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2010 – A New Year for New Ideas
Jan 4th
2010: A New Year is here!
So here it is , Monday January 4, and it’s back to the grind. Back to our respective businesses with their respective hardships caused by this 2009 recession. No, it won’t go away just because it’s a new year. But there are things you can do about it. “Out with the old, in the new” I say. New business plans, new marketing strategies.
That’s what we’re doing. New web site, new digital printing storefront, new prices, new perspective on the future. The trials and tribulations of 2009 aren’t going to fix themselves. It takes some legwork.
But we have got some good NEW ideas to get you started:
How about a new variable data direct mail marketing campaign? With Purls and the accompanying analytics, it’s easier than ever to track your ROI on mass mailings.
Maybe try new product sheets or catalogs. Why not let customer distinguish which of your products or catalog issues are new with just a glance. It’s not always about redesign, sometimes just a simple gloss coating or heavier stock will make a print product stand out.
New business card design. Sure, I know, you’ve had that logo design and layout for sooo long that people are familiar it. But you can make them take notice with a fresh design, maybe go vertical instead of horizontal. How about a die cut card? Sometimes the little things can make a big impact.
New environmental stance. GREEN wasn’t just the buzzword for 2009. It’s an outlook for a more sustainable future. Utilizing more environmentally friendly products and services not only alerts your customers to your conscience stance, but it’s just plain good karma. After all, once this Earth is gone, we don’t get another one.
One way to show your customers you care is by using Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified papers. Having the FSC logo on your printed marketing material means that a Chain-of-Custody was implented to insure your printed piece was made from sustainable forestry practices. The best part? It doesn’t cost any extra! Just ask and you shall receive.
New advertising campaigns. Me, I love funny and heartwarming campaigns. You may prefer something a little more serious and direct, either way it may be time to re-evaluate your current campaigns and see if you can’t spark some new business interests. Here’s some funny ones for inspiration.
Establish some Social Marketing: You’ve probably heard all about social media on the television and radio, but like many others don’t know where to begin. Make the commitment to try just one new way of engaging with your customers. For example, create a “page” on Facebook, and invite all your current customers to become fans or tell customers about deals via Twitter . Most important, remember WHY you are doing this. You’re not going to land that next big venture just because you tweeted something or someone became a fan on facebook. What you are doing is establishing an IDENTITY. Making people remember you by placing yourself in front of customers regularly, being there with helpful advice and a smile. Make your “social marketing” prospects feel exclusive with special offers and promotions. My sister is a waitress and she sums it up well: “If you make people feel special, you get a bigger tip!”
Redesign your Website: What first impression are you making? Research shows that 2/3 of consumers turn to the internet first for information about companies so not having a website could be a deal-breaker. Or maybe you do have one but it’s just not doing what it’s supposed to. Try some Search Engine Optimization (SEO) just because your page is pretty or may have the information you want on there, doesn’t mean you dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s in the more technical backend. Try adding a blog or some other dynamic elements to you web page to keep content fresh, you don’t even have to write the blogs, there are plenty of feeds out there (probably several in your own industry) waiting to be shared.
If those weren’t big enough resolutions for this coming year well here are a few more for designers: (51 good resolutions for designers ;P)
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Print is powerful & print delivers, that’s the message here…
Dec 17th
Recently we had someone from KODAK stop by our facility to discuss the future of print and printers changing roles into marketing. Intrigued, I investigated further and came across this video montage on their “Grow Your Biz Blog“. It highlights some key elements to prints continuing importance and how the industry is changing. Although it’s a quick video it really touches on some things to keep in mind. Print is sustainable. Print is Powerful. Print Delivers.
Sure these are things we’ve all heard before, but they also touch on the integration of print into “new” media and how print still plays a role in a marketing campaigns overall effectiveness.
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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… Have you got your Christmas cards done?
Dec 9th
Well it’s snowing pretty bad here today in the Upper Valley of New Hampshire, but look at the bright side… Christmas is only 2 weeks away!!
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Has your business sent out all of it’s Christmas cards yet?
Well right now until the end of the year, Whitman Communications is is offering significant savings on Christmas Card printing when you purchase through PrintOrderNet , our online digital storefront. Just upload your file and we will help get your custom Christmas cards with plenty of time to fill them out and lick all those stamps!!
If you’re not into writing hundreds of names and addresses on all those Xmas cards and envelopes, then why not go with variable data printing?
