Chief Creative Officer talks Social Media with LACC President, Dr. Edith Valladares McElroy

CGR Creative's Chief Creative Officer & Partner, Julio Colmenares to speak to Charlotte to Business Professionals

 
When: Monday, October 18, 2010 | 06:00PM - 08:00PM

Where: The Dunhill Hotel -237 N. Tryon St. Charlotte, NC 28202  Show Location map

What: Monthly CharlotteBP networking meeting.
See a list of people registered to attend.
The Charlotte Business Journal's Erik Spanberg tweeted today October 14 during the Charlotte Retreat in Pinehurst (twitter hash tag #cltplan)

"Keys for diversity include possible launch of chamber campaign to get companies to spend 10% with local small biz each year. #cltplan"

Dr. Valladares McElroy and Colmenares not only have their finger on the pulse of the Latin American business community in but Charlotte small business community period with over 2 decades of combined experience.
When asked to give a preview of his social media speech Julio said,

"What 'new media' means changes rapidly so the question becomes, "how can I keep current without going crazy or bankrupt?" The answer is simple, "Jump In!" Learning to swim requires that you get in the pool. You can research, compare, look to your competitor, etc. but eventually you must get wet. I want to teach small businesses how to take new media and promote their business"

Join in to what will surely be time well spent. 

The (Yes THE) CGR Creative Web Design Checklist: Part 1- Favicons

Good Website Design is Authoritative
The web is full -- full of more stuff than one person can read in many lifetimes.  How do you stand out?

Authority.

Authority is what makes a website stand out.
We have all seen websites that look homemade.  An authority site is polished. 

Polish is obtained in the details.

All polished authority sites use favicons.   You will be very hard-pressed to find an authority website that does not use  favicons.
Favicons are the little emblem that show at the top in your browser next to your website’s title.

In this image you can see the flame icon and the twitter bird icon on the tabs above. 
Favicons are subtle, but these small subtle steps are the difference between an authority site that wins appeal and a marginal site that gets the back button.
Be an authority.  Charlotte’s greatest web designers are standing by.
CGR Creative

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5525 (20101012) __________
The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.
http://www.eset.com

THE (yes "THE") CGR Creative Web Marketing Checklist: Introduction

Did you get an A in Web Marketing?

We are going to drop the knowledge on you beginning today in our new online series (no charge for awesomeness).

THE ( yes, "THE") CGR Creative Web Marketing Checklist.

This is the last check list you will need.  Why?  Because it is the most awesome checklist in the world.  We're talking about 20 pages long and two columns wide of little golden checkboxes to help you become the shining star of your little internet slice of heaven.

What about Cross browser functionality?  Navigation? Buttons? Privacy Policy?

Man.  We're with you!

And when we say, "We're with you" we don't mean, "We're with you."   We mean, "Put us on your payroll after you knock it out of the park!"   

You may want to get a biscuit to sop this up.  Definitely a napkin because this is going to be GOOD.

Don't worry, as long as you pay your electric bill, we'll wait...  Got it?  OK.

Part 1.   -  How to Pick a Kick-A...Awesome Domain Name and URL

What do you call yourself.  What do you do?  This is all huge.  Like, invent-a-time-machine huge.  Google "Credit Cards" and see what the first natural #1 result is after the paid and news items.  #2 is Visa and  #1 is not Mastercard.   That ranking is natural and the traffic is free.  You can see, even at $12 per click, there are more ads on this page than stormtroopers at the original Death Star opening (before the remix).   

Step 1

Figure out your #1 keyword.  What would you type into Google to find that so sweet special thing you have to offer.  Youtube and Facebook are one in a million.  Domains that exactly match (exact match) your keyword or have the keyword in them (phrase match) is the fastest way possible (period!) to get to the top of Google.  www.creditcards.com is not as powerful of a website as Visa.com nor do they have the same budget I can assure you.  This is so powerful that if ninjas would have known this fact they probably would have gone into web marketing instead of becoming ninjas. 

Check us out at The Hottest Advertising Agency in Charlotte NC for more information about web marketing!

Hit the Digg button (bottom right)!!  Fun things will happen.

Charlotte Web Design Advertising Tips

Web design is all about driving traffic, without traffic to a site, no e-commerce or brand awareness can occur. So your biggest concern when advertising on the web or designing a web site is how you are going to drive traffic to specific pages within your web site. Obviously some form of online advertising is suggested, but there are so many options out there that this can get overwhelming. When you add in the industry terms like PPC (Pay per Click), SEO (Search Engine Optimization), CMS (Content Management System), etc. it just becomes a blur of acronyms and Internet babble. At CGR Creative we do our best to simplify the process. Our clients run the gamut from Internet savvy professionals to novice business owners that know they, "just need a good web site." No matter what your level of expertise we can help make your online based advertising more successful.

We have compiled a list of Web Advertising Tips that we think are the core of a good online campaign. These represent tried and true ways to increase traffic to your site whether it has been around for years or weeks, and while CGR Creative is based in Charlotte, North Carolina these tips will work no matter where you are located!

CGR Creative's Web Design Advertising Tips

1 Update and maintain your website in every way possible using blogs, social media, online articles, etc. Basically branding yourself within your market.

2 Contribute to any and all reputable online forums, groups, or associations within your market. Many of these exist online, and it is therefore easy to maintain a more constant presence than with traditional groups.

