There is Nothing Better than Fresh Hot Bread

I don't get to travel much but a few years ago I was fortunate enough to spend a few days in San Fransisco on Fisherman's Wharf. While there on business, I enjoyed many great meals. Each included sourdough bread made fresh at Boudin Bakery. I can still smell the wondrous aroma the emanated from the flagship location right on the Wharf. It is a smell that permanently leaves you with a desire for more. Once spoiled with this kind of freshness the mere thought of day old bread is incomprehensibly. Day old is for the birds, literally. 

The reason I shared this short but delicious memory is of course to relate the wonder of fresh hot bread to the reality that your marketing material can be just as fresh and hot. The solution is to utilize digital print with a well orchestrated print on demand/fulfillment program.  In many vertical markets, print collateral becomes stale just like day old bread. There are many reasons for this. 

• product changes
• moving/location changes
• compliance issues
• regulatory changes
• enhanced offerings
• special promotions
• company mergers and acquisitions
• etc.

Utilizing Digital Print and POD, you can react immediately and eliminate feeding the birds or lining the Guinea Pig cage with your shredded print. Produced on demand, daily, just like that doughy delight found in San Francisco your collateral reflects the most up to date information and it is made just for you. Right off the press and delivered to your location with all the freshness your message deserves. 

POD is simple and a must for all organizations. It ultimately will reduce your cost, waste, and eliminate the dissemination of outdated information. It will leave you with the feeling of great satisfaction and fill your future with nothing but ultimate freshness. Who's hungry!

Let It Grow, Let It Grow, Let it Blossom, Let it Flow

   In the words of 

   Eric Clapton:  

   Let It Grow, 

   Let It Grow, 

   Let It Blossom, 

   Let It Flow.

When an organization begins to think about a print on-demand program one of the common stumbling blocks is that they are too small. On the flip side, others often think of the massive undertaking ahead and run screaming. Honestly, well-executed POD is one size fits all.

In previous articles I have mentioned that successful POD is all about teamwork. This teams number one priority is to identify the task at hand and begin the process. If executed properly, programs are no different based on size. You can plant a bean and watch it grow into a massive stalk worthy of the Jolly Green Giant!

The identification process focuses on the immediate needs of the organization. These might be as simple as streamlining the internal business collateral needs. Things like business cards, letterheads, envelopes, PowerPoint templates for sales presentation or sell sheets. These items are often ordered by a field user and approved by a compliance officer within the organization. Upon approval, they are produced and shipped directly to the end user. Some items may not require compliance approval. In this case orders can process through different streams based on their content. Systems also provide communication to all parties about order status. Alerts can be sent to all necessary parties about the order status, the approval state, the completion of the order and the tracking information for shipping. There is not an organization in the world that will not benefit from this type of internal business collateral system.

Once this is done adding on to a system is a natural progression. A well-crafted POD store often becomes a source for other items such as premiums and promotions, custom newsletters and brochures, static inventory ordering and even a way to manage your trade show shipping needs for displays and booths.

I spend a great deal of time talking about these types of programs. The facts are that in today's economy all manufacturing sectors are looking for a way to be as efficient as possible. POD is efficient for the print world but more importantly it is efficient for your organization as well. It WILL save you time and money. It WILL grow with your needs. It WILL be something you will wonder how you ever lived without.

You can have it all - Price, Quality, and Speed

In the world of every print shop, there is an old adage that customers want price, quality and speed. Whenever this comes up, there is undoubtedly a chuckle until someone says, “pick two.” You see, in order to fulfill this dream, print organizations would have to staff, and have capacity, for the peaks in the workload and sell their product for a minimal profit if any profit at all. This creates an environment that eventually creates failure to even deliver two out of the three desires. No print shop can effectively invest and maintain their infrastructure on a low profit margin. There is a truth to the “pick two” response. There is also a way to get all three! Enter PRINT ON-DEMAND / WEB TO PRINT solutions.

