Those in Sunrise are used to dazzling efforts, and standing out to this audience takes not only premium materials but a flair for the creative. Each card, hang tag, or invitation is mindfully considered.
Luxury Hotel Marketing Materials to Attract Hospitality Clients
Luxury Hotel Marketing Materials to Attract Hospitality Clients
Image: Gatlinburg, Tennessee Hotel
The hospitality industry is a very lucrative market. In this specific industry, the short-term residences built under the luxury umbrella get grander and more state of the art. With new competition arising in AirBnB, the market is trending up. Luxury hotel marketing materials are in demand as a way to help these fabulous rooms sell.
Why Use Luxury Marketing Materials for the Hospitality Industry?
For hotels on the luxury side, using marketing materials you can attract hospitality clients and bring increased visibility and awareness. As a hotel, hostel, or residency, you can reach a wide array of your target audience by bringing both digital and traditional marketing into cohesion. Having curated and highly specialized marketing for the luxury properties you are selling elevates the whole renting experience and will attract the buyers that you are looking for.
Photo by Lissete Laverde
Why Are Luxury Marketing Materials Important for Luxury Hotel Brands?
Luxury hotel marketing materials are essential because it helps sell the rooms and elevate the renting experience to a top-tier level. In selling luxury experiences, image and brand are important because this will help the property stand out from the rest.
You have to think about the property as the product that you want to sell. You want to highlight the special amenities and features of the residence but at the same time sell the lifestyle that comes with it. Marketing for high-end buyers can be highly specialized which is why a lot of hotels spend a lot of money on it.
Digital marketing has increased visibility for luxury brands. In 2013, fashion brand Burberry launched their Kiss campaign promoting their new line of lipsticks.
With an interactive email, users were able to choose a color of the luxury brand’s new lipstick and then pucker up for their smartphone. Burberry took a digital imprint of users’ mouths in the color lipstick they chose, allowing them to send this virtual kiss to anyone they wanted via email.
Interactive and immersive campaigns are attractive to a good portion of the luxury brand target audience. The most visually driven social media platforms are YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat.
Screenshot of Burberry Kiss Campaign
Luxury hospitality marketing materials have to invoke emotion and create an experience for the target to entice them into renting a room at your luxury hotel.
Digital and Traditional Luxury Hotel Marketing Materials
Custom website
Hotel landing pages
Luxury blog
Welcome cards
Towels & Apparel
Front desk branding
Amenity cards
Signage
Lifestyle video content
Virtual video tours
Event hosting brochures
Menu design
Photo by Drew Beamer
Photo by Renan Bomtempo
Custom website
When thinking about luxury hotel marketing materials, the number one thing that hotels and properties gravitate to is a custom website. A specialized and designated website that only highlights one luxury property is slowly becoming the norm and is expected when you are selling mega-mansions and expensive properties. Luxury hotels can take this trend with their own rooms, offering any background history on the location or even the property’s story while showcasing the different photos, angles, and videos of the rooms. Having a personalized website will truly elevate your marketing style to another level.
Hotel landing pages
A hotel landing page is where users are taken to when they click on your ads. You can showcase your high-end branding and enable potential investors to get more information about the hotel.
Your hotel landing pages should be clean and professional. If it’s too cluttered you will lose the interest of your viewers because there’s too much going on. The images should show the rooms in the best light with professional photography and a great design.
Disregard anything that looks too cheap, silly, or gimmicky. Stick to neutral colors, no bright colors. And don’t forget to use beautiful photography to highlight the best features of the rooms and hotel amenities.
It is key to include a call-to-action for any successful landing page. By including contact forms to your landing pages, visitors can provide their information. (Freebies can be leveraged to entice some people.) Be mindful to not make the contact form too long, since it turns most away.
Luxury blog
Besides hotel landing pages and your website, you can also curate your luxury blog. Blogs can contain information that describes the current state of the market. Your blogs can be about specific rooms that you are renting, this provides an informal view on the luxury rooms and is more candid which makes it more relatable.
Luxury blogs can also be monetized or promote high visibility for your hotel brand. You can use blogs to increase relatability and showcase your perspective and personality with your audience. With a blog that shows your character, it attracts more clients who relate to you and appreciate what you are doing.
Welcome cards
The use of business and welcome cards can elevate your content to the next level because it offers something different to your audience. For hotels in a busier city, including a map with their business card ensures their visitors will have a value-added experience. It is a way that you can pass relevant information to them and at the same time generate leads. For welcome cards, adding a touch of embossing can elevate simple communications into a photo-worthy experience that can attract more customers.
Towel embroidery & Housekeeping apparel
Custom branded apparel and products are utilized by business models to separate their marketing materials from other brands’ and help identify inventory. Luxurious touches such as embroidery delivers the intrinsic message that renters will be treated as well as your hotel and staff.
