Hundreds of brands that we find on supermarket shelves give the impression that our money goes to as many different companies. But that’s simply not the case: a large majority of these brands are owned by a handful of companies. The following chart provides an overview of where our money actually goes. It’s kind of eye-opening.

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What do you think about all of this?

Matt from Google breaks down how Google search finds your website.

It’s important to do your research and have a plan before jumping head-first into a new marketing strategy (regardless of its trendiness).

Recent studies have shown that StumbleUpon drives more web traffic than any other social media site. On top of the increase in traffic, the average life cycle on StumbleUpon is quite a bit longer than the other major social sites.

We came across a great infographic, created by Column Five Media, that illustrates these points and more. View it after the jump.

What has been your experience with StumbleUpon (if any)? Have you seen it work for your business?

Click on the image to enlarge.

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The creation of a great logo and brand identity is a process that oftentimes involves a back-and-forth collaboration between the clients and the designers. Very rarely do designers nail the perfect logo in the first round. Sometimes genius takes a little time…

This short video, after the jump, chronicles the stages that designers Herb Lubalin and Ernie Smith went through in 1971 before landing on the iconic “blue person” PBS logo.  This classic logo is one of the best American brands that has really stood strong through the years. It has only be slightly modified even after 40 years. View the video here.

During the holiday season, plenty of us go shopping to find stocking stuffers or other small items as holiday gift-giving filler. Often we do so just because it’s the thing to do without really considering the gift’s value or usefulness to the recipient. It’s sad to say, but many of these trinkets turn up as “white elephant” gifts at parties the following year. While it is easy to find an abundance of these cheap, on-sale items, there is probably no worse gift than a “great deal” that is impractical.

This is even true in regards to web design and marketing solutions. Some web marketing companies have unleashed their “web stuffers” aimed at businesses: quick-fix concepts for your web needs. We have all seen the promises of the everything-you-need, highly-effective websites, with do-it-yourself simplicity all for just a few dollars. Do these options really satisfy or do they only serve as temporary solutions that only pacify your need to do something? In our experience, companies are much more effective when they do their web marketing right.

In regards to websites and gift giving, just doing something for the sake of it rarely leads to long lasting, memorable experience. We all want to make a quality impression on our close friends and clients alike.

Now’s the time to make a great impression. It’s time to get a customized web solution that you’ll be proud of and really helps you grow your business. And this holiday season, take time to give a thoughtful, quality gift. You just might make someone’s day.

Timing is everything. This saying is often true and nowhere is it more true than in social media. It is important to know when the highest percentage of your target audience is online and ready to connect. Check out the very informative infographic after the jump!

Click on the image to enlarge.

What did you learn from this infographic that you could apply to your day-to-day social networking? Let us know!

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People like stories. They always have.

A good story can impact and spur to action. Instead of using corporate speak and technical jargon when talking with your clients why don’t you try telling a story instead? After the jump, check out a great infographic that illustrates the difference between corporate jargon and storytelling.

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Grip Limited put together this great infographic that humorously illustrates some different aspects of advertising and marketing agencies. View the full infographic after the jump!