dmscreative

Bringing Community Care to Life: How dms CREATiVE Helped Allora Medical Redefine Their Digital Presence

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 04:26:48 GMT

When Dr Claire Schmidt from Allora Medical came to us, she was ready for change.

Under her leadership, the practice had evolved — embracing a more personal, community-driven approach to healthcare. But the existing brand and online presence wasn’t telling that story. The website and socials felt dated and didn’t reflect the warmth, professionalism and genuine care that the team delivers every day. It was time for their digital presence to catch up with who they truly are.

The Challenge

Allora Medical needed a brand and website to reflect their real point of difference — the human connection at the heart of their practice.

This isn’t a place for “six-minute medicine.” It’s a place where people matter, where care takes time, and where patients felt known. Yet visually and strategically, that message wasn’t coming through.

The practice faced an additional challenge: attracting and retaining health professionals in a rural location. The brand needed to communicate trust and expertise to patients, as well as genuine opportunity for potential team members.

Our Approach

At dms CREATiVE, we began by realigning the brand to better reflect the spirit of Allora Medical.

We refreshed the logo and visual identity to convey warmth, care, and community pride - an elegant evolution to retain recognition while elevating the overall presentation.
From there, we developed a website balancing compliance with genuine connection — a modern, mobile-responsive platform that’s easy to navigate and effortless for the team to update.
Authentic photography of the team and surrounding Allora landscapes played a vital role in grounding the brand in its local context. The result is a website that doesn’t just inform — it feels like Allora.
To support long-term goals, the site works hand-in-hand with their social media strategy, helping to humanise the practice and position Allora as an attractive destination for health professionals seeking a rural lifestyle with city convenience.

The Outcome

The new Allora Medical website now mirrors the experience patients receive the moment they walk through the door — personal, professional, and proudly local. It gives patients confidence in their care and helps prospective staff see Allora as a place where careers and community thrive together.

Joe Wagner Group Launches New Website

mark@dmscreative.com.au (Mark Ebenestelli) — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 06:55:01 GMT

When Leaders Choose to Evolve: Joe Wagner Group Launches New Website built by dms CREATiVE

When one of regional Queensland’s most respected civil construction companies needed to upgrade their digital presence to reflect their scale, capability, and culture — they turned to dms CREATiVE.

The Partner You Choose Says Everything

Joe Wagner Group is known for high-stakes, high-quality infrastructure delivery. With projects spanning transport, stormwater, urban development, and industrial subdivision, they’re a cornerstone of regional growth across Queensland and beyond.

As part of their 40-year anniversary celebrations, JWG set out to modernise their digital presence to reflect the strength, capability, and strategic direction of their business today.

They needed a partner who understood brand, messaging, and the importance of getting it right. That’s why they chose dms CREATiVE.

For a company with that kind of reputation, their website needs to work hard for multiple audiences, and communicate a clear value proposition.

Celebrating a Legacy. Launching a Future.

The new Joe Wagner Group website delivers real-world functionality:

Clean, responsive design that works seamlessly across devices
Clear service navigation for multiple market sectors
Project module showcasing the story of real capacity, capability and community impact
Easy access to career opportunities and company culture
Built with future growth in mind — both in content and capability

The result? A bold, purpose-built new website that positions Joe Wagner Group for its next phase of growth — and confirms dms CREATiVE as the go-to partner for strategic , conversion-focused brand and website development .

Why This Matters for Your Brand

At dms CREATiVE, we help strong businesses clarify, communicate, and convert — so they can focus on what they do best. When leaders like Joe Wagner Group choose us to represent their brand online, it signals something important: they see their brand as a strategic asset.

If your business has outgrown its online presence, or if your messaging no longer reflects your capability, you're not alone — and you're not stuck. You can take it further, just like the Joe Wagner Group.

From Paddock to Pack: Bringing Handcut Harvest to Life with Wickham Farms

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 00:12:39 GMT

At dms CREATiVE, we’re in the business of transformation. So when long-time client Wickham Farms — one of Australia’s most respected growers — asked us to support the rollout of their latest product launch, we knew exactly how to bring it to life with clarity, care and cut-through.

Handcut Harvest is a fresh-cut range of portioned, vacuum-sealed Australian vegetables designed for independent retailers and busy households. Developed by the Wickham team and brought to market through a collaborative rollout, the range represents quality you can see, convenience without compromise, and a paddock-to-pack story built on trust.

A fresh take on fresh produce

Handcut Harvest isn’t just a new product line — it’s a smart, strategic step forward for Wickham Farms. With over 50 years of supply partnerships under their belt, Wickham knew what worked. But this new range needed to do more: stand out in a sea of loose veg, speak directly to shelf buyers, and deliver real value to today’s time-poor shoppers.

That’s where we came in.

Crafting the rollout, together

Working closely with the Wickham team, dms CREATiVE led the development of the Handcut Harvest launch materials — blending strong messaging with a clean, confident visual identity.

Our scope included:

A bold, well-structured landing page with clear calls to action and a focus on product education
A crisp, contemporary product catalogue featuring refined messaging and callouts that bring the range to life
Launch-ready social media content across Meta and LinkedIn, tailored to suit both retail buyers and end consumers
Design support and creative direction for key brand assets, including the van wrap and other rollout visuals

Our designers and copywriters worked in sync — ensuring consistency across every touchpoint, from digital to physical, from fridge shelf to brand story. Every visual and written element was crafted to reflect the same promise: real food, packed with purpose.

We brought together functionality and warmth — anchoring the copy and assets in practical detail (think portion sizes, prep instructions, shelf life) while ensuring the brand felt recognisably Wickham: trusted, local, and quality-driven.

Why it works

This project was never about reinvention — it was about evolution. Wickham Farms already had the legacy, the quality, and the ambition. We helped translate that into a product experience that felt fresh, useful, and retail-ready.

We knew Handcut Harvest needed to be:

Visually cohesive and practical for point-of-sale applications
Easy for retailers and shoppers to engage with — through clear messaging and smart presentation
Confidently positioned within Wickham’s broader brand — modernised but still unmistakably theirs

With the range now rolling out across stores and channels, it’s already gaining strong interest — and we’re proud to have played a part in bringing it to life.

Helping good food get seen

With Handcut Harvest, Wickham Farms now has a sub-brand that brings their next growth chapter to life — premium produce, thoughtfully packed, and ready for today’s retail environment.

If you're planning a new product launch or looking to level up your customer-facing assets, we can help turn good ideas into practical, polished results.

Explore the range or get in touch to plan your own fresh start.

Google can find you. Can AI?

mark@dmscreative.com.au (Mark Ebenestelli) — Tue, 27 May 2025 04:58:50 GMT

Is Your Business Visible in AI Search? Here's What to Know

Hands up if you’ve started using AI — in your business, or maybe just a quick shortcut in your personal life?

You’re not alone.

AI is quietly weaving into everyday life — and that’s where things get interesting.

Because while it makes things easier, it’s also changing how we search and make decisions — often without even realising it. For many business owners, AI is already part of how we gather information and compare options. But we don’t always stop to consider what that means for our own visibility as a brand.

Not that long ago, helping clients attract the right audience was fairly straightforward. We’d build a strong brand and follow the playbook: plan a marketing calendar , publish quality content , show up consistently, and track the results.

That approach still matters — but it might not be enough to get noticed.

Since the release of ChatGPT, we’ve seen the fastest adoption of new technology in our lifetime. And whether or not you’ve used it, your customers have. They’re using AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot to research, compare products and services, and find local businesses.

And that shift has big implications.

AI isn’t just something your customers use — it’s now something that evaluates you. AI is crawling your website content , reading your messaging , comparing you to your competitors, and building a picture of who’s worth recommending. They don’t skim. They don’t guess. They read everything. And they only know what you tell them.

The harsh reality is, many websites that rank well in Google and traditional search are practically invisible in AI and not optimised for AI search results.

Even if your website is only a couple of years old, it was likely built for a version of the internet that came before this — before AI becomes our go-to search tool.

You’ve worked hard to get to where you are. Watching your brand evolve and your ambitions grow.

So — how can we help?

You don’t need to overhaul everything. But now might be the right time to pause and audit your brand messaging and digital presence to ensure it aligns with AI search expectations.

At dms CREATiVE, we’re not just playing with AI — we’re actively upskilling and helping our clients, like you, adapt without the overwhelm.

If any of this hits home — reach out. Let’s chat about where you’re at, and how to get you on the front foot.

Are You Sitting on Untapped Potential?

mark@dmscreative.com.au (Mark Ebenestelli) — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 05:01:17 GMT

You’ve built a successful business. But is your brand doing the same heavy lifting?
This piece explores how to spot untapped potential—and why now’s the time to take it further.

You've built something solid.
You’ve done the hard yards.
You’re running a business that’s successful — but possibly stretched.

The days are full. Your team is busy. You’re making it work.
But deep down, you might be wondering:

We’ve grown before — but is that it? Is our growth story over? I feel like this should be selling really well… so why isn’t it? Why don’t people get what we actually do? Why am I embarrassed to send people to my website?

If that sounds familiar, you might be sitting on untapped potential.

How to Know If You're Sitting on Untapped Potential

It’s not always obvious when the plan and the bigger picture no longer line up. In times of momentum and constant change, there’s often no “red flag” — just a quiet sense that your brand or marketing might not be keeping up.

Here are a few signs we see all the time:

Your brand doesn’t reflect the scale, quality or evolution of your business.
You’re attracting the wrong kind of clients—or not enough of the right ones.
The work you want to be doing isn’t what people are asking you for.
You’re relying on word of mouth or old habits, but you know you need a more deliberate plan.
You’re still presenting your business like you did five or ten years ago—and you’ve moved on.

Recognise yourself in any of that? You’re in the right place.

So What Do You Do With It?

If you’re sitting on untapped potential, here’s where we suggest starting:

1. Step back.
Make space to reflect on what’s working, what’s outdated, and where the disconnects are. We know—when you’re busy, stepping back can feel counterintuitive. But it’s often the only way to move forward with clarity. Not doing it? That might already be costing you more than you realise. A fresh set of eyes can make all the difference.

2. Reassess your position.
Is your brand aligned with your current goals? Does your marketing reflect your ambitions—or just your past?

3. Prioritise.
You don’t need to do everything at once. What would move the needle first—clearer messaging? A more aligned client base? A practical plan for the next 6–12 months?

4. Get external input.
Seek out support from people who know what they’re doing — and who can make things clear, not complicated.

Let’s Make Your Next Move Feel Easy

At dms CREATiVE, we work with growing businesses that want their marketing to actually work. We’ve been doing this since 1983—right here in Toowoomba. Our team of qualified marketers, strategists, designers and copywriters help businesses like yours build clarity, sharpen their brand, and take meaningful next steps.

The work we’re most proud of?
Helping businesses make a plan , refresh their brand , or refocus their marketing so they can stop spinning wheels and start making progress. Clients often tell us we bring clarity, capability and calm to the process — and make things easier than expected.

Ready to Get Unstuck?

If you’re sitting on untapped potential, maybe it’s time to move things forward—with less guesswork and more clarity.

No pressure — just practical insight and a clearer path forward. Give us a call today on (07) 4639 1622.

5 SIGNS THAT IT’S TIME FOR A BRAND REFRESH

mark@dmscreative.com.au (Mark Ebenestelli) — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 03:08:50 GMT

In a competitive marketplace, your brand is one of the most important assets for your business. It’s the first impression you make on customers, the public face of your products or services, and how other people talk about you when you’re not in the room.

Your brand is much more than just your logo and tagline. It’s a valuable sales and marketing tool that works 24/7, to attract new customers, encourage word-of-mouth referrals, and solidify your market position. That's why it’s important to keep it up-to-date and ready to showcase your business’s best qualities Ask yourself: Is it sending the right messages? Does it create a positive first impression? Does it feel authentic to your business and accurately represent the quality of your products and services?

If branding isn’t your bag, don’t worry - we’ve created this guide to help you figure out if it’s time for a brand refresh.

Here are 5 sure signs it’s time to invest in refreshing your brand.

1. Your business has evolved since your brand was created

If your brand was developed fifteen years ago when you started your business, it might not accurately reflect what your business has become today.

Has your team grown? Do you offer new products or services that you didn’t offer before? If so, you might be underutlising key tools for engaging and converting modern customers..

2. You avoid sharing branded content with customers

It stands to reason that you won’t be proud of something that fully represent your business. If you hesitate to hand out business cards or don't send people to your website or social media feed, take a minute to consider why.

Is your brand out-of-date, clunky, or just missing the mark on your value proposition? If so, it’s time for a brand refresh.

3. You don’t have a single-sentence value proposition

Today’s audiences skim-read and scroll quickly. Grabbing their attention means delivering your message fast. If you can’t tell people in one sentence what you do - and why it's valuable - it might be time to refine your brand with a focus on your unique value proposition .

4. You’re blending in, rather than standing out

While it's natural to draw inspiration from other brands, relying solely on inspiration without adding original messaging, distinctive visual branding, and unique takes on your offerings can can cause you to blend in with your competitors.

If your business doesn’t stand out, a brand refresh could be the solution.

5. Your brand doesn’t match up with your product/service pricing

People often judge a book by its cover. If your brand appears cheap and cheerful while your products or services are luxurious and bold, you’ll risk alienating potential customers disappointing the customers who do engage with your business.

If your brand doesn’t reflect the quality and value of your products and services, it could be time for a brand refresh .

Refreshing your brand is an exciting opportunity to strengthen your messaging and refine your marketing strategy based on everything you’ve learned since you opened your doors.

If you’re interested in a brand refresh, talk to us. We’re Toowoomba’s go-to marketing agency, and we’ve helped countless small businesses put their best foot forward and boost their bottom line with expert branding.

Zing Property is Thriving with dms CREATiVE by their side

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 06:16:07 GMT

When Damian and Louise Borger launched Zing Property, they set out to create more than just another real estate agency. They wanted a brand with energy, personality, and a bold presence that stood out in a competitive market. Today, Zing Property is delivering on that vision—and then some.

Zing Property today

Zing Property has quickly built a reputation for being honest, approachable, and results driven. From helping clients find their dream homes to delivering standout leasing results, Damian and Louise have created a business that’s not only thriving but zinging. And behind the scenes, dms CREATiVE has been there to ensure the Zing brand stays sharp, consistent, and full of momentum.

How we’ve helped Zing stay strong

From day one, dms CREATiVE worked with Damian and Louise to develop a brand that captured Zing’s vibrant and optimistic spirit. Since then, we’ve continued to support their growth by:

Refreshing marketing materials: As Zing Property’s needs evolve, we’ve developed new branded collateral to reflect their energetic, client-focused image.
Targeted Direct Marketing: We created cheeky, innovative campaigns to specifically target high value property investors and landlords, cutting through general industry clutter and delivering real results.
Expanding their local reach: Through creative campaigns and community-focused ideas, we’ve helped Zing stay front and centre for buyers, sellers, and the local market.

Building business and community

Zing Property is about more than real estate; it’s about people. Damian and Louise are deeply connected to the community they serve. By building strong relationships and engaging in local events and collaborations, Zing Property has become a trusted name in the region. dms CREATiVE is proud to play a part in helping them strengthen these connections.

Looking ahead

Damian and Louise’s passion for their clients and their business is at the heart of Zing Property’s success. At dms CREATiVE, we’re excited to continue supporting them as they grow their brand, connect with more clients, we know this is only just the beginning.

Zing Property proves that with a clear vision, creative strategy, and a whole lot of heart, a strong brand really can achieve incredible results.

Need to bring your brand to life?

Read Zing’s case study to see how we developed the Zing brand.

VERAX HIRE - A STRATEGIC BRANDING JOURNEY

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 01:27:32 GMT

When Verax Hire rebranded from Brent’s Rents in September 2024, they weren’t just changing their name—they were redefining who they were in the market.

Based in Clermont in Central Queensland, Brent’s Rents was best known in the local home handyman and DIY market. The new owners had a big vision and were ready to shift gears and take on major projects across regional QLD and NSW.

This transformation didn’t happen in isolation; it was the result of a focused collaboration with dms CREATiVE, aimed at reshaping the existing brand identity to better align with their ambitious goals.

A transformation from family business to industry player

Brent’s Rentals was perceived as a small, family-run business mostly serving home handymen and residential builders. But when the Clermont Group acquired Brent’s, they had a vision for growth and knew they needed a brand that reflected those ambitions.

The challenge was to:

transform the business’s identity by developing a new name, logo and brand;
positioning the new brand to attract large-scale projects while still maintaining trust with its loyal customer base.

dms CREATiVE was brought in to help bridge this gap. Director & Co-Owner Kym Ebenestelli explains, “The Clermont Group knew what they wanted but didn’t know how to get there. Together, we created a new name, brand, website, capability and sales documents that truly captured the strength and potential of the business.”

A brand entrenched in trust and quality

Through Kym’s Brand Building Series workshops, the Clermont Group and dms CREATiVE worked to strategically set Verax Hire’s desired market positioning and messaging.

The goal? A brand that resonates with larger clients and highlights Verax’s capabilities, while reinforcing its reputation as a trusted supplier of high-quality products.

The dms team selected the new name, ‘Verax,’ to convey the company’s commitment to honesty and reliability—qualities core to their identity before developing a strong visual identity. An industrial typeface, safety-inspired colours, and powerful imagery came together to create a brand exuding strength and confidence. The Verax brand makes a strong initial impression, and communicates a dedication to quality that both current and prospective customers can trust.

The power of a well-executed rebrand

Verax Hire’s rebrand has successfully repositioned the company in the industry, appealing to large-scale clients while retaining its established customer base. With a name, brand, and website reflecting their expanded capabilities and growth, Verax Hire is now well-equipped to stand out as a leader in the equipment hire market.

Looking back on the success of the project, Kym said: “This was a significant undertaking, and it was essential to build a genuine partnership with the project team from the Clermont Group. Collaboratively, we created a brand that aligns with their aspirations and resonates with their target audience. Verax Hire’s journey shows the power of a well-executed rebrand. With a fresh identity that aligns with their vision, Verax is set to continue its growth trajectory, providing high-quality equipment and exceptional service to clients across Queensland and NSW.”

Explore the transformation from Brent's Rents to Verax Hire! Our case study invites you to delve into the strategic rebranding steps, challenges we navigated, and the innovative strategies that powered our success. If you're looking to revamp your own brand, this is a must-read.

Take me to the Verax Hire case study

HOW ARE YOU SUPPORTING YOUR SALES FUNCTIONS?

mark@dmscreative.com.au (Mark Ebenestelli) — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 23:04:23 GMT

In the current economic environment, things change so fast that it can feel impossible to make a plan and stick to it. Whether it’s supply chain disruptions or changing market conditions, businesses of all stripes are facing new and unprecedented challenges on an almost quarterly basis. But the reality is that competition for customer attention – and customer dollars – has never been tougher. It might be hard to plan, but as the saying goes “Failure to plan is planning to fail.”

If you’ve got sales targets to meet, you need to fight for customer dollars. To fight for customer dollars, you need to support your team in making sales. You need to use every tool in your kit to reach, understand, resonate with, convert, and retain customers. And to do that – you guessed it – you need a plan.

Before you object, hear this: planning doesn’t have to be complicated, and it doesn’t have to encompass everything you’ll do for the next five years.

Your plan to support your sales functions (i.e. your marketing plan) can – and should – be tailored to your business as it is today. In essence, it should focus on where you are now, where you want to get to, and steps on how you’re going to achieve it.

Here are some of the ways you can plan to support your team to grow sales and maximise your revenue.

Marketing Collateral

In a digitally connected world, it’s easy to underestimate the importance of marketing collateral. But make no mistake: collateral remains one of the most effective ways to fill your sales funnel from the top.

Signage, vehicle wraps, flyers, packaging and brochures all help to raise brand awareness, improve recognition, and inform customers when they’re not in the same room. Graphic design plays a crucial role in making these marketing materials visually appealing and effective in getting the message across.

When you’re laser-focused on making sales, these top-of-funnel activities might seem low-priority. But if you limit your marketing efforts to the bottom of the funnel – converting hot leads into purchasing customers – you’ll also limit your audience reach, and consequently, your future revenue.

To use a sales term: build a pipeline!

Consider the AIDAS model of the customer buying process. This identifies five unique stages through which customers cycle in the process of buying a product or service: awareness, interest, desire, action, and satisfaction.

To keep your pipeline flowing, you need to engage customers who are entering this cycle at every stage of this process and nurture them through to the purchasing decision. You can do this by utilising an array of marketing collateral that will reach potential customers at every touchpoint, including offline, for each product or service you sell.

Marketing collateral doesn’t just ensure you’re attracting new leads through building awareness – it also allows you to reach customers at every touchpoint.

Email marketing

Where marketing collateral is a ‘top of funnel’ activity allowing you to engage new customers, email marketing, as part of your digital marketing strategy, sits in the middle. The middle of the funnel is where you build engagement and trust with audiences whose attention you’ve already captured to move them through the funnel, build purchase intent, and nudge them towards the purchase decision.

Email subscribers have already become aware of your brand, and have developed enough interest to sign up to your email list. The task of email marketing is building on that awareness by distributing content demonstrating you understand their pain points, interests and needs.

Email offers a unique opportunity to serve relevant, targeted content to specific audience segments to deepen that trust and understanding. The better your prospective customers feel that you understand their needs, the more likely they are to purchase a solution from you.

Content Strategy

The word ‘strategy’ can strike fear into the hearts of business owners and marketing decision makers, who are often so busy doing the work that they hardly have time to plan it. But the time you invest in creating a content strategy will deliver significant returns in time saving, customer engagement and process improvement.

The goal of any content strategy is to create and distribute content aligned with your audience’s interests, needs, and pain points. Well-planned, strategic content shows your audience that you see them, understand their goals and pain points, and can deliver a solution that makes their life easier.

Straddling both the new and existing customer segments, a content strategy allows you to support your sales functions by tailoring content to what customers need at each stage of the cycle to progress further.

Moreover, it ensures that your work on content supports your business goals, improves your internal processes, and helps you maintain a high level of quality and relevance across all your content.

Momentum

The most effective marketing strategies build up from ground level and compound over time into a coordinated, multi-channel attack on the market. As you add more marketing activities to more consumer touchpoints, interconnected activities complement each other and your marketing campaigns gain momentum.

Momentum supports your sales functions by enabling you to maintain consistency - of publishing schedule, of customer communications, of progress towards goals - even if something changes on your team or in your industry.

So how do you build and maintain momentum? Here are a couple of sure-fire strategies.