Whitman Communications can help you take your contact database and create your custom Christmas cards with names and relevant information right on them, saving you time and money (for more presents of course!) Yes, we can even print the addresses on the envelopes and mail them for you, so you don’t even have to drive around in all of this snow. Just give us a call.
So treat yourself to an early Christmas gift, and come check out our online print selection or give us a call and let us help you with your next printing purchase.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE CUSTOM CHRISTMAS CARDS FOR YOUR BUSINESS OR PERSONAL USE NOW!!
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To bleed or not to bleed? That is the question…what bleeds are, why they matter, and how to set up your file.
Dec 2nd
To bleed or not to bleed?
That is the question…what bleeds are, why they matter, and how to set up your file.
It’s likely you’ve heard printers or designers use the words
bleed, margin, trim – but what do they actually mean and
how do they affect you and your print projects?
Trim:
The trim size refers to the final cut size of the finished printed
piece.
Margin:
Margin is the space between the trim edge and any critical
content (text/images) that you don’t want cut into.
Bleed:
Bleed is the extension of any image or graphic past the trim
that is intended to print or extend off the edge of a page.
Why are these important?
Even with modern equipment and advancing technologies,
paper can shift slightly at the printing press, bindery
equipment or cutter. It’s important to take this into
consideration when designing a print piece to eliminate any
possible negative effects that a slight shift may cause.
Results of not including a bleed when necessary:
Your 8.5” x 11” design has a full red background that you
want to run to the trim edge of the piece; you do not include
a bleed. The cutter is set to cut the piece at the exact trim
edge, which is where the red background ends. If there
was any shift when the piece was printed or a shift on the
cutter, you will see a thin white border between the trim
edge and red background on your finished piece. This may
only happen on one edge or all, so it will look sloppy and
unplanned. To avoid this, follow the instructions below.
Setting up your document
• Trim should be set at the actual final size of the printed
piece.
• Margins should be set at a minimum of 1/8” from the final
trim size to avoid any critical text or images being cut off
when the finished piece is trimmed.
• Bleeds should be set at a minimum of 1/8” beyond the final
document size (trim edge). If your design has any images
or elements that are intended to go to the trim edge,
extending your graphics out an 1/8” past the trim, this will
eliminate any chance for white space between the trim and
graphics.
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Tracking Results Means Quantifiable ROI
Dec 2nd
When they read about 1:1 print marketing campaigns, one of the things that marketers look for right away is response rate. Whether it is in a case study, an article or their own marketing, they want to know how many people responded. Was it a 6% response rate? A 12% response rate? A 27% response rate?
But response rates alone don’t tell you much. What you want is return on investment (ROI), and in order to determine that, you need to know a lot more. You need to know the value of the sale, the profit on that sale and the total cost of the campaign, including program development, design and database development. That’s why it’s so critical to monitor and measure your results.
When a furniture retailer wanted to boost its sales, for example, it set up a program by which it could follow up with visitors who did not make a purchase and try to close the sale. Once visitors entered the store and were helped by a sales associate, the associate asked for certain information. The associate entered the information of visitors that did not make a purchase into a database. The retailer sent a personalized follow-up brochure within 72 hours. The brochure thanked them for visiting, included the store address and phone number, the name of the sales associate who helped them and the hours that person worked. It also included images of the furniture the visitor liked or similar furniture if the images of the actual furniture were not available.
The results? The brochures generated a 10% return rate from those who received them, but more importantly, because the retailer tracked its sales closely—including the average value of each sale—it was able to determine that those shoppers who received the brochure spent 40% more than those who did not.
Many marketers make the mistake of not tracking results. Or, even if they do, they track only response rates, not dollars spent. Because this retailer tracked both, it could create a solid ROI calculation. It knew—in hard numbers—exactly how valuable that promotion had been to its bottom line.
Hit a home run with your next campaign!
In today’s marketing environment, with an ever-expanding array of media competing for your marketing dollars, it’scritical to be able to quantify which marketing programs are creating profits and which aren’t. By taking the time to track all of the relevant metrics and do the ROI calculations, you can not only feel great about your next 1:1 print campaign, but use the information to justify those marketing dollars in a powerful and convincing way.
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Collecting Fonts & Images
Dec 2nd
Collecting Fonts & Images
When you submit any non-PDF file to be printed, it is important to include all the fonts, images and graphics used in the document.
