Promoting multi-million dollar developments means print materials need to convey a sense of quality. Print professional, Lachlan Finch, knows how to put a gloss on high-end property brochures.
As most project marketers would agree, the brochure is a pivotal piece in the sales puzzle and, as such, is an investment of time and money that pays for itself many times over in generating speedy sales and desired pricing outcomes.
In a world dominated by digital images, it’s nice to know quality printed materials are still held in high regard. Australia’s, and indeed the world’s, notable boutique developers and sales agents place enormous value on quality print promotions, as an essential part of the appeal to buyers.
The beauty of the printed brochure is that it acts as a silent agent after potential buyers have left a display suite or an agent’s company. It is a connection to the development that sits on an entrance- or bedside table at home, constantly reinforcing the appeal of the property and strengthening the buyer’s connection to the project from a distance, on a daily basis.
Lachlan Finch is a principal at Rawson Print Co., a high end, full service commercial printing company that excels at the production of the most beautiful and compelling sales brochures. With a 40 year heritage, staff at Rawson deal in the best quality paper stocks and print materials. Clients include agencies like Rare ID and 630 Group.
Lachlan believes stock and printing techniques that add value to the finished material should always be considered in the context of what the developer wants to convey.
“Using a good stock is essential,” Lachlan says. “Then there are the embellishments that add to the look of a book: cello glazing, UV varnishing, foiling, soft touch.
“We work in the quality space in terms of print,” Lachlan explains. “We’re not your ‘get it out the door’ type printer. We offer a full service, including consultation. We’re proactive about what the customer is trying to achieve and how we can best do that.”
Used in the right context, these techniques can deliver results that really help to bring the spirit of a development to life – and offer its audience the promise of quality and care.”While price is always a consideration, Lachlan says it’s much less of a consideration for Rawson’s high-end clients.
“If you’re trying to sell a multi-million dollar
property and you choose the wrong stock
and the wrong look, then it’s going to
create the wrong impression with buyers”
“the quality of the brochure should reflect the level of investment that we’re asking buyers to make” he says. “If you have a boutique development with a gross realisation in the many millions, it makes sense to invest a little bit more in the document that will ultimately represent your product? That’s not to say you need to spend exorbitant amounts of money. But to save a few thousand dollars and end up with a low end brochure for what is ultimately a prestige sales exercise seems to be a questionable commercial decision at best.”
The cost difference between using a superior paper stock and an inferior one is insignificant given the respective results, Lachlan says. “Let’s look at an example of 300 sixteen-page books. The cost difference between the best and the worst paper might be a few hundred dollars, and paper might represent 30-40 per cent of the cost of the job. If the printer is keen only on preserving his margins, he can offer a developer a cheaper stock. The customer gets a discount, but in the end the job is pretty ordinary.
“Now, we can’t force a developer to invest a few more dollars in a great product. But by the same token, where quality is not the focus, we’re probably not the right company. Our interest lies in providing a great product towards selling a extremely high-value item.”
Although we encounter fewer printed products these days, most of us still recognise quality when we see it – but not all signs are visual. “There’s evidence that the right choice of paper can create a feeling and an image that can be absolutely lost on a different stock,” Lachlan says. “When people pick it up, they like it, but they don’t know why they like it. You see them flick through it, feel it.
“They’ll be mesmerised by the feel, something that they would call ‘quality’. They don’t know why it feels like quality, that’s in the paper, the use of the ink. But, subconsciously, it has an aura of quality.”
To discuss your printing requirements with Rawson Graphics, Contact Lachlan on 02 8873 2500.
Contact Rawson Print Co
02 8873 2500
