Woobox and Mailchimp (social media marketing tools) were foreign platforms for me, but now I am comfortable using them after receiving guidance from Kitty. Before interning at Communiqué I had no real world experience writing press releases, and creating marketing and PR content for clients. It has been a great learning experience that has allowed me to utilize the skills I learned in College courses. Kitty, Tim and Laurie were approachable and answered any questions I had while guiding me to be successful with their expert knowledge.

While interning at Communiqué I also planned a fundraiser for the SPCA of Tompkins County. During the planning of this event I was able to put to use all the skills I learned from Communiqué and maximize exposure for the event. I used the knowledge I gained in social media and marketing to run a successful fundraiser for the animals in need, and increasing the number of attendees from last year. I had a great summer and know I will continue to utilize the skills that the Communiqué staff has taught me throughout my college and professional career.

We sometimes struggle with people pronouncing our company name, usually those unfamiliar with the word communiqué reveal themselves rather quickly. At first glance it sometimes comes across as kom-yooo-neek or other more bizarre interpretations. It’s actually is a very clever and fitting name for advertising and marketing firm, the dictionary explains it very well. One of the questions we get asked often is where the name from our firm came from just giving the dictionary’s account should suffice but that’s not the whole truth. Fortunately it’s a little bit rock and roll. One of the company’s founders was listening to the Dire Straits album of the same name and most likey during the title track the name made its way into the new ad agency in town, circa early 90’s.

Tim Youngs, Creative Director

When we design, we believe that the message should be at the forefront, that truly good design should be invisible. What are you trying to convey? What is your position? That’s what our design should support. Of course we want it to be memorable but for the right reasons. If we use a color we want it to be the right color because it invites emotion. We like to pick one or maybe two and make a celebration of it and make it work for you.

Less is more. It’s been said a lot because it’s a good adage. We also embrace the KISS principle, (Keep it Simple Stupid). We’re more likely to pare down and edit then to add. With a multitude of messages coming at us from everywhere; phones, texts, emails, we are always tethered to both communication and marketing. It’s in your face and also in the periphery of your vision. We believe in reducing the noise. Relying on design principles that have stood the test of time, we use the Swiss grid to organize information. It’s based on pi and golden rectangles, and it takes into account how our eyes need something to focus on, how white space can sooth our image saturated minds. It’s a grand structure to build on. It makes sense; it’s the science behind the art.

And if you’ve been on a spiritual quest in Tibet you might missed one of the thousand articles about how great Twitter’s been for the Korean taco trucks in Los Angeles. They can tweet what corners they will be parked at and throngs of customers are lined up before they arrive. Twitter’s also been great for bars and anyone with a quick lunch special to share.

Are you in a business where you wish you could talk to your peers but it’s not conference season? Twitter’s great for that. It’s a great way to ask questions of your cohorts and share resources.

But let’s look at it from the point of view of a regional B to C. How many Twitter users are really in the area, compared to say…Facebook? And how many of those people are on Twitter when you are on Twitter? And how many people are they following? The number of people that an average person is following is creeping up (anonymous source, wink). I just logged into Twitter to see what I was missing from the 300 people I follow and here’s what I found out:

• I can get a discount on coffee at Gimme Coffee this month.
• A local restaurant is giving a great discount to 1 person who uses a different social media web site a lot.
• I should check this one B & B in the region that uses YouTube that I haven’t heard of yet.

And that’s where I think the gaping hole is. I can’t find great models of Twitter use for the mid size business, for someone who serves consumers in 5 cities. Sure you could give a coupon or announce a special but the ROI on it doesn’t necessarily make sense. Of course, if you are already creating content for Facebook (blog posts, contests, recipes, or whatever your business does) it’s not a stretch to also try Twitter, I’m just not convinced anyone’s going to be writing your success story up in the Wall Street Journal or USA Today.

I might change my mind though. Stay posted. Next week I could be writing why I think everyone should be using twitter. Or at least invite a guest post from someone who adores it. This debate has just begun.

Diane Goodman-Daniel, Social Media Strategist

Shopping in TJ Maxx this weekend, I was alerted to the fact that Librarian Avenger, one of my new heroes is actually an ex-Ithacan. I was alerted by a person, not because my tags went off when I left the store. An ex-coworker told me that I would really love her and said she’d introduce us despite the continental divide.

I had recently learned of some of Avenger’s shenanigans while reading This Book is Overdue, a book that deeply romanticizes the work of librarians and will no doubt be responsible for double digit increases to MLIS programs around the country. So this morning, when I was doing some very serious research about, um, well I forget, but I’m sure it was important AND work related, I came across this gem and immediately pulled Tim away from working on his fantastically designed ITH annual report to watch it. It’s a short and sweet video about how any product can seem green if you use a san-serif, a little bit of burlap and a lot of open space. See for yourself. She’s a clever one, this Avenger:

-Diane Goodman-Daniel, Social Media Strategist

When I first saw Helvetica a Documentary Film by Gary Hustwit it was a late night offering on PBS’s Independent Lens, about a year after its premier. Of course I heard about the film and its message and was waiting anxiously for an opportunity to take it in, and that I did. Glued to the television almost unbelieving that they’d actually make a movie about type and knowing full well that the people that would appreciate it, I mean really appreciate it like myself were few and far between. So there’s the catch, it’s a movie about a font. But not any font, this is Helvetica mind you. It is modernism personified. It is big, like world-wide art movement big. The filmmaker knew this and saw the story behind the ubiquity that we live and breathe.

Personally this film was a reinforcement of the beauty and simplicity of the typeface, my own views exonerated, articulated and played back for me. Coming from someone born and raised in a pre-digital soup of Swiss grid, 70’s commercial art, and a love for white space, I agreed completely with almost everyone interviewed and appreciated their take on the typeface. Which ranged from love and hate, yes and no or even indifference –it’s just a typeface damn it! Oh the irony.

Most agreed on the social impact of this sans serif font on society and even some managed to wax philosophical on the art reflecting life argument. The post-modernists rediscovered it all over again and tweaked it, the white haired old men defended it vehemently and the 80’s grunge/garage people cursed its blandness. Still, it’s the default font that we’ve come to know, on computers and elevators, big box retail and warning labels, it’s here to stay until the next revolution of the century.

Had after hours private screening for colleagues and friends at the office, just couldn’t resist proselytizing and taking the boat out into deep typographic waters. The reaction was expected from the feminist crowd, – an obvious lack of women and people of color, some iconoclastic cheering for the deconstructionists but eventually the structure of the grid and the simple/basic design philosophy and strong visual structure that came from Switzerland fifty years ago sunk in. It worked, they were converted.

-Tim Youngs, Creative Director