Admittedly this article was intended to be very in depth and cover all aspects of the business card; from it’s origin in the 1500’s, clear through to it’s various uses in modern business communication. After doing some research, the choice was made to narrow the scope and stick to the title… just the basics!

Anyone in business should know that one of the most important components of making a connection and eventually closing a sale, happens to be leaving a good impression with the customer. It is this “impression” that leads me to write about a one of my favorite handy little business tools… the business card.

Long considered a staple of modern business, having a business card is one of the most important considerations for a company of any proportion. When properly used business cards can go a long way in helping to add credibility when making introductions. Not only does a it give you a way to help introduce yourself and your business to others, but the information printed on the card provides the means for prospective clients to contact you after the initial meeting.

Of course person to person contact is not the only value the business card can provide. In fact, there are a number of ways it can prove itself useful. As an example, this extremely versatile business tool can be left in case of someone’s absence as a reminder that you stopped by. Additionally, a stack of business cards can be left in high traffic areas or pinned to bulletin boards for passers by to grab as they wish. It is in these types of circumstances that having a well designed and attractive business card becomes absolutely imperative.

It is on that note that I’d like to share some of the key components of what I believe makes a great business card… and some strategies that can help make your card stand apart from the rest.

Size & Shape

The standard business card is rectangular in shape, with 3.5″ wide by 2″ tall being the most common size. This allows for the card to be designed either horizontally across the full width of the card (like a credit card) or vertically (2″ wide by 3.5″ tall). The orientation of the design is totally a matter of taste, but the horizontal option has several advantages in most circumstances. There are no hard and fast rules as to whether a one or double-sided card is better than the other; again it boils down to your taste and unique needs.

Even though the rectangular card is the norm, there is nothing saying you must conform to this size and shape. In fact, there are a number of entities that decide on adopting unusual cards of various shapes and sizes. This may include rounded corners, die cuts, or even cards in the shape of animals or objects. Although the benefits of having a business card of a unique size or shape are that it will certainly stand out from other cards, one of the the drawbacks is that they are typically much more expensive to produce. It should also be noted that a card of unusual shape can be difficult to store in a wallet, Rolodex or business card holder.

It’s All In The Materials

When designing a business card considerable thought should go into the type of material that the card will be printed on. Your typical business card is produced on medium weight card stock, but there are multiple options to consider. Examples of some alternative materials can be cardboard, wood, plastic, vellum or even fabric. Now-a-days your message can be printed on just about anything and having unusual business cards can be a great marketing ploy.

No matter what your business card is printed on, is important to take into consideration how the card is going to feel in your customer’s hand. If your card feels cheap or flimsy, it could be argued that your business card is sending a subliminal message about the perceived quality of the very business itself… so be careful. That being said, having a business card that is sturdy and of high quality can result in a positive reaction before the person handing it out even says a word!

Pick Sides

When the size, shape and feel of the business card has been finalized, it is time to consider what message to convey on the card itself. One of the first things to decide on is whether to print on just one side of the card (single sided), or utilize both sides of the card (double sided). Here at Manifest Creative, we like to maximize the benefits of the card by taking advantages of both sides. Initially it will cost a little more to produce, but we believe the benefits of a two sided card far outweigh the cost. We use this as a general rule, the exception being that sometimes the material the card is composed of might not allow the use of both sides.

Start With A Logo

The most important design element on a business card is of course the logo or brand of the company, service, or entity that the card is being used to represent. When used correctly a powerful logo can be recognized at a glance, and in general the rest of a card’s design is formatted around the placement of the logo. It is a key piece of business branding and in most cases should be the main focus of a business card.

Some key factors to remember when placing the logo on the card are:
A) Make sure the logo is of good size and that it can be clearly read. It is important to pay special attention to colors and typefaces to make sure that your your message is conveyed clearly.

B) Try to only use one logo on a business card, some people get carried away and add the logos of associations or even other business on their cards. Remember this is your business card… why advertise for someone else? You need to have the confidence that your business can stand on it’s own.

C) Make the best use of the space provided. This means if you have a particularly wide logo, it would not make much sense to design you card vertically and vise-versa if your logo design is vertical in nature, you would limit it’s potential by placing it’s orientation horizontally.

