Funny Little Boxes

QR Codes by Engine Communications

QR Codes by Engine Communications

You may have seen these funny boxes and wondered what they are or perhaps you’ve used them on your Smart Phone. They’re called QR codes and they’re everywhere!

QR is short for Quick Response. What do you need to know now?

They send Smart Phone users directly to anywhere that is online. Engine creates customized versions of these QR codes. We’ve been using them for quite awhile now on signage, auto graphics, magazine ads, posters and more.  We get to play with colours, sizes from tiny to huge and have have fun hiding cool images inside of the boxes. While these funny little boxes can be great, let’s remember to give how we use them, a great deal of thought. Used correctly, your Online Marketing World can expand substantially.

Yes, we’ve seen them used incorrectly:

An example of using QR codes incorrectly? We’ve seen QR codes placed on websites. Huh? Ummm, no, that’s not the idea. Think print. You see, the idea is to send people to your website or other online content anywhere on the web. Driving traffic to your online content, continuing your marketing message and increasing business.

QR Codes? That’s Smart!

Your Project?

Only Engine Has the 7 Point Rule

We have a rule here at Engine Communications when we tackle projects. We really take our time to consider every aspect of your business or organization from a sales and marketing point of view. To make sure the magic really happens, we’ve created and follow 7 rules for every single client and every single task.

Size doesn’t matter!

Small business, large organization and everything in-between, we follow the 7 point rule. A tagline, ad copy, poster, website, multi-media or an entire campaign, the size of the project doesn’t matter. We follow our 7 point rule.

Rules. ONLY at ENGINE:

  1. Listen and understand the client’s needs.
  2. Learn about the products and/or services.
  3. Find out past and current marketing initiatives.
  4. Research competition and trends. Locally and Internationally.
  5. Be unique. Find the USP (unique selling point)
  6. Cross-connect online and offline projects.
  7. Always power the brand, empowering the client’s goals.

WHY?

Because to us, it’s about relationships and we care about your success. Your job is challenging enough. We’re here to make your life easier.

7 Rules ~ Only at Engine Communications.

A Click-Free Week!

I was very lucky to have the opportunity to escape to sunny Florida last week. Oh the sun, the sand and the sound of the waves were ever so rejuvenating! Seven days of glory, sans any and all electronic devices.

That’s right. No email, no computer, no phone, no texts, no surfing, except for the surfers on the beach! I didn’t even check my FaceBook or feel compelled to post images on my wall to prove how much fun I was having.

How enlightening it was and I didn’t miss it one bit!

Back now this week, soul-southed, brain cleared. It’s made a difference, for sure. I feel so refreshed with that little Winter reprieve, now re-fueled, full of new ideas for the many new projects we’re working on! That Click-Free Week, did just the trick. You might want to try it sometime 🙂

~ Laura

Gift Cards a Win for Non-Profits!

It’s funny how one idea leads into another. Being in the creative field, that’s often how it works. We brainstorm, research and throw ideas around all the time. Sometimes we begin leaning towards one direction, but then, more ideas come to mind that lead is into another. The end result is a culmination of all of our wacky, and at times, pretty clever thoughts and ideas.

That’s how we ended up with the idea of helping local community agencies.

While creating business Christmas gift certificates for our marketing services, we were going through the details on what could be done and how it should be redeemed, and all of a sudden, we realized that non-profits could use some help too.

And so, the birth of the gift card for non-profits came to fruition. While this is late in the season, we decided to go ahead anyway, with the aim of expanding the concept further in the future.

Then we thought, ‘Hey we would like to help too!’ Why not create a contest for the agency that receives the most donations in gift cards? We looked in our pocketbook and our production schedule and decided that we could donate $5000 worth of free services to the winner.

So, if you’re looking for a new idea for giving this Christmas, something that counts to make a difference in your community, you can now give the gift of professional marketing, consulting and creative campaigns to your favourite local charity or not-for-profit organization!

Contest closes January 31st, 2012. We hope you can participate, spread the word and we certainly also hope you like the idea. Wonder what we’ll think of next!

Gift Card for Marketing
Click here to check it out>