Marketing Materials: The Production Process

Most businesses release an array of marketing materials – from stationery and printed collaterals, to promotional souvenirs and signages. For these to deliver the most returns on investment, they should follow a streamlined production process. Here are the steps leading to the creation of an effective marketing collateral, be it a pamphlet, a magazine article, or a huge billboard sign. 1. Determine the objectives. Ideally, this step should already find basis in the overall strategic goals of the company which typically cover the operations for the whole year. Printing a brochure for an event should then achieve a specific objective that merely contributes to these goals. 2. Find a graphic designer/supplier. The goal of a graphic designer is to help you draw up a concept, and translate this to an artwork that becomes a marketing material. Companies can contact a graphic design agency for the job, and sign an agreement. At this point, the designer’s counterpart in the company should orient him about the corporate branding and communications guidelines. 3. Develop a concept. Every material should be based on an idea, which will bind the elements together. These can be abstract concepts that are ultimately tied to the company’s corporate branding. A website ad for a construction firm’s CSR project on sustainable development may, for example, focus on the concept of growth, or hope, or inclusivity. 4. Designing the material. For this stage, it is the graphic designer’s job to work on the draft, while his counterpart checks whether the concept and the execution is aligned with the company guidelines. 5. Final approval. After a couple of drafts, a mockup of the material should be printed, for final approval of the head of the unit, or if applicable, the company’s big boss. This mockup, or “proof,” should be what the actual marketing material will look like. 6. Printing and distribution. For this stage, companies can choose between generic copy and print shops, specialty print shops, and online printers. But a company may also outsource the task of finding a printer to the graphic design agency, or seek their help in dealing with the printing service to ensure that the specifications are met. Any which way, it is important for the printing and distribution of marketing materials to follow a strict timeline based on the company’s marketing plan. To help design creative and distinct marketing materials that effectively communicate your corporate identity, get in touch with a graphic design agency.