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Solutions December 2005
case
study
Pocket
Folder Makes Waves
Glen
Bryman has sold everything from
letterhead and envelopes to banners
and newsletters to The Waters
Organization in Atlanta since
it was founded in 2004. Recently,
the distributor faced one of his
toughest challenges with the company,
which provides administrative
recruiting and IT consulting,
when it prepared for a trade show.
“They
wanted an elegant piece to give
attendees, but not too expensive
and not too much to hand out,”
says Bryman, president of Atlanta-based
Imageflow Services Inc. The Waters
Organization also required the
marketing piece within eight business
days. Bryman met with the company
president and they decided on
a 51Ú2 x 81Ú2-inch pocket folder.
The
folder, manufactured by Wilmer,
Dayton, Ohio, is constructed of
100# gloss stock with varnish.
It’s aqua, a color used
throughout The Waters Organization’s
marketing materials and web site
to tie in with the company name.
The front features four photos
of water—two of a pool and
two of the ocean. Similar photos
also appear on the company’s
web site. Below the photos is
the firm’s name and logo,
a loosely scripted “W”
that resembles a wave, printed
in black.
Inside
the folder are two custom rounded
pockets. The pocket on the left
side includes a quote by ancient
Greek philosopher Pindar: “The
noblest of the elements is water.”
The Waters Organization places
three tiered marketing sheets
in the pocket. The sheets discuss
the company’s history and
services. The pocket on the right
side is free of text and empty,
so trade show attendees can fill
it as they choose.
The
back of the folder is imprinted
with The Waters Organization’s
name, address, phone and fax numbers
and web site address in white.
“It’s very clean and
sharp,” says Bryman. A 4-page
insert is saddle-stitched inside
the folder. It includes text on
why administrative and IT personnel
are critical to companies and
how The Waters Organization ensures
clients are appropriately staffed.
The
organization, which ordered 1,500
of the presentation folders, was
thrilled with the piece, says
Bryman. “We were able to
come up with something they liked
at a price they could live with,”
he says. The folder is standard
with one custom addition—the
rounded pockets—to add a
distinctive touch.
Bryman
attributes much of the project’s
success to Wilmer. “They
were quick to respond, which was
key,” says Bryman. When
he supplied the artwork, Wilmer
rapidly generated a proof. When
The Waters Organization requested
a change to the proof, Wilmer
made it quickly, produced the
folders and met the client’s
tight deadline.
“I’m
comfortable selling presentation
folders and part of that is because
I have vendors I can trust,”
says Bryman.
—Susan
Keen Flynn
1.
An effective presentation folder
starts with the right stock. For
instance, if a customer tries
to economize by using a lightweight
stock, then inserts a CD, the
folder could tear easily. Conversely,
selling an elegant 100# linen
stock folder to a client such
as a whimsical toy store is an
equally poor choice because the
material doesn’t fit the
customer. When selecting stock,
consider the following: What’s
the overall purpose of the folder?
Will it be handed out or mailed
to recipients? What’s its
shelf life, and how often will
it be handled? How many
and what types of materials will
go inside?
2.
Keep it simple, says Glen Bryman,
president of Imageflow Services
Inc., a distributorship in Atlanta.
“Keep presentation folders
as clean and neat as possible.”
There are many customization options
for folders, including different-shaped
pockets; foil stamped and embossed
designs; die cut slits to add
business cards, CD-ROMs and other
materials; and perforated flaps
that fold out, then tear off.
Bryman encourages customers to
add only one or two custom elements
so the folder doesn’t detract
from the most important component—the
information inside that the company
wants to convey to its clients.
“Use your creativity on
the text,” he says.
3.
Many presentation folders are
mailed to recipients: Membership
organizations send out new member
packets, insurance companies mail
benefits packages and groups ranging
from sports teams to theaters
mail season ticket packets. One
way to attract these customers
is not only by providing presentation
folders and inside materials,
but also by offering to put the
packets together and handling
mailing services.
