Read what’s been on our minds (and our screens) lately.
This is where we solve problems, share industry knowledge and fill you in on the lessons we’ve learned along the way. Want us to explore a new topic? Let us know — we’re always up for a challenge.
New Client Announcement: Women’s Education Alliance
Orange Element is proud to announce a new partnership with Women’s Education Alliance (WEA). WEA is a non-profit organization supporting Baltimore City Partner School students with scholarships and...
5 Reasons You Should Have a Style Guide
As a creative agency, we not only follow our clients’ language and design guidelines (and often design an identity guide for them), but we must abide by our own standards as well. We recently revisited...
100 days ’til 2021
"Working out the kinks today will make for a better tomorrow." I cracked open a fortune cookie and found this message serving me as a stark reminder that the best plans take time to develop. When...
3 Steps for Effective Brand Storytelling
We all have stories to tell, whether it’s about a new product or resolving a customer service issue. Whatever you’re trying to say, it’s important to analyze what needs to be told and to whom in order to...
Content Marketing Tactics to Keep in Mind
In the realm of digital marketing, there is a huge push for content marketing. Content marketing is revolutionizing the sales pipeline and flipping it on its head. You may have heard the term “inbound...
New Client Announcement: KGO
Orange Element is proud to announce a new partnership with KGO. KGO is a real estate consulting firm that specializes in Project Management, Relocation Management, and Change Strategy. They boast an impressive...
New Client Announcement: SoundEarth Strategies
Orange Element is proud to announce a new partnership with Seattle-based SoundEarth Strategies. SoundEarth Strategies provides an integrated mix of environmental and engineering consulting services in support...
Digital Marketing Statistics to Boost Your Brand
Whether you’re a designer, a business owner, or a communications specialist, you know that digital devices permeate the everyday lives of consumers. If digital marketing know-how isn’t already...
Building A Strong Brand That Lasts (The First Time)
We’ve been at it for some time now. As Orange Element nears two decades of building strong brands to last, we’ve picked up on a few important considerations to help businesses of all sizes remain...
New Client Announcement: Cristo Rey Jesuit High School
Orange Element is proud to announce a new partnership with Baltimore-based Cristo Rey Jesuit High School (CRJ). Cristo Rey Jesuit High School empowers Baltimore youth to succeed in college, career, and life,...
New Client Announcement: Olivo Financial
Orange Element is proud to announce a new partnership with Pennsylvania-based Olivo Financial Services, LLC. Olivo Financial guides independent business owners toward well‐informed decisions about their...
Brand Revitalization: Make new strides with intention and purpose
It’s high time to tidy up your brand and focus on what it takes to move your business forward. Since late March, I’ve been trying to go for walks with the simple intention of allowing my head to clear....
New Client Announcement: Grander Capital Partners
Orange Element is proud to announce a new partnership with Boston-based real estate investment company Grander Capital Partners, LLC. With 50+ years of combined experience evaluating and operating...
5 Ways to Support Baltimore Businesses During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and they need our support now more than ever. In the midst of the global pandemic, non-essential businesses have been ordered to close their doors. While many...
At-Home Activities for Mental and Physical Health During Quarantine
It’s been nearly a month since our staff began working from home in the wake of COVID-19, and you may have found yourself in a similar position of working from home indefinitely. We are extremely thankful...
New Client Announcement: Bankers Healthcare Group
Orange Element is proud to announce a new client partnership with Bankers Healthcare Group. Bankers Healthcare Group (BHG) is a nationwide trusted partner that focuses primarily on providing innovative...
Our Favorite and Least Favorite Rebrands of the Decade
Why Companies Rebrand Embarking on a rebranding effort is a significant step for a business—one that doesn’t come without its risks and challenges. Over the past decade, we've seen some really great...
Orange Element is proud to add USO, a global non-profit, to our roster of mission-focused clients
New Client Announcement During Orange Element’s formative years, our reason to exist was shaped around the idea to apply both design thinking and brand building to causes that make our world a better place....
