A new logo can become a memorable, recognized symbol that represents and elevates your brand.

But some logos end up creating negative issues for their brand. They can inadvertently become controversial, be difficult to use, or even convey an undesirable image.

That’s why it’s so important to prevent those problems during the development stage. Here’s a checklist to help you think through all of the possibilities and challenges a new logo can bring.

A good business website serves as an effective tool for attracting customers, providing information, and facilitating business operations.

It's definitely worth considering! Businesses often benefit from a branding update if they are evolving or want to stay relevant in a fast-changing market. Here are some signs it's time to refresh your brand:

Many cultural, arts, and technological events influence trends in PowerPoint presentations. Here are some that we’re seeing

Your website is your front door—and often delivers the first impression of your brand. But how do you know if it’s time to update it?

Graphic standards are designed to create visual cohesiveness for your brand. But their usefulness can vary widely depending on how old they are, how robust they are and how they’ve responded to changes in your world.

Here are six questions to ask to see if your graphic standards are still serving you well—or if they need an update.

You already know that today’s consumer is impatient. Within seconds, we make snap judgments about your brand based on what they see—before they ever read any words.
That’s why great design is so vital to your brand. It isn’t just about creating something beautiful, though that can help.

Why do we rely on images so heavily in communication? Because we understand how they impact the brain.

Here's a too often overlooked recruiting strategy: showcasing the “why” behind your work. Finding and persuading the best talent is competitive, and requires more than advertising the position, providing a job description, or detailing benefits and compensation. Most people are looking for a sense of purpose and connection in their work—so that should be a central part of any recruitment communication.

Is your website taking your brand to new levels? It can!

Look inside a recent website we built with the Little Theater of Walla Walla team—and see how their new site dramatically elevated their brand.

Have you developed some great visual content for your social channels, but failed to get the results you hoped for?

This can happen when a business focuses on the visual content but fails to attend to some other equally important aspects of their social media strategy.

As a client, you may not realize how much you can do to get the most for your investment. The place to start is with an understanding of how web vendors estimate their costs and manage the project. Your web vendor typically allocates a set number of hours to create your new website. Usually, they will include some time in their estimate to allow for good ideas to emerge in the creative process that can't be anticipated. That's good. 

Have you ever been completely taken in by a website, but couldn’t really say why?

That’s because many of the visual cues are recognized subconsciously, rather than consciously. These include data-driven cues, color, call to action placement, type choice and format, and images.

A good website creator will pay scrupulous attention to these and other tried-and-true techniques when they develop a new website.

Shady Grove Medical Center has recently introduced the construction of a new tower building, with a focus on providing patient-centric care and innovation. The advertising campaign by CMBell showcases the hospital's cutting-edge technologies and medical advancements through captivating visuals and compelling narratives, representing the hospital's transformative journey. 

DEVELOPING ENGAGING CONTENT is one of the biggest challenges of digital communication. With so much content vying for our attention, there are tried and true ways to capture and hold a viewer's interest.

Visuals are an essential element for any post, and because the brain is attuned to motion, using video almost always increases engagement.

Digital content is both exploding and powerful. And while it does many things better than print, there are still a few ways that print excels.

Today's customers have very little patience for a so-so digital experience—so here are 10 ways to make their journey through your website easy, interesting, and relevant. 

People align themselves with brands with whom they share interests and values. So if you're not sharing yours, here's what you could be missing out on.

What goes in to making a campaign that gets noticed—and creates awareness?

Lots of decisions! Here are some of the reasons behind the campaign we created with the Walla Walla County Department of Community Health, as part of their work to prevent suicide, provide access to mental health resources, de-stigmatize mental health issues, create awareness about the dangers of fentanyl, and prevent opioid use.

Avoid costly branding mistakes and embarrassment with these pro tips if you're in need of a new or updated logo.

11 sample scripts for responding to upset customers

The right response to an unhappy customer can sometimes turn a not-so-good experience into a positive one. And in fact, loyalty can even be built if a response helps a customer resolve their situation.

People choose brands that they connect to emotionally. At the heart of this connection is often an origin story—or something similar that reveals the "Why?" behind a brand.

Communication has never been more important to businesses and organizations. A company’s website is probably the most important marketing and sales tool available. It’s important to update stagnant designs after five years or more.

CMBell recently redesigned the visual brand for Stella’s Homestead, and in this entry, we’ll take you behind the scenes on some of the work that led up to this.

Creating a new website can easily slip into the “not today” category, and for good reasons.

It’s easy to get caught up in a flurry of worries like: What if I can’t find the right vendor? How can I be sure that I’ll get a website that helps grow our business? What if there are cost overruns? What if there are delays? What if I haven’t managed an outside web vendor before? Or where do I even begin?

We take the worry out of producing a video by providing you with the essential elements to make a video designed to increase customer engagement and grow your business.

With decades of experience and a history of keeping our promises, we'll deliver your video on time, on target, and on budget.

Check out our list of video options.

Too often we see organizations invest in videos, and then miss the huge opportunity they have to connect with their audience by failing to get it in front of them.

Don’t let this happen to you! To get the most from your video investment, follow these basic steps to get your video in front of more people.

COMPANY MILESTONES CAN TAKE DIFFERENT FORMS. They can be an anniversary of your opening, the launch of a momentous new offering, or a turning point in your company’s history.

You already know the importance of telling your story.

But do you know how to make sure your story will lead to that “ah-ha” moment with your audience? Do you know how to make it rise above so-so storytelling and leave your audience touched, persuaded, or engaged?

At the heart of great storytelling are two things: identifying the right story, and telling it well.

Your annual report may be your most important communication tool—It offers a snapshot of company performance, shows how you're creating value for your stakeholders, and offers a glimpse into the purpose that drives your organization.

To get the most from your investment, design your annual report as both a marketing tool and a reporting tool that can reach shareholders, employees, and customers.

While colors are trending towards bright, vivid hues, the hard-working neutrals—white, gray, black, and brown—have a staying power because of their flexibility. They might not be your favorite color, they don't tend to steal the show, they aren't usually even noticeable, but they are the bedrock of strong design.