Have you ever stood at the glass-encased directory in the lobby
of an office building and, while scanning it for the firm
you're visiting, come across nondescript company names that
made you think, "I wonder what they do?" What kind
of business is Niemeyer & Associates? What do they make at
Fisher Technologies? What do they do at O'Connor Industries?
And what the heck is The Campbell Connection? Chances are,
you'll go to your grave never knowing that Niemeyer is a
terrific home and office interior design firm, Fisher makes a
device that automatically controls the chemical balance in your hot
tub, O'Connor builds prefab sheds for the backyard and Campbell
can get you a great deal on a used PC.
My point is not really that your amorphously named company
should also have a description in its building's directory
(although that might get you an accidental customer or two), but
that a company name alone, particularly an unremarkable one,
won't sell beans. I find, however, that a surprising number of
entrepreneurs still use the most important panel of their company
brochure--the front page--to introduce the name of their enterprise
and not much else. That decision always gets my Golden Noogie
Award.
The newest honoree is Matt Boggan of Knoxville, Tennessee, who
wrote recently. Boggan runs a company called Team Paragon, which
designs custom overhead lift-and-transfer systems for people with
physical disabilities and for those who take care of these
individuals. Boggan wrote to ask, "What can I do better to
ensure that my mailing will be opened and read and will inspire the
customer to call for further information?"
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My short answer is: Don't use Team Paragon's name as the
centerpiece of the brochure/mailer cover. Although for a
nondescript company name Team Paragon is somewhat intriguing, it
still can't hold a candle to some sort of benefit statement
about what the company offers. So let's get down to creating
one.
Before:
This brochure cover assumes the company's name will grab
people and usher them inside.
1. The company name is
somewhat intriguing, but there's no selling message to attract
the target audience.
2. This logo has some good
thought behind it, but there needs to be more of a tie-in to the
actual product.
After:
The symbolism created by the headline and the background image
dramatically alludes to the benefit.
1. This headline conjures up
imagery that might appeal to a disabled person's desire for
independence.
2. The subhead follows with
an explanation of just what the headline is alluding to.
Jerry Fisher is a freelance advertising copywriter in the San
Francisco Bay area and author of Creating Successful Small
Business Advertising, available from Bookmasters by calling
(800) 247-6553. If you'd like Jerry to consider your materials
for a makeover in this column, please write to him c/o "Ad
Workshop," Entrepreneur, 2392 Morse Ave., Irvine, CA
92614. Or you can reach him at Jerry228@aol.com
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