New rack card design for The Croff House in Hudson, NY.

The Croff House is a Victorian home with a beautiful and comfortable updated decor. Owners Duncan Calhoun and Russell Gibson worked with InsideOut to create a great web site that captures the contemporary feel of the inn and showcases its luxurious amenities. With the web site completed, it was time to create a print piece that could do the same job in a much smaller space. Again, they turned to InsideOut — this time, for the design of their 4″ x 9″ rack card.

Strong branding with matching marketing pieces:
Print designer Jennifer Lozada transferred the logo, colors, fonts and layout of the web site to the much smaller 4″ x 9″ print format. Rather than cramming the space with text, she let the photos do most of the talking. Open spaces (“white space”) in the layout draw the eye to the most important information. White space is key if you want to convey elegance and sophistication. Even with the “blank” space, text and photos, there was still room for a helpful locator map. Good feedback from the owners helped refine the map, text and photo selections.

The result: The web site and rack card are a match, conveying a consistent message. The owners decided on a quantity of 5,000 cards. InsideOut managed the printing to ensure quality, affordable cost and speed of delivery.

“It’s perfect!!!!” – Duncan

“The rack card looks great.” – Russ

Rack card and business card designs for Garden House, Key West, FL

Catering to the Key West crowd
Key West is a favorite spring break destination and Garden House has just the right vibe for this fun-loving crowd. Garden House owners John and Connie Manasco worked with InsideOut to create a great website that’s fun and easy-to-use. Next, they needed print pieces for visitors to pick up and keep. They turned to InsideOut to design a rack card and business card that matched their site.

For the rack card, the 4″ x 9″ size was the perfect choice since it fits both standard display racks and no. 10 envelopes. Plus there’s just enough real estate for useful information and photos while still fitting easily into a purse or backback. Using standard sizes for the rack cards and business cards (3.5″ x 2″) also kept print costs much lower than custom dimensions.

Matching the web site for strong branding
With a few adjustments, print designer Jennifer Lozada was able to transfer the horizontal web design to the vertical 4″ x 9″ print format and the small business card size. She kept the tone very casual, using the same sunny beach and ocean colors, cutout photos, fun pattern and handwritten font. Text was kept to a minimum; only the most important information was included. As a result, there was room for a few good photos plus a simple map to help visitors find the inn and to illustrate its convenient central location.

Garden House’s marketing pieces, both online and in print, have the same relaxed party-friendly look. Matching these pieces keeps a consistent picture in prospects’ minds. There’s no jarring difference in quality between the cards and the site.

The result:
John & Connie were happy with the designs and quickly approved them. They selected a quantity of 2500 rack cards and 2500 business cards which gave them an excellent per piece cost on printing. InsideOut oversaw the print management, ensuring high quality printing and fast, no-fuss delivery.

Online promotion and print marketing for Olympic Peninsula, WA

Local tourism group takes action during bridge closure

Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula is a major tourist destination in the Pacific Northwest. Many visitors arrive from Seattle and other eastern locations via the Hood Canal bridge. This year, the bridge is undergoing a much needed retrofit to improve safety and reduce traffic congestion. The five- to six-week closure from May to June occurs during the start of the Peninsula’s tourist season.

The Department of Transportation and local news organizations have communicated alternate routes and other important information. However, the Olympic Peninsula Tourism Commission (OPTC) wanted something more to promote local businesses during the closure. OPTC came to InsideOut to implement a program offering incentives for visitors and locals alike.

Step by step

1) Marketing to local business – The first step was promoting the idea to OPTC members. InsideOut created flyers with images and text targeting each major sub-area of the Peninsula. Flyers were were then distributed by each area’s OPTC representative. Participation is easy and FREE. Businesses wanting to offer a coupon or other incentive just contact InsideOut by email or phone.

2) Create web site and brochure – Next, InsideOut created a print brochure which directs potential visitors to an easy-to-use website, www.NoBridgeNoProblem.com. The look was kept simple and straightforward since we were also going for something that had an “official” feel. The site makes it easy to find the businesses’ offers as well as information on useful routes, maps and links to chambers of commerce.

3) Promotion in local/regional media – 10,000 brochures were printed and distributed via local ferries and Certified Folder. Local newspapers also picked up the story, providing free promotion of the web site. Participation by businesses has been very good. At this time, InsideOut has managed the coupon program and over 200 offers are currently available.

Garden House Map

Google Maps gives users of your website access to interactive content that you would otherwise not be able to provide them. Giving a visual representation of your business’ location and activities nearby is a powerful way to get users interested in staying at your destination.

More than just driving directions, a Google Map with local restaurants and things to do can really sell your property. The Garden House Inn, a very fun Key West Lodging has a great example of a map displaying proximity to local businesses. They are close to downtown and this map shows the many opportunities for guests to have fun and enjoy their time in Key West.

Inn at Cape Cod Map

If your business is not as close to the action, a Google Map can show the surrounding region as well. Maybe show all of the great golf courses nearby or lakes and rivers in which guests can fish and boat. Also, your map could show potential customers travel routes to and from your business like the the map we built for Inn at Cape Cod, a Cape Cod MA bed and breakfast.