2011 June | Branding YOU Better!

Building A Tribe of Social Media Advocates for Your Brand, Cause and Business

June 29th, 2011 | Posted in Blog, marketing | No Comments
Tags: blogging across social media, brand advocates, building an audience, company exposure on social media, design a brand plan, followers sharing your content, Jersey city small business, Kathryn Rose, Laura Rubenstein, marketing brand on social media, reaching your target on social media, sharing high quality content, Social Buzz Club, social media to build following, Susan Newman Design inc, using social media powerfully, woman-owned business, women entrepreneurs

Building up your Facebook fan pages and Twitter followers is a good thing, but building a tribe of brand advocates is the most powerful way to stand out on the social networking sites. People really do love to share quality, interesting, humorous, touching or valuable content with each other. What if you could count on a group of people consistently sharing your high quality content? That’s the foundation of the Social Buzz Club community.

Did you know there are 29.6 million small business owners, 69% of whom want help getting customers using the internet?

Most of them don’t understand internet marketing, they won’t take the time to study social media, and they don’t have a clue about search engine optimization (SEO).

Business owners today realize that online marketing is a problem they MUST face and capitalize on. They also understand that traditional marketing doesn’t work on its own. They need systems and tools, and social media professionals who know how to attract the eyes and ears of their marketplace.

Do you know how?

Many social media managers focus on building numbers of Facebook fans and Twitter followers only to be disappointed that no one is really paying attention. You must create a dialogue, not just randomly follow. These social media professionals are missing a key ingredient: Third party endorsement. Have you noticed that when someone else promotes your brand or links to a quality post on your blog, you get more traffic? Assuming that the social media and blog managers are adding interesting, engaging and quality information to their social media feeds, then brand advocates will be extremely helpful in getting results.

Social Buzz Club founders, Kathryn Rose and Laura Rubinstein, surveyed some of the internet’s most active social media pros and discovered that 90% of social media pros and business owners find that getting the word out about their brands effectively is the number one challenge when using social media sites.

Since it’s founded on the principle of reciprocity, the Social Buzz Club is set up to attract social media managers who participate weekly in sharing content and buzzing out other people’s content. It’s a brilliant way for any social media manager to get the word out about his/her companies because every member must share about others before sharing about their companies. The Social Buzz Club is a social marketing tool making social media managers more effective at doing their job. It turns social media managers into social media influencers.

The critical factor is that everyone in the tribe must have at least 1 year’s experience on the social networks and have an existing following (minimum of 1,000 twitter followers and 150 facebook friends and /or fans). Each of these proven social media users are established credible resources on the social networks and have value to offer to the members. Quality content from quality people who collaborate together to build a robust brand- boosting tribe.

If you’re a social media savvy professional who loves the idea of collaboration and qualifies for membership, then click here and give the Social Buzz Club a whirl for free.

Try it here: http://ow.ly/5eLc0

Here’s to your awesome Brand, Cause and Business, so create your social media success now!

Brand Interview – Raz Godelnik, Eco-Libris

June 28th, 2011 | Posted in Blog, Brand-Interviews | No Comments
Tags: 100 bloggers green books campaign, 200 bloggers green books campaign ecolibris, 41 reasons to plant a tree for your book, AIR plant trees, deforestation in africa, deforestation in central america, Eco-Libris, ecolibris, gavriel studio brand design, green practices book industry, Green printer nj greg barber, green the book industry, Greg Barber, make e-reading greener, plant trees in africa, plant trees in central america, planting tree partners, Raz Godelnik, reading more sustainable, Ripple Africa plant trees, SHI plant trees, studio gavriel

Brand Interview – Raz Godelnik, Eco-Libris

How long has your company been in business? Please tell us a bit about your company, its mission, goals…
Founded in 2007, Eco-Libris is a green company working to green up the book industry in the digital age by promoting the adoption of green practices in the book industry, balancing out books by planting trees, and helping to make e-reading greener.

Eco-Libris is offering book readers, as well as publishers and authors the opportunity to balance out the trees cut down for the production of books by planting trees in developing countries.
We work to plant these trees together with our planting partners – three highly respected U.S. and U.K. based non-profit organizations that work in collaboration with local communities in developing countries to plant these trees. These trees are planted in high ecological and sustainable standards in Latin America (Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama, Belize, Honduras) and Africa (Malawi), where deforestation is a crucial problem.

