1. Veer.com. Sure, there are a lot of free font sites out there, but this one only has the best. Count on Veer fonts to have all kinds of great character alternates and lots of faces from which to select. Plus, with the addition of low-cost images, their well-curated image library is a must for designers on all budgets.
2. Thebestdesigns.com. This is a gallery of exceptional website designs that will inspire and amaze. It’s a great starting point for any design project.
3. Ted.com. Whenever I’m feeling stuck, I know I’ll find inspiration from any of the thousands of stories and videos from thought leaders of all walks of life on this site.
4. Paper-source.com. Paper Source is always on trend when it comes to colors and invitation design. Their unique envelope shapes and sizes help me to think more creatively about print mailers.
5. Netted by the Webbys. An e-newsletter that presents top websites and apps that are out there. They search the internet and bring the trends to me, so I don’t have to!

Superstar point guard Ricky Rubio has done the unthinkable—he’s got me watching and following a professional sports team for the first time in my life. I suppose I should have seen this coming, after spending weekend upon weekend watching my son’s basketball team play back-to-back games, but nevertheless, my friends and family remain bewildered at my transformation.

Apparently, though, I’m not the only female NBA fan out there. Rob Mahoney’s nbcsports.com article, The NBA’s Forgotten Demographic, states that 40% of NBA fans are women. Despite this significant demographic, women—such as blogger and Hornets season ticket holder Sarah Tolcser—reports that the NBA fails to understand female fans.

Sarah observes that scantily dressed dancers and advertising spots with sexist overtones fail to connect with her as a female consumer. And attempts to connect with fans like herself by offering pink jerseys (“Do you know that you’re wasting your time bedazzling things and making them pink, when my team wears teal?”) and “family friendly” promotions have little effect on her. In fact, Sarah identifies herself as part of a growing class of unmarried women, ages 25–44, without children.

As for my experience, I jumped at the opportunity to attend a game for just $20 as part of the Timberwolves’ Ladies Night Out promotion because the price was right. But given the nosebleed seats that came with the offer, I’d gladly trade the $20 spa and $10 restaurant coupons (which I’m sure I’ll never use) for first deck seats. Heck, I’d even throw in the free wine or beer (which, as my son pointed out, was different from the “beer-only” offer the NBA offered for Guys Night Out).

But it’s not just the NBA that’s missing the mark in appealing to folks like me. As a recent sports convert, I’ve found myself wrestling the sports section away from my husband to read about the previous night’s game and pour over the stats for my favorite players. In the process, I’ve encountered a bit of a language barrier; I struggle to decipher insider sports jargon that my husband seems to know intuitively. For example, even though I played basketball as a child, I struggled with terms like “hit it,” “at the elbow,” “getting to the line,” and dozens of phrases which all seem to mean “field goal.” I also searched in vain to find the key for the abbreviations at the top of the stats columns.

But it’s not just the jargon that feels off. The focus of the writing doesn’t feel like it’s for me. While sports articles center on male-oriented objectives that assess “who’s the best”—records, stats, and contracts —deeper “people” stories, more likely to appeal to women, are missing: Why didn’t Randolph play last night? How is Derrick Williams feeling about his rookie year now that it’s half over? Why is Love considered such a great player when he’s always blaming his hands or the referee? Perhaps it’s because as a whole, women comprise roughly only 10 percent of the sports journalism work force. Whatever the cause, there’s a missed opportunity here to present a more balanced perspective of the sport that will appeal to a broader audience.

My journey into the world of NBA basketball might have started with the flash and dazzle of a Rubio-ruled Timberwolves game, but it’s also presenting itself as a valuable lesson to me as a marketer and for others who market to women. What have I learned?

1. Ask (and listen to) what your audiences want. If the Timberwolves had asked me what I had wanted for Ladies’ Night Out, I would have told them $20 off main floor seats. Getting feedback could avoid the sense in your audience that they’re “buying a product we aren’t even sure you want us to be buying. Because we love basketball. And sometimes I feel like we’re putting up with a lot, just to love basketball,” as Sarah Tolcser states.
2. Don’t isolate potential audiences.Beer advertisements that air during games clearly continue to market to men. But with women accounting for approximately 25% of beer sales (but 55% of wine), there’s a growth potential for this market (that number goes up when you consider purchases women make for events).
   

