The promo flyer can be a useful item. I have wondered whether it could be designed in such a way that it could also be used as a tri-fold piece for mail-out.

-----Original Message-----
From: Museum on Main Street [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Davis, Robbie
Sent: Monday, August 16, 2010 5:47 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: question about MoMS posters and postcards

Everyone,

While we're discussing promo pieces, can we add the promo flyer to the mix? The flyer debuted with New Harmonies, continued with Journey Stories and is also planned for The Way We Worked. It was intended to be an easily-customized piece that could be mailed to local groups and teachers and as a handbill that could also be used in local businesses.

Could you also tell us more about how communities have used them? (They each receive 1,000.) I've seen many examples of local information included on them (which we always hoped would be the case).

But, a few questions:

1,000: Too much? Too little? Would councils also like to receive a batch?

Is it an effective tool for host communities? Are local groups willing to post them.

Does a smaller, bulletin board-friendly poster come too close in size to the flyer?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Thanks,
RD

On Aug 16, 2010, at 6:22 PM, "Arden Williams" <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:

Hi !

In reading over everyone's response I realized that each of our states are different and use the materials provided by MoMs in different ways (viva la difference!).

Using Key Ingredients as "the" model- in Georgia:

50 posters per site were too many - some sites gave them away as raffle items, some put their organization name on it-
some missed that idea entirely. In the end - GHC ended up with a lot of leftover posters (and we gave them out at teacher conferences). I realize that the The Way We Worked is a little different from the other recent exhibits and
maybe a different sized poster would work. Regardless, I agree with my colleagues who say 50 may be too much per site.

In Georgia the postcards were all the rage. In fact two of our sites used them as invitations to events (printing all the info on the back).
Several more of the sites called and begged for more as they seemed to be a most popular give-away item. I believe Mary is correct about the postage amount and the size of the postcard. Maybe these should stay the smaller size. Cut out the customizing but keep these around.

Cheers all,
Arden

Ms. Arden Williams
Program Officer
Coordinator,"New Harmonies"
Georgia Humanities Council
50 Hurt Plaza, Ste. 595
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: 404-523-6220 ext. 17
Fax: 404-523-5702
<http://www.georgiahumanities.org/>http://www.georgiahumanities.org/

GHC Presents:
New Harmonies:
Celebrating American
Roots Music
Arriving in GA 2012
from the Smithsonian and
Museum on Main Street
THE APPLICATION IS ON THE
GHC WEB SITE AT:
http://www.georgiahumanities.org/downloads/
New%20Harmonies%20Application.pdf

GHC will be offering program support grants for :
 September  - Due (postmarked) September 1st
(September grant  requests can be up to $3,000)

The Georgia Humanities Council is the home of
the New Georgia Encyclopedia
http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org<http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/>




________________________________
From: Museum on Main Street [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Harsh, Carol
Sent: Monday, August 16, 2010 1:10 PM
To: <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: question about MoMS posters and postcards

Hi all,

Hope you are having a wonderful summer and have enjoyed some time of relaxation.

We are in the early stages of designing and printing the posters and postcards for The Way We Worked and we want to get some quick feedback about posters and postcards.

We are considering a horizontal poster for The Way We Worked that may be about 15” tall x 22” wide.  As you know we design them in such a way as to leave space for the  host communities to  overprint their names and exhibition dates on the poster.  Council names and logos are on the posters, too.

·         Is this size about right, or should the posters be smaller?

·         Do your host towns use clear labels to put their info on the posters or do they go to a printer and have them done?

·         Is 50 posters per town about right? Or is that too many?

·         Do you think your venues find the posters useful? Or should we change them in some way?

For the postcards, we are considering changing things up a bit and making them a little larger, 5” x 7” rather than 4” x 6”—and using 6 images rather than 10 images. This will give the host communities more space to print their program schedule or other info that they want to put on the postcards.

·         How popular are the postcards?

·         How are the postcards used in your states?

·         Currently we print enough for each town to get  500 postcards.  Is that a good number?

·         On the back of each postcard, we currently include a statement like, “Brought to you by the XXX Humanities Council.” It would save MoMS a ton of money if we didn’t customize the postcards.  How important is it to keep that phrase on them?


We would appreciate your responses to these questions.  It will help us plan appropriately and spend MoMS money wisely.

All the best,

Carol

Carol G. Harsh
Director, Museum on Main Street
Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service
P.O. Box 37012, MRC 941
Washington, DC  20013-7012
202-633-5333
202-465-5267 (cell)