Press Coverage for O2
O2 was in the news this week!
Yup, that’s right. O2’s own Eric Van Herwaarden was interviewed this week by Grand County’s Sky-Hi Daily News. The article offers a little insight into what it’s like to do business here in the high country of Colorado, and covers a lot of interesting topics about O2. Eric discusses a little bit of everything, from marketing and design inspiration to living and working in Colorado’s Favorite Playground. Give it a read!
You can read the interview online: CLICK HERE for a link to the Sky-Hi article about O2.
Thanks to the Sky-Hi Daily News for the great writeup!
Of course, if you’d like to discuss the article, or if you have any other questions for us at O2, please feel free to contact us! Give us a call at 970-726-8021 or email us at [email protected].
Click here for last week’s blog: expanding to Summit County!
O2 expanding to Summit County
Big news from O2!
As you know, our office is located in Grand County, as are many of our clients. In addition to Grand County, we’ve always been happy to provide our top-quality graphic design, web design, and marketing services to businesses near and far. That’s why we’re pleased to announce our plans to expand to Summit County, Colorado!
That’s right. We’d like to formally offer our services to Summit County businesses (though we’ll still be working hard for Grand County and all our other clients either way!)
With our years of experience in resort and tourism marketing and design, we’re already the perfect fit for many businesses in Summit County. We’re happy to come meet in Summit, or if you’re ever in our neck of the woods, you’re always welcome to stop by our Fraser office.
So if you know of any businesses looking for marketing or design work in Frisco, Dillon, Breckenridge, Keystone, Silverthorne, or anywhere else in Summit County, let us know! We’re happy to provide websites, mobile websites, graphic designs, marketing, advertising, promotional items, logos and branding, social media, and any of our other services to our Summit County neighbors.
So contact us at O2 for more info or for a free consultation. Your mountain business deserves to work with a mountain agency!
Give us a call at 970-726-8021 or email [email protected].
Click here for our last blog: small business marketing checklist
Credit Wikipedia for the map image
Small business marketing checklist
Starting or growing your small business can be a lot of work. In order to establish the market presence your business will need, there are a lot of bases you’ll need to cover. That’s where we at O2 can help. We’re an agency that works with new and growing businesses every day. Here are just a few things your business will need to be successful:
Your business will need a brand; a logo; an identity – something by which your market can recognize you. We can help develop your brand, and create a professional logo that’ll do more than just get your business recognized – it’ll make your business stand out.
Your business will also need marketing. Advertising campaigns, promotions, a marketing plan, signage, media, execution – all that stuff takes time and creativity. We can do all your marketing dirty work for you, from designing ads and media, to coordinating a campaign, to even researching and creating a marketing plan. We’ll help you figure out the most effective marketing strategies that will make your business really shine in your market.
Your business should also have a professional online presence. Customers these days expect businesses to have a website, and your business deserves a website that serves your needs: online booking systems, blogging features, e-commerce, photo galleries, and whatever other custom features your business can use to achieve success. Your online presence shouldn’t be limited just to desktop computers either – now that so many folks have smart phones, mobile websites are more important than ever.
And more and more, customers want businesses they can interact with online. They want to know what a business is up to; want to communicate; want timely updates and announcements. This can be achieved through blogging and social media. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and other platforms allow you to showcase your business, interact with your markets. (Oh, and social media campaigns are a GREAT way to attract new customers as well!) We can help you set up blogging and social media pages, and even manage blogs and pages for you, so you can focus on the day-to-day operations of your business.
The point is, we at O2 can help with all the daunting details of marketing. We’ll help your business create the best campaigns, the best designs, and the best websites, and more. Contact us today to discuss all the ways our agency can help your business!
To contact O2 Creative, call 970-726-8021 or email [email protected].
Click here for our last blog – O2 addicted to powder!
O2 Addicted to Powder
Members of the O2 team were recently invited to enjoy some backcountry skiing with our friends and clients at Powder Addiction. What a treat!
Powder Addiction is a Winter Park-based business offering up backcountry skiing and snowboarding tours. They have special permission to guide guests in the Jones Pass area, using their snowcat to take skiers and boarders to 2,600 acres of untouched snow. Powder Addiction is “serving fresh lines daily!”
(In case you aren’t familiar, “snowcat” is one of those big closed-cab vehicles that runs on tracks designed to operate on snow. This is the vehicle that takes guests up and back down all that epic backcountry terrain.)
As far as backcountry ski areas go, Jones Pass has it all: high-elevation, north-facing slopes, alpine bowls, glades and meadows, tree runs, open chutes, and more.
And when we say backcountry skiing, we mean it. Powder Addiction equips each guest with a backpack containing all the important safety gear: avalanche transceivers, shovels, and all the other required equipment.
Powder Addiction even provides guests with a fat pair of powder skis, though folks may bring their own skis or snowboards instead (Eric and Jaryd elected to bring their own boards). The adventure includes tasty Rudi’s Deli sandwiches for lunch, and even a complimentary beer to end the day.
