Client Showcase—University T-shirt

We designed this vintage pillar shirt in four colors for Walla Walla University, using their logo as inspiration for the artwork which was imprinted using metallic gold.

The trendy shirt won an Award of Merit for Imprinted Materials in the 6th Annual Service Industry Advertising. The judges reviewed the entries for execution, creativity, quality, consumer appeal and overall breakthrough advertising content.

It Pays to Shop

This month we saved a client more than $2400 on a printing job by bidding it among several of our preferred printers—and this was on a quantity of only 6,000 printed pieces. Every printer has their niche, and print jobs must be matched to printers who are a good match for the project. While we're the first to say that we don't buy printing on price alone, once you have identified trusted printers who are well suited to the project, obtaining estimates from more than one printer can save you money and help you find the right vendor for the job.

The Word Doctor: Use Punchy Verbs

A simple verb does its job—but not necessarily enthusiastically.

“The can ran across the floor and ran into the pillow.”

Sometimes writers, in search of excitement, will spread modifiers throughout their sentence, like this:

“The can ran swiftly across the wood floor and ran head-first into the pillow.”

Snooze worthy. But punchier verbs work even better.

“The cat sprinted across the floor and collided with the pillow.”

See the difference? A strong verb has a way of including modifier-like qualities without adding more words.

The Tribes We Lead

Blogger and entrepreneur Seth Godin presents a new perspective on mass marketing, arguing that the internet has launched a new era of leading and connecting people and ideas, thereby creating ideological tribes. While tribes have been around for a long time, today's tribes go beyond geography or shared culture. He asserts that people long for connections, and that today's marketing leader must move away fron the model of trying to persuade people they want something they don't have. Instead, they must connect people with similar yearnings who can become loyal fans of your idea, product or service--creating a sense of belonging or virtual tribe.

A Look Inside the Social Media Revolution

Social media is the biggest revolution in communication since the printing press, fundamentally changing how people and businesses communicate. Yet most companies are still struggling to imagine how to use it in meaningful ways. If the following facts interest you, take a minute to watch this fascinating production about socialnomics:

• If Facebook were a country it would be the world's third largest
• 96% of millenials have joined a social network
• Social media is the number one activity on the web
• There are over 200 million blogs, and 34% of bloggers post opinions about products and brands

Everybody's talking--and some of them will be talking about your business. What will they be saying--and how will you engage them in meaningful conversations that impact your business? We'll talk more about this in the days ahead.

Internal Communicators: Invest in Setting Customer Expectations

This week one of our clients, a hospital marketing professional, talked with us about developing a message for imaging patients. The proposed piece would achieve several things:

• It thanked the patient for choosing her hospital.
• It explained why the patient would get different bills (from the hospital, and the radiologist)
• It explained why the patient would need to get results from his or her physician, rather than the imaging technician
• It listed the names of the people with whom the patient interacted that day
• It listed all of the phone numbers the patient might need to follow up on the visit

This simple two-page flyer will effectively deliver messages that help the consumer better navigate their hospital—while setting expectations and thereby minimizing frustration.
As you think about ways to advertise your business, don't forget to focus on those critical consumer touchpoints, and ask yourself this: What message can I convey in this touchpoint that will improve their experience with our organization?

"Let's start a blog!"

We've heard those words often, and as you can see, the answer for us was yes. Blogging is a great way to share information, but it does take time. Before you start one, ask yourself these questions:

• Do you have enough topics of value to post new messages frequently?
• How many posts per week will you write—and how much time will you allot to writing each one?
• Who in your organization will write the blog?
• Who will need to approve it?
• Will you respond to blog postings, and if so, whose responsibility will that be?
• How will you develop a following?
• Who will be your target audience?
• What will they want to hear from you?

The blogosphere is a busy place. And it's a great way to connect with your customers. Just be sure you're clear about your objectives, and have the resolve and the resources to follow through. We all know how those newsletters end up being due way sooner than we thought.

Client Showcase—Making Hospital Food Look Good

Hospital food has the reputation for being less than tasty, but not at Avista Adventist Hospital, where the hospital CEO is relentless about creating a more desirable patient experience. To showcase their extensive menu of fresh cuisine, we condensed an original document that was dozens of pages long down to a six-panel guide—complete with three diet options and in two languages. It's one of the many ways Avista's attentiveness to details is blazing new trails to a better customer experience.

Photo Techniques—Framing to Create Focus

Sometimes its what you can't see in an image that draws you in. This sense of intrigue can be created in your photos through the technique of framing.

Framing uses objects in your image to draw attention to the primary subjects. It helps to direct the viewer's attention to a particular subject or point of interest within the photograph. Framing can also create perspective, show depth and give context to an image.

In the sample above, the trunk and branches of a tree are used to frame a bridge. Trees, windows, tunnels and archways are just some of the objects one might use when framing a subject. And although this can be best achieved when creating the original photograph, the same results can be achieved through cropping.