Front desk branding
It is imperative that luxury hotels market themselves with a brand identity strategized from the ground up. With customers making their final decisions via their phones, quality photography showing a high end atmosphere can be effective in attracting travelers seeking a luxury experience.
Amenity cards
Small print marketing or menu cards for the services your hotel provides can communicate the elegance of your luxury hotel. Exclusivity is experienced by the elite, and cards that can be personalized are used to align hotels with such an idea.
Signage
It is important to note that luxury hotel marketing stands in stark contrast to mass marketing. Mass marketing “is a strategy in which a firm markets its products or services to a large number of people simultaneously.”
While mass marketing can be effective for certain campaigns or endeavors, it is not the correct approach for luxury brands. Because luxury brands possess more influence, their social responsibility is key in developing marketing that attracts their select target audience. Each piece of signage on the property needs to reflect the same values as the rest of the branding, with the main corporate signage maintained for quality.
Lifestyle video content
Luxury brands are known for sleek imagery, vivid photography showcasing high end products and experiences. It is no surprise that high resolution photos and videos, with ultra-fine quality, communicates to an audience that responds. Apps like TikTok have a huge community waiting to be stimulated by dreamy visuals.
Luxury hotels can leverage TikTok and Instagram for their social reputation, even offering rewards or incentives for visitors to take their own photos and videos during their stay.
Virtual video tours
Virtual video tours are one type of type of luxury hotel marketing material that has gained immense popularity within the last few years especially. Apps like AirBnb and Couchsurfer have changed the way people travel, now people rely on virtual video tours to tour properties even if they are not physically there.
Event hosting brochures
With every luxury hotel, there are spas, classes, and other features to provide a high end experience to guests. Hotel events laid out in an itinerary not only assist those interested, but provides your hotel with another way to relate to your guests and provide all the pertinent details about breakfasts, classes, or other curated events.
Menu design
Luxury hotels offer room service to guests as well as offer private dining options within the hotel itself. Bars, restaurants, small eateries and more located on the hotel’s property need to be branded to communicate cohesively under the hotel’s brand. This can be as inviting as offering small reminders of the hotel room within the restaurants’ branding, for example.
Photo by Saad Khan
Luxury Brand Identity Design in New York – Signage, Wayfinding, Graphic Design, Web
Luxury Brand Identity Design in New York – Signage, Wayfinding, Graphic Design, Web
In the bustling metropolis of New York, where the rhythm of life is set to the beat of ambition, luxury branding takes center stage, creating an unmistakable aura that resonates across the city's iconic neighborhoods, from the towering skyscrapers of Manhattan to the vibrant streets of Brooklyn.
As we step into the new century, luxury brands are embracing profound changes shaped by the evolving global values. The transition from the Baby Boomer mentality to the Millennial mindset has ushered in a shift towards eco-friendliness and sustainability, challenging conventional notions of luxury. However, the essence of luxury has always revolved around craftsmanship, quality, and specialized attention; these values resonate even more powerfully in today's sustainable society.
As we step into the new century, luxury brands are embracing profound changes shaped by the evolving global values. The transition from the Baby Boomer mentality to the Millennial mindset has ushered in a shift towards eco-friendliness and sustainability, challenging conventional notions of luxury. However, the essence of luxury has always revolved around craftsmanship, quality, and specialized attention; these values resonate even more powerfully in today's sustainable society.
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Signage and Wayfinding: Guiding Amidst Urban Splendor
Luxury Signage by KKDesign
Luxury brands leverage exquisite design to convey elegance and exclusivity. Every element–from logos to packaging–meticulously reflects the brand’s identity and resonates with the discerning tastes of the city’s diverse audience. In the fashion forward enclaves of Fifth Avenue and the artistic scenes of Chealsea, design becomes a visual symphony that captures attention and sparks desire. Directional wayfinding signage helps tourists and locals alike to venture within each brick-and-mortar establishment, restaurants, boutiques, hotels, and retail stores alike can utilize cohesive signage aligned with their brand to ensure a seamless exploration of the brand’s offerings, transforming the physical space to match the lifestyles of their patrons. Here are some options to consider for creating impactful signage and wayfinding that aligns with luxury brand identities and resonates with the target audience:
Elegant Entrance Signage
An exquisitely crafted entrance sign establishes the tone and ambiance for a luxury experience. Employing premium materials like metal, glass, or marble not only ensures durability, but leaves an indelible initial impression. Textured signage elevates design further, integrating stone, fabric, wood, or distinctive elements as backdrops for acrylic or metal lettering, enhancing aesthetics while conveying opulence. Contemporary luxury branding embraces the fusion of sleek typography and the brand’s logo, enhancing both recognition and sophistication.
