3 Pandemic Customer Service Stories to Make You Smile

When you love a company, you go out of your way to recommend it to friends.

You take pride in its products, and you hope others will love them as much as you do. And whether you’re willing to admit it, your emotions prompt you to purchase more freely and more frequently than you probably should.

It’s hard to love a business – but it’s easy to love the people behind the business. And that usually starts with rock-solid customer service.

When the Tough Gets Going . . .

Providing stellar service isn’t so hard – unless you’re overworked, dealing with a cranky client, or stressed by factors beyond your control.

When conditions are perfect, it’s easy to be awesome. But that’s not actually when it matters! When circumstances are challenging, and things get tough, that’s when those customer service STARS really start to shine.

As the world has faced several crisis moments in the last year, many companies and employees stepped up to deliver grand slam service. Here are just three examples of people who went above and beyond during COVID-19.

When libraries around the country closed due to COVID-19, book-lovers, especially children, were heartbroken.

Librarians to the Rescue

But librarians in Utah, including Lauren Tolman, found a way to brighten their customers’ days.

They carefully found and cleaned each book customers requested and then dressed up as famous characters, ranging from Harry Potter to Wonder Woman, to deliver books to customers’ cars, along with games and stickers to keep kids happy and busy. 

One All-Star Agent

As hotels closed and commercial flights were canceled worldwide, a family got stuck in the Dominican Republic.

They frantically called their travel agent at Virtuoso, who looked into every possibility of getting them home. The travel agent finally contacted a private jet company, which was able to pick up the family just seven hours after the hotel had notified the family of the shutdown. As a bonus, the travel agent event got the family a credit for the unused portion of their stay. 

The Selfless Medicine Man

Connecticut pharmacist Manan Dave has been working long hours during the pandemic, but that doesn’t stop him from reaching out to all his customers.

After clocking out at the pharmacy, he delivers medicine to customers who can’t leave their homes and brings hand sanitizer and other medical supplies to local nursing homes and assisted living communities. He takes his role seriously to help others get and stay healthy. 

Engaged Customers Keep Coming Back

Brands are more than the products they sell; they are an embodiment of ideas and values that connect real people.

While you may not be able to charter a private jet, what you can do is listen! Seventy percent of customers say they will continue to business with you if you resolve their complaint, and a whopping 95 percent will do so if you can resolve their problem immediately. And recent data shows that 81 percent of companies with excellent service records are outperforming their competition.

Training employees to spend more time with people may seem like a productivity killer, but it pays off in the long run. Emotional connections with a company are a strong predictor of whether someone will continue as a customer for years to come.

Regardless of price or convenience, engaged customers just keep coming back!

4 Illustrative Design Options for Your Logo or Custom Labels

When you are building a business or launching a product, a label or a logo might not seem like a top priority.

But these branding pieces are essential because they open the door to your identity. Logos and product labels grab attention, make a strong first impression, separate you from the competitors, and make you more memorable (so customers come back again and again!).

Many businesses settle for something simple when crafting these brand icons – like the company name with a small swath of color. But have you ever considered an illustrative icon? These visually delightful options carry a pictorial presentation of the features and aspects of your product or personality.

Here are four examples:

1. Literal Illustrations

The more literal your design is, the less work a prospect needs to do to interpret it.

A buck hunting specialist might display a pair of antlers growing out of its business catchphrase. Or a dentist might stamp the name of their practice name inside the shape of a toothbrush. Literal illustrations like these function like a highway sign. Their meaning is clear but limited.

2. Metaphorical Illustrations

Sometimes, an illustration can be concrete while its meaning remains abstract.

Apple provides the classic example of an illustrative logo with its meaning left open for interpretation. Apple doesn’t sell fruit, but the logo features a stylized apple with a bite taken out of it. The logo serves as a symbol or a metaphor – knowledge, forbidden fruit, or the discovery of gravity. Its meaning is indirect but wide open.

3. Subject Specific Pieces

If your product or service centers around one service or word, you can place this front and center in your designs.

Is there one particular picture that matches your brand or product? Here are some straightforward examples:

— A bee used for selling homemade honey

— A magnolia flower for a restaurant of the same name.

— A bucking bronco for a rodeo

— The face of Colonel Sanders for Kentucky Fried Chicken

Depicting one subject as the focal point of your design will give you a timeless symbol you can stick with for years.

4. Hand-Illustrated Icons

Want something that is absolutely, uniquely YOU?

