Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Always start with a clear understanding of the objective. How will you evaluate the design? What are the criteria for judging "success?"

I always bristle a little bit when I read "They say ..." because "They" may not understand the situation. "They" may just be spouting irrelevant words and thoughts, without any substance or meaning below the surface rhetoric.

I'm not saying that's the case here. I'm just suggesting that when you start a question by citing something "They say," my first reaction -- like Phil's -- is that "They" might just be blowing hot air.

Tell that to Picasso who designed some neat pictures in his life and made money out of it – or Lucian Freud. It is a gross generalization and really applicable to the execution of good design rather than covering the inspiration part. Ideally marketing tells engineering what customers want and then specifies what the company wants them do design and at what price. Engineering then produce something utterly different at 10 times the cost. This is where good communications become vital such as “Stick to the brief or we’ll get someone who can”

The idea that good communications have much about design after launch is laughable - that’s about good marketing, not about design, which has already happened and designers should be working on phase 2 by now to a new brief from marketing.

Dear Marka,

I don't know who "they" are but normally, the "they" are a group that sets some arbitrary standard that becomes real because the group listening to the measure set by the "they" or "them" doesn't have the courage or conviction to make a decision on its own for fear of being or appearing wrong.

Forget the "they", what do YOU think about good design being about effective communication?

Google the phrase "Good design is all about effective
communication" and you'll find all kinds of useful links.

My opinion is that it's good communication that's all about good communication. Great design is fine, but even great design that is poorly communicated still fails if no one knows about it.

In marketing, the thing that's or more use to the customer is the identification of their need and the presentation of a great solution
to that need.

Marketing is basically salesmanship of an effective solution to a pressing problem that removes fear, doubt, and skepticism on the part of the buyer and that uses benefits and compelling reasons why to multiply the prospect's desire for an agreeable outcome.

I hope this helps.

Gary Bloomer
The Direct Response Marketing Guy™
Wilmington, DE, USA

Read: https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/arts/09iht-design9.1.13525567.html

Your right in the importance of appearance in building a brand. It is so important it actually has its own name in the industry, visual branding. Your image is one of the most important aspects of your brand and starts right with your logo, spend lots of time perfecting this.

Here is a link from Addison Whitney a brand strategy firm https://www.addisonwhitney.com/experience/case-studies-detail.cfm/view/on_t... that worked with Brinker to develop visual branding for On The Border

Just to clarify a seeming contradiction in Gary Bloomer's post ...

He writes: "In marketing, the thing that's [of] more use to the customer is the identification of their need and the presentation of a great solution to that need."

In my mind, that's really at the heart of what marketing is all about -- identifying a need and then addressing it.

He then goes on to write: "Marketing is basically salesmanship of an effective solution ..."

I'd argue that Marketing is BOTH of those -- identifying and solving a need, AND communicating a benefit that will lead to a profitable sale.

Looks like many got distracted with the "they say" .. I guess it wasn't the write way to start my question. my apologies!

The main goal of my question is to learn from you guys how would you, say, art direct an ad from the marketing perspective... in a recent discussion with a client, there was an argument about hiring an art director with graphic background or hire a marketing specialist .. the objective again, is when, for example, making a photo shoot for a product.. this person (marketing or art director) ensure that this is going to deliver what is required (communicate) and an eye candy at the same time.

Once the photo is done, then it has to be put into a brochure.. and here comes the same questions, where is the most appropriate place, what is the most appropriate text and so on..

In my opinion, a strong marketing person should be able to make these calls.. a strong graphic designer, should make it happen..

What do you think?

Gary, what are the main skills and qualification for the Art Director? Also, is there sort of a matrix for the skills and qualification for all involved roles in the the ad process.. i.e.
Art Director, Marketing Manager.. etc. and for the skills, 5 years in graphic design, photoshop, .. etc... ?

thanks Mgoodman for the info.. It make perfect sense... The only challenge goes back to budget, sales, current market situation and how owners see the importance of it... I had small firms that would rather do most of the job in-house, due to lack of funding.. so depending on the budget and the level business management understands the importance of it..

If you can only afford one hand, you can try to clap, but it won't sound the same as if you have two hands.

Pictures without words are OK. And words without pictures are OK. But putting them together skillfully will almost always be more effective. And amateurs are rarely as good as professionals at words or pictures.

So do what you have to do. Amateur copywriting and professional graphics are probably better than nothing, or than amateur for both, or than either one alone.

It's a shame, though, to knowingly deliver sub-standard work because of budget limitations. It reflects as much on your skills as on the owner's lack of understanding of marketing.

It's so much of lacking marketing knowledge, as much as budget limitations. With this economy, all companies are scared to spend and you have to be creative with the resources that you got.

I understand where you coming from and appreciate your input.