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Brochures
6.1 Why are brochures important for your business?
Brochures are an inexpensive, highly visible way to promote your key messages to existing and prospective clients. By offering basic information you can effectively clarify issues, provide credibility to insurance buyers and introduce them to new options. A brochure can also assist in promoting your own products and services and add value to your direct marketing initiatives. Brochures can be used as: • Marketing tools to promote your business; • Direct mail distributed with personalised letters to clients; • Point of sale, available in your reception area; • Back-up information for new business proposals; • Advertisements for your business through distribution at seminars or functions; or • Inserts in your newsletter or local newspaper. For each particular marketing need, there’s a suitable size of brochure. It is important that you consider what the brochure is to be used for. For example, if you’re trying to project a serious “corporate” image with a brochure and intend to hand it to specific clients and prospects, you will probably want it to be a larger size than one which is to be mailed out to thousands of letterboxes, or which sits in a holder on the front counter of your business. And just as the size of the brochure can reflect the major purpose you intend to use it for, the weight and “feel” of the paper (stock) is also important. That’s why it’s usually a good idea to consult a graphic designer or specialist printer. There are many confusing variations, and getting it right at the start is going to affect the “impact” of the final product. Tips for effective brochure copy When assessing your brochure copy, these are the things you should consider: • Product benefits: Have you covered every benefit and selling point?
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• Appropriate language: Is the copy presented in language your reader will understand? Simple is best. • Factual statements: Are the benefits claimed backed up by hard facts? • Immediate impact: Does it make that allimportant promise right away? • Concise copy: Does it stick to the point and hold the reader’s interest? • Good narrative: Does it flow logically from point to point? • Enthusiastic tone: Does the brochure have “energy”? Is it convincing? • Questions answered: Does the copy answer any questions it raises and cover any concerns the reader might have? • Call to action: Does the brochure invite the reader to contact you? Does it include your contact details in a prominent position? • Informative copy: Does the brochure inform rather than sell? Does it let the reader come to the conclusion that they need your service, rather than just telling them that they do? Checklist 1. Appearance • Is the brochure consistent with all your other marketing materials? • Is there enough white space to ensure it doesn’t appear too “busy”? • Is it designed with the reader in mind? • Is the font appropriate and the size readable? • Have you used images to break up the copy and add interest? 2. Content • Is there a purpose for the brochure? • Is each section identified with an appropriate headline? • Have you explained your service as clearly as possible? • Do you show examples of your service or product in use? • Do you outline an offer, price and guarantee?
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chapter 6.1 Why are brochures important for your business?
3. Preparation • What size best suits your content and purpose? • Is the quality of the paper stock in keeping with your other marketing materials? • Would colour improve the look and feel of the brochure? • Have you sourced two or three quotes from different print houses? • Have you established what format the print house will need to receive the brochure file for print? Considerations when creating a brochure: To make your print material effective, you need to understand what you want to achieve from the brochure and who you hope to communicate with. Are you reinforcing the benefits of your service or promoting a specific type of insurance? You also need to consider the sort of timing you have to print the brochure and how long it will remain current. The size of your audience and the “life” or timeframe you would like the brochure to remain useful will dictate the quantity you require. To analyse your current communications materials please complete Worksheet 14.
