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Topic: Tired of assembling a press kit into a folder

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satchel Posted – 11/28/2007 3:20:17 PM | show profile
What else is fairy affordable besides a folder?

Much of our pr budget includes free samples..so maybe I shouldn't worry so much about the press kit presentation. It's not sloppy, but for some reason the folder is really bugging me lately.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks
df Posted – 11/28/2007 5:42:36 PM | show profile
burn a nice professional cd with all the info and pictures on it. good supplier: discmakers.com
Foreigner Posted – 11/28/2007 10:45:06 PM | show profile
Send your media materials on a memory stick, which you can buy personalized with the company's logo.
satchel Posted – 11/30/2007 11:37:26 AM | show profile
I burned CD's back in the late 90's and in 2000, but it seemed editors didn't really use them so we switched back to paper.

So are CD's and the media sticks now the norm and people finally came around to them?

Thanks. It will save us paper that's for sure.
linjohn Posted – 11/30/2007 1:44:06 PM | show profile
I don't know about media sticks, but I burned CD's about a year ago and found that no one really used them. Editors kept asking me to resend the press release or photos - which they already had - so I essentially created twice the amount of work for myself.

Maybe I am old fashioned, but I still feel there is something to having a beautiful presentation you can thumb through. Sure, you'll still have to resend things electronically, but I think a physical presentation, done well, can be attention-grabbing and make more of an impact.

If you are bored with the folder, you could create a look book or catalogue. Do you work with a printer? Ask to see some examples of work they have done for other clients - it might spark some ideas? Or go to a good paper/design store in your area and check out what they have. When I lived in NYC, I could spend hours in Paper Access and the other stores on that block (18th and Sixth, I think) just getting ideas for press deliveries.

Let us know what you come up with.
onmyown Posted – 11/30/2007 2:59:34 PM | show profile
As a journalist who has received all kinds of press kits, I find I still prefer good old-fashioned paper. From my perspective, the problem with disks and memory sticks is that they often don't detail what's inside, so I have to open all sorts of files to find what I'm looking for -- and if the info isn't in there, it's a waste of time. Often, when I do find info on a disk or stick, I have to print it out the pertinent pages anyway. But you're right, a lot of press kits do waste paper. If you do use disks or sticks, please do include high-res photos.
Foreigner Posted – 12/1/2007 3:38:52 AM | show profile
I've gone back and forth on the memory stick because it's always good for a journalist to be able to see a great photo as soon as they open the mail and it's easy to forget to install the stick and look at it. I've heard some writers say they prefer the memory stick because it's more eco-friendly than paper..

But if you're going for a nice presentation, I think a product sample and a media release tucked into a stylish little bag can look good.

On that note - I always wonder how much other companies spend on buying customized folders/bags, etc - it's expensive, yet it can sometimes be a challenge to customize folders and bags yourself without it looking amateurish. Has anyone found reasonably priced vendors and what do you consider reasonably priced?
df Posted – 12/2/2007 12:40:41 PM | show profile
I had started the cd thing in 1998 (sic) and it was a total failure. I went to provide both, complete printout and cd in folder. In teh past 18 month I have seen all big names at major trade shows go cd. The formerly filled with press kits single boxes are now stacked with cd and media askes for cds.

some rules though - as mentioned before:
make sure to fully utilize the cd, place high res pics, word files and hyperlinks on it.
put a very good content file on it and outside of the cd, make sure files are organized in product groups etc.
my cds are build like an internet page, so if you open, Mr. web pops up and thats how you can browse and search.
satchel Posted – 12/3/2007 3:20:48 PM | show profile
foreigner: I usually design the outside of the folder. It sounds artsy crafty, but it usually turns out well. We use a black or white glossy folder and then print out one large digital photo that we glue onto the front. And the photo usually has a border so it looks like it belongs on the front of the folder. Sounds kind of hokey, but ends up looking fairly good. I've found printed folders with just our logo seem very corporate and dull. Just bought Aperture for my new laptop, so I'm curious to see how this helps any of our digital photo printouts.

df: It's been a while since I did the CD, what do you use to design it to open up like a webpage? I like that idea. Do you use an editor to make it resemble the layout of a webage?

thanks
df Posted – 12/3/2007 10:35:59 PM | show profile
yes, I had someone programm it. the set up is a bit more effort, but the following years are easy. I present it as a complete archive and also started using it on the clients web site.
Foreigner Posted – 12/4/2007 1:25:15 AM | show profile
Satchel - sticking one large photo on the front of the folder sounds like a plan, and I assume it's a fair bit cheaper than a full-color folder. I'm guessing that the surface of the image is a high-quality gloss or matte photo paper, so it doesn't have that thin, slightly transparent papery added-on look.

Think I'll try it!
satchel Posted – 12/10/2007 1:50:25 PM | show profile
Yes it is cheaper than getting folders printed. I use a satin photo paper from Digital Art Supply. But when I just went to their website, I couldn't find it. Epson makes a good satin photo paper, too. You will need a good spray glue as well.

The key is to have great product photos. I usually knock out the backgrounds on the photos and then design something simple in photoshop for the background on the front of the folder.

And this kind of brings me back to my original question. If I go with a CD, and also have a press area on the website, isn't the CD sort of pointless if you can direct editors to the website?
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