Custom Directional Signage
Bespoke directional signs created by professional designers will guide patrons effortlessly through the store. In the scenario of luxury fashion retailers, instead of revamping existing signage, they can engage in partnerships with property owners who offer solar-powered commercial spaces. Illuminated signs are a premium choice, and yet even subtle floor graphics can carry the opulent aura of a luxury brand when created with mindfulness and creativity.
Illuminated Signage
LED or neon signage is trending today and can add a touch of glamour to the brand’s identity. Illuminated signs need not to only have practical use, but can also further the brand’s personality with post-worthy quotes or brand taglines. Backlit and illuminated signs can be used both indoors and outdoors to create an eye-catching and luxurious ambiance, especially during the evening hours. By transitioning to solar-powered energy sources, luxury brands can also signal their commitment to reducing their ecological footprint whilst owning their own clean energy. The play of light against metallic surfaces can endure while contributing to a cleaner, greener world.
Subtle Floor Graphics
Integrating the brand’s logo or design elements onto the floor using subtle graphics can enhance the brand’s presence throughout the space without taking up real estate and maintaining an air of exclusivity.
Wayfinding Icons
By integrating visually striking icons that symbolize different sections or product categories within a store, it can help customers navigate while also communicating the brand’s design language. For the eclectic areas of Brooklyn, illustrative and artistic icons can further represent the area and establish a connection with locals while representing the brand.
Artistic Elements
Sculptural or artistic elements can also be used as part of a luxury brand’s wayfinding strategy. Partnering with New York artists can serve as an attractant to locals and tourists alike. These unique features not only serve a functional purpose but also add a sense of artistry and luxury to the space.
Exclusive Digital Displays
Digital displays can showcase exclusive collections, limited editions, or upcoming events. These displays can also serve as interactive wayfinding points while offering engaging content to visitors.
Premium Materials
Brass, wood, stone, marble, glass, metal and more can be used for physical wayfinding elements. These long-lasting materials convey a deep sense of luxury and add a tactile, sensory dimension to the experience.
Subtlety in Branding
By integrating brand elements subtly into the environment, such as etched logos on glass doors or discreet plaques on walls, these understated touches reinforce the brand identity without overwhelming the environment.
Personalized Touches
For discreet service areas, such as fitting rooms or private lounges, incorporating personalized signage or nameplates enhance the exclusivity of the space.
Photo taken by Kader D. Kahraman
Immersive Graphic Design: Going Beyond the Aesthetics
Graphic design serves as a powerful tool for luxury brands in New York, capturing their intended audience’s attention. From logos and packaging to marketing materials, a cohesive aesthetic communicates sophistication and refinement. Employing sleek typography, refined color palettes, and artistic visuals, luxury brands convey meticulous attention-to-detail and a lifestyle of elegance. However, luxury today encompasses bespoke, exclusive care that extends far beyond material possessions. As the largest global population segment, Millennials, perceive the value of a product as intrinsically linked to its lifespan and broader social responsibility, luxury has adapted to thrive in this new landscape of conscious consumerism and shared values. Adapted luxury thrives in this era by leveraging its specialized attention toward ethical sourcing and manufacturing, extending beyond simple aesthetics for its exquisitely crafted goods, presentation, and design.
Minimalistic Elegance
Clean, minimalistic designs emphasize the brand’s core message. With a limited color palette, refined typography, and strategic whitespace, it will create a sense of elegance and exclusivity. For example, a luxury fashion brand’s website can feature a clean layout with sophisticated typography to immediately exude elegance to visitors.
Artistic Illustrations
Original artistic illustrations evoke emotions that align with the brand’s identity. Hand-painted watercolor illustrations on product packaging add a unique artistic touch, versatile for packaging, promotional materials, and even as standalone art pieces.
Monogram and Crest Design
Unique monograms or crests serve as distinct visual representations of the brand. High-end fashion houses incorporating intricate monograms into logos create recognizable symbols, seamlessly integrated into various brand elements, from logos to stationery to fashion brand pattern-making.
Luxurious Materials
Tactile elements such as embossed textures, foil stamping, or letterpress, can be used on premium materials. These materials can even be harvested sustainably, such as our FSC-certified stocks for invitations, business cards, and labels. For instance, a luxury perfume brand utilizes emboss textures and metallic foil stamping on its label design to add a sensory dimension to the brand’s identity and convey a sense of luxury.
High-Quality Photography
Investing in high-quality photography highlights products’ best features. Luxury watch brands showcase the intricate details with meticulously captured photographs and artistic lighting to evoke allure. The use of stunning visuals can captivate the audience and highlight the craftsmanship and attention-to-detail.
Iconic Patterns
Signature patterns are developed unique to the brand and can be used across various applications. These patterns reinforce brand recognition and add a luxurious touch while extending the identity’s personality. It can be used in a variety of outputs, such as fashion pieces, handbags, packaging, and textiles.
