Case Cards Increase Sales of Firestone’s Red Nectar and Hemp Ale

iii Design ran an extensive marketing campaign for Firestone’s Red Nectar and Hemp Ale. For the retail environment, they envisioned a rigid graphic that could be inserted among the six-pack cases. The design was very layered and dimensional—a surfboard leaning up against a collage of surfer images taped to a map of California’s Coast. They turned to BIG Images who advised the case cards be produced by printing on Adhesive-backed-vinyl and mounted to 4 mm Coroplast. The graphic was contour-cut to help enhance the dimensional look. Slits were cut at the bottom to create a fork for inserting the graphic into cases.

The marketing strategy was a great success and the results were immediately measurable by the reports of increased sales at each store where the cards were in use.

BIG Images receives the coveted 2008 Best of San Luis Obispo Award in the Printers category by the prestigious and well-known U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA)

The U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA) was kind enough to inform BIG Images that it has been awarded the prestigious “2008 Best of San Luis Obispo Award in the Printers category.” Yeah! Go BIG Images!

Actually, the USLBA just wants to sell us a plaque for $79.94 that says we won an award. An award that they appear to have made up The fun thing about this is they allow anyone to customize the text that appears on the plaque. So, in celebration of BIG Images winning this best-of printers “award” I am giving you, the reader, a chance to use our access key to print your very own best-of award. Just go here and fill in the form. If they ask you for an award code just type in 9A27GKC. Then, on the next page, note the “corrections” you want to make to the plaque. In moments your very own “2008 Best Of…” award will be on its way to your doorstep! Hehe…have fun

Just for fun, here is the “official” press release announcing BIG Images award.

Big Images Receives 2008 Best of San Luis Obispo Award

U.S. Local Business Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement

WASHINGTON D.C., November 20, 2008 — Big Images has been selected for the 2008 Best of San Luis Obispo Award in the Printers category by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA).

The USLBA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2008 USLBA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USLBA and data provided by third parties.

About U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA)

U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USLBA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USLBA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

SOURCE: U.S. Local Business Association

CONTACT:
U.S. Local Business Association
Email: PublicRelations@USLBA.net
URL: http://www.USLBA.net

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The third outdoor domain: the ground

This is part three (of three) in our outdoor solutions roundup. This article sumarizes the advantages and disadvantages of marketing with floor graphics. 

Look down to the ground

Floor graphics are the new playground of large-format marketing. Everyone has to watch where they walk; why not put your logo or product message in their line of sight? Put your product message at the customers feet during the critical moment when they make their purchasing decision. Guide the customers eyes (and feet) with compelling images and visual treats that lead them right to where you want them. 

And BIG Images floor graphics are not limited to easy, clean environments like supermarket floors. We provide outdoor floor graphics that stick to concrete and carpet. 

Advantages of floor graphics

• Inexpensive
• Still very novel so people are more likely to notice it
• Unlimited flexibility of placement—get your advertisement at the customers feet when and where you want it
• Focus the customer’s attention
• [1] Stimulate sales—retail stores have shown 20–30% increases in sales when there are floor graphics.
• [1] Floor graphics offer one of the highest returns based on the price per square foot, making them one of the most inexpensive advertising mediums a small business could invest in.
• Virtually every business with a brick-and-mortar storefront has floor space available—its free to utilize!

Disadvantages of floor graphics

• We have yet to encounter a disadvantage

Products of interest

• Sidewalk Graphics
• Carpet Graphics
• Floor Graphics

Gallery of Outdoor Solutions

[1] “In-store floor graphics” Published: 18 June 2006. Accessed: 20 July 2008.http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=738911 

Don’t forget to read our two companion articles, Graphics at eye-level, and Graphics up in the sky.

The second outdoor domain: the sky

This is part two (of three) in our outdoor solutions roundup. This article sumarizes the advantages and disadvantages of marketing with graphics in the sky. There are opporunities all around your city for getting peoples attention with street banners, billboards, lightpost-banners and even building-mounted banners. 

Look up to the sky

For above-eye-level marketing, banner and fabric reign supreme; nothing is more cost effective or easy to install as banner and fabric. I am not simply talking about billboards, but rather any graphic above eye level. These could be photos mounted onto the walls above restaurant tables. They could be sponsorship graphics high above the crowd, or even an outdoor mesh banner wrapping the side of a building. 

Advantages of images in the sky

• Reinforces main marketing imagery
• Reminders to the customer
• Focus customers attention

Disadvantages

• Not as direct or personal as eye-level or floor graphics
• Hard to track effectiveness of the graphic
• The most expensive of the three due to the large square-footage of material necessary
• Not every business has the area to display this type of graphic requiring the rental of space.

Products of interest

• Normal banner
• Mesh banner
• Trade show headers
• Fabric Flags

Gallery of Outdoor Solutions

Don’t forget to read our two companion articles, Graphics at eye-level, and Graphics down on the ground.

