Everyday Cool Tips: Making an Impact with Clever Marketing Materials

Friday, April 27, 2012

Making an Impact with Clever Marketing Materials

I?m a believer that marketing materials will never go out of style. There?s something to be said when you have something really cool to give to someone else that characterizes you and your business.

I?m not talking about one of those squishy, stress reliever balls or a pen with your business name on it?I?m talking about clever marketing materials.

My coworker was at a recent business expo and came across a guy at a booth with cans and cans of corn. Corn? Yes, Del Monte corn. But these were no ordinary cans of corn?they were a business card.

Chris Quimby, owner of NachoTree, a print and digital design company, had created a very special label for these cans of corn.

?I bought a can of Del Monte corn, removed and scanned the label, then modified it in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator,? Quimby says. The label on his can of corn was sharing information about a small local humor paper his company creates. Quimby, who also spends his time working as ?Maine?s Funniest Clean Christian Comedian? thought the ?corny? business card would get some attention. It certainly caught mine.

My coworker brought a can back to the office, and couldn?t wait to show it to me. It certainly caught her attention! But is it edible?

?My wife took a few cans of it for a recipe a couple of weeks ago,? Quimby says. ?I was not pleased, because they were supposed to be used as marketing materials. Now we will have to buy more corn. The story ended well, though, as my wife cooked a delicious meal. I just don?t remember what it was.?

Being funny is part of Quimby?s business, and part of his persona. And his can of corn business card definitely shows off his humor, and his willingness to think outside of the box. It?s hard to show people funny?but I think Quimby?s can of corn does the trick.

A photographer friend of mine also used some neat marketing materials to showcase her work.

Anne Schmidt of Anne Schmidt Photography has created a photo book the size of a business card to give out to potential clients. It?s still small and compact, like a business card, but instead of showcasing just one of her photos, the mini book shows off several, which, for a photographer, is key.

I?ve been to my fair share of bridal shows throughout New England, and photographers do an amazing job in their booth space to showcase their work. Some of them even have sets that they assemble at each show, creating a little sitting nook with comfy chairs and large canvasses hanging on their ?wall.? But if you don?t give them something creative to take away, your photography work could very well get lost in the shuffle of the hundred or so other vendors.

Having a mini book, like Schmidt?s, gives people something to come back to over and over again. And it?s small enough to carry in your purse or pocket and share with others.

As the editor of a regional monthly magazine, I get all sorts of marketing materials in the mail. Most of them I throw away. One of the things I really like, though, are postcards. Because I work with a fair number of photographers, I get a lot of postcards featuring their work. Some of them use the postcard to thank me for publishing their work, while some use them to spread the word about an upcoming art show. Regardless, a gorgeous postcard will get pinned or taped to to the walls around my desk.

When you work in a creative field, creating marketing materials that speak to your clients is key. Schmidt and Quimby regularly attend business expos where they want to attract customers in person and leave them with something memorable. Their clever marketing materials are helping them to brand themselves, and, in some cases, providing a side dish at the next family meal.