One of the toughest challenges marketing execs face nowadays is combining both marketing and design together, to successfully reach out to their consumers.
It’s not just what you write and how the message is delivered to your audience, but it’s also how it all looks when packaged up in one simple design.
We asked some successful marketing execs for their tips on marketing design, and how their strategies led them to success.
What Is Marketing Design
Marketing design is how you get your brand from good to great, and many of the successful marketing managers understand that.
Quite underrated, and misunderstood by marketers. Simply put, marketing and graphic design should always go hand to hand.
You are using every marketing tool possible to create interest in your brand, but design is the one who helps you visually communicate your brand with your potential customers.
Let’s be clear, marketing design isn’t just using the right picture and logo, it many ways the design represents the face of your brand.
Key Findings
We reached out to different niches, but surprisingly it seems all marketing execs face the same challenges when approaching marketing design. Here are the key findings.
Identifying The Right Target Group
This is one of the fundamental things that every marketer has to make perfect. And yes, it’s really hard. To really understand what your consumers need, you have to know so much about their lifestyle, habits, preferences, needs, wants, etc. You need to practically become one of them.
How do they do this?
- Talk to consumers – When a client refers to you for marketing purposes, they probably already have a number of consumers. What you can do is get out there and talk to those people.
- Trust data – It’s very hard to neglect your own emotions, feelings and beliefs at times concerning marketing strategies, but if the data tells you that something isn’t working, then it isn’t. Numbers don’t have feelings and they don’t lie. Even if it’s against your own liking, stick with analytics.
- Experience – There are some situations when you face questions that nobody has answers for and yet, something has to be done, right? This is where your experience will be your best friend.
Standing Out In The Sea Of Marketing
Advertising is a critical source of income and to make something great happen, practically means taking risks. If you want to stand out with your marketing endeavors, you will have to accept the fact that risk-taking will be necessary.
They are called calculated risks. A calculated risk is basically a risk that has a solid chance of success, which is larger than the negative outcome. The more calculated the risk, the more chances for success you will have. But at the same time, the rewards will get smaller.
Management
Proper management is the key to the success of any given project. It’s communication, relationships with clients and team members, work/life balance, anticipation, insightfulness, resourcefulness, estimation.
Because Marketing experts are a crucial part of every company we decided to make a list of the best marketing experts and share their tips on how to be successful in what they are doing.
The List:
BroadwayWorld
Broadway World launched in 2003. BroadwayWorld is the largest theatre site on the Internet covering Broadway, the West End, and beyond to 100 US cities, and 50 countries worldwide. With over 4.5 million monthly visitors, BroadwayWorld delivers complete up-to-the-minute Broadway, off-Broadway, and regional theatre news, in-depth interviews, extraordinary photo coverage, entertaining video features, lively message boards, ticket discounts, reviews, and more.
The Next Web (TNW)
TNW (The Next Web) is a website and annual series of conferences focused on new technology and start-up companies in Europe. The Next Web company was established in 2006 by co-founders Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten and Patrick de Laive in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and a technology news website of the same name was started in 2009. TNW’s reporting has been sourced by Wired, Mashable, and the Huffington Post, among others.
BookMyShow
Launched in 2007, BookMyShow, owned and operated by Big Tree Entertainment Pvt Ltd (founded in 1999), is India’s leading entertainment destination and the one-stop shop for every out-of-home entertainment need. The firm is present in over 650 towns and cities in India and works with partners across the industry to provide unmatched entertainment experiences to millions of customers.
COLOURlovers
COLOURlovers is an international creative community that helps people discover their inner designer. We provide people with a wealth of user-created & shared color inspiration as well as tools that make the creative process as simple as possible. Whether you’re simply looking for a color palette to kickstart your next project or want to produce a piece of vector art, we have the tools and services to help anybody go from design inspiration to execution.
Tympanus.net (Codrops)
Codrops is a web design and development blog that publishes articles and tutorials about the latest web trends, techniques, and new possibilities. The team of Codrops is dedicated to providing useful, inspiring, and innovative content that is free of charge.
What started as an experimental blog became an exciting playground for sharing the passion for web design and web development.
CartoonStock
Based in the city of Bath in the west of England, CartoonStock was founded in early 1997 as a stock-house through which quality cartoonists could sell unpublished work or work in which they had retained the copyright. They sell to large and small publishers, advertising, design and PR agencies, and countless corporate purchasers and private individuals worldwide. As well as selling stock, they can also arrange the commissioning of artwork from almost all of their artists through their Hire an Artist service.
Webrazzi
Webrazzi was founded in August 2006 by Arda Sacred. Analyzing and analyzing developments in the field of internet and digital technology, Webrazzi has still become one of the leading companies in its field in Turkey.
