Robot Creative - Design and Marketing Weblog

Workshop - Simple Planning for 2012

Throw the formal marketing plan out the window (if you even have one at all). Because if it's not simple, it probably won't get done. This workshop is in response to the question, "What can small business owners/managers do to stay focused on their marketing efforts even when things get tough or busy?" It will provide practical, effective ideas for staying on top of your marketing efforts.

If you can put aside 1 hour a week, you can stay on track. By implementing even the most simple form of a marketing plan, you will see improvements in your client, vendor and prospect relations... and your SALES! Come learn how!

Date & Time
Friday, December 9, 2011
11:30am until 1:00 pm

Cost
$45 (includes box lunch)

Workshop Location
ROBOT office
1114 S. Saint Mary's, #200
San Antonio TX, 78210

To Register
Call 210.476.8801 or email charlie@robotcreative.com

More about Robot Marketing Gym >>

Paper School!

Our designer Andrew Watson attended paper school hosted by Clampitt Paper. In addition to getting to check out some great new papers and tour their facility, he brought back some interesting points about paper and how we use it as consumers.

- Synthetic papers are a newer trend that have some great properties for projects that require maximum durability and resistance to moisture.

- Cranes paper company prints all of our countries' money and most of the world's other currency as well.

- 3 trees are planted for every 1 that is harvested by the paper industry. Paper is definitely a sustainable product.

- When you see the FSC, PEFC, or SFI logo on the paper you are purchasing, you know that paper mill can track exactly what forest was used in the production of the paper and that it's not purchasing wood/trees from unregulated forests.

- Of all the wood extracted from the world's forests, 53% is used for energy production, 28% is used by lumber mills and only 11% is used by the paper industry. 8% is used in other industries. 

- The brightness factor of a paper refers to the light reflection from the surface of the paper and not the lightness or darkness of the paper.

Another point that was mentioned that Robot likes to impress on our clients (especially for small businesses), is to use uncoated papers for most collateral and identity pieces. By far, most printed items we see on a daily basis is of the coated / glossy variety. A lot of this is junk mail and high volume commodity printing. By choosing to use a finer quality premium uncoated paper, you are separating your brand from the pack and placing in your customers hands something that is inherently more memorable and feels more personal.

Workshop - Visual Branding: Solidify Your Company's Identity

Find out how large corporations build and manage their brands, and see how applying those principles can help businesses of any size. During the second half of the workshop, we'll focus on your materials! Bring it all with you, from brochures to business cards to signs to your website to your sales proposals to your ads. We'll take a look at everything together in a guided group critique. Is your message and image consistent? Are you conveying your differentiators in a unique way? Get first-hand tips on things you can improve RIGHT NOW with your branding efforts.

Date & Time
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
11:30am until 1:00 pm

Cost
$45 (includes box lunch)

Workshop Location
ROBOT office
1114 S. Saint Mary's, #200
San Antonio TX, 78210

To Register
Call 210.476.8801 or email charlie@robotcreative.com

More about Robot Marketing Gym >>

 

Webinar: International Sales Made Easy with AdWords

Presented by Lara August, Owner and Creative Director of Robot Creative
In Partnership with the International Trade Center

Google AdWords has put together an impressive set of tools to make international sales a reality for even the smallest businesses - from market research to advertising to translation to sales! This webinar will start with the basics and cover some of the most common AdWords mistakes. Then, we will dive deeper into the free international resources that are available to help you launch your international AdWords campaigns. 

You will learn about:

• Honing Your Skills on the Local Market
• Most Common Mistakes
• Market Research Tools
• Advertising with AdWords
• Translating Your Website
• Customer Service Translation Tools

Wednesday, October 26
2-3:30pm CST
$25 per session

More Information or Register Now >>

Upcoming Workshop: The Marketing Mix

Small Business Development Center workshop presented by ROBOT owner Lara August

What could you be doing to grow your business? What SHOULD you be doing? What's the right mix in this economy and with your current business goals and challenges? This interactive workshop will give participants a chance to discuss and explore everything from the hottest trends (like mobile applications and social networking) to more traditional advertising mediums (such as direct mail and print advertising) through hands-on exercises.

