Here’s the scenario: You invest in the creation of communications materials—presentations, brochures, posters and signage, videos or other multimedia, content for the web and more—for a specific need or event. Maybe it’s an investment of the time of internal resources, or maybe it’s the cost of external support (or maybe it’s a little of both). Your project is a great success, the event takes place, and you move on to the next urgent project with the sense of satisfaction that comes from a job a well done. Except…six months to a year from now, those materials are obsolete and must be produced all over again…or a similar need arises and your organization ends up reinventing the wheel and producing a whole new set of communications materials from scratch. Not exactly the best use of your organization’s time and money.
With forethought, planning and communication, you can extend the lifespan of your communications materials to make the most of your investments. Here are some practices to consider as you develop new projects, or revisit existing ones:
By proactively seeking to extend your projects’ useful life, you can ensure that your communications investments pay dividends in the form of improved efficiency, increased productivity, better consistency and continuity of communications, and decreased costs. And that’s an approach you can take to the bank.
Author: Kate Tomasco