Author Archives: Gail Duncan

Power Words that Sell

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Before you’€™ve even had time for a coffee break, you’€™ve probably already been bombarded with hundreds of marketing messages. Television, radio, signs, billboards, vans, taxis and newspapers — they’€™re all screaming for your attention.

How many can you remember now? We’€™d be surprised if it’d be far into double figures.

If you’€™re looking to win new customers, you’ve got to be smarter to grab their attention. We can help. We’€™ve come up with some unusual ideas for intriguing potential customers.

Use These Words to Add Sales Punch:

Absolutely, Announcing, Amazing, Approved, Authentic, Bargain, Better, Big,
Breakthrough, Complete, Delivered, Direct, Discount, Easily, Excellent, Endorsed,
Exciting, Exclusive, Expert, Famous, Free, Get, Gift, Greatest, Guaranteed, How,
Huge, Immediately, Improved, Introducing, Instant, Impact, Largest, Latest, Lifetime,
Limited, Love, Lowest, Magic, Miracle, New, Now, Powerful, Practical, Professional,
Profitable, Quality, Quickly, Reduced, Revolutionary, Secrets, Special, Superior,
Successful, Strange, Today, Unique, Wealth, Win, You

 

Detox Your Brand

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Now we’€™re not suggesting your brand has consumed twice its body weight in doughnuts and milkshakes. Not at all. We’€™re talking about a different kind of detox.

Take Our Quiz
First things first, we need to find out if your brand is toxic. (Don’€™t think you have / need a brand? Talk to us.)

Does your stationery use any fonts in the shameful list below?

Shameful fonts

Your choice of typeface says a lot about you and your business. An important first step in creating your brand is to select an appropriate font family which suits your desired image. Don’t worry, we can help you choose wisely.

Was your logo designed in €œWord€ or €œMSPaint€?

Does each bit of your stationery look slightly different from the others?

Is your color scheme in the dated list below?

Dated and Dapper colours

Just like your wardrobe, color tones can go out of fashion —€” that’€™s why some major brands make subtle adjustments to theirs through the years.

Are your contact details (telephone, address, email) out of date?

Is your logo a clip-art cartoon or downloaded free from the web?

Are your business cards printed at home on your inkjet printer?

Do people ever say, “€œOh, I didn’€™t realize that’€™s what you did€”?

Do your business cards have “Printed for free”€ by someone on the back?

Are you a bit embarrassed to hand someone your card?

If you’€™ve answered Yes to any, we need to talk. Your brand may need a detox. Give us a call and we can arrange for a free and honest appraisal of your existing identity. It doesn’t need to be painful. Sometimes we can spend an hour or two on a quick facelift. Or if you can afford to invest a bit more in your identity, we’€™d be delighted to chat through some options.

Brochure Masterclass

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A great brochure can do wonders for your organization.
Before you start, think about the answers to these questions and it won’€™t be long before your competitors are sobbing into their tissues.

What’€™s the brochure’€™s purpose?
Will you be mailing the brochure by itself or as part of a bigger pack? Is it for an exhibition? How will you distribute it?

Who’s your audience?
Existing or prospective customers? All of them, or just a section? Who will be reading it —€” executives, creatives, techies, kids?

Who should be involved?
It’€™s best to get decisionmakers involved at the early stages. Have a brainstorming session to thrash out your ideas.

How much can you spend?
It’s best to know your budget from the outset. That way, we can find the best solution without breaking the bank.

Who’€™s going to write it?
You got good English grades and want to write the copy yourself? Many people do. Pick up a book on copywriting and get some tips. But edit yourself aggressively. If you can use half the words, do. We can help with a bit of polish if you want us to.

Who’€™s going to design it?
You may cook a wicked lasagne, but could you cater for five hundred? If you’ve tinkered with a design package, you may consider designing your brochure yourself. Do so at your peril. You may end up with a lame brochure that does more harm than you think. Leave it to the pros. We’€™d love to help —€” get us involved early in the project.

What photography will you use?
Photos sorted already, or will you need some taking? Or will low-cost stock photos do the job? How many will you need?

How much detail do you need?
It’s tempting to include every little nugget of information. Great brochures are often uncluttered, with lots of white space. Keep it clean and relevant to your audience.
What are your competitors doing?
 Gather together competitors’€™ brochures. This will help you decide what to cover. You need to look at least as good, if not better.

Who’€™s going to proof it?
Not anyone who’€™s been involved! People tend to read what they think they’€™ve written. Use a fresh pair of eyes and meticulously check every detail. It’€™s worth the effort.

Get cute with cut-outs.. get yourself noticed!

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Did you love origami as a kid? Well it’s time to dust off your origami black belt, get cutting and engage in some creative paper engineering.

Cut-out shapes are normally an expensive addition to your marketing campaign. Not any more. With our revolutionary techniques, you’ll pay a fraction of the usual costs and make your marketing stand out from the clutter.

Clutter is Evil
You’ve only got a few seconds to grab attention. There’s no substitute for a relevant, well-written headline, but you can increase your odds by making your mailer an interesting shape. People notice difference. Selling sports goods? Make your flyer the shape of a football. Coffee Shop? How about a flyer in the shape of a cup?

Make it Clear and Say it Loud
The most important thing to decide is what’s your message? What are you trying to tell your recipient? Why are you contacting them? Say it out loud. Did you waffle? Let’s try again. This time, try to compress your “pitch” into five seconds. If you can’t verbalize it in five seconds, you’ll struggle to keep your reader’s attention. Keep working on this until you’re happy with the reason for creating the marketing item. If you’re completely stuck, give us a call for help.

Make it Visual and Make it Sell
You’ve got the message. It’s short. It’s punchy. It leaves no one in any doubt as to what you’re trying to tell them. Great. Now think creatively.

How can you add impact to this message with a shape? Are you trying to make people wealthier? Make your mailer the shape of an upwards arrow. Real estate agent? How about a house-shaped flyer? Dentist? Wow. When did you last see a tooth-shaped flyer?

It’s a Material World
What finish will your item have? Does it need to be written on? Should it feel heavy? Shiny or matte?

Think Outside the Rectangle
How big will your item be? You could go as small as a business card or as big as a poster. Decide what you want your finished size to be, then check out our fixed prices.

Don’t Ruin it With Amateur Design
Now all that’s left is to come up with a creative design and some mouth-watering copy. Try this yourself, or get us involved early on. We can help with the whole process and work to your budget.