Trifold brochure for new Olympic Peninsula marketing strategy

Bridge closure inspires new directions in marketing…
The Hood Canal Bridge is the main eastern access for tourists visiting Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula. This spring, the bridge underwent a much needed retrofit, resulting in a five-week closure. The local tourism organization, Olympic Peninsula Tourism Commission (OPTC), took special measures to promote lodging and other tourism-related businesses while the bridge was closed.Â

Among these efforts was a brochure directed to southern markets in Olympia, WA and Portland, OR. OPTC called upon InsideOut to design the piece and implement the online elements of the promotion. With the success of this piece, OPTC may use it as a template for additional pieces targeting markets to the north and east.

Pictures tell the story
There are six distinctive communities on the Peninsula. No amount of text could represent their unique qualities as well as big glossy photographs. It was decided that photos would be the means to tell their story.

In addition to large photos representing all the communities, OPTC also wanted a large map, an events calendar and lists of web sites and visitor centers in a clean uncluttered layout. Budget and distribution via newspaper insert determined a trifold format of 25.5″ x 10.875″ folded down to 8.5″ x 10.875″. How was it all going to fit?

InsideOut decided to concentrate the text on the back panel, a logical and easily accessible place for reference information. (When you’re in a hurry, it’s easier to just flip a brochure over than to open it up.) The rest of the space was now open for large photos with minimal text.

OPTC also wanted to include an incentive that might change with each version of the brochure. The special offer was placed on the back panel and directs readers to the OPTC website where InsideOut created an easy-to-use form that visitors can use to enter the contest.

Result
160,000 brochures were printed and distributed via inserts into major southern newspapers such as the Oregonian and the Olympian. The response to the special offer has been good and OPTC is very happy with the speed and quality of the design.

Finding the Focus
The foundation already had a trifold brochure, but it had a few problems:

1) Plain and uninspiring – The design was nothing they were excited about sending to current or prospective contributors.

2) Low quality printing – The piece featured lists of supporters and board members which needed periodic updates. As a result, they had to settle for desktop printing; it was too expensive to professionally reprint whenever there was a change.

3) No response card – There was no call to action or reply card for interested parties.

The redesign put the focus on the children by using a few well-placed large photos from SEF events.* To give the piece some longevity, InsideOut removed any information that would need periodic revision–out went the list of personnel and contributors. Instead, SEF supporters could be listed at www.sequimeducationfoundation.org or on a separate letter output inexpensively from a desktop printer.

We now had room to add a reply form on the inside spread. And we saved them an envelope by making the piece a self-mailer. We were also able to save on printing costs by staying with their current 8.5″ x 11″ size.

The Result

In addition to design, InsideOut conducted the print management of 5,000 brochures. Sequim Education Foundation is very happy with the result:

“We want to thank you for your firm’s donation of the new flyer… The foundation has long needed a professionally designed and produced handout/mailer to improve our public image. Your generosity and the excellent work of your graphic designer, Jennifer Lozada, is greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,

Richard T. Hughes

President
Sequim Education Foundation

*SEF did an excellent job of obtaining and documenting photographers’, models’ and parents’ permissions for photo usage.

Requirements
Co-owner Brad Schmiling wanted to update their brochure. The old design was informative, clear and easy-to-read, but didn’t capture the personality of the winery. Brad wanted the look to express quirkiness and fun, as well as tradition and elegance. From our discussions with him, it was clear he preferred designs that broke up hard edges and avoided the blocky look of rectangular photos and columns of text. Brad also wanted the brochures as soon as possible, with design time charges less than $1,000.

A new size, a new look
The old brochure was a non-standard size, which meant it was more expensive to print and required a larger envelope to mail. To solve these issues, we chose a 12″ x 9″ format that folds to 4″ x 9″ . The new size fits a standard display rack and #10 envelope while giving plenty of room to showcase photos. Fortunately, vonStiehl had numerous excellent photographs. We chose warm appetizing colors pulled from the photos. Brad also liked the informal look of cutout images, so we incorporated that into the brochure, too. Traditional typefaces and the weathered old paper give a sense of history and elegance. The map on the back helps visitors understand where Algoma is located in the state. The inset helps them zero-in on the winery’s location in town.

The update continues
Brad is very enthusiastic about the new look:

“We love the design of the new brochure. I wouldn’t have even been able to
picture it ahead of time. It’s just right!” – Brad Schmiling

We managed the printing of 30,000 brochures to cover their distribution from the winery (from in-house displays and mailings) and visitor information centers. Due to the spot-on design and Brad’s decisiveness, the design time was less than half of his $1,000 budget and the brochures were delivered right on time. To maintain consistent branding, InsideOut will apply the brochure’s design to von Stiehl’s new Web site, currently in process.

A Change in Tone
InsideOut was directed to write copy with a more personal tone, emphasizing experiences. The piece incorporated quotes by locals talking about their favorite things to do in the area. We kept the text short and sweet, with engaging headlines to pique the reader’s interest. This was a distinct change from previous planners which featured longer blocks of text, teeny photos and overwhelming information grids.

Shorter text gave us room to show rather than tell the story. We accomplished this by using big, local photos; keeping a casual tone with cutout images; and using colors reminiscent of the area’s forests, waters and brick buildings.

A Happy Result
The result is a piece that strongly communicates the area’s feel and the wide range of activities offered. With its “Big List of Info” on the back cover and its detailed map in the central spread, the brochure is also a useful reference. It was a fun project to work on, too! The 50,000 brochures will be distributed by requests originating from EnjoyPT.com, as well as direct phone and email inquiries.

Bigger & Brighter

They asked InsideOut to do a 24-page directory in full color. We were able to give them a good printing quote since changes in technology have made full color costs comparable to 2-color printing. With 24 pages, there was plenty of room for pictures, a map and useful travel information, as well as a photo and description for each inn.

Display It or Mail It

Folded in half, the brochure is 4″ x 9″ and fits standard display racks at Visitor Centers. The front cover is uncluttered and eye-catching. Photos tell the story, expressing a feeling of hospitality and the drama of Utah’s landscape. The back cover has the return address and room for a mailing label and postage. As a self-mailer, the piece doesn’t require the extra cost of a separate mailing envelope.

BBIU wanted enough brochures to distribute both in- and out-of-state. But they didn’t want too many since they plan on updating the piece next year. A print run of 7,500 satisfied both these concerns.

Interactive & Online

To maintain the strength of their branding, the piece matches the look and feel of their website. More importantly, the piece easily makes the transition online… you can download a pdf (portable document format) from bbiu.org to your computer. With its clickable table of contents and map, this interactive version lets you easily navigate through its pages. Once you’ve found what you need, you can print out the pages, too.

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The brochure is getting rave reviews. We were happy to guide BBIU through the process and give them an attractive, multi-functional marketing piece.

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