3 Always collect the name and email addresses of visitors to your business, trade shows, or your web site. Send these contacts relevant updates and a company newsletter.

To see tips 4 through 7 simply visit: http://cgrcreative.com/latest-news/177-charlotte-web-des ...

Again these tips are really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to online advertising, but they represent low cost ways to establish your brand. At CGR Creative we work with all our clients to help place their business exactly where they want it. Call us today to see what we can do for you!

Charlotte based CGR Creative is a full service advertising agency offering cutting edge Web Design and more. CGR Creative prides itself on supporting their customers in a way that larger agencies can’t, often times committing all their resources to ensure the success of their client’s projects. CGR Creative’s fundamental belief is that the client’s success is their success. The agency, with an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, is fully bi-lingual, with a Latino marketing division that offers a variety of marketing channels that are specifically targeted to reach the Hispanic market.

Before You Design Your Website Answer these Questions

Charlotte Web Design Specialists CGR Creative Lists Six Questions your Business Should Answer Before Designing Your Website

If you are serious about developing a successful business in today's marketplace, taking the time to educate yourself about modern Web Development, Web Site Design, Internet Marketing, Online Promotions, Copywriting, and Search Engine Optimization is of the utmost of importance.

Above all else, your first priority must be your website. If your site does not look professional, all of your marketing and promotional efforts will be wasted. Although you may be able to drive traffic to your web site, if it is poorly planned and looks unprofessional, you will most likely not make any sales.

We highly recommend visiting CGR Creative to contact us about designing a highly professional looking web site. It will be well worth the price, as it will save you a great deal of time and effort.

In addition to developing a professional web site, you must also know exactly what you will be selling, and we can help design your web site accordingly. This should include developing your web site's theme, sales strategy, marketing strategy and promotional strategy. Each part of this web development strategy will play an important role in your success.

The answers to these questions will assist you in developing a successful web presence. For additional information, make sure you don't miss http://cgrcreative.com/latest-news/176-charlotte-web-design-specialists-cgr-creative

Charlotte Web Design Specialists CGR Creative Lists Six Questions your Business Should Answer Before Designing Your Website

Charlotte’s Web Design specialists CGR Creative explains the importance behind answering these six questions before designing your company’s website. CGR takes pride in taking the time to fully research a client’s market and industry before beginning any creative project. Located in the historic South End neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina, CGR Creative has been quietly cranking out some of  the best web design in the Country.

Answering these six questions can literally put your business on the map, and you need to do that before you put it on the web! Give CGR Creative a call today to see how we can help meet your business' design needs.

CGR Creative’s Six Web Design Questions

Who is your client? It is critical that you identify your target market. This is not as simple as it sounds. Often business owners make assumptions about their market that do not stand up to investigation. Knowing your core demographic can inform design decisions and directly influence the effectiveness of your web site.

What problem are you solving? In order to be really successful, you must solve a problem for your customers. Your first job is to inform your audience about the problem and then direct their attention to your ingenious solution. The more dramatic the problem the more valuable your solution becomes.

What is your core service or product? What product or service are you most interested in selling? Often this is not the most or least expensive option you have available. At the movies, this is called MEDIUM. What product or service has the highest profit to effort ratio? In other words what is your company best at?

For the last three questions please visit Charlotte Web Design Specialists CGR Creative!

Pictures From Julio's Presentation

Pictures From Julio's Presentation

Top Ten SEO Tips From Charlotte's Web Design Experts CGR Creative

Top Ten SEO Tips From Charlotte's Web Design Experts CGR Creative

Today Julio Colmenares of Charlotte based CGR Creative addressed a luncheon crowd on the topic of new media and web design. One of the questions from the audience was, "What are the top 10 things you can do do get your site ranked higher on Google?" Julio explained how each of these ideas work and how to gain maximum benefit from them. We think that question was worth addressing again here on our blog, so here is your Top 10 list of Search Engine Optimization Tips:

10. Titles - Each page within your site should have a unique title that is relevant to your business and the content on that particular page.

9. Keyword Rich Content - Every page should have at least 250 words of plain text that contains the relevant keywords from your page title. It is best if those keywords are mentioned in the first few lines.

8. Don't Use Frames - Frames prevent search engines from searching the content on your site. If you view the source of your web page, and you don't see the content of your page, your site is hiding that content from search engines.

7. Don't Use Graphics in Place of Text - Search engines can't search the content of pictures yet, so they can't read your cool graphic that explains what your business is about. Use plain HTML text throughout your site.

6. Avoid Flash Heavy Content - Just like pictures, search engines can't read the content of Flash files, but, worse, many browsers, and even more mobile phones, can't see Flash files at all.

5. Tag All Your Media Files - For the pictures and graphics you do have on your site, make sure you fill out their alt tags and meta tags as completely as possible. Be sure to repeat your keywords here as well.

4. Don't Create Outgoing Links - Outgoing links send search engines the message that your content is not as valuable as that of the pages to which you are linking. You never want to have more outgoing links than you have incoming.

3. Create Incoming Links - Incoming links make your content look more valuable. Search engines will begin to treat your site more like an expert on your subject with every additional incoming link. Social media can really help here.

2. Keep Page Viewers Occupied - Search engines actually monitor how long viewers stay on your site. So, make sure all your pages have visually pleasing, fast-loading, interesting content.

