Blog Posts

Free yourself from the worries of marketing

7/5/2019

"On a sleepless night
I got a restless mind
On a sleepless night
I've been dreaming of time
On a sleepless night
I toss & turn till morning light

On a sleepless night
I list the projects in my head
On a sleepless night
I carry my troubles into bed
My thoughts increase, and will not cease
Anxiety causes my heart to pound
There is no rest, there is no peace
I'm trying not to drown

Wide awake, I fret and lay
Yeah, I knew that I'd be feeling this way
Not enough hours in my day
Oh to keep my stress at bay
"

Ever feel like this? That time escapes too quickly and there are just not enough hours in the day? That you get lost trying to "save a dime" by doing things on your own, when in reality, your time is worth more money than you'd spend hiring it out. Neon Lizard is here. A cost efficient partner to help you focus your time on what you do best. Call NLC, we'll handle the rest so you can sleep like a baby.

THE Biggest Scandal of 2019... so far.

2/4/2019

[NOV-JAN] 1.2 MILLION people signed the petition on Change.org to have “Sweet Victory”, a song memorialized in an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants, played during the 2019 Super Bowl half-time show.

Maroon 5 is slated to perform at the half-time show three weeks before the event.
[JAN 13] Maroon 5 drops a teaser trailer featuring SpongeBob SquarePants for a split second confirming everyone’s hopes that Maroon 5 would oblige the fans and to commemorate Stephen Hillenburg (The recently deceased creator of SpongeBob)
[FEB 3] MASS Disappointment and outrage

In case you missed the Superbowl LIII half-time show, it included a brief ten-second clip from the famed underwater TV show, then transitioned into Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode”.
117 million viewers tuned into the half-time show only to be stabbed in the back and nearly bored to sleep by a less than mediocre performance. The online community is in an uproar and many are declaring a call to arms to fight against Mainstream Media.

Not only may this event shape the cultural landscape of the internet, but society itself. In the next decade or so we are likely going to see the internet become more and more influential. In other words, POWERFUL. In a weird way, whether we like it or not, we are watching a digital revolution/renaissance take place.

It appears as if there is a widening cultural gap between our youth and our elders. Some in the older generation (Generation X or older) value social media much less and don’t take the internet community power very seriously. They are forgetting that on the other side of the screen, there are living, breathing people with strong emotions and goals. These potential customers relate that strong emotion to the interactions they have with your product or business.

If there is anything you should glean from this year’s Superbowl LIII fail, it would be to NOT underestimate the power and influence of social media community and the dangers of failing to follow through on your promise. Treat your customers with respect, keep them updated and stay relevant to the passions and trends that surround you. It’s a new year, pay attention.

Einstein ain’t got nothin on you. This checklist may just prove you’re a genius!

2/3/2019

Night Owl: Do you tend to stay awake late at night? The Savanna-IQ interaction hypothesis suggests that people with high IQs tend to be the first to practice "new" evolutionary behaviors in our species, like going to sleep later.

Naturally Curious: People with higher IQs ask a lot of questions and seek more answers. If you are constantly contemplating what you don't know, you may be smarter than you think!

Open Minded: The willingness to try new experiences, concepts, alternate solutions and (when provided with ample evidence) the willingness to change one's values or beliefs, is a sign of high intelligence.

Humor: According to the University of New Mexico, humor is largely based on wit and linguistic creative. In other words if you are the "funny one", you may be smartest amongst your peers.

Empathy: Being able to read emotions and empathize with people not only is a sign of EQ (Emotional Intelligence) but IQ as well. Large parts of the brain responsible for these abilities overlap leading to positive correlation between EQ and IQ.

Procrastination: People with higher IQ's are shown to be easily distracted and may overwhelm themselves by picking up new projects despite ongoing projects.

Adaptable: Intelligent people tend to be flexible and can overcome situations by adapting to their environment.

How did you score?? Smarter than you thought I bet!

New Logo Design Appeals to Younger Market and Stays True to Values

1/25/2019

Wendy Morical and her brother, Brant Nelson, own Docunet, a digital printing company based in Plymouth, Minnesota. They serve a niche market in the highly regulated medical and pharmaceuticals industry, and their rigorous processes along with their ISO certification have made them an attractive printing supplier to the manufacturing industry.

In business for more than 27 years, Wendy and Brant have seen their industry evolve and have been quick adopters of new technology and practices that have kept them competitive. Being in business for that long has its benefits, but when the owners took a hard look at the buyers they were targeting, they felt like the way they presented their company didn’t project the image they desired. In a word, they looked “old.”

Feeling like your business is invisible? Do this.

1/19/2019

You’ve got a great product or service but no one seems to notice you??

Hire Neon Lizard Creative to help strengthen your brand by creating a unique visual style and message for your business, product or event. Others will not only notice you, but listen to what you have to say and trust you enough to buy from you. We help build a brand people will respond to and then market it correctly to inspire them to act. Branding is not just the logo, it is so much more! It truly IS the secret sauce to your success. We approach it holistically, concept to delivery and we offer a plethora of services so that we can keep your brand solid and consistent.

