Dr. Winfred Parnell, is not only committed to providing his patients the best of healthcare as a local obstetrician and gynecologist but he is also an advocate for healthcare reform. Speaking Monday as a member of the Community Panel on Proposed Healthcare Reform, Dr. Parnell dismissed the notion reform would lead to "socialized medicine" with assurance, "We will put together a uniquely American program." He also reminded the audience of the importance of getting the right information out, to allow citizens to make a more informed decision regarding which proposal they support.
In fact, Dr. Parnell's concern is the debate derails the reform process and "we do nothing." He challenges those who do not want a public option - fine - bring a solution for the public to consider. Simply saying no is not a solution.
In recent days the idea proposed by Sen. Kent Conrad (R-ND) described as a "nonprofit healthcare cooperative as an alternative to a government insurance plan "commonly referred to as co-ops has gained momentum in the debate. However, Dr. Parnell stated the only successful version of a medical co-op worked well because it operated like an insurance program. Many feel the same issues would persist under a co-op without addressing the underlying problems of affordable access for everyone.
The Community Panel included representatives from Baylor and Parkland hospitals; the business community and Aetna insurance, they all agreed there was a need for healthcare reform. Leading Dr. Parnell to observe, "Doctors want it, patients want it - who is between it?" He feels it is critical political rhetoric be removed from the debate.
Key elements for successful reform will include providing doctors and hospitals incentives to work together according to Dr. Parnell. Stating that what we have now is "sick care" Dr. Parnell advocates providing pay-for-performance incentives. Many have argued by making the public aware of the quality of services provided in the medical community, an informed medical consumer will receive better care.
Dr. Parnell is one of the founding physicians of Carlos Parnell, Jones & Diaz in Dallas, he is an active member of the medical staff at Medical City Hospital, serving in leadership positions on numerous hospital committees, Chief of Staff during the 1995-1996 term.
Receiving his Bachelor of Science from Florida A&M University, Doctor of Medicine from the University of Florida, he completed his internship and residency at Parkland Memorial Hospital and UT Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. Parnell is a member of North Dallas Community Bible Fellowship. He and his wife, Debra, are the proud parents of twins (Winfred and Wendy). He enjoys traveling and skiing.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Health Care Reform Debate Takes Center Stage in Dallas
Although Monday's health care reform town hall meeting in Dallas was moved to accommodate overwhelming public demand for free tickets, the crowd inside was much tamer than it was outside.
In a low-key panel discussion, U.S. Representatives Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Pete Sessions (R-TX) presented their opposing ideas on health care reform and fielded audience questions. Each reiterated their parties' positions on the subject and, at times, gave their emotionally charged opinions.
In her opening remarks Johnson described the need for healthcare reform as a "moral obligation to ensure universal access." She said Texas has the highest rate of uninsured people in the United States, with some at risk of bankruptcy due to healthcare costs.
Johnson said she has read each of the three bills currently under consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives, and she favors the public option, which she described as an opportunity for the uninsured to go into a pool and purchase affordable coverage.
Sessions said the public option is a form of "socialized medicine," to which Johnson immediately responded "better than nothing," to the applause of many in the audience.
Johnson, who is a registered nurse, previously worked in psychiatric services at the Veterans Administrations Hospital in Dallas. She is the 30th Congressional District of Texas representative. This includes Downtown Dallas, Fair Park, Oak Lawn, Old East Dallas, Pleasant Grove, and South Oak Cliff, and other areas. Johnson said there are over 220,000 uninsured within the district.
For the uninsured, preventative and primary care is lacking for many because they do not seek medical attention until they are very sick and show up in the emergency room, said Johnson. She said this results in several tests - at a cost to the public - because emergency room professionals have no prior medical history for the patient.
Johnson said she wants health care reform to address quality care and stability for patients despite their income level. Johnson would like to eliminate pre-existing clauses and ensure coverage when there are changes in employment. She said people should not be forced to stay in undesirable jobs just to maintain insurance coverage.
Sessions recognized there is a health care problem, but said he is concerned that the current proposals will provide a huge cost shift to the federal government. Instead of a public option, he proposed actions such as doubling the funding for the National Institute of Health, whose research in recent years has paved the way for significant decreases in deaths due to cancer, heart attacks and high cholesterol
Citing what he considered Republican health care success, Sessions said Medicare prescription reform has led to $4 prescription co-pays. He also said the health savings account, which allows participants to deposit pre-tax monies is a Republican success. And he repeatedly referred to expanding the program by allowing individuals to enjoy the same tax benefits all corporations receive.