1. Update Your Content Regularly - The best way to keep moving up the search engine ladder is to continually update your content. This keeps your site looking valuable to search engines, and it promotes new visits from existing viewers which also increases your rankings.

Charlotte based CGR Creative is a full service advertising agency offering cutting edge Web Design and more. CGR Creative prides itself on supporting their customers in a way that larger agencies can’t, often times committing all their resources to ensure the success of their client’s projects. CGR Creative’s fundamental belief is that the client’s success is their success. The agency, with an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, is fully bi-lingual, with a Latino marketing division that offers a variety of marketing channels that are specifically targeted to reach the Hispanic market.

Julio Colmenares of Charlotte's CGR Creative Talks About New Media

Julio Colmenares of Charlotte's CGR Creative Talks About New Media

Don't forget to take advantage of this great opportunity! Join us on May 20, 2010 and learn how to leverage technology to build awareness of your company. What 'new media' means changes rapidly, so the question becomes, "How can I keep current without going crazy or bankrupt?" The answer is simple, "Jump In!" Learning to swim requires that you get in the pool. You can research, compare, look to your competitor, etc. but eventually you must get wet. Julio Colmenares teaches you how to take control of new media and promote your business! Let's grow your business! Only $19.50!

The event will be held from 11:30 to 1:00 at Vivace Italian Restaurant in Charlotte. Vivace offers five star quality at 3 star prices with excellent presentation and service.

Click here to sign up today!

About CGR Creative: Charlotte based CGR Creative is a full service advertising agency, marketing firm, design studio, and interactive marketing agency. CGR Creative prides itself on supporting their customers in a way that larger agencies can’t, often times committing all their resources to ensure the success of their client’s projects. CGR Creative’s fundamental belief is that the client’s success is their success. The agency, with an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, is fully bi-lingual, with a Latino marketing division that offers a variety of marketing channels that are specifically targeted to reach the Hispanic market.

CGR Creative of Charlotte Takes you on a Tour of their new TrackIt Advertising Software

CGR Creative of Charlotte Takes you on a Tour of their new TrackIt Advertising Software

CGR's new TrackIt software allows advertisers like you to track every aspect of marketing efforts. Now you can measure and optimize the performance of your marketing and advertising efforts.  By placing unique call measurement numbers on each of your marketing mediums, (i.e. website, print, direct-mail, radio) you can discover which ads deliver the most, and best, leads.

You know marketing goes beyond placing a few ads and hoping for the best. Our platform makes your company smarter and more efficient.

TrackIt Targeting

• Ensure callers and web visitors reach the right agent at the right time.  Our communication software uses intelligent routing rules, ensuring you will no longer miss important leads or communication.

TrackIt Analytics

• Take the guesswork out of advertising Track phone calls, chats, and clicks that result from print and web campaigns
• Show which ads are working and give you the most bang for your buck

TrackIt Awareness

• Deliver the right message everytime Incoming conversations are preceded by a quick audible announcement about the referring source that generated the lead
• Calls and chats from your website will be associated with the  exact keywords that led the visitor to the website and then every page that was viewed prior to the conversation

TrackIt Knowledge

• Gain insight into how well you communicate with your customers and salespeople

TrackIt Website Tracking

• Fast implementation - simply load our script on all of your web pages 
• Track referring websites and keywords that lead to a website visit 
• Add value by assigning specific conversion goal pages 
• A retailer’s directions page 
• Service appointment form confirmation at a car dealership
• Listen to actual phone calls and see the visitor’s click path that led him/her to pick up the phone
• Email reports - schedule or send personalized e-mails containing the exact information you want to share

   

TrackIt Live Website Chat

• The online chat tool offers immediate online assistance to your website’s users. Chat provides great scalability for your staff, as a single agent can handle numerous simultaneous conversations
• Provide quick responses to visitors on your website 
• Convert “just looking” visitors into viable leads 
• Chat icon only appears when someone is present to field questions 
• Analyze referring sites and keywords that led to a chat  
• Reduce operating costs and increase productivity 
• Instantly engage website visitors 
• View a visitor’s click path leading to and after a chat
• Take web analytics to the next level by measuring the phone calls that your site produces.  Now you can relate phone calls to the specific referring sites and keywords that lead to an offline conversion

About CGR Creative: Charlotte based CGR Creative is a full service advertising agency, marketing firm, design studio, and interactive marketing agency. CGR Creative prides itself on supporting their customers in a way that larger agencies can’t, often times committing all their resources to ensure the success of their client’s projects. CGR Creative’s fundamental belief is that the client’s success is their success. The agency, with an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, is fully bi-lingual, with a Latino marketing division that offers a variety of marketing channels that are specifically targeted to reach the Hispanic market.

Hidden Marlboro Advertising in Formula 1?

 As with almost all other forms of racing, Formula 1 took a huge hit when cigarette companies were no longer allowed to advertise on the cars, tracks, broadcasts, etc. Well, recently it seems like Marlboro may be blurring the lines... LITERALLY.

These are images of the new Ferrari Formula 1 race car sponsored in part by Phillip Morris makers of Marlboro cigarettes. We'll let you be the judge.

Here is the top view of the 2010 Ferrari Scuderia (Marlboro) F1 car which does not seem to be controversial at all.

 The side view begins to illustrate our point. If you are familiar with the Marlboro brand the "bar code" looking section should at least remind you of the cigarette brand's logo.

