Imagine a world where the only way to raise brand awareness is through word-of-mouth.Â
Building your brand like that would be so hard and unreliable. That’s why marketers have devised different types of assets to help their brands prosper.
The assets we’re talking about are called Marketing Collaterals. It’s a handy marketing instrument designed to carry out inbound and outbound campaigns. They help guide your audience through a smoother buyer experience of your brand.
More than 75% of marketers have said that fortifying their brand is a crucial part of their growth plans. This is exactly why companies make sure to have at least one or two marketing materials up their sleeves at all times.Â
A quick glance at your collaterals is all it takes to inform consumers about the value you can bring to the table. Assets give you the power to establish credibility, shape perception, and become a thought leader in your industry.Â
There’s an asset for any marketing objective, whether in print or online.
Today, we’re going to talk about everything you need to know about them. We will tackle different types, terminologies, strategies, ideas, examples, and a whole lot more. We’re not letting you go into battle unprepared.Â
Go on. Jump right into all things related to marketing collateral:
Part 1: Print Marketing Collaterals
Part 2: Digital Marketing Collaterals
Part 3: Strategy Building
Part 4: Big Brand Examples
Part 5: Keeping Things in Check
Part 6: Getting Started
With different types of marketing content popping from left to right, some people don’t even bother trying to seize these opportunities. But you’re not one of these people, aren’t you?
There are different kinds of output you can use to streamline your sales process. You’ll save time and money by simply knowing which type of marketing asset can be the most effective one for your project.
Get to know the many types of marketing collateral so you can use them correctly and above all, compellingly. Here are the most popular assets organized by platform.
Print Marketing Collateral
During the bygone era when the internet didn’t exist, it used to be all about paper. Keyword: used to.Â
We don’t see the same amount of materials on paper now. Partly, this is caused by close-minded marketers who don’t care about the advantages of assets to your outbound efforts. This is actually a tragedy because people retain more information when reading on paper.
Leave-behinds still stand for something. They’re a means to expand your reach without relying on internet connection.
Brochure
Brochures have many names: leaflet, flyer, and sell sheet. It packs a powerful punch when it comes to relaying information. These assets are typically folded thrice to make 6 different panels. Brochures make more space for you to woo your audience. It’s a popular choice for businesses for its cost-effectiveness.
Industries like tourism, hospitality, tech and automotive love this asset. They’re most handy for conventions, product launches, and other socially-charged events.
 
Brochure by Maxo-Biz
Business Card
Business cards are pocket-sized pieces of paper often come with a brand logo and contact details. Businessmen typically exchange them before or after a meeting.Â
They may be small, but their impact is not. Research has shown that company sales grow by 2.5% for every 2,000 copies of business cards they handoff.
 
Business Card by HYPdesign
Catalogue
Listing services and products you offer in one place helps your consumers to refer to them with ease. The Catalogue is the perfect vessel for that initiative. This is the best time for you to go all-in on product copy and visuals.
Catalogues impact shopping experiences. In fact, it affects a company’s online and offline sales. They drive response rates by 170% according to a 14-year long study by Harvard.
 
Catalogue by technotecdesign
Stickers
Ah yes, the election material staple of every politician in America. Stickers are multi-functional enough to be used for more than just hand-offs. Companies use them for branding company products as well. They last up to 5 years on surfaces and look great on everyday items such as laptops.Â
People have long promoted their goods and services with stickers. This practice dates back to the 1800s and stuck with us to this day.Â
 
Stickers by rubio0383
Magazine Ad
Securing a spot at a reputable magazine in your industry can expose you to prospects within your niche more than once. Your brand will also benefit from the credibility of your chosen publication.Â
It’s an expensive choice, but the ROI is at a whopping $3.94 every dollar spent.Â
 
Magazine Ad by angelcolmenares3
Newspaper Ad
Much like magazine ads, newspaper advertising allows businesses to be more particular in terms of their audiences’ geographic location. Only this time, it’s more affordable.
This is an effective channel for companies in the finance, travel, and retail industries according to The Drum.
 
Newspaper by ecoreokerz
Postcard
Receiving things in the mail is becoming more and more of a novelty. Companies are no longer mail obsessed. It’s a waste because direct mail actually has better and faster response rates when compared to email.Â
People also perceive direct mail as more authentic and they are more inclined to brands who practice it by 80%. Postcards are a compact vessel of design and content. They are a natural fit for direct mail marketing.
 