Sessions advocates patient controlled coverage, which he said would allow consumers to have insurance portability, allowing them to keep the same insurance provider year to year. He also called for national tort reform to eliminate the $150 billion per year spent in lawsuits.
Sessions believes the current proposals are too ambitious, as they tackle 220 million who have good insurance, rather than simply addressing the 46 million who lack coverage. He said everyone will be heavily taxed, and about 120 million people will be shifted to the public option by their employer, not by choice.
Sessions said patient care will suffer because patients will not be able to choose their doctor as they will be placed in a pool. And he said they will have difficultly seeing a physician there are not enough doctors in place to handle the influx of patients to universal coverage.
Sessions said the Republicans support associated plans offering people the opportunity to band together and buy as a group across state lines, and he cited realtors as an example. Sessions agrees with Johnson that insurance companies must move toward eliminating the pre-existing condition clause.
Sessions and Johnson disagreed on the cost effectiveness of the public option. Sessions said it would "tax the stuffings out of business." When he asked who would pay for it, Johnson said Parkland hospital provided $520 million of uncompensated care last year. She said people visit Parkland because other hospitals will require $500 before you get any care. Johnson said this cost is coming out of taxpayers' pockets.
Sessions changed the tone of the discussion when he dismissed the co-op proposal because he said there is no need to create a new entity. He even suggested many problems are a result of a lack of personal responsibility, citing knifings and drug usage as examples.
"When someone is paying for something in America, they treat it differently," Sessions said.
A stunned Johnson replied, "I don't even know how to respond to that," which was greeted with applause.
She added, "With insurance coverage for everyone at a reasonable cost, we would not have a problem." Johnson pointed out insurance companies charge about the same as each other, eliminating competition in the marketplace.
Johnson closed by saying, "Anything that is for the people is hard to come by."
In a low-key panel discussion, U.S. Representatives Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Pete Sessions (R-TX) presented their opposing ideas on health care reform and fielded audience questions. Each reiterated their parties' positions on the subject and, at times, gave their emotionally charged opinions.
In her opening remarks Johnson described the need for healthcare reform as a "moral obligation to ensure universal access." She said Texas has the highest rate of uninsured people in the United States, with some at risk of bankruptcy due to healthcare costs.
Johnson said she has read each of the three bills currently under consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives, and she favors the public option, which she described as an opportunity for the uninsured to go into a pool and purchase affordable coverage.
Sessions said the public option is a form of "socialized medicine," to which Johnson immediately responded "better than nothing," to the applause of many in the audience.
Johnson, who is a registered nurse, previously worked in psychiatric services at the Veterans Administrations Hospital in Dallas. She is the 30th Congressional District of Texas representative. This includes Downtown Dallas, Fair Park, Oak Lawn, Old East Dallas, Pleasant Grove, and South Oak Cliff, and other areas. Johnson said there are over 220,000 uninsured within the district.
For the uninsured, preventative and primary care is lacking for many because they do not seek medical attention until they are very sick and show up in the emergency room, said Johnson. She said this results in several tests - at a cost to the public - because emergency room professionals have no prior medical history for the patient.
Johnson said she wants health care reform to address quality care and stability for patients despite their income level. Johnson would like to eliminate pre-existing clauses and ensure coverage when there are changes in employment. She said people should not be forced to stay in undesirable jobs just to maintain insurance coverage.
Sessions recognized there is a health care problem, but said he is concerned that the current proposals will provide a huge cost shift to the federal government. Instead of a public option, he proposed actions such as doubling the funding for the National Institute of Health, whose research in recent years has paved the way for significant decreases in deaths due to cancer, heart attacks and high cholesterol
Citing what he considered Republican health care success, Sessions said Medicare prescription reform has led to $4 prescription co-pays. He also said the health savings account, which allows participants to deposit pre-tax monies is a Republican success. And he repeatedly referred to expanding the program by allowing individuals to enjoy the same tax benefits all corporations receive.
Sessions advocates patient controlled coverage, which he said would allow consumers to have insurance portability, allowing them to keep the same insurance provider year to year. He also called for national tort reform to eliminate the $150 billion per year spent in lawsuits.
Sessions believes the current proposals are too ambitious, as they tackle 220 million who have good insurance, rather than simply addressing the 46 million who lack coverage. He said everyone will be heavily taxed, and about 120 million people will be shifted to the public option by their employer, not by choice.
