As Christmas and New Year period are coming within our eye distance, for some it means one thing…two in fact – new diary and new calendar.   While we have forever treated diary and calendar as a gift item, truth is, for effective direct marketing the diary and calendar of your brand is the best bet you have.    Why?   Apart from the computer and mobile phone, this is the only two things that will stay within the eye level of anyone throughout the year. That’s why these are the only two medium that can cost effectively deliver your brand message throughout the year, not your press ad, not your tv ad.   But companies historically are willing to prepare diary and calendar based on themes and stories which look good, but totally irrelevant when it comes to their core brand message. In this regard the following suggestions might come handy 

1. Change your thought first. Think of your diary and calendar as a medium to send your brand message, not as a gift item.
2. What is it that you want your audience to remember that is too lengthy for any press ad and TVC and need frequent reminder? Include that in your diary and calendar.
3. Is there any interesting story about your company or brand? Include that as a theme or in different parts of the diary / calendar
4. Are there facts / interesting quips regarding your brand that none knows but fascinating nonetheless? ( like – when your company started, when the big boom took place in your sales, did you win any awards, did any of your employees conducted any interesting deeds etc.) There are lots of space under each page in a diary. Include these stories there.