Sarah Talbot who owns a Cornish Design Company called DesignStudio has an innovative way to promote her design company through a cook book she has designed. I asked Sarah if she would consider an email interview for Graphic Design Blog and she kindly agreed. My thanks to Sarah for taking part.
1. Please could you tell us a little bit about you and your company and the type of design work that you do?
I run a graphic design company called DesignStudio, we typically work with small to medium sized businesses helping them to strengthen their ID within their marketplace. We build open and professional relationships with all of our clients, in light of this we are able to understand and pinpoint their needs, likes and dislikes which has led to producing the best possible design solutions to meet individual requirements, from a simple brochure or a much broader campaign.
2. The idea of creating a cookbook as your design company’s brochure is very unusual, what gave you the idea?
The recipe book has come from a very unique service that we offer our clients, we bake them their favourite cake and take it along to development meetings. So popular has this service become I decided to make it a feature of my new brochure.
3. Has cooking always been a passion of yours as well as design?
I love cooking, anything foody and I’m there. The fact that I now combine two of my passions in life is fantastic!
4. I understand that some of the recipes came from your existing clients, how did they respond to your unusual request for recipes?
They loved the idea, most of the recipes are mine, but some are from clients. Some of my suppliers have pages as well as initially they were upset that they weren’t in the book. It’s also a thank you to my clients for their support for my first 2 years in business.
5. How has your book been received by potential new clients?
Brilliant, people’s eyes light up when they see it. It has been described as ‘porn for foodies’. It’s great because, although at the end of the day I’m selling my business and looking for new clients my new brochure contains nothing about my company, no services, no features, nothing. People’s guards go up when you try and sell to them – this does exactly the opposite.
6. How do you plan on distributing the brochures, will they be used as a direct mail piece or handed out at meetings and events?
They are being handed out at networking events, they will be used as a direct piece of mail and followed up with cold calls. They will also be given to my existing clients to hand to possible referrals.
7. Have you any further plans for spin offs of the brochure ( e.g. recipe postcards as marketing material)?
Yes! I will be starting my own networking event by the end of the year. Called ‘afternoon tea with sarah’, this will be informal, invite only and instead of having a guest speaker we will have a guest baker who will cook their fav cake, with my help, live in the DesignStudio kitchen! I can’t wait…
8. Do you think you will do a follow up design cook book next year?
With out a doubt, I can see a whole series of books, maybe one day I’ll do a Delia style ‘all in one’.
9. Has the concept been successful in terms of generating new business, or increasing the profile of your design company ?
I have only had the book for a week, so too early to say as yet. But I think absolutely, it had already increased my profile, I have 2 live studio radio interviews this week I will be appearing within the Cornish press. And I think because the book so interrupts the traditional selling, I think it’s a certainty of not only generating new business but attracted exactly the types of companies that I’m looking to work with.
10. Have you ever done any other unusual marketing campaigns for your design company?
Not really for my company but I have sent out live penguin boxes containing clockwork penguins for one of my clients John Richards Shopfitters. http://www.penguinholiday.com hopefully should explain it!
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15 Comments
Great interview, Tara, and a great piece of promotional material too.
I wonder if Sarah will be launching a blog to help with her marketing efforts? She definitely has the right idea not to push the hard sell.
Thanks David, I think Sarah’s idea is a really nice novel way to promote her business, something you don’t hear about too often. What’s clever about it too is than unlike a brochure you are far more likely to hang on to a cook book so its a constant reminder of her design services.
The best promos are the ones useful to the recipient! This is one of many great useful ideas out there right now.
This is the tastiest promo idea I’ve ever encountered in my life
Sarah, you said that your “new brochure contains nothing about my company, no services, no features, nothing”, how do they find out about you and your company then, how can they contact you, if there are no contact details on the brochure? How do you distribute this brochure besides attending the networking events?
Hi Vivien,
Sarah has contact details on the back of the book and inside there are small quotes/endorsements from her clients alongside the recipes.
Thanks for the clarification, Tara. Makes more sense now
I cant help but get hungry upon seeing the foood pix. I will not be surprised if this cook book becomes successful. The picture sells the real product.
Totally agree, as a web designer, i see many MANY sites that lack a design flair, and while i am not a graphic designer i can appreciate that to sell something worth while you need great design. This illistrates just that, layout etc.
Great post, thanks
This is something I could try out with my clients… provided they appreciate beans on toast. Sarah’s hit upon a winning idea here and at least if times are lean for design there’s baking to fall back on!
Wow! What a brilliant marketing idea. Talk about a unique selling point. I shall have to take up baking, it the only answer.
Can i have the recipe of above two picture you have shown. Thanks in advance. I love cooking but love the bakery part the most.
That’s a great idea, definately thinking “outside of the box”. I see this blog is about 3 years old now, would be interesting to know how successful the book/campaign was.
Id like to add onto elliots post…. “thinking outside the box”…. I think this is a very strong point! In order to jump over competitors you need to have something they do not have. Producing something that is thinking outside the box can do this because your creating something that hasn’t been used before and makes you unique!
You must know you’re on to something good when your suppliers call you up, upset that they weren’t included in your marketing materials. Went to Sarah’s site hoping to download a PDF of her brochure but couldn’t find one. Was I not looking hard enough or is she simply playing her cards close to her chest?
Thanks Tara for another inspirational article.
Hi
I think she actually sent out hard copies to clients and potential clients – though building a list with a PDF version would have been a good idea