Sessions said patient care will suffer because patients will not be able to choose their doctor as they will be placed in a pool. And he said they will have difficultly seeing a physician there are not enough doctors in place to handle the influx of patients to universal coverage.
Sessions said the Republicans support associated plans offering people the opportunity to band together and buy as a group across state lines, and he cited realtors as an example. Sessions agrees with Johnson that insurance companies must move toward eliminating the pre-existing condition clause.
Sessions and Johnson disagreed on the cost effectiveness of the public option. Sessions said it would "tax the stuffings out of business." When he asked who would pay for it, Johnson said Parkland hospital provided $520 million of uncompensated care last year. She said people visit Parkland because other hospitals will require $500 before you get any care. Johnson said this cost is coming out of taxpayers' pockets.
Sessions changed the tone of the discussion when he dismissed the co-op proposal because he said there is no need to create a new entity. He even suggested many problems are a result of a lack of personal responsibility, citing knifings and drug usage as examples.
"When someone is paying for something in America, they treat it differently," Sessions said.
A stunned Johnson replied, "I don't even know how to respond to that," which was greeted with applause.
She added, "With insurance coverage for everyone at a reasonable cost, we would not have a problem." Johnson pointed out insurance companies charge about the same as each other, eliminating competition in the marketplace.
Johnson closed by saying, "Anything that is for the people is hard to come by."
Friday, July 17, 2009
Topic: How to collaborate with other businesses, and why this is more important than ever.
Disney and McDonald's mastered the art of business collaboration and cross promotion for more than a decade. When a new major animated film was slated for release by Disney, consumers knew to anticipate cross promotional ads, highlighting Happy Meal toy tie-ins with the film. The relationship was clearly a win-win for both organizations because of their equal status as iconic American companies, each with built in public good will. The same principles apply for small businesses seeking to grow.
There are a variety of reasons why two organizations may want to collaborate. In the Disney and McDonald's venture they shared a core audience for a specific product each offered. Tots – and there parents – love Happy Meals featuring toy versions of their new favorite characters. The excitement generated from pre-opening cross promotion publicity at McDonald's helped to ensure plenty of anxious ticket buyers on opening weekend and assisted in sustaining repeat moviegoers.
When seeking businesses to collaborate with, it is important to do your homework regarding the health and reputation of the organization before hitching your credibility with theirs. What may appear on paper as a good business alliance can quickly turn into a public relations nightmare if you do not follow through on this critical step.
Sponsoring charity events is also an effective collaboration tool with other business. By donating staff, services or products to a popular fundraising event, a business can generate goodwill in the community, by gaining the reputation as a good corporate citizen. In many ways the benefits are even better for small businesses, helping local - less prominent - charities. Although the audience is smaller, they are often very committed, will take note and really want to do business with those who support their favorite charity.
In addition, the contacts and resources gained by planning and working with the the event team can prove highly profitable in the long run. Event planners work with organizations across industries. If your business goes above and beyond when working with the charity and event planning team, the rewards can be immeasurable. Simply following-up by snail mail with a “enjoyed working with you” type letter, plus your marketing materials can be what the doctor ordered when they hear of a need from their colleague seeking just the product or service you offer. They feel good about helping your company out after all your hard work before, and you feel very happy all the way to the bank.
Finally when choosing businesses to collaborate with, think outside the box. Why would a local toy store want a 10% off coupon inserted in the envelope when monthly statements are sent from a local long term care insurance agent each October? Because the toy store owner knows that grandparents buy an estimated 25% of all toys, seniors love coupons and they are the most affluent consumers.
So when looking for businesses to collaborate with, by all means look for the obvious fit. But also do just a little bit of homework, identify a customer base that overlaps with that of a strategic partner yet is often overlooked by your competitors.
There are a variety of reasons why two organizations may want to collaborate. In the Disney and McDonald's venture they shared a core audience for a specific product each offered. Tots – and there parents – love Happy Meals featuring toy versions of their new favorite characters. The excitement generated from pre-opening cross promotion publicity at McDonald's helped to ensure plenty of anxious ticket buyers on opening weekend and assisted in sustaining repeat moviegoers.
When seeking businesses to collaborate with, it is important to do your homework regarding the health and reputation of the organization before hitching your credibility with theirs. What may appear on paper as a good business alliance can quickly turn into a public relations nightmare if you do not follow through on this critical step.
