Flow Group: Impactful print solutions

Busy, busy, busy

In today’s world, everyone is busy. Whether it’s the school run, commuting, or trying to find 10 minutes to exercise, we live in a busy, fast-paced world. Amongst our busy lives, we’re flooded with more information now than at any other point in history.

Each day hundreds of companies vie for our time, attention and money as they try to sell their services. It’s the equivalent of walking through an outdoor market, with traders shouting out that they have the best of everything. Instead, it’s in our homes, in our offices, on our phones and in our inbox. It all becomes white noise. We give these intrusive traders just 2 seconds of our time and then pass judgement: read on, scroll on or hit the delete key.

I remember a story I read a few years ago, about a man applying for a job in London. He was filling out countless application forms through the usual channels and getting nowhere. He was fed up and wanted to stand out from the other applicants. So, he decided to try something different.

He printed 100 copies of his CV and cover letter, packed them into Manilla envelopes, wrapped a red ribbon around each envelope and sent them to 100 companies, that he’d love to work for, across London. This way when the CEO’s, MDs or top decision makers were in their office the next day, that Manilla envelope stood out as they were sifting through their post. That man got a job (alongside many other offers for an interview).

This story always reminds me of the importance of standing out. Sometimes it’s worth a bit more effort, time and cost to truly grab attention. So, when we’re that intrusive market trader, what can we do to get that customer to give us more than 2 seconds of their time?

‍Taking the first step

It may be impractical, untenable or unaffordable to wrap all your marketing in red ribbons like the London job-hunter. But sometimes, with a bit of thought and effort, we can press pause on churning out the next advert, instead thinking of ways to get more than 2 seconds of that person’s time.

Attention is always the first step towards engagement. You’ll automatically get attention if that customer was already searching for your product or service. However, this is usually only 3% of your audience. Getting the attention of the other 97% requires a strong first impression.

Put yourself in the customer’s shoes, asking whether your business’ flyer, postcard or envelope will stand out from the others being sent that day.

4 ways to grab attention by printing differently

1) Colour - in the story earlier, the job-hunter used a Manilla envelope, as 90% of all other mail goes out in plain white envelopes. Manilla is the colour of choice for Government agencies (such as HMRC and the DVLA) so it’s associated with official business. Other colour choices are also available. You could even use a white envelope, with colour printed onto it. Give it some life by giving it some colour.

2) Size and shape – A-size paper is the industry standard in print, there are reasons for this. Printing to standard sizing is generally cheaper, it’s also aesthetically comfortable because everyone else is using it. But you don’t have to conform to what everyone else does. Try a non-standard size or shape. I remember receiving a McDonald’s leaflet in the shape of fries once. I don’t remember the message; but I do remember the shape and the brand. And that’s the whole point of marketing – creating brand recognition.

3) Touch – Ask yourself which you would keep hold of – a flimsy leaflet, or a solid card? It probably depends on the brand and the message. Some people might be interested in a flimsy leaflet, takeaway menu for Friday night, and not be interested in a solid card flyer for a £2,000 sofa. However, assuming your business’ targeting is on-point, and the message is well delivered, people are drawn into keeping something that’s nice to touch. If your mailing products are tactile, it’s instantly more likely to be kept for a longer period of time, so your audience will see it again and again, solidifying brand recognition.

4) Finishing – Treatments like Spot UV or foiling are more likely to grab attention and generate retention. Alternative options are using envelopes for leaflet distribution, perforated tear offs or pop-up print – there are a multitude of ways to print differently and stand out from your competitors.