Lately I have been playing around with a cool service called ‘Monetate’. Monetate provides effective, dynamic and ‘ optimized for each consumer’ promotion & communication solutions on e-commerce websites as ’software as a service’. What does that mean? Well, based on who your customer is, where she is located, whether she is familiar with the site and whether she has ordered before (+ a lot more) you can provide dynamic and very specific communication. Doesn’t it feel good to have the site greet you with a warm “welcome back’ and help you find what you are looking for. BIG THANKS from us at LTlprints to the founder and CEO David Brussin for providing this excellent service to LTLprints.com.

Also: With its innovative solution monetate brings the vision of a persona specific persuasion architecture to fruition. Persuasion architecture has been described by the best selling authors Jeffrey and Brian Eisenberg (founders of FutureNowInc) in their books ‘Call to Action‘ and “Waiting for your cat to bark’. I recommend everyone who is an online marketer and who deals with website copy writing, persuasion architecture and website conversion to subscribe to their inspiring blog. Being a regular reader I gained a lot of insights, ideas and a critical view on our website communication at LTLprints.com.                   

Tags: Brian Eisenberg, call to action, Carsten Petzold, David Brussin, Dynamic Website Communication, E-Commerce, Future Now Inc, Jeffrey Eisenberg, Larger Than Life Prints, LTLprints, Monetate, Persuasion Architecture, Waiting for Your Cat to Bark, Website Conversion

A few years ago I recall riding on the subway in New York or Atlanta and seeing a sporty new Lexus speed past the train. As much as I had liked for it to have been a real-life version of James Bond chasing down bad guys in the same tunnel I was commuting in…it wasn’t. The speedy new Lexus turned out to be nothing more than a speedy new Lexus in a advertisement being illuminated off the subway tunnel wall…basically a far superior childrens flip book. The proof of the genuis in this at the time new form of advertising is probably tied to fact that I still remember this Lexus ad 3 years later. And it wasn’t even the Super Bowl.

Being someone that is obsessed with marketing, advertsing, and old propaganda posters I

a) am truly a good hearted person

b) decided to look further into this commuter advertising idea

Turns out the the idea was more innovative than inventive. Many something years ago an American shaving cream brand called Burma Shave would place a series of witty billboard ads with sequeled messages along popular highways.

Jump many something years later and Burma Shave is now defunct but their advertising ingenuity lives on. So the moral of the story is as follows: In a world buzzing with marketing noise, winning advertising is often innovative advertsing.

When I first came across LTLprints I saw a really cool product that could beautify living spaces but when I thought about businesses and their needs, I started to think along lines like this.

Tags: Burma Shave, James Bond, Lexus, LTLprints

Yesterday, I accomplished something that I wasn’t sure I’d ever do.  And to be honest, I’m not so sure I want to do it again.  I completed the Philadelphia Marathon with thousands of others, and boy, am I ever sore.

I decided to do the marathon without really training for it.  I haven’t missed a day of running in 6 and 1/2 years, so I figured I wouldn’t be too bad.  I went for one or two longer runs (16 miles, 18 miles) and then just ran my normal mileage before the race.  I went to bed at a decent hour on Saturday night, and crossed my fingers at the start line.  I must admit, I was impressed with the support of Philadelphia.  As we ran down Columbus Avenue, and up to Drexel University, the fan support was pretty positive.  Lots of people were standing on the sidewalk high-fiving us as we went by, and cheering loudly from their steps.  I saw a young woman somewhere in Center City holding a sign that said, “I love your stamina - Call me at 215 - 555 - 5555″ (unfortunately I didn’t write it down guys:)  My favorite comment, however, came around mile 8 as we trudged up a hill somewhere in Fairmount Park.  A race official, who was standing on the side near one of the mile markers cheering us on, yelled this;

“Smile people.  You signed up for this!”

Every single person who was within earshot laughed.  It was the comic relief we needed to get up the rest of the hill, and he was right.  Thousands of us had signed up to run 26.2 miles and put our bodies through the torture of a run like that.  We might as well enjoy it, right?

