Newsletter archive

 

Product Catalogs Don’t Have To Be So Costly!

Many of our clients over the years have used Buster Creative to design and produce catalogs. It’s an area of expertise we know very well. It’s also an area we know how to do in a very efficient manner.

Buster Creative- catalog design and production

There are three fundamental areas that can generate savings when it comes to catalogs.

Product Information 
This is the not-so-glamorous part of the process but critical to keeping the overall cost as low as possible. We will address this in this issue.

Photography
Good photos are expensive — so be smart. Details on this in an upcoming newsletter!

Printing & Distribution
There are so many variables here and so many chances to save big. More on this in an upcoming issue!

Even before all the creative design work begins the due diligence of gathering all the product information with an eye toward design, layout and production will save a huge amount of time and money. Here are some tips.

Decide on All the Products and Related Information
Includes the product title, description, and for each SKU the item number, item name and item price. Keep these elements in the same order for every product block in the catalog.

Organize Products Into Merchandising Groups
Determine how much space in the catalog each group warrants. If group A will likely generate 10% of sales then factor that into the decision. Of course, sometimes certain groups warrant a larger percentage of catalog space compared to their sales potential. Those are business decisions that should be addressed prior to layout.

Write All Product Copy
While there is time later for the branding and segment copy, there should be early drafting of product copy. Not each SKU will require copy (beyond the basic product descriptor) but many do and that should be developed early. This practical step greatly helps to ease the challenges of design and layout.

Product Image Files Need a Logical System
This one is not rocket science but if not done properly, can generate a huge amount of wasted time and cost. Most catalogs have hundreds, sometimes thousands, of existing product shots. Organizing them with logical names into their logical merchandising groups will save a lot of money! Also, image disks from third-party suppliers should be organized in a similar fashion.

Provide Product Info In An Electronic Format 
As simple as this sounds, it is tempting to deliver product info in a variety of formats given the multitude of sources. Suppliers, product mangers, agencies, consultants, engineers, etc. might all have different formats but taking time to establish a singular format for submission and consolidation will save a lot of time and money. Do not format text with bold, underlines, multiple tabs or other formatting, as that will be removed in the importing process.


 

 

 

 

 

It’s Still Fun to Stay 
at the Y.M.C.A!

We’d like to invite our clients and other friends in the Chicago area to attend the Lake Forest 4th of July Festival and Fireworks featuring the fun music of THE VILLAGE PEOPLE.

Village People in Lake Forest, IL, July 4th

Buster Creative is proud to be one of the sponsors of the event as part of our commitment to Friends of Lake Forest Parks and Recreation Foundation.

Admission to the festival and concert is free, but if you contact us, we’ll make sure you get a free parking pass and some festival food and beverage on us!

So enjoy all the hits of THE VILLAGE PEOPLE such as “Y.M.C.A,” “Macho Man,” “In The Navy,” “Go West” and more! Click here to see all the hits and a concert tour video.

In addition to all the music fun there are children’s activities and a terrific fireworks show. Hope to see you there! For all the details and directions, just click here. 


Giving Promotions the 
Creative Edge They Need

Despite all the strategic and tactical differences between rebates, coupons, sweepstakes, sales incentives, online surveys, product demos, in-store signage and on-pack/in-pack messages they all have one important thing in common…the need for great, compelling creative design. Without great design and execution the best strategic plans in the world fall short. And that means short of the sales impact they expect.

At Buster Creative, we challenge ourselves with the following six questions every time we begin a new promotional project:

Will the sales reps respond with “That’s just what I need. How fast can I get it?
Their support is critical. Get them excited with the simplicity.

Does the message convey a promotional 
sense of urgency? 
The target needs to feel like they must take action or miss out on the value.

Is there something unexpected in the visual that communicates “this is different”?
Desperately strive to avoid blending in with the numbing array of promotional messages.

Is the action step simple and pain-free for the target? 
Just because there might be a “click here” button, that no longer translates to being easy. Keep the whole back-end process simple and fast and let the message make that clear.

Does the message single-mindedly convey the promotional message? 
Sure, leverage the brand equity but the message will get overloaded if too many brand-building copy points are layered in.

Does the message effectively rely on the quickness of images, logos, icons, custom text and other visuals? 
Even interested prospects don’t “read” promotional messages. Keep text to a bare minimum. 

Buster Creative Creativve Ideas Chicago

In three days, we’ll get lots of bulbs switched on for you.

We’ll keep things fast and simple. Just call and brief us on your project. We are happy to do this over the phone or at your office. Within three days, we will have five creative ideas to you.

Click Here To Get The Lights Turned On!