Today we are happy to announce the unveiling of our logo design for New2Lou. We’ve been working with the organization for awhile now on their Brand Strategy, Identity, and Web Design. The first labor of love is finally released! We’ve had to sit on unveiling this one, because New2Lou unveiled the logo last night at their 2 year anniversary celebration. Congrats to them!

We’re working hard on the New2Lou site design, but their Facebook page describes their mission:

New2Lou is a social organization designed as a resource for transplants to Louisville, who are looking to meet people, try new places and get involved in Louisville. The second Wednesday of each month, New2Lou hosts a social at a local restaurant or bar, where people mingle and meet other newcomers, as well as meet locals who provide insiders’ information to make the transition to Louisville a smooth one.

Where can I hear free music? Best drink specials on Wednesdays? What about my haircut? Where do I get breakfast at 4 in the morning? While the group is primarily young professionals, newcomers of all ages are welcome. Come find out why people are moving to Louisville and why they can leave but almost always come back.

As fans of the city, we’re always excited to lend a hand on a project that injects energy into our social scene, so we wish New2Lou the best on it’s journey to be the welcome wagon for the city. Even if you’re Old2Lou, get involved and help welcome fresh blood!

Oh yeah, and buy a tshirt while you’re at it!

We may have lost every game our last season, but we will strike terror in the hearts of our opponents from henceforth. Note the pink chest hair. This could only be more awesome if unicorns could grow mustaches.

Thanks as always to Mister Amazing himself, Matt Dobson. Now to see his art exhibit and buy something amazing.

Pepsi picks social media over Super Bowl

Pepsi has always been a big advertiser for the Super Bowl, using big celebrities to gain awareness and attention, from Britney Spears to Cindy Crawford and Ozzy Osborne. This year they stayed out of the big game, choosing to spend those millions of dollars on social media strategies. I would agree that this was the right decision. Everyone knows Pepsi. There’s not a celebrity they could pick that would help or hinder their brand. We all either drink Coke or Pepsi now right? (For the record, I prefer the generic Whole Foods cola). Pepsi’s online campaign involves donating to social causes and community projects, which I feel is definitely the right move. After the horror of their 2008 rebranding, this can only help.

CBS rejects gay dating ad

I’ll try to keep my opinion out of the equation here, instead saying that these two decisions really speak to the political climate of the day.

CBS denied an ad placed by gay dating website mancrunch.com, saying that the ad “is not within the Network’s Broadcast Standards for Super Bowl Sunday”.  The company decided to place the ad on YouTube (for free, of course). The PR backlash from the CBS decision has resulted in unbelievable awareness for the company. I would say this situation is a complete win for mancrunch.com. After viewing the ad, it’s definitely provocative, but I’ve seen much worse on network television. CBS claims that the site was just trying to generate free publicity from an ad they knew wouldn’t be accepted. Posting the ad on YouTube instead of the originally intended Super Bowl television slot reportedly saved mancrunch.com about $2 million.

Interestingly, CBS did choose to air an advertisement from Focus on the Family, which is an conservative evangelical group that is opposed to gay marriage.

Watch the mancrunch.com ad:

View some other banned Super Bowl commercials.

Google airs 30 second spot

Google aired a charming spot this year. If I’m not mistaken, this is their first venture into the television advertising world, and they managed to drive a point across perfectly. It’s a very simple spot which probably didn’t take much to produce. In fact, it’s actually been around online for a few months now. Says Google exec Eric Schmidt: “We didn’t set out to do a Super Bowl ad, or even a TV ad for search. Our goal was simply to create a series of short online videos about our products and our users, and how they interact. But we liked this video so much, and it’s had such a positive reaction on YouTube, that we decided to share it with a wider audience.”

Watch the Google ad here:

The only final observation, GoDaddy aired an ad as well. They could have used the money better by redesigning their horrible, horrible site.

So why does it matter Jason, you didn’t even watch the Super Bowl?

Glad you asked. I think the move by Pepsi is the biggest indicator that the days of the 30 second TV spot as the most important form of advertising are officially over. It is still important for companies who can afford it (hello Google), but focusing your efforts online gives infinite more bang for the buck. A solid marketing strategy is going to be different for every company, but these most important aspects are changing:

1. Branding. Always.
2. A solid online presence.
3. Awareness and Reputation
4. Interaction/Social Strategies
5. Rinse and Repeat

“We chose VIA to build our new company’s website (www.logistics-distribution.com) plus design our logo and write and produce two brochures,” said Sandy Woods, President of Delta Logistics & Distribution. “They really impressed us with the quality of their work and the speed they moved.”

Stonewood Financial (www.stonewoodfinancial.com) needed marketing for a relatively new financial product called a Fixed Index Annuity. “VIA understands how today’s media works,” said Marty Ruby, President/CEO of Stonewood Financial.  “We got a new website with full search engine optimization tied in with a very-very targeted direct mail campaign. I’m not aware of any other company that delivers capabilities like VIA.”

After VIA built their original website 12 years ago, President Mike Schnell thought his website (www.schnellcontractors.com) could use a facelift.  “Funny thing is, people were still giving us complements on the old site. VIA has been after me to add search engine optimization and a content manager to the site and the time was right,” he said. “I’m very pleased with the new website and I’m looking forward to the increased business I know it will generate.”

The OZ Louisville project (www.ozlouisville.com) started out as a gallery website and morphed into a full ecommerce website. “VIA helped us begin selling online and developed our affiliate program, too,” said John Gold, President of OZ.  “We are currently testing several online advertising opportunities and closely monitoring them with VIA.”

VIA has a full package of services, including graphic design, copywriting, and a team of programming experts who can integrate a web site design and database into a comprehensive marketing campaign. The quality of the entire body of work wins the company raves.

“Even in this slow economy, VIA’s business has been good,” said Kelly McKnight, President of VIA. “I think the marketplace is just starting to realize how a cost-effective Internet marketing and advertising can be.”

In business since 1996, VIA Studio (www.viastudio.com) has won numerous awards in local, regional, national and international competitions including the prestigious AXIEM and Horizon Awards. VIA specializes in building, maintaining, and hosting websites and creating the marketing and advertising programs to drive traffic to the sites they build. This includes combining traditional with new media like search engine optimization and social media.