The Self Promotion Piece – Bringing a Graphics Standard into the Business World

Graphic designers are intimately familiar with the all-important portfolio and accompanying self-promotion piece. After the big pitch and presentation, designers and firms provide prospective clients with an SPP, often a bound promotional brochure or catalogue highlighting their best work and success stories/case studies, as well as a list of awards and some basic reminder company information.

Now, all business owners are familiar with the corporate brochure, but rarely is it utilized in the same way by companies in non-creative fields. Most corporate brochures end up serving either as extended ads (too obviously self-serving, unless the ad is the purpose), or dry company profiles (which are, well, dry). I often suggest a more creative approach to my clients… a “show” rather than “tell”.

The creative SPP gives prospective clients a better idea of your experience and capabilities. Think of your case study segment as a mini-portfolio of sorts – it should highlight some of your biggest successes, and serve as an example of your company’s capabilities. Who used your product/service? What did you do for them specifically, and how did it make their lives better?

A good SPP needs to serve several purposes. If you’re going to mail it, it needs to work effectively as a direct mail piece. At the same time, it should work as a well-designed brochure or packaging concept. Put as much effort and imagination into designing your SPP as you would put into delivering a product/service to your best client.

It’s not essential that you have an SPP… however, it’s good to remember that an exceptionally clever and well-designed SPP can often open doors when a cold-call or sales letter won’t.

Sage Media is an international corporate design firm based in Ottawa, Ontario.