Brand Interview – Sheevaun O’Connor Moran – Energetic Solutions Inc.

May 31st, 2011 | Posted in Blog, Brand-Interviews | No Comments
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Brand Interview – Sheevaun O’Connor Moran – Energetic Solutions Inc.

Sheevaun Moran

How long has your company been in business? Please tell us a bit about your company, its mission, goals…
Energetic Solutions, Inc has been around for 12 years. Our initial goal was to provide the tools the world needs to have a more energized and peaceful life so that success was effortless. We created a motto of “Health and Wealth Naturally” which did great for us for many years. Our workshops, one on one sessions and CD programs were designed to achieve fast results. The results included once failing businesses becoming multi-million dollar ventures and once failing health transformed into radiant and glowing health.

Our goal is to create a brand that will be lasting for the changes that are allowing business owners, managers and employees to be more conscious on all levels for the sustainability of the planet. As one creates awareness in their own life, takes responsibility for their internal beliefs and structures and strives to evolve beyond them is when the planet becomes a fully whole and sustainable place to live on all levels from business and monetary transactions to raising children.

Do you donate to charities? Tell us about that also and why.
Yes and giving back is paramount to the world being a better healthier place. The understanding of giving is if we can help others in challenging spots in their life or business, particularly women, then everyone benefits.

How did you know what typeface (font) would be right for your company wordmark or logo? If your logo has an illustration, describe why that art was the right thing, animal, place, object, etc…
I had actually not selected the typeface but the designer did. He seemed to have captured the essence of the company easily.

How did you decide on the right color palette to fit your company look and feel?
I selected a range of colors and the designer narrowed it down. I weeded out those that didn’t fit.

How did you decide which type of designer to work with, or did you design your own identity and web presence?
My process was a bit unorthodox. I had gone to some friends for referrals and they just didn’t match my style. Then, I went to the phone book and scanned the page for graphic designers. I called the first one and got an answering machine and then I decided to call the one I saw first and got the owner. I asked him a ton of qualifying questions and we met the next day. He was the best designer to have captured the essence of my company and the energy of our vision and mission.

In what order did you present your company to the world? Did you start with marketing and products, or website, blog and social media?
I had already presented to hundreds of students for 5 years and created 7 CDs before branding my company. One of the things that I latched onto early was the value of email and started emailing previous customers and students about classes and products. To get my feet wet, I had started a website just to give away one of our peace and healing CDs and had no idea that people would be interested. After the first few months of sending, via mail, the free CD I woke up one day and there were 500 requests and that’s when I realized I had to get serious about learning websites and how to take things to the next level. We then worked out how to download, new at the time, audio files.

Once I had the logo then I created a website for Energetic Solutions that was primarily a marketing piece.

After we branded the company and used that brand for several years we then decided to fully integrate and rebrand in 2009 and that’s when we then started an overhaul of our entire image, product packaging, cards, brochures, and then we rebuilt and integrated two of our websites into one. We then took the approach out into the social media market with the same flavor.

How long after the launch of your company did you start pitching in social media?
We got into social media in the infancy of Facebook and Twitter but didn’t realize the importance of its potential until recently. Now it is an integral part of our overall plan.

Did you do research or study any software, take webinars, teleclasses, before approaching any area of your marketing or web presence?
At first we had a chunk of the overhaul done and held some big seminars much too early. After that we took a step back and we did a lot of research before implementation and that had taken a long while before we were able to put the fullness of our plan into the marketplace.

Do you advertise locally in newspapers and/or nationally in magazines? Are they effective?
Not any more. Since the internet they are no longer effective for the way we transform peoples lives.

Do you advertise online using Google, Facebook or on other company sites? Are they effective?
We use Google Adwords to stay in the top ranking and have found that works well enough.

When you printed your products, packaging, business cards and other print marketing did you choose an online printer or visit a local vendor?
Local vendors who we are aligned with.

Did you know anything about different types of papers, when you wanted to print your marketing materials?
Yes, very familiar with different papers, types and weights as I’ve spent a good bit of time publishing books.

Have you ever used “green” technology in printing, using FSC certified papers or recycled paper and if not, how likely are you at trying this on a next project?
Yes we use only recycled paper for our brochures. We have selected as many green suppliers as possible.

If you sell products, are they produced in the U.S.A. or abroad?
Both.