D) If you are designing a double sided card (highly recommended), make sure the logo is evident on both sides of the card.

E) If a specific trademark, phrase or saying is associated with the logo, it is advised to include it in close proximity to the placement of the logo on the business card.

Now for the Information
Once logo placement has been decided on, you can begin to decide what information you would like to provide on the card, and ultimately where the information will reside. Some common information that is utilized on most business cards consists of the following in relative order of importance:

A) The name and title of the person the card is promoting.

B) An address of either the business or person the card is portraying.

C) The pertinent phone numbers of the party involved which might include a cellular phone, business phone, a fax number.

D) If the person or business the card is promoting has a website (also highly recommended), it is no-brainer to include the web address or URL.

Additional Information
If you have the room available, we advise giving a brief description or list of the type of services the person or entity the card is being designed for can provide. This information should usually be clearly separate from the main information. Remember that it is important to keep this information to a minimum, as too much information on a business card can make the card graphically busy and difficult to read.

Inspect and Re-Inspect
Upon completing the design of a business card it can be tempting to quickly get the card printed and begin handing it out. We can’t stress enough the importance of looking the card over for errors several times before the project goes to print. Often in the excitement of getting the card finished it is easy to overlook even major errors. This can be a costly mistake, so make sure to get a few pairs of eyes to proof read your project before you even consider going to print.

The Printing Process
Once the design of the card has been extensively proof read and finalized, it is time to look at getting the cards printed. At this time you have a few options to choose from, and for your convenience we have outlined some of the main advantages and disadvantages of each.

Print Your Own: The most inexpensive route is printing the cards yourself with a high quality color printer and business card paper that is readily available at most office stores. Cost is the biggest advantage here, and this option also allows you to print in small increments with the flexibility to make adjustments and changes as necessary. The drawbacks are that the cards can often feel low quality and are fairly susceptible to damage and fading. They also have the tendency to wear out quickly and are easily torn.

Find a Printer: Although finding a local printer can sometimes be a hassle with getting pricing quotes and print deadlines, the end result is usually a rewarding experience. The benefits of using a local printer are that you can usually see and feel the texture and quality of the materials you will be printing on. Some printers even have the ability to add special customization to business cards such as embossing, raised ink, metallic coloring and foil stamping. It should also be noted that you will have a relatively high high degree over the control of your project and you will normally end up with a nice high quality card. The drawbacks are that there is usually a minimum number of cards to purchase (typically 500 or more), and this type of printing can be somewhat expensive.

Leave it to your Designer: Since most people will contract a graphic artist to design the business card, often the designer will handle the printing as well. This is usually the best choice because a graphic artist is familiar with the appropriate programs, terminology and requirements associated with professional printing projects. These designers are also aware of issues that might arise during printing. It is also important to note that most designers have affiliations or relationships with printers and can sometimes get special privileges or savings. Your graphic designer might also be resourceful enough to know of other printing options that can offer incredible savings and printing options that a local printer simply cannot match.

At Manifest Creative we obviously believe having a designer handle your print project is generally the best option. The only drawback being the associated cost involved, but even that expense usually becomes a moot point once it is realized how having someone who knows the printing process and who can handle all the details for you is worth. After factoring everything in, this option usually saves time, money and frustration.

Hand ‘Em Out
The best part of having your new business cards are handing them out and seeing the responses to your efforts. We recommend having stashes of your business cards everywhere. Try and remember to have at least a few on you at all times… keep some in your vehicle, keep a healthy stock of them in your purse or wallet, put some in a Ziploc baggie in your gym bag… you never know when you will need them!

Don’t be stingy with your cards… give them to your relatives, your friends, and to each and every new person you meet. Leave small stacks of your new cards at places that will allow it, and make sure to pin a few up on your favorite bulletin boards. Remember to be conscious of using your card as a tool as frequently as possible. After all, you never know where your next sale or important contact may come from, but if you have a business card with you when it happens… you will be ready when it does!

Some Additional Notes…
During the life span of most companies, the business card will usually go through a handful of card designs. During this evolution it is important to take notice of things that worked well and things that perhaps did not. Every now and then try to ask someone to review your cards and listen carefully to what they have to say. These reviews will prove to be an incredibly valuable resource when it comes time for the next re-design.