POD/W2P solutions rely heavily on digital print. They also run with less cost internal shop overhead, and ultimately allow for the client to achieve the ultimate dream of price, quality and speed. POD orders are often produced the same day as they are received, produce on high quality digital presses, and are often, in the long run, less expensive than offset print jobs. Not only does a POD program fulfill the dream but it even has the potential to go further. POD adds the ability to:

• combine mailing at the time of the order
• customize materials by branch, location and recipient
• reduce the waste associated with out of date inventory
• control the brand integrity of print collateral
• create one location to go for all marketing needs
• combine with static inventory of legacy print materials
• combine with promotional items such as textiles, pens and even high value items like iPods
• continually expand to meet any future challenge you may have

There are countless reasons your organization needs to consider a POD program. Living your dream and desire for price, quality and speed is only the beginning.

Protect your print from Bacteria!

We live in a world that is full of Bacteria. So before I tell you how you can protect your print here is a quick science lesson.

Bacteria cells grow until they double in size. Like all cells, bacteria cells are surrounded by a membrane. When the bacteria cell doubles in size, a membrane grows down its middle. When this membrane is complete, the bacteria splits. This middle membrane becomes the new cell boundary for the new bacteria cells. They separate to become two new bacteria. This process is fairly rapid and requires 6 things to happen. These are Food, Acidity, Temperature, Time, Oxygen, and Moisture.  BLAH! BLAH! BLAH!

The point is that as a society we are constantly concerned with minimizing the spread of bacteria. Consumers buy all sorts of specially treated items such as paint, hand gels, clothing, toothpaste and even vacuums that are built with treated plastic parts. These purchases are made because we are concerned about the spread of bacteria. Marketers have capitalized on this and more and more Antimicrobial products have been moved into the mainstream.  In fact just today I saw antimicrobial paper towels. Personally I believe that much of this is overkill. A few germs are good for you and overdoing the whole germ-a-phobe thing may be worse in the long run.

However, there are instances and locations where germs need to be attacked and minimized.  These include and are not limited to the following:

• Medical and Dental Offices
• Hospitals
• Clinics
• Laboratories
• Long-Term Care Facilities
• Restaurants and Food Service 

In all these locations bacteria is a concern. These locations already do a significant amount to reduce the spread of bacteria. Now, they can do more.

Together with our partners, LCP has created Pro-TekCoat.

Pro-TekCoat is an aqueous based print coating that uses silver ion antimicrobial technology to protect the coating layer of a printed piece. It works on both coated and uncoated stocks and has been laboratory tested. In the chart below you can see the results showing Pro-TekCoat to be 99.9% effective at reducing bacteria after a 24hr test when compared to a control (ISO 20743 – test).

In order to help you differentiate your collateral and let others know you are doing all you can to keep your printed piece clean, LCP also will make available to you a logo much like a recycle logo for you to print on your collateral. 



Please feel free to ask any questions in the comment area of this post or email me your questions at jjh@lakecountypress.com 
 

Your "ME" is a BRAND - Take Control with W2P.

Brand - The American Marketing Association defines a "brand" as, "a Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers." The concept is really pretty basic. "Brand" is who you are.  

Here is a very cool short video about BRAND that was produced in 2011 by the MSc Brand Leadership team at Norwich Business School, University of East Anglia.

Now let's think about that for a minute. Think about yourself. How are you perceived by your co-workers, your family, your friends? Each one of us spends a great deal of time building the brand that is "ME". We sacrifice, we give, we win, we lose, we love, we hate, we laugh, we cry, we learn and we... the list goes on and on. The point is that all these, we statements, are what ultimately create the "ME Brand." You have spent your entire life up until this moment creating your "ME" Brand. As a matter of fact, just reading this post may have an effect on your "ME". There is nothing better than the "ME", after all we all own our "ME". It IS, "who we are."

