How to Get Noticed with Great Print Marketing

Canva for Work is Here! It's Here!

A sigh of relief was breathed by the business professionals of the world as Canva has announced its latest venture, Canva for Work.

Designing and building graphics is not a skill that everybody has, however, Canva wants to change that. We have known of Canva's service that allows people to easily create graphics, covers, invites, posters, ads, etc.

Today, Canva is rolling out a new service to expand its growth and offerings, Canva for Work. With the addition of $6 million in additional funding from investors, Canva for Work is exclusively offered at business professionals. Now businesses can create images for social media, presentations, print marketing materials, and more.

40 percent of Fortune 500 companies use Canva, among all the smaller businesses that use the site. This sparked a large need for the site to accommodate all the businesses that were using Canva. In fact, over 200,000 businesses are reportedly on Canva; our Chicago marketing agency has been known to create graphics on Canva, like that one right there.

The site is a hit with professionals and the general public alike, gaining 2.3 million users in the last 20 months, creating a total of 3.2 million designs last month. Some of their growth is due to word of mouth marketing with elated users spreading the word to friends, family, and coworkers; another significant portion of their growth is via people seeing their quality graphics be posted on the web on social media, blogs, and other places.

Go and create like a professional graphic designer! 

How to Effectively Market to the Millennial Parent

Millennials are morphing from the generation that "won't grow up" to a generation firmly planted in adulthood, at least the Millennials 24-35. This section of Millennials are buying homes, having their own children, owning cars, and other "adult" things. Data states that 40 percent of Millennials are currently parents.

This generation likes to have marketing experiences that are personal and not canned/dry pushes. As a Millennial myself, and Chicago marketing company copywriter, I would agree with many other Millennials that we like products & services that are intentional and tailored to our needs. If we don't see a product or service and understand how it will make our lives better, we don't buy into it. Even if it's an extremely cool product or service.

More and more Millennials are 1st or 2nd generation immigrants. According to U.S. Census statistics, 15 percent of Millennials between 20-34 were born in another country. This is the highest rate of 1st generation immigrants in this age range since 100 years ago.

More than 70 percent of Millennials enjoy the influence of other cultures. As globalization is gaining more and more traction, the idea of understanding other cultures becomes more appealing. One aspect of globalization that has generated this is how easily people move around the country and world these days. This knowledge has forced marketing agencies to adjust their strategies when appealing to demographics based on region.

84 percent of Millennial parents say that trust the recommendation or distaste of a brand they hear from their peers. This is why word-of-mouth marketing is so huge for brands to capitalize in 2015, especially since search engine marketing and social media marketing help facilitate and even spark much of that talk.

With so much technology and fast-paced industries, it is no wonder why we all want gratification instantly. This means that many Millennial parents, while meeting the demands and requirements of their young children, not only desire a process that is easy & straightforward, they require it.

As the first truly digital-native generation, Millennial parents turn to online resources for a lot of things. Yes, they turn to it for entertainment options and other fun resources but it is common for them to turn to the web for things like advice and tips on parenting and family matters.

Millennial parents and their kids share interests. This is not a jab that the parents never grow up mentally, they just appreciate and embrace more than previous parenting generations. The parents and their kids like some of the same movies, video games, and more. This includes brands, as well. This allows some brands to appeal to both parents and kids in one marketing effort.

Is your brand's target market Millennials? Specifically Millennial parents? Email or call Integraphix and see how our creative marketing team can help you reach them effectively! We have many Millennials on staff so you get first-hand knowledge. 

This Big Brand is Taking a Big Step Forward With Its Rebranding

Abercrombie & Fitch. Famous for its shirtless models and sexualized marketing has decided to tone things down instead of toned abs.

By the end of July 2015, the clothing brand, along with its Hollister brand, will no longer be utilizing the highly sexual marketing efforts. That's right, even their famous in-store shirtless models will be gone.

A&F wants to focus on the future and be taken more seriously. They will place a major emphasis on consumer experience and make it a primary focus. This is a major shift from their current marketing slant but it could be a great marketing effort and getting a bigger market share.

This rebranding could be in response to the brand's disappointing sales, new CEO, or the mentality that many consumers have towards the brand.

Is it time for your business to rebrand? While it can be intimidating, even the big brands are willing to put it all on the line. Email Integraphix or call us and talk with our Chicago marketing agency. We will work with your business to create the optimal rebranding effort possible.

Mobile Advertising Increased 76% in 2014, Digital Advertising Becomes $50 Billion Business

According to data from Interactive Advertising Bureau, the digital advertising world widened by 16 percent last year and had sales totaling $50 billion. I thought you said it increased by 76%. Well, remember that mobile advertising is under the umbrella of digital advertising, so we'll explain.

A large reason for the increase of digital advertising was the intense growth of mobile advertising. The IAB stated that increased by 76 percent, gaining $12.5 billion last year (compared to $7.1 billion in 2013), increasing the value of digital advertising total to $50 billion.

The incredible growth in the mobile advertising sector is showing the value of mobile, which reflects the continued consumer behavior shift from PCs to smartphones and tablets.

One industry that seems to be embracing the mobile advertising opportunity is retail. Retail stores accounted for 21 percent of the marketplace in 2014, by far the most of any other buyer of mobile advertising. The runner-up was financial service businesses (13 percent) and then the auto industry (12 percent) finishes up the top three.

When it comes to what kind of mobile advertising was embraced the most, that would be video. Online video ads mastered a whopping $3.3 billion last year, increasing from $2.8 billion in 2013. Display ads had some growth but not as much, increasing five percent last year.

The methods and structure of advertising is changing! But that is how business works, no? If your business is not considering mobile advertising, then it needs to. Email Integraphix and see how it could benefit your business! It can be as simple as ads on Google, social media, YouTube, and more. We would love to talk to you! 

12 Branding Tips Every Business Needs to Know

When you shape your brand, you shape consumer perception. If you want your business to have value that lasts, then your business has to be as good as it claims. 

The quality of your brand identity and sensory experience that your brand delivers can make or break a deal or even consumer trust. 

Here are 12 points to live by for your business, according to our Chicago marketing company. Any questions? Then email Integraphix. 

Does Viral Video Marketing Work for Promoting?

We've heard a lot about this video of notoriously nice actor, Dennis Quaid, having a meltdown on the set of a movie or TV show. For many people, this video was quite a shocker since he's known for being a kind soul.

However, it turns out the video was just a big joke. Funny or Die, a popular channel for videos on sites like YouTube, was behind the joke; that's right, the whole video was one big marketing stunt for Quaid's new project.

The video was recorded with a cellphone and it looks like the cellphone holder was being sneaky, so it all seemed legitimate that he was flipping out and it was secretly being recorded. This lent to the credibility of the meltdown being real, which was smart branding from the team on set.

The video hit Reddit on Monday and by Tuesday, it was all over the web and being talked about everywhere, including the radio. See how potent internet marketing can be with viral video marketing efforts? Using YouTube for business can be a wonderful asset, if done right, and in connection with social media marketing.

Does your business need to get in front of more eyes? Then you need to try using viral video! YouTube, Vimeo, Reddit, Tumblr, and other popular sites can be what your business is missing. Email Integraphix about getting started. 

Not sure about this? Chat with our creative marketing team and see what you think! There's no commitment.