Postcard by aspiremedia
Poster
The main selling point of this asset is repeated visibility on locations where your target audience frequents. Movie theatres, concerts, product launches, festivals, and other events are commonly marketed by a powerful poster.
Posters are large enough to give you more space for creative design to attract passersby.Â
 
Poster by ELOISE LIND
Tote Bag
People prefer receiving advertising in the form of promo products. The Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) said that company names are better recalled when emblazoned on functional marketing assets. The tote bag is no stranger to this.
On average, people keep promo products such as tote bags for a minimum of one year in their daily routine. Who doesn’t love a good swag bag?
 
Tote Bag by Ælx
Digital Marketing Collaterals
By now, we’ve learned print is good. But so are digital marketing materials.
They rely a lot on technology and internet connectivity which can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, companies may have difficulty building relationships with their audiences that don’t have a good connection. On another, it’s a cost-effective way of marketing your brand to a wider reach.
Due to its nature, the performance of digital marketing assets is comparably more manageable and measurable. Brands can keep a close look at various key performance indicators using different online tools such as Google Analytics.
Presentation
As you travel down deeper into the buyer’s journey, you need to provide a more in-depth exhibition of your value. The best way you can prove your value is by a series of informative slides.
Marketers commonly use PowerPoint presentation for presentation decks. This is also the perfect time for you to break out that amazing brand story of yours and compel the audience
 
Presentation by SD WEBCREATION.
Landing Page
Web pages have what we call lead capture pages or landing pages. It’s a staple of modern website design. These are a crucial part of digital conversions. It is composed of headlines, at least 500 words of content, visuals, and a call-to-action button.
Although brands use their home page as a landing page, it isn’t the only option. HubSpot found in a study that bands that have at least 10 landing pages grow leads by 55%.
 
Landing Page by pawanjangirjpr
Banner Ad
Effective banner ads increase website traffic. These assets are used to increase brand awareness. They’re practically clickable billboards for your brand. The only difference is that banner ads trump billboards in response rate by 33%.
When creating a banner ad for your company, maximize your investment by sourcing a visually compelling design.
 
Banner Ad by alok bhopatkar
Blogs
Traffic is often the main thing marketers want from blogs, which isn’t wrong. But not exactly right either.
Blogs are good foundations for building a brand that is authoritative and credible. It’s also good news for your SEO operations overall. With an informative and easy-to-navigate blog, you’re setting your business up for greater success.
 
Blog Design by pb
Email Marketing
There’s a 138% difference between the total spending of customers who receive email marketing materials and those who don’t.Â
Marketers have discovered that email outreach gets them more customers than social media channels. This asset is great for promoting products to leads. Especially in ecommerce and retail marketing niche.
 
Email Marketing by elnapoles
Newsletter
People often mistake newsletters for email marketing materials. We get that.
You can tell them apart simply by evaluating an asset’s objective. Newsletters are used for building a relationship with your audience by being a provider of information and value. These assets are for shaping brand identities and less about sales conversion.
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Newsletter by gfxer
Infographic
Not everyone has the time and patience to read block after block of text. Posts laid out as an infographic are more likely to be read by your audience. This is why companies use them for marketing campaigns.
It was also found that Infographics are better for teaching and helping audiences retain information. The asset was followed by commercials, presentations, and articles in effectivity.
 
Infographic by MNM
eBook
Experts love using this collateral to build an email marketing list. So if you’re at a loss on how you should get contacts for your campaign, think of what your ideal buyers need. Prove your value to them by writing an engrossing eBook.
This lead magnet is your bridge to the marketing technique that converts the most.
 
Ebook by Junaamrev
Podcast
There’s audio content for everyone and every niche. Regardless if your business is B2B or B2C, relaying industry news and insights will surely up your engagement. This type of content will let your brand connect to listeners who are educated and loyal.
Podcasts drive the same results as video assets, but for a cheaper price. An episode costs a minimum of $500, which is half the cost of a corporate marketing video.Â
 