Tactical vs. Strategic Messaging
“Be strategic” is one of those phrases that gets tossed around a lot in business. This is because it’s understood that to be “strategic” is an intrinsic good. Which makes sense, and is probably true....
Quick Tips: Writing Content for 6 Different Platforms
Writing content isn’t a one-size fits all practice. Instead, optimize your work based on where it’s posted, for whom and why. Let’s get started revamping your writing strategy with some of our quick tips...
Client Announcement: Orange Element expands relationship with the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing
Over the past several years, Orange Element has been fortunate to work collaboratively with the editor and team at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing to redesign and continue development of their seasonal...
Digital Marketing Services: Owned, Earned, & Paid Media
The world of digital marketing services is a beautiful and complicated one. It’s beautiful because businesses now have the ability to reach more people than ever before. They have more avenues for...
How to Audit a Website & Help Your Business
The world as we know it is always changing, especially online, so knowing how to audit a website will come in handy. Your website is an extension of your business and in some cases the hub of your business....
Reimagine your Annual Report and Turn a Task into a Treasure
Annual Reports don't have to be a drag. In fact, many organizations have changed their approach, using great content to highlight their year in review. Consider what makes the most successful reports...
Using Instagram Stories for Business 2019
Instagram is one of the current prevailing social media platforms in our society. It is essentially a way to tell a story through visuals, and we all know that a majority of consumers today would rather learn...
Making a Mark with Make a Mark: Baltimore
Good morning, Baltimore At 7:30 on Saturday morning, I walked into a studio filled with the smell of coffee and bagels. It’s a good thing, too, because waking up at 7 is not a part of my usual Saturday...
Direct Mail Strategy: Pushing the Envelope
Marketing has changed dramatically over the years, but one medium that has remained constant is direct mail. Despite the influx of newer, easier, faster, flashier marketing methods brought on by the digital...
How to Increase Organic Lead Generation
We’ve been conditioned to think that something free won’t be the same quality as something we pay for, but when it comes to generating leads, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Lead generation is...
HubSpot Inbound 2019: A Lesson in Disruption
As you may have read from some of our previous blogs or social posts, Orange Element has recently become a certified partner with HubSpot — the global leader for inbound marketing solutions. Before we had...
What is the Difference Between Motion Graphics and Animation, Anyway?
When looking to produce animated content for your brand, it’s important to know what you’re looking for and how various forms of animation can best serve your needs. Let’s examine the difference between...
Our Newest Partnership: Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital
Where Children Go to Heal and Grow We are proud to announce a new partnership with Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital (MWPH) to brand and promote their annual fundraising event. MWPH was opened in 1922 as a...
Orange Element is Now a HubSpot Certified Agency Partner
There are some big things happening over here and we are excited to share with you one of our newest partnerships. If you are familiar with inbound marketing, you have probably heard of HubSpot. It is the...
Social Media Marketing Tips to Help Your Business Grow
Is Social Media Marketing Effective? Social media marketing is effective when executed properly, so I want to offer some tried-and-true social media marketing tips to help you make the most of your social...
Made in Baltimore: The Making of the Monument City Brand
On Branding: Commitment, Success, and Happiness Starting a new business and building a brand takes commitment, resources, and follow-through. Understanding your market, offering options that consumers want to...
The Power of Mail in a World Gone Digital
Some of you may fondly remember the old morning ritual—starting off the day with a fresh cup of coffee and a short walk down the driveway to pick up the morning’s paper. Or as a kid, anxiously waiting by...
An Interview with Megan Gileza
Where are you from? What brought you to Baltimore? So my family is from New York, but I grew up in St Louis and moved to Maryland when I was halfway through High School. I did my undergrad at Virginia Tech,...
Interview with Kent Ng
Basics Megan: For those who might not know, what do you do here at OE? Kent: Well, I’m a motion graphics animator, and I do some video editing as well. My role here is really to support the design team...
Giving Tuesday Planning Guide
Giving Tuesday is a worldwide movement that encourages people to get involved and give back to their communities in a way that’s meaningful to them. It takes place the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, following...