Now lets suppose that tomorrow, your "ME" is hijacked. Everything you have done to create this unstoppable brand of "ME" is compromised. Control is gone. The choices you make become irrelevant. The power of your "ME" is now no longer "ME" it is "THEM". SCARY isn't it. Kind of like driving with no brakes. Total chaos is inevitable. The countless hours of personal sacrifice and good fortune are nothing but the past. Your "ME" has been taken on a proverbial joy ride. You are left in a future that is monopolized by damage control. There is little time to even think about improving or winning back the "ME" you once owned. Your "ME" has been eliminated.

ME

The scenario above, albeit extreme, is precisely why web-to-print is so important to your organizations "Brand." Chances are you paid significantly to get your brand to it's current level. The collateral you produce to foster and support the brands place is critical. I'd be willing to bet that if your "ME" was a flier, sell sheet, business card, brochure, letterhead, direct mail piece, package or any other piece of collateral, you would think twice about a rouge salesperson, distributor or even close personal friend making a duplicate of your "ME" on the office copy machine. So why do we let this happen to our brand identity with our print collateral. The good news is that web-to-print solutions can minimize, and if done correctly eliminate, this type of brand degradation.

One of my recent clients for web-to-print is United Capital. Based in Newport Beach CA, United Capital sought to gain control over their corporate brand. Working with over 35 offices across the country, UC used to place orders and ship them to corporate then ship to the field. This was not an efficient use of time or money and individual offices often resorted to local production or worse yet office copies for collateral. There was little to no control over the United Capital "ME." This venture into web-to-print is only a few months old but already proving to be a welcome change to everyone involved. To quote the marketing director of United Capital, "More importantly having all of our collateral, ads, templates etc. in one place has greatly increased the brand consistency among all of our offices. Working with a web to print solution has been an enormously positive change to the way we do internal business and the biggest step we have taken towards streamlining our processes here at United Capital."

Additionally, United Capital offices across the country now have one source to go where they acquire customized print and marketing collateral. Brand consistent print collateral and promotional items in a custom branded web portal. The corporate office can get reports on individual office activities, which products are moving, and billing reports broken out by office cost centers. Due to the nature of the financial services market, some products require a compliance approval step. The system also allows for compliance approval reports. There are also many other custom features that are unique to United Capital. The key here is, that not only is United Capital solving their brand control issues, they are continually expanding usage that streamlines their unique business requirements. Properly executed web-to-print creates this ability.

In today's ever changing print landscape, web-to-print is more necessary than ever. Brand control is only one of the many compelling reasons. Your "ME" is important! Protect it with web-to-print today.

Philanthropy and your Marketing

I'm just curious.

We are all feeling the effects of this down economy. However, nobody feels it more than the charitable organizations that do wondrous things for our society. Medical breakthroughs, lives saved, dreams becoming reality, species saved, recoveries realized and countless other POSITIVE realities coming true are the result of the hard work and dedication of these worthy organizations.

If there is one or more that are near to your heart, you know that each and every charity preaches that every penny counts. So, that got me thinking. What if there was a way that 1, 2, 3, 5% of your marketing spend could be donated back to these organizations? What if there was a way that every time a mail piece, email, text or other message was sent, the charity of your choice was the recipient of a donation? What would that mean to you personally? What would that mean to the charity? What would that do to our world in general?

Think about it. I know I donate to at least one charity that is near to my heart. I wish I could do more. I know that if I could by simply doing business I would. Please let me know your thoughts. I'm curious but more importantly interested in just how much this kind of philanthropy means to you.

Happy New Year and may 2012 Be AWESOME for all of us.

John
 

Print-On-Demand and Web-to-Print, What are you waiting for?

For years now you have heard and seen the acronyms POD and W2P. It seemed like a good idea but you just could not figure out how to fit into the limited, cookie cutter approach. It kind of felt like you were being forced to drive your father’s Oldsmobile. The good news is POD and W2P are not going to follow the path of Oldsmobile. No, POD and W2P have evolved to a point that really, anything is possible.

