The BIG 3 of BIG DESIGN: Graphic Design Tips for Vehicles and More

By on   /   Blog, Brand Marketing, Branding, Case Studies, Design, Education and Training, Spoke Portfolio  
graphic design for vehicle graphics

There’s a certain level of excitement when we get to design vehicle graphics for clients. I mean, who doesn’t love to see their work THAT BIG!?! But every time we’re asked to scale graphics to these extremes, we stop and consider the BIG 3 challenges of BIG DESIGN. Design for resolution Design for movement Design for brand consistency So, when Capital City Fruit out of Norwalk, Iowa brought their latest delivery van concept to us for a brand wrap, before we even opened the vehicle CAD schematics and our design software, we started thinking. What could trip us up on

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300 Stories – A New Year, A New Milestone

By on   /   Blog, Brand Marketing, Branding, Case Studies, Education and Training, SEO, SPOKE News  
des moines communications agency

Today, I hit 300 stories… This is a special milestone for me and SPOKE Communications. Not only from a content marketing and P.R. aspect, but because from the day I started this career I wanted to do nothing but help people tell their stories. Whatever the application – graphic design, photography, videography, copywriting, illustration, public relations, education and training, I live to tell stories. Today, I hit 300 stories (for one client).

Can I help you tell your story?

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Old is New Again in Direct Marketing Strategy: “Lumpy Mail” Wins

By on   /   Blog, Case Studies, Design, Education and Training, Marketing, Print Design, Strategy  
direct mail marketing des moines iowa

Direct mail marketing programs are not dead. They should be an integral part of your Direct Marketing Strategy. Contrary to every social media super star’s testimony to the contrary, when you use “Snail Mail” to send something of value to a customer or a prospect, it’s going to get noticed. I don’t care who you are or what your thoughts are when it comes to checking the mailbox, if there’s something in there with weight, or girth – better yet, if it makes noise – you’re going to open it. And for a marketer, that’s 90% of the battle. We

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Business Vampires… or “Fresh AB-Negative – FREE for the Taking?”

By on   /   Blog, Marketing  
business vampires

In a recent feature I saw on LinkedIn, the author talked about purging your life from those that make it miserable. “Buzzkills” she called them. Well, in the business world, I call them “Vampires.”  I wrote this feature about 12 years ago when I was pretty new at this blogging and social media thing, so I thought “What the hell, let’s see if I actually knew what I was talking about.”  Surprisingly, “Vampires” are always relevant. I hope you enjoy. 😉  (This post was originally published at TheBrandChef.com.) *** This morning, while still sound asleep (where I do my best

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Strategy Sparks Joy and So Much More

By on   /   Blog, Marketing, Strategy  
strategic communications

Sometimes I get so laser-focused on the “day-to-day” that I forget the joy in what I do. Outside graphic design, outside web development and maintenance, outside content writing, outside video, outside all of the “tasks,” I love (pronounced “luuuuuuuv”) strategy. As Marie Kondo says, “It sparks Joy.” I love the why. I especially love the how. There’s little more exciting to me than a blank slate laid out in front of me with a goal on one end and a deadline on the other. So, Andy, how do we make the two connect? Today I set aside the “day-to-day” and

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4.5 Tools To Get Digital Marketing Right

By on   /   Blog, Industry News, Interactive Media, Marketing, SEO, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Strategy, Technology  
des moines digital marketing tools

This is the industrial age of digital marketing. What’s hot today will soon be yesterday’s cold fish. It seems like just a short 12 months ago, we were working on Vimeo engagement strategies and backing off email campaigns. And now, well, email is back on the table and Vimeo is no more than a greasy skid mark on your iPhone. Digital is fickle at best. But as new tools and new technologies are developed, the opportunities to build customer connections are better than ever. Digital marketing is still marketing. It’s just a variety of new tools that make it different

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Facebook’s Little Advertising Shell Game: Why You Should Do More Than Boost Post

By on   /   Blog, Education and Training, Industry News, Interactive Media, Marketing, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Strategy  
facebook advertising tips

It’s tempting. There it is, click it. “Boost Post.” – C’mon, BOOOOOOOST IT…  Everyone is doing it. I triple-dog dare you! Or… should you take the leap with bigger Facebook Advertising strategies? Yes, it’s the Facebook Advertising one-click answer – like peer-pressure. In one simple click, you purportedly get a “boost” to your business post; promising more eyes, more action, and more customers.  But if you’d paid attention to recent changes on Facebook, you would have witnessed the “Business Management” interface updates as well as the focus put on actual Facebook Advertising through the platform. Considering the abundance of recent

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Finding The Right Digital Marketing Agency Partner

By on   /   Blog, Interactive Media, Marketing, SEO, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Strategy  

Is partnering with a digital marketing agency the right choice for you? Call it what you will, Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Marketing; unless you have experience in marketing and specifically navigating the digital landscape, do you have the time to do your job AND build / manage an acceptable digital footprint? With the ever-evolving nature of digital marketing, as a partner the right digital marketing agency (web agency, social media marketing company, search engine marketing company, etc.) can focus on emerging trends and technologies where your brand can best be presented and engage the customers you want

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