Day: September 7, 2017

MCFTA Reveals New Logo as Part of Brand Refresh

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More than half a century ago, Alden B. Dow dreamed of establishing a focal point for the arts in Midland. Since its opening nearly 50 years ago, the Center has hosted audiences numbering in the millions who have enjoyed the talent of tens of thousands of friends and family on stage; been awed by famous entertainers and the greatest minds of our time; viewed exhibitions that helped them see the world differently; and taken classes that fueled individual creativity. Many have also found fulfillment and meaning by supporting the arts through the gift of their time and talents. In short, the Center has helped make Midland and the Great Lakes Bay Region a great place to live, work, and play. Using artificial intelligence and advanced learning algorithms, our logomaker.com is able to produce designs just like a designer would.

On June 13, the Center revealed its new logo – a new visual identity – that signals a fresh approach to programming and community partnerships for the future. The event took place on the Auditorium stage attended by board and staff members, business partners and other community leaders.

“Like most institutions, the Center confronts challenging trends. People are busier than ever, feel less connected to their communities, and need to make wise decisions about how they spend their money,” said Marketing Director Kristen Wuerfel. “It was clear to us that we needed to re-image our programs and our image to set us up for another successful 50 years.”

Working with researchers and consultants from The Roan Group, the Center undertook a rigorous research and planning process to assess opportunities and challenges and craft a strategy to position itself for success in the future. To reverse downward audience trends, the Center is adjusting its product mix, focusing on providing a welcoming and fun visitor experience for people from around the region and beyond, and refreshing its brand image.

“It’s crucial that we get the product mix right,” said Terri M. Trotter, President and CEO. “We don’t want people in our region to leave and spend their entertainment dollars in other areas of the state. We want them to stay here. The road ahead includes the existing symphony, community theater and choral programs that our audiences love, while also adding more performances of nationally touring Broadway shows, big-name attractions, and artists and events that draw people to Midland from around the state. Beyond the stage, our AB Dow Museum will integrate more hands-on science exhibitions and programs with visual arts exhibits, and will strengthen its outreach and education programs to schools and families.”

“This brand refresh, supporting our new programs, helps us better communicate to our target audience,” said Wuerfel. “We love the symbolism of the new logo because ARTS is embedded in who we are; it’s in our DNA. Whether it’s unleashing the incredible talent right in our backyard, or showcasing renowned artists at the pinnacle of their career, it’s about art, it’s about community, and it’s about seeing something differently.”

What Are the Advantages of Working With a Small Home Builder?

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When building a home, the advantages to large builders are well-documented. Big builders have “deep pockets.” They can exploit economies of scale, leveraging this into supply-chain influence and getting discounts on materials (ideally, passing these savings along to the buyer) as a result. We’ve developed a business model that sets us apart from other local home builders Sydney, offering truly transparent home building services in Australia.

But to acknowledge these facts without pointing out the advantages of working with small builders – also known as custom home builders – is to give them short shrift. There are several very good reasons to have your home built by a custom builder rather than by a volume builder. Outlined below are five of the biggest.

1. Custom home builders can build your new home where you want it

Custom builders are usually working on only one project at a time. As a result, they are not afraid to look into options such as urban infill lots, allowing you more choice of where you want to build.

By contrast, big builders think big. This means they’re not thinking in terms of houses, but in terms of developments. To build a development, the big builders must locate and acquire large tracts of land. The location of your house is restricted to these. These tracts are rarely available near urban centres, meaning that if you don’t want a long commute, a big builder may not be your best option.

2. You are an individual and you’d like your house to be as well

As a rule, you can expect almost complete customisation from a small builder. To begin, a custom builder is working with a greater range of design options, often built on a single lot. This allows you to select most details of your new home. Additionally, by definition, a small builder will have fewer employees, meaning that he will nearly always be on site. You will have ample opportunity to change things you dislike. Your builder is also very likely to accommodate you in such areas because he is likely to live in the area where he works and his professional reputation depends, in no small part, on your satisfaction.

Volume builders build homes, generally many at a time, based upon a more limited library of home plans. They will have purchased most of the materials and pre-determined most of your house’s design elements well in beforehand. You can “customise” your home with your selections of appliances, countertops, etc., but the builders are on a very strict schedule, and aren’t necessarily inclined to make all of the small changes you’d like to see. If you’re building in a niche location, perhaps on a hill or on a narrow lot, the bigger developers may not share your vision.

You may have bought that property on a hill specifically with a view to putting your house atop it, but your volume builder may disagree, preferring to dig into the hill and create a flat block on which to build one of their pre-created designs.

3. Smaller builders can be more knowledgeable

A smaller, local builder will be more likely to have built on similar terrain. Having built in your area, a custom builder will be able to tell you with confidence that, for instance, there is rock near the surface of the ground in your area, making excavation impossibility. This sort of prior knowledge can end up saving you money in site costs.

In some cases, volume builders will move across the state or even the country between projects, never learning the subtleties of the local landscape.

4. Custom builds often are of higher quality

One way that large builders keep their prices so low is by having portions of homes built in a factory, then brought to the site, negatively affecting both the quality and the materials themselves.

Custom home builders are far less likely (or able) to engage in this practice, often resulting in a better built home.

5. Smaller builders know how much house you need

A volume builder can likely build you a “McMansion” comparatively cheaply, but the future costs of heating, cooling, and furnishing it (not to mention the burden of cleaning it) are left to you. A builder who lives in your area will be more familiar with local energy costs and other such issues, and again, will have a professional interest in your satisfaction.

To conclude, bigger builders do carry the advantages of working quickly. They can offer larger homes for smaller prices, but this comes at the cost of the individualisation that likely drove you to build, rather than buy, a home in the first place.

A custom builder can be the best way of making sure that you’re buying the house of your dreams–and not of the developer’s.

Custom home builders know your requirements well in advance and start off with the project accordingly. It is very important to know how much space you need to build your dream house and how quality results can be achieved within the deadline. Small home builders supports your individual decision making process in building the house keeping in mind high quality and Australian standards.

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