Sponsoring charity events is also an effective collaboration tool with other business. By donating staff, services or products to a popular fundraising event, a business can generate goodwill in the community, by gaining the reputation as a good corporate citizen. In many ways the benefits are even better for small businesses, helping local - less prominent - charities. Although the audience is smaller, they are often very committed, will take note and really want to do business with those who support their favorite charity.
In addition, the contacts and resources gained by planning and working with the the event team can prove highly profitable in the long run. Event planners work with organizations across industries. If your business goes above and beyond when working with the charity and event planning team, the rewards can be immeasurable. Simply following-up by snail mail with a “enjoyed working with you” type letter, plus your marketing materials can be what the doctor ordered when they hear of a need from their colleague seeking just the product or service you offer. They feel good about helping your company out after all your hard work before, and you feel very happy all the way to the bank.
Finally when choosing businesses to collaborate with, think outside the box. Why would a local toy store want a 10% off coupon inserted in the envelope when monthly statements are sent from a local long term care insurance agent each October? Because the toy store owner knows that grandparents buy an estimated 25% of all toys, seniors love coupons and they are the most affluent consumers.
So when looking for businesses to collaborate with, by all means look for the obvious fit. But also do just a little bit of homework, identify a customer base that overlaps with that of a strategic partner yet is often overlooked by your competitors.
Trends in Logo Design
When it comes to good logo design there is no rest for the weary. As the wave minimalist wave in logo design begins to wane, determining effective ways of using bold colors are taking center stage.
Described as psychedelic pop, designers are busy photoshopping popular vector shapes to create a logo that provides big bang with a punch of color. In general these bold patterned shapes work better with white background, allowing the logo to standout, avoiding any color clashes and maintaining easy readability
Tactile logos invoke a sense of touch while incorporating depth and dimension with words and shapes. Some variations convey a classical and almost sensual or fluid presence. Successful use of tactile logos is challenging even for experienced designers because they have to walk a fine line to avoid a clunky or gaudy feel to the logo. As a result it is not a widely common design but remains an emerging trend.
Naturally what is old, is new again. The 1960s and 70s have enjoyed their revival in fashion and trends during the last few years. Now we are seeing classic modern vintage designs reminiscent of the mid-century looks. Logos representing this style use fundamental shapes and letters with bold, often single color that stands out on a white background. Colors like orange, red, yellow and green are popular with these designs.
Pictogram logos is another design form that brings the emphasize back to the icon and logo, less about the background which took center stage in recent years as a result of the fascination with bold and colorful backgrounds technology could produce. With pictograms, the image often tells the story and speaks strongly about the brand itself. Pictograms utilize universally understood symbols and images, which is important in a global economy. The color palete is usually very simple with normally no more than two colors used.
Typographic logo design never really goes out of shape, it simply evolves to new phases.
Typographic logos are perhaps simplistic in design but generally bold and often elegant. With thousands of fonts in the market there is a sense of endless possibilities with typographic logos.
That in large measure will depend on the attitude and feel the organization seeks to convey to the viewer. There remains debate among logo designers if words alone are enough, some feel an image of some type is also needed.
Another emerging logo design is street art. While it is not exactly new, it is trying to stretch beyond simply infomercial status and gain a little more respect. The design is popular with urban centric brands as well as extreme sports. Street art logos fit well with these type of companies because of its edgy vibe.
Described as psychedelic pop, designers are busy photoshopping popular vector shapes to create a logo that provides big bang with a punch of color. In general these bold patterned shapes work better with white background, allowing the logo to standout, avoiding any color clashes and maintaining easy readability
Tactile logos invoke a sense of touch while incorporating depth and dimension with words and shapes. Some variations convey a classical and almost sensual or fluid presence. Successful use of tactile logos is challenging even for experienced designers because they have to walk a fine line to avoid a clunky or gaudy feel to the logo. As a result it is not a widely common design but remains an emerging trend.
Naturally what is old, is new again. The 1960s and 70s have enjoyed their revival in fashion and trends during the last few years. Now we are seeing classic modern vintage designs reminiscent of the mid-century looks. Logos representing this style use fundamental shapes and letters with bold, often single color that stands out on a white background. Colors like orange, red, yellow and green are popular with these designs.