For the past 25+ years we’ve been branding and promoting companies to help them make a LOT of money! Please take minute to check out neonlizardcreative.com. Browse our portfolio, our Game Changer page and tons of testimonials to see how we’ve helped hundreds of businesses across the country. Neon Lizard wants to be your partner for your success.

Talk to you soon!

New Print and Digital Catalog Tells Customers "We Get You"

1/16/2019

Gail Becker didn’t think that she would ever do another printed catalog for her company, Becker Arena Products, due to the cost and headache it was to complete. As the popularity of hockey has grown over the last three decades, so has their business. In business for 30 years, Gail and her husband, Jim, have seen a lot of changes in their industry. They started out selling supplies to rink owners and managers, and now they are the leading supplier of arena materials for general contractors and architects, as well as large park and rec departments internationally.

Humans Suck at Emotional Awareness

1/15/2019

Humans tend to be bad at emotional awareness. As a result, when we're arguing a point with someone, we tend to use words and images that work on us, not necessarily that speak to the other person.

So, if you want to persuade someone, such as in sales or sharing a vision, listen to how they try to speak to you.
For example, one partner in a conversation might use concepts like “power, tradition and authority” to make a case, while the other might rely on “science, statistics or fairness”. One person might argue with tons of emotional insight, while someone else might bring up studies and peer reviews. Modify your language to match to whom you are speaking in order to have clear communication and make sure you are both “saying the same thing”. They will feel understood and you will strengthen the relationship.

“It’s how you looked when you said it, NOT what you actually said.”

1/12/2019

Most us don't think twice about the way we sit in our chairs, angle our shoulders, or how we hold that cup of coffee we have in our hands every morning. However, how you position and use your body has a huge impact on those around us. Why is this info in a marketing and design email? Because brand marketing is everything you put forth, your print, digital and even in-person impressions to your client. They rarely teach this stuff in school, so... NLC is helping out the world. You’re welcome.

Context is important, so always keep the setting in mind when assessing someone else's signals or trying to monitor your own.

FOCUS ON THE HANDS/FEET

Like the direction of feet tell the listener where you really want to go, the hands leak important nonverbal cues as well. This is an important tip, so pay super close attention to this next part. Look for particular hand signals, such as the other person putting their hands in their pockets or hand on head. This can indicate anything from nervousness to outright deception. Unconscious pointing indicated by hand gestures can also speak volumes. When making hand gestures, a person will point in the general direction of the person they share an affinity with (this nonverbal cue is especially important to watch for during meetings and when interacting in groups).

Momma said it was rude to point, but in this case, it is a good thing!

BRAND Matters

1/6/2019

WHICH WOULD YOU TRUST?

Having a logo/brand that is impactful and professional is a must. This client swore that his brand revisions made the world of difference in his ability to get in the door. The secret sauce to success is truly as much about the brand as much as it is the product. Building trust is key.

If you come out of the gate looking like you have been around for 20 years, you garner instant credibility and respect. The cheap shops that churn out modified clip art for less than a meal, just can’t do that for you. Even some of the big dogs hire Jr. designers and peddle them as pros.

Logo houses and dishonest firms don’t care about your brand. Nor do they strategize or plan for message and visual consistency long term, use color theory or do any research of your ideal client. You’ll end up redoing it all in a few years. Guaranteed.

FACT: If you LOOK like a do-it-yourselfer or low end biz, you will lose potential clients. How many? You’ll never know. People gravitate toward companies that appear competent and established. Why take the chance? Often, we only get one shot. Make it count.

Think of it this way, if you spent more on your office decor that is ONLY seen when folks come to your office than you did your logo, brand, business card or social media that EVERYONE sees… then you’ve got it all backward. Brand matters!

May your New Year be tons better than NBC's broadcast!

1/1/2019

The big talk of the day is the horrendous New Year's broadcast by NBC. Complete with inappropriate conversation, forgetting to feature the NYE countdown and ball drop as well as various other random "What?!" declarations from the viewers. Not a good start to the year for NBC.

I will preface the rest of this post with "There but by the grace of God go I." We all screw up, our client's screw up and sometimes it is just ignorance, bad luck or poor planning. Regardless, we spin our wheels trying to make up for the negative impact it has on our brand and company.

Mitigate Mistakes Before They Happen.
When planning your marketing for 2019 and beyond, know your core brand message. Know your 4 main efforts for the year. Do a goal board or get the team together to pre-write, pre-design, and pre-plan every event, ad and communication long ahead of time so that mistakes are less likely to happen. Have three sets of eyes approve every bit of text that goes out (Fussing at myself here!), use the same messaging throughout a campaign and be certain to carry through on promised content.

NLC just completed a year's worth of newsletters. We have much more in store. We have a library already set up we can pull from to make sure our content is consistent. We, just like you, have to walk the talk. Join us, we can help.

Don't start the year out without a plan. Your company success depends on it.

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