Content Can Wait ... Wait! What?

Before you start your brochure copy outline or choosing the photographs and color scheme - stop. It may surprise you to hear that an effective, well-designed promotional piece does not begin with the content. Soput down the pen, turn off the laptop and consider to the following questions.

What is the goal of the brochure? While this may seem obvious to you, a brochure is not always about “a sale.” Is your brochure going to be used to introduce your company? Is it going to be used as a tool to educate or as a followup to a presentation? Establishing a clear goal in the beginning will help smooth out the creation process.

Who is your audience? Is your target audience prospective customers, current customers or the general public? Is there a particular section of the market that you would like to reach? When your brochure reaches the hands of the customer/consumer will they have previous experience with your company or product? Knowing your audience is an important process of your promotional literature design.

How will the brochure be distributed? Once it is printed and packed neatly into boxes, you need to figure out how to get that brochure into people’s hands. Will it be mailed or handed out an an event? Will it be included in a folder as part of a presentation? Will someone from your company’s sales department leave it behind as part of a meeting with a client or will it be placed in a rack or on a showroom table? The physical characteristics of the brochure will be determined by the answers to these questions.

What format is best to convey the information? There are so many options available. For instance, a brochure that will be mailed is going to have vastly different characteristics than one that is part of presentation. A mailed brochure could be designed as a self mailer or to fit into a standard envelope. The possibilities are almost limitless.

The best place to start is to contact our sales department. They would be happy to set up a meeting with Spectra Prints’ top notch designers and help you create a brochure that will not only achieve your goals but reach the right audience and showcase your company or product in the best possible light.

Image Source: Internet

Spectra Print Clients Prepare for the Upcoming Sport Show Season

It's that time of the year when the topics being discussed center around the upcoming run to the Super Bowl, the weird and wacky weather playing havoc with our ice fishing and the start of the sports show season. For our Canadian friends this is the time of the year when they head south of the border to talk fishing and hunting.

For the past few months the pre-press and press departments at Spectra Print have been busy assisting clients with their marketing and promotional material. With the first of the All Canada Shows scheduled to open in a few hours, we wish all the exhibitors on the sports show circuit a successful season.

Spectra Print is pleased to announce the addition of four new accounts to the dozens of our Canadian outdoor accounts: Showalter's Fly-In Outposts, Nestor Falls Fly-In Outposts, Oak Lake Lodge and Arctic Lodges.

Spectra Print has been a proud sponsor of the All Canada Show for the past several years. Working with Jennifer Young and the staff at All Canada Show, we know first hand the hard work and effort that goes on behind the scenes; it really does take an entire village to make All Canada Show such a success. The 2012 show season kicks off in St Louis, Missouri, January 6-8. The entire All Canada Show schedule can be found here.

As one of the sponsors of All Canada Show, Spectra Print will be again be an exhibitor at the shows and will be be tweeting the event as well as live blogging from the Chicago and Minneapolis shows. We will be posting #hashtags on our Facebook page so you can join in the conversation.

Friend, Follower or Linked?

Like it or not, social media is now an essential part of your brand's online identity. A few years ago, adding social media to your company's marketing tool box was as simple as creating a Facebook page.

Do I really need Social Media?

The short answer is: yes. Admittedly we are biased but our experience has proven how social media can positively impact a customer's brand.

Why do I need Social Media?

If your idea of Twitter is countless status updates ranging from your followers sitting on the patio to ordering a double mocha latte while checking-in at the local coffee shop - you aren't alone. Businesses who dismiss sa well thought out marketing plan that incorporates social media and tools such as QR codes (when and where their use is appropriate) quite simply is missing potential sales.

Today's consumers are actively engaged in all aspects of social media, taking part in conversations about everything and anything. These tech savvy people are tethered, if not addicted, to their mobile devices connecting with others who share similar interests: chances are someone is having a conversation about your company.


Are you listening?

Having a presence on social media allows you to join in these conversations. By taking part in these conversations you will be able see what the sentiment is toward your brand - and monitor whether the talk is in a positive or negative light.

Follower, Friend or Linked?

Not all companies will need to have a presence in all social media platforms. The main players in the social network are:

Facebook. One of the better known and most widely accepted network; Facebook is usually a companies first foray into social media waters. Facebook provides a place for organizations and companies to share their brand through status updates, photo albums, conducting polls and "hosting" events that are relevant to your brand. 

Twitter. While Facebook offers a platform for multiple people to manage a presence, Twitter offers a more personal presence with a direct one-on-one conversation with your customers. Customers provide feedback and engage in conversations through succinct 140 character messages. 

LinkedIn. This platform is especially relevant for creating a corporate presence and creating a platform for professionals to network and learn about your company. LinkedIn has had success displaying current vacancies to people who may be interested in filling this positions within your organization.

FourSquare. This platform is relevant for organizations with at least one "bricks and mortar" store. Foursquare is best utilized by providing discounts to users when they identify that they are at your location by clicking on a "check-in." Returning customers who check-in can earn Mayorships, badges and other rewards.

It should go without saying that your website and blog page should share a commonality in design and writing style. Today's consumer has become accustomed to receiving their information in real time; they aren't satisfied to wait while a newsletter is published and a web page updated. Your company web page should be the repository of resident information while your blog is where you regularly share inform and detailed information not suited for Facebook and other social media platforms. Your company or organization should be using Facebook and Twitter to direct friends and followers to your blog and web sites.

OK, I'm sold but who is going to manage my companies social media?

There is no hard and fast answer to this question but it should be someone that is genuinely interested in social networks and enjoys  spending the time needed to help your company build and maintain a social media presence. 