Pictogram logos is another design form that brings the emphasize back to the icon and logo, less about the background which took center stage in recent years as a result of the fascination with bold and colorful backgrounds technology could produce. With pictograms, the image often tells the story and speaks strongly about the brand itself. Pictograms utilize universally understood symbols and images, which is important in a global economy. The color palete is usually very simple with normally no more than two colors used.
Typographic logo design never really goes out of shape, it simply evolves to new phases.
Typographic logos are perhaps simplistic in design but generally bold and often elegant. With thousands of fonts in the market there is a sense of endless possibilities with typographic logos.
That in large measure will depend on the attitude and feel the organization seeks to convey to the viewer. There remains debate among logo designers if words alone are enough, some feel an image of some type is also needed.
Another emerging logo design is street art. While it is not exactly new, it is trying to stretch beyond simply infomercial status and gain a little more respect. The design is popular with urban centric brands as well as extreme sports. Street art logos fit well with these type of companies because of its edgy vibe.
Topic: How to assess your marketing campaign and determine if it is succeeding.
Freelance Project, May 2009
The popular cliché says, “The definition of insanity is to continue to do the same thing, but expect different results.” Unfortunately businesses can get caught up a similar vicious cycle. Reusing the same marketing message via the same platforms, yet failing to timely notice the diminishing returns. Companies asleep at the wheel were really caught napping as the fallout from the current economic downturn kicked in.
It is reported that nearly 70% of marketers do not even know how to measure the return on investment for the campaigns. This amounts to a throw it on the wall and see what sticks type of approach, wasting valuable resources on poster printing, print ads, etc.
Factors to consider when developing your marketing plan include how does your audience want to communicate with you? Many may assume it is email, but experts say texting is rapidly rising as a preferred option. Headlines are filled with the news regarding the meteoric growth of Twitter, a micro-blogging service.
While it may be tempting to create an account, following a lot of users, because many may reciprocate because of your brand name or the fact you are a local company. Gain a certain number of followers, and some might believe this is a measurement of success for the marketing campaign. However, when you begin to flood them with sales messages only, they will just as quickly unfollow resulting in no or very little response to your promotions.
On the surface it may appear to be a minimal outlay of resources because no money was spent on poster printing or website ads. However, how many hours of staff resources were used to produce the one measly sale? Yet by spending more time identifying Twitters who love a good bargain, and their primary focus is sharing that type of news with fellow Twitters and via their shopping related blog, can be a gold mine for increasing traffic and sales.
Recently a popular food and household product company offered up to $50 in printable coupons for a limited time. They shared the information via their website, bought ads on popular websites and blogs their research showed their shopper visited often. They also sent the word out to popular bloggers. Then they just sat back and watched the message get shared and reshared via blogs, twitter and other social media mediums.
How can they measure the results: how many new visitors registered with their site, which was required before you could select the desired coupons. They already know what coupon redemption rates to expect they might see a slight bump in the usual rates. More importantly now they can reach consumers with an email newsletter highlighting recipes featuring their product. Following this up with posters printed in a variety of sizes and shapes and strategically placing in the store can result in more sales and focus group results showing your company foremost in the customer's mind.
When developing a marketing campaign it is important for the team to not only come up with a great new branding message but identify measurements by which the outcome will be evaluated. It is very important that buy-in is received on these measurements at the executive level to ensure everyone is on the same page and committed.
The popular cliché says, “The definition of insanity is to continue to do the same thing, but expect different results.” Unfortunately businesses can get caught up a similar vicious cycle. Reusing the same marketing message via the same platforms, yet failing to timely notice the diminishing returns. Companies asleep at the wheel were really caught napping as the fallout from the current economic downturn kicked in.
It is reported that nearly 70% of marketers do not even know how to measure the return on investment for the campaigns. This amounts to a throw it on the wall and see what sticks type of approach, wasting valuable resources on poster printing, print ads, etc.
Factors to consider when developing your marketing plan include how does your audience want to communicate with you? Many may assume it is email, but experts say texting is rapidly rising as a preferred option. Headlines are filled with the news regarding the meteoric growth of Twitter, a micro-blogging service.
While it may be tempting to create an account, following a lot of users, because many may reciprocate because of your brand name or the fact you are a local company. Gain a certain number of followers, and some might believe this is a measurement of success for the marketing campaign. However, when you begin to flood them with sales messages only, they will just as quickly unfollow resulting in no or very little response to your promotions.
