Business Card Quandary
2shanda (136 pencils) | Thu, 2007-09-27 21:39Today a woman contacted me who owns a publishing company. She is publishing a series of self-help computer books for programs like Excel, Word, etc.
She needs a business card. Easy enough, but here lies the problem: (i have pasted it as she wrote it)
_____________________
1. I’ve read over and over again that no one remembers a publisher’s name, but they always remember the book they published (assuming it’s a good one.) Having said that, I have a logo for my publishing company and that logo is used on the book spine and copyright page.
2. The series of books has a very distinct book cover and series title logo. This series will be the focus of my publishing for the foreseeable future and I would like people to recognize my series on sight. The book cover will change in only two significant ways – each book will have a different background color, and a different character. For instance, this book’s background is red with a business woman on the front, Excel would be blue with maybe a young woman on the front, and so on.
3. Having said I would like people to recognize the book series on sight, I think it is more important to imprint the name/logo for the book series. ??
4. I obviously can’t have the publishing logo, the book cover and series title logo on one business card. How do I streamline – how do I choose? It really is the series I want people to remember, but the business is a publishing company.
________________________
My first reaction is that she needs two cards. She is going to have to give it to people who are doing business with the publishing company, and then she has an audience who will only care about the book, not the company who published it.
I just can't figure out how to include both entities onto one card without it coming off like a piece of direct mail.
I have never designed a business card for a product before, only the business that produces that product.
What are your thoughts?
I have attached the publishing logo and one of her book covers.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 publishing co.jpg | 62.16 KB |
studio shanda
Commenting on this Forum topic is closed.
She's gotta pick one because much more and she'll have a card NO ONE wants to read (ie too much information). I think the average person responds to a little intrigue better than they do being overwhelmed with info.
I'd use the publishing logo on the front and a link to the website with a quote, "creator of the I just want to..." series.
But if she insists and has the money then you print 2 or three of her books on the back (renderings or photos).
Look at Penguin Books for an example of how the publishing brand relates to its product:
http://us.penguingroup.com/
And the history of the business card:
http://www.professorprint.com/history.html
----
Powerpoint is not a design application
----
Dirt and Rust
blend them together?
(reading her info, she should make excel a green background and word a blue one seeing as everyone knows the MS office icons by color really, just a thought you might want to point out to her)
just do me a favor, please, please, please, don't use an image on the business card of a woman with hair that looks like it was put in using plugs standing in a wind tunnel. lol
in all honesty, i'd try to merge the two ideas of the book and the publishing company. "I just want to use raston" see what she thinks of that concept?!? avoid the idea of having one side for one use and the other side for something else, you'll find yourself doing what you want to avoid of "coming off like a piece of direct mail."
business cards shouldn't be about the product. it should be contact information about the person at the business in question. keep it that way. i think useing the book title with a twist however connects the two without being a focus on the product. it's just what they'll be known for.
other then that, i don't know what esle to tell ya. i'm tired... sorry lol (hey, at least i'm honest!)
____________________________________________
Architectural Technician - Multimedia Designer
www.ArchMedia.us
Ur tired from drinkin with the Irish is why. :)
Hopefully your client has a website that can do a lot of promotion for her in a small space.
----
Powerpoint is not a design application
----
Dirt and Rust
tired from drinking... that's possible? damn, i'm glad i don't have that problem!
oh wait... nono, that is possible. i was thinking tired OF drinking.. pheww.. close call!
____________________________________________
Architectural Technician - Multimedia Designer
www.ArchMedia.us
Remember, it's 'Quandry' not 'Quandary'. :)
----
Powerpoint is not a design application
----
Dirt and Rust
It's quandary, dear boy. Sorry. Your domineditrix has spoken. Kneel!
Mara
I like the idea of using the Raston logo and putting "Author of the books.. Excel..."
Afterall, the book art is terrible, and I would hate to have to transfer it over to a business card.
At least the Raston logo is nice.
studio shanda
Agreed. :)
----
Powerpoint is not a design application
----
Dirt and Rust
If the books feature some sort of very simple male/female logo (like for public restrooms) and a distinctive color, why not do her card bleeding all four sides, the top half one color, the bottom half the other (horizontal-reading). Reverse out the two logos from the books on the left side in their appropriate colors, and on the 3/5 or so of the rest of the card to their right, reverse out her publishing company name and all the other stuff.
Or you could do the same thing two-sided, with one color per side, but of course that would cost a lot more.
Mara
ps: Ooh. If you did one color above and the other below, why not a reversed horizontal stripe between the two, with the publishing company name there in black, followed by the little Raston colophon? All the other stuff reversed. That makes it three colors, but, well, that's life. Might be cheaper all the way around to get it done as a four-color process job on a heavy matte stock.
Mara