Look around you, our surroundings show how powerful design has become. Design shapes the way we communicate and educate. Companies are leveraging design as a comparative weapon, and it is working. Good design can be the difference between customers buying your product over competitors.
Studies have shown that many of the benefits of good design come from its beauty. Color affects our moods. Shapes affect our ability to digest information. Patterns have universal appeal. Graphic artists can use these insights to design an ad or product that appeal to consumers. However when one of these tools is used incorrectly, bad design hurts. Even seemingly subtle differences in design can have negative effects over time, like neck aches as a result of a poorly shaped pillow, or eye strain due to overly bright lighting.
It is simple in that, good design is visually appealing and can also be functional.
Read further from a insightful article by the New York Times: 
​http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/17/opinion/sunday/w...

Did you know that 90% of product design decisions are based on color? Color has many associations with different areas of life, and can influence a viewer based on culture, background, and psychology. In addition to color choice, the typeface choice in a design has an effect on the viewer and reader just as well. A large amount of someone’s first impression of a company comes from its typeface, and with it, the meaning that it conveys. There are four major psychological factors in typographic design—inferences, meaning, legibility, and look and feel.
Interpretation 
The style of the text has a large impact on the viewer’s perception, even if the viewer doesn’t have much knowledge about typography. For example, using a bold typeface generally indicates importance and power, and script fonts imply sophistication or luxury brands. Some more decorative typefaces have specific themes that can be used to influence the viewer’s interpretation of the design.
Connotation 
Visual and verbal meaning can go hand in hand when the connection between them is natural. A study found that many people prefer round, soft fonts and found them easier to read than more angular ones.
Legibility
The legibility is the first, and most important, part of any type design. If you can’t read it, it becomes pointless and distracting, but if it is too simple, the reader will skim by it and not remember it as easily. Finding this balance between legibility and simplicity is key for a good design.
Look & Feel
To make a memorable logo, the most important thing to think of is how to make it feel like the company. Find a good combination of color and typeface to create the perfect fit for you; do you want to be seen as structured, friendly, hardworking, approachable, fun, or a combination of many? It’s up to you to make that first impression lasting.

Whether you need to gain a competitive advantage, expand or evolve your company, or have simply outgrown your original mission, it could be time to re-brand.
A well-executed re-brand can help gain competitive advantage or tap into a new demographic. To keep a business moving forward it is crucial to tap into a new audience.A new image can allow a company to reflect the current market and become a dominant player in the industry.
A re-brand can also develop into an expression of a company’s progression. As a small business thrives, a rebrand can reflect the larger, more refined company. Businesses that fail to evolve their brand risk being taken over by their more dynamic competitors.
This can also apply if a business has outgrown their original mission. As a company develops from one ideal to another the image has to change with it. A brand is the public face of a business and must represent accurately the ideals and services that are provided.
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“Key to a company’s relevance is the evolution of the brand,”Jim Freeze, CMO at Aspect.
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Infographic by Emma Bazilian
How often does your generation watch YouTube videos?
According to a poll of nearly 8500 people, a large majority of people surprisingly watch videos on YouTube every day. What’s not very shocking, though, is that the generation that watches the most is Gen Z, with 70%. A poll from Defy Media shows people from the ages of 13 to 24 watch an average of 12.1 hours of video per week, just on YouTube, and another 8.8 hours on Netflix--that’s a lot of screen time! In fact, 67% of people said they “can’t live without YouTube.”
The type of videos that the generations are more likely to watch definitely vary, and for the most part, seem to make sense. How-to videos were popular among the older generation Gen X, as well as product review videos. These product review videos were also watched by those in Gen Y and Gen Z—they’re just great all around! Finally, unboxing and haul videos were popular with both Gen Y and Gen Z groups, and untouched by Gen X.
Overall, Gen X watched the most educational videos, Gen Y watched the most workout videos, and Gen Z watched the most vlogs and style videos. Together, all of the generations used YouTube over Facebook and Instagram to watch their videos, and the majority of viewers only watch videos of people they don’t know, only 14% of viewers watch videos of friends or family.


Read the whole article at
http://www.adweek.com/tv-video/infographic-how-gen...

TARGETING
​Rarely does a client have a product that applies to everyone. Digital advertising allows you to target the exact demographic. Retargeting will also serve ads to potential customers based on prior engagement and behaviors allowing you to further drill down and target your ideal customer.

ANALYTICS
Have you ever been billed for an advertisement with no proof that it ever ran? With digital, you will get statistics on how many impressions were served, how many people clicked on it and all at your fingertips 24/7. This allows you to calculate the exact cost of acquiring a customer.

FLEXIBILITY
Television and radio ads take time to create and schedule.Although those form of advertising have benefits, your digital ad message can be changed and updated with a few clicks. Having an impromptu special? Consumers can see your ad on their phone in minutes within turning your campaign live!

