Mr. Marketing: Cutting holes in your marketing efforts

By Rob Weinberg

What’s a die-cut?

— Kenneth Ryan, San Diego

There’s a Cox Communications flier out now that demonstrates die-cuts quite well. It has an astronaut tethered to a television, and the border is cut to follow the shape of the astronaut. Where the page is shaped is called a die-cut.

Rob Weinberg

The area trimmed away is cut during the printing process using a sharp edged blade (the die). The process is not unlike a cookie cutter cutting shapes from a sheet of dough, only it’s with paper. The cutting process happens after the sheet has been printed, but before it’s folded. Sheets are typically trimmed at the same time.

Die-cuts can be effectively used with labels, business cards, folders, cartons, and documents.

Like with the cookies (mmmm….cookies), almost any shape can be carved from your printed materials.

The purpose of the die-cut is to pique reader interest. For example, you get a brochure for a trade conference with a hole in the middle of the cover revealing a star. The cover also has a spotlight and the word “Focus!”

When you open the brochure there’s a tiny mirror beneath the star and the message “You’re the STAR of the show!”

The die-cut and the message caught your interest, got you to open the brochure, and read the contents. It’s also more likely you’ll internalize the sales message.

Die-cuts, when used correctly, can be very effective. They help move the reader from Point A to Point B while improving the sales piece’s message and design.

Sadly, most marketers are more intrigued by punching a hole in paper than actually making the die-cut work effectively for them. This results in wasted money and an unsuccessful marketing piece.

A good way to avoid this is to mock up your brochure, etc. with the hole in place and ask people whose demographics match your audience’s for their opinion. If they don’t see any significant value from the hole you’ve cut, consider either changing the message or skipping the die-cut.

Whatever happens, avoid the temptation to make the hole merely because you can. As my bride always reminds me, just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.

With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.

Mr. Marketing started his career developing sales promotions with die-cuts. Get his help for your marketing at www.askmrmarketing.com.

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Posted by Staff on Feb 1 2012. Filed under Mr. Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry