making it BIG

While we are fortunate to work with corporate and luxury brands, ministries and not-for-profit organizations, are some of our core clients at Big Footprints. As a business, we're driven to help organizations through the use of our talents and resources, so they can grow to new heights.


Every day churches and charitable organizations face unique obstacles. From fundraising to recruiting volunteers to attracting top-level staff, there's so much to do. If the world out there doesn't recognize who you are and what you stand for it is going to be very hard to grow and succeed. To make things a bit easier we offer you 5 easy steps to helping your organization rise to the top.

1. Let your light shine

A memorable, well-designed visual identity will strengthen awareness of your organization. Building visibility and awareness is a gradual process. Be patient, persistent, and consistent so you can occupy the hearts and minds of your staff and donors.

Visual identity created for Forest Cliff Camp.

Identity was carried through business card & envelope design, 

brochure, newsletter layout, poster design,

social media, exterior signage, and more

2. If these walls could talk

Does everyone share a common sense of the organization's brand position? Create an atmosphere that speaks volumes about you. The things your staff and congregation are saying about you have a profound effect on your reputation. If they believe your message, they will spread the word to all those who will listen. 

Wall murals are a great way to add some personality to your
walls, especially in reception areas! Removable/repositionable
medias make the graphics easy to apply.

3. The power of the spoken/typed word

Word of mouth is still the most powerful tool in building your reputation. Get onboard with social media, and start spreading your message. Social Media is the ultimate form of advertising on the market right now. Connect with fans and potential partners on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Blogger and so much more! 

Get your message out there in a matter of seconds and interact 
with people all over the world! Check out our Social Media
Branding & Management packages on our Facebook page

4. Listen, then speak

Your supporters, big and small want to invest in a thriving Ministry... If they never hear from you, they'll soon wonder if you still exist. Create a positive impact through active campaigns that speak directly to the needs, desires and aspirations of your audience. 

Direct Mail Campaign created for Woodland Christian High School.

Campaign was carried through on course calendars, posters,

newspaper & magazine advertising, folder designs and newsletter design.

5. Cast a bigger net

Seek opportunities to reach a wider audience. While your core target audience is important, reaching secondary audiences in unexpected places is equally valuable. Networking groups, sponsorship opportunities and fundraisers are means to build community awareness and support.

SOHO Fabric Display designed for Tirecraft.

Since 2000, Big Footprints Inc. has been partnering with charitable organizations, associations, and churches with these 5 steps. We've helped them build awareness, establish their voice, inspire their volunteers and grow new relationships in their community. 


Connect with us. We'd love to get to know you!

Are you a morning person?

When the alarm clock rings, are you the type of person that's hitting the snooze button, or jumping right out of bed? Have you already been awake; watching the clock, checking your blackberry, running through the to-do list in your mind?

If you're the latter, according to a recent article in INC magazine you're likely to be more proactive and successful in your professional life. The article states that according to Biology Professor Christoph Randler... " 'When it comes to business success, morning people hold the important cards,' Randler told the Harvard Business Review of his research, some of which originally appeared in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology. '[T]hey tend to get better grades in school, which gets them into better colleges, which then leads to better job opportunities. Morning people also anticipate problems and try to minimize them. They're proactive.' (Not that evening people are life's losers:

They're smarter and more creative, and have a better sense of humor, other studies have shown.)"

Personally, I love getting to the office early.... although I wish it meant getting to leave early!

For one thing, on a cold brisk morning as I drive over the river, I get to see the fog settled on the river and, if I'm lucky, there's a single heron, standing in the water. The view is so calming, relaxing and inspiring. Secondly, the office is quiet with no radio, no phone calls, no distracting smell of coffee brewing, just me and the clicking of my keyboard. In that first hour before my co-workers come in, I can get a huge jump on my day! How did I ever pull off those late nights in college, cramming to finish projects? When I look back, my best work was/is NOT done on tight deadlines. I like to have time for my ideas to brew and percolate, for that AHA! moment to come when I least expect it.

So, how about you? Where do you fall... early bird or night owl? Share your thoughts with us, send me an email, or post a message on our wall at www.facebook.com/bigfootprints

Izabella

New Year, New Image!

Happy New Year! It seems with the new year, comes a sense of focus and excitement for opportunities that lay ahead. For some, it's about making this "the year you succeed..." whether that's in your personal life, or your career. Did you make a new year's resolution? While I didn't make a new year's resolution personally, I'm already three months into my "business resolution" and still going strong! Let me explain...

It started about three month's ago, with the beginning of our fiscal year. After more then 10 years in business, we decided it was time to revisit our business plan, and refocus our strategies. As a business, we're making conscious efforts to plan for the coming year, not only budget wise, but also our marketing and advertising efforts. We've put goals in place, and it is exciting to see us achieving those goals! You know the old saying, "if you fail to plan; you plan to fail." This can seem overwhelming for a small business owner. Business Development Canada (BDC) has a great business plan/template on their website, that clearly explains all the different aspects to a plan. Don't try to do it all in one sitting... read it, and mull it over. As difficult as it is, try removing yourself from the day to day operation of your business so you can have uninterrupted time to focus on your vision. It also helps if you have a business partner, mentor, or even a spouse, that can encourage you to keep your focus.