Speaking of re-designs… or new designs… or any designs for that matter… feel free to give us a call to schedule a design consultation any time. Here at Manifest Creative, we would enjoy the opportunity to put these business card basics to work for you. We will do our very best to provide you with a stunning business card that when completed is ultimately anything but basic!

Throughout time as craftsmen and skilled artisans made or sold their respective goods or services, it has been customary for the trades-person to either sign or brand their work. As time went on and competition between similar products or services became more fierce, the need to separate oneself from competitors became increasingly important. It became apparent that establishing a unique look to a name or brand provided a means for consumers to quickly identify with a particular supplier, and thus pick it out from it’s competitors. This “look” or “brand” is now commonly referred to as one of the most important four letter words in business lingo… the logo.

So here we sit in the 21st century, and as far as the logo is concerned not that much has changed. Modern businesses still have the need to brand their products and services, and it all begins with an effective logo. These days we very seldom see a brand that has actually been burned or stamped into a product. However, it is still quite difficult to look around and not see some sort of logo somewhere.

Today major corporations are known to spend millions of dollars establishing their logo and building brand awareness as a major part of their corporate identity. These logo things are everywhere; on our clothes, on our vehicles, on signs and billboards and even in our bathrooms and showers! They appear in all shapes, sizes and colors… you can’t avoid them, and there is seemingly no escape from them.

This onslaught is perhaps the best reminder that any business; be it small or large, must have an eye catching and easily recognizable logo. A specific business image is now more important than ever. In fact, with the average American viewing more than 3,000 advertising messages per day, having a distinguishable logo is one of the most critical investments any business can make.

With all of the importance bestowed upon the humble logo, we at Manifest Creative decided that it would be a good idea to break down the key elements of what makes a great logo. As far as that goes, we will also outline some of the common mistakes and things to avoid when designing one.

Start with a Sketch
Grab a pencil, some paper, and a large eraser and then go to work! Sketching your ideas out on paper will help you visualize the logo and take the concept from an idea into a shape. It will inspire and provide you an excellent opportunity to brainstorm. It also helps to provide direction for your graphic designer and will help to weed out ideas that are less desirable.

When you’ve got a good sketch, or least a good idea, then it is time to go digital and see your logo really take form!

Print vs. Web
In today’s marketplace, a logo must be easily recognized on various forms of print materials, as well as on a TV or computer screen. The general rule is to design the logo for print applications first, and then to adapt the print logo to meet the needs of multimedia. This is particularly important, because what may look great on the web can often get muddied and difficult to discern when printed out.

Keep it Simple
Think about some of the most popular logos throughout history. What is a common tie they all share? The answer is simplicity… and it’s a beautiful thing. Often when designing logos, designers get carried away with intricate designs that look stunning when viewed at five or more inches wide and with the millions of colors that today’s computer monitors are capable of displaying. Generally, this leads to problems down the road.

What really needs to be taken into consideration is how that logo will look when it is forced to change and adhere to certain reproduction standards. Does the logo degrade if it is shrunk down considerably? Is the logo still effective when reduced to black and white or grayscale coloring? If the main focus of a logo cannot be recognized at less than an inch wide, or if the brand is undiscernable when it’s colors are converted, then it is rendered essentially useless to your business.

Size Does Matter
A great logo should be easily recognized whether it is printed extremely small - like perhaps on the body of ballpoint pen, or excessively large - like on a billboard or semi-truck trailer. The success of any logo can be greatly attributed to it’s ability to be scaleable to nearly any size, thus enabling it to be adjusted to fit to a wide variety of applications. If the logo’s design limits how small or large it can be, that in turn retards the logo’s ability to be effective over a broad range of possible mediums.

Size, as it refers to resolution, is also very critical when it comes to logo design. Usually the size of a logo’s resolution is measured in DPI (Dots Per Inch). When using a logo on printed materials the logo itself should be least 300 DPI to ensure a high quality print. On the other hand, the same logo can be used on the web with just 72 DPI; which is fine for viewing on a monitor, but is far from ideal for high quality printing. Click here for more information concerning DPI.

