Thought Leadership

    Segments in Print Industry Are Set to Experience Renewed Growth

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    To say the print industry has been going through change would be a huge understatement. With the impact of digital media, the commercial printing industry has been altered forever during the last decade. There has been significant consolidation. Some forms of print communication have disappeared or have been relegated to postscript status. Emerging print technologies have recast the roles of former principal players and marginalized once-essential production approaches. It has been a challenge for the industry to even come close to its pace of growth from 20 years ago. Based on what I saw and heard during my recent trip to the 2015 Graph Expo trade show, however, those in the print industry who made it through this transition are entering a period of potential growth.

    The Graph Expo is an annual event where manufacturers and suppliers from across the graphics industry gather to show off their newest products and services to businesses and graphics professionals. At the Expo, I usually see the most recent print production technologies and I hear industry leaders discuss where we’re headed. This year certainly was no exception.

    Growth in Segments – One interesting educational session I attended was “The Status and Future of the Printing Industry,” given by Frank Romano, a professor emeritus at the Rochester Institute of Technology College of Imaging Arts and Sciences. In his session, Frank provided some perspective on the transition print has gone through. Although experiencing rapid, permanent change, print still is a relevant part of today’s multichannel communications environment. The print industry certainly is smaller than its high point 20 years ago. However, the rate of consolidation has leveled off. There are now segments within the industry that are growing again, such as direct mail, promotional printing and large-format signage. This growth is supported by evolving technologies, many of which were on display at the Expo.

    Digital Moving into Finishing – Coming as no surprise, digital printing was one of the most prevalent topics at the Expo. Inkjet and toner presses continue to advance, both in their ability to deliver higher quality and in the size and type of substrates they can handle. For me, the most interesting advancement in digital technology is occurring in finishing.

    In the not-too-distant future, finishing techniques such as foil stamping, embossing and diecutting will no longer require dies. Printers will create these special effects directly from digital files. The fixed cost of a die and the lengthy setup process have made these effects cost prohibitive for small runs. Digital finishing opens up new opportunities for visual designers. Special effects produced in the digital workflow will make smaller runs affordable.

    Print Supports Digital Media – One reason growth is occurring in areas like promotional materials and signage is the ability of these types of print to complement digital communications. They allow for personalization as well as the opportunity to link to digital media. Armed with capabilities like these, communicators can differentiate their messages and reach audience segments in conjunction with digital media. Future trends point to an ability to print on a growing variety of unique substrates. This will aid in differentiation.

    4 Simple Ways to Improve Direct Mail Letter Response

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    Direct mail is a proven way to get responses. According to the Direct Marketing Association’s 2015 Response Rate report, direct mail actually outperformed digital channels. The DMA report indicated direct mail achieved a 3.7% response rate while all digital channels combined got a 0.62% response.

    The number of direct mail projects we do at Perfect supports the notion that it still works. We print and mail a lot of direct mail for our clients. We produce high-value dimensional mailers, discount-offering postcards, and the tried-and-true direct mail fundraising letter. Recently, we held a call with a customer looking for ways to impact response for an upcoming letter campaign.

    To their credit, the customer had already uncovered a good bit of insight by testing previous mailings. They tested messaging, format and size. They discovered that a large envelope (9 x 13) with handwritten addresses got the best results. Better than regular #10 envelopes and better than postcards.

    Envelopes at 9 x 13 can be costly, however, and writing addresses by hand doesn’t scale for large mailings. So the client wanted to discuss other factors that could improve response. Since their testing had included messaging and calls to action, we focused on other potential envelope features.

    Size – Our customer’s test results with 9 x 13 envelopes were in line with data from the DMA response report, which indicated oversized envelopes get a better response. According to the report, oversized envelopes have the best response rate at 5.0%, followed by postcards (4.25%), dimensional (4.0%), catalogs (3.9%) and letter-sized envelopes (3.5%). Their concern about cost, however, is a common one. That’s why we recommend an in-between option: 6 x 9 envelopes. They are larger than the typical #10, but they get mailed at a letter rate, which doesn’t increase postage costs.