When I first sat down to write this article, I thought of a comment the owner of a film trade shop I used to work at made in 1991. We were a Scitex shop and the only way to get files from the desktop world to a printable form was through a Quark Xpress xtension called Visionary. One afternoon the owner said that someday you would be able to take a 44 meg Syquest disk to a Fotomat type store and get your print job out the other side. The general consensus was that he was crazy. The truth is he was a bit off in his assertion but never-the-less he was thinking outside the box and his thought was really a vision for POD. So we now fast forward to 2011 and in September, we will again see a major print show in Chicago that will be focusing on the continuing evolving technology of digital. Film has been gone for years and plates are following close behind although will not die as quickly and painlessly as it’s predecessor. There will be few “BIG” presses on the floor and everyone will be discussing how their product fits into the “Solution” of POD/W2P. From workflow solutions to output devices, from finishing equipment to software as a service (SaaS) platforms, from business cards to building size large format prints, the focus will be PRINT ON DEMAND.

One interesting reality is that even companies that have been providing these services for years are facing a crossroad of strategic decisions as they move forward. The main reason for this is that the cloud is real and SaaS combined with open source technologies are changing the playing field. What used to be your choice of chocolate chip or oatmeal, has turned into a 17-course gourmet dinner served in bed. Anything is possible, affordable and best yet customizable to your specific needs.

There is still one aspect of the equation that makes the move to a quality program a challenge and that is commitment. These solutions work best when they meet the needs of the end user and defining those needs is often where the development fails. I have had the pleasure of working on several successful programs and in all cases the lines of communication worked both ways and EVERYBODY came prepared. There were no miracles or mind reading. There was no rush to deploy. There was no disappointment.  There was a successful deployment and a program that works for everyone. Everyone is defined as the solution provider, the client and the end users. Anything less is a failed program.

Today there are still three basic types of POD printing.

1. Short run inventory control printing
2. Versioned printing
3. Full variable data printing

There are also few limits to piece size, type or end use. Most every piece of print collateral can fit into a POD program.

Switching to a POD program is likely to save upwards of 20-25% of an annual print budget. This savings will continue to grow as technology continues to evolve and more of the conventional process converts into the program.  Companies often start with the low hanging fruit for early deployment and quickly realize that there is so much more that a program can handle. Years two and three of a program usually result in a program boom. Often companies realize that it is no longer necessary to have that in-plant facility, that art department, that three quote process and add to their POD system. This concept was once described to me like this:  why would you create your own electricity when it is so easy and better to just buy it from a professional and reliable source. Companies quickly realize that they were spending an inordinate amount to “control costs” and were overlooking the hidden costs.

So what are you waiting for? If you are still driving Dad’s Olsmobile it is time to trade it in on a new and improved model.

Mobile Marketing Importance of Education

Education. It's hard to believe that no matter how old we get, we never are finished with our education. The funny thing about that is that we often forget just how necessary continued education is. This is even more true when it comes to utilizing mobile technology to mass market. I consider myself to be fairly advanced when it comes to understanding this new technology. That being said, I learn something new about my iPhone almost everyday. Usually it has to do with something I wish it could do but can't. However, when I put that reality aside, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't hear about a new cool app or a great new mobile web site. I also see at least one example EVERYDAY of what I call failed attempts. 

I started writing this blog to help educate, to differentiate and to minimally try to encourage readers to think outside the box. When it comes down to it, thinking outside the box requires risk. Risk often results in failure. Failure however is a great measurement for improvement. I was once told by a friend that I was never going to become a really good skier. When I asked why, he responded, because you don't fall down and you can't get better unless you push yourself. It's funny how things work. Risk life and limb to become good. Thank goodness we won't suffer broken bones from failed marketing efforts but without them it is hard to determine exactly how good we are.  

Education of the marketing audience is tricky. We, as a population, are overworked, tired, sensitive, and face it impatient. So how do you educate when all of this is against you? My simple answer to utilize all channels available to you. Drive clients to informational videos, send instructions on direct mail pieces, follow up with email blast, create banner ads that encourage someone to take a few minutes of their valuable time to learn on your home page. Do all of the with vigor and with emphasis! 

