Marketing Materials

Marketing Materials Details

Marketing collateral can improve the success of your event. Whether you use some of the items or all of them depends upon the event, the time you have to plan it, and the audience you wish to reach.

News Narrative

  • Answer these questions in your news summary:

    • What is the focus of the event or talk?

    • Who is involved or speaking?

    • Where will the event take place?

    • When will it happen – date, time, day of the week

    • Is there a registration deadline? How do people register, if so?

    • Why is the event occurring — is it part of a series; does it mark a specific accomplishment, etc.?

    • Other details – parking, food, age range for attendees, etc.

  • Send a copy to the College Director of Communications if you wish feedback.

  • Once you receive feedback, you can:

    • Use it for social media

    • Post it to community calendars

Electronic Invitation

  • Ensure compliance with related policies and guidelines, including: Copyright law and guidelines and Branding guidelines.

  • Send via email to:

  • Include who, what, when, where, and why, contact information and other details

  • It is best to convert these to a jpg and embed them in your email, rather than sending as an attachment.

Invitation – Print

  • Read the appropriate university policies to ensure compliance, including Copyright law and guidelines, the University Marketing Policy, and the Branding Guidelines.

  • Send via bulk mail or hand out.

  • Do the design in InDesign, Publisher or other design application.

  • Save the final document as a PDF for printing.

Photo of Speaker

  • Be sure to comply with Copyright law and policies.

  • Print Uses (Image should be 300 dpi resolution)

    • Invitations

    • Program

    • Posters

  • Digital Uses (Image can be 72 dpi resolution)

    • Electronic invitation (evite)

    • Web banners

    • Social media

    • Online publications

    • Event calendars

Poster – Print

  • Once a poster is created and saved as an image in a particular size, it cannot simply be “up-sized” to different sizes. This can result in distortion of your photos, logos, text and other design elements that make up your poster. When doing print posters, photographs used should be 300 dpi, not 72 dpi, which is for online images.

  • 8.5×11 size

    • Post on bulletin boards or hand out

    • Layout in Publisher, InDesign or other design application; save the final version as PDF for printer

  • 11×17 (see 8.5×11)

    • If mounted on foam board, this could be displayed on an easel

  • 18×24

    • Mount on foam board

    • Place on easels

    • Do the design in InDesign, Publisher or other design application. Save the final version as PDF for an approved university printer to produce.

Program – Print

  • Hand out at event

  • Frequently four pages, 4.5×8.5: Two 8.5×11 pages, front/back, folded

  • Lay out in Publisher, In-Design or other design application; final format in PDF for printer.

Comment or Evaluation Tool

Hand out at event for guests to evaluate the event or create an online version.

  • Print in black and white

  • If guest emails are captured with guests’ permission, consider sending electronically. Be sure to include a method for guests to subsequently opt-out of receiving your emails, to avoid email spamming them.