BlackOut Design 2.0

BlackOut’s new marketing postcard

nmilner — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:26:53 +0000

BlackOut recently completed a new marketing postcard to illustrate how the BlackOut process can build your brand online.

The three core components of our approach - creative design, interactive technology and online strategy - are leveraged together to strengthen your brand awareness.

Click on the image below for a .pdf version of the postcard (front and back), and for information on how BlackOut’s services can grow your business, contact us at info@blackout-design.com.

Reager cited in article on the power of blogs

nmilner — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:25:42 +0000

BlackOut Design, Inc. President Jack Reager was quoted in a Sunday Times article dealing with the growing popularity of corporate blogs as a powerful new tool for communicating with customers.

Featured in the “Northeastern Pennsylvania Business Weekly” section, the article cites Reager along with other Northeastern Pennsylvania business leaders, discussing how blogs have replaced traditional PR methods and can open up a mutually beneficial dialog between a business and its customers.

“Years ago, it was get a press release out, make sure you’re in the paper, make sure you’re in the TV news. Now, with technology, you can get your message out there and control it,” Reager is quoted as saying.

At BlackOut, we not only maintain our own corporate blog; we design, build and manage blogs for our clients. If you’re interested in learning how a blog can advance your marketing message, contact us at 570.341.3466 or info@blackout-design.com.

InnoCentive Challenge

nmilner — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:50:32 +0000

We came across an interesting project being offered by the NEPA Alliance and its ACTION (Access, Connections,Technologies, Innovations, Opportunities & Networking) Committee called the InnoCentive Challenge.

InnoCentive is a web-based marketplace where “Seeker” clients post technical problems or “Challenges” when trying to develop new ideas or solutions to grow or start a business.Registered “Solvers” from around the world will then help solve the problem.

Companies are currently being invited, as part of the InnoCentive Challenge, to fill out an entry application describing the major challenge faced by their business. If your challenge is chosen by the NEPA Alliance ACTION Selection Committee, you will be notified to submit your free Electronic Request for Partnership (ERFP) posting worth $15,000 on the InnoCentive website.

The alliance and its partners will help create a YouTube video to alert a worldwide network of “Solvers” that a new technology challenge posting has been added. This will generate proposals from potential worldwide solvers that can offer you a pre-defined solution.

Applications must be submitted by September 30, 2008, to:
Karen Ostroskie
Government Procurement Manager
Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance
1151 Oak Street
Pittston, PA 18640

Start them Young

Jack Reager — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:00:54 +0000

Wired has an interesting article on the ridiculously high readership of an online newspaper which you can catch here.

An online paper covering news in a fictitious world populated by penguins has become more widely read than New York’s Daily News, the Chicago Tribune, or the Dallas Morning News, reports the L.A. Times.

The Club Penguin Times is a weekly online-only publication with a readership of about 6.7 million monthly users of a Disney-owned social network and virtual, Club Penguin.

Although the numbers are interesting, and the comparison to the traditional newspaper industry is obvious the piece that gets me is that we are seeing a real shift in behavior at a young age. We are talking about a percentage of 6.7 million that are learning to get their news online rather than off. For 6 - 14 year olds they are learning to get their news online.

BlackOut designs La Festa logos

nmilner — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:59:36 +0000

Scranton is gearing up for one of its biggest annual events, La Festa Italiana, which brings close to 100,000 visitors to the downtown area each year to celebrate the culture and cuisine of Italy.

This year, BlackOut Design, Inc. was tasked with developing a design that captures the spirit and energy of Scranton’s Italian festival. Our designers generated a series of “looks” for La Festa organizers. Two of those were selected and will be seen on posters, shirts and promotional materials during the festival.

We at BlackOut are proud to be a part of this great community event. We’ll see you there over Labor Day weekend, August 30-September 1.

MetroAction launches redesigned website

nmilner — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:47:50 +0000

BlackOut Design, Inc. recently helped MetroAction better serve Northeastern Pennsylvania entrepreneurs with the launch of a newly redesigned website and blog.

The website redesign features enhanced navigation, greater accessibility and interactivity and all of the business resources that have made MetroAction Northeastern Pennsylvania’s leading provider of small business loans and comprehensive business training.

The site caters to all types of business people – from those who have aspirations of starting a small business to seasoned entrepreneurs – and offers information on every aspect of business planning and financing.

The MetroAction blog, InterAction, will open a new channel of communication between MetroAction staff and Northeastern Pennsylvania small businesspersons with local commentary on small business topics and answers to common small business questions.

BlackOut Newsletter released

nmilner — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:13:04 +0000

The new BlackOut Design Newsletter was recently released with information on all of BlackOut’s activities during the first part of the year.

This issue includes information on our innovative design and marketing work for Sandone Tire, OnePoint Office Supplies, hemmler + camayd architects and the Melberger Arts Center, as well as news about the BlackOut portfolio and the BlackOut team.

Click on the image to read the pdf.

Reager named to MetroAction board

nmilner — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:57:06 +0000

BlackOut President Jack Reager was recently elected to the Board of Directors of MetroAction Inc.

MetroAction is a non-profit community development organization dedicated to providing financial and business development assistance to small businesses in Northeastern Pennsylvania’s Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Wyoming and Wayne counties.

As a member of the Board of Directors, Reager will help further MetroAction’s mission of promoting small business growth and community development in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Reager featured on business panel

nmilner — Thu, 29 May 2008 17:20:11 +0000

BlackOut Design President Jack Reager was a panelist recently for the final session of the eight-week Small Business Institute series sponsored by MetroAction and the University of Scranton Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

Along with Reager, the panel included representatives from local business development agencies like the Scranton Business Alliance, SCORE, MetroAction and the SBDC, as well as bankers from Community Bank & Trust. Reager provided institute attendees with insights and lessons learned as an entrepreneur and business owner in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The Small Business Institute is organized through a collaboration between the SBDC and MetroAction and offers a one-stop entrepreneurial educational program for successful business development in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Over the past two years, the SBI has graduated nearly 70 new entrepreneurs, owners of expanding businesses and business managers.

BlackOut expands professional staff

nmilner — Thu, 22 May 2008 13:32:54 +0000

BlackOut Design, Inc., Northeastern Pennsylvania’s leading provider of integrated marketing and design solutions, has expanded its professional staff recently with the addition of two new hires: Graphic Designer Jessica Confer and New Media Editor Nathan Milner.

Confer has already proven a valuable asset to the BlackOut team producing high quality work for BlackOut partners Independent Graphics Inc. and developing postcards to promote the new exhibit at the Melberger Arts Center Gallery, Philip A. Dente’s “Line Items.”

Milner will be responsible for managing new media efforts for BlackOut and its clients. His work will dovetail with the efforts of BlackOut’s team of award-winning designers to ensure a consistent and dynamic communication of our client’s marketing message.

Confer is a student at Marywood University. Milner resides in Lake Winola, PA, with his wife, Lori, and two daughters, Hannah and Cora.