Hand-illustrated logos start with a freehand drawing that is then digitized into a graphic. Here’s one example: Gatorscapes Landscaping was looking for an energetic custom design, highlighting the company’s speedy service and its aggressive, get-it-done attitude. Designers built these qualities into a spirited design – a traditional push-powered mower with the face of a hungry alligator devouring the grass with razor-sharp teeth.

A hand-drawn illustration ensures your imagery is a perfect synthesis of the values and ideas of your business. Plus, they bring out the child in all of us, creating a personal connection with the viewer that penetrates both the mind and the emotions.

Craft an Irresistible Image

Sales are more than just transactions; they involve a process of decision.

When customers buy from you, they express a vote of confidence in your products and your company. Show them they’re in good hands with a professional splash of your brand personality! As you sharpen your image, nothing communicates confidence quite like tactile, stunning print products.

Want to try one of these illustrative options for your next logo or custom label? Our full-service design team can get you started. Simplify and save by combining your design and print needs today Patti and Greg are ready to help your business.

4 Lessons We Learned Through a Year of Remote Working

In March of 2020, tens of millions of American workers jumped into a brand new world as they began working from home.

Nearly a year later, the trend continues. Google announced in July that its roughly 200,000 employees will continue to work from home until at least next summer. Mark Zuckerberg has said he expects half of Facebook’s workforce to be remote within the decade. Twitter has told staff they can stay home permanently.

How have we fared?

While many have a love/hate relationship with remote working, it seems one win has occurred in the area of productivity. In a recent survey of 800 employers, 94 percent said productivity was either unaffected or was actually improved compared to its pre-pandemic levels.

And as people have found this stride, many want to continue. When the pandemic is over, one in six workers is projected to continue working from home or co-working at least two days a week, according to a recent survey by economists at Harvard Business School. Another survey of hiring managers found that one-fifth of the workforce could remain entirely remote after the pandemic.

If you plan to continue remote working in the near future, maybe you could benefit from pro-tips others have discovered. Here are a few observations.

1. Create Tangible Cues

Without arriving or departing from the office, it can be hard to create — or sustain — momentum.

Use consistent physical cues to block your day. This can be simple, like watering the plants daily before sitting down at your work station. Or taking a 20-minute walk after lunch each day. Some find it best to “close” the computer as a signal that the workday is over.

2. Over-Communicate

Communication without body language is hard, and there are many ways to offset this challenge.

Prioritize clarity by over-communicating as much as possible, including questions, clarifications, and expressing appreciation. When you can’t rely on body language and facial cues, emojis and GIFs can be a fun way to bridge that gap. And since the potential for misunderstanding is high, assume the best intentions from others in absolutely all interactions!

3. Build “Closed Door” Blocks in Your Schedule

Technology has curbed our ability to “shut the door” at work without interruption.

You are at your best when you are undistracted, so guard your schedule and carve out key moments to hone your productivity.

If you can swing it, batch your meetings and syncs into one day (or one part of each day) so you can work heads-down at other moments. You may find it helpful to block off certain days or hours to receive no calls, emails, or notifications from your phone.

4. Consider Long-Term Strategy Changes

As companies consider a long-term commitment to remote working, substantial sacrifices may be required.

Whether it’s productivity software or flexible instant virtual office spaces (like Slack or a private Internet Relay Chat), remote teams that thrive will require a genuine investment to succeed.

Many tech companies are increasingly opting for is hiring a head of remote work. The position is intended to help create a cohesive experience for all workers, says Brynn Harrington, vice president of people growth at Facebook:

“We’re looking for the person with influence, skills, and experience who can help us pivot the company. When we think about the transformation to remote, it’s a wholesale shift in how we run.”

Thriving Through Change

If Heraclitus was right, change is the only constant in life.

While remote working is new to many, it will continue to change the face of the workforce as 2021 ticks ahead. Whether you despise or adore it, your attitude toward this change can make all the difference in how you overcome challenges a new season will bring.

5 Straightforward (and FUN) Ways to Boost Your Productivity This Year

Today is a great day to integrate some healthy new habits into your routine.

Everyone benefits from good time management, and here are just a few simple ways to free up more time to do things you really love!

1. Create Templates

Tired of repeating yourself?

Templates (a type of “fill-in-the-blank” document) are great for assignments created the same way every time. Whether it’s a weekly email, a presentation spreadsheet, a thank you note, or a method for re-directing inquiries to a better source, creating templates in advance can save you tons of time in the long run.