Grid Systems — When to Use Them and When to Break Them
Being a designer at an agency means you are required to juggle multiple hats in your day-to-day routine. Your day can involve sketching a new logo, creating a sitemap for an e-commerce website, or laying out a...
An Interview with Kia & Christine
Kia: Well Christine, here we are. Orange Element’s newest hires. They want us to introduce ourselves to everyone and get to know each other better. But we already know each other. Christine: Yep, we sure...
Q&A with Nicolette Cornelius
To continue our series on getting to know the team at Orange Element, I recently sat outside on a beautiful afternoon with Nicolette Cornelius, Associate Design Director. Below, she shares a few of her...
Centralize your brand…connect your dots.
Large companies typically have several employees in their marketing departments. The larger the company, the more a team’s clear path to successfully reaching customers can be compromised. Segmentation of...
The Art of Environmental Branding
The tide is shifting—people are starting to look for more. Open-office concepts. Buying local. Food trucks. Pop-up shops. The days of the cube-farm and space being defined as a place simply to hold people...
B’More Saucy: Brand Of The Week
In this week’s Brand of the Week, we enlisted a Baltimore favorite: B’more Saucy. This company is focused on creating products that capture the culinary spirit of the Maryland region. Their condiments are...
Video Storytelling: How to Interview for Authenticity
Jes Goodyear, co-founder of Hartlove-Goodyear, shares her experiences and tips to interview for authenticity in this guest blog post. As a producer and editor, her lifelong passion for story and narrative...
EnerBee: Brand of the Week
For this Brand of the Week, we reached for some natural energy with the 100% natural organic energy drink EnerBee, a Miami-based company that seeks to give athletes and young professionals alike a jolt without...
Be a Brand Manager, Not the Brand Police
How strong is your brand? Do you know how to be an effective brand manager? In this guest blog post, Betsy Bender shares her focus on brand strategy and advisory CMO leadership. Betsy offers her expertise to...
Jar Goods: Brand of the Week
In this Brand of the Week, our team had the pleasure of featuring Jar Goods: a small batch specialty foods company that crafts delicious tomato sauce variations using simple ingredients. Jar Good's intention...
4 Ways to Make the Most of Last Year’s Content
The start of the new year is a great time to reflect on your organization’s accomplishments, work and content that you’ve produced as a team. Not only does it allow you to see what worked and what could be...
Sound Tea: Brand of the Week
In a market saturated with sugary artificial drinks, one company saw the need for a tasty yet simple alternative. Sound Tea was thus created: a high quality organic bubbly tea with no sweeteners or...
OE Inspiration Lunch: Our Top Inspirations
Sometimes it’s nice to take a step back, eat some good snacks from Whole Foods, and get the creative juices flowing. And, because this year was the Year of Learning, our team created OE Inspiration Lunch,...
Perfect Bar: Brand of the Week
While most people claim “there’s no such thing as perfect,” the Keith family begs to differ: they have created Perfect Bar from their father’s recipe, which is now sold in stores nationwide. The...
Yellowbird Sauce: Brand of the Week
For our next featured product for Brand of the Week, our team analyzed Yellowbird, an organic, spicy condiment company reinventing the way we think about hot sauce, ketchup, and other condiments. Yellowbird's...
How to Create a Successful Giving Tuesday Campaign
Giving Tuesday is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, following popular retail “holidays” like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But instead of getting discounts on clothes and electronics, Giving Tuesday...
3 Things I Have Learned as a Marketing Intern
As Orange Element’s marketing intern during the last few months, I was responsible for social media management and client outreach. While I stayed on top of our content, I was also tasked with helping my...
Snow Monkey: Brand of the Week
Snow Monkey. Gundalow. Yellow Bird. No, these aren’t super heroes, although they pack a mean punch just like any of the comic book stars. Instead, they are up-and-coming natural food brands that are taking...
8 Lessons I’ve Learned Leading a Creative Agency
Colin, Orange Element's marketing intern, recently asked me to write a post on ten things that I’ve learned owning and leading a creative agency. No pressure. My first thought, having owned Orange Element...
