Our lastest update on what’s happening in the exciting world of advertising & design. “Insight” is available digitally or through traditional mail. Email Margie Seagers mseagers@tcgad.com and let her know that you’d love to be on our mailing list!
Check out our latest newsletter here.
Want to convince a guy to consider a career in nursing? Then you need a guy who’s in nursing or in training to be a nurse to make the point.
Fun historical fact: there was a time when women were not permitted to go into the field of nursing or enter nursing schools. Imagine! Times changed, of course, and now women make up the majority of the nursing workforce. Times continue to change, and more men are drawn to nursing today. It is a rewarding career that’s expected to present plentiful opportunities for employment for years to come.
We recently had a special opportunity to work with a consortium of career and technology schools to develop a 4-minute video aimed at recruiting male students to a career in nursing. Using a testimonial format, we interviewed a diverse group of male students in practical nursing programs and graduates working in the nursing field. We edited those interviews into a fast-paced, informative video about what it’s like to be on the nursing career path for men.
We had the good fortune to work on this project through our client relationship with Lancaster County Career & Technology Center (Lancaster CTC). In addition to Lancaster CTC, the consortium includes Chester County Intermediate Unit, Delaware County Technical Schools, Eastern Center for Arts and Technology, and Lebanon County Career and Technology Center.
We’ve had great feedback on the video! The schools were very happy with the finished product, and they all have put the video on their websites where prospective students can easily view it.
Our favorite bit of feedback came from Carolyn Voorhees, MSN, RN, one of our contacts at Lancaster CTC during production of the video, who had this to say: “Everyone loved the video. Your organization should get an award for this production…it is excellent.”
Thank you, Carolyn! You can check out the video for yourself right here: Men in Nursing.
A couple of years ago, we gave recipients of our newsletter, Insight, the option to receive it electronically instead of in print. We repeat that offer in every issue. To date, 13 of about 500 people on our mailing list opted for the electronic version.
While 500 people is not a huge sample, the experience tells us that many folks still favor printed communications. Maybe they like the feel of paper in hand or maybe they get very little in the mail these days and like seeing something addressed to them personally. Our conclusions may not be scientific—but then again, maybe they are! Some studies show that there is, in fact, science behind the preference for printed material…neuroscience.
These facts from recent research make the point:
- Canada Post conducted a “neuromarketing” study that showed printed direct mail is: (1) easier to understand and more memorable than digital media; (2) far more persuasive than digital media; and (3) visually processed quicker than digital media.
- Direct mail—such as printed newsletters—sends a sensory signal that stimulates a deeper level of engagement than digital messages, making it much more likely to be noticed. Consumers state that they are more likely to notice and read direct mail (53%) than email (26%).
- In the world of advertising, print appears to have a lot of “neuro” swagger as well. A neuroscientific study sponsored by the Postal Service Inspector General’s office found that while digital ads seize attention more quickly, print ads hold attention longer, elicit a stronger emotional reaction, and play a greater role in the ultimate purchase decision.
Here’s what we know: newsletters are still an effective tool to reach current and prospective customers. Though there were claims about a decade ago that print would be all but dead by now, that’s not happening. We produce newsletters for several clients who still favor print for this communication. And we do our own newsletter in print. We also post ours on this website.
It’s not necessary to drop print for electronic newsletters. You can make them available both ways, as we do, and let your readers choose. They’re smart and they know what they want.
If you would like to receive our newsletter insight please send a note to Margie and she will add you to our mailing list!
Recently we were part of an event that really rocked!
The 3rd annual East Pete 5k Race, sponsored by the East Petersburg Events Day Committee, brought out people of all ages to help raise money for upkeep and improvements at the community park and other open spaces. Held September 19, the race was part of a day of fun events for East Petersburg residents and visitors. This wonderful and welcoming community is where TCG Advertising & Design calls home—and where Kim Smith, our art director, and her family live.
This is our second year being involved with the race. We again were thrilled to work with Kristen Troop, coordinator of the race committee and owner of Wee Care Day School, to create this year’s theme and help plan the race. The big idea: Rock Star!
Everyone was encouraged to dress like a rock star for the race. The “best-dressed”—those who rocked the most!—earned prizes. The race kicked off a full day of events at the park, including a parade, music, rides and other fun activities, ending with fireworks. Over 200 runners participated in the race, which was a rockin’ success.
We created all of the marketing materials for the race, including the logo, sponsorship sheet, registration form, save-the-date eblast, yard signs, posters, digital billboard, tent cards, t-shirts, Facebook posts, trophies and medals. In addition to it being a fun event to participate in, we love working with the other committee members and are beyond proud to do something that supports our local community.
Kim and her husband, Mike, ran in the race. Her daughter, Isabel, took third overall in the Women’s category, quite the accomplishment for Isabel, who’s only 12 and runs for the middle school cross country team. Julie Rehman, our agency go-to person for many things—we call her “The Glue”—volunteered along with her daughters, Zoe and Liz, and cheered the racers along the course. Julie’s husband, Tim, also ran, taking second in his age category.