2. Listen to Audio Books

Who doesn’t want to read more?

Audiobooks are a wonderful way to maximize that “throwaway” time in the car, getting ready in the morning, or during exercise.

In 2020, many local libraries made audiobook apps totally free. People who previously struggled to finish a chapter found themselves gulping down five books a month, while sharpening their minds and adding spontaneous joy to each day!

3. Block Distracting Apps, Websites, or Emails

According to research carried out by RescueTime, the average digital worker can’t go more than six minutes without checking their email or instant messaging.

The digital nature of your work and social life can leave you frazzled by constant alerts. This minimizes both productivity and potential as you struggle to focus on tasks for even short periods.

Start this year strong by implementing a few website and ad blocker tools. Unsubscribe from email lists or group chats that are sucking away precious moments in your day. And set your devices to block notifications from coming through in key work hours.

4. Batch Prep Your Meal or Meal Prep

If you want to save time in your busy week, mastering food prep can be huge.

Every time you mess up and clean your kitchen, it takes time. So why not make one big mess once a week, rather than a medium-sized mess every day? This can be as simple as chopping your veggies (or cooking all your meat) as soon as you get home from the store. Or it can be more intentional, like pre-cooking several meals and properly labeling them for fridge and freezer storage.

While the idea of prepping several meals at once can seem daunting, the time, energy, and money you’ll save in the long run are totally worth it.

5. Try the Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management system that encourages people to work with their time – rather than against it.

Using this method, you break your workday into 25-minute chunks separated by five-minute breaks (referred to as pomodoros). After about four pomodoros, you take a longer break of about 15 to 20 minutes. This work rhythm helps create a sense of urgency and productivity followed by natural releases needed in order to recharge.

Curious? Check out this short tutorial to learn more.

Save More Time, Live More Life

While you may not be a fan of resolutions, the emphasis here is on forming productive habits and finding tools to minimize your daily load.

To be more productive, look beyond your task list to the organizational tools needed to manage time well. That takes effort up front but gives you more time to enjoy each day later. And that really is crucial!

As writer Annie Dillard said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”

Sculpt an Eye-Catching Identity: 5 Bold Business Card Designs

Looking for an energetic start to a prosperous new year?

As you exhale after a tumultuous 2020, now is the time to clean out and set yourself up for a productive, successful new season. And one way to invigorate your image is with new business cards.

If you’re going to change a little, why not change a LOT? Here are five bold ideas for your next business card design.

1. Smart Cards

A modern business card includes not only contact information but also a stylish design that conveys the character and confidence of your brand.

When you want to close the gap between the physical and digital world, add a QR code to your business card. This saves space, looks modern, and increases the chance readers will follow up with your business later.

And don’t limit yourself to something bland. Instead of a black and white character set, generate a color cipher of an unusual shape to attract attention!

2. Transparency and Texture

Tired of the endless exchange of dull and flimsy white paper business cards?

Try a clear, frosted, or white plastic card. Translucent cards are sophisticated, visually intriguing, and fun to hold. And if you split the card into sections with different translucency values (one half partially opaque and the other half textured), you can create intense contrast that makes your name really leap up at the viewer. 

3. Colored Edges and Non-Standard Materials

Want a funky, three-dimensional feel for your introduction?

Colored edges are a fantastic option! Use colors to spice up a card with a neutral shade (like a black card with neon purple edges). Or use an unusual shape (like a gray die-cut heart) and add a hot pink outline on the edge.

Remember, the thicker the business card is, the better the colored edges will look. If you want to get really creative, you can even use non-standard materials like cork, wood, metal, or rubber.

4. Gorgeous Gradients

Color blending never gets old, and gradients offer endless options for unique, dynamic combos.

Gradient business cards offer so many possibilities! Add depth with thick pearly tones shimmering against a charcoal background. Or silver-purple waves against a deep blue sky. Voluminous gradients ebb and flow, creating an atmosphere of energetic motion.

When adding gradients, go for sharp color contrasts and highlight key elements. Do not apply the gradient to the entire card. Instead, limit yourself to the one element you want to highlight: background, logo, text, or graphics.

Need inspiration? Here’s one gradient sample spread to fuel your imagination.

5. Super Business Cards

Looking for something super impressive and super fun?

SUPER business cards are for you! Cut from premium paper that’s durable (yet lightweight), these non-bendy business cards bring a bold impression that LASTS. Customize them to your preferences, with round corners, shiny finishes, raised spot gloss lettering, and more.

