Please Review My Marketing Material (photos Incl.)

Agnessa

Here is our new business card. business card
It’s a folded company card. Any ideas of text on side 3?


Here is the direct mail post card we going to mail around the sites (the door hangers are coming too). postcard I thought to put something like “Do you know who has best kitchen on the block?” or “Come see the best kitchen in the area”. Any ideas? I know you guys a good in that.

Now I’m completely lost about back of the card. My designer offers to use this image, but I think it’s too busy. back of postcard On other hand card should work from both sides. But what do I write on the back?

Any ideas on door hanger? Should I use the same graphic as the post card, just change it a bit? Any great ideas you used?

Thanks for the help!

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Agnessa Uchitel
Bergen Remodeling, Inc.
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What the caterpillar calls the end of the world the master calls a butterfly.

Grumpy

Why ftp server? Use http, because I am given not found errors

Agnessa

Sorry, I fixed the links.

__________________
Agnessa Uchitel
Bergen Remodeling, Inc.
____________________
What the caterpillar calls the end of the world the master calls a butterfly.

Mike Finley

Personally I don't like folding business cards. They tend to be awkward and not easy to keep, they just seem like a gimmick or someone doing something just for the sake of being different. I have never seen the point of them other than giving somebody more space to write on, but yours wouldn't even do this because it is filled with text.

Keep in mind a business card isn't going to win you any sales, traditionally most people only refer to a business card after they have made a connection with a company, and the business card just becomes reference in how to contact them. Turning it into a mini billboard or info-commercial and believing it will be effective is a bit optimistic in my opinion. If somebody can find your phone number on your business card, I think the card has done all it is supposed to do.

The post card front is pretty, but I don't see it being very effective, it is looking very generic. It looks like it was created by a designer and not a marketing person. When it comes to working with a pure designer, I would use them for their artistic and technical abilities only. Many people make the mistake of approaching a designer and telling them what they want to do (I need a post card that I can send out to customers around my current jobs to drum up new business) instead of what they want (Create this post card using this image and these words so I can send it to the printer for printing). I have found that most designers are great at making pretty pictures, but lousy at making effective marketing.

I don't understand the reasoning behind another generic picture on the back. Typically people look at the picture on the front and the message and if it grabs them they flip it over for more information. Call me too traditional but I don't follow the thoughts that a post card has to work from the front or back, I have never heard that before.

Grumpy

Agreed. I like a nice FULL color business card with printing front and back. I receive many compliments on my cards in the past.
Disagreed. I think the business card is alot more powerful than you are giving it credit to be. EVERYTHING abour your company should be A) Professional and B) Branded to look like your stationary, website etc...

The post card has a front and back, but nowhere did I see an address block. To me each one of those designs can be a seperate post card. personally I'd pick one design and stick with it. I'd use one of those fronts with the pretty pictures to grab attention. Put your company name on the front. On the backside simple is better. Divide the card in half on the backside. One is for the mailing information and the other for your name and slogan and contact info and perhaps what services you offer.

One thing I know for sure, advertising of any kind is better than no advertising.

One last comment. I am not sure if you reduced the quality (resolution/dpi) of the cards for faster loading, but the quality is definetly low for print.

PipeGuy

I couldn't agree more. I see the card as a jump off point for contact with a new customer. The card needs to make it as easy as possible for the potential customer to make contact with you. Contact is the point at which you have the opportunity to begin to set yourself apart through substance rather than imagery, and that's ultimately what will benefit you the most in the long run. I don't believe a business card design has ever prompted someone to make a call...it's the customer's "need" that does the prompting. To me, the important part is being accessible when the need arises.

Amen. I throw away all door hangers and post cards because they're too bulky, cluttersome, and I count them as "junk mail". USPS "junk mail" goes directly into the trash. On the other hand I keep business cards, put them in a small box, and periodically plug the info into Outlook before chucking them.

The marketing "trick" that works best on me is a one paragraph letter of introduction, with a business card stapled to it, stuck in my front door. I can read it and tear off the card by the time I hit the nearest trash can. Again, it's my need that prompts me to make contact not the image in the mail.

IMO, I think that most professional marketing strategies are designed more towards promoting the marketers than they are towards promoting the businesses that is being marketed.

PipeGuy

I think Grumpy's dead-on; presenting a consistent corporate "image" across all aspects of printed media (business cards, clothing, signage, stationery, promotional items, etc.) is important. It lends professionalism to public pereception of the company by "saying" that this is a company that values consistancy.

I also think that images that prompt a customer to a thoughtful "question", rather than prompting them to a favorable "conclusion", are more likely to prompt them to remember you when they have a need.

Teetorbilt

I'm more 'old school'. No logo or fancy artwork but good cards, legible and concise.
TEETOR & TEETOR, Inc. Large in gold leaf with black shadow.
home improvement * remodeling
window treatments In black and smaller.
Phone# Same as company name.
Fax# same as description
corners, Lic# + insured, my name and position same as description
website bottom center same as description

One note. Here, as a contractor, your lic# is required to be on all advertising and your biz card is considered advertising. Might want to ck with the local powers. I was low on my first batch of cards when the building dept informed me of this so I didn't lose too much. I'm also starting to see it pop up on uniform shirts. Just food for thought.