Timeless Typography
Custom typography can be handcrafted to align with the brand’s aesthetics and values. An upscale jewelry brand can use a bespoke serif typeface for its branding to evoke a sense of tradition and sophistication.
Photo by Eva Klanduchova
Interactive Design
On digital platforms, incorporating interactive design elements that captivate users offers an immersive experience. For instance, the integration of interactive 360-degree views on a luxury automotive brand’s website enables users to explore every angle of their vehicles. Such animations enrich the online journey, evoking the sensation of being inside a luxury car itself.
Collaborations with Artists
By partnering with renowned artists or designers, luxury businesses can infuse the brand’s products with artistic flair and exclusivity. A luxury spirits brand can collaborate with a talented contemporary artist to design limited-edition bottle labels, merging art with branding to give it a personalized and luxurious touch.
Storytelling Graphics
Visual narratives tell the brand’s story, from its background and personality to its values and commitment to sustainability. A luxury hotel brand’s website showcasing elegant illustrations can depict the history and heritage of the property. The brand is revealed through every piece of design such as this, deepening connections with the audience.
Event Graphics
Promotional graphics seamlessly blend the theme of a product launch or event with the brand’s distinctive aesthetics. For an exclusive fashion event, these visuals harmoniously fuse the event’s theme with the luxury brand’s visual identity, creating an integrated and unforgettable experience.
Packaging Design
Functional packaging can also be visually striking. A high-end chocolate brand utilizing ornate packaging with intricate embossing and opulent metallic finishes will enhance the unboxing experience. With unique shapes, premium materials, and upscale finishes, it can create a memorable and post-worthy unboxing ritual.
Digital Assets
Luxury lifestyle brands maintain a cohesive look across their digital presence, including social media. Social media templates, email templates, and online advertisement banners all form a library of digital assets that maintain a consistent brand look across all digital channels.
Web Design that Engages: Virtual Luxury at Fingertips
In the digital age, luxury brands extend their allure to online platforms through luxury website design. New Yorkers, accustomed to seamless digital experiences, are met with websites that mirror the brand’s ethos. Clean layouts, intuitive navigation, and high-quality visuals create virtual gateways that transport users into the realm of luxury. Incorporating interactive elements and immersive product showcases adds an extra layer of engagement, catering to the city’s tech-savvy residents.
Urban Elegance
Presenting a captivating full-screen video of a glamorous runway show for a luxury fashion brand’s homepage or using a refined cityscape as a backdrop for a high-end fashion label’s website captures the chic and cosmopolitan vibe of the target region. This aesthetic deeply resonates with the metropolitan lifestyle, serving as a compelling allure for New Yorkers’ affluence. Skillfully harmonizing high-quality images with elegant typography guarantees a seamless browsing experience that authentically captures the essence of sophistication and dynamic energy associated with New York City.
Modern Navigation
Clean and minimalistic website layouts, with ample white space, create an air of sophistication and aligns with the modern aesthetic preferences of luxury consumers. For instance, a luxury jewelry brand or an upscale interior design firm could showcase an elegantly streamlined layout extending even to the navigation bar, which can be designed with a lustrous metallic gold finish, reminiscent of precious materials featured in their exquisite services and products.
Signature Typography
Crafted exclusively, custom-designed fonts introduce an exceptional allure that resonates with New York’s discerning eye for detail. By employing a bespoke and refined typeface for headings and text, a touch of luxury is meticulously woven in, accentuating opulence. Consider an upscale hotel’s website, where typography dances in tandem with visuals to direct users’ focus to key elements through size, color, or positioning. Or envision a luxury real estate agency’s website, where consistent typography unifies the design landscape, masterfully conveying an unwavering brand identity.
Immersive Web Experience
Including captivating elements, such as 360-degree product views or immersive virtual tours, creates a dynamic experience that captivates affluent luxury consumers and showcases luxury products in detail. As users engage by scrolling down the homepage of a luxury brand, they’re granted a detailed glimpse into the exquisite intricacies of luxury products. While navigating, the journey unfolds, aligning with opulence and prestige associated with lavish accommodations. For instance, a luxury travel company’s homepage seamlessly offers an interactive 360-degree virtual tour of their lavish destinations, beckoning users to explore awe-inspiring vistas that serve as a catalyst for embarking on their own travel escapades. Similarly, the website of a high-end art gallery can present interactive virtual tours of its exhibitions, extending an invitation for visitors to bask in the cultural tapestry that characterizes the cultural richness of New York City.
