December 2010
Brownstone Visits Solar Conference
October 2010
According to key leaders at the Solar International 2010 Conference, Charles Darwin's statement is relevant to the solar industry: "In the long history of humankind those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed." The October conference, held in Los Angeles, California, was visited by 23,300 industry attendees including Kathryn Sikule, Brownstone's president. The annual event is the largest business-to-business solar energy conference and expo in North America.
Brownstone Goes “Green!”
September 2010
Brownstone Graphics principal, Kathryn Sikule recently joined the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
According to the Council, the USGBC is the nation’s foremost coalition of leaders, from every sector of the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. The USGBC provides educational opportunities to learn more about sustainable design strategies.
Brownstone Graphics looks forward to the opportunities the USGBC offers to expand our knowledge regarding sustainability strategies that can help our business, our community and the clients we serve. Another step in Quietly Making a Difference.
Social Media: Effective marketing tool or just for fun?
August 2010
Facebook page for the Interstate Renewable Energy Council
As technology continues to evolve, social media applications like YouTube and Facebook have become new gadgets for companies to add to their marketing tool belts. While the roots of social media stem from a desire for individuals to network with one another online, the field has expanded to include everything from major news corporations to small business owners.
Social media has become more than just a way to connect with old classmates or share family photos. Businesses have taken note, and are utilizing social networking as a way to reach, and stay involved with, their target markets.
A study by Michael Stelzner, entitled Social Media Marketing Industry Report: How Marketers are Using Social Media to Grow Their Businesses reveals that out 880 small business owners surveyed:
“A full 88% of respondents use social media networks, and 81% of them reported gaining business exposure as a result.” (Social Media Networks as a Marketing Tool by Zeke Camusio)
At Brownstone Graphics, we have also seen an increase in requests from clients to help brand their social media applications. Requests have ranged from producing company YouTube videos to creating Facebook graphics, such as the ones seen above for the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.
As social media continues to play a prevalent role in today’s marketing, businesses continually have to find new ways to stay connected with their customers and members. At Brownstone Graphics we have expanded our resources to help our clients with their social media goals. If you haven't incorporated social media in your marketing mix, ask us about it and we can help!
Brownstone enhances client websites behind the scenes
July 2010
Frank Barrie, www.knowwhereyourfoodcomesfrom.com
In today’s market, many companies are looking to harness the powerful tool of the internet to help their organization grow and reach its goals. The best way to do this is through a company website that is continually updated and tailored to the needs of the customers and members.
Updating a website on a regular basis can be a daunting task for many. Brownstone Graphics has responded to this need by enabling some of our clients to easily update the material on their websites through the use of content management systems (CMS).
This means that the Brownstone Graphics team sets up the design and framework for the site, and then we allow our clients to go in and easily perform tasks like editing the text, updating pictures, and creating new pages.
Frank Barrie, with his website www.knowwhereyourfoodcomesfrom.com, is one such client who is using a content management system Brownstone Graphics set up for him. When asked for his thoughts on using a CMS for updating his site, Frank replied
“As the user of a CMS, I am surprised at my ability to input information so easily and intuitively. When I recently posted a restaurant review on my site,
I didn't even pull out the written directions. Brownstone has given me the confidence to do that!”
Brownstone Graphics is always looking for new ways to empower and support our clients in their endeavors. Introducing the use of content management systems for easily updating websites is just another way we make a difference for our clients.
Brownstone responds to growing need for web videos
June 2010
Brownstone team on location at local renewable energy installation.
With the capabilities of technology expanding every day, there is a greater emphasis on interactivity between companies and organizations and the customers and members they serve. A great way to form a strong connection with viewers is to make web videos an important component of a company web site.
The article “The Importance of Web Video in Marketing” emphasizes that “the main reason why web videos are so important to Internet marketers is because it allows them to connect with their potential customers on an intimate basis.” (Web Video, 2010)
Brownstone Graphics has been working on producing web videos for renewable energy installations in the area. Our Brownstone team has been able to go out on location and tape interviews and testimonials to be used in company web videos. We will be posting video samples on our website in the coming months.
In a world where the key to customer relations is connectivity, Brownstone Graphics is helping to bring companies and their customers closer together.
Brownstone gardens featured in new book: In the Neighborhood
May 2010
Photo from Brownstone's joint gardens.
Brownstone Graphics takes pride in helping to foster smart growth by contributing to the sense of community where we are located.
