Never a matter of just making pretty pictures, the creative part of a project is what clients enjoy most. After all the preparation and planning, it's where the anticipation ends, the rubber meets the road, and the materials come to life. Aside from looking great, “the creative” is based on SPIA's proven techniques that enable your project to reach or exceed your expectations. So, no matter what medium your project is developed in (Internet, print, broadcast, digital, etc.) here are the core SPIA principles that guide us to developing your fabulous finished product:

• give you better services and more value than you expect for your budget
• create a logical, clear, concise design, based on listening to you and understanding your needs
• design materials that reflect and incorporate your marketing strategy, colors, identity, and branding
• appeal to your target market with designs that you're proud to represent you
• incorporate creativity and originality to just the right degree
• provide an original custom design – no templates
• integrate proven features and standards from our years of hands-on experience

corporate identity/branding

The first thing a business or it's products and services do is establish an identity with potential customers. Sometimes the business and the customers don't realize that it's going on, but it is. It's like that expression “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”. It might have to do with the name, the location, how the employees dress, how they speak, the price point, product names, or other seemingly unimportant issues that all come together to form a company identity. Smart businesses don't leave those things to chance, they embrace the business opportunities those elements offer and they mold them to portray the identity they want to be known by.

It's an important issue to dedicate resources to and get right before it gets away from you. Think of how Rolls Royce has positioned itself, or Wal Mart, or Apple. When you hear those names you react subconsciously thinking of adjectives like expensive, cheap, or cool. And it's those gut reactions that immediately sets the interest level a person has in the company or products.

SPIA is ready to help you discover, hone and if needed, revamp your existing identity, to align it with your business objectives and the target market you seek, as well as create the tools and strategy to establish and convey it.

logo/color identity

Think of some of the big brands out there: Coca Cola, Nike, AT&T, Home Depot. You know their logos and colors anywhere. You would even know the Coke logo in Arabic. That's the value of consistent and clear logo and color identity. It works for any size business and once established, is one of those “set it and forget it” issues, that you rarely ever have to think about again. It helps clients know at a glance, who you and your products are and helps them to distinguish you from your competition.

When SPIA develops your logo and color identity, we listen and learn about your business and clients very carefully, then work to craft the right representation that clearly embodies who and what you are. We focus on how the logo and colors will integrate with your products and promotional materials and their long term viability (not short term fads).

SPIA creates logos and color identities for your: company, divisions, products, services and even special events.

Internet

The Internet is an odd mix of personal rants, technical data, socializing, on-line selling (e-commerce), spin, and more – far from what it was envisioned to be. But to businesses, it directly or indirectly comes down to a sales channel. Way back in 1995, (when SPIA started!) selling on the web was still taboo among a large portion of people that saw the Internet as a community medium and not available for corporate commandeering. Well... those people are quiet now and selling on-line either blatantly or subliminally is forever a part of the on-line world.

Whichever route you take on the web, you have no business on-line, repeat; no business on-line, unless ultimately it is profitable for you. So, SPIA always approaches your Internet presence with the sole mission of making it one of your profit centers. Cool designs, accolades, and maintaining a web site because “everyone else has one” just does not cut it. Your web site needs a plan – part of your overall Business Plan, that will empower it to be a brand/identity builder, a sales channel, a support channel, an evangelist builder, or a combination of things that gets your customers behind your company and purchasing, on or off-line.

web design/development

Absolutely anyone can create a web page just like anyone can cook chicken. But if you want things to turn out really appealing, satisfying, and leaving your guests asking for more, it takes a special recipe with the right ingredients and skilled hands to make it come together just right. Turn's out... that's not so easy to do. A great web design is a mix of graphic appeal, uncompromising functionality, skilled layout, pertinent content, usefulness, common sense, and a dash of the unexpected. There are free “web builder” programs and cheap software (expensive software too), templates, how-to guides, downloadable and uploadable sites, configurable blogs, skins, and... WOW! And, then there are untold numbers of individuals and agencies that develop sites.

