At home, babysitters and toilet paper are two things you should never skimp on.
In business, presentation folders are another.
Despite its pedestrian status in the modern marketing food chain, this decidedly low-tech medium remains an essential yet practical ingredient. Any company that regularly pitches prospects, attends events, or mails out materials needs a professionally designed presentation folder.
A Candy and a Breath Mint
A well-conceived folder is actually two great tools in one–combining convenience and utility with professionalism and style. It’s also a practical, proven branding medium that can effectively:
- Reinforce your brand image or personality
- Enhance credibility by conveying professionalism competence
- Show recipients that you respect their need for well-organized information
Elements of a First-Rate Folder
- Eye-catching Design. Make sure look and feel align with your image, personality and customer expectations. Non-profits, for example, may want to avoid slick, flashy designs to demonstrate prudence with donor dollars. But companies selling swimming pools, construction services and other big ticket items should feel no qualms about spending a little more.
- Sturdy stock. Forgo flimsy, spend on strength. Heavier paper looks better and lasts longer, especially with UV or other specialty coatings. Thicker stock also more easily accepts emboss/deboss, foil accents, and other optional aesthetic enhancements.
- Well-considered Content. At minimum, folders should feature your logo, web address and phone number. Include your Twitter handle, Facebook or LinkedIn pages and other social media cues, if you have them. To help prospects better understand what your company stands for, judiciously place mission, vision, values–or a pithy executive quote–somewhere on a panel or flap.
- The Ideal Size. Nine by twelve is the most common size but other options are available. Identify the most pages or items (e.g. CDs, DVDs, samples) you’ll ever insert, and work with your creative services provider to select or customize the most appropriate size.
Skimping is for Suckers
Whether you mail it, deliver it or leave it behind, a high-quality presentation folder is an essential marketing tool–one that, despite its humble position in your mix, deserves proper forethought and funding. Let others be pound foolish. Not you.