Strategic Accents
Luxury brand websites harness the power of strategic accents to captivate their audience. For instance, a hotel’s website employs strategically placed call-to-action buttons adorned with gleaming accents to usher visitors to explore exclusive room packages and amenities. Similarly, an iconic New York jewelry brand seamlessly integrates its monogram throughout the site, not only establishing recognition but also paying homage to the brand’s rich heritage. The sophisticated color palette of deep tones and opulent highlights speaks directly to the refined tastes of discerning consumers. This strategy lies in the repetition of design elements - such as the distinct monogram - a thread that weaves brand identity seamlessly across various sections of the website. This consistent thread creates a visual tapestry that embodies precision, elegance, and the essence of New York’s luxury landscape.
High-Quality Narrative
Mastering the art of storytelling is essential to elevating the experience for luxury branding. With a keen eye for detail, the website gracefully guides visitors through the brand’s unique narrative. For instance, an exclusive wine brand's "Story" page may unfold elegantly with every parallax scroll. This immersive visual journey escorts users through sprawling vineyards and the meticulous winemaking process, enveloping users in the brand's lavish heritage. On the "About Us" page, an interactive timeline unveils the brand's history, utilizing seamless parallax scrolling and refined transitions to convey a sense of legacy and opulence. For an upscale event planning agency, their website proudly showcases past events through captivating photo galleries, embodying the essence of New York’s grand social affairs. Similarly, a luxury real estate agency's site displays high-resolution images of premium properties, effortlessly mirroring the grandeur and sophistication that is synonymous with New York's luxury real estate market.
Taste and Expectations
Crafting a website design that intimately resonates with the discerning taste and heightened expectations of a luxury brand’s target audience holds paramount importance within in the ever-evolving landscape of New York’s affluent market. The website should artfully harmonize elegance and functionality to mirror the sophisticated tastes of users. A refined color palette, uncluttered and minimalistic layouts, and bespoke typography evoke a refined aesthetic that is synonymous with opulence; perfectly aligned with the refined desires of luxury consumers. Thoughtful placement of high-quality visuals that spotlight the brand’s offerings should ensure an immediate connection with the audience’s expectations. For instance, a high-end restaurant’s website might astutely present delectable food photography, accompanied by a hover effect that offers tantalizing close-up views, catering to visitors’ cultivated culinary preferences. This immersive approach encourages engagement, inviting visitors to explore and interact, thereby enhancing their connection with the brand. As the journey navigates these artfully constructed touchpoints, the luxury brand’s website not only meets but masterfully surpasses the visitor’s expectations, immersing them in a world of sophistication that resonates with the quintessential New York experience.
Creating Holistic Experiences: Fusing Design Elements
Successful luxury branding in New York entails harmoniously fusing design elements to create holistic experiences. From the moment a New Yorker encounters a brand’s storefront signage to exploring its website, every touchpoint consistently radiates sophistication. The cohesive design narrative mirrors the city’s dynamic lifestyle, offering an elevated journey that resonates with the cosmopolitan and style-conscious population.
This is how luxury brands in New York strategically deploy design elements to curate experiences that mirror not only the brand itself, but the city’s aura of sophistication. By weaving together strategic signage, impactful graphic design, and immersive web experiences, these brand craft a narrative of opulence that speaks directly to the discerning tastes and high expectations of New Yorkers.
Organic High End Luxury Branding | Brand and Website Design
Organic High End Luxury Branding | Brand and Website Design
Do you provide one-on-one custom services?
This is the cornerstone of luxury brands. Bespoke, tailored, one-of-a-kind, considerately crafted.
And yet, “luxury” and “high-end” communicates different ideas to different types of people.
On one hand, these terms are elitist. Moving away from such things would be to move toward authenticity.
On the other hand, these terms are out-dated. In the past, luxury items were made at the expense of others.
Today, there is a new way to do things.
A way to combine craftsmanship with compassion.
A way to breathe life into our idea of luxury.
The answer is Organic Luxury.
KEEP READING
What is organic luxury?
What is a Brand Identity?
My specialty is branding. By combining research and strategy with creative design and purposeful intention, my clients receive a brand identity backed with market data to support every decision. Visual brand identity design is not limited to only graphic design, like logo design and website design. It also includes brand photography, even elements as fundamental as brand colors, font families and typefaces.
In reality, visual brand identities is a system of assets that encompass every element used in the brand! So if you’re thinking it’s a big deal, you’re right!
VISUAL BRANDING ELEMENTS
Here is a short list of some important visual branding elements to include in your brand:
Logo & Branding System
Color Psychology
Fonts / Tone
Website Design / Mobile App
Blog & Media
Business Cards
Small Format Print Advertising / Flyers
Letterheads / Purchase Orders / Forms
Large Format Advertising / Banners
Digital Marketing Pieces
Brand Imagery / Photography
Social Media Cohesion
Interior / Exterior Signage
Employee Apparel / Attitude
Event Design
and more!
Luxury Branding Needs Consistency
If you’ve been in business for any amount of time, you may already have a few of the elements (or maybe all of them!) listed above.