   Beer advertisers take note: women turned out in large numbers for this beer event.

   In marketing to women, should advertisers be concerned about men running the other direction? In a word, no. According to Marti Barletti, “effectively targeting women generates higher customer satisfaction among both women and men”, in part because women want the same things as men—and then some. Fulfilling the expectations of women, she says, more than fulfills the demands of men. (Marketing to Women: How to Increase Your Share of the World’s Largest Market, 2006)

3. Skip the jargon. Jargon, by its nature, is fun for people “in the know,” but excludes others. If your goal is to appeal to a broader audience, it’s best to stick to plain English.
4. Strive to paint a balanced picture. Understand what your audiences want to learn, and work to present the information in a way that enhances the experience for both men and women.

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As for why I like Rubio: it’s not because of his “twinkling eyes” or mischievous grin*,  as so many people assume when I talk about Rubio and the Timberwolves. It’s his love and passion for the game, and how he makes the people around him better. That’s a theme that should resonate with men and women alike.

*JERRY ZGODA , Star Tribune, “Ricky Rubio seemed to suggest with that twinkle in his eyes and a mischievous grin“

Author Katrina Hase looks forward to attending the Timberwolves vs. Indiana Pacers game in the nosebleed section of Target Center tomorrow night.

Few people would argue that having a budget for office supplies, personnel, or vendor services is not a good idea. But too often, people approach their marketing in a scattered fashion, creating a piece of marketing collateral as the need arises, or placing an ad when a good deal comes their way. The result? Overspending on some projects, underspending on others, and an overall inconsistent message to your target audiences.

The solution? Plan your marketing budget for the year, then spend it strategically.

As a rule of thumb, many experts suggest spending 8-10% of your annual budget on marketing. This is helpful, but it’s also important to ask yourself about your marketing goals as they relate to your company’s overall exposure and branding.

For example, if you’re a new company, your budget should be larger than 10% of your expected annual revenue to accommodate the need for basic start-up materials, such as a logo, website, business cards, business stationery and marketing collateral.

If you have an established company with a strong client base, perhaps you’ll plan your budget with the objective of staying in front of your audiences through primarily advertising efforts.

Finally, if your company is going through a transition or is ready to refresh your marketing materials, you should plan to spend a little more to re-communicate your brand through a logo refresh, website makeover, and updated marketing collateral. Don’t forget a roll-out advertising campaign to let your clients know how you’re changing!

Wherever your business falls on this continuum, know that your marketing budget will need to encompass a range of products and services, including many of the following:

•     marketing consultation, planning, or market research
•     graphic design services
•     media purchasing
•     printing services
•     website hosting
•     website programming
•     copywriting
•     video production
•     professional photography
•     model fees

Confused about what you may need? Get suggestions from your agency. They’ve likely worked with companies of many sizes, and can help you prioritize your marketing needs based on experience, and even give you ballpark estimates of costs. Better yet, if you know your budget, enlist your agency to help you spend it strategically. They can help you determine where it makes sense to cut costs and where it may make sense to spend a little more.

Here are a few more resources to consider when planning your company’s marketing budget:

http://www.nancyschwartz.com/marketing_budget.html

http://www.toolkit.com/small_business_guide/sbg.aspx?nid=P03_7006

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/search/How+to+Build+a+Well+Oiled+Marketing+Machine

In the current economic climate, companies may be tempted to scale back on their marketing efforts. For gosh sakes, Don’t! Now, more than ever, you need to get your message out to current and potential clients that your doors are open for business and that you’re doing just fine. If you simply must cut back on funds for marketing, here are five inexpensive solutions to get your message out (in fact, do these even if you’re flush with cash, they’re just good sense!):

  

