Summer of Recognition!

I am so excited for all the things happening right now! It's been a rough start of the year with the economy and people everywhere cutting back. This is why it means so much to me that some of my fellow colleagues have gone out of their way to recognize me and all the hard work I put in here at The 2u Collection. Anyone who knows me knows that I do this because I not only love it but it is a part of me, like breathing. Without this creative outlet, you might just find me in a corner somewhere talking to my self :) Anyway.. Enough of that.. Check out some of the blogs I've been mentioned on this summer!!



In My Shoes by Lisa Konency of E-Events Design
If you haven't read this blog, by all means add it to your list.. She is stylish, innovative and I hope one day that work I do is admired as hers is.



Savvy Scoop-OneWed's Bridal Blog
Another Blog I love to check out! Lots of information about every aspect weddings, from the engagment to the wedding hangover.




Tickled Pink Brides-
Written by Brittany Sobering of Tinkled Pink! Wedding & Event Planning.. She give great tips on not only how to plan your wedding, but how to be unique and give it a flare just your own.

I hope you enjoy checking these blogs out!!

Playground Magazine's Most Wanted!

I am excited to share that we made the summer issue of Playground Magazine!! Not only do I love the ladies over there, but I feel that Playground Magazine is great Publication. It showcases the hippest and stylish moms's and families, and proves that in today's busy world Mom's & Dad's can have it all! This summer's issue they did a feature on Fun Creative Birthday Parties for your child. Now this is the exciting Part: The 2u Collection made the "Most Wanted List"! Check out page 58, to see 6 creative companies guaranteed to take your party to the next level!

Thank you to all the ladies at Playground!

Be sure to check it out! View an online version of the Magazine.

Vote for us for Best Blog!!

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Click the link above and make a blog post sharing what you think of The 2u Collection Blog!

Congrats to my Dear Friend!

Just wanted to give a quick congrats to my good friend and client Abby Liga. She launched her newly re-designed website recently. I know all the love and hard work that goes into this, having just recently done a re-design myself. I just wanted to say great job Abby, it looks fantastic!

Visit the new site.

Wedding Impressions a Bridal Showcase

"WEDDING IMPRESSIONS" Bridal Show from Jeffrey Stoner on Vimeo.

Video courtesy of Jeffrey Stoner Video

Last Month I was asked to not only provide the invitations for, but also participate in a unique, intimate Bridal Showcase. Of course I said yes! It was a great opportunity to meet brides and discuss one on one with them the details about their wedding.. The event was held at The Estate House at Cypress Grove and was produced and hosted by Michele Butler of Michele Butler Events and Curt and Stephanie from nu visions in photography.

Check out the video above to see clips from the amazing event! Pictures of the invitations I created still to come!

The Importance of Branding & Advertising- PART II

To Read Part I, click here.

First let me apologize, I should have had this posted a few weeks ago. I got wrapped up in producing some exciting invitations! Now on to the issue at hand!

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.
  
  
• 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.

Thanks for reading!

It's Here!!!

After lots of hardwork, tears and sweat.. The newly designed 2u Collection Website is up and running!!! Much Props to Heather for all her hardwork in taking our brand to the next level.. It was a collaborative effort!! Phew... time to get some sleep!!

VISIT IT NOW!