On the surface it may appear to be a minimal outlay of resources because no money was spent on poster printing or website ads. However, how many hours of staff resources were used to produce the one measly sale? Yet by spending more time identifying Twitters who love a good bargain, and their primary focus is sharing that type of news with fellow Twitters and via their shopping related blog, can be a gold mine for increasing traffic and sales.
Recently a popular food and household product company offered up to $50 in printable coupons for a limited time. They shared the information via their website, bought ads on popular websites and blogs their research showed their shopper visited often. They also sent the word out to popular bloggers. Then they just sat back and watched the message get shared and reshared via blogs, twitter and other social media mediums.
How can they measure the results: how many new visitors registered with their site, which was required before you could select the desired coupons. They already know what coupon redemption rates to expect they might see a slight bump in the usual rates. More importantly now they can reach consumers with an email newsletter highlighting recipes featuring their product. Following this up with posters printed in a variety of sizes and shapes and strategically placing in the store can result in more sales and focus group results showing your company foremost in the customer's mind.
When developing a marketing campaign it is important for the team to not only come up with a great new branding message but identify measurements by which the outcome will be evaluated. It is very important that buy-in is received on these measurements at the executive level to ensure everyone is on the same page and committed.
Latest Trends in Brochure Designs
Freelance Project, May 2009
Sure it seems like everyone is online tweeting, emailing and texting but that has not removed the need for the quality brochures. However that does not mean brochure design has remained stagnant. Updating your brochure means more than just adding your email and Twitter ID. Once you have a potential customer's attention, how will you keep it beyond the seemingly two second glance and thus avoid the recycling bin?
What do you sell? Let's say it is lamps. A brochure in the shape of a lamp with the shade opening from the top and the second half of your brochure text visible when you open the bottom half of the lamp. A colorful design and this unique shape will capture the attention of the consumer.
A popular trend is to design a brochure related to a particular theme. For instance there has been a resurgence in recent years with crafts such as knitting. Local craft stores often allow passionate knitters to meet in their store. A colorful brochure using yard and needles near the cash register will easily capture the eye of the shopper. A sewing pattern like look would also fit for sewing or quilting groups.
As with fashion and vehicles, each year there are color trends. It is important to keep these in mind for your brochure design. An outdated color palette will cause the reader to quickly overlook your material or dismiss it as dated.
Headlines have a heavy focus on green technology and growing organic and recycling movement, variations of green are a nature choice. However, organic also brings to mind the pale hues of unfinished wood, or sandy color tones. Terra cotta or rattan colors with a weave pattern can fit well with a gardening type theme.
Not everyone has abandoned city life. Silver and metallic tones are often associated with an urban look. As more people are moving into lofts and management seeks to build a sense of community, they frequently use brochures to advertise upcoming events and news. An urban brochure design gives an opportunity to incorporate texture by using foils in an effort to highlight the metallic look.
Keep in mind how the bold colors are utilized. Perhaps it is best to have a splashy cover with complimentary but toned down colors inside the brochure. The text should be easy to read and although a deep pink and fuchsia are colors that will stand out, the reader would likely have a hard time reading the information. So, use a bold cover, and then edge the inside with the bold color pattern using white or a pale pink for the text area. Then the brochure will have a punch of color, yet remain readable.
The standard rules of brochure design still apply. Be creative but do not go overboard by trying to be too trendy or squeezing four full-size pages of text in a tri-fold brochure design.
When designing a brochure do not be afraid to stretch the boundaries in your effort to create unique promotional material that will capture the attention of your audience.
Sure it seems like everyone is online tweeting, emailing and texting but that has not removed the need for the quality brochures. However that does not mean brochure design has remained stagnant. Updating your brochure means more than just adding your email and Twitter ID. Once you have a potential customer's attention, how will you keep it beyond the seemingly two second glance and thus avoid the recycling bin?
What do you sell? Let's say it is lamps. A brochure in the shape of a lamp with the shade opening from the top and the second half of your brochure text visible when you open the bottom half of the lamp. A colorful design and this unique shape will capture the attention of the consumer.
A popular trend is to design a brochure related to a particular theme. For instance there has been a resurgence in recent years with crafts such as knitting. Local craft stores often allow passionate knitters to meet in their store. A colorful brochure using yard and needles near the cash register will easily capture the eye of the shopper. A sewing pattern like look would also fit for sewing or quilting groups.
As with fashion and vehicles, each year there are color trends. It is important to keep these in mind for your brochure design. An outdated color palette will cause the reader to quickly overlook your material or dismiss it as dated.
