The short answer is “No!”

Why? Because sending unsolicited email is actually against the law in many countries — you need permission from all recipients in order to send them email campaigns. Plus, you don’t want your domain being labeled as a “spammer” — because that causes all sorts of ugly problems.

So, who can you send email to?

• People who have specifically signed up, via your website, to receive email from you
• People who have completed an offline/printed form (like a survey) and indicated they wish to be emailed
• People who gave you their business card and asked to receive email
• Customers who have purchased something from you in the last 2 years (even though this permission is implicit, we still think it’s a nice idea to specifically ask them)

Who can’t I send email to?

If they don’t satisfy at least one of the criteria from the above list, you can’t send them email. For example, don’t:

• Use lists or email addresses received from a third party (including any list you bought or rented, or received from a membership organization)
• Collect or “copy & paste” addresses from the Internet to build a list
• Mail to addresses you haven’t emailed in the last 2 years

Email is an excellent business tool. Just be sure to get permission before hitting “Send”!

Mr. Rounds has over 15 years of experience in interactive and online media including web site design and development, 3D animation, multimedia design, and graphic user interface development. His experience in digital media started at the beginning of the “dot-com” era of the mid-nineties, and since then, his work has influenced the evolution of web design and development for businesses and communities nationwide.

“Eric’s expertise in all things ‘digital’ is an exciting addition to our firm,” said Michael Piperno, President and Chief Creative Officer of Imbue Creative. “His notable experience, infectious energy, and true passion for user-centric design will greatly benefit our firm and our clients.”

Prior to joining Imbue Creative, Mr. Rounds was the creative director at AIM Web Designs in Doylestown, PA. He has also served as a digital marketing consultant and art director for various companies nationwide.

About Imbue Creative: Imbue Creative is an award-winning strategic communications company with over 20 years of expertise in marketing, advertising, and graphic design. Located in New Hope, Pennsylvania, the firm develops targeted creative solutions for both local and national clients and has specific expertise in the healthcare, medical education, financial services, travel & leisure, meetings & events, and publishing industries.

THE 16^th ANNUAL COMMUNICATOR AWARDS ANNOUNCES 2010 WINNERS AND NEW HOPE AGENCY WINS AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

New Hope, PA (June 4, 2010) - The winners of The 2010 Communicator Awards have been announced by the International Academy of the Visual Arts, and New Hope agency Imbue Creative has received the program’s top honor, the Award of Excellence, in the corporate identity/logo category. With thousands of entries received from across the US and around the world, the Communicator Awards is the largest and most competitive awards program honoring the creative excellence of communications professionals.

The winning entry is a corporate identity/logo design created for Athena Education Group, a Lambertville, NJ-based medical education company. According to Michael Piperno, Imbue Creative’s president and chief creative director, “This award is a great honor for our agency. We are especially proud of the Athena Education Group logo because it strongly establishes a memorable visual identity for a small business that is doing important work in its field; and one that we feel is made up of truly terrific people.”

The Communicator Awards are judged and overseen by the International Academy of the Visual Arts (IAVA), a 550+ member organization of leading professionals from various disciplines of the visual arts dedicated to embracing progress and the evolving nature of traditional and interactive media. Current IAVA membership represents a “Who’s Who” of acclaimed media, advertising, and marketing firms including: Condè Nast, Coach, Disney, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Estee Lauder, HBO, Keller Crescent, Monster.com, MTV, Polo Ralph Lauren, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, Tribal DDB, Victoria’s Secret, Wired, Yahoo!, and many others. See www.iavisarts.org for more information.

“As we continue our mission to honor Creative Excellence for Communications Professionals, we were once again amazed at the high level of work we received for this year’s Communicator Awards. With this year’s entries we found an increased awareness and reflection of the digital world in which we live, and our entrants always seem to find new and creative ways to push the envelope of possibilities across all mediums” noted Linda Day, director of the IAVA. She added, “We are honored to witness the amazing work being done throughout the industry and want to commend and congratulate this year’s Communicator Award Winners and Entrants for their hard work and dedication. On behalf of the entire Academy — Job well done.”

For more information about the Communicator Awards, please visit www.communicatorawards.com, email the Communicator Awards at info@communicatorawards.com, or call (212) 675-3555.

About Imbue Creative:

Imbue Creative (www.imbuecreative.com) is a strategic communications company that brings over 20 years of design, branding, art direction, production, and creative/marketing strategy experience to every project. Located in New Hope, Pennsylvania, the firm develops targeted solutions for clients both locally and nationally.

About The Communicator Awards:

The Communicator Awards is the leading international awards program honoring creative excellence for communications professionals. Founded by communication professionals over a decade ago, The Communicator Awards is an annual competition honoring the best in advertising, corporate communications, public relations and identity work for print, video, interactive and audio. This year’s Communicator Awards received thousands of entries from companies and agencies of all sizes, making it one of the largest awards of its kind in the world. Please visit www.communicatorawards.com for more information.

The Communicator Awards is sanctioned and judged by the International Academy of the Visual Arts, an invitation-only body consisting of top-tier professionals from a “Who’s Who” of acclaimed media, advertising, and marketing firms. Please visit www.iavisarts.org for a full member list and more information.

