By Ben Lippert | June 28, 2011

When you’re searching the web for a product or service in your area, where do you go to find it?

Many people start with Craigslist, then check out the area listings on Ebay and as a last-ditch effort they might even browse the Facebook Marketplace. These services are all tried-and-true methods of person-to-person commerce because they are well established and used by thousands of people each day.

Now, lets take a look at Zaarly, a brand-spanking-new e-commerce site who’s motto is,“what you want, when you want it.”

I’m telling you, this could be the next big innovation in person-to-person selling …Read more »

By Amanda Simpson | June 20, 2011

Your marketing materials may target various demographics, but they should also present a consistent message about your brand; including the features, benefits and quality of your products. When potential customers encounter your business card, brochure, catalog, billboard, television ad, website or other marketing materials, it should be apparent they have a connection with the same brand.

Here are 5 ways to keep your brand consistent:

1. Use similar graphics on each piece

Keeping the imagery similar and repeating some elements across different materials and media creates a clear connection between them all, making sure those who encounter multiple pieces ‘get’ the repetition. Without doing this, your pieces may seem to be disconnected as if they each advertise a different brand.

2. Place key graphics in similar locations

If there is a focal image for the campaign, or even just your logo, keeping it placed in the same or similar place on each piece helps create that cohesive feel that speaks to people of a solid, consistent brand. …Read more »

By Justin Mather | June 20, 2011

RSA’s print department is like a well-oiled machine, a machine that runs on variety and creativity. Our passion is providing clients with top-notch designs and superb customer service. We thrive on the day-to-day challenge of conjuring fresh ideas for effective graphic design. No two projects are ever the same – and we love that! Here are some of our latest endeavors:

• Dakotah Steakhouse menus, billboards, print ads and table toppers
• South Dakota Lottery game POS and banners
• Jolly Lane billboards and newsprint
• Sturgis Rally magazine ads
• Sioux Empire Fair event guide and newsprint
• Black Hills BBQ Festival billboards and posters
• American Sprayed Fibers Inc. logo
• Casa Real mailer, restaurant and bar menus
• Reptile Gardens posters, brochures, billboards and van wrap
• MyTown.kotatv.com logo
• Security First Bank annual report and brochure
• South Dakota Community Foundation annual dinner collateral materials
• Wyoming State Fair event guide, billboards, newsprint and magazine ads
• Western Dakota Tech car wrap
• Ramada Inn & Suites rack cards and billboards
• Wheel Jam posters and print ads
• Rapid Transit outdoor signage
• McDonald’s signage and billboards
• Coupongous logo
• 24/7 Intoximeter brochure

Our expert team truly enjoys helping clients keep their print projects and brands consistent, yet fresh. Far too many times we see brands using a variety of fonts, colors and logos from one design to the next, making for an inconsistent design and confusing brand. We know it’s tempting to try designing everything on the cheap, but realize when you hire us you are hiring a team of professionals who eat, sleep and breathe design every day.

Ask our clients, then become one. We’ll make sure your product or service is highlighted in a uniquely creative way.

- Justin Mather, Print Production Director

By Justin Mather | March 3, 2011

[When asked to write a post for the RSA blog I thought, hey I'm not a writer - and what was I even going to write about? Think Justin....think! Then it happened, my WDT intern Pierre (his name has been changed to protect his innocence) walked in and said "what's goin’ on?" And just like that I had a topic. I tried to get Pierre to write this, but he's lazy and doesn't prioritize very well. You know, he puts school and his job before his internship. Silly intern. Anyway, here's my masterpiece…]

Don't forget my coffee

We love us some interns!

Each year many brave souls apply for various internship positions here at Robert Sharp & Associates, and each year we select a few candidates who show us they want to learn and are excited about what they can do. When they show up for work, we show them what an ad agency is all about: sex, drugs and Facebook!

An internship at RSA starts with you getting me coffee and a Taco John’s breakfast burrito (relax, I’ll pay every third time) and ends with …Read more »

By Molly Albrecht | February 16, 2011

Analytics? Bounce rate?

What language are they speaking?

I have to admit, I thought I might need a passport and a pocket dictionary on my first day at RSA. That day I attended several meetings with the search engine marketing team, and most of the words buzzing around me sounded like a foreign language.

I’m the first to admit, I’m a search engine marketing (SEM) newbie.

I applied for the interactive marketing specialist job at RSA because writing skill was included in the job description. That sounded ideal, since I love writing and studied journalism in college. Little did I know the job encompassed so much more, and I’d be grasping to understand parts of it.

I’ll let you in on a few of the secrets I’ve learned.

Luckily for me, I’ve discovered …Read more »

By Tarah Heupel | May 20, 2010

Ericka Heiser speaks to 1000+

Yesterday a few of us had the opportunity to attend the first Day of Excellence in Rapid City. Hosted by Leadership Rapid City, the one-day conference focused on fostering personal and professional growth.

We showed up to the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center yesterday, coffee in hand, interested to see if the speakers would have anything to teach us (and praying they would be funny). More than 1,200 people had the same idea, and luckily, we weren’t disappointed. …Read more »

By Tony Dodd | March 30, 2010

How can we solve this?

Using the internet is now mainstream; a way of life for the great many people who buy products and services online. In light of this, you might think more businesses would have a better online presence. So why don’t they?

Low budget = cheap website?

In my experience the top reason is budget. Businesses, usually those on the smaller side, tend to have limited financial resources to devote to web marketing. Now no one wants to settle on a poorly designed website, but some do because they think it’s all they can afford. Unfortunately a poorly designed website can often seem shady or unreliable …Read more »

By Kyle McCabe | February 4, 2010

"The cobbler's children have no shoes."

We’re entering 2010 with a new website, but also a fresh perspective and a new appreciation for the position our clients are in when embarking upon web development projects.

As an agency that offers web development as a core service, we’ve been painfully conscious of the need to update our website for a few years now. It took us a good long while to devote enough attention to getting our own work done, for the obvious reason of being extremely busy with client work. As Robert once put it, “The cobbler’s children have no shoes.”

Of course finding the time was only part of it. It’s often said “you are your own worst critic,” but we never thought we’d also be our own worst client. Turns out we are. …Read more »

By Kyle McCabe | January 19, 2010

Blogging is a waste of time?

Seriously, why bother? Isn’t this kind of a waste of time? It’s not like blogs really matter – it’s just throwaway content, after all. What really matters is the website.

False.

Look, the web is about two things: content and search. Content because that’s what you’ve come for, and search because that’s how you find the content. Nothing else matters.

In light of this, a blog can be the most important tool you employ for two reasons: …Read more »

By Aubrey Watts | January 5, 2010

While driving through town on your way to work, you notice a billboard advertising a new coffee shop somewhere in the city. In great need of morning blend, but passing the sign too quickly to write down the web address, you seize the next chance you get to pull out your phone and do a mobile web search for the coffee shop.

Within the search results you not only get a link to Google maps for directions, but a link to the coffee shop’s site. Upon entering their website you are automatically eligible for a mobile discount: a free latte, which is redeemable at the register by simply showing the mobile coupon code you will receive in a text message.

Does your website work for mobile?

Does this scenario seem a little crazy or far-fetched to you? Well, it is more realistic than you might think. In fact, it’s already happening.

Mobile Marketing Today

Mobile websites are not only used as a quick way to find information, but they have become yet another avenue for marketing campaigns. …Read more »