Promotion Design That Works: Secrets for Successful Promotion Design - Softcover

Cullen, Cheryl Dangel

9781564967725: Promotion Design That Works: Secrets for Successful Promotion Design

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1564967727 ISBN 13: 9781564967725

Publisher: Rockport Pub, 2001

At a time when credibility is measured, in part, by the quality of a company's web presence, how does the promotion contribute to a company's communications strategy? How do you make promotions communicate key strategic messages in the most direct and useful way possible? How do you integrate promotions for both print and digital technology? How do you create layers of information that can be accessed at different levels quickly and efficiently? Promotional Design That Works explores the new realm of "cross media," in which promotions must stand out among a glut of print, Web, broadcast, and direct mail pieces that flood our world. Using an innovative blend of practical information, compelling images, and cutting edge research, the author dissects twenty cross-media promotional designs working in several mediums (web, print, etc.) to explain both what design elements make a promotion memorable and why promotions are successful from a consumer, content and design perspective.

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About the Author:

Cheryl Dangel Cullen is a marketing and graphic design consultant who writes for several major graphic design publications. She is the author of a number of books, including The Best of Annual Report Design, Large Graphics, Small Graphics, Then Is Now, Promotion Design That Works, and the forthcoming Identity Design That Works. She lives outside Chicago, Illinois.

Introduction:

What is the key to a successful promotion? Designers the world over could debate for hours without ever reaching any workable conclusion about what makes one campaign work and another fail miserably.

Is it money? Perhaps. A healthy budget can certainly buy more media, guaranteeing greater exposure, not to mention glitzy attention-getting printing, and a big, fat postage budget for a wide-ranging direct-mail campaign. But does that ensure success? Not always.

Of the twenty cutting-edge promotional campaigns in this book that actually proved they worked at reaching their target audience, few had budgets with more than a little room to spare. In fact, most succeeded despite their lean budgets. Why? Because limited funds seem to foster creative thinking; minds, not wallets, are allowed to prove their mettle.

That’s not to say that promotions require only meager monies to succeed. Given that theory, clients around the world would be slashing budgets, leaving little but bread and water to sustain the creative minds they employ. No, successful promotions require something more.

The twenty promotional campaigns profiled here are vastly different, but they all share one thing in common besides success—a willingness to use a range of media to communicate. They don’t rely on static graphic design alone. They incorporate everything from print, television, and radio advertising, direct mail, and signage to Web design, three-dimensional environments, and much more.

Some designers claim integrating all these aspects is key to a success, along with follow-up. Others claim that an element of fun, wit, and humor is paramount. Capturing the prospect’s heart and mind is yet another tact. Others suggest surrounding yourself with talent.

Why did their promotion work? The designers profiled in this book share their thoughts:

‘It addresses the bigger strategy issues versus just being nice graphics that decorate something.’ —Sean Adams, Adams Morioka.

‘It [the promotion] made a huge splash and did everything it was supposed to do.’ —Kelli Christman, Free Range Chicken Ranch

‘It works because all the thinking was straight upfront and it got rolled out without being undermined or compromised.’ —FrankViva, Viva Dolan Communications and Design Inc.

‘The promotion worked so well because it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The campaign combines a mixture of work time and playtime and capitalizes on that.’ —Michael Gorman, Square One Design

‘The concepts, ideas, materials, and techniques used were innovative. Clutter continues to make it hard for an advertiser’s message to be noticed and harder still for it to be believed.’ —AdeleWapnick, Cross Colours Ink

‘This campaign worked ultimately because of the open communication Diesel Design developed with [the client]. We were able to form an excellent understanding of Adomo’s product and turn that into a clearly communicated, distinguished brand.’ —Amy Bainbridge, Diesel Design

...an agency that was willing to give a 200 percent solution We’ve given them the right tools to make this campaign work on a continuing basis. That’s why I think it really works.’ —Ken Carbone, CarboneSmolan Agency

‘The element of surprise has a Lot to do with its success.’ —Ioshua Berger, Plazm Media

‘...A successful promotion communicates a market position with unbridled enthusiasm. A great campaign has a great personality and it has heart.’ —Burkey Belser, Greenfield/Belser Ltd.

Their experience is vast. Their ideas are numerous. Their stories are ones you’ll learn from and remember.

Promotion Design That Works takes all this good design advice a step further and adds the kind of cross-media and marketing information that gives promotion and graphic designers the competitive edge.

How will you know you’ve succeeded? To paraphrase Larry Anderson, Hornall Anderson Design Works, ‘when you hear word on the street that the competition is a little worried, then you know you’ve done a good job.’

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