For Creative Mailing Programs, Go “Flat” (as in, "Automated Flat")

Contributor: Michelle Yun, President, Tucker Printers

I hear it frequently from clients, as we discuss their product sampling and creative mailing program needs: “We’d really like to be putting ‘this’ [their new product] directly into our prospects’ hands, but postage is just too expensive…”

It’s true that postage expense has gone nowhere but up in recent years, a trend that will surely continue. However, whenever I’m faced with this complaint from a client or interested prospect, I’ve got a sure and easy answer for them: “Go flat,” as in automated flat.

 

Part package and part envelope, the Flex Mailer^® features a unique design that enables items as small as a thumb drive and as large as a t-shirt to be mailed as an “automated flat” at the far more advantageous rate. It features a highly flexible outer “skin” coupled with a unique inner tray design. The outer skin is tight enough to allow flexibility on both vertical and horizontal axes, while maintaining sufficient surface tension variations less than ¼ of an inch. Postage savings of up t o $1.00 per piece are typical.

Depending on the mailing, however, savings can be even more dramatic. Consider this example:

Our client, an agricultural and marketing company based in the Midwest, was planning a mailing to promote a new product. The mailing included printed materials to be sent directly to 18,000 recipients in a unique, three dimensional carton or package.

However, the cost to deliver such a package as a parcel or via the large shipping companies was about $6 to $7 per unit. Ouch! We recommended the Flex Mailer, which could also be customized inside and out with the desired branding. The cost to deliver the material at automated flat rates via Flex Mailer was $1.32 per unit – a savings of $90,000!

As shown in this example, there’s no need to curtail direct physical connections with prospects by mail, to effectively demonstrate new products and capabilities…and increase sales. All you need to do is go flat, with the Flex Mailer.

Tucker Printers is a Consolidated Graphics, Inc. company in Henrietta, NY. For more information about the Flex Mailer or Tucker Printers, visit www.tuckerprinters.com. Contact Michelle Yun at myun@tuckerprinters.com.

9 Best Practices for Effective QR Codes

Quick Response (QR) codes should be viewed as an extension of direct marketing, as they use many of the same principles of direct mail and consumer outreach marketing. Think of them as a print device that directs the viewer to an extended online marketing conversation.  More importantly, from a direct mail perspective, QR codes incite a “call-to-action” response. By scanning a QR code, you are a respondent to a marketer’s or merchandiser’s offer to access an online website. In doing so, this implies, directly or indirectly, that you are interested in the product(s) or service(s).

The better we understand the “rules of engagement” for QR codes, the higher the response rates will be.  Nine best practices to follow when using QR codes include:

1. Design a mobile site experience specifically for the QR code purpose, preferably a micro-site, instead of a full website
2. Optimize the site for all major mobile browsers (approximately 85% of QR codes are scanned on a Smartphone)
3. Create light, fast-loading graphics on the micro-site
4. Keep the site design simple with big buttons & easy touch navigation (think “thumb-able”)
5. Make it easy to connect with the brand via phone, email, or Twitter
6. Ensure the internet is available where the audience will scan the QR code  (i.e. not the subway or airplane)
7. Lead people to what they should buy, join, visit, or share
8. Conclude with the “call-to-action,” answering the question “why should I?”
9. Test, test, test -- tweak the design, and then test some more.

From a design point of view, the biggest missed opportunity is to generate a generic QR code from available resources, and simply use it as is. Imagery, photography, and any other aesthetically pleasing features should be used to make the print QR code more engaging, enticing, and inviting. Maximize brand-building opportunities by integrating brand and logo elements into the QR code, as well as other symbols, colors, and drop shadows.


The complete version of this feature  also appears in the current issue of Consolidated Graphics’ emerge magazine, under the title “QR Codes: Be Creative.”

Is Your Company a Good Fit for Print Management?

Contributor: Craig Condry, Vice President, Strategic Engagement, Consolidated Graphics

Consolidated Graphics has an important message for any organization that prints literature or other materials (and who doesn't, really?). By streamlining internal processes and taking a holistic approach to print buying, significant efficiencies in print procurement can be achieved. The approach is called "print management," and it's changing the way companies purchase print and related technologies, resulting in savings up to 20 percent in some cases.

But how do companies know if they are good candidates for print management? Nearly any company, regardless of size or market segment, can streamline and gain savings to some degree. However, successful candidates tend to share certain characteristics and needs. A starting point for any interested company may begin by taking the following yes/no quiz:

1. Do you have a desire to centralize of strengthen the procurement function?
2. Are there multiple buying locations, departments or divisions?
3. Are you open to a strategic relationship versus transactional bidding?
4. Is there a need for national (or global) service?
5. Do you have senior executive sponsorship?
6. Is there a willingness to provide benchmark data?
7. Are you open to process and procedural changes?
8. Are you being charged to identify double-digit cost reductions across multiple commodities?
9. Do you want to get away from dozens or even hundreds of niche print providers in favor of a more strategic, single source relationship?