This angled view was the clincher for us. Look at it and imagine the car passing you at race speed. What impression will you be left with?

Here is the Marlboro sponsored Ferrari from 2005 before the tobacco companies were forced out. It illustrates both how much of a role tobacco played in the sport and it goes to show how closely the new graphics resemble the Marlboro logo.

The branding goes beyond just the car and can be found on everything associated with the team including uniforms, equipment, advertising, promotional items, etc.

At this point it should be pretty clear that Marlboro is back in Formula 1.



About CGR Creative: Charlotte based CGR Creative is a full service advertising agency, marketing firm, design studio, and interactive marketing agency. CGR Creative prides itself on supporting their customers in a way that larger agencies can’t, often times committing all their resources to ensure the success of their client’s projects. CGR Creative’s fundamental belief is that the client’s success is their success. The agency, with an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, is fully bi-lingual, with a Latino marketing division that offers a variety of marketing channels that are specifically targeted to reach the Hispanic market.

CGR Creative goes to the Movies: Iron Man 2 Review

Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the highly anticipated sequel to the blockbuster film based on the legendary Marvel Super Hero “Iron Man,” reuniting director Jon Favreau and... CGR Creative goes to the Movies: Iron Man 2 Review

Iron Man 2 is Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment  highly anticipated sequel to the blockbuster film “Iron Man,” based on the successful Marvel comic franchise of the same name.

Iron Man 2 reunites director Jon Favreau and Oscar® nominee Robert Downey Jr. The basic plot rundown has the world aware that billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is the armored super hero Iron Man, and he is under pressure from the government, the press and the public to share his technology with the military. However, Tony is unwilling to divulge the secrets behind the Iron Man armor. The film also features Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle) as Stark's #1 employee and best friend respectively.

The main plot follows Tony Stark's quest to keep the Iron Man armor a corporate secret, while a competing weapons firm, with pentagon contracts, tries to undermine Stark's credibility and to gain access to the Iron Man technology. Mickey Rourke plays the son of a former Russian Stark Industries Associate, who was disgruntled, to say the least, at the way Howard Stark, Tony's father, handled the termination of that relationship.
  
Iron Man 2 is not a groundbreaking original look at the super hero film, the first film filled that role, the sequel is an extension of the first movie and a very successful one. It is funnier, more relevant, and if possible visually more impressive than the first film. In fact, the only possible drawback is that the first film was so good at getting audiences to suspend their disbelief that no sequel can ratchet that up more than just a few notches. Iron Man 2 is a blast, and we give it four thumbs up! 

To add your feedback visit us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CGRCreative and click on Discussions.

Charlotte Ad Agency CGR Creative Launches New ROI Tracking System

Charlotte Ad Agency CGR Creative Launches New ROI Tracking System

April 30, 2010 - Charlotte, NC Charlotte Ad Agency CGR Creative has developed a new method of tracking the performance of your advertising dollars. Now, advertising clients can track exactly how effective all of their advertising elements are. CGR's new TrackIt System can measure online and offline advertising components. From business cards and billboards to email blasts and web promotions, CGR can now pin down exactly how many clicks, calls, and orders are being generated and by which particular advertising element. For example, if a company advertised the same product on three different websites, five billboards, a postcard, two flyers, and four magazine ads, CGR Creative can now track how many website visits, telephone calls, and orders were generated by each of those fifteen different campaign components. Then the customer can make an educated decision regarding which efforts to maintain and which to discontinue. If one of the magazine ads isn't generating results, the client can put those funds toward an area of the campaign that is working.

This level of detailed information used to exist only for online advertising elements, but CGR's TrackIt System provides return on investment information for every type of marketing or advertising effort. The applications are limitless. If a company wants to compare three similar advertising ideas, they can simply measure which of the three provides the best results. In the past, many companies have relied on their staff to ask clients, "Where did you hear about us?", or, worse, they asked their clients to fill out annoying little comment cards. Neither of those methods have ever provided accurate information; the forgetful employee or the less than enthused client are hard challenges to overcome. CGR's TrackIt System is totally seamless so the user never sees a survey, interacts with a username, or enters a password. The system is invisible to your clients and to your staff.

For more information on CGR's TrackIt System visit: http://www.cgrcreative.com

About CGR Creative: Charlotte based CGR Creative is a full service advertising agency, marketing firm, design studio, and interactive marketing agency. CGR Creative prides itself on supporting their customers in a way that larger agencies can’t, often times committing all their resources to ensure the success of their client’s projects. CGR Creative’s fundamental belief is that the client’s success is their success. The agency, with an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, is fully bi-lingual, with a Latino marketing division that offers a variety of marketing channels that are specifically targeted to reach the Hispanic market.

Julio Colmenares of CGR Creative to Speak About New Media in Charlotte

Julio Colmenares of CGR Creative to Speak About New Media in Charlotte

Thursday, May 20, 2010 Julio Colmenares, Chief Creative Officer of CGR Creative, will be speaking at Working Charlotte Magazine's Lunch and Learn Series. Join us on May 20, 2010 and learn how to leverage technology to build awareness of your company.

What 'new media' means changes rapidly so the question becomes, "how can I keep current without going crazy or bankrupt?" The answer is simple, "Jump In!" Learning to swim requires that you get in the pool. You can research, compare, look to your competitor, etc. but eventually you must get wet. Julio Colmenares teaches you how to take control of new media and promote your business! Join us for a Business-to-Business Lunch & Learn designed specifically with you in mind, Charlotte's small and medium sized business owners. Let's grow your business! Attending this event only costs $19.50!

