Winter Park Bridal Stroll

If you are newly engaged and looking for some of the best wedding vendors around, then you need to come to the Winter Park Bridal Stroll. We are happy to say we not only did the design for this event, but our stationery divisions will be participating as well! Both The 2u Collection and Paper Couture Stationery will be at the stroll this year, be sure to come see us!

To buy Tickets go to winterparkbridalstroll.com

Official Launch! fightingprostatecancer.com

We are so proud to have been working on this project for such a good cause. Help us "Give Prostate Cancer the Finger!"  Please go visit the website and support the cause! Great job 2u Creative Team for all your hard work, I certainly couldn't have done it without you!

fightingprostatecancer.com

Need some Holiday Spirit?

Looking for a fun family activity to bring in the Holidays? Or fun afternoon with the girls? Look no further! Click here or below to buy tickets!

www.frontiercivitanclub.org

Halloween Inspiration!

Sometimes when I find my creative juices have become stagnate I search for other artists, creatives, whatever you want to call us, to get the juices flowing again.  This post comes from a day of NO IDEAS,  I started searching and I found some of these amazing Pumpkin Carvings. So I save them for this Halloween edition!  I hope you enjoy! I also threw in a few food pieces for fun! My hats off to these incredible artists!

All the images below come from royaltutorial.com and digitalbusstop.com

Congratulations. 5,000 surgeries and counting!

Congratulations to Dr. Vipul Patel. This week he completed his 5,000th prostatectomy. 

Dr. Vipul Patel is the founder and chairman of the International Prostate Cancer Foundation (IPCF). His experience in the management of prostate cancer patients has lead him to form this foundation as a further extension of his worldwide efforts. The clinical management of patients on a daily basis has its limits on breadth. However, the foundation will allow a more widespread and global impact and help the lives of more men afflicted with the disease worldwide.


We are proud to have him as a client, and excited for this milestone!!  He is saving lives...to hear it from the survivors mouths  Visit the survivor testimonial section of the new website!
The team here at 2u Creative currently working on a new site for the Foundation! Click here for a sneak peek. Bare with us, not everything is fully functional yet!!

International Prostate Cancer Foundation 

Obvious to you. Amazing to Others.

I had to share this with all of my fellow creatives.  Thanks to Jeffrey Stoner of StonerVideo for turning me on to it, and thanks to Derek Sivers for Making this video.


As creatives, we all bash our own ideas and think that our ideas aren't as good as other creatives, we admire, compete with and respect. Well, this video says it all.

International Prostate Cancer Foundation

We are  so happy to share this with you. We are proud to be working on this project for such a good cause. And there is so much more to come, but here is a little sneak peek.  


We will continue to share as more new and exciting things are developed.


We have been working hard at developing their brand and creating all the of the parts and pieces they need to raise money for this amazing cause. We first have developed the logo and the new look for the website. Share with us, and let us know what you think.

And the sneak peek of the new website, which is in the works! Stay tuned.. We are on the countdown for the launch. I'll post again, when it's done and fully functional.

How do you Beat Creative Block?

I wanted to write a blog on this, because I am often asked by fellow artists and non-artists, how do you keep the ideas flowing. Well, first I wanted to say, that sometimes I don't. And that is normal. And the sooner as a creative person you embrace the fact that you can't always get through it, the better off you'll be.. It's a bit like getting rid of the hiccups.. The harder you try, the harder it is.. And sometimes you just won't be able to get through it, but don't worry it's usually not a permanent situation.


Creative Block is NEVER an ideal situation, and creativity can't be turned off and on like a faucet, However, I do realize that deadlines don't stop because your creative mind decided to take the day off. So I wanted to share with you some of the tricks I try to get the ideas flowing. 

This is the number one and golden rule. Don't force it.. The harder you try to create, the worse the creative is. LOL.. I think most of your will agree when the ideas aren't coming and you try an force it, the next day you look back on it and realize you spent all day the day before doing something that isn't great. Sometimes the best thing you can do for your clients, is walk away. This of course is a last resort. Try the 5 tips below, if these things don't work, then you MUST walk away and clear your head.

