Page 338 - The Green Building Bottom Line The Real Cost of Sustainable Building

316 CHAPTER 10

Here some things you may want to ask your printer:
■ Have you replaced harsh varnishes with aqueous coatings?
■ Do you have experience printing with soy-based inks?
■ Have you eliminated using alcohol as a solvent?
■ Do you recycle?
■ Can you FSC certify my project?
■ Can you certify that the paper you’re using was manufactured carbon neutral or
with green energy?
■ Is the paper you are using Green Seal certified?
■ What is the percentage of post-consumer fiber?
■ Does the paper contain sustainably produced alternative fibers?

Take care to evaluate green claims from paper manufacturers, who are fighting an
age-old reputation as egregious polluters. Some have come further than others in
greening their practices. Lastly, be aware of which certification logos you are allowed
to print on your collateral. Which of the certification entities will allow you to use their
logos changes from time to time, so ask your printer to find out which ones apply and
might be used on your final piece.

WORKING WITH AN AGENCY

Developing a Marketing Budget
In general, marketing firms work on a retainer that is charged against an hourly rate,
based on a project scope that you both have agreed upon ahead of time. Additional
costs for out-of-pocket expenses such as production, printing, shipping, travel, and
other activities that contribute to the work getting done are usually billed as incurred.
An alternative is for agencies to bill on a per-project basis. This may be appealing
if you don’t have a large budget, and it works especially well if you have someone on
your team with some marketing know-how who can manage the relationship with the
agency and serve as a go-between to get the project done. Public relations agencies
(discussed later in this chapter) also work on retainer or on a per-project basis.
Here are some budgeting guidelines:

■ Advertising production (what you pay the agency to produce the advertising)
should be no more than 30 percent of your overall advertising budget. NOTE: As
we will see later on in this chapter, Melaver, Inc., being heavy on word-of-mouth
and leery of advertising, tends to be an exception to this rule.
■ Advertising media should be at least 70 percent of your budget. Media here is
broadly defined as the means by which you take your message to market. For exam-
ple, if you were to use a billboard, the cost of printing and placing the board would
be considered production. The fee for using the board would be considered media.
For direct mail, the agency’s fee for design and getting the piece printed would be