Design and marketing questions we are asked every day

If your agency doesn’t ask you lots of questions about the project and your business, you should ask yourself whether you have the right agency.

What if I don’t like your design? – The design process isn’t one where you are simply handed a finished product without input: it’s a partnership.  A good agency will present a selection of initial concepts and after feedback they should develop the concepts and demonstrate how they can be applied to relevant materials, they should then allow for on average two sets of amendments.

How much will it all cost? – You should expect to be presented with an estimate for the design project, of course if you change the brief the agency can revise the cost, but you should be confident in your initial brief and the agency should stand by their costs.

How long will it take? – Well of course this depends on the project, but your agency should provide a timeline that sets out what they and you need to supply and when to keep the project on time.  It should allow for busy periods as other business pressures can come up and take your attention.

Can I purchase my own print? – The answer is ‘yes of course you can’ but take on board that unless you know what you’re doing it’s not that simple!  Designers (not all) should know what they’re doing and understand the process, they have contacts and suppliers who will give them sharper costs due to regular work and they understand paper stocks and printing techniques.  I have had clients in the past think they have a like for like print cost and when I have seen the finished product printed it has been of very poor quality due to the paper GSM (paper weight) being incorrect and lamination not being added, so be careful and take advice from your agency.

What do I need? – This is a question I get every day.  Clients who ask me this question in my opinion are the wise ones as they realise they have a problem, understand they are not experts in everything relating to their business and are willing to take advice from a marketing expert.  It’s not what you want, it’s what your target audience will react to that’s important, what are their trigger points and why? That’s what you need to know.

What are my USP’s? – You really need to know what your unique selling points are in order to set yourself apart from the competition and let your audience know what makes you more desirable.  It may be necessary to brainstorm and self analyse your business to reveal your USPs and your agency can help you do that.