If you fall into this category, don’t worry! In this article, we will break down the steps needed to create a budget for printed marketing collateral.

Marketing Budget Preparation in General

A marketing budget is more than a series of numbers that you hope end up showing a profit. It is also an easy way to set realistic expectations and a fiscal strategy for approaching and executing product decisions, working with vendor partners and overall marketing. A marketing budget for printed marketing collateral can be approached in two different ways. The first method is when you are handed a specific number to use as your budget. The second method is when you have the freedom and flexibility to come up with the actual print collateral budget numbers.

Let’s take an in-depth look at both budget options:

When a Marketing Budget Gets Handed Down

This budget option is sometimes considered to be the easier choice since you don’t need to establish the marketing budget from scratch. Instead, the budget is handed to you and your task is to stay on budget. However, you still need to decide on the total amount you will allocate to your printed marketing collateral.

When You Must Develop the Budget

This budget option is the one that often confounds many marketers. This budget process can best be started by getting a dollar range from your leadership that details what they consider to be an acceptable amount to spend on marketing. If you do not have any idea about your budgetary expectations, you might spend more than the business can comfortably afford. 

In addition, you will need to devise a budget strategy:

1. Identify your marketing goal(s)
2. Decide on the online and print marketing methods you will use to reach that goal
3. Estimate how much money will be necessary to market on each channel
4. Compile all of the information to create your budget 

Creating a Budget for Printed Marketing Collateral

Printed materials are a powerful advertising and branding tool, keep in mind, however, that print marketing is one part of your overall marketing strategy so it will need its own section of the budget. While the necessary steps to arrive at this budget are similar to the creation of the overall budget, you can get more in-depth with your costs since you are focusing on a specific marketing method.

1. Identify what you want to print along with the number of printed pieces you need to create
2. Get an estimated quote for the printing cost
3. Estimate the total shipping cost for the printed marketing collateral

If at all possible, calculate your desired ROI so you will be in an ideal position to get your budget approved by your leadership.

Want to make sure you include all of the necessary items to create your printed marketing collateral budget? We can help.

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Importance of Brand Colors

Brand colors are often considered to be a “visual shorthand” that creates quick brand recognition from customers. The colors you choose for your brand will tell the story of your business by differentiating your brand from the competition, promoting emotions, and increasing brand recall. When it comes to branded colors, you can use a single color for your products, a variety of colors that are related to specific products, or create a custom color for your brand. No matter the reasons for the specific colors used, keep in mind that they are an important part of your brand message.

Color Matching on Print Collateral

Once you make the decision about which colors to use for your brand, the next step is to make sure the colors look the same on every social media platform and advertising channel. The need for consistent colors applies to both physical and digital marketing Including physical items such as product packaging or print marketing collateral. If the colors do not match from item to item, the public might be confused by your marketing message. Thankfully, color print matching can address this digital and print marketing collateral issue in advance.

Use the Correct Color System

Keeping things consistent is a logical and effective first step. For print materials, you will need to use CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key in cases where Key is usually equal to Black) so you do not start the process incorrectly.

If you are using Pantone Colors, you can use the Pantone Matching System.

Calibrating for Color

A designer is not really able to perform this step but the designer can ensure the designated art file is either annotated with the correct color specifications or the file comes with a companion document that details the necessary color specifications. In addition, the setting of the print equipment and inks should be calibrated to meet the color requirements.

Proofing

Proofing is the opportunity to review the physical printed collateral in order to compare it to the color that is typically on a swatch or flat print. You can also use  accurate digital proofing systems that are quite close to real life environments to ensure a proper color match.

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Essential Print Materials for Operational Efficiency

Printed materials in manufacturing are not just about marketing; they’re a cornerstone of operational efficiency. 

• Equipment and parts catalogs offer a comprehensive view of available resources, aiding in inventory management and customer service.
• Detailed information sheets provide crucial data at a glance, facilitating informed decision-making and reducing errors.
• Safety information printed clearly and accessibly ensures compliance with regulations and the well-being of employees.

These essential print materials help streamline operations, ensuring that both staff and clients have easy access to vital information.

Print Marketing: Enhancing Visibility and Sales

In the realm of marketing, print materials have a unique and lasting impact. Manufacturers can leverage these tools to enhance visibility and drive sales.

• Sales sheets are an effective tool for showcasing products, offering detailed specifications and benefits in a tangible format.
• Customized brochures and flyers help in building brand identity and in reaching out to potential clients in a direct and personal manner.
• Participating in trade shows and events with well-designed print materials can significantly increase brand visibility and networking opportunities.