Planting trees in these places not only helps to fight climate change and conserve soil and water, but also benefits many local people, for whom these trees offer many benefits, such as improvement of crops and additional food and income, and an opportunity for a better future.

Readers also receive a sticker made of recycled paper for every book they balance out saying “One tree planted for this book”, which they can later display on their books’ sleeves.
So far Eco-Libris balanced out over 177,000 books, which results in more than 197,000 new trees planted with its planting partners in developing countries.

Do you donate to charities? Tell us about that also and why.
No, but we do work closely with our three planting partners (SHI, Ripple Africa and AIR), which are all non-profit organizations.

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 had an excellent designer, Gavriel of Studio Gavriel, who was responsible for designing our logo as well as choosing the font. We were involved in the process, but he was responsible for all the creative work.

How did you decide on the right color palette to fit your company look and feel?
Again, Gavriel did it and he did an excellent job.

How did you decide which type of designer to work with, or did you design your own identity and web presence?
One of our team members had prior experience with Gavriel we chose to work with and he thought he would be a good fit for our needs and he was right.

In what order did you present your company to the world? Did you start with marketing and products, or website, blog and social media?
We launched the website together with our operations. The blog came a little bit later.

How long after the launch of your company did you start pitching in social media?
On Twitter and Facebook it was about a year or so.

Did you do research or study any software, take webinars, teleclasses, before approaching any area of your marketing or web presence?
Not really. We had couple of experts on these issues in our team.

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?
No.

When you printed your products, packaging, business cards and other print marketing did you choose an online printer or visit a local vendor?
It was important for us to find a local eco-friendly printer, so we did a little research and found Greg Barber, a green printing expert, who is operating in NJ, and this was the beginning of a great partnership that is going on ever since.

Did you know anything about different types of papers, when you wanted to print your marketing materials?
Yes. We wanted to make sure that our stickers, as well as all our marketing materials, are printed on recycled paper.

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?
Definitely. Our printer Greg Barber is using many green printing practices, which you can read about on his website.

If you sell products, are they produced in the U.S.A. or abroad?
The stickers we provide are printed in the U.S. The trees are planted in Central America and Africa, where deforestation is a crucial problem.

Is there anything you haven’t yet tackled, but will want to do soon?
We keep working to make reading more sustainable – even in the digital era it’s not a challenge, but we’re optimistic we can do it! We invite you to visit our website and green up your books with us.

To learn more about Raz Godelnik and Eco-Libris visit the links below:

Website: http://www.ecolibris.net
Blog: http://ecolibris.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ecolibris
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Eco-Libris-Moving-Towards-Sustainable-Reading/18601158360
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/raz-godelnik/0/75b/653

Brand Interview – Todd Radom, Todd Radom Design

June 26th, 2011 | Posted in Blog, Brand-Interviews | No Comments
Tags: a signature palette, Alumni Society School of Visual Arts, athletic team logos, branding professional sports, classic timeless letterforms, designer of identities, designing in a niche market, direct mail vs web, graphic illustrations, letterforms with detailed flourishes, logos and letterforms, logos for licensed products, logos in american pop culture, physical portfolio vs online web site, professional sports team identity, professional sports team logos, sole proprietor designer, sports logos, the 727 fund SVA, Todd Radom, Todd Radom Design, Todd Radom Design on Facebook

Brand Interview – Todd Radom, Todd Radom Design

How long has your company been in business? Please tell us a bit about your company, its mission, goals…
I have been lovingly crafting logos, letterforms and graphic illustrations since the mid-1980s. I’ve been a full-time sole proprietor since 1990, which represents an eternity in the world of graphic design. The type of work that I specialize in has naturally shifted over the years, but the vast majority of the work I do today revolves around branding for professional sports. I have designed logos for everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series, have created visual identities for individual franchises, and have worked with business partners of the various leagues in creating graphics for all sorts of licensed products. I pride myself on being able to handle complex and prominent projects professionally and creatively. I’ve created some of the most iconic logos in American popular culture and have navigated through some of the most complicated projects imaginable. My goal is to keep doing what I am doing, and to do it with attention to quality and detail. Design is a subjective thing, and trends come and go, but I feel as creative today as I ever have.