Is there anything you haven’t yet tackled, but will want to do soon?
Oh yes, there are many things we’ve not yet tackled. One of those is video. We have recorded a lot of video footage and are working to get pieces of those up and available for workshops and teasers. We are also working on our 4th book and it contents and cover. One of the very things I am passionate about is sharing how energy affects every aspect of life and that with a better understanding of energy and its uses in business, home life, relationships and health that we are the most amazing and powerful people on the planet that shares and gives for the benefit of all and to communicate that is an ongoing process in web, print, workshops, and one on one sessions. Our vision is to get the business community speaking a language that is higher vibrational so that the old fear paradigm no longer exists.

Sheevaun Moran on beach

To learn more about Sheevaun Moran and Energetic Solutions, Inc. visit the links below:

Sheevaun O’Connor Moran
Chief Energy Officer
Energetic Solutions, Inc.
Website: http://sheevaunmoran.com
Website: http://meditationandtransformation.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/sheevaunom
Twitter: http://twitter.com/sheevaun
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/sheevaunmoran

Brand Interview – Emily Lutzker, OpenInvo

May 27th, 2011 | Posted in Blog, Brand-Interviews | No Comments
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Emily Lutzker, OpenInvo

How long has your company been in business?
OpenInvo was officially incorporated in the Spring of 2010, but the web platform didn’t go live until the Fall of 2010.

Please tell us a bit about your company, its mission, goals…
OpenInvo is a marketplace for ideas and a platform for open innovation. Anyone with an idea, design, or invention for a new product or service can become an Idea Provider for free, and submit ideas. Idea Seekers are mostly R&D departments of corporations looking for innovation. It is our goal to be a bridge between creative people and companies. We believe that people should be valued for their imagination.

Do you donate to charities? Tell us about that also and why.
We don’t have the budget to donate to charities right now. But we did join a couple of arts organizations that helped spread the word about us if we became a member. I’d like to have OpenInvo do more of that in the future.

How did you know what typeface (font) would be right for your company wordmark or logo? How did you decide on the right color palette to fit your company look and feel? How did you decide which type of designer to work with, or did you design your own identity and web presence?
It was a process. I worked with art director Susan Sears to develop the look and feel of OpenInvo. We have a long history of designing together—she was the art director in an agency where I held my first graphic design job many years ago. We remained friends and worked on projects from time to time—often while concocting elaborate meals. Susan is one of these wonderful self-proclaimed typography nerds. It’s an art that is fast disappearing.

We wanted the company to appeal to both creative people and corporations, so that was the big challenge. We also wanted the site to feel special, but not obtrusive. To walk the line between big business and creative people is a big feat. I’d like to believe that we conquered.

In what order did you present your company to the world? Did you start with marketing and products, or website, blog and social media?
The platform itself is the main face of the company, so we built the logo, and then the site, and then other pieces around it.

How long after the launch of your company did you start pitching in social media?
I began the OpenInvo Twitter and Facebook accounts around the same time as the launch.

Did you do research or study any software, take webinars, teleclasses, before approaching any area of your marketing or web presence?
I think I’ve been working on the business of OpenInvo all my life! Coming from an interdisciplinary background of art, design, academia, media and critical theory around communication technologies, I can say I came to it from a layman’s perspective. What I personally lacked was the business experience, so I took a seminar, and I’m an information sponge, so would flit from webinar to how-to-blog on a daily basis. I’d like to think we never stop learning.

Do you advertise locally in newspapers and/or nationally in magazines? Are they effective?
OpenInvo is a startup so we don’t have the budget for advertising as of yet. Getting the word out that there is a resource for creatives is a real challenge.

Do you advertise online using Google, Facebook or on other company sites? Are they effective?
We don’t do it.

When you printed your products, packaging, business cards and other print marketing did you choose an online printer or visit a local vendor?
I chose an online printer because it was more affordable. I would have loved to use someone local, but it didn’t fit into the budget.

Did you know anything about different types of papers, when you wanted to print your marketing materials?
I know a bit about papers, and did print my business cards on 100% recycled stock. Unfortunately with the online printers it’s harder to get a sample beforehand. I have some adjustments to make for the next run.

Have you ever used “green” technology in printing, using FSC certified papers or recycled paper and if not, how likely are you at trying this on a next project?
I’d like to use “green” printing whenever possible.

Is there anything you haven’t yet tackled, but will want to do soon?
So many things! As a new company there is so much to explore! And being an innovation company that by nature puts unexpected things together, there is always so much to tackle: in business development, in the web platform itself, in fun creative marketing… where do I stop?

To learn more about Emily Lutzker and OpenInvo visit the links below:

Website: http://www.openinvo.com
Blog: http://www.openinvo.com/the-invo-blog
Twitter: http://twitter.com/openinvo
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OpenInvo
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/emilylutzker

Brand Interview – Vanessa Coppes – enV Jewelry and the CHICA Bracelet

May 24th, 2011 | Posted in Blog, Brand-Interviews | No Comments
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Vanessa Coppes, enV Jewelry and the CHICA Bracelet

Vanessa Coppes enV Jewelry

How long has your company been in business?
I’ve been in business since June, 2009. I help women connect to others through my jewelry and also help them discover and develop their personal style.

