How We Work With You

Marketing Communications is your partner in developing solutions that match your marketing and communications objectives. We will help you develop a strategy to deliver your messages to your target audiences, then bring together teams of professionals (from our own staff and, sometimes, outside resources) to create high-quality printed pieces or other physical products that meet WPI's editorial and visual standards and that can be produced within your budget.

Getting Started

At the start of most projects, we will have an initial meeting, during which we will discuss such issues as

Who is your audience?
What is your message?
What do you want to accomplish with the publication (provide information, recruit students, raise funds, etc.)?
What are you prepared to spend and how have you determined that amount?
How does your publication relate to pieces we may already have done for your department of other departments?
Are there existing publications, published by WPI or other entities, that you would like to emulate?
What quantity do you need printed?
When do you need it?
How will you distribute it?
What is the shelf life of the piece?
Who will act as the contact person?
Who will be involved in decisions about copy, design, etc.?

Steps in a Typical Project

Every job is a little different from all the others, but most follow a similar path through the Marketing Communications office. Should you work with us to produce a publication, these are the steps you can expect to take, in concert with our staff. Our production manager, Bonnie McCrea, will be your principal contact throughout the process, and will make sure that everything gets done at the right time.

Initial Meeting (see above)
Scheduling: We develop a production schedule with key dates that need to be met you, by our staff, and by outside resources and vendors.
Assembling the Creative Team: We will make recommendations about writers, editors, designers and other resources required to complete your job. We will secure estimates from outside resources.
Budget Approval: We will present you with a detailed budget estimate for your project, including the costs you will incur for writing, editing, design, printing and so on. We will need to get your OK on your budget and schedule before we proceed.
Writing and Editing: In some cases, you will write the copy for your publication. In other cases, we will contract with outside writers, with your OK. When the text (or copy, as we call it) is submitted, it will be edited for style, clarity, spelling, grammar and so on--either by a staff member or an outside editor. The edited copy will be sent to you for your review.
Art: For some projects, such as a newsletter, you may supply the photos and illustrations for your piece. In others, we will use photos from our stock library. For significant marketing publications and periodicals, new images and illustrations will likely be needed. In such cases, we will contract with outside photographers and illustrators, in consultation with you, and supervise their work.
First Proof: A designer (in-house or freelance) will take the copy and art for your publication and create a design. For simpler publications, like small brochures, invitations and newsletters, they may use an existing template or format.
Client Revisions: You will be asked to carefully review the first proof. We may ask you to cut copy, add copy, write captions for photos, and so on, at this point. If you wish to change the layout, substitute photos, change colors, and so on, this is the time to do it.
Print Bids: With a better idea of what your publication will actually look like, we will send the job specifications to a few printers to get more exact estimates. We typically get three bids for larger jobs and make a recommendation to you about which printer will do the best job (it isn't always the low bidder).
Plans for Mailing: If you will be mailing your publication, we will, at this point, also talk with you about who will do the mailing and how it will be mailed. We will also request that you order your mailing lists, if you haven't already done so.
Second Proof: Based on your revisions, and those of our staff editor, a new proof will be generated for your input and sign-off. In many cases, this will be the final proof before printing.
Printing: Once you have approved the final proof, we will send the electronic files for your publication to the printer chosen. The printer will generate proofs for your review and sign-off. We will review these proofs, as well. Once you sign off on the proofs, the printer will make any alterations you or we have requested and generate a new proof, if required. Only you can give the final authorization to go to press. Therefore, the final responsibility for the accuracy of changes made rests with you.
Shipping: While your job is at the printer, we will confirm with you the plans for delivery of the finished piece.
Billing: When vendor invoices arrive in our office, we screen them for accuracy on your behalf, and then forward them to you for processing and payment.
Preparation for Web: Should you want to have your publication converted to a Web site, you will need to discuss this as far in advance as possible with the Web Development Office or the e-marketing director. A simpler way to get your publication on the Web is to convert it to a PDF file, which can be opened with Acrobat Reader. We will be glad to generate a PDF for you.
Archiving and Record Keeping: Once your job is complete, we will save the electronic files on a CD to make it easier for you to reprint or update the job in the future. We will archive all original photography and illustration created for your job. We maintain a database with all of the details about our job-including all of the costs you incurred. This can be a great resource for you as you plan future publications.

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Last modified: Mar 22, 2005, 15:55 EST