Wednesday, September 21
9-11am
UTSA Downtown, Durango Bldg. Room 2.316 
Fee: $30 
Register Now >>

This workshop is funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Marketing Gym Workshop: How To Make Smart Web Decisions

This course is for anyone who is thinking of building a new website or upgrading an existing one. Website development is expensive and highly technical - a nasty combination if you are not a technical person and you are tasked with making purchasing decisions. Many purchasers are left comparing apples and oranges with nothing but the bottom line to compare.

This course will outline the basic cost drivers and help purchasers understand the ins and outs of the purchasing side of web design. Armed with the necessary information, you will be able to approach purchasing with confidence and make sure you get the best quality product and best services match for your money.

Date and Time:
Friday, July 22, 2011
11:30 am - 1:30 pm

Where: 
The ROBOT office 
1114 S. Saint Mary's, #200 
San Antonio TX, 78210

Cost (includes box lunch): 
$45 

Space is limited - Email Charlie to register now! 
Workshops are limited to 8 participants in non-competing industries. Due to space considerations, RSVPs and prepayment are required, and spots will be filled on a first come, first served basis.

More information on Robot Marketing Gym >>

Marketing Gym Q2 2011 Workshop Schedule Now Available

Come meet with other small business owners and marketing directors to learn a variety of useful and practical marketing solutions. The workshop format is designed to help business owners and marketing directors solicit feedback from other participants, so they can learn to take control of their own companies' marketing activities.

More about Marketing Gym workshops >>

View the schedule >>

For more information or to RSVP for one of the workshops:
Call 210.476.8801 or email admin@robotcreative.com

Marketing Gym Workshop: Get More From Your Website

Now that you have a website, how do you get people there? Numerous strategies, from social media to pay-per-click advertising, can be used to drive traffic to your website, but how do you know what makes the most sense for your business? This workshop will help answer this question and will also discuss how you can tell if your initiatives are working.

What we will cover:

• Search Engine Optimization
• Social Media
• Pay Per Click Advertising
• Online Directory Listings
• Email Mailing Lists and Newsletters
• Printed Advertisement and Direct Mail
• Day to Day Business Communication
• Reviewing Website Statistics
• and more!

Date and Time:
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
11:30 am - 1:30 pm

Where: 
The ROBOT office 
1114 S. Saint Mary's, #200 
San Antonio TX, 78210

Cost (includes box lunch): 
$45 

Space is limited - Email Charlie to register now! 
Workshops are limited to 8 participants in non-competing industries. Due to space considerations, RSVPs and prepayment are required, and spots will be filled on a first come, first served basis.

Customer Retention Marketing Gym Workshop

It's easier and far less expensive to keep existing customers than it is to go out and find new ones. If you don't have a customer retention program in place, you could actually be losing sales! Whether you need to start from scratch or strengthen an existing program, this workshop will give you simple ideas that can be immediately implemented.

Date and Time:
Friday, March 18, 2011
11:30 am - 1:30 pm

Where: 
The ROBOT office 
1114 S. Saint Mary's, #200 
San Antonio TX, 78210

Cost (includes box lunch): 
$45 

Space is limited - Email Charlie to register now! 
Workshops are limited to 8 participants in non-competing industries. Due to space considerations, RSVPs and prepayment are required, and spots will be filled on a first come, first served basis.

Annual Planning Marketing Gym Workshop

Throw the formal marketing plan out the window (if you even have one at all)! Because if it's not simple, it probably won't get done.

This workshop is in response to the question, "What can small business owners/managers do to stay focused on their marketing efforts even when things get tough or busy?"

This workshop will provide practical, effective ideas for staying on top of your marketing efforts. If you can put aside 1 hour a week, you can stay on track. By implementing even the most simple form of a marketing plan, you will see improvements in your client, vendor and prospect relations... and your SALES! Come learn how!

Available Dates:
We'll be offering this course twice between now and the end of the year. They fill up quickly, so reserve your spot now.

• Wednesday, October 20
• Friday, December 3

Time:
11:30 am - 1:30 pm

Where: 
The ROBOT office 
1114 S. Saint Mary's, #200 
San Antonio TX, 78210

Cost (includes box lunch): 
$45 

Space is limited - Email Charlie to register now! 
Workshops are limited to 8 participants in non-competing industries. Due to space considerations, RSVPs and prepayment are required, and spots will be filled on a first come, first served basis.