You've decided it's time to take your marketing to the next level and add gift cards to your business -- a wise choice. Now, you are ready for the next step, and choosing the right card design is an important part of the process. Here are some do's and don'ts and common mistakes people make when designing their gift cards.
A Custom Card or a Standard Card?
After you have teamed up with a gift card provider to help launch your program, you will discuss various design options. One of the questions will be whether you want a custom card design or whether you can utilize a standard design. Custom cards help marry your existing marketing initiatives and branding as completely as possible.
Standard card designs are pre-made designs that can be personalized in a variety of ways. These cards do not have to be boring or bland. In fact, many gift card suppliers make available a variety of different designs for a variety of different business categories or vertical markets. These standard cards also can be personalized with your business name, your retail website, your phone number or other items, including your logo (although it may be in one color).
Choosing the best option for business takes an understanding of your options. Custom designed cards have several key advantages. You will often see the "big box" retailers use these because they are able to carry their same branding and marketing with a custom design. These custom cards are usually very attractive. An attractive card makes an attractive gift and you can often increase impulse buys with this added eye appeal. Merchants also can try some unique things such as custom die cuts to make specially shaped gift cards. Merchants can use more distinctive materials (such as metallic inks, foils and different card stocks). There are even some cutting edge ideas where the cards have additional digital information or can even play music. The two disadvantages to a custom card design are that the price is more expensive and that the turnaround takes a little more time.
Standard cards can also utilize unique printing features like metallic inks, clear card stocks and die cuts. However there are limitations as to how much a standard card can be personalized. You may be limited in terms of how many characters of text you can use. There are usually only certain color options for the overprinted type. And the number of standard card designs available is a limitation. But there are advantages to standard cards as well. Standard cards are usually less expensive for most businesses because the vendor has printed a large quantity of each design. Standard cards can be personalized and shipped in a matter of days instead of the several weeks it takes to design and produce custom designs.
Some Things To Consider About Your Artwork
With standard cards, your job is pretty easy -- select your card design from your choices and determine how to personalize it. For the custom card, however, there are more choices. If you have an existing agency that handles your creative work, you will likely work with them to create your design. If not, you will work directly with the supplier. Some suppliers may even have their own in-house creative departments to help you with your design. Either way, you will need to provide the designers some direction. You may need to supply them with some of your existing artwork so that they can base their designs on your current branding. For example, if you run a restaurant, you may want to provide them with the art from your menu. Or, maybe your business has brochures or ads that use your art and would be suitable for this purpose. These materials will help tie in your current marketing to the card.
Here are some good ideas of things to do and not do when going through this design process:
1. DON'T try to use the images right off your website. These are often not of high enough quality and resolution for card printing.
2. DON'T provide graphic images than must be enlarged. This will, again, not give a high enough resolution to the images as they lose quality when enlarged.
3. DON'T utilize previously printed images. Art that has been printed commercially has been converted into small "dots" that create the image. When you reprint these previously printed images, you often get a moire pattern that makes for poor quality images.
4. DO try and use original computer files from which you have printed other pieces. These original files will be perfectly clear and will allow the designer to more quickly and effectively create a quality design.
5. DON'T make the design too complicated. Placing too much info into this small space often reduces the overall visual impact that the card will have. This is a fairly common error people make. Don't make it cluttered and lose your impact in the process.
6. DO take advantage of your logo. Your logo is a constant branding image that your customers actually expect to see on your various advertising and marketing creative. A gift card or loyalty card is like a pocket-sized billboard for your company. Take advantage of your logo. You want your clients to remember your name.
7. DO look into using custom merchandising vehicles. By coordinating your package (which might include a custom card on a custom card hanger or card carrier) you help increase your perceived value...and that helps improve sales.
Whether you opt for a personalized standard card you can begin to sell to customers next week or a custom-designed card/hanger combination that will coordinate with your other marketing materials, there is nothing quite like opening up that box and seeing your colorful gift cards for the first time. Whatever you choose in terms of design, be sure to make your customers aware that you offer gift cards as soon as they arrive at your door. Soon you'll enjoy additional revenues and new visitors to your business. - 15275
A Custom Card or a Standard Card?
