Grand Opening PostCard Design gone wrong

Perhaps it's not fair to criticize others but I accept the gifts that I receive. Sometimes those gifts are examples of smart marketing and somethings those gifts are examples that we can learn from.

This postcard from Walkers Medical Pharmacy about their Grand Opening is a gift. It is a good example of a bad example of postcard marketing design.

First - what they did well. Postcard marketing is smart marketing. It's an inexpensive form of direct offline marketing. The postcard is attractive with the white on bright red.

The first question you need to address before creating any marketing piece is "Who are you trying to reach?" What is their pain or need that you promise to satisfy? This postcard doesn't target an audience. The words "Grand Opening" don't trigger an emotional need in your audience. It only pleases the business owner.

The bright red background is attention grabbing, but the text is hard to read. Your eyes search for a scan pattern on this post card and might end on the heart in the bottom right corner that promises "Free Giveaways". You might wonder, "Of what?"

The timing, red background, the scroll and the hearts in the background suggested that this might have something to do with Valentines Day. My first thought was "spa".

The second question for your marketing piece is "What do you want people to do?" The next challenge for you is, "How will you move their eyes through this to get them to act the way you want?"

So look at the postcard again. Where do your eyes go? They might first land on the words "Grand Opening" then they might jump to the scroll at the right, then down to the scroll at the bottom left and perhaps to the heart at the bottom right. That heart says, "Free Giveaways". You might think "So what?" or "What giveaways?"

If you are still there, you might move your eyes to the left of the heart and read the words, "Your satisfaction is our philosophy". What the heck does that mean? Philosophy? Who cares about your philosophy? If you cared about my satisfaction, why did you send me this confusing postcard?

My blind guess is that they wanted people to attend the Grand Opening. But it's not clear why anyone would or should. The other thing that you might notice is that there is no built in measurement of the success of this postcard. (Bring this postcard for your free gift.) Perhaps the designers intended it that way so they couldn't be held responsible.

Let's look at the back side of the postcard.

I don't know what is on the left side. It looks like a spine. The map is a good idea but poor execution. I can't read it. The map needs to be zoomed in. They might as well have stated, "Third rock from the sun." I still don't know where Walkers Pharmacy is. Do you?

I used Google maps to search the address. I think it is "on Walkers Line just x feet south of Upper Middle Road". But it doesn't say that. It is probably in a new plaza - but which? What is the most noticeable shop in that plaza? Do they want to make it easy to find?

The postcard is completely impersonal because I still don't know any body's name. Who's the boss? Who can I talk to if I have any questions?

The postcard seems to have a Valentine's theme. But what is the connection? Your opening is Feb 11 not Feb 14. How do you relate to Valentine's Day?

I know that it's just not fair for me to critique this marketing design. I think it's not fair for good business to waste their money on poor marketing. That's why I help business owners gain an unfair marketing advantage over the competition.

It might not be fair - but it's winning the marketing battle that counts.

George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing
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