We recently designed the logo for Toadily Fun, a play center for children and adults similar to a Chuck E. Cheese and located in South Carolina. I had drew the logo, then scanned it in to add the colorful textures:

Originally they wanted to name the place, Monkee Bizness, but they were unable to due to copyrights on a similar business. That was of course, after we designed this:


Awe... I like our little monkey. Too bad he has no home.

Identity: Any materials whose sole aim is to promote brand awareness. There are two critical questions to ask: "Who am I?" and "Who is my customer?"
examples: logos, static web pages, business cards, signage.

At the base of every marketing strategy should be an identity. This identity is one that should correctly portray a company's set of values, goals, or mood. So before jumping right into what everyone sees as the first step of defining an identity - the logo - we challenge you to first think about what do you want your company to be like. It could involve cutting edge technology, or be a local small business, or it could be simply that you like to have fun, or maybe that you take matters seriously. Take a moment to jot down what your company is.

More importantly, who is your company for. Who is your customer? Address who it is that is either inclined to by your product, or that you want to buy your product. Everything after that point should stem from asking these two simple questions: "Who am I?" and "Who is my customer?"

Infiltration: Any materials whose main purpose is to produce sales of a product to new and/or existing customers via indirect means.
examples: ads in magazines, web banners, e-blasts, postcards.

Indeed this category is intended to sound aggressive. Infiltration means sending creative pieces driven by your identity out into the world to smoke out from the bushes any potential customers. Magazine ads are a great representation of this. Indirectly your customer comes into contact with your brand. He buys a magazine. That magazine has your ad in it. That consumer flips through said magazine and stumbles upon your ad.

The important thing to remember about infiltration is that it is the most competitive form of marketing you can do. What are you competing for? Attention. On an average day we are bombarded by all kinds of images. It is for this reason that it is so hard to grab people's attention. A good campaign takes not only its competitor's ads in the magazine into account when devising a plan, but also all other visual forms of entertainment that surround us daily.

Another thing to remember is if you pay a lot of money to get an ad in a magazine, newsletter, or website, just because you've paid money for placement doesn't mean anyone is going to see it. It is better to assume that they are not going to see it, and that you should give the ad itself more focus. Advertising is one of the most expensive forms of marketing you'll do based on placement price alone. If you are spending that much money upfront, the message and stopping power of the ad better get people's attention.

Collateral: Any materials given directly to existing and/or potential customers that are a continuation of brand awareness, but with a stronger focus on product sales.
examples: e-newsletters, catalogs, brochures, info dvds.

You can think of collateral as being anything that you can give to a customer directly that would encourage a sale. Collateral pieces are geared to have a long shelf life, say a catalog you can use all year, or a flier that has information still pertinent three months later. The reason of this has its roots in printing. The more you print the cheaper it is per piece. But if you print a whole lot of something and then give it away slowly over time, you can not have any time sensitive promotions. The piece should be a very general look at the products and services you offer, much like an Identity piece, but with a lot more focus on selling your products and services.

Collateral pieces can also be used as a pivotal point for a sale. Your customer may be almost ready to purchase and you give them the collateral piece to send them one step closer to buying. They may be concerned about all of the functions a product offers, but their confusion is laid to rest when you give them a brochure that explains all of the products functions.

Retention: Any materials designed to encourage new sales from existing customers.
examples: member discount promotions, thank you cards, coupons after point of purchase, and of course great customer service.

Though it may not seem like a form of marketing, having a good retention strategy in place is crucial to the growth of your company. With as many different companies available today, and especially online, why should a customer continue to do business with you? They may find you online on a whim, but after getting the product they needed your company as an entity disappeared from their mind.

One indirect way to have a good retention plan is to have a good identity. If customers see clearly your unique image they can separate you from all of the other companies that sell the same stuff as you, but are not as well defined as you.

Also, it is widely known that good customer service is the best form of advertising. This is not a myth. People are naturally inclined to share good and bad experiences with other people. If they felt like they were treated with excellent service, as if they were the only customer your company had, they will share that experience with a portion of their network. Inversely if they were treated badly, it will actually spread faster than if they were treated good. So, good customer service will lead to not only new sales from that customer, but other potential customers as well.

Member benefits and thank-you programs are also key to keeping customers with you. If they feel like you are really grateful for their business and 'give-back' they feel better that they have spent money with you.

Like all of the other services we provide, we help you decide what kind retention strategy is right for your business.