But since having a logo and website or business cards is not enough when it comes to building an entire brand, luxury branding is no different.
Recognition
When brand colors, fonts, and attitude are presented consistently on every digital and physical marketing correspondence—your brand becomes very recognizable. Whether someone visits your website or stumbles across one of your social media posts. They know it’s you.Trust
When people see consistency, they build internal expectation. Now they know what to expect from you, and on a psychological level this builds trust. When you’re consistent with your branding, the intrinsic message for people is that you’re consistent with your business and your life.
Identify Brand Values
Have you ever heard of the phrase, “If you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything” ?
When you surround yourself in life with people who share in the same values, there is exponential growth. The same goes for business.
But let’s take our own brand for example. Organic luxury is still an ideal, part of the future we’re building.
Yet luxury exists in the present day. Our luxurious printing takes added care and consideration that every printed piece is a perfect result.
But real, eco-friendly sustainability would mean that we should stop printing altogether.
With organic luxury, the processes that already exist are made to become more sustainable over time. That’s why we partner with production facilities that source their papers from sustainable forestry, so that each of our printed projects is part of a larger interconnected system of paper recycling.
It is a small step in the right direction.
Before the Industrial Revolution, people purchased custom clothing from tailors and seamstresses. After fast fashion, overproduction, and globalization cheapening all products, this fine care is now (truly) an exclusive luxury. For eco-friendly fashion brands today, choosing to manufacture items when they are ordered is a step in the right direction.
It is what we must do, because we have been walking in the opposite direction for far too long.
Fine care and craftsmanship shouldn’t stop at the consideration of our planet and our place in it.
In fact, the two should be integrated so seamlessly that one should marvel at how we didn’t integrate true sustainability sooner.
“Many assume that economic interests and environmental interests are in conflict. But new research makes the case,” as reported by The Nature Conservancy, “that this perception of development vs. conservation is not just unnecessary but actively counterproductive to both ends. Achieving a sustainable future will be dependent on our ability to secure both thriving human communities and abundant and healthy natural ecosystems.”
The world is already moving toward the set of values that our brand believes in.
By identifying these values, communicating them consistently, and demonstrating your dedication to these values, your trusted audience grows with pride simply by being associated with your brand. You can see how people enjoy self-representing the “Saltlife” brand, for example, because people crave to be part of something that aligns with their likes, dislikes, goals, and vision for themselves. Salt Life is a clothing brand, yet people put their stickers on their cars (and trust me, they’re not being paid for it.)
Advertising sometimes attempts to manipulate what peoples’ vision of themselves should be, and then creates unnecessary ‘solutions’ to problems that never existed. But marketing is connecting people who are already looking for goods and services to people already looking for buyers.
Think of it in terms of gain and loss - without a set of values, there are less attributes available to distinguish a brand from their immediate competition. That means each social position is an opportunity.
Connecting with likeminded parties will yield more engagement, and subsequently more conversions, even if you are practicing out of a niche or untapped corner of the market.
Building a Luxury Brand: First Impressions
Your initial interaction with a potential client will be through an element of your visual brand identity. Maybe you’re not convinced yet. Maybe you’re wondering, “Does this visual branding stuff really matter?”
I’m here to tell you, yes it absolutely does.
If your business card looks cheap then your products will seem cheaply made.
High-paying clients don’t throw money at just anything. They pay for craftsmanship, quality, and consideration. The first impression, and each subsequent interaction, communicates the depth of care you will put into their service or product. Because that is the depth of care you are putting into yourself.
What does a superior experience mean to you?
If it means a cheap and flimsy DIY marketing piece, the only people that will respond will be those looking for the cheapest option. So those Business Cards are actually a pretty big deal - long-term strategy plays a vital role in making the most of your advertising design investment.
And every aspect of a visual brand identity is a “big deal” too!
Hence the need for luxury branding.
ARMANDO VIDAL'S BRAND TRANSFORMATION
Armando is a public adjuster who came to me because he was ready to attract more clientele and elevate his logo and brand identity. He’d been in business for a while and he did great work in over 10 US states. But his visual branding wasn’t where it needed to be.
He had a logo that was made from specific inspiration - his main competition. Already looking like his biggest threat, he wasn’t getting as many organic leads as he thought.
We discussed his needs, I researched his market and target, and developed a brand strategy that made sense for his business.
With new branding, a new website, brand strategy, he’s attracting the right customers.
Work with a professional brand designer who can help you not just design a pretty logo, but build a strategic and cohesive visual branding system that is effectively communicating your value to clients without you ever having to utter a word.
How I got my client to the first page of Google within 4 months
How I got my client to the first page of Google within 4 months
You know the expression “Content is king”? What if there’s more to it?
