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Promotion
and marketing are vital to the success
of almost every small business.
With the help of new technology, you can now create
a professional image for your products and reduce costs
while you're doing it! SARAH CUMBERLAND
guides you through the technology, and outlines
101 ways of using it effectively.
The technology
boom has put the power for creating dynamic marketing campaigns into
the hands of business owners. With a handful of digital helpmates you
can create and enhance stationery, promotional products, packaging and
brochures. All in-house.
Some of these new toys will also produce considerable savings over
traditional methods of gathering and reproducing materials for promotional
products. Initially, you will have to allocate precious business hours
to research, before buying, and to learning how to use the equipment
after the purchase. But for most people the gains will be worth this
sacrifice.
Step One: Gathering Images
Digital cameras. Once the domain of graphic designers and computer
boffins, digital cameras are becoming much more affordable for small
business and home use and their image quality is getting closer to
the results we are used to seeing from 35mm cameras.
"People
are seeing the advantages of owning a digital camera," says a spokesperson
from Canon. "With the overwhelming success of the Internet, there
is an increasing need for people to be able to produce professional
quality images for their website, economically."
The digital camera offers many benefits. After the initial purchasing
expense, there are no film and processing costs, and you will no longer
need to use a scanner to use the images in different ways. Once they
are downloaded onto the computer, the images can be used in presentations
or publications created using desktop publishing packages, sent as
email, used on Internet sites, printed on glossy paper as posters
or even as iron-on transfers for promotional material.
Picture quality (resolution) has improved dramatically in the past
few years. Generally, the higher the resolution, the higher the camera's
price. If the photos are going to be used for presentations or an
Internet site, a budget digital camera will probably be adequate.
A downside of digital cameras is their limited storage capacity. Cameras
without removable memory offer limited storage of pictures, the user
has to download the pics to a computer to free up the camera's memory
so that more photos can be taken. Most cameras offer different modes
of picture quality, the lower the quality the less memory they consume.
Some cameras have removable memory such as flash memory cards which
are used to store photos and can be used in a way like reusable film.
That is, you could carry a few spares so you could take lots of photos
before having to return to your computer. Note that most images from
a digital camera are around 1Mb each so investing in a removable drive
such as a Zip or Jaz to store images in the long term, makes sense.
A product being launched this year by Iomega is billed as a new alternative
for transfer and storage of any digital media. Clik! drives use 40Mb
reusable disks that are smaller than a credit card. Each disk has
the capacity to store approximately 40 high quality digital photographs
or 25 10-page Microsoft Powerpoint presentations with graphics.
Disks will retail for $9.95 (comparable to the cost of traditional
film, without requiring processing). Some digital cameras and handheld
computers will be manufactured with built-in Clik! drives.
Major digital camera brands in the market include Canon, Kodak, Apple,
Epson, Fuji, Olympus and Konica. Prices range from $399 for a Kodak
DC20 to around $20,000 for a professional Nikon digital camera.
Scanning It - Scanners are the most universal method of transforming
images, including photographs and text, into computer files. Most
all-in-one multi-function office machines such as Hewlett Packard's
OfficeJet 635 have a built-in scanning facility. However, a flatbed
scanner is more versatile as it can scan from the pages of a book
or a brochure that may not feed through what is essentially a fax
machine slot.
For a detailed rundown on buying a scanner, turn to our buyers guide
on scanners on page ?????.
Step Two: Putting It All Together
Desktop publishing software packages, such as Microsoft Publisher,
Adobe PageMaker and QuarkXpress, enable users to produce professional
looking newsletters and brochures without the need for a degree in
graphic design. They do require skill (and patience!) however, and
it's worth taking a short training course. Tackle only basic layout
tasks at first and outsource more complex design work to a graphic
designer.
Graphics software packages are essential tools for enhancing the photos
and images you have gathered. One such package is Windows Draw, from
Micrografx, which has thousands of ready-to-print newsletters, signs,
brochures and certificates. Four main applications are drawing, photo
editing, 3D and management of 20,000 photo and clip art images. Corel's
PrintHouse Magic is an all-in-one graphics package that uses clip
art and templates to design cards, banners, invitations, business
cards and flyers.
