Finding the Right Cure

Like a good doctor, a marketer can’t prescribe a medication until we fully understand the situation.

In our case, our client, Flatiron Solutions, came to us with a common malady: they wanted to customize information given to prospects based on the prospects’ requirements. Even though the client mentioned a brochure, we knew Flatiron Solutions needed something much more flexible that could be customized to cross-sell the company’s many IT offerings. With that goal in mind, Philosophy developed a collateral piece with benefits.

Using a standard, logoed folder as the branded packaging to house information, Philosophy created a unique design with six diecut slits in the back to house sales sheets in a tiered structure. All the product sheets were printed the same size. If the salesperson wanted to include just one or all six sales sheets, they would be tiered in a manner that easily lets the viewer see all the offerings.
 
The only hitch with the piece was the printing. After receiving Philosophy’s printing quote, Flatirons decided to print the piece on the East Coast. However, the printer did not fully understand the complications involved with such a piece, resulting in a great deal of Philosophy’s time managing the printer to ensure the piece was printed correctly. We take extreme pride in our work and even though a cost-driven decision might be made, Philosophy will never compromise our work. 

In the end, the East Coast printer hadn’t quoted the piece correctly, so the cost savings Flatirons expected to receive didn’t materialize. This project was an important lesson on two fronts: first, push, push, push the creative to meet the demands of the audience; and second, when pushing, use this printing story as an example of what not to do.