1. Network. Show up early and often to business networking events and start meeting potential clients or making connections with people who can benefit your business. Print a busload of business cards and pass them out like candy on Halloween night.
2. Send out an E-Newsletter. The start-up fees and monthly dues are very affordable. Once you have your template, it’s a breeze to update and send on a regular basis. Just make sure that your newsletter offers a real value to your subscribers, or you’ll quickly end up in their spam box. Consider, for example, a coupon for goods and/or services.
3. Blog. Keeping a blog helps your company to be found organically through the search engines, and lets people know your areas of expertise. Write about current projects, upload industry white papers, show examples of your work, stream video, and much more! Mix Creative’s blog (through WordPress.com) is completely  free!
4. Update your Website. Archive your e-newsletters on the site, add an e-newsletter sign-up form, update your client list/products/portfolio and get rid of out-of-date information.
5. Focus on Customer Service. Remind your customers through excellent service why your company is a good value. It’ll increase both your repeat customers and your referrals.

1.  Magnetize it. Why not harness the earth’s intrinsic polarity to influence others to let your card stick around?
2.  Make it a gift card. Your services are valuable, why shouldn’t your cards be? Prospective clients and current customers alike will appreciate receiving a business card printed with your contact information on one side and a gift card for your services on the other. Consider either a cash gift or an offer redeemable for a promotional item, which will be viewed as more valuable than percentage off offers.
3. Show off your product. Own a nursery? Consider printing your cards on seed-embedded paper that can be planted. Sell stationery? Make the other side of your card a gift tag. Travel agent? Why not make the reverse of your card a luggage tag insert? Recipients will remember your innovation.
4. Customize it to your networking event. Frequent the same BNI group, Chamber event or Women in Networking get together each month? Customize the back of your card to say “Great to meet you at the WIN event!” It’ll help to jog the memory of people you give the card to.
5. Opt for a mini-brochure that folds to a standard business card size.You can include bullet points of your services, photos of your work, or even a map to your location inside. It’s unexpected, and likely to be kept if it’s a valuable reference.

With printing prices dropping, there’s no need to have a “one-card-fits-all” philosophy. Order several types of cards for different occasions or prospects; your creativity will be remembered!

For many of us, there was clearly something special about Old Spice’s “Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign from the first time we laid eyes on it. Overnight, the commercial became the “have you seen it?” talk of households, with those who had missed it rushing to YouTube to see what the fuss was about. Cheesy, ridiculous situations paired with a deliciously deadpan performance by the shirtless Mustafa, and culimnating with a truly absurd line (“I’m on a horse”), made this commercial stand out in multiple ways. And for many of us, it was the first introduction we had to the bold, bright red re-branded product packaging that departed significantly from the cream-colored, nautical-themed predecessors that graced our father’s medicine cabinets.

Later, as marketers rushed to analyze this successful campaign, it also became clear that it was one of the few men’s product campaigns to directly market to women—a demographic that is clearly supported as an influential market when it comes to making decisions about what fellas are placing in their showers.

An article written by Paul Maccabee in today’s Star Tribune, “Beyond the ‘Man your man could smell like’: Marketing lessons from Old Spice’s online video campaign” focuses much of the attention, however, on what the campaign achieved in terms of viral marketing via social media. Stemming from its popularity on YouTube, the Mustafa videos—and the Old Spice campaign—rapidly gained momentum on Facebook and Twitter, increasing the reach of the ads, which originally aired during the Superbowl and on American Idol. Here’s a paraphrased summary of what the article listed as “what companies learn from what Mustafa called a ‘life-altering, society-changing’ interactive campaign”:

• Allow the campaign to evolve online. For Old Spice, it meant allowing others to recreate/mock the commercials in copycat clips on YouTube, and ignoring hundreds of “dislike” ratings in favor of tens of thousands of “likes”. In social media, it’s pointless to try to maintain control once the public has adopted it.
• Don’t assume that social media means inexpensive. The creative, production, and spokesman fees for Old Spice were well up there for the spots. But the pay-off was significant: a 107% increase in sales of their body wash.
• Don’t confuse social media as a strategy. As the article points out, it’s one of many media channels, and requires exceptional creative if it is to be a viral success.
• Focus on the funny. The article suggests that companies must be willing to poke fun at themselves in order to be widely adopted by viewers online.
• Branch out into other social media channels. One of the most compelling parts of this campaign, in my opinion, was the Twitter Q & A sessions with Mustafa—complete with video responses to Twitter questions.
• Trust your agency. I thought this was a good point by the writer. The more “out there” the idea, the less comfortable a company is likely to feel about it, yet the more likely it is that it will go viral. Trust those who aren’t so close to your company to propose a concept that could work.
• Stay true to your brand. Even if a social media campaign is a like a quirky cousin to your main brand, the family resemblance, so to speak, should still be there.