Make a plan - even if it’s short-term

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: don’t let the fact that the plan might need to change be a reason to not actually plan! If things are changing in your industry every quarter, create a strategy that focuses on short bursts of activity and build regular reviews into your plan. That way, you’re prepared to pivot or adjust, but you’re also working according to plan.

Diversify across channels

The most effective marketing campaigns ensure customers see your brand and messages many times, in many different places. Don’t rely on a single channel to achieve your sales targets: work across collateral, social media , website , email and more. For example, if you post a blog on your website, capitalise on it by sharing on social media and talking about it in your e-newsletter.

So, don’t let the challenges of today’s economic environment stop you from achieving your business goals and meeting your sales targets. Create a plan to support your sales functions that aligns with today’s market conditions, your business objectives, and the customer buying process.

Interested?

dms CREATiVE is the go-to marketing agency in Toowoomba. We’re dedicated to ensuring you get the best returns on your investment in marketing.

We can help you develop a game-changing content strategy that supports your sales functions and use it to catapult your brand to the next level. Get in touch today to see how we can help.

ANATOMY OF A GREAT BUSINESS WEBSITE HOME PAGE

mark@dmscreative.com.au (Mark Ebenestelli) — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 01:10:11 GMT

The home page: it’s one of the first points of contact between a business and its customers, and the starting point for any customer exploring their options before making a purchase or enquiry. It’s a make-or-break stop off on the customer’s journey to your door, so it’s crucial to ensure it’s putting your best foot forward.

There are endless possibilities when it comes to website design , but the list of essential home page elements is much shorter. Let’s look at the makeup of a great business website home page.

Above-the-fold attention grabber

Customers’ attention spans are short - make the first impression count.

Single-sentence value proposition: Tell your customers exactly what you do and why it’s valuable to them in one sentence.
Call to action button: Point them towards the action you want them to take before they have to scroll.

Key information about your products and services

Don’t make people search for important information.

Top-level details about your products/services: Close to the top of the page, include key information about your products or services in a few sentences or less.
Value / benefits: Tell customers why they should choose you and your products or services. Include a section about the value or benefits customers get from what you offer.

Brand messaging

Build credibility and trust by telling your story.

Your story: There’s a saying in marketing: “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Because there might be hundreds of businesses that do what you do - but there aren’t hundreds that do it for the same reason or with the same passion. That’s why it’s key to tell your customers why you do what you and how you came to be.
Key messages : Reinforce your value propositions by honing in on a few key marketing messages that align with your brand.

Visual branding

Stand out and be memorable to customers.

Consistent elements: Everything on your home page (and any other customer-facing asset) should align visually with your brand. This is where quality graphic design comes into play. Ensure fonts, colours and styles are used consistently and according to your brand guidelines.

SEO

Help Google help you get found first.

Target keywords: Ensure people can find you online when they search for products or services that you sell. Choose a target keyword and some secondary keywords or phrases for the home page that align with your products or services.
On-page SEO: Appear higher in the Google search results by using on-page SEO techniques. You may need a little professional help with this one, but we promise you - it’s worth it.

The options for a home page may be infinite, but what it boils down to is much simpler. Ensure the anatomy of your home page lays the groundwork for getting found online and tells your customers what you do and why they want it.

If you could use some expert support in strengthening your business website, we are ready to help. Get in touch on 4639 1622 or fill in the form below and tell us what you want to do.

QUEENSLAND 2022 PRINTING INDUSTRY CREATIVITY AWARDS

Sun, 19 Jun 2022 23:29:55 GMT

We are extremely proud to announce we've won a couple more prestigious awards from the 2022 Printing Industry Creativity Awards!

GOLD for ‘Shelton Homes – Look Book’ in the Leaflets/Flyers/Brochures – Digital Category in both State and National Awards.

SILVER for ‘Mort & Co - 2022 Calendar’ in Stationery Printing for the State Awards.

We are very honoured to be recognised among such a high calibre of entries. Take a sneak peek at our award cabinet here .

PROCUREMENT FUNDAMENTALS

Tue, 31 May 2022 22:50:40 GMT

Our Director, Kym Ebenestelli, was recently invited to present at the ‘Procurement Fundamentals’ forum hosted by Toowoomba Regional Council.

Her presentation focused on how important your brand is, and the procurement professionals in the room were able to confirm, that reputation, track record, currency of information and the way you portray yourself and your business across every touch point (including social media), can in fact impact their overall impression of whether you can, should and will be considered for the job.

She also spent quite a while discussing the difference between a Capability Statement and your Company Profile, and what’s appropriate to use and when. Both are critically important and necessary but they are not the same. If you would like to hear about Kym's apples & oranges analogy, give us call!

NEW WEBSITE LAUNCH

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 22:44:07 GMT

Thanks for the kind words Fiona.

"I recently enlisted dms CREATiVE to build my website , and I couldn’t be happier with the result. They listened to my vision for my business and provided intuitive and personalised advice about the content, feel, and look of the website. As a result, my website is professional, warm, inviting, visually pleasing and easy to use – everything I asked for. The team listened to my feedback, were efficient and always prioritised my needs."
Fiona Goodall
Making Connections Toowoomba

Need a new website for your business? Contact us today.

BRINGING HOME GOLD, SILVER & BRONZE!

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 01:04:37 GMT

Queensland 2021 Printing Industry Creativity Awards

We are extremely proud to announce we've won multiple prestigious awards from the Queensland 2021 @printing_industries Print & Visual Communication Association Creativity Awards!

GOLD for the Vera Lacaze Kindergarten rebrand. This was received for the Branding & Identity Design category.

SILVER for the CatholicCare Social Services Strategic Marketing Plan. This was received for Booklets, Catalogues, & Magazines – Digital category.

BRONZE for the CatholicCare Social Services Strategic Annual Report. This was received for the Booklets, Catalogues & Magazines – Digital category.

We are very honoured to be recognised among such a high calibre of entries. Take a sneak peek at our award cabinet here .

SHINING THE SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARBOUR BOUTIQUE APARTMENTS.

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 00:18:53 GMT

The high profile billboard at the bottom of the Toowoomba range & the Highlife magazine advertisement has been chosen to reinforce the positioning of The Arbour’s superior and boutique accommodation offering. The messaging paired with the graphic design communicates the luxury and sophistication that guests can expect at The Arbour!

If you want to shine the spotlight on your brand, call us!

4 TIPS TO HELP YOU REVIEW YOUR WEBSITE!

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 05:07:10 GMT

In challenging times that encourage social distancing and staying home, your website is going to be the first interaction a potential customer has with you.

Your clients are stuck at home, spending more and more time online, is your website equipped to give your clients an accurate impression of your business? Let’s see!

We’ve created 4 easy tips that you can use to critically review your website.

TIP 1: NAVIGATION. PRETEND YOU’RE A NEW USER.

Is your website easy to navigate? Pretend like you’ve never been on your website before. Is it easy to use? Can you find what you need easily?

TIP 2: VISUALS. YOU EAT WITH YOUR EYES!

Although your customers won’t be eating your website… they will be consuming and understanding your products and services by the way they are visually displayed online. Is this bringing to mind that blurry photo on your website, maybe that bad image gallery or maybe the lack of visual communication on your website.

TIP 3: PURPOSEFUL CONTENT.

Is the content on your website intentional? Purposeful? Go a step further back, does your website accurately reflect your current products and services?

TIP 4: RESPONSIVENESS.

Is your website responsive across mobile, tablet and desktop? Your website should be responsive across all platforms to help ensure you can effectively capture and communicate to your website visitors.

And lastly, imagine this, a new client walks into your store, you’re dressed in a suit but the shirt is untucked, your shoes are not polished, you forgot to comb your hair, or brush your teeth! You give the client some random corny welcome message that makes them feel a little confused. Surprisingly, the client stays and asks you some questions about your service, you start telling them about the old services you used to offer and then proceed to show them some old brochures. The client storms out of your store, never to be seen again. Don’t let this be the kind of experience your customer has with your business online. Give your potential clients an accurate, excellent experience online, set your business up for a win.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR WEBSITE AFTER YOUR REVIEW?

Are you ready to talk? If yes, let’s chat via phone or zoom!

DIGITAL MARKETING MENTORING PROGRAM

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 00:24:26 GMT

We’ve partnered with Toowoomba Regional Council to offer fully subsidised expert marketing advice to local businesses, as part of the Digital Marketing Mentoring Program.

The program will assist those businesses looking to use digital marketing to support their specific business needs.

TO REGISTER YOUR INTEREST CLICK HERE.

OUR WORK OUT AND ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITY!

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 00:23:46 GMT

Great to see Helen Bates, Helen Ward & Justin Heaven running their first Structured Learning Workshop for businesses participating in the SQ Export program!

We’ve been working with Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise to bring their SQ Export Hub brand to life! Our work together has included logo design, website design, pull up banners, informational booklets, presentation folders and more!

Learn more about the SQ Export Hub here: www.sqexporthub.com.au

WE'RE ADDING MORE AWARDS TO OUR TROPHY CABINET!

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 00:03:35 GMT

We’ve just taken home multiple prestigious awards from the Queensland 2020 Print & Visual Communication Association Creativity Awards!

Here’s a list of the awards we’ve taken home…

SILVER for all the collateral we have designed for The Arbour Boutique Apartments. This was received for the Branding & Identity design category.

SILVER for the Strategic Plan for CatholicCare Social Services - Toowoomba Region. This was received for the Leaflets, Flyers, Brochure design category.

BRONZE for the ‘Day in the Life of a Junior Years Girl’ booklet for The Glennie School. This was received for the Booklets, Catalogues, Magazine design category.

The print and communications game is continually evolving and our team strives to design elements that are effective and successful for your brand.

The outstanding work currently being produced in our studio highlights the power of quality print production and high-impact design in reinforcing your brand story and the quality of the products and services you offer.

These awards highlight the incredible results that can be achieved when you engage a team of creative designers and marketing professionals that have the experience and capability to turn your big ideas into a reality.

We are extremely proud to be recognised among such a high calibre of entries!

These awards add to our growing swag of accolades. Take a sneak peek at our award cabinet here .

SMALL BUSINESS COVID-19 ADAPTION GRANT PROGRAM.

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 05:08:10 GMT

Has your business been impacted by the COVID-19 shutdown restrictions?

The Qld Government has announced the ‘Small Business COVID-19 Adaption Grant Program’.

This program is designed to help small and micro businesses adapt and sustain their operations, and to help them build resilience moving forward.

This is an amazing opportunity for small businesses to put money towards accessing and setting up digital technologies, marketing and communications activities; including content development for web pages, digital strategy development and a host of other business and staff related initiatives.

UPDATE:

Grant applications unfortunately have now closed.

ALMA VALE FARMS

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Fri, 08 May 2020 05:18:31 GMT

BACK TO HEALTH

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Fri, 08 May 2020 05:17:54 GMT

BREAKAWAY TOOWOOMBA

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Fri, 08 May 2020 05:17:13 GMT

BRIGHTSIDE ON VICTORIA

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Fri, 08 May 2020 05:16:32 GMT

CASA BRAZIL

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Fri, 08 May 2020 05:15:25 GMT

CATHOLICCARE

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Fri, 08 May 2020 05:12:35 GMT

4 QUESTIONS EVERY BUSINESS OWNER NEEDS TO ASK RIGHT NOW.

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Thu, 07 May 2020 05:05:57 GMT

It’s very clear that the way we live is about to change and that these changes are here to stay for quite a while.

For all businesses continuing to trade, it is important to recognise that your consumer’s routines are in the process of changing and that they too will be forming new habits.

The old adage “You should work on your business, not just in your business” has never been more relevant – but what does that mean for your business from a marketing perspective? And, where do you even start?

Our recommendation is to bring it back to basics. Ask yourself these 4 questions:

1. What is it that you continue to offer your customers?

2. Why should they buy from you?

3. How will your customers access your products and services?

Thinking about social distancing, and contactless service delivery, is there something about the way you have traditionally provided your product and service that you have recently changed, or can you introduce something to make buying from you easier/more appealing? E.g. a contactless, home delivery/pickup service?

4. How will you let your customers know?

Is your current website messaging setting you up for success? Are you getting the most out of your social media?

If you’d like some support to work through this process, we’re accepting appointments via phone and skype.

MARKETING TO-DO LIST.

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 05 May 2020 05:04:16 GMT

If you ‘make hay while the sun shines’, what happens when the sun isn’t shining?

We get it. You’ve been busy. If you’ve found you suddenly have some unexpected downtime or things are a bit quiet, this might be the just the time you’ve been waiting for to get your ‘house’ in order and show your customers that you mean business.

REVIEW YOUR WEBSITE.

Are you proud to send potential customers to your website? Is it responsive to mobile? Does it reflect your market position? If you’ve answered no to any of these questions, then it might be time to look at rebuilding your current website. Like all software and technology, your website has an expiry date. A website audit is a great way of working out what needs to stay and what needs to go.

START THAT CORPORATE BROCHURE.

Are your corporate and product brochures up to date? Do you have something to accurately and succinctly summarises all of your business capabilities? Make the most of this unexpected downtime and think about how you can put your best foot forward.

STOP PUTTING OFF THAT BRAND REFRESH YOU’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR MONTHS.

Your logo really is the face of your business and your branding is a reflection of the quality of the goods and services you offer. If you’ve been thinking about giving your brand a makeover, give us a call for an obligation free (and contactless) consultation.

Make the most of this downtime and set yourself up for future success.

INCONSISTENCY BREEDS DOUBT IN TIMES OF DISRUPTION AND UNCERTAINTY.

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Sun, 03 May 2020 05:02:02 GMT

Inconsistency breeds doubt and in these times of disruption and uncertainty, it’s more important than ever to ensure that your messaging is clear and consistent.

We’ve received a number of calls and have been supporting clients with advice around how to adapt and alter marketing & communications plans, as well as supporting them to take advantage of the business opportunities this situation has created.

Some clients are leveraging technology to minimise disruption to the sales process and service delivery, others are focusing on introducing no-contact delivery services, and others … well, you’ll have to wait and see.

PRESSURE MAKES DIAMONDS.

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Fri, 01 May 2020 05:00:54 GMT

New opportunities can and do come from creative thinking …

We understand some businesses are under pressure to maintain staff and keep achieving sales despite supply chain disruption. Now is the time to think creatively and find new opportunities.

Call us to talk about how we can help.

SILVER AT THE NATIONAL PRINT AWARDS!

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 03:54:12 GMT

Remember how we won GOLD in the QLD Printing Industry Creativity Awards for our Darling Downs & West Moreton PHN Information for referrers pack?

Well we took out SILVER in the National Print Awards! Our team is ecstatic! Winning at a National level continues to affirm the outstanding work currently being produced in our studio. It is amazing what can be achieved when you engage a team of creative designers and marketing professionals that have the experience and capability to turn your big ideas into a reality.

We are extremely proud to be recognised among such a high caliber of entries!

Take a sneak peek at our award cabinet here

WINNER WINNER WINNER WINNER!

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 04:07:22 GMT

Our Team is doing a happy dance because we have taken home multiple prestigious print awards from the Queensland Printing Industries Craftsmanship Awards!

Here’s a list of the awards we took home…

GOLD for our Information for Referrers Pack for PHN. This was received for the Promotional design category.

SILVER for our Live Toowoomba Magazine for TSBE. This was received for the Books, Brochures & Annual Reports design category.

SILVER for our Mental Health Awareness Campaign for PHN. This was received for the Multi-Piece Promotions & Campaigns design category.

SILVER for our Snack Range Design for Stahmann Farms. This was received for the Packaging & Labeling design category.

The print and communications game is continually evolving and our team strives to design elements that are effective and successful for your brand.

These Awards highlight the incredible results that can be achieved when you engage a team of creative designers and marketing professionals that have the experience and capability to turn your big ideas into a reality.

We are extremely proud to be recognised among such a high caliber of entries!

These awards add to our growing swag of accolades. Take a sneak peek at our award cabinet here

HEY! IS IT TIME FOR A CHANGE?

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Sun, 30 Jun 2019 04:13:21 GMT

Let’s just get one thing straight.

A brand refresh doesn’t mean that your current brand has failed or that is wasn’t effective. You’ve just recognised that your brand needs a little love and that things have changed. What worked 5 or 10 years ago isn’t working quite as well anymore. That’s ok.

YOU’RE NOT ALONE.

It’s important to realise that brand refreshes happen for almost every company. How do you know when it’s time for a change? Ask yourself a few questions and find out.

1. WHAT HAS CHANGED SINCE YOU DESIGNED YOUR BRAND?

(Name, business merger, new products or services etc)

If something has changed, chances are your brand may need to change as well. Remember that you designed your brand at the time with your current products and services in mind. Naturally businesses evolve and things change. If they’ve changed maybe your brand should be freshened up to match.

2. ARE YOU PROUD OF YOUR BRAND?

If you’re not proud to hand over branded content or direct them to your company website, then maybe you need to do something about that. Cringing over your brand and outdated collateral shouldn’t be something you have to deal with on a daily basis. Outdated or poorly designed collateral can send mixed messages about the caliber of your business. Don’t let this be the case.

3. ARE YOU BLENDING IN OR STANDING OUT?

What’s your competition doing? Powerful brands demonstrate why they are different and how they’re better. Knowing what your competitive advantage is and focusing your brand around that advantage is important. This is how you will stand out.

Is it time for a change?

Are you ready to talk about a brand refresh? If yes, let’s chat!

Take a look at some brand refreshes we’ve recently completed.

TOP 3 MARKETING TIPS COURTESY OF GAME OF THRONES

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 04:16:37 GMT

It’s the end of an era.

Maybe nothing would have lived up to the expectations. But the final season has been shown, the curtain has been called and the 8-season fantasy show has come to an end. Here’s a few marketing tips we learnt from Game of Thrones….

1. DON’T RUSH THE JOURNEY

No one likes a crammed final season full of unclosed gaps. True fans like succinct information that is cleverly constructed with appropriate time allocated to process the information, allowing them to travel the journey. Numerous Game of Thrones fans reported that the last season was incredibly rushed, and the full journey of Bran’s rise to power wasn’t appropriately explained to them.

Take a minute to think about your marketing strategy, are you taking your customers along the journey at a comfortable speed? A comfortable speed allows them to understand what product / services you offer and what the best choice is for them. Don’t rush your customers along the journey.

2. TAKE YOUR AUDIENCE ON THE JOURNEY AND CLOSE THE GAPS

Fans felt like there were a lot of unanswered questions in the final season. What took 7 seasons of build-up was wrapped up in a handful of episodes. This was a lot for fans to process, leaving some feeling bewildered and uneasy at the end. Not so surprisingly, customers don’t like loose ends, unanswered questions or unclosed gaps; they want consistent and smart journeys for them to take to get to the end with full understanding and confidence.

3. LEAVE YOUR AUDIENCE WANTING MORE

Game of Thrones Fans have reported feeling empty now that the season has ended and begging for more. Well we’ve got some great tips on how to do this in your business… but we are going to leave you begging for more!

SO, WHAT’S THE TAKEAWAY MESSAGE?

Don’t rush your customers, understand your customers, understand how they operate and what feels comfortable for them. Take your audience or customers on the journey, give them the information they seek in an easy to understand but clever format.

Knowing what you offer shouldn’t be difficult for your customers, if it’s too hard or too boring they won’t be customers. Leave your customers wanting more not pleading for less.

And of course, if your marketing strategy is a little off kilter or isn’t performing like it should then come see us .

LANDING PAGES THAT ATTRACT CUSTOMERS, AS SIMPLE AS BEES TO HONEY

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 04:19:35 GMT

So, you’ve got a valuable offer to give to your clients.

A landing page would be a perfect tool to help communicate this offer in return for your customers details. Creating a successful landing page should be as simple as attracting bees to honey.

Imagine the bee is your customer, the honey is your product - and the hive? Well that’s your landing page! A landing page is simply a designated webpage that has a specific purpose.

Just imagine that as the bees enter the hive, they must enter their details to get access to the honey. Remember, the hive is the landing page. Your landing page’s purpose is to obtain details from everyone (every bee) that wants the honey or whatever you are offering.

Your hive (Landing Page) should have a few features to help you obtain these precious details.

1. DON’T CONFUSE THE BEES WHEN THEY GET TO THE HIVE

How you get people to your landing page is a whole different topic but when you get people to your hive, do this: Limit the navigation, make it easy for the bees to understand what your offer is. Help them focus on filling the form out. Once they fill the form out then presto, they get access to the honey and you get the valuable details of that bee!

2. QUALITY HONEY ATTRACTS QUALITY BEES

If you have a valuable offer, your bees (visitors) will give up their contact information in exchange for your offer if it is of quality and value to them.

3. ARE YOU SERVING PEANUT BUTTER TO BEES?

Make sure your serving an offer that is compelling to your audience. Make sure it is what they want, what they desire!

It should be as simple as attracting Bees to honey. Landing pages can be tricky, but that’s why you have beekeepers like us! Let’s work together to help you get swarms of bees begging to enter your hive!

P.s If we have a beekeeper contact us after this we will be stoked.

SO, YOU'RE STARTING A NEW BUSINESS?

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 04:31:54 GMT

Got an exciting new business venture in the works?

Firstly, congratulations! Getting a fledgling company off the ground is no mean feat and can often be a daunting process. But it doesn’t have to be. Once you have registered your business name and chosen a location you might be wondering “what’s next?”.

There’s nothing we love more at dms than helping startups turn their dreams into reality. That’s why we’ve put together this quick checklist to help ensure your new business packs a punch when it’s launched in the marketplace.

STEP 1: LOGO DESIGN

The first port of call is to create the face of your company. A good logo should act like a mirror; accurately reflecting your market position, culture and the level of standards and quality you provide your customers, so it’s important to get it right.

STEP 2: ROLL OUT YOUR BRAND

Once you have developed a unique logo, it’s time to roll it out across your marketing collateral. Inconsistent branding breeds doubt, so it is important to use the same features –colours, logo and brand voice – across all customer touchpoints to achieve a professional look and feel.

STEP 3: TELL YOUR BRAND STORY

If you are spending money on advertising and marketing make sure you have your message right. An important (yet often overlooked) part of developing and establishing your brand is working out what you want people to say about your products or services.

STEP 4: WEBSITE

The reality is, today’s socially savvy buyers make 57% of a purchasing decision beforeever making direct contact with a business. Instead, they do their research online, sizing up your offerings against well-established businesses with proven reputations. Give your business the best chance of success with a professional website that captures the attention of your target audience.