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6.2 Design and print production
While it is often cost-effective to produce newsletters, bulletins, direct mail leaflets and brochures in-house, high print runs, lack of staff time or simply the need to look more professional may force you to consider outsourcing the design and print production to professionals. Selecting and commissioning suppliers Graphic designers: A local graphic design agency will be able to organise production of your printed materials. Graphic designers range from homebased freelancers to large agencies, so their cost can vary dramatically. Until you find a designer you trust and want to work with regularly, obtain several quotes. Check the design portfolios of all designers you are consulting – you will usually find it quite easy to decide a design “style” you like. You will find designers in the Yellow Pages. Better still, ask your business peers for recommendations. Graphic designers will be able to recommend copywriters or photographers if you need them. They can also help you achieve your objectives within your budget by advising on more costeffective ways of producing your publications. Even if you are sub-contracting your printer and your designer separately, always make sure they are communicating. Occasionally designers come up with great work that is expensive or difficult to print. A printer can often find ways to create the same effect at a lesser cost. Printers: If you’re using a graphic designer, it’s usually worth getting them to select and liaise with a printer for you. Although the agency will mark up printing costs, they may get bulk discounts from printers that can offset this cost. One benefit of printing through a designer is that he or she should minimise the risk of faulty printing. If you liaise directly with the printer without understanding the technicalities of print production, you may find yourself with an unattractive job resulting in an expensive reprint. If you use a designer, it’s up to them to negotiate and, if necessary, pay for a reprint if the job goes wrong. Sort out such responsibilities with the designer and printer before you reach any final agreement. If you have an existing relationship with a printer and you’re happy with their work, then you may be able to manage the print job yourself.
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6.3 The production process
Understanding the print production process can save you considerable expense when it comes to making final amendments to your document. Initial design concepts: Ideally, you should supply the designer with copy and photography, if required, before they begin the design process. It is better to fit design to copy, not copy to design. Most designers will provide you with two or three different design concepts. Generally, the designs will be printed out on a colour laser printer. Bear in mind that the colours will look slightly different when they are printed on a printing press. Get your designer to show you colour swatches of the real colour (the Pantone or PMS colour) to ensure you know exactly what is proposed. Once you have agreed on the overall “look”, the designer will produce one page or layout in that design for you to make final adjustments to the style. Layout: Next the designer lays out the whole document in the agreed design style. It is very important to get everything right at the layout stage. Making copy and design changes during layout should not cost you extra because the designer will have allowed for you to make some alterations. So, when you see the final layout, treat it as if you are signing it off to go to print. Read it three times and get several people to check it too. Changing anything after this point becomes very expensive. Final artwork: Final artwork is used to produce the plate that the printer prints from. Once your document has gone to final artwork you can still make changes, but these are now called “author’s amendments” and you will be charged for them in addition to the original quote. Most designers state this on their quote, but even those that don’t will still charge you extra for author’s amendments. Print: It’s now up to the designer and printer to produce the document you have signed off on. Printing may take up to a week, depending on quantity and complexity, including drying time, trimming, folding, stitching (if appropriate) and delivery. If you are not happy with the colour, the quality of the printing or the way the document has been stitched together or folded, call your designer immediately. It should be the designer’s responsibility to ensure the job is completed to your satisfaction. Planning: Use a print production schedule to assist you and your suppliers to meet deadlines and responsibilities. For a sample print production schedule, please see Appendix J.
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6.4 Evaluation
Before you go to the final artwork stage, ask a sample of your target audience to review the material. Ask them to read the copy and advise how they think it could be improved, or if it raises questions that are not covered in the material. You will be surprised at the improvements that can be made. After the brochure has been printed, ask another sample of readers for their input into how the brochure could be improved. The input you receive will be constructive and will assist you to improve the brochure when you need to reprint it.
