Four Printing Tips for Rack Card Marketing Success

Rack cards are absolutely essential if your business depends on tourism of any kind. Whether you own a restaurant, miniature golf course, shopping center, hotel, water park, or any type of tourist attraction, rack cards can be your no. 1 way to let people know about your business. In order to make them as effective as possible, you need to be sure that you are doing everything you can to put them in front of your target audience and make them as attention-getting as possible.

1. Speak to your target audience

When it comes to designing your rack cards, there is only one thing that matters – does it stand out and speak to your target audience? You are going to design your card differently if your restaurant is elegant and high-priced than if your restaurant is family-oriented and welcoming to children. The same goes for any other business or attraction. Think about your demographic and make sure the message is catered to it. For example, if you have an attraction that is geared towards family and children, your rack card better pop right off the rack with fun and excitement written all over it.

However, if you are advertising your spa retreat, then it needs to be as relaxing and soothing as possible. If you are in the unique position of catering to more than one demographic, consider printing two different cards to reach both.

2. Front vs. back

The front of your card is the attention-getting side. It needs to be graphically pleasing and eye-catching, and it needs to express the message you are sending in the simplest way possible. Think striking photos of people having an enjoyable time, whether it is dining out, having fun, or simply relaxing. Your card is going to be sitting in a rack with literally dozens of other cards competing for your audience’s attention and money. Let the front of the card be the call to action, and don’t let it get cluttered with too much info. Save all the details for the back of the card, especially if you have a lot of information to provide – like admission prices, location maps or specifics about your business.

3. Take it to the top

The rack card has to sell your attraction or business in just a few seconds, and usually only a portion of the card is going to be peeking up over the rack shelving. The top half of the card is the most important – on both sides - so make sure you utilize this space for your best graphics and photos. Usually your best bet is to have your name or logo at the top, along with a great photo of someone taking part in your activity. Think creatively when it comes to this, and make sure you make it as appealing as possible.

4. Reinforce your brand

Make sure your rack cards match and compliment your branding in other areas. They should look and feel a lot like your billboards, print ads, website, and TV ads. Be consistent and try to send the same message with all of your marketing materials. Even if a person does not pick up your rack card, they will at least be likely to see it on the rack. Therefore, it can help illicit recall and reinforce the work of the other media you are using.