Want to get more mileage out of your marketing dollar? Consider designing a marketing piece that's flexible enough to be used  for two different applications.

We recently applied that winning concept to a combination annual report/general marketing brochure for Christian Community Action.  The brochure features 8-panels with a fold used to enclose an insert. The colorful panels detail timely milestones achieved by this vital non-profit and includes success stories as well as a list of some of the many services they provide.  The financials are only printed on the insert which allows the user the choice of which function they want the piece to perform.  After distributing a limited number of panels with the financial insert, the “shell” can be used as a general marketing piece throughout the year. 

A great design that stretches your marketing dollars and saves on printing costs as well! 

I've been in the marketing business for many years, and it's not often that I get motivated by a new book, but I highly recommend "InBound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs," by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah.  This book clarifies the difference between Outbound Marketing (traditional pay for marketing like direct mail, television, magazine advertisements and Inbound Marketing (the ability to provide interesting relevant website content that drives traffic to your site in simple and easy-to-understand terminology.  We're so "jazzed" by this book that we plan on offering a book review luncheon in February.  Keep your eyes open for fresh updates.