1.1 Research graphic illustration techniques

Introduction

Development is in every way of life and it is constant process. All the time people try to improve something. When we look back we also realise that nowadays we have new techniques in graphic illustration. Now it is quite wide area of artistic forms and of course it is visible even in advertisement. The advertisement draw from artistic forms in order to create some content more sophisticated than competitors.

We have classic following techniques of illustrations:

1. Woodcutting

2. Metal etchings

3. Pencil Illustrations
4. Charcoal illustration
5. Lithography
6. Watercolor illustrations
7. Gouache illustrations
8. Acrylics illustration
9. Collage illustration
10. Pen-and-Ink Illustration

Also we have modern techniques of illustrations:

1. Freehand digital illustrations
2. Vector graphics

In this area we have different styles of illustrations which are:

Concept Art

These types of illustration include Fantasy illustrations, illustrations for Gaming, Animation and One-Pager Fine Illustrations. The term concept first appreared back in 1930s, used probably first from Disney and it was used in the automative industry as well. In concept illustration, the artists creates several interepretations (concept) of a certain theme, from which the client can choose from and see the different stages, development and the process of creation of the illustration.

Children’s

Children book illustrations can be very diverse – from realistic, full with details illustrations to very simplified, child-like, naive drawings. It depends on the story, the target age group and many more. Nevertheless, children’s illustrations are colorful, narrating, there is always something happening. The characters are cute and friendly.

Comics/ Graphic Novels

According to Wikipedia comics is a medium used to express ideas by images, often combined with text or other visual information. Comics frequently takes the form of juxtaposed sequences of panels of images. Often textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia indicate dialogue, narration, sound effects, or other information. Size and arrangement of panels contribute to narrative pacing. Cartooning and similar forms of illustration are the most common image-making means in comics.

Books / Publications / Editorial

Did you know that luxury books on geographical topics and natural history, and some children’s books, had printed illustrations which were then coloured by hand but in Europe, none of the experimental techniques for true colour printing became widely used before the mid-19th century.

Today, a book illustration could be designed in any technique and then printed. This style is very versatile and depends on the vision of the authour and the subject of the book. Illustrators try to create eye-catching covers in order to compete with the piles of books in bookshops. It is a very specific style, which demands catching the viewer’s attention, giving a hint of what is inside the book and sometimes, it is the cover that sells the book (or publication).

Advertising

While book and publication illustrations should be supporting and illuminating a certain idea, without stealing the show from the text, advertising type of illustration is meant to do just that – grab your attention and make a lasting impression on one big idea or brand/product. Many companies choose illustration as the medium to send their message to the audience, because the style better translates the idea than photography, for example.

Packaging

The rise of digital technologies in the latter half of the 20th century allowed businesses to scale rapidly and become global. With unprecedented competition, packaging came to be the way of differentiating the product on the shelf. For some businesses such as jewelry, bakery, children’s products, illustration is the most successful choice. It offers personalized touch, elegance and custom feel.

Branding / Logo

Branding/Logo type of illustration isa very specific style, requiring a certain set of skills. For example, a logo should be recognizable and readable at smaller sizes. Therefore, the illustrator should carefully plan the details of the logo. Logos should be simple, yet grabbing attention and memorable. Sometimes, businesses need more than a logo illustration, but mascots, cartoonized version of their employees or products. With their help, the brands enhance their presence and impression on customers.

1.2 Describe the main elements of copyright law and industry code(s) of practice affecting graphic illustration

Rights covered

The law gives the creators of literary, dramatic, musical, artistic works, sound recordings, broadcasts, films and typographical arrangement of published editions, rights to control the ways in which their material may be used.

The rights cover; broadcast and public performance, copying, adapting, issuing, renting and lending copies to the public.

In many cases, the creator will also have the right to be identified as the author and to object to distortions of his work.

International conventions give protection in most countries, subject to national laws.

Types of work protected

1. Literary

   song lyrics, manuscripts, manuals, computer programs, commercial documents, leaflets, newsletters & articles etc.

2. Dramatic

   plays, dance, etc.

3. Musical

   recordings and score.

4. Artistic

   photography, painting, sculptures, architecture, technical drawings/diagrams, maps, logos.

5. Typographical arrangement of published editions

   magazines, periodicals, etc.

6. Sound recording

   may be recordings of other copyright works, e.g. musical and literary.

7. Film

   video footage, films, broadcasts and cable programmes.

The Copyright (Computer Programs) Regulations 1992 extended the rules covering literary works to include computer programs.

When rights occur

Copyright is an automatic right and arises whenever an individual or company creates a work. To qualify, a work should be regarded as original, and exhibit a degree of labour, skill or judgement.

Interpretation is related to the independent creation rather than the idea behind the creation. For example, your idea for a book would not itself be protected, but the actual content of a book you write would be. In other words, someone else is still entitled to write their own book around the same idea, provided they do not directly copy or adapt yours to do so.

Names, titles, short phrases and colours are not generally considered unique or substantial enough to be covered, but a creation, such as a logo, that combines these elements may be.

In short, work that expresses an idea may be protected, but not the idea behind it.

Who owns a piece of work

Normally the individual or collective who authored the work will exclusively own the work and is referred to as the ‘first owner of copyright’ under the 1988 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act. However, if a work is produced as part of employment then the first owner will normally be the company that is the employer of the individual who created the work.

Freelance or commissioned work will usually belong to the author of the work, unless there is an agreement to the contrary, (i.e. in a contract for service).

Just like any other asset, copyright may be transferred or sold by the copyright owner to another party.

Rights cannot be claimed for any part of a work which is a copy taken from a previous work. For example, in a piece of music featuring samples from a previous work, the copyright of the samples would still remain with the original author.

Only the owner, or his exclusive licensee can bring proceedings in the courts.

Duration of copyright

The 1988 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act states the duration of copyright as;

1. For literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works

   70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the last remaining author of the work dies.*

   If the author is unknown, copyright will last for 70 years from end of the calendar year in which the work was created, although if it is made available to the public during that time, (by publication, authorised performance, broadcast, exhibition, etc.), then the duration will be 70 years from the end of the year that the work was first made available.

2. Sound Recordings

   50 years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was created, or,

   if the work is released within that time: 70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was first released.

3. Films  

   70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the last principal director, author or composer dies.*

   If the work is of unknown authorship: 70 years from end of the calendar year of creation, or if made available to the public in that time, 70 years from the end of the year the film was first made available.

4. Typographical arrangement of published editions

   25 years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was first published.

5. Broadcasts and cable programmes

   50 years from the end of the calendar year in which the broadcast was made.

6. Crown CopyrightCrown copyright will exist in works made by an officer of the Crown, this includes items such as legislation and documents and reports produced by government bodies.Crown Copyright will last for a period of 125 years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was made.

   If the work was commercially published within 75 years of the end of the calendar year in which it was made, Crown copyright will last for 50 years from the end of the calendar year in which it was published.

7. Parliamentary CopyrightParliamentary Copyright will apply to work that is made by or under the direction or control of the House of Commons or the House of Lords and will last until 50 years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was made.

* In the case of work created on behalf of a company the duration is still linked to the individual person that created the work.
Guidance issued by the UK Government states that “An employer should keep careful records of which person(s) created the work for them and any contractual agreements which were in force. The period of copyright protection will usually still be linked to the date of the death of the creator(s) – that is the employee(s).”

Restricted acts

It is an offence to perform any of the following acts without the consent of the owner:

Copy the work.

Rent, lend or issue copies of the work to the public.

Perform, broadcast or show the work in public.

Adapt the work.

The author of a work, or a director of a film may also have certain moral rights:

The right to be identified as the author.

Right to object to derogatory treatment.

Acts that are allowed

Fair dealing is a term used to describe acts which are permitted to a certain degree without infringing the work, these acts are:

• Private and research study purposes.
• Performance, copies or lending for educational purposes.
• Criticism and news reporting.
• Incidental inclusion.
• Copies and lending by librarians.
• Caricature, parody or pastiche.
• Acts for the purposes of royal commissions, statutory enquiries, judicial proceedings and parliamentary purposes.
• Recording of broadcasts for the purposes of listening to or viewing at a more convenient time, this is known as time shifting.
• Producing a back up copy for personal use of a computer program.

Conclusion

Nowadays we have so many techniques of illustrations. It is wide range of possibilities to use in particular projects, campaigns, etc. Everything depends on our target group. We should adjust technique of illustration within our audience when we want to achieve our goals.
Another thing is a protection of our illustration. Similarly like in previous articles also in this case we have law protection which can help us reserve our illustration. It is important thing when we want avoid unfair using of our works.

References:

https://graphicmama.com/blog/types-of-illustration/ – accessed on 16.06.19

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/copyright-laws-graphics-63850.html -accessed on 16.06.19

https://www.copyrightservice.co.uk/copyright/p01_uk_copyright_law – accessed on 16.06.19

1.1 Research advertising solutions

Introduction

Nowadays advertisements are everywhere. It is so simple to find adverts around us or I should write that today they are finding us. In total adverts are in: TV, radio, Internet, mobile phones, apps, newspaper, billboards, lefleats, outdoor and indoor, literally everywhere, especially in towns. It is the best way to show a product to the public, gain potential customers and sell it. In the city centres is a lot of neons which tempt us to buy something. Every advert need a graphic design, a good graphic design so it is like a huge sea of opportunities for the graphic designers and other people associated with this area of business, because we can find really simple and short advertisement but also whole campaigns which are really complex.

On the oakland.edu we can find quite short and good informationc which describes advertising design in quite short way.

Graphic designers plan, analyze, and create visual solutions to communications problems, with messages differing in print and electronic media by using color, type, illustration, photography, animation and various print and layout techniques. Graphic designers are responsible for developing the overall layout and production design of various such as magazines, newspapers, journals, corporate reports, and other publications, and work within advertising in many ways. Some of the responsibilities of graphic designers in advertising include producing promotional displays, packaging and marketing brochures for products and services, designing logos for products and businesses, and developing signs and signage systems for business and government. Graphic designers also develop material for the computer and internet, including webpages, interactive media, and multimedia projects.

Graphic designers can work with drawn, painted, photographed, or computer-generated images as well as the letterforms to make typefaces in movie credits and TV ads, books, magazines, menus and computer screens. Graphic design informs, persuades, organizes, stimulates, locates, identifies, attracts attention, and provides pleasure. Graphic design combines art and technology to communicate ideas, working with a variety of communication tools to convey a message. Graphic designers represent their designs in two main mediums: images and type.

Within advertising, graphic designers use information such as the needs of the client, intended message portrayed by design, and appeal to customers or users before creating a new design. Graphic designers gather information relevant to their designs by meeting with clients, creative or art directors, and performing their own research. Once they acquire this information, graphic designers create sketches or layouts, either by hand or with a computer, to outline their design vision and include elements such as colors, sound, artwork, photography, animation, style of type and other visual elements. Graphic designers then choose a size and arrangement for the element to be displayed on the page or screen, create graphs and charts from data to be published, and consult with copywriters regarding text that accompanies the design. Completed designs are then presented to clients or art/creative directors for approval. Once the project is sent to be published or printed, graphic designers also consult with printers to help determine appropriate types of paper and ink for the publication, ultimately reviewing the proposed final copy to correct for errors prior to publication.

Employment

Graphic designers most often work in specialize design services such as advertising, printing and related support activities, newspapers, periodical books, directory publishers, and producing computer graphics for computer systems design firms. Emphasis is placed on graphic designers with experience in web site design and animation experience due to demand increases for projects using interactive media. Graphic design demand within advertising will increase as advertising firms make print and web marking and promotional materials for more products and services, especially in terms of internet advertising. A broad liberal arts education and experience in marketing and business management, such as with the liberal studies program in advertising and graphic design, make candidates better suited for positions working to develop communication strategies.

