Fancy a complimentary 60 minute design health check?
With a free design health check with Graham Laker you will benefit from marketing and design tips and advice that could make a huge difference to your future sales. There are no strings attached. If you are looking to take stock of your corporate identity and marketing communications, this could be a fantastic kick start to 2010.
This offer has generated so much interest, we have decided to extend the offer until further notice!
How HH Design create marketing communications that pack a punch!
Graham Laker, Managing Director of HH Design based in Crawley, West Sussex is animated when asked to comment on the part that design has to play in driving sales in the current economic climate.
"Regardless of the marketing tools a business is using to promote their brand - mailers, brochures, newsletters or websites - good design must define their compelling messages and grab attention. Now is not the time for a business to cut back on marketing and design in the hope that the resulting short-term financial gain won't also result in a long-term drop in sales. Now is the time for a business to perform a ‘warts and all' audit of their marketing collateral, starting with their logo, strap line and images. There has never been a better reason to evaluate whether their marketing toolkit is still appropriate or if it has seen better days."
Rewind to move forwards...
Let's consider the following scenario, one that most businesses and indeed most design agencies are familiar with - a potential client approaches the agency and requests a quote for the design of a newsletter or glossy brochure. The quote is accepted and the agency produces what the client has asked for. But is it what the client actually needs?
For Graham, the answer lies in rewinding back to the beginning. "In most cases when a client approaches HHDesign with a brief to design a marketing communication, rather than just heading straight for the drawing pad and mood boards, we spend time looking at why our client wants that marketing communication. Who will be receiving it? What are their competitors doing that is similar or different? What measurable outcomes are they looking for from this particular communication? It may only take half an hour of lively debate, but it's time well spent and results in a marketing communication that looks fantastic and that leads to sales. In these challenging times, it's more important than ever to adopt this outcome based approach to design."
A case in point...
By anyone's definition, PDF software is not the sexiest product in the world, but there is an ongoing demand and many businesses offer it. This can lead to a ‘lowest price wins' battlefield, something that one business wanted to avoid when they approached HH Design with a brief to design their PDF point of sale packaging.
Says Graham, "We started by looking at what their competitors were offering, reviewing their packaging, imagery, design and of course, their price. Most products looked the same, with price being the only differentiator. Working closely with our client, we developed point of sale packaging that seems to jump off the shelf, is very pleasing on the eye and that shouts that inside the stunning box is a premium product. Design has given this product a real stand-out cutting edge and our client is thrilled with the look and the resulting sales."