WHY?
Fonts and the images may show up when you open your document on your computer but that doesn’t mean they will display the same way on our computers or display at all.
Many versions of the same fonts exist and they may display slightly different on your computer vs. the next person’s computer causing text lines to wrap differently or the size to change.
In order to print your document, our technology needs to be able to reference the actual image file and not just the onscreen preview that is generated when you place a graphic in a design program.
EASY COLLECT:
If you are using Adobe InDesign you can use the Package function to collect all the images, fonts and the native design file.
How to Package:
Go to File > Package
Click Continue
Check the following boxes:
Copy Fonts
Copy Linked Graphics
Update Graphics Links in Package
Select a place to save the folder that will be created
Zip the folder and upload it to our FTP site
FONTS:
You can manually collect fonts by locating them on your computer’s hard drive. Locations may vary by computer, but in general the following will apply.
PC:
Go to My Computer and open the C:/ drive folder. Browse through the Windows folder to find the Fonts folder. Locate the font you need and COPY it to your project folder, a cd or attach it to an email. Be careful not to permanently move the font out of this folder.
MAC:
Open the Systems folder on your hard drive. Inside that folder, locate the Fonts folder. Locate the font you need and COPY it to your project folder, a cd or attach it to an email. Be careful not to permanently move the font out of this folder.
IMAGES:
Gather all the images that are linked/used in your design. The more organized your images are the easier it is to make changes when necessary.
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Getting More Out of Your Database; How Much Data Is Enough?
Dec 1st
How sophisticated does your database need to be in order to be successful with VDP?
A lot less than many people realize.
When many marketers think of Variable Data Printing and 1:1 personalization, they think of a relatively new marketing technology. In reality, the marketing and commercial printing worlds have been using this approach for more than a decade. One of the surprises has been that, it’s not how much data you have, but how you use it. Even marketers with relatively simple databases can create highly effective campaigns with great ROI if they know how to use them.
It’s all about relevance. For example, when one marketer wanted to increase traffic to its retail store, he was concerned about having only names and addresses from a purchased mailing list. The challenge was how to create relevance without recipient demographics, such as likes or dislikes, ages or income levels. How do you create true relevance out of “Dear Bob?”
Get Creative!
Use the recipients’ addresses to create maps to the store, along with distances from the recipients’ homes to the retail location. Other marketers using this approach have added estimated driving times. You might not get the same punch as if you had more detailed demographic data, but the impact will be significantly greater than if you’d sent a generic mailer.
VDP marketers consistently find that respondents to VDP campaigns spend more, on average, than respondents to generic campaigns. Thus, the “punch” is not just in the response rate, but in the
quality of the responder. Even if you get only a 5% response rate to your “basic” VDP mailing, if your respondents spend 25% more than respondents to generic campaigns, your ROI just shot up exponentially.
Another way to create relevance from a basic list is to do prospecting before sending out the actual promotion. Say you are a pet food manufacturer, but all you have is a list of 100,000 pet owners. Instead of sending out static mailers to all 100,000 names, send out a pre-mailer asking recipients to provide you with more information about themselves in exchange for the chance to win a high-value prize. Respondents provide their names and addresses — whether by mail, email or
Web site — along with the type of pet(s) they have and their pets’ ages, genders and names.
Now, instead of an undifferentiated list of 100,000 names, you have a pre-qualified list of pet owners interested in and willing to communicate with your company. Instead of sending out 100,000 mailers, half of which may be irrelevant to some recipients, puppy owners can be sent promotions on puppy food appropriate to the stage of growth of their pooch, and cat owners with felines in their later years can receive promotions on food for boosting energy in older pets. Plus, the front of the food bowl can be personalized with the pet’s name. “Hey, Trixie! It’s your owner’s lucky day!” This, along with the mailing label, might be the only personalized elements visible in the piece, but the content is tailored to the pet owner’s situation.
In the early days of VDP, it was thought, the more data the better. The more you can show the recipient that you know about them, the more successful the piece will be. That has not born out to be true. In fact, barring special situations, such as communications between financial companies and their customers, showing just how much you know about recipients can backfire.
Instead, it’s all about relevance. The extent recipients feel that the piece is relevant to their lives is what stimulates response, not the number of variable elements. And the great news for marketers is that you can create relevance even when the information in the initial database is limited.