To get the right design, you need to know what outcome you're looking for. From there you can determine who the right developer is: you or a professional. For most successful businesses, a professional developer is the only way to go. They come in all sizes and shapes and price ranges too. The developer that's right for you is the one that listens, the one that delivers concepts that fit your strategy, one that's reliable, stable, experienced, open, responsive, gives you a great value, and doesn't shoehorn you into a quick and dirty, off the shelf, or one-size-fits-all solution. more

web hosting

Unlike mature industries, Internet related businesses are all over the place when it comes to pricing. Web hosting is the perfect example. It takes little effort to find a dizzying range of hosting fees. For packages that suit most small/medium businesses, from free (with ads) to over $100/month, there's no explanation to the lack of pricing consistency except this: much of it is a gimmick. Free hosting means advertisements are injected into your web pages. $3, $5, $7.95 hosting, and the like, indicates that your site is crammed onto a server with thousands of other sites in a quantity over quality hosting scheme. In current pricing, the $21 - $45/month range is where you can focus on finding a company that gives you good service and a fair deal. Beyond that range, you are unlikely to get anything more for your extra money.

Reliability and support are huge issues at any price point. If your site is slow loading due to an underpowered or overloaded server or data center, you lose visitors. If the server goes down often, you lose visitors. And if you need to contact your hosting provider for support, be sure that you can speak to a qualified, experienced, understandable human being and not be forced to fill out “a ticket” and wait for a response - one that may require more rounds of tickets and responses. more

print

Despite the digital revolution, printed materials are still important marketing tools and show no sign of going away for a long long time to come. Maybe that's because when you meet with someone in person, it's inconvenient to hand them your laptop and ask them to click through your web site. Not a good idea to mail them your laptop either. In fact, some recent reports state that even with so many forms of electronic communication, paper consumption is unchanged and others even claim that paper usage has increased because of more on-line activity.

The key consideration for selecting print (or any media) is knowing your target market and how best to reach them. Not all businesses can change to 100% electronic communications without losing sales opportunities, creating unnecessary marketing hurdles, or alienating some audience segment. That's the role of printed materials: to provide answers and information quickly, in ways and places electronic mediums can't easily and in a comfortable, familiar format that has no learning curve.

print design

Anyone with an address and a mailbox has thrown away tons (probably literally) of junk mail. Anyone who has walked the aisles of a trade show has suffered a slumped shoulder from the weight of all the stuff thrown into their giveaway bag, only to toss much or most of it within a few days. But there are some pieces that make it past the screening and get their moment to deliver their message and maybe generate some sales. Much of that can be attributed to relevant, thoughtful, enticing design!

If you've seen it printed or can imagine “it” in print, we can design it for you. That includes all the business basics like stationary, brochures, and catalogs, essentials like post cards, advertisements, signage, and sell sheets, other important things like packaging, truck graphics, and trade show displays, and well... everything. If a logo can go on it, we can design it for you. And... we can print it for you too! We provide offset and digital printing on almost any material, in most any quantity, and at uncompromising quality.

printing

You would think that you just lay out a design and send it to a printer and well... that's all there is to it. Sorry, no. Printing is a complex industry with as many variables as there are varieties of flowers. The ultimate effect desired, quantity, and budget are the biggest factors involved, but there is so much more. For example, the same colors, ink, paper, and finish can still look very different just by varying the coating. Then there's things like embossing, debossing, die cutting, letterpressing, binding, sheet fed, roll fed, web, spot colors, process colors, PMS colors, laminating, drilling, cutting, mounting, and much more.

In addition, a strip mall type of printer and a commercial printer are two different animals. The strip mall shops generally cater to small lots of business cards or letterhead, forms, invitations, and the like. Commercial printers can do those things, but also everything else. The Mom and Pops often are more willing to do hand holding for inexperienced customers, while commercial printers pretty much expect you to know what you want and how to ask for it. The small shops tend have more basic equipment and lower quality output while the big players have the serious equipment that turns out the best quality. more

printed products

The short list of things we print:

• If a logo or name can go on it, we can print it.

The long list of things we print:

more

rich media

If you're looking for an innovative approach to communicate with potential customers that sets you apart and endears them to you, Rich Media a.k.a. “multimedia” just might be the ticket. Whichever way it's phrased, it's simple: rich media creates rich user experiences or multimedia engages multiple senses at once and creates a more memorable experience than other mediums. And rich and memorable experiences are the cornerstones of effective branding.

Sure, some people say “did you see that billboard” or "look at this cool ad", but usually people get more passionate about their reaction to things like music, video, games, and even software that has clever, surprising, or convenient features. And wherever there's passion about a company or its promotion, there's a fantastic sales opportunity. So be sure to give real consideration to including rich media in your marketing strategy if you want to build loyal customers that spread the word to others.

interactive

Any media that someone can interact with, control in real time, respond to, or that responds to them in some direct way, can be considered interactive. Clicking on a link in a web page is technically interactive, but “interactive” really refers to media on DVD's/CD's, in kiosks, and gaming – including on-line gaming and some specialized software applications (sometimes called apps or widgets) that can be built into a web site.

