Collateral: Connecting You With Your Audience

Electronic communications may currently rule, but print collateral pieces still play an important role in marketing. Collateral materials are tangible representations of your brand that support and enhance sales and marketing efforts. Some commonly used collateral pieces are:

  • Business Cards
  • Brochures
  • Rack Cards
  • Stationery
  • Folders

Just as e-readers didn’t replace books (as some predicted), there are certain items that just have a special look and feel when printed. Sure, you can scan a QR code for contact information and save it directly into your phone, but it’s not the same as a business card that is printed on nice paper, with colorful ink, and a logo. Similarly, the experience of holding and perusing a printed piece is much different than consuming the same information online.

Printed collateral is often perceived as being more personal, and therefore more effective. Even though both electronic and print communications can be easily personalized, the experience of getting something in the mail that the recipient recognizes as special due to everything from the feel of the paper, to the selections of colors, to the font…all of which translate very differently from electronic to print iterations. For example, which would you prefer from a not-for-profit organization seeking a donation or for a loved one’s wedding invitation, an email invite or a traditional paper one? Both contain the same information, but one means more to you.

Today, we’re more excited to see postal mail than email.

Your collateral materials will enhance your other marketing ventures, such as your website and advertising, and will provide your audience with a physical representation of your brand. To get started aligning your collateral with your other efforts, email or call us at 315-797-5088.

Sticking with the Classics: Traditional Marketing in the Digital Age

It may be easy to dismiss traditional marketing in the Internet Age, but it’s not necessarily wise. Although the numbers are certainly smaller than they were in their heyday, people still pay attention to television and print advertising.

Advertising on television and in newspapers, professional publications, and periodicals have some strong advantages over online advertising. When we use the Internet, we are more distracted by scrolling, video, and pop-ups, diverting our attention from online ads. Television and print advertising encroach less on the customer’s experience – they know how to expect these advertisements and don’t have to worry about pop-ups or any other intrusive ads.

Readers tend to linger more over printed materials than they do for the very same articles online, perhaps due an affection for reading print or simply because it’s more comfortable for the eyes. Many people enjoy the experience printed materials offer – they have a feel and sometimes a scent that connect with the consumer on an emotional level (just like the people who prefer books over e-readers). Print media also has great design flexibility; you can use a wider range of designs, allowing for an attention-getting piece, and the variety of papers available for print enhance both the design and the consumer’s experience. Ironically, the fact that fewer businesses are using direct mail has made recipients pay more attention to the pieces that they do receive rather than disregarding them.

Television advertising also retains value today. It can be integrated with your print and online advertising for a complete campaign, or it can stand alone. Television remains popular with Baby Boomers and Generation X-ers who, as of this writing, are established in careers or retired and are likely to have more disposable income than Generation Y or Millenials. Paid television advertising also retains the top spot for consumers learning about new products and services. Television ads also outpace Internet marketing when it comes to influencing consumers’ purchasing decisions.

For many brands, print and television advertising has the potential to be very beneficial. Take advantage of the opportunities afforded by traditional marketing by emailing or calling BCG at 315-797-5088.