{"id":3076,"date":"2025-11-13T18:49:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T18:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shiny.agency\/blog\/?p=3076"},"modified":"2025-11-13T18:49:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T18:49:10","slug":"making-every-texture-count-why-thoughtful-tactile-decisions-are-key-to-successful-collateral","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shiny.agency\/blog\/making-every-texture-count-why-thoughtful-tactile-decisions-are-key-to-successful-collateral\/","title":{"rendered":"Making every texture count: why thoughtful tactile decisions are key to successful collateral"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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I remember working on a direct mail kit for a financial services Client during the time of Covid. No way we could be in the room with them to present the thinking, and also no way a flat screen or PDF was going to tell the story we needed to tell. So we packaged up a mockup of the kit plus paper samples and shipped them to multiple Clients homes so they could literally feel<\/em> the idea while we were presenting it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most important part of that? The paper samples. Because if you are a marketer who produces physical pieces you know that a piece of paper, isn\u2019t a piece of paper, isn\u2019t a piece of paper. Just writing that gives me flashbacks to my first job as an Assistant Account Manager and hearing terms like \u201c120 lb. cover, matte\u201d and \u201c60 lb. text\u201d for the first time and realizing that paper isn\u2019t a one trick pony. The opportunity afforded marketers by getting your message on the right paper to tell your story is a significant one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marry story, form, and function<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When designing for a piece that is going to be held in your prospect\u2019s or customer\u2019s hands, the first thing to ask is \u201cwhat story does this piece need to tell?\u201d followed by \u201chow does the paper and printing choice help tell that?\u201d For some Clients, a simple 2\/c postcard on a standard stock is the perfect way to communicate your brand\u2019s value and move people to action. For others, a piece that literally has some heft and feels luxurious in the hand, does a lot to subliminally communicate importance and prestige even before the headline is read or the piece is opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same is true for an interesting or unexpected die cut or fold that reveals content in a new way\u2026all of it tells your brand story arguably more effectively than the printed word. This isn\u2019t about a crazy shape or printing technique just for the sake of being able to do it; rather it\u2019s storytelling in its most basic form literally marrying your story to form and function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stand out in a crowd<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

And let\u2019s face it\u2026your brand communicates in a very crowded space. I always bring examples of direct mail pieces I receive at home to the office to share with the team and if I have less than five examples a week, it\u2019s been a slow few days for the USPS. And that doesn\u2019t even take into account the pile that lands on my office desk every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a cluttered environment, like my kitchen island where the mail invariably ends up tossed in a heap, you need to use every opportunity to gain an advantage. Being thoughtful about the size of your piece, how it feels in the hand, how the ink grabs the attention\u2026all that needs to be contemplated at the same time you\u2019re thinking through the product details and offer to be shared. It cannot be an afterthought especially since a USPS study indicates that 98% of Americans check their mail daily. They will see your piece, and they will put their hands on it in some way. The obvious goal is to have the look and literal feel of the piece stop them from simply tossing it into the recycle bin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to do now<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At the beginning of your next effort involving a print piece, be sure to do the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n