REACH
Consumers are watching TV in so many new ways and usually all while holding a mobile device, laptop or tablet. Combining TV with digital can provide up to 60% more effectiveness in reach to consumers.

COST
Digital channels are an extremely cost effective form of advertising for businesses. Due to transparency in analytics marketers can adjust costs easily based on performance to ensure optimal return on investment.

Contact us today to create your custom marketing plan!

Deciding whether to hire an in-house designer or a full time agency can be tricky; here’s when you know to hire a full time agency:

When You Want Expertise and a Variety of Skills
While some agencies only have their specialties, most have a wide variety of skills available to offer their clients. With the possibilities of resources such as studio space, design and editing software, camera and radio equipment, typefaces, photos, and much more, businesses should feel comfortable that they are in the right hands when it comes to marketing and advertising. No one is better prepared, or more willing, to design and strategize than the agencies that do it for a living.

When You Want to Manage Costs and Save Time
More time is something we all wish for, but rarely get—but if you could save time while saving money, why not? It may seem as though it would be more expensive to hire a full time agency, but because of their extensive knowledge and endless resources, it is actually much less expensive than training someone new. In addition, the time spent by an agency is valuable time saved by the business, which can then be used in other, more specific, areas. After all, time is money!

When you Want to Get on Board with the Latest Trends and Technology
No one knows more about current trends than the people creating them. With the best tools in marketing, full time agencies are up to date on the latest design trends happening around them. Not only do these teams have an understanding of what’s hot in marketing, they are always working to improve their trade and reach more people while they’re at it. Advances in technology come so often that most people don’t think twice about it—except for those using it every day. Having access to marketing tools and services increases efficiency and productivity both within the agency and the business.

Choosing to hire a full time agency has the capacity for certain, ascending revenue growth. If you are looking to save your own time and keep up with the latest trends, a full time agency is the right choice for your business.

Happy 2015 from SLA!
While the focus is on New Year’s resolutions, we think now is the time to share small business marketing goals to achieve in 2015. Let’s jump right in...
1. Develop a Marketing Budget
If you already have one, great! You are one step ahead of the game. But for many small businesses a marketing budget is something that is commonly overlooked. You may have a misconception that you can’t afford any advertising or you just don’t know where to start. Whether you can afford $500 or $500,000, set specific dollars aside for marketing. Next, start breaking it apart by determining what media types you want to utilize and how frequently you want your ads to run…and don’t forget to take into account production costs. Not only will this give you peace of mind as to how you will pay for that great radio commercial idea that hit you in the shower this morning, but it will also set a purposeful tone for your advertising initiatives throughout the year. If you still feel like setting a marketing budget is a daunting task or you just don’t have the time to devote to it, contact a local ad agency for help.
2. Join the Digital Age
If you haven’t joined the digital arena yet, start by building a complete and accurate listing presence on Google, Bing, Yelp and others. These are free avenues that allow your customers to find you online and you need that information to be accurate. . 2015 is also a great year to build a website if you don’t already have one. This might not be as difficult, time consuming, or expensive as you might think. Website options are more numerous than ever before.Just make sure the site design is mobile friendly. If you have those areas covered , try a new digital avenue such as display ads, search engine marketing, e-mail blasts or social media campaigns.
3. Boost Your Content Quality
If a picture is worth 1000 words, then how many words is a video worth? Video is predicted to soar in 2015 with production costs continuing to drop and the strengthening of online capabilities. However, this means that everyone will be taking a stab at it and only those with a strong message, a touch of creativity and a clear call to action will shine through. These principles should be applied to all of your advertising mediums. In order for your marketing dollars to pay off, you must present strong purposeful content. If you don’t have the capabilities of creating great content in-house, you might want to start exploring local ad agencies to help build your content.
4. Live your Brand
With technology becoming a staple in our daily lives, the barrier between work and home is more blurred than ever before. . The debate on whether this is a good or bad trend, we will leave to you to decide. We are required to represent our brand at any moment of the day and on every type of platform. Start by identifying your brand. What is your unique selling proposition? Who is your target audience? What voice should you use? How does your brand grow? Take this information and write, a few brief sentences, so you can quickly explain what your business is all about on a moment’s notice. Share this with your employees and turn them into your brand ambassadors. They are on your team and the face of your brand.
5. Be Transparent
Transparency is a popular buzz word floating around the marketing industry right now and for good reason. Sharing a real-time picture of what your company is doing in the interest of your consumers makes your brand more meaningful. Consumers no longer choose where to spend their money just on availability and price... we have Amazon for that. Instead, they want to know their money is going to a company with ideals they support. Consumers also want to know their voices are heard and ideas incorporated. Transparency allows you to start a conversation with your customers and create successful marketing campaigns that speak directly to them.
Choose one or all of these goals to focus on in 2015 and watch your marketing success turn into business success.