Atomic Penny

Yesterday, Atomic Penny invested $50 and was able to get an 800% return for the Boys and Girls Club of Utah County. A great time and a reminder that helping out charitable causes is a great and positive investment.

KSL.COM story about the event.

DESERET NEWS story about the event.

Video

Car Smash Bash for Boys and Girls Club

It was a good time had by all.

POWER ON–Mark

Tour de France follower or not you should recognize the effort made to support those fighting cancer. The video says it all. #team28

POWER ON–Mark

A very deserving winner with Dave Adams (Adams G3) and myself

Saturday was Atomic Penny’s First Annual Community Share Day at Utah Valley University. During the basketball game I along with the participating partners were able to give away a car to a very deserving single mother.

As you know I am a proponent of spending less and getting more when marketing.

Free luncheon for sponsor and community organizations-Texas Roadhouse

Car Donation to be repaired and given to a deserving recipient-American Family Insurance

Car Repair for donation- Adams G3 Collision and Repair

Certificate for room rental-Noahs

All marketing and prizes, with the exception of $45 for stamps was donated or provided.

Participating Community Organizations:

Boys and Girls Club of Utah County

Second Chance Foundation of Utah

Habitat for Humanity

Turning Point

In Our Own Quiet Way

Little Heroes Foundation

All of these organizations gave away a donated iPod and raised funds and awareness during the basketball game.

All it took was asking, implementing and following up. Ask and you will be surprised at what develops!

Personally, this was one of the most rewarding events I have ever participated in or organized.

POWER ON–Mark

I recently spent some time traveling, and there’s one thing that seemed to follow me wherever I went: logos. Everywhere I turned I saw iconic and memorable business symbols. It made me realize how logos produce a much more poignant and immediate impact on customers than do tag lines or mission statements.  Images can surpass the barriers of language and culture. But creating a symbolic reflection of your company’s services and beliefs can be costly. Many design services charge hundreds of dollars and there is often no guarantee that the results are customized or eligible for a patent. To achieve these goals at a fraction of the cost, I offer the following counsel:

Rate Your Creativity
First gauge your sense of style. Take a step back and consider your skill levels with artistic pursuits like drawing and sketching, decorating your home, dressing yourself and others, taking pictures, and recording home videos. If you do not enjoy imaginative hobbies like these, you should consider a professional designer. If you do, the rest of this blog should offer some helpful DIY tips.

Good Features of a Logo
The most important aspect of a quality logo is that it should be memorable, even after a brief glance. Next, viewers should be able to describe the logo rather easily. For instance, Target’s logo is a “red bull’s-eye.” Also, a logo should not depend on its color to be effective. Keep in mind that many communication mediums, like fax machines, do not use color. Lastly, an effective logo should be recognizable whether it is on a billboard or a business card.

Design Your Logo
Many free resources exist for logo design online and at your local library. I’ve listed a few websites below for inspiration.

www.urbanfonts.com
www.smashingmagazine.com
inspirationresource.blogspot.com
martinklasch.blogspot.com

Test Your Logo
Lastly, make sure to assess your creation with samples from your target demographics. Ask questions about how they interpret your creation based on the features of a good logo that I listed above.

 
Nike’s famous swoosh logo was designed by Caroline Davidson in 1971 for only $35. I hope this article will help you create an equally memorable and representative logo for less!

POWER ON
Mark