After you have teamed up with a gift card provider to help launch your program, you will discuss various design options. One of the questions will be whether you want a custom card design or whether you can utilize a standard design. Custom cards help marry your existing marketing initiatives and branding as completely as possible.
Standard card designs are pre-made designs that can be personalized in a variety of ways. These cards do not have to be boring or bland. In fact, many gift card suppliers make available a variety of different designs for a variety of different business categories or vertical markets. These standard cards also can be personalized with your business name, your retail website, your phone number or other items, including your logo (although it may be in one color).
Choosing the best option for business takes an understanding of your options. Custom designed cards have several key advantages. You will often see the "big box" retailers use these because they are able to carry their same branding and marketing with a custom design. These custom cards are usually very attractive. An attractive card makes an attractive gift and you can often increase impulse buys with this added eye appeal. Merchants also can try some unique things such as custom die cuts to make specially shaped gift cards. Merchants can use more distinctive materials (such as metallic inks, foils and different card stocks). There are even some cutting edge ideas where the cards have additional digital information or can even play music. The two disadvantages to a custom card design are that the price is more expensive and that the turnaround takes a little more time.
Standard cards can also utilize unique printing features like metallic inks, clear card stocks and die cuts. However there are limitations as to how much a standard card can be personalized. You may be limited in terms of how many characters of text you can use. There are usually only certain color options for the overprinted type. And the number of standard card designs available is a limitation. But there are advantages to standard cards as well. Standard cards are usually less expensive for most businesses because the vendor has printed a large quantity of each design. Standard cards can be personalized and shipped in a matter of days instead of the several weeks it takes to design and produce custom designs.
Some Things To Consider About Your Artwork
With standard cards, your job is pretty easy -- select your card design from your choices and determine how to personalize it. For the custom card, however, there are more choices. If you have an existing agency that handles your creative work, you will likely work with them to create your design. If not, you will work directly with the supplier. Some suppliers may even have their own in-house creative departments to help you with your design. Either way, you will need to provide the designers some direction. You may need to supply them with some of your existing artwork so that they can base their designs on your current branding. For example, if you run a restaurant, you may want to provide them with the art from your menu. Or, maybe your business has brochures or ads that use your art and would be suitable for this purpose. These materials will help tie in your current marketing to the card.
Here are some good ideas of things to do and not do when going through this design process:
1. DON'T try to use the images right off your website. These are often not of high enough quality and resolution for card printing.
2. DON'T provide graphic images than must be enlarged. This will, again, not give a high enough resolution to the images as they lose quality when enlarged.
3. DON'T utilize previously printed images. Art that has been printed commercially has been converted into small "dots" that create the image. When you reprint these previously printed images, you often get a moire pattern that makes for poor quality images.
4. DO try and use original computer files from which you have printed other pieces. These original files will be perfectly clear and will allow the designer to more quickly and effectively create a quality design.
5. DON'T make the design too complicated. Placing too much info into this small space often reduces the overall visual impact that the card will have. This is a fairly common error people make. Don't make it cluttered and lose your impact in the process.
6. DO take advantage of your logo. Your logo is a constant branding image that your customers actually expect to see on your various advertising and marketing creative. A gift card or loyalty card is like a pocket-sized billboard for your company. Take advantage of your logo. You want your clients to remember your name.
7. DO look into using custom merchandising vehicles. By coordinating your package (which might include a custom card on a custom card hanger or card carrier) you help increase your perceived value...and that helps improve sales.
Whether you opt for a personalized standard card you can begin to sell to customers next week or a custom-designed card/hanger combination that will coordinate with your other marketing materials, there is nothing quite like opening up that box and seeing your colorful gift cards for the first time. Whatever you choose in terms of design, be sure to make your customers aware that you offer gift cards as soon as they arrive at your door. Soon you'll enjoy additional revenues and new visitors to your business. - 15275
About the Author:
Al Duggan is an expert in custom gift and loyalty cards and is the Vice President of Business Development for Valutec Card Solutions, LLC, a Metavante (NYSE:MV) company, the nation's largest provider of gift card programs to small to mid-sized businesses.
