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adam fiveson

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Building a better brand

5 steps to improve identity of goods, services While speaking at a conference, I was approached by a company that markets in the business-to-business space asking how they could gain more exposure using brand marketing. They admitted sales results had been disappointing, and since the economy had slowed, they were having a problem meeting sales quotas. When I asked what their normal marketing process was, they said they try to use a balanced mix of many different marketing communicati… Continue

Added by adam fiveson on December 12, 2009 at 9:58am — No Comments

Finding Positives in a Negative Slant. - repost

On my business cards I have used the following slogans: "Madison Avenue design meets Madison Wisconson price." and "You don't have to be a Fortune 500 to look like one" and my personal favorite: "Because other designers suck." Of course, there is the belief that you should never, EVER go negative.... I disagree, but I'd love to hear your opinions on the subject. Now, before you start in.... you should know that I've been doing branding and design for 23 years, and you should know that I ha… Continue

Added by adam fiveson on June 18, 2009 at 11:47am — 2 Comments

Clients Who Sabotage!

Do Your Clients Make This “Deadly” Mistake… If you’re at all like me, you can’t stand when someone tells you how to do your job. I recently had several clients who refused to listen to any of my professional advice and direction for their website project, and insisted I do it their way. The result? Well, let’s just say that it turned out like crap as it almost always does! So that got me thinking: “What is it about my line of work that makes people think that they can do what I do?”… Continue

Added by adam fiveson on June 15, 2009 at 1:00pm — 1 Comment

I bought a few URLs...

wow guys, I can't believe I actually managed to snag www.elance.me as a URL. Now the only question is what should I do with this great web address?

I was thinking about creating my own Elance clone... or maybe another version of this website.

I would love your opinions, please let me know your thoughts.

Best Regards,
Adam Fiveson
Creative Director
561-432-9959

http://www.5sonstudios.com/ | http://www.5webdesign.co… Continue

Added by adam fiveson on October 20, 2008 at 11:22am — 3 Comments

Introducing... the web walk on!

Okay so it's time for me to do a little self-promotion. I've just released the newest and greatest product in the 5SonStudios family of products.

Have you ever wished that it was more immediately clear what you do when your customers visit your website? Have you ever felt the need to point to a specific aspect of your website or welcome someone in a more "lively" fashion that can be done images and photography alone?

Introducing the virtual s

… Continue

Added by adam fiveson on June 27, 2008 at 2:51pm — 1 Comment

Oh yeah? My Sister is a web designer.

Really? and my uncle plays golf on the weekends but he's not Tiger FREAKIN Woods!!!

Why is it that every profession on earth has a barrier to entry except ours?

Any imbecelle with a computer and a copy of Photoshop can call themselves a creative professional.

Hell, "artist" is now Goddamned code for "lazy bum".

I work my tail off educating my clients to no avail... I'm constantly being offered ridiculously low rates or worse... "a piece of the action" to do my work

… Continue

Added by adam fiveson on June 19, 2008 at 9:49am — 1 Comment

Website of the day....

Check this link out for something a bit different....once open, just give it a few seconds to get going...

http://producten.hema.nl/

Damn that's excellent!!!

Continue

Added by adam fiveson on March 12, 2008 at 10:39am — 1 Comment

Get back in the GOD DAMNED box!!!

No, I'm not rehearsing a script for the lead in a sadomasochistic short story.... I'm thinking about what I think every time I hear a client tell me that they are really wanting "out of the box" concepts for their work.

Typically, when a client asks for such a thing what they really want is simple, effective advertising... which is fine... safe... dull... boring.... and actually pretty lame ass advertising but it's fine I guess. We can do boring too and it pays the bills.

But to

… Continue

Added by adam fiveson on February 12, 2008 at 9:42am — 3 Comments

Good Branding NEVER goes out of style.

This isn't true.... back in the day, cigarettes were marketed by cute little babies and by Santa!

And it was OK to beat your wife over what brand of coffee she buys.

(those were the days... now she onl

… Continue

Added by adam fiveson on January 26, 2008 at 6:31pm — No Comments

Cream always rises to the top....

But crap floats too.

I'm always amazed when I see the crap I get in the mail from people trying to win my business.

Just the other day, a local chinese restaurant decided that to celebrate the new year, they would send me this bamboo wall calendar to try and win my business.

Yes, the Great Wok thought a calendar with DOGS on it

… Continue

Added by adam fiveson on January 18, 2008 at 11:50am — 4 Comments

and the dentists children have bad teeth!

OK, so I'm working on my own branding... building a site and creating marketing materials for 5son Studios (a new name because I've ALWAYS felt 5webdesign is too limiting and doesn't describe what I do).

The projects I do for myself are ALWAYS the hardest. I mean I've had designers and ad agencies hire me to do their self promotion and it's a snap.... but when I put the creative juice to my own business I'm almost always creatively sapped.

I think it's about perspective.... seei

… Continue

Added by adam fiveson on January 11, 2008 at 1:09pm — 4 Comments

OK... I'm going to douse myself with gasoline and set my ass ablaze!

OK, people... if anyone is reading this PAY ATTENTION!!!

I have created this BS site for one reason. To help promote my business and to help you to promote yours. It's a self fulflling process which SHOULD help us all.

The advice columns and helping people with their issues is a nice side effect.