A more advanced image editing software package is PicturePublisher
from Micrografx that allows the creation of professional photographic
effects and Web graphics, with a familiar Microsoft Office look and
feel. Programs most commonly used by professionals are Adobe Photoshop
and PhotoDeluxe. CDs are available with a range of photos and clip
art, an affordable way to inject life into your business stationery
and publications.
Software is available to assist you with specific creative tasks such
as creating your own business cards and stationery. One such program
is Expert's Business Cards which provides a variety of templates and
graphics.
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Better
Brochures ...
The main job of a brochure is to educate the prospective customer,
providing him or her with everything they need to make a smart
purchase. Use visuals, photographs, pictures, charts, graphs
or whatever it takes to display your business as you want
it to be seen. Take pride in your brochure so you can have
confidence when selling your product.
- Consider
using three-fold A4 brochures that fit into 110 x 220 (DL)
envelopes.
- Use
colour for emphasis. Good design, persuasive copy and overall
style are important.
- Your
catalogue is your salesperson in print. Walk your customer
through the selling steps. First get their attention, attract
their interest, arouse desire, conviction, then call for
action. Include a coupon on the last page.
- A
'call for action' might be asking for more information,
visiting the store personally or filling in the credit card
details and making the purchase.
- Money-back
guarantees are a must in catalogue selling. They build confidence
in your offer.
- How
do you know if the brochure is any good? What are the most
frequently asked questions about your business? If you can
hand them a brochure and say, "You'll find the answer to
that question in here", you know it's done its job!
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Source:
Kwik Kopy Newsletter
Step Three: Printing The Images
Inkjet
colour printers. New mediums for printing images using an inkjet printer
include fabric, adhesive papers, signage and coated photo paper. These
allow the easy creation of a range of promotional products and printed
material you'd never dream you could make in-house.
"Although
it is often overlooked, good quality paper is as important to inkjet
printing as speakers are to state-of-the-art audio systems," says
Brendan Lovelock, regional business general manager Digital & Applied
Imaging, at Kodak.
"To
get the full benefit of digital imaging at the PC, people need paper
that can manage the absorption of inks and provide the vibrant colour
that we associate with photographs."
Kodak
recently extended its line of inkjet paper to include perforated photo
paper, photo stickers, photo greeting card paper and A3 size photo
paper. Designed to have the look of true photographic paper, these
products can be used for a variety of applications, whether the picture
is downloaded from the Internet, a scanned image or captured with
a digital camera.
"People
can create photo business cards, personalised stickers for their business,
displays with enlargements, sales literature or simply a greeting
card," Lovelock says.
Australian
manufacturer Celcast specialises in inkjet papers for all purposes
including photo quality paper, business card sheets (with micro-perforations
to give each card a crisp edge), iron-on transfers, canvas-textured
paper, greeting card paper, glow in the dark adhesive paper, and shrink
film (for creating oven shrinkable images for keyrings, badges and
jewellery).
All
kinds of promotional material can be produced using such a range of
creative products.
"When
businesses produce a quotation or presentation, the better the quality
the less likely potential customers are to ignore it," says Ken Burke,
managing director of Celcast. "If you have a different way of presenting
yourself, and all other factors are equal, then at least your customers
are going to take notice. You've got to break through the clutter
to get your message across. If you think in colour, then you have
to print it in colour."
Small
business has an advantage over big business because they are more
likely to use technology like colour inkjet printers. Products like
digital cameras, scanners and graphic design software are great for
creating the basics for your business. These jobs still take time
and patience, however. If you feel your time is better spent doing
what you do best (running your business), then you may be better off
contracting out part or all of the work to a desktop publisher or
graphic designer. At least you can expect a professional result.
BREAK OUT QUOTE
The
creative process is becoming known as the 'digital whiteroom' where
images can be edited and embellished, given captions and inserted
into documents before being printed.
pic
to come from Kodak
(CASE STUDY)
Tall Stories
Taking digital
photography to new heights specialist 'high access' business, Vertigo,
helps its clients gain access to areas and locations which are either
difficult or very high. Hanging off the side of a structure, in the
style of a window cleaner, is a classic example of the type of challenge
taken on by Vertigo's staff every day of the week.
Clients include advertising customers as well as heavy industrial
companies like Mobil and Esso.