Overall, it was a great day to support the East Petersburg community—and tons of fun! We are grateful for the opportunity to be involved.
When Goldilocks wandered into the home of the three Bears in the woods, it took her a little time to find things in the house that were not too big and not too small, but just right. Many companies can find themselves searching for the same thing when it comes to advertising agencies.
Does your agency respect your deadlines? Do they treat your budget like it’s their own money they are spending? Do they value your time? Are they quick to respond to your requests? Do you have access to the people who are working on your project?
If your agency is too big to give you the attention you deserve or too small to provide all of the services that you want, maybe it’s time to give us a try. We’re not too big, not too small…maybe we are just right for you.
Yellow is the color of sunshine. It’s associated with joy, happiness, intellect and energy—which makes it the perfect choice for the new color we selected for the front doors at TCG!
You might know yellow as PMS 116 (if printed as a spot color)…or CMYK 83/83/0/60 (when printing on paper)…or RGB 17/17/102 (for the web) or HEX #111166 (web color)…or good ole Y (as in roYgbiv).
They all mean the same thing: Bright, Happy, Energetic Yellow!
Yellow produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, stimulates mental activity, and generates muscle energy. Bright, pure yellow is an attention getter, so you can see why taxicabs are painted this color.
Use yellow to evoke pleasant, cheerful feelings. Yellow is very effective for attracting attention, so use it to highlight the most important elements of your design.
Here is a fun link where you can find out more about the psychology of color!
“Insight” is available digitally or through traditional mail. Email Margie Seagers at mseagers@tcgad.com and let her know that you’d love to be on our mailing list!
Check out our latest newsletter here.
When you decide to work with an ad agency, it means you are willing to invest your company’s time and money in return for top-notch creative solutions. It’s an important relationship, with a lot at stake. Being on the agency side of these relationships for many years, we have a few tips that make life easier for everyone. And they can even help save time and money.
- Give as much input to your agency upfront as possible. The more organized and comprehensive your information is, the better.
- Get all necessary approvals for content before your agency begins its creative work. Every time copy or layout is revised, it impacts the cost of the project. And makes it take longer.
- Share with your agency any assumptions and expectations you have about how you want your finished project to look. For example, if you have a preference for paper stock or color, let it be known before design work begins and printing estimates are started. It’s best if those activities happen with your preferences in mind at the start.
- Make any corrections at the layout approval stage. As the project moves through production, the more “final” it is, the more costly it becomes to make changes.
When clients work with us, we pledge to spend their time and money as if they were our own. That means we work in the most efficient and conscientious way we can. It’s part of our formula for success. We follow the four tips outlined above and projects tend to go very smoothly for both our clients and us. That means a lot less stress and way more happiness all around!
It has been our privilege to work with the good folks at YWCA Lancaster for 17 years, helping them engage the community in their excellent programs and services. This year, the YW is getting involved for the first time in “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes,” an event in which men strap on a pair of high heels to bring greater awareness to sexual assault prevention, treatment and bystander intervention.
We were happy to develop materials to support the event, including the logo, posters, postcard, sponsorship form and e-blast. And now we’re more than happy to help promote the event, It’s a fun time and a terrific cause. Proceeds from the event will benefit the YWCA Lancaster Sexual Assault Prevention & Counseling Center.
Here are a few particulars and where to find more information and sign up:
Walk a Mile in Her Shoes
Friday, September 18, 6 PM
Downtown Lancaster
www.walkamileyw.org
Hey, guys! This is your chance to show your support in a unique way. Sign up as an individual or in teams. Don’t worry if you don’t have a pair of high heels to strap on – the YW has been collecting heels in large sizes just for this special occasion. But if you have your own, by all means, bring ‘em. (No judgment!)
We are now in our third year of working with Lancaster County Career & Technology Center (LCCTC), helping them to market programs and build enrollment. They are a great client—for many reasons—but one of the best things about LCCTC is that they understand the benefits of a strategic marketing campaign that is targeted, consistent across all media, with messages that are succinct and clear. That’s been our approach each year, whether it’s for bus posters that travel their market, a TV spot that hones in on what matters most to their students, an eye-catching billboard, pull-up banners that stop traffic at the mall or a redesign of their online catalog.
How do we know that what we’re doing for them works? Well, first of all, we’re very good at what we do and we’ve been doing it quite successfully for 25 years. But also, here’s what Kirk Schlotzhauer, Program Director, Post Secondary Education at LCCTC, shared with us recently:
“Since the development and implementation of a comprehensive Branding & Marketing Campaign, Higher Education/Adult Education enrollments have grown almost 400% and profits have increased over 1000% over the last 3-year period.”
Now those are some pretty awesome numbers!