The plan here is to become a resource for all things creative.... google, yahoo, etc.... will see this site and rank it HIGH because of the

… Continue

Added by adam fiveson on January 4, 2008 at 3:14pm — 7 Comments

Content (management) is King.

They say content is king... and while I love my copywriting friends I may have to help stage a coup in the royal family.

Content is important of course, and how you frame your message is CRITICAL.... but as a designer, I think there may be a new monarch in town. The Content Managed Website.

A CMS site is basically a website which can be designed using your special branding, complete with ALL the bells and whistles... from simple contact forms to ecommerce solutions. All availabl

… Continue

Added by adam fiveson on December 28, 2007 at 10:26pm — No Comments

Brand Unity

Brand unity matters for everyone. Whether you’re a major corporation or a small corner store, you’ll find that marketing your business is an easier proposition if you can ensure that common themes, ideas and designs run through all your marketing materials.

All businesses – and consumer businesses in particular – are dependent on their advertising. But it’s very easy to design advertising materials in a piecemeal way, as their needed or as funds become available. If you’re a small start… Continue

Added by adam fiveson on December 26, 2007 at 4:00pm — No Comments

PRESS KITS!!!

These days, one of the most popular ways of getting your business known is to issue a press kit. You’ve spent good money on glossy brochures and leaflets, you’ve hired a copywriter to fine tune your sales texts, and now you need to get your company’s brand out where it belongs – in the badlands of the media. Put together a press kit and send one to carefully targeted media organizations.

But what does a press kit need? Well, no two are exactly alike, but most have certain things in comm… Continue

Added by adam fiveson on December 24, 2007 at 4:00pm — No Comments

Who is your designer?

Who Is Your Freelance?

There are a lot of creatives out there these days. Have a look around Elance.com, or Guru.com – these sites are packed with guys who will happily design your site or logo, or write your copy. Some of them promise the earth for very low prices, and while its true that the increased competition that the internet has permitted has driven the price of creativity down in recent years, the old rule still holds good:

You Get What You Pay For

There it is… Continue

Added by adam fiveson on December 23, 2007 at 4:00pm — No Comments

In the beginning was the LOGO.

Now, if you were the kid who used to jump up and down at the back of class waving your hand in the air and making ‘ooh, ooh!’ noises whenever teacher made a mistake, your pants are probably on fire right now. The wiseguy eleven-year-old still living in your head wants to tell me that in the New Testament the Gospel of John starts: ‘In the beginning was the Word…’

Well done little Jimmy or Jane. Have a popsicle and go ahead and jump out of the window. You’re smart, but not quite smart en… Continue

Added by adam fiveson on December 22, 2007 at 4:00pm — No Comments

Hi, my name is:

Today we're going to do a little Shakespeare. Bear with us. It is relevant.

You know Romeo and Juliet? It's Act 2, scene 2, and Juliet is standing on her balcony. She's recently met Romeo, though she doesn't know that the little peeping-tom is crouching feverishly in the bushes below. She's worried, because he's a Montague, and she's a Capulet - and their families are involved in a bitter feud. But, she wonders, why should she hate him just because he's called Montague? Riffing on the i… Continue

Added by adam fiveson on December 21, 2007 at 4:00pm — 4 Comments

Wrappers.... not just for the hood.

Size really does matter! Large format design such as billboards, bus ads and vehicle wraps can have a profound impact towards the success of your business. It produces greater visibility and brand awareness not found in other mediums.

Vehicle wraps are the next greatest thing in large format advertising. A vehicle wrap is made of vinyl and adhered to the exterior of a vehicle. It provides your business with a mobile billboard. It provides constant impressions–a free set of constant imp… Continue

Added by adam fiveson on December 20, 2007 at 4:00pm — No Comments

Woolly Briefs... not boxers.

We've been reflecting lately - we won't tell you the exact reasons why - about the nature of woolly briefs.

Nope - this isn't the ultimate revelation of some hitherto undisclosed underwear fetish, but rather a disquisition on the bane of the creative life. A "woolly brief" is the name we give for client instructions that are vague, obtuse or downright unhelpful. They come in two types.

Type one: client say things like, "uh - right. Yeah we kinda want a brochure that says we're… Continue

Added by adam fiveson on December 19, 2007 at 4:00pm — No Comments

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adam fiveson

Building a better brand

5 steps to improve identity of goods, services


While speaking at a conference, I was approached by a company that markets in the business-to-business space asking how they could gain more exposure using brand marketing.

They admitted sales results had been disappointing, and since the economy had slowed, they were having a problem meeting sales quotas.

When I asked what their normal marketing process was, they said they try to use a balanced mix of many different marketing communicati… Continue

Posted by adam fiveson on December 12, 2009 at 9:58am

Lance Winslow

Listening to Your Customer is the First Step - By Lance Winslow - Book Review


By Lance Winslow

Far too many companies try to second-guess the customer, and try to figure out what they want, then they make huge marketing plans, spend millions of dollars, and then in the end they can't figure out why the customers don't like it. This is why you need to ask your customers what they want… Continue

Posted by Lance Winslow on December 7, 2009 at 6:18am

jhem da

Oliva Nova Hotel Spain and Beach Resort

Oliva Nova golf and beach resort has beautiful villas and apartments that are for sale. Our Oliva Nova Resale property web site allows current home owners to upload their villa or apartment details direct. Alicante & Valencia Airports are only 90km away via the AP7 motorway.

"">Oliva Nova Resort

Posted by jhem da on August 18, 2009 at 10:10am

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