420 Design Blog
Advertising and Design
01 Jun 2006 | Angie H
Deciding to advertise in a publication - be it a magazine, newspaper, phone book, etc. - is often a big decision. In most cases, advertising costs a pretty penny. And with the market in most industries so saturated, it's difficult for many small businesses to get a decent ROI, so the thought of hiring a designer to help maximize your ad response can sometimes give business owners a good shudder.
That's why it's important for an advertiser to be prepared. Sure, there are "designers" out there that will charge peanuts for the work. Just like there are cheap car salesmen, there are cheap designers. But while price is important to consider, it's just as important (if not more so) to consider if they're just throwing stuff together to make it look pretty, or if they're maximizing the ad and its message to try and help you generate leads from the ad. If it's the former, 9 times out of 10, you'll be wasting your money.
Either way, it's necessary to have a budget that addreses the cost of running the ad and the cost of having the ad designed. The ad will almost always be a fixed cost, be it monthly, quarterly or annually. And "the use of a design influences the price. If the design is to be featured over an extensive geographical area or is an all-rights sale, fees are significantly higher than when used locally, within a selected area, or for limited usage."1 Knowing this up front will help you determine how and where to best use your money.
1 Graphic artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines, 11th edition