When you’re working on your marketing materials, good graphic design is a must. And when we say good, we don’t mean aesthetics alone. As content marketing is both science and art, the same approach should be taken to your graphic design.
In this post, we’ve gathered the best marketing materials that successfully won the market and featured amazing graphics. Use these ideas as inspiration for your own marketing assets whether print, video, or pay-per-click.
1. Leveraging Promos on Newsletters
We received this newsletter from Tailor Brands and, unlike most emails we receive from companies, we clicked this and read the entire thing. But why did it stand out?
To begin with, who doesn’t like discounts or promos? By highlighting that in their newsletter, they have already sparked our interest. The typeface helped as well, as it was large enough and clear. The CTA button placed right below the headline is a great technique to garner leads. And lastly, since they sent the newsletter in February, they used Valentine’s as their theme. So that’s a graphic design bonus too!
2. Product Shoot for Blog Posts
Your blog page can be an effective marketing material too. But to be successful, your design elements and layout must be on point. Instead of using stock photos as a featured image for their blog, Goop (pictured above) used an original shot with their product.
In their layout, they made sure to add a CTA ‘ READ + SHOP.’ That subtle technique can push visitors to buy products right after reading the articles.
3. Marketing Materials with Emotionally-Captivating Images
Here’s another newsletter from Adzooma that landed in our inbox. Instead of dragging it to the trash folder, we were quite intrigued by what it has to say thanks to its bold colors and fun image. The headline is clear too, which makes us want to scroll down even further.
With this sample, we have a few takeaways for effective marketing materials. First, it has to be straight to the point and second, it uses compelling images to influence your emotions.
4. Sleek Website Hero Images
Your website is a “make-or-break” marketing tool that you should take seriously. Marie Forleo’s website did a great job by adding a sleek hero image and strategically placing the CTA buttons as part of its graphic design.
5. Contrasting Colors for Highlighting Assets
We included Booking.com as they did a great job with their website too. Instead of just adding their services, they emphasized the ongoing promos and discounts. The use of contrasting colors helped a lot as well.
You might want to take note of this when creating graphic designs for marketing. To highlight something, colors will play a huge role.
6. Compelling Image for Social Media Cover
As a business owner or a marketer, you are probably thinking of working on your brochures, websites, posters, and similar collateral. But, since we are already in the digital age, your social media cover image should be part of your whole strategy. This is what Walmart Canada did when promoting one of its advocacies.
At first glance, you won’t see much. But that’s precisely the beauty of the design. Since not much is going on, you can focus on their core message. Remember, your visual assets must be simple yet should relay the right message to the market.
7. Badges or Seal of Approval
If you will notice, we have a handful of website samples on this list. It’s because most of the marketing materials nowadays are incorporated into one’s website. And the University of the People did it flawlessly.
They also added a “seal of accreditation,” which is a simple touch to their graphic design but created a strong impact. With that seal alone, the University of the People has established its authenticity and credibility.
8. Consistent Use or Branding Design Elements
Your social media pages, specifically your Instagram account, should be a part of your marketing to amplify your branding. This is what ExxonMobil did. Even the icons for their featured stories are cohesive to their brand.
9. Straightforward Infographic
The World Health Organization is an institution wherein they are mandated to take things seriously. After all, we are talking about global health. But that doesn’t mean they can’t disseminate information the fun way. This is what they did with their recent infographic.
This is a great approach if you are educating the market. While the context is to be taken seriously, you can attract more attention by using child-like images or animations.
10. Well-Thought-Out Header Images
Is email marketing dead? Well, not according to most experts. And certainly not according to this list. One of the best email marketing templates we found in recent months is from Fortune. What we appreciate is its sleek and sharp graphic design. It’s easy on the eyes, which encourages us to read more.
From this sample, you will realize that header images are critical. It can impress or turn off your readers, so you have to take time to do it.
11. Reusing Your Brand’s Best Visual Assets
McDonald’s has been creating awesome ads and marketing materials over the years. And with our sample here, they did not fail once again.
The use of their mouth-watering food options as a core image is always a plus. But since they have to highlight UberEats, they added a brown bag with its logo. Even if you don’t read the full copy, you already have an idea of what McDonald’s is promoting.
12. Subtle Twists on Packaging When Branding New Products
When you are working on a marketing plan, your packaging must be included too. For new products under an already established name, this could be a challenge. Take a look at what Coca-Cola did here.
They added coffee to their main product, but they couldn’t veer away from its original packaging. The solution? They did subtle alterations that clearly differentiated the goods.
13. Highlighting Benefits vs. Features
We found this post from Rheem’s Facebook page, and we thought it could be a great sample too. For others, you might see it as ordinary. However, this style is ideal if you wish to define your product from its competitors.
With Rheem, their marketing materials highlighted the benefits of their water heater. These benefits are known to be unique in their products. And if yours has a strong USP, this approach is good for you.
14. Clear Cut Landing Page
Hysses added a streamlined landing page where their potential customers could find the crowd favorites. It’s not grand or overly designed, but anyone who would visit the Hysses’ website could easily choose the best items.
When you add a similar landing page for your brand, it acts like a ‘word-of-mouth,’ which is essential for getting more sales. And with a design that is easy to grasp, expect that profit will come rushing in.
15. Maximizing Layouts
Here’s another brand that maximized Instagram for its marketing and used impeccable graphic design. At JM Floral Creation, they did not just post mundane flower arrangements. Instead, they created layouts that could emphasize their special promos or offerings.
This series of marketing images was a break from the monotonous tone of their feed.
16. Overlapping Text in Marketing Materials
Even a huge brand such as Nike needs consistent graphic designs for its marketing materials. One of our favorites is the “You Can’t Stop Us” campaign. Just imagine if they didn’t overlap the word “US” on the core layout. The impact would be less.
Such creativity in graphic design can make your campaign go viral!
17. Photos Depicting Everyday Life
The use of “everyday” photos worked well for Aeropostale. The technique makes the brand more approachable and relatable. But like in any other graphic design, it should be organized and lined up perfectly. Otherwise, it will look cluttered, and people will get turned off.
18. Marketing Materials That Include a ‘How-To’ Infographic
Are you tired of ordering the same drink from Starbucks? Well, this quick infographic we found from their feed could help. In just one glance, you already know what you are looking at. And if you are serious about cutting down your sugar intake, you would bookmark or screenshot the post right away.
19. Balanced Design Elements
Brochures are still important, most especially if you want to share more detailed information about your products and services. Look at what Harvard did with one of their brochures. Even if there is so much to tell, they make it easy to read. The use of photos as background helped as well.
20. Using the ‘Less is More’ Approach
Adidas’ Yeezy took the world by storm. And we have to say that their graphic designs are perfect for their products. You see, Yeezy already has an avant-garde design that doesn’t need all the frills on their marketing instruments. This is exactly what you can see from the sample.
Know When to Break the Rules When Designing Marketing Materials
There is no cookie-cutter rule for creating your company’s marketing materials. It should depend on your message, the market, and your overall branding. Plus, you can play around with graphics on different channels. Like in our samples above, you can have it on your website, brochures, even cover images.
We recommend working with professional designers and copywriters if you wish for your marketing materials to gain traction. You might think you can do it, but an effective marketing tool is not exactly for amateurs.
