O2 Creative Is Rebranding!
O2 Creative is Rebranding!
Why? After a few too many people thought were an oxygen bar we decided to develop a survey to identify our brand’s identity.
The survey results confirmed that we needed to rebrand in order to better convey what we do as a business, what we are capable of, where we work, and the types of industries we work with.
Here is some information on the process –
- We met to discuss direction: We like our color scheme of lime green, black, and white. (Good thing too because it matches our office and none of us enjoy or are great at interior painting.)
- We like our name: (Phew! That would be a lot of documents, addresses, etc. to change.)
- We are web-based: We’ve realized that in the past few years, our business has changed to be more web-based – (websites, web design, online marketing, SEO, etc.). Our new branding needs to reflect, and convey that…our current branding, logo, tagline, etc. doesn’t.
- Solution: We’re going to take on a whole new look, put ourselves first and develop a responsive website, design and develop handouts, business cards, etc. (We are getting a makeover folks!)
While our rebranding process is still underway, our team and designers have made great strides in giving our current logo a “facelift.”
Here is a sneak peak!
Our Old/Current Logo: We like it, we used to love it…but we need a change. We need something so FRESH and so CLEAN…like OutKast. Something that will clarify and convey who we are and what we do.
Our New Logo: The goal was to develop a simpler logo that has a greater range of use. When it comes to logos, the simpler the better. That way we will be able to “manipulate” our logo in order to fit each of the particular uses we have for it. (Fun Fact: Logos are getting smaller and simpler these days to conform with mobile sites, social media, etc. Just one of the many trends we are staying on top of!)
So our designer Jason started at the drawing board…
Then moved onto Illustrator where he took the concepts to create vector drawings derived from the sketches and ideas. (This is where the magic happens…)
Our team identified a direction…which we are excited to unveil in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!
The Importance of Branding
Branding is one of the most overlooked aspects of a business, yet it is perhaps the most important.
What is Branding?
Brand is key to developing and facilitating perception of your business. It is what you are promising your customer and is what helps to differentiate your product and/or service from those of your competitors.
How to define your brand?
- What is the mission or goal of your business or organization?
- What separates your products or services from others?
- What is the current perception of your business or organization?
Take time to identify accurate perceptions through the use of surveys, interviews, focus groups, etc.Include all stakeholders that are involved and don’t assume.
- Consumers
- Community
- Employees
- Board members
What do you want the perceptions to be?
Next Steps
Design:
- Logo – come up with a great logo! – Don’t skimp on this, your logo will be the “face” of your business/organization
- Identify color schemes, layouts, placement, etc.
Brand Message:
- Write down key messages and attributes you want to convey with all individuals you come in contact with.
- Share these messages with employees so that they can incorporate them when representing the business/organization.
Voice:
- Create a “voice” for your business or organization that reflects your brand
- Use this voice in all written and verbal content
Create a Tagline:
- A tagline is a short, concise statement that captures your brand
- The tagline should be simple, yet memorable
Incorporate:
- Encompass your brand in all parts of your organization (Everything from answering your phone, email signatures, business cards, blogs, website, etc.)
Be Consistent:
- Consistency is key
- Remain true to your brand
Brand consistency in all Bike Granby Ranch collateral
A level of consistency remains throughout all Granby Ranch collateral
Think it is time to consider branding your organization or business? O2 Creative is here to help you should you need any help along the way. We can help with the entire branding process or just pieces of it. We specialize in defining brands, designing killer logos, creating visually effective websites, and more!
Contact us today: 970-726-8021, [email protected]
Winning at O2 Creative!
With over 4,000 entries from all over the world, we are excited to announce that we have been awarded not one, but TWO Silver Davey Awards by the International Academy of the Visual Arts (IAVA)!
What are the Davey Awards?
The annual International Davey Awards honors the achievements of the “Creative Davids” who derive their strength from big ideas, rather than big budgets.
We were awarded a Davey Award for the trail signage we produced for the Town of Winter Park and Headwaters Trails Alliance and another for the digital and print marketing we did for Winter Park Lodging Co.
Project: Trail Signs
Client(s): Town of Winter Park and Headwaters Trails Alliance
Fun Facts:
- These projects combined took over a year to complete.
- 100+ signs were designed and printed.
- O2 Creative is now an expert in ‘wayfinding,’ (the organization and communication of our dynamic relationship to space and the environment).
- We took these very complex and detailed projects extremely seriously because what good is a system of signs if they don’t get travelers to the desired destination?
Design:
- We identified and used materials that would survive the test of time in this climate for years.
- Created designs that would be relatively simple to replace and add sections to cut down on future costs for Winter Park and Headwaters Trails Alliance.
- Used similar fonts and styles for the signs in Winter Park and the Headwaters Trails Alliance to create consistency and a unified feel throughout all trails in the area.
Favorite Parts:
- We truly enjoyed collaborating with Headwaters Trails Alliance and the Town of Winter Park on this project.
- Seeing the trails in use by locals and guests alike has been the biggest payoff.
- It’s cool to know that the trails will be enjoyed by thousands of people for years to come!
Project: Digital and Print Marketing
Client: Winter Park Lodging Co.
Fun Facts:
- We’ve been working with Winter Park Lodging Co. for 5+ years.
- Winter Park Lodging Co. has a lot of different clients they work with.
- We helped create content that would effectively communicate with all of those clients.
Design:
- We spent a long-time developing and tweaking the brand.
- Focused on keeping all pieces developed consistent with brand.
- Updated their website to display the luxury accommodations.
- E-newsletter template that reflects the overall brand.
