Thinking Outside the Brochure

Most businesses approach marketing with the idea that they need a brochure or website or maybe they should do advertising (because a salesperson from a publication asked them to place an ad). Deciding which tactics to use—and how to do them right—first requires deciding what you want to accomplish (your SMART marketing objective) and how (defined by clear strategies).

The burning question behind all tactical decisions should be: For what purpose? For what purpose do you need a brochure? What strategy does it serve? Thinking through all the tactics that could be used strategically to achieve your objective yields a list of possibilities beyond the brochure. Depending on the nature of your business, a zine or miniportfolio or postcard may be more effective. With the question in mind of what your tactic must accomplish, all sorts of new possibilities open up. If you determine that a brochure is necessary to fulfill a strategic decision, then move forward. All promotional tactics must reflect your brand while speaking primarily to your customer’s needs.

Paradoxically, promotion requires enormous creativity to be successful, but promotional materials are not the place to be “artistic.” Effective promotion is a problem-solving activity, not an artistic one. As an art director who reviews student portfolios and mentors emerging graphic designers, the biggest mistake I see even design professionals make is that they are trying to be artistic, clever, creative—and, in fact, their work may be just that. But it first must be approached as a problem to solve for the client. In this case, the client is you. Creative entrepreneurs are notorious for rolling up their sleeves and personally doing absolutely everything their business requires. Usually this is because of the real necessity of not spending cash they don’t have. If your promotional efforts are not getting the results you want, consider hiring a communications design professional. Research the candidate or firm to see how they approach problem solving. The improved results of professional promotion will more than compensate for the initial cost. Also consider trading services with a designer. Photographer Lori Cheung trades portrait services with a graphic designer to achieve a consistent, professional look in all of her communications. Because Lori’s work is heavily referral based, the DVD clients receive of their photos not only serves a utilitarian purpose but also provides a constant reminder of who did the shoot, with contact information front and center.