If you’re launching a new company, changing your company name, or revamping your brand identity, selecting a new logo will be one of your most important marketing decisions. The logo is the most visible element of your brand identity and the foundation of a smart marketing strategy. A great logo gets attention, sets you apart from competitors, and solidifies your position in the marketplace. A poor logo makes a permanently bad impression on prospects and confuses people about what your brand stands for. Here’s a checklist of seven factors to consider when your creative team or marketing agency presents you with new logo design concepts.

Is direct marketing part of your smart marketing strategy? Here are 10 tried-and-true principles for developing a high-impact creative approach for your next direct marketing campaign.

Great copy is essential for an effective advertising campaign and a smart marketing strategy, but too many copywriters use the same tired phrases again and again in headlines and campaign themes. This is a giant waste of the marketer’s money. Here are seven advertising phrases we’ve seen used a hundred times and hope to never see again — and why you should expect better from your marketing agency.

The state of Ohio missed an opportunity for effective branding by making a classic mistake on its new license plate design: Obscuring the name of the product. The plates were supposed to become the state’s official new design, but the recession forced officials to limit distribution — and that’s good branding news. Here’s why.

Savvy direct marketers are using data and digital printing technology to develop engagign creative approaches and compelling direct mail campaigns that are almost fully customized to the individual recipient. Here are five ways to use data to develop great direct mail creative.