Let’s Start with a Story
Say you’re a homeowner looking for a new roof. You’d probably start the process by searching for roofing manufacturers online. You’ll find an array of manufacturers whose websites, products and claims look and sound pretty much the same. You pick a couple of favorites.
Then, since almost no one is going to choose a roof without seeing and touching actual roofing samples (and most roofing can’t be bought online anyway), you focus on finding a couple of local roofing contractors who rep the brands you’re interested in. You call them up to come over, show you samples and give you an estimate.
Now it Gets Interesting
The First Contractor
The first contractor shows up with a beat-up set of roofing samples he pulls out of the bed of his pickup truck. The samples – like the contractor – offer few facts about the different roofing products they show except product and color names, a few specs and warranty length. Then the contractor takes a week to get back to you with an estimate.
The Second Contractor
The second contractor shows up with multiple clean, well-designed sample binders and a set of product brochures explaining your choices. Then he takes his time to explain the difference between products and manufacturers, even showing you some product videos on his iPad. He then flies a drone over your house to give you an installation estimate on the spot.
Anyway, you probably can see where this story is going.
It’s the Brand Experience More Than the Product
The experience around buying a product often has more influence on your buying decision than the product itself. Particularly in product categories where there are an overwhelming number of seemingly similar choices. So, when it’s hard to understand what makes one product better than another, you don’t just pick the product, you pick the brand who makes the process easier and gives you the confidence you need to say yes faster.
As a company that designs, produces and fulfills sample boards and other sales materials for building materials manufacturers, we can’t influence all parts of the shopping experience. But we can influence what happens in that critical moment when a manufacturer’s sample boards and sales collateral get their shot in front of a prospective buyer.
As we see it, our job is to imagine how that moment can be made better – to win the buyer’s heart, mind and ultimately the sale. We call this “Winning the Moment. Here’s how we help our customers do it.
Designing Winning Sample Boards and Sales Collateral
First, working collaboratively with you, we map out everything that needs to happen in that moment your materials get their shot – capture interest, inspire, connect emotionally, educate, convince and more. Next, we visually explore alternative creative concepts to make these things happen with a variety of renderings or prototypes. Then together we evaluate each idea using a Win the Moment checklist customized to your program’s goals.
The Win the Moment Checklist
Here’s a sample of the questions we use to evaluate each idea:
- Is the first impression these materials make the right one?
- How do they compare visually with competitive sample boards?
- Will these materials and their presentation create an emotional connection with your brand?
- Are they consistent with your brand’s intended image (you’d be amazed how many high-end products get shown with samples that look anything but)?
- Can these materials stand on their own without relying on someone else – like a contractor – to complete your brand story?
- Is all the information a buyer needs to gain the confidence he or she needs to say yes here and offered in the right order – or are key things missing?
- Are these materials consistent in look and language with what the buyer has already seen online (inconsistency erodes confidence)?
- Are there opportunities to personalize the content to the prospective buyer?
- Are these materials durable enough to keep looking great until they get their moment in front of a prospective buyer?
- And if the materials are delivered in a package – is the package being used effectively to create a memorable opening experience, something to make the buyer fall in love with your brand?
The more ‘yes’ answers the better. We then combine the best of the best ideas into a final ‘moment-winning’ concept. And if it sounds like this approach takes extra time, it doesn’t. It actually speeds up the process, ensuring nothing is overlooked upfront, reducing back-end changes, reducing waste and winning more moments for your brand.
Customers call it refreshing.
Could Your Sample Boards and Marketing Collateral Win More Moments?
If you think they could, please contact us. Tell us what’s on your mind and we’ll let you know how we can help. And please return to this blog page where we’ll be regularly posting case studies of some of our latest moment-winning projects.