Proper File Formatting
Even a well designed logo is useless if it can’t be used, displayed, stored, transferred and edited. This is why all logos should be either designed as, or converted into vector format. Even logos that are hand drawn should be scanned and converted to vector format before the logo is actually considered complete. There are several distinct advantages of doing this, such as the logo being scaleable, moveable and editable without losing the quality of the image.

Essentially there are two choices of formatting. The optimal choice in logo design being vector graphics and the latter being raster graphics. This article is not the place to outline the properties and advantages of either format. If you require additional information on vector and raster graphics click here.

When saving the logo, remember to save it as several different file types. Be sure to properly edit and save as an EPS, PDF, TIFF, JPEG and GIF. This will ensure that the can be used across a wide variety of platforms and programs. For more information on various graphic file formats click here.

What’s Your Type?
Some of most common and respected logos are simply unique or distinct typefaces with slight graphic alterations. Most logo designs begin life as a particular font or typeface, and this is where a majority of designers derive their creativity from.

When a suitable typeface is found, then it is a matter of seeing how the spacing and arrangements of letters come into play. Sometimes certain letters in a logo may be rotated or skewed to produce a desired effect, or perhaps a single letter or series of letters might be typed in a contrasting color.

When choosing a typeface, keep in mind that certain fonts can give off a softer, more feminine feel; while others offer a sharper, more masculine tone. When used effectively, the good use of typography can work wonders in creating a custom logo. A truly exceptional logo begins conveying a sense of what a company or product is, even prior to the product actually being experienced!

Icons are Ideal
Although many popular logos don’t employ any graphic or icon, there are an equal or possibly even greater number of logos that do. Using a distinctive graphic element or symbol can sometimes be more recognizable than the accompanying letters that make up the logo. Examples of these powerful elements are the Macintosh Apple, the Nike “Swoosh” and the Chevrolet Bow-tie.

If using a icon or graphic as part of a logo, the graphic should also somehow tie into to the product it is being used to represent. This is not necessarily true in all cases, but as a general rule it is a good idea. After all, even though the proprietor of a cat litter company may be head over heels in love with an icon of a dog… it just doesn’t make sense to include that dog icon as part of the cat litter logo!

Just as with all the other elements we’ve described in this logo development article, it is all about simplicity. The most popular and time-tested logos in the world have the simplest and most easily recognizable shapes… do you really think this is a mere coincidence?

Color Is Key
The use of color in a logo can be profound, yet can be wasted if the logo can’t be identified when converted to black and white or even grayscale. When designing with multiple colors it is important to realize the usefulness of contrast and the impacts it can have on the overall design. Having good contrast also helps when the logo must be reproduced without the use of color.

When using colors, it is helpful to be at least somewhat educated in color theory as well. This is important because certain colors evoke subliminal feelings, emotions and meanings in some consumers. It should be noted that some businesses pay special attention to the importance of color, and have extremely rigid specifications on just what color a particular logo can be.

Again we emphasize the importance of keeping the use of color simple as well. At the very most, a logo’s color palette should be kept to five colors or less.

Timeless Beauty
For any logo to defy Father Time, some forethought must go into it at the very beginning. As with anything else, it is entirely possible for a logo to go out of style. It is extremely important to avoid getting caught up in trendy fonts or overly stylistic design. Think long-term and ask the following questions: Is the logo you have today going to be effective ten or even twenty years from now? Will your logo require massive revisions or possibly even an entire redesign to stay in-line with the times? Can you afford to revise all your marketing materials if your logo goes out of style?

Test & Roll-Out
When you think you’ve got your logo complete, think again. Make sure you show it to friends, family, co-workers, and complete strangers. Ask for open and honest feedback, and use that feedback to make adjustments. When it comes to making those changes, remember to use the collective response of your entire study group and to not make severe adjustments based solely on the opinions of one or two individuals. Also, try to not let your feelings get involved, in other words don’t let pride get in the way.

After all the changes have been made and the logo is finalized it is time do one last thing… celebrate! Take some pride in your achievement and put your new logo on everything! I suggest that you write a press release and send it to all the local publications. If it is applicable get some vehicle decals made, or perhaps even order some stickers and pass them out. After all, you have a brand new exciting logo to show off to the world… so get started!