Around mile 16, I started to question my decision to run the marathon.  My legs were numb, I couldn’t feel my feet, and when I went to say thank you to a woman who handed me a cup of water as I jogged by, I realized my face was too numb and I couldn’t even get the words out.  What made it worse was the cup was full of ice - the weather was so miserably cold that the water was freezing before they could get it to the runners.  The ground near the water stations was a slick sheet of ice from knocked over cups and spilled water.  As I trekked through Manayunk (which I must say was the most populated and supportive of all the areas, especially right in front of Kildaires) and back down Kelly Drive, I started to REALLY question why I had done the race.  I ran with people of all ages, shapes, and sizes, and I was impressed with their stamina and perserverence.  I finished the race in pain and not being able to feel any part of my body due to the cold, but I am glad I did it.

The rest of the day I treated myself to lots of pizza, pasta, and ice cream.  I think that made the race worth it in itself:) I’m walking around like I’m 4X my age, in lots of pain and everything aches, and I wonder how long this will last.   Yet today,  I signed up for the Philly Olympic Triathalon next June.  What am I thinking?

Related articles by Zemanta

• Going the Distance
• The City of Brotherly Love: Philadelphia Marathon
• RUN NYC November Calendar
• Yo, Philly in the News

This morning on my way into the LTLprints office I walked through a face numbing ice storm…or at least thats what it felt like. Fortunately the office setting at LTLprints was prime for thawing out my frozen limbs. If you could take a break from reading for a second and just imagine walking into a beautiful utopia, lined with large vibrant wall decor and warm crooning from the likes of Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, and of course country Entertainer of the Year-Kenny Chesney. I admit though: stickers sometimes make me feel accomplished and I’m not the biggest fan of country music but today instantly became out of the ordinary when I found myself tapping my foot to Brad Paisley’s  geetar licks in the comedic song ‘Ticks’. My time in this office has been short but I can definitely acknowledge that LTLprints has a way of broadening ones perspective. I mean just think about what they can do with a standard photo or print…who would have thought, right. I must add one other observation. This morning when Carsten decided to change things up just a bit and put on some Techno, it stopped snowing and the sun came out.

kennys hat

Tags: Brad Paisely, Carsten, Kenny Chesney, LTLprints, Miranda Lambert

I have a secret that I’m going to share with the LTLprints community. I’ve been with LTLprints for quite some time now, and I finally feel comfortable sharing this personal part of my life. I’d like to thank Kwan (our community evangelist) for helping me get to the point where I can talk about it. Let me take a deep breath first - okay. Here goes nothing.

I hate stickers.

Phew! That feels SO much better. Now, before everyone goes crazy and asks “don’t you work for a sticker company?” let me put you at ease. I do work for LTLprints - but we create oversized, “larger than life” customizable WALL DECALS - not stickers. The material is cloth, and it’s removable and reusable. Don’t you worry - I totally looked into all this before applying for the position:)

So back to my weird phobia. I can admit that it’s not normal. But I’m not the only one! I hate the apples and fruit that have stickers on them, and refuse to touch the stickers. Ask any of my close friends who have to peel the sticker off for me (thanks guys.) When you behave well at the dentist and they try to give you a big smiley face sticker - I run. Yup, I’m that cool. In my Public Speaking class at Susquehanna University, we were asked to do a 5 minute speech about something you HATE. I of course, chose stickers. After receiving numerous strange looks as I made my way back to my seat after speaking, I was quickly comforted. The next speaker did her entire speech on velcro. At least I’m not the only one with a weird phobia.
Kendall, Carsten, and Kwan are a bit intrigued by my phobia of stickers.  Leave a comment if you know of any other weird phobias, please, as it makes me feel better about myself:)

Tags: Carsten Petzold, Kendall Schoenrock, Kwan Howard, Larger than Life, LTL, LTLprints, LTLprints.com, Sticker Phobia, Susquehanna University, Trish Noel

Want to get the story behind the life-size graphic that will soon be bursting vibes of fun off your Entertainment room wall? Sure you do…and therefore I will make it my utmost duty to highlight each and every one of our contributing artists. You have my word. And to start making good on my promise, I present an interview done with LTLprints first contributing photographer, Jennifer Ruth.