The event will be held from 11:30 to 1:00 at Vivace Italian Restaurant in Charlotte. Vivace offers five star quality at 3 star prices with excellent presentation and service.

About CGR Creative: Charlotte based CGR Creative is a full service advertising agency, marketing firm, design studio, and interactive marketing agency. CGR Creative prides itself on supporting their customers in a way that larger agencies can’t, often times committing all their resources to ensure the success of their client’s projects. CGR Creative’s fundamental belief is that the client’s success is their success. The agency, with an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, is fully bi-lingual, with a Latino marketing division that offers a variety of marketing channels that are specifically targeted to reach the Hispanic market.

For more info on CGR Creative visit http://www.cgrcreative.com

Vervé Beauty, Charlotte Spa and Salon announces CGR Creative as 'Advertising Agency of Record'

Charlotte, NC, April 22, 2010 - Vervé Beauty, Charlotte's most luxurious Spa and Salon, formally announces the renewal of CGR Creative as their 'Advertising Agency of Record' to manage the Vervé brand image. CGR Creative has worked with Vervé in the past, developing their brand, collateral, and web presence.

Vervé Beauty offers the highest level of spa services, from massages and facials to their signature Therapeutic Manicures and Pedicures. Verbena Wilson owns and operates Vervé Beauty, with an eye toward merging the relaxation of hair care and spa services under one roof. Verbena has been a Licensed Cosmetologist for over 20 years and she and her team of highly qualified stylists and technicians truly offer a complete experience of beauty and therapy.

"We are proud to have been named 'Advertising Agency of Record' for Vervé Beauty," affirms CGR Creative's, Jason Ramsey. "We look forward to further developments including a possible product launch in 2010." CGR Creative has already partnered with Vervé on several magazine advertisements and email campaigns, so this is just the next logical step for a great business relationship to take.

About CGR Creative: Charlotte based CGR Creative is a full service advertising agency, marketing firm, design studio, and interactive marketing agency. CGR Creative prides itself on supporting their customers in a way that larger agencies can’t, often times committing all their resources to ensure the success of their client’s projects. CGR Creative’s fundamental belief is that the client’s success is their success. The agency, with an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, is fully bi-lingual, with a Latino marketing division that offers a variety of marketing channels that are specifically targeted to reach the Hispanic market.

For more info on CGR Creative visit http://www.cgrcreative.com

Charlotte Advertising Agency CGR Creative Launches Mobile App for Android Phones

April 15, 2010 Charlotte NC – CGR Creative recently launched an Android based mobile app so their customers can stay on top of the advertising agency’s latest news. CGR Creative’s Android app streams all their social media channels directly to one feed. This incorporates CGR’s award winning blog, their twitter feed, links and updates from their facebook fan page, and even their tumblr mini blog. CGR is offering this free application to Android phone users immediately with an iPhone version to be released in the next few months.

CGR Creative believes Charlotte, North Carolina is a prime location for mobile application development because of the growing tech economy it’s top twenty-three media market rating. CGR Creative is poised to take advantage of the fact that every major US city is within an 800 mile radius of Charlotte, North Carolina.

More and more mobile phone owners are using their phones in novel ways. They are searching the Internet and consuming content at a constantly increasing rate. This adds to the perfect storm of mobile development that CGR Creative predicts will hit the Charlotte Market in the next five years.

About CGR Creative: Charlotte based CGR Creative is a full service advertising agency, marketing firm, design studio, and interactive marketing agency. CGR Creative prides itself on supporting their customers in a way that larger agencies can’t, often times committing all their resources to ensure the success of their client’s projects. CGR Creative’s fundamental belief is that the client’s success is their success. The agency, with an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, is fully bi-lingual, with a Latino marketing division that offers a variety of marketing channels that are specifically targeted to reach the Hispanic market.

For more info on CGR Creative visit http://www.cgrcreative.com 

Charlotte Advertising Agency CGR Creative Featured at Working Charlotte’s Business Prosperity Conference

Charlotte Advertising Agency CGR Creative was featured at Working Charlotte’s Business Prosperity Conference Saturday

Charlotte, North Carolina - Julio Colmenares, Chief Creative Officer of Advertising Agency CGR Creative, LLC, spoke about New Media at Working Charlotte’s Business Prosperity Conference on Saturday, April 10, 2010. Charlotte Advertising agency CGR Creative has been a supporter of small business in Charlotte since it's founding in 2002. The Working Charlotte Business Prosperity Conference 2010 was a great way for CGR to give new media advice to small and medium sized business owners seeking to boldly unlock the "know-how" and the "how-to" of doing business in Charlotte.

Julio began his presentation by explaining that, "What ‘new media’ means changes rapidly so the question becomes, “how can I keep current without going crazy or bankrupt?” The answer is simple, “Jump In!” Learning to swim requires that you get in the pool. You can research, compare, look to your competitor, etc. but eventually you must get wet."

Julio also provided these 7 pieces of advice for attendees to take away from his presentation:

NEW MEDIA: Sink or Swim!

Enjoy the Water: Don't try to be everything to everyone. No product or service will appeal to everyone. Many business owners, including corporate executives, try to come up with ways to reach every market. Typically, this does not work. It can spell disaster for small businesses, who cannot afford to spread themselves too thin. Therefore, find your market and be everything you can be to that audience.