7 Package Designs at Whole Foods that Inspired Us
Our office is located right across the street from Whole Foods—a bad thing for our wallets, but a great thing for our creative branding minds. Within every aisle you can find a new, unique package design, so...
The Great Solar Eclipse: Where Was Eclipse Gum?
In case you didn’t step outside or turn on your phone on Monday, the total solar eclipse passed through our skies, leaving us with great memories—and even greater social media content. But there was one...
4 Steps to Use Direct Messaging for Business on Instagram
Instagram and Direct Messaging have taken over the social media game by storm, aggressively stealing attention from the younger generation. Because an estimated 59% of Millennials use this platform, businesses...
Customer Spotlight: Evergreen Health
In the summer edition of our customer spotlight, we reached out to our newest client Evergreen Health, a health insurance provider serving Marylanders. Evergreen was recently acquired by two large Maryland...
Healthcare Marketing: The Patient Experience Finally Comes First
Presenting your healthcare company, services or products with a focus on patient well-being is the new norm. This should come as no surprise—best practices suggest that all brands should focus on customer...
Social Media Day: A Look Back at Our 5 Favorite Posts
In 2010, multimedia entertainment site Mashable launched Social Media Day as a way to “recognize and celebrate social media’s impact on global communication.” To celebrate, we looked back through our...
HOW Design Live Conference Recap
As a young designer, the idea of becoming burnt out was not really at the forefront of my mind. That was until I made it through my first annual report season. I finally had the opportunity to work on the...
How We Solve 4 Common Project Challenges
As a creative agency that works with many unique organizations, it’s our job to work with clients to ensure every project runs smoothly. We see obstacles our clients face firsthand while trying to...
An Inside Look: Monument City Brewing Company’s Next Chapter
In late April, Monument City Brewing Company finally opened its doors to the Baltimore community with a wildly successful grand opening featuring live music, local vendors, and plenty of new beer. For years,...
Why Should You Use WordPress?
Are you considering WordPress or another content management system (CMS) for an upcoming website build? If you ask our design team, they will all cast their votes for WordPress, a CMS platform that powers 27%...
Mid-Atlantic Marketing Summit 2017: What Did You Miss?
For its sixth year, respected news organizations Capitol Communicator and Potomac Tech Wire co-produced the Mid-Atlantic Marketing Summit held in Washington, D.C. The conference featured leaders from top and...
Customer Spotlight: Johns Hopkins School of Nursing
In our second customer spotlight feature, we sat down with client Steven St. Angelo of Johns Hopkins School of Nursing magazine, a publication aimed toward Hopkins nurses that “tells the story of their...
Higher Education Marketing: Prospective Students
Higher education marketing involves a lot of moving parts: you should account for prospective, current, and graduated students to make the most of your admissions funnel. For this post, we’re going to focus...
Join Us for a Year of Learning
In the blink of an eye, we’re already in the beginning of April—hard to believe. 2017 has gotten off to a great start at Orange Element, and has taken us to some new, exciting places with clients both new...
Employee Spotlight: Andy Bonner
Having only been “officially” in the design field for a little over eight months, getting a chance to chat with Andy, OE’s Design Director and 10+ year design veteran, was a cool opportunity. We...
Customer Spotlight: Results for Development
A conversation with Heather Luca, Chief Communications Officer. Welcome to our first Customer Spotlight! For our inaugural interview, we reached out to our client Heather Luca of Results for Development...
Nonprofit Marketing: A Guide for 2017
Is creating a successful nonprofit marketing plan one of your New Year’s resolutions? This guide is just what you need to make a smarter plan to engage with donors and stick to it. Start your Annual...
Digital Marketing Strategy: 4 Things I Learned in Class
I signed up for Betamore’s Digital Marketing Bootcamp this winter for a refresher and to gain a few additional tips I didn’t learn while earning my degree. Three weeks later, I left the classroom with a...
5 Ways to Recharge Your Brand in 2017
1. Refresh your identity. When was the last time you paid any attention to your company’s identity? Refreshing, expanding or even rebuilding your identity system to connect with your customers and employees...