Both Eric and Jaryd said it was one of their best snowboarding experiences ever, which means it probably also counts among their greatest experiences of all time. “It was my best experience in my entire life,” Jaryd exclaimed. “Never before have I been in such deep pow-pow!”
“The Powder Addiction experience is definitely on top of my list as one of the funnest things I’ve ever done. I would recommend everyone to do it at least once!” Eric VanHerwaarden
The O2 Creative team would like to personally thank Jen and Jason Harper and our guides for two amazing days!
So if you’re looking for some of the most exciting backcountry skiing around, check out our friends at Powder Addiction. Click here to visit Powder Addiction’s website (which is currently being redesigned by yours truly, so check back for design updates!)
To contact us at O2, give us a call at 970-726-8021 or email [email protected] .
Click here for our last post: Why every business needs a sign
5 reasons your business needs a sign
There are virtually endless little details to consider when it comes to marketing a business, though there’s one marketing detail that every business should think of as essential: a sign. Why does your business need a sign? Lots of reasons, actually! Here are just 5 quick reasons why:
Signs are effective. Plain and simple! From a marketing perspective, signs get you noticed. They let your market know who you are, where you are, and what you do. As soon as your business has a sign, customers will instantly be more familiar with you.
Customers judge books by their cover. For better or for worse, this is certainly true, especially with business signs. In a customer’s mind, a good business has a good sign. If your sign is professional, attractive, engaging, and fresh, then customers will think the same about your business. This is why it’s so important to design a quality sign that will accurately represent your business.
Of course, not every sign is necessarily effective in the ways your business wants it to be. If your business’ sign is not professional and engaging, then you won’t engage your customers as well as you could, should, and would with a good sign.
Worse yet, if your sign is bland or plain or dated or broken, then customers will think the same about your business. Even worse yet…
“A business with no sign is a sign of no business.” If you don’t even have a sign then customers may think your business has closed, may not think your business is legitimate, or may not even know your business exists!
Signs aren’t as expensive as you think. No, really! There are quality signs for every business’ budget. Besides, a sign is a one-time cost (contrasted with the ongoing costs of many other marketing initiatives). A sign is an investment for your business, and continues to market your business for years after the initial cost, which leads us to our next point…
A sign is always working for you. It never quits! A sign reminds customers about your brand every time they see it – 24/7/365 (366 on leap years). Even when your business is closed for the day, your sign will still be marketing for you.
These are just a few reasons why it’s so important for your business to have a sign – and not just any old sign, but a professional, well-designed, high-quality sign that represents the quality of your business.
We at O2 would be happy to help you design a sign as well. We can create the coolest signs for all sorts of businesses both big and small. Our signs will represent your business, get you noticed, and never stop working for you!
To contact us at O2 Creative, call 970-726-8021 or email [email protected].
Click here for our next blog: Reasons to hire a marketing agency
Reasons to hire a marketing agency
Folks often ask us, “Why should our business hire a marketing and design agency?”
Well, LOTS of reasons, actually. Between the time, money, energy, and experience it takes to effectively market your business, there are plenty of reasons why your business can really benefit from hiring an agency. Here are just a few:
Experience and expertise: We at O2 have over 30 combined years of experience in marketing and design. We do this stuff every day! If you aren’t sure how to market your business just yet, we can quickly and efficiently help you identify the marketing strategies that will work best for you.
We stay on top of all the latest marketing trends as well, so we can identify marketing ideas much more quickly than someone who doesn’t necessarily think about marketing every day.
Time: Small businesses usually don’t have much free time, and unfortunately, marketing takes time. Devising a strategy, coordinating ads, creating promotional items, writing content, managing a campaign – all that stuff takes precious time. That’s where an agency can help. Let us do your marketing work for you, so you can keep your time focused on operating your business.
Speaking of time – agencies can also complete marketing work much faster than trying to do it in-house.
It’s not as expensive as you might think: sure, hiring the biggest marketing agency in New York City can get pricey, but we’re a small business that specializes in working with other small businesses. We can create marketing packages that fit your needs as well as your budget.
Besides, hiring a marketer in-house can be expensive too. Recruiting, interviewing, training, salary, benefits – all that stuff takes lots of money and time. By hiring an agency to do your business’ marketing, you can contract for exactly the work you need without having to hire a whole new employee.
Objectivism: You know the old adage – “can’t see the forest for the trees.” If you’re busy with the day-to-day details of your business, it may be difficult to think about how to market your business in the big picture. A business can really benefit from the objective outside perspective that an agency can provide, especially when it comes to matters of marketing or design.
Resources: as an agency, we can help with your marketing, but why stop there? We can help you execute every element of a marketing strategy – designing a brand and logos, producing and coordinating advertising, updating blogs and social media campaigns, designing and maintaining websites, and more.
The point we’re trying to make is, there are are lots of ways our agency can help your business. Contact us today to see what we can do for you!