These print marketing strategies not only promote products but also help in building a strong and recognizable brand image.

While the digital world continues to expand, the importance of print materials in the manufacturing sector remains significant. From enhancing operational efficiency to boosting marketing efforts, the role of print in manufacturing is multifaceted and essential. By embracing these print strategies and products, manufacturers can ensure they stay ahead in a competitive market, achieving their desired outcomes of increased efficiency, visibility, and sales.

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Revolutionizing Targeting in Direct Mail

The power of direct mail marketing lies in its ability to connect with customers on a personal level. Advanced targeting strategies take this a step further by ensuring your message reaches the right audience. 

• Precise demographic targeting increases relevance and response rates.
• Psychographic profiling leads to more personalized and effective messaging.
• Integration with digital data sources enables a more comprehensive understanding of your audience.

Advanced targeting ensures that your direct mail campaigns are not just seen, but also resonate with the intended audience, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.

Maximizing Impact with Multi-Drop Tactics

Multi-drop direct mail campaigns are a game-changer in the marketing landscape. By strategically timing and placing your mail drops, you can significantly enhance customer engagement.

• Sequential mailing creates a narrative and builds anticipation.
• Coordinated drops with digital campaigns ensure a multi-channel impact.
• Seasonal or event-based timing aligns your message with customer interests.

These tactics not only increase the visibility of your direct mail but also strengthen the overall coherence and impact of your marketing strategy.

So by leveraging advanced targeting and multi-drop tactics in your direct mail campaigns you can transform how your business engages with your audience, increase visibility, deeper engagement, and a substantial boost in sales, proving that direct mail remains a vital part of any robust marketing strategy.

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Marketing Loans for Banks

The use of bank marketing to promote the products your bank offers is very important and marketing business loans is a critical task. Businesses of all sizes and types who are actively looking to grow or innovate need working capital to make that happen. In other words, they are likely to seek financing from a bank. While not every business is going to be a perfect fit, you want to make sure your bank gets in front of the right customers and you have a sufficient amount of applications on hand to ensure you get the loans you want to approve.

Let’s go into greater detail about three effective strategies that work to increase the number of commercial loans that you write. These strategies include:

• Direct Mail for Banks
• Commercial Job Signage
• Sponsoring Events

Direct Mail

It is a well-known fact that direct mail works to get you in front of the right audience. Bank direct mail is both affordable and accurate when it comes to identifying the correct target audience. When the right message reaches the right audience at the right moment in their growth cycle, it can generate large results.

Job Site Signage

Bank displays are not limited to being located inside the actual bank. The installation of large signs at commercial job sites increases your visibility to other businesses who are looking to obtain loans. This signage is both a form of social proof and a memorable form of advertising. The signage can vary based on the location and it can range vinyl banners to large-scale signs made of materials such as wood, plastic or metal.

Event Sponsorship

Being in the public eye lets people know that your bank is part of the community or industry holding the event. Event sponsorship of business gatherings attended by various business owners or project managers gains exposure for your commercial loan products. The sponsorship of local community events keeps you top of mind with members of the public who can influence the decision-makers looking for business loans.

If you want to grow or upgrade your bank marketing & printed collateral, contact our design team for examples and insights that will help you reach the right audience.

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Almost everyone  is curious about what is being advertised in an eye-catching retail POP display. A major key to the success of the display is making sure it is properly designed and placed in the store. Keep reading as we define multiple types of custom point of purchase displays and explain how to make sure they accomplish the task at hand.

What is a Custom POP Display?

In general, a point of purchase (POP) display is a sign that is displayed next to a checkout counter (AKA “the point of sale”) or somewhere near it. The reason behind this placement strategy is that the location of the display will get customers to notice (and then act on) the spotlighted product, promotion, or sales offer. In addition, retail POP displays can be used to promote special events at the store, inviting customer engagement. Essentially, all custom POP displays are custom-made, but the level of customization depends on the amount of creativity by the brand or retailer.  The more colors and interactive elements that make customers want to learn more about the product, the better.

Types of Retail POP Displays

Here are some of the most effective POP displays currently used by retailers:

Shelf Signage

These are small signs that easily fit onto shelves or product displays in order to draw attention to specific items or deals.

Display Packs

This type of display is often special boxes or containers that feature a unique design that grabs attention and may inspire FOMO (fear of missing out).

Counter Displays

A display that is a small stand placed on top of checkout counters and generally consist of smaller, impulse-buy items. These can increase your incremental sales.

Floor Stickers

These are decals placed on the floor that guide customers, promote sales, or highlight new products. They also can be used as decor to enhance the customer experience.