STEP 5: MARKETING STRATEGY

You’ve worked hard to get to this point, but in order to keep going you need customers, not just when you open the doors on the first day, but long into the future. Creating a marketing strategy plans the way forward for your business, ensuring you maximise your marketing investment and achieve real results.

STEP 6: COMMUNICATE

There can be a lot of reassurance for someone looking at a trusted brand – one they recognise. Familiarity and repetition of your brand in the marketplace builds trust and helps your customers feel more comfortable buying from you.

STEP 7: SOCIAL MEDIA

Connecting with consumers has never been easier thanks to the social media revolution. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn have been the launching pads of many new startups, and as you take your business to the next level, it’s important to make sure you are fully capitalising on these powerful platforms.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE?

Download our free Starting a New Business e-book now.

JUMP ON THE EMOJI BANDWAGON

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 02:07:29 GMT

According to a new study, it has been found that using emojis can help portray your business as friendlier and increase the likelihood of engagement.

The study also found that participants who were sent messages including emojis scored higher on memory compared to those without.

Find out more about the study and get the lowdown on which emojis get the highest engagement in this great article from HubSpot.

dms CREATiVE TAKES HOME ANOTHER PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL PRINT AWARD.

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 28 May 2019 02:10:40 GMT

After winning GOLD at the Queensland Printing Industries Craftsmanship Awards (PICA), the dms CREATiVE team have gone on to WIN BRONZE at the 2018 National Print Awards for our design of the Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN Antimicrobial Stewardship campaign materials.

Featuring gorgeous illustrations created by our talented Art Director, this clever campaign was designed to promote the importance of managing your cold and flu infections. The eye-catching brochure, brochure holders, leaflets and posters have featured in hospitals, medical centres and pharmacies across the Darling Downs and West Moreton region.

For well over 30 years, the National Print Awards has been setting the benchmarks for excellence in print in Australia, with the achievement of a Bronze Medal a confirmation of achievement to the highest national standards, and the ultimate accolade the industry can bestow.

While the print and communications landscape continues to evolve, the outstanding work currently being produced across the country highlights the power of quality print production and high-impact design in reinforcing your brand story and the quality of the products and services you offer.

Awards like this show the incredible results that can be achieved when you engage a team of creative design and marketing professionals that have the experience and capability to turn your big ideas into a reality. We are extremely proud to be recognised among such a high calibre of entries.

This prestigious award adds to our growing swag of accolades.

YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE TO MAKE A POSITIVE FIRST IMPRESSION. MAKE IT MATTER.

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 27 May 2019 02:18:01 GMT

YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE TO MAKE A POSITIVE FIRST IMPRESSION. MAKE IT MATTER.

Are you sending the right message to the right people? When it comes to your brand, good enough is not always ‘good enough’.

With just a single glance of your logo, website, flyer, tender documents or a social media post, potential clients are making assumptions about your brand and the products and services you offer.

In our increasingly competitive world, you only get one chance to make a positive first impression with prospective clients or customers. That’s why it’s essential your brand acts like a mirror; reflecting your market position, culture and quality you provide to your clientele.

Without adding the professional polish consumers have come to expect, you’re risking your brand blending in, or even worse, standing out for all the wrong reasons.

If you’re starting a new business, or your existing logo and brand are in need of a refresh, following these 3 steps will help you to ensure your brand packs a punch in the marketplace.

STEP 1: START WITH A UNIQUE LOGO AND BRAND IDENTITY THAT CONNECTS WITH YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE.

Your logo is essentially the face of your business and with the battle for customers intensifying each day, a strong logo and brand identity is invaluable in helping your business win the fight.

A well designed logo tells customers not only who you are and what you do but gives your business its own unique brand identity that customers come to trust.

STEP 2: INVEST IN PROFESSIONAL DESIGN.

There’s much more to design than simply making something look pretty. It’s all about visual communication that speaks to your target audience. Each piece of the marketing puzzle needs to appeal to your target market, be functional, and truly reflect your brand personality – helping you stand head and shoulders above your competitors.

STEP 3: BE CONSISTENT ACROSS EVERY TOUCHPOINT TO BUILD TRUST AND FAMILIARITY.

Inconsistent branding breeds doubt in the mind of the consumer. It is important to keep your branding consistent across all customer touchpoints. The repetition of your brand in the marketplace is what helps customers become more aware of you and your product offering. It is that familiarity that builds trust and helps your customers feel more comfortable buying from you. There can be a lot of reassurance for someone looking at a trusted brand - one they recognise.

At dms CREATiVE, our experienced team of creative design and marketing professionals can help you develop a polished brand that delivers your message clearly across all touchpoints – confirming credibility, connecting with your target audience and setting you apart from your competitors.

HOW TO TACKLE DECLINING ORGANIC REACH ON FACEBOOK.

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Sun, 26 May 2019 02:19:54 GMT

You will have no doubt noticed your organic post reach on Facebook has recently taken a nose dive.

Earlier this year, Facebook announced a return to its roots. In the words of Facebook’s Head of News Feed Adam Mosseri, Facebook has begun to “shift ranking to make News Feed more about connecting with people and less about consuming media in isolation.”

So, what does this mean for business pages? Content posted by friends and family and those you are frequently engaging with, is being prioritised over content from businesses, brands and the media in news feeds. Resulting in declining reach for your organic page posts.

It’s not all doom and gloom for business pages though. There are a number of actions you can take to deal with the declining organic page reach - read on for our top 7 tips...

1. GIVE YOUR FOLLOWERS A GENTLE NUDGE TO REMIND THEM TO ENGAGE WITH YOUR POSTS TO KEEP SEEING MORE.

Did you know followers can also update their settings on your page to opt into see your posts first in their news feed?

2. IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY USING VIDEO, START NOW.

Video content has been proven to increase engagement on social media and even more so for Facebook Live broadcasts.

3. FIND OUT WHAT WORKS.

Experiment with what works best for your target audience and put more energy into the content that matters.

4. LESS IS MORE.

Start shifting your social media content strategy to focus on quality over quantity.

5. BE TARGETED.

No longer can you afford to be trying to reach every user with every post. Are you using Facebook’s Audience Optimization Tools available for organic posts? By targeting your posts to relevant users, this is likely to increase your engagement rate and as a result, signal to Facebook that users are interested in your content.

6. THINK OF FACEBOOK LIKE YOU WOULD ANY OTHER FORM OF PAID MEDIA.

If you are doing paid advertising, adopt a strategic approach to your ad content and targeting. Invest in copywriting and professional design, just as you would for a press ad or a TV commercial.

7. AND LASTLY, REGAIN CONTROL OF HOW YOU CONNECT WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS.

It’s risky business relying heavily on platforms you have no control over, like Facebook. As we’ve experienced, everything can change at the drop of a hat having a massive impact on your business. Focus on those assets you have far greater control over, such as your email database and website. Interested in regaining control? Click here to read more.

Need a little help to adjust your brand’s social media strategy to tackle the decline in organic reach?

Contact the clever team at dms CREATiVE to find out how we can help.

5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD EMBRACE A 'LESS IS MORE' APPROACH

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Wed, 22 May 2019 02:21:34 GMT

There’s no doubt about it, modern marketing is chaotic and often overwhelming.

With an ever-evolving selection of marketing channels and new technologies and platforms available, it can be easy to hit the point of overload – for both marketers and consumers.

While it’s always good to test different marketing techniques to establish the most-effective ways of connecting with your target audience, there’s definitely benefit in adopting a ‘less is more’ approach to your marketing strategy.

Here’s our top 5 reasons why you should be embracing the ‘less is more’ approach.

1. CLEAR THE CLUTTER.

Society is shifting. The trend towards simplifying and decluttering our lives is on the rise.

Every element of your marketing strategy needs to have a purpose and if it doesn’t serve a purpose, it’s got to go.

This includes the way you represent your brand visually and the way your brand communicates. Less is definitely more.

2. WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER.

Are you on every social media platform, vlogging, blogging, emailing? Why? Where is your time best spent?

Analyse what marketing activities and channels are giving you the best bang for your marketing buck and put more energy into the marketing that matters.

3. QUANTITY VS QUALITY.

We can be so focused on just getting the message out every which way we can, we tend to lose touch with the benefit of directing our marketing spend towards, fewer, but better-quality pieces of marketing content.

Maybe you’re sending out an e-newsletter every week, struggling to fill each edition with meaningful content. Would you actually achieve higher engagement by sending out on a monthly basis?

It’s time to get off the hamster wheel and consider what is going to cut through the clutter and provide the biggest impact.

4. BUILD STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS.

By doing less you have the ability to take a more personalized approach and really focus on connecting with your customers.

Take the time to consider who it is you are trying to talk to and take a good, hard look at your current brand messaging.

What is the tone of voice? Is it the best way to speak to your target audience?

5. KEEP IT SIMPLE.

Often the simplest messages can achieve the biggest impact.

Every day as consumers we are bombarded with an overwhelming number of marketing messages. Stand out from the crowd by focusing on what matters most to your customers.

How do your products or services solve the issues your customers face? And how can you make it as easy as possible for your customers to find the information they are looking for?

Remember, it’s not only the words that play a part in simplifying the message, the visuals and layout are just as important.

So, how does your marketing strategy stand up to the ‘less is more’ test?

If you’re finding you are continually doing more but achieving less, it may be time to re-evaluate your marketing strategy and the way your brand communicates.

The experienced team at dms CREATiVE can help you develop a marketing and brand strategy that will ensure every dollar you spend is working for you.

TAKE YOUR B2B INSTAGRAM GAME TO THE NEXT LEVEL

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 21 May 2019 02:27:33 GMT

Think that Instagram isn’t relevant to your B2B business?

Instagram can hold great potential for B2B businesses when used effectively. Take your Instagram game to the next level this year with these 6 expert B2B Instagram tips from Hubspot.

Click here to view the full article.

PROJECT IN FOCUS: RED DOG RECRUITMENT

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 14 May 2019 02:31:51 GMT

The dms CREATiVE team have recently had the pleasure of working with Red Dog Recruitment to develop a unique logo and brand for this new agricultural and rural industry staff recruitment agency.

Here’s how we tackled the project.

DEFINING THE BRAND PERSONALITY

We commenced by meeting with the client to gain an understanding of their business, who the brand needed to talk to, and how Red Dog Recruitment wanted to be perceived by the market.

LOGO & BRAND DESIGN

“A good logo should act like a mirror; reflecting your market position, culture and level of quality you provide to your clientele.”

The logo and brand needed to create a professional face for the brand, appealing to both corporate farmers as well as the agricultural employee. It was important to communicate a vibrant, reliable and approachable business that is genuinely passionate about the Australian agricultural industry.

To achieve this, we applied corporate yet friendly typographic treatments and featured vibrant reds to portray the energetic and motivated attitude Red Dog Recruitment has towards their clients.

BRAND ROLLOUT

Once the client was happy with the look and feel of their new brand identity, we then rolled out the brand across various marketing materials including business cards, letterhead, email signatures, press ads and social media images.

We additionally assisted the client with creating engaging content for their press ads and setting up LinkedIn and Facebook pages for the new business so that all client touchpoints remained consistent and on-brand.

THE RESULT

A lively, professional new brand that reflects the quality of the service and experience that can be expected from the Red Dog Recruitment team.

Let us know what you think!

WHY STRATEGY IS MORE THAN JUST A TO-DO LIST.

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 13 May 2019 02:34:03 GMT

Are you doing a lot of marketing but not exactly sure why?

This clever 2-minute video published by Hubspot is definitely worth a watch to find out why strategy shouldn't just be treated as a do-list.

WHERE TO START WITH BUILDING A STRONG ONLINE PRESENCE FOR YOUR BUSINESS

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 07 May 2019 02:36:17 GMT

THESE DAYS A STRONG ONLINE PRESENCE IS NOT A CHOICE FOR MOST BUSINESSES – IT IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE TO GROW YOUR BRAND AND BE A REAL CONTENDER IN THE MARKETPLACE.

Investing in digital marketing is a highly effective strategy for many businesses, generating countless new leads and creating awareness for your products and services.

From your website and social media to digital advertising campaigns, our 9 tips for building a strong online presence for your business will help you along your digital marketing journey.

But where to start?

1. DO YOU HAVE AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY IN PLACE?

As they say, “failing to plan is planning to fail”. As with any kind of marketing, you need to work out how your online marketing fits into your overall marketing and business plans – what are you trying to achieve, who are you trying to attract, what does your budget look like?

Developing a clear plan moving forward helps to ensure you remain focused on your goals and get the most out of your marketing investment

2. LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR WEBSITE

Today’s digital savvy buyers make 57% of purchasing decisions before even making direct contact with a business.

Customers do their research online, sizing up your offer against well-established businesses with proven reputations. And although we are warned against it, people do judge a book by its cover.

Building an engaging, easy-to-use website that is designed to drive conversions should be the foundation of any online marketing strategy. Already have a website? Take a step back and look at your existing website from your customer’s perspective. Does it present your products and services in the best possible light?

3. SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION (SEO)

There’s no point having a great website if no one can find it! Ensure your website appears at the top of search results by implementing search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques in the content, design, and structure of your website.

As a minimum, it is essential you make sure your website is mobile responsive and your content, page titles and descriptions, headings, images, and page URLs are optimised for SEO.

4. LEAD GENERATING CONTENT

Creating and sharing regular content can help to drive a steady flow of traffic to your website, increasing lead generation, establishing credibility with your target audience, and boosting your search rankings.

A good place to start is to think about the issues your customers face and the types of questions you commonly get asked. Publish content that provides solutions to your customers’ issues or educates your customer about the topic.

5. ENGAGING YOUR AUDIENCE WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media not only plays an important role in building relationships with potential customers, but is also a key ingredient in driving website visits and sharing the content you have worked so hard to produce.

With an increasing number of social media options in the market, you need to make sure you have a presence on the right platforms to reach your target market. It’s about more than just “status updates” and “uploading photos”. Treat social media as you would any other marketing activity and make sure you have a strategy in place that aligns with your overall marketing plan.

6. ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS TO DRIVE TRAFFIC

Your website and social media pages are set up and you’ve started to create some great content, so what’s next? Generate more leads and drive more traffic to your website with a paid digital advertising campaign.

Whether you’re wanting to get customers to sign up to your newsletter, take advantage of an offer, book a ticket, read an e-book, register for a webinar, download a catalogue, or purchase a product, paid online advertising can be a cost-effective way to reach your target customers and drive an immediate call-to-action.

7. LANDING PAGES THAT CONVERT

The concept of a landing page is really quite simple - a standalone web page that people “land on” after being directed from a digital ad, social media, or an email campaign. By creating a specific landing page, you can directly address the customer’s needs, giving the customer what they want (and expect) without any other distractions. Find out more about why you should be investing in landing pages here.

8. EMAILS THAT CUT-THROUGH

When it comes to cost-effective marketing strategies, e-newsletters, if done well, can deliver a strong return on investment. But there’s no point sending out amazing e-newsletters if there’s no one reading them. Before you can send out your first email, you need people to talk to. Use incentives that add value for your customers to build your database.

You then need to work on a content strategy for your e-newsletters that is going to cut-through the barrage of emails to hit inboxes daily. One of the biggest mistakes people make is forgetting about their overall marketing plan. Stay focused on your goals, keep content specific, and provide subscribers with useful information to maximise open rates and click throughs.

9. MEASURE, IMPROVE, REPEAT

One of the biggest digital marketing mistakes often made is launching a campaign and then thinking that’s it, my work here is done. Launching a campaign is far from the end, you can’t just set and forget.

To get the best results, it is essential to continually measure, evaluating your wins (and failures!) and then applying your learnings to make incremental improvements next time round. It is a constant cycle of testing, measuring, and improving.

So, there you have it, out top 9 tips to building a strong online presence for your business.

Want help to maximise the results from your online marketing strategy? Contact the experienced team at dms CREATiVE to discuss how we can help.

2018 DESIGN TRENDS

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 06 May 2019 02:37:15 GMT

Every year, Shutterstock analyses their image, footage and music search data to discover the biggest year-over-year increases.

This year's top 11 styles have been released, identifying the trends that we will continue to see grow throughout 2018.

Check them out here.

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION: REGAIN CONTROL OF HOW YOU CONNECT WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS.

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Sun, 05 May 2019 02:38:48 GMT

The content marketing game continues to change and develop at such a rapid pace – it’s almost impossible to keep up (even for the professionals!).

Take Facebook and Instagram for instance, their algorithms are continually evolving. You will have no doubt heard about all the latest changes to the Facebook news feed sending everyone into a spin.

Mark Zuckerberg’s latest changes are set to hurt business pages in a big way. Although you may have a healthy number of Facebook followers, fans and customers will now see much less content from businesses, brands and the media in their news feed.

As for Google, it seems like there’s a change to the Google search algorithm every second day, resulting in your previously high-ranking website no longer getting the traffic it used to.

It’s risky business relying heavily on platforms you have no control over like Facebook and Google. Everything can change at the drop of a hat, having a massive impact on your business.

Now we’re not saying you shouldn’t use social media or worry about search engine optimization. What we are saying is that it is becoming more and more important to focus on increasing your use of marketing platforms that allow you to influence how and when you connect with your customers.

WANT TO REGAIN CONTROL IN 2018?

Your email database is something you have far greater control over. Building a strong database and email marketing strategy is definitely not a new concept but it’s effectiveness and sales potential is often overlooked.

It’s not just about winning new customers, but re-connecting with those existing customers you already have a relationship with. Remember the old rule - it’s easier and cheaper to sell to your existing customers than going out and trying to get new ones. Of course, new customers are still important, but existing ones should not be forgotten.

There have been big developments in the email marketing world over the past few years resulting in many of the advanced email and database marketing tactics previously adopted exclusively by large companies, becoming readily available for small businesses.

Affordable, user-friendly platforms such as MailChimp and Vision 6 have made it much easier to access highly effective tools such as automated campaigns, personalised emails, abandoned cart notifications, high-conversion landing pages, promo codes and pop-up forms, significantly increasing return on investment and the ability for small and medium sized businesses to compete against the big guys.

And the best part is, we can expect to see even more advancements for email marketing in 2018, leading to even higher sales potential.

GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR EMAIL MARKETING EFFORTS.

The experienced team at dms CREATiVE can help you every step along your email marketing journey.

From developing a comprehensive email marketing strategy and creating engaging content that speaks to your target audience, to designing high-converting email templates and landing pages, as well as implementing automation and advanced functionality - we can give you as little or as much help as you need.

WONDERING WHERE SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING IS HEADED?

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Fri, 03 May 2019 03:50:21 GMT

Wondering where the ever evolving world of social media marketing is headed in 2018?

The pros at Social Media Examiner get out their crystal ball and give us a glimpse into their 2018 social media predictions for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

Access the full article here.

7 ESSENTIALS FOR A STRONG BRAND

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Thu, 02 May 2019 03:52:01 GMT

Before you get hung up on the details, it always pays to take a step back and look at the big picture.

The first step is defining the purpose of your business and what sets your brand apart from your competitors. Once the vision is set, you then need to look to creating brand consistency.

In this great article, Hubspot takes you through all 7 key components for a comprehensive branding strategy, helping you to build a strong and unique brand for your business.

Click here to read the full article.

7 TIPS FOR B2B SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING SUCCESS.

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Wed, 01 May 2019 03:53:26 GMT

Struggling with B2B social media marketing?

Many B2B companies have not fully embraced the challenge of social media marketing, instead sticking to more traditional marketing techniques.

Stand out from the crowd with these 7 tips for B2B social media success published by MarketingProfs.

Read the article here.

LIVE TOOWOOMBA MAGAZINE

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 03:54:56 GMT

Launching the 2018 edition of the Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise’s ‘Live Magazine'.

The dms CREATiVE team are proud to have been involved in bringing this publication to life, showcasing why more than 160,000 people call Toowoomba home.

The magazine has been published by Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise to highlight the growing success of the region, enticing families and skilled workers to make the move to the Garden City.

Take a peek at our handy work here.

WHICH BRANDS ARE THE MOST VALUABLE?

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 29 Apr 2019 03:59:00 GMT

Based on three key components:

1. The financial performance of branded products and services.

2. The role the brand plays in influencing customer choice

3. The strength the brand has to command a premium price or secure earnings for the company.

Researchers have determined the top 10 most valuable global brands in 2017 - click here to find out which brands made the cut.

5 STEPS TO DIGITAL CAMPAIGN SUCCESS

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 04:00:51 GMT

Are you struggling to deliver results with your online marketing campaigns? Don’t give up just yet.

Running successful digital and social media marketing campaigns can take a lot of time and effort (and can be quite mind boggling at times even for the experts!). All that effort however can definitely pay off in the end, effectively generating new leads and creating a strong online presence for your products and services.

To help you along the digital marketing journey, we’re sharing our 5 steps to achieving digital campaign success.

STEP 1: HAVE A CLEAR PLAN

Why are you wanting to run the campaign? How does it fit into your overall business plan? What are you trying to achieve? And how much do you want to invest? When you have a clear direction for your campaign up front, steps 2 – 4 will fall into place much easier, ensuring your campaign delivers the results you need to achieve.

STEP 2: KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

Before you launch any marketing campaign you need to have a good understanding of who it is you are trying to talk to and what makes them tick. Once you know who it is you are targeting, you can then work out what online platforms are best suited to reach your audience – Is it AdWords, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, digital display ads or any one the many online channels?

STEP 3: CONTENT THAT DRIVES ACTION

Whether your campaign is running on social media, AdWords, or through online advertising, your campaign content needs to connect with the target audience. It needs to present the user with the solution to a problem they have and build a strong call to action compelling them to take the next step. Think about the customer journey and what is going to attract the audience you are talking to.

STEP 4: LANDING PAGES THAT CONVERT

Once the potential customer clicks on your ad, are they taken to a webpage that drives a strong call-to-action? By creating a specific landing page for the campaign, you are directly addressing the customer’s needs. Great landing pages are designed to give the customer what they want (and expect) and drive the conversion home.

STEP 5: DON’T JUST SET AND FORGET

One of the biggest mistakes often made is launching a campaign and then thinking that’s it, I’m done. Launching the campaign is far from the end, you can’t just set and forget. To get the best results, its essential to continually evaluate and make incremental improvements throughout your digital campaign. Once the campaign has ended, analyse the results (and failures!) to help you develop an understanding of what works and what doesn’t, so you can apply these learnings to your next campaign.

If you are still not sure where to start, what platforms are best for your business, or you would like some help on developing engaging content to get the best return on investment from your next digital campaign, contact the experienced team at dms CREATiVE.