I’m no expert on email scams, but when I received the following email I was weary. It sounded legit, and I couldn’t see any request for financial or other information, but something still didn’t ring as right. Here’s the message:

Dear Manager,

(If you are not the person who is in charge of this, please forward this to your CEO,Thanks)

This email is from China domain name registration center, which mainly deal with the domain name registration and dispute internationally in China and Asia. On January 10th 2012, We received Tianhua Ltd’s application that they are registering the name ” themixcreative ” as their Internet Keyword and ” themixcreative .cn “、” themixcreative .com.cn ” 、” themixcreative .asia “domain names etc.., they are China and ASIA domain names. But after auditing we found the brand name been used by your company. As the domain name registrar in China, it is our duty to notice you, so we are sending you this email to check. According to the principle in China, your company is the owner of the trademark, In our auditing time we can keep the domain names safe for you firstly, but our audit period is limited, if you object the third party application these domain names and need to protect the brand in china and Asia by yourself, please let the responsible officer contact us as soon as possible. Thank you!

Best Regards,

John
General Manager
Shanghai Office (Head Office)
3002, Nanhai Building, No. 854 Nandan Road,
Xuhui District, Shanghai 200070, China
Tel: +86 216191 8696
Mobile: +86 136615 29704
Fax: +86 216191 8697
Web: www.ygnetworkltd.com

Here’s what felt wrong about this email:

1. They sent it to my info@ account. A domain registrar search would have revealed my primary contact information, including my name and correct contact email.
2. The person signed his name only as “John”. Why no last name?
3. There were a few oddly-worded phrases.
4. They were requesting an urgent action

Acting on these red flags, I selected the phrase “China domain name registration center” and “email scam” and did a quick Google search. Sure enough, I quickly found two other posts with nearly identically-worded emails out there. Try Googling it yourself.

So what’s the scam? I’m still not sure. But had I written back, I would have opened the door for supplying further information about myself that may have provided them with the seed they needed to grow the true scandal. Perhaps it would do as little as getting them past my spam filter.

Should I be worried about my domain? Well, according to the blog, sleeplessmedia.com, this email does not read as a typical domain notice. As they state in their article: “Notifications regarding your domain name will come directly from your domain registrar that provides your domain name for you (i.e., Namecheap.com, GoDaddy.com, etc.).  These domain related notices are usually going to be reminders that you need to renew soon or that you need to confirm your contact information that is tied to your domain.  Read these types of domain notices carefully—and take precautions like logging in directly via your domain provider’s website and not by clicking on a link in the email.  But also be reassured that these notifications are usually safe.”

So there you go: a word of caution. As business owners, we’re going to be hit with quite a few scams over time. It’s our job to be skeptical of emails from companies or people we don’t know and trust our gut feelings when something doesn’t feel right.

We don’t often do work for individuals, but when lovely Samantha Eichenburg called me up and asked if we’d design her wedding invitations, we could hardly say no. Samantha’s vision was an invitation mailer with RSVP card that reflected a 1920s vintage feel that fit with their choice of venue—an historic supper club in Northeast Minneapolis. She requested gold and silver to match her wedding colors, and a sense of traditional elegance.

In designing the concepts, we researched the era and were drawn to both neo-classic and art nouveau styles that were popular at the time. We combined hand illustration with vintage illustrations to create custom borders for each concept. We selected type that fit the era after a search of hundreds of fonts. The following are the two concepts we presented:

A mixing of classic fonts, ornate, Roccoco-era borders, and updated colors (pewter and gold), create a balance between classic and contemporary. The Italian-inspired ornaments are a nod to the country where you met.

