Everyone,
A follow-up question ...
Mary is right -- the USPS postcard rate of $0.28 will not cover a 5x7 postcard. A piece that size would require a first-class stamp. So, my question for you is:
What sense do you have of how your hosts do their postcard mailings? Do the send them out individually with a postcard rate stamp? Do they bundle them in an envelope with other materials? Do they use a bulk mail service/account? Or do they use first-class postage because that's what they typically have on hand?
If the higher rate for mailing a larger card is a financial hardship for venues, it's a very important consideration for us.
Thanks!
RD
On Aug 18, 2010, at 9:02 AM, Chris Vallillo <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
Hi Carol,
For what it's worth here's my 2 cents worth. Postcards are great and always get used in a wide variety of very creative ways. While I personally love the big posters, I don't see too many of them out in the actual site locations and agree that a smaller size might be more practical for many small town who are generally putting them out in store front windows. 11 X 14 seems to be the current standard in the College town where I live.
I LOVE the idea of a graphics package, PSA and video clips. We had hoped to offer some of that through the IHC but time and money just didn't permit it. It's not uncommon now for individual artists to send a DVD of promotional jpegs, press releases graphics and video with press materials. If you put together a package for each exhibit, professional duplication wouldn't be that much. RE a video PSA, 15 and 30 seconds would stand the best chance of getting airplay.
I currently duplicate audio CDs for about 1.50/unit in lots of 1000. I believe DVDs are in the same price range or just a bit more. These could be handed out at the first meeting giving folks the joy of having something (small) to take home with them (to misquote my cohort in crime Ryan Lewis).
I'd recommend a professional duplicator such as Oasis or Diskmakers to ensure quality and consitancy.
Chris
Chris Vallillo
Illinois State Scholar
Smithsonian Institution New Harmonies Exhibition
PO Box 144
Macomb, IL 61455
309-833-4838
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
<http://www.chrisvallillo.com>www.chrisvallillo.com<http://www.chrisvallillo.com>
On Aug 17, 2010, at 11:55 AM, Harsh, Carol wrote:
Thank you all for your insights and honest assessment of these publications. This is enormously helpful!
One last question. Would there be any interest in us providing host communities a graphics package that would be digital artwork for invitations, advertisements, etc.? We are currently developing video public service announcements for TV use for JS and NH and TWWW. These will be available in the Fall. But we have been wondering if makes sense for us to think differently about what we provide, especially in this digital age. Any ideas?
Carol
From: Museum on Main Street [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jack Shortlidge
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 12:54 PM
To: <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: question about MoMS posters and postcards
Our experience in Ohio pretty much mirrors what Mark writes from West Virginia. The number of posters could be reduced by half, I think without seriously affecting their impact for most communities. Regarding flyers, we're just starting to gear up for New Harmonies in 2011 and we'll see how well host sites can use the quantity of flyers. I think the post cards are very useful. Please keep the state council credit on them if possible, even if that means reducing the number of images used overall.
Most all of the feedback I've gotten from past tour hosts has been very complimentary of the MoMS tour materials, including posters, flyers, and post cards.
Jack Shortlidge
Progrm Oficer
Ohio Humanities Council
-----Original Message-----
From: Museum on Main Street [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mark Payne
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 10:33 AM
To: <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: question about MoMS posters and postcards
Our venues have appreciated the postcards and used them for invitations and announcements to a variety of groups and souvenirs for visitors. I agree that four or five images rather than ten would be just Jim dandy. If possible continue to credit the state council on the cards as they find their way into many hands. I don't think our council needs many, if any, postcards. We've used our allotments to fire up our board about the tours but for the most part try not to scoop our venues by mailing them out in any quantity. For the most part all our council needs is a sample quantity of the materials.
Most of our small town venues couldn't use 50 posters productively. I've actually gotten a couple of complaints from venues in the past that half as many would have been plenty and not as wasteful. Typically I think they use clear labels in-house rather than going to a printer. I have heard from some that the size would not allow them to run the posters through their office printer, if they had one. Our council alottment could be reduced to a half dozen posters.
The number of flyers could be reduced to 250-500 per site. I think they were used mostly to reach educators. Most of our small towns, being small towns, don't need bunches and bunches of materials as the options for use are limited. Overuse or misuse of promotional materials, like political signs, can sometimes have an unintended negative effect. The quality of materials you provide is excellent. The quantity could be reduced with no significant harm to the cause.
Mark Payne, Program Officer
West Virginia Humanities Council
1310 Kanawha Blvd. E., Charleston, WV 25301
304.346.8500 ~ 304.346.8504 (fax)
<http://www.wvhumanities.org>www.wvhumanities.org<http://www.wvhumanities.org>
Cultivating the West Virginia state of mind.
________________________________
From: Museum on Main Street [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Paul McCoy
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 10:36 AM
To: <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: question about MoMS posters and postcards
I don't mind one way or the other about poster size, but I'll second Julie about the postcards. Fewer images is fine, but the council name is very nice to have. We have a difficult time with acknowledgment from host sites as it is.
paul
On Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 8:49 AM, Julie Mulvihill <<mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
Hi Carol,
Thank you for the opportunity to respond. I wish Dan was here to offer his thoughts since he organized the last two MoMS tours in Kansas, but the sunny beaches of Galveston beckon. Our loss. Anyway....
POSTERS
Some Kansas communities think the posters are too large. This came about as we encouraged them to place them in storefronts, and we found out that store owners think the posters take up too much space! Many of them use clear labels to put their information on the posters, and we really encourage that. Otherwise, the connection between the local venue and the Smithsonian weakens. Primarily the posters are used as promotional materials, but they are also used as give-aways or gift shop items. 50 posters is likely too many. They could handle 30. KHC does not need that many to use as a council.
POSTCARDS
The postcards are more popular in Kansas then the posters. Any size is fine. Any number of images is fine. They would even be fine with only 1 image. The postcards are used primarily as invitations, thank you notes, and gift shop items. KHC communities use anywhere between 350-500. I really like having the Kansas Humanities Council on the back of the postcard. I use them as invitations and thank you notes to legislators and other statewide funders. Not having it there removes us from the partnership. I confess; I would prefer fewer images printed but keeping the councils listed on the postcard.
Julie
Julie Mulvihill
Executive Director
Kansas Humanities Council
<http://www.kansashumanities.org>www.kansashumanities.org<http://www.kansashumanities.org>
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
785-357-0359
On Aug 16, 2010, at 12:10 PM, Harsh, Carol wrote:
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)
--
Paul McCoy
Program Officer
Humanities Tennessee
306 Gay Street, Suite 306
Nashville, TN 37201
615-770-0006, ext. 17
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