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Dever Blog

Got the Budgeting Blues?

January 7, 2019 by

budget-planning

 

As you begin to think about institutional goals and initiatives for the year ahead, pay special attention to those large, looming projects on the not-so-distant horizon. In times of transition, shifting priorities may impact funding levels and sources. Allocating your organization’s resources wisely becomes more important than ever during these periods of change.

Just as big-ticket household items make a big dent in your personal finances, large projects such as membership drives, conferences, and annual reports may require a significant portion of your organization’s annual budget. By engaging outside partners or vendors now, you can take advantage of their expertise to help you develop preliminary budgetary figures for those substantial and critical initiatives.

A truly collaborative creative partner is invested in your success and serves as an ally during the budgeting phase. Putting their knowledge and network of resources to work for you early in the process, an experienced designer can propose innovative solutions and estimate these approaches to arm you with realistic figures to share with boards, committees, or other decision-makers within your organization. These initial discussions not only help you understand and plan for the real-world costs involved, but may also energize your team and ignite interest and buy-in for specific initiatives.

Experienced design studios can help you maximize ROI by:

  • Facilitating candid conversation among key leadership to define objectives, outline strategies, and build consensus to move forward;
  • Assessing current materials and resources to see where and how existing elements may be reused or repurposed to meet future needs;
  • Thinking creatively to generate cost savings and get the biggest bang for your buck.

Depending on the project, there are numerous ways to stretch your dollars. Producing postcards to advertise an event? Consider developing both a save-the-date and reminder mailing now and gang printing both cards at once. Need furnishings for a large-scale exhibit? Get an accurate count as quickly as possible and order in advance to get the best selection and avoid rush fees. Trust your design partner to tailor their cost-saving suggestions to meet your needs.

Let Dever Designs estimate, design, and produce your next large project—and shake off your budgeting blues. Get in touch to start the conversation.

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White Paper: Print, Thy Name is…Green?

January 19, 2018 by

Printing & Environmental Impact White Paper

 

In our collective quest to limit our environmental footprint, many have adopted a digital-first approach to communication and marketing strategies. But does “digital” really equate to “responsible”? And how do we balance our desire to be better stewards of the planet with the demands of our jobs and the industries we serve? We’ll explore:

• Challenging Perceptions of Environmental Responsibility
• The Impacts of Print v. Digital Communications
• Developing Cross-Channel Marketing Strategies

To download the white paper, simply complete the short form below and submit:

     

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    Benefiting From A Collaborative Team

    December 14, 2017 by

    Team members' stacked hands

     

    When you’ve been in business as long as we have, you develop a keen awareness of market trends: current design aesthetics, popular colors, technology adoption, preferred workflows…and much, much more. Everything is in flux, and many societal preferences are cyclical in nature. Not long ago, numerous organizations sought out “one-stop shops” that promised to handle all of their creative needs—from promotional writing and graphic design to data management and media buys. But the pendulum seems to be swinging the other way, with associations showing greater acceptance of—and even embracing—a collaborative team approach to achieve their goals.

    What’s A Collaborative Team?
    Individual experts in different fields working together in service of a common objective make up a collaborative team. An organization holding its annual convention might employ one trusted vendor to assemble and oversee a team consisting of a project manager, copywriter, graphic designer, printer, exhibit fabricator, web developer, etc.; each of these team members would be cherry-picked for their superior knowledge and skill to provide the best overall outcome.

    Why Teams Work
    Bringing together the right people from various disciplines generates multiple points of view on a given project. Assessing challenges from different perspectives creates a dynamic synergy among peers that leads to more effective solutions.

    At Dever Designs, we recognize that we can’t be all things to all people…but we’re very good at what we do. Beyond providing thoughtful graphic design, we assemble and manage teams to execute large, complex projects ranging from websites to custom exhibit spaces. By partnering when appropriate with experts in other fields who share our passion for creative solutions that work and outstanding customer service, each party is empowered to focus on their strengths and be inspired by fresh ideas. Not only does this provide our clients with a first-string performance for every job, it also maximizes efficiencies of process that yield more bang for your buck.

