Brand News’s “Tips Roundup” gives you practical advice fast, whatever your specialty. Consult these quick tips for advice to make your job easier!

Brand Tip: Consistency is a must!

When faced with any operational application of an organization’s brand, one quickly finds that consistency is a useful, timesaving byword and rule of thumb. Whatever the tactical question at hand (sizing a branded logo in a new brochure, or speaking to a potential client about your firm’s brand essence), keeping things the same each time is key.

Consistent use of branded phrasing, colors, logo sizing, etc. will not only deepen your own familiarity with your brand, but also it will make external “deliverables” (those items that represent your organization’s brand in the public sphere), steady and increasingly familiar to audiences you wish to reach.   

PR Tip: Knowing when to reach for the phone can be almost as important as what you say once you’re on the call!

In almost every campaign, media and/or agent contact becomes a factor, if not the driving force, in your efforts to sell and spread your client’s messaging. Knowing when the person on the other end of the line is most likely to be receptive can help you avoid obstacles before you’ve said a word.

Generally, avoid calling any journalist or agent late in the day if you don’t know him or her well. Like everyone else, reporters sometimes have bad days and get edgy past 5 p.m. No PR professional wants to be the lighting rod for such moments. Rather, try to make your calls first thing in the morning (but not before 9 a.m. their time!) and attempt to front load them into a Monday to Wednesday time slot. 

Monday mornings may seem like a poor time to pitch, but it’s often ripe for results: the person you’re pitching usually hasn’t filled his or her daily or weekly calendar yet. Chances are they’re focusing on the week, looking to prioritize tasks, and working to get a clear sense of what they need. This all translates into active listening and a strong opportunity for you to pitch the client!   

Marketing Tip: Don’t underestimate the power of a letter!

These days everyone seems to think that a post card or self-mailer is the best vehicle to utilize when creating a traditional print-based direct mail campaign.

Though these are certainly effective mediums, don’t discount a professional and personalized letter. Such letters communicate the emotional benefits of what you are selling. It doesn’t focus on the features and benefits as much but rather delivers your emotional hook and customer benefit.

In the mid ‘90s the U.S. Post Office released a study showing that within a standard 6x9 direct mail package that included a letter, brochure, lift note and order card, 66 percent of responses (orders placed) came from the letter. A truly phenomenal letter can boost a DM response rate as high as 3.5 percent when the mailing pool is in the millions – a considerable cumulative return on investment!

Design Tip: The key to creating any good design is to know your client and your audience!

A common mistake with novice designers is to use all the fonts loaded in the computer and all the colors of the rainbow. Avoid that temptation! Try to stick with two, or at most no more than three, fonts. Choose colors that will be suitable to your audience. Certain colors can convey an undesired look and feel even if the design is solid.

Lastly, don’t over think the design! Once you’ve gathered the information and objective, the look and feel should flow. If you’re finding that the design feels forced, you may need to reconsider your approach by consulting with your client again before proceeding.

Publishing Tip: An excerpt of a blog on the demise of traditional print newspaper advertising:

… Newspapers [now] have to take a frightening step: They need to start driving readers from print to online. Yes, that means driving readers from a higher-margin product, print, to a lower-margin product, online — but those margins are artificially maintained because advertisers still value print more than readers do (why else is the print audience shrinking while online is growing?).