Brownstone’s office space shares joint gardens with adjacent neighbors and these gardens have recently been featured in Peter Lovenheim’s book In the Neighborhood, as well as in the May 2nd issue of Parade Magazine in an article entitled “Meet the Neighbors.”
Lovenheim’s book, which deals with the sense of community that is being lost in today’s neighborhoods, shares stories and examples from neighbors around the country who have managed to maintain a connection to one another.
“In Albany, N.Y.’s Center Square/Hudson Park, owners of six adjoining brick row houses have traded a bit of privacy for a lot of beautiful gardening. ‘Our tiny backyards were really shaded from the stockade fences between each unit,’ recalls one of the owners, Kathryn Sikule. ‘You really couldn’t grow too much.’ Over time, neighbors agreed to take down their fences and merge gardens … The result, Sikule says, has ‘brought us all together as a community.’” (“Meet the Neighbors”, Parade Magazine)
Brownstone Advises Local Design Students
April 2010
Brownstone's design team reviews portfolios at the AIGA Capital Region Portfolio Review.
Brownstone Graphics is always looking for occasions to further the reach of our company goals, which is why we were delighted to meet with and advise students in our local community and our design industry.
Recently, we invited two students into our office to talk about their career goals and to show them what we do here at Brownstone Graphics. We spoke with a senior high school student who is planning to attend college in the art field, as well as a senior at St. Lawrence University who plans to combine her dual majors of art and science into a unique career path.
This month we attended the Second Annual Upstate New York AIGA Capital Region Student Portfolio Review held at The Crossings in Colonie, New York. The evening was a chance for local professionals to come and review the graphic arts portfolios of graduating college seniors from around the Capital Region. We all enjoyed having the opportunity to lend our time and experience to encourage the next generation of artists and designers.The E-mail Signature: Overlooked and Underutilized
March 2010
Your company logo, letterhead, business cards and web site are all important marketing tools used to help distinguish your company – but what about your e-mail signature?
While branding your e-mail signature may seem like a simple step to take, the signature that you use to sign your business correspondence is a valuable marketing opportunity that speaks volumes about your company every time you click “send.”
Marketing and communications consultant Nancy Schwartz states that an effective e-mail signature “builds a brand or recognizable identity for your organization … [and] serves as a cognitive flag, enabling email recipients to make connections among emails received from various members of your organization.” (Nonprofits' Most Missed Marketing Tool -- Email Signatures, Nancy Schwartz & Company)
We recently redesigned our own e-mail signature to take advantage of the great branding opportunity it offers. We used the same colors and fonts to maintain consistency with our other Brownstone Graphics business materials, and we also included a small graphic of our company logo. Including your essential contact information, as well as a link to your company website, is key to a successful e-mail signature.
In our research of e-mail signatures, we were surprised to find that there are not many books on this topic. We are always looking for ways to help our clients with their marketing materials, and we are hoping to create an informational book that discusses the importance of a well designed e-mail signature. Let us know what you think or send us examples of e-mail signatures you think are great. We’d love your feedback!
Brownstone Graphics featured in ALDC Winter Newsletter
February 2010
Brownstone Graphics was recently highlighted as one of several local “creative class” companies located in the Capital District. The article, which appeared in the winter issue of the Albany Local Development Corporation’s newsletter, discusses how these companies are a great addition to the business community.
“Brownstone Graphics, located on Hudson Avenue, is a creative partner that helps its clients achieve results with a wide range of design, marketing and communication services. The staff at Brownstone Graphics works to improve the effectiveness of their clients’ communications in each way possible by using advertising, brand identity, web marketing, strategic positioning and much more.” (ALDC Update)
We are grateful and honored to be featured in ALDC’s article discussing how local creative businesses contribute to the Capital District workforce and business community.
ALDC’s mission is to facilitate transformational projects that the City of Albany has indentified as priorities and it plays a primary role in the implementation of the Capitalize Albany Plan.
What did you do in 2009?
January 2010
New Years is generally a time for celebration, making resolutions, and looking to the future. However, the start of a new year is also a great time for an organization or business to review what was achieved in the previous year.
It is hard to discuss the year 2009 without our thoughts turning to the economic downturn in our country. Many individuals, organizations, and businesses felt the pinch of the recession.
At Brownstone Graphics, we looked for a silver lining in the cloud hanging over the economy. We used any extra time we had on honing our skills in several key areas:
- Wrote strategic communications and marketing plans
- Attended workshop training on the latest web search engine optimization techniques
- Worked on pro bono projects such as a new brand identity for the University Club.