Me: Hello Jennifer, thanks for coming aboard with LTLprints! To start, can you tell us a little about yourself?

Jennifer: At the moment, I’m a graduate student studying for a PhD in physiology. But when I have free time I try to teach myself Russian, go to salsa dance lessons, dabble in painting and drawing, try to enjoy as much time with my dog as possible, and of course pursue my passion for photography.

Me: Interesting…so how did you get into photography?

Jennifer: I’ve always been interested in photography since I was a little kid. I started off with my dad’s old film SLR but is was a little difficult at the time to keep up with it because a lack of funding. I use to scrape together leftover lunch money to buy and develop film. It became a little difficult to continue with my hobby and I didn’t pick it up again until about 10 years later when I bought my first camera, a Canon G7. It’s a great little camera and I learned a lot from it.

Me:I must admit I am still in the experimental stage with my camera, what is one photo tip you can offer to help me instantly become a photographer of National Geographic caliber?

Jennifer: First I would suggest planning a safari adventure. (Laughs) No, I think most important I would take lots of photos and don’t be afraid to experiment with lighting, colors, contrast…etc. When you first start off you have to get to know your camera, figure out what your style is as a photographer, and open yourself up to new perspectives. You begin to notice beauty in the most unlikely of places.

Me: Wow that’s beautiful…Along the same lines you have a great collection of photos that display blooming flowers and fun loving animals. What would you say is your favorite subject to shoot?

Jennifer: Probably my dog. She’s so expressive and she never complains that I’m taking too long or that she hates her photo being taken.

Jennifer's puppy with friends

Me: Ha, I saw that some of your photos were taken in Costa Rico, where are some other locations that you have shot? Any favorite locations?

Jennifer: I recently traveled to Japan and parts of SE Asia on a month long trip. It was an amazing trip and it’s hard to say which was the most spectacular because each country had it’s own sets of pros and cons, but to answer I’d have to say my favorite to shoot in was Japan. It was just an incredibly modern, clean, and efficient city with a ton of appealing subject matter.

Me: Who is your favorite photographer?

Jennifer: There are so many great photographers out there but when I was young, I always admired Ansel Adams. Often when you’re trying to capture the complexity and beauty of your subject matter, a photograph just doesn’t do it any justice. A simple photograph isn’t enough to capture the vastness or the elements of the moment but Ansel Adams did a great job in capturing those small nuances. You could feel the moment and it’s often hard to capture that.

Me:Interesting…I can definitely see in both of your work a shared fondness for nature. Well final question for you. Why did you decide to put some of your photography in the LTLprints catalog?

Jennifer: Photography is something that I thoroughly enjoy and I’ve accumulated quite a collection. I thought it would be nice to share some of the photos that I have taken and LTLprints was a good platform to begin with.

Jennifer snapping away!

Thanks Jennifer…more artist profiles coming soon!

Tags: Ansel Adams, Jennifer Ruth, LTLprints.com

So far, today has been one of those days where I have a ton of task battling each other for supremacy of my attention. But you will be happy, unlike my boss to know that I have decided to take a break and write about some cool photography that has landed on my monitor in the past couple of days.

Paulina Paczkowska is a photographer who shoots beautiful imagery like breathtaking architecture and scenery and makes a print deserving nothing less than an ooh or awe. We discussed the cool possibilities of her work undergoing transformation into a life-size wall graphic…with LTLprints playing the role of Victor Frankenstein in the transformation process of course. So hopefully, coming soon you will get the opportunity to order her work in super size portions.

And then there was this guy, Sean Boltron. I met Sean the other night at a local show where his band Surgeon was playing. Besides having a scream that everyone in the world could hear, he has eye for photography that is just as striking.

Lastly my photographer friend Fabiola Valencia was recently in Mexico City and sent me some shots from her jaunt.

Did anyone else like the song Photographs by Weezer? Okay back to work.