I’ve come upon a useful tool that will help you to ensure that each of your web visitors sees your design correctly. When you type in your web address, BrowserShots creates screenshots of your web design in different browsers. The entire process only takes a few minutes. Visit BrowserShots to test your site now.

For a more cultural definition of Web 2.0, look it up on Wikipedia.

We will delve into Web 2.0 in upcoming posts to explore how concepts of social-networking and collaboration can help your business.

In the field of graphic design, identity is a term that often gets thrown around loosely, and as designers we assume that everyone just automatically knows what we are talking about. Well as I recently found out, that is sometimes not the case. Let me explain…

The other day I was in the middle of exchanging business cards with a prospective client. After inspecting my bright orange card for awhile, she looked at me inquisitively and asked, “Your card lists one of your services as Business Identity. What is Business Identity… and just how does it relate to my business?”

Well that question got me thinking, and so over the next few weeks Manifest Creative will be diving into the subject of identity, the many facets that can help define it relating to business in the modern marketplace. In this series we will inspect the many pieces and parts that collectively make up the identity of a business or entity. Let’s begin…

If you were to go to dictionary.com you would find the first definition of the word identity to be exactly as follows:

i·den·ti·ty –noun, plural -ties.

1. the state or fact of remaining the same one or ones, as under varying aspects or conditions: The identity of the fingerprints on the gun with those on file provided evidence that he was the killer.

Now that is all good and proper, but for the everyday person I find the above definition lacking, perhaps even a bit vague. To sum it up in laymen’s terms, identity is simply the defining characteristics by which something or someone is recognized.

When it comes to establishing a Business Identity, these defining characteristics can be made up of any number of things including custom logos or symbols, the use of a particular typeface, a specific color scheme, a radio jingle, a recognizable voice, or even the recognition a mascot or celebrity can provide.

As graphic designers, we use the term identity to pertain to specific materials that help a business make a great first impression - and better yet, a memorable one. A basic identity package usually includes developing a logo design and then applying the logo to custom business cards, letterhead and envelopes… these are the staple materials for nearly every business.

One of the key factors in establishing an identity is continuity throughout all marketing materials. In other words, making sure that all your visual materials share a similar look and feel. This in turn is one of the first steps of branding, and the foundation of how you market your business.

That is all for this installment of the Business Identity blog… In upcoming installments we will continue our in-depth look at identity, and dissect each of the individual parts of an identity package. Check back soon as we investigate each part and share the features, options and advantages of them in detail.

Now from a developer standpoint, traditionally the answer is almost certainly no… unless the client or their employees have at least a basic concept of programming languages, or your company is ready to invest in a database driven website. That being said, at Manifest Creative we do not particularly like the word “NO”. In fact, we are not a “NO” kind of company. Instead, one of the ways we are able to say “YES” to this question, is by offering something that many business owners haven’t even heard of yet… a blog.

WHAT IS A BLOG?

Well a blog can be almost anything… a news outlet, a diary, a collection of memos, a newsletter, or even a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) with answers at the ready. A blog can take on nearly any size, shape, or form - ranging from a simple virtual postboard of messages, to a complex interactive forum with multiple users and groups. There is no real set way of running one, and there aren’t specifically any rules to follow either… a blog can be what ever you want it to be!

We realize that saying a blog can be anything is a little vague, so after a little research we’ve been able to discern the word “blog” was actually derived from the term “web logging” back in the early 1990’s. Even though we now call it blogging, the concept itself has actually been around for quite some time. Blogging as we know it today has been gaining in popularity and momentum over the last several years, and we happen to think the business world has only just begun to grasp what a powerful tool a blog can be.

WHAT CAN A BLOG DO FOR ME?

What ever you want to say, a blog can help you say it! A blog is your voice on the world wide web, and the best part is that it’s available 24 hours a day… 7 days a week! It allows you the availability to post messages, answer questions, share images, publish recent news, and offers a whole variety of other uses and applications as well. Most importantly, it gives you a unique opportunity to connect with your customers, and provides a venue to receive valuable feedback.

