Values may not be all that popular anymore. In a world of “faceless” communication, values can sometimes feel irrelevant. Folks are not necessarily held accountable for how they behave. But at Admarc, values are taken seriously – we hold ourselves accountable.

Values are the set of principals we follow, our standards of behavior, what we feel is important in life.  Values have always been important to us but maybe now more than ever, we value our values.
When we first built Admarc (way back in 1983), we established a simple set of values that we uphold to this day.

Do The Right Thing. Treat the client like you want to be treated. When our friends, our clients, our colleagues or even strangers are in need, we help them.

Committed To Inspire. Great companies give back and inspire others. Work is important. People are more important.

Design Matters. Good design is good business. It exists to communicate purpose. We love what we do, we love the people we work with and our passion grows every day. We listen.

Deliver Trust. Deliver service, expertise and transparency. Earn trust by choosing long-term relationships over short term gain.

What are your set of values? What keeps you responsible to yourself and to others?

The first step in improving your ranking on Google search and Google maps is to claim and update your business information.  You will find and manage your account here:  Google My Business.   

Once you've claimed your business, enter complete business information so users know what you do, where you are and when they can visit. Your page is your digital storefront on Google so make it attractive and inviting.

• Physical address
• Phone number
• Category
• Business hours
• Photos of your business
• Description of what you do and/or what you sell

Learn how to update your business information.

​Step #2  Verify your business. This is as simple as requesting a verification code from Google - either via the phone number Google has on file for your business or from a postcard mailed to your business address. 

Step #3  Add owners or managers as authorized users. Levels of access can be managed through your Google My Business account. We recommend assigning on-going responsibility for various tasks (updating photos, responding to comments, etc.) to a specific manager.

Updating and verifying your Google account is the initial step in improving your local ranking. Keeping this information up to date with fresh photos, current phone numbers and addresses, new locations, etc. is important. 

To learn about other ways to improve your ranking with Google, give us a call.

For as long as I can remember I start each business day with a cup of coffee. It usually doesn’t stop there, since I drink it all day long now, probably 10-12 cups a day. There is something about the aroma and smell that even surpasses the taste. I’ve said before that as long as it is hot, I’ll drink it. I wouldn’t say I am a connoisseur of coffee by any means like many of my friends, knowing the background of how and where it is grown, etc., but I do love a hot cup of coffee. For me, it is the bridge to conversations, inspiration, and relaxation and focus on the things I design and create.

Creaffination
There are so many analogies to what I do and life itself found in coffee. Take for instance the coffee bean, they are all different and unique, just like the many creative designers and partners I have worked with through the years. Each bringing their own talent and flavor to the project.  When the beans are ground they mix together for a special flavor all their own, then when heat and water are added they become a product for all to taste and savor.

Reflection
Through the years I haven’t always stopped to enjoy the projects that  I have collaborated with  
to design. In his new book, Greenlights, Matthew McConaughey states, “We need to take time where we stop and do inventory. Let’s go back to our last week, who we were in it. How did we do?'” After 45 years, I have spent more time recently reflecting on the incredible talents of the thousands I have had the opportunity to share coffee with during the creation of designs that have touched so many. A strong aroma of gratitude lingers in regards to the thousands of hours spent to develop identities and brands for companies large and small.

Motivation
Coffee, like the work I love, continues to motivate me for more. Solving a client's problems, whether design or procedure, motivates me to drink another cup, and enjoy the taste. The taste of satisfaction while realizing how blessed I am to get to do this thing called design that I love so much.  Most of all, I'm grateful to God who reigns and am humbled by how he continues to use me in many small ways.

Now it’s time to go back to work, and pour another cup.

Marketing can sometimes feel like a really confusing road map - so many avenues, so many detours, so many directions to turn. Some days, you might feel like you've accidentally ended up in the scary part of town....with a flat tire....in a rain storm.

Admarc understands the confusion. Besides traditional marketing avenues (print, TV, radio, collateral), digital marketing offers more options (websites, social media, online ads). But the fundamentals of marketing remain the same today and into the future. 

A good start to clarifying your personal marketing road map is taking some time to answer these questions:

• What do you want to achieve? Set goals. Be as specific as possible. 
• Why should people buy your products or services? What is special about you?
• What sales promotions can you offer? Special deals, giveaways, discounts.
• Where do your find your typical customer? Hunting? Reading? Surfing the web?

The answers to these questions form the foundation of your marketing plan. 

