Sack the Designer

As I sat in a meeting listening to our CEO discuss brochure strategy with us I realised its amazing how companies can get stuck in a rut when it comes to design.  Business strategy is all about predicting the curve - and so is a marketing strategy.  For longevity you should be constantly looking at where tomorrows consumers are and not yesterdays.  

On that thought the design for your marketing collateral should reflect that. In our market tomorrows consumers is an early adopter aged 30 - 40 and male.  Our brochures look like they target the 60+ old board room "suit"...and they do as "the suits" form part of our target market but so do the innovating early adopters. So how do you find the fine line in your design by targeting the two?

No 1: Sack the Designer

If you have had your designer for more than 3 years sack them! I have worked with numerous designers overtime and to be honest I can count on 2 fingers the ones I would recommend.  The whole point of outsourcing designers is that you can freshen, innovate and inject some ‘va va voom’ in to the design element of your campaign regularly.  Keeping an agency or freelancer on for year’s means they get stale and somehow forget YOU are the paying client.  If you feel your designer isn’t listening to your ideas or being creative - GET RID!

No2: Thorough creative brief

Your designer is only as good as the brief you give them.  There are lots of creative brief templates out there – but I would create one that’s specific for your company and needs. Then make your brief as thorough as possible - delving into both your target audiences and the design aspects you want. Consult with everyone that will have input into the piece of collateral you are creating so you don’t get stuck being the middle man. The amount of times I have heard "I don’t like it" when asked why "I don’t know - I just don’t like it" then all of sudden your expected to mind read.  If it’s a big project get a designer along with those responsible for content if it’s not just marketing.  I did this recently and they got the design look and feel of our brochure spot on first time.  Saving on endless back and forth emails and phone calls. 

No3: Listen to your gut

You’re the marketer I still always go by my first reaction when I look at a design piece...its actually that simple.  You know your market and audience you talk to them all day long...

Good Luck!