To create and maintain a strong, professional image in the eyes of customers, all aspects of your branding must reflect your brand style, right down to the type of paper you choose.
I spend a lot of my time working with clients and making sure that their printed material matches their brand. However it does amaze me, when I’m at networking events, trade shows or looking at direct mail, that there are still so many organisations that get this wrong.
It is pretty simple, if you are selling an upmarket and exclusive service or product, your printed items should match this, both in design and materials. Just think of it from your target audience’s perspective; they see that you are selling this great service but the business cards, brochures or folders you are using are low quality and the design is poor. Why would they choose you? If your competitors have professionally designed materials and high quality print that represents a quality product or service, it is likely that they will go with the option that gives the best impression, as customers will believe that that company can deliver.
The same concept applies to the low-end market. If your print looks expensive then you could make the target audience feel that you are selling items at a higher price than they are worth. This doesn’t mean the print has to look poor quality but it shouldn’t look expensive. There is a difference.
Think how your brand values relate to your printed promotional materials. If you are in recycling, then you should be using recycled materials. If you are a creative company that thinks outside of the box, then have a creative design and use non-standard print items to reflect what you do. You can apply this same principle to any organisation.
Golden rule – If you ever catch yourself apologising for your printed items, then you know you have got it wrong and need to go back and look at how you can reflect your branding in your printing choices.
If you would like advice on your printed materials, then please contact me.
Until next time,
Jason
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