Companies that answer yes to two or more of these questions may be good candidates for print management. The only way to know for sure, is to proceed with a print assessment audit utilizing Six Sigma processes, which in short order will determine the current overall cost of ownership for print within the organization, including hidden costs that weigh down margin. In addition to printed products, it's important to focus on process during the assessment, including administration, obsolescence, packaging, freight, fulfillment, distribution and storage, to name a few. From that point, evaluation will continue with solutions ultimately proposed to streamline and create process and product improvements that deliver savings, from product design through supply chain, production and fulfillment.

The results of a strategic print management partnership can come in various forms, including reductions and stabilizations of pricing based on historical data and purchase patterns, or earned rebates. Now, more than ever, is the time for companies to take a holistic approach to print procurement, and take a look at all areas within the print supply chain to save money and increase competitiveness.

Craig Condry
Vice President,
Strategic Engagement,
Consolidated Graphics

For more information about Print Management, contact Craig Condry at ccondry@cgx.com.

Creating Presence…With Coatings

Coatings applied to printed material are not exactly new. They've existed for decades, used for such practical purposes as protecting ink from the effects of sun exposure and shielding paper from moisture or mildew.  More recently, coatings gained favor for enhancing the look of printed surfaces, with “spot” applications used to highlight certain graphic shapes or colors incorporated into print design.

Today, innovations in specialty coatings have been developed featuring an ultra violet (UV) process for achieving even more striking effects on printed material.  UV enables quick drying during production and more flexible applications of coatings on substrates, adding to real and perceived depth, dimensionality and texture.  Printers are pushing the envelope by combining coating effects and providing turnkey production services to efficiently increase the “shelf appeal” of printed products, especially for packaging applications at retail.  But uses extend into other applications as well.

“We’re seeing a rising interest in applications beyond packaging,” says Brad Haralson, President of Printing Inc. in Wichita, KS.  “A large national department store came to us with a need to differentiate holiday gift card holders, and our solution was a glitter UV design accent which dramatically changed the look and feel of the product for consumers – which is what the client wanted for their critical holiday selling season.”

Other factors are contributing to increase interest in coatings. Matte and raised UV coatings can be used as an alternative to physical embossing, for example, because in some instances it can be more cost-effective in some instances and provide customers with a smooth back side of the sheet.  In addition, there are now highly reflective coatings that can be overprinted to make virtually any color look metallic – a recyclable alternative to foil stamping.

Say Haralson: “Anything we can do to maximize the visual impact of a printed piece and make it interactive increases its perceived value – and gives the recipient a reason to hold onto it longer.”

Coating Options that Create Presence:

Glitter UV – Metallic flakes of glitter can be used in combination with matte or gloss UV coatings (see below).  It allows designers to create unique specialized effects in a variety of shapes, colors and dimensions.

“Heavy Metal” – Not actually metal at all, but can be used to create an ultra metallic look with more reflectivity than a metallic PMS.  A recyclable alternative to foil stamping that can be overprinted.

Pearlescent – Popular in the creation of luster effects, enabling new and unique color effects for automotive, industrial, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and other applications.

Dry-Erase UV – High gloss coating that creates a writable and dry-erase surface on many commonly used substrates, for presentation boards, games, calendars or schedule boards.

Cast and Cure – Enhances the brilliance of printed surfaces by embossing UV coating with a holographic film, and retaining the holographic impression within the coating. A recyclable alternative to holographic Mylar.

Raised matte UV – The matte UV coating is slightly raised, so it can be physically felt and seen when held at an angle to the light. When added to full color printed material, spot use adds drama and makes a piece stand out.

Raised gloss UV – Same application as matte UV, but with a gloss application that adds a noticeable richness and luxurious effect.

Creating Presence...With Coatings previously appeared in Consolidated Graphics’emerge^® magazine. To view emerge magazine online and to subscribe, click here.

And Then There Was White

For years, the color “white” in printed materials was primarily handled by designers: when something needed to be white, it was designed with an absence of color and printed on white substrate. But advances in technology have led to a new generation of white ink which is being successfully applied to dark substrates, often with stunning effects.

White ink isn’t exactly new. However, the traditional white inks used in offset printing have been too translucent to get a true, bright, solid white without several passes through the press, which posed a challenge to maintain image registration during production. With the emergence of digital printing, providers have responded with all-new white inks specifically designed with the operating characteristics of digital presses in mind.