B2B MARKETING TRENDS

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Wed, 24 Apr 2019 04:01:53 GMT

Not convinced about the true value of thought leadership. LinkedIn Marketing gives us some great insight into the what makes thought leadership so important when it comes to driving B2B sales.

Click here to read the full article.

WHY OUTSOURCE TO A MARKETING AND CREATIVE AGENCY?

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 04:03:39 GMT

The decision whether to outsource your marketing, communications and creative design to an external agency versus building an in-house team is a challenge often faced by businesses of all sizes.

It’s a common situation. You’re advised to cut costs and your first thought is, if I put on one staff member to manage our marketing and communications, we’ll save on agency fees. Sounds like a simple solution, right?

But does it really save you time and money in the end and do you get the most value from your marketing spend?

In-house vs. outsource.

Here’s our top 10 benefits of outsourcing your marketing.

1. CALL ON A TEAM OF SPECIALISTS

Outsourcing your marketing to a specialist agency provides access to a team of highly skilled marketers, copywriters, designers and media buyers who have a diverse background and a range of expertise and experience.

You don’t just have one person driving every aspect of your marketing strategy and implementation. You are partnering with a dedicated team who are continuously exposed to a vast array of different sectors and clients.

2. CONTROL YOUR EXPENSES (AND YOUR SANITY!)

Support your inhouse team without the commitment and expense that comes with an in-house staff member or marketing team.

There’s the hassle of HR issues, the cost of holidays and sick days, staff training and development, and not to mention the expense and stress of recruitment and staff turnover. None of which you have to worry about when outsourcing.

3. ALONE WE CAN DO SO LITTLE

Unless you find the ultimate marketing and communications guru (usually coming at a very hefty price tag), then your one in-house marketing person has just grown to a team of at least three to deliver the skills and capacity actually needed to drive the results you need.

4. THE FLEXIBILITY TO SCALE

You get the flexibility of a team that can be scaled up and down as you need, without the commitment that comes with hiring a staff member. By partnering with a marketing agency, you can actually control your marketing spend more effectively to suit your internal budgeting and resource needs.

5. STAY AHEAD OF THE GAME

Marketing and creative agencies are a focused team that does just that, every day for a huge range of clients. Because of this, agency staff stay on top of the latest marketing trends and are across what is happening in a whole host of industries, meaning you end up with a higher level of strategic insight and creativity.

6. ACHIEVE MORE IN LESS TIME

The hourly rate charged by an agency may appear to be higher than the hourly rate of a staff member however, businesses find time and time again that the efficiencies that can be achieved by an agency just cannot be replicated in-house.

It’s easy for in-house teams to get pushed and pulled in different directions. They get caught up with internal politics and projects and bogged down on administration tasks, significantly reducing the amount of the time they have to focus on actually marketing the business.

7. A FRESH WAY OF THINKING

Bringing in an external agency provides an outside perspective on your marketing and communications, offering a fresh take on an existing challenge. It’s easy for in-house staff members to become too close to the problem, losing sight of the big picture.

Marketers in an agency deal with similar challenges across a wide variety of businesses on a daily basis, building a wealth of experience and knowledge in unravelling the underlying issues and developing practical solutions.

8. KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST

The game is constantly changing, particularly in the fast-moving digital marketing environment. It’s exhausting keeping abreast of all the latest, from trends in strategic marketing, graphic design, and advertising through to digital marketing, search engine optimisation and social media marketing.

One person generally can’t keep up with it all and if they can, we certainly want their super powers! Agencies invest a lot of time and money in continual training and professional development just to stay up to date with the ever-evolving world of marketing.

9. DRIVE EFFICIENCY & EFFECTIVENESS

Often businesses have their existing staff members take on the marketing role in addition to their usual responsibilities, resulting in staff becoming so busy trying to achieve so many different outcomes that all their efforts end up lacking focus.

Supporting your in-house team by partnering with a marketing agency means your existing staff become more efficient and your marketing more effective.

10. MIX IT UP

The diversity of an agency team puts more options on the table, giving you access to marketing channels and opportunities that you may not have considered or even thought possible. Plus, there’s the benefit of economies of scale often achieved by an agency on printing, media buying, technologies and so on.

dms CREATiVE is a Toowoomba-based strategic marketing agency and creative design studio dedicated to ensuring your investment in marketing maximises every opportunity to grow your business. Our highly experienced team of marketing and creative professionals can partner with your business to provide the right knowledge and tools to help you attract more customers and sell more product.

We believe that our job is to make your job easier. The dms CREATiVE team can be as hands on as you need us to be, taking care of your marketing, advertising and visual communication - giving you the time to do what you do best.

Whatever your marketing, communications or design needs, give dms CREATiVE a call to arrange an obligation-free meeting.

GOLD FOR dms CREATiVE!

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 04:07:47 GMT

We’re super proud to announce the dms CREATiVE team has taken home not just one, but two prestigious QUEENSLAND PRINTING INDUSTRIES CRAFTSMANSHIP AWARDS (PICA), announced at this year’s awards ceremony.

Each year, PICA celebrates the impressive creativity and production of work in the print and visual communication industries and the dedication, energy and inspiration which lies behind the outstanding results.

Across a total of 29 categories, awards were judged on craftsmanship and print quality and we’re thrilled to be recognised at the top echelon of performance within the state this year.

We were awarded GOLD for our design of the Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN Antimicrobial Stewardship campaign materials - including brochure, brochure holders, leaflets and posters featuring gorgeous illustrations created by one of our talented designers to promote the importance of managing your cold and flu infections.

A BRONZE medal was also awarded for the stunning Verona Apartments campaign materials, designed by the dms CREATiVE team and printed by Greenridge Press.

Awards like this show the incredible results that can be achieved when creative design and impeccable print combine.

The outstanding work currently being produced across the country highlights the power of quality print production and high-impact, functional design in reinforcing your brand story and quality of the products and services you offer.

We’re extremely excited to be recognised amongst such a high calibre of entries.

These awards add to our growing swag of accolades. Check out more of our award wins here.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Sun, 21 Apr 2019 04:09:25 GMT

Not sure how often you should be publishing on social media or when are the most ideal times to be posting?

You're not alone. The world of social media can be a tricky place to navigate.

In this great article, HubSpot gives us the lowdown on the most effective frequency and ideal times to post on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Click here to read the full article.

PROJECT IN FOCUS: WARWICK VET CLINIC BRAND REFRESH

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 04:16:10 GMT

The team at dms CREATiVE have recently had the pleasure of refreshing the Warwick Vet Clinic brand. We’re excited to share with you what we have created and the process we took to get there.

THE BRIEF

The Warwick Vet Clinic has been an integral part of the Darling Downs community since 1949 and has built a strong reputation for veterinary services of the highest quality in both the domestic and commercial markets.

The owner of the Warwick Vet Clinic, Dr Chris Reardon, contacted us to create a fresh new brand identity to reaffirm the professionalism and experience of his successful long-running business.

Here’s how we tackled the project…

REBRAND VS. REFRESH

We started by meeting with the client to gain a deep understanding of the business and their current brand positioning. We worked with the client to plan the way forward, determining the key target markets and defining the desired brand personality through brand archetyping.

This established a clear direction for the brand, forming the basis for all design and communication decisions moving forward.

Given the existing logo had strong recognition and an extremely positive perception in the market, we recommended a simple logo refresh rather than a complete redesign.

We kept the logo clean and simple, giving it a good tidy up, and modernizing the colour palette to reinforce the message of professionalism and cutting-edge veterinary services for this established business.

BRAND ROLLOUT

Once the logo was sorted and the client was happy with the look and feel of their new brand identity, we then rolled out the brand across various marketing materials including business stationery, clinic signage, promotional magnets, flyers and product labels. The clinic’s new Pet Taxi also got a makeover with an eye-catching vehicle wrap.

And we didn’t stop there…

PHOTOGRAPHY

To set the Warwick Vet Clinic apart from their competition, the client agreed to invest in professional photography that would showcase their first-class facilities and range of specialist services.

We got to work scoping out the photoshoot to make sure all of the client’s needs would be met. Taking the time to provide a comprehensive brief gave our photographer a clear understanding on the desired style of photography and the required shots, resulting in stunning imagery that truly captures the essence of the Warwick Vet Clinic’s exceptional service offering.

WEBSITE

As part of the brand roll-out, we built an engaging new website to drive online bookings and cement the Warwick Vet Clinic’s position as leaders in the veterinary industry.

A great deal of thought went into the website structure to ensure the new website met the needs of the client and users, and was optimized for SEO and industry-best web practice.

Our copywriter worked closely with the client to craft engaging website content that reflected the new brand messaging and considered the technical components behind effective website copy.

When creating the website design, we ensured it tied in seamlessly with the other marketing materials, creating both an aesthetically pleasing and functional online user experience that focuses on driving conversions.

The gorgeous new photography added the finishing touch to this sophisticated website, conveying authenticity and helping the Warwick Vet Clinic stand head and shoulders above their competitors.

Check out the website here.

THE RESULT

A professional and consistent identity that reflects the Warwick Vet Clinic’s high-quality, advanced service offering backed by years of experience and dedication, strengthening their established brand position. Read on to find out what the client has to say about their new brand.

WHAT THE CLIENT HAS TO SAY

Operating a business today in a highly connected, competitive market requires a strong company brand and a powerful IT presence. After listening to a CCIQ podcast presented by dms CREATiVE, I began to consider the relevance my company brand had to my clients and questioned if it aligned with our business goals, vision and values. The Warwick Veterinary Clinic is one of the oldest veterinary businesses in Queensland and whilst we are very proud of our long heritage, we needed our brand to reflect the modern, progressive and adaptable group of practices we operate today. dms CREATiVE made this happen.

Kym, Sarah and the team started the process by first understanding the strategic direction of the business and drew on personal archetypes to give the rebrand relevance and legitimacy. They worked with other talented agencies such as Salt Studios and Clear Pixel to create wonderful imagery and a contemporary website which enhances our public digital profile. With specific phrases to improve search engine optimisation (SEO) and using strong ‘call to action’ triggers allowing clients to make bookings online; our website has undergone the digital transformation needed to live in a changing business world.

We also conveyed the new brand onto vehicle signage, banners and office collateral. The style, feel and uniformity of the rebrand has been successful across all touch points in the company and our clients now believe our brand is clear, identifiable and professional. We are very proud of the final product.

True to their word, the dms CREATiVE team was efficient and effective in developing and delivering the brand realignment work and I have no hesitation in recommending them to other SME business owners who share the same thought as I once did - that it may be their brand holding them back!

- Chris Reardon, Owner of the Warwick Vet Clinic

What do you think, is it time your business thought about a brand refresh?

USING COLOUR TO BOOST CONVERSIONS

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 04:19:34 GMT

How much influence does colour have on your website?

Here's 40 fun facts about the psychology of colour and how it can be used to boost your website conversions.

TOP 40 SEO MISTAKES

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 04:17:31 GMT

What are the most common search engine optimization (SEO) issues on websites?

This interesting infographic published on MarketingProfs summarises the top 40 SEO technical mistakes.

INTRODUCING VERONA…

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 15 Apr 2019 04:22:39 GMT

An exquisite brand for an exciting new property development.

The dms CREATiVE team have recently had the pleasure of crafting a new brand and suite of marketing and sales materials for the stunning Verona Apartments development.

We are excited to share with you what we have created and the process we took to get there.

THE BRIEF

We were initially briefed on the proposed development of an exclusive collection of apartments in East Toowoomba.

This unique development is unlike anything else previously seen in Toowoomba so it commanded a premium brand that would stand out in the market and truly capture the imagination of the target audience.

Here’s how we came up with the solution…

OUR SOLUTION

We commenced the process by undertaking an intensive STRATEGY SESSION with the property developer’s team, facilitated by one of our marketing professionals. This workshop allowed us to gain a deep understanding of the project, define the target market, and use a BRAND ARCHETYPING exercise to develop the desired brand personality moving forward.

From this session, we had developed a clear brand direction and then used this insight to create a sophisticated and elegant BRAND IDENTITIY for the project that would resonate with potential residents. The LOGO overlayed on lush foliage and the moody colour palette took the brand to a premium level and perfectly represented the contemporary architecture and intimate interiors.

The brand was firstly rolled-out to various STATIONERY items such as business cards and email signatures and then onto the all-important SALES COLLATERAL.

A strong set of KEY MESSAGES were developed to form the basis for the marketing and sales content to ensure the brand messaging remained consistent across all mediums and establish trust in the market.

We knew we had to ‘wow’ the market and worked with the client to devise an innovative SALES STRATEGY to create desirability and nurture sales leads. Simple yet stunning INVITATIONS including a foiled print and sumptuous textured paper stock were hand delivered to a select group of potential purchasers along with a potted fern. The recipients were then contacted by the Verona Sales Executive to book in their exclusive personal preview.

At the preview, the client received an impressive SALES BROCHURE which was designed as a follow on to the invitation and crafted to connect with the audience. The words and visuals were carefully considered to paint a vivid picture of the Verona lifestyle and build strong desire and interest in the exclusive project. The brochure design was kept clean and simple, exuding luxury and printed on the same beautiful textured stock as the invitation.

To generate further sales leads in the initial exclusive preview phase, potential purchasers were provided with POSTCARDS to pass on to friends and family encouraging them to book in their personal preview.

A WEBSITE was then built to introduce the project and allow users to register their interest online. The clean, simple website design tied in seamlessly with the other marketing and sales materials, creating both an aesthetically pleasing and functional online user experience.

THE RESULT

An elegant brand that reflects Verona’s timeless sophistication, and a successful and unique sales and lead generation strategy that has captivated the market.

Let us know what you think.

Click here to view the Verona website

5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BE INVESTING IN LANDING PAGES

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Sun, 14 Apr 2019 04:24:13 GMT

So you’ve heard all this talk about “landing pages” but aren’t entirely sure what all the fuss is about. Well first things first, let us explain what exactly is a landing page.

The concept of a landing page is really quite simple - a standalone web page that people “land on” after being directed from a digital ad, social media, or an email campaign. It’s best to remember that the key objective of a landing page is to lead people to take a specific action.

Despite a landing page being standalone and only accessible through a link provided in an advertisement or marketing campaign, they can be one of the most powerful parts of your website.

Intrigued?

Read on for our top 5 reasons why you should be investing in a landing page for your next marketing campaign.

1. DRIVE CONVERSIONS

Landing pages are designed to fulfil a clear goal and drive an immediate call-to-action. This could be to get customers to sign up to a newsletter, book a ticket, register for a webinar, download a catalogue or an e-book, purchase a product, whatever you desire.

The strategic design of the landing page ensures the eye is drawn to the all-important call to action and keeps the reader focused on the conversion. On an effective landing page, the visitor will be immediately clear on what action they are expected to take.

2. GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT

Isn’t it frustrating when you click on a link and then land on a web page that doesn’t provide you with the information you were promised, or you have to go searching for the answer amongst a whole page of other irrelevant details.

By creating a landing page that directly addresses a specific need, rather than linking to a generic home page, you can provide the customer just what they are looking for without any other distractions. The best landing pages are short, sweet and direct.

3. REDUCE BOUNCE RATE

Landing pages not only convert leads quickly, but can also significantly reduce your website bounce rates. Great landing pages give the customer what they want (and expect) quickly and concisely and limit the number of decisions they can make, leading them to take the desired action.

4. OPTIMIZED CONTENT

Effective landing page content is strategically optimized keeping its eye on the goal of conversions as well as taking search engine optimization into account. This ensures you are not only driving paid traffic to the landing page but also taking advantage of free search traffic (which is particularly relevant for campaigns which offer an ongoing benefit for the audience).

5. MEASURABLE

Landing pages are designed to only receive traffic from your specific advertisement or campaign meaning their conversion rate can be easily measured. If you want to get tricky, landing pages can also be segmented by traffic source by directing traffic from different channels to separate landing pages to see which channel performs the best.

Want to get started on using landing pages effectively to drive conversions for your business?

Contact the experienced team at dms CREATiVE for an obligation free meeting to discuss how landing pages can work for your next digital campaign.

EVEN THE BEST IDEAS NEED A MARKETING PLAN

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 04:25:24 GMT

Without good marketing, the best products and services in the world would remain unknown.

If you’re working on launching a new product or brand, make sure you have a real marketing plan in place well ahead of releasing to the market.

Entrepreneur.com explains why even the best ideas need a marketing plan and how failing to plan is a recipe for disappointment.

Click here to read the full article.

DOES YOUR BRAND IDENTITY WIN (OR LOSE!) NEW CUSTOMERS?

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 04:26:39 GMT

MarketingProfs recently posted a great article on their website outlining 3 ways your brand’s visual identity can win (or lose!) new customers.

Find out how your brand shapes up.

VIDEO IS THE FUTURE OF CONTENT MARKETING

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 04:28:47 GMT

If you’re not already investing in video marketing for your business, here’s our top 4 reasons why you should start now.

1. MAKE YOUR BRAND MEMORABLE

It has been well-established that video content is highly memorable in comparison to text-based content. According to HubSpot, 80% of customers remember a video they’ve watched in the last month. Promote strong brand recall and stand out from your competitors by creating engaging videos to share through your social media networks, email communications, and feature on your website.

2. INCREASE CONTENT SHAREABILITY

Video content increases engagement rates and results in a higher share rate on social media than regular text-based posts. Without embracing a video content strategy, you are missing out on the opportunity to reach potential customers. Including videos in your email campaigns has also been found to significantly increase click-through-rates and conversions.

3. EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE YOUR BRAND MESSAGE

Video content can be extremely successful in conveying who you are and what you do, letting your brand personality truly shine. Video content allows consumers to interact with your brand, ignites emotional connections, and builds a sense of trust with your audience. Video content is not only an effective way to communicate to your external stakeholders, but can also be a great way to engage with internal staff in larger organisations.

4. SEARCH ENGINES LOVE VIDEOS

It doesn’t matter whether you are viewing a video on a desktop computer or a mobile phone, video content performs well, significantly expanding your content reach and search engine optimisation (SEO). Embedding videos on your website increases the time spent by visitors on your site, ultimately improving your search engine ranking.

WANT TO START TAKING ADVANTAGE OF VIDEO MARKETING FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

We can work with you to create engaging video content that reaches the right audience with the right message. Contact the team at dms CREATiVE to discuss creating a video for your business.

BOOST YOUR BRAND CREDIBILITY

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 04:31:32 GMT

How can you make sure your brand is perceived as credible and trusted?

This infographic posted on MarketingProfs gives some great tips on how to boost your brand credibility through your website content.

WHY SMALL BUSINESSES NEED CONTENT MARKETING

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 04:32:50 GMT

Content marketing is one of the most effective ways for small businesses to improve their search engine optimisation (SEO).

Read the full article published by Business 2 Community to find out more about how a strong content strategy can help your small business.

Click here to read the full article

5 STRATEGIES FOR CREATING CONTENT MARKETING ON A BUDGET

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 04:34:29 GMT

Do you find the idea of content marketing to be a daunting task?

Here’s 5 great tips for creating epic content marketing on a tight budget published on Enterpreneur.com

Click here to read the full article.

THE NEW FINANCIAL YEAR IS LOOMING.

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 04:35:52 GMT

With June 30 just around the corner, it’s important to start planning your marketing spend, working out exactly where your business needs to focus to achieve the best return on investment.

Taking the time to develop a long-term vision will ensure you are considered and methodical in your marketing approach, helping you and your team avoid wasting time and money.

It doesn’t matter how small or large and complex your business is, the more detailed and specific you can be about what you want to achieve, the easier it is to keep your marketing efforts on track to achieving your goals.

Our team of marketers can work with you to develop a fully customised, strategic marketing plan that delivers the best bang for your marketing buck.

We take the time to get to know your business, the industry you operate in, and understand your distinct competitive advantage and future opportunities.

OUR STRATEGIC MARKETING PLANS CLEARLY DEFINE:

1. Marketing objectives

2. Key target markets

3. Market positioning

4. Key brand messages

5. Desired brand personality

Plus, provide an innovative, fresh approach to your marketing so that you can attract more customers and sell more product.

Want to find out more about how we can help your business establish a clear direction moving forward? Contact us today for an obligation free meeting to discuss.

PROJECT IN FOCUS: RIVERBEND PORK GROUP

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 04:51:41 GMT

At dms CREATiVE we work with clients across all sorts of industries. We have most recently had the pleasure of creating a new brand for a group of independent farming families working together to produce high quality pork for local and export markets.

The team at Riverbend Pork Group contacted us to develop a unique brand and range of marketing materials that represented their product, personality, and brand positioning.

Here’s what we did…

OUR SOLUTION

We started by really getting to know what the Riverbend Pork Group brand stood for and how they wanted to be perceived in the market. We ran a comprehensive MARKETING STRATEGY SESSION for the group to gain a full understanding of the market and used brand archetyping to define the desired brand personality.

Once we had a clear understanding of the brand direction, we got to work on creating a distinctive LOGO for the group.

Clean, straight typefaces were chosen for their versatility and timeless feel, with the graphic device taking inspiration from one of the Riverbend Pork Group farms, aptly named Riverbend.

The combination of earthy toned down hues formed a subtle colour palette that would come to life in the roll-out of collateral and reinforce the message of a professional group with a strong focus on sustainability and best practice.

Whilst creating this gorgeous brand, we also kept in mind the potential export opportunities, ensuring the new brand would ‘talk’ to local customers in the sought-after export markets.

Following on from the logo and roll-out to various STATIONERY items such as business card, email signature and letterhead, we then commenced creating a brochure and website for the new brand.

INTERVIEWS were carried out to ensure the copy written truly reflected the key messages and brand personality of the Riverbend Pork Group and their farming families. It was important the language remained consistent across all platforms to cement strong brand positioning and develop the story of Riverbend Pork Group.

Once the copy was compiled, a sophisticated corporate BROCHURE was created aimed at giving the customer an overview of the product and directing them to visit the website for further information.

The WEBSITE was created to tie in seamlessly with the rest of the marketing materials, continuing the story of Riverbend Pork Group and their quality pork products.

THE RESULT

A premium brand that projects the uniqueness and genuine nature of this family farming group, all while conveying the professionalism and dedication to the latest sustainable and safe farming practices that Riverbend Pork Group is built on.

Let us know what you think!

GUIDE TO THE TOP 7 SOCIAL NETWORKS

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Sun, 31 Mar 2019 06:06:06 GMT

Feel like you can’t keep up with the ever-changing world of social media?

Read this quick guide to the top 7 social networks from MarketingProfs and find out who’s doing what on which social platforms.

