Postcard Design Spotlight: Communication Arts
When using direct mail as part of your marketing mix, the need to grab a reader’s attention is crucial. While people sort through loads of daily mail, you have about 5 seconds to get them to decide whether they read your mailer or toss it into the junk pile.
This call for entries mailer by Communication Arts doesn’t waste any time grabbing attention and getting straight to the details. The piece showcases a playful photo on the front that’s relevant and engaging along with a headline announcing the photography competition. A description of the competition along with what could be gained from it is also included on the front – a good example of benefits driven messaging to spark interest and response.
The back of the mailer continues with the single message to enter along with a brief listing of competition categories providing just enough info to drive further interest and response.
One of the challenges of putting together any print campaign is bringing together copy and design that is harmonious and supportive to one another. This piece illustrates good use of colors and type that are complementary to the featured image, and a design layout that is visually appealing and easy to get through.
Overall, this is a solid, high-impact postcard that grabs attention and clearly directs their target audience on what they want them to do, how to do it, and what’s in it for them.
Key takeaways – make sure your piece stands out and gets read by:
- Mailing your promo to the right audience – 40% of your campaign’s success depends on this!
- Using images, photos or headlines that command attention
- Providing relevant, benefits driven messaging to peak interest and a clear call to action
- Sticking to the point and delivering your message through a clutter-free design that quickly and easily moves your readers through the content
Remember, postcards have limited space, so use it wisely. Trying to cover too many things in a postcard causes confusion and clutter. Pick a single product, service or event to advertise and develop your copy and design around it.
Call a Direct Marketing Specialist at 800.959.8365.