Swim with a Strong Buddy: New Media is one area where people try to tell the professionals what to do and how to do it. You wouldn’t tell a doctor what treatment to prescribe, just like you wouldn’t tell your lawyer how to defend you. Companies can lose a lot of time and money while trying to act as their own ad agency. Agencies are experts. They charge for their time and experience and have one goal in mind: To get the best results for their clients in order to keep those clients.

Beware of Rip Tides: Many companies offer quick fixes for little investment. These are often a simple "Buy your Rankings" package which can work for a short time and leave you stranded in deep water after the initial investment is gone. Work toward developing a consistent managed strategy that will work for the long term.


Know How Deep the Water is: Make your new media decisions based upon research and a formal marketing plan rather than a predetermined target budget. New media is often less expensive than traditional channels but you still get what you pay for.

Constantly Work on Your Stroke: Monitor your new media performance! You need to find out what works best for you. After you find this out, you’ll want to stay the course. Keep track of how SEO efforts and keyword campaigns not only how they drive traffic to your business but at what rate they actually produce sales. Consider testing each new media channel before deciding on which to explore more fully.

Have a Lifeguard: You should always have a professional that you can rely on for no nonsense feedback and creative ideas for all your new media campaigns. Preferably this is someone with a vantage point with which to measure your efforts and who can point you in the right direction.

Pay Attention to the Other Swimmers: Put your new media dollars in the right places. Your favorite website, social media outlet, blog, or even search engine might not be a favorite of your audience. Know what they read, peruse, and where they get their info, and advertise in the new media channel that reaches your target market.Julio Colmenares, Chief Creative Officer, CGR Creative, LLC - Description: Explore "New Media" (Websites, Search Engines and Social Media) and how to stay current without going crazy or bankrupt. Learn how to leverage technology to build awareness of your company.

About CGR Creative: Charlotte based CGR Creative is a full service advertising agency, marketing firm, design studio, and interactive marketing agency. CGR Creative prides itself on supporting their customers in a way that larger agencies can’t, often times committing all their resources to ensure the success of their client’s projects. CGR Creative’s fundamental belief is that the client’s success is their success. The agency, with an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, is fully bi-lingual, with a Latino marketing division that offers a variety of marketing channels that are specifically targeted to reach the Hispanic market.

For more info on CGR Creative visit http://www.cgrcreative.com

Charlotte Advertising Agency CGR Creative Helps Promote North Carolina Charity

Charlotte Advertising Agency CGR Creative recently completed a brand image overhaul for Statesville based Purple Heart Homes. The charity was founded by Dale Beatty and John Gallina, two former Soldiers injured in the line of duty. Charlotte Advertising Agency CGR Creative helped create a new modern brand image for the charity including their logo, supporting graphics, business cards, brochures, and other collateral. CGR Creative is known for their cutting edge graphics and their ability to develop and manage memorable brands. As an Advertising Agency, CGR Creative takes pride in being Charlotte, North Carolina's Agency of choice among new businesses.

Jason Ramsey, CGR Creative's Creative Director said, "Work like CGR Creative's brand management for Purple Heart Homes is what every Charlotte Advertising Agency should be doing more of." He went on to explain, "They [PHH] had a clear idea of what their goals were and they let us develop the brand image that would deliver on those goals."

About Purple Heart Homes: Purple Heart Homes wants to help other service connected disabled veterans achieve the quality of life they deserve. PHH is committed to helping Veterans with a variety of injuries regardless of when they served. Full construction of a new home will generally be reserved for recent medical retirees without an established home, who have a need for new housing after medical retirement. Smaller projects such as improving accessibility within existing homes can be completed for qualified Veterans regardless of when they served.

How you can help: PHH is not a construction company, but instead they are a Public Charity that seeks ways to pool community resources for our candidates. Our ultimate goal is for the communities where our Veterans reside to accept a role of ownership in the projects we undertake. This gives Americans a chance to show their appreciation for local Veterans, thru donations, labor, and by participating in projects that reward the volunteers as well as the recipient. 

We are currently focusing our efforts in the North Carolina region. To join us in our mission, or to find out more about how you can help, or to apply for assistance, please visit us at www.phhnc.org 

About CGR Creative: CGR Creative is a Charlotte advertising agency, marketing firm, design studio, and interactive marketing company. CGR Creative prides itself on supporting their customers in a way that larger agencies can’t, often times committing all their resources to ensure the success of their client’s projects. CGR Creative’s fundamental belief is that the client’s success is their success. The agency, with an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, is fully bi-lingual, with a Latino marketing division that offers a variety of marketing channels that are specifically targeted to reach the Hispanic market.

Julio Colmenares to Speak at Charlotte’s Business Prosperity Conference

April 7, 2010 - Charlotte, North Carolina - Julio Colmenares, Chief Creative Officer of CGR Creative, LLC, will be speaking at Charlotte’s Business Prosperity Conference on Saturday, April 10, 2010. The Charlotte Business Prosperity Conference 2010 is a one-day experience for small and medium sized business owners seeking to boldly unlock the "know-how" and the "how-to" of doing business in Charlotte. The "Business Prosperity" theme is appropriate as Charlotte business owners, entrepreneurial-minded professionals, and their employees will access strategies, skills, resources, and connections to prosperity, productivity, and power. The entire conference will be focused on removing barriers to business by empowering attendees to drive revenue and control expenses.

