tulmar Overview
Timeframe: 4 week sprint
Role: Designer and copywriter
Team: 1 Designer
Tools: Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop
The objective of the project was to create a direct mailer that creates a user experience. By blending digital and print you have the tools that give accountability and acuity of campaign results, while the printed product gives real world tangibility to digital efforts. Each can enhance the other’s strengths and compensate for their weaknesses. That is the beauty of integrated marketing.
Problem statement: Tulmar Designs, a manufacturer and distributer of engineered protective textiles, survivability and safety solutions for the Aerospace, Defence and Public Security industries needed a direct mail piece to promote awareness and engagement about a new product they were marketing - a baby bassinet for airplanes. The Baby Bassinet is hooked on the bulkhead wall of an aircraft for the use of parents traveling with infants. A printed piece that would engage and provide a positive user experience would be sent out to global airlines to help enhance their marketing efforts.
Learn
In the Learn phase I provided my client a creative brief that required:
A short brand statement.
A brief overview of the campaign’s background and objectives.
Key challenges that the campaign aims to resolve.
Target audience for the campaign.
Chief competitors.
Primary message describing the brand’s values and market positioning.
Communication channels on which the campaign will run.
With that information I was able to start brainstorming out some ideas.
Data analysis
The market shows a lot of growth in the Asia Pacific market. Having diverse representation in the direct mailer is based on sound marketing principles because we are more likely to identify with someone that looks like us. Mailers that represent diversity will be designed to better reach the global airline market.
Concepts
There were several revisions to the brochure and the main changes were the color palette, imagery of the baby and placing the hero image of the product on the back of the spinner to give it more focus. Through consultation with the client and a deep understanding of the opportunity and solutions available, I was able to draw upon my experience and skills to create a unique solution for the client.
Concept 2
Initially the color palette was quite dark with dark blues, red and yellow. Despite having a playful, child like look and feel a more calming palette of pastels and cloud imagery was opted for to better support the message of a safe, peaceful, quiet flight when you use the Tulmar baby bassinet.
Concept 5
The early concepts had a parent soothing a crying baby and as you open the brochure and the picture spins you discover a sleeping, happy baby.
In testing people said that they were not compelled to learn more about the mailer when they saw a crying baby. It evoked feelings of stress.
QR code & personalization
A QR code was put on the back to provide more information about the product and company, as well as a means to track the campaign’s success.
Once the piece has captured the reader’s interest and relayed important information, users scan their QR codes and move to the next step. Their attention is already captured, making the dwindling digital attention spans of users less of a hurdle.
34% of US smartphone users have scanned a QR code
Experts are already reporting changes in QR code popularity. Forbes reports: “Recent data shows usage is increasing: 34% of US smartphone users have scanned a QR code – rising to 46% of tablet owners. Expect these numbers to go up sharply in the coming 12 months.”
46% of US tablet users have scanned a QR code
Personalization is more than just using a name. The offer, images, and copy for this direct mailer were tailored to the countries, the decision makers, their wants and their needs in the product.
Integrating the powers of digital and direct mail, programmatic direct mail achieves a 2% response rate, a 40% conversion rate, and an 8% overall impression-to-conversion. That’s eighty times as effective as digital alone, with 15 times return on investment.
Source: PebblePost
Proofing
A proof is vitally important because it helps prevent unforeseen problems with text, images, colors, spacing and other design elements. Finding and correcting layout issues before going to press not only saves valuable time, it also helps avoid the aggravation and expense associated with a reprint. I’m based in Miami and my client and print vendor were in Ontario, Canada so a press check was not possible. Digital proofs, and good communication was key for a good printed piece.
Final Designs