Webrazzi, which is followed daily by many professionals who lead the sector today, includes comprehensive articles and analyzes from current web initiatives to investment news in this field.
Market business News (MBN)
Market Business News was founded in 2013 and is an online newspaper specializing in financial, economic, and business news worldwide. Their goal is to deliver reliable and quality news – selecting only the most interesting developments that are business-oriented.
Soccerpro.com
SoccerPro.com first opened its retail store in early 2004 and launched SoccerPro.com that same summer. Its vision focused on the development of soccer by creating a fun soccer environment for its customers, employees, and anyone and everyone who loves the game of soccer. Every year since the launch in 2004 www.soccerpro.com has grown significantly in its reach throughout the United States to provide soccer gear at great prices and an awesome selection.
Quae.com
Quae was created in 2006 by four french research institutes: Cirad, Ifremer, Inra, and Irstea. With more than 1000 books, our publications aim at encouraging exchanges between scientists, passing on knowledge and know-how, decision analysis, and public dialogue.
By developing thematics as diversified as agriculture and silviculture, environment, nutrition, sea, aquatic and aquacultural resources, life and earth sciences, or humanities and social sciences, Quae has become a leading French scientific and technical publisher.
Standard Media Group
Standard Media Group is an innovative and diverse media company committed to serving local communities. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, Standard Media’s leadership team has a long history of building strong, local television and digital media properties.
Jrheum.org
First published in 1974, The Journal of Rheumatology is a monthly international serial edited by Earl D. Silverman. The Journal features peer-reviewed research articles on clinical subjects from scientists working in rheumatology and related fields
Janmarini.com
Jan Marini Skin Research, a San Jose, CA-based company founded in 1994. JMSR is a recognized leader and innovator in skincare that is committed to continually expanding and improving the professional skincare market. JMSR’s two primary focuses are to provide innovative technologies that deliver proven measurable results and an unwavering commitment to the ongoing success of their customers.
Vatsim.net
VATSIM was founded in July 2001 by a group of individuals who came together with the idea of creating an online community that truly met the needs of flight simulator enthusiasts across the world.
VATSIM (short for the Virtual Air Traffic Simulation Network) is a completely free online platform which allows virtual pilots, wherever they are in the world, to connect their flight simulators into one shared virtual world. VATSIM also simulates air traffic control in this virtual world, creating the ultimate as-real-as-it-gets experience for you, the virtual aviation enthusiast.
Sierra Living Concepts
Sierra Living Concepts Inc. is a California-based online retailer of Unique, Affordable, Exquisite Handcrafted, and Handmade Heirloom Quality Furniture. All their products are handcrafted by our expert artisans, using old-world authentic hand tools and techniques passed down to them through generations.
Select Fashion
Select Fashion launched in 2004 with a Turkish investor named Cafer Mahiroglu. It’s a high-street women’s-wear retailer aimed at 18-45 year olds. With up to 4,000 products (clothing, footwear, and accessories), and new lines added each week, Select offers quality products inspired by the latest fashion trends at an affordable price.
3Chi
3Chi was founded by a biochemist with 15 years of product formulation experience after he witnessed the healing powers of hemp firsthand. Since then, 3Chi has focused on cannabinoid research and bringing minor cannabinoids to market in an effort to create the most effective products on the market.
Stella Rosa Wines
It all started in 1917 when the Riboli family founded Los Angeles’ historic San Antonio Winery. Back then, Los Angeles was the prime location for wine growing in all of California. For some time, the wine industry reigned as one of Southern California’s most economically significant and popular industries of that time.
Sun City Texas
Located in historic Georgetown, Sun City Texas has become known for its natural beauty with breathtaking sunsets, endless Hill Country vistas, and luxurious amenities. This stunning community offers the charm of small-town living, yet is just minutes from the culture and excitement of Austin, the state capital. Its Texas locale also boasts an extremely affordable cost of living, favorable tax advantages, and beautiful climate year-round.
Idaho Legal Aid Services, Inc.
Idaho Legal Aid Services is a nonprofit statewide law firm dedicated to providing equal access to justice for low-income people through quality advocacy and education.
Committed to searching out the patterns, causes, and solutions of the repetitive and fundamental legal problems facing their client community, and seeking legal recourse necessary to redress the grievances of their clients.
Last Words
Being responsible for implementing marketing design in your company is no small job. The reason being is that marketing executives have a lot on their plate: to translate the tenets of your brand into the content, to manage or assist with new business presentations and creating proposals, to coordinate interviews and publicity for the company.
They are the gatekeepers of your image — something you’ve built during many years of late nights and many tense client interactions. You need to protect them and in turn, they will help you elevate your brand.