Breakout Session #3 - NEW MEDIA: SINK OR SWIM

Presenter: Julio Colmenares, Chief Creative Officer, CGR Creative, LLC - Description: Explore "New Media" (Websites, Search Engines and Social Media) and how to stay current without going crazy or bankrupt. Learn how to leverage technology to build awareness of your company.

The Conference will be provided in English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese!

DATE:  Saturday, April 10, 2010
TIME:  8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
LOCATION:  UNC - Charlotte
REGISTRATION FEE:  $99
College of Health and Human Services Building
9201 University City Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28223


About CGR Creative: CGR Creative is a full service marketing, design, advertising, and interactive marketing agency. CGR Creative prides itself on supporting their customers in a way that larger agencies can’t, often times committing all their resources to ensure the success of their client’s projects. CGR Creative’s fundamental belief is that the client’s success is their success. The agency, with an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, is fully bi-lingual, with a Latino marketing division that offers a variety of marketing channels that are specifically targeted to reach the Hispanic market.

Need a Reason to do Search Engine Marketing?

Need a Reason to do Search Engine Marketing? We'll Give You 10!

1 Targeting: Search engines allow you to market to people who are already interested enough in your products and services to get online and type in key words related to your product or service. These people are far more likely to seek you out and are much more likely to buy from you than some random individual who hears about your company. Unlike most traditional forms of marketing, they are looking for you!

2 Timing: Search engines allow you to market your product or service to searchers at the time they are interested, even 2 a.m. on Christmas morning, or while they are at work. What other form of marketing allows you to give them what they want, whenever they want it?

3 Visibility: Search engines allow consumers and businesses to find you easily. Even obscure and hard to define products and services are easy to find via search engines.

4 Measurable Results: Everything in Search Engine Marketing can be tracked, including what site a visitor came from, what keyword they typed to find you, how long they spent on your site, which pages they visited, etc…. Everything.

5 Trust & Reputation: Consumers have learned to trust the companies at the top of Google as being the most reputable and trusted sources in their niche.

For 6-10 visit our website here.

CGR Creative is certified as a Historically Underutilized Business (HUB)

CGR Creative was awarded HUB certification this week meaning they are now qualified as a Historically Underutilized Business. Julio Colmenares, Partner and Chief Creative Officer of CGR, was excited that the HUB certification process was completed. Julio said, "I am glad that we can now offer an extra benefit to our clients, many companies out there are looking to partner with HUB Firms and I am happy we bring that added value to our clients." Julio went on to explain that, "this really doesn't change anything here at CGR. We have always been focused on providing top quality results with phenomenal service, and that remains our mission."

CGR's HUB vendor information can be found here.

According to Bridget Wall-Lennon, Director Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses, in her post titled "HUB OFFICE PREPARES FOR NEW OPPORTUNITIES," North Carolina business owners were understandably optimistic when they heard the state would receive $6.1 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) is working to ensure that minority-, women-, disabled- and disadvantage-owned businesses will enjoy an equal opportunity to participate in providing state government with the goods and services it requires. 

To help level the playing field, Governor Perdue recently signed Executive Order 13, which tasks the HUB Office with assisting certified HUB firms in identifying and obtaining ARRA contract opportunities. As with all state government contracts, the aspirational goal for goods and services is 10 percent (by dollar amount) of purchasing to be derived from HUB firms. 

For more from Ms. Wall-Lennon visit this link.

About CGR Creative
CGR Creative is a full service marketing, design, advertising, and interactive marketing agency. CGR Creative prides itself on supporting their customers in a way that larger agencies can’t, often times committing all their resources to ensure the success of their client’s projects. CGR Creative’s fundamental belief is that the client’s success is their success. The agency, with an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, is fully bi­lingual, with a Latino marketing division that offers a variety of marketing channels that are specifically targeted to reach the Hispanic market. 


www.facebook.com/cgrcreative  -  www.twitter.com/cgrcreative  -  http://www.cgrcreative.blogspot.com/

CGR Partners with LiveWell Homes

CGR Creative recently partnered with LiveWell Homes on a print campaign centered around a presentation folder and collateral describing their philosophy of high quality features, modern materials, eco friendly products, and amazing upgrades as STANDARD on all their homes. This is the type of company we get excited to work with! CGR was also responsible for the branding video that is the centerpiece of their website.

Other work includes: Collateral, Infographics, Sub Plans, & Multimedia.

Advertising Can Go Wrong

Bad advertising is nothing new. It has always been there.  After all the first newspaper advertisement ever was an attempt to sell property in Oyster Bay, Long Island. This ad for Pet Evaporated Milk is banking on the fact that Tuna Pizza would be a big hit. Hmmm... I don't remember seeing it on the menu at Spago.

Sometimes the ad itself is fine but the context is bad. Like if your magazine ad for Valvoline Motor Oil is next to an article about the War in Iraq, or, worse, a story about electric cars. The McDonald's billboard below the childhood obesity billboard couldn't be much worse.

Sometimes ads are just ugly. The product or tagline or even the copy can just seem off, wrong, off-putting, or unsightly. Rarely, however, is it the models in the ads that are the offending party. However, it does happen, and the Pallas Athena ad is a perfect example. Just about everything in this full page magazine ad is awful.