To contact O2 Creative, call 970-726-8021 or email [email protected].
Click here for our last blog: O2 on the Wipe Out!
O2 on the Wipe Out
We at O2 sure are excited for this Saturday. What’s this Saturday? Well, this Saturday is none other than the Winter Park Wipe Out!
So what’s the Winter Park Wipe Out, you ask? Well, it’s “The Coolest Race on Snow!” Contestants get to race throughout downtown Winter Park completing over 15 exciting obstacles and challenges: snow tubing and sledding, scavenger hunts, games and puzzles, food challenges, obstacle courses, and other fun stuff too!
To make things as interesting as possible, contestants are also encouraged to dress up in costumes while participating. From monkeys to bananas to superheroes to Scooby Doo, the creative contestant costumes make the event even more entertaining!
Contestants have a great time taking on challenges around Winter Park, and also receive a 2-for-1 ski pass to the Winter Park Resort, a coupon for $20 off a snowmobile tour with Grand Adventures, party beads at each challenge, raffle tickets, and other great offers from businesses all around Winter Park.
Winter Park Wipe Out is family-friendly, and it’s definitely a good time for all ages. Hot cocoa and s’mores are provided, and live music will be rocking throughout the event. For folks old enough to drink, beer is available for purchase as well.
Of course, the O2 guys will be at Wipe Out, helping out with the event and maybe even participating in a challenge or two ourselves. We volunteered and participated in last year’s Wipe Out, and it was such a good time, we can’t wait to do it again this year!
If you haven’t signed up yet, do it quick! Check out www.winterparkadventureseries.com or go to the Adventure Series Facebook page here. Hope to see you at Wipe Out!
To contact O2 Creative, give us a call at 970-726-8021 or email [email protected].
Click here for our last blog post: O2 on the river!
O2 on the river
We at O2 love to spend time outdoors. We’ve written about our hiking, camping, and even skiing adventures on here previously. We’re avid fishermen as well, and enjoy every chance we get to get out on the water.
We’ve even had the pleasure of writing about fly-fishing here in Colorado’s Favorite Playground (don’t worry, it still sucks). When members of the O2 team were invited to join an early-season float trip on the upper Colorado over a recent weekend, we jumped at the opportunity.
The warm spring weather was just enough to melt the ice off the river and provide the flowing water sufficient to float. More than sufficient, actually – the river was running rather high and fast, with a stained muddy color unusual for this time of year.
While the river was fast, the fishing was slow. Unfortunate, but not surprising (after all, if you caught fish every time you went fishing, they’d call it catching instead, right?)
No less, the trip was still thoroughly enjoyable. The early spring weather was splendid; the scenery, spectacular. High country cliffs and canyons carved by the Colorado; rolling hills strewn with sagebrush; grassy meadows crawling with wildlife…heck, why write about it? They say a picture tells a thousand words, so we’ll just let some photos tell the story for us:
Oh yeah, and like we said – WILDLIFE! We ran into a group of bighorns:
Floated by under the watchful eye of an eagle:
And saw herd after countless herd of deer:
All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed a fabulous first float of the season. Here’s to hoping it won’t be the last. (And here’s to hoping we’ll catch some more fish next time!)
Click here for our last blog – WordPress tutorials
The WordPress Jetpack
This week’s post is yet another in our series of WordPress tutorials. Our last tutorial post explained all the editing features on your WordPress kitchen sink. This week, we’ll be discussing another powerful feature of your WordPress website: the Jetpack.
To put it plainly, the Jetpack is a plugin that should already appear on the back end of your WordPress website. If you login to your site, you should see a link to your Jetpack on the left side of your Dashboard.
If you click the Jetpack link on the left, it will prompt the Jetpack menu of options.
The Jetpack screen displays a whole list of useful features, all of which can be activated and configured on this screen. These features offer various tools and functions to use on your WordPress website. Many of the features are free, though some of them are available for purchase.
For instance, you can activate a “WordPress.com Stats” feature that will allow you to analyze your site’s statistics (you know, your site’s page views, top posts & pages, clicks, subscribers, referrers, and other such info).
If you click “Configure” you’ll be directed to the administrative side of the Stats feature:
If you click “Learn More,” you’ll prompt a screen that briefly explains the feature, and also provides a link to view your website’s statistics.
Once you click that link to view your stats dashboard, you’ll be provided interactive graphs, stats, and other insightful info about your website.
Of course, the Stats feature is just one of the many useful features on your WordPress Jetpack. For instance, the “Subscriptions” feature allows you to easily install a button that appears on your blog’s sidebar, which easily allows any visitor to subscribe to your blog via email. Another useful Jetpack feature, the “Sharing” feature, allows you to activate buttons on your blog that will allow visitors to easily share your posts on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media platforms of your choice.
This is just a brief overview of the WordPress Jetpack. If you have any questions about the Jetpack, or any other questions about your WordPress website, feel free to contact us!
To contact O2, call us at 970-726-8021 or email [email protected].