Cryptocurrency & NFTs…Should You Care?

/in /by

Cryptocurrency, NFTs, Blockchain…these are words we are hearing more and more every day if you follow tech news, and well…they even started leaning into mainstream media as well. So you might ask, what are they and why do I care?

Put in simple words, cryptocurrency is a type of currency that uses digital files as money.  It started gaining popularity with the rise of Bitcoin in the early 2010s, although within the past year it has EXPLODED in popularity forming thousands of smaller cryptocurrencies to be formed. Some of these other popular cryptocurrencies are Ethereum Coin, Doge Coin, Lite Coin, etc.

One of the surprising things is that with the rise of crypto, it’s built many communities based around investing, and has created it’s own culture. What has made it so popular though? Crypto has gained attraction mostly for the investment aspect, people “play” crypto like the stock market, and thats due to how volatile it is. For example, Elon Musk made a tweet about DogeCoin and the price went up 20% in under 24 hours. While crypto can gain traction very fast, it can lose all of its value almost overnight. So invest at your own risk.

Next, let’s discuss one of the newest trends…NFTs. Non-Fungible Tokens are very similar to crypto, but they aren’t a currency. An example of what they are would be Just Bricks NFT. There’s a website selling a limited number of digital photos of different bricks. Why are people buying them? Well because they are a limited quantity meaning that you buy it, you own it, even though it’s just a photo. Another good example of an NFT would be like the Earth 2 website in last weeks metaverse blog. Here’s an explanation of NFTs.

 

 

what is the facebook metaverse

The Metaverse. What is it?

/in /by

Recently, Facebook has announced that they will be changing their name to Meta. Now I know the question you might be asking…what does this mean? Well at the time of writing this post, nothing. But let’s dive into the meaning behind the change, and why the term “Metaverse” has been such a hot topic as of late.

Here’s the announcement video, if you haven’t seen it already.

If you haven’t been following tech news lately, there has been a plethora of small, and large companies trying to establish the “metaverse” based on popular films & books like The Matrix, and Ready Player One. If you don’t know what those are, I highly recommend looking into them.

So, what exactly is the Metaverse?

Essentially, the Metaverse means that we will be able to live a second-life in a digital world. You can socialize with other “Avatars” (people), shop at your favorite stores, attend work meetings, and explore virtual worlds. There are already some games/entertainment that resemble a smaller form of the metaverse such as VRChat, Rec Room, or even Second Life.

I’ve actually played VRChat and I have to admit, it is quite fun. You can attend virtual comedy clubs, play virtual minigames, all with a VR headset. Here’s a video that shows off some of VRChats best features.

So after watching that video, you get a brief idea of what to expect. However, “Meta” AKA Facebook is trying to turn this into a second world, where everything you can do in the physical world, can be done in this virtual world. Personally, I don’t think we currently have the technology to do so, however I’m not going to be a hater and discredit them.

The Dark Side of Things.

As with everything, giving people the freedom to do as they please often results in bad behavior, especially in a virtual place where there are no “real life” punishments. I can already imagine what people will do when this releases. Trolling, Bullying, Infiltrating virtual business meetings, etc. Those are just minor things I can think of.

Scam or Not?

There are many smaller, crowdfunded startups promising to deliver the Metaverse to their backers. While this is a noble goal, it leaves many skeptical. Let’s take a look at a controversial project that promises to deliver a metaverse, cryptocurrency, and NFTs to their users.

This project is called, Earth 2.

What is Earth 2?

Well currently, it’s a website where you can purchase “virtual land”. And at the moment, that’s pretty much it. The developers promise to make this land usable, but as of now it’s only there to be purchased. There are content creators who have built up quite a viewership covering this topic, and if you are interested here’s a video covering this mess. And when I say it’s a mess, it’s a MESS.

When it comes to this topic, there is a lot to talk about. This is something that will definitely be happening in the future, so all we can do as of now is sit back and watch this new technology play out.

Tune into next weeks blog, where we will be covering another huge, trending topic…..NFTs & Cryptocurrency!

Why Good Customer Service Is So Important.

/in , /by

Having great customer service is something that benefits every single aspect of your business. Not only does it help you generate new customers through referrals and word of mouth, but it also helps with returning customers. It’s a known fact that consumers who have had a pleasant experience are more likely to share it, and more likely to return.