Do you donate to charities? Tell us about that also and why.
Yes indeed! As a matter of fact, I am the co-founder of a named fund at the School of Visual Arts—the 727 Fund, awarded to students in graphic design, illustration, cartooning and advertising. I am a member of the board of the Alumni Society of School of Visual Arts, and am very passionate about making a positive contribution to the creative future.

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 logo revolves around a ligature of my initials, so I needed to let the typography breathe and be readable. Classic, timeless letterforms, combined with some detailed flourishes. I consider myself a craftsman, and I like to think that my logo reflects this.

How did you decide on the right color palette to fit your company look and feel?
I took into account a couple of criteria. First and foremost, my colors reflect the fact that I am an established professional-solid, grounded, and have been doing this for quite some time. As a designer of many, many identities, I am always aware of the fact that less is more in terms of the number of colors. A signature palette is a very desirable thing.

How did you decide which type of designer to work with, or did you design your own identity and web presence?
The toughest job imaginable for a designer of identities is to do your own brand. I have had a few over the last 25 years, but have come back to something I designed in 1986. It’s easy to understand, solid, and works well for me. As far as my website goes, I confess to being in need of something new-the sensibilities of web design are so different from those involved in print.

In what order did you present your company to the world? Did you start with marketing and products, or website, blog and social media?
When I started doing this, I went the conventional route at the time—building up a physical portfolio, dropping it off, arranging for meetings with prospective clients, etc. I did some direct marketing, very targeted mailers, stuff like that. I find it far more difficult to reach the potential business partners of today; it’s a very fragmented world in terms of being able to connect with folks.

How long after the launch of your company did you start pitching in social media?
I have always received inquiries and emails about my work, from people all over the world. It made sense to set up a Facebook page, and I did so in 2010. It’s a great opportunity to share some of my work—especially stuff that people may never have seen before—and to interact with folks who enjoy what I do. I’ve also made and revived connections via LinkedIn, an absolute must for anyone interested in professional networking, whatever your vocation.

Did you do research or study any software, take webinars, teleclasses, before approaching any area of your marketing or web presence?
No, I haven’t taken any formal courses.

Do you advertise locally in newspapers and/or nationally in magazines? Are they effective?
No. First of all, I think that the most targeted and effective advertising for creative work is (somewhere) out there on the web. Secondly, some of my more prominent projects contain very restrictive terms of usage for my own promotional purposes, so advertising of any kind is a challenging thing for me.

Do you advertise online using Google, Facebook or on other company sites? Are they effective?
No, I have never gone there. I cater to somewhat of a niche market, so I’m not sure that this would be the place for me to advertise.

When you printed your products, packaging, business cards and other print marketing did you choose an online printer or visit a local vendor?
I have done both. Like so many folks, my needs for print on paper have diminished tremendously over the years.

Did you know anything about different types of papers, when you wanted to print your marketing materials?
Absolutely! The right paper can make a huge statement with regard to personalizing a business card, for instance. A super-glossy stock makes colorful logos sing. Something textured, a little tooth to it, for the right letterhead?

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?
These days all of my work is handed off to the client, who is ultimately responsible for print. That said, I would encourage the use of green technology for printing, or just about anything else.

If you sell products, are they produced in the U.S.A. or abroad?
All my logos are produced at my desk right here in the good old U.S.A!

Is there anything you haven’t yet tackled, but will want to do soon?
I feel as though I’ve been around the block and have seen and done it all—but—I’d love to handle some more illustrative projects, things like posters and labels, which are infrequent these days. I am an unabashedly commercial artist and my interests lie in continuing to connect with great business partners, to work with people I enjoy collaborating with, and in creating great work, every day.

To learn more about Todd Radom Design, Visit the links below:

Website: www.toddradom.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ToddRadomDesign
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/1458032

Brand Interview – John Fathom, RockSoup Studios

June 21st, 2011 | Posted in Blog, Brand-Interviews | No Comments
Tags: 660 grand street jersey city, artists using blogs or websites, artists using Facebook for business, artists using social media, Bag The Habit, careers of artists, fathomtheory, hoboken artists, Holly Tienken of Design Grace, hudson county artists, illuminated paintings, jersey city artists, Jersey city fine artists, John Fathom, John Ruddy, large art collective, large scale exhibitions, mixed mediums, Nyugen Smith, Rock Soup Studios, RockSoup Studios

Brand Interview – John Fathom, RockSoup Studios

John Fathom

John Fathom's Illuminated Painting

How long has your company been in business? Please tell us a bit about your company, its mission, goals…
JF-Since about 2004, but not officially till 2006. We began as a large art collective that meant to create mixed media events with anyone that had passion and drive, but we streamlined into a collective of just a few organizers producing events and exhibitions with the intention of fostering collaboration and generating interest in the arts.