Headlines have a heavy focus on green technology and growing organic and recycling movement, variations of green are a nature choice. However, organic also brings to mind the pale hues of unfinished wood, or sandy color tones. Terra cotta or rattan colors with a weave pattern can fit well with a gardening type theme.
Not everyone has abandoned city life. Silver and metallic tones are often associated with an urban look. As more people are moving into lofts and management seeks to build a sense of community, they frequently use brochures to advertise upcoming events and news. An urban brochure design gives an opportunity to incorporate texture by using foils in an effort to highlight the metallic look.
Keep in mind how the bold colors are utilized. Perhaps it is best to have a splashy cover with complimentary but toned down colors inside the brochure. The text should be easy to read and although a deep pink and fuchsia are colors that will stand out, the reader would likely have a hard time reading the information. So, use a bold cover, and then edge the inside with the bold color pattern using white or a pale pink for the text area. Then the brochure will have a punch of color, yet remain readable.
The standard rules of brochure design still apply. Be creative but do not go overboard by trying to be too trendy or squeezing four full-size pages of text in a tri-fold brochure design.
When designing a brochure do not be afraid to stretch the boundaries in your effort to create unique promotional material that will capture the attention of your audience.
Paul Quinn Pledges to Fight SACS Ruling
Published in the North Dallas Gazette
June 2009
Although on probation for two years, officials, students and alumni were disappointed last week when Paul Quinn College President Michael Sorrell was notified by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) that Paul Quinn would be removed from their membership and thereby lose their accreditation status. This decision places a cloud over the future of the college and the nearly 400 students currently enrolled.
Reviewing the recent improvements the college has made, particularly in the financial arena, some are asking why did the SACS take this extraordinary step now?
Contacted by phone on Wednesday, Belle Wheelan, PhD, President of the Commission on Colleges indicated Paul Quinn's two-year probation is the maximum time period allowed by federal government rules. As a result, the SACS had two options: the college could be removed from probation or SACS membership.
Dr. Wheelan acknowledged, "They made great progress but still had three outstanding issues."
While Dr. Wheelan lauded the improvements Paul Quinn has made during their probationary period, she stated, "making progress is not sufficient, they still have to be in compliance." Paul Quinn is currently not in compliance, therefore the SACS' position is they had no choice but to end the school's membership.
The pending issues listed for the SACS decision includes financial stability. Although Paul Quinn reports they have eliminated over $800,000 of debt since May of this year, Dr. Wheelan said they are not financially stable per the SACS definition.
Secondly, financial resources was a reason cited. However, in addition to addressing their debt, Paul Quinn anticipates a budget surplus of nearly $250,000. Many would consider that a remarkable feat given the economic climate. Sorrell said, "Everyone is impressed except the SACS." The budget surplus comes in light of a reported 90 percent increase in donations to the college.
The final reason Dr. Wheelan referenced is institutional effectiveness, which involves an examination to ensure students are learning.
"They have to identify student learning outcomes, and after the assessment, make changes to make sure students do learn," Dr. Wheelan stated.
Dr. Wheelan will send a letter to Sorrell in the upcoming week, the school will then have 10 days to file an appeal. The appeals panel will meet in August on an undetermined date. The grounds for appeal are, "we did not follow appropriate procedure or our decision was somehow unfair and unreasonable," Dr. Wheelan shared.
If Paul Quinn loses the appeal their next option is to sue the SACS, according to Dr. Wheelan.
.
At a press conference on Friday June 26 and when reached by phone on Wednesday it is very clear Sorrell plans to fight this matter vigorously. "We intend to challenge the ruling on appeal just as soon as we receive the formal letter."
When asked how the community can assist the school Sorrell stated, "The community can financially support the school by first help send students through here [Paul Quinn] and two, send checks." Both steps will strengthen their argument on appeal.
Sorrell emphasized that it is important for the public to understand, "At no point did SACS say that they have any problem with how school is being run."
Given the troubled history of financial mismanagement of first Bishop College and Paul Quinn College, many view this is a victory for the institution. Sorrell's statement last week highlighted the fact their "2008 audit produced no findings of non-compliance for the first time in over 10 years. By comparison, the 2007 audit had 23 findings of non-compliance."
Determined but not argumentative, Sorrell said, "They [SACS] have a standard. They have their beliefs. All we are saying is this is not the time to pull the plug on what we are doing."