Podcast by design.bb
Strategy Building
When creating a game plan, it’s best to create it around these stages. It’s the best way to figure out which part of your funnel would benefit most from supplementing materials. But what are these parts, exactly?Â
Buyers’ journey comes in a three-part act: awareness, consideration, and decision.
AwarenessÂ
Quick! Your prospects just encountered a problem they need help in solving. You’re exactly what they need, but there’s a catch. They don’t know your brand exists and what you offer yet.
At this point, you need to start working on how you can start being visible to them.Â
It would be best to choose assets that are easy to read and attention-grabbing. Great materials for this would be stickers, posters, brochures, newspaper ads, and blogs.
Be careful not to come off too hard on this stage. Keep in mind that people are still looking for solutions and educational material. Instill quality and credibility in whatever asset you will choose for this one.
Pro tip: Before all of this, make sure you have a rock-solid brand identity to pull you through. Make sure you have an effective brand logo. You can create one yourself using an online logo maker if you’re in a time crunch or get in touch with a freelance graphic designer. It’ll be the first thing they’re going to see so it has to be good.
Consideration
By now, prospects have seen you and your competitors. Buyers have done their research enough to make informed decisions. This is a good time to bring in more in-depth material to persuade them into choosing your brand. Value, however, is still the most important thing.Â
Materials such as catalogues, infographics, Ebooks, and email marketing assets are some of the few ideas that you can use to smoothen this decision making phase. These assets allow you to demonstrate industry competence while leading them further into the funnel.
Consistency is what will stand as the bridge between awareness and consideration. Who would want to partner up with a brand that demonstrates fickleness? Additionally, businesses that have a coherent brand presentation saw an increase of 23% in revenue.
Decision
Experts say that nearly 67% of the buyer’s journey is done digitally. That’s quite a significant number. It means that polishing up your landing pages aids customers and clients into conversion.
The job doesn’t stop after you’ve closed a sale.
Good marketers consider if there’s anything you can do to turn buyers into evangelists. You can hand happy customers marketing assets like swag bags, stickers, and other freebies. Functional assets allow them to market your company every time they use it.
The path to creating sales and creating good connections with your customers can always be improved. You can do that by creating a good marketing collateral strategy. Fitting assets can help both you and your customers have a better time getting through the journey together.
Big Brand Examples
Top companies are a great resource for coming up with marketing collateral ideas. We compiled a short, but heavy list of outstanding materials. By looking at these superb examples, you can see how distinguished brands put their own spin on their own assets.Â
Here are some of the best marketing assets from big brands in recent years.
Landing Page, Shopify
 
Shopify’s Landing Page
The eCommerce platform kept it simple and fresh with their landing page. You can easily spot the strategic placement of the two call-to-action buttons. The images they incorporated are motivational and fit for their target audience. Plus, this landing page design gives a nod to one of the web design trends in 2020.
Infographics, Vox
 
Vox’s Infographics by Javier Zarracina
This infographic by artist Javier Zarracina is nothing short of creative. It perfectly captures the favorite Scribd reads of people organized by state. You can even check what genre the authors are. Overall, the use of the periodic table of elements design on this one is apt with the topic’s school-like theme.
Brochure, Canon
 
Canon EOS System Brochure
This brochure from Canon captured the triumphs and opportunities of their EOS camera line. The brochure featured camera models that were considered as industry firsts and other quantifiable success stories. It’s appealing and tasteful just like their brand identity.
Keeping Things in Check
Finding the right material transforms marketing campaigns. But behind every campaign is a structured scheme.
Learning how to organize marketing collateral properly isn’t only for people getting started on creating assets. It’s for established businesses as well. It lets you have an easy reference for the things you already have and what you can repurpose.
You can’t just set it and forget it.
That’s why we created a quick checklist of materials that will help you rule brand marketing like a pro. In order to plan better campaigns, you need a list that will tie everything together.
Download the Marketing Collaterals Checklist
After taking a good long look at the assets you have at the moment, it’s best to ask yourself these questions. These quick Qs will help you reevaluate the quality and effectiveness of your material.
- Is the branding up to date? – Making sure you have a unified look throughout various channels is something people forget to do. You can start by checking if your collaterals share the same visual identity according to your brand styling guidelines.
- Are your goals being hit? – Go back to what result you had in mind when you had the material made. If the asset is for informing your audiences, start analyzing if it is doing the trick. From here, you can start revising to make the product more effective.
- How can we make this even better? – A great marketing collateral is one that constantly improves. You can take it further by promoting it more through different channels or adding more features. It’s all about striving to bring your material up to 11.Â
Auditing your campaigns seems fussy, but it’s an essential part of the job. By doing this, you can easily spot the opportunities and weaknesses of your brand. It’s a better way to manage your marketing investments.Â
Getting Started
Consumers only start reaching out to you once they’ve made 70% of their decision.
That’s why you always have to put your best foot forward when it comes to visuals and technical competence.
Marketing collaterals affect our daily business operations. They are, after all, extensions of our brand. They carry your brand and make for a better first impression. Having visually impactful collateral can speed up awareness and consideration of your brand.
Making sure that they are visually on point every time begins with a plan and a really good graphic artist to execute your design endeavors. With help coming from the right hands, there’s nothing your brand won’t be able to do.
Discover more ideas here:
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Written by DesignCrowd on Monday, March 30, 2020
DesignCrowd is an online marketplace providing logo, website, print and graphic design services by providing access to freelance graphic designers and design studios around the world.