    Color – Although a potentially costly option, using color envelopes can gain attention and increase response. Color envelopes stand out against much of the mail in a person’s mailbox. Color offers the chance to present a unique and creative brand image.

    Font – Although writing addresses by hand is definitely not an option for large mailings, there are plenty of script fonts available that mimic handwriting. Although obviously not authentic, they are a way to leverage the success handwriting seems to have on response while maintaining scalability.

    Stock – Stock choice is an underused technique to increase response. Using a textured envelope can increase response by engaging the recipient’s sense of touch. Texture often provides a subliminal impact that causes the recipient to interact further with a piece, usually resulting in them opening the envelope.

    4 Reasons Why Toner Still Beats Inkjet In Commercial Printing

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    by Joe Olivo

     

    Yes, inkjet is gaining ground. According to Smither Pira, inkjet will overtake toner as the primary digital printing process by 2019. Advances in inkjet technology are making it suitable for more and more commercial digital printing applications. Inkjet already is the process of choice in high-volume digital printing and book printing. But several factors are keeping it from reaching its full potential in the broader commercial printing market.

    This was confirmed for me during my recent attendance at Dscoop, or the “Digital Solutions Cooperative.” Dscoop is a community of users of HP’s graphic arts technology. HP currently owns majority share in the digital press market with its Indigo presses.

    Dscoop is a significant source of information to predict how and when future printing technologies will be deployed. While HP supports the conference, the users group is independent of HP; its focus is helping members share knowledge to stay abreast of movements in digital printing so they can successfully manage their businesses. Not only does my attendance at Dscoop allow me to see cutting-edge print and finishing technologies, it gives me the opportunity to chat with other attendees about printing business trends.

    Based on my talks with fellow attendees, and on the equipment demonstrations I saw while at Dscoop, I believe the more mature toner process will continue to be the leader in the commercial digital print market for at least a few more years. Inkjet presses still need a little more time before they will be able to provide the quality necessary for commercial printing and fulfill the promise of faster production speeds and lower consumable costs.

    Coverage – Toner printers consistently produce medium-to-heavy areas of coverage better than inkjet. Inkjet’s quality has not yet reached a level acceptable to the graphic designers, print production personnel and marketing professionals who purchase most commercial printing.

    Substrate Variety – Toner can be used on a wider variety of substrates than inkjet at this point. While no production process can print on every substrate, there is a limit in the types of paper available for use with inkjet. Many papers used for inkjet require a special coating to treat the stock prior to printing.

    Advanced Finishing – Toner equipment manufacturers have enhanced their presses to provide digital finishing processes. Both Kodak and HP have digital presses that offer dimensional (raised) printing, while the HP Indigo can produce an embossed effect in line.

    Cost – Inkjet press costs make it hard to have a profitable business model in the short-to-medium run market. Toner presses still allow printers to have a more cost-effective model at this time.

    Drupa 2016 is the next watershed moment for inkjet printing. Drupa, the world’s largest graphic arts tradeshow, is where vendors traditionally debut new technology. I expect to see lots of news and announcements about inkjet at Drupa. Funny enough, the last Drupa, held in 2012, was billed as the “Inkjet Drupa” as inkjet was supposed to emerge from Drupa and take over the commercial digital printing market. While the 2016 Drupa will undoubtedly feature significant improvements in inkjet technology, the question remains whether these improvements will be enough to make it more widely accepted in the short-to-medium run market.

    5 Insights from the Return of the Print Catalog

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    We recently came across an article published in the Harvard Business Review (HBR) that highlighted how the print catalog is in style again with major retailers. Once a staple of product marketing, print catalogs seemed to disappear after the recession of 2008. Companies were forced to slash marketing budgets and print was an easy target. As this HBR article points out, however, retailers like JC Penney, Anthropologie, J. Crew and Restoration Hardware are either re-launching their print catalog or enhancing the catalogs they’ve always mailed. Even online-only retailers like Bonobos and Birchbox have started mailing a print catalog.