As part of a complete website, a blog allows individuals who may not be well versed in computer languages an easy way to update the content of their site. This makes it possible to update a website with current news and fresh relevant information… without having to employ a web designer. This also means changes to a blog can be made or added when ever the administrator finds time, and it is all completely customizable and relatively easy to edit.

That being said, the author or administrator of a blog has complete control over who can read and who can write to a blog. The information within a blog can then be set to be viewable by anyone and everyone, or perhaps limited to only a select few. A certain portion of a particular blog might only be able to be viewed by employees or specific users with a password, while yet another section might be available to anyone for review and comment.

WHAT KIND OF FEEDBACK CAN I EXPECT?

As with any form of feedback, the response is something that nobody can predict. Some blogs get very little response or even nothing at all. On the other hand sometimes the feedback can be nearly overwhelming! The feedback is all dependent on the information posted and how those who read it react in turn. Either way, it can provide tools to help measure the impact and effectiveness of a particular message, while giving valuable insight as to what makes customers respond.

Speaking of feedback, what if you get comments or responses that you may not have expected or that you may find offending or harmful? The beauty of blogging is that you can choose whether you want to allow comments on a post-by-post basis, and in case of a worst case scenario… you have the option to delete any comments you don’t like.

HOW DO I GET STARTED?

Well that is the easy part! Usually a blog can be easily added to, or even posted as a link on a website that may already be online. It might all seem confusing, but if you are interested in running a blog, please feel free to contact us. Here at Manifest Creative, we are always looking for innovative and cost effective measures of communicating the messages of our clients, so we’d be happy to answer any questions or to schedule a consultation.

Feel free to check out the blogging scene for yourself! You can click the links for some of our favorite blogs as a start. There are also many free blog sites that are incredibly easy to set up and use, Blogger.com, WordPress.com, and Blog.com are just a few worth mentioning. So go ahead… give it a try!

In closing, blogging is a simple, effective, low cost way to further convey your message and increase your methods of communication. The advantages of running a blog as part of your web presence can easily be justified. When used correctly, a blog can help increase brand awareness/loyalty, be used as a tool to educate consumers, and be a useful means of connecting with your customer base. We see it as an distinct advantage to any business or entity, and that gives it great value as common sense marketing… which is what Manifest Creative does best!

With my love for kayaking, rafting and everything else whitewater, I felt it was appropriate to develop a site with that theme. The site is located at www.allwhitewater.com. It is primarily a textual site (no flashy graphics or cute layout here) to demonstrate how Google’s ads can be displayed in-line with other content.

First, a brief overview of the Google advertising program. Advertisers set up an account with Google and choose how much money they are willing to pay for each user who clicks the ad - usually just a few cents per click. They set up the content of the ad, choose the link where they would like the ad directed to, and in some cases even choose which website(s) they would like their ad displayed on. The advertiser then selects keywords that they would like their ad to be associated with. When the content of a website, or a search performed through Google, matches the advertiser’s keyword, the ad is displayed.

On the converse side, website owners sign up with Google and choose the types of ads they would like to display. They can also choose to filter out ads from competitors if they wish. The webmaster chooses the “look and feel” of the ads - colors, ad style, etc. so that they are not overly intrusive in the site’s layout. Google’s ads automatically search the content of the page and do their best to match that content with ads it believes will be relevant to the user.

Now, on to my example… Along the top of the page (in the grey bar) you’ll see my page title “Whitewater Paddling Resources” and a Google search bar. The Google search is the first example of both a useful tool and an advertising opportunity. When the user performs a search, Google pays the referring site if the user clicks any of the sponsored links on the results page.

As we progress down the page, you’ll notice two other ad units. One is displayed in the middle of the text, the other is in a more columnar format along the right side. You’ll also notice that each of the ads is similar to the theme of the website - whitewater. Google determines this based upon the density of certain keywords throughout the page/site… In this case, I’ve purposely used the word whitewater many times to ensure the relevancy of the ads.

