Home > Learning Center > Hit your promotional target - commercial printers
Hit your promotional target - commercial printers
Hit your promotional target - commercial printers
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3254/is_n6_v212/ai_15398031#continueWill the possibility of a postal increase jeopardize the direct mail industry? That's doubtful, although some marginal and inept businesses could be forced to change inefficient habits or go under.
A good example of the waste that still occurs daily comes from an executive who recently asked me to help him with an unwanted mail problem. For more than a year, his company has received promotional/direct mail pieces several times a month addressed to people not employed by the firm.
The post office was notified and the organization that sent the mail was informed. Unfortunately, months later the material continues to arrive--at somebody's expense.The moral of the story is that, although no one wants the added expense, an increased postal rate may force more efficiency on direct mailers.
Of course, this type of inefficiency doesn't exist at Pacific Printing of Valencia, CA. The 22-year-old business has grown and prospered in a competitive marketplace by careful use of direct mail.
"Due to the high expense of other types of promotional media, direct mail was selected as the most cost-effective method of communicating," notes Michael Murphy, owner of Pacific. As a result, the printer decided to publish a newsletter titled "Printprimer.""The articles and graphics are done with the average print consumer in mind," he explains. "By having a similar look and feel to each issue, Pacific Printing would like its readers to recognize the quality of our newsletter and look forward with confidence to working with us."
According to the exec, a healthy percentage of the company's growth has resulted directly or indirectly from the newsletter. The twice quarterly, four-page newsletter certainly deserves the Benny Award it won at the recent Graph Expo 93.
However, frequency isn't the only answer to efficient use of direct mail. J.H. Barney, vice president of Barney Printing (Woodstock, ONT), believes his firm has found the right formula. The printer's piece simultaneously provides customers with a useful production tool and instant recognition for the firm.
Barney recognizes the continuing value of type books in a world exploding with new and different designs, images and faces."We created a typeface book showing our Berthold typefaces, a sampling of point sizes, formats and our ability to condense, expand, italicize or slant as desired," the vice president relates. "We believe this is beneficial to our customers while, at the same time, introduces our company and computerized Berthold typesetting and page make-up system."
The printer designed an impressive cover incorporating in-house capabilities with special effects such as spot gloss and matte varnish, colorized foil stamping and ghosted separation. "We hope this helps our buyers with their own designs," Barney adds. "Some of our customers who previously supplied us with their artwork now request we do it for them."
A similar focus on efficient mailer use is evident in an attractive piece prepared by Barr Company Printers of Fort Worth, TX. The campaign, titled "Take Five," promotes the company's five-color 28-inch Heidelberg press. According to company vice president Allan W. Barr, the piece also is used to increase name identification and generate sales leads.
"We printed 3,000 pieces, hand delivering 500 and mailing the rest to leading businesses in the Fort Worth/Dallas Metroplex," Barr notes.
The piece generated interest in weeks. "We had phone calls that commended the project and led to sales calls," Barr continues. "We feel that building our name identification and quality image is just as important as obtaining leads. It's a longer term approach that should pay off."
All three printers spent time and money to develop quality pieces. Unlike the first example, all three sought a distribution plan that maximized the effectiveness of the pieces.
Commercial printers | Printers | Learning Center | Site Map | Links | Contact | Home
Copyright © 2008