    This HBR article points out that Direct Marketing Association (DMA) data indicates catalog mailings grew to 11.9 billion in 2013. This was up from 2012, when catalog mailings dropped to their lowest point since the DMA started collecting catalog data in 2001.

    As a company with a 30-year history in print and direct mail, this trend was interesting to us. However, not all of our clients are large retailers doing mass catalog mailings. And not all of the companies and non-profit organizations we interact with have “product” to sell. So, what does this trend mean for us and customers not in retail? The uptick in catalog mailings tells us a few important things we need to keep in mind when marketing:

    Print is Alive

    Print has not gone away. In fact, print is experiencing a resurgence in value as a key part of the marketing mix.

    We Must Differentiate Our Brands

    Being able to differentiate your brand is becoming more important, while simultaneously growing more difficult to accomplish. It is getting tougher to stand out against the noise. Print can help differentiate your brand and sustain relationships. High-touch, high-quality print pieces are a great way to express your brand, make connections and spur customers to action. We’ve recently seen clients spend more on creative finishing techniques (coatings, embossing, stamping, diecuts) to enhance their printed pieces.

    Segment, Segment, Segment

    Segmenting customers in all marketing efforts is critical. We must identify and understand our customer segments. We have to appeal directly to their wants and needs when communicating with them.

    Provide Value

    Any marketing effort, especially direct marketing, must provide the customer with something of value to be effective. Like the recipes in the Williams Sonoma catalog that the HBR article mentions, the best marketing communications provide customers content they can use.

    It Has to be Integrated

    The best marketing is integrated. It leverages and relies on multiple channels to reach customers—print, e-mail, online, social media. Each channel supports the other in our quest to achieve our marketing objectives.

    Top 3 Design Trends for 2015

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    By Chris Buoni

    Has digital taken over the design world? Results of a quick Google search for “2015 graphic design trends” would seem to indicate it has.

    In researching our list of the top design trends for 2015 one thing was clear: digital design, especially for the web, is setting the standard for current design trends. This is not new for 2015. The impact of digital on graphic design trends has been evident for at least the past year.

    One of the more popular digital trends that emerged in late 2013 and continued through 2014 was flat design. This aesthetic, adopted several years ago by Microsoft, was catapulted to the top of the design world by Apple with its launch of IOS7 in September 2013. IOS7 abandoned Apple’s long-standing use of skeuomorphic design in favor of flat. During 2014, the move towards flat influenced the design of foundational graphic elements like logos. Several prominent American brands, including Hershey’s and Pizza Hut, redesigned their logos in the flat style, which was a departure from the more realistic logos that served some of these companies for as long as we can remember.

    So the question today is not will digital continue to impact graphic design? The question is which trend will impact it the most?

    See below for some possibilities.

    Material Design

    Similarly to how flat design had a champion in Apple, another technology giant is behind the newest trend in digital—material design. Google has created its own visual language that attempts to marry the classic elements of good design with the innovation that technology and science offer. According to Google, their new design language is influenced by the interaction of paper and ink. Google’s material design has three main principles: material is the metaphor; design is bold, graphic and intentional; motion provides meaning. Much of the recent commentary says material design is a slight shift back towards skeuomorphic design. Shadow and depth are being added in moderation to the popular elements of flat design like simplicity and bold color.

    Emphasis on Large Type

    When working with type in 2015 think BIG. And while you’re at it, think imperfectly handwritten too. Large type continues to be in for 2015; scripty, handwritten fonts are popular as well. It’s all about making an impression and complementing the simplicity of the flat movement. Some other trends in type this year will include letter stacking and type intersecting with objects.