The perfect example, is our business AngelStar Digital. We have been serving Windsor-Essex’s printing & design needs for over 25 years, and still have returning customers since day 1. The primary reason for this is because we are a family owned business, and treat every person that walks into that door with respect, and like a human. We’ve managed to even built up friendships over that period of time, and it’s something we are very proud of.

So if that right there isn’t a solid enough reason you should be prioritizing quality-customer service, i don’t know what is.

On a more direct level, the way you interact with your customers directly reflects the workplace atmosphere, and personality of your business. So if your customer service people have an attitude towards the customer, people will automatically assume they hate working there, and that your place of employment is probably toxic. Which is not exactly a good thing, capiche?

However, what defines great customer service isn’t based on friendliness alone. Below, is a visual to show you what consumers value the most from their interactions with customer service.

This makes customer feedback very important, for all parties involved. Check the ratings for business, one of the primary reasons you will get a low rating is because of your customer service. You could sell the worlds greatest product, but if you don’t resolve people’s issues with it, or don’t seem to care about their problems, then your business will suffer.

Remember this. Even though you are the business owner and they are the consumer, you are both human beings and the interaction between both parties should feel like a human to human experience. Not one of those automated, half-effort responses we are used to dealing with.

 

Remembrance Day 2021: A Time For Reflection & Appreciation.

/in /by

Every year, on November 11th we celebrate Remembrance Day.

A memorial day originally dedicated to the fallen heroes of the first world war, however it’s evolved into a moment of reflection, and appreciation for all those in uniform.

A Brief History

In 1919, following the end of the first World War, King George V of the British Empire established a memorial known as Armistice day throughout most of the territories within the empire. This memorial was meant to celebrate, honor, and remember the men and women who served during the war, and lost their lives. The original date for this memorial was on the second Monday of November. However, this ended up colliding with Canadian Thanksgiving, and was eventually changed to the 11th, and renamed “Remembrance Day” in 1931.

When Armistice Day was renamed to Remembrance Day, it brought back interest in recalling the wars, and great sacrifices that were made. Eventually, two minutes of silence at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day, poppies, and the recitation of Flanders Field became custom.

 

Remembrance Day, Today.

Growing up, I always remembered taking two minutes of silence to reflect on the soldiers who gave their lives for us, and it always stuck with me. It’s an extremely important day, as I know people close to me who fought in the Afghanistan Wars, and were never the same after they returned. Soldiers are put through hell, from training, to conflict, and beyond, which brings me to my next point.

Ever since it’s birth, Remembrance Day has unfortunately fluctuated in popularity and celebration. Many employers don’t seem to value it’s importance, and refuse to give their employees TWO whole minutes to reflect. Which is undeniably disappointing as these troops sacrificed their lives for our country, and witnessed many gruesome, and unforgettable, life-changing things.

Especially these past few years with the pandemic, it seems that celebration for the memorial is at an all time low.

 

Indigenous Veterans Day

One of the more overlooked memorial days, is the Indigenous Veterans Day which occurs on November 8th. This day is meant to celebrate first nation soldiers, often volunteers who fought side-by-side with fellow “Canadian” troops. Why they were referred to as fighting alongside Canadians, instead of AS Canadians is because during the time their platoons were considered a “separate entity”. However, many first nations in the current day are fighting to decolonize Remembrance Day, and essentially combine both days.

The Power of Branding: Construction Industry.

/in , , /by

The construction industry is one of those industries that is often overlooked and undervalued by people who don’t know much about it. Construction and all that encompasses it (which is a LOT of different sub-categories) is a lucrative, and essential industry. Unlike a lot of corporate industries, the construction industry is led by tons of small-scale, usually family-owned businesses that all specialize in different things, instead of MASSIVE giants. In the world of construction, the massive giants are the “Unions”, which is something I won’t dive into for the sake of the post.

Why is branding so important if you work construction, or have your own business? Well, it ties back to a point that I made in the opening paragraph. That point being….market saturation. Off the top of my head, I can name at least 5-10 construction companies in my small, local area, and I know little to nothing about the industry. With that in mind, think of people who actually might know a thing or two, how does your company differentiate itself from the competition? Is your quality better? Are you more efficient, and quicker? Do you charge less?