Please tell us a bit about your company, its mission, goals…
Our mission is to support other women who are living their lives the best way they can.

Do you donate to charities? Tell us about that also and why.
Having been affected very closely by cancer, after my father’s death from colon cancer, my aunt from breast cancer and my mother-in-law, a stage 4 breast cancer survivor I support:
1) The American Cancer Society: through the sale of “Debbie’s Pearls”
2) Asociacion Mujeres Solidarias in the Dominican Republic through the sale of our CHICA bracelet with a butterfly.
3) Enchanted Makeovers in the US: through the sale of our enV CHICA bracelet in the US.

How did you know what typeface (font) would be right for your company wordmark or logo? If your logo has an illustration, describe why that art was the right thing, animal, place, object, etc…
My graphic designer is also Dominican, so when he recommended the art work, it resembled something you would find in one of the most popular beaches in my country.
“V” is the nick name I was called as a child. The letters “en” in spanish means in. So the enV combination is meant to spike good enV when you wear my jewelry and someone else sees it on you: they want it.

enV logo by Vanessa Coppes

How did you decide on the right color palette to fit your company look and feel?
The brown and yellow combination have 2 very special meanings to me. The first being the colors in sunflowers which were my father’s favorite flower; the second, brown of the earth, my home land and yellow of the sun, warmth of the island.

How did you decide which type of designer to work with, or did you design your own identity and web presence?
Being from the Dominican Republic, he understood my message. I really gave him very little direction, as long as he kept the color combination in tune with the brand.

In what order did you present your company to the world? Did you start with marketing and products, or website, blog and social media?
My first logo was not even close to what it is now. I mean, now I look at it and smile; that’s how much I love it. Two years ago, I knew nothing about branding. It wasn’t until I got clear on my message that everything began to piece together.

I started using my personal Facebook profile. Then I created a group and a web page. I invested in exquisite business cards in the beginning. I still have customers who remember me by the business card I gave them.

How long after the launch of your company did you start pitching in social media?
One year later.

Did you do research or study any software, take webinars, teleclasses, before approaching any area of your marketing or web presence?
Definitely, I researched, read anything I could get my hands on.

Do you advertise locally in newspapers and/or nationally in magazines? Are they effective?
No.

Do you advertise online using Google, Facebook or on other company sites? Are they effective?
I used Google for 6 months and didn’t find it to be effective. However, Facebook has been very helpful.

When you printed your products, packaging, business cards and other print marketing did you choose an online printer or visit a local vendor?
I do both. It depends on the turn around time vs. the cost.

Did you know anything about different types of papers, when you wanted to print your marketing materials?
I knew NADA. But I did ask my local printer to break the types down for me so I know the language well now.

Have you ever used “green” technology in printing, using FSC certified papers or recycled paper and if not, how likely are you at trying this on a next project?
I have not. I would definitely consider it in the future.

If you sell products, are they produced in the USA or abroad?
My product is handmade by me. I bring back my materials from the Dominican Republic because I am able to get them more affordably than in the US. I have not outsourced manufacturing because I feel it looses the magic of my finished products. I have one specific piece, the CHICA bracelet, the proceeds benefit two charities: one in the US “Enchanted Makeovers” and one in my native Dominican Republic “Asociacion Mujeres Solidarias.” It is being produced in batches of 2-3 dozen, and it’s outsourced to my cousins and friends, who donate their time for these wonderful causes.

CHICA bracelet by Vanessa Coppes

Is there anything you haven’t yet tackled, but will want to do soon?
A visual book about my work.

For more information about Vanessa Coppes, enV and the CHICA Bracelet visit the links below:

Blog: http://www.envbyvanessacoppes.com/
Web: http://www.envjewelry.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/envbyvanessacoppes
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/envbyvcoppes

Hootsuite and Twitter Video Tutorials – Short and Sweet Tips from @sndinc

May 22nd, 2011 | Posted in Blog, marketing | No Comments
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Everybody is tweeting. You want to get into Twitter and Hootsuite and find out what all the fuss is about.