HP, for example, formulated ElectroInk White specifically for its Indigo line of digital presses. (Consolidated Graphics maintains the world’s largest installation of HP Indigo presses.) ElectroInk White was developed to print as a true white on colored paper and can be used as a primary color, as a base upon which to layer other colors, or to make colors pop off of rich-colored papers.

White ink is now being used in a wide variety of commercial applications including invitations, direct mail, photo greeting cards, labels and business cards, among others. It’s also being used for packaging applications such as POS displays and storefront signage. The ability to effectively print white presents designers and marketers with a wider range of creative possibilities on colored and metalized papers, and transparent substrates. 

Use White Ink as…

A spot color

A highlight on an existing design

A cool effect by adding on top of white paper or clear substrate

An undercoat on dark substrates and non-white surfaces

An overprint on see-through substrates to achieve full color saturation

A diffusion layer on clear substrates while reverse-printing the back side

A combination of any of the above

And Then There Was White also appears in the current issue of Consolidated Graphics’ emerge magazine.  To view emerge magazine online and to subscribe, click here.

5 Ways to Lower Expenses and Create Value for Direct Mail Campaigns

Contributor: Scott Kravitz, Sales and Marketing, Mount Vernon Printing

Over the last 25 years, the cost to mail a one-ounce letter has doubled, jumping from 22 cents to 44 cents per ounce. With additional increases pending and higher energy costs on the horizon, we can only expect this trend to continue.

What does this mean for direct mail marketers? Primarily, that rising postage costs will be a major factor dictating how we communicate with customers and prospects. Lucky for us, innovative solutions and cost-effective alternatives are countering those rate hikes and keeping the overall cost of direct mail in line with marketing budgets.

It’s important to recognize the overall goal of direct mail: to entice recipients to respond to a call for action.  With that in mind, here are five ways to lower expenses and create increased value for direct mail campaigns:

1. Select products and packaging that can be mailed as an automated flat.

This means that the U.S. Postal Service can automate the processing of these products, significantly reducing the postal rate per unit. There are a couple of ways to do this. The first is by selecting mailable, durable products that easily fit into traditional flat mailers and can withstand the wear and tear endured in the shipping process, including items such as USB drives, T-shirts or tote bags. The second option is to choose packaging innovations such as the CGX Flex Mailer®, which enables dimensional products to ship as automated flats.

The CGX Flex Mailer allows dimensional products to ship as

automated flats, to achieve postage savings.

2. Manage package tracking internally.

While UPS, FedEx and USPS premium delivery options trace the movement of specific packages throughout transit, the Posta Service’s Intelligent Mail® barcode (also known as IMB) can be printed directly onto packaging, enabling customers to manage the process themselves. Thanks to modern technology, what once required expensive infrastructures can now be executed at a much lower cost through your fulfillment provider.

 3. Watch your weight.

Apply those New Year’s resolutions to your promotional products’ packaging and watch the savings add up. One of the easiest ways to keep expenses down is to reduce the overall weight of your package. Next time you’re selecting products and direct mail content, keep the overall weight in mind. By reducing the weight of your mail by just one ounce, approximately the equivalent to the weight of 10 pennies, you can save 17 cents per mailing. Multiply this by 10,000 mailings and you’ve just saved $1,700.

4. Be flexible in terms of materials and production of packaging.

Before you choose the packaging for your next direct mail campaign, ask your provider if there is excess capacity in a specific line of products, or if they’re trying to get rid of a certain paper stock. Simple changes that don’t impact the end result you’re looking for can have a major effect on your ROI.

5. Personalize your mail.

Study after study shows that recipients are more likely to open relevant personalized mail. Customize your packaging in a way that targets individual consumers or prospects. While it may be more expensive on the front end, you might be surprised at the increase in response rates. This means you can send fewer mailings out for the same results.

Mount Vernon Printing is a Consolidated Graphics, Inc. company in Laurel, MD. For more information about Mount Vernon Printing, visit www.mvprint.com. Contact Scott Kravitz at skravitz@mvprint.com.

Making an Impact in Nothing Flat: The Kodak Prosper 5000XL

Contributor: Katie Kriemelmeyer, President, AGS

One of the investments Consolidated Graphics made this past year was the purchase of a Kodak Prosper 5000XL digital inkjet web press, which was installed at AGS’ print facility in Maryland.  Among many benefits, this cutting edge digital printing technology delivers high-quality color and runs at speeds in excess of 650 feet per minute.


Kodak Prosper 5000XL

What does this mean?

With the Prosper, we finally have a way to achieve 4 color digital printing more cost-effectively for runs of up to several thousand impressions (think 25,000 to 1,000,000,000). We have customers printing books in color that they used to do in black and white – only now, with the Prosper, we’re making a better product while keeping the unit rates affordable.

Why should you care?