In these areas, graphic designers can create projects such as billboards, posters, logos, advertisements, brochures, magazines, book covers, newspapers, newsletters, product packaging, websites, t.v. commercials, graphics, signage, exhibits, film and video graphics, and computer graphics. Graphic designers can work with copywriters when working with text to go along with the designers image. They also work with art directors, design directors or creative directors, production managers, account executives, printer reps, photographers, illustrators and web developers.

Graphic designers working in advertising are employed by large advertising, publishing or design firms and work regular hours in well-lighted and comfortable settings. Graphic designers working in advertising such as in the printing and publishing companies are likely to work evenings or weekends due to production schedules wither shorter and more frequent deadlines. Graphic designers working in these settings typically work full-time but some also do freelance work.

Designers working for smaller design consulting firms or those who freelance work on a job or contract basis, adjust their workday to fit clients’ schedules and deadlines and tend to work longer hours and in smaller, more congested environments. Freelance designers have to please clients and find new ones to maintain a steady income, but are more flexible in their weekly schedule. Graphic designers in these settings often do full time or part time freelance work, in addition to holding a salaried job in design or another occupation.

Graphic designers are able to express their creative side in their work. There are many different fields of design to work on:

• editorial design
• illustration
• identity (logo and branding) design
• icons and pictograms
• typography
• interface graphics and elements
• big print items such as posters and billboards
• signs
• packaging etc.

Advertising design require a more strategic approach rather than creative.

• Ad designs can be fun but it must look professional.
• Must include a benefit to the product or service.
• Ad designs are created as a sales tactic and is used for that purpose only.

1.2 Describe the main elements of copyright law and industry code(s) of practice relating to advertising

Like everything what is created by people and what is original we can possibility to protect it by law. It is a good thing because for example when we create really good campaign or product we do not want that somebody will copy the same idea or thing. It can be really harmful for our company, our image and our results of sales.

What Types of Intellectual Property Rights may be Involved in Advertising?

Just like the elements of a good product or service, the elements of a good advertisement are likely to be imitated or copied by others. So, it is hardly surprising that one or more types of IP rights come into play in creating content for an advertisement, or while deploying an advertising campaign. These include the following:

• Creative content, such as written material, photographs, art, graphics, the layout of an advertisement, music and videos, may be protected by copyright;

• Advertising slogans and sounds may be protected, under circumstances, by copyright and/or by trademark law;

• Business names, logos, product names, domain names and other signs used in advertising, may be protected as trademarks;

• Geographical indications may be protected by laws against unfair competition, consumer protection laws, laws for the protection of certification marks or special laws for the protection of geographical indications or appellations of origin;

• Computer-generated graphic symbols, screen displays, graphic user interfaces (GUIs) and even webpages may be protected by industrial design law;

• A website design is likely to be protected by copyright;

• Software to create digital advertisements, such as computer generated imagery (CGI), may be protected by copyright and/or patents, depending on the national laws;

• Some forms of advertising techniques or means of doing business may be protected by patents or utility models;

• Distinctive packaging, like the shape of a bottle or container, may be protectable as a trademark, industrial design or, in some countries, as a trade dress;

• A person’s identity, such as his or her name, photograph, image, voice or signature, may be protected by publicity or privacy rights;

• Databases, for example of consumer profiles, can be protected by copyright or by sui generis database laws;

• Unfair advertising methods, including false advertising claims, false endorsement of products, deceptive packaging, dishonest promotions or marketing, are prohibited by unfair competition laws.

Advertising codes of practice

Conclusion

In conclusion I would like to remind the main thing associated with my topics.
First we have so many solutions to advertise a product because it is possible in so many ways. Ads are everywhere, we can find them on big billboards in towns or in public toilets like a posters or even on the matchbox or pens. Today’s advertisement bomb us in every possible place in every possible way.
Second is the copyrigths associated with advertisement. Like everything we have to protect our symbols, slogans, designs and anything which can be copied and duplicated in unfair way. Unfortunaltely today not every business owners are honest so I emphasise that is really important to protect everything associated with our business. In this case especially with graphic design.

References:

https://oakland.edu/bals/interdisciplinary-careers/advertising-and-graphic-design/ – accessed on 16.06.19

https://penji.co/difference-between-advertising-design-and-graphic/ – accessed on 16.06.19

https://www.wipo.int/sme/en/documents/ip_advertising_fulltext.html – accessed on 16.06.19

https://www.gov.uk/marketing-advertising-law/advertising-codes-of-practice – accessed on 16.06.19

1.1 Research branding solutions

Introduction

Logo is the main symbol of the company but the whole branding creates a really professional image in all aspects. When we are talking about branding it means: business cards, leaflets, envelopes, etc. It is everything where we can put a logo, company colours, designs and in this way we can make the whole picture of company.

On the designcouncil.org.co.uk we can read that branding is:

If a brand results from a set of associations and perceptions in people’s minds, then branding is an attempt to harness, generate, influence and control these associations to help the business perform better. Any organisation can benefit enormously by creating a brand that presents the company as distinctive, trusted, exciting, reliable or whichever attributes are appropriate to that business.

While absolute control over a brand is not possible due to outside influences, intelligent use of design, advertising, marketing, service proposition, corporate culture and so on can all really help to generate associations in people’s minds that will benefit the organisation. In different industry sectors the audiences, competitors, delivery and service aspects of branding may differ, but the basic principle of being clear about what you stand for always applies.

Branding is not just a logo design. You can’t just design a logo and say “that’s our branding.” It’s factually incorrect.

In fact, even if you combine your logo design, business card, letterhead, and other business stationery design, you still haven’t touched on your company branding.

Your logo design is part of your brand identity – which is a different thing altogether. Your brand identity is the visual representation of your company’s branding.

And that’s only one tiny part of the branding puzzle! We’ll talk more about branding design and brand identity later in the post.

Branding is how people view and perceive your company. It’s also how you as the owner, and your workforce view and perceive the company. It’s your what, your how, and your why.

It’s not the design of your logo, business cards, or website. Again, that’s your brand identity.

It’s about how an audience connects with your company on multiple levels, and through different brand touch points.

A brand can be described as a company, service, product, or person, that has a voice and personality of their own.

A designer can’t “make” a brand. Or design a brand. Designers design a brand identity that reflects a brand.

The branding itself has to come from the company. From their brand strategy.

• What are some of their core values?
• What do they stand for?
• What makes their product unique?
• What is their unique selling point?
• Who are their target customers?

Questions like this form the basis of a brand strategy and should be established within the company as early as possible.

A designer or design agency that offer branding services builds the foundation of a brand, or is brought in to enhance the brand’s visual and corporate identity.

A lot of people, including some designers, think that branding a company simply involves designing a handful of visual elements, such as:

• Logo design
• Stationery design
• Colour palette
• Typography

The sort of things you’d see when looking at or creating a brand guideline.

In reality, branding is a lot more involved than that.

A design or brand agency knits together brand strategy and brand identity. We don’t just produce a variety of pretty designs and call it a branding project.

Professional branding agencies take concepts and ideas from a company’s brand strategy. They then bring them to life in the most appropriate format, sometimes suggesting improvements or refining the original strategy along the way.

A professional design or branding agency creates visual elements that make up the corporate or brand identity of a company, showing what it stands for and highlighting their beliefs.

It’s not just purely a logo design and some colours put together and made to look pretty.

1.2 Describe the main elements of copyright law affecting branding

 

Copyrights Compared To Trademarks And Patents

Although all three protect products of the human imagination, copyrights, trademarks, and patents are distinct but complementary sorts of intellectual property. Each is governed by a different federal law. The US patent statute originates in the same provision of the Constitution that gives rise to our copyright statute. Our federal trademark statute originates in the “commerce clause” of the Constitution, which gives Congress the power to regulate in­terstate commerce. Only our federal government regulates copyrights; copy­right registrations are granted by the Copyright Office, which is a department of the Library of Congress. Similarly, only the federal government can grant a patent. However, although the federal government grants trademark regis­trations, so do all the fifty states.

Copyrights

Since January 1, 1978, in the United States, a copyright is created whenever a creator “fixes” in tangible form a work for which copyright protection is available. Under most circumstance, a copyright will endure until seventy years after the death of the creator of the copyrighted work; after copyright protection expires a work is said to have fallen into the “public domain” and anyone is free to use it. Registration of a copyright enhances the rights that a creator automatically gains by the act of creation, but it is not necessary for copyright protection. The chief limitation on the rights of copyright owners is that copyright protects only particular expressions of ideas rather than the ideas themselves. This means that several people can create copyrightable works based on the same idea; in fact, there is no infringement no matter how similar one work is to another unless one creator copied another’s work.

Trademarks

Trademarks are words or symbols that identify products or services to consum­ers. Unlike a copyright, in which the creator has protectable rights from the in­ception of the copyrighted work, rights in a trademark accrue only by use of the trademark in commerce and then belong to the company that applies the mark to its products rather than to the person who came up with the name or designed the logo that becomes the trademark. Roughly speaking, a company gains rights in a trademark in direct proportion to the duration and the geographic scope of its use of the mark; ordinarily, the company that first uses a mark gains rights in that mark superior to any other company that later uses it for the same product or services. Unauthorized use of a trademark is “trademark infringement.”

As is the case with copyrights, registration enhances rights in trademarks but does not create them. It is generally easy to register a mark within a state, but federal trademark registration, which confers much greater benefits, is more difficult to obtain. Trademark rights last indefinitely; as long as a mark is used in commerce, its owners have protectable rights in it. (For more in­formation about trademarks, see The Trademark Guide, by Lee Wilson, pub­lished by Allworth Press.)

Patents

A patent is a monopoly granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a limited time to the creator of a new invention. According to the Patent Office,
A patent for an invention is the grant of a property right to the inventor, issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Generally, the term of a new utility or plant patent is twenty years from the date on which the application for the patent was filed in the United States or, in special cases, from the date an earlier re­lated application was filed, subject to the payment of maintenance fees. Design patents are granted for ornamental designs used for nonfunctional aspects of manufactured items; design patents last fourteen to fifteen years from the date the design patent is granted, depending on when it was filed. US patent grants are effective only within the United States, US territories, and US possessions. Under certain circumstances, patent term extensions or adjustments may be available.

The right conferred by the patent grant is, in the language of the statute and of the grant itself, “the right to exclude others from making, using, of­fering for sale, or selling” the invention in the United States or “importing” the invention into the United States. What is granted is not the right to make, use, offer for sale, sell, or import, but the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, selling, or importing the invention. Once a patent is issued, the patentee must enforce the patent without aid of the USPTO.

There are three types of patents:

1. Utility Patents may be granted to anyone who invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, article of manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof;

2. Design Patents may be granted to anyone who invents a new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture; and

3. Plant Patents may be granted to anyone who invents or dis­covers and asexually reproduces any distinct and new variety of plant.

An inventor must meet very strict standards before the Patent Office will grant a patent for his or her invention; then, the inventor can stop everyone else from manufacturing the invention without permission or even importing an infringing invention into the United States, even if the infringer of the patent independently came up with the same invention.

No product name is protectable by patent law; a product name is a trade­mark and trademark protection is earned in the marketplace rather than being awarded like a patent. And no song, story, painting, or play can be pat­ented; copyright gives writers and artists the right to keep others from copy­ing their works, but not a complete monopoly on the creation or importation of similar works.

Conclusion

In summary good branding helps us to have better and professional picture of company. If we want to be professional we should invest our time and money in a good branding. Of course it is another thing which can be protected by the law because of copyright, trademarks, patents. It is a next thing about what we should be focused in order to protect our business.

 

References:

https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/news-opinion/power-branding – accessed on 14.06.19

https://www.canny-creative.com/what-is-branding/ – accessed on 14.06.19

https://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/2018/05/brand-owners-guide-to-copyright-protection.html#.XQN56bxKiUk – accessed on 14.06.19

1.1 Research typographic characteristics and techniques

Introduction

Almost in every way of life we can find some rules which can help us create something and the same is with typography. It is he visual component of the written word. Today we have many kinds of fonts and all of them are different. Some of them are formal other informal, funny, decorative, etc. but all of them had to be created by someone and this person should follow by particular rules associated with typography.

