"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.

The Word Doctor—Excise Idle Words

Some words are known for contributing little to a sentence. A good example is "there is." See how excising this improves these sentences:

Before: There is something terrible happening here today!
After: Something terrible is happening!

Losing the dead wood in your writing will make your copy easier to read and punchier.

Marketing Makeover—Will your direct mail piece be read?

Good design can make the difference in whether a reader will pick up your direct mail piece and read it—or not. Here's an example of a direct mail piece from My Postcard Company that could benefit from a Marketing Makeover. Here's what we'd recommend:

• Use fewer, but higher impact, photos. Photographs and images are what draw us into a piece. It's tempting to want to deliver too many messages via too many images, which results in reducing the piece's impact.
• Create contrast. Using dark blue and black together like this is both hard to read and uninteresting visually.
• Make a stronger promise, that speaks to something the reader cares about.
• Avoid vague, cliche' taglines that don't intrigue or connect with the reader.

Because we all suffer from viewer fatigue, we dismiss anything that doesn't immediately catch our eye or speak to our interests. Effective communicators break through this by presenting a message the reader cares about and can grasp with minimal effort.

Send us a piece you'd like critiqued. It might be featured in our next Marketing Makeover.

The Anatomy of a Good Photo

A picture truly depicts more in an instant than a page of copy. That's why we encourage our clients to use the very best photography their budgets will allow. While stock images have their place, it's hard to beat the impact of a custom image, where even seemingly unimportant details are the result of careful thought. Here's just some of the background that went into making this image work for an Emergency Department campaign we developed recently.

• Photographer selection. Photographers each have their own artistic interpretations, abilities and talents. Once you're clear about what you want in the picture, matching that to the right photographer is crucial.

• Setting. Where will the shot be taken? Will it be on location, or in a studio? We opted for a studio shot for this because we could control the environment--and didn't have to interrupt the client's flow of business. We then had to make decisions like what color the walls would be, what kind of and how many chairs would be needed, and what type of props would contribute to the message. We contemplated using three chairs or five, thinking about how that would impact context and visual balance.

• Talent. Should the waiting room be full of people, or show just mother and child? We explored both, but the decision to select mother and child won out because it allowed the reader to focus on the subject without distraction. We wanted the reader to relate to the frustration of waiting, which they can best do when all of their attention is on the person shown. Then, of course, we needed to determine age, gender, and general appearance. How old should the girl be—an infant or a child?

• Wardrobe. What kind of clothes, haircut, accessories, and props would help tell the story? These needed to mirror the demographics of the community where the ad was running.

• Props. Are other props necessary? Magazines on the chairs? A blanket or teddy bear for the child? How big? Old or new? Should we show a purse? And if so, on a chair or in front of a chair?

• Composition. Should the mother be looking off camera, at the child, or into the camera? We tried several, but liked her looking off camera because it depicts restlessness.

Every detail is considered because it contributes to the desired impression. Eight people were involved in the creation of this emergency room image—which makes the job that much more fun. Imagine all that creative talent focused one picture!

I love this part of our work because creating strong images is not only a delightful ceative endeavor, but it also gives the client something unique that they can build a campaign around. In some applications, only a custom shot will do the job. But in every application, using a high quality image can nearly always separate you from the competition.

Client Showcase—Launching a Pain Center That Offers Hope

We've recently worked with Avista Adventist Hospital to launch a pain management program. In developing their new logo, business package and Web site, we used bold, vital colors to promote a fresh look for their brand that suggests hope and optimism—a much-needed message for those suffering from chronic and acute pain. Using the letter D from their name, the icon creates a flower image that evokes vitality and life.

Faster, Farther, Bigger

A week's worth of information found in the New York Times is believed to be more than what a person obtained in his/her entire lifetime in the 18th century. Our ability to send information globally at unprecedented speeds creates a world of opportunities—and challenges. This insightful video highlights the research done by Karl Fisch, Scott McLeod and Jeff Brenman on the explosion of connectivity, which has implications for how marketers and communicators do their work.

Client Showcase—Wisdom Cards

We've recently redesigned these Wisdom Cards cards for the Two Worlds Wisdom School, the brainchild of our friends the Kaisers, who are well known for their visioning work with corporations—particularly in healthcare. One of the most talented families I know, they are launching the first of a series of Wisdom Cards as part of their efforts to bring timeless wisdom into the world of business.

You'll be sure to find inspiration just by visiting their site. We found it in our design work with them as we brought together original silk artwork, commissioned by them just for this initiative, and timeless pearls of wisdom—to create cards that can be custom imprinted for corporations or individuals.