    Full-width Background Images

    More commonly known as hero images, full-width photos prominently placed in the background above the fold on websites will continue to be prevalent in 2015. This was a huge trend during 2014 that is expected to continue this year. The big, bold image is usually accompanied by sparse yet large type that communicates a simple message or call to action. This growing digital trend actually relies on a principle that graphic designers have known for ages: humans are better visual communicators. Most people more easily connect with images than text. Advances in processing speed, bandwith and HTML coding now allow web designers to take advantage of a style that has a long-standing place in print. But one twist on the hero image that is taking hold is the use of video in the background instead of a still image. It will be interesting to see how movement can be translated to static formats. We have to wonder about how else future designers will merge design thinking with the array of attributes each individual medium brings.

    4 Essential Traits for the Communications Firm of Tomorrow

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    by Joe Olivo

    Having reached the noteworthy milestone of being in business for 35 years, I’ve spent some time recently reflecting on all that I’ve witnessed, firsthand, over that period. The prevailing theme in what I’ve seen through the years is a breathtaking pace of change in the way organizations communicate.

    As a business owner, I’ve had the opportunity to witness these changes from multiple perspectives. I’ve participated in the different strategies and tactics our clients’ have rolled out to achieve success in outbound marketing. Our involvement in their outbound efforts has given me a glimpse of their growing embrace of inbound marketing as well. As a full-service communications provider, we’re now working with our clients at an earlier stage in the process for both inbound and outbound efforts. We get to observe and impact strategy and planning, not just tactical execution downstream.

    The cumulative effect of all of the changes I’ve seen in the way organizations communicate is the emergence of a need for a new type of communications firm. Much like our own company, public relation firms, and traditional advertising and marketing agencies, are transitioning into a new form to continue providing relevant solutions to their clients. The communications firm of tomorrow surely will not look like the traditional providers of yesterday.  While I’m sure each will have their own differentiator, firms that succeed will have these attributes at their core:

    Ability to Leverage Predictive Analytics

    As organizations continue to gather more and more customer data, it will be imperative for firms to be able to help mine the data to predict future customer actions and results with high probability.

    A Foundation Built on Good Design

    Whether in digital or printed communications, the importance of design cannot be underestimated. With the dizzying array of messages pulsing through multiple channels, it is imperative that good communication design help capture the audience’s attention. A recent study from Missouri University of Science and Technology indicated that two-tenths of a second is the maximum amount of time it takes for a viewer to form an impression. Conveying your message quickly through good design is a must.

    Holistic Application of Creative Thinking

    For a period, ad agencies were considered a creative execution arm of corporate marketing departments.  While effective creative execution will always be important, being able to broadly apply creative thinking to help solve business problems and offer original solutions will differentiate the firms of the future.

    Have a Niche

    Because of the vast amount of information available today, and the fast pace of change, it is nearly impossible to effectively understand and serve multiple industries at once. It will be incredibly rare for a firm to survive in the future by applying a broad, shallow approach that spans multiple vertical markets. The most adept firms will provide their core offerings in the industries and markets they understand the best.

     

    While the future is always murky and hard to predict, one thing is certain: the current pace of change in communications will continue well into the future. The companies that continue to evolve, and convince their clients that it is in their best interest to evolve too, will prove to be the successful firms of the future.

    My Top Takeaways from the HOW Interactive Design Conference

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    by Chris Buoni

    Let’s get this disclaimer out of the way right up front – I still love print.

    I’ve worked in print for years, I deal with print every day, and I spend a great deal of my time helping my customers with print. I believe there is, and always will be, value in the printed word. So professing how enlightening and fun my time was at the most recent HOW Interactive Design Conference in Washington, D.C., might sound a little awkward to some. A print guy talking about interactive? No way.

    Attending sounded awkward to me at first too. But after spending two days immersed in interactive design discussions, surrounded by interactive design professionals 24/7, I don’t feel awkward talking about interactive at all. I actually feel energized. I’m excited about the professional possibilities interactive presents for me and for Perfect.

    Yes, early on during the conference I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Information architecture, UX, transformative technology, usability—all terms I have learned and discussed, but never in such concentration and proximity of so many experts. It was a landslide of fresh concepts. The theory and discussion, while informative, had the potential to overwhelm.

