Top tips for outsourcing your point-of-purchase to a print management company.

Working with a reputable print management company can help you create and produce high-quality solutions that effectively communicate your brand message and attract customers at the critical consideration phase. For a print management partnership that sets you up for success, here are seven top tips for getting started.

1. Share your budget and objectives

Before engaging with a print management company, clearly define your objectives and goals.

Which target audience do you want to reach? What messages do you want to convey? What do you want customers to think, feel and do as a result of seeing, and interacting with, your point of purchase materials? How much do you want to spend? And what overall outcome do you want?

Sharing your budget and clear objectives will help the print management company understand your vision and deliver results that align with your goals.

2. Discuss timelines upfront

Before briefing any work, work with the print management company to establish a timeline for the project. Communicate dates by when you want to see initial concepts, how long you will need for feedback and approvals and ultimately when you need the project to move into production to ensure delivery is on time.

3. Confirm distribution and installation

Talk to your print management company about your plans for shipping and installation early in the project. If your print partner understands some of the logistical challenges you face in the process between shipping and installation, they will be able to suggest solutions to streamline the journey.

4. Establish clear channels of communication

When you outsource work to a print management company, ask for clarity around your points of contact. Who will be leading the project? Will you communicate directly with the designers, or is everything channelled through the project lead? With clear lines of communication, you’ll be able to foster a positive partnership with your print partner and leverage their expertise for maximum impact on the finished product.

5. Collaborate on design and creativity

Provide a clear brief which references what you do and what you don’t want. Work in close collaboration with the print management company’s design team to develop creative and visually appealing materials that resonate with your brand identity and messaging. Review the design concepts, colour schemes, imagery and branding elements against the original brief to ensure the final product reflects your vision.

6. Review material options and quality

Explore with the print management company different material options including paper stock, textures and finishes. Ask them to advise you on the quality standards and printing techniques that will best showcase your product and ask for samples and proofs to ensure the materials selected meet your expectations.

7. Monitor performance and feedback

To ensure the point of purchase materials are used to maximum effect, provide clear instructions and guidelines for setting up your displays. Share with your in-store teams the metrics you’ll be using to track the performance of the materials in situ, including how you plan to gather feedback from customers and staff. Monitor sales data, customer engagement metrics, and overall impact on brand visibility to evaluate the success of the campaign and feed this back to your print management partner to inform and refine future strategies.

At Summit Creative, we absolutely love talking about point of purchase.

For help, advice, or just a virtual coffee with a retail-lover, get in touch.