Have you ever found yourself saying something like this?

"I don't know what marketing collateral my team needs/wants." or "We have so many marketing materials – I don't know what else to create."

Sometimes it may seem like you’ve reached the end of the road and everything that could be created has been. The collateral creation process is never really done though. The more you can make available to your team, the more successful they (and your company) can be. 

Use the questions below to help you decide what materials you may still need to add to your marketing library, and work with your team to develop a plan for content, design, and promotion of each piece.

Tip: It would be beneficial to first conduct a collateral audit to know what’s currently available to your team. Some things may just need a refresh, while others may need to be created entirely from scratch.

1.  Are there offers that are not represented in the available materials?

Make sure you haven’t missed updating any collateral with current offers and that all offers align with your current marketing strategy.

2.  Is there an area of your business not getting the desired level of attention?

Review the sales and marketing plan to determine key growth areas and focus collateral on areas that may not have as many materials available. It’s likely that collateral already exist for these areas of the company, but perhaps they just need to be updated and optimized for higher usability or better conversions.

3.  Is there a channel not performing to desired levels?

Assess content across all channels to see where there may be opportunities to optimize collateral or create new. A good marketing campaign should utilize as many channels as appropriate for that offer or message. Don’t put all your effort into one channel and neglect the others.

4.  Is there something specific that your team has been asking for?

Find out the needs of your team. From sales to operations, determine what type of collateral will help them do their job better. A good way to collect this feedback is to set up a simple survey and ask.

5.  Is your corporate identity complete?

Make sure you have appropriately branded business cards, letterhead, envelopes, brochures, and presentation folders readily available. Consider if there are other standard pieces that could be created and available to your team, such as nametags or thank you cards.

6.  Do you do direct mail?

With much of today’s marketing focus being placed on digital, it can be easy to forget about direct mail. However, it’s often a critical component to the success of campaigns, by reinforcing digital messages and putting a physical piece in the hands of your audience. Consider if any of your current campaigns could use the help of direct mail to reach your target prospects and existing customers.

7.  Do you utilize point-of-sale materials?

Depending on your industry, point-of-sale materials may play a big role in converting customers. Review current collateral to ensure it’s communicating current offers and brainstorm if there are new types of point-of-sale materials that can aid the sales process.

8.  Is your event kit complete?

If your company regularly exhibits at events or you host events such as grand openings, you’ll want to make sure your event kit is complete. Be sure to include items such as banners, brochures, sell sheets, stickers, or anything else that can help your team be successful at their event.

9.  Do you have a press kit available?

A good press kit should include a letter of introduction, information about your company, products and services, recent news and publications, photos and more. Ensure all these pieces are branded properly and assembled in an easy to access kit that your team can easily share with media when needed.

Once you have all your materials created, a great way to make them available to your team is through a marketing resource management system or a customized brand portal. A portal allows organizations to distribute their marketing collateral across multiple locations, networks, or individuals, ensuring users have timely access to materials when they need it.

Additionally, because your customized brand portal is hosted and developed by Suttle-Straus, you’ll receive the same great, high-quality printed materials, with the speed and efficiency that comes with the online ordering of print pieces.