Spending Money on Design in a Tough Economy
Yesterday, after attending the Free Arts Minnesota Luncheon for the second year in a row, it occurred to me that for a non-profit organization, they have some fantastically designed marketing materials. Fortunately for them, they’ve made some wonderful connections over the years and many people are willing to offer up their services pro-bono.
However, when your marketing or advertising looks “expensive” does your audience think you are expensive? Even worse, for a non-profit, since you can afford marketing and advertising, maybe you don’t need donations? As a very passionate Free Arts volunteer, I can tell you first hand, this is most definitely not true. More than ever, this year donations are crucial for our survival as an organization.
In the past and recently, I’ve had clients request, “Don’t make our piece look too fancy. At this time we can’t look like we can afford to spend thousands of dollars on our marketing materials.” I do understand this concern. Whether you’re a hospital trying to raise money due to lack of equipment, a financial institution constructing a new wing onto your building or a non-profit just trying to stay afloat, putting out high-end designed postcards, posters and publications might raise a few eyebrows about how badly you really need the help.
But is cutting back on the design really the answer? I don’t think so. Even in the midst of the greatest recession of our time, I think the popular phrase “you gotta spend money to make money” still holds true. Companies such as the Salvation Army, have found creative ways to work effectively within a tight budget and still produce amazing marketing campaigns. You could save money by asking your neighbor’s son-law who once took a desktop publishing course in high school to make you a flyer, or rely on a template you found in Microsoft Word, but in order to truly get your idea across successfully, asking a professional should never be underrated.
Writer/designer, Douglas Martin put it perfectly when he said, “Questions about whether design is necessary or affordable are quite beside the point: design is inevitable. The alternative to good design is bad design, not no design at all.” You can acknowledge that money is hard to spend right now but that doesn’t mean your design, idea, or campaign has to suffer.
