Archive for February, 2010
Marion Designs 2009 Year-End Review for DISA, Inc.
Posted by admin in Annual Report, Brand Building, Brand Positioning, graphic design on February 25th, 2010
The Marion Group had the honor of providing our graphic design services for DISA, Inc.’s 2009 Year-End Review.
DISA is a leading provider of innovative employee screening solutions and third-party administration services. So, when creating this year-end review, Marion needed to be able to take technical information and graphically represent it in a creative and attractive way.
For the cover, Marion used a textured black paper called Classic Columns XL and applied a silver foil that was stamped and embossed with their logo. The contrast of the silver on the black, combined with the texture of the paper, creates a striking juxtaposition for the reader, even before they open the year-end review.
On the inside of the year-end review, Marion used a 100# gloss paper with dull text and applied a spot ultra varnish on various images and throughout the inside of the review. Like the cover, the contrast of the dull paper with the spot UV coating created a nice distinction that is visually stimulating.
Visit Marion’s graphic design portfolio to view more of our work.
This is the second year-end review that The Marion Group has created for DISA, Inc.
About DISA, Inc.
DISA has been providing full-service employee screening solutions for over 20 years. DISA offers a comprehensive line of employee screening services that are designed through experience and innovation, delivered with today’s most advanced technologies and with workplace safety in mind, including drug and alcohol testing, background screening, occupational health screening and online safety and substance abuse training.
For more information of how The Marion Group can provide your company with creative and interesting graphic design that showcases your corporate identity and brand position, call us at 713.623.6444 or email us at info2@marion.com.
Microsoft & Yahoo! Get In the Paid Ad Bed Together!
Posted by admin in Internet marketing on February 19th, 2010
By end of the year or in early 2011, Yahoo! and Microsoft will share the same bed to create the Yahoo! and Microsoft Search Alliance. The new YMSA will enable a new, unified search marketplace combining the Yahoo! and Microsoft paid ad networks. Now, Marion Internet Marketing Specialists can purchase ads for our customers through one account covering both search networks.
We can log into one place – the Microsoft’s adCenter – to manage campaigns with greater efficiency and a better ROI. With just one buy, the ads we place for our customers can reach users of Yahoo! and Microsoft sites (MSN.com and Bing.com), as well as their premium partner sites. The combined effort of the two companies will help us reach more customers for our clients with greater ease and efficiency.
With just one account for the two networks, we will be able to reach up to 150 million searchers and get approximately 62% more search volume than on Yahoo! alone.
To help drive future growth in search volume, Yahoo! will continue to significantly enhance the search experience on their leading web properties. They will deliver new features and innovations in the form of new content and web products used by hundreds of millions of consumers.
Microsoft will continue to innovate the underlying technologies that drive high quality algorithmic and paid search results.
With this alliance, the combined Yahoo! and MSN share of searches comes to about 23.75%, leaving Google still very much the King of Search with a 72.25% share according to the latest info from Hitwise.
If you are interested in Internet Marketing Services at Marion that include paid ads not only on Yahoo! and Microsoft sties, but also on King Google, call us at 713.623.6444 or send us an info2@marion.com.
The Art of Brochure Design
Posted by admin in Brochure Design on February 12th, 2010

The Wright Asphalt brochure project was a fun challenge for us, since it dealt with an industry we had not previously worked with. The design utilized images of asphalt in various ways to bring out the essence of the product and highlighted the beauty of the open road. The completed piece was a 9” x 12”, 4-page plus cover brochure.
Corporate brochures are important as sales tools and positioning pieces. However, if the brochure is not strategically planned out and professionally designed, your new brochure may end up in your potential customer’s trash can.
Consider the following points, when you decide to redesign an existing brochure or create a new one.
- Does your brochure communicate the message intended and stand up against the competition?
- Does your brochure connect emotionally with your prospective customers?
- Is your design professional?
- Does the design use high quality imagery?
- Does your brochure connect personally with your target audience?
- Is your brochure easy to read and follow?
- Is the brochure in language the customer will understand and relate to?
- Are the benefits of the product or service listed up front?
- Does the brochure convey a strong message?
- Is the customer asked to complete a specific action such as calling the office or visiting the website?
When it’s time to produce a new brochure, it should be for a definite purpose and the appropriate investment should be made. Cutting corners may end up with an unimpressive piece.
Check Marion’s latest brochure creations.
Learn more about Marion’s brochure design processes at www.marion.com.
Points pulled from Darrell Zahorsky’s Design Trash TestWhat’s the difference: Web vs. Internet
Posted by admin in Internet marketing, Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Uncategorized, Web Design on February 3rd, 2010
Ever used the terms “Web” and “Internet” interchangeably? Like “Surf the Web” or “Browse the internet”? Most of us have. But the truth is that the Web and Internet are different.
The Internet is a huge network of networks- it connects computers together, so that they can communicate and trade information. If a computer is connected to the Internet, it can exchange information with any other computers that are also connected.
The Web (aka World Wide Web) is just one way of accessing the Internet. The Web is an information-sharing application that is built on top of the Internet. The Web cannot work unless the Internet is connected. Simply put, the Web runs on top of the Internet the way a train runs on tracks.
When you are shopping on Amazon or watching videos on YouTube, you are using the Web. However, when you send an email, you are using the Internet, not the Web. The Web is by far the largest and most widely used subnetwork of the internet.
Here, at Marion, we provide a wide range of Internet and Web marketing services. For the Web, we can increase traffic to your page through our Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing. For the Internet, Marion can create and broadcast e-newsletters, so that you can stay in constant contact with your customers. Check out our full range of online marketing services or contact us today at (713)-623-6444.
Google Still King of Search in December 2009
Posted by admin in Internet marketing, Search Engine Optimization on February 1st, 2010
Experian Hitwise announced that Google accounted for an amazing 72.25% of all U.S. searches conducted in the four weeks ending Jan. 2, 2010. Trailing far behind, Yahoo! Search, Bing and Ask.com received a mere 14.83%, 8.92% and 2.54% respectively. Trailing even further behind, the remaining 66 search engines in the Hitwise Search Engine Analysis Tool accounted for 1.48% of U.S. searches.
Searches of one word comprised the majority of searches, amounting to 24.34% of all queries.
View the rest of article.
At The Marion Group, our customers rank consistently high on searches on Google. Let us do the same for you. Call us at 713.623.6444 or email us info2@marion.com.