The first outdoor domain: the eye-level

This is part one (of three) in our outdoor solutions roundup. This article sumarizes the advantages and disadvantages of marketing with graphics at the eye-level. 

The eye-level

Eye-level graphics are what most people think of first when they want to market with large-format graphics. Thus it is highly competitive. Most of your competitors are already creating posters, banner stands, and window graphics. The trick is to set your marketing message apart from hodgepodge that already inundates the environment. 

Advantages of eye-level graphics

• Customers are virtually guaranteed to look at eye-level
• A little creativity will really set your message apart
• Get the customers attention even when they are not expecting it with vehicle graphics or sidewalk graphics (sandwich boards).

Disadvantages of eye-level graphics

• It’s a highly competitive space. Many businesses already do this so it’s not as novel, and leaves less of an impression on the customer. However, these disadvantages become opportunities to distinguish your business in the other two domains.

Products of interest

• Banner Stands
• Window Graphics
• Rollable Posters and Mounted Prints
• Tradeshow Prints
• Vehicle graphics—reinforce your brand with vehicle graphics
• Sandwich boards & sidewalk displays

Gallery of Outdoor Solutions

Studio 101 West has been a customer of BIG Images since BIG Images opened, and we have been proud to serve them ever since.

Studio 101 West, founded in 1988 by Dennis and Deborah Swanson, offers a broad array of services from Photography to Graphic Design to Video and Multimedia. In their own words, here is what Studio 101 has to say about their company: 

“Studio 101 West lives by the credo that you only get one chance to make a first impression. Following that mandate, our mark has been made on service businesses and manufactures across the country. Seeking to go further than the norm, we work as business partners with each of our clients. What matters to you, matters to us. Our greatest desire is to push your business to the next level. Making you look good while making your job easier, is essential to our own business plan.”

BIG Images has been proud to serve Studio 101 West as a customer since first opening.

A fabric Church banner for use outdoors

Perhaps one of the reasons BIG Images has been such a perfect fit for Studio 101 West is our shared desire to put the customer first. As one of our most exacting clients, they are always pushing us to ever-higher levels of quality and service. 

Banner stands, designed by Studio 101 West and printed on BIG Images’ outdoor banner, for trade show marketing

Or perhaps they recognize our dedication to technology. Over 90% of Studio 101 West’s work is shot digitally, enabling them to offer rapid turn around times and greater creative control. This is precisely why BIG Images has dedicated itself to technological advancements within its workflow. Our ability to offer rapid turn around time and predictable quality has been paramount in our ability to please studios such as Dennis Swanson’s. Here is what Dennis had to say about BIG Images: 

“Studio 101 West has worked with Big Images since they first opened their doors and we have always been impressed with the great work they produce and their excellent customer service. Big Images truly stands by their On Time and Satisfaction Guarantees. Wether its for a custom fine art wall print or a ten foot wide trade show booth, we can rest assured that through Big Images we are providing our clients with the same high standard of work that Studio 101 West has built its reputation on.” — Dennis Swanson, Photographer/Owner of Studio 101 West

This year’s X Prize Cup will see three new contests—the Vertical Rocket Challenge, the Space Elevator Games, and the Lunar Lander Challenge.

BIG Images continues it’s efforts to better serve the airshow industry. We recently completed our first major project for the X Prize Foundation.

When SpaceShip One rocketed to space on October 4, 2004, not only was it the first private manned spacecraft to exceed an altitude of 328,000 feet twice within a 14 day period, it also was the winner of the $10 million Ansari X Prize. 

That was only the beginning. According to the X Prize Cup web page, “We didn’t just launch a spaceship, we launched a revolution,” and this year, they plan to raise the stakes. On October 20-21, 2006, privately funded teams will compete for $2.5 million in prizes in three different competitions: the Lunar Lander Challenge, the Vertical Rocket Challenge and the Space Elevator Games 

The X Prize Foundation “…spurs innovation by tapping into [humanity's] competitive and entrepreneurial spirits.” BIG Images is proud to be a major part of the X Prize Foundations’ marketing efforts, helping spread their dream of private space exploration to the final frontier and beyond. 

The Challenge 
The X Prize Foundation and Rocket Racing approached us with a need for banners to decorate their co-branded booth at AirVenture Oshkosh, the largest civilian airshow in the United States. 

This booth required double-sided banner stands, tent headers and large banners for covering the inner walls of the tent.

The Rocket Racing and X Prize Foundation tent at AirVenture Oshkosh.

The X Prize Foundation’s graphics proved a challenge because of their liberal use of black—every image had a rich-black background that needed to print as black as possible. 

The Solution 
BIG Images provided the perfect media solution; Our durable vinyl banner allowed for quick production, easy transportation, and great reusability for future shows. 

Our new ink-system dramatically increases the color gamut available on outdoor vinyl, printing some of the richest, or darkest, black in the industry. Furthermore, our new ink-system creates a stronger bond with the material, making banners that will last longer in the rigorous trade-show environment.