My communications class this week was about writing for brochures. But the main lesson I took away wasn’t about a writing skill…
We had to work in a small group to create a brochure based on our first 3-hour lecture about writing strategies specific to brochure layouts and audiences. My group created a gourmet cupcake company to promote. I wrote the copy about the benefits companies enjoy by ordering a cupcake package for their client (the client will be feel respected and values, the client will be more likely to repeat business with that company, the company will be seen as unique and thoughtful, etc). It was challenging to have 24 hours to turn around a full brochure with 5 individuals’ input. I volunteered to be the layout person and chose the fonts, colors, and graphics.
I do both writing and layout for marketing materials at work, but I hadn’t really realized how inseparable they are. When we wanted to tweak the tone or re-focus our audience, both the design and the writing had to change. At a logistical level, the length of the text and the size of the text box need to work together and if one changes, so does the other. The copy and the design are always doing a tango together, reacting to the other’s movements. They must stay in sync or your brochure will look as clumsy as my fiancée and I trying to learn the foxtrot at our first dance class.
How does your organization handle this? Do you have one person who does the writing and design or separate people? In-house or consultants?