When you open Twitter and create your account, you can customize certain things, such as the color palette and you can add a custom designed background. If you do want a custom background, it’ll be a little tricky to get your logo or other info like a web address along that left side, so it’s visible and not covered by the content page. I suggest the logo and copy is no wider than 100-150 pixels. The background will also look a bit different depending on the size of the monitor it’s viewed on. For example, I have different size monitors to my different computers. On one, the smaller, I won’t see much of the background, and on the large wide screen I’ll see the background repeating a second time. So, if you do not want any text or logos and just a pattern for a smooth tiling of the background graphic repeating, make sure that all four sides match up and the background will be seamless.

Now, once you’ve created your customize look for Twitter, you’ll want to open an account with Hootsuite. From this point on you may not need to open Twitter anymore and can manage your account here.

The best features about Hootsuite are:

1- You can have multiple “handles” which means more than one name and can manage each profile here

2- You can schedule tweets for any of those handles all in advance, so you can set up tweets for a few days or a week

3- You can review who’s following you and follow them back

4- It has a nicely displayed page showing, the feed, mentions, direct messages, pending tweets, and sent tweets all at once

5- Newest feature is “Klout” and the ability to filter the followers by their score

***Bonus tip! From the Twitter expert Ted Rubin… Make your Tweets only 120-122 characters, instead of 140. Why? Because you want your Tweets retweeted and you want to give people a little wiggle room so they can add their own comment. If you tweet at 140 characters and then people want to retweet, they have to edit your tweet! So keep it short and sweet and it will be retweeted and the integrity of the tweet will remain.

Check out these little tutorial videos I created for more details.

Twitter
 

Hootsuite
 

Brand Interview – Kris Wittenberg – Be Good To People®

May 21st, 2011 | Posted in Blog, Brand-Interviews | No Comments
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Brand Interview – Kris Wittenberg – Be Good To People®

Kris Wittenberg - Be Good To People

How long has your company been in business? Please tell us a bit about your company, its mission, goals…
Just over two years, but I thought of the idea just over three years ago when a woman was rude to me at lunch. I returned to the office, stood in the middle of it and asked (quite strongly) “Why can’t people just BE GOOD TO PEOPLE?!?! What is wrong with people??? I said out loud, “I’m going to put that on a t-shirt, “Be good to people!” I marched back to my office and got online to find that begoodtopeople.com was available (!!!). I took that as a “sign,” and bought the URL immediately.

At the time I was extremely busy with my other company, SayNoMore! Promotions, and shelved BGTP. I revisited it once the economy had tanked and we had gotten sued frivolously by our homeowners association. It was a very ugly, dark, lengthy, expensive lawsuit, but in the end, they conceded we had done nothing wrong and the best part is that Be Good to People was born.

Our mission is to spread this message globally, through social media and on fashionable tees and hip products that you see and use a lot throughout the day.

How did you know what typeface (font) would be right for your company wordmark or logo? If your logo has an illustration, describe why that art was the right thing, animal, place, object, etc…
We chose Courier New for two reasons, well three if you count that we just really liked it. The other two reasons are that it was the font used by the U.S. State Department until 2004, and the State Department practices diplomacy. What is a better example of diplomacy than being good to people? Also, it was one of IBM’s first typewriter fonts so it is really “old school.”  Being good to people is a timeless concept, and brings to mind a simpler time when it wasn’t as necessary to have a movement to encourage people being good to one another.

How did you decide on the right color palette to fit your company look and feel?
Our color palette (and everything in our line) is black and white. Because Being Good to People is so simple, it’s black and white. It’s one of my favorite parts of the brand because it so effectively resonates the message.

Be Good To People - Baby Tee

How did you decide which type of designer to work with, or did you design your own identity and web presence?
We did it ourselves. Because of my 20+ years in promotional marketing and branding, I was able to lend some skills.

In what order did you present your company to the world? Did you start with marketing and products, or website, blog and social media?
Product (sold at our Vail farmer’s market) followed quickly by social media (Facebook and a little Twitter).

How long after the launch of your company did you start pitching in social media?
3-4 months.

Did you do research or study any software, take webinars, teleclasses, before approaching any area of your marketing or web presence?
No.

Do you advertise locally in newspapers and/or nationally in magazines? Are they effective?
No.

Do you advertise online using Google, Facebook or on other company sites? Are they effective?
We have used Facebook ads in two very brief (1-day) campaigns and they are great for getting fans. Haven’t seen it translate to sales too much, but we haven’t really put too much effort into analyzing. It’s great for getting fans though.

When you printed your products, packaging, business cards and other print marketing did you choose an online printer or visit a local vendor?
We do it through my other company, SayNoMore! Promotions, which produces everything you can put a logo on including embroidered and screen printed apparel as well as every type of product.

Did you know anything about different types of papers, when you wanted to print your marketing materials?
Not really. Though we can do print collateral, we really focus on actual products that are given away (pens, mousepads, totes, flash drives, awards, apparel, etc.)