Do you donate to charities? Tell us about that also and why.
JF-No, not yet.

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…
JF-We hired the great Holly Tienken of Design Grace for our logo design. We went with something with a historic appeal, but also incorporated some scribble on the outside of what looks literally like a type of brand that could be burnt onto the side of a cattle to loosen it up and expand it. We are quite happy with what she came up with for us.

How did you decide on the right color palette to fit your company look and feel?
JF- We always knew we wanted black and white. We considered black and silver as well, but with so many artists involved with different tastes and palettes we trusted in Holly’s ability to produce a classy timeless logo. Bringing color into the branding would have been a case of too many cooks in the kitchen, because we started out with so many artists providing input.

How did you decide which type of designer to work with, or did you design your own identity and web presence?
JF-We saw Holly’s design for Bag the Habit, which is a company she is now partner in and which I always thought was a genius logo… nuff said.

In what order did you present your company to the world? Did you start with marketing and products, or website, blog and social media?
JF-Our website never quite launched. Maintaining the site was too cumbersome for a bunch of artists more interested in making art then the business of promoting it. Beyond that we built a presence through word of mouth driven by community events, parties, exhibitions in NY, Miami and NJ. We also recently launched our blog; www.660soup.blogspot.com which combines the personality of those that work out of our arts building and those that are Rock Soup Studios. Beyond that Twitter and Facebook help keep things moving along fine.

How long after the launch of your company did you start pitching in social media?
JF-Social media has become part of everyone’s life, it’s no longer just a company’s concern. Facebook/Twitter are now corporations pretending to be individuals, while individuals pretend to be companies. Trying to recall when we started pitching is impossible because the transition/merging of our company profile and our personal profile was almost seamless.

Did you do research or study any software, take webinars, teleclasses, before approaching any area of your marketing or web presence?
JF- Nyugen Smith is one the directors here at RSS and he is better versed on the subject then I, so I refer to him when I have questions of this nature and he usually steers us in the right direction.

Do you advertise locally in newspapers and/or nationally in magazines? Are they effective?
JF-We only advertise our events and exhibitions, so have no use for this fairly dated form of advertising.

Do you advertise online using Google, Facebook or on other company sites? Are they effective?
JF- Facebook is effective, but because so few actually check their invites we also use text messaging, flyers and email blasts if/when necessary. The blog will come in handy post production.

When you printed your products, packaging, business cards and other print marketing did you choose an online printer or visit a local vendor?
JF- A local vendor whom I cannot recall. We change vendors with every print job depending on the style, count, location and price.

Did you know anything about different types of papers, when you wanted to print your marketing materials?
JF- Just what your average art student would know.

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?
JF- Do you count using paper I had in the studio and printing at home? lol

If you sell products, are they produced in the U.S.A. or abroad?
JF- U.S.A., we are local artists.

Is there anything you haven’t yet tackled, but will want to do soon?
JF- Of course. As individual artists we hope to continue to grow and expand our careers and the careers of artists we collaborate with through RockSoup via large scale exhibitions in other cities or out of our building at 660 Grand. Personally I’m interested in taking over more buildings like 660 and creating these artist enclaves in different cities.
Time will tell.

Nyugen Smith - The artist with Transistor with Rebel Boots, Photographed by Virginia Kamenitzer

Nyugen Smith - The General Feels at Home

John Ruddy

Sutee - painting by John Ruddy

To learn more about John Fathom, John Ruddy, Nyugen Smith and Rock Soup Studios visit the links below:

Rock Soup Studios Blog: www.660soup.blogspot.com
As individuals you can find, John Fathom, John Ruddy and Nyugen Smith on Facebook.
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Fathomtheory