Tags: Fabiola Valencia, Frankenstein, LTL Prints, Paulina Paczkowska, Sean Boltron, Weezer

If you’re like me you have files upon files of photos and attempts at being a graphic artist stored in your computer. Today is the day that all your graphic creations and heart melting photos of your beautiful puppy Maggie can receive the love they deserve.

Starting today LTLprints is releasing a new feature on its website that not only allows you to create unique wall prints with your own images but also lets you place those images in a catalog where others can come and pay you for your creations. So imagine…everytime someone makes a wall print using one of your photos or artwork, you receive a commision. And probably the sweetest thing about all of this, is that you are in control. Unlike most sites, LTLprints does not determine the value of your print. If you believe that a beautiful summer sunset off the shores of Cabo is worth $1 or $100 you will be able to set the price for your work. You have already seen how LTLprints can take a simple image and transform a whole wall here now join in our artist catalog and take your prints to another level!

Tags: Cabo, LTLprints, Maggie

Before an attempt at a witty explanation of the title, let me start with an even more daunting endeavor by-introducing myself to the world! My name is Kwan Howard and I do marketing for the coolest company ever, yes better than Google LTLprints. Outside of work I’m totally submersed into music and indpendent art worlds. When the weekend comes around I’m usually found in a local tucked away art gallery or either at a concert. Music has definitely played the role as the soundtrack to my life. Even deeper, I believe the band Pavement can change your life and Roy Ayers, your soul. I strongly encourage the preservation of vinyl and can often be found rummiging through crates and crates of vinyl as well as djing in my room to imaginary sold-out crowds. 

In regards to art…I must admit, there were a few days in my college Art History class where the only colors I would see were the deep shades of black in the back of my closed eyelids. These moments of severe sleepiness were probably more an indication of my high starch diet rather than a disregard for art. Simply put-I love art, design, and a variety of starches. As the latest addition to the LTL family, I feel really lucky to work in company that lets me enjoy 2 out of 3 of my passions.

Painting by Stuart Davis

Scott Hansen prints

Upon learning more about LTLprints and their plan to create an alternative platform for artists to sell their work, I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of. As a strong advocate of local art communities I have seen first hand the hurdles artists must clear to gain exposure. With LTLprints I truly believe they have created a platform that affords artists one less hurdle and ultimately a perfect marriage between art and commerce. I’m totally looking forward to working with artists and transforming walls from simple to stunning! To that end, if you are a graphic designer, photographer, or just an individual with cool prints you’ve made feel free to contact me: kwan at ltlprints.com. Be well.

Tags: Art History, Pavement, Roy Ayers, Scott Hansen, Stuart Davis

For Philadelphia sports fans, there aren’t many times when you’ll hear the above statement, but for right now, Philly is on cloud nine:) What a month it has been for this city! Philadelphia has cheered the Phils along to a World Series championship, the Eagles have won three straight, and our country has elected the FIRST african american president. October/November have been busy!

Wanted to share a few quick videos with you that have been passed along via email this week. First, a group of extremely talented students who express the importance of voting (if i ever have kids I’m sending them here!), and the second is a phenomenal catch by Ryan Howard during the Phillies parade (check out the video footage of that parade on our blog!

Possibly the coolest part of this month though has been the launch of www.LTLprints.com. It’s both exciting and a relief! It’s great to see the launch and all of the team’s long hours paying off - but it just means that things will get busier! I can’t wait to see our 6-color large format printing churning orders like crazy. Exciting!

Quite a picture above, eh? That awesome picture can be credited to the talented Mr. Matthew Gutberlet, a very close friend of mine and someone who is ridiculously good at everything he does - even photography! Matt grabbed that shot at the Phillies parade last Friday.

Before I sign off, just a reminder that the CMA Awards (COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS) are this Tuesday night. Everyone should definitely sit down to watch my boyfriend, the talented Kenny Chesney, in all his glory. I’d trade the World Series for him:)

Tags: Carsten Petzold, CMA Awards, Election, Kenny Chesney, LTLprints, LTLprints.com, Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Phillies, Phillies Parade, Ryan Howard, Trisha Noel