Creating an advertisement can be a roller coaster. It’s done: yay! Then you open your email, review the creative pieces for your next sale and your optimism fades: “That’s nothing like what I wanted.” Now you must spend precious time working with your artist to get it right. 

At Angus Media, we want to avoid that scenario at all costs. Tweaks are always expected, and we want you to love your advertisements, but everyone agrees it feels better when it’s closer to final the first time.

We work on thousands of ads, brochures and sale books each year, so I met with some of our experienced designers to get their top tips.

1. Gather up the knowns.

Getting it right goes much quicker when the breeder or sale manager has all the details, such as sale name, offering, date, location, time and contacts. Photos might not be ready at the start, but even gauging the number of lots you’d like to include allows artists to hold space.  

Knowing the main call to action (highlighting a sire or pushing to an entire sale offering) and if there are standout data points [from expected progeny differences (EPDs) to show wins], gives a solid foundation. 

“Have a good idea of what messages your marketing materials need to send,” says Grace Sanburg, a graphic artist on the print services team. “The more information we have, the easier it is for us to create an ad that feels like you and your operation.”

2. Give some guidance. 

Don’t say “whatever you’d like to do” if you don’t mean that. Even having a little inkling on preferences can go a long way, including thoughts on elements such as colors, textures or type of font. 

“The more clear and descriptive the starting point, the better,” says Kaysie Coffelt, a print advertising artist. “I love when someone sends me two to three example ads they like — even if they say, ‘I don’t like this one, but I like the vibe’ or ‘this layout feels clean to me.’”

Sanburg agrees.

“I really appreciate when someone has thought through whether they want warm versus cool tones, clean versus bold fonts, or whether they want something that feels high-end and timeless or more trendy and eye-catching,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to say what you don’t like — knowing what’s off-limits is just as helpful as knowing what’s desired.”

3. Provide examples. 

Sending a few ads ripped out of a magazine or emailing a couple of screenshots gives good direction. Our team won’t copy the design, but they can take inspiration. 

Old designs from your farm or ranch can help, too. 

“If a breeder has had us or another designer work on projects, sending those in with edits, either marked up or described in email or on the phone, can really speed the process up,” says Ryann Kats, also an artist on the print advertising team. “If a breeder loved everything about an ad except the colors used, that can seem like a huge change. In reality, simply referencing the ad and communicating what part they liked or didn’t makes a huge difference.” 

Napkin sketches or crude digital mock-ups are always welcome. 

“Be honest and specific up front — even if you feel like you’re being picky. We can take it,” Coffelt promises.

4. Keep it concise. 

“Ads can get very busy and overwhelmed with too much information on them,” Sanburg notes. “It’s okay to simplify or condense footnotes and data and just have a strong call to action so your potential customers will reach out for more information.” 

Making every word count ensures more of the words are read and are acted upon. 

Working with breeders is our favorite part of our jobs, and we want working with us to feel seamless, efficient and dare I say even fun. Hopefully these tips will help you help us to serve you better.