Brand Interview – Peter Thorpe, Designer & Illustrator

June 14th, 2011 | Posted in Blog, Brand-Interviews | No Comments
Tags: acrylic painting vs oil painting, advertising illustration san francisco, asheville designer and illustrator, book cover design and illustration, book series cover designer, daniels graphics asheville nc, donated to space research, hand made paper for illustrations, html websites vs web 2.0, Louisana designer illustrator, magazine illustrator peter thorpe, marti gras market designer and artist, New Orleans designer, New Orleans illustrator, Novaspace, nyc book cover artist, overnight prints, painted rockets, Peter Thorpe, Peter Thorpe Design Illustration, peter thorpe paints rocket ships, peterthorpe.net, Steve Mann photograph, tony hillerman book cover artist

Brand Interview – Peter Thorpe, Designer & Illustrator

Peter Thorpe by Steve Mann

How long has your company been in business? Please tell us a bit about your company, its mission, goals…
I started working as a commercial artist/illustrator in 1976 in New Orleans, my home town. I did magazine illustration, design work, design and illustration for t-shirts for the Mardi Gras market, etc. While in college in San Francisco I expanded to advertising illustration, and when I moved to New York City in 1980 I added book cover design and illustration, which is still my main category of work.

Do you donate to charities? Tell us about that also and why.
I have donated to space research… and other science related orgs or non-profits. Not as good as donating to a children’s charity, but I do believe that advancement in science will help us all.

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 knew the fonts would be right because Susan Newman gave them to me (true)… though not for logo use specifically. They were possible fonts for a book cover job we were working on. Retro Bold and Badloc ICG. They went well together and I have used those fonts since for my promos.

How did you decide on the right color palette to fit your company look and feel?
Rainbow!

How did you decide which type of designer to work with, or did you design your own identity and web presence?
I did it all myself.

In what order did you present your company to the world? Did you start with marketing and products, or website, blog and social media?
As I started in the 70s, pre computer era, I visited art directors and showed a portfolio. In some cases a portfolio was mailed. I created my website in 1999, and have done social media for a few years now.

How long after the launch of your company did you start pitching in social media?
About a quarter of a century.

Did you do research or study any software, take webinars, teleclasses, before approaching any area of your marketing or web presence?
I did not take any formal lessons for the web work that I do. I started in the late 90s with simple web programs and followed the instructions, got some help from friends who knew more about web work than I, and then just kept going. And I still get some good suggestions from current art directors that I work with as well as good friends who are designers too. Plus I’ve been known to Google a problem…and a good answer is likely to be out there.

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?
Well, I have my own web site, peterthorpe.net, which has brought in work by itself. From there I link to my LinkedIn and Facebook pages, but so far those pages have been more of a social experience for me. I also link to my gallery in Arizona, Novaspace, and that has generated sales.

When you printed your products, packaging, business cards and other print marketing did you choose an online printer or visit a local vendor?
Both… Daniels Graphics, Asheville and online with Overnight Prints.

Did you know anything about different types of papers, when you wanted to print your marketing materials?
Yes, I had quite a good education in college re paper. For the Tony Hillerman book cover series, I always used hand made paper (from New York Central art supply) for the illustrations.

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, and I should.

If you sell products, are they produced in the U.S.A. or abroad?
Rocket paintings and other originals have been sold in several countries, but produced here.

Is there anything you haven’t yet tackled, but will want to do soon?
Painting in oils. As of now, all my artwork is in acrylics. Also, I’d like to get out of html land and on to web 2.0… just a matter of learning the stuff.

To learn more about Peter Thorpe’s design & illustration, visit the links below:
Websites:
http://www.peterthorpe.net/
http://www.peterthorpedesign.com/
http://www.bigheadmoon.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=587417809
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/peter-thorpe/6/592/8b0
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/peterthorpe

Brand Interview – Kathy Pine, WorldWise Jewelry

June 10th, 2011 | Posted in Blog, Brand-Interviews | No Comments
Tags: Brand interview Kathy Pine, earth-friendly recycled precious metals, Entreprenette and Sarah Shaw, fair trade movement, GotPrint and FSC certified papers, jewelry designer Vashon Island, jewelry designer washington, jewelry with reclaimed precious metals, Kathy Pine, kathy pine interviewed by susan newman, Kathy Pine on Twitter, Kazuri fair trade in Kenya, logoworks, Munsters vs. Waldorf Astoria, North Social for Facebook pages, online ads vs print ads, Responsible Jewellery Council, Twist Design and Kristine Anderson Dahms, Vashon Island Washington, women for women international, world with artistic twist, WorldWise jewelry, WorldWise jewelry Facebook, WorldWise jewelry on LinkedIn

Brand Interview – Kathy Pine, WorldWise Jewelry

How long has your company been in business? Please tell us a bit about your company, its mission, goals…
I’ve always loved making and wearing jewelry. When I was a kid, a friend and I spent hours making seed-bead rings; when the macramé craze hit, I was right there making knotted jewelry pieces. My love of jewelry making lay dormant for years as I launched a long and successful career in the financial services industry.