 

On the practicaltypography.com we read:

A text is a sequence of words. A text stays the same no matter how it’s rendered. Consider the sentence “I like pizza.” I can print that text on a piece of paper, or read it aloud, or save it in a file on my laptop. It’ll be the same text, just rendered different ways—visually, audibly, digitally.

But when “I like pizza” is printed, typography gets involved. All visually displayed text involves typography—whether it’s on paper, a computer screen, or a billboard.

Is typography an art? That’s like asking if photography is an art. Certainly there are photographers and typographers whose ideas and techniques raise their work to the level of art. But at their core, both photography and typography perform a utilitarian function. The aesthetic component is separate. Being an effective typographer is more about good skills than good taste.

In typography we should be aware of the following things:

01. Font selection

Font design is a long and involved process. Typefaces are created by craftspeople over a substantial period of time, using talent honed over many years. The best, professionally designed fonts come with various weights and styles to form a complete family, plus carefully considered kerning pairs, multi-language support with international characters and expressive alternate glyphs to add character and variety to typesetting.

So while there’s an astonishing array of free fonts to choose from online, you’ll need to check the one you choose includes all the options you need to create a great design.

Even within the paid-for options, so much choice can be overwhelming. It can be tempting to stick to the classics. If you want to branch out and are in need of some inspiration, take a look at these inspired alternatives to Helvetica, or explore these perfect font pairings.

02. Size

All typefaces are not created equal. Some are fat and wide; some are thin and narrow. So words set in different typefaces can take up a very different amount of space on the page.

The height of each character is known as its ‘x-height’ (quite simply because it’s based on the ‘x’ character). When pairing different typefaces, it’s generally wise to use those that share a similar x-height.

The width of each character is known as the ‘set width’. This spans the body of the letter, plus the space that acts as a buffer between one letterform and the next.

The most common method used to measure type is the point system, which dates back to the 18th century. One point is 1/72 inch. 12 points make one pica, a unit used to measure column widths. Type sizes can also be measured in inches, millimetres, or pixels.

03. Leading

Leading describes the vertical space between each line of type. It’s so named because, in the days of metal typesetting, strips of lead were used to separate lines of type. For legible body text that’s comfortable to read, a general rule is that your leading value should be anything between 1.25 and 1.5 times greater than the font size.

04. Tracking and kerning

Kerning is the process of adjusting the space between characters to create a harmonious pairing. For example, where an uppercase ‘A’ meets an uppercase ‘V’, their diagonal strokes are usually kerned so that the top left of the ‘V’ sits above the bottom right of the ‘A’.

Kerning is similar to tracking, but they are not the same thing. Tracking is the process of adjusting the spacing of all characters in a word, and is applied evenly.

05. Measure

The term ‘measure’ describes the width of a text block. If you’re seeking to achieve the optimum reading experience, it’s clearly an important consideration. If your lines are too long, your reader can easily get lost, while a too-short measure breaks up the reading experience unnecessarily.

There are a number of theories to help you define the ideal measure for your typography. One rule of thumb is that your lines should be 2-3 alphabets in length (so 52-78 characters, including spaces).

06. Hierarchy and scale

If all the type within a layout looks the same, it’s difficult to know which is the most important information. Size is one key way in which typographers create hierarchy and guide their readers. Headings are usually large, sub-headings are smaller, and body type is smaller still.

Size is not the only way to define hierarchy – it can also be achieved with colour, spacing and weight.

1.2 Describe the key elements of copyright law affecting the use of typefaces

When we are talking about copyright associated with typefaces we have two main options. First is a free fonts and second is paid fonts. When we use free fonts usually we are allow to do with it what we want but if we want to use paid fonts we have to buy it and after that we will be able to use it. Additionally we should be aware what kinds of services we use because some of them offers paid fonts for free and it is illegal.

How do you acquire a license to a font?

Fonts can be free or licensed, for a fee, for commercial use.

Whether you pay for a font or acquire it for free, each font comes with a license that explains how you may use that font (and how you may not use the font).

Your rights and obligations are defined in the End User License Agreement (EULA).

Those agreements will vary among fonts and among font makers – so read them very carefully to understand what you can and cannot do with the fonts you’re licensing.

For example, some agreements will restrict the number of computers on which you can install a font. Other agreements will restrict the ways you can use a font.

What is copyright?

Copyright is a form of legal protection provided to those who create original works.

Under the 1976 Copyright Act (United States), the copyright owner has the exclusive right to reproduce, adapt, distribute, publicly perform and publicly display the work.

Any or all of these rights can be licensed, sold or donated to another party.

Does copyright law protect typefaces and fonts?

Generally, copyright law in the U.S. does not protect typefaces.

Fonts may be protected as long as the font qualifies as computer software or a program (and in fact, most fonts are programs or software).

Bitmapped fonts are considered to be computerized representations of a typeface (and are not protected by copyright law).

On the other hand, scalable fonts (because they are incorporated as part of a program or software) are protected by copyright.

This means that copyright law (at least in the U.S.) protects only the font software, not the artistic design of the typeface.

You should remember that copyright law, and more specifically, as it relates to typefaces and fonts, varies by country.

Conclusion

Typography is a really good way to create our project or advertisement more sophisticated. It is a good way to be different than others and to be more visible than others. Here is the point why we should be aware that good typography can help us within our project/advertisement. Copyright is a form of legal protection of something what was created and in this case is about typeface and fonts. We can use free fonts but also we can buy some of them a then we should have a licence for it.

 

References:

https://www.creativebloq.com/typography/what-is-typography-123652 – accessed on 13.06.19

https://practicaltypography.com/what-is-typography.html – accessed on 13.06.19

https://www.crowdspring.com/blog/font-law-licensing/ – accessed on 13.06.19

http://www-personal.umich.edu – accessed on 13.06.19

1.1 Research packaging and label design solutions

Nowadays packaging is a really huge industry. Only in the USA the average supermarket holds around 40,000 different items. So every product has box, label, design, etc. It is like a sea of opportunities for graphic designers because somebody has to design it. Situation is similar in other countries because in every country in the supermarkets we have a lot of products and people still want to sell something new or from time to time they want to refresh package, design, etc.

According to Peter Vukovic from 99designs.co.uk we should follow particular rules if we want to create really good packaging. He claims that we have 6 basic rules to comply.

1. Clarity and simplicity

Next time you go to a supermarket, pick a random shelf and browse through some products. Glance at each and ask yourself two very simple questions:

1. What’s this product for?
2. What’s the brand behind it?

You will be amazed how hard it is to find answers to some of these essential questions in less than 4 seconds, which is the maximum time average consumer will dedicate to any particular product on the shelf.

You’ll find products listing dozen of benefits with no clear brand name. You’ll find products that look great on the outside yet fail to explain what’s in the box. You might even find cleaning products in packaging more appropriate for kids juices.

Although some product categories allow for a bit of mystery (think perfumes and luxuries), failing to identify the product in terms of content, usage or brand identity is a horrible practice which usually results in a packaging design which doesn’t perform well in stores.

So remember rule number one: be clear about the product, be clear about the brand.

2. Honesty

Beginners in packaging design, and I’m talking both clients and designers, often strive to depict the product in the most perfect way imaginable. They will show a cookie drenched in chocolate, when in fact you’re buying a simple chocolate flavored biscuit. They’ll show rich, fresh cherries on fruit yogurt with little fruit content.

By depicting a product ten times better than it actually is, you’re misleading and ultimately disappointing the consumer, which only leads to poor sales performance and very bad brand image.

This is where honesty comes in. Consumers have nothing against simple, inexpensive products, as long as they know what they’re buying! Of course they expect “face lifting” to some degree but not to a point where product appears to be something entirely different.

As a designer, your task is to represent the product in the best way possible but keep in mind that consumers – you included – deserve to be treated right.

3. Authenticity

Originality, character and memorability are at the heart of great brands and of course, great packaging designs.

It’s easy to understand why – there are hundreds of products out there, all competing for consumers’ attention. The only way to set your brand apart is to be different, to be authentic.

Because this is truly a matter of creativity and exploration, it’s impossible to give advice on how to “be authentic,”especially nowadays when people are faced with myriad of brands, looks and appeals.

If you’re stuck with a generic looking packaging design then apply an uncommon design style with strong “visual standards.”

For example, if everybody is going for product photography, use illustration or type-based design. If everybody is using a horizontal layout, reach for vertical. If most designs are rather contemporary, try introducing something retro with focus on quality appeal.

Be bold, be different and look into other product categories for unexpected sources of inspiration – spirit label designs can be a great way to brainstorm ideas for that new chocolate packaging project.

4. Shelf impact

From a shopper’s point of view, a product is never seen alone and never in great detail. Because of the viewing distance from shelves and the fact that products are arranged in rows and columns, all we see are veritable patterns made of various products. It’s not until a certain pattern attracts our attention that we decide to take a closer look.

This distinctiveness and appeal of the product when placed on an actual shelf is something retailers call “shelf impact,” and it makes a huge difference in product sales.

Shelf impact is something you need to test and explore in your designs. You can do this by imitating the placement of your design on an actual shelf and surround it by other products (for best results, use several rows and columns of each product). The more distinctive it looks, the better it sells.

5. Extensibility

A product packaging design concept should allow for an easy introduction of a new line extension (product variation) or a sub-brand.

For example, imagine you’re creating a packaging for new brand of apple juice. You and your client opt for a certain design featuring apples which looks really great. However, a few months later, the client decides to launch a cherry flavor under the same brand name.

To your dismay, you understand that the initial design concept you created heavily relies on apples to work and that cherries will not look nearly as good. Plus, cherries have some benefits to be communicated on the front panel, which works against your idea. You have a problem with extensibility.

To avoid this, you should always design product packaging with the future in mind. This means creating a visually systematic design which allows for easy changes of product visual or other information, so you get a fine looking family of products in the end.

6. Practicality

Practicality deals with the actual shape, size and functionality of the product container, not just the label or wrap. The more practical the product, the more sales it gets – when Heinz turned the ketchup bottle upside down, sales skyrocketed.

Practicality is the most overlooked aspect of packaging design, simply because clients often pick the “tried and true” route which is a lost opportunity for innovation.

But if you get lucky and do get a chance to design the next bottle, box or a cup, always think practicality first – or in most cases, how you can make the product easier to use, carry or store.

Practicality alone can solve many of the packaging design challenges.

1.2 Describe the key elements of copyright law affecting packaging and label design solutions

When we have our special design of a product probably we do not want that somebody will copy and use it. So here is an important issue to consider when we want to avoid problems with copyrights.

Jeffrey Brown and Adnan Bohri from packagingdigest.com claims that “Trade dress” is the total image of a product and may include features such as size, shape, color or color combinations, texture and graphics. Trade dress is comprised of the aspects of overall appearance that distinguish a product and identify its source, without serving any other significant function.

Trade dress may be registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) if it is non-functional, distinctive and serves to identify and distinguish the products of a particular source from those of others. Registration is for an initial term of 10 years and can be extended indefinitely so long as the required maintenance fees are paid and the trade dress continues to serve as an identifier of the source. In determining whether trade dress may be registered, the first requirement is to determine whether the trade dress is a “product configuration” or “product packaging.” This distinction determines how the trade dress is examined by the PTO. Product configuration trade dress encompasses the design or features of the product and is inseparable from the product itself. Product packaging trade dress includes the total image created by the packaging in which a product is marketed and is conceptually separable from the product itself.

