At PMG Print Management we’re used to all kinds of printing requests when it comes to brochures –the quirkier, the better – and most of the time we’re the ones suggesting our clients get a little more creative when it comes to their designs. It’s not just because the design stage is our favourite part of the process, but also because we’re well aware of just how many brochures are produced each and every day, and how many of those go ignored. Companies can put a great deal of effort into creating a brochure packed full of useful information, but if it doesn’t catch the customer’s eye then it is likely to be left untouched. Luckily, with our wealth of experience and industry knowledge on hand, we can offer you a few tips to help your brochure stand out…
Customise it
When you receive a catalogue do you find yourself skipping pages to get to the section you really want to look at? It’s highly likely that your clients do the same. Rather than waste their time and yours, as well as a great deal of paper, you could consider creating a brochure of loose-leaf inserts instead. This way, depending on the customer you can include certain inserts that you know would take their interest, while leave others out that you’re sure they won’t bother to read. Not only will this make your customers more inclined to pick up your leaflet but you’ll also have connected with them on a personal level, making your relationship stronger while saving on printing costs and being more environmentally friendly!
Shape it
Whoever said a brochure needed to have four sides? There’s no reason why your brochure has to look like all the rest, so why not get creative and come up with a new shape that is guaranteed to catch a customer’s eye? You’re right, it might cause a few layout issues and some special printing techniques will have to be considered, but that’s our job and we love it! The more unusual in shape your brochure is the more people are likely to talk about it. The shape you choose could also link directly with your company to raise brand awareness or coincide with the way you wish to market it. How about a brochure designed to mirror a specific product, or the shape of your company logo? If you have a shape in mind but are unsure if it’ll work, let us know and we’ll see what we can do.
Tab it
If you have a lot to include in your brochure and all of it is potentially relevant to your customers, then you’ll need to think of a way in which they can easily navigate their way through a lot of printed content. While a contents page is great start, if you want your customers to bother reading your brochure you’ll need to make it even easier for them. Including bold, colourful tabs is a great way to increase usability and help your clients and customers easily jump from one section to another, without the fuss of searching for page numbers and headings. Many of our customers are put off including tabs because they think they take away from an otherwise neat design, but with the right typography and some printing experts on your side, you can create a stand out brochure with ease.
Be unusual
Think origami, cutouts and pop-ups! The more unusual your brochure, the more likely your customer will be to pick it up and take a look. Creating a brochure that is presented in one way but can be folded into another is bound to grab your readers’ attention, while cutouts enable you to get really creative and design something particularly visually pleasing. Pop-up books were created for kids to keep them entertained, but there’s no reason why they can’t keep adults entertained too! Reach out to your customers quite literally by including surprise pop-ups in your brochure that are bound to stick in their minds.
Whatever your idea, no matter how peculiar, at PMG we have the print management skills to bring it to life! If you’re keen to make this year’s brochure stand out and get picked up, contact the team at PMG and let’s get to work.