This speed really matters if you are trying to get millions of pages produced in an extremely short time frame (less than a day).  The best part?  The Prosper 5000XL can even do this in variable color. To date we’ve had enormous success with taking data to pages on matte and dull coated stocks, and getting it out the door (gloss coming soon).

So, what’s the big deal?

The Prosper gives us the ability to do true 1:1 digital printing at near offset rates for products such as booklets and catalogs customized for the recipient. We are also doing this for healthcare benefit confirmation statements, coupon mailers, association member mailings and invoices. Most of the time, the pieces go out the door within 24 hours of receiving the data.

Watch a video of how it all works now!




Katie Kriemelmeyer
President, AGS

AGS is a Consolidated Graphics, Inc. company in White Plains, MD. For more about AGS, visit www.ags.com. Contact Katie Kriemelmeyer at katiek@ags.com.

Veritas Celebrates Investment in Customers

There was quite a buzz on Thursday at Veritas Document Solutions, a CGX company in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, located just outside of Chicago. The main attraction was a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the recent installation of an HP T200 Color Inkjet Web press. You can read more details about the benefits of this cutting-edge technology here, but what is really special about this particular technology is that it's the first inkjet web press designed with the direct marketing needs of commercial markets in mind. At Veritas, prime customers will come from verticals such as healthcare, finance, insurance and gaming/casinos. The possibilities of what can be accomplished with the T200 are limitless, considering it provides high-volume, variable data print capabilities at a competitive price point and at very fast speeds. For example, a single HP T200 can produce 872 four-color pages per minute. Now the only limitation that Veritas and Consolidated Graphics customers will face is the creativity of their campaigns. 

The open house event included customers, suppliers, print executives and prospects interested in learning more about HP’s latest development. Veritas President Michelle Steinberg welcomed guests and reiterated the company's commitment to provide customers with the latest technology to support their businesses. "We clearly state our commitment to technology in our contracts with customers," Steinberg said, "and the HP T200 is evidence of that commitment. Our focus is now on educating them on the possibilities of this technology and showcasing the relevant communications they can create for their target audiences." Veritas and HP hosted breakout sessions that detailed the possibilities of the new equipment, and follow-up meetings will be hosted at Veritas in the weeks ahead. 

"The inkjet web press is a disruptive technology that is enabling companies to communicate more personally with their customers." - Ric Davis, Executive Vice President, Purchasing and Operations, Consolidated Graphics

"It's exciting to have such powerful technology and capabilities behind your platform. Consolidated Graphics can offer any service offering to their customers." - Tom Brooker, President, GPA

"Hewlett-Packard is pushing the boundaries of what is possible, and is responding to the needs of Consolidated Graphics' customers." - Aurelio Maruggi, Vice President and General Manager, Inkjet High-Speed Production Solutions Division, Hewlett-Packard

"We clearly state our commitment to technology in our contracts with customers, and the HP T200 is evidence of that commitment." - Michelle Steinberg, President, Veritas Document Solutions

Wetzel Brothers Offers Lamá Display Solution

After a thorough vetting process, we are proud to announce that Wetzel Brothers, Consolidated Graphics’ longest operating company and a leader in point-of-purchase (POP) displays, was recently selected as an official licensee in the USA for Marin’s International. The Lamá®is a patented, instant display that opens instantly into position in a matter of seconds. As easy as it is to set up, it’s just as simple to fold down, and saves customers up to two-thirds of their shipping expense due to its compact size.

Here’s how it all happened...

Last year, Marin’s, a French company and owner of the Lamá® patent, started looking for just a few qualified companies to manufacture and sell the Lamá® line of products stateside. They selected Wetzel Brothers because of their exclusive focus on POP displays and national scope, and thus the partnership was initiated.

What makes the Lamá® so fantastic is its ease of use and simple assembly (or should we say more accurately, no assembly?). It pops up automatically, and can be used for sampling promotional products, as a tabletop display, as a branding display, or in any number of formats utilizing the patented paperboard technology. Display sizes range from counter displays to 10 foot-high columns.

Companies like Procter & Gamble, Kraft, Microsoft, Sony, Unilever and more have already adopted the solution, and more recently, Wetzel brought the Lamá® to retail magnates Toys ‘R Us and Nintendo. According to Carine Krull of Wetzel Brothers, “They are excited about our new Lamá® capabilities and immediately made use of the innovative displays. We also anticipate generating a lot of new business as a result of this partnership.”

For more info on the Lamá®, you can  contact Wetzel Brothers. Wetzel Brothers recently exhibited the Lamá at the 2010 Shopper Marketing Expo, October 6-7, 2010 at the Navy Pier in Chicago, but if you missed them there be sure to catch them at GlobalShop at The Sands in Las Vegas, March 28-30,2011.