Where you take your interactive strategy has a lot to do with your overall marketing mix and the specific outcomes you want to target. It has to do with budget as well. Sometimes a clever and useful interactive little gadget tucked into a web page can be a great promo tool. Other times a marketing DVD might fit the need. Small free games (advergames) based around your products is another approach that can be particularly memorable and effective. Ultimately, interactivity for its own sake yields little, but interactivity that generates buzz or viral marketing, educates consumers, acquires contact data or product feedback, or simply increases sales can be a wonderful investment.

SPIA is a very capable interactive development partner. Our focus is always on carefully matching the right solution to your needs, considering the desired outcome, budget, time frame and more. We'll work together with you to craft a plan and develop the interactive product and platform (Flash, DVD, etc.) that's right for your needs.

broadcast

Three million dollar a minute Super Bowl ads may not be for everyone, but broadcast advertising can be much more viable than it seems. Consider this: there are so many more broadcast outlets than there ever were thanks to the expanding number of channels on TV, radio, and yes... the Internet. That's a great thing because not only does it make the marketplace more competitive and lower air time fees, but, it provides better access to specialty markets through channels dedicated to particular interests like food, sports, home repair, etc. And... there are lots of ways to add broadcast media to your marketing strategy, from commercials, to sponsorships, to product placement, to infomercials, to original shows, and more.

The key elements to effective broadcast promotion include: setting realistic goals, determining your format, choosing the correct medium and station(s), selecting broadcast frequency, budget allocations, production and talent issues, metrics, etc.

Choosing SPIA as your broadcast development partner makes the process easy and simplifies adding a broadcast strategy to your marketing mix. From helping you determine viability, to developing strategies and concepts, to production, to representing you to the media and negotiating air time, to measuring ROI, we're there every step of the way with you. We'll take your desire to grow sales and build “on-air” solutions that grab the attention of your target audience.

software development

Although there are tens of thousands of software products that you can buy and many new ones every day, somehow there's still an application or need that all those programs just don't quite take care of. Sometimes it's a small application or a simple one, sometimes it's involved. Usually though, when thinking of growing a business and attracting new clients, the need for “custom software” refers to applications for promotion, advertising, marketing, and data collection. They are custom projects that tend to be more creative than utilitarian and typically for the public to use, rather than for employees (not always though).

SPIA is an experienced custom software application developer having created some of the most unique applications ever used in retail. No matter what you want to achieve via computer, cell phone, kiosk, PDA, or ... you name it, we'll work with you to develop creative and compelling approaches to solve your software requirements. Important features for marketing/advertising, customer service, and business improvement software, include any combination of: promotion, branding, gaming, customer loyalty, data collection, response metrics/analysis, and more. We'll lead you through the process effortlessly, from planning through implementation, including selecting the most effective “hardware” to make your project extraordinary and cost effective.

advertising

There's no question that we're saturated with advertising. It's everywhere you expect it to be and now just about everywhere you don't expect it to be. It's not going away. Ever.

For your business though, that's not a bad thing. People accept and expect being advertised to. The key is to do it in a way that stands out from the clutter, catches their interest, and motivates them to buy what your offering, without turning them off. And... innovation can really work when it comes to advertising, but also important: avoiding going broke by overspending or not using advertising dollars effectively.

Selecting SPIA as your guide and partner in the realm of advertising will help you to reach and motivate your target audience to not only take interest in your products and services, but to embrace your brand identity. We take a truly holistic approach to advertising as a vehicle for your brand, that works in step with all other aspects of your marketing and branding messaging. We help you to decide the appropriate form and frequency to place your ads, given your budget and we deliver all the pieces of a successful ad campaign from conception and design, through placement and evaluation.

ad design

BIG HEADLINES, great photos, clever phraseology, and cool color combos are important in advertising design. However... balance is also very important. Too much of anything and your ad might look cheap or suspicious or just plain ridiculous. Not enough and your ad may go unnoticed and do nothing for your bottom line. The old advertising axiom “50% of our advertising is working, we just don't know which 50%” is an important reminder as to why you need your ads created properly and effectively.

No matter what ad size or where it will be placed, our sole focus is creativity and effectiveness. So SPIA develops ads of every size and every type, for every medium. From a web banner ad or quarter column in a periodical, to billboards and building wraps, we will create exactly what you're looking for.