Registration of a “product configuration” trade dress with the PTO requires showing “acquired distinctiveness.” Trade dress has acquired distinctiveness when consumers can identify the source of the product based on its design. Volkswagen’s Beetle automobile is a classic example of a product configuration trade dress. Typically, acquired distinctiveness is evidenced by consumer surveys, affidavits from industry insiders, sales figures, advertising focused on the trade dress elements and the like. Acquired distinctiveness may also be established by substantially exclusive use of the trade dress in commerce for a period of five years. Absent acquired distinctiveness, product configuration trade dress may be registered on the PTO’s Supplemental Register.

However, applicants seeking to register a “product packaging” trade dress need not show acquired distinctiveness, but may obtain registration upon a showing that the packaging is “inherently distinctive.” Packaging is inherently distinctive when, by its intrinsic nature, it identifies a particular source. An example of inherently distinctive product packaging trade dress is the iconic Coke bottle. If the PTO cannot determine whether the claimed trade dress is product configuration or product packaging, the PTO will generally classify the trade dress as product configuration and thus require evidence of acquired distinctiveness as a prerequisite to permitting registration.

Design patent recommendations

A design patent is obtained by filing an application with the PTO with drawings that depict the design to be protected. A design patent has a single, non-renewable term of 14 years from its issue date.

1. Pursue design patents promptly. You cannot obtain a design patent if you do not file an application within one year of first publicizing, selling or offering for sale the design you seek to patent.

2. Consider including a “patent pending” notice on designs for which a design patent is pending. Although such a notice is not required, the marketplace becomes aware that you have applied for patent protection, and competitors are deterred from knocking off your designs.

3. Once the design patent issues, the product embodying the patented design should be marked with the word “Patent” or “Pat.” and the patent number.

Copyright recommendations

1. Stamp a copyright notice into the base of products and/or apply it to product labels or packaging.

2. Where packaging includes aesthetic non-functional features viewed separably from the product itself, seek registration for those elements.

Trade dress, patent and copyright protection are legal tools you can use to protect the investment and goodwill in your packaging. One or more of these forms of protection may be available with respect to a particular packaging design.

Consider these forms of protection early in your product’s lifecycle to provide you the most protection and best position your company to challenge those seeking to copy or knock-off your work.

Conclusion

In summary I would like to remind that packaging and labeling is a really huge industry in every country. It has a big potential for many of graphic designers and of course they can find there a lot of opportunities. When we have ready product for example logo, shape, box, etc. we should protect it from copying it by others and law allows us to protect it. It is really important to make that our product/symbol is protected and everybody should be aware of it.

References:

https://99designs.co.uk/blog/packaging-label/6-rules-of-great-packaging-design/ – accessed on 13.06.2019

https://www.packagingdigest.com/packaging-design/take-legal-measures-protect-packaging – accessed on 13.06.19

1.1 Describe the requirements of the brief and its specifications

Introduction

Before we start our project or campaign we should prepare questions for our client. He should answer on it and then we can use it like a brief, but what it is exactly? So maybe I will cite a definition of brief:

1. Summary of facts, findings, and objectives, prepared to give its reader a quick, overall view of an investigation, plan, situation, etc.
2. Written statement submitted to a court by each of the opposing parties, setting forth facts, laws, and precedents in support of their respective cases.

Gavin Llewellyn from smartinsights.com claim that a good brief has following steps.

Step 1: Interrogate the problem

Start by evaluating where you are now and ultimately where you’re looking to get to. In other words, current state versus objective.

The strategy you will eventually develop can be seen as the bridge between these two elements and therefore a clear understanding of each is essential. This takes a lot of work from all sides involved and requires insight from key stakeholders from the client side, including:

• Marketing
• Research/ insight
• Sales
• Finance
• Target audience/ customers

As this is just the beginning of the process the following questions can be helpful to start building an initial picture of what you’re dealing with:

Goals and objectives

• Strategic goals – what are the overarching business, sales and marketing objectives?
• Targets – what does success look like in terms of size of opportunity, market share, brand awareness or lead generation?
• Timings – over what period of time should objectives, goals and targets be achieved?
• Budget – what is the budget we’re working to? Is there scope to expand and build over time?

Proposition and key messages

• Overarching brand positioning – what is the overall brand positioning and how is this factored into/ influencing the product/ service messaging?
• Key messages – what are the key benefits by audience?
• 140-character summary – if you had to summarise the sales pitch in a tweet what would it be?
• Proof points – what are the tangible pieces of evidence, e.g. stats, case studies, success stories to prove the benefits of the product/ service?
• Calls to action – what can we offer our contacts as a next step that will be valuable to them?

 Target audience

• Insight – what do we know about the audience and their challenges? Is there any research? What personas do we have to help bring the target to life?
• Decision-making – what triggers our target’s decision-making process? Are there certain micro-moments we should consider? From a B2B perspective, who are the decision-makers and who their influencers?
• Job roles (B2B) – what functions, job roles, areas of responsibility are we targeting?

Step 2: Discover a unique insight

The intelligence collected in the first step is extremely valuable but without organising this in a way that can be effectively distilled into meaningful categories, you may find yourself drowning in information. The objective at this stage is to deep-dive into this information and look for a compelling insight:

“Insights are unspoken human truths, truths the subconscious recognises when it sees them. Often, insights are the arsenal of comedians and poets. A lot of creatives look up jokes about particular issues as inspiration for their ideas for this reason.

One of the best ways to find them? Start with something that seems obvious and keep asking ‘Why?’ and ‘What if?’” – Mark Pollard, Lead Strategist at The Mighty Jungle

There are four main areas that make up a marketing problem, which either on their own, or in combination with one another, can be the source of a potential insight:

• The business – the objectives, strategy and brand are all important as they underpin everything the business is trying to do. For example, if the business is aiming to move into a new sector, there must be good alignment across all of these elements
• The product – the product or service being sold and the unique aspects that differentiate from the competition
• The market – the maturity, competitiveness and pace of the market all play a role in determining what path may or may not be realistic to pursue
• The audience – how your customers think and feel about the brand and position in the market can lead to some of the most unique and interesting insights

Step 3: Identify the roadblocks to success

The heart of defining the marketing challenge hinges on the identification of the obstacles preventing a business from achieving their commercial objectives:

The previous step told us where to look for an insight. This stage is about how we can go about finding the insight and gain a sound understanding of the root cause behind the marketing challenge.

Whilst facts related to the business, market and/ or product/ service are all extremely valuable, there’s often an audience-centric element at the core of the challenge. This requires us to consider what we need the target audience to think or do differently what may be preventing that desired change in behaviour from happening. We need to be able to complete the following:

The customer currently ____ but we need them to ____. They currently won’t / can’t because ______.

So how do we get to the bottom of this puzzle and identify the marketing challenge? Through a combination of curiosity, precise questioning and perseverance. Ask ‘why’ and keep going until you reach a satisfactory answer. For example: “Why are we behind our monthly sales target?”:

• Why? “Because our social campaigns are not resonating with the audience”
• Why? “Because very few people are engaging (commenting, liking, sharing) with the content
• Why? “Because the product is not relevant to them”
• Why? “Because the proposition is unclear”
• Why? “Because we don’t have a clear understanding of who we’re targeting and why our product is relevant”

Through a series of simple ‘why’ questions, we have found a potential source for the overarching problem that was originally identified.

Step 4: Develop a strategy

As soon as you are clear on the marketing challenge you’ll be in a position to start developing the strategy. The key components of a good strategy will include:

• Clearly defined objectives – demonstrate how overall business objectives (e.g. increase sales by 25% year-on-year) relate to marketing objectives (e.g. grow awareness by 50% within next 12 months)
• A summary of where we are now – an overview of insight about the business’s product/ service, market and audience
• The marketing challenge – the obstacle between where we are now and where we want to be (i.e. achieving our objectives)
• Strategy statement – a concise strategy statement summarises your proposition and creative idea and how you will tackle the marketing challenge
• The proposition or core strategic idea – a much more detailed outline of how the strategy will be executed
• Risks/ threats – the potential stumbling blocks – internal and external – to executing the strategy and achieving objectives

Step 5: Articulate the communication task

The final stage in the process is to put all this work together as part of a clear, concise brief. This involves a distillation of all the elements we’ve reviewed so far and the GET – (WHO) – TO – BY format is a very effective way of summarising the communication task:

GET – the primary audience (a person or cohort) plus your insight

Get ABC1 25-45 multi-taskers in the UK

WHO – an attitudinal expression/ insight into current behaviour (this part may not always be required)

Who are looking for a convenient way to snack in a healthier way without compromising on taste

TO – the belief or behaviour we want to re-frame

To discover and try our innovative new health snack that gives them the perfect way to snack on the go

BY – a short summary of how the campaign Big Idea provides an opportunity to reframe behaviour, encouraging the target audience to act/ respond differently

By showing them that our innovative new health snack is as tasty is traditional snacks but is lower in sugar, fat and saturates

With a strong, effective Get – (Who) – To – By you will be able to clearly articulate the communication task and summarise the marketing challenge for everyone involved in the campaign. This helps ensure everyone is aligned to the task at hand and you can progress to the campaign execution stage with confidence.

1.2 Research the client and the market in which they operate

It is very important to know our clients business and area of their activity. If we have this knowledge we know what we can expect, we know how help our client, where are pros and cons of their business. To gain these information about our client and their area of activity we have to do research and then we will have more details about it.

1.3 Evaluate the visual and contextual characteristics of the research

When our brief is ready and we know what we should do, we can focus on the research. It is very important because of gain information about particular things, projects, campaigns, clients, etc. When we will have it we can show it by chart or by report, of course we can mix it. In my opinion is the best way to show information about something. If we have a report we can read it all the time and when we want emphasize some data we can show it by chart. When we use charts in our reports it is clearer, easier and much quicker to understand some information.

Conclusion

In summary it is important to be aware of advantages of a brief. This kind of document can help us save time and money so we should use it. If we want to create a good brief we should do it in particular steps and contain there important questions associated with our goals. Then we should do research about our client and their market. Next we should evaluate the results of our research and decide what is good and what is bad in our case, where we should be more focused and do improvements. Finally if we have enough information we should create a schedule for production to achieve goals from the brief. These every single step can help us be more successful.

 

References:

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/brief.html – accessed on 13.06.19

https://www.smartinsights.com/digital-marketing-strategy/defining-the-marketing-challenge/ – accessed on 13.06.19

https://www.business.qld.gov.au/running-business/marketing-sales/marketing-promotion/competition/understand-competitors – accessed on 13.06.19

Creative media industry

Introduction

Nowadays creative media industry is almost everywhere, especially it is associated with television, computers, tablets and smartphones. In short with everything what can cause interactions with people. Founders tries to create newer designs, methods and techniques in order to improve experiences in this area but let’s take a look deeper about creative media industry.

1.1 Describe the  types of organisation within the chosen creative media industry.

In creative media industry we can find the following sectors. There are nine of them:

1. Advertising and marketing
2. Architecture
3. Crafts
4. Design: product, graphic and fashion design
5. Film, TV, video, radio and photography
6. IT, software and computer services
7. Publishing
8. Museums, galleries and libraries
9. Music, performing and visual arts

I would like to focus on the graphic design. Here we have two main types of organisation. First one – somebody is self-employed and second one – creative/advertising agency.

When we talk about typical agency we have the following organisational structure:

• Contact Department
• Media Department
• Copy Department
• Art Department
• Production Department
• Research Department
• Accounting and Finance Department
• Public Relations (PR) Department
• Office Management

Every department has their own duties and responsibilities.

Contact Department

Contact department, also known as client department is in charge of keeping contact with their prospective clients of the advertising agency, mostly the advertisers.

The functions of the client department includes:

• Carrying the important information to the clients
• Efforts for retaining and creating new clients
• Building the bridge between the advertising agency and the client
• Helps in boosting revenues
• Promotion of their agency to create new prospects
• Efficient working for the quick growth of its organization

Media Department

Media Department of advertising agency is responsible for the choice of media. This department selects the best suitable medium for the ad agency that will be suitable for its clients.

