My! Look How Much You've Grown!

Our goslings at one week

Photo Credit: Al Scherwinski (c) 2012

Congratulations Are In Order!

 We've been waiting for our resident pair of Canadian Geese to introduce their latest brood to the world and it's finally happened. This morning the new babies made their first appearance. 

The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.  ~e.e. cummings

Photo Credit: Al Scherwinski (c) 2012

Groundhog Day in March?

April 7, 2011

Our resident pair of Canadian Geese who raised a brood of 8 stroll across the pond.

March 15, 2012

What appears to be the same pair of geese, return to their summer home.

Do you ever have deja-vu?

Didn't you just ask me that?

Photo Courtesy of Al Scherwinski

Spectra Print Corp Announces Launch of Wildwood Wildlife Park New Website Design

The new redesigned website of Wildwood Wildlife Park is live on the Internet with a new look and website structure that will brings a user friendly design with improved readability to the park's long-time and new guests.

"The new look is lighter and a lot more user-friendly than the old design," says Al Scherwinski, Spectra Print Corp. Creative/Marketing Director. "The site's design features vibrant colors and bold graphics, updated photographs increasing the fun factor which reflects the Wildwood Wildlife Park experience. Our Web site visitors are going to love it."

Among the features on Wildwood's homepage are the 'flash tracks' taking visitors quickly to Encounters and Hours & Tickets buttons.  The site is designed to provide quick and direct access to all of the resources guests to the park are looking for. "We wanted the site to reflect the park's dedication to providing their guests with up close and personal experience, interacting with the animals," says Scherwinski.

The new face of the Wildwood Wildlife Park website is the handiwork of the design and marketing department of Spectra Print Corp., Stevens Point, WI.

The online resources are as diverse as the friends and guests of the park; from the educational and volunteer opportunities offered to visitors to the special experiences guaranteed to create unforgettable memories the web site and the launched Wildwood Wildlife Park blog support of the park's mission to provide an exciting zoological collection and education facility for all visitors.

"The new design was created specifically for Wildwood Wildlife Park's online visitors," says Scherwinski. "We encourage guests to submit photos and videos. Current exhibits, news and stories will be constantly updated allowing guests to plan their visit to the park and make it a memorable experience." 

We've "Landed" Two of Canada's Top Fishing Destinations

Showalter's and Jackson's Lodges & Outposts, two of Canada's premier lodge and outpost services have selected Spectra Print to coordinate, develop and produce their new web sites.

"Jackson's and Showalter's are among the top Canadian destinations for customers looking for that unique wilderness experience. We feel [Spectra Print] is uniquely qualified thanks to our continuing sponsorship and support of All-Canada as well as other outdoor account experience," said Al Scherwinski Spectra Print Marketing Director. "We've demonstrated our ability to understand the needs of the lodges, all of whom offer exceptional opportunities to their customers for the most incredible experiences of their lifetime an look forward to working with Jackson's and Showalter's."

Jackson's Lodges & Outposts is a family-operated business based in Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba, providing their guests with the finest fly-in fishing and hunting excursions for close to three decades. Jackson's operates their own air service "Adventure Air" with a fleet of highly maintained aircraft making it possible to provide easy access and transportation to their facilities in northeastern Manitoba's provincial Parks: Atikai, Nopiming and Whiteshell. It is Manitoba's wilderness beauty at its finest.

Showalter's Fly-In Service & Outposts has been associated as one of Canada's premier fly-in & outpost service for over 25-years, helping guests realize their dream vacation. Whether it is a fishing vacation to a remote northwestern Ontario wilderness lake,  a black bear hunt in Ontario's Red Lake area or a guided moose hunt 135 air miles north of the Showalter's base, you'll want to return for another version of your trip of a lifetime. 

Both web sites are tentatively scheduled to be live in the Fall of 2011.

You Know Winter's Been Here Long Enough When ...

Honestly, it was here the last time I looked.
Really! And just when exactly would that have been?
Ok! Ok! You look over that way and I'll have a look see over here.

You know, I might have been mistaken. Maybe that was last year.
So, what do you think? Another two, three days before it's open?

"You Know Winter's Been Here Long Enough When ..." Digital Images.

Copyright (c) 2011 Al Scherwinski. Text Transcribed Verbatim.

We've Made Business Cards Smart!

With the recent advent and expanded use of QR codes and other mobile tags, it's now easier than ever to have smart business cards.


We've taken this technology and applied it to a staple of the business world, your business card, and made it 'smart.'


Is There An App For That?


Business cards printed with your personal contact information are made smart with the addition of a QR code directing your contacts to your company web site or blog as well as a QRV code to transfer your personal contact information. These are just two ways to upgrade your business card.


