Common Questions

How can I get a project going?
Simply jot down a few specifics - like type of job, size, audience, etc. - and send to projects@amedianysf.com. Then give us a call at 888 5MEDIA5 or, if your interest is video/film production, 212 222.5456.

We generally turnaround estimates or budgets in a couple of days.

What if I need it really, really fast?
We are expediting experts. Let us know your timetable and we will meet it — if humanly possible. Naturally, we will inform you of any rush charges.

What if I need it really cheap?
Let me repeat, we are expediting experts. We have the techniques and vendors to create quality imagery cost-effectively.  Plus, we donate some creative services to suitable not-for-profits or start-ups.

What if it is something really complicated?
We are also intricacy experts. We have created almost everything in the world of media, from websites and feature films to books and brochures as well as political buttons, kitchen magnets and T-Shirts, from first image to final delivery.

But what if you haven't done my exact project?
Quick studies; great Roledex.

What is the best way to increase sales through advertising?
There is no magic bullet. Advertising is both an art and a science. Getting some initial consulting will give you a better picture of your options and potential.  Having a great look will attract more interest.  Different media — brochures, newspaper ads, television spots — are appropriate to different projects...

But, generally speaking, we need specifics, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Market research is essential. Of course, you are probably an expert in your field, so you can inform us on market trends. Once hired, we will also research your field, on the web, through our contacts and elsewhere.   Moreover, we are expert at doing audience analysis simply, through a couple of interviews or coffee clatch meetings, either with your staff or target market (what we call "Kitchen Sink Market Research"). We find this to be nearly as effective as one-way mirrors with funny guys with pocket protectors and do-able for a fraction their cost.

What is advertising, anyway?
Advertising is any combination of information and art used to initiate a transaction. Advertising can be commercial, cultural, political, religious or personal.

What is art, then?
Defining art is hard, of course, although check our Art Quotes (upper right) for some colorful interpretations. Or go to our Art Page.

Whatever art is, however, it is an integral part of advertising and, in the 20th century, the line has been increasingly blurred.  Human communication covers a wide spectrum: from the straightforward data of information to the lush complexity of art with advertising somewhere in between. Ironically, since human communication is not only descriptive but self-descriptive — we use the word "I" a lot — it could be said that advertising occupies a central position, indeed, technically it is advertising when ever we show others our identity.

What is identity?
Identity is the images or ideas at the center of any business or institution as well as person. Like art, it is both hard to define and utterly essential.  All living entities carry some form of identity, ranging from their name and core values to dreams and aspirations. Considering this, it behooves us to marshal our public identity to work for —not against — us. Developing identity is a magical process for any enterprise, like naming a baby. It often obliges some soul searching and answers to questions like, "Who are we and where are we going?"
 
A common error in identity development is picking an image that looks fabulous but fails to tell your story or connect to your audience.  Hence, some consultation, sketching and research is generally useful to review your history and explore your image potential and possibilities.  Nevertheless, these steps can be abbreviated for simpler projects and many people are able to solve most of their identity issues on their own. If you bring your own sketch or "look-like," (another design, website, etc., that "looks like" what they want) you can jump start your identity development and/or save on sketching.

The right identity both looks good AND tells your story: what you do, how you do it AND how a participant might feel if they do it, too.

This seems so complicated; I just want some basic stuff.
A lot of advertising and branding seems ancillary. For good reason, bad advertising and pompous identification is a colossal waste of time, money and living space. So much so, some have called advertising a capitalist conspiracy.  But, of course, it was Soviet artists and filmmakers who developed many of advertising's early principles and religious and imperial image masters who monopolized the landscape before that.  Plus, industrialization and mass society were also instrumental: it would have been hard for Henry Ford to distribute his assembly-line cars without ads.

On the other hand, I find it easier to regard advertising as an evolved aspect of Darwin's Theory of Sexual Selection, much like the calls and signs animals, birds and even bugs use to join together for reproduction. Either way, advertising is an essential aspect of human culture.

OK, so what is the best way to proceed?
A brief free consultation with an image professional is often the best way to get a handle on your situation.  Indeed, that's the way we operate. After our first meeting or conversation, if you decide to go with us, we will create a marketing plan or estimate, although we can also just go to work at an established hourly rate. The latter system can save you money, in that our exact hours of labor are often slightly lower then estimates, which must include necessary contingency fees, and you don't have to pay taxes on object creation.

Our estimates are line item, hence easily adjustable, and, although they are our best guess for achieving the project at the level you have requested, we also provide "budget," or "agency" versions for additional options. 

There are, of course, many possibilities and the estimate is like your first sketch, a roadmap, as it were, of the project. But, eventually, you simply start (you can always revise and even re-estimate the project as you go).

Once you get going, you will notice that we strive for BOTH the most creative solutions, within the context of your project, AND we defer to your identity, style, needs and feelings, as explained by you or your representative.  Not only does this reflect standard client/creative courtesy and cooperation, it also makes good advertising sense.  Even a simple project, when aligned with your identity, can increase transaction levels. And it is more advantageous to your business to distribute one quality image, even if somewhat repetitively, then a hundred poor ones that attract no business in costly succession.

Advertising seems so expensive: is it really worth it and how can I save money?
Saving money is often job one for the smaller enterprise.  But when it comes to advertising, the zero-sum solution (saving money by cutting advertising) is often self-defeating, unless you can make do solely by word of mouth.  It is precisely when business is slow, in fact, that more outreach is needed. Since extensive advertising with poor imagery is not the answer, doing the sketches and research necessary to create quality identity and communication, is often the best way to BOTH save on advertising fees and get more audience response.

Occasionally, advertising is compared to war, as in: "Going to the air" (television or now web), or "The ground" (direct mail/email), "Intelligence" (market research), etc. But, in my opinion, advertising is better described by Darwin's Sexual Selection and the Formation of Cooperative Relationships. In this paradigm, non-coercive attraction and interest is achieved simply through better ideas and images.

Indeed, let the best idea (as well as product and service) win. ANd we are here to help you hook those three together.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to click or call.

Thank you.

Doniphan Blair
Art Director | A Media