Standees or Display Stands

These are freestanding displays that hold or feature one or more products. Great for highlighting profitable and new products.

End Caps

The displays that are viewed at the end of aisles.Their effectiveness comes from easily being seen as customers walk down the main aisles.

Interactive Displays

High-tech, compelling displays that can include a video screen or other interactive elements that increase customer engagement.

How to Make Retail POP Displays Work Well

The easiest way to ensure the POP display of choice is successful is to make sure it is strategically functional, makes sense in the context of the retail environment, and is designed and manufactured to get the attention of the public.

If what you’re looking for is a Retail POP Display that is going to stand out and get results, ask how we can help bring it to market quickly and with quality that is beyond your expectations.

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1. Determine the C-Store Rebranding Project Scope

The initial move in economizing your rebranding process is to pinpoint what you aim to accomplish. Fundamentally, avoiding unnecessary expenses on unproductive endeavors is a surefire way to save money and time. 

Broadly, rebranding a gas station or convenience store can be categorized into three groups:

Logo Redesign
This implies a subtle tweak to your brand’s appearance without altering its core ethos. It’s about revamping the aesthetics, potentially with minor adjustments to services. This is ideal for businesses looking for a brand image uplift.

Brand Revamp or Refresh
This is a more profound transformation that addresses shifts in business strategies and objectives. If your brand feels antiquated or has surpassed its former vision, a revamp could be a beneficial move, but it will entail meticulous planning and research.

Complete Brand Makeover
This is the most extensive rebranding scale and implies severing ties with the previous brand identity. This method is typically chosen when looking to completely reposition a company and/or if they are facing serious brand issues.

Choosing the appropriate scale of rebrand is critical to managing costs. Sometimes, a mere redesign can work just as well depending on your end goal.

2. Allocate a Realistic Financial Plan

Having a clear financial blueprint is pivotal for managing costs. By gauging expenses and allocations, strategic decisions become easier.

Primarily, a budget aids in discerning tasks to be managed internally versus those requiring external expertise. Assessing costs of in-house rebranding against external agency charges (gather multiple quotations) will offer clarity on the most cost-effective route.

Moreover, involve your clientele. Solicit feedback on desired changes and then align your budget accordingly. Avoiding unnecessary alterations based on their insights can be a direct cost-saving.

3. Account for Legal Needs

Rebranding can incur legal and license expenditures. Trademarking your novel logo, acquiring fonts, or other copyrighted materials are prime examples.

Recognizing these potential charges enables informed choices about indispensable and avoidable costs.

4. Establish a Rollout Schedule

An effective timeline is paramount to keep costs in check. The ripple effects of rebranding on C-store business operations necessitate strict adherence to a schedule. In its absence, ambiguities might arise, leading to setbacks and financial drains.

5. Create Templates & Processes

In many cases, your store locations might have similar layouts, signage, graphics, and decal requirements. Therefore, if you can standardize as much as possible then the total cost of the rebrand can be much lower as you are able to efficiently design and manufacture any updated visual store elements.

6. Collaborate with a Rebranding Specialist

While hiring a rebranding firm implies an upfront cost, the long-term benefits can outweigh the expenditure. These agencies specialize in optimizing your brand, consequently enhancing profitability.

For instance, if you’re inclined towards emotional branding, which resonates and inspires, but lack the in-house expertise to cultivate this, an agency’s seasoned perspective is invaluable.

Engaging with a rebranding agency ensures a holistic approach, unifying research, strategic planning, and creativity.

Plus, with the agency being a 3rd party, it can make it easier to gain approval from multiple stakeholders at the company, especially if it is agreed upon beforehand that a decision must be made and accepted by a certain date.

These are a handful of easy ways to make your C-store rebrand cost less, be more effective, and go smoother.

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In this article, we will share why direct mail works for real estate agents, and reveal some direct mail statistics that show the value of direct mail in the real estate market.

Does Direct Mail for Real Estate Agents Work?

The simple answer to this question is, “Yes, real estate direct mail does work!” In fact, it works for home builders, contractors, brokers, and real estate agents of all sizes

Real estate postcards are a common and affordable direct mail marketing method that raises awareness of a specific service or property, as well as directs increased traffic to a website. In addition, there’s also an increase in phone calls about the property highlighted in the direct mail piece. The increase in traffic and buzz about the property generally leads to growth in new listings, booked showings, signed contracts, and closed deals.

Real Estate Direct Mail Statistics

The statistics below indicate how well direct mail for real estate works

Average Response Rate of 4.4%
If you do the math, that is eleven responses for every 250 direct mail pieces that are sent out.