I had no idea what SEO even was a few years ago. Back then, I was freshly out of university. Whenever I thought about branching out with my digital marketing knowledge, these were some of the ways I discouraged myself:
Top 3 lies I told myself ↓
I wasn’t ready yet — let me get some more experience first; otherwise no one will see me as credible enough to work with
I didn’t know how — to do any of the technical stuff; let me spend more time learning first so I don’t waste time with mistakes
I had no time to — I was busy doing so many things at once, so there was no consolidated direction for me to even start
💡 One day, I realized that if I don’t start — from anywhere — I would very much likely end up nowhere.
So I began researching, and started from my only point of reference — myself.
2022 Website Updates
2022 Website Updates
After performing some simple A/B testing, I’ve come to the conclusion that this website needs a major overhaul. For the last few months, I’ve been testing and trying out different ways to show all the data I have on this site. It’s plenty of information, but no one is going to sit here and read through all my thoughts and updates, so! I’ll be facing a refresh / revamp soon, however…
Simple Links and/or Mobile App functionality
Much like how linktree has a simple format for their links, the website should be simple to the eye and it should be obvious from the get-go what services are provided. Although this was done in list-form, maybe a different method is more appropriate. I’m thinking of condesing the services in a way that forces the visitor to choose a path to look at the specific details of each service (similar to how you would search for items on Target’s website). It’s a great way to organize plenty of various information in a neat and orderly manner, while possibly up-ing the amount of fun things visitors can engage with on the site (instead of just reading).Purchases Online
Learning the behaviors of my ideal customers versus acting on my preemptive assumptions about what they’re looking for, has been like night and day. Now I know that you don’t really want someone to go into detail about the behind-the-scenes action, you want to see it for yourself in the form of results. And part of the results is pricing. You will be able to create a “Shopping Cart” for the things you are looking for, and request quotes at the press of a button as if you were shopping - rather than facing a long form interrogating you. In this way, you can see what works for your budget in real time or send quote requests instantly.
(This will affect: Business Cards / Printing • Artistry • Search Engine Optimization)GIF Creation & Design
As much as I love showcasing the amazing artists of the GIFs you find on this site, with links directing you to their respective pages, it’s time I either change the aesthetic of this website into one with more functionality and web3-level fun stuff - or I put out my own GIFs!
This has always been a service, but we’ve yet to have it featured on this website because Giphy requires a business email and I have been on the fence about what to put for the main email to this website. For some reason, victoria@vzade.com sounds silly to me. But admin@vzade.com sounds stuffy. Later on if a colleague asks for my email, I don’t want it to sound uptight. But if a large investor asks me for my email, is a simple name suitable enough to convey how seriously I take my business? This is the conundrum, as one helpful designer put it.Product Creation / Invention Builds
It’s been a longtime dream of mine to see my inventions come to life. Because I’m not an engineer (yet), the most I can do is learn some 3D so I can show others what’s inside my mind. If others think the ideas are cool, that will be when the super cool things can happen. Like pleasure investments, like into products such as custom shirts with my art (possibly if I’m enjoying the 3D space so much, I’d like to later involve my art in 3D spaces along with sound design, soft or fluffy or rough textures, anything for synesthesia, perhaps light design or controlling human physiology with light sound vibration and frequency, to enrapture the senses in a vivid cacophony of each emotion that reminds us we’re alive.) or puzzles and card games like it has been suggested to me. I’d like that, and my art page has viewers somewhat but I’m losing authenticity the more I get back into my business. I’d like to be able to have both running successfully. Enlisting with an art gallery would feel like a greater accomplishment if I had a new body of work that I was proud of. The inventions come to mind so much easier sometimes, than the art.Actual SEO Blogs….. finally
It’s been a long time coming. These early blogs are setting the precedent for the niche I’m creating - because it doesn’t exist - but for the services I do already provide, we’re going to need some bait and lure in different parts of the internet. I have an upcoming SEO Bootcamp that I will be providing first to friends and family who would like to try the program to be able to let me know how I could improve it, what issues they face, and how long it takes them to do it on their own before they feel like they need to call me for assistance and/or clarification. The ideal goal is to have you be able to get everything you need, the first time around, so you really get your money’s worth and most importantly, save time and give your business the TLC it deserves. Then I will offer the program for a fee based on the feedback I receive from the brief survey I will likely provide, and then increase the fee after it has some proven successes. I anticipate there will always be hiccups down the road, so I will expand as the product improves its clarity and effectiveness. It will be the process breakdown for how to get your website to the first page of Google search results. Having a cheatsheet (without any real spoilers) handy as a possible freebie, or a small offering in between a freebie and the big seller - the Bootcamp, will be a big game changer).Photography…
Yes, actual photos of me. Because that’s important, I guess.
What is experiential marketing?
What is experiential marketing?
I don’t want to work.
I don’t want to spend the rest of my life working.
Selling at people I’ve grown up with, selling at people I live close to… our lives aren’t meant to be so salesy.
