June 9, 2006, Newsletter Issue #90: Mind Your Own Business Papers

Tip of the Week

What does your choice in paper say about your company?
According to Didi Yunginger, marketing director at Backpacker magazine in Emmaus, Pa., businesses need to keep in mind that visual elements communicate just as much as words do.
After all, letters that are printed on 20-pound copier paper are instantly recognizable as being printed on plain copier paper. This type of paper doesn´t offer much insight as to the personality of a particular company. But a letter that´s printed on paper that´s brighter and heavier than the average copier paper tells you something about the sender. The type of paper a business uses is a form of communication in itself. It also helps ensure that your marketing materials receive the attention you desire for your products and services.
Paper can be used to convey more than just a serious businesslike attitude and the idea that you have a quality product or service. It doesn´t matter whether a company´s particular message is down-to-earth, high-tech, contemporary, conservative or creative. A business can use paper to project any image it chooses, just as Backpacker uses recycled paper in earthy tones in its media kit to project an image of being environmentally conscious and dedicated to the outdoors.
When choosing paper to project a particular image, it´s important to first zero in on exactly what image you want to portray. It´s also important to define the market your´re trying to reach.
In addition to image and consistency, it´s also important to keep in mind certain technical details when choosing business paper. Generally, paper varies on several points - weight(paper that weighs more than 20 pounds is considered heavy), brightness (the percentage of light the paper reflects, the higher the percentage, the brighter the paper); opacity (the amount to show-through when copying or printing an image on both sides of the paper) and texture (the feel of the paper´s surface)

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