Vertigo's customers often have need for a photographic record of these
inaccessible sites to record and confirm the integrity and status
of a structure. In the world of advertising, a client may need 'proof
of posting' of an outdoor billboard.
Previously, Vertigo's operators carried a compact film camera with
them, took the shots on colour negative and headed for the nearest
minilab to get the film developed and printed. The photographic prints
were then duplicated and inserted into a report, a laborious process!
"There
was time lost running around getting these things developed and printed,"
says Mark Wood, operations manager. "And it was costly. We looked
at all the costs and estimated the savings that we might make by using
digital cameras."
Vertigo purchased eight Kodak DC120 digital cameras which are used
in the field, the images being stored on 10Mb picture cards. They
are then downloaded onto a laptop in the field. Staff can view the
photographs immediately and then work on them, with imaging software,
back in the office.
They can add annotations and make actual changes to the photos before
printing them on photographic paper. Images can also be emailed directly
to clients in different centres and plans are underway to establish
a website so clients can access the images directly.
Being able to collate images and therefore send reports more quickly
is important toVertigo. It improves their chances of getting the work
in the first place. Cost savings of around 20-50% are made by not
paying for films and processing.
"Making
inspections for offshore oil rigs is a lot easier if we're using a
digital camera because we can take a lot more photographs," Wood says.
"We don't have the problem of changing films in those environments
and you can basically hang off a rope for hours on end and shoot as
many pictures as you want."
Vertigo has plans to link its state branches so that staff interstate
can discuss particular jobs. "If we can fire across some digital photographs
showing aspects of a job then we can talk about it with both people
looking at exactly the same information."
101
Uses For A Digital Camera ...
- Real
estate. Potential purchasers can view properties without
visiting them physically
- Hairdressing.
Take a client's picture, show them on a computer screen
how different hair styles and colours will suit them
- Landscaping
and the building industry. Take the building site to clients
on a laptop computer or preview how the house will look
- Create
staff ID cards and employee of the month posters
- Advertising
material and brochures - update material regularly and print
brochures as you need them
- Aerial
shots using remote digital cameras attached to radio controlled
aeroplanes (this application is in use in the US in building
and agricultural industries and for photojournalism).
- Tourism.
Hotel room interiors can be photographed and turned into
a virtual reality image using PanImage software to create
the impression that the viewer is able to look around the
room
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Stationery And Newsletters
Letterheads, business cards and other stationery give your potential
customers their first impressions of your business, says Bob Pritchard,
Australian marketing consultant. The image of your stationery could
affect decisions they make about your business. Make sure your stationery
conveys the image you want to project about your business.
"Some
20 years ago, I was told by a successful businessman that if you stick
1000 letterheads on the wall and yours does not stand out from the
rest, it is simply not good enough," Pritchard says.
All stationery should display your business' name and logo in a simple,
clearly identifiable way. Logos should concentrate on conveying your
business' image rather than being artistic.
Make sure your stationery uses the same colour scheme, font, logo
throughout on letterheads, business cards, with compliments slips,
envelopes and invoice forms. Make sure your stationery contains the
following information:
- street
address (including post code)
- postal
address (including post code)
- phone
number (including area code)
- fax
number
- email
address
- Internet
site address
If your business has been established for some time, it is worth stating
'established in 19xx' or 'serving you since 19xx' to reinforce stability
and trustworthiness.
New technology allows you to put your picture on everything you print.
People will identify you - the real, breathing, caring person - with
what you offer them. Print information in colour about what you are
promoting or selling.
Use the outside of envelopes, the bottom of letters and packaging
for attention-seeking graphics. Use postcards (easily created in-house)
to acknowledge an order, as a reminder to clients that you are thinking
of them, as an invitation to a special event or to thank them for
choosing your business.
Carry a few postcards with you so you can use 'waiting' time effectively.
Keep a stack by the phone so you can write them while on hold. A brief
handwritten message on the back of a postcard has greater impact than
a typed letter.
Quick
Tips
by Helen Bradley
1.
Include photos of your key customer service people in your newsletters.
Customers will link faces with the voices they are familiar
with and it helps personalise your business.
2.
Don't tell your customers the features of your product
until you have told them how they can benefit from it or how
they will lose if they don't buy it.
3.
