Michael J. Neal Viticultural Services works with wineries and land owners in Napa and the North Bay to deliver a wide range of services from vineyard management, to organic farming, to pest control and landscaping.

designthis! worked with MJNVS and their filmmaker to create a site that communicates their messaging and services through targeted design and functionality. designthis! was there from concept to launch, even setting up search engine optimization and google analytics to measure results. The use of video as a primary communication tool is cutting edge for businesses and we were excited to contribute to the project. MJNVS was a joy to work with! Please visit the site and give them a call if your vineyard or land needs the best.

This topic has come up a lot recently as everyone becomes increasingly concerned about costs. You can certainly get anything cheaper, but we ask this:

• Is it apples to apples or apples to oranges?
• Do both companies provide the exact same quality and level of service?
• Are you confident putting such an important project, your company’s marketing materials, into their hands?
• Do you feel informed enough to know these differences?

We’ve seen this a lot. Saving costs by putting your detailed project into the wrong hands often means it costs more in the end, in both rebuilding your reputation and/or fixing a job gone wrong. Any studio that obtains a majority of its work as a result of offering the lowest price will rarely make anything impressive, interesting, and worthwhile – directly affecting your ROI.

You could say hiring the right design studio is similar to hiring the right insurance company, the right stylist, the right architect – it’s about experience and reputation. A business you hire should be around long enough to have a reputation. A business should have a team that’s been there, done that so they can take the most efficient path on your project. Collaboration makes a creative project successful and effective for clients. Multi-layered teams, working closely with a client’s team, enhance the project’s outcome.

Our work is detailed, coordinating all the elements so that there is harmony in the message. There should be no confusion as to what you’re offering. In addition to the creative work, production skills are just as important. You don’t want your wine label setup incorrectly, costing you additional money to fix on press. And when you need an eblast handled, or a website updated, you want a company you can count on to set it up technically correct and follow through with the delivery. And lastly, you want a company that is honest, fair and personable. That’s designthis! We make sure that if you say you want an apple, you get an apple. The best match of client and vendor happens not only when one can satisfy the other’s needs, but when both parties care equally about the end result. So, if you’ve been wondering whether to invest in marketing materials or online marketing but aren’t sure where to begin, give us a call. We’ll discuss your projects, help you define budgets, and guide you through the process.

The revitalization of Napa began with the Napa River flood control project, implemented to combat the town’s historic flooding. Local visionaries understood Napa’s potential, and went to work. Among the first properties to be redeveloped was the historic Hatt Building as it was transformed in to Napa’s first luxury lodging, The Napa River Inn. designthis! envisioned the Inn’s historic, boutique positioning to attract a discerning clientele to the riverfront property.

With upscale tourism on the rise, Napa’s culinary elite got busy, adding to the downtown food scene. Many of these restaurateurs turned to Napa design studio, designthis!, to help carve their niche in the emerging local Napa scene. designthis! clients include The New York Times acclaimed, Ubuntu on Main Street; renowned rare wine and now food provisioner Bounty Hunter Rare Wine and Provisions on First Street; Silos wine and jazz bar in the Hatt Building; and the newly-opened Neela’s Indian Cooking on Clinton Street.

A short walk across Napa’s new pedestrian-friendly First Street bridge, the Oxbow Public Market opened. Seizing the opportunity to expand, Napa’s favorite chocolatier – Anette’s Chocolates on First Street – opened an outpost in the Oxbow and partnered with designthis! to re-position their brand messaging with a new website and fully functioning shopping cart www.anettes.com.

Be sure to check back and stop in next time you’re headed to the Valley!

Peirson Meyer Winery is positioned to reflect what wine lovers care about most: palate, heritage, craftsmanship and value. The Peirson Meyer website illustrates the earthy, honest and elevated nature of their wines.

Warm cabernet tones and lush color photography embody today’s Northern California wine country, against a screened backdrop of historical context. The site’s simple structure is user friendly and optimizes search engine placement, resulting in high (online) traffic for a relatively lesser-known wine brand.

For this discerning clientele, the Peirson Meyer Winery website brings the artisan wine experience out of the bottle and on to their table.

That’s right, the Cobbler’s children have new shoes! We have a brand new logo to reflect our dedication to 2009 and creativity in both Napa Valley and the Bay Area. We’ve been wanting to freshen things up for years but… well.. you know how that goes. Our new identity, website and communication materials are a chance to feel renewed and refocus the company as a leading provider of professional creative services in print and web for Napa, Sonoma and the North Bay Area.

We are proud to announce the recent addition of Anette’s Chocolate Factory of Napa Valley and Fantesca Estate and Winery of St. Helena to our list of clients.

For Anette’s Chocolate Factory we are redesigning their website and adding full ecommerce and editing functionality.

For Fantesca Estate and Winery we are creating a new line of wine labels, supporting print materials and promotional clothing.

Ask any business expert what really matters during times of economic instability and they will say that continuing to market your business is critical. Yet, in business, matters of creativity and design are often seen as something nice to have if you can afford it, but easily cut during uncertain financial times.

As you are competing with other companies selling the same service or product, there are many things which can set your business apart – but first you have to get the customer’s attention. On first impression, the only differentiation between you and your competition may be your branding and image. And that is achieved through professional graphic design of your company’s image through necessary print and web materials.

Professional design leads to communications consistency. Studies indicate that prospects must hear of or see your business numerous times before it will spring to mind unbidden. Having a consistent and memorable message and image can help accelerate recognition and speed up the branding process.

Imagine this: you are at a seminar listening to a dynamic speaker and you ask them to send you more information about their company. When the package arrives, you are surprised to discover the information is barely readable, the colors clash enough to make your eyes ache, and there is a good chance the charts were done by a five year old. You will probably overlook all this, because you met this person, and you already know they know their stuff. But if you received this marketing collateral before meeting and hearing them, it is likely you would question the consultant’s credibility and professionalism.

When you visit a business on the web, navigation and content on a website are extremely important, for it is the visual design which lends credibility and indicates the professionalism and quality of the business. Consumer Web Watch reportedly found that “Design Look” (46.1 percent) and “Information Design/Structure” (28.5 percent) were the top factors people used to determine credibility of the business they were visiting online.

Having a quality product or service is terrific, but it is not enough if no one knows you are there. What better time to let the world know that your business exists, than when your competition is hunkered down and not marketing? Perhaps they are marketing, but doing it themselves, on the cheap and poorly designed – this, too, presents an opportunity differentiate your business. A professional design partner can improve your business image and communications, and it is good for economics. A strategic and well designed brand offers increased, positive exposure and differentiation from the competition. Economically, professional design increases profit through increased acceptance and awareness of your products and services. Beat that!

Excerpts taken from Eileen Parzek article