MB Wins Summit Branding Award

May 13, 2011 – For Immediate Release

Ottawa Marketing Company Marketing Breakthroughs is delighted to announce that we have won Bronze at the Summit International Awards (SIA) in the category of Self-Promotion Stationary/Identity.

The SIA has established itself as one of the premier arbiters of creative excellence over the past 17 years. Our submission was one of the best among thousands from 22 countries around the globe and impressed a distinguished panel of international judges.

Long-time clients of Ottawa's Marketing Breakthroughs will know that, like our company, our brand has evolved. The early colour scheme of fluorescent purple and green was completely changed to our circular MB and most recently to our power 2011 brand redesigned by our senior designer, Kaspar Tingley. It is this 2011 edition of our brand that won Bronze at the SIA.

When Steve Klein founded Marketing Breakthroughs in 1995, he had dreams of growth and evolution both with our brand and our company. As you can see, the early branding for Marketing Breakthroughs differs greatly from the design that won Bronze at the SIA.

After many years, we revised our branding to incorporate our nick-name, “MB”. The circular MB graphic you see here was the next step in our evolution.

As 2011 approached, we continued to grow and expand, occupying two suites at 1150 Morrison Drive. This rapid growth gave way for a refreshed graphic element and to the current MB branding.

In design, prestige, client base, staff, and services offered, Marketing Breakthroughs continues to grow and evolve. As we prepare to celebrate our “Sweet 16” this August, we will raise our glasses and toast the next 16 years of the growth and evolution of both Marketing Breakthroughs and our clients.

To have your brand refreshed by our award winning Ottawa graphic design studio, be sure to contact us today.

The Growing Impact of Video Marketing in Canada

It’s no surprise that online videos are playing a large role, not only in marketing and branding, but also in society as a whole. Want to listen to a new hit song? Watch the video. Missed your favourite CTV show? Turn to YouTube. Trying to learn how to “Grill the Perfect Steak” search it on Google…and watch the video.

According to comScore, Canadians viewed more than 5.1 billion videos in February 2011 alone, with the average viewer watching 232 videos. So what is it about Canada that makes video such an important aspect of our daily lives?

It may not be science, but here are my insights;

1. Wealthy developed nation with a high level of education. This one may seem like a no brainer, but as a wealthier developed nation more of our citizens have access to the technology and resources in order to watch online videos. Also, our high level of education means there are more of us seeking additional valuable information and, more importantly, in as fast a mode as possible. That’s not to say that non-educational videos don’t attract some views, such as this personal favourite of mine… "Muppets - Old Spice Spoof"
2. Limited access to some American broadcasts. While it may seem far stretched, this point has some real validity. Take, for example, the Super Bowl, where advertising has become almost as important as the game itself. With Canadian broadcasting not showing the highly promoted and astronomically expensive American ads, viewers turn to the web to catch up on what they’ve missed, and advertisers seem happy to oblige.
3. Cold winters and four seasons. While our weather is one of things that defines us as truly Canadian, the cold winters can leave us cooped up for extended periods. This just adds another opportunity to explore the web and view hundreds of videos.
   

While you can’t ignore the many other marketing mediums, promotional online videos are on the rise. If you haven’t created one yet, it’s time to start. Developing professional videos can be quite cost-effective even for small to medium-sized business and can have a large impact on your online presence.

AtlasCare, a Toronto Air Conditioner client, based in Oakville, recently launched a new video on the benefits of a SpacePak air conditioning system. To our delight, the video ranks on the first page of Google for “Toronto SpacePak,” and is being featured on the supplier website, www.spacepak.com. Other video success stories arise constantly, and, as a bare minimum, they are a great way of showcasing your products and services to potential customers in a medium that is becoming increasingly important.