 Sometimes it can feel like your office walls are closing in on you. For me the best way to clean my palette is to grab my laptop and go to a different room to work. This doesn't always work however and when this happens, I change my environment by going to the grocery store, or taking a run, walking my dogs, lunch with a friend...you get the idea, anything that will put you in a new environment for your brain to add to it's memory bank for you to pull from later.

 This always works wonders for me. I jump at the chance to do some mindless production work, in our stationery division we always have ribbons that need to be tied, or crystals that need to be glued and this is a good way sometimes to get ideas to break loose.. The repetitive nature of the those tasks to focus on usually get's my juices flowing because I'm distracted. However if these kinds of tasks are available, then I do some drawing exercises that have repetitive qualities, for example: Draw a maze. There is no right or wrong answer and drawing has always been a great way to  loosen up the creative brain. Some other drawing things I like to do: Draw a Rorschach inkblot, Again No right or wrong answer. Create a blot that suggests peace and an evil clown.

This one is always fun. And it doesn't have to be a real party, sometimes it's fun to plan a fantasy party for a future date.  This really helps you think outside of the box, it gets you thinking from 2D to 3D and big picture thinking. Below is a sample of an inspiration board for an all white party. I got to thinking, how would you pull off a party using only the color white.  (since I have a stationery division, The 2u Collection my fake parties are always usually wedding related-as it gives me inspiration for both sets of my clients) Usually by the time I'm done with the inspiration board, my creative brain is a little looser than it was before I started.

This is my favorite! But it's a little tricky. My first instinct sometimes is to go see what work my colleagues are putting out. But this is slippery because it could just make your block worse when you see all the amazing work your respected colleagues are putting out. So I've found it's good to break it up. So if your primary medium is graphic design, then you should go to a gallery and inspire yourself with painting, or see a moving animation movie, sometimes it's good to go outside your medium and be inspired by other creatives you respect that work in a different medium.

Lastly, if you've tried all the above and even walked away for a day or 2 from the project than you are in need of a VACATION, and you should plan one. I know working in this field, you feel the need to say yes to everything, and constantly keep the work flowing- but sometimes you do just need a vacation if its been while, even if it's just a weekend to the beach!

I hope you find some of these tips helpful!

Sneak Peek! Julison Communications.

We are happy to share this sneak peek with you. We have been working with one of our favorite colleagues this week, helping him develop a brand and website for his company.


We are working hard on finishing his full website, however in the mean time you can go visit the sneak peek and read all about the story below!


Ryan Julison, I call him the Amazing Public Relations Guru.  He and his team have handled all kinds of amazing feats!  Most recently he handled James Jones the School Bus Dad. Which resulted in over 2,000 TV stories, including appearances on Dr. Phil, Geraldo, CNN Headline News, TODAY Show and many others. Be sure to Watch the Today Show Coverage.

Congratulations to Ryan and his team and we thank him for trusting 2uCreative with his brand!

The Susan Southerland Secret! Congrats to our Dear Friend!

What's the secret? 2u Creative is proud to say we did the illustrations on the cover!
This is a project we worked tirelessly on the summer of 2009. However the ladies that wrote this book have worked even harder in the last 2 years writing this book.


For a about 5 years now, I have had the great pleasure to work with Mrs. Susan Southerland of Just Marry, and Now The Susan Southerland Secret She is my hero!! I can't believe how many hats she wears. She has a million things going all, all successfull and she is always on the go! Some of you may know her through Perfect Wedding Guide, some of you may know her as the amazing wedding coordinator she is. Her company Just Marry, is how we met. We've been doing design work for her for the last several years and you've probably seen our wedding division blog - we've mentioned her a time or 2. Also, She has been a great supporter of our Custom Wedding Invitation division The 2u Collection!


