Recently, a client came to us with a dilemma. They had redesigned a newsletter, but it wasn’t working out the way they’d hoped. The newsletter is the main way this technology company engages with hundreds of distributor partners and salespeople, but users weren’t engaging.

The problem wasn’t with the visuals—those looked beautiful—but because of the way the information and graphics were used, users weren’t able to navigate the content and were having difficulty finding the information they needed.

I call this a “form over function” problem. Beautiful design is great—we create eye-catching designs for clients all the time, but it should never come in the way of clear communication.

When we create any communication asset, whether it’s a website, brochure, landing page or email, we consider function first. In this case, the audience is salespeople, and the goal of the communication is to deliver important information quickly in a way that’s easy to find.

We took the email and made it shorter, highlighting the most important elements. Then we created a microsite that has all the details, organized and searchable. User engagement is increasing, and the client got the best of both worlds: an eye-catching design and effective communications.

If you’d like to see the before and after for yourself and talk about how we can make your communications more powerful, give me a call.

Ellen Pensky ellen@bumblebeemarketing.net 925.629.7921