THE IMPORTANCE OF STRONG KEY MESSAGES

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 06:07:09 GMT

Think about your friends.

You get along with them and keep hanging out because of certain characteristics. You keep spending time with them because they’re consistently the way they are. They don’t keep changing, becoming different people and if they do, then you start to lose trust and are less inclined to spend time with them.

Brands are just like friends. Your brand needs to be consistent to allow customers, clients or subscribers to trust and build a relationship with you. Remember, an inconsistent brand breeds doubt in the minds of the consumer.

Building a comprehensive set of strong key messages for your brand ensures there is consistency across all your marketing and communication materials.

If you have a large organisation, overarching key messages should be written for the parent brand, along with key messages to address the needs of each of your key target audiences or business sectors. For a smaller brand, just one set of key messages is usually sufficient.

These key messages can be easily picked up to form the basis for any future marketing content including website, PR, email, advertising, social media and so on. This saves you time in the future and makes sure your brand messaging remains consistent, promoting recognition and establishing trust in the market.

Not confident in creating key messages yourself or feel like you need professional advice on achieving brand consistency?

At dms CREATiVE, we have a team of marketers, copywriters, and graphic designers that can help you achieve that extra level of impact and brand consistency.

Our Branding & Messaging Workshop is the first step to developing a strong brand personality and articulating your marketing message. Find out more.

IS YOUR MARKETING TRANSLATING INTO SALES?

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 06:08:52 GMT

Have you put a marketing plan into place only to find that it doesn’t seem to be translating to where it is needed most – customer numbers, registrations or new clients?

Sometimes all that is needed is a slight redirection of strategy to get your business back on track, increasing customer numbers.

Sounds simple, right?

The options are endless when it comes to marketing strategies, the tricky part is working out the most effective moves for your business and how to action them to achieve the best return on investment.

Start by working out the areas where your current marketing strategy may be falling down. Ask yourself the following questions, making sure to answer them objectively from your customer’s perspective?

IS YOUR BRAND AN ADEQUATE REFLECTION OF YOUR OFFER?

Inconsistent branding breeds doubt. It is important to keep your branding consistent across all customer touchpoints including colours, logo and your brand voice.

DOES YOUR WEBSITE CREATE A POSITIVE FIRST IMPRESSION?

Your website is usually the first interaction a potential customer has with your business. This means that it is essential your website creates a positive first impression to demonstrate who you are and what you do.

ARE YOU CAPITALISING ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

Just like your website, social media pages can be extremely powerful when implemented properly. It’s important to have a clear content strategy and make sure you are using the right platforms to best reach your target audience.

DOES YOUR ADVERTISING CUT THROUGH THE CLUTTER?

Stand out advertising needs to be well designed and connect with the right people to achieve results. Be smart in the way you invest your available advertising budget and make every dollar work for you.

If you’re struggling to work out exactly where your business needs to focus or need help to put your new plan into place, the experienced team at dms CREATiVE can provide the right tools to help you boost your business.

5 COMMON PITFALLS WHEN MEASURING MARKETING PERFORMANCE

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 06:10:27 GMT

Marketers today have access to more performance analytics data than ever before. It’s one thing though to have access to such a vast amount of data, and another to make sure you are using this data in the most effective way to drive business results.

Take the time to read over this interesting article from MarketingProfs which outlines 5 common pitfalls when measuring marketing and advertising performance and how best to avoid them.

7 HABITS OF A SELF-MADE MILLENNIAL MILLIONAIRE

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 06:14:42 GMT

This great article from Gerard Adams – entrepreneur, angel investor and self-made millionaire at age 24 – provides an insight into the daily habits that can define your success. Read on to find out how many you already practice and the habits you can form to take you to the top of your game.

THE SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS TO WATCH FOR IN 2017

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 06:12:01 GMT

Social media marketing is an important component of most business communications strategies, however to do it well it is vital to keep up to date with the latest platforms and trends.

This great blog from Ash Read – posted on Buffer Social – outlines the social media trends to watch for in 2017 and is well worth a read.

If you get to the end of the article and it all seems too much, you can always call on us for an on-trend social media marketing strategy tailored to fit with your broader business communication strategy.

Ready to start reading?

ONLINE MARKETING LESSONS WE CAN LEARN FROM THE ROYAL FAMILY

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 06:16:47 GMT

We have more to thank the Queen for than a long weekend once a year – the head of the British monarchy can teach us a thing or two about online marketing too!

Here’s five lessons you can learn from the royal family’s very sleek online marketing team.

BE LIKEABLE TO CREATE CONNECTION

We all like people who are approachable, friendly and have a sense of humour … why should your business be any different? Having a presence on social media makes people feel like they have a connection with celebrities and brands, including the royal family, making them approachable. The royal family (or rather, their social media team) demonstrates friendliness by engaging with followers through responding to some select comments and questions, sharing others’ posts and retweeting. You can show a healthy sense of humour with some tasteful banter – along the lines of the Queen’s appearance in a video with Prince Harry, responding to a friendly jibe from President Obama about the Invictus Games.

PUT SOME GUIDELINES IN PLACE

Once something goes online it is pretty much there forever – a scary thought! Especially when you have loose cannons like Prince Harry hanging around. Putting some social media guidelines in place can help to prevent improper posts and inappropriate comments from tarnishing your brand.

KEEP THE CONVERSATION FLOWING

Social media accounts thrive when they offer a consistent stream of authentic posts with a personal touch. Think about what your brand represents and reflect this online. For example, the Queen’s social media posts have recently included photos of a pile of cards she received for her 90th birthday and videos of Prince Charles as a child.

KNOW WHICH PLATFORMS TO USE

Before you begin to post relevant, engaging and sharable content, you need to know which social media platforms your target audiences are using. Then you need to keep up with the ever-changing social media landscape! The Queen has stayed on trend, with the royal family opening a YouTube account in 2007, and a Flickr account in 2010. However, it is important to exercise common sense. We can safely say the royals haven’t joined Tinder … officially anyway!

UPDATE YOUR WEBSITE REGULARLY

A functional, user friendly website with mobile compatibility, video capability and effective search tool is vital in today’s digital world, where the overwhelming number of consumers research products and services online before considering purchase. The royals understand this and ensure their official website is informative, up-to-date and – most importantly – easy to use.

Source: Realbusiness.co.uk

HAVE YOU PROTECTED YOUR BRAND? GUEST BLOGGER: CLIFFORD GOULDSON LAWYERS

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 06:44:25 GMT

At dms CREATiVE, we work with clients to develop beautiful brands and also want to make sure our clients have protected their brand. In what can sometimes be a complex topic, the team at Clifford Gouldson Lawyers help to make sense of it all and as Guest Bloggers uncover the bits you need to know about trademark registration…

HOW DOES TRADEMARK REGISTRATION BENEFIT YOUR BUSINESS?

Exclusive statutory rights in your brand & control over its use.
More valuable, easier to sell and more attractive to licensees.
Australia wide protection & provides a starting point for world-wide protection.
Your ownership is forever – initial registration period lasts for 10 years and can be renewed indefinitely as long as it is used in the same form as the registration.
Deters people who may potentially infringe – e.g., before a competitor chooses a name very similar or identical to your own.
Brand ownership rights can be enforced against infringers at a cheaper and faster rate.
You’ll have the support of third parties in protecting your brand. E.g., Australian Customs will attempt to prevent importation of goods that infringe your registered trademark.
Reduces the risk of infringing another’s trademark through using your name.

WHAT IS THE RISK IF YOU DON’T REGISTER YOUR TRADEMARK?

Your brand could belong to another business.
Greatly increases your expenses and time frames for enforcing your rights against infringers.
You may face brand dilution in the marketplace, without control over your key brand elements.
Third parties with registered rights can force an unregistered user to stop using a brand.
Recovering a domain name from a cybersquatter is virtually impossible.
REMEMBER: Domain name, Business name or company name registration does not give ownership or protection.

SO, WHAT IS THE PROCESS AND HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Choose a name and/or logo distinctive of your brand – avoid geographical references or indicators of quality or the nature of the business (e.g., “Australia’s Best Fish and Chips” is virtually unregisterable as a trademark).
Check the Register of Trademarks and a general internet search to ensure you are clear around any obstacles to registration and ownership.
List the products or services you will offer under the brand, both now and in the next 3-5 years – this will help to determine the number of classes in your application.
Within 4 months IP Australia can tell you if your trademark is successful and a straightforward application can be completed through to registration in 7 to 8 months.
IP Australia charges $200 per call of goods/services at the time of application and $300 per class at the time of registration (normally around 6 months later), with nothing more payable for a decade. However, a recent government report has recommended increasing these fees, with the increase due to apply from the last quarter of 2016 - so don’t delay your application if you can avoid it!
Legal fees for preparing and filing the application are typically around $800 per mark and the total cost of fees to complete the process is usually around $1100 - $1500.

We hope this info helps to clarify the queries you may have around trademarking. Remember, it’s a crucial step to ensure you’re protecting your most valuable business asset – your identity.

dms CREATiVE TAKES HOME PRESTIGIOUS PRINT AWARD!

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Sun, 17 Mar 2019 06:47:53 GMT

At dms CREATiVE we’ve always been really proud of the work we do but it’s really nice when that work is recognised on a national level. The 33rd Media Super National Print Awards celebrates excellence in the print packaging and visual communication industries in Australia and we’re thrilled to be recognised as a part of the top performers at the Awards!

Across a total of 32 categories and sub-categories, awards were judged on craftsmanship and print quality. We were awarded Silver for our Corporate Profile – a piece of marketing collateral detailing our services offered in a beautifully crafted and printed brochure (if we do say so ourselves!).

This same brochure received bronze in the Queensland Printing Industries Craftsmanship Awards (PICA) earlier in the year. Creative design and impeccable printing combine for a great result and one of which we’re really proud.

It’s an exciting time to be in the industry and awards like this reiterate the power of print and the place and importance of beautiful, functional and digestible design. It is an award celebrating not only professional achievements but the dedication, creativity, energy and inspiration which lies behind these outstanding results.

What it also says to us is print is certainly not dead – there is some incredible work being produced right across the country reinforcing the skill and importance of this part of our creative industry. And that makes us excited!

Check out more of our award wins here.

10 Reasons You Should Love Blogging

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 14:43:18 GMT

Blog posts are a great way to get recognized within your community and share your voice. Here are the top 10 reasons you should love writing blog posts.

Anyone can make one:
For better or worse, anyone can write a blog post about anything they want. Everyone has a voice and thet voices will rise to the top.

The writer can show their personality:
In blog posts, the writer has more leeway to add in their voice and personality than other types of writing.

Blogs are a great form of mass communication:
You can help people, learn new things, entertain your audience-the possibilities are endless and amazing. Blogging opens up all of these to a very wide audience.

You can make money:
Get the right blog going and you can make a lot of money through advertising and sponsored posts.

It allows people to craft better thoughts:
Instead of reading haphazard, uneducated Facebook statuses, it's much better to see people's thought process in a well-written blog post.

You can establish a community:
Blogging allows you to connect with other individuals who share the same interests. Sharing ideas and opinions within your community helps establish yourself as a thought leader.

Good for SEO:
Keeping content on your site fresh and relevant, you can use your blog to boost the search engine ranking (SEO) of your site and your business.

It brings people back to your site:
If your blog is strong enough and updated regularly, people will come back looking for more and bring traffic back to your site as well.

It's free:
It costs you a grand total of zero dollars to post to the blog, so if you have something to say, there's nothing to stop you.

You can establish yourself as a thought leader:
A blog is a great place for your original thoughts, and it can be a wonderful way to show off your individuality. If people like your ideas, you can become a thought leader in your industry!

What else do you love about blogs? Let me know!

ARE YOU WASTING MONEY ON MARKETING?

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 06:49:59 GMT

ARE YOU WASTING MONEY ON MARKETING?

When planning your marketing budget, it’s important to know how to allocate your spend to ensure you’re not wasting any money. Here are a few tips, tricks and marketing priorities for maximising your investment.

1. WORK OUT WHAT IT IS YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE.

Maybe your focus is attracting new clients or maintaining relationships with existing clientele. Or perhaps you need to generate more leads or foot traffic. The more detailed and specific you can be about what you want to achieve, the easier it is to build a plan to help you achieve your goal. Think about your target audience, your customers’ pain points and how you can solve their pain.

2. WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO ACHIEVE YOUR SALES GOALS.

Once you have identified and articulated your marketing problem, you can begin to solve it. It is crucial your consumer touchpoints (shopfront, sign, advertising, marketing collateral, website, tender documents, LinkedIn profile etc) are consistent, relevant and show who you are and what you do.

3. WORK OUT HOW MUCH IT IS GOING TO COST.

You need to get quotes, ask questions and find out the best way to do things. Once you see how much it is going to cost, you then compare this investment with the return you are hoping to achieve and see if this is something you are comfortable with. This approach is very different to simply assigning a percentage of turnover to marketing.

4. MEASURE YOUR RESULTS.

Ensure you measure your promotions and campaigns. Marketing should be viewed as an investment you make in your business. And, as with all investments, you need to see a return. However, be sensible in your approach. As with all investments, it is not reasonable to expect to see immediate growth – especially if there is a lengthy sales cycle.

5. AVOID WAYS TO WASTE MONEY.

Avoid only working on one thing from a plan. To pull a plan apart and only run one specific individual component will give you a false reading on the effectiveness of the overall campaign and can also significantly weaken your expected reach and frequency.

Avoid brand fatigue. This is when business owners or staff who see their brand everyday start to think it is getting tired and boring and needs a freshen-up. Remember, your customers don’t see your brand every day. There can be a lot of reassurance for someone looking at a trusted brand – one they recognise. That said, there are a number of legitimate times that brands can and should be updated, particularly when it comes to issues around market positioning.

Avoid inconsistency of brand. It is really important that each consumer touchpoint is consistent from a brand perspective. That means using the same colours, the same logos, the same brand voice in all of your communications. The repetition of your brand in the market place is what helps customers become more aware of you and your product and it is that familiarity that helps them feel more comfortable buying from you.

6. BE STRATEGIC, KNOW YOUR LIMITATIONS AND INVEST IN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.

If you don’t have the skills or the time to create a professional and polished brand for your business, then you should engage the services of a professional marketing and design company, just as you would engage a lawyer to help with legal matters or an accountant to help with your tax.

7. PUT YOURSELF IN YOUR CUSTOMERS’ SHOES AND BE DELIBERATE AND CONSISTENT.

Conduct a mini audit of all the ways customers come into contact with your brand. Be objective and look at whether they would be seeing a consistent brand. And finally, be deliberate and consistent in all that you do. Stay focused and don’t become distracted. Set yourself monthly targets, constantly check your progress and stay accountable.

Following these steps will help you to be considered and methodical in you marketing approach and help you to avoid wasting money on marketing.

GUEST BLOGGER: LOCAL CONTENT SPECIALIST, BEN HUGHES

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 06:51:27 GMT

GUEST BLOGGER: LOCAL CONTENT SPECIALIST, BEN HUGHES

It seems at the moment not a day goes by where there isn’t a workshop on tendering or an information session about being involved in one of the numerous major projects occurring in our region. We have certainly been busy attending these workshops and learning more about what major companies are looking for when choosing a supplier. Local Content specialist, Ben Hughes, takes the reins of our blog to explain what he thinks should be one of the main focus areas for small business to get the attention of large organisations.

Putting your best foot forward and representing your business in the best possible light is critically important. Your tender submission needs to be professionally written and well-presented. The right content needs to be included and this should contain information about your capabilities, accreditations, previous experience etc.

Buyers will also want you to demonstrate how you embrace technology. Expect your website to be assessed. It will be practically the first thing a buyer will do when they hear about you. If your website is terrible then what does that say about the rest of your business?

Any small business that is looking to get the confidence of the market place must really commit to using technology to optimise their operations. Everyone needs to look at their business and think positively about the role of technology.

Think of how technology can make you more attractive (and less risky) to a new client.

Estimation – accurate estimates based on accurate data means less chance of variations later down the track.

Contract Administration – if your claims are accurate and your timesheets are completed correctly then you’ll make your buyer happy.

Business Operations – give buyers confidence you can manage crucial systems such as inventory, HSE or scheduling e.g www.simpro.co

Technology doesn’t need to be expensive or scary but it does need to be accepted and embraced. It can help you substantiate prices and enable reliability which is what buyers look for. The reality is large buyers like to know you have good technology.

YOUR BRAND HAS A VOICE!

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 06:52:53 GMT

YOUR BRAND HAS A VOICE!

A brand is layer upon layer of how your business thinks, acts and behaves. Your brand voice is one of these layers. We as consumers take, store and interpret this information – and this forms our thoughts and opinions about what the brand stands for. We know consumers make assumptions and assertions about brands based on how they look, but have you ever stopped to consider that people also judge, consciously or sub-consciously based on how a brand sounds?

For example, a brand would not speak in a formal tone on a brochure and then a very informal tone on a website, as this creates confusion and disconnect. It’s important to ensure the same tone of voice is used across all marketing materials.

We have developed a simple tool to determine and define your brand voice. Contact us today and mention this watercooler post, to receive a free consultation and discover your voice.

PROJECT IN FOCUS: ALMA VALE FARMS

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 06:54:38 GMT

PROJECT IN FOCUS: ALMA VALE FARMS

At dms CREATiVE we work with clients from all sorts of industries and recently we have had the pleasure of working with the family owned and run Alma Vale Farms – a picturesque Toowoomba based equine spelling & agistment complex. A kind of holiday for horses if you like.

The team at Alma Vale Farms came to us wanting to develop collateral and marketing materials that represented the services offered, personality and new brand positioning of Alma Vale Farms.

So we got to work…

OUR SOLUTION

The first thing we did was understand the Alma Vale Farms brand, what they represent and how they’re different in the industry. Once we understood this, we created some beautiful pieces of collateral to help convey the message.

The first piece we created was a logo. We developed a type based logo for Alma Vale Farms to give the words the ownership of the brand, rather than a symbol - a style synonymous with other premium properties and brands across the globe. This beautiful logo (if we do say so ourselves!) used a combination of muted colours and traditional typefaces to infuse the logo with a sense of elegance. The simple colours reinforce the feeling of strength, longevity and trust but also the warmth of this family run business.

INTERVIEWS were carried out to ensure the copy written really reflected the key messages and language of Alma Vale Farms - it needed to be consistent across all platforms and assist in developing the story of the brand.

A PHOTOSHOOT was organised with the team at Alma Vale Farms involving, of course, the stars of the show – the horses. Soft shadows and highlighting of the green tones of the landscape were made to ensure the images could convey the Alma Vale Farms experience, so potential clients could really visualise their horses on the property. It was important the imagery showed the scope of the environment and facilities available.

Once the language and the imagery were sorted, a website was created incorporating multiple pages to detail each of the offerings at Alma Vale Farms. Brochures were designed for key target audiences and business cards created to suit. The colour palette, typography and imagery were used across all materials in a way that was consistent in design and ensured the photography did most of the talking.

WHERE IS THE BRAND POSITIONED NOW?

In ours eyes (see what you think!) Alma Vale Farms is being projected as a premium brand incorporating the sophistication and elegance felt on the majestic property with the professionalism and warmth that permeates in this family run business.

HOW TO CREATE A COMPETITIVE TENDER

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 05 Mar 2019 06:55:57 GMT

HOW TO CREATE A COMPETITIVE TENDER

Are you applying for tenders and finding you’re not getting noticed? Perhaps you’re not sure where to start with your application? Or you may not be entirely sure what tender documents and capability statements are?

Corporate purchasing policies often require potential suppliers to prepare capability and tender documents detailing why they are the best choice and most suitable supplier, for often large scale and highly profitable projects, just like the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing (TSRC) project.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CAPABILITY AND TENDER DOCUMENTS?

Tender documentation is a specific document that is in direct response to an invitation to tender. An invitation to tender is typically made on big projects. As a part of the information compiled and given in a tender is important documentation called capability documents.

Capability documents include elements about your business such as core competencies, past performances, differentiators, corporate data and contact info. They are a proactive tool used as a quick reference for companies when reading through your tender application.

All materials you prepare need to reflect the professionalism and skill of your team and quality of your products and services. For this reason, it is essential you put your best foot forward.

Our good friends at Clifford Gouldson Lawyers have put together this presentation which explains very clearly the areas that need to be considered when making the most of big projects coming to our region, such as the TSRC.

Clifford Gouldson Lawyers can help by providing information on how to position yourself to negotiate and manage your contractual obligations, ensuring you get paid on time for the work you do and keeping disputes to a minimum.

dms CREATiVE can also help. With attention to detail in both design and content in your capability statement and tender documents, as well as impeccable supporting marketing elements such as a strong website, you and your business may be a contender for the next big project to hit your region.

STARTING A BUSINESS? PART 6 - STAY IN TOUCH WITH SOCIAL MEDIA!

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 04 Mar 2019 06:58:45 GMT

STARTING A BUSINESS? PART 6 - STAY IN TOUCH WITH SOCIAL MEDIA!

So here we are – the final chapter of our ‘So you’re starting a business?’ series. We’re so pleased you’ve made it to Part 6 of this package designed to help you navigate your way through the seas of starting a business.

The sea has got a whoooole lot bigger since the invention of social media – you’ve now got a plethora of platforms to choose from to help boost your business concept.

Lucky for us, connecting with consumers has never been easier thanks to the social media revolution. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn have been the launching pads of many new start-ups, and as you take your business to the next level, it’s important to make sure you are fully capitalising on these powerful platforms. It’s also important to be selective with which platforms you use, because implementing them properly in to your business takes a lot of time. For example, for business to business interactions, LinkedIn is critical to talk to professionals and other business leaders. For business to consumers, Facebook and Pinterest might be the right platforms for you to talk to those making purchasing decisions. Also – don’t forget the power of video. It’s a platform that effectively engages and converts, so make sure you get involved.

It’s important to have a social media strategy to help launch your business and get you known. Whether it’s implementing competitions or general social media advertising campaigns, developing a customised app, or helping you extend your LinkedIn reach, you need a targeted strategy that gets you on your target audience’s radar and boosts website click throughs.

Consistency is key and continually posting informative and engaging posts is critical. Think about what you like to read and see on social media and particularly, what you like to see coming from the brands and businesses you know and trust? If you’re engaging with it, there is a good chance that someone else may be too and it could prove a good starting place for you to generate ideas about the kind of content and posts you can produce.