In the end, all "successful people" WANT to LEARN. Successful people are a marketing demographic no one will turn their nose up at. 

Below is an example of a simple educational video that is being used to help educate the use of Junaio Augmented Reality Browser on LCPs 2011 Calendar for the month of July. We will continue to look for feedback from our audience and "learn".

One of the best things about educating is that a byproduct of being an educator is being educated in return.

Conquering Mobile Marketing. Are you ready?... Part 1

Over the past six months I have had numerous conversations with clients about Mobile Marketing. In the US, we are still in the very early stages of using smart phones as a marketing tool. Nielsen predicts smartphone ownership in the U.S. will exceed 50 percent this year, 2011. Using this number you can make a strong case that since smartphone users are generally more engaged with their devices, this 50 percent make up the most active in the mobile marketing network. In anther study by, Yankee Group, smartphone owners have an average household income of $85,000, with iPhone owners averaging $100,000! If we combine these two thoughts it should be assumed that the market is ripe for success in the mobile marketing arena and what an arena it is. What started with SMS, has continued to evolve through MMS, viewing web content, interacting with mobile web content, custom app development, and social media content. All this and we are is still in a stake of early adoption. The graphic below shows the evolution of of innovation as it moves toward a level of mass acceptance. I believe that we are beginning to see some standards in the mobile marketing arena but still have a long way to go.

The question becomes, Do you smell that? It is OPPORTUNITY and it is right here in front of us. One of the biggest opportunities is being made possible through the use of 2D barcodes. More specifically QR codes. One of my favorite newsletters comes from eMarketer.com. In March they wrote a nice piece about QRs. Two of the charts which are shown here support utilizing QR technology in your mobile marketing efforts.

It is obvious looking at the demographic data that the age, income and education levels of those who have scanned a QR are desirable. The actions taken also give us some clear insight into what the user scanned the QR for. The "call to action" was acted on because the user could benefit. This is the key to successful mobile marketing.

There are six basic principles to remember when developing a mobile marketing campaign that include a QR. These are:

• Call to action
• Robust planning
• Use open standards
• Integrate the code with your design/message
• Testing
• Dialouge
• Educate
• Analytics

I will expand on each of these principles in the upcoming month. Stay tuned as we break down these critical keys to mobile marketing success.

I'm from the USPS and I'm here to HELP!

I really don't like to post links in my articles but I think this is a good time to make and exception.

Every so often something so obscure, something so out of the ordinary, something that makes you stop in your tracks, something that leaves you searching for words or something that makes you think Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, pops up and shocks you. This is one of those occasions. A Postage Sale.

I probably should not be all that surprised because in 2009 and 2010, the USPS had a Summer Sale to spike the use of direct mail. What makes this year unique is that the USPS has put a twist on it. The sale which is slated to run from July 1st through August 31st has both a secondary and tertiary impact. This summer, direct mail, both letters and flats that display a 2-dimensional barcode, will receive a 3% discount.

The first impact will be that it WILL increase the amount of mail entering into the mail stream.

The secondary impact will be the education factor. Consumers in the US are still naive to the use of 2-dimensional codes in marketing. The increase in saturation will serve as a necessary crash course which will benefit the technology and help it move closer to a level of mass acceptance.

Third and probably the most important is that it will free up real dollars for marketers to invest in QUALITY mobile marketing programs. It is not good enough to just add a code and not back it up with a quality mobile experience. First impressions are powerful and just adding a code for the discount that does not serve your mails recipient well can be a real turn off.

I encourage you to START PLANNING NOW!  A quality program takes time, money and planning. The USPS is helping you with these. There are a few months to work on your program and plan your attack. Plus there is some money you didn't plan on having on the table for the taking.


For more information about the sale see this link:

http://postandparcel.info/38155/news/usps-to-flaunt-mails-smartphone-potential-with-summer-sale/