Retro to the Art Nouveau period, this concept feels like a perfect pairing with a reception at Jax Cafe. Fonts and decorative flourishes suggest the period, and a subtle linen pattern in the background adds a layer of texture. Muted colors and copious white space suggest updated elegance.

Samantha and Joe selected the first concept, which we used to inspire the rest of the project’s pieces. The result is below:

Selected invitation: one-sided invitation, two-sided reception card, and rsvp card.

Bride and groom were pleased with completed pieces, and we had gained a new appreciation for an historical era past.

Shortly after Christmas, I picked up my son from playing at a friend’s house and immediately noticed a frenzied spark in his eyes.

“I know what I want to spend my Christmas money on!” he exuberantly stated. “Kyle got a Skylanders game for Wii and it’s SO cool!”

© 2011 Activision Publishing, Inc

Ok, I’ll bite, I thought. I asked him what the game involved and why it was so fun. What followed was what I perceived to be the most calculated marketing genius since the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Here’s the low-down:

1. It’s a video game. Available for all of the major gaming systems (Wii, Playstation, Xbox), it uses the tried-and-true game formula of first-person adventure that children to adults are familiar with.
2. The game has special gear. In order to get started with the game, you need to purchase the required accessories, namely a starter pack that has several plastic action figures and a special platform on which to place them. The platform informs the game system which character has been selected by the player.
3. There are collectible characters. The characters, available in additional single packs for $7.99, have different powers and skills associated with them. Essentially, they’re 3D equivalents of collectible Pokemon or Yugioh cards—which my son started collecting when he was about 5 years old. To advance in the game, players will need to collect additional characters from those purchased in the initial starter pack.

Here’s a brief description of the game from its creators, Activision®:

In Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure, characters are ‘brought to life’ in a boldly innovative adventure game where children can collect real-world toys and teleport them directly into the game using a mystical Portal of Power™.

Propelled by a story-driven adventure, penned by Academy Award-nominated Toy Story feature film writers, Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow, children take on the role of a powerful Portal Master, who can control over 30 different characters, including the beloved fire-breathing dragon Spyro. Together with their Skylanders, players will embark on a fantastical journey into an amazing world, where they will explore mysterious, mythical lands, battle menacing outlandish creatures, collect gold and treasures, and solve interesting puzzles while on a quest to save their world from Kaos, an evil Portal Master.

So, if you’re following me so far, Skylanders has managed to take what is typically a $20–$40 video game and up the initial cost to $70. Not only that, but they’ve successfully combined two popular children’s activities—first-person game adventures and score-based collectibles—to create one incredibly compelling children’s game.

The particular evil genius of this game was yet to come, though, as I discovered last Saturday when my son asked if he could use his allowance to purchase another Skylanders figure, preferably a “fire-type” character. Four Target stores, one GameStop and a Best Buy later, we discovered that there was not a single Skylander figure to be found. Apparently, like-minded children who’d received the game for Christmas had raided the stores in droves looking for more characters to advance in their games. Unable to purchase them in stores, children (and their parents) are going online to find them. A current listing for the popular “fire type” Skylander figure on eBay is listing for $35.00!

OK, so they’re popular. So what? Well, here’s where the plot thickens. The fella at GameStop let us know that while they could let us know when more Skylanders figures came in, the only information they’d be able to give us was how many single packs they had available, not the specific characters they carry. So now imagine: a child with money to burn goes to a GameStop (or other outlet) looking for a specific Skylander figure, doesn’t find it, then quells his desire for instant gratification by purchasing a different Skylander figure. The cycle repeats until said child finally finds and purchases the figure he initially wanted.

So what are the marketing take-home messages in this example? Activision smartly researched and evaluated their audience’s interests and buying habits and created a new experience that combines several proven marketing strategies. And, I suspect that they are also creating a demand for some of their characters in the spirit of the Beanie Babies franchise from the 1990s by releasing characters in limited quantities. How can you capitalize on this idea?

• Know your audience’s interests and buying habits well
• Create a package or product that combines multiple successful products or services into one
• Allow audiences to customize their package or product with additional add-on features
• Create demand for additional features by releasing them slowly and in limited quantities