So that, my friends, is where we close this ‘So you’re starting a business?’ series – we hope that you’ve been able to absorb all the ideas and areas that we’d suggest exploring and it will prove useful for you in getting your newly formed businesses to make waves in the marketplace.

For any help on making any what we’ve discussed come to life, you know where to find us.

WORD COUNTS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 04 Mar 2019 06:57:18 GMT

WORD COUNTS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

Here is a great article from our friends at MarketingProfs, about the ideal word count for Social Media posts. It talks about how the number of characters can greatly affect the engagement level. Read all about it here.

STARTING A BUSINESS? PART 5 - COMMUNICATE THROUGH ADVERTISING!

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Fri, 01 Mar 2019 07:00:08 GMT

STARTING A BUSINESS? PART 5 - COMMUNICATE THROUGH ADVERTISING!

We’re nearing the end of our ‘So you’re starting a business?’ series but for you, your business is just beginning – by now you would have gone through the process of logos, branding, website and marketing. Now we enter the world of advertising!

Stand out advertising needs to be well designed, connect with the right people and cut through the clutter. It’s about connecting with customers – being smart in the way you invest your available budget and making every dollar work for you.

Another great way to capture people’s attention and get them excited and talking about your business is by using printed materials like brochures and catalogues in combination with social media and traditional mass media platforms.

Henry Ford, the man behind the car brand Ford, once said “A man who stops advertising to save money, is the man who stops his clock to save time.” Advertising is a platform that cannot be neglected and lucky for us, there are ways to advertise that suits a range of budgets.

To ensure your advertising fund is leveraged as much as possible and the budget you are spending is worthwhile, it is important to invest in the design of your advertising.

It’s best to develop a customised promotional campaign utilising combinations of social media, newspaper, magazine, radio and television advertising to drive suspense and engagement and ensure customers are filing through the door once you’re open for business.

Professional designers and copywriters can help you accurately and succinctly communicate your core message and brand and ensure you stand head and shoulders above the crowd.

It’s important to sit down, plan and be realistic about your budget and where you want to spend, on what and when.

STARTING A BUSINESS? PART 4 - MARKETING STRATEGIES TO SUCCEED!

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 07:01:37 GMT

STARTING A BUSINESS? PART 4 - MARKETING STRATEGIES TO SUCCEED!

Here we are – past the half way mark of our ‘So you’re starting a business?’ series and we’re now entering the more strategic side of promoting your business and making your mark. The word ‘strategy’ is not interchangeable for ‘scary’. So when you feel a little bit of alarm and your head starting to cloud when you read the ‘s’ word, don’t panic. Let’s break it down.

You’ve worked hard to get to this point and you need customers, not just on the first day when you open your doors, but long into the future.

You might need to sit down and plan your marketing strategy – where you want to spend, if you can spend, where your target market is and what you’re wanting to say to them.

After these questions have been answered you will then be in a better position to be able to plan your marketing moves, if you’d like to spend on digital marketing strategies like social media, traditional advertising like print or radio or perhaps a partnership with a local community group to show your community spirit. You don’t have to do it all within the first month of business opening – or in the first 6 months, or you might not do any of the above. As long as you’re making some marketing moves that is the main thing!

It could be something simple like ensuring you’re kept up to date with the latest networking sessions in your region so you can get out and about and meet people, or perhaps exploring the world of LinkedIn a little further, if that’s a platform that you’ve not yet made the most of. Perhaps you could talk to previous clients and start to gather testimonials, so you’re able to use this wording to market yourself and generate even more interest. Or it might be a photoshoot you need to really illustrate and show exactly what you’re offering…

There are stacks of options when it comes to marketing strategies.

If you’re struggling to sort out exactly where your focus needs to be placed, the team at dms CREATiVE offers a number of affordable, highly interactive marketing strategy sessions to help you plan the way forward and make sure you are getting the most out of your marketing budget.

STARTING A BUSINESS? PART 3 - CREATING A DIGITAL PRESENCE WITH A WEBSITE!

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 07:03:04 GMT

STARTING A BUSINESS? PART 3 - CREATING A DIGITAL PRESENCE WITH A WEBSITE!

So here we are, the third episode of our 6-part series ‘So you’re starting a business?’ Let’s check off a few items which you may have covered off or at least considered by now – logo…tick. Trademark…tick. Branding…tick. Now for a website.

With technology moving at such a rapid pace, a strong digital presence is more important now than ever before. Especially for new kids on the block.

And although we are warned against it, people do judge a book by its cover.

In order to give your business the best chance of success, you need to be found first and have an easy-to-use website that captures people’s attention and lures them in. As well as web, social media to complement what you’re up to online and link through to from your website is very important.

It’s important to decide if you’d like a website that is a simple brochure style or a full content management system with e-commerce capability. Aside from design, it may also be necessary to have specialist copywriters to help succinctly and strategically convey your core message and portray your products and services in the best possible light.

Of course, there’s no point having a polished and informative website if no one can find it! Luckily, Google AdWords and search engine optimisation will help you get noticed – fast. You may need extra support to help you manage these invaluable tools so your website appears at the top of search results and gets the maximum number of visits.

When thinking of your web presence, it’s important to consider what device your end-user will be viewing your website on. These days, many people use their phone or tablet over a desktop computer, therefore it’s important for your website to be responsive if not even designed specifically for mobile purposes. Your website shouldn’t just be dashing; its functionality is equally important.

Specialised website designers and marketing specialists (we know a good team who can help;) ) can work to ensure you have all the elements you need to make a website work for you. It might be a small business website package to get you started or a fully integrated custom built site for dynamic and high level use.

So by now, you’ll be building quite a solid to-do list and hopefully have some big ticks beside a couple of the items. Stay tuned for the next instalment - Part 4 of our ‘So you’re starting a business?’ Series.

STARTING A BUSINESS? PART 2 - CREATING YOUR VOICE WITH BRANDING!

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 05:20:06 GMT

You’re back! This is a good thing! It means you’re wanting to know a bit more about launching your business in the world of marketing and brand. And luckily, we can help! Thanks for stopping by again to have a read of Part 2 of our 6-part series ‘So you’re starting a business?’. Last time we covered the essentials in developing your brand – creating a logo and investigating any trademark rules and regulations.

Now you have your logo, it’s time to roll it out across all of your marketing collateral. Inconsistent branding breeds doubt, so it is important to use the same features – colours, logo and brand voice – across all customer touchpoints to achieve a professional look and feel.

BACK YOURSELF: YOUR BRAND IS A REFLECTION OF HOW YOU PERCEIVE THE QUALITY YOU OFFER.

It’s important you build a recognisable brand that delivers your message clearly across all mediums, confirms credibility, connects emotionally with the target audience, motivates the buyer and establishes loyalty.

DIGITAL PRESENCE

Having a presence online is critical, more so now than ever. Lucky for all of us, there are plenty of options to make your mark - whether it is creating a website from scratch, or the development of social media platforms - it’s important to think about who you want to reach and how best to do this.

BUSINESS CARDS AND LETTERHEADS

Here in the dms CREATiVE studio, one of the first requests we usually get from new business owners is for business cards and letterhead. Being able to give a prospective client a professionally designed and printed business card instils confidence and credibility, both of which are vitally important in the early stages of your business journey. Similarly, a polished letterhead to use for correspondence lets customers and competitors know you are a serious contender.

SIGNAGE

Depending on your business, you may need to install a sign above your shopfront or add a vehicle wrap to your car to leverage your exposure. Billboards are also a useful tool in high-traffic areas that will make your business stand out in more ways than one.

By now, you’d be starting to get a feel for the kind of branding elements you think may work to build your company’s presence. If you have a set budget to work with, it’s important to be selective about which marketing streams to go with, to speak to the right people, at the right time on the right platform.

Tune in next time for ‘So you’re starting a business?’.

STARTING A BUSINESS? PART 1 - DEVELOPING YOUR BRAND

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 05:21:04 GMT

So you’re starting your own business?! Firstly, congratulations! Getting a fledgling company off the ground is no mean feat and can often be a daunting process. But it doesn’t have to be. Once you have registered your business name and chosen a location you might be wondering “what’s next?”.

You need to make sure you develop standout marketing collateral to attract customers and make sure your business packs a punch when it’s launched in the marketplace.

In our 6-part series, we’ll talk through the items that you need to tick off your to-do list to really get things underway in marketing your business.

The first to remember is that when you’re starting a business, the first port of call is to create the face of your company – your logo!

A well designed logo tells customers not only who you are and what you do but gives your business its own unique brand identity that customers come to trust. A good logo should act like a mirror; accurately reflecting your market position, culture and the level of standards and quality you provide your customers, so it’s important to get it right.

It's important that the design of your logo is fresh, new and it has been customised specifically for you and your business, from colour palette through to typography. Your logo needs to be meaningful and highly relevant to the industry for which it is intended.

DON’T FORGET – PROTECT YOUR BRAND!

Before your logo is formalised, it is a good idea to check with IP Australia, or the relevant authority abroad if you are planning on doing business overseas, to make sure you’re not infringing on someone else’s mark.

Once that’s done, you should start to think about protecting your new brand identity with a trademark of its own. While neither are compulsory, both may potentially save you a lot of heartache and costly legal bills down the track.

dms CREATiVE has an amazing network of suppliers, including experienced trademark lawyers, who can undertake searches and help you with the registration process, ensuring your invaluable intellectual property remains safe and secure for many years to come.

So you have your logo development and trademark investigations on the roll, but what else is involved? Watch out for the next instalment in our So You’re Starting a Business series to find out more!

CAN YOU USE PR TO HELP ADVERTISE?

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 05:22:26 GMT

Media relations is an effective Public Relations technique to share news in a consistent, timely and fast way to the media and show your customers you mean business. If used correctly, media relations can often add to your existing advertising, in fact it can sometimes be more effective than advertising – often creating bigger impact, more tactical messaging and developing a better bang for your brand. The best part is, if used properly, it can cost you very little!

One of the most significant parts of media relations is the development of media releases and liaising with media. You might be wondering what is involved with a media release, getting it out to media and making it a worthwhile exercise for your business, brand or campaign?

We’ve broken it down in to 6 manageable steps. dms CREATiVE can assist with all or any number of the stages to ensure your media relations campaign is a success.

DECIDE IF A MEDIA RELEASE IS RIGHT FOR YOU.

Before really getting started, you need to be sure a media release is the right method of communication for you and your business at this time. What is it that you want to say? What is your main objective of communicating this message?

WRITE THE MEDIA RELEASE.

In order to write a media release, you need to develop the story we want to share and be sure that you’re comfortable with the strong and newsworthy angle that is used.

CREATE A MEDIA DISTRIBUTION LIST AND SEND.

Depending on your budget and the target audience of your release, you can distribute to a varying number of journalists, from varying publications and regions.

FOLLOW UP JOURNALISTS.

Following up with the journalist is important to find out the following: 1. Has the intended target received the release? 2. Is the journalist planning on using the release for a story at all?

ATTENDING MEDIA CALLS.

A media call is the designated time where media will conduct their interviews, photos, record vision etc, so it’s important they are run efficiently and effectively.

MONITORING AND COMPILING MEDIA COVERAGE.

There are different ways to monitor the coverage that is generated. You can use specific Advertising Space Rate formulas or have professional media monitoring services assist.

Feeling inspired to give the world of PR a go? Be sure to get in to contact if we can help!

IS YOUR BUSINESS READY FOR A REBRAND?

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 05:26:10 GMT

Local and well known Darling Downs Optometrists Chas Sankey Fraser has undergone change and brought new life in their business with a rebrand. As a part of this we developed all sorts of amazing collateral and brand elements that we want to share with you.

It also begs the question – could your business be ready for a rebrand?

THE BRIEF

After 26 years, Chas Sankey Fraser was moving from one high profile location in Toowoomba to another and there was concern existing clients would not receive the message of the new premises. With the unique business ownership structure within the group we also needed to create a unique identity for Chas Sankey Fraser which would allow current and new customers to connect with the brand, be aware of the location change and continually make recurring appointments.

OUR SOLUTION

In order to rid any worries of losing customers with the move, a rebrand and an educational campaign was developed to ensure the move was seamless and Chas Sankey Fraser customers remained connected.

As a part of the rebrand we updated their existing logo. Using a type based logo for greater flexibility, we integrated an elegant, high-end font drawing inspiration from exclusive fashion brands & the high fashion frames that Chas Sankey Fraser stock.

We selected plum, burgundy, taupe and merlo colours to add to the sophistication and royal feel of the brand and created a graphic device of a repeated glasses frame image that complements and supports the logo.

A brand rule was developed that all photography needed to meet certain criteria such as depicting the ‘lifestyle’ around premium glasses, rather than just the glasses as a product. We also ensured both males and females were represented in the imagery. We updated a letterhead and business card to ensure consistency across touchpoints and a brand new website was developed using design consistent across all the other elements. Wording was developed for the website to reflect the sophistication and specialties of the Chas Sankey Fraser team and meet SEO and industry-best web practice.

Two separate marketing campaigns were also implemented. The first being an abandonment campaign using vintage imagery and in-store incentives to engage with customers who no longer visit Chas Sankey Fraser, encouraging them to visit again and also inform them of the new location.

A recall campaign was also issued to more regular customers, using bold imagery and incentives to reach out to existing clients who may be due for their regular appointment. This campaign assisted in generating bookings but also to communicate the message of a relocation.

WHERE IS THE BRAND POSITIONED NOW?

The rebrand of Chas Sankey Fraser successfully retained customers throughout the move of their premises. It has also reaffirmed their position as a premium service offering with skilled optometrists who use the latest technology, techniques and methods, where customer service is crucial, and superior products are aplenty.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM SHARAPOVA'S PR APPROACH?

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 18 Feb 2019 05:39:43 GMT

As a communications concept – PR is critical and it comes in many forms.

To give you a very current example let’s talk about Maria Sharapova. The world-famous tennis player has just this week landed herself in big trouble when a drug test during the Australian Open has returned positive to a banned substance. Maria’s world is changing every day with sponsorship contracts stripped & reputation tarnished. Regardless of whether you think Maria is in the right or wrong, she has handled the situation as well as that famed tennis racquet. Though the outcome is far from ideal, she has responded with speed and professionalism, approaching the press before they approached her.

You may be thinking, how does this apply to you and your business?

Sometimes situations arise where you find yourself in a position where you need to make a comment –it could require a comprehensive crisis communication strategy like Sharapova, or it may not be as controversial but it is a situation that has happened, that involves your business or yourself personally and requires attention.

Here are 3 steps to ensure you can handle potential PR disasters before they explode:

PREPARE YOUR THOUGHTS: develop your key messages and positioning statements with regard to the situation. Consult all those who need to be consulted (e.g., CEO, key shareholders etc) to ensure you’re crafting the correct messages and get professional communication help if needed.

START FROM WITHIN: it’s critical if a situation does arise that everyone within your organisation is across your message. There is no point in talking to the media or other external stakeholders if you haven’t discussed the situation with your team, so they are completely across what is happening and what your stance on the situation is.

TALK TO THE MEDIA BEFORE THEY TALK TO YOU: you may not see it entirely necessary that you talk to the media but if it’s a slow news day and depending on your location, the media may come to you. In a lot of cases it’s best you talk to the media and be proactive. Again, this may be an area where you need some extra support from trained professionals.

In a nutshell – it’s important that you can tell your story, exactly how you want it be told, potentially before the news hits the desk of the journalist through another medium. If handled swiftly and with the best approach, difficult situations can sometimes create opportunity to build rapport, support and reputation for your brand. There’s got to be a silver lining, right?!

WHICH ONLINE ADS WORK BEST?

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Sun, 17 Feb 2019 05:44:16 GMT

Have you ever wondered, when scrolling through your favourite website, if there is a particular reason ads are a certain shape, or placed in certain positions, or if one ad is more effective than another?

The team at Mediative - a Canadian based digital marketing consultancy – have released a study that provides insight in to the movements of our eyes as we look at a webpage, determining what spot we look at most and for the longest.

This kind of information is very handy to determine the best positions to advertise online and what size ad is likely to engage better than the other.

The Mediative team produced heat maps (see image 1) that show the amount of time spent looking at the display ad as a percentage of the entire time that was spent looking at the whole page. The red areas are those that had the most views, followed by yellow and green. They also created gaze maps (image 2), which show where the participants’ eyes looked first until they made a click. The larger the circle, the longer the gaze was held.

Here is a summary of their findings:

“Survey respondents said they were 36% more likely to pay attention to ads across the top of a web page than ads to the side of the web page. However, what people believe they pay attention to the most when it comes to online display ads is not necessarily what they actually pay attention to the most.”

LEADERBOARDS (IMAGE 3): this ad was viewed the fastest and by the most participants.

SKYSCRAPERS (IMAGE 4): viewed for 82% longer than leaderboards.

BIG BOX ADS (IMAGE 5): viewed for 52% longer than leaderboard ads and received the most clicks.

So it makes sense that ads at the top of the webpage were seen quickly, BUT users didn’t spend a lot of time looking at these leaderboard ads. In 2014 Google carried out a study that aligned with Mediative’s findings:

The most viewable position for an ad is right above the fold, not at the top of the page.
The most viewable ad sizes are vertical units (e.g., Skyscrapers), as they stay on screen longer as uses move around the page.
Content that holds user’s attention has the highest viewability.

So what do all these interesting stats mean to those considering online advertising? Well, it shows there is complete merit in being tactical about which ad you select, it’s shape and positioning, as well as, of course, that the actual content is engaging and effective. Luckily all of these things are areas in which dms CREATiVE can help ;)

TOP TIPS FOR TENDERS!

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Fri, 15 Feb 2019 05:45:56 GMT

Ever wondered how organisations whether it be infrastructure, resource, mining or a corporate business choose the suppliers who carry out work?

These decisions are not made by just going with who pops up in Google first. There is an in-depth system and process involved so that businesses can be in the running to be selected for big contracts. Companies often put out tenders and look to businesses within the region in which the project is taking place, to use their skills and local knowledge to complete the project to perfection. You need to show that you mean business and your tender application stands out from the rest.

Included in the information compiled and given in a tender, is one important document called a Capability Statement.

Capability Statements (typically using bullet points and your business’s branding) include elements such as core competencies, past performances, differentiators, corporate data (size, revenue, available resource) and contact info.

Keep in mind three specific areas when working to refine your capability statement and tender documents:

DESIGN : your document may be one in hundreds of applications, so you need to stand out with visual, eye-catching and on-brand design.

CONTENT : the words you write in your documentation needs to perfectly reflect your service offerings, while speaking the language of the industry in which you’re applying.

WEBSITE : if your documentation has managed to grab the attention of the organisation, then chances are the next place they’ll visit is your website, and it’s imperative that it’s up to date, on brand and on message.

In addition to your Capability Statement there are normally lengthy and sometimes complex questions that need your answers, so the response you make needs to be given careful consideration. Absorb all of the information and then compile your answers, making sure you:

Answer all questions clearly.
Differentiate yourselves from your competitors.
Demonstrate that you are a reliable, experienced and confident business that has the ability to deliver what is required.

With attention to detail in both design and content, as well as impeccable supporting marketing elements such as a strong website, you and your business may be a contender for the next big project to hit your region.

3 EASY WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR PERSONAL BRAND!

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 05:47:57 GMT

It’s been a BIG start to the year in the sporting world, particularly with the Australian Open and the cricket.

What also tends to happen fairly frequently with sport, is scandal – either a team not conducting themselves well, behaviour from the past scratches through the surface, or an individual shows bad sportsmanship, but...it’s not all bad.

There have been some impressive examples of sporting starts strengthening their personal brand. Let’s take the recently finished Aus Open for example. Djokovic interacts with an awe-struck ball boy to help him stretch mid-game (check out the video on Yahoo! News HERE ) and Tsonga stops play to personally escort a light-headed ball girl who has also been affected by the scorching Melbourne heat (watch it HERE !). What a way to build your brand! Whether it’s done consciously or not, there is such merit in making it happen.

What it reiterates to us here at dms CREATiVE is the importance of personal brand. Here are 3 super easy ways of improving your personal brand today!

Change your LinkedIn picture to a professional headshot.
Go to the effort of creating a summary for your LinkedIn profile today – it’s a simple way of conveying who you are and what you’re all about.
Cull any not-so-glamourous photos of you on Facebook – although there are security settings, it’s important to just be sure!
Richard Branson is a non-sport related individual who has perfected the art of building his brand. If you’ve got a spare 5 minutes, be sure to have a read of his thought provoking blog. Richard once said ‘too many companies want their brands to reflect some idealised perfected image of themselves, as a consequence, their brands acquire no texture, no character.’ In Richard’s message, we can learn something about personal brand - be true to who you are, develop your own brand and work to strengthen this brand in all that you do.

So how can you apply all of this to your everyday life, if you don’t happen to be a tennis sensation or billion dollar entrepreneur? Be aware, be conscious of your brand and how you’re presenting yourself and seek assistance from trained professionals if you need any further advice.

ARE YOU ABOUT TO MAKE A BIG MARKETING MISTAKE?

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 05:50:34 GMT

There is a buzz in the studio at dms CREATiVE as we work with clients planning, strategising and carrying out marketing moves to make 2016 the best year yet. What we don’t want this year, is for you to make a really big marketing mistake.

This mistake happens when you carry out lots of marketing moves (whether it be posting on social media, sending out an eNews or advertising in your local paper) without a strategy - a plan, a clear and methodical approach.

Sun Tzu was a Chinese general, military strategist and philosopher who lived in ancient China. Sun Tzu once said “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” While Sun Tzu advised on military plans, rather than marketing ploys, the same concept can be applied to everyday business - without a clear strategy behind the marketing, communications and graphic design choices you’re making, you often will find a lack of direction and impact and may even risk being defeated as Sun Tzu warns.

When it comes to your business and really understanding what your message is and being able to action a solid combination of strategy and tactics, a Strategy Session can help. Led by dms CREATiVE’s director and brand & marketing strategist, Kym Ebenestelli, Strategy Sessions are an insightful, thorough and comprehensive way of kick-starting a strategic approach to your business objectives.

What do you get out of a strategy session?

A dedicated, intensive workshop focused entirely on helping you plan the way forward.
Depending on your marketing issues, we can cover many topics that can include; key issues, brand personality, understanding the market and devising a plan moving forward.
Genuine focus and practical advice to help you achieve your marketing and sales goals.

Don’t just take our word for it, have a read of some kind words from other clients in Testimonials about what Strategy Sessions have done for them.

TOP 3 REASONS TO ADVERTISE ON TV

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Sun, 10 Feb 2019 05:53:24 GMT

Glued to the Aus Open? Think about how many people are absorbed in the thrilling matches and just how far the broadcast reaches.