About 15 years ago I discovered wire-wrapping techniques, and I became passionate about jewelry making all over again. I read, researched and took classes in art jewelry design, learning from some of the world’s foremost jewelry artists, including Arline Fisch, an innovator in adapting textile techniques for metal. After spending years honing my artistry and craftsmanship, I was finally able to leave my day job, and now enjoy incorporating textile and weaving methods in my jewelry designs.

Because of the social and environmental damage caused by new mining, I was an early champion of using reclaimed precious metals in my jewelry designs. In 2007, I was introduced to the growing fair trade movement – the idea of providing a fair wage and improved working and living conditions for artisans and their communities in developing nations. Using fair trade beads along with earth-friendly, recycled precious metals and other socially and environmentally responsible materials was a natural fit with my desire to help improve people’s lives.

In 2008, I decided to retire from the financial world, took a breather and then in 2010 launched WorldWise Jewelry – the culmination of all my training and a place to showcase my ideas about creating beautiful, desirable jewelry with a deeper ethical dimension. My designs often feature stunning handmade ceramic beads from Kazuri, a fair trade company in Kenya that employs over 400 women – mostly single mothers.

I joined the Responsible Jewellery Council in 2009, and am now a member of its Standards Committee. The mission of the RJC is to advance responsible ethical, social and environmental practices while respecting human rights.

Creating gorgeous jewelry designs for my customers is a strong motivator, but what gives me true satisfaction is the knowledge that each piece benefits and brings joy to everyone – from the single mother working in the Kazuri factory to the loved one receiving the finished piece – while respecting and being responsible to the earth. There is an ever-increasing awareness about the importance of social and environmental responsibility. At the same time people don’t want to feel as though they have to give something up to support the well-being of our planet. My business is all about supporting the earth and treating people fairly, while at the same time providing my customers with a beautiful piece of art jewelry they can be proud to own or give.

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 knew that I wanted a brand that conveyed the idea of unique artisan jewelry that was socially and environmentally responsible. I jotted down many, many company name ideas and after doing a fair amount of research settled on “WorldWise Jewelry.” This led to a basic logo concept of something “world” focused with an artistic twist. I contracted with Logoworks to help me develop my initial logo. They gave me a few designs to choose from and after some back and forthing, I settled on a design that incorporated a stylized view of the world including North America, South America and a bit of Europe represented by swirls on a “bead.”

How did you decide on the right color palette to fit your company look and feel?
Before I started working with Logoworks on my logo, I did some research to better understand the feeling that various colors evoke in people. I wanted to convey trust and integrity, social and environmental responsibility, and that my jewelry is unique, well-crafted and designed for the discerning woman. Based on the information I gathered, I decided on an initial color scheme that featured white, blue and green. Later we incorporated an earthy taupe color into my palette, along with a dark red accent color.

How did you decide which type of designer to work with, or did you design your own identity and web presence?
I originally designed my own website and had it up for a short time, when I asked a friend, Kristine Anderson Dahms, (who is a fantastic designer and the owner of Twist Design) to take a look at it and give me some feedback. Kristine has an amazing talent for coming up with the perfect identity for each of her clients. One of the things I appreciated most was that she was very honest with her feedback, saying that my color scheme looked like it was from the ‘80s. She was right, and since I had no desire to live through that decade again, I asked her to completely revamp my website and help me develop a 21st century brand. Kristine came up with my current color scheme, fonts, website design, and all my marketing materials – pretty much everything that I use today.

I did a blog post that I jokingly titled “Munsters vs. Waldorf Astoria” because my original website and brand conjured up visions of 1313 Mockingbird Lane, and the updated version reminded me of a stay at the welcoming, elegant Waldorf-Astoria.

