Graphic Design

The Rocket Group offers the most creative graphic design creation from our HQ in Jefferson City, Missouri. We develop custom logos, publications, web graphics, brochures, direct mail design, political campaign artwork, and more.

If you have seen original, readable and memorable graphic design work in mid-Missouri it probably came from us — if you saw something with clip art it didn’t.

Check our portfolio for designs you’ll probably recognize.

We start our designs by determining what image you want to portray (rock star, success, tranquility, etc.) to set yourself apart from your competition, and then we start start sketching. Our chicken scratches and marker colorings then become beautiful digital images to make your brand‘s message stand out in the white noise of mailboxes, televisions, website, and social media.

Our portfolio and the content below highlight our graphic design work and the approach our graphic designers take. If you need a new look for your efforts or want your message to stand out from the competition, hit the contact button and let’s launch your graphic success story today!

  • 2 Steps to Success with Political Direct Mail

    Gus Wagner

    It’s election time again – just like it is all the time these days – and mailboxes are filling up with mailers. These two tips on dimensions and scorched earth policies will help you be successful come election day.

    nnn
  • Creativity Is Not A Commodity

    Gus Wagner

    Here at The Rocket Group the office television is often tuned to MLB Network in the background. I’ve come to the conclusion, based on the commercials, the entire network is paid for by our competitors. Commercials for bulk printers, clip art graphic design, template website, and even social media management companies fill the airwaves between pitches.

    These are what we refer to as commodity marketing companies. It’s simple point-and-click-add-a-widget-without-a-creative-thought design. While this approach may work for some efforts and businesses it is not business we are interested in working on.

    I spent in almost a decade in and around manufacturing so I know how widgets are made on assembly lines. There is actual little thought which goes into the processes on the line as it is usually all automated by that time.

    You can do the same thing to market your company, organization, or campaign – which probably consumes your every waking moment and thought – by buying products from services mentioned above. If you are not interested in taking a creative and original approach to your marketing then you are probably not interested in standing out from your competition.

    These commodity marketing services may help you but it is more likely they will grab your money and run. You will be left with an inferior marketing product.

    What you need is a real live marketing professional, like ourselves or any of thousands across America, who will look you in the eye, walk your floors, and work with you to develop a brand, a message, and graphic tools for the web and the real world which will connect with the audiences you are trying to attract and retain.

    These tools, developed in a partnership with you, will help you succeed in making money, raising awareness, and dominating your market.

    If you need creative services for your efforts, contact us or any other marketing professional.

    If you need clip art which is probably being used by hundreds of other businesses like yours, then watch the MLB Network to see the companies you should call during every commercial break.

  • 2 Facebook Page Changes You Should Be Aware Of

    Gus Wagner
    Facebook recently announced that Pages will receive their long overdue makeover. This plan was originally announced in 2013 and rolled out to mobile devices then. The desktop versions are now catching up.
    What does this mean for you and your Page? Several things.
    1. The size of the cover image is going to change a little bit so you may need to readjust your text placement. 
    2. If you have personalized tabs, they are now going to be hidden under the ‘More’ tab. If you run custom campaigns through your tabs (like the Chevrolet example above) you will need to put even more focus on posting about these efforts on your timeline. 
    While these changes may seem to be big deals, and they do need to be edited and monitored, you must always remember most fan interaction on Facebook takes place in the newsfeed. Once they have liked you, chances are they will never go back to your actual page again. TWEET THIS
    Three other changes to look out for:
    3. Your Page timeline on the page itself will now have a single column of content. It will now resemble your personal profile.
    4. Posts will now be in chronological order only. You have now lost the ability to highlight posts or move posts to the top of the page. No fan ever noticed you doing either of these so this is not a big deal either.
    5. Your About section, photo, and video links will now be on the left side. You’ll notice a better call-out for your website address as well.
    What should you be worried about with these changes?
    Nothing really if you are using your page on a daily basis to reach your customers and prospects. If you aren’t well things are going to be different on your end but not from the fans perspective. They probably aren’t seeing your content anyway. TWEET THIS
    Need help? Feel free to contact us anytime, follow @RocketGroup on Twitter and Like us on Facebook, and sign up for our emails to stay on top of the ongoing changes like this which impact the way you make money.
    Thanks for the time!
    UPDATE:
    It appears Facebook has changed their minds again. Tabs will now appear in the right column under ‘Apps’ as shown on Facebook’s own Facebook page. If I say Facebook one more time here Beetlejuice might appear…
  • Portfolio: Tobacco Is Not A Vegetable

    Gus Wagner

    Recently we completed a marketingnpackage for a first-time author, Tim O’Neill.