Whether starting a new business, or revamping an established one, you may be thinking more about how to market yourself this coming year. There's so many ways to do it, but no matter the avenue you choose, it's important to keep consistency in your branding. Here's my top 10 list of questions you should ask yourself when thinking about your brand:

1. What is your product or service?
2. What do you want your business to be famous for?
3. What are the short/medium/long term goals of your company?
4. Who is your audience/demographic?
5. Who us your primary competition?
6. Why should they buy from you?
7. What colours do you like/dislike?
8. How would you rate your brand? (Expensive/economical, serious/casual, high tech/home-made, simple/complex, modern/classic...)
9. Name a logo/brand that you like/dislike?
10. Where will your logo be used?

I hope these ideas will give you a good starting point for 2012. As Steve Jobs said, "Simple can be harder than complex; You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains."

This year, Big Footprints is offering three branding packages that we hope will get your new year off to a great start. Check out our facebook page for more information on the packages, and to see samples of our work! We'd welcome the opportunity to chat further about your goals! Feel free to send me an email at izabella@bigfootprints.ca

Izabella

Merry Christmas from All of Us!

It's truly been such a wonderful holiday season. Our WagJag canvas promotion was a huge success! Our production team has worked very hard to complete all of the Christmas canvas orders in time for the BIG day! Thank you for a great holiday season. We wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas!

Looking forward to working with you all in 2012!

Do you LOVE your job?

I love my job. Honestly... I do! It's so exciting to be able to work with so many diverse clients, some are well established, some are newer businesses looking to do BIG things. As a graphic designer I get to meet many people and not only learn about their businesses but get to know them on a personal level. It's exciting and rewarding when a customer sees the end result and is thrilled with it! Sure there's times when my designs are critiqued, (I can take it!) BUT, it's even more rewarding to go back and present a revised design that the client loves.

One of our newest clients is Grosche, another business that's located in the Hespeler Furniture Building. Helmi designs, manufactures and distributes "kuchenware": teapots, french presses, and all things to do with hot beverages. To get to work with another creative mind, who understands the importance of professional photography (courtesy of BlueCow Photography) really makes my job so easy! Then to translate the look from a catalogue, to door graphics, and even to the interior design of his office is so cool... It's like a snowball effect. Or, in graphic design terms "BRANDING"!

If you've got a few minutes, check out Groshce.ca for some beautiful glassware. It certainly is art at work!

Cheers!

Izabella

The Pursuit of Excellence

I recently finished reading the exclusive Biography of Steve Jobs by Bestselling Author Walter Isaacson. Being an avid apple fan, I was quite interested in the life story behind the man who certainly changed the landscape of the digital world in his time. Although I was fascinated with all that Steve Jobs achieved before his life was cut short, one nagging question remained after reading his biography. How far is reasonable to go in a strive for excellence?

Steve was a man who strived and pursued excellence in all his business endeavours. When it came to the people who worked with Steve, an enormous amount of pressure was put on them to achieve greatness in all that they strived to accomplish. Steve was known for surrounding himself with "A players" on his teams, but would berate them on many occasions. In the end, many of the people who worked for Apple, or for Steve Jobs achieved things that even they had not thought possible. I am sure, however, that there was a personal cost, not only to those people, but ultimately to Steve Jobs as well. 

Steve may have reached heights of greatness in vision, through the invention of amazing products, but I am left to wonder if the personal cost of his pursuit for excellence was worth it. I believe that many of us do not realize what our true capabilities are and that Steve had a remarkable way of bringing out the best in people to achieve his goals. 

In our business, at Big Footprints, we strive for excellence in all that we do. Whether we are designing a marketing piece for our clients, or producing a commercial print, we look for ways to give our clients the best. If it's not excellent, we're not afraid to do it again, rather than give our customer a job that is second rate. At times the balance to strive for excellence can be frustrating for our team. But at the end of the day, I hope, our team is able to create work that exceeds our client's expectations, that they feel good about the work they've accomplished AND feel valued for their contribution. Maybe this makes us "B players" from Steve Job's perspective, but I am good with that. I'd be curious to know what you think.

Order Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson from Amazon.ca. It's a great read!

Creative Canvas Christmas Gifts

The holiday season is fast approaching! Time to start thinking about great gift ideas! Canvas prints make a wonderful gift for family & friends. Last year my siblings and I decided to have a photo shoot done as a gift to my parents and grandparents. We decided to have some prints and canvas wraps made to give as gifts. The final result was beautiful and my family absolutely loved them! (A HUGE thank you goes out to Rachelle Rousseau Photography for doing our unique family photo session. Check out her portfolio of work, she’s amazing). I smile every time I see one of our gifts hanging on the wall in their homes. That Christmas felt like such a special Christmas. Every other year we spend oodles of cash on gifts of clothing, electronics etc... Things that are so materialistic. It was a nice change to spend such a meaningful Christmas looking over beautiful images with my grandmother. She loved her gifts so much that she placed an order with me for some more!

This Christmas, give a meaningful and creative gift instead of the usual. A family photograph, a photo of a favourite pet, an image of a beautiful sunset up at the cottage, an old photo of Grandma and Grandpa, restored and enlarged. The possibilities are endless. In our studio in the historic Hespeler Furniture Building, we can enlarge, restore, touch-up and print any image for you. Big Footprints strives to always provide you with the best quality prints available in the market.

Come to Cambridge and see us about canvas prints! Be sure to “like” Big Footprints on Facebook to access our special Fall Canvas Deal, only for Facebook fans and mailing list contacts. As a little hint:  check out WagJag next week in the Cambridge, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Guelph areas for a great canvas deal from Big Footprints!