Archive for September, 2011

Hi There, Neighbor!

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

Today is National Good Neighbor Day! Every year on September 28, we’re encouraged to express our thankfulness for neighbors we’ve had in the past and present, whom we’ve forged relationships with and whom have impacted our lives on even the simplest levels.

Unfortunately, with the fast-paced nature of our world today, many people go years without ever introducing themselves to those living adjacent to them. In fact, in a study compiled by the White Pages, fewer than half of Americans know who their neighbors are. Do you know who your neighbors are?


The great thing about having neighbors is that there are many little things you can do to let them know you care, without spending a tremendous amount of time or effort. By using a few simple gestures, you can make an impact in the way they view you, and you may just find a couple of friends living right next door!

3 things you can do to celebrate National Good Neighbor Day 2011

  1. Smile and wave the next time you see them pulling in or out of the driveway.
  2. Offer your assistance if they ask for your help. Better yet, ask them if they need your help before they ask you.
  3. Invite them over. Take a few minutes out of your day to eat some appetizers and get to know them better. Who knows! You may even have some common interests!

We want to thank all of you for being good neighbors and for reading and sharing our posts with your friends and neighbors. Be sure to pay it forward and spread the word about National Good Neighbor Day 2011.

To stay up to date on all the new and innovative happenings at Gunn|Jerkens, check back often, follow us on Twitter (@GunnJerkens) and “Like” us on Facebook.

What can you do today to show that you’re a good neighbor? Share your ideas here.

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Posted in Around the Office, Consider This, General Blogginess, Uncategorized | No Comments »

5 Ways QR Codes Could Help Decide Our Next President

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

You see them everywhere–on ads, packaging, billboards, handouts–QR codes have swept the nation, and now it seems they may even help us determine the nation’s next president. With today’s reliance on mobile devices to retrieve information, QR codes are a fast and efficient way to make a statement, and political parties are taking notice.

Here are five ways that QR codes could help shape the 2012 presidential election:

1. Organization – QR codes can help parties organize drives, functions and events to recruit voters.

2. Donations – Scanning codes through a smartphone could make the donation process simpler, more appealing and more accessible.

3. Endorsements – Celebrity supporters can receive exclusive QR code design art, images and content that will encourage them to share with their followers.

4. Merchandise – Regionalized codes on merchandise could make a statement to like-minded individuals.

5. Voting – QR codes could help tap into voter markets that were once hard to reach.

To learn more, check out this article!

Would you like to see QR codes being used in the 2012 election?

To stay up to date on all the new and innovative happenings at Gunn|Jerkens, check back often, follow us on Twitter (@GunnJerkens) and “Like” us on Facebook.

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The Black Door

Friday, September 16th, 2011

The essence of interior design will always be about people and how they live. It is about the realities of what makes for an attractive, meaningful environment. ~ Albert Hadley

When interior designer Jessica Nakata of The Black Door Interior Design firm was in search of a marketing communications and interactive company to redesign her website, she turned to Gunn|Jerkens for our expertise. The new website’s architecture and creative was strategically designed and developed to complement The Black Door’s brand image – simplistic and chic.  To achieve this goal, we refreshed the logo type and created a logo mark element, which can be used as an icon and helps to create brand identity outside of the logo type. A new light-colored patterned background was also incorporated into the layout. And to showcase Jessica’s beautiful design work, stunning photography of her projects was utilized as the central focal point of the site.

The end result is a visually stimulating, clean and sophisticated design that is intuitive to navigate, making it very user friendly.

In addition to the new website, Jessica has set up a Facebook page, used for sharing her work and providing interior design tips and ideas to her audience. By building a business page, The Black Door Interior Design will gain additional exposure, helping to increase brand awareness and further develop the search engine optimization (SEO) strategy already in place.

Jessica was a great client to work with. Her expertise in design and her willingness to let us in on her creative process made this project a fun and memorable one.