Late last year I worked with Sarah Shaw, owner of Entreprenette, and a huge help in identifying my target market and developing my brand. She provided me with some extraordinarily valuable feedback regarding my brand and identity.

In what order did you present your company to the world? Did you start with marketing and products, or website, blog and social media?
Because my business began as a hobby, I started with products, with a small bit of marketing thrown in. My original website and Facebook page have been in place since May, 2009. I started blogging, tweeting and sending out a newsletter about a year ago.

How long after the launch of your company did you start pitching in social media?
While I’ve been participating in social media for a couple of years now, I haven’t really used it as effectively as I could for pitching my jewelry. I’ve mostly used it to build relationships, with an occasional pitch thrown in here and there. My goal for this year is to take full advantage of all social media outlets.

Did you do research or study any software, take webinars, teleclasses, before approaching any area of your marketing or web presence?
I have taken webinars, and am on a number of distribution lists relating to social media. This is a quickly evolving environment, so I do a lot of reading to keep up with the latest capabilities and uses for social media. I recently began using apps available from North Social to customize my Facebook page and provide some additional functionality for my followers.

We just completed a customer survey, and are in the process of analyzing the feedback we received.  We had a 19% survey response rate, which is on the high end of the 10-20% I expected. The comments and suggestions submitted were insightful and valuable, and are helping me to shape my business plan and marketing strategy for the coming year.

Do you advertise locally in newspapers and/or nationally in magazines? Are they effective?
I have advertised locally and in a couple of magazines targeted to my market niche. Last year I spent several thousand dollars on magazine ads, with absolutely no increase in sales that I could determine. I’ve had better luck with local advertising. Buying local fits with my target market’s mindset, so that’s not surprising to me.

Do you advertise online using Google, Facebook or on other company sites? Are they effective?
I have not advertised online, but am considering a Facebook ad. My plan is to run something in the next few weeks to build up my followers. Depending on how that goes, I may then run a different Facebook ad to drive more sales.

When you printed your products, packaging, business cards and other print marketing did you choose an online printer or visit a local vendor?
For the first batch of printing, I used Modern Postcard and was very happy with their results. Earlier this year, I designed a jewelry catalog to use in a marketing campaign targeted to shops and boutiques across the U.S. I chose an online printer, GotPrint, to print my catalog and have since used them for business cards and postcards because they are able to print on recycled paper, and their pricing is less expensive than Modern Postcard’s pricing.

Did you know anything about different types of papers, when you wanted to print your marketing materials?
I knew a bit about different types of papers, but because my knowledge was limited, I initially relied on my designer for a recommendation for a competitively-priced, high quality printer.

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?
My business model is built around the premise of environmental and social responsibility, so being able to use recycled paper and non-toxic products for my marketing materials is very important to me. Modern Postcard’s “Harmony” paper is FSC certified and manufactured using renewable energy. GotPrint offers paper products that are recycled from certified sustainable production systems, and uses eco-friendly solvents and soy inks.

If you sell products, are they produced in the U.S.A. or abroad?
I currently handcraft all of my jewelry in my studio on Vashon Island, Washington.

Is there anything you haven’t yet tackled, but will want to do soon?
Once I’ve gotten my jewelry into a number of shops and boutiques across the U.S., I’ll begin looking for appropriate larger catalog and wholesale opportunities. Employment opportunities are scarce on Vashon Island and once business has reached a level that warrants it, my plan is to hire people locally.

Another major goal is to add video content to YouTube.

Do you donate to charities? Tell us about that also and why.
I donate to a number of different charities throughout the year, but most of my support goes to Women for Women International, a highly-respected non-profit organization that provides women survivors of conflicts and crises with tools and resources to move toward stability. Their approach combines microlending with direct aid and training, and they have helped more than 150,000 women and their families since 1993. As a woman and a business owner, I share Women for Women International’s vision of a just world and, thanks to the support of my customers, am able to contribute to Women for Women’s efforts.

To learn more about Kathy Pine and WorldWise Jewelry visit the links below:

Web site: www.worldwisejewelry.com
Blog: WorldWise Jewelry Blog
Newsletter: WorldWise Jewelry Newsletter
Facebook: WorldWise Jewelry Facebook
Twitter: WorldWise Jewelry Twitter
LinkedIn: WorldWise Jewelry LinkedIn
YouTube: WorldWise Jewelry YouTube

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