    Tim has written a book about hisnlife’s journey and having to defend that journey at the pearly gates. The bookngoes by the awesome name of “Tobacco is Not a Vegetable.”

    To promote the launch of the booknand to help drive recognition of Tim’s efforts to key audiences, we developed anSocial Media plan based on key quotes from the passages of the book andndesigned graphic images for Facebook page content. We also produced a couple ofninterview videos with Tim which can be seen here: http://youtu.be/o1JmhgOpSKA and http://youtu.be/Eh1ko8OHv_E

    Highlights of this Facebookncampaign can be seen below. We were able to grown Tim’s audience from zero to ancouple of hundred by the end of the campaign, raise local media attention andndrive attendance to his book signings, and help him to peak in the top 2000 ofnbooks sales on Amazon.com.

    We thank Tim for hiring us tonmanage his online success story and recommend the book to everyone as well.nCheck out TobaccoIsNotAVegetable.com for the Amazon sales site.

  • Launching a Landing Page

    Gus Wagner
    A recent client landing page we constructed. Check out the whole archived page here.n

    Crisp. Simple. On Message: Your quick guide to building a better landing page.

    If you have a website, you’ve probably considered (or are already using) a landing page. When done correctly, a landing page is an effective tool for a business website. A good landing page helps you capture leads, build awareness and close sales.

    What is a Landing Page?

    A landing page is a standalone page that’s distinct from your main site. Its purpose is to promote something very specific, like a workshop or new promotion, and to encourage the viewer to take a specific action.

    How do you plan a new Landing Page?

    First, keep in mind that a landing page is not meant to be a major source of information, like your homepage and the rest of your site.

    1. Determine your promotion

    What will your readers get, why do they need it and how much does it cost? Keep your promotion crisp, simple and on-message. Don’t give them more information than they need. In fact, the less copy you can use to get your message across, the better. If you need to, you can redirect them to more in-depth information by using embedded links in your text.

    2. Create your call to action

    Create a specific action for your customers to take, and place that call to action above the fold. In fact, if possible, keep all your content above the fold. What do you want them to do? Call, sign up or order right away? Make it easy for your customers by telling them exactly what to do.

    3. Use vivid imagery

    Images > Text. If you can show it instead of say it, do so. Always try to include some type of visual image to capture and retain interest. If you want to see what we mean, check out this collection of 40+ Best Landing Page Designs.

    4. Be specific

    Don’t be afraid to create more than one landing page for a single promotion. The more targeted you can get, the better! Do you use Facebook or have an email list? If so, create unique pages for each. It’ll also help you to track which of your marketing avenues are responsive to your landing page promotion.

    5. Monitor your results

    We use CampaignMonitor for our email marketing and they do a great job with landing page campaigns, too!

    At The Rocket Group, we have a lot of experience building landing pages and we’re here to help. Give us a call or shoot us an email. We’d love to help you build landing pages for your next campaign!

  • Evolution of a Logo

    Gus Wagner

    One recent, and interesting, project we completed was the new logo for the Jefferson City Area Young Professionals.

    We have been members of the group almost from their beginning, and Farrah serves on their board of directors, so it was a very good fit for both of us to be working together.

    Somewhere in the middle of the project, the board decided to change the group’s name to hYPe as a move to differentiate itself from other more service-oriented groups in our community and create a little buzz. We then shifted focus on the direction of the logo.

    As you can see below, we went through several different iterations for their branding. I was partial to a few, others were partial to others. I think we all ended up in the same place with some that is recognizable, stands out in our area, and is drawing the attention they wanted.

    Feel free to offer your thoughts on any or all of the looks below. Of course, if you are looking for a new graphic style for your business, group, or campaign…we are here to help.

    Thanks for the time.

    Gus