Have you ever used “green” technology in printing, using FSC-certified papers or recycled paper and if not, how likely are you at trying this on a next project?
Yes, we are big fans of protecting the environment whenever possible in both of my companies. In fact, many of our Be Good to People products were chosen because they are reusable (grocery totes, water bottles, our fabulous and most popular acrylic cup & straw).

If you sell products, are they produced in the USA or abroad?
Both. We feel that Being Good to People means people all over the world. We try to manufacturer in the US, but many of our products are produced overseas as well, which gives people all over the world jobs.

BGTP Be Good To People White Tumbler product

Is there anything you haven’t yet tackled, but will want to do soon?
I’d love to have Be Good to People get some national press (The Today Show, Ellen, USA Today, People Magazine or WSJ). It is relevant to such a broad audience, and could be tailored to any type of reader or viewer. I really feel that when the national press gets ahold of Be Good to People our movement will truly take flight.

Do you donate to charities?
We put 5% of our sales (not after profit…straight off the top of all of our sales) into a fund from which we recognize and reward people who are being good to people all over the world. We are currently exploring different charitable structures for the future.

Kris Wittenberg
President
SayNoMore! Promotions

Founder
Be good to people.®
It’s so simple…it’s black and white.™

T 970.328.5908
F 970.797.1459

Website: Spread the Good. www.begoodtopeople.com
Fan us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/begoodtopeople
Follow us: www.twitter.com/bgtp

Brand Interview – Natalie Jobity, Élan Image Management

May 19th, 2011 | Posted in Blog, Brand-Interviews | No Comments
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Natalie Jobity, Élan Image Management

How long has your company been in business?
Élan Image Management has been in business for over 5 years.

Please tell us a bit about your company, it’s mission and goals.
My business is an image consulting firm whose mission it is to inspire and empower women to express the highest vision of themselves via their image. My clients are women who value their image as a way to achieve success in all areas of their life. My personal mission is to reach as many women globally as I can with my message of elevation and education.

Do you support or donate to charities?
I do donate to charities—mostly through silent auctions of my services. I am an ambassador for the American Heart Association and volunteer my time to them.

How did you know what typeface (font) would be right for your company, wordmark or logo?
I did not think much about this aspect. I just liked the overall look and feel.

How did you decide on the right color palette to fit your company look and feel?
I had a deep association with orange—the way it looked and what the color reflects psychologically—vibrant, unconventional, unique, warm—attributes that reflected the way I am and what I wanted my brand to personify.

How did you decide which type of designer to work with, or did you design your own identity and web presence?
My sister is a graphic designer and a really good one. I did communicate what I wanted my site to look and feel like, but gave her a lot of creative license. A no-brainer choice for me.

In what order did you present your company to the world? Did you start with marketing and products, or website, blog and social media?
My logo and website were first. I knew that my web presence as an image consultant was super important. Everything else was an offshoot from the logo and website. I also developed my own tagline immediately. And I would add that I spent some time deciding on the name of my company, once I decided I would have a company.

How long after the launch of your company did you start pitching in social media?
I was on LinkedIn first because of my corporate past. I was on LinkedIn before I started Élan Image Management. I joined Facebook WAY later and Twitter I still struggle with.

Did you do research or study any software, take webinars, teleclasses, before approaching any area of your marketing or web presence?
No. I have a marketing degree and my corporate career was marketing research, so I came in knowing a lot about marketing. I understood the importance of branding and getting it right off the bat. I think I have done well in that area.

Do you advertise locally in newspapers and/or nationally in magazines? Are they effective?
I did a little local advertising in the beginning but quickly learned that it is not effective for what I do.

Do you advertise online using Google, Facebook or on other company sites? Are they effective?
I did Google ads on and off but honestly the best boost to me was working on my SEO optimization early on, so my site came up organically in keyword searches.

When you printed your products, packaging, business cards and other print marketing did you choose an online printer or visit a local vendor?
I used a local vendor for biz cards and brochures, but an online vendor for postcards.

Did you know anything about different types of papers, when you wanted to print your marketing materials?
Not really.

Have you ever used “green” technology in printing, using FSC certified papers or recycled paper and if not, how likely are you at trying this on a next project?
No I haven’t, but I’d be open to trying green printing in the future.

Is there anything you haven’t yet tackled, but will want to do soon?
More YouTube videos
Audio products
Another book(s)

 

To learn more about Natalie Jobity and Élan Image Management, visit the links below:
Website: www.elanimagemanagement.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Elan.Image.Management
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TheImageDiva
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/ElanImage
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/elanimagemanagement

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