Admarc has been in the marketing business in Midland Texas for 40 years. We have experience, knowledge, ideas and a killer cup of coffee.  Give us a call or stop by and let's talk about your marketing.   Contact Us

With 2021 on the horizon, the design world is looking forward to a fresh start. Colorful, whimsical, attention-getting graphics will continue to trend in 2021. Creative platform 99designs predicts that the upcoming year will be dominated by bolder, more surreal and maximalist styles. 
Design styles like "Abstract Psychedelia" and "Retro Futurism" are expected to dominate in 2021. 
These design styles and others are illustrated in 99designs' infographic below. For more detailed information and other examples, head over to 99designs.

Try to do something difficult,  something new, anything different from what other people do. And critics, naysayers, and devil's advocates will always comment or critique. Granted, input and feedback are certainly valuable.

But only to a point.

Sometimes, paying attention to criticism--of your business, your products, your ideas will only serve to grind away the sharp edges.

To many, "new" can make people uncomfortable. "New" can make people feel defensive. If you're right, then I must be wrong, and no one likes to be wrong.

Steve Jobs said, "You have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something: Your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

The next time someone criticizes an idea, ask how they arrived at their opinion. Look for the data behind the conclusion. Otherwise, ignore everything that isn't data--warnings, cautionary tales, and well-intentioned but poorly grounded advice--since you already know all those things anyway. Then keep in mind, analysis can only take you so far, especially since critical thinking tends to steer a decision towards conventional wisdom.

Innovative products, designs or services are only groundbreaking in hindsight. At some point, someone believed when others did not.

Apply a little selective listening to your critics and sometime that someone might even be you.

In a culture of media saturation and disposable content, creativity counts, and craft and taste matter, and I think we’ll see a return to these values in narrative storytelling and production across the board. People don’t hate ads. They hate floods of useless information and disruptive messaging with no entertainment value.  Creativity that is entertaining will still be the thing that allows brands to stand out, connect with their audiences and grow. I think we’ll continue to see people increasingly attracted to brands that stand for something and are good for people and the planet.

Companies are under more pressure than ever to drive quick results, and the stress of that can lead to very short-term thinking, which is understandable. With a strong brand, they are more equipped to act quickly in cultural moments and simultaneously build success over time. We have more opportunities to apply creativity in more ways, in more channels and at greater speed.

More and more brands are starting to seeing the value of being purpose-driven. Years ago, at his famous TED Talk, Simon Sinek stated that people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.  It’s exciting to see more brands making it part of their mission. And doing it in an authentic manner.

The more scattered we become, the more important it is for brands to have cultural relevance, and talk value. It’s kind of like you either need to be brave or risk being irrelevant. That’s a pretty exciting prospect to count on, by design.

Today I turned 65, a day many look to retirement or winding down a career.  For me it seems I’ve just begun, with so many changes since my career started in 1975. From a drawing table with a T-square and ruling pen to the digital word where we live now. While technology and tools have changed, the energizing force that still drives me each day is the creation of solutions for the graphic and marketing problems that all clients face, large and small. I can’t wait to get to the office each morning early and start on the next set of solutions.

The other constant is relationships. Whether they are clients or partners in solving the problems, they are all invaluable. The contributions through the years have been invaluable and the names too many to list, but grateful for them all. Each new idea brings the support of those partnerships, because everything we do has numerous levels of contribution. Ultimately, the idea is the catalyst for everything from a logo to a marketing campaign. And those ideas can come from anywhere, anyone and at any time. You have to be discerning as to when they happen and are worthy of execution. Many great ideas never reach the surface and become “I thought of that” concepts. While many mediocre ideas are acted on and executed. While I think back to the many campaigns and projects that we have completed through the years I can also remember many that never made it to the surface.

So, my self-challenge in the last few years has been to act on the creative impulses that I receive and make them happen. It could be as simple as sending an email to a colleague or supplier to say thanks or waking up in the middle of the night and sending myself an email about an idea and then acting on it when you are at your device.

Lastly, organization is one of the most valuable disciplines needed today. At the pace of the numerous forms of communication, one must be organized, or they will quickly fall behind or create unnecessary stress. Quick access to files and responsiveness are invaluable traits.

Even though the 45 years, so far, that I have spent in this industry have flown by, my love for the craft and creating solutions is still young. It is my hope and prayer that I can reflect experience and excitement to those younger, because we are all created by design.