With that being said, I wanted to write a little bit and CONGRATULATE her on this new book! The Susan Southerland Secret: Personality Marketing to Today’s Bride, which can be purchased at BarnesandNoble.com.
We are proud to say we worked closely with Susan and her team developing the branding for The Susan Southerland Secret, and spend many many hours illustrating the 4 Personalities in Today's Bride.. See the logo we developed as well as the illustrations below in more detail.

The Savvy Bride:

The Functional Bride:

The Bewildered Bride:

The Visionary Bride:

Book Synopsis: Wedding vendors, wouldn’t it be wonderful if you were able to communicate so effectively during a sales consultation that a bride wouldn’t desire to meet with anyone else? What’s the most effective way to manage client expectations and problem solve? Do you sell a client in the beginning and lose opportunities to upsell along the way? You can find out the answers to these questions and more with my new book, available on BarnesandNoble.com. The book was just published this month and is listed on Barnes and Noble’s Rising Star section, which introduces the most exciting new books and authors to readers. The book shares my unique and proprietary view of clients and their personalities, and teaches entrepreneurs and marketing teams how to better relate to and sell to clients.


The book is co-authored by Kristy Chenell of Couture Consulting (www.couture-consulting.com) and Karen Gingerich of Just Marry!, Inc (www.justmarry.com). For more information or to purchase, please visitBarnes and Noble.com.

Soar & Explore with WonderWorks!

Early in 2010, we were approached by WonderWorks. Many of you local to the Orlando area know them as the upside-down building on International Drive. (see pic below)


They came to us needing a branding package for their newest venture. Soar & Explore! This is a fun new adventure course at Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. 


The team at 2u Creative was more than happy to oblige. This was a fun project, centered around the child in all of us. We even had a team building event on the Ropes Course housed at the Orlando WonderWorks!


We started with Logo Concepts, the final choice below illustrates the fun and outdoor adventure to be had! You can see above, we created Rack Cards, Coupons, Stickers, Stationery, and much more! 


This was a fun project from start to finish- I'm just sorry it took me so long to share it with all of you!

Soar & Explore is a fun outdoor adventure features a zipline and ropes course. 
Read on to learn all about it.

Zipline The zipline will take participants soaring 50 feet above water on a course that travels 1,000 feet between towers. Featuring a constant tension system, the dual-line course ensures participants a smooth “zip” with intense fun. No skirts or dresses permitted on zipline.
Ropes Course The pirate-themed ropes course stands a staggering 40 feet tall and spans three levels. Participants must navigate 33 different challenge elements which are designed with more than 3,000 ropes and cables. The course becomes progressively more difficult offering participants the chance to compete as a family. No skirts or dresses permitted on ropes course.

If you visit Soar & Explore be sure to stop by WonderWorks right next door. They have some great interactive fun, like Lazer Tag, an Inversion Tunnel, and Anti-Gravity Chamber and Much much more!!

The Importance of Branding & Advertising Part 2

Links to some branding projects I have worked on!! Please note, Liga Photography & CCH Marketing are exclusive partners of 2u Creative, so not only are they are clients, but they help us serve our clients with the best photography and marketing services around!!


CCH Marketing logo, collateral and web development


Liga Photography- Rebrand 3 years later
The Liga District - Adding onto and Integrating Brands
Liga Photography- Original Initial Branding Project


Pure Sugar Studios


Cleanse Bath & Body


Lavish Boutique


Part II- How to Get Started with Your Brand Development. In Part I, I blogged about why it is important to brand your company, now I want to discuss the question my clients, colleagues and friends seem to always want to know: HOW DO I GET STARTED. I am going to outline and discuss the steps I think are important in developing your company brand.

1. Research, Development & Creating a Plan: This is very important and lays the foundation for all of the following steps. Not only will it help you more easily develop your brand, it will build a strong foundation of principles and philosophies that will guide your company as it grows.