The en dash (–) is wider than a hyphen but shorter than an em dash (more on this in a moment). The most common use of the en dash is for ranges of dates, time, or numbers. For example, ‘July 21–28′ or ‘ages 5–8′.

The em dash (—) is wider than an en dash. The most common use of an em dash is to indicate an abrupt change in thought, or a pause where a period is too strong, but a comma does not indicate a strong enough pause. For example, ‘I am sure of it—absolutely and complete sure of it!’ or ‘He said he would be here in time—forget it, I’m not waiting any longer.’

Now don’t get me started on the minus sign….

Today, the fonts we use in our word processors are variable width fonts. They are designed to handle the beginnings and ends of sentences without that extra spacebar tap. In fact, adding that extra space these days is actually distracting for a reader, especially when reading text on screen.

When you are ready to develop marketing materials, or any other creative project, here are some things to consider before your first meeting or telephone call. Having thought about these items ahead of time will give your designer or agency a better overall picture of your project, and will result in a more accurate estimate from the start:

1. Content: What do you want to say, and how much text do you think you’ll need to say it well? Is the brochure content short enough to work in a tri-fold format, or do you need a larger brochure with a pocket integrated in the back for sell sheets? If it’s a web site you’re trying to launch, how many sections will it have and how much content will fit under each section? In addition, will you write the copy yourself, or will you need your creative partner to write the copy for you?
2. Audience: Who is your target audience for each specific piece? What are their particular needs and desires when looking for the products or services you provide? Does a piece cater to a specific audience independently, or does it need to encompass all of your target markets?
3. Design: Do you have an existing “look” (logo, color scheme, fonts, or other design elements) that you want carried throughout this new material, or does a new look need to be created from scratch?
4. Photography: If the project will require photography, is stock photography appropriate, or do you need to hire a photographer to capture the shots needed? What portion of your budget are you willing to spend on images?
5. Budget: If you know what you want and what you have to spend, don’t be afraid to let your designer or agency know your budget range up front — especially if you already have a relationship with them. When a client gives us information about their budget requirements, we are able to provide an estimate with different options at different price-points that all fall within their range. If their budget is larger than what a project would normally cost, then we recommend additional components or features that compliment or enhance the core deliverables. And, if their budget is lower than what a project would normally cost, we offer cost-saving modifications to their specifications and requirements that can allow us to meet those budget requirements.

The bottom line is that the more information you can provide up front to your designer or agency, the more accurate your estimate will be. Plus, you’ll ensure you get a final result that you love to show off, and that makes a significant positive impact for your business.

For those of you who use Twitter, you can check out TweetBeep (tweetbeep.com) to monitor what’s being said about you or your biz on Twitter too!

Don’t delay, list your business today. Not technologically inclined, or don’t have time? Imbue Creative can set up your listings for you — call or email us for details!

Think of it like buying a new car. (Of course, good brands last much longer than most cars, but stay with me here). You know up front that it will need maintenance over the years—and that some day it may become a classic, especially if well cared for. If you don’t maintain it well, it will give you trouble, and will eventually fall apart. Your brand needs tire rotations and a new set of brakes every so often too. Consider these tips when developing a “maintenance plan” for your brand.

• 1,500 Mile Service: After launching a new brand, bring it into the garage after a few months and see how all the new parts are performing. Is there anything that needs adjustment? Refine those little things now before you waste time and money promoting something that’s not working.
• Inspect Tires Every 6,000 Miles: Take the time on a regular basis to evaluate your audiences to asses their current and future needs. If one of your strategies is looking a little worn, replace it. While you’re at it, balance it out by implementing a new strategy which targets a new audience as well.
• Change the Brakes: Don’t let a weak set of brakes land you in trouble. If something is not working, fix it. This sometimes means you need to make a drastic change in your core visuals or messaging. It hurts, but it happens. Evaluate any weaknesses thoroughly, and fix them, pronto, so you don’t whizz by opportunities that you should have been poised to capture.
• When you Need a New Transmission: Even if you’ve planned well from the start, sometimes your business changes so significantly over the years that your brand no longer fits. If you reach this point, it’s time to rework the brand, and maybe even rebrand the company from scratch (which doesn’t have to mean completely abandoning the old brand). Don’t go it alone. Seek the resources of a professional agency or branding consultant to lead the way.

Think about when you arrive home after a hard day’s work and begin to sort through your mail. I know when I go through my stack, the only items I read right away are those that aren’t jammed packed with text. The text-heavy stuff goes in a pile… and unless it’s a bill or a magazine, it will probably end up in the recycle bin within a day or two (without being read).

When it comes to making a quick and memorable connection on a marketing or advertising piece, less is more. Make your text strong, clear, and memorable. Let your clever headline, accompanying imagery, and the design of the piece grab the reader’s attention; then present a few relevant details and a call to action. Finally, include contact details and you’re done! If you have more to say, direct the reader to your web site or give them a phone number to call to learn more.

And we’re not just talking about postcards here — the same holds true for other promotional pieces like brochures, advertisements, billboards, and more. Avoid being a “text heavy turn-off” and don’t try to fill every inch of a piece with text just because there’s room!