Client showcase: Hospital Launches Regional Spine Center

Providence St. Mary Medical Center asked CMBell Company to partner with them on the launch of their new regional spine center—the first of its kind in their community. The message had to:
· Catch the reader’s attention.
· Connect the words “spine center” to back or neck pain. We couldn’t assume that people would make that connection since this is a new product category in this community.
· Be distinctive.
· Be reduced to just seven words on an outdoor board.

In this campaign, the "blue man" image communicates back pain. Its distinctive, dominant nature makes it a strong anchoring visual for the campaign in lighted airport displays, outdoor, print ads, collateral and direct mail. The text uses alliteration and strong consonants and plays on the double words of this unique community name to create a memorable message.

Gladwell Looks Inside Success

In his fascinating book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell cites a study of world experts and what it took to them get there. While all his subjects had natural talent, they also got an early start, and were lucky enough to have opportunity to practice their talent more than others—logging 10,000 hours of practice, considerably more than their less famous counterparts. I'd rate this a 9 on the Bell Meter, so if the topic interests you, get your copy here.

How to Drive More Traffic to Your Web Site

We all want our Web site to appear near the top of a search page—but how can we make this happen?

Start by understanding the basics of Search Engine Optimization, or SEO—the process of improving Web site visibility. Search engines aim to produce valuable results for users—and want to avoid sending users to sites that disappoint in content. We all know how frustrating it is to be referred to a site that doesn't have what it promises.

Web sites show up higher on the search results page based on their popularity, and while it does take time to build awareness, there are ways to improve your position.

Google uses proprietary algorithms to determine which sites are the most popular, and some industry experts devote their lives to trying to figure out how these can best be used to their advantage. This has resulted in an on-going competition between Web developers, who want the best possible rankings (and will sometimes push the envelope to achieve this), and Google, who is trying to revise its algorithms to prevent developers from gaming the system. As Web developers find ways to "get around" Google's algorithms, Google responds by changing it—and the cycle repeats.

While experts who devote their entire livelihoods to this can help with this, here are a few ways you can improve your site's rankings in a search result:

• Have fresh, relevant and desirable content that is easy to search.
• Cross-link both within your site and to other sites.
• Buy sponsored links (these appear at the top or along the side of the search results).
• Think like the consumer. If you have a pain management practice, for example, bear in mind that consumers will search for things like pain relief, back pain, neck pain, and pain doctors--but may not search under pain management clinic. Make sure common key words words appear in your site.
• Add a site map.
• Make your site friendly for search engines to crawl (gather information used to index sites). For example, don't put key information or links in graphics or Flash animations, as search engines cannot detect these.
• Avoid doing things that will be detected as spamming—like keyword stuffing.
• Create a blog.

Experts agree that the most important way to increase traffic is by having compelling content. It takes work, so be prepared to make the investment required to make your Web site a success.

The Word Doctor: Be Active

Compare these sentences:

“The bottle was opened by Spencer. “

It sounds awkward because it is. People don’t speak in passive voice, which is why writing in passive voice doesn’t resonate with readers. Active voice orders sentences more naturally:

“Spencer opened the bottle.”

Notice how “James saw the bird fly over the man and ruin his day” sounds much better than, “The bird that flew over the man and ruined his day was seen by James.”

Avoid passive verbs and you’ll avoid passive voice. There’s no need to be passive about being active.

Client Showcase—Using Direct Mail to Identify Qualified Leads

When St. Anthony North Hospital in Westminster, Colorado, called on us to get the word out quickly about upcoming classes, we created this colorful, engaging direct mail piece to send to their target market. Working within the corporate graphic standards, we developed a distinctive look for their class schedule, which helps drives qualified leads to key services.

Client Showcase—Pacific EP Invitation

We worked with the Los Angeles-based Pacific Rim Electrophysiology Research Institute, under the direction of internationally renown Koonlawee Nademanee, MD, to create an invitation for an open house promoting this remarkable facility.

Dr. Nademanee has developed an advanced cardiac electrophysiology procedure (EP) that offers new hope and vitality to patients suffering from EP problems. We also developed the logo for the Institute, which has offices on the campus of White Memorial Medical Center in California, as well as in Hawaii and Thailand.

This direct mail piece won a 2010 Silver Award in the 7th Annual Service Industry Advertising Awards.

How well are you prepared to protect your reputation in a crisis?

Bad things can and do happen to good organizations. In fact, issues that may be out of public sight can surface and create severe image-damaging situations at any moment in time. To see if you’re prepared, ask yourself the following:

1. Do you have a crisis management plan?
2. Have you identified which team members you'll trust internally during a high profile event?
3. Are the right decision makers and managers ready to act and make decisions quickly?
4. Do you have a trained spokesperson who can effectively mitigate, manage and present a believable face for your organization when the media calls?
5. Can you activate the right political and regulatory agencies to either be neutral or come to your support?

