Running the Thread Throughout: Coordinating All Aspects of Your Promotional Materials

The Business Journal full page ad mockup.

One of my persistent challenges is how to bring the essence of my clients and their businesses to life on the web and sometimes to printed materials as well. This recently was the case with one client and I jumped at the chance as its always a fun, diverse challenge for me. It gives me the opportunity to practice what I teach, the importance of coordinating all aspects of your promotional materials, "Running the thread throughout" as I like to put it.

This website started it all and now I am very excited to see this ad, shown below, in an upcoming issue of The Business Journal. Designed for my client, Kristina Larsen, owner of Luxury Homes Internationale real-estate, it is the latest in a suite of promotional materials I have had the pleasure of working with her on. 

Luxury Homes Intenationale website

I teach this concept to the small businesses I design and build web presences for. It often starts with an existing logo and color scheme but it isn't until I spend some time with my clients that I get a sense of who they are and get to the essence of their business. 

When thinking about promoting your business I believe it is important to coordinate all aspects of your promotional materials. I call it running the thread throughout because its how you tie all aspects of you and your business together. Your promotional materials need to communicate the sense of who you and your business are. Whether you have a brick and mortar business or not, your website, brochures, business cards, print ads, even your social media pages should all coordinate the same look, feel and message. 

With Kristina, enter her office or visit her website and you immediately get a sense of who she is. Sophistication and integrity lay just beneath her dynamic and comfortable personality. You know she is trustworthy, compassionate and fun, the twinkle in her eyes gives this away. So how do you translate all that to the web or through a magazine ad? For her website, Kristina gave me a lot to work with and I think we accomplished the task in spades as you can judge for yourself by visiting her site. We used imagery, color, and style to carry the look and feel throughout. 

Her picture on the front captures her personality beautifully. Peaceful, tranquil aqua pulled from the gate logo is set off with rich bronze and clean white accents reflecting her elegant unpretentious personality. The same treatment was given and carried through to every piece of promotional materials we designed. Together they tell her story, they speak to her and her business.  Whether you receive one of her business cards, brochures, visit her website or office, or come across an ad of hers while browsing a magazine, there is no mistake who the person and personality is behind them. This is in part do to the design elements chosen but also to the fact that all of her business suite is coordinated and carries the same thread throughout.

Try this EXERCISE

As an exercise take a moment to pull together your promotional materials side by side and look for the thread running through them. Print a screenshot of your website to include as well. Do you have a common color palette? Is you logo consistent on every piece? Take it a step further back and ask yourself, "Is your personality reflected here?", "Is your business's essence depicted?". It can be helpful to poll your friends, colleagues, and professional circle, ask for their feedback. If your business suite is not reflecting what you intend, if the thread isn't running throughout, then perhaps its time to revamp and rework things. Looking at all your assets including your website and printed materials side by side is very helpful. Often where you need to tie things together better will be very obvious. Bouncing things off of a designer such as myself is also helpful. With their eye for design and years of experience they will help you get a plan of action together. Once you have the plan you'll be off and "running the thread throughout!" 

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We used imagery, color, and style to carry the look and feel throughout her site.

Business folder and flyer mockup

Personlized business cards mockup

Promotional property postcards mockup

— Peter B

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Side Note - Target

A company I often use as an excellent example of coordinating materials and communicating the sense of who they are and running the thread throughout is Target. Walk into any Target across the country and you'll find a consistency from the color pallet down to, in most cases the location of their merchandise. I can usually tell a Target ad within seconds of watching one or spot a circular on an end table from across the room.The music, colors, featured people and products in their promotional materials really give one a sense of who Target is. They carry their brand right through every aspect of their business even internally as evidenced in there offices and internal company web portal.  

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