    But then a funny thing happened. The more sessions I attended, the more comfortable I felt with all of the new information. And, the more the interactive designers talked, the more their wisdom sounded like the conversations I’ve been having with my print design colleagues for years. Once again, I was reminded that no matter the medium, good design is built on research, planning and a clear understanding of audience. Empathy, hard work and of course, natural talent, are still the best ingredients for memorable design and a positive user experience.

    Some universal design principles cross over presentation channels:

    • Success lies at the intersection of audience (user), copy (content) and creative (Development)
    • We should focus only on the necessary content (message)
    • You must challenge assumptions—every element must have a reason for inclusion
    • Structure is vital—order never arises from chaos
    • Design conveys and supports tone
    • Great design can simply express complex ideas
    • Your design must have intent

    Feeling much more at ease after my realization, I was able to absorb and appreciate all of the great information the speakers delivered at the conference. I got to know familiar concepts at a deeper level and learned about emerging topics that are critical to successful interactive design.

    For all of my colleagues—both print and interactive—who could not attend, here are some of my favorite takeaways from the HOW Interactive Design Conference:

    • We are getting increasingly closer to replacing front-end coding with a stable platform (see Macaw).
    • Therefore, back-end structures that can move data through complex exchanges will become the more important Development need.
    • Create a system for building your websites that maximizes thought equity and leverages MEAs (Minimum Effective Artifact)—great thinking by Chris Cashdollar!
    • Great tools are available for selecting and measuring font usage in digital space (Google, Typekit and others have tools to measure the impact of font choice).
    • Contrast ratio for a website should be 4.5 to 1.
    • Mobile first Information Architecture (IA) not only places a primary emphasis on user experience (UX) but it necessitates the importance of content hierarchy and simplicity.
    • Optimum line length should be 45-75 characters for interactive.
    • PDFs are futile in the digital space because they are non-responsive. They are like paper in a digital universe.
    • Moore’s Law will eventually meet physical limits. The pursuit of new technology may soon give way to improving existing platforms for usability.

    Getting Reacquainted with the Importance of Great Design

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    by Joe Olivo

     

    Steve Jobs was a quirky and incredibly demanding titan of business. He could at times be rude and almost belligerent to those who he believed weren’t measuring up to his standards of performance. I learned this while recently reading Walter Isaacson’s excellent biography of Jobs.

    Isaacson’s book does a great job of detailing Jobs’ life and the innovation he brought to the computer, mobile phone and music industries. The book takes you through the history of the personal computer through the lens of one of the individuals most responsible for bringing it to the masses. What I also gathered from the book was that Jobs was a brilliant visionary and an ardent supporter of great design. Jobs placed top priority on Apple products being well designed both in function and style.

    I purchased my first personal computer in 1984 upon entering Drexel University, as all incoming freshman were required to own a Macintosh. I have a vivid memory of turning on the computer for the first time and experimenting with different programs like MacPaint and MacWrite. I remember being amazed at all of the different typefaces and colors you could use to create a document. While I was by no means a designer, it gave me a sense of the importance of creativity in design. This was not an accident. Sometimes forgotten in Jobs’ creation of the Macintosh computer was the value it placed on typography. This was not a machine created solely for data processing; the attention Apple paid to typography was driven by Jobs’ near obsession with the beauty of type. He treasured creativity and realized its significance on many different levels.

    In our current information-glutted, media-saturated world, visual creativity in both traditional and new media can get lost. With so many forms of media, and the speed at which information moves, the importance that should be placed on quality graphic design is often forgotten. High quality content deserves high quality design. Good design will engage the viewer, visually translate what is being communicated, and inspire people like I was inspired by the Macintosh.

    At Perfect, we have gained a newfound respect for quality graphic design during the past year. As a company who operates on both sides of the marketing equation (we market our own organization while simultaneously providing marketing services for our clients) we hold ourselves to a high standard in all of our communication efforts. Creative design is an important part of this.