- Polished our presentation skills for meetings and proposals
We also turned our attention to redesigning and updating our own company website. An important component of our web site is highlighting the company goals which make Brownstone Graphics so unique. We achieved this by developing large image areas on each page which focus on a particular company goal. We began the process by developing the concept and imagery for each piece, then we wrote the text for each goal, and finally we brought all the elements to life by animating them in Flash.
By focusing our energy on advancing the skills and services we offer to our clients, Brownstone Graphics is better positioned to continue its progress towards our company objectives and to help our clients reach their goals in 2010.
Twenty Years Strong
December 2009
The holiday season is often a time for celebration, and here at Brownstone Graphics, this is no exception. This year, Brownstone Graphics is celebrating a true milestone - twenty years in business! As we were deciding on this year’s holiday gift, we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate our anniversary than with everyone who helped us get here.
Staying true to our name and location in downtown Albany, we designed a stylized illustration of a historic brownstone that we had custom molded into bars of chocolate to commemorate our twenty years in business. A sweet treat to say thank you to everyone who has helped Brownstone Graphics grow over the past twenty years!Local City Gem Gets a New Look
November 2009
At Brownstone Graphics our company goals are more than just aspirations, which is why we are always looking for ways to put them into practice through the work that we do. Fostering smart growth is one of the core concepts we strive for, so when we saw a historic gem in the city of Albany in need of assistance, we were delighted to donate our services.
The University Club of Albany, a membership-owned facility in the heart of downtown Albany, needed a new brand identity to help them move forward with the changing times. The club’s existing materials were not projecting the fresh and updated direction that they wanted to move toward. They also wanted to promote their wedding and banquet facilities which are great resources for members.
We recently completed implementing a comprehensive identity for the University Club which consists of a new logo, brochures, advertisements, and direct mail pieces. We also spent some time at the club photographing their facilities. These photographs provide the club with original imagery highlighting all aspects of their services. The imagery is used to personalize all the new printed materials, as well as to create a photo library that the club can draw from in the future.
We feel clubs are an integral part of any city and the University Club’s location in a beautiful historic building harmonized that much more with our desire to encourage reusing historic urban centers. We are always pleased to have the opportunity to work on projects that not only help our clients reach their ambitions, but also help serve the community at large.
Brownstone Wins Special Recognition Award
October 2009
Ken Jurman, IREC’s Board Chairman hands award to Kathryn Sikule.
Principal Kathryn Sikule was presented with a special recognition award by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) on October 26, 2009 in Anaheim, CA at their annual meeting. IREC is a non-profit organization breaking down barriers and accelerating renewable energy since 1982.
“Brownstone Graphics has been making IREC look good in our print and electronic media since the early 1990s. For 15 years, Brownstone Graphics has been by our side promoting renewable and sustainable energy resources and practices. We consider Brownstone Graphics an important partner and friend and recognize Kathryn and Brownstone for making IREC a better organization” said Jane Weissman, IREC’s executive director in announcing the award.
We are grateful and honored to receive this recognition because one of our key commitments as a company is to promote renewable energy.
Brownstone Graphics—Quietly Making a Difference.If life deals you lemons, make lemonade
September 2009
Welcome to “Bricks” a monthly offering of examples, stories and facts relating to our industry, our clients and to the world around us.
Our motto, Quietly Making a Difference resonates in the little things we do behind the scenes to improve our work for our clients. Here are a couple of examples.
When the stock market plummeted last year, we were in the process of recruiting new business. As we realized what was happening and the effect it could have around us, we switched gears.
We were approached by existing and new clients looking to improve their marketing plans and ideas. How could they make an impact without spending too much money? We had to look at things a bit differently. We decided to help our clients make the same impact by using web-based e-mail blasts or by sending company brochures or other information via e-mail. This way, they would be saving the bulk of the budget normally spent on printing and mailing, yet still reaching their customers or member base with new updates.
We also did research to help our clients identify local companies that could help them save money. For instance, whether it’s paper clips or presentation materials, we all need office supplies. Many companies deal with the big name providers and spend more than they need to. We found that Superior Business Products out of Schenectady (not a client) is a small company that delivers locally next-day for free. Not only are they prompt, but we found their items to be discounted significantly compared to the other stores. So next time you’re getting your office supply list ready, keep them in mind. Don’t take our word for it though, check it out for yourself. We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
These are two of the many ways we are Quietly Making a Difference.