Also Read- Traditional marketing vs digital marketing

Before the selection process, media department’s initial role is to find out about:

• The product’s nature
• The market competition
• Advertising budget of the client
• Media trends, etc.

The functions of media department are:

• It selects and uses the best media possible to communicate the ad message to the ultimate consumers
• It can also fail, as a wrong selection will result in the failure of the advertised product.
• Preparation of media plans for its clients
• Media scheduling
• Supervising the execution
• It keeps constant contact with the media and the client

Copy Department

The copy of the advertising agency is very crucial. It is called the heart of the ad as this conveys a direct message to the consumers creatively.

Also read- Good advertising sells itself and other myths

Primary functions of the copy department are:

• Preparing an attractive copy for its clients and customers.
• Participate in brain- storming sessions and come up with ideas.
• Using their extraordinary skills of putting flair and fluent language while preparing a copy.

This department includes copywriters, copy-supervisors, and others.  The copy department works in close co-operation with the art department. Mostly, the copy department is the largest department of an advertising agency. It comprises of a hard-working team of qualified professionals and experienced staff.

Art Department

The art department consists of all the artists in an advertising agency. The advertisement finally becomes agreeable and acceptable because of these people in the art department. These people use the principles of real art, probably on software, as a guideline or base to present a product to the targeted audience. The personals working in the art department are known as the Art Directors.

The functions of the art department are:

• Transform the idea that the client wants to convey, into a simple and beautiful imagery.
• Preparing layouts and visuals for the clients.
• To work closely with the copywriters for developing the visual messages.
• Making painted bulletins, posters, car cards, illustrations, slogans, etc.

Production Department

Once, after the copy and art is finalized, the advertisement is sent to the production department for further process. Both the departments, copy and art, create the basic model of the advertisement. The production department takes the advertisement into its final stage. A production manager heads the production department.

Functions of the production department are:

• Produces the final advertisements for the markets.
• Making contacts in the industry for the easy carrying out of tasks.
• Assemble the typographic design patterns, engraved photos, illustrations, copy, etc. and prepare the final advertisement.
• Sending the final product to its clients and get the approval.
• Once the approval is received, then it can be sent for final printing or production for the market.
• Keeping them updated about the latest trends and technologies.

Research Department

Without knowing the 5 W’s and 1 H of the market, you can never run a successful advertisement campaign. The research department in advertising collects information about the market, market competition, market trends, products and services, competitors, consumer behavior, media trends, new trends in advertising, so on.

The success of the advertising agency’s advertisement campaign depends upon how hard the research team has done its work. A right direction and the right approach are very important for a successful ad campaign.

Functions of the research department include:

• Carrying out research and deriving out useful information.
• Critically analyze the information, which they have derived.
• Apply the results in different ways.
• Agency makes use of above information for executing an excellent ad campaign.

Accounting and Finance Department

As the name suggests, the accounting and finance department of an advertising agency looks into the financial and accounting matters of the organization.

The functions of this department are:

• To generate and keep a record of the invoices that the company incurs or gains.
• Sending out regular reminders to the clients for un-cleared payments.
• Clear accounts before or within the due dates.
• Issue payments to vendor parties within or on the due date.
• Keep a track of the monthly and yearly accounts.
• Deposit the government fees on time.
• Manage salary accounts of the employees.

Public Relations (PR) Department

The chief responsibility of a public relations (PR) department is to maintain a cordial relationship among three parties, namely, advertising agency, clients, and media. Every organization may not have a separate department for PR hence, it becomes important for the other members of the organization to build cordial relations with clients and customers.

The functions of the PR department are:

• Redressing the grievances of the consumers.
• Taking feedback from clients and customers and working on it immediately.
• Serve as a road between the advertising agency and the other parties.
• Maintain a repo, by maintaining the goodwill.

Office Management

The office management department can also be called the HR department of the advertising agency.

Their functions include:

• Recruiting the office staff.
• Carrying out training and development of the newly hired staff.
• Carry out promotions of the deserving candidates.
• Provide welfare facilities to staff.
• Filing and record keeping of all the essential documents.

Of course is not necessary that one agency has every mentioned department, because everything depends on scale of agency. Even the small- sized or mid- sized agencies have people for the functions of all the departments. They can hire multi- taskers for that matter.  The departments can be merged, but these are the basic functions that the organizational structure of any advertising agency follows.

1.2 Explore successful organisations and enterprises within the chosen creative media industry

Nowadays everything is changing quickly so advertising agencies also has to change their behaviours if they want to be up to date with current trends.

Alexei Orlov, Global CEO of Rapp said:

“The actual model is changing. As recently as roughly eight years ago, advertising ruled everything; it was the golden era of cinema and TV. Clients would start with a budget and then ask agencies to develop creative that would be spent against that budget. Now the world has changed. The power has shifted from brands to people. Today, brands need people more than people need brands. The challenge for brands is delivering real benefits in real time such that you create a discreet experience. And you have to do this every day, bit by bit, minute by minute, that aggregates over time to a holistic view that the consumer has about the brand. This has caused a fundamental shift as agencies now have to develop deep, meaningful insight from data that can take a brand and catapult it to another place. This takes precision. Companies that succeed will be able to take a nuance of data that is real, meaningful, and unique and then shape the insight in a way that makes people stop.

Additionally, agencies need to understand that co-creation is happening. Gone are the days when companies threw everything at an agency and the agency was expected to come back with a final product. Clients want to be involved in creating the end product. Often, they want the consumer, or other critical stakeholders to be involved as well. Agencies have to open up the process and let clients in—the black box era of creation is over”.

1.3 Explain what makes them successful

Every company has their own recipe about how to be successful in their profession but a few main steps can help everybody especially advertising agency.

1. Emphasize Personal Relationships with Clients
2. Explain What You Do Easily
3. Have a Consistent Track Record of Matching Audiences
4. Solve the Key Problem for the Client
5. Ask For Referrals
6. Embrace Social Media
7. Attractive Website And Using SEO

Businesses, companies and firms that are new to the market need to hire an advertising agency to guide clients, consumers and audiences. There are many upcoming companies that are gearing their marketing to the millennials. The generation of social media, funny and rather offensive memes are here to stay and millennials are the rulers of the all things technology. Successful advertising agencies in Utah are experts in digital marketing, social media marketing, blogs, articles, design and video production. They have a vast expertise in writing and producing to the needs of their clients.

Marketing agencies that are successful and award-winning have experts in all related fields in their agency. These professionals are able to create print ads, graphic designs and blogs that gear toward audience and consumers. The most effective way to bring in consumers is video production. YouTube has gained millions of users in the past five years which is why video production is a smart route to take in order to gain popularity.

The Qualities and Services of Successful Advertising Agencies

Advertising agencies are able to have many different but related expertise. One of the most important qualities is to have professionals who can write for many different kinds of companies and firms. They need to know who the audience is, that way they can write in a proper tone and style.

Which leads to the next service, social media marketing. It’s safe to say that social media plays significant part in everybody’s life so why not connect with consumers that way? Social networking websites build virtual relationships that allows people to connect with the brand. The consumers are able to have their voices heard and give positive or negative feedback based on their experiences, that way the brand can make changes in the future. Highly rated agencies have a solid team that are able to advertise on websites, social networking sites, print and video ads.

1.4 Describe the types of customer within the chosen creative media industry

Every business has some kinds of customers so also in advertising agency we can find a particular kinds of clients.

1. Lawyers

Much like lawyers, these clients are orderly, succinct, to the point, and accurate.

They mean business. They don’t like fluff, bells and whistles, surprises, or smoke and mirrors.

They expect you to know what you’re doing, and report on it to a T. They won’t be impressed with you if you can’t explain the logic of your campaign and answer key questions about it.

These clients will be the first to let go of your firm if they’re not satisfied with your results and actions.

Common Characteristics:

• On time
• Orderly and organized
• No nonsense
• Results-oriented
• Values procedure
• Task-oriented
• Detail-driven

Likely Personality Type:

• Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging (ISTJ)
• Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking Judging (INTJ)
• Extraverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging (ESTJ)

To Succeed With This Client: Step Up Your Game

Be organized. Your marketing campaign plan has to be laid out in advance, documented, and submitted for review before you start anything.

Have a timeline. Reference it! Make sure your client knows about delays that will cause a ripple effect.

Document everything. Have somebody take notes about conversations, details, numbers, wants, needs, etc. during meetings.

Be empirical. Rely on data to make decisions. Present all of your data to them. Base discussions on empirical facts. This helps them understand your campaigns and decision-making procedures.

Best Communication Style: Short, Detailed, and Sweet

Be straightforward and precise. These are practical, logical, and efficient people. Focus on sharing facts and details with them. They value short, detailed, no-frills meetings.

Ask them what they need and expect of you. Be sure to let them know what you need from them.

Demonstrate that you know what you’re doing by presenting data and facts. Share how this could affect the long-term picture. These clients think about the present and the future.

Communicate and seek their approval. This type of client likes to feel like they’re in the loop.

Best Assets and Tools to Work With:

• Data, tables, charts, anything with information at its base.

Do Not:

• Over-promise. They’re guaranteed to call you on it if you under-deliver.
• Surprise them or give them last-minute decisions. They don’t respond well to surprises (except good ones) and they will call you out on any deviations from the plan.
• Give them short deadlines. They require time and detailed information to make decisions.
• Forget anything. These people are meticulous. They’ll remember details from conversations you’ve long since forgotten.
• Be vague. They want to know details down to granular level. They care about how this affects their brand long-term.
• Get personal. They are time-oriented folks who want to focus on what’s at stake in business, not your personal life.

This Client Wins At: Being Reliable

You can depend on this client. They are reasonable and easy to work with so long as you meet their needs.

If you ask something of them they will get it done right away. You can count on them for anything, which makes them excellent business partners.

They are a great resource to use. It’s likely that they know everything about their customers and target market. Focus on getting as much information out of them as possible.

2. Artistic Geniuses (a.k.a. Tornadoes)

The iconic artist: a genius who is everywhere at once. They have lots of brilliant projects and ideas on their mind. However, they lack the organization needed to implement them.

They mean well and are heavily invested in their company. However, they may have bitten off more than they can chew, or can’t deliver for your timeline.

Their assignments or deliverables will either be late, stray from the initial idea, or be wrong for the campaign you discussed.

Common Characteristics:

• Imaginative and creative
• Fast-paced
• Social, confident, and gregarious
• Passionate
• Disorganized
• Amazing brainstormers

Likely Personality Type:

• Extraverted, Sensing, Feeling, Perceiving (ESFP)
• Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving (ENFP)
• Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, Perceiving (ISFP)

To Succeed With This Client:

Be diligent with time management. This will help prevent meetings from getting derailed by their creative windstorms and personable nature. Don’t be afraid to reign the discussion in and implement focus.

Draw from their creativity and passion. These folks are very driven. They have great ideas. Don’t be afraid to use them.

Know where to draw the line. These types of people will continuously throw ideas and constructive criticism at you. Take what is most valuable, but be selective.

Don’t rely on them for deliverables. These people tend to have a lot going on. Don’t rely on them. Set timelines that they can actually meet, or get required materials from them completed in your meetings.

Best Communication Style: Organized, Friendly, Firm

Engage with these types of clients on a human level. Part of their idea of success is having a good relationship with their business partners. They value exciting, fast-paced, friendly meetings. Make sure that you have a grip on the conversation direction so you can get things done.

As practical, concrete, and creative people, you should focus on sharing details with them. Stray from abstract ideas.

Show them that you can handle projects on your own. This will prove your value to them. Demonstrate that they don’t need to jump in with their creative genius to make a campaign succeed.