With a QR reader installed on a mobile phone, the images on your business card are instantly scanned and the information decoded as a link to a web site or in the case of the QRV code, your personal information.


In the image below, you'll see the decoded QRV code scanned from the front of the business card of Spectra Print Marketing Director Al Scherwinski, shown above:

It really is easy to be smart. Contact us for other options.

Still Showing Off: Continuation of Booth Design

In our last post the topic of discussion was creating a booth environment that would give you an edge at your next show.

No one needs to tell you that your booth establishes your show presence and is the central element of how your company will be perceived.

Take a step back, so to speak, and look at your booth from the other side of the aisle. When considering your booth, Spectra Print's Marketing Director Al Scherwinski says, "An effective booth is one that conveys your company's product accurately, quickly and what benefit it brings to potential customers."

If A Picture Paints a Thousand Words ...

Then a booth filled with nothing but text won't grab anyone's interest, but a photograph will.

The use of photography should be a key element of your booth; showing your customers your "product" (even if the product is you!), matching the photography to the brand and conveying the intangible is best left to another post, one we will cover in the near future.

It Takes A Village To Create a Booth

Someone once described their decorating style as "Early Halloween." While it may be a amusing description for a family room, it shouldn't be the way customers see your booth display. Professional graphic artists are a necessity for insuring your booth will look professional and convincing. A good graphic designer can take your concept from a piece of paper and turn it into a compelling design that clearly conveys, in 30-seconds or less, what your products are and what they do.

There are many other factors to consider such as working chairs into the overall design of your booth so they are a part of the display and not a distraction. If you have product demonstrations or products that will be physically on display, you will need cases or a countertop to show them. Panels with laminates as an option or stand along acrylic cabinets can be integrated into the design.

Anyone can put together a show booth with a company logo, a couple of photographs and a stack of brochures and business cards. Creating a show environment that commands attention involves professionals with a solid strategy to help level the playing field.

It's Okay To Be A Show Off

Doing business without advertising is like winking

at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing,

but nobody else does. ~Steuart Henderson Britt

It never ceases to amaze me how hard small business owners work in order to achieve success. Contrary to popular opinion, there are very few perks to owning your own business: long hours, very little time off, on call and on the clock pretty much 24/7. If love makes the world go ‘round, small business owners are surely the cog that keeps the wheels of commerce turning.

The last few weeks we’ve been out on the show circuit, both trade and consumer, and came away with the knowledge that it is a jungle out there!

In an environment where everyone is in the same boat, how do you stop the parade of potential customers so they don’t pass you by?

Don’t Leave Home Without It

A set of clear goals that is. What are your expectations for the show you will be attending? Are you focusing on business promotion or is this the stage where you launch a new product? You can have more than one goal but you need to be clear about what your participation is going to achieve.

Your Display Is Your On-Site Ad

A successful display is one that is planned with the audience in mind. Who is it that you are targeting with your display? An important question to ask yourself since audiences “shop” shows differently.

Create a Buzz

Invite clients, customers, suppliers and other contacts; this is the stage made for social media and where Facebook and Twitter shine. Do you know your booth number in advance? If you do, make sure to feature the number prominently in your advance advertising.

Build It And They Will Come

Spectra Print’s Marketing Director Al Scherwinski says five basic elements for show booth displays are memorable visuals, headline, copy points, company logo, and web/blog presence.

Select your trade show graphics carefully; simple, bold and clear images work best.

Choose your words carefully and keep your display headline simple, clear and to the point. Chances are, people that did not plan to visit you at the show will more than likely walk past your booth. If this is your only chance to grab their attention, you will need a carefully thought out and compelling headline to make them want to find out more about your company.

It makes sense that the shorter your headline is the larger it can appear on your show booth display allowing your display to reach farther into busy show traffic. Even a small table top display with a short bold message can be seen several yards away.

“Your choice of typeface is also important,” Scherwinski says. “With literally thousands of type fonts to choose from, selecting the right one can seem daunting. The next time you attend a show, notice the displays that grab your attention. They won’t necessarily be large booths but displays that consistently use simple bold graphics.”

It was a dark and stormy night …

While it is tempting to write a description that explains everything your customer needs to know about you - don’t. As much as you would like them to, most show attendees will not want to spend a ton of time reading about your company. Use bullet points, keep your message short, don’t get too technical and remember to keep your company name front and center. Utilize QR codes to feature your social media and web site presence.

Now that you have a stack of requests, make sure follow-up correspondence is priority one when you are packed up and homeward bound.

Next week’s blog post will conclude the show marketing discussion. Stay tuned!