When asked to identity the key factors in improving the school's financial situation and morale, Sorrell shared, "People need to appreciate how hard we work. We have a strong work ethic." He stated the school's leadership "come out of corporate America." For example the Chief Operating Officer came from the Boston Consulting Group and Sorrell is a former corporate securities lawyer.
"We practice extreme accountability: you are held responsible for what you are tasked to do, we hold you accountable," Sorrell shared this mandate includes students, faculty and staff.
Sorrell feels the bottom-line is, "We have a much better story to tell now and people want to be a part of it. The reason you support Paul Quin is not for what it has been, but what it will be."
Confident the institution will successfully resolve this matter, Sorrell closed by saying, "We will push our way past this. We will give this area the great college that it deserves."
June 2009
Although on probation for two years, officials, students and alumni were disappointed last week when Paul Quinn College President Michael Sorrell was notified by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) that Paul Quinn would be removed from their membership and thereby lose their accreditation status. This decision places a cloud over the future of the college and the nearly 400 students currently enrolled.
Reviewing the recent improvements the college has made, particularly in the financial arena, some are asking why did the SACS take this extraordinary step now?
Contacted by phone on Wednesday, Belle Wheelan, PhD, President of the Commission on Colleges indicated Paul Quinn's two-year probation is the maximum time period allowed by federal government rules. As a result, the SACS had two options: the college could be removed from probation or SACS membership.
Dr. Wheelan acknowledged, "They made great progress but still had three outstanding issues."
While Dr. Wheelan lauded the improvements Paul Quinn has made during their probationary period, she stated, "making progress is not sufficient, they still have to be in compliance." Paul Quinn is currently not in compliance, therefore the SACS' position is they had no choice but to end the school's membership.
The pending issues listed for the SACS decision includes financial stability. Although Paul Quinn reports they have eliminated over $800,000 of debt since May of this year, Dr. Wheelan said they are not financially stable per the SACS definition.
Secondly, financial resources was a reason cited. However, in addition to addressing their debt, Paul Quinn anticipates a budget surplus of nearly $250,000. Many would consider that a remarkable feat given the economic climate. Sorrell said, "Everyone is impressed except the SACS." The budget surplus comes in light of a reported 90 percent increase in donations to the college.
The final reason Dr. Wheelan referenced is institutional effectiveness, which involves an examination to ensure students are learning.
"They have to identify student learning outcomes, and after the assessment, make changes to make sure students do learn," Dr. Wheelan stated.
Dr. Wheelan will send a letter to Sorrell in the upcoming week, the school will then have 10 days to file an appeal. The appeals panel will meet in August on an undetermined date. The grounds for appeal are, "we did not follow appropriate procedure or our decision was somehow unfair and unreasonable," Dr. Wheelan shared.
If Paul Quinn loses the appeal their next option is to sue the SACS, according to Dr. Wheelan.
.
At a press conference on Friday June 26 and when reached by phone on Wednesday it is very clear Sorrell plans to fight this matter vigorously. "We intend to challenge the ruling on appeal just as soon as we receive the formal letter."
When asked how the community can assist the school Sorrell stated, "The community can financially support the school by first help send students through here [Paul Quinn] and two, send checks." Both steps will strengthen their argument on appeal.
Sorrell emphasized that it is important for the public to understand, "At no point did SACS say that they have any problem with how school is being run."
Given the troubled history of financial mismanagement of first Bishop College and Paul Quinn College, many view this is a victory for the institution. Sorrell's statement last week highlighted the fact their "2008 audit produced no findings of non-compliance for the first time in over 10 years. By comparison, the 2007 audit had 23 findings of non-compliance."
Determined but not argumentative, Sorrell said, "They [SACS] have a standard. They have their beliefs. All we are saying is this is not the time to pull the plug on what we are doing."
When asked to identity the key factors in improving the school's financial situation and morale, Sorrell shared, "People need to appreciate how hard we work. We have a strong work ethic." He stated the school's leadership "come out of corporate America." For example the Chief Operating Officer came from the Boston Consulting Group and Sorrell is a former corporate securities lawyer.
"We practice extreme accountability: you are held responsible for what you are tasked to do, we hold you accountable," Sorrell shared this mandate includes students, faculty and staff.
Sorrell feels the bottom-line is, "We have a much better story to tell now and people want to be a part of it. The reason you support Paul Quin is not for what it has been, but what it will be."
Confident the institution will successfully resolve this matter, Sorrell closed by saying, "We will push our way past this. We will give this area the great college that it deserves."
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