posted by Design
What a year 2011 has been! Ups and downs, good times and better times ... and now it's time to make sure you let everyone who was most important to you this year know it. Clients, customers, stakeholders, mom and dad ... anyone who has brought you to where you are today deserves a big, bold "Thank you!"
We know what you're thinking. Another greeting card? Sounds great. We have a bit of advice to share with you: It doesn't have to be a traditional card. It could be a video or animated greeting. It doesn't have to be for Thanksgiving or even the New Year ... it could be for Groundhog Day. Or Arbor Day. Or National Duct Tape Day!
Something a little more interesting than the norm will stand out in the mix of holiday mailings this season. And when email and snail mail are mostly advertisements and bills, a pleasant touchpoint will stand out to your clients.
Use it as a way to get a little of your personality across---it's not the time of year for a die-hard sales pitch. It's the time of year to reach out and show your appreciation, to keep yourself in your client's mind into the new year. And while we said fruitcake is never in, a fruitcake with a powerful message could be effective.
When you begin to consider the type of greeting to use, think about your target audience. Are you sending it to current clients? Stakeholders? Potential clients? All of the above? Will they respond best with a print component, or do they all have smartphones? Are they rocking iPhones or Droids? Maybe a combination of digital and print would be the most effective—put a QR code on the card and it can link directly to a specific online message.
You can also track it to determine how many people actually clicked to read further into your greeting. Not sure you want to worry about printing costs this year? Send an attractive, designed email blast or Flash-based e-card with a link that directs to a microsite or a video on your existing site. There are many ways to keep the cost down but still connect in an engaging way.
Keeping your branding consistent is important but allow it to go out of the box and show how friendly and personable your staff is, while continuing to evolve your brand. Relating well to the people you're working with is important and learning a little more about them every year is a great way to continue the relationship as both of your organizations grow.
Plus, you work well with people you like. As budgets dwindle, it's harder to cut someone out of the mix if you really mesh well with them. And what better way to break up the monotony of your end-of-year crunch than to work on a fun project that really helps solidify the message of your organization in the minds of the masses and sparks company morale?
If you have any ideas for your touchpoint this holiday season, run them by an account manager here at thunder::tech. We can give you advice on what your best strategy will be moving forward this year and in years to come!
We're sure you've seen some interesting things out there—what have you seen lately that stands out?
About the author::
Connie is a senior graphic designer at thunder::tech where she contributes to creative copywriting and brand messaging projects, and is also the acting fourth floor DJ. She likes riding her bike around town and music directing community theater productions. She believes her life officially started the day she got her iPhone.
TAGS:
thundertech, design, holiday, card, greeting, thank you, 2011, end of year, message, messaging, brand, brands, branding, email, e-mail, e-card, audience, planning, touchpoint, season
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