Market your business with information sheets. Produce simple
flyers explaining how to best use your product or how to keep
it in good condition.
4.
Use your contact manager as a reminder system. Record important
dates and information about your customers and suppliers so
you can use them in conversation to appear interested and
caring.
5.
Opt for smaller and more frequent newsletters rather than
one big occasional production. Mail all your customers at
least once a quarter.
6.
Keep your marketing database accurate. Incorrect addresses
and duplicate mailings suggest inefficiency and carelessness.
7.
Use your marketing database. There is no point in going to
the expense of gathering information about your customers
if you don't do something with it.
8.
It is more accurate and less costly to maintain a single database
in one central location than a number of smaller, duplicate
databases.
9.
Be consistent. All your business publications should be instantly
recognisable as belonging to the one organisation, not a mess
of competing styles and layouts.
10.
Be efficient. If you don't have the expertise and resources
to create publications in-house then contract them out. It
is better to have them done than not at all.
11.
Include your company name, logo and contact details on every
publication. Don't trust that documents will remain stapled
together.
12.
Every company should have its own email address. Avoid using
someone's personal email address or you will have problems
if they leave the business. Helen Bradley is a freelance computer
journalist. You can contact her at helen@journalist.com.
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Going Digital Is Smarter
Digital technology is making it full colour printing jobs so much
smarter, tailored specifically to your business' needs. Digital printing
is the way of the future and is becoming increasingly popular because
it makes printing so much easier.
There are no more hassles or extra time spent producing film separations.
People simply send their artwork on a disk and their brochure can
be printed directly from it.
Digital printing is suitable for the many printing requirements of
small business, from business cards to brochures, reports and point
of sale materials, in full colour or mono. Printing is much quicker,
sometimes the same day if necessary.
Ideal for short run printing, digital printing means you need only
print the quantity you need at the time. Details, such as prices and
products, can be changed regularly. No more piles of outdates brochures
piling up in your storeroom.
DigiXpress print shops specialise in digital printing. Stores are
in North Sydney and Chatswood, NSW.
***
Special offer to DSB readers:
10% off DigiXpress prices until the end of August 1998.***
CASE
STUDY
with pic of woman with coloured totem poles Caption: Designer Sheila
Sparks with her recently designed totem poles in the Cairns Central
Shopping Centre.
Cairns-based textile designer Sheila Sparks uses a colour inkjet printer
to increase her productivity by 85%. Where initial designs could take
up to one week to complete, it now only takes one day. Redesigns can
also be made in 30 minutes instead of a whole day.
Using her Epson's Stylus Pro XL colour inkjet printer, Sparks can
produce a full colour image of her designs to give customers a true
indication of what the piece will look like when completed. Customers
don't need to imagine the finished product because they have a mock-up
of the design.
Many of Sparks' clients are architects so being able to print her
designs on canvas allows them to see what they will look like on furnishings.
Sparks starts with a sketch of her design, which she then scans into
her computer. From that stage, the design is built up and colour is
added. Variations can be easily produced to give clients different
alternatives.
"The
beauty of my system is that if I'm not happy, or my clients aren't
happy, with a colour and the way it looks, it can be changed with
the click of a button," Sparks says. "My creativity is increased with
this new way of working. I'm not hampered by my inability to produce
design variations quickly."
According to Sparks, working with modern technology is not always
an easy transition to make. Apart from the obvious issue of training
herself to use the computer, software, scanner and printer, she needed
to adapt the way she worked to overcome some technology shortfalls.
"The
image on the monitor is much smaller than the finished product, so
it can be difficult to envisage what the design will look like on
a larger scale."
Printing the image on A3 or even sticking multiple pages together
give her a full scale view of the finished product.
The other problem was the difference between on-screen colour compared
to the printed version. Sparks has overcome this problem by producing
colour palettes. She can compare the colour onscreen to the final
output colour. Sparks uses her Epson printer as a marketing tool,
to give her customers a true representation of what the finished product
will look like.
"Many
designers I compete with will produce a small freehand sketch, coupled
with fabric swatches and small colour samples. I'm able to produce
colour samples on fabric or quality paper so prospective clients can
see what the design will look like when repeated. Designs may look
good when standing alone but can look overcrowded when repeated. I
can show my customers a near perfect finished image."
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