Favorite Parts:
- Seeing how the collateral we created has had a positive return on investment for Winter Park Lodging Co.
- Visually seeing the collateral working together.
We at O2 Creative hold all our work to our highest standards, and it is nice to know that our work meets the standards of the International Academy of the Visual Arts too!
So What Makes us Successful?
- High standards – We strive to ensure that all of our work exceeds our client’s wildest dreams!
- Inspiration – Look around us! The natural beauty in the Rockies never ceases to inspire!
- Collaboration – FACT: Teamwork makes the dream-work!
- Good Karma – You get what you put out there…
- Green Walls – There is never a dull moment when you’re surrounded by neon green and art!
- Pug-sulations – Consults with the pugs! You’d be surprised how opinionated (and right) they can be!
- Knowing our clients and their consumers – This is key!
Top 5 print products from O2
We at O2 are your printing specialists in Grand County, Colorado. We’re always designing new print products and using those products in all sorts of different marketing initiatives. We can create a virtually endless variety of print media for all sorts of businesses and campaigns. Here’s a quick list of some of our top 5 print products that we can create for your business.
Business Cards. We can create the coolest business cards for you, from clean and simple designs, to glossy finishes and materials, to even unique shapes and sizes.
Stickers. These print products really make you “stick” in the minds of your audience. They’re a great way to build brand awareness and establish an identity in your market.
Posters. Putting up posters around town is a good way to make your presence known. Whether you’re advertising for your business, campaigning for a specific cause, or promoting your event, posters can really communicate with your community. Speaking of which…
Banners. Like posters, banners really catch the eye of your audience. They’re especially effective at establishing your presence at a specific event, and can also direct traffic to your business within your physical area.
Stationery. This one’s sort of a catch-all, since stationery includes LOTS of different print products. Whether you want office supplies, greeting cards, postcards (direct mailers work!), envelopes, letterhead, brochures, invitations, gift certificates, or any other sorts of stationery, we can create it for you!
This is just a quick list of five of our most popular print products. Of course, the list really does go on and on, from business signage to vehicle wraps to promotional products to…you get the idea. So for all your printing needs in Colorado and beyond, contact us at O2 Creative today!
To contact O2 Creative, call 970-726-8021 or email [email protected].
Click here for our last blog: O2 on the set of a shoot
Print brokering from O2
O2 is pleased to announce that we’re now offering print brokering services! In fact, we’ve actually offered print brokering services for years. We just thought it might be time for a friendly reminder.
So what exactly is print brokering? Well, it means we serve as an agent between our clients and the wholesale printers with whom we have close working relationships. You could even call us print managers. We can design, coordinate, and source the best print work for your business, and since we’re experienced print brokers, we can source printing as efficiently and as cost-effectively as possible for you.
Working with a print broker offers several advantages. Print brokering allows us to keep our costs lower for you, the client, since we don’t have the overhead of owning our own printing presses. We’re often less expensive than working with a retail printer, and in fact, many “retail” printers are actually just print brokers themselves. Our working relationships with a variety of wholesale printers also allow us to quickly source a variety of the highest quality print products: business cards, stationery, stickers, banners, posters, signage, billboards, even pizza boxes!
And as a full-service agency, we also offer full-service marketing and design work in addition to our print brokering services. We can serve your business through every step of the service, from the time it takes to design the graphics for your print work, to coordinating your print work as part of a marketing campaign, to actually delivering your print work in a timely and efficient manner.
O2 Creative is proud to offer print brokering services, in addition to our graphic design, web design, and marketing services. We can even create promotional products for your business! It’s all part of our greater effort as an agency to serve your business as best we can.
For fast, affordable, eye-catching, high-quality print work, contact O2 Creative about our print brokering services!
To contact O2 Creative, call 970-726-8021 or email [email protected].
Click here for our next blog: O2 goin’ guerrilla!
Is Print Dead? 4 reasons to use print media
Is Print Dead?
Folks often ask us, “is marketing with print media even worth it any more?” It’s not a bad question, considering all the advances in digital media these days. But at the same time, we always answer the question with an emphatic “YES!”
No really! Print media actually still has plenty of benefits both old and new. Here are 4 of our favorite reasons why you should still be using print media to market your business:
1. Print ads are effective for target marketing. Placing your ads in special interest publications helps you to reach niche audiences that can otherwise be difficult to target. Printed ads such as posters and banners are also a great way to reach your audience in public places and at special events, which leads to our second point…
2. Print media is tangible. Business cards, brochures, and other print media give customers something to take with them. Print media also has a long shelf life. While online ads can come and go in just a click, your audience tends to keep magazines and other print publications around the home or office for much longer.
3. Print media gives you credibility. To some folks, online popup ads and banners can come across as a spammy nuisance. However, if you have a handsome business card or other print media to give them, it makes you look like a legitimate businessperson.
4. As businesses use online advertising more, and print media less, this can be an opportunity for you! If certain print mediums are less cluttered with ads, this gives you the chance for your ad to really stand out.
These are just four reasons, in a nutshell. Of course we could go on and on, but we’ll again try to keep this a blog post and not a novel. And of course, digital media definitely has its advantages as well (perhaps that’ll be a future blog post, who knows!) We recommend a good strategic mix of both digital and print media to get the most out of your marketing efforts.
To discuss more of the benefits of print media, or if you have any other marketing questions about your business, contact O2 Creative today.
To contact us, give us a call at (970) 726-8021 or email [email protected]. Or, if you want – write us at P.O Box 1349, Winter Park, CO 80482 – because we love print media!