design process.

The Powell team then began brainstorming ideas on paper as well as digitally. We drove out to Belle Meade, learned the area, learned more about their patient base, and searched for what would represent Iroquois Dentistry best. From sketches to photos to typography…ideas started becoming reality.

Powell Creative presented the client with initial options in black and white, steering away from the application of color as to not have a “preference.” Tweaks were made as the client became involved in the process.

From doodles to digital, the logo design came to life! It’s now a representation of Iroquois Dentistry that delivers the perception our client had hoped for.

The post The Powell Process of Building a Logo appeared first on Powell Creative.

This ad campaign features three bank business customers, cleverly-written copy and striking imagery, and directs readers to engage with First Freedom Bank both in person and online. The campaign features Mike Eller of Hermitage Golf Course, Robert Springer of Hearthside Assisted Living, and Zach and Gary Allen of Buddy Allen Carpet One. Powell Creative strategically placed this media schedule in local Wilson County and Hermitage-area newspapers as black and white ads with a spot color red.

What’s the goal of the campaign? To let the bank’s own customers tell the story of how a true, community-driven bank does business, and how that makes for happy bank customers. It’s great PR for the bank. It’s great PR for the bank customers.

The post Creative Design That You Can ‘Bank On’! appeared first on Powell Creative.

Below are a few key facts that inspired us at Powell Creative to incorporate social media management into our core services for clients like you.

→ Facebook accounts for 1 minute out of every 7 spent online.
→ Google+ just hit the 65 million user mark, with a quarter of those in December alone.
→ Twitter’s base grew 59% last year, reaching a total of 10% of all Internet users across the world.
→ Pinterest delivers more referral traffic (aka friend-to-friend online sharing) than YouTube, Reddit, Google+, LinkedIn, & Myspace combined.

It’s not enough to just have an account anymore. If you just build it, they will not come. Success will come only with a media strategy that combines fan acquisition and fan engagement tactics. We can skillfully create and maintain your company’s Twitter account, Facebook page, and LinkedIn business profiles, as well as your Google+ and Pinterest accounts. Socially speaking, Powell Creative is very professional! Contact us today to get started.

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