|
I worked for a while at an advertising agency whose owners cared
more about quantity than they did about quality. The company used
the cheapest suppliers they could find in the belief that their
clients couldn't tell the difference between good and bad print
work. As creative director, it was frustrating to say the least.
I'm not there now.
These days I choose my suppliers more carefully. A good example
is Dayfold Print in Dorset. When Dayfold apply ink to paper the
results are beautiful to behold. My contact at Dayfold recently
sent me the following, which in turn had been sent to him by the
paper merchant GF Smith. It comes from a paper sample book and was
written in 1929.
THE PERSUASIVENESS OF QUALITY - from a sample book entitled,
'Strathmore Alexandra Japan (1929)'
Quality in printing is not an extravagant indulgence. It is in
fact a necessity of advertising that must pay its way.
The more vital the need for returns from your printed matter,
the greater the necessity that it possess the persuasiveness of
quality.
You think of your printed matter as so many thousand pieces to
be sent to a list, but the list is compiled of individual Jim's and
Jacks or Betty's and Anne's who see but one copy apiece. They do
not know how large an edition you have printed. They do not know
that such and such a printer would have done the job for less
money. They do not know, nor do they care, anything at all about
the expenses, difficulties, or printing problems involved in
getting out your printed matter.
They only know that in their hands is a booklet - one
booklet.
They are either impressed or unimpressed.
In that one copy is your opportunity.
Make that one copy rise to it.
What was true in 1929 remains true today. People appreciate
quality. They aspire to it and are persuaded by it. Given the
choice, we'll go for quality over quantity every time.
|