5% Average Response Rate for Oversized Direct Mail
This calculates to fifteen responses for every 300 direct mail pieces that are mailed.

70% of America Views Real Estate Direct Mail as Being More Personal
The more personalized the connection between a customer and real estate agents, the more likely the customer will be swayed to consider and ultimately choose to buy or sell with that real estate agent or company.

 Real Estate Brands Increase Awareness by 39% On Average by Using Direct Mail
The sheer act of “showing up” in the mailbox means increased brand awareness and engagement, and greater brand recognition.

 Real Estate Offerings are Opened 11% More Than Other Direct Mail
The increased engagement with real estate direct mail is due to the message often being consumed on the property of the person reading it. The message hits the mark with the person who might be thinking about purchasing a new home or possibly how they can upgrade their current home. 

75% of Millennials Say Direct Mail is Valuable – 92% are Influenced to Make a Purchase Due to Direct Mail
As millennials age, they are likely to increase their purchasing power and enjoy access to funds that were not as attainable in the past. Ergo they are making up an increased amount of the real estate buying power and audience.

 62% of Consumers Who Respond to a Direct Mail Piece Make a Purchase Within 90 Days
This impressive rate and turnaround time shows that getting in front of buyers at the right time in the buying cycle can make a huge difference in whether they purchase from you.

Put the power of these direct mail statistics to work for your business with a direct mail piece for your real estate campaign. Call us for more info and assistance!

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Direct Mail Targeting Strategy #1 – Job Title & Industry Targeting

One of the most successful direct mail targeting strategies is identifying your audience by job title and industry targeting. By focusing on these demographics, you can be assured you are focusing your efforts on making sure your message (including both the copy and the graphics) gets in front of the right decision makers at the companies you want to reach as well as develop an ongoing business relationship. In turn, this leads to increased engagement, a greater number of responses, and higher sales… cha-ching!

Direct Mail Targeting Strategy #2 – Neighborhood Marketing Focused

The process of segmenting an audience makes it possible to target certain cities, states, and zip codes in your area or across the country. You can also target the audience in the areas near your business with neighborhood targeting that focuses on certain geographies including neighborhoods that likely have a profile of customers who are best suited to utilize your products or services. Take into account the distinct qualities of the target neighborhoods so you can optimize your message to reflect the needs of the neighborhood.

Direct Mail Targeting Strategy #3 – Demographics Targeting

When it comes to the most familiar direct mail targeting strategy for companies, demographics targeting is a “Must Have” on your list of targeting strategies. The use of standard demographics ensures you create and deliver a more focused message that also provides an increase in your ROI. Within this type of demographic, you are able to target a variety of audience segments including those who live in a home with children, the specific age of the children, the marital status of the audience, and even more granular demographic information.

Ready to put any of the above direct mail targeting strategies to work for your business? If so, call out direct mail experts.

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Art File Prep Tip #1 – Include Print Bleed, Trim and Safety Margins

Print bleed, trim, and safety need to be created by a graphic designer before they are sent to a print shop. By properly creating these items, you can be assured that the final print will come out exactly as you desire. Let’s examine what each of these items means in the design process:

• Bleed is the extra space located around the document that is able to be cut off after an item is printed. Print bleed allows the print to extend all the way to the edge of the paper without any issues related to damaging the image. In general, its size is typically .125 inches or ⅛”.
• The trim is highlighted with marks that show where the document will be cut off at its final size. The trim of the design is related to the bleed as it cuts off the area that has bled into the trim area (located beyond the trim marks).
• Safety is defined as an area located within the final document size and it ensures nothing will be changed, altered, or modified in that space. Keep in mind that any pertinent information you want printed should be located within the safety section.

Art File Prep Tip #2 – Choose the Correct Artboard Size

When it comes to the artboard size or canvas size, they should match the design size to reduce the number of adjustments that will need to be performed by the print shop, potentially altering your design
There is also another important reason for the artboard size to be correct during the design and printing process… If the size is not correct, there will be a risk of the design not being printed in the right position. This can spell disaster for the final printed product as some information might be missing or the design can just look “off” to the average eye.

Art File Prep Tip #3 – Using RGB Instead of CMYK

Let’s discuss the most common issue that is found when art files are going to print. The art file format can require some extra steps if it has been created using RGB colors instead of being created using CMYK colors.
Why is this so important?
If the art file format is RGB colors instead of CMYK colors, prepress software will need to be used to convert the colors from RGB to CMYK. While this can help you get close to the actual colors you used when designing the art file, there is no guarantee they will be 100% the same when it is printed in CMYK. Better to be safe than sorry and design your files in CMYK.
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