Best Assets to Work With:

• Lists, project details, human experiences

Do Not:

• Be long-winded. These fast-paced individuals will quickly lose attention unless the topic of discussion changes often.
• Be overly formal. These clients are personable and like to connect on a light-hearted note.
• Give them too much abstract, vague information. These people are creative, detail-oriented thinkers. They understand concrete and focussed ideas.
• Rely on them for deliverables and tedious tasks.
• Allow them to hijack the project with their creativity and personable nature.

This Client Wins At: Being Go-Getter Partners

Artistic and gregarious, you will find these partners to be fun to work with and full of good ideas. They want the best for you and themselves. They’ll work hard to maintain a good relationship. They’ll also be up for anything! If you ask them to be a part of your marketing campaign it’s unlikely that they’ll say no. If you have a great, fresh idea, chances are they’ll love it!

3. Skeptics

Skeptics have a tendency to question everything (especially their colleagues), which makes them solid independent workers.

Sometimes you will run into a client who only works with you because they have to. These types don’t trust your skill until you prove yourself. They’re usually looking for an expert to execute on something they have little knowledge in.

Skeptics will be the first to poke holes in anything you propose unless you support yourself with concrete data.

This type of client thinks that they could do your job better than you (especially if you have a bad dynamic). They are not shy to drop you as an agency if you cannot deliver up to their standards.

Common Characteristics:

• Critical thinkers
• Skeptical
• Independent
• Decisive
• Organized and task-oriented
• Leaders
• No-nonsense

Likely Personality Type:

• Extraverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Judging (ENTJ)
• Extraverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving (ENTP)
• Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving (INTP)

To Succeed With This Client:

Be straightforward. Cut to the chase because these clients aren’t looking for social niceties and friendly relationships.

Speak to the logic. Skeptics are both concrete and abstract thinkers. They think about the big picture, but rely on the how in order to trust it. If you can’t answer critical questions then it’s unlikely that they will trust you and want to work with you.

Have past results to support future plans. Skeptics believe in one thing and one thing only: evidence. In order for these types to trust you, they need to see that you can prove yourself. Show them all the success you’ve had in the past and explain how you can replicate it.

Solve problems with and without them. Skeptics have thought of their own approach and solution before they consult an expert. They’re looking for a second opinion. Ask them about their ideas and integrate them into your action plan. This will help you build trust.

Have your strongest and most positive teammates deal with them. Skeptical clients can be hostile towards weak team members who cannot stand their ground and answer questions thoroughly. Highlight your team’s success and emphasize how tightly you’ve aligned to their business objectives.

Best Communication Style: Cut to the Chase

These clients are objective driven. They don’t care to talk about the weather or your pet rabbit. They want to get down to business in a productive way. Don’t be long-winded in your meetings.

Citing facts will bore these clients and make them think that you don’t know what you’re talking about. Talk big picture and use facts whenever they don’t believe you.

Focus on the big picture. Know your campaign inside and out so when they ask a tough question you can answer it without hesitation.

Best Assets to Work With:

• Reason, analytics, data, strong character

Do Not:

• Go into a single meeting without a game plan. Skeptics can sense weakness and use it as a reason not to trust you. Your team should function like a well-oiled machine in front of them.
• Take things personally. Skeptics will poke holes in virtually everything. Don’t take it personally. They’re doing it because they care about their company (sometimes they do it because they don’t trust you).
• Drop numbers. The first sign of someone who doesn’t know what they’re talking about is vacuous fact dropping. Cite numbers and facts when necessary, but don’t rely on them.
• Be long-winded. These types of people don’t care for small talk. They want to have concise meetings and will easily lose patience with ramblers.

Skeptics are intimidating, but they will teach your firm a lot of valuable lessons.

After working with one of these clients successfully you will be able to do anything. They will test your marketing knowledge and business relationship skills. You’ll quickly learn from the experience. They’ll force you to know literally everything about their marketing campaign.

You’ll learn how to answer tough questions and leverage empirical evidence to gain client trust, and a lot of future clients will value this.

4. Empathizers

Empathizers are great people to work with. They want to develop a strong, friendly relationship with you. They’re your biggest cheerleader and want you to feel proud of your campaign. They want a partner, not just an agency.

Empathizers will do their very best to work with you by providing ideas and words of encouragement. Don’t get lost in their positive feedback. These folks avoid confrontation because they don’t want to hurt others around them. It can be difficult to give them criticism without hurting their feelings. You may never receive constructive feedback from these clients (which isn’t a good thing).

Empathizers want decisions to be made based on feelings, rather than facts. They will push you to agree with them, which could put your campaign on the line.

Don’t breach their trust or loyalty. This will make them re-evaluate your partnership.

Common Characteristics:

• Friendly and personable
• Empathetic
• Open-minded
• Keen organizers and planners
• Tendency to juggle too much at once
• Imaginative
• Strongly driven by morals and feelings

Likely Personality Type:

• Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging (ENFJ)
• Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging (INFJ)

To Succeed With This Client:

Position things in a personal way. Empathizers work hard for causes that they believe in. Frame your projects around things that matter most to them.

Learn how to give emotionally sensitive feedback. Things can get tense sometimes. Some personalities can handle tension well, but empathizers struggle with this. Give them feedback gently.

Be highly personable. These clients value strong personal relationships and loyalty. Make sure that your team is able to connect with them on a deeper level. They will get a lot of value out of this type of business relationship.

Listen to their ideas. Empathizers are naturally good listeners. They also want to be heard too. During meetings be sure to take detailed notes and seriously consider how to implement at least some of their ideas.

Show them how you’re making the world a better place. Nothing is more rewarding to these clients than seeing how they’re making the world a better place. Integrate long-term, positive impact into your proposals and outcomes.

Best Communication Style: Affectual, Friendly, and Big Picture-Oriented

These clients are objective driven. In order to get there, they need to have a strong relationship with your team. Integrate personal aspects into your whole business relationship. These clients will be infinitely grateful to their agency partners who take time outside of work to meet and bond.

Empathizers love big-picture plans that involve genius strategy, a strong agenda, a good schedule, and apt planning. Come prepared to your meetings. Focus on outcomes and how they are benefiting the cause that your client believes in.

Avoid conflict, don’t be harsh, and remain positive. You’ll be able to get through to your client with difficult news, criticism, and team goals much easier this way.

Best assets to work with:

• Meeting minutes, gratitude, agendas

Do Not:

• Be short or harsh. Criticism and judgement can be taken the wrong way with these sensitive types. Lay down negative points gently.
• Disregard their moral compass. They take their personal values very seriously. Disregarding them can destroy their loyalty and make them question your relationship.
• Allow their moral compass to dictate everything. Morality isn’t always an effective marketing strategy. Don’t allow abstract ideas to dictate your work. Harmoniously balance marketing goals with your clients’ feelings.
• Allow their lack of criticism to mean that you can’t do your job better. Ask them how you can improve.
• Focus on the small stuff. These people are big-picture thinkers who like to see results in a positive way. Don’t concern them with the granular level of your project.

This Client Wins At: Opening Your Marketing Heart and Mind

Working with empathizers will teach you valuable teamwork and empathy lessons.

They’ll show you how to make your marketing less about numbers and KPIs, and more about intrinsic impact. Marketing has a tendency to be vanity-metric oriented, and the majority of clients believe in these vanity metrics. For the first time in a long time you’ll have a client who looks past that and teaches you more about genuine human connection as a long-term benefit.

2.1 Explore employment opportunities within the chosen creative media industry

we have huge scope of employment opportunities associated with advertising agency. For example we can work as:

 

2.2 Describe the requirements of a role in the chosen creative media industry

I want to describe requirements associated with graphic designer position.

Graphic Designer/Graphic Artist

Graphic designers create the visual concepts based on the art directors design direction. They find the most effective solutions to getting messages across in print and electronic media through the use of colour, type, imagery and format. Graphic designers develop the overall layout and production design for various applications such as for advertisements, brochures, magazines, corporate reports, digital graphics and front-end web design.

Skills required: Visual Ideation/Creative problem solving, typography, software, layout, print design and time management.

Of course we need to know particular techniques, methods and programmes like: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.

3.2 Describe how collaboration can support the generation of ideas

Good ideas are our target when we want to work as a member of advertising agency, but when we have collaboration we can create better ideas together. It is quite simple because a few person have a different points of view, different scope of critisism, etc. When we combine it we can have as a result really good and beneficial idea.

Collaboration: the gateway to successful idea generation

Generation of powerful ideas should never be seen as a talent that only some possess. If cultivated properly, all members of your team can learn how to stimulate new ideas.

Challenge yourself and your team constantly, and provide them with the environment that allows them to grow. Innovative ideas are often the results of a collaboration process created by individuals, and not the result of a single person.

In summary I only can add – two minds are better than one.

3.3 Describe how feedback can support the generation of ideas

When we work on something feedback is really important because of that we can gain very important informations about our work and we know what was good and bad, what we should improve and what is on relevant level. Good feedback can be really beneficial for us because when we have it, we are able to do improvements.

On the starquestion.com we can find informations about feedback and if we want to stay on top of things we should put our customers in a center of our business and treat their feedback as the most valuable source for information in our company. They are the ones who use our products and services, so they know best what could be improved to make them even more happy. Never ignore their voice. If we fail to meet their expectations they will find other company which will do it better than we. Use customer feedback at all corporate levels and across all departments in our company. Insights will help us develop our products, improve customer service, and manage customer satisfaction. Thanks to customer feedback we can make sure that our clients will stay with us, be loyal to our brand and in consequence will spread positive word-of-mouth for us. Having devoted brand ambassadors is gold our company needs to grow!

Remember that customer feedback is everywhere. Learn how to collect it using different tools and resources. Run surveys in different forms and search for reviews your clients post on the Internet. Do not underestimate any comment about your products and services and try to always be responsive. Your clients will appreciate you value their opinion. It is a key for developing strong relations with your audience. Customer voice is priceless for your business, so never stop listening!

4.1 Describe a range of communication methods

2020projectmanagement claims that communication is important everywhere also in the project management. Good project communication can help with achieving particular goals within our project.

Project leadership calls for clear communication about goals, responsibility, performance, expectations and feedback.

Successful project management communication is about being there for everyone, being in touch with the real challenges of the project, understanding the real issues within the team who must deliver the project as well as understanding the issues of the sponsors who the team delivers the project for. Being present, visible and engaged with everyone is important – during the good times and the challenging times.

Communication is not only about speaking to and hearing from people, it’s about understanding the complete message.

4.2 Describe suitable communication methods for different audiences

Good communication makes everything is clear and easy to understand and to do, so now we know why it is so important to have suitable communication methods for different audiences.

Carl Stanford from fleximize.com claims that one of the keys to communicating effectively is to be able to tailor your communication to your audience. This can be done in various ways, and if done correctly will allow you to engage your audience quickly and with the optimum results.

Know your audience

In business, you’ll communicate with a variety of different people in many different ways. These may include: marketing, networking, staff meetings, client and supplier meetings, disciplinary procedures, as well as communicating with regulators or government agencies.

In each situation, your communication will have certain goals and your aim will be to achieve these goals as effectively as possible. if you are speaking to a room full of colleagues, you can use jargon and company ideals to present your idea. However, if you are presenting to a room full of potential customers, this might not convert into sales.

Communication objectives

It is vital to think about the objectives of each communication, as this will help you design your message. You can then take what you already know about the audience to anticipate their reactions and tailor your message, tone and medium.

Whenever you communicate with an audience, you should be measuring and assessing their reaction, whether that’s in terms of sales, enquiries, leads or even direct feedback. Each time you do this, you’ll learn more about what works and what doesn’t. You’ll then be able to refine your next communication with that audience to better meet your objectives.

Every audience is different

If you want to maximize the effectiveness of your communication with various audiences, be aware of the different approaches. For example, a joke in the office might be inappropriate when dealing with a customer. On the other hand, the formal tone of a client negotiation will be inappropriate when chatting with colleagues.