To stay up to date on all the new and innovative happenings at Gunn|Jerkens, check back often, follow us on Twitter (@GunnJerkens) and “Like” us on Facebook.

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Posted in Around the Office, Branding, Consider This, Our Neck of the Woods, Social Media, Uncategorized | No Comments »

In Remembrance of 9/11

Friday, September 9th, 2011

This weekend marks the 10th anniversary of 9/11. People around the nation will be gathering in their communities to pay honor to those whose lives were lost, give thanks to those who aided in the rescue and cleanup efforts and to share the similar personal experiences that we have all dealt with in the aftermath of such a tragedy.

There are many ceremonies that will be taking place in New York, Washington, D.C., Virginia and Pennsylvania. There will also be many other events that are scheduled across the U.S. To find an event near you, visit the 9/11 Healing and Remembrance website.

Gunn|Jerkens honors and recognizes all the individuals who have given their lives to protect the independence we hold so dear. We’d also like to thank all the brave men and women on the front lines today who make it possible for us to live in freedom in the USA.

To stay up to date on all the new and innovative happenings at Gunn|Jerkens, check back often, follow us on Twitter (@GunnJerkens) and “Like” us on Facebook.

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Posted in Around the Office, Consider This, General Blogginess, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Friday, September 2nd, 2011

You’ve been waiting for it all year, and it’s finally here! This Monday is Labor Day–the time to honor all the hard work you and the rest of the country’s workers have done over the last 12 months. You’ve worked hard for this day, so make sure you celebrate it right. Here are a few ideas for Labor Day fun!

Have a Barbecue: Back yard barbecues are standard Labor Day affairs, but what better way to celebrate the fruits of your own labor than by eating them? Your life is busy, and this is a great way to catch up with friends, family and yourself. Labor Day is the last big holiday before the fall season, so take the time to send off summer with a bang.

Relax: This holiday was named for its appreciation of the work force, which only means one thing: you should accept the honor and simply relax. Plus, taking a break from work will leave you feeling extra refreshed, so when you go back in on Tuesday, you’ll be raring to go.

Enjoy the Outdoors: Working full time doesn’t always leave much time to go outside and explore your surroundings, so you should take this opportunity to catch up on what you’re missing. Ride your bike, take a trip or play catch in the back yard. There’s a whole world out there waiting to be discovered!

From everyone here at Gunn|Jerkens, we hope you have a safe, fun and fulfilling Labor Day weekend!

To stay up to date on all the new and innovative happenings at Gunn|Jerkens, check back often, follow us on Twitter (@GunnJerkens) and “Like” us on Facebook.

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Modern Gaming: A Social Affair

Thursday, September 1st, 2011

Remember when playing an electronic game meant popping a CD into your computer? How about those long sessions of Solitaire and Freecell? For the longest time, the gaming world seemed to be a solitary one. Of course you always had traditional board games like Monopoly and Life, but were you really going to play those all day long? Electronic games changed the gaming landscape, and thanks to social media, they’ve done it again.

When social media games like FarmVille first came out, many thought they were just a fad. Who would want to play games with their friends through social networks? Well, apparently A LOT of people. Despite initial reactions, social games have proven their staying power, and they’ve only managed to get more and more popular as time goes on. Gamers today don’t just play games by themselves anymore–they play with a whole community of people from friends and family to acquaintances, and social media is at the helm of the ship.

Here are a few interesting gaming facts according to this article:

-41% of all gamers are playing on social networks

-60% of gamers play with their friends while 33% play with siblings and 25% play with parents and spouses

-Social gaming ad spending climbed from $183 million in 2009 to $293 million in 2011

-26 million people play games on their mobile devices

Learn more about social gaming here!

Do you play games on Facebook or other social networks? Let us know!

To stay up to date on all the new and innovative happenings at Gunn|Jerkens, check back often, follow us on Twitter (@GunnJerkens) and “Like” us on Facebook.

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