According to Think TV free to air television is watched by 13.6 million people every day. Television also reaches two-thirds of 18 – 24 year olds and over 88 per cent of grocery buyers, on a weekly basis. So despite the continued rise of all things online, television and advertising on this platform has BIG potential.

Add superstar tennis players like Serena Williams, the Fed Express and Novak ‘The Joker’ Djokovic and all of a sudden you have the perfect environment to place an ad and generate maximum exposure for your business.

Last year according to tennis.com.au the Australian Open reached 13 million Australians via the domestic television broadcast during the tournament. It even boomed internationally with Japan’s live TV audience, going from 3 million in 2014 to 50 million + in 2015!

At dms CREATiVE we’re firm believers in the power of television advertising and crafting effective, memorable and eye-catching ads.

Here our top 3 reasons why you should consider television advertising:

REACH, REACH, REACH! Placed at the right time (e.g., during the Australian Open) ads can have a great reach & target new audiences.
VISUAL APPEAL OF SIGHT, SOUND AND MOTION. All of these elements can combine to generate a memorable and visual delight for the viewer.
CONTROL THE MESSAGE. You can work with designers & specialised marketers (just like us!) to ensure the message around your brand is controlled and portrayed exactly how you’d like it to be.

SANTA'S GOT STYLE (GUIDE)!

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 05:56:33 GMT

EVEN THE WHITE-BEARDED, RED-SUITED MAN ISN’T WITHOUT HIS BRAND STYLE GUIDE!

Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus, Father Christmas – however you refer to him, the big jolly man in red knows the way he wants to look, doesn’t get swayed by the latest trend and is seriously true to his brand. British agency Quietroom compiled this clever and quirky brand style guide for the man in red to follow. You wouldn’t want to see Santa not adhere to the red suit, reindeer and catchcry, ‘ho, ho, ho’ policy would you?! This satirical take is an absolute cracker and while we pride ourselves on all year producing top level strategy and brand guidelines for clients right across Australia, it’s nice to sometimes see a light-hearted approach on what is a vital document for organisations. We’ve popped our favourite pages in the images below, thanks to creativemarket.com or check out Santa's entire brand book here.

While we’re in the festive zone, the entire team at dms CREATiVE would like to take this opportunity to wish you a very Merry Christmas, filled with happiness, love, good weather and fun!

OUR 3 FAVOURITE MARKETING, PR & ADVERTISING MOMENTS FROM 2015!

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 05:59:21 GMT

We’ve blinked and it is December again! As yet another year is coming to a close, at dms CREATiVE we always like to reflect back on the time that has passed within our own organisation but also across the world – clever advertising companies launching massive campaigns, inspiring ads, some difficult but well-handled PR plights and marketing magic from years ago that still hold relevance and impact like they were launched yesterday. We’ve compiled our 3 favourites, as we see it in 2015:

1. MARKETING MAGIC FROM DOVE - REAL BEAUTY SKETCHES

As described by www.warc.com , toiletries and cosmetic organisation, Dove, confronted women with their own thoughts and feelings about themselves. In a video imbedded online, a sketch artist who previously had worked with the FBI, drew his subjects based on both their self-descriptions and those of people who had met them only recently. The video showed the women realise that other people view them as more beautiful than they do themselves and it became the world’s most watched online film. This video was first launched in 2013 and at dms, we think it still is just as inspiring and impacting. Watch the film here.

2. PUBLIC RELATIONS PLIGHT FOR VOLKSWAGEN

This year, German car manufacturer Volkswagen were exposed for their intentional efforts to cheat emission output tests in the US with two of their diesel engines. Recuperating from this epic PR plight will be a long, expensive and exhausting road to brand recovery but what we like at dms CREATiVE is that the European brand did show effective and positive responses to the situation, when they could’ve easily made more bad decisions and exacerbated the situation, as so many big brands have done before them. Jonathan Hemus explains in his article on The Drum.

3. ACE ADVERTISING FOR UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN SYDNEY

With a multi-million dollar rebrand budget, a powerful ad created by VCD & WE. Collective, shows the journey of real life students who have overcome adversity and with the support of the university, have been able to reach their goals. Producers, art directors, wardrobe specialists, visual effect experts and sounds designers worked to compile the most powerful of the advertising campaign. It tells the story of Deng Adut, as www.campaignbrief.com explains ‘from the child soldier in the Sudanese Civil war to becoming a leading member of the Sudanese community and top lawyer in the suburbs of Western Sydney’. Make 90 seconds of time to watch this inspirational advertisement.

SIX STEPS TO BRAND SUCCESS!

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 06:01:08 GMT

We’re not saying that we’ve got Colonel Sanders’ 11 Herbs and Spices secret recipe, but in the dms CREATiVE studio, we do have six impressive ingredients that if used in the right quantities and mixed together well, will give the best chance of a very strong and impressive brand…

AUTHENTIC : The only truly defendable brand position is an authentic one. Any brand that tries too hard, feels forced, or seems to be a stretch can stand out—in a bad way.

ATTRACTIVE : A brand needs to be attractive, so the target audience finds the brand to be aesthetically pleasing. Colours, shapes and typography need to work harmoniously and materials need to be or look professionally designed and accurately reflect the market position.

CONSISTENT : There needs to be absolute consistency across all elements of the brand. This meaning is two-fold – the first being that each and every time you see the brand, it looks consistent. This consistency builds recognition and this recognition then leads to trust. The other side of consistency is that everyone is singing from the same chorus book and no matter whether you are reading a website, standing in store, or dealing with aftersales support, you are having a similar experience and end up with a consistent feeling every time you see the brand.

DEPENDABLE : a customer, audience or consumer needs to be able to depend on your brand – they want to be guaranteed the same experience each and every time.

TARGET AUDIENCE CAN RELATE : the target audience need to be able to relate to the brand and see themselves using, interacting or being connected with the brand.

REFLECTS THE EXPERIENCE : it’s important that a brand is in alignment with what a customer, consumer or client will experience when actually using the service. For example, to have a brand that illustrates and creates a calm, serine environment, would not reflect the experience at a theme park.

With the perfect blend and concentration on all of these elements, you’re on your way to brand success!

dms CREATiVE LAND PICA GONGS!

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 06:03:23 GMT

At dms CREATiVE we truly believe the services you receive within the Toowoomba region are second to none – we’re proud to come from this town and when it comes to needing work done, regardless of what industry, we always look local to make it happen.

We’re confident that when someone does come to us for their graphic design or marketing needs, the work we produce is top-notch. While we believe it (and we’re sure our clients do too – they’ve said some lovely words which we’ve published in Testimonials ) every now and then it’s nice to be recognised officially.

We’re pretty chuffed that we’ve recently won some accolades at Queensland Printing Industries Craftsmanship Awards (PICA). The PICA is designed to recognize graphic design and printing specialists from across the state. To us, it serves a reminder to us that we’re equivalent to metro agencies.

We managed to land the following gongs:

Gold for a product book for local agribusiness and one of Australia’s largest managers of grain fed cattle, Mort & Co, printed by other Toowoomba based business and our good friends, Greenridge Press.
The Toowoomba Surat Basin Enterprise publication, Live Magazine, designed by dms CREATiVE, was awarded Bronze.
The dms CREATiVE Corporate Brochure that details all the ins and outs of the team & our capabilities, also won Bronze.
It was a successful day for dms CREATiVE and we’re always very flattered when we’re recognised in large competitions and thrown in the mix with big metro agencies.

Managing Director of dms CREATiVE, Mark Ebenestelli, said its humbling to be awarded with these honours and is excited about being serious contenders from Toowoomba.

“I think all too often we see services and skills outsourced to Brisbane, with a misinformed opinion that going metro will offer better results,” said Mark.

“This is so not the case. We work with some brilliant companies locally, across various fields and have 100% confidence in being able to get the job done right here in town with our dedicated and talented team,” Mark said.

NEW STORE OPENING - MARKETING THE MESSAGE!

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Sun, 03 Feb 2019 23:29:47 GMT

Here are some quick bits of consumer information for you…

Australians on average watch over 3 hours of television each day.
Every day 13.6 million Australians watch Free TV.
Radio is also another medium that turns heads (or ears!) with reports suggesting that radio audiences have grown by 7% in the last five years.
But like all mediums, the platform is only as good as the product that you play, so it’s important to get the commercial, ad, campaign, whatever it may be that you’re creating, on brand and on message, to give the best chance of turning those viewers, listeners or readers, in to a customer.

The team at dms CREATiVE recently worked with NQ Water and PoolSmartz (an organisation who specialise in pools, pumping and irrigation based in Mackay, Queensland) to put together elements of a campaign to promote the opening of their third store in Cannonvale, in the Whitsundays.

Our designers and marketers got to work devising a short punchy television commercial and radio ad that were both timeless, brought together both brands, presented the client as fun but professional and delivered the message that a new store has opened up in Cannonvale – all in 30 seconds!

The team also developed in-store signage, a press ad and a letterbox drop to accompany the commercial and radio ad, culminating in one rounded, all-inclusive campaign!

Kym Ebenestelli, Director & Brand and Marketing Strategist at dms CREATiVE, said the team were tasked with very specific requirements and came through with the goods in developing and delivering the message.

“We developed a TV ad that wouldn’t date but would rather stand the test of time, engage audiences and potential customers in an upbeat and fun way, but also reassure customers that NQ Water and PoolSmartz are specialists in their fields. With bold graphics, popping words and an upbeat energetic voice over and sound track, we were able to achieve this. We replicated this same approach for the radio ad, with an energetic voice over and the same upbeat backing track, to remain consistent across both platforms and really feel that both ads successfully got the message across and remained true to brand,” said Kym. “The other elements of the campaign complemented the commercial and radio ad perfectly, giving one all-encompassing campaign,” Kym said.

Checkout the finished commercial below.

READY FOR A NEW WEBSITE? 3 REASONS IT MIGHT BE TIME!

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Sat, 02 Feb 2019 23:31:24 GMT

Is your business website so-so, rather than SO good?

It might be time to renew, just like we’ve recently done here at dms CREATiVE (we love our new website and hope you do too!). Here are just three reasons why it might be time to take the plunge in to the pool of website refresh:

1. YOU’VE CHANGED AND SO HAS YOUR BUSINESS.

Things change. Most things changes. Let’s take fashion as an example – what was hip-hop and happening decades ago (think crocheted swim wear and suspenders!) definitely might not be all the rage today. Change not only happens in fashion but it also happens in our personal and professional lives, including business. The most important thing is knowing when your business has moved direction and being aware of this change. Has your product, service or experience offering changed? Is the experience you think you provide, actually different to what your customer’s experience? Work to have your website accurately reflect who you are.

2. YOU WANT TO REPOSITION YOURSELF IN YOUR PARTICULAR FIELD.

You know that you’re positioned in the right industry but it’s obvious where most of your customers are coming from and you’re no longer communicating to suit that particular target market. You need to reposition yourself to appeal to the people who you know want to talk to you. Having a shift in appearance on your website might be just the ticket to reignite the flame with the clients you have and attract new ones to come on board.

3. THE WHOLE THING JUST FEELS OUT OF DATE.

The very first website was created in 1991 and looked like this: http://www.w3.org/History/19921103-hypertext/hypertext/WWW/TheProject.html . If this was the style that was used for all websites, forever more, then how successful do you think the World Wide Web would be? Don’t be afraid to admit when your website is a little out of date, tired looking in terms of colour or a bit old-school in the language that’s used.

REBRAND OR REFRESH?

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 23:32:25 GMT

World recognised search engine, Google, has recently undergone some change. You may ask, why on this earth, would a company that last year made over $14 billion and employs over 57,000 people across the world, think they should change their logo? They must be doing something right and don’t really need to change anything, surely?!

Not necessarily. Sometimes refresh is important – perhaps your business has had a change of management (in the case of Google, this is exactly what happened – Google is a part of a new holding company called Alphabet), or perhaps a particular element of the logo is dated and not reflective of the current times, your product or service offering?

It’s important to recognise when your brand might be ready for a refresh, rather than a complete re-brand and to ensure that you only change when completely necessary.

Let’s look at the changes Google made to their logo and discover the very specific reasons why they decided to forge ahead with a refresh, rather than a rebrand.

Google have dropped the Serifs or in layman’s terms, the ‘little tails’ on letters in some typefaces, in a bid to appear simple, uncluttered, young and contemporary.
The simple lettering is supposed to scale better to smaller sizes, making the wordmark more distinct and easier to read.
The simplistic design also means a smaller file size and ability to display on low-bandwidth connections. The new logo is "only 305 bytes, compared to our existing logo at -14,000 bytes,” said Google. As one of Google CEO Sundar Pichai's big goals is to bring the internet — and Google — to areas of the world that don't already have it, that size difference will end up being quite a critical feature.
So as you can see, it was definitely a well thought out and strategic decision to make change, in order to reflect the position of the organisation as it is today. Google are one of the most recognised brands in the world and they’ve ensured the changes they make are for very specific reasons.

It does spark the question in the minds of business owners and consumers alike – is your brand and logo in need of a refresh?

HITTING YOUR BUSINESS' PINATA

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 23:33:18 GMT

Without strategy and direction it is difficult to see the bigger picture and have overall positive impact, rather you’re blinded - like whacking a big piñata at a birthday party with your eyes covered.

While it can be fun and carefree waving a stick around, at some point it’s nice to know that the host of the party has the strategy and the leadership to steer you back on your path and so you can hit the piñata and make the lollies come out.

While business is very different to hosting a party, it’s imperative that strategy is in place for the smooth running and success of an organisation. When you’re on the front foot and strategy is executed, so too is leadership. They work hand in hand.

Strategy and leadership are important not just in the overall direction of business but in each individual element, particularly when it comes to promoting your business. Social media, graphic design, and marketing – it’s crucial that decisions made in these fields have guided, considered and well thought out strategy. Those who can direct and execute great strategy, will also have great leadership.

Increasingly popular, Strategy Sessions, led by the team at dms CREATiVE, are an insightful, thorough and comprehensive way of kick-starting a strategic approach to your business objectives - assisting you to be an influential leader with the ability to direct your team and hit your respective piñata with gusto! Call the dms CREATiVE team for more information on securing a Strategy Session for your business – 07 4639 1622.

CCIQ WEBINAR SUCCESS

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 23:34:34 GMT

Another successful webinar done and dusted, this time on the importance of clearly defining the personality of your business’s brand. More than 100 people registered to watch director of dms CREATiVE Kym Ebenestelli present the thought-provoking webinar, Is Your Brand Setting You Up for Success or Holding You Back?, and they were not disappointed.

Hosted in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ), the half-hour webinar provided participants with a great piece of thought leadership and one that would benefit anyone in business to watch. During the webinar, Kym, a professional marketer, discusses the importance of branding and how it can directly affect a business’s bottom line as well as highlighting the six characteristics that constitute a strong brand. So, are you backing yourself with a brand that tells your customers and potential customers you mean business?

dms CREATiVE DESIGNS FOR TOURISM AND EVENTS QUEENSLAND

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 23:44:45 GMT

Did you know a male kangaroo can jump eight to nine meters in a single bound? We know this because we have just finished creating the Australian Animal Fun Facts infographic for Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ)! To feature on the official queensland.com website, the infographic’s purpose is to provide fun and entertaining facts on some of the weird and wonderful Aussie animals found in the Sunshine State as part of the Queensland Government’s Animal Encounters promotional campaign!

Needless to say working with TEQ was an amazing experience. With a quick one week turn-around time, we got cracking on the design after being supplied the animal “portraits”, fun facts and a comprehensive brief. dms CREATiVE’s infographic guru Andrew Groves then sourced other images of cool critters to marry with the content all while adhering to the Department’s strict style guide, and created what can only be described as a design feast fit for a king.

You definitely don’t want to miss this labour of love. Check out the different parts of the infographic in the images below.

LIVE TOOWOOMBA MAGAZINE GOES LIVE

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Sun, 27 Jan 2019 23:53:11 GMT

It’s been a busy week here at dms CREATiVE HQ with our graphic designers putting the finishing touches on the Live Toowoomba magazine before it went “live” earlier this week! A huge project, Live Toowoomba is a 52-page promotional magazine sprucing all the wonderful lifestyle benefits that Toowoomba has to offer in a bid to encourage city-siders to consider a tree change and move to our beautiful region to live.

Spearheaded by economic development powerhouse Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE) and Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC), the mag had to appeal to young families and professionals. To meet the brief, our designers created a beautifully sophisticated and cosmopolitan layout that could stand alone but which also included subtle links to the TSBE brand as evidenced through the use of TSBE’s earthy colour palate and clean typefaces flowing throughout.

To cut through the information-rich content provided to us, we used visual pull-outs, infographics and fact boxes to engage with the reader and lure them in. Image placement was also crucial to break up the text, with bold, full-page hero images and smaller groupings of imagery incorporated to provide balance and consistency throughout the whole document and offer visual relief. The result is an extensive Toowoomba “bible” that has everything you would ever need to know about the city! In addition to the magazine, our talented team also designed the corresponding website.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THOROUGH CONTACT INFORMATION

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Sat, 26 Jan 2019 23:56:18 GMT

Hello, is anyone there?

It sounds pretty simple, but many businesses are doing themselves a disservice by overlooking the importance of including some vital, yet basic content on their website - thorough contact information.

According to the 2015 Web Usability Report from Huff Industrial Marketing and KoMarketing, a lack of comprehensive contact details can cause a massive 44% of your visitors to up and leave. This can be heartbreaking considering you’ve probably spent a lot of time and energy trying to lure them in!

The reason thorough contact information is so important is that it reinforces trust and legitimacy. When a company doesn’t share its physical address and other contact information, and forces contact through a form, it breeds uncertainty, doubt and frustration. Prospective customers start asking themselves: “Who’s behind the company? Where is it located? Will I be able to reach someone if there’s a problem? Will they get back to my form enquiry promptly?

It’s not only contact information that builds credibility and authenticity. About pages, team bios, client lists, press rooms and testimonials also confer trust – one of the top brand attributes sought by today’s savvy buyers before they hand over their hard earned cash.

So before you sign off on your web design, ask yourself: Does it include my phone number, email address and physical address? And remember, you don’t have to relegate these to the contact us page either. Think about the actions you want a potential customer to take once they have been to your website. If you want them to give you a call, consider displaying your phone number and/or email link prominently in the header of each page rather than “burying” it in the footer.

Check out the chart from the research in the image gallery below, which clearly shows thorough contact information is the biggest must-have when it comes to establishing credibility.

THE UPCYCLE EMPORIUM - BRINGING A VISION TO LIFE

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 23:57:49 GMT

We had a blast creating our latest logo design for The Upcycle Emporium!

Just like her business concept, our client had a specific idea to use images of old materials and re-purpose them to form a really trendy logo with a hip, funky vibe.

To execute her vision we used silhouettes of objects to form the letters of the word ‘Upcycle’ and added warm earthy tones to reinforce the organic/craft feel of the brand. The result is a clever take on the essence of upcycling - turning existing products into new useful things, giving them a second life, a second purpose. We hope you love it as much as we do!

FOOD LEADERS AUSTRALIA OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 00:03:05 GMT

We were beyond excited to attend the official launch of Food Leaders Australia (FLA) recently. FLA is an exciting new initiative that aims to position our bountiful region as the Silicon Valley of food innovation while collaborating and supporting the growth of businesses working within the food and agricultural space nation-wide to capitalise on the massive opportunities in the global market.

We worked closely with key stakeholders Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise and the University of Southern Queensland to design and create a logo and website for FLA and we were immensely proud and excited to see both unveiled at the launch in front of hundreds of industry leaders and food producers.

There were four key points that were raised in the brief that needed to be communicated through the logo and brand execution:

That FLA was taking a leadership role within the space.
That FLA was to be positioned as an authority.
That it not be restricted to the South East Queensland market and able to be used interstate.
That vibrant colours were used to reflect a variety of industries.

To execute the brief we developed graphical elements to visually communicate these messages and put together three separate executions based on the idea of combining facets and a variety of different shapes. A facet is defined as “an aspect or phase” as well as being the “cut surface of any precious gem,” a subtle nod to the value FLA will bring. Importantly, the idea of facets gives the opportunity to reflect the brand personality and all of the key messages listed above while also conveying how multiple parties can all work together to achieve a great outcome for future customers. The arrow dinkus reflects the organisation’s purpose: to connect producers and value-adding food businesses to the right people to help them realise their opportunity.

We were absolutely honoured to be involved in such an important project and we wish FLA all the very best for the future! Check out the chosen logo design below and read more about the initiative at ABC Rural.

HOW TO: DESIGN AN INFOGRAPHIC

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 00:06:38 GMT

Presenting a lot of complex information quickly and clearly in your marketing materials can often be a struggle, but it doesn’t have to be. At dms CREATiVE we love sharing our know-how, and this week we got our resident graphic designer, Andrew Groves, to take us through the steps he uses to create an awesome infographic.

WHAT IS AN INFOGRAPHIC?

An infographic is several bite-sized pieces of information displayed graphically. These are then grouped together to tell a story. These infographics can be used on websites, in brochures, e-newsletters or anywhere else you might choose.

We recently sat down with Andrew, our infographics go-to-guy, and asked him to explain just how he goes about transforming data into a visually compelling graphic that is on brand and captures people’s attention.

“The first thing I do is assess the information the client is wanting to get across to see if there are any logical sections or themes or a narrative that we could display graphically.

From there, it’s a matter of organising it and sourcing or creating appropriate imagery to help get the story across. It’s really important to get the balance between written content and graphical content right. You don’t want there to be too many words that people get bored and flick past and you also don’t want there to be too many graphics that it just looks like a pretty picture rather than something that is meant to give you information.

The next step is to choose a look and feel that fits within the existing brand guidelines. For instance, for the Heritage Bank Back to School Costs infographic (which you can see below) we used Heritage’s brand colours of maroon, gold and grey throughout, but incorporated other colours and playful pictograms to represent the fun and frivolity of the school yard.

The possibilities for infographics are almost endless. Every infographic we do is different and there is no set design structure. You just have to remember to make it interesting, functional and make sure it fits the brief.”

Check out these nifty infographics we have done recently!

ARE YOU BACKING YOUR BUSINESS?

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 00:07:47 GMT

Have you ever wondered what people think when they see your brand?

Does it look professional? Does it accurately convey the quality of your product or service? Does it appeal to the audience you are trying to attract? This week we lift the lid on one of the most common marketing mistakes business owners make, so you can side-step the costly error and boost customer engagement and loyalty.

