Marketing Communications

Full Service

The benefit of working with us is the knowledge that your message will be broadcast in a consistent, professional manner. Working with our professional staff of writers, designers, Web consultants and photographers is a free service to you – you pay only for printing and any outside vendor services.

 

Creating Print and Web Publications

Step One: Contact Us
A creative team from our office will be assigned to your department. The marketing professional will be your point of contact and manage the project. The designer or Web consultant will create the look and coordinate production details.

Step Two: Get the specifics
Before we start on any project, the creative team will meet with you to ask a variety of questions. Your answers will help determine the direction of the publication.

This meeting should occur three to four months before the piece is needed to allow time for copywriting and editing, design and production.

Step Three: Start the project
With answers inhand, the creative team can start the creation process. For each project, a production schedule, indicating timelines for copy, design, editing and production, will be created.

The process for creating printed publications typically runs as follows:

  • You submit copy via e-mail or the marketing professional writes original text.
  • UR’s proofing team edits the copy (using AP style guide).
  • The designer places the edited copy into a layout, and acquires initial pricing from the printer.
  • You review the layout and return it, with changes, to the marketing assistant.
  • Changes are made and, after your signed approval of the publication and price quote, the designer sends it to the print vendor. Note: No project will be sent from our office without a signed approval form.
  • Publications are delivered to your preferred location.

 

Publication Production

Because publications vary in size, intricacy and design, the time needed to produce them varies as well. In general, two to three months, from the date of the first meeting, are necessary to produce a publication. This includes time for design, copywriting and editing, layout review and production.

Below are estimated production time frames for a variety of print publications:

Single-color postcards; simple fliers; one- or two-sided sheets:

      Writing/editing one week
      Design one week
      Printing two weeks
      Total: three weeks


 

Jobs with copy edits; simple one- or two-color jobs:

      No writing needed  
      Design one week
      Printing two weeks
      Total: three weeks


 

Jobs with copy edits; viewbooks; multipage publications: four weeks

      Writing/editing one week
      Design two weeks
      Printing two weeks
      Total: four weeks


 

Three-panel brochures; posters; multipage brochures: five weeks

      Writing/editing one week
      Design three weeks; limited photography
      Printing two weeks
      Total: five weeks

 

Larger pieces, started from scratch
(newsletters, viewbooks, eight-plus page documents):

      Writing/editing two weeks
      Design one month, limited photography;
with all new photography, six to eight weeks
      Printing two to three weeks
      Total: 10 to 12 weeks

Any alterations to design or copy will extend these timelines. Jobs that have any special production work take a minimum of three weeks to print.

Production costs
We competitively bid all projects to secure the best possible price from print vendors. Remember, working with UR’s marketing staff is a free service to you – you pay only for printing and any outside vendor services.

 

Advertising

The creative team assigned to your department also can develop an advertising schedule, produce ads and place them in targeted publications.

Developing an advertising campaign
We ask that you provide at least two weeks’ notice, but we may be able to provide some assistance with a shorter timeline.

  • Before we can plan the campaign, we will need to know:
  • Your goal for the ad (Announce an event? Increase general awareness?)
  • Target audience (age, gender, ethnic origin, etc.)
  • Date(s) the ad will run
  • Preferred publication (we can make recommendations)
  • Preferred size (we can collect size and rate information)
  • A vailable budget and account number

As with publications, no ad will be sent from our offices without a signed approval form.

 

University Relations
Marketing Communications
Room LOR 508
2115 Summit Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105-1096
(651) 962-6400
Comments, questions, or feedback can be directed to Peter Breuch
© 2002 University of St. Thomas, Minnesota USA