Whether you want a muted matte feel or a sleek sparkly vibe, super business cards are guaranteed to be as resilient and creative as you are.

Start a Remarkable New Adventure

Today is the best day to start a new adventure!

Why not make 2021 your most imaginative year yet? Show the world a poised, passionate perspective – that comes straight from your pocket!

Craft First-Class Flyers with 4 Quick Tricks

For decades, flyers have been a go-to marketing tool for businesses of many stripes. But are flyers still effective in the digital age?

Angela Brown, the “House Cleaning Guru,” says the answer is emphatically YES.

“I am a huge fan of running flyers. My book, ‘How to Start Your Own House Cleaning Company,’ has a huge section on flyers,” Brown said. “Flyers are a great, cheap way of advertising your business, and if you do it the right way, you can have business coming in within a day or two. And lots of people save the flyers. If they are not ready to hire you today, they can hire you when they are ready. And once you have clients, you can work from referrals after that.”

Brown has moved repeatedly, and each time, she’s had to start her business from scratch. Flyers have been a key marketing strategy each time, with similar, conclusive results. “No clients, same business,” said Brown. “New neighborhood, new clientele. Running flyers is an old-fashioned way of doing business, but it’s effective!”

Flyers that Move People to Action

Flyers may seem insignificant, but they get the job done.

Though these simple bits of paper often end up trampled in puddles or buried in a pile of bills, they always grab attention. And, if they’re designed well, they’ll move people to act! (Attend this grand opening; subscribe to our monthly newsletter; visit the new farmer’s market.)

Want to build momentum for your event, promotion, or group? Flyers are a low-cost form of mass communication that can be mailed, personally delivered, or posted in public places. Flyers are fun to create and allow you to experiment with unusual images or layouts.

As you explore the possibilities, here are four strategic areas to sharpen your design:

Magnetic Focal Point

When you begin your design, clearly identify the theme of your message.

Look for an image or headline that best communicates this, and build your entire design around it. Every flyer should have one thing on the page that is huge, dominant, or captivating. Bright, bold color palettes give flyers punch and attract tons of attention, even from across the room.

Logical Design Flow

After the focal point, your flyer design should have a sensible layout that intentionally leads the reader through the page: left to right, top to bottom, or using visual cues like numbers or a “map” of dashed lines.

Strong subheads should allow viewers to scan the page quickly. And simple, elegant designs bring impact all their own. Keep text to a minimum and space your design elements generously.

Cohesive Alignment

Choose one alignment for the entire flyer.

Don’t center the headline, then set the body copy flush left. Don’t center everything on the page, but also squish extra elements in the bottom corners. Be confident in your layouts: try all flush left or flush right. Your design should feel brave and bold!

Appropriate Content

What should you include in a flyer?

While brochures or foldable flyers come in various formats, a basic rule of thumb is this: the “where” determines the “what.” The delivery of your publication has everything to do with its content. If your piece arrives in the mail to someone on your mailing list, you can include much more on it. If it is for public display, it should be readable at a glance.  

Made You Look, Made You Look!

Flyers are fun to create because they allow you to abandon restraint. Your flyer will often go head-to-head with dozens of competing pages, so grab their attention and really go wild.

Anything out of the ordinary will make people stop and look, and that’s 90 percent of your goal.

4 Design Trends to Watch for in 2021

2020 was a year we had to go with the flow in many ways.

In design trends, creativity flowed in liquid patterns, 3D realism, funky geometric shapes, innovative typography, and more. But while these concepts borrowed from sci-fi and futuristic tech, new styles may pivot toward bringing reality back in focus.

Here’s a sneak peek of four graphic design trends to watch for in 2021:

Back to Nature

One well-documented side effect of the coronavirus pandemic was a thirst for nature.

Creatives can capitalize on this by bringing the outdoors inside, highlighting gorgeous natural ambiance. Expect 2021 designs to mimic nature, natural lights, softer earthy colors and tones, natural gradients in color schemes, flowing lines, and more. Want to try it yourself? Use color filters to create natural ambiance in your images, or grab textures featuring wood, stone, waves, and more.

If you can’t go to the forest, let the forest come to you!

Simple Data Visualizations

When you’ve done your homework, you want to make this information matter.

Complex data is hard to understand, and simple data visualizations (like graphs, charts, educational posters, or infographics) make communication much more effective. Stats show that visual content is processed 60,000 times faster than text, and 72% percent of marketers agree that visual content is more effective than text.