Here's a starter list of the broad range of ads we produce: billboards, commercials (podcast, radio, TV), door hangers, large format banners, magazine ads, mailers, newspaper ads, posters, trade publication ads, transit signs, web banners, web interstitials, and more.

ad placement

A little bit art and a good deal science - knowing where, when, and how to place your advertisements is critical if you want to get the most bang for your buck in the world of advertising. In print, broadcast, or on-line, high exposure media (where you want to be) can be a costly endeavor. A key to lowering costs is seeing through the hype and clutter, knowing how to evaluate media, knowing when and where the deals are, knowing how much advertising to commit to, understanding how to calculate advertising ROI and customer acquisition costs, and having relationships and/or a negotiating position to get what you need.

We work with you as your partner, advisor, and negotiator, to fulfill your advertising strategy and to get you the best exposure for your advertising budget. That's because as an agency, SPIA is better positioned and has a different relationship with the media, than if you communicate directly with them. And we can provide you with the all important methods and metrics to evaluate your ad purchases. Plus SPIA offers an industry exclusive placement discount for clients that select us as their Agency of Record.

written communications

Read it. Hear it. No matter. Very little in the way of effective business or product dissemination is unscripted. Somewhere well in advance of the message getting out, a clever bunch (OK maybe just a couple) of people sit down and determine what it is they need to say in order to boost sales of products and/or services. It's the process of taking (yeah... sometimes boring) factual data and within the bounds of honesty and integrity, making it sparkle. Penned another way: it's the practice of crafting words and phrases to distinguish the selling points of one company's offerings over another's.

Often, the task is accomplished more effectively from an outside perspective. That's what SPIA does for you. We learn the facts, the benefits, the reasoning, and the motivation then we strip them to their bare essentials, organize them, package them, add style and clarity, write, edit, and rewrite, until your message comes through to your target audience effortlessly.

press releases

A press release relies on three things to be effective: reaching someone in the press who will utilize it, following a format the press expects, and above all, having intriguing information that gets published. Just describing a product or an event does not create a noticeable press release. A stand-out press release provides “news-worthy” information that attracts the attention of an editor and (if they're satisfied enough to print it...), readers too. Lots of happenings or product innovations have the potential to do just that, but they have to be presented to the right people in the right manner to get picked up (published). That's the ultimate goal since readers (a.k.a. potential customers) view information from a publication as credible, factual information – not hype and... they get published for free! That makes them a necessity to grow your business on a tight budget.

SPIA has options for all your press release needs, especially working as your Agency of Record. From composition to complete release management, to tweaking of an occasional news item, we'll work with you to maximize your media appeal and publication rates.

ad/copywriting

“Just Do It” and "Breakfast of champions" are two examples of top drawer ad copy that has served two mega corporations quite well. Know who they are? When you hear it or read it, you just recognize clever copy - it makes sense and it says all that's needed to be conveyed. Sometimes ad copy is much more than a phrase or headline, but whatever the quantity of words, ad copy that works is always creative, clear and memorable. Otherwise, who would read it? Or, who would do what the ad suggests?

Copywriting is a close relative to ad writing and distinguishing the two falls into a big gray area. Generally, copywriting (and the related editing and proofreading) can be considered the term to use for lengthier written pieces, including brochures, white papers, web sites, commercials, etc. Sometimes copywriting shies away from being overtly clever, but to be really good, it is always really clearly written, engaging, and flows well.

SPIA maintains a solid respect for good copy and always emphasizes the need for well written content, with good grammar and a clear style. Often, our clients provide the raw material for the content of their project and have us put it together, tighten it up, style it, check it, and make it customer friendly. For ads, we're almost always asked to stir up our creative juices and write them from scratch. Whatever way you want to go, we copy that!

rewrites

Sometimes the message is there but it's lost in too many words, poor grammar, an outdated style, or just... bad writing. Sometimes the message isn't there and needs to be. Whatever the issue, we can take dysfunctional writing and make it new again, make it work, or make it more effective no matter where you need it: brochures, form letters, internal communications, advertisements, a web site, etc.

training materials

Knowledgeable and competent employees communicate your message to your clients through sales and support roles and build your bottom line. Company specific knowledge and competency comes through job experience and training. But if the employee has little experience or poor training, they can't serve your business properly. An effective, ongoing education program, with easily understood techniques and materials is essential to empowering your employees to serve your customers and strengthen your business.

SPIA is your partner of choice for employee training and empowerment. Our approach provides you with sensible training tools (deliverable via Internet, cell phone, video, or printed manual) that encourage your employees to learn more about your business, its products and services and to use that knowledge to support your customers and grow your sales.