• Research- Look around. Research other companies: Who (as a company) do you aspire to be? Look at your successful colleagues. How do they market their companies? What about them causes you to seek them out? What is your competition doing? Speak to colleagues, both in your industry and outside of it, explain what you are trying to do, and get their feedback. As small business owners, we should all have colleagues/companies we aspire to be like. This helps us grow as individuals and businesses. It helps us approach our business with fresh eyes and new perspective. The hardest thing in my opinion about owning a business is stepping back; when you are too close to something it can be hard to see what's right in front of you.
  
  Be careful here; I am not in any way suggesting you copy your competition or fellow colleagues. You want your company to be unique and individual in its marketing and branding, but sometimes seeing how someone else approaches something will cause that genius idea to fall loose in your own mind.
  
• Development- Now that you have done some research it is time to dive into the development of your company. Ask yourself the following questions and write down your answers; this will help you further organize and grow your business structure and will also help you later when you sit down with a designer/studio. 
  
  Who are you as a company? Who do you want to be? What do you want for your business's future? What makes your company unique in comparison to the competition? Who is your market/customer base? What's the SINGLE most important message you want your potential customers/clients to understand about your company and its services from the first moment?
  Do you have colors, shapes, etc. in mind when you think of your company message?
  
• Create a Plan- Now that you have a better idea of who you are and where you want to go, answer these questions. 
  What is your Budget? I know this is tricky... but be realistic. When considering this question, keep in mind: "You DO get what you pay for." That goes for Design & Marketing Services, as with anything else. You have to pay for experience and knowledge. If you are serious about your brand development, you should pay for the experience and knowledge of a professional who will get you results.
  What is the scope? What does your company need? Consider the following: Company Tag Line, Logo & Stationery Design, Website, Collateral (brochures, newsletters, direct mail, postcards, etc), Advertising (print and internet), Press Kits or Presentation Packets for Publications and Potential or New Clients, Blog, E-Marketing, Trade Marking, etc. These are some suggestions of things you will need in order to successfully reinforce your brand.

2. Finding a Designer. Freelance vs. Small Design Studio: Now that you have a plan and a clear idea of what you are as a company and what you want to put out there, you need a designer or small design firm to get started on brand development. All of your answers to the questions in Step 1 will help you now because any knowledgeable and experienced Designer/firm will need them to properly develop your brand!

I'm going to give you some standard rates and some standard pros and cons to hiring a Freelancer vs. a Small Design Studio or Agency. To move forward and have your brand developed you're going to need a Graphic Designer. A lot of small businesses chose to use freelance graphic designers to save money. I have been a freelance designer, worked for a small firm/agency, and now own my own design studio, so I can provide perspectives from all sides.

• Freelance Graphic Designer, Writers and Marketing Professional- You can get a talented freelancer that can concept and design anything you need. The standard rates are $50-$85 per hour. This is dependent on the experience and talent of said designer. And most freelancers will work with you on their rate if you do more than one project with them. This can be the most affordable way for small business to create and develop a cohesive brand. The downside to this is that it's difficult to find a designer who has the experience and skills to help you with writing, strategy, marketing and design, and art direction. There are designers out there who are very talented and can do all of those things, but they are rare, and usually you will end up having to find freelance writers and marketing/PR professionals to work with the designer so that you can effectively complete everything involved. This can get expensive because each of these freelancers will have their own hourly rate. The other downside to this is you may end up with a group that hasn't worked together a lot which may add time to you projects and result in conflicting messages in your brand. CONSISTENCY IS VERY IMPORTANT in your messaging. This is where Small Design Studios and Firms blow freelancers out of the water.
  