Failing to modify your communication style to the audience can result in confusion, misunderstanding and even offence. It’s a risk that’s not worth taking, so take care with all of your communication, especially in business.

Conclusion

Creative media industry can be quite big range of a business but also we can be self-employed. Not all advertising agency need every department because everything depends on needs and range of particular agency. If we want to be successful we have to be aware that everything is changing all the time and we have to be up to date with it. We still should improve our products or services nad of course we should plan good campaings focused on our goals. Additionally we should be aware that there are a few kinds of potential clients and each of them has different expectations so we should use different methods for each of them.
Creative/advertising industry has huge range of opportunities so everything depends on us which part of it we want to create but before that we should know something about requirements in a particular role.
Another important thing is that we can be really good in our job but when we do something with other people it should be more powerful and more beneficial for us or our company. Then we should be focused on the feedback because it is ideal thing which can show us what is good and what we should improve to be more successful.
If we want to have everything clear we should use appropriate communication methods, thanks to this every goal, information, etc. is clear and easy to understand. It can help us avoid unneccessary misunderstunding. Finally we should use suitable communication methods for every audience if we want to have real benefits from our efforts.

 

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_industries – accessed on 12.06.19

https://itsaugust.com/organizational-structure-advertising-agency/ – accessed on 12.06.19

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimberlywhitler/2016/04/03/the-new-era-of-advertising-agencies-what-agencies-and-clients-must-do-differently-to-succeed/#3c9a076548b6 – accessed on 12.06.19

https://www.yeahcan.com/7-tips-to-running-a-successful-advertising-agency/ – accessed on 12.06.19

https://fusion360.atavist.com/what-makes-a-successful-advertising-agency – accessed on 12.06.19

https://heyorca.com/blog/client-management/4-types-of-clients/ – accessed on 12.06.19

https://www.monster.co.uk/career-advice/article/job-profile-advertising-creative – accessed on 12.06.19

http://www.shokopress.com/the-different-job-roles-in-a-design-advertising-or-marketing-agency/ – accessed on 12.06.19

https://blog.azendoo.com/foster-idea-generation-through-deeper-collaboration/ – accessed on 12.06.19

https://blog.startquestion.com/7-reasons-why-customer-feedback-is-important-to-your-business-28e99c00eba7 – accessed on 12.06.19

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/six-major-modes-communication-marketing-65083.html – accessed on 12.06.19

http://2020projectmanagement.com/resources/communication-management/communication-the-key-to-successful-project-management – accessed on 12.06.19

https://fleximize.com/articles/000592/communication-styles – accessed on 12.06.19

Creating a good campaign is really important and really difficult but nobody said that is impossible. Everything what we should know is what we want to create, when, where and how. Then we should define every step of our campaign and after that we should just start it. Of course we should consider every possible movement and all the time be concentrate on our goals. Nowadays we have a lot of potential services where we can do it but the biggest ones are the best ones. If you want to exist in the big world you should use services of big company.

3.1 Define promotional campaigns on social networking sites.

What is a social media campaign? How to increase social sales

In accoradnce to bigcommerce.com a social media campaign is a coordinated marketing effort to reinforce or assist with a business goal using one or more social media platforms. Campaigns differ from everyday social media efforts because of their increased focus, targeting and measurability.

Setting social media campaign goals

A social media campaign should focus around a singular business goal, whether it’s on Facebook or Instagram. Common goals for a social media campaigns include:

• Getting feedback from users.
• Building email marketing lists
• Increasing website traffic
• Improving overall brand engagement
• Directly driving sales

Goals must be discrete and measurable. Before a campaign, obtain a baseline measure of your targeted metric so you can track changes and performance throughout the campaign and beyond. Goals are shaped by the means, the message and the target audience. Different demographics also have varying preferences for social media platforms, so pick the platform suited to your target audience.

Building a social media campaign

Before starting a campaign, have in place all of the tools for tracking metrics. There are several free social media marketing apps which track shares, retweets, likes and keywords associated with your brand. Services such as HootSuite, Social Mention, and Addictomatic integrate with your social media accounts to determine who is seeing your social media posts and how they’re responding.

Once a baseline is established, define goals and schedule a definitive timeline for the campaign. Having firm start and end dates is important, both for a) keeping costs and mission creep in check, and b) comparing performance pre-and-post campaign.

Social media campaign best practices

• Action-gate – ask users to interact with social media posts. Invite them to ask questions, take polls, provide reviews, enter contests and join mailing lists.
• Provide incentives – give them a reason to provide information about themselves. Offer prizes, discounts and exclusive content in exchange for their attention and information
• Make prizes relevant to the business if using a contest. For a t-shirt company, it’s makes no sense to offer an Xbox as first prize in your contest (offer a year’s worth of t-shirts!).
• Proactively engage throughout the campaign – answer and address critique quickly and reinforce positive interactions with personal attention.
• Promote across all social media accounts, even if the campaign is focused on one platform (e.g. Facebook).
• Adapt the look and messaging of your entire online presence to reinforce the campaign. Include campaign branding and language on headers, landing and home pages.
• Carefully monitor performance and adjust strategy if needed.

3.2 Compare different types of promotional campaigns on social networking sites.

On the digitalmarketinginstitute we can find a lot information about different types of social media platforms to serve ads and for example we can use the followings:

• Social networking (Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+).
• Microblogging (Twitter, Tumblr).
• Photo sharing (Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest).

• Video sharing (YouTube, Facebook Live, Periscope, Vimeo).

1. Dacia

Facebook’s always-on lead generation program generates a significant proportion of our test drive leads.- Antoine Hery, Digital Communications Manager, Renault

2. Red Bull

3.3 Explain why to use promotional campaigns on social networking sites.

Warren Jolly from the bigcommerce writes about social media advertising and how you can have consistent sales coming in from the first day your website is live.

For modern e-commerce sites, the ability to immediately and consistently bring in new customers is a HUGE deal. Even if you can’t achieve net positive revenue on the initial sale, referrals, email marketing and customer retention can pay off extensively with every marginal customer.

3.4 Explain the limitations imposed by social networking sites on promotional campaigns.

If your brand does not have a Facebook page, consider yourself a minority.  With a wealth of data available from social media analytics, what are the limitations of this data? So we a few examples of limitations imposed by social networking sites on promotional campaigns. Apple Lam from marketing-interactive writes about it and list it.

1. A high number of fans does not equal success

Christopher Wong, CEO of Klarity, said that from his experience, many Hong Kong companies use the number of social media followers and participants in a campaign to measure its effectiveness.

“But in my opinion, that is a very superficial way of looking at things. Having fans does not necessarily equate to true brand enhancement or real leads,” Wong said.

Comments and shares are much more powerful because they show affiliation to your brand but they are limited to very active fans – it is possible to have engaged less active fans who do not leave a comment or share your post.

2. Videos are sexy but their impact is hard to measure

You can time how long a person spends on a web page and what pages they browse through, even though you don’t know for how long they were actually reading text and surveying the images.

Similarly, with videos, it is challenging to determine how long a particular video has actually been watched and whether the viewer has in fact been paying attention the whole time.

3. The popularity of a platform may matter more than which platform is a suitable medium for your campaign

“Unfortunately, it is now about which platform has regional dominance rather than which platform is the best for a particular type of campaign,” Wong said.

For example, while Instagram and Pinterest can be the most effective for campaigns heavy in visuals, Twitter and Pinterest is not as popular in Hong Kong as it is in the US and Instagram is mostly used by the younger generation.

Facebook is a good option for interactive and game-based campaigns but it is not available in mainland China, where Sina Weibo would be the way to go.

Wong said, “But I know some marketers in mainland China who are looking at local social media sites other than Sina, which have a smaller reach but more real followers.”

4. Protection of user’s privacy limits data collection

Even though social media may seem like a very open space, social networks themselves limit the amount and specificity of data that you can collect to protect the privacy of its users.  Fans themselves also expect a certain level of privacy.

One example is how Facebook would provide an overall breakdown of where fans of a brand Facebook page resides without identifying exactly which fans and where they live.

5. Data is fragmented by platform

You might know how many dislikes a YouTube video has received and the same video posted on Facebook would have no dislike data available. Meanwhile, you can get a gender breakdown of your fans on Sina Weibo.  But there is no one-stop shop for all of this information in one platform.

6. It takes good analysis on the part of marketers to trace a link between ROI and social media

The path-to-purchase from social media, usually used to raise awareness and educate customers, is often an indirect process and customers may have to be channeled through well-known sales and marketing funnels.

Data needs to be analysed to zero-in on the right audience in order to make marketing campaigns more targeted.  These leads can then be converted into purchases in the long run.

Conclusion

To create good campaign is really difficult and we should remember a lot of things during whole campaign but when we will do it everything should be OK. We should define our goals, our methods then compare methods and choose the best one for us. Another important thing is to choose appropriate service of social media. The biggest social media companies can give us the biggest range and a lot of potential customers so here we have to use good platform and the results also should be good.

References:

https://www.bigcommerce.com/ecommerce-answers/what-is-a-social-media-campaign/- accessed on 01.02.19

https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/5-successful-social-media-campaigns-you-can-learn-from – accessed on 01.02.19

https://www.marketing-interactive.com/6-limitations-social-media-data/ – accessed on 01.02.19

 

Currently digital vouchers are quite popular. In the past times people used paper vouchers which still exist but using digital vouchers is faster and easier. More and more people use smartphones to do almost everything there so it is good to create digital vouchers and put them online. Like I said it easy and fast to find and use it. Of course like everything in our world has advantages and disadvantages but about it you can read lower. The most important thing associated with digital vouchers is to create really good campaign.

1.1 Define the term digital vouchers.

In accordance to businessdictionary digital vouchers are available online for electronic orders that are also available to download and print for redemption in person. Digital coupons are available on company websites, social media outlets, texts, and email alerts. There are an increasing number of mobile phone applications offering digital coupons for direct use.

1.2 Explain the potential uses of digital vouchers.

1.3 Research the current disadvantages of digital vouchers.

Disadvantages of Using Coupons

Risk on Brand Iimage

On the galido we read that discount codes may have a negative impact of your brand image. Discount coupons may make your company look cheap. The risk is bigger to luxury brands such as Gtech. One way to counteract the risk of damaging your brand is to maintain the price of the core product as is, while offering coupons on the extra items. Gtech discount codes, for example, give you free shipping within the UK. When the company offer shipping for free, there is no discount on the main product.

Risk of Making a Loss

Discount codes might prove to be costly and end up reducing your profit margins. The only way to skirt this issue is by knowing what you can reasonably afford to discount. Sometimes, your product might not carry the margin required to provide a coupon. For instance, if Gtech’s cleaners sell for £199 and it costs the company £100 to pay the manufacturer, plus £50 in marketing and operating costs per unit, then issuing 25% off Gtech codes would mean that the company makes a loss.

Reduced Revenue

If you give a discount to all clients, even to those who would still buy at full price, you effectively reduce profits from all sales. A good way to market coupons is to offer them to new customers, or to select customers on special occasions.

For example, using social media, you can connect personally with potential clients and offer them generous discounts via Messenger on their birthday. Alternatively, you can wish them happy birthday on their Timeline together with a coupon or link to a special offer. This is even better than Messenger because other people get to see the offer and your brand.

1.4 Explain how to overcome the barriers of using digital vouchers for acquisition and retention of customers.

1.5 Plan a SMART digital voucher campaign for a business.

1.6 Explain methods of managing a digital voucher system.

Companies are typically using a variety of tools to manage very basic coupon campaigns. But these tools that provide an “out of the box solution” have certain limitations when it comes to the actual integration with your system.

On the other hand, companies tend to try and build some kind of solution in-house. I call this the Promotion Dilemma – marketers waste their promotional budget by creating ineffective campaigns, and developers defocus because of ongoing campaign requests from marketers and tool maintenance. Tools developed in house are expensive and have limitations in functionality, scalability and flexibility.

