Movies and RPG: together at last

Jerry Bruckheimer's announcement this week that he will co-produce original video games with MTV Games prompts an intriguing question: Are role-playing games the new action movies? I guess it was only a matter of time...

Sales - the dreaded cold call

So. You've advertised, you've sent out flyers, put an ad in the paper. You're dying to get clients, increase your profits. The waiting begins...while waiting, you might as well get out there and talk to some prospects. But how? Who do you talk to? Where do you find them? And when you do find them, what do you say?

As you wonder about your options, the terror starts to mount as you consider whipping open the phone book and calling the first person your eyes land on. Heart pounding, eyes wild with fear, you wonder, Is there any other way?

Tune in tomorrow when we find the answer to the dreaded cold call dilemma...

The Struggle of Pricing

Lorenzo has a good point about how small ad agencies must do their pricing, with a great little story about Picasso. It is extremely tempting to give your work away for virtually nothing, especially when you are new and desperate. Do we have the strength to stick to industry standards?

"Like most artists, I am a work in progress," he said.

I like this this guy! He's been doing graphic design for a long, long time.

whee

internet marketing

This is just sad.

McDonald's advertises on report cards now. Makes my stomach turn. Wow.

What the?

Check out this Jimmy Dean Pancakes & Sausage package design entry from the recent AIGA contest and tell me how he would store this in the freezer

If you were Jimmy Dean, what would you think? Interesting, bold, but not at all practical.

Would you pay money for this?

The artist who made this is an "up and coming designer" according to AIGA. But would it actually sell?
At Designs by Sarah we don't do abstract art for the sake of abstract art. We do commercially viable products designed to make money!

December is Marketing Month!

Super Basic Marketing 101

I like lists. Here is a list of what marketing is, in a nutshell:

The 5 Ps of marketing:*

Product - understand your product from your customers' point of view

Positioning - why is your product perfect for your client niche? Know what makes it unique.

Place - where you sell your product, whether online, by phone or in a store. The first ones are often easier to do than the last.

Price - there are five general pricing strategies quoted here directly from Determan.net:

· Product Line: Setting price steps between product line items

· Optional Product: Pricing optional or accessory products

· Captive Product: Pricing products that must be used with the main product

· By-Product: Pricing low value by product to get rid of them

· Product Bundle: Pricing bundles of products sold together

Promotion – promotion is the strategy of advertising, individual selling, sales promotion, and public relations a business uses to attain its marketing objectives.

Now to put it all in practice. As the Knight Who Said Nee says, “So…….GO!” And start marketing that business!

*according to Determan.net