Then there are the ads that try to be bad. Those maverick art directors who want to push the envelope until something pushes back. What they don't realize is that often their client pays the biggest price for running a bad ad. I wonder how many advertisers would run intentionally bad ads for their own agencies or better yet their children's businesses.

Absolut vodka is a product that often pushes the boundaries with their ads. There was the infamous one where Mexico retained most of the Southwestern United States, and there is this one which is just in poor taste. Absolut is a great brand, and they can get away with running the occasional bad ad, but why? An argument can be made that it attracts attention or that any publicity is good publicity. Unfortunately, Tom Cruise and Britney Spears proved that old chestnut 100% false.

The issue here is that advertising can go wrong, and your business needs to question your creativity BEFORE it gets produced. Sure, you trust your agency; as an agency we appreciate that, but do parents who trust their kids still ask, "Where are you and that kid with the piercings going?" You should ask your agency what their intentions are with your brand as well!

Do you have any examples of advertising gone wrong? If so, post links to those, and we'll use them in a future post, and of course we'll give you credit for the discovery!

Security Guard Exchange Goes Live

SecurityGuardExchange.com is the only online portal for all aspects of life as a security guard

March 8, 2010 - Charlotte, North Carolina - Jason Ramsey & Julio Colmenares, Partners at CGR Creative, are pleased to announce that their client Security Guard Exchange has launched their new website and services.
Security Guard Exchange provides: information on individual state licensing requirements, a Job Board to find security guard assignments, links to training schools around the US, discounts on gear & equipment, as well as the latest industry news.

“I am pleased that SGE has launched. We put a lot of hard work in their online presence because we believe they have a revolutionary vision.” said Ramsey. “SecurityGuardExchange.com will change the face of the industry. They are now the hub around which all things security guard related will orbit.”

Security guards or those interested in the field can visit the site securityguardexchange.com for discounts on training, notifications of new job listings, and the SGE Job Alert Email. You can also visit their blog to keep current on the industry and to pick the brain of experts in the field.

About CGR CreativeCGR Creative is a full service marketing, design, advertising, and interactive marketing agency. CGR Creative prides itself on supporting their customers in a way that larger agencies can’t, often times committing all their resources to ensure the success of their client’s projects. CGR Creative’s fundamental belief is that the client’s success is their success. The agency, with an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, is fully bi-lingual, with a Latino marketing division that offers a variety of marketing channels that are specifically targeted to reach the Hispanic market.

www.facebook.com/cgrcreative  -  www.twitter.com/cgrcreative  -  http://www.cgrcreative.blogspot.com/

Breakfast Grind

One of B-towns best - Big Daddy's Breakfast Rocks! You're welcome for the plug. Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and staying creative.

“Extinct” Species Found in Jason Ramsey’s Coffee Mug

Charlotte, North Carolina – In a world saturated by images of polar bears adrift lonely icebergs, it seems rare to have a day of celebrating in the environmental community. But yesterday, animal rights activists and earth-huggers everywhere cheered at news that a species once thought to be extinct was found alive and well. The cheers quickly turned to confused grunts when it was revealed that the species was indeed found in Jason Ramsey’s coffee mug.

The species Madiup-ous Frogious, or Dillworth Spotted wild frog, is a tiny purple frog that was thought to have died out in the late 1980s. They once thrived in the dusty slopes of Southend’s trolley line. Overpopulation in the area and special protections made by hunters for the blue winged table grouse, a common predator of the spotted wild frog, decimated the species. Or so we all thought.

Published in the New England Journal of Anthropology last week was a second-hand account of a frog spotting.

As if this revelation was not shocking enough, the nature of the frogs’ reproductive processes is so strange that it has been Wikipedia-ed more times than “Clay Aiken.” The frogs are of the “gastric brooding” variety, meaning that they lay eggs in their own stomachs. They then turn off their gastric juices, birth the eggs, and carry them through the larval and tadpole phase. The bizarre creature then births the young frogs, fully formed, out of their mouths.

Scientists asked to comment on the finding shared shock, dismay, and in one case, an eerie knowing. “It is quite strange,” conceded Dr. Theisel Soundwright, “and yet it makes total sense. I can’t think of anywhere one would be more likely to find a frog vomiting out other frogs than in Jason Ramsey’s coffee mug.”

Since the discovery, rumors have been flying that Columbian drug lords want the frogs in order to smuggle cocaine over airplanes. Rouge “biochemists” supposedly possess the technology to reverse engineer the genetic makeup of the frogs so that their stomachs will support large amounts of cocaine, while hiding it from drug sniffing dogs. These rumors have mostly been ignored by the Jason Ramsey camp.

Mr. Ramsey, the man himself, held a press conference Friday morning to announce that while he is extremely honored to possess the chosen sole ecosystem for this species, he simply cannot allow them to continue to exist due to the threat they pose to International security and American liberties... Plus he already put on another pot of coffee.

Marand "Rebrand"

One of CGR's long-term CLIENTS & FRIENDS Marand Builders came to us for a corporate identity overhaul. CGR’s task is to maintain the original essence of their established brand while giving it an updated aesthetic with a unique cosmetic twist.

Some of the work includes: Website Design and Program Development; Brand; RFP Presentations; Signage, Search Engine Optimization (SEO); Collateral.

Lunchtime Grind

Tay finally mastered the chopsticks

IMG00044-20100303-1443.jpg

I was just about poisoned just now - be careful with the pete...

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