Souvenirs and Corporate Identity Packages

Just got back from a trade show and now spread in front of me are several hand-outs or giveaways from the numerous participants in the show. Not to be so discriminating of other people's taste but some of the brochures are dead awful! First, paper sucks. Second, ink looks faded. Third, design is archaic. Should I go on about the content? Ok, let's stop there.

Marketing or brand promotion may not be my cup of tea but it doesn't take a genius to figure out whether something looks terrible. Think of the materials you're going to be using. Is it sturdy? Does it look cheap? What about the colors used, is it vibrant or are they washed out as if they've been exposed to harsh light for a week? And lastly, the images and content, you do wish to impress don't you? Your marketing ideas should be up to the times. Not an idea that has been used and overused a hundred times by people decades ago.

You do want your trade show collateral to stand out and not be used in inferior comparison to what other companies have, right? There are a lot of online printing companies out there these days and options have just gone vast. But don't be fooled! Some online printing companies out there offer undeniably low product prices but check out the shipping prices! I almost got lured into this sucker-magnet but you better watch out. One such company is Vistaprint. They have free business cards but wait till you get to the shipping price. You'll see that your subtotal is almost the same as if you got it from another printing company. So just watch out! And if you feel like you were made a victim of any unlawful printing practice, you may check out http://www.napl.org/.