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6.5 Briefing a graphic designer and/or printer
A graphic designer or printer will want to know the parameters of a job before they can quote on it. If you’re not sure what you need, ask for their advice. It helps to provide a written brief as structured below. Item: Brief description of what it is and what it is for. Quantity: As you print more, the unit cost goes down, so it pays to ask for a quotation on different print runs, for example if you need 1000 brochures ask for quotes on 1000, 2000 and 5000. You will often find the difference in costs for printing 5000 brochures compared to 1000 is negligible. The extra brochures could be used for a direct mail campaign or even distributed as an insert in a magazine or your local newspaper. Format: Size – A4, A5, DL (1/3 A4), etc – and number of pages. Colours: Black & white, one, two or four colours (if you are considering three colours, there’s very little cost difference between this and four colours, which offers a far more professional look). A four colour process represents a full colour print job. This involves using the process colours: cyan, magenta, yellow and black, also known in printing terminology as CMYK process. Scans: If you are using photographs, how many will you use? Copy: How will copy be supplied – on a disk (if so what format – Mac or PC?) or via email. Graphics: Specify any graphs, illustrations or diagrams that need to be generated. Paper stock: Ask your designer/printer to recommend this. You may want them to quote on a range of stocks (cheap and expensive) and provide samples so you can see exactly what you will get for your money. Avoid stocks or “finishes” that show fingerprints. Design: Tell the designer who the target audience is and the type of “look and feel” you want the document to create – for example, professional, entertaining, friendly, modern, etc. Show them examples of other similar documents you either do or don’t like. Give the designer copies of your letterhead, logo any other corporate documents so they can maintain your corporate image in the design.
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6.6 Comparing quotes
When comparing quotes, make sure you know exactly what has been quoted for; you may find that one print cost is higher than another because the designer has chosen a more expensive paper. The weight of the paper (known as GSM or grams per square metre) also impacts on the final cost, with a heavier stock resulting in a higher price. Use a cost control sheet to record your print production costs. This will assist you to make cost comparisons with other print jobs when the time comes for reprinting your brochures or changing suppliers.
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6.7 Proof-reading printed materials
Checking copy If you have gone to the expense of having a document professionally designed and printed, the whole effect can be spoiled by a spelling mistake or typing error. Proof reading text is a time-consuming process, but do it anyway – an hour’s extra work is a small price to pay to avoid a spoiled brochure and the need for a reprint. It’s very difficult to proof copy you have written yourself, because your mind knows what should be there and often fails to register mistakes. Try to have at least one other person check the document through. You should read the text three times • The first time simply read the copy straight through, out loud if necessary, to make sure it makes sense, flows properly and stays in the same style. You will pick up a few errors at this stage. • Next check through for punctuation and formatting – are the headings and sub-headings the right size and level with each other at the top of the page, is the punctuation consistent (check for the way bullet points are treated), are the sub-headings in the same case and type size, are the spaces between headings and blocks of copy the same size? • Finally, check each word for correct spelling – you may find it easier to do this by reading the copy from back to front. Mark up the changes on the document and talk them through with the designer. Make sure you see and check a final version with all the amendments before you progress to the next stage. Checking the layout Go through the layout with the designer and check for: • Correct colours • Positioning of photography and illustrations • Photographs reproduced the wrong way around • Readability – is the text big enough and not obscured by the design • Captions fitting the right photos • Broken type or unsightly hyphenations of words Again, make sure you see an amended proof before signing off.
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Appendix J
Use this sample print production schedule to help you to agree on deadlines and actions with your suppliers.
Print Production Schedule Activity Prepare design brief Obtain three quotes Appoint designer Agree production costing Confirm production schedule Meet with designer to discuss design Organise photography/illustrations* Initial designs and sample stock submitted Review initial designs First draft (already proof-read) Layout presented for approval Full “mock up” for approval Proof-reading and final amendments Sigoff final “mock up” Artwork signed off Printing proofs signed off Printing completed Delivery Distribution of material Responsibility xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx xx xx xx xx xx Date xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx
* A professional photographer or illustrator should be used
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Appendix K
Use these sample brochure designs as a guide to the most suitable sizes. These samples are displayed as portrait, but could also be formatted as landscape documents.
4 panel foldout DL, A5 and A4
6 panel foldout DL, A5 and A4
8 panel foldout DL, A5 and A4
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Worksheet 14
Q1. List the different brochures your business currently distributes and analyse their importance. Is it possible to merge two separate brochures and still communicate effectively? Is there an aspect of your service your current brochures don’t convey?
Q2. List the five key messages you most want to communicate about your business. For example, are you the market leader in a specific type of insurance coverage? Do you invest back into the local community? 1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
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