——————————

Here’s a quick example of how a brand can affect even the smallest conversations.

You recently performed a job for a client named Jim. After the job was completed, Jim was very impressed.

Later during the week, Jim met one of their buddies at the bar and showed them pictures of the job you did. The client’s friend, Bill looked at the pictures and asked “Who built that?”

Jim responded with “John Doe Contracting”. Bill said, “Oh I think I’ve seen those guys before, they have those bright green trucks with the bear logo or something right?”

“Yeah, that’s them.”

“Damn, they do some great work” Bill responded.

——————————

If you still haven’t realized why that example would be awesome in real life, let me spell it out for you.

Your client showed a friend (potential customer) your work.

Both of them liked your work.

The friend remembered your brand, based on seeing your trucks.

Catching on?

If you’re still not sold, here are some other reasons to brand your construction company. Wearing brand shirts or hoodies can help identify your workers on sites with multiple contracting companies.

People who like their jobs love wearing their employer’s merch, so everybody knows what they do, and where they work. Which in turn, is also free advertising for you.

Plus, look at this awesome wrap we did for local Cainen Contracting. Pulling up to a site with a high-quality, sexy wrap like this makes a statement. What is that statement?

That you guys take pride in your work, you’re professionals, and you are the right guy for the job.

 

 

Why Should You Rebrand Your Business?

/in , /by

Ever wonder why big companies change up their brand “appearance” every few years?

Surprisingly, there are many different reasons for this.

Primarily, many businesses like to rebrand their company to feel up to date and to reposition themselves. For example, lately, there has been an influx of brands changing their brands to a more modern, minimalistic appeal.

Here’s an example of some of the biggest rebrands for 2021:

When it comes to repositioning, we can take a look at Walmart who changed its business slogan from “Always Low Prices” to “Save Money, Live Better”. Why was this so significant? Well, Walmart had a reputation for dirt cheap prices but wanted to provide some value/guarantee to their slogan. They knew that saving money led to a “better” life, subjectively. While these changes are minor, they can have a major impact on how people view your company, and sometimes it feels good to rebrand your business after using the same logos, colors, themes, for so long.

Rebrands don’t have to be drastic either, it’s all depending on your goals, and how you can make your company more “unique” compared to the competition in your field. For example, look at McDonald’s, which completely shifted into a “cafe” style restaurant.

Everybody misses the old McDonalds, including me. However, McDonald’s saw an opportunity for rebranding and took it. What was this opportunity? Well, there were quite a few. For example, the packaging of their products. This was changed to increase the “sustainability” of their previous packaging. (Which is also why many companies are switching to paper straws, due to climate change activism, and many people pointing the finger at large corporations.) As far as an overall rebrand, it was more of a reputation thing. In the United States, the obesity rates were rising through the roof in young children, and many feds pointed the finger at McDonald’s saying that they were too playful, and appealing to children.

Now with some background information and examples in your head, let’s look at the stats.

  1. Most importantly, consumers purchase from authentic brands, that they trust. What does this have to do with rebranding? Well look at big companies who have had controversy, and managed to “rebrand” to show that their company is a different company than before. For small business owners, you want to make sure you look professional, and up-to-date which is where a rebrand comes in. If you want to look more trustworthy, stop using your 1990s photoshopped logo, and switch to something more modern.
  2. First impressions make a BIG impact. Keep the above point in your head because it directly correlates with this one. If your brand is lacking visually, or business model-wise, it’s time to change that. Something business owners should always remember is that if they want more customers, you have to be in their face as much as possible. This means that branding your vehicles, running ads, branding company outfits, all work together like pieces of a pie, but with that being said the initial impression is definitely the most important.
  3. Be Consistent. If you’re going to rebrand your logo, for example, make sure that you are using that one logo everywhere. If your vehicle wrap has your old logo, it’s time to visit AngelStar Digital and update that to your new logo. In my opinion, as a marketing specialist, these are three of the most important branding tips I could give you.

Hopefully, this post helps you consider whether your brand is up-to-date for 2022, or still stuck in 2008.