Continuing down the page further, you’ll see a new program instituted by Google that I think is pretty cool. With Google’s recent acquisition of the online video site YouTube.com, they’ve also introduced a new way to display ads with more of “blended content” feel. Here’s how it works:

First, the site owner decides what type of video player they would like to show on their page - mini, medium or large (as shown on allwhitewater.com). From there the advertiser and webmaster sides work virtually identical as the AdWords program. The advertiser chooses keywords, content and the videos they would like their ad displayed on. The webmaster has control of size, color and other site integration options. But, that’s where the similarities end.

Instead of the ads being shown in the pages content, they are actually displayed over the bottom corner of the video as it’s being shown. Even though the ads are relatively unobtrusive, the viewer is required to minimize the ad periodically to make the ad disappear.

Now, YouTube claims to target the content of the videos to your website (in my case whitewater), and even offers an area to suggest keywords. However since the time that I created the simple site, (Jan. 20, 2008) I have yet to see a single video similar to my content being shown.

In conclusion… Do with this information as you will, perhaps file it away for a rainy day. I’ll continue to inform you of unique advertising programs that are available for site owners and for those wishing to drive traffic to their site.

If you would like Manifest Creative to perform a thorough analysis of how your site could benefit from the AdWords/AdSense program, please do not hesitate to write.

Happy New Year everyone! We here at Manifest Creative would like to extend our most sincere wishes for a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2008 for you and yours.

With the onset of a New Year comes a fresh set of New Year’s resolutions - and the same could be said here at Manifest Creative. In 2008 we look forward to bringing you new and exciting services, as well as providing the highest level of customer service possible. We are resolved to bring you the best creative and design services available in the area!

As we enter into the New Year, it is amazing to look back just twelve months ago and see how far we have come… 2007 marked an especially great and exciting year for Manifest Creative! The company itself experienced a huge amount of growth, and as individuals we had the honor of working on some great projects with simply outstanding customers. We feel it is only fitting to attribute a great deal of our success to the companies and individuals who trusted us with their unique design needs. That being said, we would like to share a sampling of projects that stand out as some of our best work.

The web development side of Manifest Creative really took off in 2007, and is still experiencing an ever increasing level of growth. One of the key websites that we developed was a high-traffic custom site for one the area’s newest and most exciting publications, the Big Sky Sun. Now, thousands of people from all over the world visit www.thebigskysun.com as their source for informative and entertaining news from across Southwest Montana. We admit that developing a website to handle the challenges of a rapidly expanding newspaper was a difficult task, but we are confident that the results speak for themselves.

We also launched yet another noteworthy project in late December 2007 for Rivers To Peaks Real Estate in Big Sky, MT. The new www.riverstopeaks.com is a fine example of how we were able to design a beautiful and well functioning site, while overcoming challenges from not only a development standpoint, but also within an unique time frame to have the job completed. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Martha Johnson and the entire staff at Rivers To Peaks Real Estate, for trusting us to develop one of the most visited realty websites in the region!

While the web development side of Manifest is going strong, we still have our roots planted deeply in the print industry as well. Throughout 2007 we catered to a broad range of customers, and completed a vast array of print products including creative postcards, brochures, family photo letters, wedding invites, and entire business identity packages with logos, business cards and letterhead. We often took projects from the very basics of initial logo concepts, clear through to printing and delivery.

We take extreme pride in every print project we create, as we do with all products we design. Some pieces that stand out from ‘07 include logo and/or identity work for Full Circle Indoor Kart Racing, Jackson Law P.C., Alternative Flooring, Alternative Waterscapes, RainDrain Seamless Gutters, Bozeman Fence, McAllister Contracting and Mail & More Bozeman. We’ve also had the privilege of working on advertisements, flyers, newsletters and a host of other unique products for clients such as American Land Title Co., The American Prairie Foundation, Montana Travel, Montana Tile & Stone and many others.

In closing (and since it is the New Year and all), we’d like to extend an offer to help your company fulfill the resolutions of increasing your brand’s awareness, making more profit, expanding your customer base and client satisfaction.

Call Manifest Creative today, and schedule your complimentary initial consultation. After all, it’s FREE… but the ideas we come up with may be priceless! If you then decide to schedule a project anytime in the first quarter of 2008, we’ll give you a $50.00 CREDIT towards any of our design services.

We look forward to hearing from you, and again wish you all the best in 2008!

Sincerely,