If you're concerned about your readiness for such a crisis, consider conducting (or hiring an outside firm to do so) an audit to identify your weak points. A good crisis communication plan can not only help preserve your reputation and avoid lawsuits, but help your company survive the financial setbacks these kinds of crises can create.

Client Showcase—Academic Bulletin Covers

Showing real faces is always compelling, especially when they're faces that exude vibrancy and promise. By using existing imagery, we partnered with Walla Walla University to create professional, yet affordable, bulletin covers that invite the reader inside.

Client Showcase—A New Look for an Old Firm

Gresham Savage is the widely recognized leader for business, litigation, real estate, environmental and land use law in Inland Southern California—but their visual image was dated and tired, and failed to reflect the level of excellence seen in their work. We conducted a corporate makeover for this 100-year-old firm and developed a new visual brand identity that gave them a fresh, sophisticated look.

Their new branding package includes not only a new logo and business suite, but supporting pieces like a presentation folder, note cards, mailing labels, templates for news alerts, e-mail signatures, and PowerPoint templates. We also consulted with their web development team to help design the visual appearance of their new website, which now coordinates with the rest of the brand elements. The new look sets the stage for their centennial celebration that occurs this year—ushering in the new decade with dignity.

Client Showcase—Hospice Direct Mail

Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital is raising money for an innovative, home-like facility for hospice patients who are unable to live out their final days at home. This direct mail piece launched their fund-raising campaign for Cottage in the Meadow and revitalized conversations about living every stage of life fully.

The imagery of the piece reflects the idyllic setting of Cottage in the Meadow, inspiring the reader to become a part of something destined to matter deeply to those who need this kind of care.

The Art of Civilized Conversation

This pleasant little book declares itself to be a guide to expressing yourself with style and grace—and that it does. It's a delightful read for those looking to polish their speaking skills and offers practical advice on topics like:

Greetings and introductions
Body language
10 rules of good conversation
Rescuing oneself from conversation blunders
Conversations with all kinds of people
On-line conversations
Graceful apologies
Conversation starters (and stoppers)
Being a gracious hostess

The authors share practical and entertaining advice about finding the right words for any situation—even the most difficult.

This book isn't just for professional communicators, but is a good book for anyone aspiring to be a better conversationalist. Buy it here.

Independence Day

"We on this continent should never forget that men first crossed the Atlantic not to find soil for their ploughs but to secure liberty for their souls." —Robert J. McCracken

Client Showcase—Using Testimonials to Promote Your Service

Littleton Adventist Hospital (LAH) wanted a piece to follow up on the successful “Littleton Loves Little Ones” campaign, reminding women why they should have their babies at LAH. To do this, we showcased real moms who chose Littleton. We then listed physicians who delivered at the hospital, and we encouraged recipients to “ask your doctor to take you to Littleton.”

The campaign garnered a Gold Award in the Aster Awards, a Silver Award in the 23rd Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards and a Bronze Leaf Award in the Colorado Healthcare Communicators Gold Leaf Awards. The direct mail piece itself won a Gold Award in the 4th Annual Service Industry Advertising Awards.

Client Showcase—Pacific EP Business Suite

The Los Angeles-based Pacific Rim Electrophysiology Research Institute, under the direction of internationally renown Koonlawee Nademanee, MD, worked with us to developed a new visual brand identity that gave a fresh, sophisticated look to the institute.

This business suite won a 2010 Award of Merit in the 7th Annual Service Industry Advertising Awards.

Outdoor Advertising Offers More Than Traditional Billboards

Considering its cost, its effectiveness and the range of options, outdoor advertising can be an ideal supporting media for your ad campaign. Outdoor advertising can include:

• Junior Posters—These are displays positioned close to street level and targeting pedestrian traffic on secondary arterials in urban areas.
• Poster—Posters are good for new product campaigns, promotions, seasonal and special events.
• Bulletins—The largest standard-sized form of out-of-home advertising, these are found on expressways and primary arteries and offer the benefit of heavy traffic.
• Buses—These gain high exposure with pedestrians and vehicles, and carry your message to where the people are.
• Transit Shelters—These are along busy bus routes, are backlit for night viewing, and are sometimes available where larger media are not permitted.
• Bus Benches—These reach mobile customers and are located at eye-level within bus stops in high traffic area.
• Digital Displays—These are the future of out-of-home advertising. Using an LED technology, these rotate messages every 10-12 seconds, don't involve production fees, and can be put up within hours. Messages can be changed easily, so these can accommodate time-sensitive material well.

With more people spending time on the go, outdoor advertising can be an effective way to build brand awareness.

Source

Client Showcase—Avista Historic Ad

We developed this print ad for Avista Adventist Hospital in Colorado. As it was to run in a publication that featured the 150-year anniversary of Boulder, Colorado, we wanted to give it some historical perspective. Using archival images of the hospital and staff, juxtaposed with modern-day ones, we were able to create the message that although everything is different, nothing has changed.