If there is one thing we know, it’s that brand inconsistency breeds doubt. A good logo and branding should act like a mirror; reflecting your market position, culture and level of standards and quality you provide. By failing to consistently portray these attributes across all of your consumer touch points, there’s a good chance you are alienating prospective customers and potentially damaging your credibility! You see, if you are not seen to be backing your business by putting your best foot forward and clearly reinforcing your core message each and every time, people are less likely to trust you. Consumers are fickle and will use any excuse to look elsewhere, especially if their thoughts, feelings and opinions change every time they come in contact with your brand.

Luckily, brand inconsistency is easy to avoid! By using the same colours, same logo and same brand voice in all your marketing materials you can build a strong brand personality that puts an end to the confusion. Remember, repetition of your brand in the marketplace helps customers become more aware of you and your product and it is that familiarity that helps customers feel more comfortable buying from you. There can be a lot of reassurance for someone looking at a trusted brand – one they recognise.

So, do you have a trusted and recognised brand? If the answer is “I’m unsure”, call us for an obligation free chat on 07 4639 1622 .

TRANSPORT SYMPOSIUM ON TRACK

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Sun, 20 Jan 2019 00:10:23 GMT

We were recently chosen to be the design masterminds behind a major national event set to shine a bright spotlight on our thriving city later this year. The upcoming Toowoomba Transport and Logistics Symposium has been a tight-lipped secret up until now, with the media only recently spilling the beans on the massively significant event , giving us the green light to be able to share the great news of our involvement with you!

As part of the exciting project, the dms CREATiVE team created an event logo and letterhead to promote the symposium and raise awareness of our region’s amazing transport and logistics capabilities to industry investors.

All of our logos are fully customised and this one was no exception. Using simple geometric shapes overlapping one another we represented the region’s improving integrated transport networks, while various shades of blue and grey were added to symbolise movement and progression and evoke a corporate and trustworthy feel. The end result is a highly polished and professional look that gives off confidence and appeals to the target audience of logistics industry executives, members of state and federal government, and local and international players.

With more than 250 industry and government representatives expected to attend the August event, which is being hosted in partnership with one of our much-loved clients, Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise, we are sure the symposium will be a spectacular success and cement Toowoomba as a region rich in economic growth and opportunities!

CARNIVAL OF FLOWERS

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Fri, 18 Jan 2019 00:13:05 GMT

Another great success story!

We worked closely with the team at Toowoomba Regional Council on the project to rebrand and reposition the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers 2013. The overall goal of this campaign was to attract more visitors to our beautiful city and drive pre-paid ticket sales. The results of the campaign were outstanding and on Friday night, the team took out Australia’s top tourism award, winning the Festival and Events category at the Australian Tourism Awards for the 2013 Carnival of Flowers. A huge congratulations from us and we wish you and your team the best of luck with the Carnival in 2015.

Click here to read the full story in The Toowoomba Chronicle.

MAXIMISING YOUR MARKETING BUDGET

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 00:16:09 GMT

dms CREATiVE director Kym Ebenestelli recently presented a hotly anticipated webinar on making the most of your marketing budget. It's such an important issue to be thinking about at the moment, with end-of-financial-year looming and many businesses looking to set their marketing budgets for 2015-16. Check out Kym's tips, tricks and marketing priorities for maximising your investment, as well as the link to the webinar below.

1. WORK OUT WHAT IT IS YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE.

When setting your marketing budget, the first question you need to ask yourself is what is it that you want to achieve? Are you wanting a larger slice of the pie? Are you wanting to make the pie bigger? Or are you trying to protect your existing slice of the pie from an aggressive competitor?

Maybe your focus is attracting new clients or maintaining relationships with existing clientele. Or perhaps you need to generate more leads or foot traffic.

The more detailed and specific you can be, the easier it is to build a plan to help you achieve your goal.

At this point it is also really useful to think about and define which target audience suits each of your products. Think about your customers’ pain points and how your product/s solves their pain. Critically analyse the real opportunities that exists for each product and start to assign some priorities.

2. WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO ACHIEVE YOUR SALES GOALS

Once you have identified and articulated your marketing problem, you can begin to solve it.

If your focus is attracting new customers, marketing theory tells us that potential targets need to come in contact with your brand approximately seven times before they feel comfortable doing business with you.

That said, it is crucial that your consumer touchpoints (shopfront, sign, advertising, marketing collateral, website, tender documents, LinkedIn profile etc) are consistent, relevant and evidence who you are and what you do. Remember, every time a potential customer comes in contact with your brand they are subconsciously judging you and making observations.

Then, when they search your product offering on the net, you need to appear high up in the organic or Adwords search results to have a better chance of them clicking on your website link. Then, once they are on your website you have on average less than 1.5 seconds to engage with them. You need to make sure your content is strong and engaging to give the best possible first impression.

3. WORK OUT HOW MUCH IT IS GOING TO COST

4. MEASURE YOUR RESULTS

5. AVOID WAYS TO WASTE MONEY

One of the most frustrating things that I deal with is when we build a plan with a customer and then they want to analyse each individual piece of the puzzle in isolation. To pull a plan apart and only run one specific individual component will give you a false reading on the effectiveness of the overall campaign and can also significantly weaken your expected reach and frequency.

Another money trap people can fall into is when they start to suffer brand fatigue. This is when business owners or staff who see their brand everyday start to think it is getting tired and boring and needs a freshen-up. Remember, your customers don’t see your brand every day. There can be a lot of reassurance for someone looking at a trusted brand – one they recognise. That said, there are a number of legitimate times that brands can and should be updated, particularly when it comes to issues around market positioning. But it should never be just because you are getting bored.

One of the biggest mistakes in marketing is inconsistency of brand. As I mentioned before, it is really important that each consumer touchpoint is consistent from a brand perspective. That means using the same colours, the same logos, the same brand voice in all of your communications. The repetition of your brand in the market place is what helps customers become more aware of you and your product and it is that familiarity that helps them feel more comfortable buying from you.

6. BE STRATEGIC, KNOW YOUR LIMITATIONS AND INVEST IN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

When you have a plan and know exactly what you want to achieve, it is much easier to work towards achieving it. You can also maximise your marketing budget by knowing you limitations. If you don’t have the skills or the time to create a professional and polished brand for your business, then you should engage the services of a professional marketing and design company, just as you would engage a lawyer to help with legal matters or an accountant to help with your tax.

7. PUT YOURSELF IN YOUR CUSTOMERS’ SHOES AND BE DELIBERATE AND CONSISTENT

Conduct a mini audit of all the ways customers come into contact with your brand. Be objective and look at whether they would be seeing a consistent brand. And finally, be deliberate and consistent in all that you do. Stay focused and don’t become distracted. Set yourself monthly targets and constantly check your progress. And stay accountable.

FRANCHISEE SUCCESS

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 00:24:39 GMT

It is so exciting to see one of our client’s branding collateral used to its full potential and we had that pleasure last month when Elizabeth Gillam, Australia’s leading franchisee mentor and the founder of Franchisee Success, launched her new book, Upsize Your Profit, in Sydney. It was a branding bonanza, with her pull up banners, table wrap and media wall all on display, along with copies of her new book, which we helped design, too! Check out some of the pictures from the expo below.

NEW WEBSITE FOR TSBE

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 00:48:55 GMT

Just launched a new custom-built website for Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise in conjunction with our local web partners Clear Pixel. This site will be used by businesses looking for opportunities within our region. The site is really user-friendly with clear access points for each of the different target audiences and a full content management system. Other features of the site include one click to translate the website into another language, with language options including Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Japanese and French. The site is powered by a sophisticated database that manages all membership and event details. So far, feedback from users of the new site has been excellent.

Check it out at www.tsbe.com.au.

SOUTHS ON HUME

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 00:26:29 GMT

South Toowoomba Bowls Club recently came to us wanting a complete brand overhaul.

The brief: attract more social members to the clubhouse and generally help them to appeal to a younger audience. The end result, and one we’re pretty chuffed about, is Souths on Hume. With brochures and flyers we positioned the clubhouse as the perfect ‘after work winddown’ with affordable bistro meals, live music and barefoot bowls. We also highlighted their multi-purpose function venue, which is equipped to cater for any type of party or celebration. A 10,000-strong letterbox drop of the brochure is also on the horizon!

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL TOOWOOMBA CARNIVAL OF FLOWERS

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Sun, 13 Jan 2019 00:52:26 GMT

Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers 2014 is over for another year.

We are proud to have again been associated with this magnificent event. dms CREATiVE were instrumental in the creative design of the collateral used in the marketing of this year’s festival. Some of the work we produced included the 60 page Official Program, the Ergon Energy Flower Food and Wine Festival Program, press advertisements throughout various magazines and newspapers, social media, plus a range of other items used in a multitude of ways.

BREW CHEW VIEW

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Thu, 10 Jan 2019 02:40:11 GMT

dms CREATiVE proudly sponsored the TAFE Southwest Graduate Graphic Design Exhibition for 2014. Congratulations to all the graduates on their creative work and a great night.

dms CREATiVE NAMED A FINALIST

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 02:40:53 GMT

The GASA Printovation Awards for 2013 has named dms CREATiVE as a finalist in two categories. If you would like to find out which of our jobs has caught the eye of the judges for these prestigious national awards, we’d love to have you around for a coffee and show you in person. The jobs are a great example of the hard work and attention to detail we put into the work for each and every one of our clients.

dms CREATiVE CELEBRATES 30 YEARS

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 02:41:47 GMT

This year dms CREATiVE celebrates 30 years since the original formation of the business as Downs Media Services.

Downs Media Services was established in 1983 as a publishing and editorial business and over time has grown to specialise in graphic design and marketing.

Current owners Mark & Kym Ebenestelli took over Downs Media Services in 2006 and in 2008 also purchased The ASF Group, another long-standing Toowoomba Agency. This merger allowed the addition of services including copywriting and media planning & placement.

By 2009, the primary focus of Downs Media Services was graphic design and marketing solutions and a name change was needed to more accurately reflect this. In 2010, dms CREATiVE was formed and continues to be one of the leading advertising agencies and creative design studios in Toowoomba.

With a staff of 7, including both owners actively working in the business, dms CREATiVE has stayed relevant over the last 30 years by evolving its product offering and areas of speciality, from editorial and publishing services in the 1980’s to now offering the whole spectrum of marketing services including strategy, design, social media and advertising solutions.

“We provide more than just a design service, we take the time to understand your business and develop a strategy to ensure your investment in marketing and design services will maximise every opportunity to grow your business. We are about providing the right tools to help businesses attract more customers and sell more product” said Mark Ebenestelli.

EVER WANTED TO KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE TO WORK ON A DRILLING RIG?

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 02:44:23 GMT

Easternwell has been working with dms CREATiVE as their creative agency for a number of years.

Recently, they approached us to work with them to develop a series of DVDs to showcase what life is like working on their drilling rigs. We developed a comprehensive brief for what they wanted to achieve and sent this to a number of production companies to quote on the project.

From there, we summarised the proposals based on a set of criteria we had developed such as skill set, previous work, price and quality of the proposal they provided. It was a complex process and the vast difference in proposals was interesting.

Once we had summarised the proposals, we worked with the client to shortlist the production companies. We then held presentations with the shortlisted candidates and the client. The client then chose a successful production company to help achieve our goal. In this instance, Thru A Lens Media delivered the best proposal that met our brief.

Over several months of script writing, planning and filming, we ended up with three excellent productions showcasing rig life in the minerals division, energy division and a corporate production to showcase the entire company. These productions will be used for induction of new staff and promotion of the company.

With the skill set of our in-house team and a great relationship with external providers, this is just another example of the sort of work dms CREATiVE can offer clients.

FACEBOOK INSIGHTS GIVES INSIGHT INTO FACEBOOK

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 02:45:16 GMT

A huge thank you to Helen Crossley from Facebook Head Office who spent the afternoon with us and our affiliates, TwoCents, yesterday in Brisbane.

Helen is the local lead of the Measurements and Insights team and she ran through all the latest about Facebook advertising, creating custom audiences, Facebook Insights and more.

To find out how you can use Facebook effectively in your business - give dms CREATiVE a call today.

2013 CARNIVAL OF FLOWERS CAR REVEALED

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 02:47:27 GMT

The 2013 Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers car has been revealed in this year's brand.

dms CREATiVE enjoyed the challenge of designing a vehicle wrap to promote this year's event. The car has been getting heaps of attention and lots of great comments.

TRY AN INFOGRAPHIC

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Thu, 03 Jan 2019 04:36:13 GMT

Ever had to display a large amount of facts and figures on a page and struggled to make it look good?

Recently, Heritage Bank conducted a survey on the costs Parents incurred in sending their children back to School. Heritage approached dms CREATiVE to find a way of displaying a large amount of information in a clear, easy to read format. We produced a clever infographic to portray the information from their survey. Infographics can be a great way to get a lot of information into a small space and still be visually appealing. Contact us if you would like to do something similar for your business.

GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY MAKES A DIFFERENCE

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 01 Jan 2019 04:38:25 GMT

We can’t say enough about the importance of great photography.

It really helps you tell the story of your brand and how you want your customers to perceive you and your products and services. Here’s a peek at some of the incredible images we've been able to capture.

TOOWOOMBA AND SURAT BASIN ENTERPRISE PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 31 Dec 2018 04:41:10 GMT

It is common to hand out business cards at Trade shows and networking events.

It can be tricky to have something as small as a business card to tell such an important story about your organisation and what you stand for. These cards have a fold out flap and act as a mini brochure.

TOOWOOMBA AND SURAT BASIN ENTERPRISE LOGO

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Sun, 30 Dec 2018 04:42:04 GMT

When Toowoomba Business Enterprise and the Surat Basin Corporation merged and formed Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise, they needed a new corporate identity.

The first challenge was to create a logo and stationery that accurately reflected a region rich with opportunity and potential. The logo was inspired by an orchestra pit – where everyone plays a vital role. The concept juxtaposes strip-farming with a modern take on a pie-graph. The different colours represent the variety of stakeholders and vested interests. The colours used are the rust reds of the ground, the greens of the crops and trees and the ‘big sky’ blue.

WHEN YOU HAVE A LOT TO SAY AND ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF SPACE!

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Fri, 28 Dec 2018 04:49:11 GMT

The Ergon, Energy Flower Food and Wine Festival, incorporating the Heritage Bank Live Concert Series, is held at the start of 10 days of The Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers. This is the main ticketed event for Carnival. Research indicated that people perceived the entry price to be expensive and this was a barrier to ticket sales. Part of our brief this year was to address this perception and demonstrate value. We did this through creating a table packed with details of what was included as part of the ticket price. We created a version of this for larger spaces, such as double page spreads, as well as much smaller ¼ page ads. Festival organisers were thrilled with the results. There were record breaking, pre-event ticket sales as well as record sales for 3 day passes.

WHEN A CARNIVAL IS NO LONGER JUST ABOUT FLOWERS

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Thu, 27 Dec 2018 04:50:09 GMT

Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers is over for another year and 2012 has been declared the biggest and best event yet.

This year, our brief from event organisers was to reposition Carnival as a cultural party with a strong emphasis on food, wine and entertainment and not just about “grey heads in garden beds”. All graphical treatments were to only have a lifespan of one year (Carnival 2012) and needed to translate to all consumer touch points including press, radio and television advertising, all printed materials including programs, fence wraps, signage and a new website.

The design needed to incorporate multiple images and be versatile enough to promote each and every event held over the 10 days. The design needed to convey a level of sophistication while still portraying family-friendly fun. The result was a bright and colourful design, with relevant photos placed in a grid pattern, separated by a thick white key line. Additional images were then placed in circles rimmed with bright festive colours, giving the flexibility to theme each piece of collateral with the event it was associated with.

BUSINESS CARDS ARE JUST BUSINESS CARDS, RIGHT?

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Wed, 26 Dec 2018 04:51:12 GMT

Well they don’t have to be!

Just like your logo and choice of corporate font, the stock you choose to print your card on tells a story about how you position your business. Dianne wanted to position her cake designing and decorating business as highly creative, affordable and fun with incredible attention to detail. After perfecting the logo, our team recommended her business cards be printed on 350gsm Rives Natural White. The moment you hold this card, you know that you are dealing with a true and talented professional cake designer. Make sure you look her up next time you have a special occasion. Her cakes really are 2di4!

FISH & CHIPS ANYONE?

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Tue, 25 Dec 2018 04:55:11 GMT

We have loved working with The Lazy Fisherman and helping them update and overhaul their marketing materials.

But first we needed to create a photo library of their huge, delicious burgers, steaming hot fish and chunky handcut potato chips. The takeaway food market is highly competitive and after all, people eat with their eyes!

Our Creative Director and Marketing Strategist brought in a specialist food stylist, photographer and film crew and set up our makeshift studio, right outside their South Toowoomba store. With our Creative Director’s expert guidance, we captured all of the photos and video footage we needed. We think the results speak for themselves. Stay tuned for lots more updates on flyers, website and radio and tv ads for the Lazy Fisherman.

JUST A HINT OF LUXURY

admin@dddigital.com.au (Motifo Master) — Mon, 24 Dec 2018 04:55:56 GMT

Moorlands Country Retreat really is a breath of fresh air.

Located just 50 minutes from Toowoomba, this local farmstay needed a new logo and business cards that reflect a down to earth country experience, with just a hint of luxury! For their latest business cards, our team recommended 332gsm Buffalo Board. This stock really communicates a true country experience, while the bronze foiling makes their new logo really pop.

dmscreative

Bringing Community Care to Life: How dms CREATiVE Helped Allora Medical Redefine Their Digital Presence

Joe Wagner Group Launches New Website

When Leaders Choose to Evolve: Joe Wagner Group Launches New Website built by dms CREATiVE

From Paddock to Pack: Bringing Handcut Harvest to Life with Wickham Farms

At dms CREATiVE, we’re in the business of transformation. So when long-time client Wickham Farms — one of Australia’s most respected growers — asked us to support the rollout of their latest product launch, we knew exactly how to bring it to life with clarity, care and cut-through.

A fresh take on fresh produce

Crafting the rollout, together

Why it works

Helping good food get seen

Google can find you. Can AI?

Is Your Business Visible in AI Search? Here's What to Know

Are You Sitting on Untapped Potential?

You’ve built a successful business. But is your brand doing the same heavy lifting? This piece explores how to spot untapped potential—and why now’s the time to take it further.

5 SIGNS THAT IT’S TIME FOR A BRAND REFRESH

Zing Property is Thriving with dms CREATiVE by their side

Zing Property today

How we’ve helped Zing stay strong

Building business and community

Looking ahead

VERAX HIRE - A STRATEGIC BRANDING JOURNEY

A transformation from family business to industry player

The challenge was to:

A brand entrenched in trust and quality

The power of a well-executed rebrand

HOW ARE YOU SUPPORTING YOUR SALES FUNCTIONS?

Marketing Collateral

Email marketing

Content Strategy

Momentum

Interested?

ANATOMY OF A GREAT BUSINESS WEBSITE HOME PAGE

QUEENSLAND 2022 PRINTING INDUSTRY CREATIVITY AWARDS

PROCUREMENT FUNDAMENTALS

NEW WEBSITE LAUNCH

BRINGING HOME GOLD, SILVER & BRONZE!

Queensland 2021 Printing Industry Creativity Awards

SHINING THE SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARBOUR BOUTIQUE APARTMENTS.

4 TIPS TO HELP YOU REVIEW YOUR WEBSITE!

In challenging times that encourage social distancing and staying home, your website is going to be the first interaction a potential customer has with you.

DIGITAL MARKETING MENTORING PROGRAM

We’ve partnered with Toowoomba Regional Council to offer fully subsidised expert marketing advice to local businesses, as part of the Digital Marketing Mentoring Program.

OUR WORK OUT AND ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITY!

Great to see Helen Bates, Helen Ward & Justin Heaven running their first Structured Learning Workshop for businesses participating in the SQ Export program!

WE'RE ADDING MORE AWARDS TO OUR TROPHY CABINET!

We’ve just taken home multiple prestigious awards from the Queensland 2020 Print & Visual Communication Association Creativity Awards!

SMALL BUSINESS COVID-19 ADAPTION GRANT PROGRAM.

Has your business been impacted by the COVID-19 shutdown restrictions?

ALMA VALE FARMS

BACK TO HEALTH

BREAKAWAY TOOWOOMBA

BRIGHTSIDE ON VICTORIA

CASA BRAZIL

CATHOLICCARE

4 QUESTIONS EVERY BUSINESS OWNER NEEDS TO ASK RIGHT NOW.

It’s very clear that the way we live is about to change and that these changes are here to stay for quite a while.

MARKETING TO-DO LIST.

If you ‘make hay while the sun shines’, what happens when the sun isn’t shining?

INCONSISTENCY BREEDS DOUBT IN TIMES OF DISRUPTION AND UNCERTAINTY.

Inconsistency breeds doubt and in these times of disruption and uncertainty, it’s more important than ever to ensure that your messaging is clear and consistent.

PRESSURE MAKES DIAMONDS.

New opportunities can and do come from creative thinking …

SILVER AT THE NATIONAL PRINT AWARDS!

Remember how we won GOLD in the QLD Printing Industry Creativity Awards for our Darling Downs & West Moreton PHN Information for referrers pack?

WINNER WINNER WINNER WINNER!

Our Team is doing a happy dance because we have taken home multiple prestigious print awards from the Queensland Printing Industries Craftsmanship Awards!

HEY! IS IT TIME FOR A CHANGE?

Let’s just get one thing straight.

TOP 3 MARKETING TIPS COURTESY OF GAME OF THRONES

It’s the end of an era.

LANDING PAGES THAT ATTRACT CUSTOMERS, AS SIMPLE AS BEES TO HONEY

So, you’ve got a valuable offer to give to your clients.

SO, YOU'RE STARTING A NEW BUSINESS?

Got an exciting new business venture in the works?

JUMP ON THE EMOJI BANDWAGON

According to a new study, it has been found that using emojis can help portray your business as friendlier and increase the likelihood of engagement.

dms CREATiVE TAKES HOME ANOTHER PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL PRINT AWARD.

YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE TO MAKE A POSITIVE FIRST IMPRESSION. MAKE IT MATTER.

YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE TO MAKE A POSITIVE FIRST IMPRESSION. MAKE IT MATTER.

HOW TO TACKLE DECLINING ORGANIC REACH ON FACEBOOK.

You’ve built a successful business. But is your brand doing the same heavy lifting?
This piece explores how to spot untapped potential—and why now’s the time to take it further.