Over time your business generates brochures, datasheets, fliers, mailpieces, then new brochures, new datasheets, new fliers etc. as your offering matures. You may notice that not only does your brand image start to vary slightly, but your office or store-room becomes filled with boxes. It's disheartening to look at a pile of brown boxes and know that they should really be pulped.

Understanding how your collateral is used is a valuable starting place for determining what you should retain and what you should develop. The key to this understanding is, as in all marketing activities, research; ask the market. We did this over the summer, surveying a number of IT directors and managers about a range of marketing related issues.

What materials – when?
One area of our research sought to identify the information required at each stage of a major project; from initial research, identifying suppliers, short-listing suppliers to board presentation. Analyst research and white papers were the primary tools used for initial research. Company brochures and datasheets took over at the identifying suppliers stage – interestingly, along with word of mouth, itself, almost always the result of PR and good customer relationship management. Customer case studies were considered the most valuable tool for short-listing suppliers, and at board presentation customer case studies and analyst research were considered important materials.

How would you like that?
We also asked how people preferred to receive the information. Our findings could have major implications for the paper recycling industry as, in nearly every instance, the overwhelming majority came down in favour of soft-copy – 94% preferring soft-copy analyst articles and 92% preferring soft-copy white papers and customer case studies. Product datasheets and company brochures had higher numbers preferring hard-copy, 22% and 34% respectively, with the majority preferring soft-copies of both these items. It comes down to storage and ease of access. Soft-copy material lives behind the screen. It doesn't have to be filed and found. The good news for you is that you can change the text, spec, price – without filling your office with boxes – and your prospects have access to the latest, most up to date information.

The power of the web
Clearly, while there is still a role for printed materials, the web is used extensively for research, data gathering and gaining first impressions. The optimisation of keywords and web-search engines, etc. will therefore be critical to making your collateral achieve your objectives. What's more, the web enables you to record and capitalise on the buying signals triggered by the download of white papers, analyst papers and case studies. The quality and branding in your online materials is every bit as important as in print form.

Integrated, creative marketing is key. Your brand is valuable, and it isn't just about a logo and some pictures, it's the complete way you choose to communicate your offering to the market. All of your materials, your exhibition stand, newsletters, pdfs, etc need to carry consistent branding. It's a busy market place out there.

Creative design and strong copy writing will help your sales and marketing collateral do its job better, whichever format it takes. Visual Dialogue can help you put together the right marketing toolkit, in the right format. Call us to find out how.

The survey was carried out online by our colleagues at M-Zone Marketing. Contact us for more information; info@visual-dialogue.co.uk