Brock Ray Creative has just merged with Swanson Creative to create a powerful new venture called Circadian.

Now you may be asking yourself, what does this mean for you? Not much will change. In fact, we anticipate that things will only improve. We'll be faster, better, stronger and better able to bring you the best quality design and marketing solutions.

A strong brand is a crucial element for every small business. Earlier this month, Brock appeared on The Peter McClellan Show, where he spoke with Peter about how even small businesses can use the basic principles of branding and design to improve performance and drive sales.

As anyone who knows me will be happy to tell you, I am fascinated — nay, obsessed — with beer. So it should come as no surprise that my interest is particularly piqued whenever the subject of beer meets the subject of marketing. Two great loves, right?

Thirty years ago, in their groundbreaking book, Positioning, Al Ries and Jack Trout identified a major problem for professional marketers. It has only gotten worse since then. The modern, Westernized cultural landscape is completely oversaturated with marketing messages. Every direction we turn, we are bombarded by new opportunities to buy and entreaties to PAY ATTENTION.