In my experience, your business might be focused on coupon codes today, but tomorrow your promotional marketing requirements will change. In future you will have more complex use cases with a variety of validation requirements or even referral and loyalty program requirements.

If you are a marketer that is serious about scaling your business, avoid limiting yourself to a single tool or software which in itself limits you to a small number of very specific use cases.

1.7 Explain how to measure the effectiveness of a digital vouchers campaign.

Jessica Athorn describes two ways of measure the effectiveness of a digital vouchers campaign.

1 – On most social media networking sites, you see the analytics of how much engagement you are getting over a certain period of time so this could be used to track how much you are improving engagement since the start of the campaign.

2 – Another way to measure the effectiveness of the campaign could be to simply see if your sales have increased since starting the campaign as this would be a clear indicator of if the campaign is working or not.

Conclusion

So now we know what digital vouchers are. Is it good to use it now because majority of people use smartphones and this number will raise in the future. The most important things about digital vouchers are: fast and easy. Of course we should plan a really good campaign. If we want to have a expensive shop or service we should consider of using digital vouchers because when people think about digital vouchers they think about something cheap. Then we can manage whole campaign manually or by special tools or we cane hire a specialist for it. Everything depends on us.

References:

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/digital-coupon.html – accessed on 01.02.19

http://megansocialmedia.blogspot.com/2016/06/unit-308-principles-of-social-media.html – accessed on 01.02.19

https://galido.net/blog/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-using-coupon-codes/ – accessed on 01.02.19

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/051815/pros-cons-using-coupons-your-business.asp – accessed on 01.02.19

https://jessicaathornapprentice.wordpress.com/2017/04/26/unit-308-task-b/ – accessed on 01.02.19

 

 

 

 

Nowadays we can find countless numbers of web pages but there are still minority of good web pages. Fortunately the situation is changing and year by year. Good web page is associated with good experience and of course bad web page is associated with bad experience. Everybody want to create a good web page and everybody would like good experience on the web page. Especially the owners of the web page. Many people want to encourage customers to spend time on their web pages and they can do it by many tools and many methods. The most important thing here is: keep contact with your client in a good and clear way.

2.1 Describe how web pages can be made more interactive.

Websites that provide a good interactive experience to users, generally, have more traffic, better user retention, and higher conversion rates than websites with a poor interactive experience. In other words, a well designed interactive website provides a more meaningful and engaging user experience. Below we share four ways to make websites more interactive. Like we read on the avatarnewyork.

1. Update content often. To keep websites relevant and encourage audience engagement, it is vital to update content regularly. Businesses and professionals, who keep their websites up to date, are viewed as a more reliable source of information about the goods or services consumers want. Consumers are more willing to visit an up to date website and interact with more of the website’s content.

2. Encourage user interactions. Encouraging user interaction should be part of every interactive web design. Ways to promote interaction include calls to action, discussion forums, quizzes / polls, and social sharing features.

3. Leverage the power of social media. Social media is designed for interaction. It is also where many Internet users go to research and share information. Provide users easy access to like and share content that links back to your website. Content users are more likely to share videos, images, and tips.

4. Solicit feedback. Consumers respond positively to having their voice heard. Soliciting feedback will instill trust and confidence in the consumer because they will understand that there is a desire to provide an excellent experience. Feedback can be used to optimize the experience and make any necessary improvements based on what the customer is saying.

Other ways which can help you to make your webpage more interactive.

Most of us only are on the web for what we can get – free information, free entertainment, free goodies, free, etc, etc! People want ease of use and little hassle and this can really be achieved by learning how to make your website more interactive. More interactive sites offer a better user experience, are more pleasurable to use and so receive more subscribers, hits, sales or traffic and gain all the benefits that come with these. So, how is it best achieved? On the mysocialagency we can find practical information about how web pages can be more interactive.

BLOGS AND FORUMS DRASTICALLY INCREASE INTERACTIVITY

Blogs offer a fantastic platform for interaction and their less formal status makes for a sense of ease through levity. In doing this they create a sense of ease and familiarity with the brand and product. Blogs also allow users and readers to respond through comment boxes, this sort of communication offers you the perfect chance to interact with customers and create the right impression. Forums offer a similar chance for users and the offering of free advice is an especial lure for some. A simple but essential element on the path of learning how to make your website more interactive.

INTERACTIVE WEBSITES – HOW TO MAKE YOUR WEBSITE  MORE INTERACTIVE

Of course, the language a website is programmed with increases interactivity behind the scenes. Using some of the amazing languages such as jQuery, CSS3 or HTML5 can really allow you to leverage interactivity on your site. These languages allow you to create elements users can interact with. Instead of traditional infographics or graphs, the use of jQuery, CSS3 or HTML 5 allows for exciting, interactive graphs that function with the user. These can really be awe inspiring pieces that make a site come alive. As well as adding to the functionality of the website, they also often add to the visual experience.

RESPONSIVE DESIGN

Interactivity has also taken a new turn in recent times with the popularity of mobile browsing. To make the most of this revolution, sites should be responsive and should adapt to the viewing ratios and constraints of the screen they are being viewed on. Responsive design allows for sites to be easily read, shared and utilised to their full no matter what the screen size. This sort of optimization provides a far better experience and so is beneficial for the site.

NEED RESPONSIVE WEBSITE DESIGN OR INTERACTIVE EFFECTS? GET IN TOUCH WITH US TODAY FOR WEB DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

NEWSLETTERS – HOW TO MAKE YOUR WEBSITE MORE INTERACTIVE

Trust is one of the most important things a business can achieve and newsletters area fantastic way of doing this. Offer the people what they want – interesting industry relevant pieces of news, tips and information. Statistics show that contacting a user 7 times and more will greatly increase affinity and levels of engagement. Of course, here again ease of use if king. Ensure newsletters are easy to sign up for and visible in all your do and send.

THE CHAT BOX

These social media inspired boxes are increasingly common and allow you instant interaction with consumers. Real time responses allow you to grow your relationship, increase subscriptions and also cause a rise in sales.

MINI COURSES – HOW TO MAKE YOUR WEBSITE MORE INTERACTIVE

The wide range of media and low cost entry into creation of video and podcasts means they are perfect pieces of your strategy to increase interactivity. Creating mini courses in an area of your specialism gives people something for free – they love that – and also show cases your product. It’s a lot easier to sell when people appreciate your product. Selling in this way is substantially more successful than cold sales. Remember the mini course is a taster not an in depth warts and all description and it really works.

INTERACTIVITY THROUGH SOCIAL BOOKMARKING

If you aren’t social bookmarking and don’t have the options on your page – shame on you. Social book marking allows you to achieve extra social media exposure and once more offers a fast and easy way for people to interact.

 

2.2 Explain how the use of xml can enhance the website user experience.

On the crazyegg we read that a sitemap is (usually) an XML document, containing a list of pages on your website that you have chosen to tell Google and other search engines to index.

Google often uses the sitemap file as a guide to the pages available on your website — even though it may decide not to index every page you list on your sitemap.

The sitemap also carries information about each page, including when it was created and last modified, and its importance relative to other pages on your site. This speeds up the process of indexing pages.

Should I have an XML sitemap or an HTML sitemap?

The difference is that XML sitemaps are written for search engines and HTML sitemaps are written for humans.

An XML sitemap is specifically written for search engine spiders. A search engine spider can quickly and easily extract all the important pieces of information about your site by looking at the XML file.

Content syndication, duplication and sitemaps

Another reason to have an XML sitemap is to tackle content duplication issues.

It’s not uncommon for websites who publish lots of content to have their content syndicated on other websites.

It’s also not uncommon for website or blog content to be republished without the author’s permission.

Both are examples of content duplication.

Google does not like content duplication. Google’s Panda update penalized websites with duplicate content in a bid to eliminate spammy sites from the search results pages. The update eliminated duplicate content from the search results, only showing the originally published piece of content.

An XML sitemap enables you to show Google that you are the original content creator. The sitemap will show the date the content was published, even down to the hour.

As I mentioned earlier, XML sitemaps are a fast way for you to tell Google when you’ve added new content to your website or when you’ve updated old content. If you’re regularly publishing quality content, you’ll want to let Google know as quickly as possible each time you publish or update, in order to see ranking improvements.

2.3 Explain how the use of scripting languages can enhance the website user experience.

On the ryanbibby we read how the use of scripting languages, such as JavaScript, can be used to improve the functionality of websites. This can be used to improve the usability for the users of the webpage, reduce the load that the web server has to deal with and improve the design of a webpage. There are many different snippets of JavaScript that can improve a website including: alerts, confirming choices, user prompting, user redirecting, browser detection, roll-overs, validation, form handling and cookie retention.

Confirming Choices and User Prompting

JavaScript can be used to get confirmation from a user that they really want to perform an action. A user may have accidentally clicked a button on the webpage, the website can then ask the user if they are sure they want to do this before carrying on with the action. This is useful for any buttons which might delete data from a database where if the user clicked delete by mistake, the data would be permanently deleted. Confirmation boxes in JavaScript stop the natural loading and progression of a webpage, this can be useful in security situations such as digital banking. This is because the user can’t proceed any further on the webpage without dealing with the confirmation dialogue first.

Example of a confirmation:

var x = window.confirm("Are you sure you want to do this?")
if (x) {
    delete();
}

Form Handling

Forms on webpages can be enhanced by the addition of JavaScript. Firstly scripting languages can be used to do real time calculations. This can be a major advantage to users when, for example, completing an online order form. This is because the cost of the order can be calculated as the user chooses options for their order and then shown to the user, this means that the user can see how adding extras to their order will affect the price. JavaScript can also be used to reset a form to its default state, this means that the user can quickly start a form again if they have made a mistake. This saves the user time as they would otherwise need to go through a delete what they had typed. JavaScript is also capable of submitting a form to the action page. This means that once a user’s input has been validated the form data can be passed to another file to do something else. This adds additional functionality to the website as JavaScript can be used to initiate an additional action.

In the other source we read that a scripting language is a tool, which is used to add functionality to other software. It is not as powerful as a full programming language and it is generally designed for simple tasks like creating interactive menus or searching databases. HTML can help by creating static webpages but it can’t do everything and that’s why JavaScript and PHP can make the websites dynamic with user interaction. JavaScript is very important to help make a website functional. Scripting languages that can be embedded within HTML are commonly used to add functionality to a webpage such as different menu styles or graphic displays or to server dynamic advertisements. These types of languages, which can enable functionality to work, are client side scripting languages, which affect the data that the end user sees in a browser.

There are often times when we wish to automate a simple task – a scripting language helps by running several programs in a row, installing programs, even writing a simple script or GUI to run a program that needs many parameters

Scripting languages allow us to write code quickly and run it without any compilations. They also have good support for launching processes and controlling them, etc.

By using a script, you would never be confused and think ‘where is the source’ because the script is the source.

Conclusion

When we want to have permanent contact with our potential customers we should think about our web page and create it more interesting and interactive. If we update the content of our web page often and encourage users by interactions, when we use the power of the social media and asking about feedback our web page will be more interactive. If we want to have a really good web page we should create a responsive web page which will be able to open on mobile phones and tablets. Then when we want to have good results when somebody want to find our web page we should think about using XML. Scripting languages, such as JavaScript, can be used to improve the functionality of websites.

 

References:

https://avatarnewyork.com/blog/4-ways-make-websites-more-interactive – accessed on 25.01.19

https://www.mysocialagency.com/how-to-make-your-website-more-interactive/ – accessed on 25.01.19

https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/seo-benefits-of-xml-html-sitemaps/ – accessed on 25.01.19

https://ryanbibbyproject5.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/task-2-2-improving-functionality-with-scripting-languages/ – accessed on 25.01.19

http://prabhpreetatrutc2012.blogspot.com/2013/05/m2-discuss-how-scripting-language-can.html – accessed on 25.01.19