Mary Anne Sacco wants to transform teaching and learning with expert professional development. Currently in development is her new website and custom theme blog. You can also visit her on Twitter where we have loaded a spiffy background to match this design.
Mary Anne Sacco – Educational Consultant
February 26th, 2011 | Posted in Portfolio, web | Comments OffTags: classroom connections blog, educational consultant, mary anne sacco, teacher and educator, teacher's custom designed blog, web design and custom blogs, web design for educator
Reef Aquarium TV DVD
February 26th, 2011 | Posted in Portfolio, print | Comments OffTags: aquarium fish tank movies, keith behrle productions, reef aquarium dvd, the reef aquarium TV dvd, visual display of reef tanks
A few years back I designed “The Reef Aquarium DVD” and website. Currently in development is latest creation from Keith Behrle Productions, “The Reef Aquarium TV.” Look for this product very soon as well as a slightly revamped website.
Jersey City – Does The Heights Have An Image Problem?
February 20th, 2011 | Posted in Blog, marketing | Comments OffTags: asian-indian community, central avenue businesses, image awareness for demographics, murals on central avenue, the heights of jersey city, wrong demographics for shoppers
Last week I visited a local business in the Heights section of Jersey City and struck up a conversation with a realtor. We started talking about the current economic situation and it’s effect on The Heights.
I’ve been here on Central Avenue for 5 years now and have seen this street continue it’s nose dive. When I first moved up here from Hoboken, there were many more businesses and a livelier hustle and bustle of shoppers. But with the economy plummeting from 2008 through 2010, so many businesses closed and the stores remain vacant.
As we talked about this, and she asked me if I were to tell her the racial demographics of The Heights, what would I assume they are? So I said, 50% Spanish and Italian, 25% African American and 25% white. WRONG!… she says.
The racial demographics are actually: 50% Asian/Indian, 25% Spanish, 25% White.
Well this is fascinating to discover, why you might ask? Because this explains why business has not been good on Central Avenue and why so many stores remain vacant. The stores that should open would be ones that the highest demographic would shop at or eat in, but the landlords aren’t renting the spaces to the right businesses. So, no one eats or shops in the ones that do open, and then of course they close.
So I’m asking you, what can The Heights do to improve business on Central Avenue and does The Heights have an image awareness problem?
Branding Identity Can Change – We All Evolve and Our Brand Must Reflect Ourselves and Our Business
February 9th, 2011 | Posted in art, Blog, marketing | Comments OffTags: brand identity, business cards susan newman design, business image reflection, changing a company's logo, changing your company look, design integrity web and print, logo development susan newman design, rebranding your company, sndi brand, susan newman design, website design susan newman
Over the last 2 decades my brand identity has changed quite a few times. I played with my icon so many times and it has evolved into the SNDI that I use today. Our business grows and changes just as we do and you shouldn’t be afraid to change it up a bit. You have to feel good about how you are represented in print and on the web, and if what you have doesn’t fit how you feel about yourself or is a true mirror of your business, it may be time for a change.
When I first opened my own business I was so fascinated by the power of what I could manipulate in Photoshop, I wanted to express that in the logo. (See the first one with the circle, approx: 1992). Then I decided to simplify and printed business cards, stationery and envelopes at a local printer in Hoboken, 2 flat colors on a lovely creamy stock. At that time I was starting to play with the SNDI and tried out the shadow effect. (I still have a stack of letterheads and envelopes! That was around 1994.) Then I finally created the SNDI with the 4 compartments separated by lines but it was in a bright, colorful palette, moving into web design and playing with web graphics. It was important for my card to reflect I was web savvy now too! (See the white card with web graphic image toward bottom.)
Then one day I was looking at my logo, card and website and thought, these colors are too bright, too colorful, too in someone’s face, and thought, I’m really more “earth tones.” Ahhhh, that’s better! So you see the next card where I updated the colors of my logo, changed all my print marketing and my website. That was in 2006. I’ve kept that logo for the past few years and I’m quite happy with the way it looks. It feels right to me, it is how I see myself and my company. The most recent card keeps that logo, but I added the background, header graphics that I’m using on my website, blog, Facebook, Twitter and so it seemed fun to add it to the business card. It’s very important to graphically tie your print and web together so it gives people a lasting impression, hopefully one they’ll remember!
I suggest you look at your print and web presence and see if it’s a good fit. If you want a quick consultation, just contact me.
Hot Deal Sites – Are They Helping Promote Businesses or Diluting Brands?
February 6th, 2011 | Posted in Blog, marketing | Comments OffTags: advertising products and services on Groupon, one day deal advertising, selling success for small businesses
Let’s face facts, everybody likes a discount!
When we see the word SALE! we lean in or walk toward the sign. In the last few years with the economy struggling and stores downsizing or going out of business, what has helped some stores keep going? Having a sale of course, buy one, get one free, etc…
I respect certain brands, when it comes to cosmetics, clothing, shoes, even the food or paper products in the supermarket, I’m going to continue to buy the brands I favor, but when they’re having a sale, I’m really in.
However, in the last few years internet shops have opened up like Groupon that look for the hot deals for us and not just for products, but services also. They’ll email you or you can get alerts via Facebook and/or Twitter. The question is, would I buy something that’s a hot deal just because, and try it out, or am I still going to look for the deals that are from the brands I know and respect?
In a recent discussion about creating the right business model to be successful, one woman said that she buys deals via Groupon and other deal sites, and the boxes keep coming, then she sends back what she doesn’t care for. This is obviously someone who’s well off, and will try things on. Others may be more rigid and look for specific types of things. One woman had been approached to create a deal for her products, and for a small business entrepreneur this could be great exposure. So, is the brand the public now trusts “Groupon?”
I must admit a few months ago I received an email from Staples with a one day deal on a wide screen computer monitor, the price was right, but the product brand I wasn’t familiar with. But if Staples was recommending it and I trusted them, it was good enough for me and I bought it. And I love it.
The key to success for any business is to have assorted products and services that fit different budgets. So whether you post one product or service on Groupon and another type elsewhere, it’s worth a try.