    Utilizing teams may offer benefits beyond working with the best and brightest. The large-scale retirement of baby boomers has led to many leadership positions being filled by much younger staff. These tech-savvy professionals can invigorate organizations but may lack experience or institutional knowledge of the design and production process. The resulting learning curves may make hiring a one-stop shop appealing…until you get their estimates. While larger agencies can command higher fees, smaller firms or niche specialists typically have lower overhead expenses than their “do-everything” counterparts. If your organization doesn’t have the resources to engage a mega-agency, teams can be a cost-effective alternative.

    When offered to clients in complete transparency, forming a team of external partners can provide an effective, value-added experience for you and your audience.

    Is a team-based approach right for you? Give us a call at 301-776-2812 to explore the possibilities and start the conversation.

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    Got the Budgeting Blues?

    December 5, 2016 by

    budget-planning

     

    As 2017 approaches and you begin to think about institutional goals and initiatives for the coming year, pay special attention to those large, looming projects on the not-so-distant horizon. In times of transition, shifting priorities may impact funding levels and sources. Allocating your organization’s resources wisely becomes more important than ever during these periods of change.

    Just as big-ticket household items make a big dent in your personal finances, large projects such as membership drives, conferences, and annual reports may require a significant portion of your organization’s annual budget. By engaging outside partners or vendors now, you can take advantage of their expertise to help you develop preliminary budgetary figures for those substantial and critical initiatives.

    A truly collaborative creative partner is invested in your success and serves as an ally during the budgeting phase. Putting their knowledge and network of resources to work for you early in the process, an experienced designer can propose innovative solutions and estimate these approaches to arm you with realistic figures to share with boards, committees, or other decision-makers within your organization. These initial discussions not only help you understand and plan for the real-world costs involved, but may also energize your team and ignite interest and buy-in for specific initiatives.

    Experienced design studios can help you maximize ROI by:

    • Facilitating candid conversation among key leadership to define objectives, outline strategies, and build consensus to move forward;
    • Assessing current materials and resources to see where and how existing elements may be reused or repurposed to meet future needs;
    • Thinking creatively to generate cost savings and get the biggest bang for your buck.

    Depending on the project, there are numerous ways to stretch your dollars. Producing postcards to advertise an event? Consider developing both a save-the-date and reminder mailing now and gang printing both cards at once. Need furnishings for a large-scale exhibit? Get an accurate count as quickly as possible and order in advance to get the best selection and avoid rush fees. Trust your design partner to tailor their cost-saving suggestions to meet your needs.

    Let Dever Designs estimate, design, and produce your next large project—and shake off your budgeting blues. Get in touch to start the conversation.

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    7 Tips to Strengthen Your Marketing Campaign

    September 19, 2016 by

    fish-icon-01_sm

     

    Two to four seconds. That’s about all the time you have to capture someone’s attention with your online or direct mail promotion.

    That means before anyone even reads this sentence, they have already made a decision on whether or not to engage with your content.

    With that in mind, we have compiled seven tips to help boost your marketing efforts.