    With the commoditization of print and the templates that are available for use with digital media, it has become easy to try to “automate” design. We have not done that. Our additional investment in original creative design has allowed us to enhance our brand. From branding elements, to collateral marketing materials, to social media iconography, original creative design has helped us achieve an increased return on investment in our communications efforts.

    In today’s environment, tight budgets can tempt business owners and marketing professionals to limit their spending on graphic design. This is a mistake. Those who look beyond the cost and realize that an investment in quality graphic design will yield greater dividends are the ones who will have their message stand out in this media-saturated world.

    Maintaining Enthusiasm – The Role of Internal Communication During Perfect’s Transition

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    An Internal Communications Plan Has Buoyed Employee Morale During Perfect’s Transition Phase

    By Joe Olivo

    One of the greatest experiences I have as a small-business owner is when a visitor to our facility compliments me on our organizational culture at the end of their tour. Our current and potential print and marketing clients often comment that they can sense the enthusiasm of the Perfect employees they come in contact with during their visit. This is something I take great pride in. I believe the enthusiasm our visitors witness is genuine and a true part of our culture, which values every employee.

    As Perfect embarked on our transition from printer to full-service marketing communications provider earlier this year, one of the challenges I had was to make sure our employees’ enthusiasm continued. Many of our employees have been with Perfect for 15 to 20 years. Most have been involved with the printing side of our business during their entire tenure. I had to make sure every employee knew that this transition was a natural part of the evolution of our business and the growth would benefit everyone. While the marketing and communications services we now provide may seem different from how ink is put to paper, in the end, Perfect is still helping companies improve their communications to meet business objectives. While our name change officially occurred on April 1st of this year, the effort to communicate with our employees about the evolution started well before that.

    To ensure we effectively communicated about the transition we joomla_4eloped an internal communications plan prior to executing our name change. Key elements of the plan included selecting the appropriate communication channel, communicating openly and honestly with the team, and gathering feedback during implementation. 

    Because of the nature of how and where most of our employees work, I felt it was important that they primarily receive information directly from me. Many of our employees aren’t in front of a computer during the day so e-mail and social media are not effective for us internally. We need to communicate face-to-face, so we instituted quarterly all-staff meetings. At these meetings, key stakeholders in our transition process speak to staff to explain what is occurring and discuss the goals of the transition strategy. Although we also communicate internally with a newsletter and the periodic memo, these all-staff meetings have proven to be a very reliable way to reach our entire team.

    Another key aspect of our internal communication plan is communicating openly. We need to keep messages concise and on point. We also want to deliver all news, both good and bad. Recently, I learned that we could possibly lose a project that is a significant part of our business. I communicated this news to our employees directly at one of our all-staff meetings. While no one likes hearing bad news, I felt it was better for our team to hear this directly from me. Speaking directly to the employees let me communicate that this possible loss of business was in no way related to our transition. If anything, it underscored the importance of the evolution we’re pursuing to offer a wider range of valuable services to our clients.

    The last element of our current internal communication plan is soliciting feedback from our employees. Our staff is encouraged to offer feedback and ask questions, even about areas or topics they may not be directly involved with. This has helped create buy-in and support for the transition efforts. It has also helped me identify internal brand ambassadors who I did not realize embraced change so willingly.

    Overseeing Perfect’s journey from printer to a full-service marketing communications company has been an enlightening experience. The importance of an effective internal communications plan is clear to me today; it can pay significant dividends if done correctly. While our current efforts are still in the early phases, they have allowed our staff to better understand how our organization is evolving. This has resulted in continued employee enthusiasm and increased employee performance. I’m confident this will mean continued compliments from our client visitors about the energy of the Perfect employees.

     

    Additional Resources:

    Internal Branding: What is that exactly?

    http://www.inwardconsulting.com/internal-branding/

    Best Practices to Create an Effective Internal Communications Plan to Improve Profits

    http://betterbusiness.torkusa.com/best-practices-to-create-an-effective-internal-communications-plan-to-improve-profits/