Seek to transform great ideas into powerful images through creative alternatives like custom symbols, photo manipulation progressions, educational posters, animated gifs, personified maps, and more.

Non-Conformity

After 2020 limited our freedom in so many ways, many will be looking to push back by breaking the rules.

Watch for this in design as trends teeter toward more rebellious features that create a feeling of brazen defiance.

 “What we were first taught not to do, we now do by intention,” explains graphic designer Michal Sloboda, who’s also the founder of graphic design aggregator Trend List. “There are many more rules to be broken, and by doing so, we can come across something seemingly bizarre, but also unique or beautiful.”

What might this look like in your designs? The more imperfect, the better. Use clashing font, psychedelic photos, irreverent characters, chaos typography, surreal imagery, and wild colors like lush lava, phantom blue, and aqua menthe.

Blurred Backgrounds

Gradients and color transitions have been a popular trend for a few years now.

In 2021, many designers will look to add another layer, blending gradient hues with blurry and blended background images. Grainy filters can bring a sense of grunge and grime or rustic and vintage. And a blurred image can evoke emotions of what hides beneath the exterior.

Whether it’s a grayscale cityscape layer or a forlorn silhouette background, combining textured photos with blended gradients can bring a transitory — yet authentic — contrast to your design.

Stay Ahead of the Curve

2021 will be nothing if not interesting, so kickstart the new year with a style all your own.

To get started, it’s helpful to reflect on the past and decide what you’ll do differently in the future. Stay ahead of the curve with these design trends, and let us know if we can help infuse your designs with a fresh look in the months to come!

Expand Your Market: 15 Ways You Can Use Direct Mail to Sell in 2021

Life is noisy.

In today’s world, everywhere you look, you’re constantly swamped by ads: buy this, watch this, subscribe now!

How pervasive is this? These stats give us a glimpse:

• Thanks to the internet and new technologies, the average viewer is exposed to between 6,000 and 10,000 ads daily.
• Google has managed to grow its advertising revenue every year for the past 19 years. It made over $134 billion in 2019 alone, just from advertising.
• Sixty-five percent of people say they skip online video advertising – doing so as soon as they get the chance – and 76 percent say this is an ingrained behavior.
• In 2020, the average open rate for marketing emails was around 21%, and more than 20% of marketing emails never made it to a subscriber’s inbox.

In contrast, more than 40 percent of recipients scan or read the direct mail pieces they get, and consumers are 22 percent more likely to purchase products promoted through direct mail than they are products advertised through email.

Maybe this noise overload is one reason younger people are placing greater value on print products. Millennials say they value direct mail in general: 69% of Millennials said they “somewhat” or “very much” like print coupons for restaurants, and 65% said they like coupons for retail businesses. In one survey of Millennials, 75% of respondents said receiving personal mail makes them feel special.

Open the Door with Direct Mail

All of these are wonderful reasons to add direct mail as an arrow in your marketing quiver.

In the digital age, an ink-on-paper sales letter or direct-mail package that your customers can hold in their hands will really distinguish you from competitors. More exposure means higher response rates. Higher response rates lead to more leads. And more leads generate greater sales!

When you’re ready to expand your market, here are several ways to package your message through direct mail.

— Make an announcement (perhaps using a flashy invitation or an oversized postcard)

— Send a sales letter or script font note combined with a catalog or brochure

— Introduce a new product or service

— Distribute a maintenance or service checklist with a detachable coupon

— Generate long-lasting impact with a sleek postcard magnet

— Invite people to attend a product demonstration, educational seminar, or nonprofit fundraiser

— Send renewal reminders for subscriptions, contracts, insurance policies, or service agreements

— Send holiday greetings with a special New Year’s offer

— Welcome inactive customers back with an incentive

— Get your company in front of fresh prospects using new mover marketing lists

— Promote a “live” social media event you are hosting

— Distribute valuable content through educational newsletters

— Conduct a sweepstakes event or contest

— Sell seasonal merchandise or products linked with hometown favorites

— Offer a free analysis or a complimentary cost estimate, review, or consultation

New Prospects = New Possibilities

Some marketers shy away from print, which is truly a loss.

Mastering direct mail can help you strengthen your reputation, drum up leads, entice new prospects, and make you a hero to your clients or boss.

Need some quick-to-print templates or tips on no-hassle mailing lists? Contact us today! We’re here to help.