"Can do Colorado"
November 30, 2023
Written By:
Lauren Corna
When I told my parents I was going to major in digital art, my decision was met with echoing questions:
“What even is that?”
“How are you going to make a living?”
Now 10 years out of college and as the Senior Digital Art Director at Karsh Hagan, I understand that these questions aren’t far from what we hear from prospects and clients on a daily basis.
“What is digital art, and how can it help our brand’s advertising strategy?” Let’s start from the top.
What is Digital Art?
Digital art is an artistic work or practice that uses digital technology as part of the creative or presentation process.
Digital art is all around us. It’s everywhere we look. From movies like Pixar’s ‘Toy Story’ to apps like Instagram, digital art has introduced modes of storytelling that were once impossible, making it a valuable and limitless tool for advertising.
Why is Digital Art a Successful Marketing Tactic?
Now, more than ever, we’re a visually driven society. It’s no coincidence that we’re naturally drawn to images, when you consider that 90% of the information processed by the brain is visual, and that our brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text. The brain’s preference for images even impacts how memory is formed as 80% of people remember what they see, compared to 20 percent of what they read. That makes digital art an especially important tactic for brands looking to create a campaign that’s as efficient as it is impactful.
What is the Difference Between Digital Art and Traditional Art?
When it comes to advertising, the difference between digital art and traditional art is simple. There are no gatekeepers. Anyone with a phone in their pocket and a little bit of creativity can create and share their art. Unlike the billboards or magazines of the past, online apps allow artists to instantly publish their work for free for all to see.
The success of digital art within that context comes down to ROI. Delivering the highest return on your investment requires the ability to measure, analyze, and adapt your strategy – it requires the ability to learn. Digital art is iterative and efficient – allowing us to easily track engagement rates that let us fail fast, tweak, and refine. We can then use that information to employ data-proven digital art across all marketing channels, ultimately delivering a product that best serves your brand and your audience.
How You Can Use Digital Art In Brand Advertising
At Karsh Hagan, we have used our understanding to create beautiful and effective marketing campaigns for our clients. For VISIT DENVER we created an immersive world that targeted convention planners all over the country. We created three unique videos, using 2.5D animation. These videos were seen by over 462,610 people and counting! Check out the work here:
At Karsh Hagan, we have used our understanding to create beautiful and effective marketing campaigns for our clients. For VISIT DENVER we created an immersive world that targeted convention planners all over the country. We created three unique videos, using 2.5D animation. These videos were seen by over 462,610 people and counting! Check out the work here:
HOW KARSH HAGAN HELPED GOVERNOR POLIS AND DORA HIGHLIGHT LOCAL BUSINESSES
In March, COVID-19 caused the Governor of Colorado, Jared Polis, to issue a “Stay-at-Home” order, changing the way entire industries do business. Amid crisis and confusion, we helped recognize Colorado businesses that turned “can’t” into “can do.”
BUSINESSES BEGIN USING CREATIVE STRATEGY
As Colorado’s economy carefully emerged from the broad shutdown and gradually transitioned from “Stay-at-Home” to “Safer-at-Home” guidelines, state government agencies, including the Department of Regulatory Affairs (DORA), were tasked with raising awareness for businesses that were taking the public health orders seriously, but had also found innovative ways to continue serving their customers and clients while staying safe.
Following Karsh Hagan’s viral #StayHomeColorado social campaign, the Governor’s Office and DORA asked our Plan Ahead Team for help showcasing these local businesses.
DEVELOPING A CAPTIVATING COVID CAMPAIGN
Moving quickly, Karsh Hagan developed our “Can Do Colorado” social media campaign to recognize small businesses across Colorado that turned "can’t do" into "can do" by doing their part to keep partrons safe while pushing Colorado's economy forward.
From hairstylists, to physical therapists, to whisky distillers, workers and business owners all over the state shared how they embraced a “can do” attitude.
Using swift Crisis PR guidelines and thoughtful public service announcements, our campaign was promoted alongside Governor Polis’ “#DoingMyPartCO” social efforts and his “Safer-at-Home” content, which became vital resources during daily COVID-19 press conferences.
To further the campaign’s reach and audience, we asked Coloradans to submit nominations and stories about their favorite businesses, along with their “can do” innovations and creativity.
Within four hours of going live, our “Can Do Colorado” video got more than 5,000 views. Within four weeks, our paid social and digital media efforts drove more than 2 million impressions. In total, more than 20,000 people visited CanDoColorado.org where “Can Do” businesses were nominated and recognized.
LEARN HOW YOU CAN BE A "CAN DO CONSUMER"
We all have to do our part to keep others safe and help businesses thrive during this time. That means customers, clients and patients all have a role to play to ensure that Colorado remains resilient in the face of this pandemic.