    1. Swim Against the Tide. If you want to stand out against the sea of email heading to your audience’s inbox every day, consider targeting their mail box instead. Direct mail can offer an intimate way to connect with your audience as people open their mail and place it on their coffee table or refrigerator and share it with others.
    2. Variety is the Spice of Life. While direct mail is a great option, we know it takes several touches for a potential customer to take action. Because of that, approaching them through direct mail, social media, email marketing, etc., spreads the marketing to different areas and doesn’t overwhelm your audience in one medium.
    3. Less is More. People have short attention spans. They only read so much. The more succinct you can be in relaying a clear message and giving your audience that motivation to act, the better.
    4. Have a Clear Call to Action. The last thing you want is your audience wondering “So what do you want me to do?” Make it easy for people to see what you want, why they need you and why they should want to work with you or buy your product. How can you make their life better?
    5. Consistency is Key. The audience should be able to recognize a campaign as coming from your organization through consistent branding, graphic treatments, photography, and messaging. While the campaign should be a reflection of your overall brand, it can have its own sub campaign brand that complements the organization’s parent brand.
    6. All About Balance. Whether the duration of your campaign is lengthy or short, it takes multiple touches for someone to remember who and what you are. However, as you reach out to your audience, be cognizant not to chase away the very people you’re trying to attract. There’s a balance between multiple touches and overwhelming your audience.
    7. Track Your Response. Since you’ll have multiple touch points for your campaign, you’ll want to know which avenue is the most successful so you can channel a greater part of your efforts in that direction. When sending out email content, add tracking links so you can see who is opening your content and when. In a direct mail piece, provide a specific call to action that lets you know if people are engaging with your campaign.

    Need help creating a campaign that stands out? Get in touch today to start the conversation.

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    Summer—The Perfect Time to Add Some Sizzle to Fall Projects

    July 25, 2016 by

    Summer To-Do

     

    It’s mid-summer. You’re probably thinking about your toes in the sand or lounging poolside. While it may be difficult to maintain your focus on work, the summer is actually the perfect time to get a jump start on fall projects like your organization’s annual report, membership campaigns, and fall conferences.

    Get cracking on your annual report
    Tracking your organization’s achievements over the course of the year, locating the best photos and highlighting donors can seem like a daunting task. But it doesn’t have to be! Take advantage of a quiet office and slower summer pace to gather and organize news and photos from the year. This could be a great project and resume builder to pass along to the summer intern.

    Think about themes that encapsulate the past year or the spirit of your organization. You can also build a theme around a large-scale event or major strategic organizational push. Talk to your design firm early to clarify what you’re trying to achieve or convey with your report. They will be able to share your organization’s story through format, graphics and production techniques.

    Boosting membership
    Yes it’s hot outside, but before it starts heating up in the office, begin coordinating your fall membership campaign. First, look at the data and outcomes of previous membership drives to see what methods were most effective. Plan a mix of print, digital and social media marketing. It’s important to reach out across multiple channels to ensure your audience is being reached. An email message could potentially be overlooked, while a colorful postcard may be just the piece of collateral to capture your audience’s attention. Want to target a new demographic? Try to reach them on a medium where they are actively engaged.

    Fall conferences
    Your big conference might take place in the fall, but it’s never too early to begin brainstorming and planning about brand collateral and more. Slow summer office days are the perfect time to work with your design firm on “Save the Date” notices you can send out ahead of schedule to keep your conference front of mind for your target market. Keep in mind it’s going to take several touches to keep guests intrigued and excited about your event. Start planning a branded email, e-newsletter, post card, etc., that clearly highlights the value of your event. Some organizations are even creating apps to communicate regularly with attendees and keep them in the loop about conference events and activities.

    In addition to alerting your audience about the event, you’ll also need to create collateral to distribute to attendees once they arrive. Begin working with your designers in advance to create clear and organized programs and onsite guides that highlight speakers and workshops and offer a general awareness of what your conference has to offer.

    And don’t forget the giveaways! Conference attendees get excited about tchotchkes, particularly useful items such as T-shirts, USB sticks, tote bags, hats and other apparel that your design firm can help brand to your event. Remember, the better the experience your guests have at your event, the more likely they will be to attend next year.

    Dever Designs is happy to help you with your planning process. Visit deverdesigns.com or call 301-776-2812.

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    Recent Posts

    Got the Budgeting Blues?

    Annual Reports: A Marketer’s Swiss Army Knife

    White Paper: Print, Thy Name is…Green?

    Color Me Consistent

    Benefiting From A Collaborative Team

    Getting A Partner Who Gets You

    What’s Up with Colors? Color modes explained.

    Templates Can Make Life Easier

    Process to the Rescue

    A Conference Brand at Work