Despite all predictions to the contrary, print communications still play a crucial role in how organizations reach out to their audience.
Print has changed, though. It is now more an elective than a requirement, and like any choice it benefits from planning and thinking ahead. You must print intentionally. This can include details like a delivery strategy, or options for tailoring a message for a specific audience, and other special circumstances.
A recent project for The Leopold retirement community brought some of this thinking into play. After talking with the client, we realized that the decision to enter a retirement community usually unfolds as part of a conversation with a family or group. We thought of the folder as a prop for facilitating these conversations, speaking to both the concerns and benefits of this choice.
The folder interior was never intended to be the primary message. Rather, it supports the brochures, calendars, and other informational pieces. It also supports the family member or sales person taking with the possible Leopold resident.
If we were thinking of this project working in isolation (e.g. without this social context) we would have opted for a more traditional approach – talking about the Leopold, its history, and amenities, etc. With thousands of the folder being printed in advance, the message would have to be carefully tailored so that any specifics mentioned would be accurate perhaps as long as five or six years.
As it turns out, this concept ensures that the folder will work for the long term, and that other elements (such as the brochures) can be revised as details change. As elements of a larger system, these pieces help create an organized, appealing marketing presence for The Leopold that can be used for years to come.