But that’s exactly what life in a consumerist society is like.
Every aspect of how we run our lives is now intertwined with, “Okay, but don’t do it for free.”
When I first sat down to write this article, I realized something important…
I actually don’t want to write about marketing for the rest of my life.
I don’t even want to sell my services for the rest of my life.
I want to have fun. Just like you.
I want to go to events with live painters or musicians, I want to do something crazy new or different. Sometimes, I don’t want to be on my phone at all. Honestly, I want to actually do something.
There are people on one side of the planet suffering every day. And I’m here on my computer talking about how I want to do something other than work.
Why do people link two completely unrelated things and connect them?
Why did Google create pop-up doughnut shops to promote the Home Mini (which happened to be the size of a doughnut)?
Why did Redbull have Felix Baumgartner fly back into Earth from the stratosphere? (This… has nothing to do with energy drinks.)
And why is it totally fine that Tinder created a giant fun slide to communicate their stance on politics?
Each foot represents a state with legal protections for the LGBTQ+ community.
Because at the end of the day, the best way to connect with people is through what we all share: the desire to do something new, and to have a good time.
So yes, we all need to sell our products and services to make a living.
But can’t we all have some fun while doing it?
I’m not saying throw your right-hand-man out of the stratosphere for some likes. Connect to your local DJ or artist, and throw a party in your community.
Invite every local with something to sell, and give everyone (patrons and consumers) a reason to have a good time. Whether that be with a giant slide, or something creative that you just haven’t thought of yet.
Since The Great Resignation, which I will more affectionately call, “The Small Business Boom of the 2020 Pandemic,” there are a ton of new small entrepreneurs looking to get their business off the ground.
But how do the professionals market themselves?
And how do they do it without looking so salesy?
February Website Updates
February Website Updates
We’ve made a lot of changes this month.
What I Do
I added a page for the first-time visitor to get an overall sense of everything that can be found here. Still gathering inputs from my colleagues about how to make the site flow a bit better, so that when I start adding more SEO-related products it will be easier for everyone.
Luxury Business Cards
Updated the print page to reflect the title that best describes what we do.
Copywriting
This page is still under construction, but it is because I’m dividing up the content even further. Until then, everything can be found on one single page, and it’s a big scroll for now until we finish dividing it all up.
SEO
I have 2 new products that I will start pre-promoting on my Instagram once my followers reflect the audience I’m talking to the most. SEO Cheatsheet is for start-ups and entrepreneurs looking to save time and money and DIY their own SEO with my proven methods and tricks. SEO Bootcamp is for businesses who don’t want to play games and they want the most cost-effective solution of having all of my proven methods and tricks, plus the ability to ask me for check-ups to make sure they’re on the right track. These details will become more clear as we get closer to the start of promotions. I am only one person, so it’s important for me to arrange the flow and set up for my audience prior to getting any advertisements out. On the off chance that it is wildly successful, I will need the platform to work exactly as I need it to to make it easier for everyone and myself.
Artistry
The form has shown me just how popular my idea for aesthetic art is, so I’m keeping this page as a portfolio for much older works until my depression busts out an amazing art piece.
Voice Acting
A larger, more comprehensive voice acting page is underway. Status updates pending on this, but I’m just very excited about finally putting my voice to use.
If you’ve read this, wow. Are we friends? Can we be? Thanks.
Shop Update!
Shop Update!
It has been one of my dreams to incorporate my art into wearable fashion. That would be crazy. But growing up, I’d look at Ed Hardy fashion and think to myself that’s what I want to do, but my own way. His style didn’t resonate with me personally. I don’t know if my style would even resonate with anyone else. But I’d like to make something sick. Or classy. Or some strange, sexy combination of both.
There are tons of ideas that I have, but the first step is finding an eco-friendly manufacturer who can also do full shirt printing… and they must also be based in Miami. Need to shop local, in a city that is oh so not cheap. But I’m hoping that I find a vendor that makes it all worth it. It’s important to stretch out and connect within your own hometown. I’m thankful to be able to provide collateral design that uses recycled paper sourced in Miami, and although the specialty items must be designed with secondary uses to maintain its sustainability, at least they are also sourced in Miami.
It’s time to say a short “see ya later” to these items, because my art shop will go on a brief hiatus while I gather up some data on the first release of art shirts. Or, you know, shirts with my art on them.
The art shop will be back open soon!
Enter your email to be notified when it opens:
No spam, no newsletter. Just a heads up.
In the meantime, here is what the design shop looks like…
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We need to end the "green" phase, for good. →
“This whole “green” trend needs to stop being a trend, or a niche, or a choice […] It’s my opinion as a humble child of the Earth that our lifestyle and business practices as a society need to have “eco-friendliness” as a pre-requisite, not as an optional elective.”