Branding

Branding is more than just your company name, logo or tag line.....It's the entire experience your company has with their customers.
Every brand makes a promise and that promise serves as a differentiator between you and your competitors.  My promise is not to just sell you a baby blanket but rather to make the experience not only fast and easy but also enjoyable.

The key to branding is consistency.  Does your logo convey something that you are selling or is it just a cute picture that might end up confusing someone?  My logo is a baby pram, quite simple but who doesn't associate a baby when seeing the pram?  The colour scheme is soft and feminine to attract women.  I keep this consistent throughout my marketing materials from my invoices, business cards,  gift cards etc.

I use one source for all my marketing materials and FreshBooks for my accounting.  FreshBooks allows the customer to keep their brands consistent by using their online invoicing system.  It can help to keep your brand consistent by easily inserting your business logo.  Keeping things aesthetically pleasing and professional at the same time.   All my social media accounts have the same flow keeping consistent in my branding.   Social media sites contain the largest amount of connections so every single piece of media that you share should support your brand image.

Try using emotional triggers to strengthen the customer's loyalty.  I try and make them feel like they are part of the buying experience by allowing them as much input in the design process as possible.  An important factor in buying from Sun 7 Designs is to make the customer's life easier.

In the end, branding and marketing is a long road and an on-going process.  Setting up your accounts is one step, the real challenge is actively participating.  Have fun with it and keep it consistent.

Check out my Website and Facebook page to view my products and connect with Sun 7 Designs.  Let me create something special for your little one with one of my custom designed personalized baby blankets.

Bringing Comfort

Last November I was contacted by the principal of an elementary school who wanted me to make a special blanket for a very special little boy who was terminally ill.  Alex was in grade six and only had a few months to live and his classmates wanted him to have something that would give him comfort during this very difficult time.
They chose a heart with his name for the middle of the blanket and the following designs were created for the four corners.
His favourite colour was purple so the blanket was embroidered with the main design on the purple side and the four corners of the reverse in latte had the other designs.

The school's initials with all his classmates holding hands.

His favourite sports.

 His family.

 And, lastly.... Alex with his friends having a campfire.

Sadly, Alex passed away in January of this year and this special blanket was draped over his coffin at the funeral.  The principal of the school called to tell me that Alex had taken his blanket with him everywhere he went and it did give him comfort.

Sometimes the creation of these blankets is difficult.   Most of my orders are for blankets to celebrate life as in the birth of a brand new baby but, on occasion, I do get requests to do something like this one that was done for Alex.  

A New Year!

Check out the latest edition of Scrapbook Magazine UK, it features two of my layouts.  Issue #87 in stores now.
This layout commemorates a trip that 6 of us took to New York in October of 2011.  My favourite part of the week in NYC was the ride through Central Park.

The challenge for this layout was to use the title "A New Year".......  This year I will become a Grandma for the first time so this layout was so much fun to create.

Sometimes you want your journaling to be private.  I included mine on this layout under this  (Grandma) flap.