• Small Design Studio/Firm- Often this is the route that makes most sense, because small design firms have a network of writers, strategists and marketing/PR professionals that they can call on and work with on a regular basis. The rates can be anywhere from $75-150/per hour. But again, most design firms will work with you on price if you are doing multiple projects with them. I have even given package project prices at significantly discounted hourly rates to both save my clients money, and ensure I have a contract for a few projects. The benefit to using a small firm that is you have a team that has worked together on many projects and each have their own expertise, which will often make your brand campaign more effective. It's hard for a designer/artist to effectively create strategy and write copy all while trying to create a look and design. So when you take this route, you have a team that will be top notch in each area instead of one person trying to do it all.

Don't choose the first person/firm you come across, but look at many firms to find the one that is right for you. Your designers, writers and marketing/pr professionals should be genuinely interested in your company, should want you to succeed, and should not just treat you like another job on their list. Follow your gut, and most of all beware of the artist with the large DIVA EGO... (I'm designer, I'm allowed to say it... a lot of us tend to become divas.) Make sure your team recognizes it's all about creating a brand campaign that works and fulfills its goal, not just creating art to create art. Don't get me wrong, it should look great and be extremely creative and even edgy.. BUT IT SHOULD ALWAYS PUT MESSAGE FIRST!
4. Work Closely with your Team Creating Artwork: Now that you have found and chosen an artist or team, trust them to do what they are good at. Take their recommendations and think them through. Remember, they have a fresh, objective perspective on your business. You may not always agree, and you may override their recommendations sometimes, which is okay. Just remember that this is their area of expertise, and they are professionals with experience and knowledge in this area. This is your company, however, so if you are ever opposed to a design or idea, speak your mind. But also remember you may be too close and might need to step back to fully consider their recommendation. Any professional designer or firm will find a compromise if you are completely opposed to something.
5. Practice What you Preach: Once you develop your brand and start putting your message out there, make sure that you practice what you preach. Your company must deliver on what it puts out there: Nothing works against your brand more than not delivering on what you're selling.

I hope you enjoyed.. Below is a testimonial from one of my clients who came to me for integration of her several divisions. And be sure to stay tuned, we are developing a new look for our website, so we've taken down the old and have a teaser up to entice you.




A Testimonial from Susan Southerland with Just Marry: (we've been working to re-brand her company for the last year) Amy has such a keen eye for brand imaging. Recently, I have had to develop three logos which fall under the same brand. Amy was able to make each logo convey its own message and they all coordinated beautifully. Brand recognition is so important for success these days. It is very important to have a graphic artist who understands your company vision to create these images. Amy just gets it!

For more information or help with developing your company brand, contact me.

Thanks for reading! 

The Importance of Branding and Advertising-- PART 1

After hearing of some of the sad closures of some of my favorite boutiques around this area, and hearing of the struggles of many small business owners these days, I've decided to blog on something I know a little about! Advertising, and Branding. For those of you who don't know before I started my company with it's 3 divisions: The 2u Collection, Paper Couture Stationery and 2u Creative I worked first as a graphic artist, then later as an art director in both In-house and Independent Advertising & Marketing Agencies. I've done this for the last 14 years so I have quite a bit of experience designing collateral and Ads for all kinds of different industries. And most recently in the last 4 years, I've really specialized my Advertising work to the Wedding Industry. Being a Vendor in the Wedding Industry has given me a unique and intimate perspective on this industry and has helped me create unique, more specialized branding and ad pieces to help my Wedding Vendor Clients reach their proper audience.

But enough about that, what I really want to write about is HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO DEVELOP YOUR BRAND IN THE WEDDING INDUSTRY!! 

So let's start with the basics-- What is a BRAND?? an organization's brand identity represents how the company wants to be perceived in the market, what a company stands for and most importantly what the company promises to its clients.
Why develop a BRAND?? To set your company above your competition and create brand recognition in the audiences' eyes. (In this case brides, you want to create a buzz and image around your company which will spark recognition in the bride's mind and cause her to choose you out of the sea that is your competition!)This Brand Recognition will also Legitimize you to Potential Clients, Publications and Fellow Colleagues!
HOW do I as a business owner, create BRAND RECOGNITION?? As most of you know, these days with the internet,  and our ability to touch the other side of the world in minutes, many industries are saturated with many, many, many talented and amazing professionals.
So how do you set yourself apart?