An Interview: Design Intern vs. Design Veteran
It's an exciting time at Orange Element! We recently hired our Fall Design Intern, Andrew, and one of our design veterans, Jessica, is celebrating her 2-year anniversary at OE. To celebrate their...
Our Halloween Tips & Treats
This isn’t a trick -- we’ve got some treats for you! From creative costume inspiration to pumpkin kegs, our team reveals their favorite Halloween traditions to help you add some orange flair to your...
Get to Know Your Customers Day
Happy Get to Know Your Customers Day! While it’s fun to celebrate a special day dedicated to this task, our team at Orange Element incorporates this into our daily routine (and you should too). "Getting...
7 Questions With Hannah Spurrier
Our Content Developer, Hannah Spurrier, is involved in almost all of our projects, whether that’s writing copy for clients or creating content for OE internally. She works closely with me and the directors...
A Letter for Soon-to-be Design Graduates
Dear Soon-to-Be Design Graduate, First of all, take a deep breath—you’re going to make it to graduation. There may be a few tears, X-Acto blade accidents and last minute printing disasters along the...
5 Questions with Kuoting
Welcome to our new employee spotlight series! Enjoy getting to know the people behind Orange Element – from their workplace habits to favorite pizza toppings and everything in between. In celebration of...
A Picnic in Baltimore
Orange Element is again honored and excited to sponsor a great event put on by our friends at The Parks and People Foundation. Yes, we’re talking about the 2016 Picnic in The Park! Each year, the picnic...
Small Agency Life: 3 Things to Know
I’ve been at Orange Element for almost three weeks and it’s definitely a different environment than my previous gig. My last job was a corporate giant with international offices, Chief Marketing Officers...
Summer Intern: Top Three Takeaways
This year I had the pleasure of working as Orange Element’s summer design intern. As a graduate student at MICA, I came as an unusual addition. Most interns are looking for experience, which I already had....
OE’s Big Move: Reviving the Creative Spirit of 1879
Starting Monday, September 12th, our new address will be: 509 South Exeter Street, Suite 300 Baltimore, Maryland 21202 You may have heard our recent announcement that Orange Element is moving. While...
What is Font Hour?
Every month, Orange Element gathers for a friendly competition known as "Font Hour" (also known as #FontHour for our social friends). Everyone on the team brings a new typeface they feel would strengthen our...
Print & Digital Annual Reports: The Best of Both Worlds
During report season, our clients often ask us whether they should go with a printed annual report or consider an interactive online version. Our answer: choose to do both. We’re seeing many organizations...
What’s Your Design Personality? [Quiz]
'Tis the season to show off your design personality. What better way than with a free desktop wallpaper created by an Orange Element designer? Take our quiz below (as many times as you want) to see which of...
OE Behind the Scenes: Dumpling Day 2016
I think it’s safe to say that our team here at OE loves food. It helps that our historic rowhome office has a fully loaded kitchen. Being a big foodie myself, I’ve always loved any opportunity to share...
A Request to Focus on Our Community
The team at Orange Element gathered yesterday for our annual “State of the Union”— a chance for us to regroup, level set and prepare to make our 14th year another great one. As I prepared for the...
Orange Element Notepads
Orange Element recently had the opportunity to work with Write Notepads, a family-owned local business right here in Baltimore. We wanted something simple, of high-quality, and completely made in America. We...
8 Things We’ve Learned About Naming
“Branding” is sometimes difficult to describe because it involves so many different, and distinct, processes. Things like graphic design, copywriting, user experience, way-finding in physical space, and...
Go Slow to Go Fast
I have a phrase I like to use whenever I get the sense that a project or an idea has started to move too quickly for its own good: You’ve got to go slow to go fast. I didn’t make it up (though I wish I...
What is branding?
Earlier this year, I was called for an interview to discuss my take on branding. A conflict of interest never allowed it to happen but I was asked four questions as a starting point. I’ve been thinking most...
OE Behind the Scenes: ScareFest
We make it a point several times a year to end the business day a little bit early and head to our conference room (which we’ve dubbed The Creative Room) to relax, unwind, and have some fun as a team....