What is just as important is the company providing that person, or team, with information and resources needed to create meaningful conversations and content. 

Still Showing Off: Continuation of Booth Design

In our last post the topic of discussion was creating a booth environment that would give you an edge at your next show.

No one needs to tell you that your booth establishes your show presence and is the central element of how your company will be perceived.

Take a step back, so to speak, and look at your booth from the other side of the aisle. When considering your booth, Spectra Print's Marketing Director Al Scherwinski says, "An effective booth is one that conveys your company's product accurately, quickly and what benefit it brings to potential customers."

If A Picture Paints a Thousand Words ...

Then a booth filled with nothing but text won't grab anyone's interest, but a photograph will.

The use of photography should be a key element of your booth; showing your customers your "product" (even if the product is you!), matching the photography to the brand and conveying the intangible is best left to another post, one we will cover in the near future.

It Takes A Village To Create a Booth

Someone once described their decorating style as "Early Halloween." While it may be a amusing description for a family room, it shouldn't be the way customers see your booth display. Professional graphic artists are a necessity for insuring your booth will look professional and convincing. A good graphic designer can take your concept from a piece of paper and turn it into a compelling design that clearly conveys, in 30-seconds or less, what your products are and what they do.

There are many other factors to consider such as working chairs into the overall design of your booth so they are a part of the display and not a distraction. If you have product demonstrations or products that will be physically on display, you will need cases or a countertop to show them. Panels with laminates as an option or stand along acrylic cabinets can be integrated into the design.

Anyone can put together a show booth with a company logo, a couple of photographs and a stack of brochures and business cards. Creating a show environment that commands attention involves professionals with a solid strategy to help level the playing field.

It's Okay To Be A Show Off

Doing business without advertising is like winking

at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing,

but nobody else does. ~Steuart Henderson Britt

It never ceases to amaze me how hard small business owners work in order to achieve success. Contrary to popular opinion, there are very few perks to owning your own business: long hours, very little time off, on call and on the clock pretty much 24/7. If love makes the world go ‘round, small business owners are surely the cog that keeps the wheels of commerce turning.

The last few weeks we’ve been out on the show circuit, both trade and consumer, and came away with the knowledge that it is a jungle out there!

In an environment where everyone is in the same boat, how do you stop the parade of potential customers so they don’t pass you by?

Don’t Leave Home Without It

A set of clear goals that is. What are your expectations for the show you will be attending? Are you focusing on business promotion or is this the stage where you launch a new product? You can have more than one goal but you need to be clear about what your participation is going to achieve.

Your Display Is Your On-Site Ad

A successful display is one that is planned with the audience in mind. Who is it that you are targeting with your display? An important question to ask yourself since audiences “shop” shows differently.

Create a Buzz

Invite clients, customers, suppliers and other contacts; this is the stage made for social media and where Facebook and Twitter shine. Do you know your booth number in advance? If you do, make sure to feature the number prominently in your advance advertising.

Build It And They Will Come

Spectra Print’s Marketing Director Al Scherwinski says five basic elements for show booth displays are memorable visuals, headline, copy points, company logo, and web/blog presence.

Select your trade show graphics carefully; simple, bold and clear images work best.

Choose your words carefully and keep your display headline simple, clear and to the point. Chances are, people that did not plan to visit you at the show will more than likely walk past your booth. If this is your only chance to grab their attention, you will need a carefully thought out and compelling headline to make them want to find out more about your company.

It makes sense that the shorter your headline is the larger it can appear on your show booth display allowing your display to reach farther into busy show traffic. Even a small table top display with a short bold message can be seen several yards away.

“Your choice of typeface is also important,” Scherwinski says. “With literally thousands of type fonts to choose from, selecting the right one can seem daunting. The next time you attend a show, notice the displays that grab your attention. They won’t necessarily be large booths but displays that consistently use simple bold graphics.”

It was a dark and stormy night …

While it is tempting to write a description that explains everything your customer needs to know about you - don’t. As much as you would like them to, most show attendees will not want to spend a ton of time reading about your company. Use bullet points, keep your message short, don’t get too technical and remember to keep your company name front and center. Utilize QR codes to feature your social media and web site presence.

Now that you have a stack of requests, make sure follow-up correspondence is priority one when you are packed up and homeward bound.

Next week’s blog post will conclude the show marketing discussion. Stay tuned!

What Am I Looking At?

In addition to the introduction of the Spectra Print blog, Spectra Now, this week marks the roll-out of QR Codes at the All-Canada Show at Pheasant Run, St. Charles, IL. With the QR Code for the Spectra Print web site prominently displayed on the booth banner and on the newly designed business cards, Spectra Print is definitely causing quite a buzz at the All-Canada Show. Oh and did we mention the QR Codes on the shirts?

What is a QR Code? No, you are not looking for Elvis.

The unique bar code known as a QR or Quick Response code lets your customers - and potential customers - instantly learn more about your business by visiting a mobile version of your web site home, special landing page or blog via a QR code reader app on any smart phone.

The QR code could quite possibly become your business' new best friend. You may have seen QR codes scattered around and not known what they are; essentially they are a two-dimensional bar code but instead of being limited to storing numbers on groceries, QR codes are able to store things like strings of text, URL's, emails and much more.

Terrific. But what's the point and how is this going to help me?

Think about it this way. Nearly everyone has a smart phone and with a reader app, the phones have the ability to read the QR codes and instantly direct them to your specific page on the Internet. Imagine the response if your business' QR code was on your business card or to allow a potential client the opportunity to view a video about your business or a product review or to find a coupon or special offer?

The possibilities are endless!