Create, Develop and Fine tune both the image and message you put out there. Now I know in these tough times that it can be difficult to allocate the dollars to your own Branding and Ad materials. But I am here to tell you, the one thing I've learned over the years is the companies that continue to Advertise and get their name out there during the slow economic times, are the ones that grow leaps and bounds when things start to turn around. Afterall, that is the point of a Brand to affect your bottom line!

So here are 5 financial benefits to Developing a Strong Brand Identity. (you all must excuse the car references, my husband has brain washed me.. :)

1. Brand Identity commands a Price-Premium. Why is someone willing to pay thousands of dollars more for a Lexus than for a Toyota? They are virtually the same product, minus the add on options and accessories. They are made by the same manufacturer, and they even share parts. It's because the BRAND of the Lexus is WORTH MORE in the minds of the consumer, regardless of whether the product actually functions better.

2. A Price-Premium creates the "PERCEPTION" of quality. This follows the old saying "You get what you pay for." If Product A costs more than Product B it must be because Product A is of better quality. Right? Well, not necessarily. Customers Pay more for what they PERCEIVE to be a better or higher quality BRAND! But at the same time, if you don't deliver on your "Quality" promise- there won't be BRAND Loyalty, and therefore your brand recognition will deteriorate.
3. Perceived quality has been shown to Positively Affect Customer usage. Consumers tend to select brands they perceive to be quality brands. This also connects to repeat clients, otherwise known as BRAND loyalty! Clients tend to continue to buy brands that reward them with a good experience and quality. They also tend to REFER Brands as part of that loyalty.

4. Clients relate VALUE with QUALITY. If one brand is perceived to be of higher quality than another brand, clients tend to perceive that the higher-quality brand is a better VALUE.

5. Perceived Quality can be a point of differentiation. Successful companies are continually looking for ways to differentiate their brand from the competition. Perceived quality can be used to set your company and its services apart from your competition, which then loops back to #1- enabling the company to charge a premium for their strong BRAND.

Now what does this mean to the normal small business. This means that if you can BRAND yourself, your company, your product or your services-- you will set yourself apart from your competition, and over time your brand will strengthen-- which in turn will bring Higher Premiums to your Product or Service. But keep in mind.. it's not just smoke and mirrors-- the truly successful BRANDS not only "talk to the talk, they walk the walk" and deliver everything their BRAND promises!

Tomorrow I will blog Part 2, and it will cover how to start the branding process of your company and get your Identity recognizable!

Look What's new for Liga!

One of our favorite clients, who has been with us now for around 4 years is Liga Photography. When Abby Liga first came to me, she had 1 division and was trying to figure out what would set her apart from the MILLIONS, (and yes, I mean millions) of other wedding photographers in the business.


So the project began, and as the years have passes, Abby has added another division, The Liga District, for all of her non wedding and corporate clients.


Abby has trusted me with her logo revamping, new logo designs for both the district and her blog The Inner Circle. Full Creative Direction and Writing of all of her collateral from Website to brochures, to promos and much more!

But since it's been 3 years since we focused on the Liga Photography Wedding Brand, we decided it was time for an upgrade. So we started with this Editorial Style Magazine Piece, a promo card and business cards. We created an Updated design with the style and Flare that matches and compliments Abby's shooting style! You can see by some of the past work we've done for her, we kept the brand continuity but just refreshed it to reflect her professional, more experienced shooting style! And let's not forget Props to our dear friends Lawton Printers. For as always making the work amazing with a high quality print job!

Through all of this, we are happy to not only call Abby and her team at Liga Photography and The Liga District one of our favorite clients, but also Abby is one of my dearest friends.


Here are some links to some past things I've done for her!


The Liga District Brand and Integration.
Liga Photography Original Brand Development
Bridal Gifts